A Radical Makeover for the Trash Museum

The Teusaquillo neighborhood's Museo de la Basura, or Trash Museum, used to look like this:

and this:

With its constant denunciations of our human mistreatment of the planet.

'Cosmic suicide will awaken us from our lethargy.'

Of course, the house's owner, Antonio, was correct. Today's headlines about how we're charging down the road to permanently destabilizing the planet's climate, and the accelerating pace of things like deforestation and coral reef destruction prove it.

But few people care enough to do anything about our planet. Except for Antonio, who filled his house and yard with garbage while he stayed inside drinking. Perhaps his 'environmental' campaign was no  more than a justification for never cleaning up, but at least it served as a reminder that the evidence is that we're heading towards calamity.

The trash museum today.

But after Antonio died some months ago his brother, who evidently does not share the same environmenal commitment, cleaned the house up. The change was undoubtedly a relief for the neighbors.Their  property values rose and they can more easily ignore the fact that the planet is careening towards disaster.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

The End of the Trash Museum

Cyclists outside the Trash Museum back in the days of its full glory.

Bogotá's least popular anti-museum is no more.

The Trash Museum asks you what you're doing to the planet.

The Trash Museum, founded decades ago by the son of an upper-middle-class Bogotá family, became a regular stop on our bike tours, as well as a source of discord in its quiet Teusaquillo neighborhood.

As I heard the story, Antonio went to study in paris, where he rebelled against consumerism and wastefulness. He retunred hom, filled his family's house and yard with garbage. The museum became a landmark for bike tourists, but an eyesore for its neighbors, who at least once tried get to get Antonio evicted.

The house's front 'yard' was hidden behind a jumble of paper, plastic, boards and old shoes, decorated

'We are the trash culture!'

with signs denouncing mankind's wastefulness and announcing the planet's environmental collapse. 'How many of these objects came from your house?' asked one hand-scrawled sign. 'This is the way the world is,' announced another.

Passers-by contributed their own pieces of trash and even wrote their own statements. Sometimes, Antonio left his front door wide open, for anybody to enter and experience the museum's trash-packed interior, where he actually hosted friends.

The 'museum' even attained a degree of officialness. It was on Googe Maps and received an award from the Ministry of the Environment for environmental education.

"He was strong; a straight shooter." Antonio's brother gives us the sad news. But I suspect that the neighbors were relieved. 

A daring tourist ventures into the museum.

And Antonio certainly had his admirers, including his brother, who described him as "strong" and "a real straight shooter."

But, as much as I agree with Antonio's ideas - Bogotá's streets, sidewalks and waterways are strewn with paper and plastic from unnecessary packaging left over from mostly unnecessary products, which will either end up rotting in the Doña Juana landfill or float into the ocean, where animals will swallow it and choke to death.

A recognition from
the Ministry of
the Environment.

But Antonio, with his ways of antagonizing people, was not the best messenger. And I´m not sure whether his 'museum' was the product of principle, or just the rationalization of laziness. After all, Antonio spent his time indoors drinking himself to death.

Neither was he a particuarly pleasant person. Once when I stopped in front of the house with a bike
tour, Antonio Emerged from a amidst his trash and greeted us with an 'Heil Hitler.'

Later, we asked him what he did for a living.

"I'm the new Adolph Hitler," he told us.

About ten days ago, Antonio died, most probably from all of his drinking. His brother is clearing out his house and yard - a monumental task - and plans to rent out the property. Check it out soon on air BnB.

Hard at work clearing out the museum.

Ready to cart away the trash.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

A Face-Off Over Abortion in Teusaquillo

Cyclists besides the pro-choice demonstration in Teusaquillo.

During a bike tour the other day, we came upon this face-off over abortion beside the Santa Ana Church in Teusaquillo. Bizarrely and uncomfortably, the Catholic church is surrounded by women's health clinics which are notorious for offering abortions.

Abortion is prohibited in Colombia except in cases of rape, incest, when the woman's life is in danger or when the fetus has a severe abnormality.

In recent days, an organization called '40 Days for Life' has been holding an anti-abortion vigil beside the church. On this day, pro-choice activists held their own demonstration across the street.

Handing out flyers.

An active civil society is a sign of a healthy society. But the influence of religion in a supposedly secular nation makes me worry a bit.

A little guitar music always contributes to a protest.

The anti-abortion protest beside the Santa Ana Church.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

The Trash Museum: A Monument to Wastefullness

Bike tourists on a drizzly day outside the 'Garbage Museum' in Teusaquillo.

'Cosmic suicide will awaken us from lethargy.' Thoreau.

Talk about turning a vice into a virtue. The resident of a house on a quiet corner in Teusaquillo evidently liked collecting discarded stuff - but not cleaning up. Over the years, his house and yard filled with the results of his habit, turning the lot into something like a city dump, to the great delight, undoubtedly, of his neighbors.

When you've made a mess of things, it's good to paint it as a matter of principle. Thus, the trash museum has signs pointing out how wasteful and resource-greedy humans are. 'Did some of these objects come from your house?' asks one sign. Another advises 'Think before you buy,' and a third warns of cosmic collapse. He's also got a sophisticated website.

The trash museum, if that's what it is, makes an important point about humanity's wastefullness. And particularly in a city which does little recycling, and, more importantly, makes no effort to reduce the amount of waste produced, in the first place.

A discarded doll inside the house.

The trash museum's trashy entranceway.

'We are the garbage culture.'

N ice flowers!

'Think before you buy.'

'What are you doing?'

The front of the garbage museum, on a corner in Teusaquillo.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Scenes From The Cannabis Festival

Today's medicinal (and recreational) marijuana fest on The Parkway in Teusaquillo neighborhood.

A marijuana muffin.

Colombia's pot laws seem to be in flux. Until the Uribe presidency, possession of the 'minimal dose' of pot and other drugs, including hard ones, was legal, altho sales were prohibited. Under Uribe, that right was ended. However, over the past few years, courts seem to have reaffirmed that 'right of self expression,' at least for addicts. And I've read of court rulings permitting people to have one, or in another case, eight, pot plants at home.

But on the street the law is a different matter. Recently, a friend of a friend was stopped on a street in La Candelaria by some cops, who found a bit of marijuana in one of his pockets. They threatened to arrest him, which would mean 24 hours in a drunk tank, with criminals and addicts, who would steal from him. He implored the police, pointing out that he needed to work the next day.

"Well, then help us out," the police told him.

He gave them the 30,000 pesos he had on him, and they let him go. He felt lucky that he hadn't been carrying more money, or they would have taken all of it.

Drug prohibition is a huge income source for corrupt police.

Expo-Cannabis!

A smell of marijuana salve.

Something to cure all your ills.

Marijuana skateboards.

The Association for the Development of the Colombian Cannabis Industry, with the unfortunate acronym 'ADICC.'

Paraphenalia for only legal uses.

Read about weed.

Radio Marimba.

Read the book on pot.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

A Visit to Miami in Bogotá

'White Only,' in Teusaquillo.

While bicycling thru the quiet Teusaquillo neighborhood the other day, I was struck by this sign on a house near La Esmeralda Park.

A 'White Only' house somewhere in the U.S.

Had the Ku Klux Klan set up a Colombian subsidiary, I wondered? I knocked on the door.

It turned out that the sign and U.S. flag were part of a photo exhibit inside. I found the exhibit (or what remained of it), consisting mostly of pictures of sterotypical suburban U.S. houses, less than impressive. But the house itself, which is an arts collective named 'Miami', is interesting.

Some five artists, as well as a sociological studies firm, rent workshops in the house.

But I found no answer to my big question: Why did the colectivo name itself Miami?

As far as the photo exhibit, by Juan Obando and Guillermo Vanegas, its accompanying information sheet made clear it is a critique of racial prejudice in Colombia. That's a fine sentiment, but not particularly original or interesting, unfortunately.

I was left wondering why this exhibit has a title in English and is about the U.S. Compared to these anemic photos about a whitewashed U.S., an examination of ethnic relations in Colombia would be much more interesting - particularly to Colombians.

Or, how about examining society's obsession with whiteness, which may or may not be tied into racism. Snow white sugar, toilet paper, facial tissues, rice and wheat flour all have big health and-or environmental costs, but represent health and cleanliness.

Or is this yet another example of the-U.S.-as-the-convenient-all-purpose-punching-bag for problems which exist just about everywhere?

I thot that some of the other, random works on the wall, containing sharp social commentaries, were more interesting:

A photo of a paramilitary type beside an altered sign offering cellphone 'minutos.' The paramilitaries bought the votes of many members of Congress, as well as intimidating residents of areas they controlled into voting for paramilitary-backed candidates. 

The work on the left says 'Cheap food for shit people,' and below that 'You either learn to kill or go extinct.'

A workshop in the Colectivo Miami.

The face of the United States.

Ex-Pres. Alvaro Uribe is looking younger, and more indoctrinated, than ever.

The Colectivo Miami is located Carrera 17 No. 36-61, in Teusaquillo. Tel: 812-0295
By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours