Santa Fé de Bogotá

Bogotá, Colombia…

A city of millions that loftily spreads out between two northern branches of the Andes Mountains, Bogotá has been the brunt of frequent negative press for high crime rates, drab red brick architecture, and just plain old bad press. That may be true for particular areas of the city, but with common sense and a feeling of humanity the traveler to this city can enjoy Colombia’s version of Washington DC and New York City all rolled up into one. The altitude of this capital city is high enough to induce soroche, or altitude sickness, and caution is recommended for those arriving from lower altitudes.

Many travelers stay either in the historic Candelaria district or in the trendy Zona T (Zona Rosa) subdivision of the northern side of the city. In between, most flavors in accommodations can be found, and dietary requirements are as varied as the number of visitors that arrive here more and more frequently each year.

Quick Tips:

Outside of Candelaria and Zona T, try making day trips if time permits to areas outside the city limits, within 2 hours bus:

1. Zipaquirá
2. The Musical Region
3. The eastern parks (*WITH* a trusty guide)

Other than these general areas, I am sure you can find tons of other places to find fun time in this capital city. Movies are cheap.

Best Way To Get Around:

Transmilenio!

Otherwise, stick with taxis. They are very economical and you don't sit and wait for the Transmilenio...

Most definitely the best hotel in Candelaria and quite possibly one of the best in the city of Bogotá, this hotel sits directly next door to the Teatro Colón and is very convenient to the entire Candelaria district. At night the street in front of the hotel closes off and access is only permitted for hotel clients, usually arriving by cab.

The hotel itself is steeped in plenty of Colombian history, having hosted Simón Bolivar, among other historical figures, back in those 19th century days. It seems that saying Simón Bolívar lived here is like saying [your favorite founding father for your particular country] lived in a historical place. That aside, the hotel lives up to its reputation as a great place to relax after a day of sightseeing while risking soroche (altitude sickness) at this 8300 feet above sea level capital city.

The service is top notch, with a 24 hour room service that offers tasty meals at a decent price, giving you the option of cravings at any time. Breakfast consisting of a combination of choices that include cooked-to-order eggs, fresh (and I mean FRESH) fruits, even freshly blended papaya… everything here is “as you wish.” Chocolates await you on your pillow when you check in, as well as when you come back. The room temperature is subtle when coming in for the first time, and can be set with the in-room thermostat. The attention to detail is very impressive- the soap bars are stamped with the hotel’s harp symbol and the towels are embroidered to match. Pretty much any convenience can be arranged by the front desk at most times. Bogotá is no New York City, but the staff at this hotel will sure make you believe that they can outdo most New York hotels!

Speaking Spanish with the staff is useful, but not required.

The hotel website is www.hotelopera.com.co.

A Tour of the Teatro Colón

Teatro Colón: what can be modestly considered to be the seat of the late 19th century’s cultural center of Bogotá is still recognizable now in the 21st century as an icon of culture—classical as well as modern. A Doric façade greets the visitor while the interior is strictly neoclassical. Named for Christopher Columbus, this theater sports general neoclassic throughout the interior including a main chamber with a huge chandelier surrounded by four figures representing the four seasons—yes, it gets very chilly in Bogotá even though an hour or two away it gets dramatically warmer year-round. Remember the altitude here.

Guided tours in Spanish are given two to three times daily by volunteers as well as paid staff. The ticket price is about $1.50 for a 45 minute walkabout of the backstage area, balconies, and general chamber areas—as well as a viewing of upstairs stages and staging areas for artists. Expect to hear a detailed historical sketch of the theater’s history from the first stone laid down at the site to some of the current events happening in the roster of performances.

However, classics are not the only musical or plays covered. On one day, yes, you may be treated by the Orquesta Sinfónica de Colombia’s general performances here its their home venue! The next you may find that there is a free electronic music concert. This theater is also known by its more ubiquitous name, El Teatro Nacional, due to the plethora of other activities that occur here at different times of the year.

Pictures are absolutely permitted, without the use of flash photography when the stage is being used by private parties. Then again, should they be rehearsing something nice, meaning you just paid $1.50 for a decent concert or play rehearsal. Overall the theater is highly recommendable and an excellent alternative to walking about Candelaria when its rainy outside. Just be mindful of the security staff here as they are a little Gun-Ho about not permitting people in outside of normal tour hours. This tour would be perfect on many occasions after a nice lunch or breakfast in many of Candelaria’s small restaurants. Many of these cater to government officials so watch out for politicians! This is in the capital after all.

Bogotá and its Free Museos

Botero and Dali usually elicit eyebrow raises and the art collectors in a crowd that are interested in obtaining these works but aren’t yet aficionados force themselves into overpriced museums… sometimes. Looking for a way to get to Monserrate atop Bogotá’s skyscrapers, the Colección Botero Museum (just up the block from the Casa de la Moneda) opened its doors by way of probably the friendliest door guard I’d ever met anywhere on this planet. Too bad I cannot remember his name, but he said Monserrate on a Friday morning wasn’t such a great idea. So he said come on in here! Free and you can shoot all the pictures you like.

Sweet! Pictures at an Exhibition… err, I mean, free pics of all the exhibits! Well, at least you can’t touch. This will be what some of the well-dressed museum eyes will say, and in some cases can answer your questions about when certain pieces were acquired into the collection. With all the Boteros- characterized by voluptuous, thick, grosso, gordos, overweight subjects, in both paint and sculpture, even the non-Botero fans out there quickly gain a sense of appreciation for the work of this most famous Colombian artist. Some of the themes in this collection include comical Boteros as well as the more traditional European impressionist, postmodern, cubist, and exaggerated works by Matisse, Picasso, and even Dalí.

The outside of the building is fairly drabby, but the interior promises a very nice courtyard area where you can shoot nice pictures with Monserrate in the background, sure enough to please those that will want to go on Saturdays. The feel of the collection is of a typical expanded art gallery, and the closeness to the actual works may entice the unscrupulous to try and take a work or two home but be warned, laser sensors abound here and it is doubtful the museum guards receive inadequate training in securing their collection. By following the rules here you ensure many more free visits to this museum for many more future tourists to Bogotá.

If you are really into this kind of museum experience, then the Casa de la Moneda is just down the block, but due to the nature of the collection (money), it’s a little more restrictive. This will be included in the next trip to Bogotá as well as other museum sites that have yet to be seen. Then if you really enjoy Boteros, you can ask for one as a wedding present from your rich family members… or not.

El Museo del Oro

An entrance fee of approximately US$2 stood in the way between a camera lens and the world’s leading collection of gold artifacts ranging in time from the last millennium until recent history. Obviously not an issue, the entrance to this building that faces Plaza Santander is well-controlled by armed security for a simple reason: crowd control… to the gift shop! Many excellent gold replicas are sold out of the small gift shop on the first floor. Thieves would have an extremely hard time stealing from this museum due to the extra thick walls and fortified glass material that separates spectator from gold. The security staff themselves appear to have received the same or a similar training program from the museum staff, as they are rather knowledgeable in the history behind the major artifacts in the entire museums, and they often receive thanks from many patrons due to their suggestions on parts of the museum to visit on a tight time budget.

Further from gold, this museum also collects a massive selection of clay art pieces characteristic of the many cultures represented in the exhibits’ sections. Included in the panels and glass displays are archaeological representations of how we think many of the now defunct cultures adorned themselves as well as how the gold was elaborated to such minute details by these “primitives” that mostly succumbed to Spanish colonialism (note the “sarcasm”). Tours are offered by museum staff, as well as audio listening devices, making this museum a must see for many nationalities that are represented in the visitors’ passports.

El Museo del Oro is much like a Disney World of Museums in terms of the amount of time needed to fully appreciate the collections inside. One day s simply not enough to catch all the Muisca details in the Muisca Raft in the dark Muisca pavilion on the top floor, or all of the ceremonial gold used by Amazon basin groups. However, if one day is the only amount of time you can dedicate to seeing these collections, do not miss the strong room on the top floor… the doors themselves are impressive and I won’t tell you how! Best to come alone or in a pair… you’ll see and hear what I mean!

As in other Bogotá-area museums… photography is not only simply allowed but rather encouraged! So a digital camera with a hefty memory card will most definitely suit your shutterbug instincts. And with the thousands upon thousands of pieces to view here, it will be difficult editing your collection later on.

The museum’s basement also has a small movie screen that shows weekly films dedicated to the preservation of the existing cultures as well as stimulating cultural awareness in those that are no longer present in human society.