Bogotá

Recomendaciones Lonely  Planet para la compra de esmeraldas;

HOW TO BUY EMERALDS

Some of the world's highest quality emeralds are mined chiefly in the Muzo and Chivor areas of Boyacá. Colombia is the world's largest exporter of emeralds, making these precious stones a coveted item on tourists' 'To Buy' lists when visiting Bogotá and surrounding regions.

In years past the beauty of Colombia's emeralds had been overshadowed by the dangerous conditions in which they were mined. Some locals compared Colombia's emerald market with the diamond industry in Africa. In 2005 the government abolished tariffs and taxes associated with mining, effectively ending the power of the black market and associated elements.

Travelers can now buy emeralds in good conscience.

 In the capital, emeralds are sold in the flourishing Emerald Trade Center ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Av Jiménez No 5-43; h7:30am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm Sat), where dozens of comisionistas (traders) buy and sell stones – sometimes on the sidewalks. You will also be offered emeralds on the street. Don't do it – glass imitations these days look a lot like emeralds (and, even if they are real, you will surely overpay)! 

Serious buyers should consider a tour with Colombian Emerald Tours (%313-317-6534; www.colombianemeraldtours.com). This outfit runs a two-hour tour in the city that introduces you to the comisionistas as well as schools you on cut, quality and the like inside the Emerald Trade Center. There's no pressure to buy but if you do, the COP$60,000 tour price is credited back. It also offers a long day trip into the emerald mine in Chivor, Boyacá, an ecotourism initiative run by the local community there (from COP$320,000 all-inclusive).

Here are a few tips to keep in mind while shopping for emeralds:

When looking at emeralds, you have to inspect the person selling you the emerald as closely as the emerald itself. Find a seller that you feel comfortable with. You will be surprised at how obvious it is to either run away or relax when you just place some attention on the seller.

Gems and jewelry are very subjective and often when looking at emeralds in the shops or from dealers your first impression is the best and most reliable impression. Don't be in a hurry when buying. The quality of the gem in any Colombian shop is regulated by the tourist industry and there are never disputes as to quality, so just concentrate on the price. Don't be afraid to walk away if you feel the price is too high.

When looking at a stone, you have to assess the harmony between the color, clarity, brightness and size.

Colombians are convivial and often comical. If you find a jeweler or dealer you like, invite him for tea or a tinto (black coffee). You will hear good stories and will have an ally in the emerald business.

One reliable emerald dealer in Bogotá is Gems Metal ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %311-493-1602; Carrera 7 No 12c-28 , Edificio America, oficina 707; h8am-5pm Mon-Fri). Dealer Oscar Baquero has more than 35 years experience in the emerald industry. English is spoken. Price ranges run the gamut from US$50 into the stratosphere.

Shopping

Locals love malls – Centro Comercial El Retiro ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.elretirobogota.com; Calle 81 No 11-84; h10am-8pm Mon-Thu, to 9pm Fri-Sat, noon-7pm Sun) and Centro Comercial Andino ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.centroandino.com.co; Carrera 11 No 82-71; h10am-8pm Mon-Thu, to 9pm Fri-Sat, noon-6pm Sun) are the two best – but Sunday flea markets and the crusty Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao are more inviting attractions. Also look along Carrera 9, south of Calle 60, for Chapinero's antique shops.

If you're looking for cutting-edge Colombian fashions, there's a small cluster of boutiques in the Chapinero on Carrera 7 between Calles 54 and 55.

MambeHANDICRAFTS

(www.mambe.org; Carrera 5 No 117-25; h8:30am-4:30pm Tue-Thu, 10am-6pm Fri, 2-6pm Sat & Sun)S

This excellent Usaquén shop houses a limited but extremely well done selection of weekly rotating Fair Trade handicrafts from 40 artisan-driven communities around Colombia.

Artesanías de ColombiaHANDICRAFTS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.artesaniasdecolombia.com.co; Carrera 2 No 18A-58; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri)S

In a hacienda next to the Iglesia de las Aguas, this classy shop has higher-end crafts (lots of home accessories, plus purses, toys, hammocks and some clothing), and 70% of the profits go directly back to the village artisans.

BrincabrincaCLOTHING

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.brincabrinca.com; Carrera 14 No 85-26; h10:30am-2pm & 3-7:30pm Mon-Sat)

Designer T-shirt addicts should head straight here for some of Bogotá's most stylish tees (COP$60,000), designed by a bastion of Colombian and international contest winners.

La Casona del MuseoHANDICRAFTS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.lacasonadelmuseo.com; Calle 16 No 5-24; h9am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm Sun)

This old building near Museo del Oro houses a convenient, cheerful collection of souvenir stands and two nice cafes (the upper level one, La Fuente, does good coffee by a trickling fountain).

Plaza Central de UsaquénMARKET

(Los Toldos de San Pelayo, Carrera 6A, btwn Calles 119 & 119A; h8am-6pm Sat & Sun)

Just north of the main square in the village-like Usaquén, you'll find stallholders selling food, colorful purses, assorted handicrafts and bamboo saxophones – there's a satellite area a couple of blocks east, too.

Pasaje Rivas HANDICRAFTS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Carrera 10 & Calle 10; h9am-6pm Mon-Sat, to 3pm Sun)

A couple of blocks west of Plaza de Bolívar, this craft market is a good spot for cheap nontouristy buys, including lots of straw hats, T-shirts, toy figurines, baskets and ruanas (Colombian ponchos). The entrance next to Iglesia de la Concepción reads 'Pasaje Paul.'

Librería LernerBOOKS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %334-7826; www.librerialerner.com.co; Av Jiménez 4-35; h9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 7am-2pm Sat)

Stocks many Spanish-language guidebooks on Colombia and the full gamut of maps, including the Movistar guía de rutas por Colombia (a color map/guide; COP$15,000) and the 12-map series of national routes Mapas de ruta (sold individually for COP$1000, or as a packet for COP$14,000).

Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao MARKET

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.plazadepaloquemao.com; cnr Av 19 & Carrera 25; h8am-1pm)

A real-deal, messy Colombian market. Go early on Friday or Sunday – flower days!

Mercado de San AlejoMARKET

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Carrera 7 btwn Calles 24 & 26; h7am-5pm Sun)

This city-center classic fills a parking lot with a host of yesteryear items (posters, books, knickknacks) that are fun to sift through.

Camping AmareloOUTDOOR EQUIPMENT

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %217-4480; www.campingamarelo.com; Calle 57 No 9-29, oficina 301; h9am-5:30pm Mon-Fri, to 12:30pm Sat)

This small shop sells and rents all the camping gear you'll need, including tents, which start at COP$8000 per day, and boots. It takes bookings for rooms in its refugio at Suesca (rooms from COP$45,000).

San MiguelHATS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %243-6273; Calle 11 No 8-88; h9am-6pm Mon-Sat)

Open for more than 70 years, this classic milliner is the best of the bunch on the block. Mostly felt fedoras and cowboy hats, pressed before your eyes.

Hacienda Santa BárbaraMALL

(www.haciendasantabarbara.com.co; Carrera 7 No 115-60; h10am-8:30pm)

This mall is built around a colonial casona (a large, old house; 1847), making the place a fine combination of historic and modern architecture, and it's quieter than the Zona Rosa scene. It's the initial/final stop on the L80-M80 TransMilenio hybrid bus line along Carrera 7.

Orientation

Sprawling Bogotá stretches mostly north–south (and west in recent years) with the towering peaks of Monserrate and Guadalupe providing an easterly wall.

Locating an address in the city is generally a breeze…after getting your head around the mathematical precision of it all. Calles run east–west, rising in number as you go north, while Carreras go north–south, increasing in number as they go west (away from the mountains). Handily, any street address (almost) always indicates the nearest cross streets; Calle 15 No 4-56, for example, is on 15th St, 56m from the corner of Carrera 4 towards Carrera 5.

Central Bogotá has four main parts: the partially preserved colonial sector La Candelaria (south of Av Jiménez and between Carreras 1 and 10), with lots of students, bars and hostels; the aged business district 'city center' (focused on Carrera 7 and Calle 19, between Av Jiménez and Calle 26); the highrise-central of Centro Internacional (between Carreras 7, 10 and 13 from Calles 26 to 30); and, just east toward the hills, the bohemian eatery district Macarena.

Northern Bogotá is known as the wealthiest part of the city. The north, more or less, begins 2km north of Centro Internacional. A scene of theaters, antique shops and many gay bars, the sprawling Chapinero (roughly between Carrera 7 and Av Caracas, from Calle 40 to Calle 67 or so) is scruffier than areas further north, which begin with Zona G, a pint-sized strip of high-end eateries (east of Carrera 7 and Calle 80). Chapinero Alto is an artsy mini-enclave in Chapinero between Carrera 7A and Av Circunvalar from Calles 53 to 65.

Ten blocks north, lively Zona Rosa (or Zona T; stemming from the 'T-shaped' pedestrian mall between Carreras 12 and 13, at Calle 82A) is a zone of clubs, malls and hotels. A more sedate version – with many restaurants – rims the ritzier Parque 93 (Calle 93 between Carreras 11A & 13), part of the Chicó neighborhood, and the one-time pueblo plaza at Usaquén (corner Carrera 6 and Calle 119). The rather unappealing modern buildings of the so-called 'financial district' line Calle 100 between Av 7 and Carrera 11.

The most popular links between the center and north are Carrera Séptima (Carrera 7; 'La Séptima') and Carrera Décima (Carrera 10), which are crowded with many city buses. Av Caracas (which follows Carrera 14, then Av 13 north of Calle 63) is the major north–south route for the TransMilenio bus system. Calle 26 (or Av El Dorado) leads west to the airport and bus terminal.