Bogotá History and Gold

October 6, 2024

We decided to skip the hotel breakfast and find a place nearby. However it was Sunday and most everything was closed! We found a small place on the corner and got traditional breakfasts of coffee or chocolate, cheese and almojábana, a round small roll made from corn flour with fresh cheese in the middle. I had the hot chocolate and broke up my cheese and put it into the chocolate, which is the preferred Colombian way.

We joined our tour group for a walk around the Calendaria historic district.

Simón Bolivar was a military leader who was instrumental in the cause for the independence of Colombia from the Spanish. Most of the buildings surrounding the plaza are government buildings along with the city’s cathedral.

Some photos from our walk:

The Gold Museum is filled with over 55,000 pieces of gold from the history of Colombia’s indigenous people groups. The gold was used in their religious rituals and was also a sign of power. When the Spanish came they valued the gold and killed most of the indigenous people to acquire the gold for themselves.

In the afternoon we went to a Sacred Music Concert at the Saint Ignacio Church just a block away from our hotel. It involved the Philharmonic Orchestra of Bogotá and a choir.

In the evening we had a presentation by our trip leader concerning the violence and conflicts in Colombia in the 1980’s and 1990’s. We learned about the complex history of the guerrillas, the paramilitaries, drug cartels and the Colombian army. A peace treaty was signed in 2016.

We heard from two guests who were involved in the conflict. The woman was part of a paramilitary group from the age of 12. The man was involved in a guerrilla group. They have left the groups and are helping others to start a new life in society. They are now married after being willing to listen to and understand each other.