Girl Guide

It was time for Roger and Craig to do some sightseeing in Bogota, so we set off for a couple of my favorite places with me acting as tour guide.

We started off going up Monserrate and I never tire of the view.  We went up the mountain via the funicular which was interesting and we were lucky to have a relatively clear day when we reached the top -- a breathtaking (literally) 10,341 ft above sea level.

The conductor in the front car -- you can see another funicular car coming down

We had lunch at this restaurant on the cliff

We had a delicious lunch of Colombian appetizers and hearty soup

We then headed down via the cable car and walked around La Candelaria -- an area rich in history and home to 20 churches, numerous museums, and architecture that transports you to Europe.

La Primada Catedral -- awe inspiring cathedral dating back to the 17th century

The old wooden doors were beautiful

I showed Roger and Craig the Presidential Palace and then we worked our way to the Museo del Oro to see their incredible collection of gold.

In the midst of a bustling Bolivar Plaza --- two gentlemen play chess.

The Museo del Oro is world renowned for its collection of over 30,000 pieces of gold plus other artifacts dating back to before Christ.  We started off with a tour, but found the guide tedious so bolted after an hour and looked around on our own.

I enjoyed being Roger and Craig's guide to some of the places I discovered while they were working.  My guide's "tip" was dinner out at a great restaurant in the Parque 93 district.  A wonderful ending to a terrific day.

La Candelaria: Where history is present

I just had another "pinch myself" day where I can't believe I'm walking around Bogota. 

I arranged the tour guide, Nicolas, who I had a couple of weeks ago to show my friends, Carol and Terry, around La Candelaria.  Although it was virtually the same tour, I saw new sights and enjoyed learning more about La Candelaria, Bogota, and Colombia in general from Nicolas who is not only knowledgeable, but passionate about history.  So much so, that he and a group of friends have started a website that gives the historic background to many of the current news events of today.  Check out De Ti Hable La Historia - which thankfully has an English section.

Security was extreme today because the President was having a special function at the Palace near Plaza de Bolivar.  We saw armed guards on every street corner, secret service guys in suits with ear pieces, and snipers on top of the justice and city hall buildings. 

Amidst all the security were two different protest groups and I was glad to see they were able to have a voice...although one of the protesters chose to use his voice to sing...

I saw new sights today that I hadn't two weeks ago including a series of statues depicting various people or trades found in La Candelaria.

The shoe shine man

This guy was a tragic poet (and a little bit twisted) who loved his sister
 so much that after she died he shot himself in the heart...

Above:  The architecture varies throughout La Candelaria and sometimes you just need to look up to see something unique.


Above: Area around the Palace - guards check bags at the checkpoint.  Below:  One of the palace guards who readily agreed to be photographed but they don't allow anyone to get within about 10 feet of the palace fence.



Nicolas, Terry and Carol in Plaza de Bolivar

Street art capturing Colombia's indigenous people

Below:  One of my favorite, jaw dropping scenes from today....The large group of men you see under the golden arches were trading emeralds on the street.  Nicolas said within the group there would be several armed body guards and the emerald trade is "controlled" by just a few men.  It was really interesting to watch but I'm not sure I'd have the guts to do business with them.

It was another fascinating day walking through the streets of La Candelaria where the museums, churches, street art, and buildings transported me to Europe in a blink of an eye. 

" You have to understand the past to understand the present."

Dr. Carl Sagan

Where Europe meets South America

It was time to leave the my neighbourhood and explore more of Bogota.  According to Trip Advisor, La Candelaria was the place to go, and Bogota Bike Tours was highly recommended for providing great tours.  I knew it was far better for me to keep my two feet firmly planted on the ground, so opted for a walking tour of the historic district.

I was lucky to have a wonderful tour guide, Nicolas, who teaches history and political science at one of the universities.  He also lives in La Candelaria, and so was the perfect person to describe the historical and back stories to every place he took me to.

I wanted to go to see Fernando Botero's museum, and so we spent time enjoying his quirky artwork.  I love his larger than life paintings and sculptures --- I find it impossible not to smile while viewing his work.  Botero also donated many of his private art collections including pieces from Renoir, Matisse, Dali, and Picasso. 

We then walked to Simon Bolivar Plaza which is home to thousands of pigeons (but the plaza is remarkably clean if you get my drift) and it was amazing to see various types of architecture, so depending what direction I looked, I felt like I could have been in Paris, Seville or New York! 

Police were visible, and when passing near the Presidential Palace (below), our bags were checked.

I could only take a photo of the palace from the road, but Nicolas assured me the guards and police were for the most part friendly. 

With more than 20 churches in the area, each were unique and  wished I had been able to take pictures inside as they were incredible in their ornateness and sometimes breathtaking simplicity.

Street art is a part of the area, and it reminded me of some of the street art in Dublin.

Bogota is under construction, and Nicolas showed me this theatre that is being restored --- check out the scaffolding -- it's made of bamboo.

Next week I'm going to travel up to Montserrat which is supposed to give a fabulous view of the city.  I can either hike 3 hours or take the funicular (it's to the right of the church going straight up the mountain).  Pretty easy guess as to what I'll be doing.

While taking a taxi home (the most dangerous part of my day --- I really think lane markings are just a waste of paint) I couldn't resist this picture.  Check out the sticker on the left hand window.

"My favorite thing is to go where I have never gone."

Diane Arbus