Video: Good times in Bogota -- Monserrate and BBQ

Last Saturday, August 4th, I climbed up Monserrate for probably the last time this summer. Maggie and I donned our tennis shoes and set out on a mission to set new "personal best" times for this our regular Saturday morning sporting activity. We both pushed ourselves (gasp!) and the result was that we each shaved several minutes from our previous best times! After a few celebratory high-fives and a cup of coffee on top of Monserrate, we decided to take the scenic (and much faster) cable car rather than hiking down the mountain. It was the first time that I had taken the "teleférico" and it was definitely much faster and easier, plus it offered great views of the entire city of Bogota.

Here is a short VIDEO of our ride in the teleférico.



Colombian-style BBQ
After the hike up Monserrate, several of us got together on the patio outside my apartment for a massive Colombian-style BBQ. The festive event was the brainchild of Paula, my new neighbor from Barcelona and co-worker of Maggie. Paula was in charge of organizing the BBQ and the Spaniard went out of her way to ensure that none of us went hungry any time soon. The menu of the day included an (over)abundance of grilled corn, potatoes, plantains, steaks, spicy sausages (chorizo), tripe (thanks, but no thanks), salad, and guacamole served over the span of nearly four hours. The food was quite delicious and aside from the resulting stomach aches, I think that everyone had a great time!

Check out my recent pictures from Monserrate and the BBQ.