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Published: July 24th 2009
The Hilton was a big change, obviously, to the kind of accommodation we were used to staying in. Just add about 200 dollars extra per night to what we usually pay and you get an idea! We didn’t just stay in a regular room but the Executive suite which had 2 plasma TV screens, a living room, bedroom as well as a Jacuzzi and 2 bathrooms…Perhaps a little excessive for just the 2 of us but it was my birthday so who cares! We had an open bar from a certain time as well as free food and access to the steam room, sauna, gym (which is the only thing I didn’t try), outdoor heated pool, outdoor Jacuzzi and access to the beauty salon where I got a free massage and manicure as it was my birthday… There was no need to leave the hotel as there were restaurants and a casino which, after staying until the last possible minute at the open bar, consumed the rest of the evening. We had a delicious big boat of sushi for my birthday dinner and afterwards went to the casino. It was my first time playing in a casino and I came away
1 dollar better off and got more free drinks so it was definitely worth it!!
At 12pm the following day the dream ended and the carriage turned into a pumpkin as we left the hotel with our scummy rucksacks with the hotel concierge giving us sideways glances, wondering why we had come down from the Executive Suite. We definitely were not the typical customers. So back in a taxi to the bus station, we set off on the next leg of the trip- south down to Latacunga to go and see Cotopaxi National Park which is the second most visited area of the country after the Galapagos Islands. After a fairly uneventful bus ride with nothing else stolen thank god (my bag never leaves my lap now) we arrived in the busy town of Latacunga which was larger and prettier than I was expecting with a pretty cathedral in the centre near the park which was lit up at night and lots of narrow cobbled streets that reminded me of parts of Spain. We found out information on how to reach the National Park for the following day and spent the evening being very cultural having an Italian.
Cotopaxi National
me bodyboarding
the waves were hugePark is dominated by Volcan Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world and very beautiful with the snow capped peak. Many people climb to the peak which, according to our guide, can only be done at night as it is obviously colder so the ice is more compact. It was pretty cloudy which is common in this part of Ecuador but luckily, as we were walking around a lake at the bottom of the volcano, the cloud cleared and we managed to get some good photos of the peak. After an hour of walking and a visit to the museum in the park we caught a bus back to Latacunga and spent another night there before leaving the following day to Alausi where we could do the famous ‘Nariz del diablo’ (Devil’s nose) train ride. This train ride used to run from Riobamba further north all the way to Guayaquil but now, the only part open to the tourists, is a return loop from Alausi. The ride was beautiful as it wound around the mountains and delved deep into the valley. It was quite an experience as a few times we went backwards in order to get onto the
right track and the train also felt like it could easily come off its tracks and roll down the valley. We stopped a few times to get our tourist shots.
That afternoon, we got the bus to Guayaquil which was the longest bus ride we’ve done so far in South America at around 5 hours. We made some friends on the bus - some very talkative kids and their granddad. They were really lovely people and it served even more to convince me that the Ecuadorian people are really nice and friendly. The young girl even gave me her earrings! We were all glad to arrive in Guayaquil, which is the second largest city in Ecuador after Quito, and after being shown where to go by Gustavo (the grandpa) we eventually found the place we wanted to stay- probably the best place so far for the price with a clean room with TV and private bathroom for under 10 dollars.
We both really liked Guayaquil, and actually prefer it to Quito. It has a long promenade along the waterfront (called the Malecon in Spanish) and the fact that Guayaguil is the business and commercial capital for Ecuador is very evident.
There seems to be more money here than other places and the buildings are generally grander. The IMAX cinema is just one example of this grandeur alongside the modern architecture on the Malecon which provides a contrasting scene when comparing it to a few blocks inland which transports you right back into the hum drum of usual Ecuadorian life.
We didn’t spend long in Guayaquil, just long enough to spend some time catching up on the internet and to get my 4th rabies shot! After the job was done in a large clinic and trying to use my Spanish with yet another doctor we set off on our way to Salinas- a town with lots of high rise hotels and a couple of long pleasant beaches. We had a minor disruption after agreeing to stay in a place that had no power until 4pm but still didn’t have power by 7 so we argued our way to get our money back and find somewhere else to stay. We eventually did and had some dinner and got up the next day to get the bus to Puerto Lopez.
Puerto Lopez was a small fishing village on the sea with a fair
few tourists. People come to this village as it is whale watching season is during June and July and it is also the gateway to Isla de la Plata which is affectionately called the poor person’s Galapagos. The Galapagos Islands are so expensive which makes them virtually inaccessible to anyone on a budget so Isla de la Plata is considered the next best option. While Fabrice went on the island and saw lots of strange birds with blue feet and red things coming out of their necks (Ecuador has the largest variety of birds in the world) I went under water and did 3 dives (one was free because I helped a Spanish dive instructor translate his instructions to an Aussie girl who didn’t speak Spanish.) The diving was great especially as I saw 5 turtles on one dive and a huge Manta Ray, (4 meters in diameter) which swam up so close I could have touched it. However I chose not to because I didn’t want to end up like Steve Irwin. It was so cool to see one as they are a rare sight in other parts of the world where I have dived and this one was
so close! We also spotted a humpback whale in the distance on the way to the island. On another day we went walking at a nearby national park which had lots of lovely beaches and views out onto the ocean as well as lots of crabs!
After a stopover in a large seaside resort town of Manta, we made our way to Crucita which is a pretty coastal town with a fairly nice beach. We struggled to find any nightlife or anything going on after 8pm however, although it was crazily busy in the day as it was a weekend so full of Ecuadorian holiday-goers, so we only stayed one night there before taking yet another bus to Bahia de Caraquez which was a lot larger than Crucita but still not very exciting. We only stayed for one night before taking a boat to San Vicente and bus to Canoa. In Canoa, we found whatever it was we were searching for as we ended staying there for nearly a week as it was so relaxing and fun. We stayed in a hostel on the beach, hammocks and all, called Coco Loco’s and met a few travelers as it was quite
a relaxed and sociable place. Although we spent a week there, we didn’t exactly ‘do’ much apart from relax in hammocks, go out for a few drinks or go bodyboarding (well, I did this Fab didn’t.) Fab did play football a couple of times and helped the coach teach the kids which was great and I went horse riding with Elizabeth, the Alaskan lady who owns Coco Loco’s. I felt I was doing the quintessential experience in South America- riding a horse on the beach!
Unfortunately the day came when we had to leave Canoa and make our way back to Guayaquil to get my final rabies shot. Guayaguil was pretty uneventful apart from the fact that I introduced Fabrice to TGI Friday’s which was a very nice treat although our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and we struggled to finish our meals (Fabrice especially I might add!)
The next stop was the beautiful colonial town of Cuenca with many old and restored buildings and cobblestone streets. It reminded me very much of my time spent in Antigua, Guatemala with the colonial charm and central plaza. We stayed a couple of nights just getting a feel for the town
before heading down towards our last major stop, Vilcabamba, before heading to Peru. Vilcabamba was a beautiful small town surrounded by mountains. It’s quite touristic as it is a common gate way to Peru and from the village there is a fairly steep climb up to Mandango Mountain which provides a stunning view of the surrounding area. Climbing up that hill was pretty tiring but definitely worth it for the view.
The following day it was ‘Adios Ecuador!’ as we made our way via the large town of Loja to Piura in Peru on a night bus. I’ve really enjoyed Ecuador and although I did have some initial bad luck, my experiences here have definitely made up for it as it is a beautiful country which people sometimes miss when they head straight to the Galapagos Islands. I think the rest of the country lives in the shadow of this prime holiday destination and the tourist infrastructure isn’t too developed in many places but it will definitely increase especially in places like Puerto Lopez or Canoa on the coast. We didn’t plan to spend as long as we did in Ecuador but I’m glad we did because I feel like
we got to know the country a lot better than many tourists who just pass through to the prime touristic destinations…….now onto Peru!
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Rosemary Lenanton
non-member comment
Birthday Treat
sounded great - lucky girl, hope you still have some money left! Enjoyed your report as always and I thought the 'photo of you and your cake was lovely.I hear you had a chat to Jessica - what a week it has been. I aquired a parking fine on top of everything else. I was cross! Hope we talk soon - enjoy Peru! LOL GM xxxxx