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We had missed out on the Wednesday Train because it was fully booked from Riobamba and we wanted to do the whole train trip. We were advised to be at the train station at 2pm on Thursday to book for Friday trip - you are unable to book in advance. I get there at 1.45 to be told it was fully booked!!!! By a school group. I am a bit dismayed because we were told no advance bookings. I returned to the hostel and told Paul what was what and a few unprintable things were said. We were both very disappointed so we both went down to the train station to see what was what. Other people were booking tickets and we were told another train was put on because so many tourists had complained. It really helps if you can complain in Spanish.
This day happened to be our 27th Wedding Anniversary so all in all we thought we were getting what we wanted. We went out for a very nice meal that night.
We arrived at the train station at 6.15 to be told there was a slip on the line and we had to go to
Alausi by bus. We arrive at Alausi train station by bus just as the train full of school kids arrives from Riobamba. It was only a bit of dirt on the line. So we hang about waiting to catch a train, and eventually get on a couple of hours later. The Devils nose train line is an amazing bit of engineering, with switch backs that you go backwards down some of them. It drops an amazing altitude with these switch backs, right into a gorge. Many people lost their lives building the track. It is a piece of railway history. People used to ride on the roof, but we were told a month before someone had been killed so we had to be inside. We were happy to be there. Immediately we get to the bottom we have a photo opportunity and then back up to Alausi.
The train driver said we would have a 20 minute stop and then go back to Riobamba by train. We waited about an hour and then back on the train for our trip back. 500 meters up the track the driver got a phone call and the trip was canceled. When he
was asked why, he just said his boss had told him to bring the train back tomorrow a non-tourist day. So we were shown to the bus station and on another bus trip to Riobamba. It was a get on and off bus that became absolutely chocker with more and more people getting on, and then school kids and mothers with babies on their backs. It was so full you could hardly breath. We were really pissed off with the way we had been treated as tourists. We stayed 2 extra nights in Riobamba to get the trip we wanted and we didn't get it. If you book a train trip from Riobamba, do not expect to actually get what you were promised. Apparently this is common. There was a privately run train that made the full trip that was only quarter full, we did not know there was this service.
The next morning we were off to Quito. We decided to just turn up at the bus station and got there at 8.27 and we were put on the 8.30 bus, they had to run out and stop it for us to get on. This was also a
get on and off bus.
We are staying in the old town of Quito, this is full of old buildings well maintained and being done up. We are staying at a very nice hostel run by a young Australian, Matt. We can walk the old town or catch a bus if brave enough to get around town.
We have been going down to the market and buying Roast pork and potato for breakfast for $1.50 and have had a 3 course lunch for $1. We've been to a Cantonese restaurant and had lovely shrimp meals for $4.
We walked around town on Sunday and the museums were free. Ecuador Bank Museum, with every sort of money they have ever had, Churches, and other historic places.
On Monday 4th, we took a taxi to the cable car and got ripped off. We were charge $5 when it should have been $2.50, he said his meter was broken. So we went up this really flash cable car to 4,100 meters overlooking Quito, it was very impressive. We went for a walk up the hill above the cable car stop, caught the cable car back down and decided to
walk to town. On the way we found a bus that went to the Basilica, one of the churches that Paul wanted to climb into the steeples. The church allows this for $2. The stairs just kept going up and up, when you felt you nearly at the top there was a shop. I stopped here and Paul went higher, because there were ladders. Paul climbed as far as possible, another spectacular view. No safety rails or bars. This was a full day, spent climbing.
Tuesday 5th, To the middle of the world. We caught 2 buses and went for miles for less than $1 to the equator. This was a fun day, especially when we found the place. Paul was worried we were lost. We visited a museum that was really worthwhile visiting and then went to the tourist place, where the monument is 240 meters off the equator. This was a very touristy place. We caught a tour to a volcano where about 300 people live and farm inside the cone. We overlooked from the rim of the volcano. There was activity in 2004, the Ecuador government have seismic monitors of the place. The people wont leave
as the families have lived there for over 1000 years and the last eruption was 1200 years ago. There is no ground or running water so they have big nets on the rim of the crater that catches the fog, which is ever constant and condenses on the nets and falls into troughs and then gravity feeds into tanks. -They get enough water to irrigate their crops etc. We went to another place where we did experiments on the equator. On the equator water goes down the drain straight down, a meter each side and the water goes down either clockwise or anti clockwise. We saw this with our own eyes. I balanced an egg on the head of a nail and got a certificate for it. I blew a blow gun and got the dart on the target, Paul missed. Back to town by bus for less than a dollar and another shrimp meal.
Toady we went to the market and bought half a kilo of shrimp tails for $1.50 for dinner tonight. We are having a rest day.
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