Bogotá: A city full of surprises

In many ways Bogotá seems to be far removed from the violence and conflict that we often associate with Colombia. The past several days I have had the opportunity to explore the city and a few surrounding areas. One thing that has especially amazed and surprised me is the incredible natural beauty of the city and the countryside, and the hospitality of its people. For example, on several occasions I have seen strangers give up their seats on a crowded bus just to allow a pregnant woman, a mother with children, or an elderly person to sit down. And the other day I asked for help on how to take the bus to downtown. A young woman kindly took me to the bus stop and explained how to identify my bus. She then stood with me at the bus stop and waited to make sure that I got on the bus without difficulties.

Despite the ongoing conflict in Colombia between leftist insurgents, illegal armed groups (paramilitaries), and state security forces, the Colombian people seem to be extremely hospitable, optimistic, and determined to reject violence in favor of building a brighter future for the country. On Friday night I spent a few hours walking around downtown Bogotá and I found that several large streets were closed off to traffic. Friendly volunteers dressed in yellow vests and baseball caps held up banners that read, “Street closed – so that our beautiful public spaces might be enjoyed in peace.” The city had also set up several performance stages that attracted thousands of children, young people, adults, and families to take in shows by musicians, singers, dancers, comedians, and artists. Yellow-clad volunteers did face-painting, made balloon animals, and invited kids and adults to participate in a game of jump rope that spanned across an entire city street. I later learned that this celebratory event is held every Friday and routinely attracts thousands of people, young and old, from every corner of the city.