Bogotá Bound

Rose Goes South • Chapter 1

Here at Tiplr we’re all about experimenting (alongside adventure, trips, tips, pics and a number of other travel related nouns!) So here goes a first for the Tiplr team… An ambitious attempt at a blog-a-day from me, in Colombia, because how else would a Travel Editor want to spend Spring?! With some time in South America and collecting a whole load of useful Travel Tips for our site, and sharing them, of course! Oh and I’m also on an enhanced version of our usual mission to create a community of smart travellers so if you’re in my path in the coming weeks then don’t expect to get past me without a fight and a strategically placed Tiplr sticker (I have nearly 100 and I’m not afraid to use them).

So enough admin and let’s get this show in the air with my first entry and a review of one of the most exciting parts of any trip: the flight! OK it might just be me who still holds onto that 4am airport wake up call excitement you always got as a kid, but flying is still the only time I’m actually raring to rise at an unsociable hour. The preparation that goes into packing your hand luggage (the vital belongings that will keep you alive over the next 15 hours) and that long final shower before enduring hours in the air is all part of the build up and well, that last cup of English breakfast tea is a key ingredient in a Brit’s pre-flight care package… Just knowing you’re without it for the foreseeable future indicates you’re on the way to adventure! This brings me nicely on to my first Tip: enjoy the final luxuries because soon enough you’ll be crammed on the rush-hour tube, legging it through security and sporting a 15KG backpack sweat patch as the ultimate travel accessory, much to the dismay of the Monday Morning Gatwick commuters armed with new Raybans and managing to effortlessly navigate their way towards business class! But anyway where was I? Oh yeah, describing my love of the airport experience…

Faith was restored when I boarded the first leg of my fight: Madrid bound with Iberia. Anyone familiar with this airline will know it as a member of OneWorld, and therefore sister to British Airways. For us Brits, flying with BA is a rarity, dare I say it, they’re pricey and so alongside their first class rep, I expected nothing less than a great flight and here I am, blogging on their free inflight WiFi service! Yes Iberia! You get a gold star for that… or a Tiplr sticker if you’ll take one… Think I could slot one on the wing when I embark?

… It’s 9pm, and the novelty of flying is beginning to ever so slightly wear off! No WiFi on the long haul leg so the chance that I might lose this draft when I click save is a risk I’m willing to take if blogging can entertain me for at least half an hour! I’m guessing recklessly trusting dodgy WiFi is about to become a running theme so I suppose 10 hours without it is one way to get used to that! Anyway enough with the middle-class problems, despite lack of culinary delights onboard this Avianca Airbus (dinner was plain pasta with a tea-spoon of tomato sauce) I’ve actually landed myself a pretty sweet deal. Have you ever blogged from the comfort of a central row of 3 seats all to yourself? Didn’t think so! For some bizarre reason, on a packed plane I’ve managed to get the golden ticket with an empty seat to either side of me, much to the dismay of every squished middle-age man around me enjoying the company of 2 strangers! To top it off I’ve been wanting to see Leo’s Oscar movie for a while now and I know this isn’t the place for a film review but it provided a stellar 3 hours of time killing! Next up is Bridge of Spies… Avianca I can forgive your bad food for fantastic movie selection. You get a Tiplr sticker too. Or a hypothetical one, as i realised in Milan Airport that they’re actually packed in my hold luggage oopsy… Oh well you can’t remember everything, at least I’ve got my passport, right?

Expected arrival into Bogota is 6 hours away so best make some use of my 3 seats and get some shut eye… As depressing as it is to walk through it and be green with envy when you board, who needs first class when you’ve got your own row to make bed! Sweet dreams and see you soon Colombia! You’ll be pleased to know the Aviation reviews are over and tomorrow will be more exciting, I just needed to get there first!