Blogs from Ecuador, South America - page 626

Hi guys writing on borrowed net time here - all is fab here I love it!! Miss everyone and I promise once I get to stay somewhere a bit more like a town with civillisation I will work out how to put some pics up!! Off to the jungle now for a day and then on to a town called Banos tomorrow. take care karen xXx... read more

Only two days left of the South American extravaganza. Quito seems to be filled with gringos stopping by to see the equator (I can´t think of many other things they´d be here to see). Spent last night in Baños, soaking in a hot spring pool at night underneath a waterfall, chatting with two people I had met the day before at a hostel in Cuenca. Baños is highly recommended; I wish I had more time there now. Cuenca was a nice enough place - the ecuadorian equivalent of peruvian Arequipa (lots of old colonial buildings, lots of people), before that I was leaving the farm in Vilcabamba for civilisation after two weeks without chocolate and electricity. I ended up working on the farm outside Vilcabamba for two weeks - twice as long as I initally intended, ... read more

Well arrived in Quito on the eve of the 7 May 2006 @ 12:00 midnight me bags and surfboard in tow... Luis and freinds waitimg at airport to pick me up from a sea of Spanish which was starting blow my mind by now.. went back to Luis´s appartment in the south of Quito which is the poor part of the city... Dark so could not make out much exept that the roads are like riduing in small boat on a choppy sea.. arrived at the appartment and proceded to get very drunk, lots of beer and Tesquila got to bed at 5 in the morning.. I had not slept since I left Madrid, which meant no shut eye for over 24hours by the end of the little drink session with two spanish speaking people and ... read more

We arrived in cuenca, a colonial city in the south of Ecuador.. back at altitude! On our way we passed millions of bananas... for miles and miles! Cuenca is a really pretty colonial city with beautiful churches and buildings. There is loads to to surrounding it too, including Cajas national park with loads of lakes. We decided to do have some mountain adventures on the back of a horse.. it was really fun. We went through the mountains on horseback and could see amazing views. We stopped at the top of the mountain for lunch..It was really beautiful. Lo´s horse was a bit naughty and would chose not to carry on.. and just stop! Mine was very rapido and would gallap.. no matter how much I shouted Alto.. he just wouldnt stop! The next day we ... read more

Well... one can only take so much sun-soaking in a day so´s thought we ought to do some work. Survived Quito. This isn´t really fair as it is a beautiful city, but having to travel point-to-point by taxi after dark is a real shame. Anyways, managed to buy a new camera (not that we´re adding photos just yet due to computer gliches). This was an interesting experience with our minimal Spanish and the store´s complete lack of English. Nevertheless, a result - not only did we gain a camera, but also (and just what every backpacker needs) a free toasted sandwich maker?! Travelled south to the hot springs resort (for westerners and Equadorians alike) of Baños. Again like most Equadorian towns/cities it sits surrounded by mountains, hills, n volcanoes. Stayed at a great guest house "Santa ... read more