Saturday In Bogota

First stop today was the Mercado Plaza, the produce market. Lots of variety. They claim that one could eat a different fruit every day for a year without repeating. Also, Columbia has no growing seasons per se, so things grow all year round... like roses for USA.
We had a tasting of a dozen fruits; the only name I recall is guava.
On to the Plaza Major, Bolivar, of course. The layout was the usual: cathedral, judicial bldg, alcalde, and legislature.
We saw the cathedral (ABC). The judicial bldg is newish as the old one was blown up by tanks when M-19 occupied it. The current prez was a member of M-19.
Lunch was at nearby risto, Origens, serving indigenous cuisine. We had sweet corn and potato soup with chicken called Ajiaco (which is Criollo). Quite good.
After lunch we went to the Gold Museum the Botero Museum (again). The Gold Museo got its start as the private collection of bank executives and over time became a gift to the national patrimony.
Before the Spanish looters came, the Muisca tribe venerated gold as a gift the gods found pleasing. So they would craft an object and toss it in a deep, essentially bottomless lake. The Spanish got wind of this and removed a bunch but much more remained. Most left Columbia but some gold was used to entice the natives to go to church where gold was liberally used objects like the monstrance or on gold leaf on the reredos. The shininess was like the sun god.
Next, our plan was to take the teleferico up to Montserrate in time for sunset but we ran late. What we did see was a beautiful panorama of the city at night. We took some time to see the shrine and then stayed up at the St Isadore risto for our "Welcome" dinner.Read more