La Ciudad Blanca
The 8 hour drive between Pasto and Popayan traverses the vertebrae of la Cordillera Occidental de los Andes. As we pull out of the picturesque almost-border-town of Pasto, the bus company’s representative boards and fires something in rapid Spanish. I miss the details. The passengers of our crammed bus cheer in agreement. I assume he wishes us a safe and pleasant journey.
On a flat and papered map of Colombia, an inch separates Pasto from Popayan. One or two hours tops. Crumble the paper so the material folds, bunches and protrudes in an array of steep and stark shapes. Only then you will have a better idea of the challenges in crisscrossing this undulating land. Colombia resembles a cubist painting: layers overlaps and shapes bend and blend into one another. Daunting.
