Bogota

I flew on Avianca direct from Los Angeles to Bogota and arrived at my hotel about 9 p.m. Bogota is in a valley in the Andes Mountains and is at 8,000 feet. I had a bad headache for two nights, probably from getting adjusted to the altitude, but that seems to have been the only effect on me. My health provider recommended taking malaria pills and also having a yellow fever vaccination plus using DEET liberally. But from a few queries of my tour group, I might have been the only one so protected as you probably can just rely on DEET to keep you protected from any mosquitoes. I arrived in Bogota before my Gate 1 11–day Classical Colombia tour was to start and went on day tours.

Villa de Leyva Day Trip

On my second day in Bogota, I took a long day trip out of Bogota to Raquira, the Archaelogical Park of Monquira, and Villa de Leyva. The weather report for Colombia was for rain every day of the trip until reaching the final destination of Cartagena. However, it rained only two days and today was one of them. It rained on our trip going out to the countryside and then back to Bogota. That it was raining at all was surprising the Colombians as December through February are supposed to be dry months in Colombia. I did not sign up for a private tour, but I was the only one on the tour, so it became a private tour. This photo is of my tour guide, a great companion on the tour.

Villa de Leyva Day Trip

This photo is of our excellent driver, who expertly made all the mountain turns going back to Bogota at the end of the tour through torrential rain. We went in a car, not in a tourist van as would have been the case if I wasn’t the only one on the tour.

Raquira

Our first stop, after 3 1/2 hours of driving, was at the small  village of Raquira, founded in 1580 during the Spanish Conquest. Before the Spanish came, it was a Muisca area for centuries and already known for its pottery, which it still is. The Muisca were an advanced civilization with about 1/2 million to 3 million people. Today, there are about 14,000 Muisca. The highlight of Raquira is its old church and its plaza.

Raquira

On both sides of the plaza are terra cotta sculptures, with workers on one side and religious figures on the other side.

Raquira

There are also numerous souvenir shops in Raquira.

I have put my photos of the countryside on the way to Raquira and photos of Raquira on a slideshow. Go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/day–trip–to–villa–de–leyva–1–raquira/

(Slide Shows, South America, Colombia–1, “Day trip to Villa de Leyva–1: Requira).

Archaeological Park of Monquira

Our next stop was at the Archaeological Park of Monquira, also known as the Astronomical Observatory of Zaquenzipa and as El Infiernito. The site is over 2,200 years old. There are over 100 small columns here, in two rows, that are believed by some anthropologists to be an astronomical observatory of the beginning of summer and winter, telling them when to plant crops. Photo of one of the rows.

Archaeological Park of Monquira

At the site, there are 30 large columns of stone (megaliths) of a phallic form, making some anthropologists believe the site was one for fertility cults and rituals. (I told my guide that I had already seen a phallic fertility shrine in Bangkok, so no shock on my part!)

Villa de Leyva

Our last stop was at Villa de Leyva, one of the best preserved Spanish Colonial towns in Colombia, much like it was 400 years ago. Villa de Leyva was founded in 1592 by the Spanish. Its plaza is the largest square in Colombia and believed to be the largest cobbled square in South America.

Villa de Leyva

Colonial architecture on the plaza. Much of the architecture in Villa de Leyva reminded me of the architecture of the Spanish missions in California.

Villa de Leyva

A street in Villa de Leyva. The village is quite big and would take a long time to walk around to see it all. After seeing Villa de Leyva, we drove the long ride back to Bogota in torrential rain.

I have put my photos of the Archaeological Park of Monquira and of Villa de Leyva on a slideshow. Go to http://www.peggysphotos.com/day–trip–to–villa–de–leyva–2/

(Slide Shows, South America, Colombia–1, “Day trip to Villa de Leyva–2”).