Las Lajas

 In Ecuador, getting up into the mountains involves many many switchbacks.  But the scenery is pretty.

Rocks, bushes, and trees make green borders for the farms and pastures.

The Teleferico (cable car) building where we parked for the nightat Las Lajas, near the border with Ecuador.  The cable car takes you down into the steep valley to the church, Santuario del Nuestra de las Lajas.

The cable cars with the Colombian colors on the front.

The blurry view is because of the plexiglas windows.  I rode down over farms and fields while Jason walked around and down to the church.

I rode over a farmer hand tilling his field.

Steep hillsides are farmed here.  I don't know how they manage it.

We saw lots of trees that looked blue against the greenery of fields and other trees.

You can start to see the river that cuts the valley.

The river curls around a big promotory before it reaches the church.

When the church first comes into view, it is spectacular!  And so tall.

The arches over the river join the sides of the valley for the church.

Holding the camera out the window for a clearer picture.

Walking down from the cable car which lands right outside the church.  Handy.

So many spires on the building.  Looks Disney-esque.

Look across the river valley and you can see a waterfall, too.  It falls off the cliff on which the town sits.  Lots of steps to get up and down here.

A magnificent facade with a huge rose window.

An angel next to one of the windows.

Lots of stained glass here, of course.  The church dates back to the 1840's and is a place of pilgrimmage for many.

The water flowing under one of the arches with the waterfall in the background.

The church uses the water for power.  This is the powerhouse for capturing the water flowing from the river

Looking up the main aisle of the church towards the altar.

Some huge old stained glass windows with religious scenes.

The altar is carved right out of the stone cliffs.

Lovely stained glass panels.

The big rose window from inside.  The chandelier kept getting in the picture, too.

River running strong in the valley.

Along one side of the church.  It's a long ways down to those trees on the left.

The wood carvings in the door were impressive as well.

Looking down at the power plant that uses the water flow to get electricity for the church.

Looking across the river at the waterfall.

A stained glass chicken??

A priest checking his phone between hearing sinners' confessions.

Walk-up confessionals with red velvet kneelers.  Not very private.

More colorful stained glass of the Last Supper.

An unused confessional.

One floor of the church is now a museum, but we didn't go into it.

The view from the church up to the town on the hill above it.

Jason admiring the waterfall across the way.

Karen praying for ???

Jason in front of the church.  Pretty ornate for almost 200 years old.

The walls along the rock cliff face at the top of these stairs are covered in ceramic plaques.

The view from the top of those stairs above.

Jason with view of valley beyond the church.

Leaving via cable car, this was the view back towards the church.

Up, up, and away we go.

Jason riding back up with me in the cable car at Las Lajas.