You can spend hours walking around pretty much
doing nothing. I head to the Meseo de Orro (the gold museum) with a newly found
Canadian friend. The museum is impressive with over 55,000 artifacts. Turns out
these guys really liked their gold. And it’s amazing how intricate some of the
ancient exhibits are. Walking around the museum, we found ourselves in a
circular room, and the lights around the artefacts here don’t seem to be
working. I quickly turn around and the doors automatically shut. I’m pretty
sure I’m going to get mugged… in the Gold Museum of all places. There’s so
much of gold around but nooooo, let’s take the Indian guy’s money. Turns out, I
had to wait a few seconds to realise it was a little sound and light show. The
lights on the artefacts are coordinated with some Shaman chants played on
speakers. Plus, I got to keep my money.
We pop in back to the hostel and what do you
know, people have started drinking. At 2 in the afternoon. Reminds me of home,
so I join in. (Yes, that´s my reason).
At night huge plans are made to go out for
Gringo Tuesdays. It’s where the Gringos (every foreigner, apparently) go to La
Villa where you mingle with the locals and speak to them in English to improve
their language skills. Every Gringo gets a free beer as part of the deal. At 9
pm, they stop the language exchange and start partying.
We thought we’d start drinking at the hostel
and then head to Gringo night. Of course, it’s common knowledge that beer helps
with English pronunciation. We never make it to Gringo night. Instead, Greg – a
middle-aged Aussie who runs the hostel, offered to show us around. He gives us
a graffiti tour of the district, talking at length about the local artists. Then
we pop into a few bars trying out things like Chicha. Chicha is some type of
maize which is fermented, traditionally, with the old ladies of the house
chewing on the grain and spitting it out. So drinking Chicha is like kissing
your grandmother. Traditionally.
Each bar has salsa music playing in the
background and people who just get up and show you how effortless it is to
dance in this part of the world. I got up and showed them how clumsy people are
on the other side of the world. We finally land up at Fatima Bar. While
chatting, someone hugs me from behind. It’s an English guy named Garret who
I’ve bumped into, three times on my holiday. I met him in in Brazil. Then I ran
into him at the ruins in Machu Picchu in Peru. And now in a bar in Columbia. I always
wanted to use this word and here’s my chance. Serendipity. Or should I say
serendipitous? Is that a word? Never mind. After a day that is mostly drowned
in several types of spirits, I make my way back home. As beautiful as Bogoata
is, cities are not really my thing so the next day I plan to head to Medellin.
Till then, Adios Amigos.
