Ecuador

---

Well onto our next destination it was and after a brief stop into Panama city for the connecting flight and seeing the liners and tankers head through the Panama Canal we landed at 11pm in Quito with no idea how to get into the city or where we were stopping..

However our bible ´The Lonely Planet´ proved it self once again and we stayed on the edge of the old and new Quito in the Hostel Marsella with one of the friendliest hosts we have found... Matts Spanish was pushed to its limit as the man didn’t speak any English, which we have found common as we head south.

Spent the day exploring the Old town with views over the Basillica from the hilltop green, took a day or to get over the altitude as headaches at 3000m we were warned about.

Great old city with lots of fantastic buildings and architecture..we felt safe enough in the day to venture round the Plazas, cathedrals and the local wedding we stumbled across with Mariachis in toe.

Ventured out into the Mariscal for some night life but didn’t push our luck staying out to late due to everyone telling us that Quito is not a safe city at night and hearing some stories.

Basillica del Vollta Cathedral was amazing and the journey to get to the top was breathtaking enough walking over small wooden planks and metal ladders handing from the steeple.. it is as it sounds but the view from the top was well worth it. We ventured into some local markets for our fill of local clothes and gifts and unlike Costa Rica there is a clear Indigenous population here with the pork pie hats and colorful shawls. It is amazing to see the indigenous woman carrying one or two children on there back only secured by material wraps, there are no push chairs here, it looks hard work! In fact the only pram we have seen so far had a poodle in it!

After a Alpaca sweater, a shirt and some great local paintings (all light) we managed to flag a passing bus and headed for the Equator.. I.e Mitel del Mundo.. Great here and photos show us straddling either side of the north and south hemisphere. Salsa band playing close by so we stayed for a while before heading back. In the end we got a packed bus that was heading back into Quito and wondered around Calle Ronda, lovely little narrow historic street with well kept buildings, eateries and a few art galleries.

Up early to head to Latacunga as we needed to change there for the Quilotoa loop bus. Hectic rush as the driver dropped us in the centre of busy market day but we managed to get to the terminal, wolf down some food and hop on the bus around the loop.. We were already high up but got higher and higher with Jo clutching the seat for dear life and almost breaking my fingers every time we went round a bent or were near a shear drop.. Fantastic views all the way up to 3800m, bumped along an un paved road past small villages and more locals than the four tourists that were on the bus including us.. As its low season we haven’t seen many tourists at all and we definitely get some funny looks especially from the children that looked scared at times... blanco Diablo.

Got some little accommodation for the night but after nearly freezing and having no hot water or for that matter cold running water we checked into another place next door with a few Kiwis staying in. The views of the Volcanic lake were amazing and you could see the water bubbling in some places. We headed for a walk round the lake on the Mountain tops and had a very hard slog around, breathless and 5 hours later of some peak straddling we got back shattered, little burned from the altitude and pulsing heads from the altitude.. But definitely worth it.. Just us and the Alpacas.


Early the next morning, 4:30 to be exact we caught the early morning bus freezing our asses of wrapped in our duck down coats down un paved roads into the town of Latacunga. We headed there for the Mama Negra Festival, some weird catholic/Indigenous fiesta that featured bright clothes, food, parades and stuffed pigs with whisky bottles strapped to men’s backs parading down the street and kids with a smaller version featuring cooked guinea pigs. This went on all day, band after band while we watched on stuffing our faces with the local unknown produce.. greasy but nice.

After a long and unproductive phone call to our UK banks that had got suspect of large amounts being withdrawn from South America we proceeded on 2 hours south to Banos the adventure capital of Ecuador for locals and tourists.

After settling into Plantos y Blanco hostel we sussed out our trips for the next few days. The next day we headed of for our white water rafting trip as the river here just led East all the way into the Amazon. A great and cheap rafting experience with our mad guide that made us all jump out of the raft into the wild rapids. Great fun especially when Jo was hanging onto the front of the raft and the guide was trying to drown her we think.

Later that night we headed for a memorable experience at the local Hot baths as Banos is a village at the base of a very active volcano as it has had to be evacuated a few times in recent years. The baths were jammed full of locals and the odd tourist thrown in for good measure, this was definitely a cheap and cheerful location even though one of the baths was to hot to get in past your legs. After a full day of activates we found an Italian and had Pizza and Lasagna (one of our nicer meals so far)

The next morning we went for an interesting, bowl massaging spa featuring steam cocoon body chambers before being hosed down with cold water. This ritual went on 5 times before we left feeling healthier. A very fun experience. Next was the motor jeep buggy thing that we hired that featured no reverse and no handbrake (only found out on a hill an hour later). 3 hours worth of avoiding tunnels and trying to keep on the right side of the road... Something we both failed at a few times to the amusement of on coming trucks. At one point after going the wrong way down a road trying to avoid a bridge, Jo had to push us back up a hill while I tried to keep us from falling down the cliff.

An amazing water fall kept us out longer than planned & the bridge that only 5 people at a time could cross, but we had to get back to catch our bus for Riobamba, after being amazed by our last sight in Banos a local chruch featuring lots of paintings of people being saved from accidents by Santa Agua. Some beautiful churches here.

After a journey south past 6000m+ volcano scenery and Jo fearing we would drop of every cliff edge, we arrived in Riobamba only to find the tickets for the famous devils nose train journey were sold out.. To Matts disappointment and Jo´s delight. We relaxed the next morning and needed time to get over a local crazed man taking a shine to Jo in the street, there seems a few odd balls around but this one was unstable.

Lunch of fried chicken and chips and it was time to head 5 hours south to the biggest city in Ecuador, Guayaquil. On the way we drove through and up some of the most spectacular scenery with the road cut into the Mt side.. I took photos, Jo clutched the edge of the seat for dear life! Thrown in with these coach journeys are often stops were locals selling god knows what food, board the bus and walk up and down the isle or you pay for the food out the bus window and they pass it up to you before the bus speeds away with ´Guinea pig on a stick´ in hand.

Managed to find our way into the city centre, arriving at a unexpected cosmopolitan city and found some accommodation at the Hostel Suites Madrid.

The next day revived and ready to look at our Galapagos options we toured the city via Bolivar Parque to find a local park over looked by a cathedral, jammed with Pigeons, turtles and Iguanas.. We had heard about this park but didn’t expect to find the reality so true where Meter long Iguanas will come up to you to take your lunch. Our camera were on over load as the pictures show how photogenic the parks inhabitants were.

After dragging ourselves away from the park we were again astounded by the City cathedral in the shape of a cross. The building was huge and unlike some of the churches it was very elegant, the size was breathtaking. We finally got round to sussing out different Galapagos trip options but in the end we decided to only get the flight over and try and pick up a last minute cruise directly from the islands as we hope as it is low season we can do this... Only time will tell...

Our last day here to explore some of the historic town and newly developed water front that puts Oriental bay to shame, before flying out tomorrow for the Galapagos islands.

---