Our flight from Cuenca to Bogotá required us to change planes and airlines in Quito. Our first flight was delayed and our second flight time was moved earlier. There was a flicker of concern but it all worked out and we landed in Bogotá only to wait about an hour to get through the immigration line. We had fun chatting with the other tourists waiting. Bogotá was nothing like we expected; it felt a little like NYC as we drove though different neighborhoods on our way to the northern part of the city. EK Hotel felt ultra modern and urban because of its sleek architecture, decor, and spectacular roof garden. There were many boutiques, luxury stores, gelato shops, cafes, and restaurants within a ten minute walk. All of the food was delicious but the best was a vegetarian lunch spot called Vg Tal. There was no menu and the dishes changed daily! We might have to move.
Sunshine’s computer started crashing while in Iquitos, Peru. In Ecuador, it would not turn on. There was a Mac Center in a mall (decorated for the holidays) near our hotel so we decided to see if it could be brought back to life. There were a few moments of hope, but it will have to be recycled and replaced.
We took our first free graffiti tour-at the Parque de los Periodistas. It was a great way to get to know the La Candeleria and Columbian culture (political and social). There was a little bit of unpleasantness at the start of the tour when a drunk man (who spoke perfect English) got belligerent with the tour guide. It was handled quickly and we had no other issues over the next few hours. We hope to find graffiti tours in other cities.
After the graffiti tour, we walked over to el Museo del Oro (the Gold Museum). The museum was recently ranked ninth on National Geographic magazine’s 16 best history museums in the world and it was obvious why. There are more than 55,000 pieces of gold, other metal alloys, pottery, stone, shell, wood and texture textiles from Columbia’s pre-Hispanic cultures. The explanations were in Spanish and English and followed a logical flow as we moved from room to room. As we were finishing up the second floor, the museum announced a free guided tour in English of the third floor. Perfect timing! There were many impressive pieces but the display of more than 3,000 pieces in a dark circular room with music and lights was spectacular!
