The Welcome To Colombia Bogota Party!

My welcome to Colombia is something that I should remember forever. Friends are more important than anything else sometimes. And whether they are close friends or friends you see often, shouldn’t matter. Friends will always be there for you. One such is Julio Felipe.

A man who I first met in 2004 while serving ice creams by Bournemouth Beach – a job which in fact has helped me immensely on my travels around the world and I have actually met friends from that particular job in places as far off as Australia, Poland and Colombia.

Once the cancelled flights and baggage had been sorted, I was breathing Colombian air. Greeted at Bogota international airport by Felipe and Sergio, who had gone out of their way. I had some Colombian money – Marta’s 1,000 Peso note still in my wallet – this lady Marta I had roomed with on my very first night in Australia in October 2009. She had the other bed in the room her and I shared with Natalja and she accompanied us on our trek round Sydney at night. Just over a year later I had finally made it to Colombia to spend said note. And to throw in another of life’s coincidences I was to party and drink with Marta that night – but a different one! Anyway I got a few more Pesos swapped over at Bogota airport just for good measure.

Neither Sergio or Julio own a car or can afford one, yet they both came all the way to the airport on public transport just to meet me. Once there, they whisked us in a taxi, laughter followed and soon we were on the way to an area of the city known as “Nice”. A pretty good opener for Colombia, and its’ high altitude capital, Bogota.

A party was happening at Margarita’s flat in Nice. Beers, rum and smokes were flowing. It was a relief to get back there and enjoy the relaxation of my first ever night in Colombia.

Margarita lived at a place called Conjunto Residencial Maria Jose. It’s a very safe haven – a block of flats with a security guy on a gate and even after that you need 2 more keys to access the flat.

The night time view from Margarita’s flat.

The table at the Colombian party. I had my first ever Colombian beer there – Aguila, which means eagle. It’s still my favourite Colombian beer.

The party got underway and featured drink, smoke, dancing, music and fun. A special welcome to the country for me. My host Margarita had a early night as she was feeling poorly, but helped sort everything out for me bed wise and drink wise. Thanks to Julio I was getting a real Hong Kong experience.

Marta taught me Colombian style dancing. She was good and it. Colombians can dance. Sergio and even Julio could cut the rug up to. Northern Irish people, by default are not really cut out for this dancing melarkey.

Marta wanted to keep dancing all night – I must have been up dancing for a couple of hours. First time I’d done that in years. I have a habit of attracting opposites in females. Noemi, from Debrecen in Hungary was a fabulous dancer, appeared in many competitions in Hungary and England dancing her way round. Marta does it for fun and is a very sexual person which again added to the spirit.

It was a gathering of friends and Julio had been so welcoming, it almost felt wrong to be rubbing up against Marta all night. She is sultry and sexy. A very charming lady and on a different door on life’s corridor I may have bargained for more than the odd crotch fondle she provided.

Marta with a typical sexy pose.

Marta tries on my famous blue hat.

After a few hours we ran out of drink, but this is Colombia and there’s a wee offy in the estate open 24 hours so Sergio pops out for another bottle of Ron (rum) we were on the rum and cokes all night.

Felipe cooked me some tuna fish soup after this! There were smokes available too. Chat turned to Best Break and Julio and I relived days gone by over a wee rum. It’s funny we were good mates in Bournemouth, but didn;t often drink together much. We were making up for lost time.

Chilling with Sergio.

Then it was almost dawn and time to sleep. Three in the bed? Colombian style together at Margaritas.

I was able to keep my stuff at Margarita’s flat while I toured Bogota and later Julio and I organised our trip out to Guasca and Santa Ana Alta, where he lives on the farm.

View from Margarita’s balcony by day.

With my host Margarita who was feeling a bit better the next morning. 

The exterior of Margarita’s flat. 

There was still time for a bit of flirting with Marta the next morning. And that was my introduction to Colombia. After the sightseeing in Bogota, I left Margarita’s flat and the Nice area. Havent seen Sergio, Margarita or Marta since, but at least connected via Facebook. Great party. Great friends. Great country.


Who was there – Margarita, Marta, Julio, Sergio, Jonny


Nationalities Met – Colombia


Beer – Aguila


Spirit – Ron


Key Song – 


Ocean Colour Scene – The Day We Caught The Train (for the line “sips another rum and coke”):



CHILLING AT MARGARITA’S FLAT IN NICE, BOGOTA: