We arrived in Bogotá after a long journey from Istanbul on April 5th. We started our acquaintance with this large city, located in the middle of the Andes, approximately 2,600 meters above sea level, by settling in at Four Seasons.
Our first stop the next morning was Monserrate. As we ascended by cable car, Bogotá opened up in front of us, layer by layer. The vast city visible through the clouds made the size of Colombia felt at first glance.
We went to Museo del Oro in the city center and then to the Botero Museum. The works in the Gold Museum told not only about precious metals, but also about the relationship of Colombia's indigenous cultures with the world long before the Spanish colony. Everyday and ceremonial objects like El Poporo suggested that gold here meant meaning and connection before wealth.
Walking among the colorful walls, yellow facades and stone streets of La Candelaria, it seemed as if different eras of Bogotá lived together in the same neighborhood. We tasted the creative relationship between Colombian cuisine and local ingredients at Origen during the day and at LEO in the evening.
By the end of the first day, Bogotá was not just a high-altitude capital for us; it was a grand narrative in which indigenous memory, colonial past, art and contemporary life overlapped.