This morning, we woke at around 6:30, enjoyed a quick breakfast at the hotel, and ubered to the Candelaria district. Our first stop was the Museo Del Oro aka the Gold Museum. It was interesting to learn about the history of gold, the reasons why gold has attained the status and value that it currently holds, and the symbolism of gold throughout history.
After visiting the museum, Gabby and I enjoyed lunch at La Puerta Falsa, one of the oldest (if not the oldest) restaurant in Bogota. The restaurant is known for its authentic Colombian dishes including tamales and the avocado/corn/chicken chowder. Gabby and I ordered those two dishes and also homemade cornbread. The chowder came with white rice, capers, avocado, and cream sauce which made the mixture very delicious and tasty.
We left the restaurant, worked for an hour at Juan Valdez restaurant, and then joined a free walking tour. We were initially looking for the graffiti walking tour, but were only able to find the standard walking tour. The walking tour started in the Calendar district and we stopped to try a fermented corn drink and then stopped again shortly thereafter at a fruit stand to try native Colombian fruits. About an hour-and-a-half into the tour, Gabby and I stopped for empanadas and didn’t rejoin the walking tour.
Instead we walked to the Botero Museum and enjoyed the art and architecture of the museum. It was hard to understand exactly what Botero is trying to get across through his artwork, but it seems like it’s a combination of the following:
- Mocking laziness, complacency, boredom, life-without-meaning, etc.
- Artist is attracted to and/or fascinated by heavy girls and plump objects
- Artist is a marketing genius and wanted a way to differentiate himself in order to become world-renowned
After the Botero museum, we walked over to a bakery in Candelaria and we ordered a caramel cheesecake, caramel croissant, affogato, and herbal tea. This was an unhealthy afternoon snack, but the atmosphere of the cafe and the delicious desserts made the visit worth it.
Afterwards, we ubered back to the hotel, showered and got ready, and then walked a few blocks to Black Bear Restaurant, a high-end, well-known restaurant. Gabby and I ordered two fish tacos, lamb nachos, and trout tartar. The food was all delicious and it was such a beautiful dinner.
Gabby’s photos from today are below:
