Colombia – Bogota – An Old Lady with a Backpack

2020 FEBRUARY 4 –

We had a 6:00 am flight, so we took advantage of an Expedia voucher and spent the night at a hotel in Nisku. God knows what the roads can be like in Edmonton in winter. An overnight snowfall could delay our already hour drive. We had a brief layover in Toronto, then 6 more hours to Bogota, Colombia.

We landed at around 9:30 pm. Immigration was a breeze. Other than “Hola”, the officer never said a word. He checked our passports then waved us through. We collected our backpacks and made our way to the exit. I asked someone where we could find a taxi. We were directed to a kiosk where I had to present my passport and 73,000 COP (about $30). A taxi driver helped us with our luggage and off we went.

Our accommodations were a bit tricky to find because it was located on the corner of a VERY busy round-about in the Candelaria district. The driver stopped to ask a homeless man where it was. The homeless man directed the taxi driver to scoot around the cement barricade so we could be dropped off directly in front of the door.

We were buzzed into the building by the security guard. He confirmed our reservation and gave us the apartment keys and an electronic fob to allow us to the elevators. There were two elevators. One had even numbers, while the other had odd numbers. We were on the 20th floor. When I was booking this Airbnb I first researched the best location, then by distance to all the major attractions, as it was the oldest part of town. The host was rated as a Super Host and had an unprecedented 5 star rating. And it was only $25/night. What we found when we unlocked the door blew our minds! It was an entire 3 bedroom apartment with a view that had us gasping! One of our keys fit door #3 – the master bedroom complete with private ensuite. The other two bedrooms were vacant our entire stay.

We slept-in the next morning. Ed found some coffee in the cupboard and a stove top espresso pot. He brewed up a pot and we found it to be quite good. Go figure. We were, after all, in one of the coffee capitals of the world! We ventured out to find some breakfast.

There was a small mall on the ground floor of our building and the building next door. We found a small place that served breakfast and had greasy fried eggs and arepa (a mashed corn bread) smothered in thick white cheese that reminded me of farm milk after the cow had eaten stink weed. It was not terrific, but it took away the growling stomach. It did prompt us to buy eggs, bread and butter so we could make our own breakfasts, since we had a kitchen.

I had researched things to see and do in Bogota, and had even saved a map with the most economical walking routes. But first I needed a Colombian SIM card. My Canadian phone plan allows me to use my phone in foreign countries at a cost of $12/day. I bought a Colombian SIM, with 4 gig of data, for the equivalent of $10. A no brainer….

The first place we wanted to see was Plaza de Bolivar. As with most old, old cities (Bogota was founded in 1538) everything gravitates outward from the main square. The journey to a specific location often has its own adventures. As we walked along I spied a Juan Valdez coffee shop. To Colombians, I am sure that is equivalent to being excited to find a Starbucks; but we had to stop and have a coffee and cinnamon roll. The coffee was really, really good! Ed later found a bag of the Juan Valdez brand in the Supermercado near our apartment.

We carried on and came across Museo del Oro, the Gold Museum. Since it was on my list of things to see, we decided to go in. Seniors over 60 got a discounted rate. Woohoo!

The museum has been collecting items for 80 years and houses 55,000 pieces, some dating back to pre-Hispanic days. Gold was plentiful back then. All the indigenous people had to do was wait for a heavy rain, then go scoop up the gold left behind in the runoff. It had no monetary value, but it sparkled and jingled so was used by chiefs and shaman to show status. Metal workers would combine gold, copper, or silver to create different shades of gold. Combining gold with copper or silver would change the tone of the metal. Reddish tones were associated with blood, heat, transformation and female matters. Green tones with regeneration, flowering and vegetation. White and yellow tones with semen and the sun. They would even gold plate other metals. This gold plating infuriated the Conquistadors when they were melting down, what they thought was pure gold, to ship back to Spain. How dare these savages cheat them on their stolen items!

There were explanations as to the human-like, animal, circular, and geometric patterns we saw. Order, symmetry and harmony were found in pendants and breastplates in order to find equilibrium in the properties and forces of the cosmos. They had dual social and thought structure, which they expressed symbolically through complementary opposites: male– female, sun – moon, gold – silver, matte-shiny. Time was conceived as cyclical (spiral) repeated in nature, such as star movements and animal reproduction cycles – including the metamorphosis of insects. Musical instruments (flutes, maracas, whistles) could reproduce the sounds of animals or ancestors and were only used at ceremonial rituals to get immersed in the mythical ambiance. Shiny objects made out of obsidian, pyrite, quartz were magical, holy and prophetic things. They twinkled and gave off sounds which were used to communicate more easily with supernatural worlds and beings.

The goldsmiths, and others who transformed matter, were considered to have special powers, like demigods. They could take a material and make it into something else with the use of fire. Mysterious and magical things happened within the furnaces and crucibles; and they were compared to a uterus. Offerings were made and rituals performed to guarantee the process.

They took their harmony with the cosmos home with them, literally. Homes and enclosures of the chiefs were considered a living organism, with the door its mouth, the central post the skeleton, and the path through it the stomach.

We learned that the shaman would take hallucinogens (ayahuasca, coca, or yopo) to induce a spiritual state. Coca was used in prediction rituals, curing the sick and in offerings to the spirits as food. There were lots of elaborate gold containers they used to hold these items. To optimize the stimulating effect, the dry leaves were mixed in the mouth with lime, which was kept in a poporo. A needle-like object was dipped into the poporo to extract the lime. For yopo, they inhaled it using a small spoon or bird bone from a small tray (like snorting cocaine). The trays had animals depicted on them that would help them “transform” into that animal.

By donning feathers, skins, or other body paint and apparel they could “transform” into a bird, jaguar, snake, bat, ancestor or divinity. They could then experience the world from that spirit animal’s perspective; complete with the abilities and characteristics of that species or being. For example, when transformed int a bat, the person observed the world upside down. If they were a jaguar, they took on the skill and wisdom of hunter and warrior. They would train, often hiding in a dark cave for years, then apprentice under an older shaman to learn the proper plants and herbs to cure illnesses. They would sit with their arms wrapped around their legs in order to contain the energy as well as to control their breathing, meditating. The description reminded me of Vipassana meditation – sans drugs.

The final exhibit had us go into a very dark room (El Dorado room). Slowly lights began to flicker and flash. Eventually we realized we were in a room where the walls were completely covered in gold objects. At the center was a glass floor that was filled with more gold objects. We could not help but wonder at the monetary value of all the gold that was exhibited in the entire building. And to think of all the gold laying at the bottom of the ocean from sunken ships. There was a thick door vault that held the most precious objects.

SIDE NOTE: When I was in Spain, admiring a beautiful gold church altar, someone pointed out that it was all stolen from South America. That kind of twists the brain while praying, doesn’t it?

One final note: Gavia Sacrifice was where the victim was tied to a tall post with arrows fired at him until he bled to death. The blood was considered sacred. It was collected in vessels and offered up to the sun. Some societies taught parrots to talk, thereby transforming these birds into humans. They could then be used to replace sacrifice victims. I bet a lot of time was spent teaching birds to talk!

Exiting the Gold Museum, we crossed a small park (Parque Santander) with a big fountain and a few trees, that had a strong aroma of urine. I had to wonder how many people pee on the grass for an outdoor park to smell so badly. Anyway, directly across the street was a very old building which turned out to be Iglesia de San Francisco, something else on my list.

Iglesia de San Francisco was built between 1550 and 1595. It was heavily damaged in 1785 by an earthquake. It has been repaired and renovated over the years. It is the oldest conserved church in Bogota. It had a beautiful big altar, but alas, no pictures allowed.

The church stands on Avenida Jiménez, a major thoroughfare that runs through the historic center of Bogotá. It is very wide, 2.8 km long and is a no-car area. Street vendors selling everything from hats, jewelry and cannabis ointments line both sides of the boulevard. Old tracks are still visible in places, which hints of a long forgotten street car system. It had a festive feel no matter what time of day we walked along it.

Next to Iglesia de San Francisco was Palacio San Francisco. It was built where the cloisters and orchard of the church used to be before the earthquake. Like a lot of buildings listed as “must see” in Bogota, it had a beautiful or otherwise interesting exterior, but beyond that I could find no reason to search them out.

A short distance from Iglesia de San Francisco and Palacio San Francisco was Plaza de Bolivar. It was constructed in 1539 and covers 3.5 acres (149,650 sq ft). In the centre of the plaza, on a raised platform, stands a statue of Simón Bolivar. I will explain his significance later on. There were several ice cream vendors pushing their little red carts and ringing their little bells. The thing that caught our attention, more than anything else, was the pigeons. There were thousands of them! Vendors had corn to entice them into tight flocks. They even had them trained to sit on tourists arms and heads in order to charge for a photo op. I’m not sure if they also had them trained not to shit on someone’s head. In some ways, it was kind of cool. Little kids were chasing the birds, which always managed to stay just ahead of the delighted youngster. When they did take flight, it was in a massive flock that gave a surreal ambiance to the towering church glowing in the sunlight. On the flip side, there was bird shit everywhere!

On the west side of the Plaza stands Palacio Liévano – City Hall. On the south side is Capitolio Nacional – where congress sits. On the north side stands the Palace of Justice of Colombia – which, in 1985, had the guerilla group M-19 storm the premises to protest the validity of a Colombian /US extradition treaty. 12 magistrates were killed, along with nearly 100 civilians.

**Catedral Primada de Bogotá** and **Sagrario Church**

On the east side of the plaza stands the beautiful Catedral Primada de Bogotá. The Cathedral was built four times in the same place. The original thatched church was replaced in 1556-1565, but it collapsed shortly after due to a poor foundation. It was rebuilt in 1572 only to be ruined by the 1785 earthquake. The one that now stands was built 1807-1823. construction occurred between 1807 and 1823. With an area of 5,300 square meters, it is the biggest cathedral in Colombia and one of the biggest in South America. It has beautiful chandeliers hanging down between the white columns and had a very welcoming feel.

Next to Catedral Primada de Bogotá stands the Sagrario Church. It has a very plain exterior and we almost walked right past it, thinking it was just another entrance to Catedral Primada de Bogotá. Inside, the nave was long and narrow. What struck us was the ornate wooden ceiling. There were huge pictures on the walls and I found out later that these pictures by Gregorio Vásquez, a famous South American painter, actually makes this church the more popular one with the locals.

Further along, we came to St. Bartholomew Major College. The school was established on 27 September 1604 by Jesuits with a royal document authorizing its foundation. It opened on 1 January 1605 with 70 students. Ownership has bounced back and forth between the government and Jesuit for its 400+ years. The government would expel the Jesuits, then give it back, then give them the boot again, then give it back. Enrollment has grown to over 1000.

We were walking along, quite happy with our day’s adventures, considering we got a late start, when we came upon a walking tour – and the guide was speaking English! We asked if we could join, as there was only a husband and wife with the guide. The couple were from Tofino, BC. We were practically neighbours! They welcomed us to join them.

We were very close to Palacio de San Carlos. It was built in 1585 by an archdeacon. The most interesting bit of its history is it was the location of an assassination attempt on Simon Bolivar in 1828. It was, at that time, the official residence of the President of Colombia. He was taking a bath when his mistress tipped him off and managed to stall the would-be assassins. He escaped through a window with soap still covering his body. His mistress came to be known among Bogotans as “the liberator of the liberator”. There is a plaque fixed on the wall under the window through which he escaped.

We seemed to walk a long way without the guide pointing things out, or having much to say. He said he had recently arrived from Bolivia. He reminded me of the 2 brothers in the movie Slumdog Millionaire, he knew enough to pass himself off as a guide, but really didn’t know that much. Considering each couple gave him 50,000 COP (about $19 CDN) and the average monthly income is about 890,000 COP per month ($350 CDN) – not a bad income of he can do that every day!

We finally came to the oldest area of Bogota, Plaza del Chorro de Quevedo. It is believed that a Spanish Conquistador established the city of Bogotá on this square on August 6, 1538. It was a tiny square surrounded by bars and some artisan shops. Mostly, people sat outside on the curbs and around the small fountain drinking chicha that was sold in the bars. I bought some, too. It had a rather bitter taste and left a grip in the back of the throat, but was not totally unpleasant; but also not something I would go out of my way to buy again. I did have chicha when I was in Peru, but it was flavoured with strawberries – I would buy that one again!

A street leading away from the tiny Plaza is called Calle del Embudo. “Embudo” translates to “funnel” in English. It just kept getting narrower and narrower, until it was only about a meter wide. There was a beautiful wall graffiti of an old indigenous woman on one wall.

We ended our tour at a Parque de los Periodistas Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Park of the Journalists) honoring journalists in general and in particular, Nobel prize winner Márquez. In the center of the park stands the Temple of the Liberator – Simon Bolivar. As with so many things in Bogota, the statue was made, moved, destroyed, rebuilt, and lost.

Our time in Colombia gave us a brief (and I mean brief) history of, not only Colombia, but also of the surrounding countries. Simon Bolivar, affectionately called “the Liberator”, was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the states of Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama to independence from the Spanish Empire. I can understand why he is so revered.

5 February – Wednesday

We wanted an early start to go up to Monseratte. At 3152 meters (10,341 ft), this mountain dominates the city center of Bogota. At the top, there is a church (built in the 17th century) with a shrine, devoted to El Señor Caído (“The Fallen Lord”). The church is clearly visible from everywhere in the city. There are two ways to the top. The first is by foot; the traditional way of pilgrims. Or by funicular. Just the walk up to the funicular was tough going and steep! A seniors discount was available again. The ride up took about 5 minutes and is not for the faint of heart! I’m not sure of the steepness, but it seemed more than 45°. It was definitely more steep than a ski hill. We rose 600 metres to the top.

At the top there was a long lovely path that led us to the shrine. All along the path were bronze, almost life-size statues depicting The Way of the Cross. They were a bit different than any I’d ever seen before and more lifelike. Also along this same path were Christmas lights still strung up and huge stiff plastic flowers with lights strung around their outline and bunched in the centre, which would give them a more realistic appearance in the night. There were elaborate arches over the path, also strung with lights. In front of the steps leading up to the church was a huge star that you could walk through, again all covered in lights. On the street lamp poles were massive angels, again in lights. It would have been gorgeous to see in the night at Christmas time! But workers were busy removing everything, and we never did see any lights during the nights that we were there.

The church was lovely. There was a short mass going on when we entered, so we quietly sat down at the back. People began to move toward the altar and I thought it was for communion, so I made my way forward as well. It was not until I got there that I realized the priest was sprinkling holy water on pilgrims. Now, although we did not climb the million steep steps to the top, I remembered what the priest said at the end of the Camino de Santiago, “You are, and will always be, a pilgrim in your walk through life”. I did not feel guilty about accepting the holy water.

Outside the church was a string of eating places and the compulsory vendors selling souvenirs. We weren’t interested in either so we started to make our way back to the funicular. The paths were lined with beautiful flowers and I was stopping to take pictures of them to add to my digital photo frame back home. I saw a set of steps leading down to a very fancy looking house. Well, I had to check it out. It turns out it was a restaurant, Restaurante Casa Santa Clara. We weren’t hungry, but a cup of coca tea with a muffin seemed in order. Afterwards, we headed back to the funicular to ride back down.

That afternoon we took a Graffiti Walking Tour. Street art/graffiti is almost iconic to Colombian culture. Our guide (Ana) was a street artist and had very political views. This was a good thing, since most of the street art is politically motivated. Street art used to be illegal in Bogota; but like every city, it was a reality. What really turned things around was in 2011 three boys were painting on an overpass when the police caught them. As the boys attempted to flee, a police officer shot Diego Becerra in the back. The police then planted a gun and drugs on him and claimed that he opened fire first. This was not an uncommon practice for police. However, this time they shot a kid whose parents had the money to fight the system. One of the boys that got away acted as a witness to what really happened that night. Forensics proved the boy did not fire a gun and there were no drugs in his system. Other families started to come forward with similar stories of their child being wrongfully killed by police. The public was outraged. To add insult to injury, around that time Justin Bieber went to Bogota to perform a concert, he wanted to do a little graffiti on his own (a marijuana leaf in place of the maple leaf on the Canadian flag – how unoriginal, Justin). The police actually protected him while he did his thing. This was the last straw! The street art community took to the streets, armed with spray cans and bombarded the city in artful protest. And the media was on hand to protect them. The murdering officer was sent to prison, but was miraculously released a few months later. He has since gone into hiding. The mayor had o choice but to decriminalized street art.

That is not to say it is a free-for-all. A street artist must have written permission from the building owner to paint a mural or be asked by a business owner to paint one. Artists can also submit an application to the city whereby the winning applicants will be awarded a cash prize, as well as painting supplies to paint whatever they choose. There are certain areas deemed off-limits, such as the old Candelaria, but that doesn’t seem to stop it completely. Ana took us to a park where there was not one square inch of space that did not have graffiti on it. She said this used to be a strong drug dealer hangout. The graffiteros moved in and started painting. The drug dealers did not like the company and moved out. Today it is a beautiful playground filled with children. According to Ana, graffiti has changed Bogota for the better. It has made the city safer, and it is another way for people to protest the government; because even “peaceful” protests can result in a brutal death by police who carry too much power and corruption.

Case in point: 18 year old Dilan Cruz was participating in a peaceful protest in November of 2019 when he was shot, point blank in the head, with a gun that was supposed to be used to scatter a crowd with rubber pellets. His name is now painted on many walls in remembrance, and protest.

Another disturbing story Ana told us was about the guerrilla group FARC – a far left wing terrorist group with Marxist/Leninist/Bolivarianism ideologies and heavily involved in the drug trade. A peace treaty was agreed upon between the government and FARC. The guerrillas put down their arms and returned to civilization life. However, there was a bounty put out by the government on any holdouts. Young people looking for work were transported to northern Colombia (where FARC used to operate) and given work clothes that looked exactly like FARC uniforms. Being eager to have work and too young and naive to ask questions, they donned the “work uniforms”. They were then killed for the bounty leaving families wondering what happened to their boy.

Stickers are also a common form of street art. Easy to pack around and easy to slap onto something.

SIDE NOTE: Over 100,000 people have gone missing in Colombia between 1958-2018. Colombia has such a turbulent history. It is hard for us to comprehend the violence. Between the Conquistadors, drug lords, guerrillas, and political upheavals, we found it difficult to sort out what was happening, when, why, and by who. Since 2017, FARC is a legitimate, registered communist political party. Very confusing.

6 February – Thursday

No car day in Bogota, to raise environmental awareness. Only buses, taxis, emergency vehicles and hearses were allowed on the streets. We did see delivery vehicles as well. I think it was a good excuse for people to duck out of going to work. There were triple the amount of, already numerous, street vendors. The expansive Avenida Jiménez was packed with pedestrians. Remember this is a Thursday, not the weekend.

We took the opportunity to walk around and check out things we either missed or wanted to see again. I wanted to go to the Botero Museum. Fernando Botero hails from Medellin and is famous for his paintings and sculptures of fat people and objects. His work can represent political criticism or outright humour. I loved it! We saw a fat Mona Lisa, fat Guerrilla fighters, fat Conquistadors on fat horses, fat Venus, fat family portraits and fat pets. The museum was laid out in a two story perimeter around a beautiful central courtyard, with a fountain in the center and surrounded by flowers. Behind the museum we stopped for a coffee and muffin.

Ed needed a hat. His face was getting badly sun-burnt. He headed toward Plaza de Bolivar, as there was a steady stream of street vendors in that direction. I went a half block in the opposite direction to have a look inside Iglesia se Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria (Church of Our Lady of the Candelaria). It is a lovely old church built in 1686. It has a huge golden altar and some murals on the ceiling. There was scaffolding on the outside.

**Iglesia se Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria**

I met up with Ed. He managed to find a cheap hat that would get him through the remaining 3 weeks. As we walked along looking at all the artisans and pretend artisans (some stuff was very obviously made in China or Bali) my attention was drawn to a young man with jewelry. His stuff looked hand made. There was a pair of earrings that caught my eye. As I was looking at them, he said, with much pride in his voice, that he made everything I see on his blanket. I bought the earrings. He thanked me for supporting him and his craft, then he made a small brooch for me as I stood there amazed at his skill. I was very happy to support and witness this talented young artisan. A little further on, another young man was drawing portraits on the sidewalk with chalk. I asked if I could take a picture. He nodded yes. After snapping a few pictures I gace him 2000 COP – less than $1.00. He was shocked and couldn’t understand why I gave him money when I didn’t buy anything. We found this to be the case in Colombia, we were seldom hassled for money and they were so appreciative when we left even a small tip.

In the afternoon we went to Quinta de Bolivar. This colonial house was built in the 17th century by a Spanish merchant. After his death his heirs could not maintain the property. The newly independent government bought and restored it to give to Simon Bolivar in gratitude for his role in the war of independence. He never spent much time there. It is now used as a museum dedicated to Bolivar’s life and times. I had purchased the audio guide. It was rather long winded but it really went into great depth on the history of the house itself, on Bolivar, and even had many cute anecdotes about his life and his companions.

The thing that impressed us right from the moment we stepped through the gate were the gardens. The front yard was filled with enormous trees, pebbled footpaths around fountains, through arbors, and around flower gardens. The house sat nestled in what, at first glance, appeared to be a forest. In a way it was a forest, but cleverly designed. There was a maze of footpaths that lead up the side of the mountain that the property inhabited. There were switchbacks that crossed other switchbacks. All along this maze were hidden flower gardens and benches. It all led up to the bathhouse that sat at the top. Bolivar was unusual for his time, in that he liked to bathe more than twice a month. He would sit in his open air bathhouse, in the chilling water that came down from the mountain, and enjoy the view. We wandered around the property for several hours and kept finding a new path to take us to yet another garden.

Walking back to our apartment we came to Iglesia Nuestra Senora de Las Aguas (Church of Our Lady of the Waters) built 1640-1690. It had the quintessential huge golden altar. It also had a simple, but beautiful, wooden ceiling. In places, plaster is deliberately absent, exposing the original building material. The original fresco is also visible in places.