Getsemani

Getsemani (het-sahm-mon-ee) is an old neighborhood near where we are living in Centro (Old Town.) It used to be known as a “rough” part of town with dangerous streets. The last few years have seen a marked change as the buildings have been refurbished with colorful facelifts and the streets cleaned and lined with striking wall art.

At night Getsemani comes alive with cocktail bars, brewpubs and salsa clubs with shoulder-to-shoulder dancers and drinkers. People spill out of the doorways into the streets. The crowd begins to build around midnight and the last stragglers reluctantly decamp around 4 am.

We walked around Getsemani about three hours later, just after eight, when the bar and bistro owners were sweeping out their places and chatting on doorsteps.

At night the air is filled with the aroma of grilling meat for arepas, the meat and cheese pies eaten at all times of the day and night in Colombia. In the morning when we walked you are more likely to see fruit and juice vendors.