Day One was New Year's Eve! There was a dinner planned for the evening, so we went downtown to see a bit of the historic center and do some museuming. Unfortunately, the Museo del Oro (Museum of Gold) was closed. So we wandered.
Churches, churches, and more beautiful churches! It's amazing to me how many opulent and spectacular churches can be in one place. They all have stunning architecture and these astounding gold interiors. No photos allowed, however.
Then we went to the Gabriel García Márquez cultural center, which is an interesting and lovely building. And of all the exhibitions they could have had on at the moment? Ecuadorian indigenous painter Oswaldo Guayasamín! I was already surprised by how much I felt like I was in Quito and here was another reminder of how the Andes are connected. I find his work very powerful.
Another similarity, grand older buildings that have central courtyard gardens. This one was so pretty! We later stopped at a historic property run by the Ministry of Culture, which was the birthplace of Don Rufino José Cuervo, which not only had a great garden but also some wonderful small exhibitions on the local history of the house and its occupants.
Beautiful streets, with the church spires rising and the mountains in the background. Seriously, I really thought I was in Quito again! Yes, I was loving Bogotá.
Over to the Plaza Bolívar where they were setting up and rehearsing for an evening concert. What a great tree! I had no idea yet how keen the Colombians were on holiday decorations though....
OK, I didn't expect the llamas! We saw them several times downtown. Cusco, sure, but here? I was told they were a new thing.... When we did finally get to the Museo del Oro I saw a young boy sitting atop one outside.
And the Cathedral. It's big, but in relation to the older churches, it really isn't that spectacular. It's a grand space, but somewhat underwhelming.
Onward past the president's house and government buildings, to the Museo Santa Clara, which was once a monastery and now, as a museum, one of the only churches in which you can take photos. We've gone down a 'secret passageway' by some of the confessionals and ended up behind this screen, looking out at the main hall.
The roof was spectacular! Wood, paint, and gold. Stunning.
And more gold. I can't imagine the feeling priests must have had delivering sermons from this post.
They did a great job with interactives to provide information about all the paintings and stories. Each section had its own system. Here, I could learn about each of the sculpted figures and/or each painting, as well as this part of the church.
Even the outside of the building was wonderful. Doors within doors within beautiful old stonework. We heard the presidential helicopter take off while we were inside.
By this point we were both really hungry, so in the interests of having something 'classic' we went to La Pastelería Florida, one of the renowned traditional restaurants of Bogotá. It was terrific. I always find it extra fun when you can share and try other things. Thankfully we only had one dessert, and we skipped all the pastries for a waffle with arequipe (similar to dulce de leche), ice cream, and bananas. Yum! I probably should note that desserts and pastries are popular, and Colombians have a reputations for having a sweet tooth.... Good for me that the altitude takes away my appetite, so I was seldom tempted as I normally can't finish my lunch and often don't eat dinner.
One of my favorite photos from the trip. Alejandro and I are in one of those courtyard gardens.
Then, a rest. They came to collect me about 8p. I think my gifts to the family were a hit. Cousins who also live in the complex were there, as were several other friends. We had hors-d'oeuvres then a traditional soup called ajiaco which includes several types of potatoes, chicken, something like a caper, corn, and avocado. Then wonderful fresh cheese with fruits (papayuela (sort of but not quite like papaya), uchuva (gooseberry), blackberry, and strawberry). Too much -- I had to struggle to finish my plate -- but so good! It was an absolutely wonderful evening! And my Spanish, despite being thrown in at the deep end, seemed to hold up reasonably well.
I was back at the hotel a little after 2a. Since everything would be closed New Year's Day, we scheduled a late start.
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