---

Popayan to Pasto took about 6 hours, we have to haggle for the best price bus company everyone is competing for our fare at the bus terminal in Popayan, we settled to the lowest price and we got a proper bus not a van. The bus was good for a good 2 hours, it actually have a strong a/c then it broke and the heater went on and somehow they cant turn it off so the roof has to be opened to let in fresh air. I was so tired and slept through most of the way. Took a taxi soon after arriving in Pasto to Koala Inn, an old wooden house with 3 floors , right in the middle of things, great location, we walked around braving the rain and looked for post office, lunch and internet, the city isnt so bad as people had described it to us, I met an young Oklahoman couple and they ripped the city apart, dont stay there its a dump, I was told but we liked what we see so far. Nice churches and nice plaza mayor. I had a bad headache since leaving Popayan so I took it easy and not drink for the night, we put ourselves to sleep watching tv in our 3 bed dorm room.

Woke up to a nice sunny day so we decided to go and see the Laguna La Cocha about 45 minutes away. We got directions from the hostel how to get there, we have to take the Cootrandes collectivos, we got lost looking for it and just by chance we ended up at the garage where the buses are parked, we got on one of the vans and got driven to another part of town where we waited for more fares. The road was scenic but rough, they are making the roads so lots of waiting but the scenery is amazing. We eventually arrived in town which reminds us of say Amsterdam, lots of canals and boats along the lagoon. The houses are nice and tons of restaurants all offering cultured/farmed trouts in their menu. We walked around a bit and taking in the scene, there is no other tourist apart from us and a few local tourists. We got offered to be taken on a boat ride around the island and stop there to see the church and take a trail up a mirador, the price was 25,000 pesos too much for us so we decided to have lunch 1st then decide if we want to do this activity, we ordered the set meal of whatelse, trout. Good fish. When we finished we walked around some more, we hear the grumbling of thunder from a distance dark clouds looming but the boat driver lowered his price down to 15,000 so we got enticed on this trip.

The boat took us to the island and we visited the church and then took the trail up the viewpoint about 10 minutes walk the thunder got louder and we were expecting to get soaked at anytime. the vista was not that spectacular, the trail is nice but view at the end underwhelming, we went back and on the boat again, driver asked us if we want to see a trout farm, we begged off.Back in town we had a few beers while waiting for the collectivo or anything that'll take us back to Pasto, the people told us every 30 minutes departure but we had been waiting for more than 1 hour but nothing came, it was gloomy and started to rain we just want to get out of there. A crazy man started talking to us and trying to hail any vehicle for us but none stopped. After waiting for a long time we got fed up and asked the lady at the restaurant if they can call us a taxi to Pasto, it came within 10 minutes and off we were, we all fell asleep on the road, arriving in rainy Pasto we walked back to the center from the garage of the bus company.

We did not really feel like going out tonight so we just watched TV in the room ater having dinner, its a bit chilly and rainy, went back to the hostel and smoked some good Cuban cigars courtesy of Cristina. We bumped into the Kiwi dudes we met in San Agustin who stayed in Casa Japonesa, they never did any sightseeig of the almost 1 week they were there! We had a fe drinks to toast our last night together then off to bed for me. Had to find a new breakfast place for our last meal together and found a nice one near this huge ass cathedral in town. I asked for a meal not in the menu, Spanish torta of sorts, tomatoes and potatoes in it, the waitress could not comprehend why i wanted the potatoes in it mixed with the egg, she said its ugly! I told her just do it! the end result was delicious! Back at the hostel packed for the last time and said our farewell to Cristina who is headed for Bogota on the night bus, me and John are off to Ipiales to see the Sanctuario de las Lajas and then cross the border to Ecuador.

We immediately found a bus headed to Ipilaes at the station, Transipiales is the company,7,000 pesos fare that we got down to 5,000, Only here in Colombia where you can bargain a bus fare!Bus took about 2 hours, arriving in Ipiales terminal we dropped our packs at the left luggage facility then hopped on a collectivo taxi, 2,000 pesos each to the cathedral. The scenery is amazing on the way there, green valleys, deep gorges, the usual sights in this area so close to Ecuador. We walked down towards the church, it is indeed impressive, built alongside a cliff, quite impressive location and nice architecture, we took fotos from different angles, there were also plaques honoring the Virgin for miracle cures placed all along the walls of the path leading to the sanctuary. When we had our fill we started walking up back to the taxi stand, quite a work out as it is a bit on a slope. The collectivo will take ages, though cheaper we were the only passengers and we need to get to the border quick. Dark clouds rolled in and threat of rain imminent. We paid 7,000 to get back to the terminal quick and took another collectivo taxi, same price 7,000 total to the border.

Immigration in the Colombian side was a breeze, then when we started to walk the bridge towards the Ecuadorian side it started to rain and just when we got to the immigration bldg. it poured down really heavy rains. We queued up after filling up immigration forms, but the system was down so we have to waiy awhile! About 40 minutes later the computer is working again so we got processed, the dude processing me was so slow and he stamped my passport twice as the 1st one was not ledgible, grrr!! wasted a space in the page. There was a local asshole who jumped the line in front of me and he got into an argument with the officials and they tossed his paper out and he need to beg and plea with them, karma!!! The rain was stuck going, we looked for the taxis to Tulcan the border town to take a bus to Quito. Lots of traffic and floods in the town, it was hilly and the water is gushing down like a flash flood! There were 2 other people in the taxi we were dropped off last. Touts fighting for our fare we got tickets to a bus that leaves in 5 minutes! We got wet a little, one dude just grabbed John's pack and went downstairs to the bus, he panicked, so I told him to follow him and I will take care of the bus ticket!
After a quick pee and got some snacks for the trip we got into the bus which was leaking badly from the rain.

We have to change seats as spots in the bus were leaking, it was a big wide bus but a bit run down, the driver is driving like mad, quite worrying especially in this weather. 6 hours of bus ride and we found ourselves in Quito around 9pm, we were dropped off at a new bus station, fairly new terminal and $7 taxi ride to our hostel El Taxo recommeded by Elliot, great to be back in Quito!

---