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Published: October 30th 2011
Basilica del Voto Nacional
The Gothic Basilica del Voto Nacional which stands high on a hill in Quito's Old TownThis blog begins when we crossed the border from Colombia into Ecuador. I’d like to report everything went smoothly and we arrived in Quito without a hitch. But then it wouldn’t make for a good story now would it.
From the moment we stepped into Ecuador our run of good times and good luck ended abruptly. After we went through immigration we got a taxi to the nearby town of Tulcan, where the majority of buses to Quito depart from. It had been a long day already, having left Popayan in the wee hours of the morning. It was here in our disheveled stupor we foolishly lost $20.00 to the crafty ticket salesperson we bought our bus tickets from. When we realised Berni then proceeded to argue the point with said crafty salesperson. Once he lost the argument due to an inability of everyone involved to comprehend anything about the situation, we discovered the person Berni accosted wasn’t said crafty salesperson but an innocent drink vendor. So $20.00 down and feeling fairly lousy, we left for Quito. Or so we thought. Almost immediately we were stopped three times by the Ecuadorian Antinarcotics Police causing commotion on the bus with the unloading,
Quito's Cathedral
The beautiful interior of Quito's Cathedral on Plaza Grande searching and reloading of baggage. At 11.00pm we made it to Terminal Quitumbe, south of Quito. We quickly jumped into a taxi and before too long had entered into our second argument within six hours over the fee. The taxi driver said it would cost $10.00 to get us to our hostel in the busy Mariscal neighbourhood. Preposterous! We were under the impression it would only cost $4.00 according to our guidebook. We tried to negotiate a better price but he wouldn’t budge so for our $10.00 we decided we’d make him work for it. Firstly, he didn’t know the address so had to phone a friend (several times) for directions. Then he had to deal with the crowded streets of the Mariscal - Quito’s busy nightlife district. When he did manage to find the street we needed, it was unfortunately one way in the opposite direction. He tried to get us to get out there but Berni told him for $10.00 we expected door to door service. The poor guy then cursed his way through more crowded streets for another 20 minutes before we reached our hostel which funnily enough turned out to be only three from the corner
La Virgen de Quito
The huge statue of La Virgen de Quito high up on El Panecillo viewed from the streets of Quito's Old Town where he originally wanted us to get out. Needless to say he didn’t help with our baggage.
At midnight we checked into our hostel, Galapagos Natural Life in the Mariscal. We were greeted by the lovely owner who enthusiastically showed us to our room despite the hour. Out of curiosity we asked how much you would expect to pay from the bus terminal to Mariscal. Her answer much to our surprise - $8.00 to $10.00… Whoops! We owed someone an apology. We consulted our guidebook again and discovered Terminal Quitumbe which is in the south of Quito only opened six months ago (not specified in our 2010 guidebook). For future reference, it’s only $4.00 from the old bus terminal in the north of Quito. It had been a rough day. We really liked the family run Galapagos Natural Life. We paid $12.00 each for a double room with ensuite which also included a healthy and delicious hot breakfast. It’s in a perfect spot close to Plaza Foche, the main plaza in the Mariscal. Plus it is a Direct Tour Operator and can organise last minute Galapagos tours at amazing prices. However, it lacked a few crucial features including a lounge
An encouraging sign on the road to Quilotoa
Just over halfway on the road from Zambahua to Quilotoa on the Quilotoa Loop in Ecuador's central highlands area, 24 hour WIFI and a properly manned reception. This is what led us to seek out another hostel and our ensuing run in with a knife wheeling addict, but I’ll get to that shortly. Contrary to what you might think we did enjoy our day in Quito despite the previously mentioned robbery. That morning we set off for Quito’s Old Town, roughly 45 minutes by foot. On the way we passed lots of grassy, tree-filled parks filled with families out enjoying their Sunday and craft vendors lining the paths with their wares. Plus every second Sunday, which it happened to be, many of the city’s roads are closed to cars and given over to cyclists for the bimonthly ciclopaseo (bicycle ride). So the streets were filled with people and it made for a really enjoyable atmosphere. Once in the Old Town we went to see the amazing gothic Basilica del Voto Nacional perched high on a hill overlooking the Old Town. You can climb the basilica’s towers for an amazing view, but as it was Sunday it was filled with worshipers for Sunday service so unfortunately we were unable too. We then made our way into the historical centre
The breathtaking crater lake of Laguna Quilotoa
The view from the top of the crater lake at 3800m above sea level. The lake itself is at 3500m and is 3km in diametre to Plaza Grande. We sat and watched a street performer entertain the hundreds of people who like us, were sitting around enjoying the sunshine. In Plaza Grande we also passed by the Palacio del Gobierno, where the president carries out his business and snuck into Quito’s cathedral where we took a cheeky photo of the impressive interior. The Old Town, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site, is a really beautiful place to spend time getting lost in the narrow streets watching the various street performers, musicians and traditional dancers. It was then during the afternoon we’d decided to check out a hostel called Casa Bambu. It wasn’t too far from the Mariscal so we decided to walk. It was 4.00pm and there were still quite a few people around. Only five minutes from Casa Bambu we were approached by a youth asking for money. We refused politely and continued on our way. He then cut us off and proceeded to show Berni how serious he was by revealing a knife which he had down the front of his pants. While Berni fumbled with his wallet searching for the right currency (we still had Colombian pesos which the addict wasn’t
The hard climb to the top of the crater
It took 25 minutes to walk down to the water's edge. Then a tougher 45 minutes to walk back to the top too happy about so again thought it necessary to remind us of the knife in his pants) a shop owner came running to our aid, shooing the addict away with a broomstick. In the end Berni gave the addict $30.00 – not worth being stabbed over with a sweaty kitchen knife. We then thanked our broom brandishing friend and continued (shakily) on our way.
The following day we were up early, we transferred our big backpacks to Casa Bambu then headed to Terminal Quitumbe (carrying only the essentials) to get a bus to Latacunga. With the events of the previous afternoon behind us we were excited to begin the much anticipated multiday hike known as the Quilotoa Loop. We had planned our route around the loop ourselves, choosing to begin in Zambahua and finish in Islivini. There are numerous ways of completing the loop, none of which are given much more than a vague description in our guidebook. For being one of the five ‘highlights’ of Ecuador there is little to no information on it. In the end, it was with the help of various blog sites that we were able to piece together our five day itinerary and
The amazing view across the canyon
On our way to Isinlivi from Chugchilan with our somewhat rough directions from Hostal Mama Hilda as we discovered whilst on the hike, you also rely heavily on the friendly and helpful farmers to provide you with directions. Anyway, from Latacunga we were able to get straight onto the midday bus to the tiny village of Zambahua. It was a slow bumpy ride which took just under three hours. Don’t be deceived by your guidebook as we were. We were under the impression it would be a relatively quick one and a half hour trip. The lucky reviewer obviously wasn’t on a 40 seat bus with 60 farmers and their various livestock. Once in Zambahua we chose to stay at Hostel Condor Matzi on the main square. We paid $14.00 for a double room with a shared bathroom which we had to ourselves as we were the only guests for the night. There is next to nothing to do in Zambahus so we spent the afternoon relaxing on our balcony and enjoying the sunset. The following morning we were up early again and armed with a nice whacking stick, we set off on the first 12km leg to Laguna Quilotoa, the breathtaking centerpiece of the Quilotoa Loop. But firstly to explain the whacking stick - one
Me and Up the dog
Up the trekking dog who accompanied us all the way from Chugchilan to Isinlivi of the blogs we had read recommended carrying a nice sturdy stick should we need to fight off any stray dogs. Berni liked that idea.
From Zambahua there is only one way to Quilotoa and it is along the newly asphalted road. We chose to walk but you can hitch a ride with one of the locals if you’d prefer as it’s not hard to find someone heading in that direction. Zambahua to Quilotoa is by far the easiest leg with only a minor uphill battle right before you arrive. As the locals predicted, it took us two and a half hours. Once in Quilotoa we were quickly prompted to pay the $2.00 tourist fee, then we checked into the lovely Cabanas Quilotoa Hostel. We paid $30.00 for the night in a room which could sleep eight, with ensuite. Nice and cozy, especially after we got our boy scout on and lit a fire in the room’s wood heater. After we had recovered from our first 12km we enjoyed a lovely lunch near the crater rim. We then had the afternoon to explore Lago Verde Quilotoa from top to bottom. As I mentioned before, it’s a breathtaking sight… at
The lovely view from the composting toilet
The composting toilet at Llullu Llama in Isinlivi. One of the many environmentally friendly initiatives at the farmhouse style hostel the crater’s rim you are at 3800m above sea level so it quite literally takes your breath away. Plus the lake itself, which is an active volcanic crater lake (last eruption in 1797), is bright blue-green in colour and an enormous 3km in diameter. After we admired it from the top we started our descent. It took us 25 minutes to slide our way on the pebbly, sandy surface down to water’s edge. From the rim to the water’s edge is 300m and the water is 240m deep, salty and sulfuric and has no fish, but the view from the bottom was equally as impressive and worth the extra effort after the 12km from Zambahua. However, the way back up did have me questioning my motives. The pebbly, sandy surface which made the way down so quick and easy, together with the altitude made each step back up a gigantic effort. We made it to the top in 45 minutes, with a few stops (good photo opportunities) along the way. Once back at the hostel we enjoyed a delicious three course dinner, included in the price of the room before heading to bed to rest up for another, tougher hike
Piggy Wiggy at Hostal Llullu Llama
There were two friendly pigs at Llullu Llama. Is this the pig you fed lollies to Sully? Tisk tisk the next morning.
On our third day we were up early for scrambled eggs before we set off on the second leg to Chugchilan, a 14km hike north of Laguna Quilotoa. For this leg we were armed with instructions and a rough map which we found on a sign marking the trail head. Neither of us trusted our memories so we took a photo of the sign for good measure. For the first 45 minutes, you follow the rim of the crater. At 3800m the way is exposed and extremely windy. You then need to take a left down to the tiny village of Guayama, descending to 3200m. Now there are a few lefts to choose from but luckily we guessed correctly and ended up in Guayama an hour or so after the turnoff. Once you arrive, the friendly pointing locals will show you the way to the Chugchilan. After passing through Guayama you descended a further 400m into a deep canyon before the final uphill battle back to 3200m and into Chugchilan. It took us just over three hours which we were quite proud of. We then headed straight to our hostel - the lovely Hostal Mama Hilda
The milk truck from Isinlivi to Sigchos
Jam packed with locals, huge barrels of milk (gross), several gas bottles and us on our way to Sigchos and had a much deserved hot shower. We paid $40.00 for a room with ensuite and meals included. And the meals were what we were looking forward to most as we had heard the food at Mama Hilda’s was top notch. It didn’t disappoint either, although we did have to endure three of the most awkward dinner companions ever – three Germans… 2 x shyest and quietest girls in the world and 1 x crazy old guy on a driving holiday through Ecuador who spend his time complaining about driving through Ecuador. The following day we set off after breakfast on the third leg to the beautiful village of Islivini. This time we had typed, dot point instructions and a map to follow. However, this didn’t stop us from missing the first turnoff by about 45 minutes. The instructions definitely had their worth, but also were quite vague at times. For example, one of the instructions reads, “After some time you will see a small trail going out of the riverbed and up. Take this, you will stay close to the river for a while and then the path will take you more to the right and up.” You might
A pen full of Chicks at the Animal Market in Otavalo
Part of the famous Saturday Market in Otavalo. One of the biggest local produce markets in South America think this is relatively straight forward, but tell me this… how long is some time? Once again were asking the local farmers we passed if we were heading in the right direction. The 14km to Islivini was definitely the toughest of the three days hike, but the landscapes we passed through were among some of the most beautiful. We also met a friend who helped us through the hard times - a Golden Retriever who we called Up (he reminded us of the dog in the movie Up – I even gave him a voice in my head). Up followed us all the way from the turnoff we missed just outside of Chugchilan all the way to Islivini! The toughest part of the 14kms came at the end… it often did, and we even (well, maybe just me) contemplated giving up and sitting on the side of the hill forever. Luckily we asked a passerby how much further it was till the top. His reply… 50 meters! So I got it together, no more silly thoughts of dying on a hillside next to a few sheep… and we decided to carry on. The hostel we had decided to spend the
In the market for a cow?
Hundreds of cows and calves for sale at the Animal Market in Otavalo. It was a very noisy experience night welcomed us as we made it to the top of the hill. We burst through the doors of Llulu Llama in a little after four hours from when we left Chugchilan and were clapped in by a lovely couple from Belgium who were volunteering at the hostel. It was a lovely end to the 3 day hike, plus Llulu Llama was one of the best hostels we had stayed at so far, and we even had it all to ourselves. We enjoyed hot showers, a well-deserved lunch and an afternoon nap while Up annoyed the cat outside. He apparently had already spent a night at Llulu Llama but had been shooed away the day before and sent back to Chugchilan with other travelers until he found us to return with. I wonder how many times Up has made the 14km journey? At Llulu Llama we paid $52.00 for the night with some of the most delicious meals we’d had in a long time. Facilities consisted of a composting toilet, with one of the most amazing views and decent showers. We played a heated game of football with the cook’s children – Berni’s team won… mostly because they had the
Coy. A local delicacy
Pens and pens of guinea pigs known as Coy for sale. They aren't being sold for pets downhill advantage. We could have easily spend another few nights there just relaxing in hammocks by the fire and enjoying lovey home cooked meals but unfortunately we had to get a move on.
The following morning we up early and ready for a huge day of traveling. We were attempting to get from Islivini to Otavalo in the northern highlands for its famous giant Saturday market. This involved hitching a ride in a milk truck to the nearby village of Sigchos. It took around one and a half hours and we stopped several times to collect milk straight from the buckets of local farmers. If you don’t already know, I despise milk so when a bucket of milk straight from the cow was tipped into the huge milk barrel in front of me I struggled to hold it together. Once in Sigchos we had three options to get us back to Latacunga. One, to wait for the bus leaving at 2.00pm... two, hiring a private driver for $30.00 or three, to hitch another ride with other locals in the tray of a Ute for a mere $2.00. We took the third option. And I am only just able to laugh about it now. The third option involved sitting in the tray of a Ute with another elderly lady and her baskets of blackberries, a young teacher on his way home from work and all the baggage of the seven other passengers crammed into the Ute’s interior. All the while the driver sped around corners and through the mountains, passing crosses on the side of the road where busses had gone over… he sometimes got up to 160km per hour. I thought I was going to die, all to save $26.00. The having made it to Latacunga alive we hopped straight onto back to back buses from Latacunga to Quito and Quito to Otavalo. We got to Otavalo around 7.00pm and checked into Hostel Chasqui. The lovely Roberto showed us to our room on the top floor where we had a view over the entire town. It was also up there with some of the best hostels we had stayed at and Roberto, the owner couldn’t be friendlier. We paid $20.00 for the room with ensuite… so cheap! The following day we visited the much anticipated indigenous Saturday markets. We first set off the animal market on the western edge of town. It was a melee of animals and buyers doing business. We saw everything from thousands of tiny chicks to coy (guinea pig) and cattle. It was a lively experience. Next we spent a few hours (and about $160.00) wandering from the main plaza, Plaza de Ponchos through the surrounding streets checking out the crafts markets. If you have room in your bag (thank you Berni) now is the time to spend. There were stalls selling textiles, jewellery, musical instruments, dream catchers, leather goods, fake shrunken heads, indigenous costumes, clothing and almost anything else one could imagine. Needless to say we came away with more than a few goodies. And after we felt like we couldn’t possible spend anymore, we thanked Roberto at Hostel Chasqui and got a bus back to Quito.
Quito then welcomed us back with another robbery, good to see nothing had changed since we’d left. This time it was on the bus and involved a cheeky under the seat bag slashing and one iPhone. For insurance purposes we went straight to the tourist police and reported it but we were feeling pretty low again after our wonderful week in the highlands. We quickly made plans to leave Quito behind us, but according to the rule of three we were up for one other blow. It came the next morning in the form of sickness. I was one sick Claire and completely bedridden for three days. So our plans for escape were prevented until I was able to travel again. Berni whiled away his time watching Scrubs and going to Spanish lessons until the afternoon came when I felt able to face an overnight bus. We were heading to Cuenca, which our guidebook describes as Ecuador’s most beautiful city, before a quick stopover in Guayaquil. And our luck was returning. Stay tuned for more on Ecuador including the stunning Galapagos Islands.
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Tahlei
non-member comment
I'm so glad you guys did the Quilotoa Loop! It was one of the highlights of the whole trip for me. It's strange that there is so little information about it, but you managed it really well! I didn't know about your second robbery! Bloody Quito. And to get sick there too, what a pain. I'm waiting in anticipation for the Galapagos blog :) xox