El Son de los Grillos


Dinner Saturday night @ El Son de los Grillos...


This is purportedly one of the oldest restaurants in Candelaria, the historic district of Bogotá. The historic building that houses the elegant restaurant was once the home of the Viceroy. Original beams are still in evidence, although electricity now augments the candlelight. The menu is divine and the service was as attentive as we have ever experienced. I had the trucha a la plancha (grilled trout), and Ned had the filet mignon.


Walk home after dinner (rain, of course...)
Once upon a time, not so very long ago, we would not have dreamt of walking even the few blocks from El Son de los Grillos to our hotel. In 2002, Colombianos elected Alvaro Uribe, a Harvard-educated lawyer whose father had been killed by FARC. Once elected, he vowed to remove the drug cartels that had ruled the country. During his 8-year tenure, the FARC rebels dwindled from 20,000 to 8,000. Uribe's successor, Juan Manuel Santos, has continued to further his predecessor's agenda. As such, Colombia is experiencing economic growth and is deservedly becoming tourist destination.
Police presence, while disconcerting in most places we have visited in Latin America, here is actually comforting. Private security and military officers tend to be baby-faced, smiling and friendly. They are very approachable and welcoming. 



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