Day three we hop a taxi to La Candelaria, the old part of town, in a quest for Ajiaco (a rich chicken and potato soup). The driver scoffs at the touristic café we’d researched and instead guides us to an authentic place “just a few blocks away.” Of course it’s about a 15 minute detour, but happens to be in the colourful umbrella-adorned district of art shops and plazas.

By now I’ve missed the free “Blood and Bullets” walking tour of the tragic history of violence in this country - a stark contrast to the safety and comfort we feel, at least in the two neighbourhoods we visit. Instead of learning from a guide, we learn from a fabulous day of walking to museums, pedestrian plazas, past old world architecture, finishing at the city’s oldest chocolate shop (“Florida”) our Colombian friend from Newfoundland recommended.