Underground in the Salt Cathedral

Before I left Columbia, I traveled with my 'sister' to the capital, Bogota. With the one full day we had there, we took a bus to a small city just outside the urban sprawl. In this city is an old and unique salt mine. The salt has already been extracted from the upper levels, and so these areas have been converted into a very interesting cathedral. All of the walls, decorations, sculptures and sacred items have been carved out of the remaining salt-laden walls. All of this is done on a scale large enough that you barely feel like you are underground, except for the lighting, of course.
Suffice to say it was a really cool place. We got to see an amazing sacred area AND learn about salt mining. I even have a nice chunk I was able to bring home! It was also a really neat place for a chemistry major to hang out as there were lots of wonderfully cool crystallized formations, like this continuously growing wall of salt I am standing by below. You could also see veins of metallic oxides making cool patterns all through the chambers. I think my Columbian sister was amused by my geekiness.