Colombia Report March 15, 2006

Day 3 Sightseeing

We awoke to another beautiful day. The weather forecast was not rainy as predicted. The weather was a pleasant 70F and the sun was shining. Breakfast was another traditional Colombian offering of an appetizer of Palmettos Au Gratin (vegetable and cheese) followed by a potato base soup called "Caldo de Costilla". A DELICIOUS start to another great day.

We were then off with Martha and Camila for a tour of the gold museum. We drove through the original downtown called the "Candelaria" with its steep and narrow streets, typical architecture, dozens of villas from colonial times, museums, theaters, small cafés, universities. The Gold Museum featured its unique collection of more than 33.000 gold, silver or platin pieces and also 12.000 potteries, and a great insight and history into the vast variety of the pre-Colombian cultures. Afterwards we toured the main square called "Plaza de Bolivar" to appreciate the cathedral, the palace of justice, the presidential palace called "Palacio de Nariño".

We then took the cable car to the top of Monserrate Mountain to the Sanctuary of Monserrate (Cerro de Monserrate) This church is an important place of pilgrimage. The statue of the Senor Caido (Fallen Christ) is supposed to be responsible for a number of miracles. The breathtaking cable car ride to the top afforded us a panoramic view of the city.

It was then off to lunch at a highly recommended seafood restaurant where we would meet up with Diana and Francisco Vargas, a Basset breeder from Venezuela who had flown in today. The Pescadero Guillermo Bohorquez did not disappoint us and featured a wide variety of fish including calamari, shrimp and many varieties of whole fish all served with the typical Colombian condiments of yucca, patacon and rice.

We returned to the estate for a well deserved rest from a hectic day and had a chance to catch up on our jet lag with a quick nap before a barbecue on the grounds in our honor. The evening featured many local guests, most notably our friend and judge Gabriel Valdez. Chef Eduardo had outdone himself again and we devoured a huge feast including barbecue corn, steak, pork, sausage and a variety of salads. Jenny who is a bit of a 'tea totter' was given her initiation into Colombian partying with several toasts of 'Agvardiente', a potent schnapps type drink made from sugarcane. We partied till late in the night and thoroughly enjoyed the lively musings and stories bantered about.

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