Vamanos!

March 19, 2022

Vamanos!

 

Saturday morning dawned with not a hint of sun in the sky, but nevertheless, I was excited for the official beginning of the OAT tour. We met our tour leader, Alejandro (Alejo for short), right after breakfast. Our local guide Camilla joined us on the bus we took from the hotel to the downtown area.

 

En route to our destination, we learned that Bogota, the Colombian capital, is home to 10.2 million people, about 10% of the country’s population. As we could clearly see, the infrastructure was woefully inadequate for the number of cars, motorcycles, and bicycles on the roads. Bogota has limited public transportation options. Long, articulated buses are the main form of public transit.  

We drove through neighborhoods of modern brick residential buildings and learned about Colombia’s system of assigning socio-economic levels to neighborhoods, rather than to people. Neighborhoods are ranked 1 through 6 and the ranking depends on several factors, including size and cost and condition of housing units, the presence of parks and schools, and access to transportation. A person living in a level 1 neighborhood would pay less (in taxes, for utilities, etc.) than a person living in a higher level neighborhood, and would be entitled to free health care as well. To me, it seems like an enlightened approach. 

 

Public schools exist in all neighborhoods, regardless of level, and the cost is minimal (about $30 a year, plus uniform and supplies). Class size tends to be large (35-40 students per classroom), instruction is limited to six hours per day, and usually only basic classes are offered. For parents who can afford it, there are also private schools, especially Jesuit schools, which can charge more money but offer smaller class sizes, more hours of instruction, and a greater range of subjects. The private schools can be found mostly in neighborhoods that are levels 3 through 6.

 

We also learned a few basic facts about the history of Bogota and Colombia. When the Spanish arrived here in 1538, they encountered about 600,000 members of the Muisca tribe who made their living from farming. The volcanic soil was very fertile and at an elevation of over 8000 feet, the area had less of a problem with mosquitoes than locations on the coast. The Spanish built the city of Bogota, and ruled what is now Colombia until the early 1800s, when Napoleon Bonaparte installed his brother on the Spanish throne. During the colonial period, peninsulares (those actually born on the Iberian peninsula) were at the top of the social order. Just underneath them were the criollos (Creoles), American-born people of Spanish descent. It was the Creoles who led the fight for independence. 

 

Interestingly, Colombia celebrates two different independence days. Colombia first won its independence from France in 1810 and its final independence from Spain in 1819. Simon Bolivar became the first president of the country. He was a conservative who believed in a strong central government and an important role for the Catholic church. The views of the next president, Santander, differed sharply from Bolivar’s. As a liberal and a federalist, Santander favored a separation of church and state, essentially reducing the power of the Catholic church. Already, the stage was set for a political conflict that was to last well into the 20^th century.  

 

We began to explore Bogota on foot in the historic area called La Candelaria. This is the oldest part of the city, dating back to 1538. Most of the houses in the area are 300-400 years old. As in many other cities throughout the world, the area is undergoing gentrification. 

 

One of the steep stone streets is fittingly called Calle de la Fatiga. 

 

The image of La Pola, a young woman considered a Colombian hero for her role as a spy in the fight for independence, adorns one of the houses. She was executed by the Spanish in 1817. 

 

The Colombian flag flies at the entrance to the Military Museum, also located in La Candelaria. The yellow band represents the country’s gold, the blue represents the two seas that surround the country, and the red represents the blood shed in the fight for independence.  

 

Nearby Teatro Colon, named for Christopher Columbus, is Bogota’s opera house and national theater. It was built in the early 19^th century from sandstone. 

We soon found ourselves in sprawling Bolivar Square, surrounded by a mixture of old and new buildings. In the center of the plaza is a statue of Bolivar in classical robes.

The main cathedral of Colombia stands on one side of the square. The current sandstone building dates to 1918 but its organ is 400 years old. The cathedral is the largest in Colombia and one of the largest in South America. The building to the right of the cathedral is the Sacred Chapel, the oldest structure in the plaza (1605). 

 

Other buildings on the plaza include City Hall and a neoclassical building that is home to Colombia’s National Congress. The city’s current mayor is Claudia Lopez, Bogota’s first female and openly gay mayor. The newest building on the plaza is a modern structure that houses the Supreme Court.

 

In addition to seeing these important buildings, we had a chance to try an unfamiliar tropical fruit called the chontaduro. This comes from a palm tree that grows on the Pacific coast. After it’s peeled and boiled, it’s often eaten with honey and salt. It had a dense, starchy texture and a somewhat sour taste. 

 

I was happier with the bunuelos, which Camilla offered us as we continued our walk. These delicious beignet-like treats are made with yuca flour and cheese. 

We passed by the plaque commemorating the Liberal political leader Jorge Eliecer Gaitan. His assassination in 1948 set off a long period of bipartisan (Conservative vs. Liberal) violence. 

Our next stop was the Gold Museum, where I could easily have spent an entire day. In the 90 minutes or so that we were there, I first learned about the cosmology of Colombia’s indigenous people. They divided the world into three levels: the underworld, represented in their art by snakes, bats, and other animals that inhabit openings in the earth; the intermediate world, represented by jaguars, deer, and people; and the upper world, represented by birds. Their three main gods were the sun, the moon, and Pachamama (mother earth).

 

Displays included a number of anthropomorphic clay figures crafted prior to the arrival of the Spanish. 

Some of the objects on display included colorful feathers, coral beads and emeralds. The red of the coral was associated with women and fertility while the green of the emeralds was associated with men and the strength of nature. 

The major portion of the museum was devoted to objects made of metal, especially gold, before the arrival of the Spanish. There were thousands of pieces that showcased the highly skilled craftsmanship of the indigenous people. Gold was considered sacred, and metal transformed by goldsmiths was given as an offering to the gods. 

Informative displays helped me understand the variety of techniques that were used to produce these dazzling objects. There were examples of relatively simple pieces made of beaten metal and more complex figures made using the lost wax process. 

 

Metals such as silver and copper were sometimes combined with gold. Below is a graphic representation of the color that results from mixtures in various proportions of these metals. 

 

As noted in my previous post, museum going gives me an appetite and I was ready to try a big Colombian lunch by the time we wrapped up our visit at the Gold Museum. We traveled north by bus to a lovely restaurant called Origen Bistro and I wasn’t disappointed by the meal. For starters, we had fried plantain dough pastries with a variety of fillings (guava, cheese, chicharron). The main course was a huge portion of a delicious seafood and rice mixture. 

The brownie and ice cream that was served for dessert may not have been traditionally Colombian but was very satisfying. In fact, I was wondering how I was going to be hungry again in time for our Welcome Dinner in just a few hours. 

 

Abasto, the restaurant where we dined that evening, was not far from the hotel. Because of the steady rain, we went by taxi instead of walking. Once again, Colombian food was on the menu. Carimañola was one of the appetizers. This dish, which originated on the Caribbean coast, consists of crispy yuca dough filled with cheese. We also sampled the more familiar empanadas, made of corn flour and filled with potatoes, served with a fruit sauce. 

The main course was a thick filet of white fish wrapped in a banana leaf and topped with creole (tomato and onion) sauce. It was accompanied by smashed plantains. 

All of this was delicious, but dessert was definitely the highlight of the meal. It looked like a cake, accompanied by a guava sauce, but had a taste and consistency that baffled us. Alejo called it “cheese bread cake.” I was so intrigued that later on, I checked the restaurant’s website and found the Spanish name for this dish: torta de almojabana con salsa de guayaba. It was divine! 

There’s more of Bogota to discover in my next post.