2012-08-26
In Bogota, I stayed with Maria's sister Gloria and her son Juan Pablo. Juan Pablo had just returned from his own trip to Asia and Europe and he was very kind to clear his schedule and show me around. We went to an underground cathedral that was once a salt mine. The miners built it to keep them safe in their dangerous work. It is actual much more than a cathedral, consisting of hundreds of chambers with crosses, only five percent of which are open to the public. I could've done without the numerous colored lights that had been installed after it became a tourist attraction, but overall it was a very beautiful and extremely unique place.
I only had one full day in Bogota before my flight back to the U.S., but Juan Pablo helped me make the most of it by taking me to a famous restaurant, Andrés Carne de Res, whose theme I can best describe as chaos. Strange trinkets hung from the ceiling, a wide variety of loud music played, people danced in the aisles, and actors in strange costumes even appeared on occasion. Two of Juan Pablo's friends showed up and we ate and danced well into the night.