Macarena Neighborhood in Bogota featured in New York Times travel section

Bogota, Colombia was again featured in the travel section of The New York Times the weekend, this time focusing on the up and coming neighborhood of the Macarena. This is one Vamos Colombia Tour's favorite little corners of Bogota. The NYT appears to feel the same way.





The article is at

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/travel/26surfacing.html?ref=travel

The article focuses on its new and hip restaurants, galleries and bookstores, and notes that many foreigners are attracted to the area, as it continues to come up in stature.

We noticed in our visits that the area is full of old stately homes and buildings that need just a bit of restoration and are quite attractive. The neighborhood is also well situated behind the bullring and close to the Candalaria historic and touristic district, as well as the National Musuem. Good job NYT in this find!


These pictures are Vamos Colombia Tour's photos of the neighboord, including a fancy appartment building, a formal historic looking house, and the nearby park. All pictures were taken from the viewpoint atop the nearby Colpatria Tower (an office building with viewpoint open to the public).

Bogota Event a True Experience of Gay Pride

Welcome to the new readers and the return followers of the Vamos Colombia Tour blog!

I must tell you that I was amazed, impressed and very proud of the work that my fellow Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) friends are doing in Bogota, Colombia.

AL ROSA VIVO

Bogota, Colombia hosted a great Gay Pride celebration in June, 2009.

The theme of the Pride parade was: “Discrimination based on sexual orientation and sexual identity is not a game. We come from a family and we are a family.”

The public events took place over a period of several days, culminating in the Sunday Pride Parade (June 28, 2009).

I also was able to attend several events such as:

The Supervisor of Chapinero (the LGBT neighborhood in Bogota) is Blanca Ines Duran (pictured here with Walter Rey). She is an out and proud lesbian who is organizing our community at different levels. She has been in this position for a year and she presented her report to the community in a very creative way. She used one of the biggest gay club of Bogota, which was previously a theater, and presented a true multi-media presentation: a mix of video and live theater to present her report.

The place was packed and she informed us of the several campaigns for the Chapinero area, ranging from the reduction of noise, the campaign against parking violation, to education of the community and police on respect and behavior toward LGBT people. She also clearly made a point of including everyone, gay men, lesbians, transgender, and straight – noting that we all are working together for a better world. From what I have seen, she is doing a great job!

The Chapinero area also had a big stage in the center of he district, at a well known public park called “the park of the Hippies.” They presented shows during the three nights prior to the parade.

Some of them were informative, educational or just fun. They had a runway show were 8 designers were participating for best design outfits for the transsexual community. The outfits looked great at the fashion show (as did the transgendered models). They had a DJ contest, as well as the participation of several groups such as the gay radio station of Bogota, which can be accessed through the internet.

http://www.eledenradio.net/

The parade itself went down the principle boulevard of Seventh Avenue (Carrera Septima) for about 30 blocks. (From Parque Nacional to Plaza Bolivar in the Candelaria district). At the end in the heart of the histric old city and downtown there was another big stage was welcoming all to celebrate.

There were several floats and a great turn out of people. We all marched with pride. What it was different at this pride event from others in the world is the energy of the people. Having been to several gay pride parades in the world (including such welcoming places as San Francisco, New York, Sydney and Vancouver), I can say that I had never seem such strong energy and pride among the participants. I was very happy to be a part of it and by my presence add a little grain to it.

Still it is interesting that most of the people on the parade were young as many of the over-40 community were out of the city for the long weekend holiday (which coincided with the event) or just were not comfortable in the public environment.

The closet doors are heavy but slowly opening. I believe that is why is so important that everyone who is able (that means you!) can join us in future parades. Just being present sends an important message to the LGBT community and the city and country of Colombia and a whole. The mainstream press is starting to get the message and change is swiftly on the move in Colombia!

Vamos Colombia Tour continues to promote Colombia as a Gay and Lesbian travel destination and we would like you to join us. Currently we are preparing the 2010 calendar – it is sure to include nest year’s gay pride. If you would like a change from your local gay pride celebration, or perhaps would like to experience gay pride in a location where it is truly making a difference, then join us!

More pictures can also be found at:

http://vamoscolombiatour.blogspot.com/2009/07/more-pictures-from-bogota-gay-pride.html

and

http://vamoscolombiatour.blogspot.com/2009/07/bogota-gay-pride-parade-2009-exceeds.html

Colombia and Bogota are the new kids on the block in gay travel. Find out why everyone who goes has an unforgettable time!

Walter Rey
Vamos Colombia Tour
check us out on the web: www.VamosColombiaTour.com

Vamos Colombia Tours prepares for new Calendar for 2010

Vamos Colombia Tour introduces are three newest friends, William, Daniel and Alex, seen here in the hills of Sylvania, outside of Bogota. Behind them are fields of "Tomate de Arbol" a delicious Colombian fruit. Look for them in our next 2010 calendar, coming soon.

Video of Bogota Gay Pride Parade, 2009

Vamos Colombia Tour brings you a bit of the Bogota, Colombia Gay (LGBT) Pride Parade of 2009. This clip will give you an idea of the energy and fun that the tens of thousands of participants exhibited throughout the afternoon.




For information about travel to Colombia, check out our website:
www.VamosColombiaTour.com

More pictures from Bogota Gay Pride Parade, 2009

Bogota, Colombia Gay Pride (LGBT) Parade, 2009. More pictures to set the scene.

For more information about travel to Colombia, check our our website,

www.VamosColombiaTour.com

Bogota Gay Pride Parade 2009 Exceeds All Expectations!

The Gay Pride Parade (in Bogota, Colombia) that marched down the heart of the downtown of the city, 7th Avenue, and ended in the Plaza Mayor, the seat of government of the city and the country, exceeded all expectations as a political, cultural and social event in the fast-changing cosmopolitan city of Bogota.

Floats from LGBT rights organizations, as well as clubs and other businesses the cater to the gay community spread the word of gay pride to the onlookers from all walks of life - gay, lesbian, straight, questioning or just plan curious. All classes of persons mixed in the fun in the peaceful march which became a party as the music energized the mostly younger crowd which sang and chanted in unison as the parade made its way through the wide boulevard that became a smaller street in the more historic downtown. Traffic was stopped for quite a while as the crowd overflowed into other lanes and streets. At the end, a rally sent the message of the right to safety, protection and to live proudly as members of the LGBT community as the institutions of Colombia society, the capital, the Supreme Court, and the Cathedral, stood around, as if a natural part of the scene.

Surely this was the largest gay pride event in Colombian history, and one of the largest in Latin America as well. The Colombian LGBT community has much to be proud about as the Supreme Court in this past year has recognized same sex relationships as worthy of the same rights as those of opposite-gender ones. Gay people have achieved much attention in recent years in Colombian life and society, although the local paper reported the next day that there had been threats as well. No violence was in evidence, although many revelers did not linger in the main plaza (or did not attend the rally altogether) perhaps due to the unusual nature of having a gay pride event in front of the seat of power of the country. Colombia is a historically conservative and traditional country. Clearly, things are changing - how fast remains to be scene, but the combination of recent legal developments, combined with one of the best and largest gay pride events on the continent certainly puts Colombia well on the map of LGBT life!

Fore more information about travel to Colombia, check our our website,
www.VamosColombiaTour.com

Gay Pride Events in Bogota, Colombia 2009

The city government of Bogota, Colombia, and in particular the district of Chapinero (which even was previously dubbed "Chapi-gay" for the large LGBT population there) sponsored a super-impressive fair and group of events which took place in a public park in the heart of the district during the week leading up to the gay pride parade at the end of June, 2009.





















The Alcadeza (district leader) for Chapinero, Blanca Inez Duran H., with Walter Rey of Vamos Colombia Tour, celebrating gay pride in Bogota, Colombia, 2009: