October 25, 2019 - Well, well, I did it again! Got my time zones completely screwed up when I was blithely writing up the itinerary I always send to my kids and brother - and instead of the 4 hour flight from Santiago, Chile to Bogota, Colombia, the flight was 7 hours! I wondered why the air ticket was so expensive. No worries, as two good things came of this; 1) great video photos out the plane window of the Andes as we took off from Santiago, and a photo of the Pacific coastline of South America, plus those back-of-the-seat airline flight path photos that are such an interesting way to learn geography, and 2) plenty of time to dig into my fact-filled book “The Indians of Tierra Del Fuego.”
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
I lucked out and had
one of the very best tour guides of my life, a fellow named-Henry Marino Lopez
who is the owner of Bogota Henry Tours. He has been educated as a tour guide at
the University here, and has been in the business for almost 30 years, the last
six of which he has had his own firm. He is a great storyteller and historian,
and I can’t believe how much we packed into one nine hour day. The posts that
you will see shortly are from this day tour.
Monserrate, the
hill that dominates the Bogota city center, rises to 10,500 feet above sea
level. It is a pilgrim destination, as well as a major tourist attraction.
Statuary depicting the stations of the cross are located in the steep walk
upward from the plaza where the funicular and the cable car begin and end. At
the very top is a church with a shrine. It is pretty thrilling for the children
to enjoy these modes of transportation, as the journey is 2000 feet downhill to
Bogota city (which is 8500 feet above sea level). The hill was already
considered sacred in pre-Colombian times when the area was inhabited by the
indigenous Muisca.
Many people believe that Bogota was founded in Chorro
de Quevedo plaza in August 1538. The original church has been replaced many
times over the centuries, but the open plaza nearby attracts students and
families on pleasant days. The streets nearby are colorful, narrow and
authentic, with walls often decorated with artistic graffiti. The Spanish used
to decorate the streets with emanates, and they are still there – – testimony that
this is the original street dating back almost 500 years.
Next, we went to the La Candelaria district,
a colorful and historic area of downtown Bogota.
The Church of San Francisco is one of the oldest surviving churches in Bogotá, built
between 1557 and 1620. It is famous for its gilded 17th century altarpiece. At
a side shrine to a saint, there are dozens of little paper houses lined up,
like the ones below(but these are an Internet image example…) My guide Henry
picked one up, and showed me the inscription on the bottom – – in handwriting,
it said that “we need a house, and are praying for one.” Every day the priests
remove the houses which have accumulated, and every day more appear. This is a
good example of the syncretism of religion and peoples’ everyday beliefs.
Bolívar Square (Plaza de Bolivar) is a main tourist attraction in the La Candelaria district
of Bogotá and the site for protests as well as folks celebrating a holiday or
enjoying time off during a weekend. It’s pretty heavily guarded, and the main
thing you’ll note is that it’s filled with pigeons. Many people buy bags of
feed to offer the pigeons on their outstretched hands. In my opinion, not a
good idea… But the kids seem to love it. Historically, (notes Wikipedia) the
site dates back to the pre-Columbian era, when it was part of the lands of the Muisca
Confederation.The first actual building on the square was a primitive cathedral
constructed in 1539, a year after the foundation of the Colombian capital.
During the Spanish colonial period, Bolívar Square was the stage for circus
acts, public markets and bullfights. Today, the Square hosts a big statue of
Simon Bolivar. The square is surrounded by historical buildings like the palace
of justice, the seat of the mayor of Bogota, and the biggest cathedral in
Colombia and one of the biggest in South America which was first constructed in
1556 (it is the seat of the archbishop of Bogota and holds the remains of the
founder of Bogota).
There is so much to learn about Simon
Bolivar, also known as the Liberator– – somehow this was not included in
our high school history class in Nappanee, Indiana. I’ve ordered some books to
read when I get home, but one of the fascinating stories is how his girlfriend
Manuelita Saenz (after an anonymous tipster knocked at her door in the middle
of the night) ran the blocks to his presidential palace to alert him to
a assassination attempt. Barely ahead of the soldiers sent to assassinate him,
Bolivar and Manuelita scrambled through hidden passages in his palace and
exited through a small side window. There is a memorial plaque at her house,
and also one over the window from which they made their escape. There’s a basic
background about Bolivar on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simón_Bol%C3%ADvar
One of Bogotá's most
richly decorated churches, the Church of Santa Clara is among its oldest
(along with Iglesia de San Francisco). Deconsecrated in 1968, it was acquired
by the government and is now run as a museum, with paintings by some of
Colombia's most revered baroque artists. The church was once part of an
adjoining Franciscan convent that was demolished in the early 20th century.
(Info courtesy Lonely Planet‘ s great guidebook)
There are 9 very good
and inexpensive restaurants serving typical Colombian food in the La
Candelaria neighborhood a few minutes walk from the center of downtown Bogota
and just a half of a block away from the main square, Plaza Bolivar. Each
restaurant has had the same family ownership for more than 200 years continuously.
My wonderful guide, the owner of Bogota Henry Tours, chose La Puerto de la Cathedral
for lunch. You’ll find this restaurant at Calle 11, #6-26 and the other
restaurants are next to one another.
Guess what’s playing at The
Teatro de Cristobal Colon? Tennessee Williams’ play, A Streetcar Named
Desire! This beautiful Bogota theater was built in 1885 in neoclassical style
by an Italian architect, became a national monument in 1975, was renovated in
2010, and is actively in business today.
Some random images of
streets in Bogotá, and the inventive graffiti that you find on many side
streets.
The Gold Museum in Bogota (Museo del Oro) is one of
the most popular visitor attractions in the city. This museum contains over 55,000
individual pieces of gold, many of which have been crafted into necklaces,
ornaments and sacred items, by indigenous communities from all parts of
Colombia. The collection is arranged by both date and community.
The Muisca raft is a major exhibition piece in the Gold
Museum of Bogota. It relates to the ceremony that legitimized a new Muisca
chief, part of the legend of El Dorado (the mythical city of gold). During this
ritual, the heir to the chieftainship (zipa) covered his body with gold dust and
jumped into the lake along with gold and emerald offerings to the gods. For a
bit more info, check out the full note on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muisca_raft
THERE ARE SO MANY
STREET VENDORS IN BOGOTA…
But here’s some
perspective on some of them..
1.5 million people, constituting 3% of
Colombia’s population, are refugees from Venezuela. Guide Henry explained that
the Colombians and Venezuelans share language, many cultural aspects, and in
fact are welcome in this country. Many make a living as street vendors, and
there are several vendors who use the almost-worthless Venezuelan currency to
create pocketbooks, necklaces, key rings, and fanciful works of art. What a
horrifying state of affairs it is in Venezuela! I purchased a few things from
vendors, and in every instance my guide asked them where they came from – – the
answer was always, Venezuela.
DAY OUT OF TOWN WITH A
FRIEND - TO VISIT FACATATIVA, THE PIEDRAS DEL TUNJO, AND THE HUMMINGBIRD
SANCTUARY
What makes exploring a new city so much fun is
when you are able to meet up with a friend of a friend. Today I was fetched by
a young woman named Alisson, who is a friend of a graduate student at UC Davis
(Sergio) I’ve befriended (he is studying water clarity issues at Lake Tahoe).
We traveled up the nearby Andes...
I was surprised that there is fog in the
Andes, because I'd always imagined them as being very dry mountains — but our trip included driving past hundreds of bicyclists enjoying a Sunday outing on the
mountain roads, past beautifully arranged fruit stands, until we turned off at
“San Francisco”. Our first destination was the Hummingbird Sanctuary.
The hummingbird sanctuary
in San Francisco is about 20 miles by good highway from Bogota and then down a
small village road that rapidly becomes unpaved, is also known as the “Jardin
Encantado“ (or the Enchanted Garden). It was created almost 30 years ago in
the side garden of a woman who simply loves hummingbirds. She spends an
enormous amount of time cooking up her batches of nectar and water, and making
certain these lovely birds are well fed every day. There is a small admission
fee, but you see the many hummingbird species just a few feet away from her
terrace.
Looking at
hummingbirds is such hard work, so Alisson and I pulled off the highway to dine
at Restaurante La Molienda de Tavo and were just ahead of lunch crowd at
this popular family place. The food was good, and the live entertainment was
lots of fun!
After lunch, we
visited Piedras del Tunjo (aka Tunjo Stones), an important
archaeological park that encompasses natural rock shelters, located 25 miles
west of Bogota in the city of Facatativa. The rocks are covered with pictographs
made by Muisca artists; archaeologists surmise that many of the figures are
frog-like, and you too can use your imagination to see a frog in the shape of
the huge outcropping I’ve photographed here (and there are other similarly
shaped outcroppings in the park). The Muisca were an
indigenous people and culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense (a high plateau
in the eastern range of the Andes mountains in Colombia). They lived and
thrived here for 12,000 years. As one out of four advanced civilizations of the
Americas (the others: Aztec, Maya, Inca) they were encountered and conquered by
the Spanish conquistadors in 1537. Many such rock art sites are located in this
area of the altiplano.
ANOTHER DAY OUT
OF TOWN, ON A TOUR BOOKED VIA TRIP-ADVISOR
The Salt
Cathedral of Zipaquirá is about an hour’s drive outside of Bogota and it is
Colombia’s number one tourist attraction. Dozens of tours go there. It is an
underground Catholic church built by devout miners within the tunnels of a salt
mine more than 650 feet underground in a rock salt mountain. It’s a walking
tour... but the church part is still in use (apparently no service in the
middle of the weekday...) and there are pilgrims who visit too. HOWEVER I
forgot how claustrophobic I feel in dark underground spaces, so high anxiety for
me for the two hours it takes to see all the Stations of the Cross and chapels
etc, and come back up to above ground! More information at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Cathedral_of_Zipaquirá
The town of
Zipaquirá is a pretty place, and a walk around ABOVE GROUND afterwards
was great...
WHEN YOU TRAVEL
TO BOGOTA ~
I highly recommend my hotel, the B.O.G.
Service is great, the front desk provides all kinds of help, food is good, and
it’s in a lovely and safe neighborhood near both cute little shops and the big
Andina shopping mall (if you need an American fix,Starbucks is across the
street from the mall).
Traffic is horrendous in
this city but at least they have instituted safe bicycle/scooter lanes on main
thoroughfares. Uber operates in the city and TO the airport,but FROM the
airport you’ll have to catch a taxi at the authorized taxi stand (long line...)
and payment is only in cash. It’s about $15 to center of Bogota.
A FEW MORE
TRAVEL TIPS: Of course you know never to take a ride with
the shills who approach you in the terminal! (THIS APPLIES WORLDWIDE!)
When you arrive in Bogota,
get some Colombian pesos at the airport ATM... have patience, many of them are
broken . Not all banks take ATM cards from the USA so look for the Cirrus
symbol before you get too frustrated. The local banks do charge a lot to use an
ATM;this is the case everywhere in South America. A good idea no matter where
you go is to check the exchange rate beforehand; xe.com is a
reliable source of currency rates vs the USD.
And as in every big city,
secure your wallet when you are touring, and use the room safe for your
valuables like your passport, driver license, extra credit cards, and that $300
American cash it’s good to have on hand (I recommend also getting 50 single
dollar bills - great for tips in countries with high inflation rates).. Keep a
photocopy of your passport in your luggage and another copy with your wallet.
You can show the photocopy at museums to get the senior rate (in the event that you are in my lauded age group…) .
Oh, don’t forget your country adapter electrical plugs; I got a great
set on amazon. And please leave tips for housekeepers and for those who serve
your included breakfast; makes a big difference in countries with low
incomes...
And now, onward!
THE THRILL RIDE TO MEDELLIN!
Today’s thrill was a 45
minute plane ride from Bogota to Medellin. Medellin is the second largest city
in Colombia, and it is located in the Aburra Valley, a central region of the
Andes mountains. Dropping down from the Andes to the airport field was a pretty
exciting and bumpy ride! But as we got close to the airport, the omnipresent
greenhouses growing cut flowers for the export trade were very much in
evidence. The Aburrá Valley (in Spanish Valle de Aburrá), is the natural basin
of the Medellín River and is now one of the most populous valleys of Colombia.
Medellin is in the flattest, widest and most populous part of the valley. The
name "Aburrá" comes from an ancient language spoken in this
valley by the “Aburreans" (Aburraes) before the Spaniards settled
here during the 16th century. Oh, and that 45 minute plane ride cost $43. To
travel the 250 miles by car between Bogota and Medellin would have taken
between 8 and 11 hours - the mountains, don’tcha know..
CITY TOUR IN
MEDELLIN:
Pueblito Paisa is a replica of a turn of the century town in
the district wherein Medellin is located (Antioquia), complete with a fountain
in the middle of a cobblestone town square plus a white church. Since it is
located on a high hill in the middle of the Aburrá Valley, it also offers great
views of the city of Medellin and the surrounding mountains. (Description
courtesy Medellinguru.com) The last photo here was provided by a
book that our guide carried, which shows how Medellin has developed over the
past century; it is a photo from the same perspective as the previous
photo.
Most people are aware
of Medellin’s Botero museum because of the sculptures which he has donated to
the Botero plaza in front of his museum. The plaza is always filled with
people, both tourist and locals selling a variety of merchandise from market
stalls and vendor pushcarts. There is no charge to enjoy Botero’s sculptural
art in the plaza!
Calle Junin is a street not far from the Plaza Botero, and
today it is a busy shopping street which is easy to find as it begins at Calle
52 where the tallest and most well-known building is located, and ends at the
Bolivar Park. A series of photos shows how it’s developed over the years,
from 1875, to 1930, to today.
Sometimes it seems that it’s
impossible to get away from Fernando Botero in this city, and that’s as it
should be, because his contributions have assisted with transforming the city
over the past few decades from one traumatized by the drug wars to what is
today one of the most inclusive cities in the world. But what a coincidence: I
wandered into the Reposteria Astor, the oldest and most famous bakery
and confectionery store in the city (over 100 years old)(located on Calle
Junin) and chose a glass of their famous mandarin juice and the pastry called
Moro Sapo. These fondant covered small cakes have various fillings and shapes,
but as Martin Keck will tell you, I am fond of frogs. Guess who else is fond of
this confectionery? Yep...Botero!
Good transportation
has transformed the city of Medellin, and allowed people who had no access to
jobs downtown an inexpensive means to get there. The very modern and clean metro
was built in 1995. It is the only one in Colombia, and one out of eight in
Latin America. The trip was fast, uncrowded, and clean. The citizens of Medellin are very
proud of their transportation system, and they keep it immaculate. At the entry
to the metro, you can recycle plastic bottles in a special machine,and
receive a credit which is applied to your metro fare. What a brilliant idea! Bicycles
are also provided as part of the transportation system, and one hour time is
included with the metro fare.
At the end of one of the metro lines there is a gondola system which was built in 2004, and it is also used for mass transportation.
Everywhere you look in
Medellin, there is terrific graffiti, not of the vulgar kind, but of the
artistic kind. There is a district in Medellin called Comuna 13 which is known
for its graffiti art. This has provided a means for the vulnerable kids who
would otherwise be gang members to transform themselves into artists for which
they receive recognition, and I think some government subsidies. I did not have
time to go to Comuna 13, but some of the art that I could see from the metro
system, and just from walking around Medellin is here below.
You also cannot get away
from the tango here in Medellin. The famous Salon Malaga has lots
of YouTube videos of couples doing the tango. Each year in June in Medellin, is
held the most important tango Festival in South America. The well-known Carlos
Gardel, a baritone who is the most prominent figure in the history of tango,
died in an airplane accident in Medellin. “A Medellín institution, Salon Malaga
is more than just a bar, it's a cultural experience. With walls decked out in
black-and-white images of long-dead singers and an amazing collection of
gramophones, it is a visual feast. But Malaga is all about the tunes, with the
senior DJ spinning classic tango and boleros from a collection of old vinyl.”
(Lonely Planet). Well, I had no time to tango on this trip… Even if I could…
But maybe next time I am in Medellin I will check out the scene.
At the end of this
day, I switched hotels in Medellin. I decided to just eat 3 other
prepaid nights. I was in a hotel that was at the side of a highway route being
reconstructed, with the other side of the hotel facing late night discos in the
local park. Who knew? Well, I should have known! THE LESSON HERE: always
read the hotel reviews on Trip Advisor before you book, and read about 20
deep. I could have avoided the lost cost and more importantly the 5 hours of
lost time with the hotel search/switch in situ and being groggy most of the
day. My suggestion? Don’t stay at the Diez unless you like
noise. If you are young and like to be near a “happening” scene in the Tourist
Zone, and don’t mind the noise, then it’s an okay choice. And although it is a bit out of the way, the Novotel
near the El Tesoro mall is a great choice (although I suggest you eat
dinner at one of the restaurants in the mall, not at the hotel restaurant..)
TOUR TO GUATEPE AND THE FAMOUS PIEDRA EL PENOL
SEEN ON THE WAY TO
GUATEPE
The picturesque town
of Guatepe is located in the central branch of the Andes near Medellin.
This is primarily a
farming area, with beautiful views all along the winding roads of this part of
the Andes.
It’s a busy and narrow
mountain road, this route to Guatepe and the famous monolithic rock
Piedra el Penol, -- it’s filled with trucks and tourist buses, motorcycles and
cars, a horse drawn cart or two, and the occasional bicyclist. There are many interesting things to see,
including a local form of transportation referred to as the “Chiva“ bus.
Clearly, it’s the most colorful form of transportation! The Chiva buses are the hand-painted Chiva moving
art forms! However, these buses are a
threatened species due to governmental concerned about their safety. Still,
they are used in rural areas where transportation on some of the rural side
roads is scanty.
Colombia has so far accepted more than 3
million Venezuelan refugees. During the drug warlord
and paramilitary years, Venezuela accepted 6 million refugees from Colombia.
“Now it’s our turn to reciprocate,” said guide Nicolás. We passed a Venezuelan
family walking at the side of the road as we traveled to Guatepe, although most
Venezuelans stay in the cities for the (scanty) work opportunities. Although
the farmers of coffee are, like farmers in California’s Central Valley, begging
for workers, the Venezuelans are primarily people from low lands who cannot
physically tolerate the work at high altitudes. I was not able to get a photo
of the families we saw walking, because the road traffic was moving too fast, but
this is the typical scene. (Photo credit: The Telegraph, UK)
Our first stop on the road
to Guatepe was a visit to the PARROQUIA NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL ROSARIO DE
CHIQUINQUIRA, a church that was built in a form that mimicked the shape of
the Piedra El Penol (a major tourist attraction and our next stop). Constructed
in 1981 in the “new Peñol”, a 40 year old town that was created when the
hydroelectric dam flooded the “old Penol”, it epitomizes the hard feelings
between the community and the company that built the dam. Before the dam, the
old city of Penol was the closest city to the monolithic Piedra. The original
town was founded on June 20, 1714. It had to be relocated in 1978 because
construction of a hydroelectric dam resulted in the flooding of the original
town.
As we get close
to Guatepe, the “Rock” dominates the scenery…
The "Peñol
Rock" (La piedra del Peñol) that borders the artificial lake created
by the dam is a major attraction for both local and foreign tourists. This rock
formed along the Antioquia Rock Base (batolito de antioquia) around 70 million
years ago. With 2/3 of its height below ground, the exposed vertical face is
over 600 feet high and visible everywhere from the surrounding countryside.
Visitors scale the rock via a staircase built into one side, a path that
includes more than 649 steps to the top. (Nope, neither Pippi Longstocking nor I made the climb... but the guide says that it
takes about 45 minutes, except on holidays when the entry lines are long). At
its highest part, the elevation is 7000 feet above sea level. This is a
granitic rock that has resisted weathering and erosion, and the stone of Peñol
is composed of quartz, feldspar and mica.
The town of Guatapé borders the reservoir created by the Colombian
government for a hydro-electric dam, built in the late 1960s.
A clever mayor determined that if the town was
to do well, it should become a tourist destination. He ordered each building to
decorate their facade's lower walls with tiles in bright colors and dimensioned
images. Many of the tiles are tied to the products sold by the shops, or the
beliefs of the residents. Others are cultural images of the farming heritage of
the community, including one which shows how injured people were carried out of
the nearby farms by person-power to medical facilities.
Colombians are notably
proud of their coffee. However, for years, the best coffee beans were
exported, and it is only recently that the population has had the benefit of
the really excellent Columbian coffee now served in many artisan coffee shops.
Yes, I bought a pound of mild roast to take back as a gift for my
daughter-in-law, who also loves coffee.
I loved this touch of humane
feeling and treatment toward the many stray dogs that you see in the
streets throughout Colombia. Here, in Guatepe, they are fed and given water at
various stations throughout the city, funded by the donations in a jar placed on
top. Yes, some of my Colombian pesos went into the jar...
A boat ride around the
artificial lake formed by the hydroelectric dam gives a look at some
beautiful vacation homes built on the side of the lake. You can see the
fluctuation of the lake, caused by water either being held in by the dam or
released through it.
In one part of the lake, you
can see the cross in the middle of the water – – this marks the spot where
the Church and main plaza of the old Penol was located before the town was
flooded.
If you are an infamous drug
lord like Pablo Escobar was, try not to get your fellow drug lords upset
at you... or they will probably bomb the luxurious summer home you are
building on the shores of the lake near Guatepe, as was the case with this
house. It was bombed before Escobar could even enjoy it. And gosh, he’d
invested a lot of his dirty money in beautiful landscaping too!
The last thing before
leaving Guatepe and the Piedra was to appreciate the beautiful lake and
surrounding countryside from the Plaza at the Piedra.
What a great day out of the
city! Thanks to the terrific personalized
tour agency, WANNA GO, and co-founder Patry.
You can call her in Medellin at +57 316 4215070
You can call her in Medellin at +57 316 4215070
THE BOTERO
MUSEUM, A MUST-SEE SIGHT IN MEDELLIN!
The Museum of Antioquia, also known as the
Botero museum, displays 108 works of Fernando Botero. It’s the largest
collection of public art in the region, with pre-Hispanic and contemporary
masterpieces by national and foreign artists. Botero is a Colombian artist and
sculptor. Born in Medellin, his signature style, also known as
"Boterismo", depicts people and figures in large, exaggerated volume,
which can represent political criticism or humor, depending on the piece. He is
considered the most recognized and quoted living artist from Latin America.
Botero has donated several artworks to museums in Bogotá and his hometown,
Medellín (including 123 pieces of his own work and 85 pieces from his personal
collection including works by Chagall,Picasso,Rauschenberg and French
Impressionists to the Bogota museum Museo Botero), 119 pieces to the Museum of
Antioquia and 23 bronze sculptures for the front of the museum known as the
Botero Plaza. (Thanks to Wikipedia for
the background) Here are some photos of
pieces that I particularly liked:
The Botero
museum is also distinguished by works he donated which refer to the violent
past of his hometown; his work in this vein speaks to the ability to move ahead
and transform Medellin in part due to art. Please look at the photo captions
for name of the artwork, and there’s more info on an intro plaque at the
museum.
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| Pablo Escobar Dead (Botero 2006) |
 |
| The Death of Pablo Escobar (Botero 1999) |
 |
Car Bomb (Botero 1999)
|
The Botero
museum also holds many works of other artists, both South American and
international, which Botero donated to the museum. Please read the photo
captions for identification.
 |
| Mural in the museum’s staircase, a work by Pedro Nel Gomez. 1936 |
 |
Frank Stella.
THE QUARTERDECK, from the series “The Waves”. Collage 1989
What a delight to find
a room in the Botero museum dedicated to old maps! This 1863 map calls Colombia
“New Grenada”. The map is by cartographer T Ettling, and was published in the
Weekly Dispatch Atlas, London. What’s in a name, as the bard asked? Well, the
history of that name for Colombia begins in 1717 when the Spanish declared it
part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, with this jurisdiction also including
modern Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela. The struggle for independence
began in 1810, and by 1830 Venezuela and Ecuador had seceded, and the remnant
(Colombia and Panama) was renamed the Republic of New Granada. This became the
Republic of Colombia in 1886, from which the present Panama seceded in 1903.
(Per various internet resources)
In the Botero
museum, there is a whole room where kids can play with various objects, such as
blocks, mirrors , and so on, and a series of videos that animate some of
Botero‘s paintings. Botero welcomes everyone to his art… Even me, who is an art
ignoramus.
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In a corridor of the
museum, Botero invites you to have some fun with his art. Can you find the 10
differences between these two paintings?
On my last day in
Colombia, I went to Medellin’s Museo
Casa de la Memoria- the Memorial House Museum- and it was pretty
upsetting. Scenes of violence have a visceral effect on me, and in the past
I’ve had to walk out midway through the Holocaust museum in Washington. It’s
not like I don’t KNOW about man’s inhumanity to man ... I do. A current example
is Trump’s immigration policies and I’m donating to appropriate causes to take
care of the most vulnerable until we can get this racist out of office. But
today, this museum made me so sad as I considered what drugs and greed have
visited upon the innocent in Colombia in years past, and I’d like to think it’s
over, but I’ve talked to enough people to know that some vestiges remain in the
form of a few still-corrupt politicians. Anyhow, this museum was built with
lofty ideals in mind, and I do think from observation of my fellow museum
goers, that it is making a difference. Here is part of its mission statement:
“a place for the recognition of the victims of the armed conflict that took
place in the city during the past 50 years... a retrospective on events that
marked the city. The museum reflects the capacity of Medellin’s people to
overcome the most adverse situations and move forward.” Through photographs,
writings and recorded voices, the hope is that those who go to the museum will
gain an understanding of Medellin’s recent history, its reparation process and
social reconstruction. The intention of the museum is to avoid forgetting the
horrors of the years of drug lords and guerrilla gangs and to make sure that it
will never happen again.
Evening of my last day
in Colombia, looking out over Medellin’s city nightscape
And so goodbye
Medellin, Bogota, and Colombia. It’s been a great 9 days, full of learning and
new understandings.
Winging my way home on
COPA, a quick stop in Panama (the airport is so close to the coast of Panama!),
and then back to San Francisco.
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| Coast of Panama |
