Streets of... Bogota: La Candelaria

I arrived in Colombia on Friday 11th, to volunteer with a friend of mine's NGO, to practice Spanish, to attend a Summer Course on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, and to experience some work period in South America. Gerardo from RGOS was waiting for me at the airport, and he took me to my temporary place in Bogota. This temporary accommodation is a hostel in downtown Bogota, a nice and informal series of flats in a unique compound with all apartments looking to the inner court. Nothing gives you an idea of how europecentric we are, until you realize that the center is not always the best place in town to stay.

La Candelaria is the equivalent to the Old City. The architecture of the old houses, churches and buildings has Spanish Colonial and Baroque styles. It houses several universities, libraries and museums. Unfortunately, is not suggested to wander around after sunset, because of the high rate of micro-criminality.

Apart from that, it's a pleasure to get lost in its streets, and to enjoy early Sunday morning atmosphere.

Weirdities - Bogota

Top 5 weirdities in Bogota:
1) A truck playing "La Lambada" when driving in reverse (a "beep" wasn't enough);
2) A street seller of "steamed dogs" (perros al vapor);
3) The saddest McDonald ever (really, you can only understand power of design when it's missing);
4) The shortest Presidencial Guards ever;
5) The most confusionary museum ever (Botero Museum);

More will follow for sure...

New horizons

I am two days far from leaving Italy to Colombia, where I will spend around three month. I have no specific plan, or maybe it's better to say I have too many.

Hopefully, I will have time to close the "Trip back home" series of photos (Istanbul is still to be uploaded) and to work out some unedited taken in Kyrgyzstan, and the new Colombian series.

More news coming soon...

Hopefully.

The town of fairies: Göreme

I always heard lots of stories about the beauty of Cappadocia. Apparently, this part of Turkey is able to inspire visitors a mystic feeling of worship, stupor and respect. Its bewitching landscape of spectacularly eroded tuff fields, extinct volcanoes, and capped-cones (called "fairy chimneys") made this region in Central Anatolia famous worldwide.

A day in paradise - Lake Van, Turkey

Notwithstanding having risked to be jailed for smuggling on my way from Iran to Turkey, I finally reached Van. I managed to reach it safe and free, I mean.

Cigarettes smuggling in Anatolia

The plan was simple and cost-effective. I was supposed to buy the ticket for a daily bus line connecting Urumié (Iran), with Van (Turkey).

Iranian Sanda and Wushu League

While in Tehran, I went with Reza to attend the Sanda and Wushu League. Reza is a retired Sanda fighter, now playing as referee and member of the Jurì during official competitions. He invited me to join him in the Sanda and Wushu League, which is played every Sunday. I was introduced as Special Italian Guest - Reza loves to create brand new gloriously fake identities for me according to the situation - and I gained to move freely around the pitches to take pictures, and three kisses on the cheeks plus a sudden kiss on the lips as special bonus for special guests.