Thinking about the smells of Bogota on a rainy day

Miércoles 21 de Octubre de 2009 11:56

A few days ago I read the following quote by Rudyard Kipling: "The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it". I thought that seemed obvious for him since he comes from India, a country known for its contrasting smells. The quote stood in my mind and today, after three days of non-stop rain I decided to smell Bogota.

The daily aromas of Bogota - during the rainy season:

• 6:00am - Walk up the mountain and enjoy the smell of Bogota after the rain, before the daily traffic pollution
• 7:30am - Breakfast! The smell of a homemade Arepa (flat white corn bread) with Campesino Cheese (fresh cheese traditionally packed in plantain leaf) and a cup of hot foaming chocolate .
• 8:30am - Take the bus or transmilenio and smell the range onf colognes and perfumes of the people smartly dressed and ready for a new working day.
• 9:00am - Breathe in CO2, pollution, cars...
• 10:00am - Revitalize with the aroma of a cup of Colombian Coffee freshly made.
• 12:30m - The smell of lunch starts to spread all over the streets, apartments and offices. The closer you get to the center of Bogota the stronger the smell of beans, meat, stews, chicken, fried plantains, yuca, chorizo... The city hides thousands of small restaurants that sell the classic "Almuerzo Ejecutivo" for as low as USD 3. It is a homemade lunch that includes a starter (usually soup), main course (usually meat, rice, potato and salad), juice and dessert.

• 2:30pm - Walk back to the office and breathe in CO2, pollution, cars...
• 4:30pm - End the work day with a warm and frothy Capuccino at Juan Valdez, Oma, or at the restaurant in Museo Nacional

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