The scenery from San Agustín to Bogotá was really beautiful. It varied between mountains, valleys and deserts. There was a strong police and military presence; it was not unusual to see armed soldiers on the side of the road. At one point we were stopped and had to get out of the bus. Men were frisked and women had their bags perfunctorily searched. There was no examination of the luggage in the bus, so I am not sure what the point of the search really was. On the way to Popayàn my bus had also been stopped, that time we didn’t have to get off the bus but every-one’s ID was collected (except mine – the soldier just looked at my passport and gave it back) and taken into the office to be checked, and then returned.
By now it was becoming clear to me that my plan to go straight to Venezuela from Peru was not going to happen. I kept finding places that I wanted to see before moving on.
After San Agustín I spent a couple of days in Bogotá, mainly to visit the Museo del Oro, which was closed for expansion when I was in Bogotá previously.
I was a bit nervous arriving in Bogotá bus terminal at night, with no accommodation booked. I had called a few hotels but they were full, and when I arrived at the terminal the taxi line was so long I didn’t want to waste any time trying more hotels, so I just got in line for the taxis and took a chance. I think the system for the taxis from the airport and the bus terminal is really efficient. You give your destination to the operator at the desk, and they give you a print-out of the address and the price, which you pass on to the driver. I really like this because it avoids the possibility for the driver to over-charge or take you to the wrong address. As it happened, I had a lovely taxi-driver, who had a daughter living in Sydney; he proudly showed me her photo and a small Australian flag. I felt very sorry for him when we arrived at my potential hotel and he backed into a pole. I gave him a bit of a tip but I am sure that was small consolation.
The Museo del Oro (Museum of Gold) is really interesting and well-presented. The pieces, mainly in gold, but also in, silver, platinum, copper, alloys, seeds and ceramics, were amazing. They ranged from jewellery, ornamental pieces, pots, death masks, sacrificial offerings and tools. The technology that was used by pre-Columbian people is so impressive. They were able to use almost all of the techniques known to modern-day goldsmiths. Aside from the skills used and the history of the pieces, they are amazing for their beauty and value in their own right – with over 35,000 pieces the sheer size of the collection is impressive.
Enough of the big city for now – my next stop is the colonial town of Villa de Leiva.
