Colombia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 496

5

Monserrate
Perched above La Candelaria is the rocky
outcrop that is one of Bogotá's most
recognizable landmarks: Cerro de
Monserrate . The hilltop, crowned by
El Santuario de Monserrate church, offers
spectacular views back down on the
seemingly endless urban sprawl that is
Bogotá. It is easily reached by the frequent
teleférico cable car (Mon-Sat noon-
midnight, Sun 9am-5pm; COP$15,400
before 5.30pm, COP$17,000 after, Sun
COP$9000; W www.cerromonserrate
.com) or by funicular railway (Mon-Sat
7.45am-11.45pm, Sun 6am-6.30pm;
prices same as teleférico ). Alternatively,
it's a ninety-minute trek up the 1500-step
stone path that begins at the base of the
hill and leads to the summit 600m above.
Be aware that there are reports of
robberies both on the way up the hill and
on the walk between the Quinta and its
base. The safest (and cheapest) time to go
is Sunday, when you'll be accompanied by
thousands of pilgrims hoping for miracles
from the church's dark-skinned Christ.

must-see Museo del Oro , or Gold
Museum (Tues-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun
10am-4pm; COP$3000, Sun free;
W www.banrepcultural.org/museo-del-
oro). The world's largest collection of
gold ornaments, some 55,000 pieces
strong, is spread out over three floors,
with extensive displays on Colombia's
indigenous cultures, cosmology and
symbolism, techniques used in working
with gold, and a region-by-region
breakdown of the use of various pieces.
Note the recurring symbolism of animals
(jaguars, birds, monkeys, human/animal
hybrids), the very fine filigree earrings,
gold offerings used in rituals and
elaborate ornamentation worn by
chieftains and those who communed
with deities. Free one-hour tours in
Spanish and English take place from
Tuesday to Saturday at 11am and 4pm,
respectively.

Museo Nacional de Colombia
Inside a fortress-like building, the Museo
Nacional de Colombia (Cra 7, at C 28;
Tues-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm;
free; W www.museonacional.gov.co)
provides a detailed chronological look
at the country's tumultuous history.
The converted jailhouse's most impressive
exhibits relate to the conquest and the
origins of the beguiling El Dorado
myth that so obsessed Europe. he
second floor houses an extensive
collection of paintings by modern
Colombian artists, including Fernando
Botero, while on the third floor, don't
miss the exhibit on Jorge Gaitán, the
populist leader assassinated in 1948.
Descriptions are in Spanish only, but you
can pick up English-language placards.

Quinta de Bolívar
At the foot of Monserrate is the Quinta
de Bolívar (C 20 No. 2-91 Este; Tues-Fri
9am-5pm, Sat & Sun 10am-4pm;
COP$3000, audioguide COP$1000), a
spacious colonial mansion with beautiful
gardens where Simón Bolívar lived
sporadically between 1820 and 1829.
The informative museum retells the story
of Bolívar's final, desperate days in power
before being banished by his political
rivals, in a collection that includes a
plethora of Bolívar paraphernalia
including his military medals, billiard
table and bedpan. One object you won't
see here is the sword El Libertadór used
to free the continent from four centuries
of Spanish rule. It was stolen in 1974
from the collection in the now legendary
debut of urban guerrilla group M-19 .
When they handed in their arsenal in
1991, the sword was quickly shuttled
into the vaults of the Banco República.

Mirador Torre Colpatria
Fantastic 360-degree views can be
had from the Mirador Torre Colpatria
(Cra 7, No. 24-89; Fri 6-9pm,
Sat & Sun 11am-5pm; COP$3500),
Colombia's tallest skyscraper (162m).
Here you can catch a glimpse of
the Plaza de Toros La Santamaría ,
the Moorish-style bullring where the
Temporadas Taurinas (bullfights) take
place each January and February.

Museo del Oro
On the northeastern corner of Parque de
Santander, at Cra 6 and C 16, is Bogotá's