Riding to Patagonia

[1.21GW]

The whole latitudinal move across the Andes was so that I might exit Colombia through Ipiales in order to see what is billed as The Most Beautiful Church in the World, according to The Telegraph (UK).  Though it's built in a gothic style, the basilica at Santuario de Las Lajas is in fact a very modern construction, completed in 1949 on the site of a shrine that sanctified a 18th century Marian vision in the canyon.  For personal reasons, I still have La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona as the most beautiful church structure I've seen.  But when it comes to the combination of structure and setting, I have yet to cross a church that beats Las Lajas.


























What is absent from the photos is the roar of the Guaítara River and the nearby waterfall.  They add to the meditative nature of the setting.  This is the view from the front of my hotel.  Were it not for the afternoon rain, I could have spent hours at this spot.

[duccarlos]

The whole latitudinal move across the Andes was so that I might exit Colombia through Ipiales in order to see what is billed as The Most Beautiful Church in the World, according to The Telegraph (UK).  Though it's built in a gothic style, the basilica at Santuario de Las Lajas is in fact a very modern construction, completed in 1949 on the site of a shrine that sanctified a 18th century Marian vision in the canyon.  For personal reasons, I still have La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona as the most beautiful church structure I've seen.  But when it comes to the combination of structure and setting, I have yet to cross a church that beats Las Lajas.


























What is absent from the photos is the roar of the Guaítara River and the nearby waterfall.  They add to the meditative nature of the setting.  This is the view from the front of my hotel.  Were it not for the afternoon rain, I could have spent hours at this spot.

This is gorgeous. I had never heard of this church. This is definitely now on my list.

[1.21GW]

This is gorgeous. I had never heard of this church. This is definitely now on my list.

Definitely recommended the visit.  I don't, however, recommend staying in Las Lajas.  Dead town, and the food options are pretty bad.  On the other hand, if you're in the market to buy a rosary I know 87 shops I can recommend. 

[Monsterlover]

Dude, that heat shield, like this whole thread, is make the beast with two backsing badass.

[1.21GW]

Dude, that heat shield, like this whole thread, is make the beast with two backsing badass.

Should I ask Jose if he does mill work? 

[1.21GW]

I crossed into Ecuador and met a couple riding a pair of Teneres from Oregon at the border.  They mentioned a cool cemetery about twenty minutes away so I decided to swing as I continued south.  The cemetery in Tulcan is populated with playful figures carved out of plump cypress trees that stand across from the walls of funerary vaults and around plots of gravestones in playful mockery.  The impish figures are the creation of the cemetery's original gardener, who began carving the shapes over seventy years ago.  Long since deceased, his sons carry on his legacy today.






















I then headed through a series of towns and cities, including Baños, a popular adventure destination with waterfalls, rafting, zip lines, and mountaintop swings. 

[Monsterlover]

Should I ask Jose if he does mill work? 

I actually just hired a guy who starts tomorrow. Had he not accepted I would have wanted you to talk to Jose, yes.

[1.21GW]

I actually just hired a guy who starts tomorrow. Had he not accepted I would have wanted you to talk to Jose, yes.

Nice.  Good luck!







My next stop was Alausí, a town in the central Andes with excellent views.  The village itself is rather forgettable, with few places to stay and even fewer to eat.  Sunny mornings quickly give way to overcast afternoons and then evening fog, providing a drab atmosphere.  But the reason to go to Alausí is not the worn buildings and abandoned bull ring but rather the train line that wraps around a mountain prominence called the Devil's Nose.














The Nariz del Diablo is a unique feature along Ecuador's rail system formed by the convergence of two rivers.  To get the train down the steep canyon walls engineers designed a series of switchbacks where the engine reverses direction twice during the 500m decent.  This section of track was built a century ago with immigrant labor from the Caribbean, many of whom permanently settled in the country.  In total, an estimated 2,000 workers died during construction, leading many locals to believe the project was cursed and giving rise to the mountain's ominous name.

[DuciD03]

 

...ha ...

... cool trip ...

... nice pics ...

... ride on ...

... thanks for sharing!

 


(...suppose I'm; were all envious ... but keep on doing what your doin; we'er all in a different place in a different time.)

(oh just checking; sacrificial chicas?)

[1.21GW]

I need no encouragement to continue.  Probably need the opposite: someone to tell me to get back on the train and get a job.  But for now, more riding.


Next up was Cuenca, a mellow colonial city in south central Ecuador.  I don't really do city pics, so all you get is this.






From Cuenca I headed to the beach for two weeks and stayed at my friend's hotel.  The beach is not all that pretty in Ecuador but people don't go for the scenery, they go for the nightlife and the waves.  Caught some nice rides, took a few yoga classes for the first time in my life and gave my body a good reset after eight months and 13k miles of riding.

Anyway, the way from Cuenca to the coast passes through Las Cajas National Park.  The palette of purples, grays, and ochres was a change of key from the myriad greens that cover the rest of the country.  Few visitors and a constant cloud cover created an atmosphere of remoteness and solitude.

[ducpainter]

I need no encouragement to continue.  Probably need the opposite: someone to tell me to get back on the train and get a job.  But for now, more riding.


<snip>

I say make the beast with two backs it... the wheel isn't that much fun. Ride on!

Send me a ticket.

[DesmoDiva]

I need no encouragement to continue.  Probably need the opposite: someone to tell me to get back on the train and get a job.  But for now, more riding


Next up was Cuenca, a mellow colonial city in south central Ecuador.  I don't really do city pics, so all you get is this.

That will do just fine!!

Please keep riding!    

[1.21GW]

Thanks, DesmoDiva.



So I didn't spend as much time in Ecuador as it deserves, mainly because I rode all over the country two years ago on an off-road moto trip with Ecuador Freedom Bike.  But I would be remiss if I didn't say anything about the Ecuadorian Andes, which are as yet the most beautiful mountain range I've ridden through.  They are something to behold, a chorus of green that sings continuously through the central spine of the country, offering endless new wonder around every hairpin turn and behind every passing cloud.  The slopes, tiled with crop fields and cow pastures, appear as enormous mosaics of jade and emerald that glimmer under waves of golden sunlight like the gleam on some great Incan treasure.

[Monsterlover]

 

[koko64]

Wow.