catholic – Growing With Leala

This morning we only plan to be out for a little while to visit a couple places we missed the day before but we end up spending the entire day out before meeting our tour in the evening.

Our first stop is at the old Post Office to view the art deco interior.

Our next stop is at food market at the Central Market where you can see fishmonger, butchers, produce markets, and olive sellers try to sell their inventory. Surrounding the area are food stands where I learn will prepare any fish that you purchase at the market.

We walk by a garment like district where black plastic bags of clothes are delivered in the morning to store front after store front. We watch some get unloaded to add to the daily frocks available for sale. We find ourselves dodging bags of clothes that pile on the sidewalk.

We revisit the Church of Notre Dame of Lourdes to view it since there is now no service. The amazing stain glass windows cast beautiful colors along the sides of the church.

I light a candle for my mom as I tend to do.

We then plan to walk back to the old Medina to view all the shops but it has us walk through the expensive neighborhood in town. We see the royal palace off in the distance.

We exit the Medina and end up in the old neighborhood. The streets are alive with action and commerce. We are not in a tourist spot right now.

We are hungry though so we turn back around to get a snack at a cafe on the other side of the Medina. The pizza isn’t the best but it is nice to rest after walking all day. We people watch for while.

The city courthouse is not open to visitors but we try to sneak some pictures as close as we can go and are stopped by the guard. The doors are supposed to be very pretty when they are closed.

We also walk by a district full of the smell of grilled meats, the aroma of rotisserie chicken fills the street air.

We have to meet our tour group in a couple hours so we go back towards our hotel ending up on streets that are new to us. Today we have walked through some many varying parts of town, getting a really good feel of everyday life here even though today is a school holiday.

Our last stop is at the walk around the Arab Nations Park then back to the hotel.

We meet our group and have a nice dinner getting acquainted. The next few days we will travel all around different parts of the country and learning many things. So far the group and tour guide seem really nice.

Earlier today I visited a market and a nature preserve near Bogota. Now I am heading to a salt cathedral. The Catedral de Sal in Zipaquirá near Bogota is a marvel to see. The cathedral is built on a site that was once a salt mine. Building a church there wasn’t so far fetched since the original mine did have a sanctuary where miners would go for their prayers before work. Eventually the mine was turned into a church. Structural problems led it to close for many years. After being rebuilt the church opened again in 1995. As of the time of my visit it is said it is having structural problems once more and will close again within 5 years. I feel lucky I am able to visit when I did.

After my tour guide provides me my audio tour and entrance pass I walk inside, 180 meters underground.

I head into tunnels that are lit with colorful lights. One tunnel projects flags of different countries on the ceiling.

After the tunnels I reach a series of nooks that represent the different stations of the cross. Some are accompanied by beautiful lights and music.

I reach an overhang that overlooks the main cathedral below.

I head down the stairs and around the corner to access the church.

There is a corridor that connects the three main parts of the church. It has artwork and beautiful chandeliers.

As I walk into the church Ave Maria plays and the colors change. I feel like I am witnessing magic happen. I am not spiritual at all but I feel like I am having a spiritual experience.

Down the hall from the church there are a couple other exhibits. Since I am there almost at closing time I end up missing out on the movie presentation but I do walk through a mining exhibit where they talk about emerald mining.

Some more beautiful lights.

The park closes so I head back out to find my driver.

He takes me through the nearby town but it is after dark so we do not stop.

As we head back to my hotel in Bogota my driver tries to sell me another tour for tomorrow since it is no car day in the city (tourist drivers have an exception). Wanting to explore the city on my own I turn down his offer. I am impressed that an international city like Bogota can organize a car free day to help the environment.

Today’s tour is expensive but I feel like it was money well spent. Loving Colombia already!

Tag: catholic

Casablanca day 2

Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá