12th - 14th Nov 2018
I got a remarkably good value return trip to Colombia from Expedia.co.uk which included a return flight with Air Europa and a hotel in Bogotá for the first three days. Starting off from London and a scramble through delayed underground and rail systems in our exquisitely unreliable transport system I made it to London Gatwick airport just in time, if a little flustered. The flight with Air Europa, a very Spanish organisation, was to take me via a stop-over in Madrid to Bogotá.
Gatwick Airport, or Gatport Airwick as it is sometimes amusingly referred to, was it's normal charming hub of gross commercial greed; a shopping 'mall' masquerading as an airport. So lets start off with a good whinge. The most important thing a traveller needs to know in airports and railway stations is THE TIME. Everything depends on it. So why, amongst all the signs directing you to duty free shops and 'Palaises de Booze' are there no big 'in your face' clocks. They used to have big ones as centre pieces in railway stations and airports. Now you have to search for them as tiny afterthoughts at the bottom corner of some screens. OK, they will tell you that you should look at your watch etc., but mine has been known to stop or be wrong. Maybe they want you to miss your flight/train so you can make more use of their sodding shops.
The flight was nearly on time. I have gathered that Air Europa is the long-haul equivalent of Ryanair; ie a good selling price but everything else costs. I could take a cabin bag free, whoopee, but putting a bag in the hold would cost an additional £100! Fortunately I discovered this in advance having been stung by half-hidden baggage charges previously. I thus only took a cabin bag. We arrived in Madrid 30 minutes late which gave me an hour to get through passport control, security etc again because I was going outside the EU. Madrid International 'Barajas' airport, ICAO designation 'MAD', is the pits. Poor signage and lack of information and bolshy staff who rarely speak any English make it a bit of a guesswork as to where you should go. My bag was taken aside at security for no apparent reason for an 'additional routine' search which of course proved groundless and merely made me cross and further delayed. In a long queue I did make it to the departure gate on time...well the departure was delayed in any event.
Actually the 9 hour flight to Bogota in a Boeing 787 'Dreamliner' was not too bad, if you allow for being in very cramped seating. No ghastly unnecessary pre-flight bullshit from a self-important 'this is your Captain Nigel speaking' routine as per BA. Travelling cheaply in cattle class I am always in two minds as whether an aisle or window seat is preferable, and the middle one is the worst of both worlds (see Brexit negotiations). I can normally last out a flight without ever needing to go to the loo. The aircraft was nearly full. I had a window seat of three (all occupied) which is fine if you don't want some incontinent old geriatric clambering over you every hour when you sit in the aisle seat. However, it is nice to be able to get up and wander around without having to climb over others. As it happened, after we had been airborne for a couple of hours I did get up ("sorry sorry" etc to my inboard neighbours) and found an aisle seat with only one other occupant at the window. Its worth having a look around for this. We had to pay 3 Euros for the privilege of obtaining a cheap ear-piece to listen to the in-flight 'entertainment', the meagre meal (chicken bits and rice) was edible but hardly substantial, free drinks with the meal but anything after that you had to go to the back of the aircraft and pay for it. Hence useful being in an aisle seat. Commendably, the cabin crew were a cut above the average in both helpfulness, attitude and, dare I say it, appearance; certainly in comparison with the jobsworth 'passed their sell-by date' harridans that afflict several national airlines.
On approach to Bogotá (El Dorado) International at about 6.00 pm (local) we were served a snack (this would be 11.00pm in UK). We must have been over South America as it consisted of a flaccid warm white bread sandwich of processed cheese and ham; the traditional and, as I recall, only form of sandwich enjoyed in that part of the world. Plus a small beaker of coffee and dried milk. Yuk!
Almost on time at 7.45pm we landed, and several of the passengers clapped! I thought this behaviour had gone out of fashion years ago. Do bus drivers get clapped when they safely deliver their passengers to their destinations under often more challenging journeys? We wended our long way to Passport Control. Oh Crikey! The queues stretched for miles. Never seen a bigger horde even at Gatwick. It took 1hr 40mins to get the passport stamped amongst a remarkably docile (probably half asleep) herd of passengers. Then a 20 minute queue to pass through customs. And you wonder why I am not so keen on travelling by air!
I then made a silly and incredibly naive mistake. It must have been due to tiredness or frustration, or the cheese and ham sandwich. I went to the nearest 'in airport' Cambio/Exchange desk to change some US$ into local currency (Colombian Pesos, COP or, confusingly, $). I remember previously issuing a warning: "Never, unless in dire emergency, ever convert cash in an airport". I foolishly changed US$100. I got an exchange rate of 2240 Colombian Pesos per dollar. On stepping outside to the taxi rank (and there was no option other than to use an airport taxi) there was a Cambio/Exchange office which offered a rate of 2850 Pesos to the dollar which, I have since discovered, is nearly the correct rate. I presume, therefore, that I was ripped off by about 18 US$. I must be slipping up badly.
I was probably also ripped off by the (very pleasant and welcoming) taxi driver. I am allergic to taxis but in this case there was no option. It was a 15/20 minute drive to my cheaply found hotel, Le Manoir, in the northern area of town and cost COP 50,000 (17 US$ equivalent). Frankly, I was only too glad to touch base. The small hotel was fine; clean, comfortable plus attentive and helpful staff. I was booked in for 3 nights. It transpired that there was a problem. Due to my lack of research and/or advice given beforehand, my hotel was in a quiet residential area in the north of the city. The things us tourists wanted to see were mostly in the south-eastern end of town around an area called La Candelaria. Travel between north and south of the city is, as I quickly found out, a bloody nightmare. There are also many cheap and cheerful places to stay down there which, if I had been more careful, I would have used.
Hey Ho! I'm here and seeing some interesting things. Following this 'intro', you can expect lots of pics from Bogotá, and hopefully no more happy whinges. Ariba ariba!
Actually the 9 hour flight to Bogota in a Boeing 787 'Dreamliner' was not too bad, if you allow for being in very cramped seating. No ghastly unnecessary pre-flight bullshit from a self-important 'this is your Captain Nigel speaking' routine as per BA. Travelling cheaply in cattle class I am always in two minds as whether an aisle or window seat is preferable, and the middle one is the worst of both worlds (see Brexit negotiations). I can normally last out a flight without ever needing to go to the loo. The aircraft was nearly full. I had a window seat of three (all occupied) which is fine if you don't want some incontinent old geriatric clambering over you every hour when you sit in the aisle seat. However, it is nice to be able to get up and wander around without having to climb over others. As it happened, after we had been airborne for a couple of hours I did get up ("sorry sorry" etc to my inboard neighbours) and found an aisle seat with only one other occupant at the window. Its worth having a look around for this. We had to pay 3 Euros for the privilege of obtaining a cheap ear-piece to listen to the in-flight 'entertainment', the meagre meal (chicken bits and rice) was edible but hardly substantial, free drinks with the meal but anything after that you had to go to the back of the aircraft and pay for it. Hence useful being in an aisle seat. Commendably, the cabin crew were a cut above the average in both helpfulness, attitude and, dare I say it, appearance; certainly in comparison with the jobsworth 'passed their sell-by date' harridans that afflict several national airlines.
On approach to Bogotá (El Dorado) International at about 6.00 pm (local) we were served a snack (this would be 11.00pm in UK). We must have been over South America as it consisted of a flaccid warm white bread sandwich of processed cheese and ham; the traditional and, as I recall, only form of sandwich enjoyed in that part of the world. Plus a small beaker of coffee and dried milk. Yuk!
Almost on time at 7.45pm we landed, and several of the passengers clapped! I thought this behaviour had gone out of fashion years ago. Do bus drivers get clapped when they safely deliver their passengers to their destinations under often more challenging journeys? We wended our long way to Passport Control. Oh Crikey! The queues stretched for miles. Never seen a bigger horde even at Gatwick. It took 1hr 40mins to get the passport stamped amongst a remarkably docile (probably half asleep) herd of passengers. Then a 20 minute queue to pass through customs. And you wonder why I am not so keen on travelling by air!
I then made a silly and incredibly naive mistake. It must have been due to tiredness or frustration, or the cheese and ham sandwich. I went to the nearest 'in airport' Cambio/Exchange desk to change some US$ into local currency (Colombian Pesos, COP or, confusingly, $). I remember previously issuing a warning: "Never, unless in dire emergency, ever convert cash in an airport". I foolishly changed US$100. I got an exchange rate of 2240 Colombian Pesos per dollar. On stepping outside to the taxi rank (and there was no option other than to use an airport taxi) there was a Cambio/Exchange office which offered a rate of 2850 Pesos to the dollar which, I have since discovered, is nearly the correct rate. I presume, therefore, that I was ripped off by about 18 US$. I must be slipping up badly.
I was probably also ripped off by the (very pleasant and welcoming) taxi driver. I am allergic to taxis but in this case there was no option. It was a 15/20 minute drive to my cheaply found hotel, Le Manoir, in the northern area of town and cost COP 50,000 (17 US$ equivalent). Frankly, I was only too glad to touch base. The small hotel was fine; clean, comfortable plus attentive and helpful staff. I was booked in for 3 nights. It transpired that there was a problem. Due to my lack of research and/or advice given beforehand, my hotel was in a quiet residential area in the north of the city. The things us tourists wanted to see were mostly in the south-eastern end of town around an area called La Candelaria. Travel between north and south of the city is, as I quickly found out, a bloody nightmare. There are also many cheap and cheerful places to stay down there which, if I had been more careful, I would have used.
Hey Ho! I'm here and seeing some interesting things. Following this 'intro', you can expect lots of pics from Bogotá, and hopefully no more happy whinges. Ariba ariba!
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