Vertigo and the Cable Car

Another of our little sojourns in Bogota was a visit to the Cerro de Monserrate. This is a suprisingly high mountain towering up behind the city from which you can get, as the lonely planet puts it, 'dizzying views'. Ideal for Clairy then. There is a church on top containing a statue of the Senor Caido (fallen christ) to which many miracles have been attributed (although apparently no cures for vertigo).

The three options for getting up there were a funicular railway, a cable car, or by foot. The guide books said the walk could be a little dangerous in terms of muggings (honestly nothing to do with the near verticle 1 hour climb), and the furnicular required you to be seated and stare straight out into the abyss, as it were, so the cable car seemed the best option. I have to point out here, that I didn't force Clair to go up. I think she likes to challenge her fears or something. Strange.

As we waited to board, we watched it come down the mountain.


After squashing in, with Clairy burying her head in my armpit and not saying a word, we headed off at quite a pace on upwards. The view was stunning.


Clairy didn't say a word as we exited the car and proceeded along a narrow path to the main viewing area. Here she is thankfully not near any ledges. She later said her first instinct had been to lie face down on the ground holding on with her fingernails and to not move a muscle.


The view was really something. Here's the city, seemingly stretching off into in an eternity from south to north.






Unfortunately for the young lady, there was a vast drop on the other side as well...


Although she braved this edge for a nice piccy. The clouds started heading down though, and soon it was pouring down.


But you could still make out the large white Jesus statue that looked down on our lodgings from an opposing mountain.


The ride down was pretty much a repeat of the ride up, but with some queuing near a massive drop thrown in for Clairy's pleasure. What a brave girl she is!