Archive for June, 2010

You may have had a problem or two getting here if you used a jontyjago.com/blog link, this is because as of today the address has changed and everything has moved to www.gringostarr.net!

Nothing else has changed (although there should be in the next couple of days) – if you have any problems, let me know.

People from Medellin say that the best part of Bogota is the road to Medellin. Whilst I wouldn’t go that far, Bogota definitely has its charms, I do sort of know what they mean. It is not a pretty city and the overwhelming feeling is one of chaos and crowding, it’s not a place to relax.

Ceiling, Catedral de Sal

Which is why, only 3 days after arriving we took a daytrip to Zipaquira, home of the Catedral de Sal, a church (having no bishop, it’s not officially a cathedral) constructed 200m below the surface in a disused saltmine.

Statues, Catedral de Sal

It feels very unreal, walking in the dark past alcoves lit up portraying the 14 Stations of the Cross, every element (including kneeling places) being carved right from the rock.

Main body, Catedral de Sal

The main nave does feel like a cathedral, it’s huge (can take up to 3,000 worshippers) and the illuminated sculptures and cross shining in the darkness add a mystical element absent from many actual cathedrals.

Statue, Catedral de Sal