Salt of the earth

We're always dubious when someone (or some guidebook) tells us we're about to visit one of the 'seven wonders of the world', I mean, surely there are only seven of these things, right? And I reckon we've seen twenty or so on this trip alone.

So it's with mild skepticism that we travel 25 miles north today to the small city of Zipaquira to see if the world famous Catedral del Sal lives up to its billing. 

Originally carved from a huge salt hillside in 1951 it has been reconfigured three more times over the years, mainly to allay safety concerns, but also so it becomes a sexier and more grandiose draw to each subsequent generation of the faithful.

Bizarrely, instead of taking the easy option to expand what's already standing they abandon everything and start again, digging deeper into the compacted salt each time.

It's actually really well done. A lot of religious iconography can be cheesy and naff but they've put a genuine design sensitivity into the thing.

For heathens like me and Wend, it also provides an insight into a significant slice of Catholic theology, because after descending 150 metres we find ourselves following the route of 'the stations of the cross'.

Basically, we retrace Christ's footsteps on the day of his crucifixion. There are 14 stations each with a different sculpture depicting what happened at that part of the journey: Station 1 - Pilate condems Jesus to die. Station 2 - Jesus accepts his cross. Station 3 - Jesus falls for the first time. Etc.

Neither of us are religious, but we are both moved by the experience, and as I say, it's very well executed (sorry, couldn't resist).

At the last of these stations we enter the vast main chamber of the cathedral. This is a jaw-dropper. The scale of the place, the craftsmanship, and not least the sheer audacity of the people who considered an excavation this size was viable.

A wonder of the world? Perhaps not, but our skepticism was put firmly to bed.

Afterwards we take some time to see what else Zipaquira has to offer. Not a lot, to be honest, although the main plaza dominated by the town's 'other' cathedral is pretty enough.

On our return to Bogota we say goodbye to the city with a final trip to the top of Monserrate for sunset. It's a fitting end to wonderful five days in this sprawling, vibrant, go-ahead metropolis.