COLOMBIAN HISTORY UP CLOSE

Despite the frequent intent to hide Colombia’s turbulent history and past, confronting it is inevitable to gain a profound understanding of Colombian culture and development.

For this reason, we would like to introduce two new products that make an authentic encounter between your clients and ex-guerrillas possible. During the meeting, the clients gain a deep insight into the ex-guerrillas’ history, experiences and emotions and from this, learn about Colombia’s past illuminated from different perspectives.

1. Ex-FARC events:

In Iconozco, about 4 h from Bogotá, a couple of ex-members of the guerrilla group FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), opened a little brewery. Under the label Cerveza La Roja, they produce and sell artisanal beer.

For people interested in learning about the brewing trade, history behind the project and its involved parties in particular, there are the following two options:

·       A tour through the brewery, interaction with the brewers and beer tasting on site

·       A meeting and interaction with the brewers and beer tasting in Bogotá (duration about 2 h)

2. Weaving Peace

Following the 2016 Peace Agreement, which ended a more than 50-year conflict between the Colombian government and the FARC, this tour in Bogotá aims to provide a better understanding of the country’s complex history. This is achieved through lessons of Colombian geography, key landmarks throughout Bogota, voices from those affected and interaction with true peace weavers who are working on new paths of hope for the country.

Detailed tour description:

·       Pick-up at hotel

·       Colombian geography lesson at Parque Nacional

·       Historical neighborhood tour in La Candelaria with stop at Café Wuasikamas - where the Inga indigenous community serves and sell prize-winning coffee that they grow in their indigenous reserve.

·       Walking tour through Bogota’s historical center, Plaza de Bolivar, site of many manifestations, key events and 200 years of Colombian history. Additional stops in key locations through Bogota’s city center marking events which ignited the country’s social/political conflict.  

·       Walk through Avenida Jiménez to arrive at Nasa Tul, an indigenous shop with the mission of destroying misconceptions about Coca.

·       Move to the counter-monument known as Fragmentos created by the artist Doris Salcedo and victims of Colombia’s armed conflict, where melted rifles of ex FARC members are used as raw materials for this emotional exhibit.

·       Lastly, lunch at Salvo Patria, a restaurant with a native-food rescue philosophy that builds value chains with small producers to reactivate the rural communities and improve their quality of life.

Observations:

Better to book on Weekdays. Centro de Memoria is closed on Saturdays. Museo Nacional is closed on Mondays. The tour is not available on Sundays.

In case you have further questions, feel free to contact your local travel agent