Bogota

Hi!
We've been almost a week in Bogota and I've finally adjusted to the new time zone with baby Leo's slightly erratic sleep patterns, busy days and late nights slowing down the process, and have booted Ari off the net for a while long enough for me to write y'all.
The journey out was fine, our flight from London to Miami was perfect, we got bulk head seats and a cot for Leo and couldn't believe our luck. The transfer in Miami however was a bloody nightmare. Never transfer in the US unless you absolutely have to, unless you have a particular penchant for having to queue endlessly in completely unnecessary immigration/customs, collecting and rechecking baggage... anyway this should be a distant memory very soon.. Ari's bag failed to arrive with him and went without his stuff for 24 hours, not a happy bunny after a soaking in the rain meant he had to resort to wearing a few choice items from my wardrobe, oh how he wished he'd let me bring those extra jogging bottoms...

So far we've spent time with family who have totally gone out of their way to make us feel welcome at home and have truly given us every attention.
I should note at this point Ari's Spanish is surprisingly good and am pleased that all those lessons have not gone to waste! He makes every effort to speak the lingo, and has coped admirably with the onslaught of such family attention. Bless.

Leo I'm pleased to report is as usual a complete doll, and I would be no true mummy if I didn't make one embarrassing toilet comment, he had a bout of constipation but is now well and truly sorted in the engine department! He has been charming all who meet and so far shows no signs of missing his cot. I'm sure he'll have sometime later to post his own opinions on the holiday so far.

And what of Bogota? After a couple of days of unpleasant rain (somewhat home from home I think) we've managed to get a good impression of the city. It's a huge and sprawling place but the backdrop of the Andes make for a pretty picture. The more dangerous and poor areas are off limits to us so we've seen all the characteristics of any modern metropolis, plush shops, restaurants and bars and a definite absence of a certain narcotic availability (I clearly haven't been looking though). What is evident is the kindness and hospitality of the people and their love of food (I was hoping to lose the baby weight and it's proving a challenge so far..) music and dancing. Even Ari has been dancing 'al Latino'. Offers for prices of photographic evidence please.

The infrastructure is somewhat frustrating. We booked a mini holiday to the Colombian coastal city of Cartagena by the old fashioned slow method of travel agency only to come across comments about the hotel on trip advisor such as 'No lo recomiendo', y 'es lo peor' and the worst 'que ceirren ese hotel YA'. Not very encouraging. As the panic set in that we would be faced with a 'faulty towers' type scenario we have spent all morning trying to change hotel, but have made little progress. Ari and my Mum have just got back from the agency with the news that every other hotel is fully booked and at best we can get a few days somewhere else. Watch this space.

So our journey continues tomorrow, when we head for the country and the hometown of my mama and the place of all my childhood memories of this country. More posts to follow soonxxx