New digs in Bogota

On Saturday, I moved out of the Hotel Falcon and into my new apartment. I'll be sharing the apartment with my friend (and classmate) Maggie who is here in Colombia doing an internship with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

Located in Northern Bogota, our two-bedroom apartment is just a five-minute walk from my office and blocks from the Parque de la 93. It includes a spacious living room, two baths, a kitchen, hardwood floors, and lots of windows.

The neighborhood surrounding our apartment has numerous businesses, including shops, boutiques, cafes, and bars. This upscale residential area also includes several embassies, consulates, and shopping centers.

Once we had moved into the apartment, Maggie and I headed off to do some grocery shopping at the Carrefour shopping center. This "mega-store" reminded me of IKEA for a couple reasons. First, it has everything you can imagine. Second, you can hardly imagine that so many people can fit under one roof. After our two-hour grocery shopping experience, we decided that we would avoid the Carrefour "mega-crowds" by never again setting foot in the store on the Saturday following payday. This was definitely a valuable lesson learned!