A Miniature San Agustin in Bogotá

Fierce guy!

Can't go visit the dramatic, mysterious San Agustin statues in Huila Department? Now you can see them in Bogotá's Los Martires neighborhood, but you might want to get down on your knees so that they appear to have their original dimensions.

The thirty-odd statues are the winners of a contest held by the local city hall. Some are much smaller copies of or inspired by the statues of San Agustin, which were created by an unknown civilization before 800 a.d. Others are modeled after the statues at Tierra Adentro, and still others are sorts of modern art.

They're in a tiny neighborhood park, behind a mini police station, in a gritty industrial neighborhood near the Central Cemetery, a mile or so from the Red Light District.

The real San Agustin monuments were built by a civilization between the time of Christ and about 700 A.D. The civilization later disappeared, and researchers have made little headway in understanding who they were or what the monuments represent. Many are by tombs or on hilltops.

See kids leaping off of the monuments.

The small park, adjoining a min-police station, is in a very un-Agustinlike setting. 

Some appear to show gods eating children. Wow. 

Big nose man. 

Chaman

Chaquira, without the hips. (There's actually place near San Agustin named Chaquira)

The real San Agustin was never this fun!

I'm happy!

Luis Octavio works marble and granite two blocks away on headstone row, behind Bogotá's Central Cemetery. 

This Muisca indigenous goddess Bachué, carved in a not-so-indigenous style. 

Novios, or lovers. 

See a slide show here

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours