Treasures of Bogota

Bogota is home to the Museum of Gold. Yesterday morning we explored vault rooms filled with pre-Colombian treasures. Statues, body armor, rafts, shaman tools, and more... 4 stories of rooms displaying the craftsmanship of the native people of Colombia. I must admit that there were moments when we all had gold fever. The tiniest objects had perfectly twisted filligrees that gave each piece extraordinary detail. You can take a virtual tour of the museum here (http://www.banrep.gov.co/museo/esp/home.htm)

Our next exploration took Jimmy, Ivan, Mauricio, and I into the heart of the city. While the others had lunch, we had a history lesson through the courtyards of Plaza de Bolivar. This is where the revolution for Colombian Independence began and over here is the presidential palace and on and on as the history of Colombia was revealed through passionate anecdotes by "el Negro y Magu!" In the midst of all of this history, we were surrounded by thousands of families out walking, riding bikes, and enjoying a beautiful summer day-- all part of a regular occurrence that happens every Sunday all over the city. Major streets are shut down to make room for the people to safely enjoy their capital city.

In the afternoon, we boarded a train car that slowly crawled up the mountain to Monserrate. The climb up the mountainside is made on foot by faithful pilgrims in penance or on their knees in sacrifice looking for God´s favor. Perhaps the train car was not as noble a way to ascend the mountain, but it was the fastest route to the top! (http://www.cerromonserrate.com/eng_files/index_eng.html) From the top of Monserrate, you can see the past and the present of Colombia´s landscape. On one side, the entire city can be seen - skyscrapers, the airport, and even the squatter´s villages. On the other, the untouched majesty of the forest and mountainside growing untamed as it always has. We wandered through the pathways, into the church, and around the heart of Monserrate where the curious and the faithful have come daily since 1640 by the thousands.

After a nap (I know I´m getting old), we headed out for a night on the town to celebrate our birthdays! The first stop was Crepes and Waffles, a local restaurant that has made these breakfast foods into an art form. Next stop, Bogota Beer Company for a local invention called "The Giraffe." Allen, Jimmy, Felipe, Nicolas, Ivan, and Mauricio made 2 Giraffes disappear... a giraffe is a 3 foot tall tube filled with Bogota´s Best beer. Not to be left out, the girls partied with cocktails. It was nothing but laughter and spanglish until late into the evening.

We´re not so sure our birthday should be over, so we´re invoking the birthday week adendum! More adventures to come as we head out to the salt mines and explore Zipaquira.

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