AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT - BOGOTA EDITION

Some overseas posts in the Foreign Service are harder than others.  The air quality, healthcare system, and overall living conditions are harder in some places – say, Jakarta – than others, say, Paris.  So to make up for that, overseas locations that are deemed “hardship posts” come with a little extra perk for those who serve in them – an annual “R&R.”  Basically, once a year, we get a round trip ticket back to the U.S. (or can pay the difference to go somewhere else).  After being in Jakarta for almost a year, we decided to cash in an R&R to go to a friend’s wedding in Bogota, Colombia.  And since we were going all that way, we also decided to add on a trip to Quito, Ecuador and then on to a bucket list destination, the Galapagos Islands.  This was an epic adventure, so one measly blog post about it will not suffice.  So this is Part I – Bogota. 

Andrew spent most of March in the U.S. for work, so the plan was for us to meet in Miami and then have a (relatively) short flight to Bogota (compared to the 30-ish hours to get to Miami from Jakarta).  

The 30-hour trek back to the U.S. starts in the Jakarta airport, where these googly eyed HVAC units make me laugh every time I see them.

On the other hand, the Doha airport, my connection point to Miami, is like an oasis in the desert.

The first item on the agenda was our friend’s wedding the day before Easter, and so we aimed to spend a few days before and after the wedding seeing the sights in Bogota.  Easter week is definitely a quiet time to visit since lots of places are closed.  But we found where all the people were when we tried to hike up Monserrate – one of the mountains overlooking Bogota – on Good Friday.  We took a cab from our hotel to the trailhead and found THOUSANDS of people hiking up to the church at the top as a pilgrimage, so we headed in the opposite direction and walked through some cute parks and neighborhoods back to the hotel.  We tried again on Easter Monday, and it was mucho mas tranquillo.

A sign at the top proclaimed we were at 3,200 meters (10,500 feet), so needless-to-say we were winded and sweaty.  But the view at the top was worth it.  

It took us a couple hours to climb to the top of Monserrate... mostly on stairs.  Even though the Good Friday crowds had dispersed, there were still a lot of people on the trail making a pilgrimage to the church at the top.  Several of them were walking backwards on their way back down.  

The church in the background was the destination for the pilgrims... but there were several restaurants and stalls selling souvenirs.

There was also a pathway winding from the church to a building that housed a funicular - and we took that option to get back down the mountain.

Looking out over Bogota on our way down Monserrate in the funicular.

In addition to our Monserrate hiking attempts, we also walked explored the Candelaria neighborhood.  Plaza Bolivar, a huge public square, is at the center of the neighborhood, with lots of cute restaurants, shops, and street art all around it.  

The cathedral - and a llama - at Plaza Bolivar.

All sorts of vendors in Plaza Bolivar.

The "graffiti" in the Candelaria neighborhood are works of art.

We had a great time wandering around the little laneways in Candelaria.

So colorful and fun!

And on our last day in Bogota, we took a stroll through the huge botanic garden with its lovely green spaces, arboretum, and greenhouses. 

A lovely day for a stroll through a garden.

Of course, the whole impetus for heading to Bogota and points beyond was Andrew’s friend Ben’s wedding.  The bride Natalia hails from Bogota, so it was her hometown wedding.  They pulled out all the stops and put on a beautiful event.

We clean up OK.

It was an absolutely beautiful wedding!  So many flowers!

Our overall impression of Bogota was – let’s go back!  So many great aspects, including...

WEATHER!  The weather was amazing – cool with blue sky and puffy clouds.  A refreshing change from Jakarta’s weather.  The only day it rained was on the actual wedding day, but it didn’t put a damper on the celebration in the least. 

DOGS!  It seemed everyone had a dog, and they were out walking them around their neighborhoods.  And we’re talking legit dogs – not weird street mutts that you see in so many places.  These were well-groomed and well-loved pooches.

FOOD!  Empanadas.  Arepas.  Pastries of all varieties.  Fresh fish.  Coffee.  I could go on and on.  I love Latin American food – and Bogota’s offerings did not disappoint.

THE CITY!  It was clean, had bike lanes and sidewalks, green spaces, parks (for all the aforementioned dogs).  Granted, we were there during Semana Santa, so we avoided all the traffic the city is also known for.  But after Jakarta traffic, it’ll take a lot to scare us off.

All that to say, Bogota was a wonderful way to start our R&R.  From there, onward to Quito, Ecuador!  Stay tuned for Part 2… coming soon.

STAY-CATIONING

Andrew has been back in the U.S. for work for the past month-ish.  While he’s been traveling from coast to coast and getting to catch up with friends and family on the sidelines, several folks have asked me how I’m keeping myself busy while he’s away.  Well, first off, my job is never a dull moment, so it’s been keeping me plenty busy.  So much so that I’m quite content to come home in the evenings and just have a quiet night to myself.

We get some good sunset views from our living room balcony.

Our living room - a cozy spot to relax after a long day.

Not going to lie.  Many of my "quiet nights" include using our microwave.  I have yet to take advantage of most of these 1-button features, but good to know a meal of mushroom soup and roast peanuts can be accomplished so quickly and easily.

The first couple weekends Andrew was away, I walked down to one of the mega-malls near us to have lunch and go to a movie.  (They are cheap here!  I can see a first-run movie with popcorn and a drink and a nice comfy seat for less than $10.)  This past weekend, I went to go see the middle school production of “Seussical” at the international school where most of the embassy families send their kids.  The campus is enormous and contains an elementary, middle, and high school, each with their own facilities. 

This was a middle school production.  In the middle school theater.  I don't even think my middle school put on theater productions.

Those weekend activities have provided some variety… but they aren’t exactly “relaxing.”  The mall is a 20-minute-ish walk, which isn’t a lot until you consider that the roads here aren't what you'd call "pedestrian friendly" (lots of broken concrete, cars parked on sidewalks, and other obstacles that require you to watch every step), and walking 20 minutes in the heat and humidity can take it out of you.  And the school is in south Jakarta – about 10 miles as the crow flies, but at least an hour in a cab each way because of Jakarta’s traffic… and I cannot overstate how terrible the traffic is.  So I have to admit, my favorite weekend activity has just been to stay-cation at our apartment building.

Our apartment building is definitely too fancy for us.

This is the "solarium."  We've had a few happy hour gatherings in here.

This is the "observatory."  (I just realized our apartment building could be its own game of Clue!)  They set up a big screen and some chairs for the World Cup, and we watched a couple games up here.

This is by far the most deluxe place we have ever lived – and that we likely ever will live.  There are two pools, a gym, lovely grounds and indoor spaces… and they are almost always mostly empty.  Our apartment building is definitely the quietest place I have found in Jakarta.  So after a long week, it has been very nice to just hang out in what feels like my very own resort.

A gym with a view...

A yoga room with a view...

And a rooftop pool with a view.

There's also a gorgeous pool on the ground level that is hardly ever in use.  It's like a private backyard - with an enormous pool.

Don’t get me wrong… there are still a lot of places left to see in Indonesia.  But while I wait for my travel partner to return and we can take on those adventures together, I’ve had quite a lovely stay-cation at our apartment.  And if this sounds enticing, feel free to come visit us and check out our digs for yourself!

Our rooftop offers a pretty stellar vantage point to see Jakarta.  This is looking north - if you squint, you can see the ocean out there.

And this is looking south.  If you squint, you can see some mountains out there.

There's a little gazebo up on the roof that makes a swell happy hour location... when it's not raining or too windy.  It does get a bit gusty 38 floors up.

Your guest room awaits!

HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS IN JAKARTA AND MELBOURNE

Good to spend some time back in Melbourne!

The embassy sets us up with temporary household items while we wait for our things to get delivered, but be were starting to wonder if we’d be trying to make it through the holidays with only four place settings.  Luckily, it took just about five months for our stuff from Washington and Zimbabwe to arrive in Jakarta, and so we had everything in time for Thanksgiving.  We had some friends and colleagues from the building over for a semi-traditional Thanksgiving dinner – roast chicken filled the role of a turkey, but otherwise we had all the fixings, and it was a great way to ring in the start of the holiday season.

The post-delivery jumble of boxes... and metal warthogs.

I had a couple weeks of annual leave to use or lose before the end of the year, so I took a couple weeks off right before Christmas and we headed to Melbourne.  Andrew went a couple weeks ahead of me for an extended visit with family and friends.  It was my first trip back to Oz in about 10 years, and it was a very welcome change of scenery.  Open space!  Clean air!  Blue sky (at least, in the second week I was there – the first week was a bit windy and chilly… but even that was a welcome change)!  We did lots of walking – along the Yarra River, around the botanic park, and through several of Melbourne’s neighborhoods that, like Portland, all kind of have their own personality.  We also took a couple side trips - a few days with Andrew’s friends in a coastal town called Anglesea about an hour outside Melbourne, and a visit to the Yarra Valley, including lots of wine tasting and a visit to the Healesville Sanctuary… sort of a native animal zoo.  We did a “VIP tour” of the sanctuary that provided some up-close-and-personal interactions with some of the residents. 

A stroll through Melbourne's botanic garden.

One of Melbourne's colorful neighborhoods.

We stumbled upon several speakeasy-like bars that were tucked away in alleys... including this tiki bar.

An old favorite... the Rose Hotel (where I think I should get a discount).

Playing tourist on a Yarra River boat tour.

A bit cool at the beach... a refreshing change!

Double rainbow all the way.

Lorikeets were absolutely everywhere - and seem to be enjoying all the fruiting trees.

Evidence of a successful rainy season on display along a hike in Healesville.

We stayed at an inn in Healesville that had a resident cat, two dogs... and this donkey that clearly thought he was a dog.

"Oh the donkey and the black cat can be friends..."

Sunshine and gum trees in the Yarra Valley.

You work up quite a thirst hiking.  Good thing there were lots of wine tasting rooms where we could take a break.

We got to give some treats to echidnas at the Healesville Sanctuary... and they may be my new favorite animal.

Most of the koalas were passed out asleep... but this guy (gal?) was up and about.

A koala depiction of how I feel about government bureaucracy.

It wasn't just the koalas that were enjoying a siesta.

Requisite photo of us and a sleeping koala.

This guy apparently thought my hair would make good nesting material.

We traveled back to Jakarta on Christmas Day.  Eating airplane food definitely made for a non-traditional Christmas dinner, but we got together with some embassy friends for a Boxing Day dinner with turkey, stuffing, and all the trimmings.  Our apartment building put up a huge Christmas tree in the lobby, so despite the 90-degree weather, it still felt a bit like Christmas. 

Seemed to be appropriate attire for a flight on Christmas Day.

The Christmas decor in our apartment lobby.

And in between the various holidays and travels, we’ve continued to try to explore Jakarta.  Most recently, we checked out “Kota Tua” (or “Old Town”) an area in north Jakarta that has a lot of old buildings and museums from the Dutch colonial era.  We had coffee in a historic coffee house, and checked out a couple museums, including a history museum and an old bank-turned-banking museum.  Both had some interesting displays, but the banking museum was air conditioned, so it was the winner.

This old Dutch colonial building on the old city square now houses a history museum.

The square is filled with folks riding around on these colorful bikes - with matching wide-brimmed hats.

Looking down on the square - and colorful bike riders - from the history museum.

And perhaps what we have enjoyed most of late have been the clearer-than-normal skies.  This is the rainy season… though it hasn’t been that rainy.  But perhaps the rains that have come have helped clear out the pollution a bit.  Whatever the reason, we’ve enjoyed some beautiful sunsets lately, and were able to watch Jakarta put on a show-stopping fireworks display on New Year’s Eve from the rooftop of our apartment building.

One of the colorful sunsets we've enjoyed recently from our living room window.

And even more impressive view from our rooftop.  That's the ocean in the distance!  It's usually obscured by smog.

The high rise jungle as seen from our rooftop.

We've even gotten to enjoy a full moon - and stars!

Jakarta put on quite a show on New Year's eve with fireworks going off all over the city.  We took it all in from our rooftop.

And so a new year now begins.  The Christmas tree in our apartment lobby has been replaced with a Chinese New Year display.  The post-vacation glow has slowly worn off as we gear back up to the usual routine.  But we look forward to seeing what new adventures the new year will bring and look forward to sharing them with you.  In the meantime, we wish you a very happy and healthy 2023.

The Chinese New Year display in our lobby.  Happy year of the rabbit everyone!