On to Bogota - the Museo del Oro

After Barichara, we decided to head to Bogota on our way to the coffee country. We also wanted to make sure about where to leave the truck when we head home later. We spent one whole day in Bogota, the highlight of which was the Gold Museum. The Gold Museum houses pre-Columbian gold artifacts from the indigenous peoples of Colombia. It is the largest collection of gold artifacts in the world. What I liked about the museum was not only the beautiful gold pieces, but also learning about the different pre-Columbian cultures and about the history of metallurgy. One of the masterpieces of the museum is the Balsa Muisca, the Muisca golden raft. It represents the ceremony of the new ruler surrounded by chieftains in all their finery, and is the basis of the myth of El Dorado.

The museum houses many beautiful artifacts with different purposes and meanings. There are also other displays of containers used for lime to combine with ritual chewing of coca leaves, pottery, shells, and burial site recreations.

After visiting the museum, we visited the museum shop. Lots of beautiful things in the shop (including beautiful large Embera baskets). We ended up buying a very traditional Tayrona gold pendent for Sheri.