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Today I was feeling a bit on edge not really knowing what I am going to do here in Colombia. Erika's Mother had asked when I was leaving as they needed the room I was staying in back - so just like that the two week visit at Erika's has been cut short - it sucks in one way but in another it's good, Erika has been busy and when she is not studying she just wants to sleep. She has never really travelled and so is not much of a tour guide but she is nice enough but I am ready to meet some more energetic and excitable people. So I am now stuck with what to do - I think I will head to Villa de Leiva and maybe go back to staying in hostels and meeting travellers again. After a wonderful run with couchsurfing and my hosts I was bound to have a less interesting host. After lunch I decided seen as today might be my last full day in Bogota to go and climb Monserrate - the church at 2500 meters that overlooks the city. The bus ride in was uneventful and luckily Erika's Dad had got me on the right bus. I found myself in the city and made my way to the start of the walking track, because today was a public holiday there were thousands of people making the climb. As it was 2pm and the gate closes at 4 most people were climbing down. There were stairs the whole way up and quite steep and yeah the climb was quite difficult, I felt at points I might not make it but seeing lots of young kids and elderly people climbing I soon stopped the I can't thoughts. Littered the whole way up were food and souvenir stalls, selling fruits, juices, biscuit, bakery and meats. I pushed and pushed and after just under an hour I made it to the top and wow what a panoramic view. The city is so widely spread out and as far as the eye can see is housing - this is truly what 8 million people, homes and infrastructure look like. There was a church at the top, lots of resteraunts and souvenir shops at the top so I wondered around and sampled a Coca drink made from coca leaf and aguardiente ;the local aniseed liquor). After an hour or so I headed down with the rest of the people, it started to spit rain but luckily it held off. Getting to the bottom my legs had gone to jelly and I was certainly in need of a drink. I walked into the city and jumped on the first bus heading back out to Erika's. amazingly I got the right bus and after detouring past the airport it dropped me off right where I had caught it from. In the evening I attempted to make guacamole and had a good chat with Erika and her Dad.
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