Arrival to 'Boggers', Columbia

I fly to Bogotá, Columbia with a two-hour interchange at Lima, Peru. We fly directly through the lightening storm that has grasped the city, lighting up the dark aisles inside the plane. The storm continues while I collect my luggage, change some money and look for a legitimate taxi. Admittedly, as a lone female, is it not ideal arriving to Columbia at 3.30am. I hate arriving to new places at night. Even the most beautiful places look ugly and unappealing under the shadows. I am aware of this, and try to be optimistic as my taxi driver speeds through the dodgy-looking and mostly deserted streets. Many of the roads are flooded. I do not know a great deal about Colombian weather, but this certainly is not what I had imagined! Twenty minutes into the journey and the taxi driver informs me that he does not know where the Platypus hostel is. Hmph, I am tired, grumpy and want to go to bed. I grab the map and scribbled-down address from my backpack, and bark directions towards what I hope is the correct street. Luckily it is. We drive the length of Calle 16 and do a U-turn back to the hostel, he informs me that he wants to ensure there are no dangerous folk lurking nearby. He asks me to stay in the car until he rings the bell and ensures that the door is open. Rather a sweet gesture, but I am a little alarmed. I trundle inside, and someone leads me to my private room. I have splashed out, I cannot face a dorm-room tonight. I do not sleep well. The rain thumps on the roof above and the staff and fellow guests begin to clatter outside my door at 7am. 

I enjoy the luxury of having my own room. This sounds absurd until I tell you that I have not stayed in my own room since the 27th December, the day I left Sligo! In delight, I scatter my belongings all over the floor and double bed (extra bonus!). Oh yes, what luxury it is to be a messy pup for a few days! I decide to stay in my pajamas until lunchtime, surfing the net (WI-FI!) and reading a (trashy) novel. 

When I cannot muffle the sounds of my grumbling stomach any longer I get ready and go out. The hostel is described as 'maybe the best hostel in South America' on the Internet. I am not convinced, it is cold (no heating) and my room does not have any natural light, but I shall refrain from complaining - there is free coffee! The hostel is located in La Candelaria which is an area filled with old streets and colonial buildings, a good place to be but not safe at night apparently.

The street where I live

My front door

I wander down Avenida Jimenez, find a coffee shop and start to get acquainted with the guidebook. I decide to visit the Gold Museum (Museo de Oro) nearby. I feel pretty safe walking around during the day, most people seem to be busily rushing around their daily lives. There are lots of homeless people, including one entire family sitting on the street with what seems to be their pet rabbit. There are many street performances with jugglers, musicians and acrobats, and one man with 10 guinea pigs who tries to align them into some kind of order for a race! There is a square nearby where hundreds of men stand around chatting. I don't understand what they are doing. Most people have dark hair and seem to wear black, I illuminate the streets with my golden locks and red jacket. 

Museo de Oro 

I cannot rave enough about how great this museum is. It is clearly laid-out, in a spacious building. The galleries and descriptions are informative without being laborious, in both Spanish and English. The collection of gold artefacts and jewelery are beautiful, and there is a superb video of the various metal-working techniques used in pre-Hispanic Columbia. There are some rooms which discuss cosmology, symbolism and what is know as 'The Offering' (religious art). Throw a decent dollop of social and cultural (my favourite!) history to the measure, and what you have is a very user-friendly and interesting museum.

Gallery of gold artefacts

Symbolic creature used for ceremonies

For the next couple of days, I keep myself to myself. I am feeling a little reclusive, enjoying some time by myself. The bad weather continues so I spend my time visiting galleries, sitting in coffee shops and browsing bookshops. The nights are cold and I am glad of my llama jumper and alpaca scarf! 

Donación Botero Museum

Here I view a collection of the Colombian figurative artist, Fernando Botero. Some of his painters are familiar to me, from somewhere or other (his work is fairly unforgettable). He focuses mainly on portraiture of obese characters with disproportionate body parts. His paintings make me smile. When asked about why he uses obese figures in his sculpture and paintings. He replies: "An artist is attracted to certain kinds of form without knowing why. You adopt a position intuitively; only later do you attempt to rationalize or even justify it."

Una Familia (1989)

Bath

Mona Lisa (1977)

Also, inside this gallery there is Botero's own donated sculptures and paintings, including Picasso, Miró, Dalí, Monet. As the guidebook says, 'well worth a visit'.  And it's free!

Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango

I take a quick snoop around this fine library, which also contains three reading rooms, art galleries and a concert hall. 

Casa de la Moneda

The building and courtyard are really charming (dates back to 1620 when Felipe III of Spain ordered it's construction).  This was the first mint in the country to produce gold coins. 

There is also a collection of Colombian and European art (including quite a few colonial pieces).  I get a little annoyed when one of the female security guards yells at me to stand back from the painting, and thus proceeds to follow me around for the next 10 minutes. Many of the rooms are empty, just each security guard and myself. Some of the male guards want to chat. First question tends to be around what my impression of their country is, second question - am I married?....

On the subject of talking to strangers. There appears to be disproportionately more men in this city than women. Some of the women I have had interactions with have been rather cold and unfriendly (e.g. at the airport, security at the gallery, women at the hostel). Perhaps it is just those women in 'positions of power'?! Anyway, the men have been friendly - in coffee shops giving me free tea and biscuits, in the gallery offering to give me a personal guided tour, and on the plane offering to show me around the city. I decline all offers but the tea and biscuits. The men here tell me it is not in their culture for women to wander around alone. I ignore them, and enjoy my solitude. 

Anyway, back to the gallery. The nugget of excitement for me is held within the temporary collection where there is a fantastic collection of photographs and newspaper articles by René Burri, the Swiss photographer - entitled 'Un Mundo'. He is known for his photos of major political, historical and cultural events and key figures of the second half of the 20th century. The exhibition displays photographs of political, military and artistic figures and scenes since the beginning of his career in 1946. The most famous of which are portraits of Che Guevara and Pablo Picasso as well as pictures of São Paulo and Brasília. 

Che Guevara (looking incredibly handsome)

Pablo Picasso

Plaza Bolivar

Packed with pigeons so naturally I don't like it (birds are my foe). Also, there seems to be a bundle of people camping out there - what are they doing? There are some beautiful old buildings here. 

Old & new buildings stand side by side

Museo de Arte Moderno (MAMBO)

A bit of a trek in the opposite direction, in an area know as Downtown Bogotá, there is the modern art gallery. Here you have to pay, and there are two exhibitons. One which I have forgotten already, the other named "300% Spanish Design" which is a fairly interesting collection of chairs, posters (for me, the most interesting section) and lamps from Spanish designers. Picasso, Miró, Dalí feature here too. Spanish guitar music is played downstairs. 

Posters are worth a gander

Afterwards, I visit the Parque de la Independencia, and have a coffee in the cafe attached to the Planetarium. I consider popping into the Planetarium...until I see the hoards of noisy children queueing to get inside.

Back at the hostal, it is time to change rooms - the Norwegians are arriving late tonight. Our three-bed room is vastly nicer that my private one. There is lots of natural light, a nice view and a private bathroom. I am feeling more sociable today, relaxing in the communal areas and chatting to other travellers. Tomorrow, Adam will arrive - no more peace and quiet for me! ;-)

View from my new room