07 December 2011

La Candeleria de Bogota.

Well, today got off to a roaring start, literally, as my travel partner got sick somehow (flu? Altitude? Food? Who knows.). He was definitely not up for touring, so I headed out to La Candeleria district. This is the old center of the city, and has lots of churches and sites.

Getting there was an adventure all its own. The cabs here are...well...loco. There are a million of them, they are cheap, but they drive like maniacs and have no seatbelts in the back. We to ok. A shortcut over some hills, which was nice, but wow, was I a little nervous!

The sun was trying to peek its way out when I arrived to La Candeleria. I walked around quite a bit, past the Plaza Bolivar, into the First Church, and then through a few streets. I ended up getting myself a bit turned around and wandered into a rather sketchy hood! Once I figured this out,though, I turned myself right back around and continued to explore.

I spent quite a bit of time in the Museo de Oro, or Gold Museum.ot has a super extensive collection of Colombian gold artifacts,and is laid out in a way that tells a very good story. I spent a couple of hours in there,and by the time I can out, it was POURING. It soon passed, and I once again climbed into a cab to get back to our neighborhood.

This cab ride was scary as all get out. The traffic here is also a it nutty -- they have marked lanes,stop lights,right-of-ways,but no one seems to follow them. Add the rain to these facts, and,well, that oh shit handle got plenty of use by me!

Tonight is the Día de las Velitas, the kick off to the Colombian holiday season,and then tomorrow is a holiday (the guy I spoke to at the hotel yesterday told me Colombians will use any excuse for a holiday), so if bio is up to it, we'll head down to the zona rosa and watch the festivities.

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