Parque Simón Bolivar in Bogotá. 3rd of May 2024.
On a capricious weather day, we had sun and we had rain while we enjoyed a good track course surrounded by lush vegetation in Parque Simón Bolívar, in Colombia’s vibrant capital, Bogotá.
This is the one of the entries set in Colombia, the other one being the “Race for the Heroes” that we finally did run on Sunday 5th of May.
TLDR; “Too long, didn’t read”
- I just want to run! Take me to RUN.
- I have 1 minute. Take me to USEFUL INFORMATION.
- Running is my excuse for travelling. Take me to TRIP.
- Running is my excuse for eating. Take me to CARBOLOADING.
- I want to know what to read in the plane. Take me to ONE BOOK.
🌍 The trip 📷: what to see in Bogotá in one day
Unexpectedly, I loved Bogota. It is a city of contrasts, super heterogeneous and surprising. Even the weather is unpredictable. During the short time when we were touring the city, we had moments in which the sun was so warm that we had to take off our jackets, and other moments experiencing torrential rain.
Above all, I liked the colours in Bogotá. Here even the skyscrapers have graffiti or colorful balconies!
The curious thing is that, in fact, it is a mostly gray city (a “cachaca” who we met during the Tokyo marathon described her city to us as “very ugly, that is my Bogotá”). It is a huge city of more than 11 million people, full of buildings dirty with pollution, very industrial and with wide, dilapidated streets.
But on the other hand, in the center everything explodes with vibrant clours!
He really had been through death, but he had returned because he could not bear the solitude
Gabriel García Márquez, “One hundred years of solitude”
Travelling to a land of exuberance: Macondo, el Dorado and everything looking green 🌴
We took an Avianca flight from Barcelona to Bogota. It’s long trip, of almost 11 hours, but it is direct.
I used most of the flight to inmerse myself in the wonderful world of Macondo: I was reading “One hundreds years of solitude”, remembering the impact it had on me a few years ago when I read it, but rediscovering it with a different perspective: that of an older age.
I smiled to myself when I read the quote above, about Melquíades the gypsy, returning to the world of the living because he was feeling alone while dead 😅
The book describes in a unique way (creative, fantastic, vivid) how difficult it was to travel across Colombia, and I could see a glimpse of how the jungle defines the country when we were approaching the “El Dorado” airport and everything looked green outside. Green fields, green mountains, green canyons.
I had the impression we had landed in a land of exuberance and fantasy: even the name of the airport was mytical!
The centre: Simon Bolívar Square
We started our visit in Plaza Simón Bolívar, the nerve center of the city.
We arrived in an Uber in which the taxi driver was listening to Juan Luis Guerra. Only when we got out of the taxi did we experience a sensory ‘shock’, with the very loud music in the shops, the smells, and the local people eating.
It was a weekday, Thursday, at lunchtime, and to our delight, there were no tourists! Only locals shopping and eating on the street or on terraces.
Simon Bolivar Square is huge and presided by pigeons 😄. What a pity that it was having some renovation works, and some of its magnificent buildings were covered with black fabrics. It took away some majesty off the scene, but the view of the cathedral with the hill behind and the large esplanade is worth it.
Oh, and it was curious to see the statue of the liberator, Bolivar himself, whom they had covered in graffiti calling for revolution and shitting on the state 😲!
“La Candelaria”
I absolutely enjoyed walking through the markets and seeing the beautiful streets of “La Candelaria” neighbourhood, with groups of indigenous people in traditional dresses and people in work clothes, all of them very well-groomed, with high heels and well-kept hair. Colombians really seem to be into fashion 🤩.
“Callejón del Embudo” and Plaza del Chorro
Afterwards we headed to the famous Callejón del Embudo, where we searched unsuccessfully for a mural of a “Wayuu indigenous woman”…
Finally we asked a girl who worked as a security guard, and she told us that it had been erased.
Ah well, it didn’t matter that much as the street is fantastic, a steep, cobbled alley with shops all decorated with their brightly colored murals of indigenous motifs, Colombian flags and a lot of Chicha (“the drink of the Gods”) sales: of course, Chicha of all flavours.
Bogotá is chaos: we walked from Plaza del Chorro to where you take the cable car and funicular for Cerro Montserrate.
While we dodged the tumultuous traffic, we immersed ourselves in the atmosphere of Bogotá.
There were wide avenues with palm trees but the pavement was dusty, salsa music coming out of the doors, street shops everywhere, people crossing everywhere, cars in monumental traffic jams, beeping, and the motorcycles… the motorcycles passed by on the sidewalks, a very common practice here 😱!
Cerro Montserrate
We took the cable car up to Montserrate Hill, which is at 3100 meters high. I deduced that we were so high because when we were walking along the Via Crucis, I felt out of breath… well: Bogotá is at 2600m high itself!
The climb to the top of the hill is super steep, almost vertical, and it’s full with lush vegetation, which made me imagine the time of the conquistadors, going in search of “El Dorado”…
It’s worth going up because of the magnificient view! Colorful skyscrapers in the middle of a long, short city, all white and brick until it is half covered by a stormy and epic sky.
We walked through the gardens and entered the Sanctuary of the Fallen Lord of Monserrate.
It’s a robust church, made of wood and painted with cream colors, which hosts an image of the Virgin of Montserrat, donated by “our” Monastery of Montserrat flanked by the Colombian flag and the flag of Bogotá. Obviously, I was elated to see a church so, so far away from home was dedicated to “our” Verge de Montserrat.
The city centre bustling with life
At the foot of the Cerro there is the old colonial Church which exudes an air of quietness and piece, the church of “Nuestra Señora de las Aguas”.
The impression is exagerrated as the church is surrounded with streets bustling with life, loud music playing and people trying to sell you all kind of food.
Special mention to the “Hormigas culonas” or big-ass ants (yes, really) who were sold by old women dressed in traditional rags of many colors, rainbow skirts.
I entered the church and fell in love with the quiet elegance and its atmosphere:
Right there, it started raining suddenly and the city transformed. Street vendors started selling umbrellas saying “Don’t get wet, lady, buy me an umbrella!”
Suddenly a torrent of water hits us and we had to take refuge in a gallery, together with cyclists covered with plastic raincoats who also decided to stop. Some brave people with umbrellas were passing by.
Bogotá is a city of extremes!
We returned to the hotel in an Uber, which was a huge struggle! Because half of Bogotá was on the streets fighting for taxis. We spent more than twenty minutes in front of a mural that was a very Colombian version of “Grand Theft Auto”!
🏃♀️ The run 🏃♂️
Race Attempt…
My first intention was to run “Carrera por los héroes“, a 10k charity race in Bogotá. The proceedings of the race are invested in basic, middle and higher education programs, rehabilitation through sports for men and women of the forces with acquired disabilities; and spouses and children of those killed in action.
But it was impossible to sign in if you were not living in the city.
Believe me: I tried. After trying with my hotel address and my Spanish adress, I contacted the “Corporación Matamoros por los héroes“, which is the military organisation organising the race.
They told me to sign in in person while in Bogota. I asked whether the entries were not going to be sold out by the time we got there … but never got a response.
And, alas! when we arrived on the Wednesday prior to the race, the tickets were indeed sold out.
We decided to still go and see the race on Sunday, a decision that proved to be the right one! Read it >> here <<, but also to explore the running routes and places.
Parque Simon Bolivar
The best place to run seemed to be in the Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park, which located in the heart of Bogotá and not far away from our hotel. And it truly was super good!
The park is the most important green area in the city, it is big (113 hectares), and sometimes it is reffered as the “Central Park” of Bogotá.
While researching I stumbled upon the good webiste “Colombia corre” where you can find a map with two routes (I have included the map later).
Park surroundings
We set off mid morning on a grey day, and we even had some drops of water falling while we were streching. But then, later, we had times when there was a super strong sun.
Runner's tip 📓: Basically, my advice for running in Bogotá is to have some sunscreen and just go out, it won't be cold. If it starts pouring down, look for a place where you can wait, as the rain can be super strong but it normally does not last long.
We ran 2,5 kilometers to get to the park: the route crosses safe and modern neighbourhoods. The streets are very wide, although there are areas where the pavement could use some work.
You need to wath out for the traffic, and do not cross without looking twice. The area is full of skyscrappers and big malls, like the Gran Estación II.
You can also cross big avenues like the “El Dorado” Avenue using elevated gateways. We did that and had the opportunity to run in front of a monument dedicated to fallen members of the air force and a massive Colombian flag.
Already in our first km we noticed the altitude. As I mentioned before, Bogotá is 2600m high, so we struggled. An important advice here:
Runner's tip 📓: If you are in Bogotá for a couple of days and are not used to the altitude... take it easy! 2600 is quite a bit and you will feel out of breath very easily or even nauseous.
To get to the park we ran along a patch of ‘country side’ with a lot of horses. It was super cool, but it was very difficult to run in this stretch of Avenida Esmeralda. The uneven pavement was completely conquered by lush grass.
Still, having loads of horses at your left and the heavy traffic of a big city at your right was super weird but I enjoyed it.
The track
We were super surprised to see a proper run track starting off in one of the Park corners. It was clearly marked: “Pista para trotar” (Course to run): 3,2 kms.
So we set off like we were flying thanks to the tartan, despite still struggling a lot with the altitude.
The course is not tartan all way around. There are areas where it is pressed Earth: not so comfy but still better than pavement.
It is a flat and scenic course which is surrounded by lush vegetation: we saw such a variety of trees, bushes and flowers.! So, all in all, it is a perfect place for running. Although when it is sunny I bet it can get very hot.
We ran two laps, which are exactly 3.2kms long, as advertised. We did not find drinking fountains, but since it was a cold humid day, we were ok.
🍜 Carboloading and Protein Recovery 🍝: What to eat if you are a runner
Carboloading
The quintaessential Colombian dish, the Arepa, is high on carbohydrates. Perfect for before running.
Arepas are staple Colombian corn cakes made from cornmeal or maize flour. They can be served plain or stuffed with cheese, meat, or eggs, providing both carbohydrates and protein depending on the filling.
I tried the arepas first thing in the morning on the first day: while having breakfast! “Arepas con frijoles” instead of “bacon and eggs” 😅.
Protein Recovery
On the way down from the Cerro Montserrat we stopped at a cute shop which served “Ancestral Chocolate”, which does not contain sugar and has a pinch of “ají”.
If you are really hungry, you can opt for a Bandeja Paisa: this is a hearty dish that typically includes grilled steak or carne asada, chorizo (sausage), chicharrón (fried pork belly or pork rinds), red beans, rice, avocado, fried egg, plantains, and arepas.
The aforementioned Carne Asada (literally, “grilled meat”) if very popular, and in Colombia often marinated with spices and citrus juices.
Useful information
🏃♀️ 3.2k running track in Parque Simon Bolivar, Bogotá.
👟 Urban: bring shoes for asphalt.
✅ Super good track, although some areas there is no tartan, still it is pressed Earth.
✅ Nice surroundings and all full of trees and bushes.
❌ We didn’t see any fountains, and when it’s sunny, there are long streches where there is no shadow. Another problem is the altitude! Bogotá is 2600 high.
Map
One book
Since I am a big Gabriel García Márquez fan, for my Colombian posts I have chosen my favourite books by him, one for each blog post. Enjoy!
“One hundred years of solitude”, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.
The famous beginning of “One hundred years of solitude”, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
It has been written, so many times, that this book is a masterpiece, that I had very high hopes when I read it the first time (in its original Spanish, lucky me!). It did not disappoint me.
I read it again for this trip, and it even made a deeper impression on me.
The book is profound, the prose is elaborated, and the story is legendary…. I was mesmerised by how magical (subtle and beatiful) the famous magical realism is. A pity that Macondo is fictional and cannot be visited 😛
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, born in central Colombia in 1927, was the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982, and “One hundred years of solitude” is his most famous work. He also wrote other acclaimed novels such as “Love in the Time of Cholera” (El amor en los tiempos del cólera) and “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” (Crónica de una muerte anunciada).
Plot summary: The story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendia family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad and alive with unforgettable men and women—brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical magic that strikes the soul—this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.
