Visiting Garavito's Tomb

Placing flowrs on Garavito's grave. 

Sunday and Monday are the big days in Bogotá's Central Cemetery. That's when the faithful visit the tombs they believe can grant miracles.

Two of the unlikeliest saints, Bavaria Beer founder Leo Kopp and astronomer Julio Garavito (the guy on the 20,000 peso bill), were bedecked with an extraordinary quantity of flowers today.

Visitors to Garavito's tomb traditionally rub a 20,000 bill against the column, which is supposed to attract wealth to the rubber. The tomb also happens to be the cemetery's traditional spot for smoking pot. Today, one pothead told me that smoking weed there brought one even more money.

Or, perhaps the connection is that both potheads and astronomers like to get high.

Believers line up at the tomb of Bavaria Beer Brewery founder Leo Kopp...

...who was covered with flowers.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours