Pasto

Friday January 6 - we left the Hostel around 9:00AM after a good breakfast then with taxi to bus terminal. San Augustin is a small town about 2,000 people. From town we toke a one hour ride in a collectivo truck (8 people 3-4 in front the rest in the back sitting side ways) to Pitolito, another town. With luck we got a Van to the half way (Macoa) of our next destination Pasto. Macoa was 2.5 hours with 10 people in the van. We had two stops by military, one to get out and be searched (very common in this area). The driver was very good maybe too good since one passenger, a young pregnant girl, got very sick and had to use the "Bag" unfortunately she missed a few times and the bus smelled. it is very curvy road and the driver just had to go as fast as possible. At the military stop he cleaned the floor and sprinkled coffee on the floor to take the smell away.
Arriving in Macoa around 2:00 PM we decided to continue to Pasto, only another 140 miles but it takes 7 Hours driving as fast as possible. You don't want to start the drive in the evening and drive too long in the dark, because of the mountains. The bus was large a combination School Bus - Hummer. We had to get over two mountain passes. It is the highest we have ever been around 10,000 feet, and all on un-paved dirt roads most of them only for one vehicle and all switch-backs. Too many crosses on the side of the road. But the driver was very alert you can say like a good pilot, he probably drives in a higher altitude than Tim is flying his planes!
5 stops by Police and Military on the way 3 of them out of bus searches and one pass control. All for terrorists, I believe. Two young American kids from Denver were with us until Pasto.
Arriving in Pasto at 9:00 PM we headed to the center of town the Koala Hostel, had a 4 bed room the first night (last room available) and shared it with the two Americans, this night we are in a 3 bed private room with bath for $12 total for the two of us.

Walked half way up the mountain this morning (to 11,00 feet ?). Lunch in a BBQ place. A Colombian picked us up at the mountain, Lawyer and Farmer, showed us around and the Lunch place very happy to help and meet two foreigners a great experience for us. Tomorrow morning to a lake (4 hour trip) then by bus to Popayan, about 6 hours away.