Bogota Colombia 哥伦比亚波哥达 – 3/2017 (1)

3-8/3/2017. It was going to be like going around the globe to reach South America from Kuala Lumpur. But I did not expect it to take 63 hours either. For some reason, the connection at Tehran was canceled. About 30 of us, birds of cheap flights from various countries, were thrown together in Tehran’s transit lounge. There was nothing to do except to chat, eat, and doze off, like in summer camp. I enjoyed the communal experience.

Needless to say, after 63 hours, the first breakfast in Bogotá felt like breaking fast—a chicken sandwich, carrot soup, and hot chocolate drink. That must have been the longest flight I have ever taken, but considering that some Malaysian planes recently never arrived at their destinations, arriving in almost three days didn’t sound quite that bad.

After a short rest to get over the time difference, I went out to where the crowd would be on a weekend evening. They call this place Zona T, full of restaurants and pubs. I followed the loud music and sat down in a three-story pub/restaurant, each floor full of people, already dancing beside themselves, to the earsplitting pulse and beats. At one table sat two young men, two girls, and an elderly woman. The young men took turns dancing with the girls. One of these also danced with the elderly woman, sensually liked he danced with the young girls. Surely one doesn’t dance like that with the grandma! I could not figure out what their relationships were. He also danced alone at one side with moves like a male stripper. He turned no head; everyone was dancing trance-like.

At another table, a young couple danced nonstop for a good four hours. At another long table sat about 12, some middle-aged, each swinging to the music. As soon as they were about to return to their seats, another Latino or western piece would break out, and they let out a scream of excitement, drawn back to the floor. They did not bother to catch a breather.

They were so themselves. There was no inhibition. Nobody cared if you were too suggestive. Nobody minded if you flirted. Nobody gasped at whatever moves, however sensual or erotic. There was no spectator, everyone was busy. They believed in freedom of expression. They let their bodies do the talking, their feet the dancing.

I will carry this happy, fun memory with me for as long as my mind is still mine. This place epitomizes the Latino personality. This is one of the happiest places and happiest times on Earth. Though I can fidget better than dance, it’s time to shed the uptightness and chill a little.

3-8/3/2017 从马到拉美本来就是遥远的行程但没意料六十三小时才抵达。不知何故在德黑兰中转机被取消，三十多位年轻人只能在候机厅共度无聊时日，结拜了一些兄弟。除吃喝胡聊胡扯基本无所事事，但也是此行体验和探索的珍贵开始。

经过近三天的折腾后，坐下来吃顿热餐当然是个享受。波哥达后第一个早餐 – 鸡肉文治，红萝卜汤，热可可。虽长达六十三小时，庆幸还是到岸了，因为最近马来飞机总爱玩失踪。

倒过时差第一个波哥达夜晚，也恰好是周末，带着年轻心态到餐厅酒吧一条街T区 （Zona T）看拉美人周末夜晚有多潇洒。这里比上海新天地要大多倍，更有气派，气氛更火。不意外，拉美人就是奔放狂野。我跟着炸爆音乐到一家三楼餐厅酒吧，虽然夜晚刚降，这里早已进入状态。音乐在疯狂的放，人们在尽情的蹦。一回拉美， 一回欧美，音乐没分彼此，不停的放，把奔放的拉美本性激的火爆。在我面前一桌五口 – 两对年轻帅哥美女和一老妇，我开始猜测该是一家人到此欢度周末夜晚。两队男女互换舞伴尽情的双舞，激情性感。那男的有时又跟老妇一样的性感调情舞动，我看得目瞪口呆，跟老人家跳舞也能这样触摸，这样调情吗？这不是有伤风化吗？这男的又在桌边自己独舞，我越看越入神，他在衣冠齐整跳脱衣舞，且跳的很投入，我想，他是在干啥。 可能是我有毛病，是我心胸有问题。在我面前一双情侣整晚就是几小时跳个不停，曲终后欲回座位又被紧跟的舞曲召回舞池。这些拉美人，人美善舞，一切都是自然发挥，没排练，没表演，只是享受的流露，在我眼里是与生俱来跳舞最棒的民族。我永远记得这一晚 – 这毫无掩饰表达拉美人的性格。这是个快乐的时光，这是个快乐的地方。

• 

• 

• 

• 

I went up to Mount Monserrate to see Bogotà at a different level—a church sits at the top, Bogotà at my feet. Upon descending the mountain, I had a high octane lunch, a Colombian signature meal of avocado, baked beans, sausages, fried, fatty pork, and rice.

I am not here just to see its present, but also its past. So I made a point of visiting the Botero Museum and the Gold Museum. I saw a painting by a certain artist I have been informed has made quite a name for himself, someone called Picasso. No matter what they say, I wasn’t smart enough to see the genius in this painting. It looks very much like a child painting, a caricature, of a man disfigured, sitting with a pipe. The Gold Museum had many exhibits, making it an interesting visit. I exited the museum radiant and brilliant. I felt like a million.

波哥大市内景点之一是蒙塞拉特山，我就乘机上山一享清静，也更上一层楼看波哥大市景。山上一座修道院， 游客也不多，气氛恰到好处。下山后基本身体脂肪烧完了，路过餐厅门前看到广告显眼一道菜，止步对服务员指着广告点明我就要她。后来才知道这是哥伦比亚招牌菜 – 牛油果，炸猪肉，煎鸡蛋，焗豆，香肠，炸香蕉，充实的高热量，吃后感觉像蛇吞象。

来这里没满足于只了解哥伦比亚的现今，还有她的过去。我因此走访了波特洛博物馆和黄金博物馆。在波特罗博物馆有幅画还真考验我对艺术品味，听说出自大师之手，一个名为毕加索的。我看来看去都较像小孩的漫画，太抽象了，我领略不了。然后又钻进黄金博物馆，这我就看得懂。展品繁多，金光闪闪的，还有灿烂的历史。 博物馆出来后我也觉得自己金光闪闪，沾了不少光。

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The old part of Bogotá is another reflection of the Latino culture. Grafitti splatters all over this town, as if the walls were crying out for more makeup. This was not a people contented with plain vanilla. These were expressive people, and they did not want to be told to conform, unlike most Asian countries. These were true postcards of this people, this country, this continent.

At the Usaquen flea market, all sorts of cute stuff, trinkets, handicrafts, antiques, artisan food were on sale, the restaurants were on standby to please the palates. It was a good day out enjoying the Latino leisure atmosphere.

波哥达老城区也别具风味， 也折射拉美文化。这老区到处都是涂鸦，也是街艺，还引以为豪，传为佳话，纳为景点。也可能是文化，不满于涂鸦涂到墙上，还涂到自己身上，终身相许，刷之不去。对纹身这身体艺术执着，在这里有目共睹。

到 Usaquen 跳蚤市场， 摆卖当地各类物品，休闲别致餐厅，布局很有品味。没想到波哥达休闲去处和身心活动地方还不少。

• 

• 

• 

• 

Every Sunday, several arterial roads leading to the city center are closed to traffic, so the public can engage in various recreational activities. Public involvement was very visible. I joined in the fun and walked for more than an hour along the route, taking in the views along the way. If only we could also close some roads in Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur, but we prefer to run our cars rather than ourselves.

每周日，通往市中心几条很长的主干道一边封了给市民健身。我凑热闹陪走了一小时多，边走边赏一路景观，身心舒畅，灵感顿时百花齐放。全民和家庭活动气氛很棒，如果上海和吉隆坡也能每周日把一些大道封了多好，可是我们已进步了，我们的爱车更需要出门活动。

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•