Saturday and Sunday in Bogota

On Saturday morning we checked out of the Holiday Inn.  Bayron took the bus to the hotel to meet us.  Although we had seen it in action all week and we got our first taste of their mass transportation (Transmilenio) when we rode it to the apartment with Bayron.  We didn't become experts in the time we were there, but it with exclusive driving lanes, it was very efficient.  We also found it to be clean and safe.  A couple of times, we took a "normal" bus and found those to be the same.

Bayron and Terisa have a studio apartment, but they were very gracious hosts and offered us their bedroom.  We didn't spend a lot of time in the apartment because there was so much to see and do.  Saturday afternoon we went to Centro Comercial Titan, one of the largest malls in the city.

  
A big group of us (David and his family, Karen and Gabrielle, Bayron, Teresa and Marcos, Nadia and Pamela and us) ate at Sopas and Postres--typical Colombian food.  I ate Ajiaco, a soup made with chicken, three varieties of potatoes, herbs and a piece of corn on the cob.  It was delicious.  Stephen had some of the famous Colombia beef.  

Sunday morning we rode the bus to church--it was so exciting to have 13 visitors, fruit from the campaign.  The pastors were thrilled that one of the visitors brought his whole family.  It was an awesome time of worship with Gabrielle leading the singing, Alex on the guitar, Bayron on the bass and Stephen on the piano.

Sunday afternoon we took the bus to Usaquen, an area of Bogota where artisans set up their booths around the central park.  There were many street performers (musicians, mimes, comics, dancers, and more.)  We walked through and ate at Hacienda Santa Barbara, a colonial style hacienda that is now a shopping mall.  Alex, Normita, Paola, Nadia and Pamela met us for lunch.  

Ableas--a delicious, typical Colombian dessert! 

Nadia, Pamela and me

Stephen and Bayron finished off the evening playing cards--cribbage and golf.  It was a great day spent with great friends.  Loved seeing another part of the beautiful city of Bogota.