My Gateway Vacation

Bogota is the capital of Colombia and has several things for the traveling tourist to see and to get involved in. Bogota is located at the base of a mountain range that houses some famous mountain peaks in the area. Bogota is a city of great contrasts and has been known to be dangerous at times to foreign visitors. However, Bogota is a wonderful city to visit if you remember to take the proper safety measures. Depending on the length of your stay, Bogota can be very exciting. If you are planning on a week or more vacation to this spot, you will be more than able to cover all the things the city has to offer.

There are a lot of famous buildings and landmarks scattered around Bogota. The safest and the wealthiest part of Bogota is downtown, whereas Bogota is divided into three main territories. Tourists are warned to try to stay to these much safer areas. There are also the northern suburbs which is a relatively safe area. The most crime ridden part of town is in the south where the much poorer housing and things are found. Tourists are again urged to steer clear of this area in general. You must be ready to vacation responsibly when in countries like Colombia. Of course, most of the tourist sights are in the central neighborhood of La Candelaria. A lot of the buildings in this area are of a colonial fashion with wide eaved balconies. These houses are arranged in a sort of grid around the Plaza Bolivar, which is the center seat of the government here. Out from the Plaza, there are also neoclassical administrative buildings, such as you will find all over South America. The neoclassical fashion is a popular on nation wide here in South America.

The Cathedral and the gigantic Palace of Justice are also placed around the Plaza Bolivar. The Palace of Justice has been rebuilt and remodeled, as the original Palace was destroyed in 1985 after the building was stormed and taken over by guerillas. Another place you must make sure to walk around is La Plaza del Chorro de Quevedo. This is where the city was founded and you can get a great feel of everything from this point.

The most acclaimed museum here in Bogota is the Meseo del Oro, or the Gold Museum. This museum contains, by far, one of the world's richest collections of golds, emeralds, and other priceless jewelry artifacts. Many or most of these artifacts pre date the Colombian period of time. There is also an array of other museums to visit while in the city. These include the Colonial Museum, the Museo 20 de Julio or the Museum of July 20 where in this museum it documents the rigorous nine year struggle for independence which began in 1810. If you are interested in viewing the works of Colombia's most famous painter, Fernando Botero, then do not forget to visit the museum set up in his honor as well. Of course, this Museum of Art also houses many other famous painters' works as well.