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Published: July 22nd 2007
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After a long, safe journey with no problems we arrived in Piura at 11.30 am. The Coach Company is great, as you check in your luggage similar to that of an airport check-in, which means you are not left to scramble over your bags on your departure. You get a receipt for your bags, they scan your clothing, and video you as you board the two-storey coach. The seats have more leg room than standard, and a non smelly toilet for a change! This will not be the same story tomorrow however... On the way the scenery mainly consisted of desert land, with small shantytowns built out of bamboo/ferns and wooden material, and the metal sheeting rooftops pinned down with rocks. We spotted the odd donkey carrying goods, and vultures scavenging in the littered landscapes. Such arid dry landscape, it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. Who knows where the locals source their daily basic requirements.
On our arrival we managed to find a friendly taxi driver who drove us to our accommodation, and then to another bus station so that we could purchase our tickets to Loja for tomorrow. He drove a worn & slightly dated
unmarked car, but provided us with a very efficient personal service, and proved he worked on behalf of the Bus Company.
The town has not got a huge amount on offer, of course the usual Plaza De Armas - the square, a few characterful style buildings, and the usual shops and market stalls. However the town does contain two incredibly cheap vegetarian restaurants. We decided to randomly select two items on the menu from one of the restaurants, having a vague idea of the ingredients and were pleasantly surprised - at least it would be vegetarian. We spent the remainder of the afternoon resting after our bus journey, and catching up on a few jobs for the following day.
Our friendly taxi driver picked us up a little earlier than expected the following morning. This was actually a blessing, as we had just discovered the whole town was shut, as it was Sunday. The taxi driver managed to find us a dingy cafe, which would make us cheese sandwiches for our journey ahead. Just a basic stove on display, with a boiling pot of corn, a local drink being brewed. Then we made our way to the bus station, and a small puppy entertained us for a while. The locals were busy on their market stalls, selling an array of flowers and carrying the odd dead bird.
The journey was a mere 8 hours today, although quite a warm day, so it was a little uncomfortable. The bus not so luxurious managed to get us through the Peruvian and Ecuadorian borders with no problems. This was lucky, as we have heard that there are quite a few problems at some of the other borders in Ecuador. At the border, (just marked by a few cones in the dusty road), there was a beautiful river where locals were doing their washing. We also bought a cola, which was then transferred to a plastic bag with a straw - you soon get used to the unexpected!!!
We continued on our journey, and we noticed that just before we exited Peru, the vegetation became much more tropical, lush and green, similar to Malaysian vegetation. Then as we got closer to our destination town Loja, the scenery became mountainous, the roads deteriorated and became more windy and dusty, similar to a rubble surface.
The journey was quite interesting, because after crossing the border the driver picked up many more passengers, well above the bus maximum capacity. This resorted in people bringing on huge sacks of corn/produce and huge boxes, which blocked the passageways. We also had people sitting on our armrests, someones bag resting on Ellie's shoulder, and our foot space invaded, what a journey, true South American style! However, before the bus terminal, we seemed to drop off most of the passengers in strange remote places, so by the time we arrived it was just the original passengers remaining. Maybe this supplies the driver with an additional income!
We took a taxi to hotel Londres, clean but very basic conditions. Then we resorted to a fast food option, as everything else was closed, before hitting our beds for the night. We love bus journeys.... The following day we explored a small part of the town, there was a pretty church and a bridge decorated in musical instruments. We ate cake for breakfast, and then found a basic vegetarian restaurant for lunch, & chose the set menu - interesting to say the least. Then we left to get a taxi to the bus station.
Another 15 hour journey, this time to our final destination Quito. The bus was okay, and we only tended to pick up people who we had the available seating capacity. The air con was not working, so a little warm. The bus assistant was like a head mistress, and kept telling Nick off for eating on the bus. Great a long journey with no food, then she promptly gave us four biscuits and a glass of coke - not exactly filling! Later we sneaked some crisps in the dark when she was not looking, it was like being back at school! She kept muttering things to us, and fell on Nick twice!
The journey to begin with was mountainous, windy with a very bad surface, making us feel a little ill. Then in the middle of the journey the road improved fortunately, whilst Nick watched a film called The Patriot in Spanish! As we neared Quito, the vegetation was very tropical, lush and we started to head up the mountains again, some breath-taking glacier views. The music has fortunately changed now to a more of a Latin beat, so no more panpipes for a while. We passed through some interesting towns, markets, past wandering dogs, and saw lots of shrines in the roads. We arrived in the bustling city of Quito at 8.30am, at last our journey over for now anyway...
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