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Coming back in windy and chilly Holland from Colombia last weekend was quite a change after two weeks mild and sometimes downright hot temperatures in the Colombian sierra, the coffee area and the playas of the Carribean. That is what we were offered by this wonderful country, where I went with three amigos. ‘El magico se hace realismo’, the catchy slogan of the Colombian tourist board says, but hey, why not confirm it now, they can use some more tourists here. And it is definitely worth it. Though we were here in the first place for the wedding of our dear friends Boyd and Bibi, we benefited to get to know this country in a two weeks’ stay.

We arrived after a 20 hr flight, but the Bogotá El Dorado airport was easy, our bags were there (not that self-evident) and the taxi was waiting. Very relaxed when you have not slept next to none. Well, so it seems.. When we are set, the taxi does not start. The poor driver starts sweating even while it is a chilly night. After several tries failing of him pushing the car and getting it started, we offer friendly to help. We push and he steers and yes, there the motor starts running. Funny in a way. Hope it is not ominous for the coming weeks (not, I can say now!). Without further problems we reach our hotel. Nightly Bogotá presents itself to us as BIG! No wonder as with more than 7 million people it is one of the bigger capitals of South America. But as the traffic is low, now we don’t take that long. Bogotá lies as 2650 m above sea level so taking the suitcases into our room already makes us pant a little bit. It is a chilly night, but the next day the sun is shining. The Andes mountains surround this high plain. The next day we directly can jump in the organized tour with Boyd’s family to the splendid salt mines in Zapiquirá, about one hour north of Bogota. An amazing subterraneous world : dug about 180 m deep under the ground they built a complete way of the cross with huge sculptures and crosses, with a the climax a complete cathedral with high pillars, huge rooms and two side aisles. Reminds me of the decor of Lord of the Rings… and all sculpted in salt. The rest of this complex is an enormous salt mine of three storeys, where 35% of Colombia’s salt production is extracted. Nearby Zipaquirá is a charming colonial town where we rush through but still a bit tired from the last day’s flight, we can speak of a kickstart of our holiday here. The rest of the day we spend with a joint lunch with the pack in the charming Estelar hotel, warming up for the night party with Bibi’s family so we get to know the guests of that Sunday’s wedding. And a party it became…

Starting with empanada’s and cocktails we get a smooth entry and warm welcome. It is a crash course in the who is who of the bride’s family and friends. But it is not like such a night in Holland, where we would be talking and drinking all the time sitting in a circle, no no. In Colombia it is : Baila que rico ayayay! Dancing time! After one hour the band starts playing Gypsy Kings, Juanés and other local heroes, and in no time everybody is dancing. With the young people also the elder aunts jump around and swing on salsa, merengue and cumbia tunes. And this is only a warming up for Sunday’s party! We get to know a bunch of nice people this night, not bad in view of next Sunday’s wedding.

The Saturday in between we really get to see more of Bogotá. Okay we only see a small part, but a booming town it seems… shiny malls, nice apartments, high rises in the international business centre and huge traffic… they are now even building the tallest skyscraper of Colombia as we speak. But for us most interesting is the charming Candelaria colonial area, with its pastel houses, bars and restaurant, crowned by the majestic Plaza Bolivar. With the white coloured sanctuary of Montserrat visible on the mountain ridge bordering the city in the East. Sure this city make it easy to spend a few nice days here. And I am not even talking about the fabulous Gold Museum, that was closed when we wanted to visit it…

Then Sunday breaks. We take a slow start and prepare well for the wedding day. Nice shiny suits and ties, shoes and a big smile. We are set for a real Colombian wedding… The taxi  takes us to the venue Hacienda San Rafael. Along the way, we see bikes riding around. Normally a hardy activity but every Sunday Bogotá closes its main freeways for cars and leaves free rein to bikers, skaters, walkers and all who likes to breathe some fresh air. What a brilliant idea.

The rest of the day gives every reason to keep smiling. The open air mass, the soprano that sings Ave Maria resounding in the flats around. The flowers, the best man/women, the rings, the “yes, I do” (they did! Well done! You never know, you see J), the congratulations of the couple (with tears), the cocktail toasting, traditional dances and … cutting the cake. All’s there. A fairy tale. Ok… the rain. Oops. Well, when the first drops fall, we all move inside and without any discord the party continues. There we go again. The speeches, the juicy facts of the newly wedded couple, the laughter and tears,and again: a toast! Hurrah. The following dinner is great (try ceviche with mango!) and even before the last swig of our coffee is taken, the dance is opened by the happy couple. The night keeps swinging on: bridesmaids swirling with grandaddy, sister testing the Dutch stiff legs on fast paced rumba, and even Psy comes by (Gangnam style), can you imagine. It does not matter when you are having fun. Old memories come into my mind when I hear some Latin songs. Just the ones I loved when I was in Peru in 2004. In short, great wedding, great night out in Bogotá. Including an after party (fun too, and we even did not have aguardiente…). Imagine that our real holiday had not even begun. I realize what is best that I will take from this trip: the friends and Colombian people we met and the fun we had together. I just mention here the invitation we got to a terrific dinner in the coffee area where we went after Bogotá (gracias a Luchy), the tips for Cartagena de Indias we went after (good food) and the guided tour we got in Bogotá the Monday after the wedding by a local friend (gracias a Tatiana).  Thank you, gracias, we love Colombia! And its coffee…oh the coffee. Come and taste this country.