Teaching Technology: Zipaquira (Zip-a-key-ra) Catedral de Sal

The day starts with a trip on the Steam Train I have highlighted elsewhere, the journey taking approx 2 hours. During that time the passengers are treated to a Colombian Brass type band "having a trombone played inches from your ear is a new experience". Add to that as they play all the passengers are up Dancing in the aisles, singing and cheering. Colombians are a very party people !! Following the Colombian style music we are treated to another band this time doing typical Andes style pan pipe music with a strong drum beat. Its certainly an experience, and still the people sing.

The Small town of Zipaquira in the Andes is famous for its salt. The Salt mine was opened in around 1951 and because the South America is one of the bastions of the Catholic faith the miners requested a church be built in the mine so they could pray. The original Salt Mine Cathederal was closed in 1991 after it became too dangerous for the number of people visiting bearing in mind Salt mining is still going on and that the salt mined here accounts for 45% of all Colombian salt use both industrial and commercial(55% coming from the sea). Running your fingers on the walls you get a strong salt taste and the composition is according to our guide 80% Salt 20% other minerals. There is a small smell of sulpher as you descend some 300feet below the mountain top into the "New Salt Cathederal" this was opened up to 8 Colombian Architects as a challenge to make best use of the structures in place while creating a cathederal that would withstand, and advance the meaning of the church in this area. The photographs should give an impression but cannot really convey the vastness of the facility with the ability to have 3000 people at a Mass. The main area is shown with the very large cross that looks like it is floating or hanging in the air but is in fact carved INTO the rock and it is an optical illusion that it is hanging. There are 12 surrounding smaller knave areas each representing part of the journey of Christ each adorned with a different cross some you will see below. The main thing you notice is this is not a cathederal filled with relics, statues or golden symbols - almost 95% of everything in the Cathederal is carved from polished salt which takes on the texture and look of Granite.

2 of the 10 Knaves

The domed roof of the central area.

The Main Cathederal area.

These last few images were taken as we waited, wandered or had lunch. The first one shows the latest in Colombian Technology for wall mounted Televisions.