living in Bogota

Petty crime in Bogota: the day I witnessed a phone robbery

July 24, 2017 // 7 Comments

People often contact me asking about safety and crime in Bogota. One of the things I say is that if you are careful, you can decrease your chances of becoming a victim of crime. For example, don’t wear an expensive-looking watch or jewelry; always pre-book taxi cabs; avoid using your phone on the street or on the bus; in short, don’t ‘give [more]

What to wear in Bogota

February 9, 2017 // 10 Comments

One cool Bogota afternoon you will find yourself walking among the quaint rugged buildings of the Candelaria, the smell of coffee wafting out of a nearby café and filling your nose. You look up to see where it is coming from, and almost stumble into a couple of (unmistakable!) tourists wearing shorts, vest tops and flip flops, standing in the middle of the street, [more]

Domicilios Bogota: how to order food in Bogota

October 22, 2016 // 2 Comments

Before I moved to Bogota, I used to cook for myself a few nights a week, and then microwave ‘healthy’ ready-meals on the nights when I couldn’t be bothered to cook. Ready meals (beyond pizza and lasagne) have not arrived in Colombia yet, so it wasn’t long before I started plunging into the virtual abyss of domicilios. The concept Un [more]

BogotaPopups: events this week!

November 11, 2015 // 0 Comments

Over the next week, BogotaPopUps is running a number of, what promise to be, excellent events (and a great opportunity to meet people if you’re new in Bogotá)! Organised by founders Sara Lisa Ørstavik and Andres Lizcano Rodriguez, BogotaPopUps offers unique, underground dining events which bring together friends and strangers for conversation, music, [more]

10 Bogotá anecdotes which made me Bogo-smart!

November 3, 2015 // 4 Comments

When I first arrived in Bogotá, the experience of living abroad wasn’t new to me; I had lived in Latin America before. But I wasn’t yet ‘Bogo-smart’..! What I really needed was a Bogotá for Dummies guide! Fast-forward two years and I am now a well-weathered expat/Bogotana; so what pearls of wisdom do I have to impart? Well, I thought [more]

Bogota Botanical Garden (for peace & fresh air!)

November 1, 2015 // 2 Comments

The José Celestino Mutis Botanical Garden / Jardín Botánico (to give its full name) is one of my favourite places in Bogota. When you’ve had a busy week navigating the hustle’n’bustle of the city, it can leave you gasping for some fresh air and tranquility. There are a few places to find peace and quiet in Bogota, and the Bogota Botanical Garden [more]

Culture Shock in Colombia, 2 years on

October 29, 2015 // 3 Comments

I first wrote about my experience of culture shock in Colombia a year ago, one year after my big move to Bogotá to be with my Colombian boyfriend Javi; re-reading it now, I was clearly feeling quite pessimistic at the time, so I thought that now would be a good time to write a follow-up post! In my first post, I referred to the model of culture shock presented [more]

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