Another Sunday in Quito. I was going to go straight to Colombia, but I couldn't face more bus time after the 14 hrs of travel the day before. I went to an artisan market and got my hair wrapped...the artisan was Mapuche from the south of Chile and had been travelling and working as an artisan for 5 years. He tried to convince me to abandon my life in Canada and become a travelling artisan like himself haha. Not the life for me, but still a really nice guy.
I then took the Trolebus to the Centro Cultural Metropolitano, but it had closed at 1:30. I hate Sundays. I then went to the Basilica and climbed all the way to the top--you can go right onto the roof of it--but just as I got to the top it started to hail! I then wanted to go to the Museo de Arte Contemporano, but the cabbies wouldn't take me because it was too close and they wanted a bigger fare. Jerks. So I went back to the hostel shivering and cold (and the cabbie got lost despite the fact that I gave him a map with my hostel marked on it), and of course the internet went out. There is absolutely nothing to do on the Jesus-freaks' holiday. So annoying. Also, why the fuck is there more on the news about the pope than there is about Chavez or the Colombian strikes?? These people really need to sort out their priorities.
Whoever invented cobblestone streets deserves to be shot. Monday I took a 40 min cab ride to the bus terminal and from there caught a 6 hr bus ride to Tulcan, which for some reason I had to switch half way through. From the Tulcan bus terminal I had to cab to the park where I could get a collectivo to the border. From there I had to walk into both immigration offices, then cab to the Ipiales bus terminal and get an 11hr bus to Cali. From there I got another 11 hr bus ride to Bogota, and a half hour cab ride to my hostel. And only 1 military checkpoint along the whole way.
Wednesday I went to the Donacion Botero, an art museum featuring an extensive collection of Colombia's Botero, as well as other national and international artists. I also headed to the museo de la independencia, the Centro Cultural Gabriel García Marquez (where there was an awesome exhibit on current Cuban artists), the Museo Arqueológico, and then wandered about the neighbourhood Candelaria. Thursday I ended up going to the Salt Cathedral outside the city. They built a cathedral in a salt mine, and although the architecture was amazing, there were a few too many crucifixes for me. They had such an incredible opportunity to have the best artists in the country to come and make beautiful sculptures out of salt, but instead they just made a bunch of crosses. What a waste. Also, afterwards there was this weird lights/music show that to me seemed to be aimed at amusing children, but somehow everyone was taken with it.
Friday was rainy. It's too cold here. No me gusta la altituda. Prefiero el calor de la costa. Andres and I went to the main square where there was this big farmers market which was cool. We thought that it was a weekly thing, but it turns out that it only happens once a year! It was supposed to have happened last month, but because of the coffee strikes and road blocks, it was delayed until today. Andres and I bought a bunch of veggies and he got some lamb or something, and we went back to the hostel and cooked with this american couple. That night a bunch of us went out to this bar called Candelario...it was alright, but the music was kind of weird. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be pop, hiphop, or salsa...
Saturday after we all rallied, Andres, Jack, and I went to the Museum of Modern art which had some really cool exhibitions. We then went to the Museo Nacional which was interesting, but had so much fucking religious iconography. They're obsessed. We then went to the Plaza del Toro where they used to have bullfights before they were outlawed in Bogota, but it was closed, so we just saw the outside. Sunday, Andres and I headed to the airport to go to Santa Marta. On the bus into town from the airport, I met a Toronto guy, and then at the bar at the hostel, there was a Toronto bartender! I've barely met any Canadians my whole trip, but it seems like they're all in Colombia...Coe and Aaron in Bogota; David and Carl in Santa Marta; and then I met another guy who used to live in Montreal! Loco.
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