Amazing church.. thru to not amazing town

7 Jan 2007

Having seen photos of the nearby Las Lajas church we are pretty excited to be going there today. Its Sunday, and a long weekend, so its going to be crowded. The hotel owner says the cheapest way there is to catch a local bus to the top of the hill, then walk down the last 3kms.

Of course, he insists, we will have to use a taxi to get back. When we ask what wrong with the bus to come back he looks at us like we are mad and says, but you would have to walk up the hill first.....

Sure enough, its packed. All Colombians, we are the only foreigners.(again). And yes, it is bloody beautiful. Pure Gothic style, and on a cliff over a river, with a massive brick bridge to connect. It looks like something out of a ferry tale. We take a quick look inside with the crowds ofworshippers, and enter the museum underneath the church, complete with two scarey stuffed animals.

These mutants are displayed as evidence of Gods wrath. A goat with two heads, and a sheep with 4 front legs. Siamese twins perhaps???

We take loads of photos, then finaly walk up the hill. Its pretty warm by now (after a chilly morning), maybe we should have cabbed it.

Back in town we grab a fruit smoothie, which sets us back 5000 pesos...$2.25US each..... and feel a pinch of concern about costs in Colombia, which we have aleady heard are higher than where we camne from.

The bus thru to Pastos confirms it. 6000 each for a two hour ride... its not a total fortune, but certainly more than before.

Pastos feels weird. Its a medium sized city centre, but is totaly deserted, and very dusty, despite being all sealed roads. We discover later that the famous carnival finished last night. The dust we see is flour which everybody throws at each other, and everybody is now in bed recovering....

We finaly find an open diner for a very basic (and expensive) lasagne, and crash.