Sightseeing in Pasto

Today the hotel owner Patrice took 11 of us (An Italian couple and their 2 boys, a French couple and their 2 girls, Erin Sofia and me) on a sightseeing tour of Pasto in his van. Riding in a vehichle in Pasto is not for the faint of heart and driving is only for the truly brave. Speed limits, right of way and left/right side of the road all seem to be somewhat arbitrary. Also about every third vehicle is a motorcycle. The motorcycle drivers pull off manuvers in traffic that would make Evel Kinevel flinch. On top of that you often see 3 people to a cycle, adult driver, child or infant in the middle and then another adult on back.Also the family dog might be along for the ride. Today we saw 4 people on a motor scooter. All cyclists apparently have to wear neon yellow vests with their license plate number on the back, because you know safety first. Patrice drove us up the mountain where we had a stunning veiw of Pasto below us.It seems to be that the further out (and up) of the city you get the poorer the people. The city itself doesn't seem exactly wealthy but outside of town its even harsher. Its humbling and perplexing to come here from America with all of our excess and privelage and wonder why? What twist of fate ended up with people like me winning some cosmic lottery while much of the world has no electricity or even potable water. But the trip was still fun especially with all the little kids in the car. We drove on through town and stopped at a large church. The inside was grand and traditional for a Catholic church design. Outside 2 dogs were just hanging out in front, as they were almost everywhere here. Stray dogs all over the place but they all seem fairly freindly. Not that I got close enough to make sure, but they didn't bark or bite anyone that I saw.

We drove on through town through a huge cemetary, that being holy week had fresh bright flowers on each grave. Patrice also pointed out the mayors office and other points of interest along the way. It was fun to get out and see things we couldn't walk to and Sofia loves the attention from the older children and the adults. She is quite the charmer (bedtime aside ) and as Patrice says "Sofia, she loves to play the clown yes?" Yes indeed.

The 3 of us already seem to be getting into somewhat of a schedule and adjusting as much as we can to living in one small (about 10' by 17') room together. Another 3 or 4 weeks seems like a long time to be here when we would love to just get Sofia home to her own room and a nice backyard. We also miss freinds and family and our dog Sam a lot and can't wait for Sofia to meet everyone.

I hope everyone is doing well and we look forward to a busy summer of introductions and fun with Sofia.

Take care, Paul