Bogota

            Sprawling over a vast flat plain only flanked to the east by the Cordillera range closeby,  Bogota, a city of more than 7 million people, pulses with youthful energy felt on many universities throughout the city.  I bussed in from the airport, bypassing the mixed commercial and apartmental neighborhoods surrounding the historial center.  Businessmen in suits walk with purposes in hurried paces among college kids in yellow and green pants, sporting lion-like spiked hair.  Coffee, juice and pastry shops line the street corners, not unlike those in NYC.  I visited a few musuems and the city library, finding many scheduled art, music, theatre, economic forums and festival on posters.  One word describes Bogota well — vibrant. 

            A city just outside Bogota, Zipaquira has historially been a salt mining town.  Salt mining continues but the primery attraction there is the Salt Cathedral that has been built into the mine.  On the bus ride out to Zipaquira, I saw just how green this part of Colombia is.  Green trees on both sides of the road reminded me of the forrest reservations in Yucatan, Mexico.  There are close to twenty different chambers leading up to to the main room; each chamber has various crosses carved into the walls of the mine, some in stones and some in salt rocks.  I am still surprised by how deeply Catholic the Latin American countries are, thinking that only 500 years ago, people did not even know the story of Jesus.  The main Cathedral room itself at the end of the tunnel, probably about 30 meters tall and 20 meters wide, has a massive cross in the background.  Actual masses are held there on Sundays.  I walked away impressed by the construction, the modernity of the site and the 3-D animated video of history of the salt formation shown deep inside one of the chambers.  I couldn’t imagine such a modern touristy site in the countries I visited in Central America. 

            The next day, I met up with Sebastian, one of my roommates from Florida, at his girlfriend’s house for her birthday.  After traveling with gringos the last month, I had given some of my hard-earned Spanish back to the books.  Most of the family spoke only Spanish, and of course, I complied.  Maybe it’s typical of latin birthdays, we sang her the happy birthday song first in English, followed by the Spanish version.  Later, we went out to Zona Rosa, the nightlife center of Bogota, drank Aguadiente and danced Salsa, Merengue, Pop and Electronica late into the night.  Zona Rosa has everything from salsa clubs, Harley’s restaurants, luxury clothing shops, hamburger and hot dogs stands and hoards of Colombianos.  Nightlife is definitely happening in there.  Even thought I didn’t see any foreigners while out in Zona Rosa, I had read in one of the local publications that mochileros, or backpackers, are starting to make Bogota a destination in Colombia.  Colombia has a reputation of being a dangerous place, but since getting here, I haven’t felt any less safe than in other Central American countries.