Returning to Bogota, we spent some time getting ready to head home to visit family. We reorganized the truck, decided what we needed to take home that we didn't need in South America, did laundry, and got Hank serviced (oil change, front brakes resurfaced, new air filter).
We did, however, have some time to do one of the activities that was on our list -- a graffiti tour. Bogota is one of the most famous places for street art in South America (and perhaps the world). It is like going to a museum, but with its own history and culture and meaning. It wasn't always so. It was illegal, but after the uproar over the tragic shooting in 2011 by police officers of a young street artist, it was decriminalized and became a source of pride for the city. Graffiti is still illegal, but the illegality of it is mostly ignored. Meanwhile many building owners have become patrons of street art, commissioning some of the top artists to paint murals on their buildings. (Indeed, by some definitions the difference between graffiti and street art is if someone paid for it.) Much of the graffiti and street art is political with much symbolism in the art. Much of it celebrates the indigenous culture and diversity of Colombia. Some is monumental in scale, including two beautiful murals covering the sides of the tallest building in Bogota. A particularly impressive mural covers multiple buildings of an entire neighborhood in a poor section of Bogota (which we didn't visit, but our guide showed us pictures).
Our tour guide was great. After learning about street art and graffiti, I have a new appreciation, not just for the spectacular pieces, but also for the less artistic graffiti. I must admit, however, like most art, it is not all great. Later, driving along the freeway in Portland, I thought that much of the graffiti was not appealing and wished that Portland was more like Bogota or other South American cities with respect to its graffiti.
We also had a bit of time to visit the Emerald Museum and learn about emeralds from Colombia. We were not aware of it, but Colombia supplies 70 to 90% of the world's emeralds and Colombian emeralds are considered to be the finest in the world. Most are mined around the area of Bogota in central Colombia. There is a plaza in Bogota where emerald dealers gather to sell emeralds. Just standing there, men would appoach and bring emeralds out of their pocket to show and sell. We visited the emerald museum on the 23rd floor of a building and learned about emeralds and emerald mining. Emerald is the birthstone of Sheri's daughter, Kirsten, and mother, Vonnie. We ended up buying an emerald pendent for Kirsten's birthday and one for Sheri to remember her mother.
