MORE BOGOTÁ

13th - 16th Nov 2018

A typical Fernando Botero painting

I spent the first three days traipsing from Zona Rosa (north) to La Candelaria (south-east) because this is the 'cultural' heart of the city and has the more interesting things to see. I have described the 'challenging' Transmilenio transport system to achieve this in the previous entry. I later, for my last two nights, moved to a rather whacky but amusing (cheap) hostel in La Candelaria.

On day 2 here I went to one of the many currency exchanges in La Candelaria. The Colombian Peso (COP) is abbreviated here by the symbol $, which I initially took for US$ which nearly gave me a heart attack. The US $ should have two vertical lines apparently (but my laptop only gives one). Most confusing. I shall use $ for COP from now on. Hope you catch on.
Good rate; $2990 for US$1 and got US$100's worth. I recalled with anguish the $2240 rate I got at the airport.  Extraordinary bureaucracy though. They not only wanted to see and photocopy my passport, but I had to fill in a form to give my home address, my e-mail address, where I was staying, where I was going, what I was going to spend the money on, where I got the money from, my job and maybe my inside leg measurement for all I remember (all of which I could have made up and they would be none the wiser). Not only that, I had to give a finger print! I carefully stowed the cash in a zip-up trouser pocket. More about that later.

The main square (left) is called Plaza de Bolivar after  the successful Venezuelan political and military power-merchant Símon Bolivar. By the way, I am now giving up putting all these Spanish ´accents above letters because it is a pain in the arse. Simon Bolivar's statues feature widely throughout the city (I counted at least four), as they do in many other South American countries. Indeed all towns in Colombia have a statue of him. This is because he was responsible for booting out the Spanish and giving these countries independence. Bolivia is named after him. I wonder why statues of Christopher Columbus are not more in evidence here. Presumably Colombia was named after him? In fact he was Christened 'Simon Jose Antonio de la Santisima Trinidad Bolivar Palacios Ponte y Blanco', which must have been a right bugger when filling in official forms asking for 'full name'. The square is obviously the place where pigeons hang out waiting for space to sit on statues. Maybe they have a roster...and people buy seed to feed the filthy creatures! So its a pigeon 'rest and refuelling' point.


Right: The Capitolio Nacional, Government ministries and Congress building, at the west end of the Square with the statue of Simon Bolivar in front with covered plinth and mandatory pigeon sitting on his head. There was, rather incongruously, a basketball court in front of the steps. As I gathered later it was only temporary











Left: ....and a yoga class being held on artificial grass at the other end. This too was temporary. I noticed that the square was host to various noisy musical and other entertainments from day to day.









Right: Carrera 7, the main shopping street in La Candelaria. Bogota and Medellin both have a street grid system. Carreras (avenues I presume) run north-south and are intersected by Calles (streets) running predominantly east-west. Few, if any, street names. Addresses (there are no house numbers) are designated by the street number followed by the Carrera number and the distance to the west of that Carrera intersection i.e. Calle 105 #5-55. Is that clear? I think I began to understand it but still got lost most of the time.




Left: Cerro de Monserrate is one of the peaks to the east of the city. There is a much visited church, something to do with the 'Fallen Christ', at the top; a Mecca for pilgrims. There are also restaurants, two rather smart ones, and good observation platforms. You can get up there either by funicular, cable car or walk up (a mere 1500 step hike). I expect the 'pilgrims' walk. I certainly didn't. The summit is at 10,341ft (from sea level) ie 1,681ft above the city. A popular tourist spot. Cable car and funicular terminal at bottom right of photo.



Right: Looking West over the city. I went up twice in fact because the first time I went too late in the day. The clouds had come down and the vis was not great. The weather here at this time of year follows a predictable pattern. Mornings are warm and sunny, clouds build up at midday onwards, rain late afternoon and then clear during the evening. First time by funicular; the cable car was out of action because they were decorating it with Christmas lights. Second time by cable car because they were decorating the funicular with Christmas lights! Cost $20,000 return (US$8 approx).


Left: The church at the top.

Right: Putting Christmas lights on the cable-car lines

Left: The peak next door, Cerro Guadalupe, at 10,879ft (from sea level).

Right: One of the terrace bars at the summit. Can't remember its name, but worth a visit if you're passing by.

Left: Lots of white and red poppies on display on the path back to the funicular.













Right: Coming down in the funicular.

It was on return from my second visit up the mountain (day 3, 14th Nov) that I had a bit of a drama. I had walked back to town from the cable-car terminal. It was a bit of a hike in warm weather and I was feeling somewhat in need of refreshment so I popped into a charming little bar/restaurant near La Candelaria. I ordered and received a beer and then noticed that a zip pocket of my trousers was open. It was where I had placed the cash (US$100 worth) the day before. I felt inside the pocket and it was empty. I felt a wave of sweaty anxiety. I searched through all other pockets. The dosh had disappeared! It had been nicked! Some little tow-rag had picked my pocket! It was a weird and upsetting feeling. Over the course of much travelling I have only once before been pickpocketed; that was in Oslo 6 years ago where a 'probable' Romanian brat had lifted a 'dummy' wallet out of my jacket pocket. It was of no value as I kept one there in case some bandit demanded money with menaces. This was the first time I had ever actually lost cash. I thought I was good at anti-pickpocket drills but must have become a bit blasé. It was upsetting for three main reasons. Firstly I had lost a considerable sum of money. Secondly, I could not remember when I last checked that pocket. Thirdly, I had no idea as to when or where it occurred. I suspect sometime on the dreadful crowded Transmilenio bus. Bloody annoying! OK, it was a wake-up call and, without becoming paranoid, I took much more care from then on. Any zip pocket with something valuable inside, I put a safety pin throught the zip to stop it being casually opened, and when travelling in crowded transport I kept my eyes and, where possible, hands on my 'significant' pockets and made sure I was aware of who was around me. It could have been worse. My passport and mobile were in another zipped pocket and the loss of them would have been one hell of a bigger disaster. C'est la vie.

Next on the agenda was a visit to the famous Museo del Oro, again in La Candelaria. This is a modern, large, magnificent and remarkable museum on three floors. It houses, mostly, gold artefacts (apparently over 55,000 in total) from many Andean tribes from 2000BC to 1600AD. It is an impressive, indeed staggering collection. Oh, and if you are over a certain age you get in free!

Left: One of many elaborately decorated gold outfits worn by a tribal leader. We think mainly of Aztecs and Incas etc., but there were hundreds of similar civilizations over that period of 3600 years, and all made elaborately decorated gold pieces.

Gold to these people represented the sun, and silver the moon. It was not considered a valuable material as such, but made into adornments and trinkets as symbols of religious (lots of shamans involved here) significance and tribal status.

It is extraordinary how much skill had gome into the manufacture of these pieces. These skills started from around 2000BC and remained rather similar up until the Spanish arrived in the 17th century AD. It was all technically brilliant.

There was a video shown to demonstrate the way the smelting, sculpting and decorating of these pieces was achieved. Lots of different processes  were involved, often requiring a high degree of chemistry and metallurgy. Quite extraordinary.

I wondered how the museum had managed to accumulate so much of the stuff. Or maybe they have a workshop out the back.

I could produce many more impressive photos of some jaw-dropping exhibits, but suggest you go and see for yourself!

A visit to the the Museo Botero, not far from Plaza de Bolivar, was interesting. I'd never heard of him before (being a cultural philistine) but Fernando Botero is a famous and incredibly prolific Colombian artist who specialises in creating large paintings and sculptures of people and animals in the 'fuller and rounded' form, i.e. fat. The museum contained maybe 50 or more of his paintings and sculptures. There are hundreds more positioned around the city and other sites in the country. He must be a very hard working, non-stop, artist. They are rather fun. He is still alive, aged 87, living and apparently still producing similar works, in Italy. He is probably now very wealthy and, in my opinion, deserves to be.

Left: A typical Botero painting. As is the one at the head of this page. There were loads of similar and, I thought, both skilfully done and amusing.

Right: One of his bronze sculptures. I was wondering how this exuberantly proportioned model had managed to get her right hand into such a strange position. Unless, I thought, some unfortunate person was trapped underneath her.

I added the rat, you will not be surprised to learn.

I'm sure Señor Botero would approve.

Left: This Botero sculpture was in the entrance hall.

Right: The museum featured some Picassos.

.........and a typically weird effort by Señor Salvadore Dali (left). 

The museum was spread over several buildings on two or three floors. It also included works by Chagall, Renoir, Monet, Pissaro plus other sculptures and paintings, so quite a large and eclectic collection.

I met a llama near the Plaza de Bolivar. I don't mind llamas; its alpacas that annoy me. Why? Because they have a silly supercilious look and spit a lot. I remember ladies dressed in colourful traditional costumes in Peru dragging them around the streets of Cusco and encouraging tourists to take a photo, for a price. I just felt like kicking the stupid animals up the arse.

My Spanish is almost negligible and when talking to this animal's handler I think I nearly managed to buy it by mistake.

Left: A very talented, if slightly unorthodox looking, violinist on Carrera 7. He really was very good and I stayed to listen for some time.

Right: Another statue of Simon Bolivar in a Plaza near Las Aguas Transmilenio station. This has a sculpted bird on top of the cupola and, of course, there is a pigeon sitting on the wing of the bird. I wonder if anyone has considered making a large statue of a pigeon, as a tribute to the interest pigeons show in statues.

On Thursday 16th there were due to be major student demos throughout the city (complaining about lack of government funds of course). The police anti-riot squads were out in strength and readiness, roads had been cordoned off and most of the public building façades, and  statues, were covered in black protective netting (quite a task). Police and army were in evidence everywhere and the centre was eerily free of the usual crowds. Great! I thought; the opportunity for some interesting photos of revolting students plus a few baton charges.

Left: One of the many riot squads in waiting.

I had already encountered a problem. The dreaded Transmilenio taking me to the centre that morning was stopped at a station called Jimenez due to a precautionary road block. A professional looking chap standing next to me, realising I was a confused Gringo, told me that we had to get off and walk. It was only about 800yds to the centre but it was through a few dangerous streets, he said. The surrounding streets did look a bit ominous and I was carrying all my possessions plus suitcase because that day I was moving accommodation to the centre. A good target! This guy, a barrister as it turned out and who was running late for a court case, said to follow and keep close. We set off at a good pace and, apart from attracting some curious looks, made it to safety without incident. I was grateful for his help, as I was  on several other occasions to locals.

What a disappointing anti-climax it turned out to be! The main shopping street (Avenue 7) and the Square remained almost totally deserted, apart from a handful of, presumably, students shouting rather forlornly at the Government buildings, and the police. There may have been action elsewhere in the city but sadly I never saw any.

I was due to go out to dinner that evening with a friend working in Bogata. I would have to get the rush hour Transmilenio up north again to meet him. I was rather dreading it. As it turned out, presumably because everyone had taken the day off work due to impending riots, it was relatively empty and I even managed to get a seat. I got to the restaurant early and relaxed. I took a Uber taxi back; not chancing my hand too often in one day. BTW, these Uber taxis are so good, and cheap, and reliable.

I think that is enough from Bogota. Probably missed out on a few things, but now preparing to set off, by bus, to the charming city of Medellin.

Simon de Bolivar circa 1880