Blogs from Machala, South, Ecuador, South America
Lima to Ecuador Good Bus Bad Bus
Published: January 31st 2011South America » Ecuador » South » Machala
January 26th 2011
Somehow against my better judgement I was talked into taking the "special" bus from Cuzco to Lima. The agent, a swarthy looking man with a hair lip and a wandering eye managed to convince me that the extra 20 soles (£5) was worth every penny for the pure luxury I was to experience. Four foot wide leather seats that would recline almost into a bed, stewardess service with food and drink, TV, Video, Toilet. I was to be borne on the wings of angels all the way to Lima. I've heard this luxury bus story so many times and usually I'm just happy to get a seat I don't have to share with a goat, so I tried not to get my hopes up too much. So imagine my surprise, in fact utter astonishment when the ... read more
June 26th 2010
We arrived in Machala about 4pm and walked around the town for 2 hours looking for the CIFA office (this was due to every street in Machala not having a name). We found the CIFA office and when the next bus was but decided because of the bad reports we had heard about the Ecuador-Peru border crossing we would grab a hostel and do it tomorrow during the day. We asked round a few hotels (as there are no hostels in Machala) and kept getting quotes of $35-55 for a double room which we couldn't afford. Then we came across a little hotel called El Dorado which was $15 for a double with cable tv, air con, and red hot water definitely the best room we have stayed in so far. Plus the best bit was ... read more
June 28th 2009
helloo..saa er vi paa vres sidste stop i ecuador, og tager bussen videre til peru i morgen. Selv om vi ikke er helt sikre paa hvorhen i Peru vi er paa vej til endnu? siden sidst er der sket en masse, saa lad os lige starte fra starten og arbejde os fremad. efter junglen, tog vi som sagt til Baños. en lille hyggelñig by, omgivet af vandfald, vulkaner og fjelde. I baños bode vi paa et hotel...med varmt vand :). En aften hvor vi sad og fik aftensmad, kom der en pige gaaende ned gennem gaden. Pga hendes meget flippede toejstil, var det maaske lidt svaert ikke at kigge paa hende, hvilket resulterede at hun kom over til vores bord, og spurgte om hun maatte saette sig hos os. Hun viste sig at vaere en meget ... read more
June 6th 2009
Time for another, to go forwards or backwards. I´ll go backwards through time bc the events of yesterday are notable. Yesterday was our last morning in Mancora and what laid ahead was a 2 hour ride to the border of Ecuador. I spent the morning getting packed and reading on the balcony over looking the beach with the soft breeze dancing off the pages of 3 men and a raft. I needed the relaxation before we hit the border. The tour guide was not sure what time our bus left from the border of Ecuador to get to Cuenca, but he thought it was at 2. Issue number one was that the hoopdie of a van didn´t arrive until 12.30. And on the way to the border we made a few stops so the passenger could ... read more
