My overland trip from Colombia to Ecuador – San Agustín to Pitalito to Quito – was exciting and challenging! Instead of backtracking through Popayán and bumping along rough Andean roads, I decided to try a less-traveled route through Pasto. The plan was taking a bus from San Agustín to Pasto, where I would spend the night, continue to Ipiales the next day, and then cross the Colombian – Ecuadorian land border. In South America, land border crossings are potentially stressful and not my favorite…
San Agustín to Pasto Colombia
For many years, locals and tourists avoided the road from San Agustín to Pasto. The backroad deep in the Andes Jungle was a known hangout for Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels, a paramilitary group of ill repute. To fund their operations, FARC Guerrillas – or maybe it was Colombian drug barons – I get the two confused, angered the Colombian government by ambushing autos and buses, kidnapping, stealing, and terrifying village people. One of many notable acts of FARC violence was the 2002 Bojayá massacre.
Crossing the Andes
After repeated assurance from San Agustín locals that “actividad peligrosa” stopped long ago and there was “nada que temer” from the FARC, I took my life into my own hands and decided to try it. The nine-hour bus ride was uneventful. It was a magical delight for the eyes, as we passed exotic, breathtakingly spectacular Amazon Jungle scenery deep in the lush, isolated Andes! By auto, it would have been a terrifying drive around blind corners and up and down steep terrain, but the bus ride was easy, and it worked. The views were amazing!
I met Christina from Slovakia, another solo traveler, and we shared travel stories. Christina’s travel companion was a classic guitar which she guarded carefully. She’d been traveling for months passing through Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia and was now on her way to Otavalo Ecuador to visit the Otavalo Market, known for its textiles and handicrafts. Having lived in Spain, in addition to Slovakian, Christina spoke fluent English and Spanish.
Pasto Colombia
Driving into Pasto, we encountered a wild, chaotic atmosphere with energetic Carnival celebrations in process – loud music, boisterous parades with colorful floats, and people dancing in the streets. Revelers in bright-colored costumes with painted faces sprayed carnival foam on each other. When our bus driver stopped to greet another driver going in the opposite direction, he got sprayed in the face with Carnival Foam.
Carnival Celebrations Pasto and Ipiales
I’ve celebrated Carnival in the San Francisco Bay Area but never South America. It’s observed by South American countries at different times of year, with celebrations lasting for days. It was wild! With so many people celebrating, Pasto hotels were fully booked, and people were traveling to nearby Ipiales for lodging.
Ipiales Colombia
Ipiales is known for Santuario de Las Lajas Basilica Church, a remarkable neo-Gothic cathedral in a canyon between two mountains. Las Lajas is one of the world’s most beautiful shrines. There are many myths and mysteries about the magnificent church.
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Steamy jungle mist mysteriously hides and then suddenly reveals the beautiful Santuario de Las Lajas Basilica Cathedral.
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Ipiales Santuario de Las Lajas Basilica literally clings to the side of a sheer cliff above the Guáitara River overlooking two waterfalls flowing from the Amazon Jungle!
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Ipiales was also celebrating Carnival, but we switched buses and headed there anyway, hoping to find smaller crowds and less carousing. We arrived to discover the same scene – noise, commotion in the streets, raucous Colombians partying, and zero hotel vacancies.
Tulcán Ecuador
We spoke to someone at the bus station who advised us to cross the border, spend the night in the Ecuadorian town of Tulcán, and continue our trip the next day. At this point, it was late, and we were tired and hungry but couldn’t find a restaurant or place to buy food.
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Already exhausted from the long day, Christina and I wondered if we would sit hungry in the bus station all night…
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Before figuring out how to get to Tulcán, we bought our bus tickets for Otavalo and Quito, chilled, and continued looking for food in the bus station. Although the celebration might have been fun in daylight, we weren’t keen on wandering around Ipiales at night – it looked dangerous, and there wasn’t a safe place to store our luggage. Luckily, we found a quiet café in the bus station and ate so-so rice and beans.
Bellies full, we hopped a taxi to cross the border at Ipiales. The atmosphere was intimidating – dangerous, isolated, and dark. This was my third land border crossing in South America, and it wasn’t getting easier.
Border Crossing Colombia to Ecuador
We completed the immigration paperwork and waited with passports in hand. During a land border crossing it’s important to keep your wits about you. Things happen fast, and sometimes there isn’t much time to prepare. It’s a good idea to know how far it is to the other side and where you can pick up a taxi or bus.
Customs and Immigration
Upon arrival, the action begins at customs, where you’ll be approached by bold, insistent taxi drivers offering rides. Always ask them for identification and take your time deciding which one to hire. Even when they have valid-looking identification, understand that going with them in their vehicle is potentially dangerous – more so for solo women travelers. You must be firm and tell the drivers to back off and give you space while you recover from the experience and collect your thoughts. I’ve lived to tell of harrowing experiences as a solo traveler in South America!
The immigration official asked if I had been to Ecuador before. I answered yes, as years ago I visited Quito on my way to the Galápagos Islands. She started looking through my passport for another Ecuadorian visa and couldn’t find one. With borderline Spanish, I tried to explain that I renewed my passport, so the previous visa was not stamped in the new one. She gave me a dirty look. While wilting from her scowl and forgetting all the Spanish I ever knew, I motioned for Christina. She took over and with impeccable Spanish explained the absence of a previous visa. The immigration officer accepted her explanation, and stamped a visa in my passport – whew!
After our passports were stamped, we walked about 700 meters (760 yards) in the dark across the border from Colombia into Ecuador. It was surreal – and looked like I imagined a dreary concentration camp or stark prison yard. I wondered if it was really happening and pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I was unclear exactly why crossings between the two borders required a physical walk. We were both relieved when it was over!
Currency Exchange
Currency exchange is another thing to prepare for before a land border crossing. The process is chaotic with people standing around yelling, waving cash, and carrying calculators trying to convince you they know the proper exchange rate. Some countries have designated money exchangers identified by bright-colored yellow jackets – anyone could get one of the jackets! The exchange rate may affect how long you plan to stay, so it’s important to make sure you know the fair rate and how much money to exchange and receive back in local currency. You will definitely suffer for mistakes.
Tulcán Ecuador
On the other side in Ecuador, we took a deep breath, hopped a taxi to Tulcán, and found a small hotel. Exhausted, I fell into a deep sleep. The next day, buses for Quito and Otavalo were departing every ten minutes. Christina and I boarded our buses and waved goodbye. It was a five-hour bus ride from Tulcán to Quito. There were bumps along the way, but in the end, it was an interesting adventure, and everything turned out well….
