La Recreovia is sort of La Ciclovia's little sister. During La Ciclovia, which happenings almost every Sunday and holiday, hundreds of people swing, jump and shake it up in mass aerobics classes held in the Parque Nacional and other location.

The Pasaje Rivas, a central Bogotá market which offers the essence of Colombianness, commemorated its 120th anniversary this week. The L-shaped pasaje connects Carrera Decima to Calle 10, and is full of souvenirs, furniture, clothing and lots more. Its vendors are proud that the pasaje pioneered the retail trade in Bogotá.

While Bogotá hasn't experienced waves of foreign immigration like many other Latin American capitals, the city's neighborhoods do have characteristic personalities, formed during the city's growth north and south from the historical center.

With Christmas a few days away, it seems appropriate to highlight some of the old and not-so-old churches of the La Candelaria neighborhood, Bogotá's historical center. The churches are handsome, majestic and elaborate, and one doesn't have to be a believer, much less a Catholic, to appreciate their beauty.