Usaquen….I love it. It is a neighborhood that used to be a standalone village at the base of the mountains in the northernmost part of Bogota. It is a fairly wealthy area with another nice mall Hacienda Santa Barbara but the mall itself is arranged on many levels not like stories or floors but like half levels and the indoor parts are intertwined with the outdoor alley-like areas. It’s very hard to describe but very intimate feeling and very beautiful. This IS where the upper crust of Bogota must live. However the mall is not the best part of Usaquen the flea market that they hold on their cobblestone streets every Sunday is what makes it. They also have indoor sections in a building that is adjacent to a church. The artesian and craftsmen have rows and rows of jewelry, woodcrafts, delicacies and textile materials to name a few. There are local artists that display their work and ethnically diverse displays. The prices vary but are reasonable for what you get. The feeling is very modern yet historical with the buildings that are etched into the mountainside. There are also so many restaurants that range from steakhouses to ethnic food like Thai and Chinese. The cost is reasonable and again the restaurants are for the most part converted from homes so you could have a tri-level restaurant like the one we visited En Fuerno. Overall Usaquen is a place I would like to go to every weekend. Love, love, loved it.
It also amazes me wherever I go in Bogota how resourceful people are. They find work where they can and they do it with pride. Sometimes it’s a little baffling as an American to comprehend but, yet it is so simple probably due to the lack of regulation on employment. For example there is a busy intersection near where I live (actually they are all busy) and every day there is an Afro-Colombian man with the front half of his head shaved that acts as a crossing guard. He has a little stop and go sign and everything but, I couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t dressed in a police or even any uniform whatsoever. Then I figured out that he has employed himself as a crossing guard. He has a bucket on each corner of the street he crosses people on and they throw money in as appreciation. Another example is the people who watch your car when it is parked on the street. They will make sure no one bothers your car and then expect small tokens for their “service.” Again they employ themselves. I’m sure they do not make a killing on this but they seem to live. I personally think that it’s better than living off the system and is probably out of necessity. But, I think that it is interesting and wonder if we were not so regulated here in the States if it would be easier to make a living. But, this is in stark contrast to the astonishing amount of regulation when it comes to police presence and security.
It also amazes me wherever I go in Bogota how resourceful people are. They find work where they can and they do it with pride. Sometimes it’s a little baffling as an American to comprehend but, yet it is so simple probably due to the lack of regulation on employment. For example there is a busy intersection near where I live (actually they are all busy) and every day there is an Afro-Colombian man with the front half of his head shaved that acts as a crossing guard. He has a little stop and go sign and everything but, I couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t dressed in a police or even any uniform whatsoever. Then I figured out that he has employed himself as a crossing guard. He has a bucket on each corner of the street he crosses people on and they throw money in as appreciation. Another example is the people who watch your car when it is parked on the street. They will make sure no one bothers your car and then expect small tokens for their “service.” Again they employ themselves. I’m sure they do not make a killing on this but they seem to live. I personally think that it’s better than living off the system and is probably out of necessity. But, I think that it is interesting and wonder if we were not so regulated here in the States if it would be easier to make a living. But, this is in stark contrast to the astonishing amount of regulation when it comes to police presence and security.
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