Very Scary! My stomach was tight just reading about your horrible encounter with the corrupt cops. When I was in La Paz, two young Brit friends were beaten up and robbed by the police, so you were lucky to get out of there intact. However, your next adventures look massively fabulous--oh those mountains! I wonder if it's Huaraz? Can't wait to see.
Very Scary Oh goodness what an ordeal you friends went through. Times like that can really affect your trip. We had to remind ourselves that we were okay and escaped freely unlike others like your friends. Thats the only way we could stay sane. Saying that we were both shaken up by this experience and went through an awful lot of anxiety on every other border crossing ?.
The things you miss When we were in Banos I (Scott) was as crook as a dog and in fact I think I was as sick as I have ever been on a trip, and it rained just about all the time so we did nothing other than lie in bed. I remember having a lot of trips to the waterfalls planned and some hiking but in the end once I got better I just wanted to move on. Thanks for actually giving a fantastic run down on all the things that we couldn't do, might have to go back now, but I am not sure I would be brave enough to do the swing.
Re: The things you miss Aw that's such a shame you guys didn't get to enjoy Banos, there's so many things to do there. We've been in that position before; being ill somewhere with a plan, so we know how you must have felt. We're glad our blog was able to fill in the gaps that you missed out on. Also, the swings not as scary as it looks once you've built up the courage for the first swing, it's fine. We hope you'll be able to revisit again at some point in the future.
Wowsers! What fabulous adventures! Gonzo crazies (that swing looks amazing) and then that lovely soak in an uncrowded pool. I'm going to have to get back in shape--I wouldn't want to miss out on this!
Re: Wowsers! The swing was exhilarating (and a little scary). It was nice just relaxing at the top watching the adventurous people swing upside down on it. The thermal baths here are amazing too, we're glad we went to the uncrowded one - it was a great way to relax after a busy day.
Waterfalls, thermal baths and swinging into the fog Ecuador seems to be one of those hidden gems with many places worth exploring. Every time we read your blog we say....we must go there. Phenomenal beauty. Glad the weather allowed you to rest and catch up on blogs.
Re: Waterfalls, thermal... We were pleasantly surprised by Ecuador's beauty and were glad we visited it. So many people easily miss it completely when travelling through S.America. We're glad we're still able to inspire well travelled people such as yourselves. Wet weather can be a blessing for us sometimes on this trip, helping us keep up to date with blogs and sorting out the hundreds of pictures we take.
Where were those dogs when you needed them? How great that you did part of the Quilotoa trek and saw that beautiful crater. I'm hoping to do it too, but was dismayed to see that you got on the wrong and very scary trail even with your guide dogs and GPS--yikes! But it sounds like a lovely adventure. And I love that you got Nala to her owners!
Re: Where were those dogs... The trek and the lake was amazing apart from being on the wrong path. Problem with GPS on the phone is that our position is to the nearest 5m which isn't much, unless the path we need is 5m above us! Ah well, all a part of the adventure. You really should get out and see it when you have the chance...maybe not the same trek as us though haha
Dog sitting So glad to hear Nala got back home safely :) We love it when dogs adopt us on walks as we love their company, but an added bonus is that they help to keep the not-so-friendly dogs away. What a climbing adventure you had. Glad you found a safe path!
Re: Dog sitting We were always worried about Nala, we just wanted her to get back home "not pregnant". When travelling we're always worried about stroking foreign dogs due to the western fear of 'rabies' but it was nice having the dogs around, it made us really miss our own dog back home.
Quito My aunt and uncle traveled a lot and I remember a charm my aunt sent to me from Quito. I had to run to the encyclopedia to look it up. It seemed so mysterious. I must get there some day. I hung on your every word and glad it wasn't as rough and tumble as you were expecting.
Re: Quito It really does get your mind racing when entering a new country with such a reputation. Thankfully we were able to overlook that and really get to see the sights of such an intriguing place. Plus the best thing about Quito is the fact that everywhere is commutable within a few hours.
Re: Chili Pig It was a pretty big roast to be honest. We found it funny how it seemed to have a chilli in almost every orifice! I think this was in the food market in Otavalo, a very interesting place to wonder around.
I love this photo! I didn't know that you your body weight can be lighter (by a kilo!) at the equator. So does that mean I'm a kilo heavier just from being so far from the equator in southern Australia (and that kilo has nothing to do with the cake I've been eating)? ;)
Re: I love this photo! Thank you, we loved sitting on those steps just people watching. In regards to that extra kilo, unfortunately we cannot confirm or deny that this is solely down to your global location or the cake...but hey who are we to argue with science.
Heaven on wheels! What magical experiences--the amazing church, finding Ecuador a wonderful surprise and so different from Colombia, and the spectacular bus ride! I love bus journeys, listening to my IPOD and watching the world go by with no responsibilities and nothing to do but enjoy. And then there are journeys like yours with impressive mountains, incredible scenery and tiny towns that make the journey unforgettable. What a perfect way to enter the country!
Heaven on wheels Love your title... it really was heaven on wheels, that bus ride. It was the perfect way to enter Ecuador and left us with a long standing impression. A journey we will never forget!
Drive of a lifetime Sounds like the endless scenic beauty was just what you needed. Each new day brings and unexpected surprise and adventure. I'm so happy you added Ecuador to your trip. Afraid to blink.....that certainly says it all. Travel makes us feel alive, embrace the emotions. When you do get back you can always do some laundry and then grab a notebook and begin planning the next trip.
Hi we're Chris and P. We have quit our jobs and sold our house to follow our dream of travelling around the world for 12 months!!!
Let’s jump back about 2 years - We're driving to P's friend’s house for an evening meal when she turns and says "I've been thinking..."
And what a thought that was indeed. That thought turned into buying a dilapidated property and spending a total of 2 years 'doing it up' ourselves coupled with a new job and a wedding thrown into the mix for good measure. We even questioned ourselves at times on whether travelling would actually become a reality or be j... full info
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Very Scary!
My stomach was tight just reading about your horrible encounter with the corrupt cops. When I was in La Paz, two young Brit friends were beaten up and robbed by the police, so you were lucky to get out of there intact. However, your next adventures look massively fabulous--oh those mountains! I wonder if it's Huaraz? Can't wait to see.