7,304,384+1

There's nothing like gliding down a familiar street on a bicycle you call your own, dodging smashed glass & pot-holes, listening to a soundtrack that makes everything feel a little less edgy, more liberal and more European. During the past 5 weeks of non-connectivity, the view from my bedroom window has changed from this:

to this:

The view from my bicycle is constantly refreshed as i explore a new city, a new home.

Bogota, Colombia. Population 7,304,384+1 and at an altitude of nearly 3,000m, i can nearly touch the clouds on an overcast day. Not that there are too many of those. Edging this close to the equator seasons are a thing of the past. The weather maintains a feel of a constant yet versatile Dutch summer. On a good day, it's sunny, breezy and between 20-25degrees. On a bad day, the sky has several colours, the air several temperatures and i have several variations of jacket, shirt, jumper, sunglasses combination.

Being high all the time (altitude) changes more than the weather. Cooking pasta and boiling an egg require a further 3-4 minutes. And any exercise leaves me with more and more empathy for sufferers of asthma.

A change of scene brings these simple lessons of adaption, and many more.

Perched on the saddle of my new bike, adaption is minimum thanks to Bogota's 300km's of designated cycle paths. When forced on to the road i still enjoy swerving in and out of traffic, and still refuse to wear a helmet. The scarce supply of oxygen and the mountainous backdrop are sometimes the only reminders that i'm not cruising the Harlemerstraat on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

A lazy Sunday afternoon in Bogota is well supported by ciclovia. A city wide street party of cycling, jogging, dog walking, roller-blading and strolling on main roads temporarily closed to everything with an engine.

From 07.00 till 14.00, the road is ours, and the hangover gone.

Buenas tardes from Calle 140 x