Ecuador/Colombia border crossing and a night in Pasto

We crossed the border in to Colombia in to what is generally regarded as guerrilla territory. People told me before I left that we'd be kidnapped, drugged, robbed or made to work as drug mules. The first people we spoke to as we were in line at the Colombian border to get our passport stamped was a family from Bogota (the Colombian capital) who gave us their phone number and address and told us to give them a call if we came to Bogota!

Bus in Colombia

Even the money changer guys didn't bother you too much. One was asking me if I wanted to change money (they just keep on saying 'cambio, cambio, cambio') and I said no thanks, I'm finished. So then I asked him where to get an immigration card. I couldn't understand his answer and so after a few people all trying to tell me in Spanish, someone in the line spoke English and established that we didn't need one. She then turned around and told everyone (I presume) that we had come from Ecuador so we didn't need one. They all nodded their heads in agreement and then the cambio guy gave me a nod and went away!

Guerrilla Country!

One funny thing happened as we went from the last bus station in Ecuador to the border in a taxi. We were sitting in the back and the drivers in these parts of the world are pretty keen on overtaking, blind corner or not. So when the driver veered on to the wrong side of the road and stayed there for a couple of minutes with a sweeping blind corner ahead, our eyes nearly started to pop out of our head. The driver smiles and casually looks back and says 'Una via' (one way). Instant relief!

Anyhow, we made it to the town of Pasto which was nice enough. We found a hostel called the 'Koala Hostel' or something like that and dumped our gear to head in to the town. We ended up in a salsa bar where there were plastic chairs, tables and cups and the waitress brings you beer to the table and you pay her straight away. Not sure if I am alone here, but that seems like the sort of place which is prepared for trouble. There wasn't any while we were there so we had a few beers and watched the locals salsa away (and sit down at the end of each song).