This café is beautiful!!! If you're like me and you like to sit around all day and drink good coffee and read then you'll love Café Giralda. Café y Libros, Coffee and Books. The café is in the same building as the well presented Museo del Siglo XIX which shows how the upper classes lived in those times. It's situated very close to Plaza Bolivar. It's open 8:30 to 5:30 Monday to Friday and 9:00 to 1:00 on Sundays.

If you're desperate for something to read in your language try Libros Merlin. They have loads of cheap second hand books with a couple of shelves in English and lots more in French, German and probably other languages too. There is also another place next door which looks good and if you can read Spanish there is a huge book market, new and used, opposite Libros Merlin. Ask for Luis. He is very helpful.

This place is cool. It's run by a few very distinguished gentlemen who are always ready to assist. The building is art deco style and every room has a hat stand!!!! It's situated in the heart of the historical Candelaria area and is very central. I found it extremely clean and professionally run. It's very cheap at 9000 Pesos {US$4} per night.

There aren't that many internet places in Bogotá. Doble Click is huge with around 100 terminals. The connection speed is very fast and they have lots of discounts if you buy a few hours. The printing here is also the cheapest I've found in South America. The mornings are better as it gets very crowded in the afternoon. It´s on the corner of Calle 19 and Carrera 7. Ph 285 0301 Another good option is Webcafé which is attached to the Planetarium & The Museum of Natural History. It's a little more expensive but a lot more peaceful. It's got a cool view overlooking Parque de la Independencia. You'll find it just past Calle 26 on Carrera 7 nearly opposite Iglesia de San Diego.

I've taken plenty of buses in Colombia and Expresso Bolivariano is the most comfortable and one of the safer options. It's not the cheapest but they don't stop for every man and his chicken, although chickens are permited on board!!

Bogota is an enchanting city, believe it or not. You have to know what places to visit where to stay and where to have fun. I made a page (add free) for this purpose. Please visit it and see what mean http://pages.infinit.net/colombia/bogota/

I searched high and low for a good site about living in Colombia, check it out Great infomation on work, safety, costs etc from people who have lived there. I haven't actually been to Colombia, yet!!!

Good as gold- that's Bogota's Gold Museum. Located in seedy neighborhood- be vigilant for pickpockets or worse (slashers cut bottom of your carryall and your totables tumble to pavement). Area saturated with shoe shine boys, vendors, photographers. But inside museum- gold artifacts from all regions of Colombia. Some pre-Columbian; recovered from Lake Titicaca. Decorative jewelry- worn, offered to gods, used in barter. Intricate filigree pieces. Ushered into dark room- sudden illumination. 4 lit cases containing 11,000 gold artifacts. So bright- flash not needed for photos (although flash is permitted). Shop sells books, postcards.

Heading north, an hour's drive from Bogota- a scenic trip through upper-class neighborhoods, by greenhouses crammed with roses and carnations for export, farms (thatched roofs on some buildings)- to the Salt Cathedral. Carved inside a mountain and adjacent to a salt mine (still being worked). Took 4 years (1950-54) to build. Entirely underground so dark and damp. Metal reinforces arches. Can accommodate 10,000 people. One dome-shaped room with perfect acoustics. No services held- vibrations would weaken structure.

At the top of one of the surrounding mountains, Monserrate is a catholic sanctuary visited by thousands of people every sunday,most of them asking for a miracle ( some of them get up there on their knees!). Bogota looks beautiful from up there. There is also a nice restaurant called 'San Isidro', good food but a bit expensive.