On Thursday German and I played the first round of our three day golf tournament. Golf is difficult enough without the overlay of “No car day” and Pico y Placa.

The “no driving day” was solved because we teed off at 7:30 am. We left prior to the start. Remember this occurs between 6:30 am and 7:30 pm on the first Thursday each February. The golf course was 30 minutes outside the Bogota city limits. This ban only applies within the city limits.

Pica y Placa (Peak driving times and License Plate) is the selective day driving plan in effect each weekday year round between the hours of 6:00 am and 9:00 am and then again between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm to ease commuter traffic. Whether a car can be driven between these hours is determined by the last digit on the car’s license plate. However this is constructed the final analysis is that a car cannot be driven within these hours two days every week. The days of the week for the car change each year.

We took the Pica y Placa limited car because we would be out of the city limits toward the golf course before 6:00 am (we left at 5:45) and the car would be driven back the next day, after leaving it at the golf course overnight. Oddly, with “No driving day” the Pica y Placa was still in effect from 6:00 am - 6:30 am when the total ban started. Confused yet? I was. This solved the gettin’ there but the comin’ back problem would be on one of the busses the tournament hired. One stop was at German’s city club, Nogal. But that story is two paragraphs below.

As an aside, we finished the first day in a tie for 3rd place in the net division. We enjoyed the team we played with – a father and adult son. Senor Sanchez, the father, is a Bogota attorney. He asked us if we needed a ride back into town. His car is not subject to either Pica y Placa or “No cars day” because it is a bulletproof car. I have never ridden in a bulletproof car. Although feeling REALLY safe from the non-existent guerrilla forces or the Para-military on the road, it is no different. I felt VERY important though!

We were dropped off at German’s Club Nogal. This is a social/business club on twelve floors of its own building. German says this is the most prestigious club in town. Since Alvaro Uribe, the present President of Colombia, is a member, maybe so. Included in this club is a full gym with locker facilities, a steam room with a super hot steam room off the main steam room, massage room and barber shop. Sports rooms include a multitude of squash courts, a huge swimming pool with separate Jacuzzis, bowling alleys, pistol shooting range and a billiards room with at least five tables. Everywhere are places to eat from quick cafes to a fancy coat and tie restaurant with everything in between. There is also a library, art gallery, a small Starbucks type coffee place, several bars, a full disco and even a wine “cave”. Also within the club is a 35 room hotel for guests of members. Conference rooms abound, large and small, for the business meetings of the members.

A club like this in a security conscious country like Colombia is very careful about who enters. Five or so years ago a bomb was exploded on a Friday night in the parking garage by extremists, destroying four floors and killing 35 people including those in a child’s birthday party. Security is no joke here. This is how I entered the club: All hand bags, sports bags or purses are put into an airport type scanner. Next is a personal scanner to walk through also like at an airport which is set to a very sensitive level. Now the security gets serious. I walked up to the counter where German signed me in as his guest. My driver’s license information was copied, my picture taken and I was asked to place my finger on a digital fingerprint scanner. The man behind the counter said, Thank you, and I was finally in.

After a tour of the club, a steam, a shower and a “lunch” at 5:00 pm in the restaurant overlooking the city, it was time to get home to see the ladies. Being a “no drive day” (remember?) it was still before its ending at 7:30 but it didn’t matter since we had no car anyhow. In a city with 80,000 taxis (65,000 registered) it should not be a problem getting a cab. Heck, New York City has only around 15,000 with a much larger population (These figures are from my “new best friend” and golfing buddy, “Chiqui” Martinez). With no one able to drive, EVERY taxi was in use as were the bursting-at-the-seams busses. German, being German, got a cab in less than two minutes with others waiting as we walked up. It took his brother 30 minutes to get one an hour later at the same place.

Mary and I had a hard day, too. We got a ride with Blanca, Mary’s sister-in-law, who drove us down the hill to the shopping mall to catch the Guaymaral Club’s special bus. Blanca dropped us a block from the mall, and sneaked her car back up the hill to avoid police detection, then jogged back down the mall to join us. The bus arrived and drove quickly to the club, surrounded by happily fast moving taxis and buses. We played nine holes—7.5 for me before my swing gave out—with caddies—a wonderful addition. This was followed by a massage, shower, and fancy lunch with Mary’s delightful friends. No one was driving today, so the dining room was one big party. We got on the bus at 6 and got home very quickly. German sneaked down the hill and picked us up before he was detected. Living without a car one day a year can be a “challenge”.)

As you can easily tell it is not easy being here in Bogota. Life is SO hard…