It has been another traveling day. Arrived in Bogota from Medellin around 2:20pm. For once, I was able to find a taxi that used meters, but the meter did not seem to make thing easier or transparent. The meter does not display the amount of money you need to pay, instead it starts from the number 25 and incremented by 1 digit for every hundred meters. At the end, they tell you how much you should pay. It really is the worst system ever. At the end of my ride, the meter reads 329. Based on this website, I downloaded the taxi fare calculator that converted that number on the meter to an actual amount I should expect to pay. The apps said 30000 COP, but the taxi driver said 39600 COP. That was even more expensive than the non authorized people offer to take me to town for 35000 COP at the airport. What a pain! Anyhow, that was really not much I could do other than paying what he asked for. It’s still just USD 10, not the end of the world or do I want to spend more of my times to worry about it. I just hate that uncertainty when using a taxi. For now on, by the chance possible, I would try to avoid taking any taxi here.
Back to the same Airbnb I stayed last week. I love the ambient of this apartment and the kooky decoration. But first thing first, I need to make sure the hot water works. After I restarted the heater, it did work, thank god. I don’t need no cold shower, Bogota is much cooler than Medellin and Cartagena. Stopped by the grocery stores to pick up a few things: apples (I missed my daily apple so much), some drinks, some pantry for breakfast, some ice-cream for indulgence after dinner, and a small box of milk for coffee.
After that, I was listening to my Airbnb's host's CD collection in the apartment and spent at least 3 hours trying to figure out the COVID test ordeal. I have tried to make an appointment at the Synlab website for the location nearest to my Airbnb, and there was no opening available for Thursday, the day before my departure. I kind of scrambled to find an alternative. In the end, I decided to stick to the original plan to go to the hospital where Carlos worked, despite the website says antigen test will have result ready after 48 hours, but Carlos confirmed with the doctor at the hospital that it should take 24 hours or less. As a backup plan, I am also going to make an appointment at Synlab airport testing site for Friday afternoon, my flight is at midnight, and a friend of mine has helped me confirmed with them that the result if tested at airport will be available in 3 hours. I tried to make an appointment online myself, which was not successful. It required me to upload some epidemiological file, I didn’t know what that is. Called them, but they couldn’t talk to me in English. At the end of the day, I have not been able to secure confirmed appointment at the airport. Will try again tomorrow. Thursday test at the hospital is a walk-in. This COVID test requirement, the timing of the test are making things so complicated. And the language barrier does not help neither. It will be alright.
... Deep Breathe ...
I walked around the Chapinero neighborhood a bit when I went to the grocery and hunted for my dinner spot, I saw this ramen bar place just a block away and looking interesting. I went there around 7:30pm after I gave up on worrying about the COVID test. The ramen was surprisingly good. There were two slides of pork that have been seared, they were so good! And they also had some slow-cooked shredded pork in the bowl with the egg, veggies, a small slide of corn in cob in a stick (never seen it that way in a ramen, but it actually worked), ramen of course, I don’t remember if there were seaweeds. I don’t think so. But overall, it tasted really good. I enjoyed it very much.
There are a few things I like to do before I leave Bogota, I wanted to see Botero Musuem, Santuario Nuestra Señora del Carmen, both are in historical district area. Botero Museum is closed on Tuesday though. I was also highly recommended to visit the Cathedral of Salt, there is a tourist train that goes there on weekends and holidays. This Wednesday happens to be a public holiday here in Colombia, so that would probably be my best option for Wednesday. And record shops I have not even had a chance to hit any of them yet. Thursday, have lunch plan at Prudencia, interestingly I read about them when I was traveling in US, in some magazine on the airplane or something. I wrote the name and planned to try when I come to Bogota, they serve an 8 course progressive lunch menu. I am so entreated and looking forward to that. Nonetheless, all of these have to work around with the COVID tests, since I do not want to be trapped here.
