Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [50]
On Saturday or Sunday morning, consider following the hordes up a steep 1500-step hike – past snack stands – to the top (60 to 90 minutes up); on other days, it can be dangerous, as thefts occur, so take the regular teleférico (cable car) or funicular which alternate schedules up the mountain from the Monserrate station ( 284 5700; www.cerromonserrate.com; return before/after 5:30pm COP$13,400/17,000, on Sunday COP$8000; 7:45am-midnight Mon-Sat, 5:30am-6pm Sun). Generally the funicular goes before noon (3pm on Saturday), the cable car after.
A couple of over-priced restaurants in historic homes overlook the mountainside nearby. Casa Santa Clara ( 281 9309) is open for a COP$12,000 tamale and hot chocolate breakfast on Sundays.
About 250m downhill to the west, the lovely Quinta de Bolívar (Map; 336 6419; www.quintadebolivar.gov.co; Calle 20 No 2-91 Este; adult/student COP$3000/2000; 9am-5pm Tue-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat & Sun) is set in a garden at the foot of the Cerro de Monserrate. The mansion was built in 1800 and donated to Simón Bolívar in 1820 in gratitude for his liberating services. Bolívar spent 423 days here over nine years. Its rooms are filled with period pieces, including Bolívar’s sword. Less is said about its later days as a mental institution.
Perhaps best is walking through the gorgeous garden grounds around – follow the paths to the left (north) to reach the covered bath where Bolívar preferred cleaning himself in cold water. There’s an English-language brochure available for COP$2500, or a Spanish-language audio-guide for COP$1000.
The funicular is a 20-minute walk up from the Iglesia de las Aguas (along the brick walkways with the fountains – up past the Universidad de los Andes), at the northeast edge of La Candelaria – but you’re best off now doing it on weekends, particularly in the mornings, when many pilgrims are about. During the week, the trail and the short walk between Quinta de Bolívar and Monserrate occasionally see robberies. You’re best off taking a taxi or the bus that reads ‘Funicular’ up to the station.
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City Center
Not a heart-breaker, Bogotá’s scrappy business center – busiest along Calle 19 and Carrera 7 – is easiest to deal with on Sunday, when Ciclovia shuts down Carrera 7, and the Mercado de San Alejo flea market Click here is in force. Some of its most-visited parts (notably the Museo del Oro) cluster near La Candelaria by Av Jiménez.
MUSEO DEL ORO
Bogotá’s most famous museum, the recently renovated Gold Museum (Map; 343 2222; www.banrep.gov.co/museo; Calle 16 No 5-41; admission free Sun, other days COP$2800, audio guide COP$6000; 9am-6pm Tue-Sat, 10am-4pm Sun) contains more than 55,000 pieces of gold and other materials from all the major pre-Hispanic cultures in Colombia. All is laid out in logical, thematic rooms over three floors – with descriptions in Spanish and English.
Second-floor exhibits break down findings by region, with descriptions of how pieces were used. There are lots of mixed animals in gold (eg jaguar/frog, man/eagle); and note how women figurines indicate how women of the Zenú in the pre-Columbian north surprisingly played more important roles in worship.
The third-floor ‘Offering’ room exhibits explain how gold was used in rituals, such as ornate tunjos (gold offerings) thrown into the Laguna de Guatavita; the most famous one, actually found near the town of Pasca in 1969, is the unlabeled gold boat, called the Balsa Muisca. It’s uncertain how old it is, as generally only gold pieces that include other materials that can be carbon-dated.
There’s more to understanding the stories than the descriptions tell, so try taking a free one-hour tour (in Spanish: 9am, 11am, 3pm, 4pm; in English: 11am, 3pm, 4pm), which varies the part of the museum to be highlighted. Audio guides are available in Spanish, English and French.
IGLESIA DE SAN FRANCISCO & OTHER CHURCHES
Built between 1557 and 1621, the Church of San Francisco (Map; 341 2357; cnr Av Jiménez & Carrera 7; 7am-7:30pm Mon-Fri, 7am-1:30pm & 5:15-7:30pm