On the bus to Bogotá. Drivers pull over roadside for food whenever the desire strikes them.
hitchin' a ride
Plaza Bolivar
I'm staying in dorms again after a month and a half of mostly being in private hotel rooms as that was all there was. Goodbye privacy! That said, dorms are actually much better for talking to and meeting fellow travelers.
One surprise at my hostel was bumping into a Swedish guy that I had first shared a dorm with at the start of my trip in Lima. He had spent several months backpacking around New Zealand but it was also the start of his Latin American travels. It was cool to recount some of the experiences we've had over the last several months. That's been the closest I've been in seeing someone I know these past months.
I went on a city tour today, just around a few historic areas of La Candelaria.
It's a bird eat bird world out there.
Drinks are often pre-poured, lying in wait for their purchaser.
I visited the Museo Nacional but I don't have any photos. I was expecting more history of Colombia and its people, but it was more art work that glimsped a variety of topics over the years.
I chatted with the security guard for awhile as he was curious about life in Canada and he was interested in potentially immigrating. Somehow he also got the idea that I might want to work at the museum in Bogotá and before I knew it, he introduced me to his boss, stating that I was Canadian, also Mexican, and I could speak some Mandarin. Ugh, hold on a second! The facts are mixed up! Well, I found out that volunteering positions are only available anyway.
Museo del Oro
According to the museum, gold "transformed society." It was and is used to "reinforce prestige and [as] a visible sign of authority."
"In indigenous thought, containers are like women: they hold substances which get transformed and give rise to life."
"Birds symbolized the upper world. People, jaguars, and deer personified the immediate one, while the lower ones were represented by bats, caimans, snakes and other creature which inhabited the openings of the earth."
"Some societies taught parrots to talk, so they could sometimes use them to replace sacrifice victims. According to their thought, language had transformed these birds into humans."
Representation of the Zipa (leader of the region) covered in gold dust, headed out into the middle of a sacred lake on his raft. From there, legend has it that he dived into the lake, with gold and jewels falling to the bottom of the lake. The lake is associated with the legend of El Dorado, however the legend has undergone many changes in content and location. Essentially, though, the legend is about a hidden place overflowing with gold and precious jems. Lake Guatavita, just outside Bogotà, is one of the lakes said to be considered sacred by the Muisca people. As such, many explorations have been conducted over the years. There were even several attempts to drain Lake Guatavita in search of treasure, though nothing substantial was found.
"Metal objects return to the earth as gifts to God. Imbued with profound religious meanings they are offered up in lakes and caves in order to restore the balance in the world. The metal cycle is thus completed; manipulated by man, it is used by him to manage the universe."
A passion flower pendant, which is very rare amongst Colombian pre-hispanic metalwork. ¨Many species of passion flower contain alkaloids that possess the principal features of ayahuasca or yagè, the sacred liana.¨
Emerald Traders Market
Museo Histórico Polícia
History doesn´t change much.
How do you translate ´handcuffs´ in Spanish? ´Wife´or ´spouse.´
The last jacket big time drug dealer Pablo Escobar would ever wear - he was wearing it when he was shot by police. Escobar´s brother claims that the fatal shot was fired by Escobar himself in an act of suicide.
These are just some of the many operations Colombian police have organized over the years. Very cool to see all this information shared with the public.
Museo de Botero
Looking at his paintings inspires light-heartedness.
Cathedral de Sal, built 200m below the surface of the earth in a salt mine.
Lots of chambers, eerie lighting, and massive crosses, plus the occasional sculpture.
salt waterfall
Here lies 10cm of salt water, but the reflection from the roof makes it appear like a great chasm is beyond the fence.
A live band was playing, just for us.
emeralds in their natural state
After the cathedral there was a somewhat bland train ride around Zipaquira.
Then, a lunch that wasn't bland at all.
The day I began my tour of the cathedral I was pissed off at my hostel since they'd told us that the tour included the cathedral as well as a visit to Laguna Guatavita. I'd previously altered my plans around this tour, including booking more nights at my hostel, only to find out the morning of that the tour was only to the cathedral, and for the same expensive price. This meant that other members in my group had no possibility of visiting the lake as they had a flight the next day.
Bussing to each site would have been possible, and more economical, however the hostel had pushed the tour, saying it was more convenient to get both done in one day. Yet another company that doesn't know what it's selling!
Our driver was from Cuba and said he didn't know how to get to the lake. In the end, though, he offered to try to take us there, and following multiple stops for directions we actually found the lake, but by then it was too late. We arrived about 45min after the +1km trail to the lake had been shut off. Guess some things just aren't in the books.
