Saturday, March 2, 2013

Last weekend in Bogotá.


After an enervating Friday with one of those impossible goodbye's (foster parent Carola is at resque)  Erika Nino and her husband Andres invited me to a contemporary circus performance 'Tropico Destino' by La Gata Cirko in Teatro Jorge Eliécer Gaitán in Bogotá. A mixture of dance, theatre, circus, music almost on professional level made it possible for me to relax at least for a few hours. For the first time I feel cold in Bogotá when leaving the theatre. A good diner in an Italian restaurant completed the evening and soothed my confusing thoughts.

Guatavita.
On Saturday Julien and Martha took me to Guatavita, Village and Lake, History and True Legend .
Guatavita is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca. There you can find the Guatavita's lake, that were a sacred and ceremonial lake for the Quimbayas Indians.
The guide is perfect on all levels, historical, environmental, philosophical. Julien is perfect in simultaneous translation.
The views are amazing. The place is magical. The flora of the paramo  unique!
Loaded with unprecedented images in my head we quit the place with a sense of eternal beauty and historical awareness.
Driving back home (did I say home?) we have a late lunch in the rebuilded town of Guatavita. The town was built in the 1960's as an architectural heritage site and replica of of the original old town of Guatavita which was sacrificed to create a reservoir, an artificial lake.
With a mind full I go for an early sleep preparing myself for another emotional day.
Sunday. We take all our time as it should be on Sundays. Sergio and Carola are excited about hanging the paintings of his deceased mum. The paintings are absolutely amazing.





Zipaquirá.
One of my last visits around Bogota brings us to the the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá.
It is an underground Roman Catholic church built within the tunnels of a salt mine 200 meters underground in a Halite mountain near the town of Zipaquirá. It's a spectacular attraction, especially the real miners walk wherein  our orientation in a claustrophobic environment has been severely tested, and that after having a coffee 180 m. deep into the mine.
As a side attraction I was fortunate to warp successfully a coin in a basket while making a wish. No. I will not tell you the wish before I see the result and that will take some more time.
There is a Dutch expression that starts with (can you imagine me using it?) ''Tired but satisfied..." we were returning to Bogota after a photo shoot around the local church...
... and Sergio promises  to make one of his fabulous pasta's...









The evening is long especially when the moment you feared the most is approaching and nothing can  stop it but a hurricane.
Walking in the streets around the house my tears can roll without  being seen in what I hate the most and for me an obstacle I almost can't take anymore... saying goodbye... feeling the separation as the worst punishment life has in store for me... sometimes you wish you hadn't been here.
This time there is no alternative because I know the regrets would be as unbearable.
It's pain heavier than pain. My body hurts from my hair to my toes and I cry as if I'm burning in hell.
When the crisis comes slowly to its end I go back to the flat there is a comforting Carola to ease the pain. I'm able to eat the best pasta ever and exhausted due to the emotions I can sleep a few hours.
Tomorrow I will lick some wounds in Medellin.
Suddenly I realize this was my last weekend in Colombia. Four more days to go. I own all my friends to make the best out of it, also myself. Writing does not ease the pain but it makes the pain tangible, I guess also for the reader.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please post your comments here... so all visitors can read them!