Bogotá History 101: The Old City with a New Kid

Saturday morning was off to a good start when we went in Eli's room to get him for his morning bottle and discovered that he had pulled himself up to standing, in his crib!

                

We can't get over how fast our son is growing and changing, right in front of our eyes. He looks different to me, already: older, bigger, happier, more alert...We are loving every minute with him, but already I'm sensing how fast it will all go.

Jorge Rico, the tour guide FANA works with, picked us up at 11 am for an outing to La Candelaria, Bogotá's "Old City." La Candelaria is now a neighborhood within the city. However, three hundred years ago this colonial barrio was the original Santa Fe de Bogotá. A town founded by the Spanish expeditionary, Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, and representing the beginning of the Spanish era in this part of Colombia. Before the Spanish arrived, the area had been inhabited by an indigenous group named the Muisca. The Muisca capital was named Bacatá. Santa Fe de Bogotá (later only known as Bogotá) was a combination of the the names of the explorer Quesada's hometown in Spain (Santa Fe) and his apparent mispronunciation of the original Muisca capital he discovered in Colombia (Bacatá).
Jorge is a descendant of the Muisca tribe, so he is a wealth of knowlege when it comes to Bogotá's history. He had our attention right away with his intelligent conversation, detailed stories and easy banter. He told us that he never had the "opportunity" to go to college, but he has graduated from the "school of life." We agree, whole-heartedly. He certainly is the most well-read, insightful, witty and well spoken English as a second language speakers we have ever encountered!

Jorge Rico, our tour guide and new friend

On our drive to La Candelaria, Jorge talked to us about his passion for environmentalism and his "hobby" of restoring indigenous varieties of trees to various locations of Colombia. Although Eucalyptus trees are now prevalent in this part of the world, they are not indigenous. The Spanish brought the trees with them and planted them. Jorge says they add little value to the environment, providing no nutritional value for the animals and burning easily because of their dry, brittle nature. He is trying to populate the forests, once again, with the original palm trees and varieties of pine that originated here. 

We also learned that graffiti is appreciated as an art form here in Bogotá and that talented graffiti artists are being encouraged to share their craft throughout the city. The graffiti is vivid and bold- often portraying a political or social statement. 

We started our tour with lunch at a hidden gem, Fulanitos, a restaurant tucked back on a tiny cobblestone side street. We never would have found this place ourselves, but it was such a treasure. 

The restaurant lives in a 200 year old restored home, complete with original wood beam ceilings, floors, stairs and railways. The beautiful hand hewn wood, alone, would have made Fulanitos a worthwhile stop. I started taking pictures as soon as we walked in the door!

Imagine our happy surprise to find a spectacular view from our table on the covered terrace and food that was "delicioso" as well as beautifully presented!

My lunch which consisted of white fish, potato, and shrimp in a cream sauce ...Yum!

After lunch, we walked about the city with Jorgé pointing out historic buildings and points of interest. We stopped in a little archeological history museum and learned more about the indigenous tribes of Bacatá, and saw some of their preserved pottery and musical instruments! The museum also documented the Spanish occupation and its influence on the culture.

             

Traditional instruments 

A clay whistle...add water and blow in one end to create a bird-like sound

Clay rolls used to create designs on bodies, as well as textiles

The primitive art of the Muisca

                       

Discovered artifacts of the indigenous tribes

A Spanish treasure chest carried into Colombia and holding items of great value

The ornate furniture and instruments of the Spanish

After leaving the museum, we walked by church of Saint Carmen- the patron saint of drivers in Bogotá. Jorgé explained that Carmen watches over the drivers and keeps them safe. He said that if we look at the dashboards of the taxis in Bogotá, we will likely find a picture or medallion of Carmen. I laughed and replied, "Yes, your drivers here certainly need all the help they can get!" Jorgé agreed!

Next, we entered into the area where all of the government buildings stand. We passed the Presidential Palace, Casa de Nariño, where President Santos lives and works. It was hard to get a good look as the place is gated and protected by guards, but we snapped this pic of the grounds, through the gates.

Then we wandered into Plaza de Bolivar, La Candelaria's main square, which is framed by the Capitolio Nacional (the seat of Congress), Edificio Liévano (the Mayor's office), Palacio de Justicia (seat of the Supreme Court), Catedral Primada (Bogotá's supposed first and confirmed largest church and the home of Jiménez de Quesada's remains) and Capilla del Sagrario (a smaller church and the only remaining original colonial building in the square).

Palacio de Justicia

Capitolio Nacional

Edificio Liévano and Palacio de Justicia

Catedral Primada

The plaza also contains a bronze statue of its namesake, Simón Bolívar, and serves as a gathering place and social center for this part of Bogotá. We were fortunate enough to stumble into a small food fair consisting of a handful of food and beverage stands, a stage with a Cumbia band playing, and a decent crowd in attendance. 

No one in our family was the right size for this ride!

A talented band of musicians playing an experimental, modern style of Cumbia...

We stood for some time in the sun and open air, enjoying the music and the social environment. I decided to try some fresh sugar cane juice from one of the vendors who was operating a large hand-cranked wooden juicer which he fed sugar cane into, producing a room temperature, brown foamy liquid that was tasty, though not as sweet as one would suppose. Eli was giving me a coveting stare as I drank, so I offered him a few sips, as well. We both enjoyed the drink, although Jamie was not much of a fan! 

After refreshing ourselves, we stepped into the Catedral Primada and I knelt to say a prayer for the peace and well being of my grandparents who would be moving into an assisted living facility the next day.

As we walked back towards Jorge's van, we tried to take in the unique character of La Candelaria. Jorge pointed out theaters of note, private and public schools, and beautifully restored homes. What stood out to me were the cobblestone and brick streets...

and the brightly colored, well maintained homes and shoppes.

 

Along the way, Jorge
greeted several men and women, by name, who were peddling their wares. He explained to us that he is a great supporter of Bogotano artisans and the street vendors, in particular. He says that many people who live in the city do not appreciate the craftsmanship and lost arts of theses individuals, but he thinks it is much better to buy hand crafted, Colombian made goods than to purchase overpriced souvenirs made in China from the mall. We couldn't agree more!

We stopped to watch an older gentleman, a friend of Jorge's, carve wall hangings out of salvaged wood- the backs of old chairs, table tops, etc. His tools consisted only of his own two hands (one in a wrist brace from overuse) and a blunt, flat-edged chisel. We couldn't believe the detailed images he was able to procure from the wood with such primitive hardware.

Working on a new piece...

We chose a small piece representing the original Bacatá and the indigenous people to put away for Eli when he is older. A few of my friends who have adoption experience recommended collecting small Colombian gifts to save for each of Eli's birthdays. Jamie and I loved the idea, so we have started our search for "18 Gifts"- Colombian made items that are suitable gifts for various stages in Eli's first eighteen years. With this first gift, I also made the decision to try to get pictures of the Colombian artists or vendors that we buy from and record their names, whenever possible. These photos and background information will accompany each gift as it is presented to Elias.

Eli's first gift and it's maker

On the drive home, Jorge told us tales of the political strife in Bogotá's history and his hopes for the future. Eli slept peacefully in my arms while Jamie and I listened, attentively. It was such a culturally rich experience for us- this time with Jorge in the old city. This is definitely the way to see the city, with a knowledgeable native, proficient in English and passionate about his city and his people. Jorge makes his living giving tours of Bogotá and the surrounding area, charging a mere $12 an hour. But his time with us was truly priceless. We made plans to meet up again on Tuesday with a few possibilities in mind for destinations and said our goodbyes and thank yous for a truly special day. 

We were pretty worn out after our full day of sight-seeing, so we called it an early night and got plenty of sleep. It truly is a luxury to have this time here, with no demands on us other than caring for our son and each other.  Learning about our child's native country, spending time with the people and in the streets of his city of birth, and coming to understand the underpinnings of his cultural heritage is an experience we could never replicate in the US. 

Our little family is creating memories and connections here in Colombia that we will carry back home with us to live in our hearts, our minds and our identity as a family.