Colombia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 501

DAY TRIPS FROM BOGOTÁ
he Zipaquirá salt cathedral and the
up-and-coming adventure sports town
of Suesca are both within easy day-trip
distance of the capital.

SHOPPING
Artesanías de Colombia Cra 2 No. 18A-58 W artesanias
decolombia.com.co. Not cheap, but has beautiful, high-
quality handicrafts and jewellery from all over Colombia
that's far nicer than the tat you'll find in the tourist traps
around the Museo del Oro. Two other branches in north
Bogotá.
Authors C 70 No. 7-53 W authors.com.co. A bookshop
with a café and two floors of English-language books.
Daily 10am-8pm (until 6pm Sun).
Flea markets Some gems to discover amid the more
rough-and-ready Sun flea markets at Parque de los
Periodistas and Mercado de San Alejo on Cra 7 (between
calles 24 & 26), where you can find anything from a
secondhand tuba to clothes and souvenirs.
Paloquemao C 19 & Cra 24. The largest and most bustling
market in the city, where you can stock up on supplies to
cook at your hostel. Fantastic veg and tropical fruit, a some-
what gory meat section and plenty of dry goods. Tues and
Fri are when the flower-sellers show up: get there by about
8am to catch the best of their displays. It's safe enough to
take a camera if you are sensible with it: be discreet and ask
permission before taking photos of people.

5

The Zipaquirá salt cathedral
The most popular day-trip from Bogotá is
a visit to the salt cathedral of ZIPAQUIRÁ
(daily 9am-6pm; COP$20,000; W www
.catedraldesal.gov.co), some 50km north
of the city. Inaugurated in 1995 to great
fanfare - having replaced an earlier one
that closed because of collapse - the
cathedral lies completely underground,
topped by a hill that was mined by local
Indians even before the Spanish arrived in
the seventeenth century. As you descend
180m into the earth, you'll pass fourteen
minimalist chapels built entirely of salt
that glow like marble in the soft light,
each a different combination of colours.
The main nave is a feat of modern
engineering, complete with the world's
largest subterranean cross, and the vast
salty cavern is impressive, though the
changing lighting is very gimmicky.
Above ground, there's a museum
(same hours as cathedral) explaining the
history of salt extraction; more expensive
ticket combinations include museum
entry. You must enter the salt cathedral
with a guided tour that's included in the
entrance fee, but once inside, you're free
to escape. To get there from Bogotá, take
the TransMilenio to the Portal del Norte
station at the end of the B line and from
here a buseta (COP$3500) to Zipa or
Zipaquirá. From the centre of Zipaquirá,
it's a short taxi ride or fifteen-minute
walk to the entrance.

DIRECTORY
Banks and exchange ATMs are available throughout
the city - along Cra 2A in La Candelaria and all over the
Zona Rosa. Currency exchanges are found at most hotels,
the airport, and on Cra 2A, right near the Museo de Oro.
Embassies Australia, C 69 No. 7-51, Apt 302 ( T 1 694
6320); Brazil, C 93 No. 14-20, 8th floor ( T 1 218 0800);
Canada, Cra 7 No. 115-33, 14th floor ( T 1 657 9914);
Ecuador, C 67 No. 7-35 ( T 1 317 53289); Peru, C 80A
No. 6-50 ( T 1 257 0505); UK, Cra 9 No. 76-49, 9th floor
( T 1 326 8300); US, C 24 No. 48-50 ( T 1 315 0811);
Venezuela, Av 13 No. 103-16 ( T 1 636 4011).
Hospital Clínica Marly at C 50 No. 9-67 ( T 1 343 6600;
W marly.com.co) is a well-equipped medical facility
accustomed to attending foreigners.
Immigration For visa extensions (COP$72,350) visit the
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (see p.489) which
has replaced the DAS at C 100 No. 11B-27 (Mon-Fri
7.30am-4.30pm; T 1 595 3525 W ancilleria.gov.co).
Internet All accommodation options reviewed offer
free internet and/or wi-fi. There are several internet cafés
in La Candelaria.
Pharmacy There is a pharmacy in the Olimpica super-
market at Av Jimenez No. 4 (Mon-Sat 7am-9pm, Sun
9am-4pm).
Police Headquarters of the tourist police is at Cra 13
No. 26-62 (daily 7am-noon & 2-7pm; T 1 337 4413).
Post The main post o ce is in La Candelaria; Cra 8 and
C 12A. A popular option is 4-72 ( W 4-72.com.co), which
has o ces around town including at Cra 7 No. 12-13.

Suesca
Some 65km north of Bogotá, the small
town of SUESCA is one of Colombia's top
rock-climbing destinations. Adventure-
sports enthusiasts of all persuasions will
feel at home here, but it is the sandstone
cliffs on the town's doorstep that steal
the show, offering traditional and sport
rock-climbing with more than six
hundred routes including multi-pitch.
The majority of the rock-climbing and
adventure-sports operators are located at