Ipiales and the Ecuadorian Border

We got into Ipiales mid morning and took a cab up to Santuario de las Lajas a neo-Gothic church built between 1926 adn 1944. Its connected to a bridge that spans a river. The church was built after someone saw the face of the virgin on the rock wall. The church is actually built into the rocks and the alter is where the virgin was seen. The rocks around the church are covered with plaques asking that relatives be taken to heaven or thanking God for miracles. The church was truly amazing!!

Then we headed to the Colombian/Ecuadorian border- we got through tht eColombian side easily- no line at all. Then we got to Ecuador wher the computer systems were completely down- so no one was crossing the border anywhere in Ecuador. The funny thing was they didnt announce that the computers were down, there just wasnt anyone at the computers- honestly our first thought was does the border really take lunch breaks?

We waited for 2 hours until the computers came back up. Alissa and Lukas, our American friends, hadnt come right to the border after the sanctuary because they were stocking up on Colombian coffee so they were way behind us in the line. The worst of it was when the computers started back up they allowed the line to go all the way to the door and then instead of wrapping it around the room they just locked people outside until everyone inside had been taken care of...but it was raining and they literally separated a father and son who were traveling together.

Once we got through the border we took a taxi to Tulcan and then a bus to Quito. We got into Quito around 9 and tried to go to a hostel that some other backpackers had suggested but there wasn't enough room for all 5 of us so we went to another hostel in the Mariscal district called El Taxo. Since Alissa and Lukas we so far behind us at the border they got in late that night so they stayed in the hostel we had originally agreed to meet at. Our hostel was good though, 5 beds for $5 a person with our own bathroom- the funny part though was that there were windows facing the street on one side of the shower so literally everyone could see you before the window steamed up!