ludocdoc

Hi Colombian experts

I'm looking for advice on seeing the Las Lajas cathedral I'm going to be in Bogota for a few days for work and would fly in a bit early to head down there. From what I read, though there is an airport in Ipiales, it isnt of practical value -- looks like theres a flight every few days that goes in and immediately leaves early in the AM, so no round trip workable there. Seems the way in is Pasto, with a bus to Ipiales, and a taxi to the cathedral.

I cant find good data on the frequency of the buses, and need advice on timing. My guess is I could get on an early AM Bogota-Pasto flight and bus down, see the cathedral and return to Pasto by bus, and spend a night there. Does anyone have experience or advice -- where should I pause for the night, assuming I dedicate 2 nights to the adventure, and what else along the way is worth extending it?

JohnnyColombia

Not somewhere I have ever been but your plan sounds solid, I imagine buses run quite frequently. I also imagine that Pasto is the place to stay for the night.

I just had a look at the Terminal de Pasto website. It's a bit crap but they do list providers. Bolivariano Express is a sensible option and they themselves have buses almost hourly, sometimes two an hour, sometimes one every 2 hours.

http://bolivariano.com.co/

Shows prices and you can choose seats. Whether their online payments work is another matter. Ignore the bit that says "Agotado" It is not sold out because if you click "Selectionar Sillas" you can see the seats are wide open

Other places you can consider going to are Laguna de la Cocha and Volcán Azufral. Popayán is a gorgeous city so if you can consider spending a night there then that would be better than Pasto, failing that a night in both, there are also buses from Popayán to Ipiales I think but you go through Pasto anyway

Happy travels

ludocdoc

That bus schedule is very helpful thanks

I may end up answering my own questions in may, when I go, but I'll put out another flyer. I arrive bogota late on a Tuesday. I can fly to pasto 6am or 9am, and then bus to ipiales. I think I'll overnight in ipiales. Then I can fly back to bogota early am from ipiales, on the twice weekly flight, or bus to pasto for more flight choices.

Advice? Can I make it comfortably to the cathedral arriving in pasto at noon, or should I arrive at 9? And is the convenience of flying back from ipiales false with a very early flight rhatbif cancelled leaves me scrambling?

JohnnyColombia

I just noticed that this timetable does not state arrival times. There are no buses between 10.30am and 1pm so bank on getting the 1pm bus.

According to Google Maps that trip is 1h48 leaving now (it's more or less midday here)

Say you get into Ipiales after 3pm I think that is pushing it. That leaves you about 3 hours of daylight and it is more likely to be raining in the afternoon.

I'd say you want to be getting the 6am flight. That would get you to Las Lajas by about 10.30am

ludocdoc

Sounds like good advice, though that 6:30 am flight out of BOG is going to hurt!

how about getting a taxi the whole way from Pasto to Las Lajas? that solves the no bus issue when the 9:00 am flight lands at Pasto at 11am. 2 hour taxi ride, sure, but how pricey is it going to be? If I go airport to Las Lajas, that spares me the airport to PAsto bus terminal taxi, the bus, and the ipiales bus terminal to Las Lajas legs.

JohnnyColombia

I have no idea how much a taxi that distance would cost or whether anyone would want to take you. Public service vehicles are required to submit a planilla for such a route so some negotiation would be required and then they'd have to run off quickly and file it.

I did do the exact same from Pereira Airport to Manizales city centre last year, it's possible and I think it cost me COP70,000 or something

ludocdoc

So... here's how it went.

On the way down, I was to spend 1 night in Bogota and fly out to Pasto on the 6am flight. My flight to BOG was delayed so I missed that, but Avianca was good enough to move me to the 9 am flight.

Pasto airport is under construction now. I walked out and down a hill to where some taxis were waiting. I ended up in a collectivo into town. There was someone hawking for Ipiales, but I wasnt able to communicate with him or figure out what price he wanted. The ride into town took 45 minutes and we dropped a few people off before the bus terminal. Got to the terminal around noon, during the expected window where Boliviano has no departures. Went to a few ticket windows and was directed to one where they were leaving in about 10 minutes. It was a "bus" that was really a 15 passenger van, and we had 13 or 14 pax. The drive to Ipiales took about 2 hours, and from the terminal there I took a private taxi to the top of the hill leading down to Las Lajas cathedral. At that altitude, the hill back up was very steep. I was unable to convince the taxi guy to wait for me, so returning to the top of the hill I found 3 collectivos waiting. It took 20 minutes for the driver to be satisfied with his load, as I was the first of 3 to arrive. He took me to my hotel in Ipiales. I picked the Los Andes, which was just fine.

The next morning I was to fly Sateena to Bogota. The Ipiales airport is unheated, and I got there at 5:30 as Sateena emailed that they wanted for the 7am departure. This was a mistake. There is no need to get there before 6:15. And it was COLD. There is a restaurant that everyone went into when it opened around 6 or 6:15. The plane did a touch and go and left. Evidently sometimes they try again, but not that day. He went back to Bogota. 2 hours later they announced the flight was cancelled. I don't speak Spanish, but from the sighs from the waiting pax, I knew what was happening. I did pick up 3 words: Pasto and mańana close together, and later, Dominigo. From this I figured that Sateena was offering people to fly Pasto to Bogota tomorrow, or wait until the next Sateena plane got to Ipiales -- Sunday. This was a Thursday, and I needed to be in Bogota Friday. So... I sought a taxi. 200,000 pesos direct to Pasto airport, where I walked up to the cashier counter and bought a fare to Bogota. He did have to file that taxi long distance transit plan (at a place in town), and wanted a copy of my passport to do it. Perhaps I got overcharged at 200K, but I was in no position to negotiate and there were about to be 50 people looking for a taxi into town, and there were only 3 taxis there.

That actually wasn't the most messed up travel part of the trip, but its the part relevant to the thread!

JohnnyColombia

Wow what a story!

i don't think 200K is unreasonable for the taxi

mrgom

How was Las Lajas cathedral, worth the visit?

ludocdoc

It would have been worth the trip without the mess. I think going to the far end of Colombia you need to be ready to roll with the punches and not expect things to run on the Boston to NYC shuttle schedule with easy redundancy. It was beautiful, but it would be better on a leisure trip with more time.

mrgom

Wife's family is north of Cali and we are always looking for side trips to do when visiting Colombia. The cathedral has been one of our to do's. Need to check if there are flights from Cali to Pasto.