Into Colombia

I crossed the border into Colombia this morning. An overnight bus frm Baños to Quito then to Ipiales, Colombia. I had to get a stamp out of Ecuador from the Ecuadorian immigration and a stamp into Colombia from the Colombian side. No big whoop. The Ecuadorian official who stamped my passport told me he´d wait for me to return with a smile and a wink. What is it with me and dirty old men? No offense to any who may be reading this. Love ya! HA! Only a joke, only a joke!!

On the Colombian side, there are money changers but none pushy, just available. Before the border in Tulcan, Ecuador I walked through a cemetery. It has nichos as is the custom but also has a labyrinth opening out to the nichos. Animals, shapes, sculptures in trees. It´s magnificent, although it did remind me of the closing scene of The Shining.

Colombia is beautiful. It looks like The Sound of Music. The hills are alive...ah, ah, ah, ah...with songs they will sing for a thousand years. All the houses have tiled roofs, even in the most rural parts. And there are flowers planted everywhere, even the most modest of homes well-manicured such that the owner´s pride is easy to surmise.