What's up?! Happy new year all! Hope you celebrated in style and 2015 treats you well!
So after my fun night of salsa, I braved the local buses to navigate my way to the bus terminal. Met the sweetest locals- one lady took me under her wing and on the packed bus she got off at the stop with me and put me on to the next bus I needed, where another guy watched over me til I had to get off, then another guy walked with me to the terminal. Haha! Colombians are sooo friendly! Definitely the most helpful too, as a whole.
So I got a bus to Popayan. It was more of a minibus thing and on it was a colombian family who again were really sweet and the dad spent the whole journey telling me about Colombia. In Popayan I had a good hostel, the town itself was pretty cool- not very big and not many gringos. I walked a bit and went to the supermarket and made myself a much needed and tasty salad with broccoli! Chatted to a few people in the hostel and slept well.
Monday:
I got the bus from Popayan to San Agustin. It took about 4 hours and was the worst trip so far- 80% of the road was gravel tracks- so bumpy! Plus, they fitted about 6 more people on the bus than it should hold. And it was all through and round windy mountains. The scenery all over Colombia is spectacular- so dramatic with mountains and rivers, but so lush and green!
In San Agustin I ended up at a hostel up on the hill overlooking the town. But it was more like someone's house and I was sleeping in their garage, haha. Double bed though! I went out to explore- a very small, traditional town where they still had more horse and carts than cars! I found a vegetarian restaurant and was chatting to a couple of cool people in there. Then spent the night sorting out my bloody american visa application! £130 and long applications, but I now have an appointment in Quito at the Embarassy on the 8th- bloody temporary passport!
Tuesday:
I done a jeep trip around San Agustin. It is famous for its archeological sites. They have found lots of tombs and burial sites with various offering and most notably 100s of stone carved faces and figures. But what is most interesting is that they don't really know anything about this civilisation. So the jeep took us to a few of the sites where we saw the tombs and lots of the stone figures, etc. At one site the tombs are on the top of hills, but they flattened the tops of the hills and joined them in the middle- pretty cool. We also visited a couple of waterfalls. A long day of driving around on crappy roads, but nice people on the trip so good fun. I could easily have stayed another day or two, but seriously running out of time!!
Wednesday:
Bus back to Popayan- even more crowded- 4 of us on my two seats! I had thought I would go straight to Ipiales, but no buses were running there because it was New Year's Eve. So I went back to the last hostel I'd stayed in. In my dorm were a Brazilian and Swiss guy who started chatting straightaway and we made plans to cook a big dinner and go out to see in the new year. They were hilarious! We went out around Popayan- it was really busy! Loads of market stalls and people- a good atmosphere. We went to a supermarket and bought food and alcohol. Back in the hostel we cooked a feast! An older French guy also joined us. We made cocktails and had beer and didn't go out until 11.50- taking our saucepan of Cuba libre with us. We went to the main plaza expecting a crowd and a countdown, but it was just us!! Haha, it was so funny and totally random- four people from different countries stood in a square in Colombia drinking from a saucepan! Watched fireworks over the city and they have guy Fawkes type dolls which they blow up! The club didn't open til 2.30!! Colombians spend new year with their family then go out later apparently. So we walked around and found a bar where we had a drin first. The club was ok- all Colombians, lots of young people though. We danced until about 5.30 and then come back.
Thursday:
Me, the Swiss and Brazilian were all heading to Ecuador. We had a chilled morning, then went to get a bus. But we were told no buses were running! We were debating what to do when a couple of locals come up to us to ask if we were going to Pasto. They also wanted to go and managed to get a company to agree to put on a bus if we could fill it. We soon found a few more people including an English guy who is a disillusioned police officer in the met- interesting. And so it was totally by luck and good timing that we were able to go to pasto. Another stunning drive scenery wise! In Pasto we followed the English guy to a hostel which was really cool and we all went out for dinner which was nice. In the main square they were having a big of a party and we had a group of Colombians come and ask for our pictures.
Friday:
We got up about 6am and left about 7.30 on a 2 hour trip to ipiales- the border town. Said bye to the English guy- he needed just to cross the border and come back as his 90 day visa was up. We went to visit a church that is a famous pilgrimage site- it is built on to the side of a canyon- so one wall is just the rock face. Pretty impressive, we walked around there for a bit trying to budget our last few pesos. Then back to ipiales to get our bags and a taxi to the border! Long queue to get a stamp out of Colombia! Walked across the bridge into Ecuador- my 32nd and last new country for this trip. Got stamped in and then a really long queue to get a taxi to the bus terminal in Tulcan. We ate dinner in Tulcan before getting a bus- it was getting late and we had booked a hostel in Quito, but we decided to get a slightly shorter bus to Otavalo where there is the biggest open air market in South America on a Saturday. So funny trying to sort out buses and hostels, two Colombians also heading to Otavalo with us. We had no hostel so was driving around on this little bus. Found a really cheap hotel place on the Main Street. We went out mooching, although it was already about 9. We found a cool bar and had a beer and they ate more with the Colombian two.
Saturday:
We went out into Otavalo to explore the market which just takes over most of the streets in the town. The venders and a lot of the locals are the indigenous people of the area- they are so short! Seriously, 85% don't even come up to my chin! They are quite Indian looking and wear traditional clothes and the men all have really long plaited hair. They also speak their own language. It was certainly interesting to see. Although we have come to the conclusion that Ecuadorians are not particularly bright- they are all a bit slow. The market was full of the usual crap to be honest, but we visited the animal market which was sad but interesting as we watched them selling their guinea pigs and ducks and cages of chickens and pigs, etc. They were c*** fighting too, which I've never seen before. I didn't buy anything, but Patrice and Isaac ended up with matching hats after two hours of trying them on. We got food then got a bus straight to Quito, only took a couple of hours. The city looked huge as we rounded the mountain beside it, but when we got a taxi to the hostel everywhere was like a ghost town!? Hostel is cool. We went to the supermarket and got food to cook at the hostel- good vege pasta. Then we just chilled at the hostel- a big group of cool people in the garden so we joined them chatting in the garden til late- a couple went out but said no where was open?!
Patrice and Isaac are so funny! I don't think I have ever laughed so much. They are so stupid, but highly amusing. I have realised on this trip how uptight and serious I was- I have never had friendships before where you just laugh and have fun- but on this trip I have laughed so much with random people who at home I probably would judge, dislike and avoid. I have never been able to just relax and go with the flow. I am certainly 100 times more open minded and tolerant of people. In truth, I am dreading coming home, no offence. I was reminiscing on the bus about all the amazing things I have seen and done and people I have met on this trip and how happy I have been. I think I was born to travel! But only 4 weeks left and a lot to fit in.
Take care guys! Update me on how amazing Ipswich has become......