Bogotá & beyond

  Bogotá, Colombia
Friday, July 25, 2008

Robbie had a monkey, I have an alpaca.

muchos funs had today!Went sightseeing around the city all day,although I only covered about 1/20 of it because it's just so big! First of all, could not pass up the chance to swing by the local Harley store - yes,that's right they have one here...although apparently it's mostly the mafia who have them here,which makes sense since a couple of the businessmen in the shop did have a bit of a Capone-esque look to them. Anyway,managed to swap some of the Harley memorabilia dad had sent over with me for t-shirt and very large shot glass.

Breathtaking views of the city

  So then it was off to see Monteserrate, which is a beautiful church up high on a hill overlooking the city. Every year thousands of people actually crawl up the hill to the church to make a pilgrimage. I, however, already suffering from altitude sickness, decided a cable car up might be better than slogging it up a massive mountainside.

Man it's pretty high!

There are the most spectacular views of the city from this hill, the size of it is mind-boggling! The church itself is known as a miracle sight, and on the walls are hundreds upon hundreds of plaques from people giving thanks for things which they have prayed for which have come true.It's really quite touching,

Thank-you plaques for miracles performed

one woman had even put up her sonogram pictures beside her plaque.

Such a tourist photo

There was this tiny market next to the church selling all kinds of souvenirs and just general fantastic tack!

That's right,people actually drink from it

I also got to sample some local delicacies which was pretty cool. The funniest by far was a stall with some kind of liqueur on sale, it looked like it had nettles in it and tasted slightly like grappa. The woman on the stall forced a sample into my hand. "It breaks the legs and the knickers", she tells me confidently while winking knowingly at Germán.

"It breaks the legs and the knickers"

Fortunately one shot of the stuff was not enough to break neither my legs nor my knickers! On up the market, a man handed me a piece of meat on a stick to try. Not wanting to be rude, I dubiously accepted. It was only when I I had the whole thing in my mouth that I noticed the rope-like appendages hanging from a near-by railing. "That was an intestine I just ate, wasn't it?", I asked Germán. "Yep", he said (with fairly obvious glee I might add), "uncleaned for extra flavour!"
Well, to be fair,they were rather flavoursome,although left quite a strong aftertaste!Apparently uncleaned roasted pig intestines are a delicacy only to be found in Colombia and Argentina. There might be a reason...

So, after my brush with the pig intestines and leg-breaking alcohol, we went back into the city for a look around the old quarter, La Candalería. It's a really beautiful part of the city, and this is where most of the important government buildings like the Senate and the President's pad are situated.

Colombian squaddies

Ok, think I've bored you enough for 1 entry, at least the photos are good.....lovin my camera!