Artes en Todas Partes

On a whim, the gang hit the Transmilenio to Zipaquira. The Transmilenio deserves a quick shout out here. It´s Bogota´s ultra-efficient commuter rail system, big long buses that run on their own sections of street and stop only at above ground, subway-like kiosks. They are super and put to shame the busetas, the short buses which granted are owner-operated but can, shall we say, tax the patience of world weary travelers who can´t get a seat and haven´t had to use their sea legs in a while. Bumpy rides, the busetas.

But i digress. We headed out to Zipquira, a small mountain town where Colombia´s salt mines are located to check out the Salt Cathedral. The salt mines here are massive, having been begun long ago by indentured indigneous labor. Honestly, we didn´t learn too much about the mines themselves because the shining superstar of the place is the Cathedral itself.

This, to my knowledge, is the world´s only underground church carved entirely out of a single mineral, our tasty friend salt. You can lick the walls, which we did copiously and whenever the tour guide suggested it. The cathedral is cavernous, with lots of religious iconography lit up by spotlights in neon green and purple. We were creeped out, and awe struck all in one fell swoop.

After the tour, I treated myself to a cappuchino in the underground snack bar next to the cathedral´s nave, and we watched an underground 3D movie featuring the exploits of a robot named 2NACL, or ¨Nacho¨to his friends, also within striking distance of the salt angels and crosses. Clearly, everyone is friends of the Colombian tourism machine.

In other news, Erik and I have become criminals. Inspired by the walls around us, we´ve been stenciling up a storm on the Bogota streets. My piece is a sick macaw that E-Real cooked up for me. Photos of our labors to follow. Oh yeah, photos! I broke down and purchased Camera #4 of this crazy journey south. I can´t travel with some sort of documentation. But you already knew that...

Peace and Love,

CD