In the magical land

Sudhamahi Regunathan visits Bogota, the capital of Colombia. Once feared
as the capital of drug lords and crime, it is now a tourists’ paradise
One of the oldest churches in La Candelaria,
as the old part of Bogota is called

WHEN the cab driver turns around and addresses you as Mi amor, don’t feel hassled. This is how every gallant Spanish man addresses a lady he meets. And when he does so with the typical Latin American swagger, you know you are in the land of Garcia Marquez where some things are for real and others, magical.

The capital of Colombia, Bogota, once feared as the capital of drug lords and crime, is now a tourist’s paradise. Some precautions are advised as they would be in many of the developing world cities: some areas are not safe like downtown after sunset, do not flag taxis which are not the yellow, with their numbers written all over them and don’t flaunt jewellery and expensive items when downtown.

But then do not fear the downtown because it holds the history of Bogota, even Colombia, in its bowls. Through narrow cobbled streets that lead you to expansive squares, lined on all four sides with old buildings, Bogota shows off its oldest church and cathedral, a majestic theatre, unassuming museums with treasures and some of the best eateries.

Every stone of La Candelaria, as the old part of the city is called, has a story to tell. The oldest cathedrals still host weddings and accept the prayers of the Presidents before they are sworn in.

Downtown Bogota is full of museums and the best thing about these museums is that they are not too large and the artefacts/paintings are showcased in an easy manner for viewing. The Botero Museum is a must see. The famous painter Fernando Botero, who paints oversized figures, has not only donated his paintings, works of artists like Picasso, Renoir, Dali, Matisse, Monet, Degas, Chagall Pissarro, Braque, but also personally supervised the plan of the museum so as to keep it viewer-friendly.

The Gold Museum is the pride of the Colombians. It is said that many years ago the locals would sift out gold from the Magdalene river. This gold they would fashion into forms of insects and offer it to their deities. The Gold Museum has models of these exhibits.

The Museum 20 de July is the house where the Colombian independence struggle began. And there are many more like the Museum of Religious Artefacts, again a very interesting place.

Then there is the museum of Manuela Saenz, the lover of Simon Bolivar. It is small but charming with a beautiful bust of Manuela and the story of the poignant love story, which continues to haunt the people of Colombia even today.

For food lovers, especially non-vegetarians, a must-visit is the "La Puerta Falsa," a tiny restaurant, which is almost 200 years old. It is famous for the tamal. There are many versions of the dish but the one available here is made of cooked yellow corn dough (as a base), with rice, chicken, pork, vegetables, capers, eggs, and much more. All of this is then wrapped in a banana leaf, tied up with some twine, and steamed.

But being a vegetarian I opted for the local sweet dish sold on the roadsides. It is called the obalaya and arikepa. The oblaya is a kind of wafer, round in shape and they spread liquid khoya within it. It tastes really good.

For the gourmet a lunch at Casa veija at Bogota is must where you get some of the best local food including arepas, pan de yucca and many fresh fruit juices.

Carrera Septima or the 7th street is an important street in Bogota and it runs across the city. A magnificent building on it houses the National Museum. A guide tells you it was originally a prison. Today it is a wealth of information about the pre-Spanish invasion and the culture that prevailed then, the post-Spanish period and finally the contemporary, which is seen through the brush of the artists of Colombia.

Behind the National Museum is the bull-fighting ring. A huge building, it seems just out of Spanish films. Locals say bull fighting is still a regular feature in Bogota (sometimes in March).

The undulating terrain, the greenery all around and the climate seem more exciting when you take the ropeway and go up to the mountain called Monserrate. Or the train, which climbs almost vertically! A beautiful church and lovely restaurants greet you there. Monserrate rises to 3,152 metres above the sea-level, where the 17th-century shrine, devoted to El Señor Caído or the Fallen Lord draws pilgrims from all parts of Colombia. This image, the Fallen Lord of Monserrate, was sculpted by Pedro de Lugoy Albarracín in 1556. It is said the image of the Fallen Christ arrived to the sanctuary by mistake but nobody could remove it from this place.

As you look down from the peak, the whole city of Bogota lies sprawling at your feet. A visit to Monserrate is the perfect ending to a visit to Bogota; it combines all the typical features of Colombia: good food, lots of fun, scenic beauty and devout faith.

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