Weeknotes 43

Altitude sickness hit me harder than it has done in the past this week. I started to feel more normal today, a week after we arrived in Bogotá (2,640m). The kids took a few days to adjust to the time zone change too, meaning some broken nights sleep and early starts. But some bright, sunny weather helped a lot with the jetlag.

My brother-in-law’s family have a new dog. A beautiful Australian Shepherd called Bucky. N- is scared of dogs generally, having had a run in with a couple when he was younger (and projecting a lot of anxiety during the 1st lockdown at dogs). The family have been brilliant though, introducing him very slowly and showing him how to ask the dog to sit and stay still. While he’s still not picked up the courage to actively play with Bucky, N- spent this afternoon in the same room together and was a lot less on edge than earlier in the week. It’s really positive.

We went to the city branch of famous Colombian steakhouse Andres yesterday to meet one of A-‘s university friends. We never got around to ordering any steak having filled up on cheese-covered patacones and snacks. While not as extensive as the massive ranch-style original, the Bogotá branch of Andres still has a lot of activities for children. F- enjoyed painting, while N- made popcorn, painted his nails and did some woodwork.

There’s not a lot of wildlife to be seen in the city, but I did spot a small hummingbird drinking from a flower outside A-‘s parents window.