Riobamba and Cuenca

---

It took about 2 1/2 hours on the bus from Banos to Riobamba but this
was the worst bus yet, the bus drivers in Ecuador drive like idiots
and with a belly full of Caiprinhas this was not a good cocktail!

We arrived at Riobamba at around 2pm and with no hostel booked we
decided to book ourselves in the nearest hostel to the bus station
ready for our bus to Cuenca in the morning. This happened to be Hotel
Senorial which was standard did the job for just a night but reminded
me of the shining inside.
Riobamba was just a stop off in between buses and I was glad, it was a
town full of nothing, it took us an hour and a half just to find
somewhere half decent to eat. The less said about Riobamba the better
with the only attraction being the mountain that over looks the town
which was a good picture at sunset.

We got up as soon as we could and got the first bus to Cuenca (6 1/2
hours). The bus journey didn't seem to last that long thanks to my
iPod full of films plus the outrageous scenery helped which we passed
along the way, although I don't think I will ever get used to the
sheer drops you see round some corners.

We arrived at Cuenca at about 3pm and did what I would recommend to
any traveller, went to tourist information and got a map of he city.
It doesn't matter what city your in when you don't speak Spanish a map
becomes your best friend.

We walked about 12 blocks to our hostel which was definitely the worst
hostel upto now named and shamed Casa del Naranja. I could nearly
touch all 4 Walls of the room which was opened with a horse door/
window and the thinest glass holding the door together. The bathroom
was outside and housed all sorts of creepies but so was the hostel it
had a big open air courtyard just outside our room which rain came
through all night.

We walked around Cuenca which was quite a nice city, imagine picking
up York and dipping it in Reggae Reggae sauce and placing it in
central Ecuador and that was Cuenca.
With Hollie craving McDonalds and me KFC we used the map and some
dodgy directions to direct us to a mall, where I got my fix of a Super
Combo special (eyes bigger than my belly but nice) in KFC and Hollie
having to settle for a Burger King, although she managed to order a
cheeseburger without cheese even though it was a cheeseburger she was
craving.
We finished at the mall tried to look for accomodation for Machala
with no luck, looked around a little market and then headed back to
the craphole. Killed the creepies that were living in our room before
finally falling asleep, only to wake every 2 hours thinking I was
covered in maggots. I woke up about 7.30 and decided to catch up
blogwise on the last week before Hollie woke up. Hollie woke up at
half 8 and I braved the shower which took 10 minutes to clear of the
creepies but at least it was hot. We got changed and agreed with the
Spanish owners to check out but leave our bags until 12 so we could
look round the city for a couple of hours, they were probably the best
thing about this hostel as they seemed very friendly in a lost in
translations kind of way.

Cuenca has 2 main attractions the 2 cathedrals that sit at either side
of the central park and the Market stalls that live in Cuenca but
carry goods to Otavalo for a Saturday. Me and Hollie visited both
attractions with the newer of the 2 cathedrals being incomplete but
still towered in it's enormousity, then after Hollie picked up more
souvenirs we headed to breakfast. After we headed to the hostel, after
deciding we couldn't be bothered checking in another hostel and Cuenca
not having enough to see. So we got our bags then a taxi and headed to
the bus station. We got a ticket for a direct bus to Machala which
should take 3 hours. We have now been on the bus 3 1/2 hours are miles
from Machala and time is running out to find a hostel to stay in
tonight.

Muchos love

Brown

---