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Published: September 9th 2007
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So, we finally left Quito and started our journey toward Peru, through much smaller places.
I have to admit that I didn´t really like Quito, I think none of us did. We did some nice things there, but the city is huge and very polluted (every bus that goes near you leaves you choking with thick black smoke). I´m having much more fun since we left it for smaller places with more nature around.
Two days ago we packed our things and took a bus to Mindo - a small village about 2.5 hours from Quito, surrounded (according to the guide book) by cloud forest. I don´t know what´s a cloud forest, but it was definately a forest. The main atractions over there are many kinds of butterflies, bird watching and a nature reserve with some waterfalls. We got there at around noon, and first of all had a good schlaf stunde in a hamock in our hotel (which was very nice, the owner spoke English and was very friendly). After that - a short walk around (saw some butterflies) and a pizza for dinner with some Australian guy from our hotel. The next day we went to see
A cloud forest
So this is what it looks like... the waterfalls, and walked in the reserve for about 3 hours. You enter the waterfalls area through a horizontal cable car above the river, which was composed of two benches and some metal tubes around. A bit scary, but apparently it worked fine on the way there and back. In the reserve itself we did a lot of walking and found only two waterfalls, but it was nice just to walk in that forest. We did the way from the village to the reserve in the workers´ pickup, and on the way back a nice family from Guayaquil gave us a lift in their jeep. They seemed quite high class - the jeep was new and shining, the parents spoke English and told us about their family vacations all around Ecuador.
This is it about Mindo, yesterday afternoon we travelled from there (through Quito) to Latacunga, a small town south of Quito, and here we are. We settled in a hotel that was recommended in the guide book, and indeed - we have here the best shower so far :-) and even a TV. Today we took a 2.5 hours bus to Laguna Quilotoa, which is located in the
A path in a cloud forest
walking in the natural reserve next to Mindo crater of a former volcano. It was beautiful, and very high (4000m). Most people go down inside the crater to the lagune itself and then climb back (300m height difference), but looking down from the top it didn´t look like a climb we wanted to do in that height. So we walked a little bit around the rim, and that was good enough. On the way from the lagune to the nearby village (where you take the bus back to Latacunga) we rode on a small truck which drove quite fast (at least this is how it felt). It was a bit scary, but fun! All in all today we spent almost 5 hours in buses and only 2 hours near the lagune, but even the view from the bus was really worth it.
And now for something completely different (well, maybe not so different) - some general notions about Ecuador that I haven´t written so far:
* Most of the cars here are Chevrolet, including those that in Israel are another type, like ¨Chevrolet Corsa¨ for example. Sagiv noticed that right in the beginning, but only after a few days we found out the reason - apparently
all these Chevrolets are made in Ecuador and therefore are cheaper, and the name Chevrolet is just the trademark. Apart from that, yesterday we took a taxi which was a Lada.
* The buses here are an interesting experience for itself. The local people use them to transfer any kind of luggage (usually on the roof). For example, on the roof of the bus to Quilotoa today someone transfered a bed (frame in pieces and matress), and someone else put a small sheep. So far we haven´t travelled with animals inside the bus, but I understand we should expect it in Peru and Bolivia. Another thing is the merchandise sold on the bus - in every major station many people (mainly women and children) get on the bus and offer the passangers food and drink. Sometimes there is also someone who starts talking during the ride, offering some new type of medicine. Today on the bus to Quilotoa some guy offered some natural eye drops in a special price - 1$ instead of 5$ (¨only today, in the Latacunga bus terminal...¨)
* In Mindo it was the first time we had an electric shower, but we´re expected to
A waterfall in Mindo
one of the two we had time to visit see more of them in the future. And what is an electric shower? The idea is very simple - the water are heated by passing them through an electric cycle, right above your head. Luckily in that shower it was all contained in a plastic pack. The main problem with this type of shower is that this method can´t heat too much water at a time, so you have to choose between a good flow of water and a good temperature...
* It seems like the elections here are coming soon, and their parties are all numbered, so everywhere you go you see painted on the walls things like ¨vote 21¨. Looks like they have many parties here, because there is a large variety of numbers.
* Just one more thing that I noticed - the women here work in the field, just like the men.
Tomorrow morning we´ll continue to Baños, a small but touristic town which is supposed to be located in a beautifull area, and has some thermal baths too. We´ll see...
In case I don´t write again before the holiday - SHANA TOVA everyone!
Efrat.
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