Ecuador - Quito, Papallacta, Pimpilala, Tena, Banos, Cuenca, Cayambe + Otavalo

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So I get into Quito about 2ish on 06/03/09 and seriously I was soo tired I thought I had gone to the wrong hotel, it was soooo nice. I was told this trip would be slightly better than the others but this was pure luxury........it was a shame I was far to tired to actually appriciate it I basically checked in had an early dinner and went to bed, I know it was fri night but to be honest did not really know the town all that well so was best to wait and meet the group tmw!!

So I got up all nice and early and pretty fresh after a real long sleep.......was soo needed after a night at the airport though......a good day though as I have finally got all my bank stuff so have sorted out all that was needed ;-)

I wandered to the old town to see all the cool buildings there but did not venture inside as there where far too many and I had a lot of ground to cover also I know I just under 2 weeks after the tour so want to leave stuff for then but was real good to get my bearings and stuff and just take in the differences of the old and new town - it is pretty major just to see it for such a short distance from each other.........went back to the hotel to meet the new group and our guide. Was all very different I think I am about 20yrs the junior of them all, there is only 6 of us 2 couples me and a bloke from America/Israel!!! Luckily the guide is pretty young so hopefully he is better than Simon!!! So only a few of us went out for dinner and serioulsy I dont think I will be bonding with this woman thats for sure I hope the other couple are better!!! We did not stay out for drinks so another early night - well at least my parents will be happy!!! Hee hee!!!

We headed out today at about mid-day to Papallacta which is basically a hotel with lots of nice hot springs.......hmmmmm not really an excitment for me so I went for one of the walks around the area it was only about an hr and after being stuck on a bus for about 4hrs it was nice to get some fresh air in my lungs...........was pretty cool a nice water fall and saw my first llama since leaving Boliva which was pretty cool I like them lots ;-) there was also a lot of horese and I even walked a very short way with a lot of cows - you gotta love it you dont really do it everyday!!! :-) We all actually had dinner together tonight which was nice as its really the first time we have all had a chance to chat together.....and nope me and Jean still will not best buddies, I dont think I have been so belittled for a long time!!! Oh well nothing is going to ruin the last part of the trip so she can just get on with it!! Everyone else seems to be pretty chilled so should be a good trip!! Off to the Amazon and the home stay tmw.......

So I was a tad worried about the home stay after the one in Lake Titicaca and the - erm - different experience we had...........We so did not have to worry this was just like a real basic hotel really but in huts, I was really impressed. Some of the others were a little shocked but hey I call this luxury in the jungle hee hee!!! So we meet our host a real nice bloke called Delfin and his wife Estela they could not make us feel more welcome and the dinner was sooo good cannot complain at all about any of it - yeah it was still cold showers but hey I can cope - I still have wet wipes!!! So we all get up earlyish the next day for brekkie and then a walk around the jungle with Henry (our guide) and Delfin, this man knows soo much about everything in the jungle and what plants can help with all different injuries and food and stuff - it was all pretty cool and just sooo green and relaxing really, I loved it.......being at one and all that hee hee!!! We came back for a huge lunch which again was real nice, I am just hoping that dinner will be a tad smaller - Henry did mention thay have their main meal at lunch after all!!! So after lunch we went to climb a waterfall.......yes thats right climb a waterfall!!! No I have no idea why but it all seems like a good idea at the time.........so off we go there is an option to stop if you want to at any time - yeah cause I am gonna be defeated - not likely!!! Well yes we did get very wet and some parts of it were pretty tough as you are climbing up against the water which is trying to make you go the other way - none of it was too far so it was cool and I am real glad I did it and made it to the top - the only girl to do it!!! Yeah!!! They just used the age thing but hey Meir made it and he is 60 - yes dad 60!!! So the main problems happened on the way down - whu is it sooo much harder.........I chose the wrong route at one stage but could not go back on myself - yes a few more bruises and cuts to add to the collection hee hee well I had to really!!! Still I would do it again without a second thought!!! No dinner was just as large as lunch and I really struggled to eat it all I did feel a bit bad but left some of it!! Was all fun and games after dinner as the bingo set came out and we all play for 5cents a go - no I didnt manage to win but hey all the money went to the ikle ones anyhow!!! Kids I am still one to you know!!! ;-)

The next day was the white water rafting down the Hatum Yacu River after visiting the small school first, it was pretty cool to see that educatio is still important but the classes were very small as a lot of the children have to healp out the farms and stuff. The rafting was real cool was only a grade 3 which basically means there is a lot of smooth water around the rapids so all pretty relaxing at the same time as the rapids being a bit rough, the lunch was awesome as well was just veggie tacos that we made ourselves - love it!!! It was a much better way of getting back to Tena than the truck thats for sure and took quite a bit longer so that was cool ;-) Once we got to Tena we headed for the jungle lodge - now this was really a hotel in the jumgle rather than a lodge but was nice and we met Matildo who was our guide for there he was very sweet and again knew loads about the jungle as had worked there for about 30 years!!!! So we mainly just chilled as it was only a few hours 'til dinner. Again far too much food I am going to have to start asking for small potions this is madness!!! Oh well we all stayed up for a few drinks in the lodge and even learnt a new card game - nope I could not describe it as it was an Ecuadorian one and I really think they made the rules up as they went along!!! Hmmm!!! So we went to the animal shelter the next day which was cool it basically was there to help the animals get back to the amazon - unfortunatley they will not all be allowed as they are either to injured or were pets treated really badly or to agressive to others to go back..........but it was cool to see for sure...........we then went to a few of the local communities where they make their own stuff to sell firstly it was pottery and then balser wood - yes I am muggins again adn bought some of the stuff in both places - well I liked it all as well otherwise I would not have done it - Honest!!!

So today is Friday 13th - what can go wrong!!! Hmmm well after a 5hr bus ride to Banos I was not really in the mood to do anything but have a wander around town and well seeing as my camera has totally broken (1st thing to go wrong) now I feel like I may need to get a new one - so I found a few shops that I have bargained down the price for but they will take cash only.........here is the 2nd thing I could not get any money out - now this could be an issue as I dont have a lot left but should get me back to Quito - just!!! So we all go out for dinner and again everyone goes home so Henry, bless him takes me out drinking to a local bar where we bump into a few of his frinds one also has a tour group so we go and join them which was cool basically I met a few of them, Kiwis and Aussies, and the night got quite druken - dòh!!! I did get into a bit of trouble the bext morning as I did not tell Henry I went home - well I was tipsy and we were 2ish blocks from the hotel!!! OK so at 3am on 14th not longer Friday I managed to get the money out for my camera and when I woke up the enxt morning I tried my camer and it worked!!! Hmmmm Fri 13th is bad!!! So today I had all good intentions of walking around the main sights and I did OK by doing 2 out of the 3!!! I went to Bellavista to the big cross and then to Runcun for 2 real good views of the city.........yes I was a tad lazy but we have a full day ahead tmw!!!

Today (15/03) we take a private bus to Cuenca so we can stop and do a few of the optional extras a bit cheaper than doing them individually...........firstly it was just nice to have the room and Henry was telling us alot of the history of Ecuador and stuff which was pretty cool as it brought together how the country is and the divides was pretty interesing really. We get to our first main stop which is the devils nose train where again we meet with David's group and have a wee catch up on the train - i do regret my job sometimes as I dont believe this train would pass the safety checks thats for sure!!! Yes I am a sad person!!! It was cool to see all the green though and all the different scenary and at the end you see a cliff that is basically the Devils Nose (I think its meant to look like it)!!! We then head back on the bas to Cuenca stopping at Ingapirca ruins, this is the Ecuadorian Inca Ruins and Henry tells us the difference between these and the Peruivan ones - I do think they will prob agrue if there was a Peruvian person there as well, but it was cool to hear it all and in my head compare the differences and well its been a few mths since I had seen any inca ruins!!! ;-)

We make it into Cuenca in time for dinner but miss the pub and head home - I am still unsure why but hey it was easier to stay as a group as I was not 100% sure where the pub was!!! I went for a walk around Cuenca town today was pretty cool the buildings were fab and there was basically a different type on every corner - I went into some of the churches and they were so nice and all very different which was cool........we all meet up at about 2pm with Henry to go to one of the oldest Panama Hat factories.....who was to know that is where the original Panama hats are from and not in Panama!!! It was cool to see how they are made and the effort that goes into it was interesting to see alot of it is still done by hand!!!! Went slowly back to the hotel seeing a few more cool building on route and went for dinner and to meet up with Davids group for a few drinks and pool. Before meeting them Alan, Nikki, Meir, henry and I went to a 2-4-1 cocktail place which was cool we like cheap drinks and then went to meet the others. it is true my pool is def better after a few drinks I even managed to pot a few and poor Henry did get a wee bit tipsy hee hee!! Oh well cab back to the hotel was called for!!! We had another free day today to wander around before getting a plan back to Quito.......just wander teh town again really not a lot else to do had some lunch and headed back to get the flight. Went for dinner in Quito and an early night was needed!!! Hee hee!!! We left again about 12ish to go to Cayambe only a 2hr bus ride and after a quick late lunch we headed to the centre of the world!!! It was cool one minute I was south and then I was north - was good to be home hee hee!!! The eve was fun we had a few jugs of wine with dinner and then played pool and table tennis!!! Yes I pretty much lost against most people!!! I had fun tho!!!

Today was cool we went to Cayambe volcano base camp and then walked only about 20mins to the glaciers which was sooo very cool (in all ways) it was def an experience and one I want to repeat but in the bottom of Argentina (dont tell the Ecudorians!!) We did walk about an hr back down and that was good as we got to see so much of the different plants growing around and just to get quite a bit of fresh air as its a 2 hr trip to the hacienda in a 4x4!!!

Today we head to Otavalo the main reason is for market day tmw (sat) but today we head to Cuicocha town and the volcano crators - this one is pretty big as there are 2 islands in the middle of it where we took a boats to see the bubbles as the volcano is active - how cool is that!!!! Yes I still get excited about ikle things!!! Hee hee!!! Well it was pretty good to see ;-) on the way back to the hotel we go to a leather town - I am still not sure why Henry suggested it as it wsa just a load of leather shops but hey maybe some people are interested!!! I wandered around Otavalo town in the a'noon which was nice until it started raining - I did try and hold off fo the main markets tmw.......honest!!! Was fun went for a nice meal as it was our last night together as Henry goes home when we get back to Quito...............Went for a few drinks with Henry, Alan and Nikki until Henry disappeared - oh well he does have a life apparently!!! Went for an earlyish night as we had to up and out by about 7.30am the next day!!!

So market day has arrived!!! Firstly I went with Meir to the animal market - OK I really should have thought about my footwear as I basically wore my flip flops and I was walking through animal poo and wee oh well at least i can wast my flip flops the boots would have it on for a while!!! hee hee go with the positives!!! I was pleased I came tho it was pretty interesting to see how it all worked - I could get a guinea pig or a rabbit for $1 - sad thisng was they were going to be eating them ;-(

So I head back to the hotel to re-shower and wash off all the muck before I hit the main markets!!! Oh my goodness I was in heaven there were markets in ever street of the town I speant about 2hrs in them and I still did not get it all done....I think I did spend enough tho hee hee and it was fun to wander and barter with the locals!!! ;-)

So we get back to Quito we all say bye to Henry, who was a good guide I think (he will be getting me my footie tickets so will see him after Colombia) and have a last dinner with just Alan and Nikki and that was the end of the tour.......was all in all a very different but very good tour............now roll on Colombia!!!

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