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Thursday 19th May 2005 : Goodbye Latacunga, Hello Banos
Got up and left the Residencial Rieles without looking back. Had hoped to get breakfast nearby but all the places open seemed to double as greasy chicken joints and I walked past them all.
Entering the bus terminal we were waved straight on to a bus for Banos, I thought. Once underway it became clear it was only going as far as Ambato where we could catch the Banos bus.
Getting off the bus in Ambato the conductor showed us exactly where (just across the road) to pick up the Banos bus. As we reached the departure point there was a heated debate (by the conductors) about which was the best/next bus available. We were shepherded to a bus and sure enough it set off after a couple of mins.
An hour or so later we were in Banos walking along Del Reyes roughly in the direction of some cheap but recommended hostals. Then Alberto stepped across the street and persuaded us to take a night in his place. Two adjoining rooms with beds for seven people, 20 USD total. We took it.
Bonus. The TV worked and
the boys watched most of ‘I, Robot’. On closer inspection the place was a little tired, the kitchen was grubby and the garden was too small and almost in the street. But it would do for one night.
Alberto was very helpful. He spoke some English and gave us a map on which he marked ATM, supermarket, eateries, walking routes - all the essentials. He also let Rory play for hours on his children’s (grandchildren’s ?) playstation. So if you are looking for a good deal go to the Alcazar on Del Reyes.
We went out and had our first meal in the Café Hood on the square. Good food, interesting place, not rushed but good service.
Later I went to look for a different hostel, preferably one with garden or terrace space for us to relax in. The closest I fancied was the Isla de Banos. It was more of a hotel than a hostal, lots of internal space plus a small but interesting garden. It was twice the price of the Alzacar but I took it.
Deb did not fancy going out for tea so I went to get some drinks and a takeaway
pizza. Nowhere advertised takeaways. I walked into a pizzeria and asked for a pizza to take away, simple as that. And it was the best pizza for weeks. The wine (Chilean) was good too.
Friday 20th May 2005 : Music, music, music
Breakfast in the new hostal. Not bad though a bit mean with the coffee. Extra cups chargeable, as is muesli, yogurt, eggs etc.
Into town and along to the bus station to check times of Quito buses on Monday morning. Every half hour from 0600 until 0930. They take around three and a half hours so we should be OK to get there for midday.
To Café Rico Pan for dinner. I wanted muesli and yogurt, the boys wanted pancakes. Somehow we all got a basic bread/jam breakfast as well. No harm done, it was the best bread we have had for weeks.
PM to Café Hood for beer and chess.
It must be a good food day. Evening we went to an Italian place where I had the best veg lasagne I have ever had in a restaurant. To top that a bunch of musicians (called Tankar) came in and
produced the best live music I’ve heard so far. I think their secret weapon was the violin. Whatever the reason I bought a CD.
Saturday 21st May 2005 : Rio Verde waterfalls
Along the main road out of Banos towards Puyo there are lots of waterfalls. We canot leave without seeing at least one close-up. After breakfast off we go to the bus station and walk straight on to a Puyo bus. We set off on a short journey that reminds me it is the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday. It is a river valley road with significant twists and hills. There are many tunnels through the hills, none of which are lit. Nor do the buses use their internal lights. As Deb said ‘a bit like a ghost-train but genuinely scary’. Guide books often recommend hiring bikes to ride the same route. I’m aware that some tunnels have separate cycle routes but in others there is no option but to ride alongside monster trucks, buses and cars.
We arrived at Rio Verde in one piece and walked down alongside the river to the village. First we had a nosey above the famed Devil’s Cauldron, complete with
a cup of tea in a newly-created garden area. On the way back up I noticed the disused dam-shutter-raising-screw device had been supplied by a Rodney Hunt. There was no indication of date or country of origin. Any ideas , Hunts of the world ?
Next further down the village street to the main Devil’s Cauldron trail. Owen and I followed this downhill to the river-level. Here there was a suspension bridge with 6 rather stout people and a sign saying ‘Max 5 persons’. We waited until came off. It was lovely and wobbly.
At the other end was a kind of hostal which was apparently holding an ethno-rain festival. The man at the gate told me this but gave no other info re start time etc I do not think we would have got Deb on the bridge, never mind across it.
We then climbed up hundreds more steps to reach the viewing platform for the bottom of the cauldron. It was certainly impressive, noisy and wet. The Ecuadorians were taking lots of posed photos, wetting and slicking back their hair - one took off his t-shirt to display his tattoo.
Owen and I took
one quick piccy of each other and off we went.
Catching a crowded bus we zoomed back to Banos and had cakes for dinner in the street. It struck me that most people here do not eat in the street. There are plenty of cafes for burgers etc but not usually takeaway. None of the pizza places are specifically takeaway either.
Rory informs us he cannot find his NintendoDS. Thinks it must be in the previous hostal where he probably left it under his pillow. We check all our bags to no avail. I walk back with Rory to the Alzacar and Alberto is outside as usual. Big smiles, handshakes , ‘Como es el jardin ?’ etc He looks at Owen’s NintendoDS and immediately asks his wife where she put the one they found in the room. Rory is happy and says thanks to Alberto. Lots of ‘Adios’, ‘hasta luego’ etc
I take a walk to the far end of town to check out the start of some of the hill walks. Returning I pass what looks like a funeral en route to the cemetery. Only there is no coffin. Two boys lead the procession bearing
wreaths spelling a girl’s name. A crowd follow, neither happy nor particularly sad, wearing mainly black.
Back at the hostal both the owner and his manager tell me that the steam-room and plunge pool are open tonight foc. Rory wants to go and dutifully cleans his black beforehand. Unfortunately he is too young to use the steam-room. He tries the plunge pool for a while but it is fairly cool.
I switch the TV on around 18:30 and it is the FA Cup Final, Arsenal v Man United with only 10 mins or so gone. A disappointing game, lots of shirt-pulling and tripping from both sides, and United fail to take any of their many chances.
I take Rory and Owen out for tea to a cheap barbecue chicken place. They both order chicken, I request just chips. They are a little surprised when chicken soup appears, and relieved when chicken, rice and chips follow.
I buy some beer to take back, Owen gets Pepsi (with which) to hang in the square.
Sunday 22nd May 2005 : Last day in Banos
I’ve been a little lazy maintaining my diary. I’ve just caught
up 10 days or so but I’m still a week behind. I’ll try and record something every day as I’ve a feeling that in retrospect I’m missing much of the trivia that give it colour.
Woken up about 0800 by Rory. Switched on the TV and watched most of the Grand Prix from Monaco. Down to breakfast closely followed by a weary Owen. He stayed out until gone 11 last night then watched TV for hours.
We have a place to stay in Colombia but Miami and Mexico are looming. Deb went off to do some net surfing while I went for a gentle hike with the boys.
We were aiming for the ‘Bellavista’ viewpoint. The sign at the bottom said 800m. I think it meant horizontal. Unfortunately we also had to climb around 250m.
There were several others on the trail. All gave a ‘Hola’, ‘Buenos Dias’, ‘Buenas Tardes’ as we passed. I had a 5-min conversation with one lady who was looking for her sister and three kids whom we had passed a few minutes earlier. By the time Rory and I reached the top Owen had been waiting 15 mins. He soon set
off again, leaving us with no money for the café !
We followed him , tracing a second route up to a higher viewpoint, allegedly 350m. We reached it. There was no sign of Owen, just another sign indicating the main viewpoint was another 850m further up. We retired.
Wearing sandals rather than boots we had several episodes of arm-windmilling on the way back down. Rory had a few bumps but managed to miss all the fresh horse-droppings.
Back into town to meet Deb and Owen in the square (there are two but there is one we tend to use as it includes the Café Hood which has fine food, a library and a chess set).
By now it has gone two and we are starving. Into the Café Grace on the corner. We all declined the set lunch; Deb and I because it was chicken or ‘meat’, the boys because it included watery soup with lumps in.
The place was very busy. They brought my omelette but not my chips. They then brought Owen’s Taco but not Deb’s. I had to ask for cutlery. The food-bringer-waiter had to ask the counter-manager to bring the
cutlery. They brought Deb’s taco. We had finished eating before Rory’s dish arrived, at which point I reminded the waiter I was still waiting for my chips - he brought them straight away. The food was fine but there seemed no understanding of our expectation of eating together.
For pudding we had ice-lollies in the square and Owen bought some obscenely-coloured taffy, a local specialty produced on the street by local hands.
Back to the future. It looks like Miami is a minimum of 20USD pppn. Maybe we’ll rearrange the flights and carry straight on to Mexico. There is pressure from the boys to stay in Miami as they want to catch the latest Star Wars extravaganza.
Back to the hostal. It starts raining. Indoors guess what ? Star Wars vol X is on TV. Rory is happy and Owen disappears to an internet café.
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