Travels with Christa

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In early May, Kerensa´s friend Christa visited us for a month. We wanted to share some of our favorite parts of Ecuador with her and to use her visit as an opportunity to visit other parts of Ecuador we (or Tony) hadn´t seen yet.

We first spent a few days in Quito and saw some of the sights there, then went south to Riobamba to take the famous train ride down the "Nariz del Diablo," or Nose of the Devil - a steep part of the Andes. One of the highlights of the trip is riding on the top of the train car in the sun and weather, with some amazing views.

Unfortunately, about two weeks before we got there, there was a fatality on the top of the train and they were no longer allowing passengers on top. Also, we were a little dissapointed to find that the "train" was really more of a modified bus to drive on the tracks. All in all, the ride was nice and did provide some amazing views, but most long bus rides in Ecuador provide much of the same for a lot less money.

From the train stop in Aluahasi, we continued south to Cuenca. While in Cuenca, we visited the family Kerensa stayed with two years ago, some of the many beautiful churches, and generally enjoyed the beautiful colonial feel of the city. We also took a day trip to see the church of Biblian and unique Incan ruins of Inga Pirka.

We left Cuenca to head to the beach. We started with a couple days in Mantanita - famous for its surfing and party nightlife. I tried my hand at surfing again (first time was in Canoa) while Kerensa and Christa enjoyed collecting shells and lounging on the beach.

From Mantanita, we went to Puerto Lopez, where you can visit the "Isla de Plata," or Silver Island. The Isla de Plata is also known as the "poor man´s Galapagos." You can see some of the same species that are only found there and in the Galapagos. Also, like in the Galapagos, the wildlife has little to no natural fear of people, so you can get very close to them. After hiking on the island, we snorkeled off the beach for about another hour.

After the Isla de Plata, we visited Parque Machalilla, where you can visit an archaeological site at an Indigiunous Village, and the Frailles Beach - known as the nicest beach in Ecador. We were swimming in the crystal clear water for about 15 minutes before I was stung by a jellyfish. The pain was fairly intense for about four hours. It may be some time before any of us feel comfortable swimming in the ocean again.

We continued north up the coast from Puerto Lopez to Bahia de Caracas. In the bay, where the river enters the ocean, you can visit a mangrove forest. Mangroves grow in semi-fresh, semi-salt water environments. They support great biodiversity and are known for their pollution "filtering" qualities, like wetlands in the US.

After Bahia, we took a long trip back to the Northern Andes to Otovalo - home of Ecuador´s largest outdoor market. After some shopping and gift purchases, we booked a trip to visit several indiginous villages to see traditional crafts, a wild bird rescue center, and a volcanic lake.

We returned to Quito from Otovalo for a couple days of rest and packing before Christa had to return home. From there, we returned to Tena and Watchimak.

*Thanks to Christa for sharing her great photos!

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Photos

Guasumin Museum
Ecuador´s most famous artist. He had a definate style

Kerensa´s Cuenca Family
Kerensa stayed with them for two weeks during her second visit

Museum Gardens
The museum in Cuenca has re-created Incan Gardens on their grounds

A Church in Biblian
We saw this church when we were in Biblian. Look at the top and the bottome of the tower.