Colombia
September
6, 2012 - Ipiales is an uninspiring border town. It's big
and dirty, with outlying suburbs that would give any aspiring
urban planner nightmares. We arrived far too late in the day but
got lucky and found a decent place with good wifi, a rarity as
of late.
We never turn down an offer to park the bikes in the lobby, which is what happened on this night again. The whole reason for this stop was the church below.
The Las Lajas Sanctuary is built over top a river, replacing a few previous structures to remember the apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1754. This structure was built in 1949. Quite a remarkable structure and certainly worth the visit. We didn't bump into the Virgin Mary after hanging around for a bit so we left for Ecuador.
Colombia was an amazing country to visit and ride around in. Cartagena, El Cocuy, El Poblado in Medellin and Barichara, each place has a unique appeal and stands on its own. After the US, this was our favorite country so far.