Zipaquirá, Colombia - Deep in a salt mine to find Christ
Click link below for more Zippa photos:
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquira is an underground Roman Catholic church built within the tunnels of a salt mine 200 metres underground in a halite mountain. Colombians are deeply religious folks.
This little pretty village, Zipaquirá is a 2 hour slow and very slow (antic) train ride north of Bogota. Train ride is fun as it comes complete with a mariachi band and good tasting homemade empanadas.
The Salt Cathedral is considered a "Jewel of Modern Architecture". It reminded me of a trip that my good Chicago buddy, Randy and I took in Poland.
Near Krakow is also a now abandoned 13th century, Wieliczka Salt Mine. The Kopalnia soli Wieliczka has similar cathedrals built beneath. And in a nod to its native son, pope Paul - it also boasts his statue.
While Zipaquirá is smaller than Wieliczka - luckily it did not have as many visitors that I remember from our Poland visit. And the atmosphere was magical as they have a piped in “Ave Maria.” Bur is it really necessary to have a “sala VIP” in a place of worship??
I also do not want to remind Randy that we were taken for a ride by a pretty Polish guide. But that’s another story.
On way back, they stop in another pretty village called Cajicá (ka-si-ka). We were dropped off that I was sure was a tourist trap of a Bbq restaurant.
I could not have been wronger. Beef and other meats were just as good as the ones I had at “the best charcuterie in Buenos Aires” - and with a lot friendlier service.
So, when you come to visit me in Bogotá- I am making a repeat visit - at least to that Cajica charcuterie.
Watch NEILTUBE to see how it feels inside a salt mine.
See ya,
Neil