You can see everything in one day in Bogota. No, I am not talking of a whistle-stop tour of the Candelaria taking in the Donacion Botero, the Museo del Oro, heading up for lunch in the Zona G, before shopping in the Zona Rosa and dining in Usaquen. I spent the whole of the day today in the barrio where I live, Chapinero. I would love to say that this is similar to Brooklyn, but it’s not. That accolade would probably go to the gentrified areas of the Macarena.

The Carrera 7 in Chapinero

No, Chapinero is distinctly mid town, were we in New York, this would be Murray Hill. Well-located, relatively clean (by Bogota standards), and comfortable. Nothing too shocking really. There’s a sizable gay community, but this fluctuates, there are the “Dapper Old Gentlemen”, emos, hipsters, goths, punks, and so on but then you can find these guys almost anywhere, oh yes students, don’t get me started on the students -  there are positively thousands in Chapinero. Traffic, yup, it’s Bogota there’s traffic everywhere.

So, yes, you can see the whole cross section of Bogota in Chapinero. Here are a few images I snapped today as I went about my business.

Drank in some smog, one man’s trash is another’s treasure…and some buildings past their prime on the Avenida Caracas

Took in a car crash, saw a police man pull a gun on a taxi driver and passed a man asleep on the street

Spotted some interesting graffiti

 I did not start the day thinking of taking photographs around the barrio, but then I wondered what I could capture in the hours I spent going to between the car mechanic, my wife’s place of work, my office/home and walking the dog. Quite an interesting cross section you’ll agree.