good talk

The Indians are showing some life, think how moribund they'd be without Corey Kluber and Michael Brantley.  PR to Bogata, my 3rd time in Colombia, 48 mil pop., 440 thou sq. m., Capitol is Bogota, 7.4 mil.  The Spanish arrived in 1499 and began gradual Conquest, Independence from Spain in 1816, they lost Panama in 1903.  Bogota has always had the reputation of a dangerous city, just have your Wits about You and you should have no problem.  Not that this applies to you People, but if you're going to be a little girl about it you have to stay at home and drink milk, mother's milk.  Bogota is a real fun place, lots of interesting things.  I stayed at the "Hotel Lido," a nice flop right there in the Historic District near the Plaza de Bolivar, managed by a nice, young man who was in the U.S. Air Force for 8 years and served in Iraq.  The seat of Congress is the Capitolio Nacional, once torn up when Pablo Escobar was riding high.  A place I love, which I went to twice, is the Museo de Oro, the World's best gold museum.  Just fabulous treasures from the pre-Hispanic Cultures, the most famous is the "Muisca Raft," the only known representation of "El Dorado," the "Gilded One."  Went to their Art Museum, Museo Botero, which in addition to Colombia's Fernando Botero's many works, often depicting himself, there's an excellent Impressionist Collection. Went to the Police Museum, where you have a police escort escorting you through the various interesting exhibits including Pablo Escobar's gold-adorned Harley and a blood-stained roof-tile from Pablo's final moments.  To the Museo Arqueologico featuring pre-Hispanic exhibits.  Iglesia de Santa Clara is now a museum with paintings and statues of Saints.  Bogota is at 8660 ft. but I didn't feel the altitude and during the daytime in May it was nice and warm.