The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-25
AN INTERESTING JOURNEY .
America to Bogota in Twenty-Foui
 DayS.

0Uy S'
 New Orleans Times-Democrat.
 Going from the United States to Bo- gota. the capital of Colombia, Is no short trip. and it is not easy to make. either, said a man who lives in that section or the world. Tt would take man about twentytfour days, or nearly month 10 get to Bogota from New Orleans Ar irving at Sardnila, en route from tnis country, the port train at that point Will take you to rather large town, Bar anquila, one of the few seaports Ill Co- lombia, in two hours and haH. It IS through this port that all products Of the country, such as hides, coffee, Solo ana silver bars. are shipped to other sections of the world. It is a Sandy region and the heat is something almost unbearable. One has to change clothes at least three times a day and ones collar-well, It must be changed six or seven times each day. From this point you Will go up the Magdalena River. It is small stream, but 1t Is an important water way in the commerce of the country. After leaving the river mules are pressed into service and the most difncult part of the journey to Bogota begins. One has from three to four days ,travcling over the mountain roads in this part or the republic It Is q long, plodding and tiresome from a. m. to D. m. But there is a midday rest from F to p. n. during which the animals are fed and allowed breathing spell. It begins 10 get cooler after D. m. and the journey can begin again without unnecessary suffering To one not familiar with the country the scenery is rare and beauti- full A part of the scenery is so lmpos- ing that words are not sufficiently broad to adequately describe the rare things f.,,fII Ia1 oln ho rfn turesaue routes. On the first day after leaving the river you climb steadily up to a higher altitude TOT twelve hours. At night you may find comforta ble. cozy and welcome rest at rustic inn (pasada.) It is the custom of travellers in this region to rise at a. m. in order to make ready for the days journey. which will begin an hour later. About , O clock, after the mules have been sad | died, the traveller eats his breakfast in his saddle and the journey begins as the day before. An hour, or an hour and half later you will find yourself on the top of the mountain, just at the time when the sun is rising above the eastern horizon and one is half unconsciously | dreaming of the grandeur of 1t all.
 | Here is where the real and inspir- ing beauty of the journey looms up to charm the traveller who beholds the re- | zion for the first time. Standing on the | top of the mountain, you find yourself surrounded by sharp declivitles, preci. pices and yawning caverns which seen to threaten you with ;ngulfment. It i! marvellous scene. On the right, at { | considerable distance, you see a noun tain, peaked high against the bending | azure and white with snow, with her, and there a streak of gold reflected iron the rising sun. The mountain which yot | beheld is the Nevada of Folima. It il crested all the year round with snow On the lefthand side of the mountain or l which you stand are fifty peaks or more raising their heads in a lower attitude The peaks are apparently so close t' each other that they seem to bump thei heads together, and seeing one you SCI them all, Rich verdancy may be seer on this side of the mountain on whicl you stand, and the little mountain merge into a pretty light-bluish color.
 "A curious fact in connection with tn conditions on either side of the noun tain is that while it is raining on tn left hand side, where the many peak are to be seen in a lower altitude, ol the other side the sky is cloudless an, the sun blazes out with the brillianc. of a large diamond. Above the rain are; and below the point where you stand DeautlIul rdIDDOW DeIOS dcTOSS the SKY So much for this part of the trip, witt its rare and rich mountain beauties. Or the fifth day you will reach the city O Facatavia, where you will be able t, again find more modern way of trav cling, for at this point you will take tn train which in a few hours will land yol at Bogota, the Capital of Colombia. Bo gotta is d beautiful city with population of 150000. It is d stylish place. and 1t i doubtful if Paris, the centre of fashion so far as women arc concerned, can boas of greater advantages in this respect Society in Bogota has all the refinemen peculiar to cities supposedly more ad vanced in these matters, and the womeI and men, for that matter, dress witl quite as much taste. But the main thin, l had in mind was the beauty of tn, scenery along the river and over tn mountains and the ruggedness of tn journey. the rather primitive way O travelling, the picturesque ruSticity of tn mountain inns-all tend to add a charn which could be supplied in no other way The trip is a long one, and may wea on ones physical energy and ones nerves but it is worth the while, for after is all over one may look back upon with a great deal of satisfaction, an it is q pretty picture and one not to b soon forgotten.