The Abandonment of the Idols

Tattered plastic coverings to ruins of last Christmas make an ugly backdrop to replicas of San Agustin monuments 

Bike tourists walk past a fallen idol.

A few years ago, the Los Martires neighborhood filled a small park behind the Central Cemetery with reproductions of the famous and mysterious monuments near the town of San Agustin, in southern Colombia. It was a nice idea, altho this poor and socially troubled part of the city is not likely to become a tourist mecca anytime soon.

Sadly, however, the park has not been maintained. Monuments knocked over by children lie on the grass, like dethroned gods. And, adding insult to injury, after building a huge Christmas display in the park, local government workers simply left parts of the display in the park, covered with disintegrating foam sheets, perhaps until next Christmas.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours