how
To Get There
El Dorado Airport, approximately eight miles from Bogotá, has two terminals, the main El Dorado terminal and Puente Aéreo, which handles Avianca’s flights to the US and domestic flights to Cali and Medellín. No visa is required for US citizens for business or stays shorter than 90 days. The international departure tax is $50.00.
where
To Stay
A true jewel in Bogotá is Casa Medina (Carrera 7, No. 69A-22, Tel: 571- 217-0288, www.hoteles-charleston.com). One of the Colombian National Historical Conservation monument, the hotel is located in the new financial district. Its rooms are a combination of the highest technological advances geared to the business traveler with the classical flavor of its architecture.
La Fontana (Avenida 127 No. 21-10, Tel:: +57 1 615 4400) Situated in north Bogotá’s exclusive residential and commercial area, the newly renovated Hotel La Fontana is an architectural masterpiece that offers the amenities of an outstanding deluxe hotel.
To Eat
El Patio (Carrera 4 con Calle 27, Tel: +57 1 2826141) is a small, cozy restaurant in La Perseverancia. Its signature Italian cuisine dishes are appreciated by the trendy Bogotanos. The restaurant has beautiful interiors, a bohemian atmosphere, very good service and excellent food.
At La Fragata (Calle 100 No. 8A-55 12th Floor, Tel: 57-1 616-7461) the lobster, crab, red snapper, and local rainbow trout are excellent, as is the service. Among other notable restaurants is Luna (Calle 83 No. 12-20, Tel: 257-2088) for excellent Italian cuisine. Pajares Salinas (Carrera 10 No. 96-08, Tel: 616-1524) has become an institution in the city. Celebrities, politicians, artists and business people congregate here to enjoy the excellent Spanish food.
To Drink
Azul and Anonymous (Calle 9313 No. 11A-34, Tel: 616-3099) are the trendiest spots in town for drinks. Another good bar is the one at the Pajares Salinas (Carrera 10 N. 96-08, Tel: 616-1524) restaurant. Lloyd´s Pub (Carrera 14 No. 94-26, Tel: 616-0499), an authentic English pub, is the meeting place for Colombian and international business travelers.
To Unwind
The Museo del Oro of the Banco de la República (Carrera 6 and Calle 16 on the Santander Park , Tel: 571-342-0577) has an impressive collection – and probably the most important in its kind – of gold from pre-Columbian cultures. The museum is undergoing a renovation that will result in the opening of a new building adjacent to the present one in December 2003. Two floors will be devoted to exhibiting the lives of the pre-Hispanic societies that created the metallurgical objects preserved in the museum’s collections, and also exploring the the meaning of these ancient objects as religious offerings and in terms of shamanism.
For contemporary Colombian art, the Museo de Arte Moderno, (Calle 24 6-00, Tel: 283-3109/286-0466) is noteworthy for its impressive collection of works by Botero, Manzur, Grau, Villamizar, Negret, Alvaro Barrios, Ana Mercedes Hoyos and María de la Paz Jaramillo. It also shows independent movies.
what
To Buy
Galería Cano (Centro Comercial Unicentro, Avenida 15 # 123-30 Local 2-18, Tel: 213-9766, www.galeriacano.com.co) creates 24 and 18-carat reproductions of the El Dorado pre-Columbian treasures and gold and precious stone jewelry. It also offers high-quality emeralds. Coffee and aguardiente Antioqueño, a strong liquor made from the juice of pressed sugar cane, are also renowned.
2003 National Holidays
May 1-Labor Day
May 9-Ascension Day *
June 30-Saints Peter and Paul *
July 20-Independence Day
August 7- Battle of Boyacá
August 15 -Feast of the Assumption *
October 12-Columbus Day*
November 1-All Saint’s Day *
December 8-Immaculate Conception
December 25-Christmas Day
* If these holidays do not fall on a Monday they are celebrated the following Monday