La Candelaria, Bogota

Brand new transit cards in hand we met our bus and rode nearly an hour with many stops toward the city and the old town, La Candelaria district.  Except for sudden stopping and starting which I thought might throw us out of our seats, the Mercedes Benz bus was new and perfectly clean, plus we drove through neighborhoods and parts of town we might not otherwise get to see.  I will repeat, Bogota is big; it sprawls 613 square miles completely covering the plateau with a dense population.  In comparison to Panama City, there are few high-rise buildings except in El Centro.  Typically two-story apartment buildings share walls with each other and also with stores but each building front has a unique design.

We departed the bus near the Luis Angel Arango Bibiloteca and began our walking tour at the Museo del Ora.  We did not go in.  We may on a stormy, rainy day but not today . . . there are so many more important things to see first.  

I’ve often heard discouraging words about Bogota . .  it’s just another big city, it has a lot of crime and violence,  but so for us, it is a beautiful, historic, European, modern,  rich, fast-paced city. 

Because the illegal drug industry is no longer in Colombia, the days of drug-related violence are gone.  The US Embassy, however, recently warned visitors to exercise caution due to civil unrest. or crime.  The same advice applies to nearly all cities worldwide.  We will not be out at night; we will closely guard our personal items; we will visit only high visibility sites and we will be safe. 

First on today’s walking tour was the Plaza Bolivar in Central Bogota, the Candelaria district.  The plaza occupies an entire city block.  The Capitolio Nacional borders the south side of the Plaza.  The construction of this monster of a building took a full 80 years.  Today both houses of Congress convene here.  The Cathedral Primada de Columbia, the seat of the Archbishop, is on the east side of the square and is the imposing jewel of the Plaza.  It is the first and largest Cathedral in Columbia and one of the largest in South America.  The façade features 5 doors, two small doors, two medium-tall doors, and one grand center door.  It is said the two medium doors the entry for men on one side, and separately for women on the other.  The center door was for the horses.

The Palace of Justice, the Supreme Court, occupies the northern edge of the Plaza, and finally, Liévano Palace, the seat of the Mayor of Bogotá, borders the west side of the square.

In the immense square, we found hundreds of pigeons and almost as many vendors selling food, drinks, and gorgeous Colombian handicrafts.  I wish I could buy one of each.

Just down the street from the Capitolio de Nacional is the Museo Iglesia de Santa Clara.  This small but remarkable temple was built in 1647 and was home to the Royal Convent of Santa Clara until 1968 when it was closed.  Today the museum is small but elegant and has a collection of over 140 religious paintings from the 17^th through the 20^th century.  The building is considered one of the best examples of Baroque architecture and Andalusian interior design.  I loved it!

We found the La Puerta de Falsas and had an incredible lunch of tamale and sopa. The tamale was nothing like we’ve ever tasted.  It weighs about a pound and is filled with vegetables and a chicken quarter surrounded by a thick layer of masa.  Fantastic! The taste of roasted ground and steamed corn is so good.  Even Anthony Boudain said the tamale was “a thing of beauty.”  The soup was meaty with lots of hot shredded chicken, a small section of fresh big-kernelled starchy corn on the cob, and patatas in a thick broth garnished with avocado, crema, and my favorite . . . capers!!.   One bowl of esta sopa was enough for two. . but we had a tamale to finish too.

After our great lunch, we walked to the Museo de Bogota.  There was no entrance fee but proof of Covid vaccinations had to be shown.  This modern museum focuses on urban development and the arrival of modern transportation in Bogota.

Heading back to a bus stop we accidentally found the Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Senora del Carmen.   This fairly new temple built in 1938 has a unique paint design that made us recall the Duomo of Siena, Italy.  Locally, folks say it is a candy-striped church. 

Ok, eyes and legs over-loaded, we found the right bus stop and headed home.