OVER THE ANDES TO BOGOTA 



on the Savanna of Bogota, descends into 

 valleys and climbs the intervening spurs. 

 At times we crossed rippling streams 

 half hidden by luxuriant vegetation ; at 

 others we had far-reaching views of 

 superb mountain scenery, culminating in 

 the surpassing picture of the Toche Val- 

 ley from a forest of wax palms. It was 

 on this trail, in 1801, that Humboldt dis- 

 covered this stately tree which, with a 

 height of from 180 to 200 feet, towers 

 above any member of its family known to 



me. 



THE HEART OF THE ANDES 



The Toche Valley is in truth the Heart 

 of the Andes and, whatever one's itiner- 

 ary, it should include a night at the little 

 inn known as El Pie de San Juan. 



From this point one may reach Ibagiie 

 in a day. I am told that the railroad 

 from Girardot now connects this ancient 

 city at the foot of the Central Andes with 

 the Magdalena. If it does, our mule ride 

 is over, for there is nothing on the hot 

 plains of Tolima to warrant a longer stay 

 in the saddle. 



Girardot, with an elevation of 1,056 feet, 

 is at the head of the larger steamship navi- 

 gation on the Magdalena and the point of 

 departure for the train for Bogota. Pos- 

 sibly for the first time in Colombia we 

 shall here be uncomfortably warm and 

 will welcome an opportunity to reach 

 higher altitudes. 



Although only 82 miles long, the rail- 

 road makes an ascent of nearly 8,000 feet 

 in reaching the tableland, and the better 

 part of the day is required for the 

 journey. At Facatativa we change cars 

 for the run of 25 miles over the level 

 savanna to Colombia's capital. 



BOGOTA A CITY OF STRONG CONTRASTS 



What the Cauca Valley is to tropical 

 Colombia, the Savanna of Bogota is to 

 that part of the country lying in the Tem- 

 perate Zone. The elevation is about 8,700 

 feet, the mean temperature is about 60 ° ; 

 there is a fair rainfall, the ground is pro- 

 ductive and, where not devoted to graz- 

 ing, the whole savanna is given over to 

 the cultivation of corn, cereals, and pota- 

 toes. Streams and ponds, and, in the 

 rainy season, lakes, furnish a home for 

 water-fowl some of which are resident 

 all the year, while others come from 

 North America for the winter. 



Photograph by Frank M. Chapman 



A PREHISTORIC STONE IMAGE FROM SAN 

 AGUSTIN, IN THE PARK OF BOGOTA 



San Agustin, at the head of the Magdalena 

 Valley, was the site of a culture, neither Incan 

 nor Chibchan, about which comparatively little 

 is known. Heroic figures of this kind have 

 been found in numbers there. Two of them 

 were transplanted to Bogota under the direc- 

 tion of former President Reyes. 



A naturalist has neither time nor in- 

 clination for a study of city life. Cer- 

 tainly I do not feel qualified to write of 

 the characteristics of Bogota, and with a 

 suggestion or two I will leave the traveler 

 to make his own investigations. 



Bogota is our first city in the Temper- 

 ate Zone, and we will note the almost en- 

 tire absence of the negroid element which 

 forms a large part of the population of 

 lower altitudes. In its place we shall find 

 the sturdy, ruddy-complexioned descend- 

 ants of the Chibcha type, indigenous to 

 this region. 



Bogota is a city of strong contrasts — a 

 fact which will impress us if we go from 

 the market-place, swarming with natives. 



