Bogotá, the 3rd highest capital city in the world at 8,612 feet above sea level, was the next stop during our whirlwind tour of Colombia with Gate 1 Travel and our wonderful guide, Carlos Valencia. (La Paz, Bolivia, and Quito, Ecuador, are higher.) Bogotá is on a savannah but is surrounded by the magnificent Andes mountains.
After our brief flight from Cartagena to Bogotá, we quickly went to Zipaquirá to see the Salt Mines and the Salt Cathedral. The town itself is also known for its barbecue and, thankfully, a restaurant was open, so we were able to sample it and hear some Andean musicians. (We were traveling on Labor Day so many restaurants and shops were closed.) This town also has many beautiful murals on its walls that were fun to discover.
Indigenous peoples mined salt from the area before the Spanish arrived. In fact, for some, salt was worth more than gold. Miners had carved a small chapel around 1932, but the cathedral itself was begun in 1991 and completed in 1995 by Pearl who won the contest to build it. The cathedral is not actually a consecrated Catholic church for several reasons, but it is still a beautiful wonder to visit. We passed the creative 14 stations of the cross on our way to the dome, the three naves, and the cathedral. The salt cathedral is the second largest in the world. (The largest salt chapel, in Wieliczka, Poland, is also definitely worth visiting and is very different from this one.) To give a picture of how large the Colombian cathedral is, about 10,000 people can fit into it at capacity.
By the time we got back to Bogotá to the Hotel El Dorado, located near many restaurants and shops, but not close to the downtown area, it was time for dinner and bed to be ready to start the next day with a tour of the downtown area.
We were able to see only the outside of the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora del Carmen, a Moorish influenced church that is amazing. (It was closed on the day we were there.) Our guide pointed out many places of interest as we walked including the window that Simón Bolívar, the liberator of much of South America, climbed out to escape from assassins. (We also saw the house of Manuela Saenz, Bolivar’s lover, who told him to jump.)
We passed by San Ignacio Church, the Teatro Colon, and the second presidential palace before we arrived at Bolivar Plaza, the center of the city, which is a huge square surrounded by many government buildings including the Palace of Justice, the National Capitol building, the Cathedral of Bogotá and the Museo del 20 de Julio (Independence Day).
Interestingly, many of the facilities were covered by cloth to protect them from any graffitists that might have been among the protestors the day before.
The oldest part of the city, la Candelaria, also houses the magnificent Gold Museum, our next stop.
The Gold Museum holds more than 34,000 pieces of gold and more than 25,000 pieces in other materials. Gold was sacred but didn’t have economical value. (Salt had more economical value for the Indigenous people than did gold. At that time, 1 pound of salt could be traded for 5 pounds of gold.) The jaguar, the largest lion in South America, is golden, the same color as the sun and the Sun God. Copper is the female and moon representation so the pre-Hispanic cultures used gold in their jewelry and other items for its color and copper to stabilize their creations and signify the unity of men and women.
Our next stop was at Tejo Ancestral for a rousing game of Tejo, Colombia’s national sport. The game consists of throwing heavy rocks at explosive disks while drinking beer—so what can go wrong?!? (We had an injury-free time.) The heavy disk, a tejo, is thrown toward a big target at the end of the alley. Most of the target is covered in clay, but there are four small explosive paper triangles. Joy abounds whenever one of the players hits an exploding triangle and more beer is passed around. It was a fun game.
We had time to eat a very relaxing lunch in the courtyard of Origen Bistro before wandering around the downtown area looking at some of the magnificent murals that seemingly cover every wall. In 2013, after a tragic event in which the police shot a 16-year-old street artist and tried to cover it up, the Bogotá mayor decriminalized graffiti which is now flourishing. (One note: As in most big cities be especially careful of pickpockets in the downtown area.)
Our afternoon was filled with a cable car ride to the top of Mount Monserrate. (There is also a funicular, but it was not working the day we were there.) The Basilica there, like the monastery in Spain after which it is named, contains a black Madonna, but the patron is the Fallen Lord. An altitude of 10,300 feet can be a challenge, so be prepared. The views from this mountain were striking. We had fun walking through the Basilica then visiting the vendors who were showing their wares. We were able to buy coffee from our tour guide’s plantation and coca tea which helps with altitude issues.
Then back to Bogotá and our hotel for our final evening with a great tour group before heading to Quito, Ecuador, for the second part of our three-country journey.
Our voyage on the Delfin 1 on the Amazon River is just a click away!
Our day in Lima, Peru is here.
For info about Quito and our short trip there, click here.
To read about our stay in Bogota, click here.
In the meantime, please click here for info on Cartagena.
I'd love to have you subscribe to my blog. Just click here and add your email address.
Comments