Bogotá, capital of Colombia is located in a privileged site in the center of the country at an altitude of 8.600 feet. Travelers may require some time to adjust to the altitude, which can affect blood pressure, digestion, and energy level. Persons with medical conditions related to the circulatory or respiratory system should ask their physician if travel to Bogotá or other high-altitude locations is advisable.

Downtown Bogotá is filled with shops, business offices, cafés, and the banking district -- also an interesting area to stroll around. Most of the best hotels, restaurants, cafés, and boutiques are located in the northern end of the city, where you will be staying.

Possible day trips from Bogotá include a trip to the salt mines of Zipaquirá, where you will find a whole cathedral built inside the salt mines. Another incredible place to visit is Monserrate, where you will find a modest and uninspiring church, but a marvelous panoramic view of the city. Take the tram up, and walk down. You can also visit The Banco de la República Gold Museum, where you will find an extraordinary selection of pre-Hispanic gold work collection - the biggest in the world. Together with other pottery, stone, shell, wood and textile archaeological objects, these items testify to the life and thought of different societies which inhabited what is now known as Colombia before contact was made with Europe.

Bogotá has also been known to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world, but this is fortunately not true anymore thanks to a "people first" urban planning strategy initiated in the late 90's by then Mayor, Enrique Peñalosa. These changes included FEWER roads, highways, and on-street parking, but MORE bike/pedestrian paths, quality mass-transit, and parks. This should be COMMON SENSE -- in every big city, it's advisable to devote resources to the majority of the population, not the minority of cars. Currently in New York City, this same sort of approach is being applied to the South Bronx and worth a visit!