Ipiales

ABOUT IPIALES:
Ipiales is the border town on the Colombian side of the Colombia/Ecuador frontier. The town has some pleasant plazas, and the sight of locals using a horse and cart gives it a quaint, countryside feel. The star attraction of Ipiales is the nearby Santuario de las Lajas, the site of many supposed miracles and apparitions over the years. Set amid breath-taking scenery, the Santuario is a spectacular gothic-style church straddling a dramatic gorge with a rushing river below. It is one of the most impressive churches on the continent, and its fantastic setting and quirky museum make it a

highlight of any visit to Colombia.

Again, today was a long drive to our hostel in Ipiales, which is five mins from the border into Ecuador. Besides the usual toilet and stretching stops, our only stop was at the Santuario de las Lajas for 1 ½ hours. The church is very impressive; however, we all ambled around but the entire group was finished well before 1 ½ hours, and we were waiting around for the truck to return.

We arrived very late into Ipiales; however, Nathan and I still did our workout (with everyone watching and giving (not so) helpful advice). Ipiales sits at about 2,900 meters, so this workout was extremely tough, but I figure its good practice for Macchu Picchu in a few weeks. I’m usually okay with a cold shower, especially after my recent six months in Africa, however, this shower was the coldest one I’ve ever had in my life!

Everyone went ahead to the restaurant while Nathan and I got ready and we joined them at a nearby pizza restaurant. I decided to order a medium pizza; however, it was insanely huge. Incredibly there were two sizes bigger, a large (which Nathan order) and a family size.