Futbol, Buenaventura and Downtown Bogotá

Greetings. Still doing fine in Bogotá.

Lots of things are going on now. The mini-marathon, ciclovía, and more importantly the U-20 World Cup. I'm not really on the edge of my seat or anything, but everyone around here seems really happy because Colombia whooped France 4-1 last night in Bogotá. (must be the altitude, but hey, what do I
know). Soccer fever has hit Bogota. Wait, Bogota has always had soccer fever. Below is the opening ceremony in Barranquilla (Caribbean)

 Transmilenio station "El Campin" is ready for fans.

 Downtown Bogota

Northern Bogotá


Deidi had a nice little business trip to Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, on the pacific coast. She was nice enough to take some pictures.

All is well in Bogota. Saludos!

Tabio

We decided to escape from the perpetual horn honking and Defcon-5-car-alarm-sounding, overly-cute stray-dog filled streets of Bogotá. So we hopped another bus and left the city and ventured into a quaint little town called Tabio located just 28 miles north of Bogotá. (or about an hour on a bus that will teach you the meaning of car sick)

Tabio, which comes from the Chibcha word, "Teib", meaning "hole or dent," has a population of about 20,000. The main industries in Tabio are floriculture, carrots, peas, corn and potatoes. It also is known for it's desserts. (I resisted) Other than that it has a pretty neat collection of colonial arquitecture.

Panoramic shot of Tabio, I mean "Dent". (Tabio is also famous for hot springs, so maybe the name of the town has to do with that)

The church in the main square.

Tabio is surrounded by mountains and is a little chillier than Bogotá.

South Carolina's international legacy. Made me feel at home. Frankly, I'm surprised it didn't have Seymour plates. 

"Here end all vanities of the world." An interesting way to decorate an entrance to a cementary.


Well, everything is going great in Bogotá. Saludos desde Bogotá!

The Nacional Museum

Greetings!

Bogotá this morning. 

Checked out The National Museum today. It's pretty cool. I still prefer The Smithsonian, but it had a lot of fascinating exhibits on Colombian history.

The Colombian Constitution (of 1991), or at least a nice looking copy. 

"An education from the cradle to the grave, unconforming and reflective that inspires in us a new way of thinking and encourages us to discover who we really are in a society that cares more about itself..."

 A compass used by a conquistador. Can you imagine crossing the Atlantic with that?

Cool masks

John Lennon circa Sgt. Peppers (if he wore George's suit)....I mean Simon Bolivar.

 

 The Colombian armada beating up on Spain.

The Battle of Boyacá.

Fat people dancing on Independence Day. Tomorrow's Independence Day, so I'll keep an eye out.

 Cartagena a long time ago.

 A former president's desk.

 Cool paintings.

Now that I'm going bald, this sculpture makes me nostalgic...

Going to the market.

Happy Colombian Independence Day! Saludos desde Bogotá!

Guatavita Part. 1

 I like cows. I like milk.

After a couple months of urban life in Bogotá and my first work week, we decided to hop an incredibly Catholic bus (it had pictures of the Virgen Mary all over it) and experience a little rural Colombian life. At least there wouldn't be constant Avianca flights passing by overhead, random car alarms or car horn honking competitions held on every street interrupting the day.

Deidi suggested that we stop by a town called Guatavita. Sounded good to me. Guatavita, in the province of Guavio, is located about an 1.5 hour bus ride north of Bogotá and has a population of just under 6,000.

Random picture from Colombian countryside.

Approaching the town by bus.

Even though the town looks colonial, this is not where the original town was built. It was moved in 1967, where colonial looking buildings were constructed. Still is beautiful. The town also has a large indigenous influence.

Every building is white with red tile roofs. Must be pretty easy to give directions. Just right next to the white building....

According to the locals, grilled lamb ribs are a traditional dish here. Delicious.

The restaurant we ate at.

My favorite coffee shop so far in Colombia. Café Machete. It has some communist decorations and the owner is a cool guy that has a great collection of experimental music.

 Che Guevara with a Sombrero Costeño.

The inside of the cafe. 

 Beautiful mountains.

 Coffee from Cafe Machete. The strongest  I've had. I was wired for a few hours.

That's all for now. I have more on Guatavita, but not the time to post it now. I will post more next week!

Back in Bogotá. Doing great!

Saludos desde Bogotá!