Discover Colombia By Exodus

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10 February 2019

This is my first report and my first whole day in Colombia (Bogota).  I had visited Bogota a number of years ago and was my own without a Tour Guide.  Our tour Guide is Julio Rivera and is very good in his detailed explanations.  Much better then when I was on my own trying to figure out Bogota.  This will be an extensive trip lasting over 12 days and include three internal flights in Colombia.  We will see a lot.  Bogota has 32 provinces and we will be in nine of them.  I have not figured out how many people are in the group and it is over 10.  I am the only American.   Our group is composed of mostly English, a New Zealand Couple, a German, and me.  Talking to the English people they have toured the U.S.A. more then I have. 

I probably walked too much.  It is over 8,000 feet elevation and I walked over 14,000 steps.  I have felt the elevation.  Scary for an older person. 

Today we did a walking tour of La Candelaria district.  We also visited the Gold Museum, which is very impressive.  There are 55,000 pieces of art in the museum.  We were given lectures on the dates when various pieces were made and explained about the Shamans and their various rituals.  Many gold pieces were thrown in lakes here for religious purposes.  The Spanish spent much effort to drain the lakes to recover this gold.  We saw the pictures. We also walked through many areas of the city and was explained its history through the ages. 

First thing this morning, I also walked and saw the processions of natives walk the streets and a band march down in front of the hotel.   This is Sunday and it appears that many families walk around the streets.  Flea markets were active.