From the Coldest City in Colombia to the Capital of Guinea Pig via the Virgin's holy site


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South America » Colombia » Pasto
January 10th 2010
Published: January 12th 2010
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Laguna Verde...Laguna Verde...Laguna Verde...

magic place...
After two days in Ipiales, the coldest city in Colombia (thank God there was hot water at the hotel) I took a short sidetrip to Tulcán in Ecuador to renew my VISA. I got 90 days!!! Yes indeed, blue eyes give an advantage sometimes :o)

Then Jenny, Paola and me went to las Lajas, a beautiful neogothic church situated in the valley between two sonderful mountains.
Apaprently Virgin Mary is said to once have appeared on the cliff where the church is now built.

Then I took the bus on my own to the capital of the Narino department: Pasto.
Pasto is not spectacular in itself, it is just another South American city in the mountain where it is cold outisde the houses and inside the houses, but you yet have to open the windows, otherwise it smells funny.

I joined an existing tour to visit Laguna Verde, a beautiful lagoon in a living volcano that is sleeping. Actually there are three lagonns, that formed, according to the Indian legend, from the tears of an Indian father who had been out working in the fields and found his wife and two kids gone upon return.
After searching for 33 moons, the Gods told him not to worry that the place where they were was nice and that they were fine. So he gave up, sat down and cried.
His tears of love formed a pink lagoon, his tears of belief a black lagoon and his tears of hope, the last thing that leaves humans, formed the big halfmoon formed green lagoon. Seeing his sorrow, the Gods turned him into a volcano and sometimes when he thinks that he hears his wife or kids in the mountains, he moves, which creates activity in the volcano.
It was a very nice group, about 20 colombians and me, and two wonderful and knowing guides, Dona Marina and Jorges.

We got along so well that they invited me and two other guys to an Indigenous ceremony in the evening. A very special night I will never forget.

I remind you that I am currently in the south west part of Colombia where there is pretty much no black population, but a big Indigenous one.
Travelling in Colombia is very interesting, like travelling in many countries in one, because population, mentality, nature and psyche changes a lot between the different regions.

I also went to have a glimpse of the local trout festival before it was time to head off to another department.

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25th January 2010

Åh, det låter helt ljuvligt ju, allt du gör! Marcela är otroligt vacker, jag är jätteglad att du hittat henne, ni verkar ha jätteskoj ihop :) Jag vill ju också vara där och göra allt du gör, men jag uppskattar att du skriver så mycket om det istället! Puss puss!!

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