Bogota is the capital of Colombia and one of the largest cities in Latin America. The city’s cultural center is the cobblestone historic downtown La Candelabra. Most of Bogota’s attractions are in this area such as Plaza de Bolivar, the Gold Museum, and the Botero Museum. Monserrat Hill is also frequented by visitors for its panoramic views of the city.
We stayed at the Casa Medina Hotel in Zone G of Bogota. The “G” in Zone G stands for gourmet and this is where most of the best restaurants of the city are concentrated. We started our visit of the city with a cable car ride to the top of Monserrat Hill for a panoramic view.
Today is no car day in Bogota, only taxis and pubic transport allowed on the roads.
Cable car ride up to Monserrat Hill.
Monserrat Hill
Rays of sun over the city of Bogota.
A visit to Bogota is incomplete without a tour of the Gold Museum. This museum contains the largest collection of pre-Colombian gold pieces. It has altogether some 50,000 pieces of artefacts made of gold, other metals, and ceramics.
Gold Museum
Sorry for the camera shake. Muisca’s golden raft is one of the most famous pieces here. It represents the El Dorado ceremony where the heir to the mythical tribal chief covers himself with gold dust and dives into Lake Guativita as an initiation rite.
This crocodile is about the length of my finger and on the belly you can see a human face.
An idea of how the gold pieces are worn by the natives.
Funerary masks. Notice the eye pieces can open so that the dead can see in the afterlife.
The Botero Museum is housed in a colonial building near the Gold Museum in the historic La Candelaria neighborhood. The museum has 123 works of Fernando Botero and 85 of other artists, all donated by the Colombian artist Botero himself. Botero’s signature style is making everyone and everything fat.
Courtyard at Botero Museum
My favorite – the fat Mona Lisa :)
That is Botero depicting himself as the fat painter.
A few blocks away from the Botero Museum is Plaza de Bolivar. The historic square is surround by government buildings such as the palace of justice, the Parliament, and the mayor’s office, as well as the Cathedral of Bogota.
Plaza de Bolivar
Cathedral of Bogota
Juice stand at Plaza de Bolivar
Presidential Palace
Sweet snack of waffles with jam and nuts.
One of the several streets radiating out from Plaza de Bolivar.
