I have been holding off for someone to show me how to use the TM System but sometimes you just have to do things yourself.. so today I set off and walked to the nearest TM station and paid the 1300 peso ticket price (35p). I then had some difficulty getting through the turnstyle I had watched those in front press their plastic ticket against a sensor but mine wouldn't work, until I realized the ticket I had was a single use only. Inserting it in the slot granted me access. The next problem was I didnt know where to get off or what bus to get on... So I stood and tried to decipher the TM Route map, Its actually very easy once you solve the way its laid out, I soon found which bus I wanted and stood for 3 minutes waiting for it before I noticed the bus I had selected to use runs on a Sunday only - so back to the notice board and found what I now thought was the right bus. within 15 minutes I was on the Bus and heading south as the roads counted off. I was heading for the Avenue Jiminez which was somewhere close to the Gold Museum though close on the map could have been miles in reality. I had in the back of my mind that if things didn't look right I would just jump back on the bus heading back but arriving at the Av Jiminez soon had me out in the centre of Bogota, In for a penny in for a pound I set off walking in what I felt was the right sort of direction to find the Museo del Oro (Gold Museum) somewhere I desperately wanted to visit. My sense of direction must be improving in this part of the hemisphere as I passed the Ministry of Justice, then the Ministry of Agriculture cut through a Huge Plaza teeming with people and the aroma that wafted across the area was slightly unpleasant, a mix of rotting vegitation, BO and oily smoke but then it is pretty much downtown Bogota, before finding myself more by accident than design standing right outside the Gold Museum. Entering I was frisked and warned that photography although allowed you should not use flash, fortunately I had already read all this on the web so understanding what was said was fairly painless http://www.banrep.gov.co/museo/eng/home4.htm for those who want to look inside. I had a field day wandering round I was on my own but all exhibits have an english translation and the camera was going non stop some of the images you can see below others will come back eventually with me. I wanted photographs mostly for the kids clock project I intend to do to give them some inspiration but some of the Craft Work and the size of the objects left me speechless. Definitly a place to return to for another look as I really didn't take in enough of the information in my time there. That and there is an artisans of colombia market directly across the street.
Something I didn't realize is that ancient cultures had a thing about men changing into Bats or Jaguars (Maybe Dracula wasn't from Transalvania at all) as such a lot of the gold work images have a BAT like or JAGUAR like appearance.
The artisans of early colombia had a fine eye for detail not just in the gold work as can be seen from these humanoid figures.
These last 2 images are personal favourites the Iconic Man is so Precolombian and appears everywhere.
And finally ... these small golden icons were manufactured around 200bc as far as my information goes... amazing how much like a squadron of aircraft they are.
(Plays Music from the X Files in the background just to mess with your mind.)
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