Colombia Forum

CAtoMDE
Joined 2016
Posts: 420

5 years ago

My road trip continues - now in Quito Ecuador

5 years ago

Well have been so busy with traveling that just now needed an evening to un-wind as I sit here in my hotel room in quito ecuador.

Drove out this morning to mitad el mundo and was glad that the rain stopped long enough to spend a few hours out there and must say the chocolate is incredible as others always talk about.

Then came back into town for the afternoon to early evening and climbed the basilica to the very very very top, wow what a view and could not help to wonder how they could build such a structure, looks like it is both stone and formed concrete, even at the top, must be an incredibly heavy building.

Let me back track a few days, I traveled to San Agustin after tierradentro and did the hikes around those statues, had a nice day of doing nothing more than walking and closely observing the carvings.

When I left san agustin I headed south to mocoa, I must say that there are some great pueblos in colombia but this place is, well, trashy, ok I said it. My paisa travel amigo reminded me that there was the rio disaster in mocoa about a year ago, we saw the river and the area where many structures and lives were wiped out and it was raining and the power of the river was humbling.

So from Mocoa I drove in my KIA across the mountain range to Pasto, 5 hours of treacherous night driving in the rain and swollen rivers, all I can say is that I am glad I ate my lucky stars for breakfast, jajajaja

I arrived in Pasto at 1 AM and figured I drove 12 plus hours from san agustin to Pasto, now what can be worse? Well have any of you been in Pasto, enough said.

The next day made my way to Las Lejas, got through all that road construction, to the church built on the river, spent a few hours, took some great pics and headed off to the ecuador border.

Took me about 1.5 hours to check out of colombia immigration and get stamped in to enter ecuador, and I had to register my car.

Must say that the road all the way from the COL/Ecuador border to Quito is the bomb, great road all the way, and the tolls are each $1.00 a great price.

A few random thoughts:

1. I will never make that drive from Mocoa to Pasto again in this life or the next.

2. The unfriendliness of almost every Ecuadorian I have come into contact with leaves me speechless, what a bunch of sorry bitter people.

3. I have come to learn that I am spoiled with the vast majority of nice paisas I see and live with in medellin, it is surprising how sorry ass attitudes are the norm in almost every other departmento in Colombia. Yes of course there are exceptions and when they happen I am the first to say thank you.

4. I am also spoiled by truly how good looking both the men and women paisas are, and more importantly how they care for themselves, they may not have much but they are clean and made up every time they go outside. Honestly speaking, this may sound really rude, but the trashy men and women I see who are dirty and who take absolutely no care or concern for how they look in public in places like Pasto or Macoa is like they just don't give a damm.

5. I checked my odometer trip and it reads 1,624 km since I left my apartment in Medellin last Saturday. I have been stopped by police 3 times, once with a complete search of my vehicle and another had to pay a bribe to an Ecuadorian police of $20.00 USD because of my window tint. They are all corrupt, both Col and Ecuador.

6. All the above being said I love to see the new places and I do love Colombia. It is when the completely unexpected happens, a new person that you strike up a conversation with or just being present to see the beauty of people and nature, or having some time to reflect on my life, both the good and hard times and thankful I can enjoy another day "living the life".

Sorry for my rambling thoughts, I think I have been driving too much, jajajaja I need to open a bottle of that Quito Rum I bought today.

William Russell

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William Russell

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William Russell

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