In the previous post, after multiple flight delays and rebookings, we finally completed our Medellín trip “smoothly.” Back in Bogotá, let’s continue our Colombia trip!

Day 3: Plaza de Bolívar and the Gold Museum

When we returned to the hotel where we had stayed on the first night, we found that the hotel had thoughtfully prepared some welcome fruit for us—a small but heartwarming surprise. Breakfast the next day was even more eye-catching: there were golden berries! Unfortunately, the golden berries here were the only fruit I had in Colombia that did not taste as good as the ones in China. They were on the tart side, closer to the flavor you get in the U.S., and lacked that fresh, sweet note I’m used to in China.

Plaza de Bolívar

Bogotá’s tourist attractions are mostly concentrated in the old town, and Plaza de Bolívar is undoubtedly one of the most important landmarks there. The square is surrounded by a series of important national buildings, including the presidential palace, the Capitol, the Supreme Court, and the Primatial Cathedral. It is not only Colombia’s political center, but also one of the symbols of the country’s history and culture.

Starting from the heart of Plaza de Bolívar, the first thing that came into view was the Primatial Cathedral of Bogotá (Catedral Primada de Bogotá). This Gothic-style cathedral is one of the most iconic buildings on Plaza de Bolívar, solemn and magnificent. From the outside, the cathedral’s front facade consists of symmetrical twin towers and a towering main entrance, giving off a strong sense of religion and history.

Inside the church, we were greeted by elegant vaulted ceilings and finely detailed mural decorations. The interior design of the cathedral gives you a feeling of peace and solemnity. The wooden texture of the pews contrasts sharply with the dazzling chandeliers, while the religious scenes painted on the dome add an artistic sense of sanctity to the entire space.

The atmosphere in the square was also very lively, though there were quite a lot of alpacas 🦙 and the smell was fairly strong—kind of like a zoo. Since it was close to Christmas, there were many colorful light decorations, giving it a bit of the feel of Lantern Festival displays in China. Just be sure to keep an eye on your phone and valuables.

KFC

After visiting the Primatial Cathedral, it was time for lunch. Since the Gold Museum was very close by, we walked in that direction and happened to come across a KFC. We were not quite brave enough to try the small shops nearby, so we chose this place for lunch. As a “global taste-tester” of KFC, my KFC experience in Colombia gave me a chance to compare the flavors and characteristics across several countries. Let me start with the conclusion: KFC in the U.S. still firmly holds its spot on the “worst-tasting” list, while of course KFC in mainland China, as always, occupies the “TOP 1” position.

KFC in Colombia is similar to what I have seen in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and other places. There are not as many varieties as in mainland China, but the basic items are all there. The chicken is tender, and the seasoning is lighter than the U.S. version, closer to the flavor of Original Recipe chicken in mainland China. The popcorn chicken in particular had a very crispy coating and a texture similar to the mainland China version. The fries were almost adorably tiny, and the spicy wings were also very small.

Price-wise, although it was slightly cheaper than in the U.S., considering Colombia’s overall cost of living, KFC could be considered a bit of a “light luxury.” It was only a little cheaper than U.S. prices.

What shocked me the most was actually the Chinese “扫码区” (“scan code area”) label on the self-ordering kiosk! I really could not hold it together when I saw those three characters, and that scan-code area had no practical function whatsoever—it was purely for show.

Gold Museum

It takes only a little over ten minutes to walk from Plaza de Bolívar to the Gold Museum. Admission is free every Sunday, so after lunch we walked over.

The Gold Museum is one of the largest and most famous collections of gold artifacts in Latin America, showcasing the brilliant achievements of ancient civilizations in Colombia and the surrounding regions. Its collections not only demonstrate an extraordinary level of gold craftsmanship, but also reflect the religion, beliefs, and daily life of society at the time. Here are two relatively representative items:

1. The Offering Raft - the one in the lower rightThis is one of the Gold Museum’s star exhibits. It was discovered in the Pasca region of Colombia and is believed to be related to the legend of “El Dorado.” It is said that the figures on the raft symbolize a chief and priests of the Muisca people, performing an offering ritual in the middle of a lake and throwing gold and gemstones into the water to please the gods. The piece is exquisitely detailed, with fine details that show the high level of ancient gold craftsmanship.

2. Snake-shaped staff finial (Remate de Bastón) - bottom centerThis piece comes from the Zenú culture and dates to around 490 AD. This snake-shaped staff finial is known for its flowing lines and delicate carving, reflecting the symbolic significance of gold ornaments in ancient religious rituals. In many Latin American cultures, snakes symbolize wisdom and power.

The day before in Medellín, several groups of locals had asked to take photos with us, and I did not expect the same thing to happen again in the capital, Bogotá. While we were visiting the Gold Museum, two groups of people came up to us and asked for photos. Perhaps our rare Asian faces made us seem very interesting to them.

Downstairs from the Gold Museum, there is a San Alberto coffee shop. Before trying it, I did not know this coffee brand was such a big deal and had won so many awards. As usual, I ordered a V60, and it genuinely amazed me on the first sip. It had a very gentle red-fruit flavor, not too acidic but noticeably sweet, with a roast level probably around light-medium. This was also the coffee I tried on this Colombia trip that I think would suit most people best.

A Small Side Quest and Dinner

As I mentioned earlier, hotels here do not provide disposable slippers, and by complete coincidence, we forgot about that before departure. So over the past few days, we had embarked on a “slipper adventure,” looking for places that sold slippers almost every time we went out. After the Gold Museum closed, we found a Miniso nearby, and we were not very hungry yet, so we decided to walk over before dinner and solve this slipper problem along the way.

On the way, we saw a bus made up of a full three carriages. In a store, we saw enormous avocados, many times larger than the ones I usually see in the U.S., yet with unusually smooth skin.

For dinner, we chose La PUERTA de la CATEDRAL, a Colombian restaurant. We had seen it recommended by others on Xiaohongshu, and it was conveniently located right next to the Primatial Cathedral. The experience was great.

1. Beef rib and offal soup (Ajiaco Santafereño). This classic Colombian dish is stewed with potatoes, beef, and various spices, resulting in a rich, smooth broth. It came with rice and a huge piece of avocado—really huge, about the size of a hand. The warm soup was very comforting, and the assorted offal was plentiful without any unpleasant organ flavor.

2. Gratinated chicken breast with shrimp (Pechuga de Pollo Gratinada con Camarón y Champiñón). The chicken breast was very tender, paired with melted cheese, fresh shrimp, and mushrooms, making it intensely aromatic. The chicken breast felt like it had been cooked sous-vide: very smooth and tender, neither tough nor dry. The fries on the side were wonderfully crispy and not greasy at all, which was a pleasant surprise. The fried plantains retained their natural sweetness, creating a subtle flavor contrast with the main dish.

The portions were very large. Two girls ate until we were stuffed and still could not finish everything. The price was also quite reasonable: two dishes plus a glass of wine came out to only a little over $10 per person.

Day 4: Monserrate and Museums

Monserrate

Monserrate is one of Bogotá’s iconic sightseeing spots, located on a mountain in the city center at an elevation of 3,170 meters, overlooking the entire cityscape. Because of the high altitude, it can easily trigger altitude sickness. Tickets are slightly cheaper on Sundays, but because the weather on Sunday was terrible (overcast with occasional light rain), we decided to put it off. The weather today was great, so we decided to head up the mountain first thing in the morning. If you have enough time and physical stamina, you can hike up; but since I’ve experienced altitude sickness several times, I chose the funicular and cable car instead. The cable car does not start running until after 12, so we took the funicular up and the cable car down.

At the summit there is a white church—Monserrate Sanctuary—which is one of the sacred places where locals conduct religious activities. As it happened, today was December 16, right in the Christmas Mass season, and we were lucky enough to catch a Mass. Inside the church, the stained-glass windows looked solemn and sacred under the sunlight, giving the space a particularly peaceful feeling.

The cable car ride down is at a very steep angle, and there are no supports in the middle. If you’re afraid of heights, I recommend doing what I did: close your eyes or look up at the sky, and absolutely do not look down. Even though my fear of heights is not that severe, I glanced down once and immediately felt very dizzy and weak in the hands and feet.

Lunch

For lunch today, we did not continue using Xiaohongshu recommendations (there really aren’t that many travel-related posts for this area), so we decided to pick a well-rated restaurant on Google Maps. It was very close to the Botero Museum (Museo Botero), which we wanted to visit in the afternoon: Restaurante Banquete tradicional Colombiano.

The restaurant is not large, but it is clean and tidy, with a strong local character. The staff did not speak English, but they were especially warm and even helped us connect to the restaurant’s Wi-Fi so we could use translation apps to order. After studying the menu with some help from ChatGPT, we ordered two local specialties and two traditional drinks.

We chose Cazuela de mariscos con leche de coco (seafood casserole with coconut milk), served with coconut rice, fried plantain chips, and salad. The coconut milk soup base was rich, sweet, and fragrant, and the seafood included squid, shrimp, and shellfish. It tasted wonderfully fresh. The green plantain chips on the side were crispy on the outside and soft inside, and they were especially delicious dipped in the soup. One bite took me right back to Qingdao—the taste of home.

The other dish was the classic Ajiaco boyacense (Boyacá-style potato and chicken soup), a traditional Colombian dish simmered with three kinds of potatoes and served with shredded chicken, sweet corn, and herbs. The soup base, finished with cream and capers, was even smoother and richer. Paired with rice and avocado, it was pure comfort.

For drinks, we tried two specialty juices: Aguapanela (sugarcane water), which was sweet and warm, perfect for warming the stomach; and a refreshing mixed juice, Lulo y Maracuyá, made with passion fruit and lulo. It was sweet and tart, intensely fruity, and especially good for cutting through the richness of the meal.

Botero Museum

We had visited one in Medellín before, but Bogotá, the capital, has one as well. This museum not only displays Botero’s own works, but also pieces by masters such as Picasso and Monet, all from Botero’s personal collection. Admission is also free.

I already introduced Botero’s work earlier, so I won’t repeat myself here. But there is a very important Mona Lisa here. In the painting, Mona Lisa has round, full cheeks and a full body. The details still preserve the gentleness and mysterious smile of da Vinci’s original, but Botero gives her a more down-to-earth texture. Her proportions are exaggerated, making her feel warmer and more approachable while also adding a humorous charm.

The bird sculpture in the lower left is also my personal favorite among all of his sculptures. This plump little bird has a rounded body and short legs, but its expression is calm and relaxed, as if it carries a charmingly naive confidence. It is neither a realistic depiction nor an example of elegance in the traditional aesthetic sense, but rather an expression that evokes emotional resonance through exaggeration and distortion.

Botero’s works are all filled with a distinctive visual language: they preserve a pursuit of beauty while using rounded forms and exaggeration to challenge traditional aesthetics, creating an artistic effect that feels both approachable and thought-provoking. In a light and humorous way, they show that art does not need to be confined by stereotypes; it can be full of vitality and imagination.

This museum is not large—smaller than the one in Medellín. After we finished walking through it, we went to the café in the back courtyard and sat down for coffee. After finishing our drinks, we realized that the art museum was actually right behind it, though it had already closed. After leaving the gift shop, we accidentally wandered into the coin museum, so we stayed there for a while.

Although Bogotá’s coin museum is not large, the exhibits are very refined and quite rich in content. Here, we could learn about the evolution of money from ancient times to the modern era across the world. The galleries display not only currencies from Latin America, but also rare coins from Europe, Asia, and Africa, each carrying a piece of history.

One room in the museum has several old coin-minting machines. The one shown in the photo was made in 19th-century England and is of great historical significance. There is also a vault displaying exquisite gold objects.

If you’re interested in this kind of history, it is a good option, and admission is also free. After all, we got there simply by wandering in after getting lost.

Day 5: Exploring More Museums

Breakfast

Today, because we got up way too late and missed the hotel breakfast, we decided to grab a little breakfast at a café next to the National Museum, which was our planned morning stop. We chose Marte Pizza Café Museo Nacional, honestly just because it was the closest place to the museum and also had pretty high ratings on Google Maps. From the second floor of this café, you can look directly out at the National Museum.

This is a chain brand, but the quality was not bad. I ordered a cappuccino (6,800 COP) and a Cazuela De Huevos Mexicanos (14,800 COP), while my friend ordered 3 Mini Waffles (19,800 COP). The cappuccino foam was fairly thick and smooth, and the beans had a rich aroma, making it a good breakfast drink. The Mexican-style eggs consisted of two eggs, served with meat sauce and some Mexican-style onion seasoning, along with a hollow little flatbread that was incredibly fragrant. The waffles also had guava and papaya flavors, with a fresh fruit aroma that helped cut through the richness.

National Museum

The plan was great: finish breakfast and head straight to the museum. But unexpectedly, due to reduced rainfall caused by El Niño, parts of the Bogotá metropolitan area had a water outage today, so the museum was closed. We decided to head to Bolívar’s house instead, and the National Museum would have to wait for another time.

Visiting Bolívar’s House

La Quinta de Bolívar is located at the foot of Bogotá’s eastern hills and was the residence of Simón Bolívar, the liberator of Latin America. As it happened, we arrived on the anniversary of his death (December 17). It looked like the United Nations and various embassies had just finished holding a commemorative event. When we arrived, the military honor guard, United Nations vehicles, and cars from various embassies were just leaving one after another.

Tickets are relatively expensive for foreigners, at 46,000 COP ($11) per person. There are many kinds of flowers around the house, and they are very beautiful.

Inside Bolívar’s house, there are 19th-century-style beds and furniture, conveying a strong sense of historical weight. The décor is simple, yet full of aristocratic character, showing another, less well-known side of his life.

Museum of Modern Art

After visiting Bolívar's House, it still was not very late, so we headed to the nearby Museum of Modern Art (Museo de Arte Moderno). When I saw there was a student-ticket price, I pulled out my student ID. To my surprise, the student ID that usually does not work very well in mainland China actually got me a discount here. On top of that, there happened to be a BOGO (buy one, get one) promotion that day, so the two of us paid only 12,000 COP ($3) total for admission.

The museum has 3 floors above ground and 1 basement level. The second floor is a solo exhibition by a French artist, with works such as the reflection of a broken mirror on the wall, a stitched-together chair, and restored plates, as shown in the photo. The third floor currently features Freelancer's reflections on the relationship between AI and society today—specifically, the effects of ML data labeling and data cleaning on society, power, and human life. The basement level explores the relationship between film production and censorship standards. If I posted the photo from the first floor, this article would probably get censored, so I only included the one in the lower right corner.

Leaving Colombia

Our return flight was a nonstop BOG-ORD flight departing at 7 a.m. I recommend arriving at the airport at least 3 hours early to leave enough time for the tax refund, checked baggage, and departure immigration.

Tax refund

To get the tax refund, you need to have the merchant issue an electronic receipt at the time of purchase that includes your name and passport number, and send it to your email. You must pay by card. At the airport, go to the DIAN window on the right side of the international departures immigration area to process the tax refund. You need to provide your passport, electronic shopping receipt, credit card information, and boarding pass. Staff will ask you on the spot to show the corresponding tax-refund items, so make sure to process the refund before checking any bags. You can prepare an electronic boarding pass by checking in online in advance, and staff will ask you to email them the boarding pass together with the electronic receipt.

Departure ticket tax

I am not sure exactly how this works. According to a tutorial on Xiaohongshu, you need to ask the check-in counter staff to refund it directly in cash when checking in for departure. But our staff member told us that because our ticket was a round trip, the system did not show the tax, so there was no way to refund it to us. I still have not fully figured this out. If the refund is successful, it should be about $30 (around RMB 200) in COP cash.

Departure immigration queue

It was very chaotic. Colombian passports, Australian passports, and Chinese passports (us) were all in the same line, though there were also self-service kiosks nearby. We were directed by staff to join this line, and it took a little over an hour (it was around 4:30 a.m. at the time). After immigration, there was also a line for security, but that moved faster and took about 10-20 minutes. Even though we arrived at the airport 3 hours early, by the time we finished all the steps above, boarding had already started. We could only hurriedly buy some local chocolate and coffee beans before rushing to board.

Summary

This trip to Colombia was full of unexpected twists and challenges in both planning and execution, but it also brought many surprises and unique experiences. From bustling cities to quiet historical sites, from cutting-edge ideas in modern art to Colombia's warm and vibrant local flavors, every day felt fresh. Even when we occasionally ran into missed flights, delays, or language barriers, that unpredictability made the travel memories even richer. I hope to keep visiting more countries in the future and explore more unfamiliar scenery and cultures.

Reference links

[1]https://g.co/kgs/LekQqBJ

[2]https://g.co/kgs/55jbWGd

[3]https://g.co/kgs/PHfimtL

About the author

This article is republished from reader ZL Asica's WeChat official account. If you like it, you can follow her blog or WeChat account.