On one of my cable car rides in Manizales (in the Colombian Coffee Region) I was sitting with a girl and her mountain bike. By the way she was suited she seemed pretty serious about mountain biking. After a bit of small talk, which she initiated trying to practice her English with the gringo, I asked her if she had any recommendations for places to visit in Southern Colombia. ”You have to go to Pasto it’s beautiful” she said. I was already heading that way to go to Ecuador, but this made me excited for the journey. Normally I try not to get excited as this can leave you a little disappointed when you reach your destination. But this time, that was not the case

 

 

 

 

Pasto and I got off on the wrong foot. My first day leaving my hotel, after our rough first encounter the night before, I probably looked the most scared I had looked since Northern Mexico. Regardless of my first impression I had to immerse myself in Pasto since I was on the hunt for new bicycle tires. After not finding what I was looking for I had to order some tires online which would only arrive in a week. I certainly wasn’t going to spend a week in the cheapest Pasto hotel room I was able to find. Time to face my fear and seek out Pasto cheer

 

 

 

 

Despite Pasto not really being a popular tourist city, there’s a lot to see and do in the area. Namely hiking around lakes, mountains and volcanoes. But one of the options stuck out to me. Cocha Lake. In addition to being the biggest lake in Southern Colombia, it’s home to a small town that is unlike any other in Colombia. El Encano