Bogota, {boh-goh-tah'}

Founded on August 6,1538 by the Spanish Conqueror Gonzalo Jiménez de Quezada on land occupied by the Muiscas Indians as Bogota. In 1740 Santafe de Bogota (Colombia's new constitution, proclaimed in june 1991, restored the ancient name " Santa Fe de Bogota") was made the Capital of the Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada and played an outstanding political role during the Colonial period. After the Country won its independency from Spain in 1819 and prior to the dissolution of the Gran Colombia (which united what today comprises Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador) in 1830, Bogota became the capital of Colombia. Bogota is sometimes known as the Athens of America. It is situated more than 2,590 m (8,500 ft) above sea level at the eastern edge of the Basin of Cundinamarca and is near the geographical center of Colombia. The largest city in the country and one of the fastest growing in Latin America, Bogota has a population of 4,819,696 (1990 est.). Although located at an equatorial latitude, the high altitude moderates its climate. Average annual temperature is about 14 deg C (58 deg F), and the climate changes little through the year.

Relatively inaccessible until recently, Bogota is now easily reached both by air and the national highway system. Bogota it has long been one of the hemisphere's centers for writers, intellectuals, and artists. Its university was founded in 1572. In addition to supporting many newspapers and literary journals, Bogota has a thriving book-publishing industry. The mixture of colonial architecture and modernistic structures gives the city a strikingly cosmopolitan appearance. Since it is the seat of national government, its daily life is highly political. The city has autonomous status and is governed by a mayor appointed by the president. Although Bogota is less dominant in the country's economy than many Latin American capitals. Medellin and Barranquilla are more important economically), Bogota nonetheless generates more than one-third of Colombian economic output.

Santa Fe de Bogotá is flanked by mountains to the east. On the summit of one of them stands the sanctuary of Monserrate, the main point of reference of the city. The carreras (streets) run parallel to the mountains from south to north, while the calles (also streets) run from east to west and cross the carreras perpendicularly.


Generally speaking Bogotá can be divided into four large zones: the central zone (downtown) between carreras 1-14 and calles 5-34, which includes the colonial neighborhood of La Candelaria and the so-called International center, and is where the majority of government offices museums, churches and other buildings of historical, artistic and cultural interest are located: the northern zone, modern, commercial and residential, is where most of the financial activity is carried out and where many cultural and recreational activities take place; the southern zone, basically industrial working class; and the western zone, where large industry, various parks and sports centers, administrative offices, and the Eldorado Airport are located.


HISTORICAL SANTA FE

Because of its importance as a political and administrative center since the Colonial period, Santa Fe de Bogotá's streets and traditional neighborhoods retain centuries of history, anecdotes and legends. The historical center is La Candelaria, the capital's oldest neighborhood. Numerous churches contain rich Colonial ornaments and several old houses, with thick walls, large porches, vestibules and interior courtyards, formerly belonging to Viceroys and officers of the Spanish administration, today house museums, restaurants and cultural and educational institutions.


The heart of the city is the Plaza de Bolívar, surrounded by buildings representative of several styles and eras: the Cathedral, the Chapel of the Sagrarium, the Cardinal's Palace, the Liévano Building (Town Hall), and the Capitolium. Behind the Capitolium stands the Palace of Nariño (the Presidential palace), and to the east, on the steep and narrow streets which lead towards the mountains, stand the majority of the most representative colonial buildings, with their large doorways, balconies and antique street lamps.

The fusion of cultures is evident in the numerous churches of old Santa Fe. Their mixture of styles, predominantly baroque but displaying evidence of the architectural legacy of the European Rennaissance and of markedly Mudejar influence, gave rise to what was known as Neo-Grenadine Colonial art. Among the numerous churches of the Colonial period those of Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Ignacio, the Cathedral, the Chapel of the Sagrarium, La Tercera, and San Diego stand out, this last one located in the International Center. The sanctuary of Monserrate should also be mentioned. It is not as old but is a palace of pilgrimage and, in addition to visiting the church, on a clear day one can get a magnificent view of Bogotá and its surroundings. Monserrate is reached by cable car.



CULTURAL ACTIVITIES


In addition to its numerous museums, Santa Fe de Bogotá enjoys cultural activities such as shows, concerts, art exhibitions and conferences throughout the year. The Modern Art Museum, the National Museum and the Luis Angel Arango Library, have exhibition rooms where there is always something worth seeing.


Numerous art galleries display and sell the works of both Colombian and international contemporary artists. Concerts are held in theater halls such as Teatro Colón, Colsubsidio, Camarín del Carmen, Teatro Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, or in specialized rooms such as in the Luis Angel Arango Library and the Léon de Grieff hall at the Universidad Nacional. Their programs include the presentation of symphony orchestras and chamber groups, both Colombian and from abroad, as well as ballet, opera and shows with internationally renowned artists.


Several theater groups are based in Bogotá and present both classical and modern works. The principal groups include the Teatro Popular de Bogotá, Teatro Libre, Teatro Nacional, La Castellana, and La Candelaria. In addition every other year during Easter the Ibero American Theater Festival is celebrated in the capital.


Pictures - Above right: One of the many concerts which are performed in the capital every week; Below left: A gold ornament of the Muisca culture exhibited in the Gold Museum; Below Right: the Quinta de Bolivar is not only a historical monument but is also a tourist attraction.


MUSEUMS


Numerous museums house relics from the past. Outstanding is the gold Museum whose collection of more than 36,000 pieces of pre-Columbian goldworking is unique of its kind, Testimony to Indain culture is also to be found at the Archaeological Museum, which houses a valuable collection of ceramics exhibited in one of the most beautiful old colonial manors in the area, originally the home of the Marqués de San Jorge.


Another antique house of inestimable worth is the Quinta de Bolívar (right), of typically Spanish architecture and today a museum with objects and documents that belonged to the Liberator Simón Bolívar. Those interested in Colonial history would also do well to visit the museums of Colonial Art and Religious Art. In the latter the spectacular "La lechuga" monstrance is exhibited, with 1,486 emeralds incrusted with gold. The National Museum, originally built as a prison, offers the visitor objects of anthropological, ethno-historical and artistic interest.


Other museums of interest which emphasize different aspects of national and local history are the 20th of July Museum or Casa del Florero, the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions, the Museum of the 19th Century, the Museum of Modern Art, the Mint, the Museum of Regional Dress, and the Museum of Urban Development, this last one specializing in the history of Santa Fe de Bogotá.


RESTAURANTS AND NIGHT LIFE


The variety of restaurants, cafés, bars and nightclubs of Santa Fe de Bogotá is almost inexhaustible. Numerous restaurants offer excellent local cuisine,not only from the capital city but also from various regions of the country. Several restaurants function in antique colonial-style houses which are worth visiting for themselves. Notable, among others, are those that belong to the Casa Vieja chain, the Zaguán de las Aguas, and the restaurants which function in the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions and in the house of the Marqués de San Jorge.


But Santa Fe de Bogotá is also distinguished for its variety of restaurants offering international cuisine, with dishes from all over the world. A multitude of bars and cafés from small ones to the most elegant and sophisticated establishments, invite you to enjoy drinks accompanied by music. A good spot to dine, have some drinks and perhaps dance is in the north of the city along calle 82 between carreras 11 and 15. On the calle 94 and Pepe Sierra Avenue there are also several modern discotheques.


Caribbean music has been well received in Santa Fe de Bogotá and numerous places offer visitors the possibility of listening to groups specializing in salsa, son and reggae music. Outstanding, among others, are those on the carrera 5 between calles 26 and 28, very near to the bullfighting ring. The atmosphere in these places is informal and Bohemian. There are also pleasant bars and restaurants on the road to La Calera a few minutes ride out of the city, from where you get a spectacular view of Santa Fe de Bogotá.


SURROUNDINGS


Picturesque villages, many of them with Indian names, dot the Santa Fé de Bogotá plain amongst cultivated flowers, cereals and dairy farms. One of the Bogotanos' favorite diversions is to make trips to different spots on the plain at weekends, thanks to which country restaurants and stopping places selling handicrafts have sprung up.


GUATAVITA AND TOMINE



To the north-east of Santa Fe de Bogotá, taking the northern trunk road, you reach the village of Guatavita and 10 miles further on, the lake of the same name. Guatavita Lake is famous because it gave rise to the legend of "El Dorado" that bewitched so many Spanish conquerors. According to this legend religious ceremonies were held at the lake, in which the "Cacique", or Indian chief, was covered from head to foot in gold dust and submerged himself in the water as an offering to the gods, while his subjects threw in precious stones and gold objects.


In 1967 the construction of a dam submerged the old village and a new one, Guatavita La Nueva, was constructed nearby, its architecture imitating Spanish colonial style. There are good local food restaurants and a handicraft center in the village.


Tominé Reservoir, constructed over the old village of Guatavita, is a pleasant place from which to take trips by launch and do water sports. Regattas take place quite frequently, offering visitors a colorful spectacle.


COUNTRY RESTAURANTS


On the Sabana de Bogotá taking any route out of town, but especially the road north there are many restaurants and stopping places where you can enjoy a local dish and all kinds of delicacies.


Traditional dishes fron Santa Fe de Bogotá and the surrounding region are based on the agricultural and dairy products of the fertile highland plain. The most representative dish from Bogotá is the ajiaco santafereño, a thick soup prepared from chicken, different kinds of potato, a herb called guascas, and a sweet corn accompanied by capers and fresh cream. Other regional specialties include puchero, a dish of meats, cabbage, potato, plantain and squash; and sobrebarriga, a baked or stewed meat accompanied by potatoes covered in sauce. Outstanding desserts include cuajada con melado (a local cheese covered in molasses syrup), postre de natas (made ofrom skim milk), arequipe con brevas (a boiled milk dessert with figs), creamed rice, and crystalized fruits in syrup. For snacks try other delicacies such as the almojábana (a cheese bun), pan de yuca (yucca bread), colaciones (home-baked biscuits), and empanadas con ají (a meat pie with chili). The nationally popular alcoholic beverage is aguardiente. But to combat the cold of the highland plain try carajillo, a mixture of aguardiente with hot coffee, or canelazo, which is aguardiente with cinnamon. Another beverage typical of the region is masato, a tasty and refreshing drink made from lightly fermented rice.


ZIPAQUIRA AND NEUSA


Following the northern trunk road and turning off to the west at La Caro, you pass by the village of Cajicá, famous for its woollen knitwear. Further on you reach the town of Zipaquirá, where you should visit the Salt Cathedral (left photo), a monumental cavern excavated from deep within a mine. The Cathedral is unique, being located 390 feet beneath the earth and covering an area of 8,000 square meters.


A few kilometers from Zipaquirá is the Neusa dam, a recreational park covered with pine trees. It is an excellent place for sports and nature lovers, since visitors can camp, fish and engage in various nautical activities.


LA CALERA AND SOPO


In the north-east of Santa Fe de Bogotá the road that veers off from calle 84 with carrera 7 towards the mountains leads to nearby villages of La Calera and Sopó. A large variety of restaurants of all kinds and for every pocket line the road, from which you get and excellent panoramic view of Santa Fe de Bogotá. In La Calera there is a recreational park where you can pleasantly spend the day. Further on you reach Sopó, a picturesque colonial village founded in 1612. Here there are also good refreshment areas and a recreational park.


BOYACA


Towards the north-east of the Santa Fe de Bogotá plain commences the department of Boyacá, a green and fertile region inhabited by people of deply-rooted ancestral tradition. Boyacá was an important region during the Colonial period. During the struggle for independence, heroic and decisive battles were fought here. Thus its roads lead to the past, and picturesque villages filled with churches, monasteries, and ancient buildings take the traveler back in his imagination to other eras. It is also a land of skilled artisans, and an impressive variety of crafts made from local materials can be found in the marketplaces and in handicraft stores.


Boyacá should be visited at a leisurely pace, in order to fully enjoy its beautiful landscapes, its pure and fresh air, its tranquil atmosphere and its local dishes.


The majority of villages in Boyacá are linked by good roads, and one can travel with ease amidst large fields of potato, wheat and barley. Leaving Santa Fe de Bogotá you take the northern trunk road to Tuja, 85 miles from the capital. Eight miles before Tunja you pass the Puente de Boyacá, the commemmorative site of a decisive battle that took place there on August 7 1819, when the liberating army defeated the Spanish troops and sealed the country's independence.


Distances between Tunja and some of Boyacá's principal tourist spots are: Paipa 28 miles and 4 miles further on, Pantano de Vargas; Villa de Leyva 24 miles; Tota 64 miles.

COLONIAL TREASURES OF TUNJA


Tunja, the capital of the department of Boyacá, was founded in 1539 by Gonzalo Suárez Rendón. Touring its historic sites is to go back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Several old houses are worth visiting, including the Casa del Fundador (Founder's House), Mudjar in style, the Casa del Escribano Juan de Vargas (House of Scribe Juan de Vargas), with Renaissance-style murals, and the Casa del Beneficiado (House of the Beneficiary), with frescos depicting biblical motifs.


Tunja' s great artistic and historical richness is evident in its churches, which house jewels of the Colonial architecture and ornamentation. Inside you can appreciate splendid altarpieces, beautifully gilded wooden ceilings, and numerous oil paintings and religious sculptures. Outstanding are the Cathedral, the churches of Santa Bárbara, San Francisco, San Ignacio and Santo Domingo, the chapel and convent of Santa Clara, and the monastery and chapel of the Topo.


Near Tunja stand the Cojines del Zaque (the Chief's Cushions), a pre-Columbian open-air temple with cylindrically sculpted stones where Indian sun worship took place before the arrival of the Spanish.


Tunja is also famous for its celebration of the 'aguinaldo boyacense" in the month of December, a religious and folkloric festival which expresses regional culture.


PAIPA'S THERMAL BATHS


The city of Paipa is situated in the Chicamocha valley in a region possessing important thermal springs. Near Sochagota Lake a modern tourist development has been constructed, with good hotels and restaurants and a fully equipped Convention Center with facilities for all kinds of events.


Sports such as water skiing and sailing can be done on the lake, while thermal baths provide an unbeatable attraction for those who seek rest and natural health treatments. A spa offers complete programs for mental and physical relaxation.


A short distance away from Paipa lies Pantano de Vargas, a place of great historical interest since one of the most heroic battles of the war for independence was fought here. An imposing monument sculpted by Rodrigo Arenas Betancur stands in honor of the lancers of the Llano region commanded by the legendary Colonel Rendón.


TOTA LAKE


One of the most beautiful spots in Boyacá is Tota Lake, an area of about 60 square kilometers surrounded by picturesque riverside villages such as Iza, Tota and Aquitana. One can fish for the lake's famous and delicious rainbow trout or do other water sports.


There are good hotels and restaurants and it is an ideal place for touring and walking. Temperatures vary greatly between 32° and 72°F.


VILLA DE LEYVA


Founded is 1572 by don Andrés Venero de Leyva, the first president of the Nueva Reino de Granada, Villa de Leyva is one ot the most beautiful colonial villages in the country. Its huge principal square and its cobbled streets are lined with antique colonial buildings and adobe walls. You can really submerge yourself in the past in Villa de Leyva, since several houses from Colonial times have been turned into family hotels, where guests can spend a quiet vacation enjoying local food and strolling along tiled corridors and courtyards bursting with geraniums and bouganvillaea.


Villa de Leyva is a village to walk through slowly, enjoying its pleasant climate and rural peacefulness. Historical sites of interest include the House of Antonio Nariño, the Antonio Ricaurte House, the house built by don Juan de Castellanos, the House of Congress, the Museum of Colonial Art, the Monastery and Convent of the Carmen, and the Acuña Museum. At the beginning of August a Kite Festival is held in the principal square, a picturesque event which attracts a large number of participants and spectators.


In the olive-bearing desert around Villa de Leyva one can visit the monastery of Saint Eccehomo and, a little further on, the convent of Saint Eccehomo and, a little further of, the convent of La Candelaria. There is a Paleontological Museum, since the region lay beneath the sea millions of years ago and conserves a large quantity of ancient fossils.


The department of Boyacá maintains the time- honored tradition of craftmaking. Beautiful articles made from all kinds of materials, notably baskets, ceramics and woolen knitwear, can be bought in the villages.


Highly reputed crafts include the blankets, ponchos, and articles carved in wood of Nobsa; the ceramic products of Ráquira, comprising pots, jugs, coffee sets, flower pots and decorative objects; the miniatures carved in tagua (a type of palm resembling ivory) of Tinjacá and Chiquinquirá; the cane baskets of Tenza; the weavings of Iza; the wood, leather; weavings and baskets of Sogamoso, and the string weavings of Tipacoque.


Everywhere there are shops where you can buy typical crafts from all over the region. In many villages craft fairs are held, which, without doubt, is the best way to get to know both the products and the craftsmen who make them.


OTHER VILLAGES


The Boyacá region is strewn with small villages impossible to list, but which you can discover on the way along paths and byways. Apart from the places already mentioned you can visit, among others: Sogomoso, which used to be the city of the Sun of the Muisca Indians before the Spanish Conquest. Nearby stands the Suecún hacienda, an antique house turned into a pleasant and quiet hotel. Nearby are some very beautiful villages: Tibasosa, Tópaga and Monguí.