My Friend and I had another ramble around town early; the cobble-stoned streets make it a ramble rather than a brisk walk. Last pictures of Villa de Leyva!
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Breakfast, and then we were on the way by mini-bus back to Bogotá but via the famous Salt Cathedral at Zipaquirá. This was built in an old salt mine and opened in 1995. It is one of the most famous Catholic sanctuaries of the country and commemorates Jesus Christ’s Stations of the Cross, incorporated as 14 chapels in the design. The architectural and artistic design was done by Bogotan architect Roswell Garavito Pearl. Years before the original underground church was built (around 1932), the miners had carved a sanctuary, as a place for their daily prayers asking for protection to the saints before starting work.
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When we arrived into Zipaquirá (settled by the Spaniards in 1600), My Friend and I set off into the centro historico whilst the others had lunch at a restaurant. It was delightful: a huge plaza surrounded by colourful buildings in Spanish colonial style and an immense Cathedral built out of the most amazing bricks making for delightful patterns both inside and out.
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On the way to Zipaquirá, we had passed a big monument which had intrigued me when we had seen it the first time on the way to Villa de Leyva. Turns out, it is an important national monument! Puente de Boyacá (the Bridge of Boyacá) is a small bridge located at the Bogota-Tunja highway, 110 km east of Bogotá. It and several other nearby monuments were erected to commemorate the historic battle of August 7, 1819 known as the Battle of Boyacá which granted independence to Colombia.
Arrived Bogotá about 4:30 p.m. Last meal out tonight with the group: Asian apparently (?). In the morning we will return to the city centre to do some of things we didn't have time for when we were here before, like the Gold Museum. Then to the airport in the afternoon for a 6:00 p.m. flight to Panama.
[POSTSCRIPT: In fact, we had a lovely meal out. The food was great! And the night with the group was very nice.]
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