I'm here!

So, I've made it!   I'm in Bogota, and it was almost completely stress and disaster free!

Graduation went well, lovely sunny day but very tiring - lots of smiling and photograph taking which everyone knows I'm not good at!  And almost made the entire day without being called Oliver!  Will see if there any pics to put up - Dave took lots.

At the airport Mum started to get slightly stressed - luckily Lisa and Dave were there to stop us falling out completely.  Then disaster No. 1 - my padlock didn't fit my bag and no shops were open at the airport to get a new one!  So had to hang around for a bit and Dave managed to get one to open 4 minutes early!

Once that was sorted everything went smoothly until I got through passport control and went to text Mum to tell her I was through OK and realised I'd not got my phone!!  So had to find a payphone and ring and explain (they were surprisingly calm about it . . . .)

Managed to sleep on the flight to Madrid so it went really quick.  And I didn't have anyone sat at the side of me.  Then a bus took is straight from the plane to the new terminal for the flight to Bogota.  Sat waiting, and went to email home on my ipod to say I'd made it to the new terminal, and my bag started vibrating . . . I'd had my phone all along!!  So disaster one no longer a disaster.

The flight to Bogota was delayed by nearly an hour but because there was no wind ee made up the time and landed on time.  The flight was pretty long, and full of school kids!  Didn't manage to get that much sleep, but they fed you well.  Three meals all together!  And I spoke some Spanish - even if it was only to ask them to tell me in English!

Had a bit of a problem getting through passport control as they said I could not stay for 70 days, but I told them that the embassy had said I could stay for 90, but may have to have a 60 day visa and then extend it.  But the person got their boss and they said I could have a visa for 70 days.  So hopefully I should be OK (though all they did was stap my passport!).  Might go to the embassy when I get to Cartagena and double check I've not got to extend it.

Got a taxi to the hostel no problem - they have a very good system at the airport.  You go to this office and thell them where you want to go, then they give you a ticket with a price on and the taxi driver can only charge you that much.  My driver wasn't happy because it was rush hour and it took us forever to get there.

Checking in at the hostel was intreresting as they speak no English and the booking wasn't in my name - it was in the name of whoever organises it.  Luckily someone was able to translate for me and it was all fine.

The organiser in Colombia (Laura) met me later at the hostel and explained things to me.  Then Chris and Alex, the other volunteers, came back and showed me around and things.  Was very tired that night so went to bed pretty early (it was the equivalent of 4am in the UK and I'd been up since 1am the day before!)

Chris and Alice are really friendly.  They're brother and sister and were actually born in Bogota but have lived in England all their lives and speak no Spanish!  It's quite funny when we go places because everyone expects them to be fluent in Spanish and find it hilarious when they say they don't speak it!

On Saturday the three of us went into the South of the city with another girl from the hostel called Janet.  She's from New Zealand.  We went to the shopping centre, because I needed to buy a watch (mine fell apart when I was trying to change the time) and the others needed bits and bobs.  The transport system is really good.  Its 1700 pesos (less than 60p) for a single ticket which takes you as far as you need to go.  You use these coaches, but they are on rqaised roads and have their own lanes in the traffic so you do not get stuck in all the queues.

In the afternoon we watched the Colombia vs Peru football match, then went on a cable car to Monserrat.  It's 10,000 feet above sea level which is 5 times more than Ben Nevis!  You get out of breath very easily.  The view was amazing and the weather perfect for it - you could see for miles.  Other people that have been said they couldn't see anything because of the mist and the clounds.  We also got to see the sunset - kind of.  We were one side of the Church, saw the sun was going down so ran round to watch it but by the time we got there we had missed it!

Last night we played cards then went for the biggest pizza you have ever seen!  It was between 4 of us and still enormous - cost 40,000 pesos which is just over £10.  Food is very cheap here.

Not sure what I am going to do today.  I think Alice and Chris are going to meet some relatives later.  The weather is pretty nice again so I might try and find some of the museums that re nearby.  I'm a bit worried about getting lost though because all the streets look the same to me!

I will put some pictures up of Monserrat later.