La Feria del Libro

La feria del libro (or the Book Fair) is a much bigger deal than I could have ever imagined. It's a big party. I'm not sure what came first, the party or the book. Also it wasn't clear if reading was just an excuse to party or if people just who like to read really like to party. Well, whatever the case was, the Colombians made it clear that nobody celebrates reading quite as well as them. Between the celebrities, famous authors from all over the world (i.e. Mario Vargas Llosa, famous Peruvian author, who just one last year's Nobel Prize for Literature) the Presidents of Ecuador and Colombia, food, salsa music, beer, whiskey, rum, techno music, parades, national treasures of Ecuador, Peruvian and Ecuadorian cinema, the oldest copy still around of Aristotle's Philosophy and millions and millions of books, I had a great time. Too bad my camera ran out of batteries.... I didn't charge it because I didn't think it was going to interesting...I was wrong.

Outside the fair.

The entrance to the 24th International Book Fair. Lot's of people.

Just one of the more than 20 concourses. Each one has more than 3 floors of exhibits and books. Some had more than 5 floors. Each are stocked full of alcohol venders, restaurants and advertisements for any publication available in the city.

An ad for El Tiempo, the most popular newspaper in Bogotá. 

View from one of the concourses. It was only 5:30pm. It gets dark here very early. By 8pm the place was packed.

Of course you can't read without Dunkin Donuts!

McGraw Hill's stand in the college text book concourse. All of the books were for sale. But at a really discounted price. Books that cost $100 could be bought for $15.


The Book Fair is one of the most important cultural events every year in Bogotá. Colombians love to read, evidently. In 2007, Bogotá was named the World Book Capital by UNESCO. There were literally thousands and thousands of people. Each year Colombia names one country as the Guest of Special Honor. This year it was Ecuador.

Ecuador was just a big party.

I'm not calling Ecuador wimpy. Wimpy was the first hamburger chain here in Colombia. Someday I will have a Wimpy Burger.

My favorite picture I have taken in Colombia so far. "Máximo 3 consultas por persona" Translation: Limit 3 questions per person! Anyone who knows Colombians know that they ask A LOT of questions! Here's proof! Just kiddin. Now, of course people found a way around it by dividing up 9 questions among 3 family members...

Book Fairs seem to be common in the Spanish speaking world. Bogotá, Buenos Aires (has 2), Madrid (has 4), Havana (however, probably censored), Lima, Guadalajara (Mexico, has 2) and Santo Domingo all have International Book Fairs. If you ever get the chance to go to one. Go! It's fun!

Bogotá is a great city. There is always something interesting to see or do. Really, I have no idea what awaits me on the next street.

Surprises like this. Or a guy juggling fire, or a guy handing out fliers saying God doesn't exist, and that us humans were created by an alien race called "the Jews. " 

Everything is going great down here!


Saludos desde Bogotá!