Into Ecuador
Trip Start
Oct 14, 2009
1
32
36
Trip End
Aug 20, 2010
Ibarra, Ecuador
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Colombian border town of Ipiales is about "7-8 hours" south of Popayan on yet another bus. That's 10 hours when translated into English.
The entertainment on this journey was provided by the bus driver. I had taken a picture at the bus station of the bus companys' record as regards accidents, injuries and deaths this year (see below - they're required by law to have this up). All 0 so far, but our bus driver seemed determined to get his name registered on the scoreboard. Crazy overtaking manoeuvres going around bends, at the brow of hills, going up hills. Basically anywhere but on a straight stretch of road.
Got to Ipiales too late to make it over the border to Ecuador so we stayed there for a night. The next morning we had a bit of time on our hands so we went out to visit a church that they built into the side of a mountain. Very impressive stuff as you can see from the pictures below. Second only to Lourdes in the number of miracles attributed to it - or so I was told.
After that we got our bags and headed over the border into Ecuador. Sad to be leaving Colombia - would definitely recommend it.
Border formalities were pretty easy and not long after we were on our way south to a town called Ibarra in Ecuador. The US Dollar is the national currency here which is pretty strange - their own currency collapsed in 2001 and they switched. Makes things easier for us I suppose.
Ibarra was nice. Few nice squares to see and a grand way to break up the journey south to Quito. They don't get too many tourists here either so you're a bit of a curiousity.
Ecuador seems alright so far. Bit of a reputation for being unsafe aswell but nothing bad in that regard so far....
Next up is Quito - capital of Ecuador.
