FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Firmo Espinar]

Hi.

Here we are with news.

Now are going to a productive mine I had no news that existed before living here.

We´ll visit the first wonder of Colombia.

Is The Great Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira (Cundinamarca, Colombia).

It is a real underground Cathedral excavated by miners in a gigantic salt mine. There are only two buildings of its kind in the world that have the quality of roman catholic church Cathedral, this in Colombia and the Krakow one in Poland.

A taxi Bogotá to Zipaquirá all day round trip has a cost between 170.000 and 200.000 COP (approximately USD 60 or 70).

It is a magnificent visit and very near of Bogotá, around 50 km.

The village of Zipaquirá is over a huge accumulation of common salt that comes from a desiccated sea. Seventy million years ago, when the eastern mountain range of the Colombian Andes was formed, this inland sea dried up and left a large salt deposit.
We get down to 180 meters of depth. Every day leave to be processed four tons of salt for the domestic consumption in the country.

Began to explode in pre-columbian times at another level above the current mine. The Muiscas Indians changed the precious salt for less useful gold to make their offerings, traded with it and became the richest of his time societies.

You go with a guide until the end of the journey. There you loose and already go out whenever you want.
Twelve times warned you not to make photos while you're with him, since the mountain quickly download the batteries of the cameras being surrounded by large amounts of sodium everywhere.
The guide says us: “You will do a hundred photographs minimum, but do to the output when yourselves are”.

I hope you enjoy.

Regards.
Firmo.

[Firmo Espinar]

The Bogotá downtown.
A colorful photographs, like the country.

[Tobi]

[Firmo Espinar]

Hi Tobi.
Thanks for your words, and everybody say “like”.

I´m sorry, the last watermelon picture was taken in Medellín, not in Bogotá. But you already find the same fruit in Bogotá.

[Firmo Espinar]

Other inputs of the surroundings of Carrera 7ª.

[Pierre Joubert]

Hi Franjungle, is there a reason why the dealer's faces at the emerald market has been dulled or am I imagining things? (Jimenez de Quesada emeralds 1.jpg)

[Firmo Espinar]

Hellow Pierre.

There are two pictures directly taken of "Google Maps - Street View", in order you can see better this corner and its hustle, because my previous photos 85 and 86 are made a Sunday and there are few people.

And Street View erase the faces of people they take accidentally. Forgive the confusión.

Firmo.

[Pierre Joubert]

[Pierre Joubert]

I apologize, I see the Google logos on the 2 photos.

[Firmo Espinar]

Hi.

Thank´s Pierre, is not necessary please.

We´re off on a trip soon.
Before we go up to Monserrate Hill to explain a curiosity.

On the top of the oriental hills of Bogota D.C. there is located Monserrate's Sanctuary. It receives this name in honor to "Our Lady of Monserrat" who is in a mount near Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain.

The image of Our Lady of Monserrate, donated to Bogota for the Benedictine monks of Monserrat's Abbey, is a reply of the one that is venerated in that Sanctuary.

[Firmo Espinar]

We continue.

[Firmo Espinar]

We´re currently in the Holy Week, and Monserrate has one very agreeable Via Crucis and differently from the rest that I know. This fills with people during this week.

[Firmo Espinar]

More.

[Firmo Espinar]

The way forward.

[Firmo Espinar]

Zipaquirá.