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Published: December 12th 2005
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Quito
Well, we had the best start anyone could ask for! After arriving in Quito, JGirl got very sick and after a few days it nearly got the stage where we were going to pack up our bags and head on home for treatment.... luckily after a week and half and a second trip to the hospital (we can highly recommend the Voz Andes Hospital if anyone is ever in need!) she made an amazing recovery and our trip began in earnest.
Whilst in Quito we spent some time checking out the colonial centre or "Old Town" whose narrow streets, beautiful buildings and churches could really help you to imagine how things were in times past. The difference between then and now was emphasied when we stumbled into the Church of Santa Domingo to find the interior decorated in shining gold with the most elaborate Alter we have ever seen. A service was in progress which was accompanied by a a guy playing an amplified hammond organ and singing completley out of tune... this we accepted as normal Equadorian worship. When we turned around to exit, there above us stood a magnificient if not rather dusty organ which had
Poorly JGirl
Wraped up in duvet and hammock turned into a relic of times past...
Mitad Del Mundo
We also spent a day investigating the Mitad del Mundo, where the equator passes through Equador. This comes highly recommended, especially the Inti-Nan Museum which is located just outside of an artificial colonial town built around a monument to mark the equator line, which since the age of satelites has been proved to be slighlty off the mark. The Inti-Nan Musuem is located exactly on the equator and therefore you can take part in all sorts of experiments involving water, plug holes and the balancing of eggs on nails.... You are also let loose with a blow pipe and can see a real shrunken human head from the amazon, which was pretty freaky.
Baños
Over the following week we made our way down through Ecuador, flanked by the Andes. The Andes are far more spectacular than we imagined them to be. Our journey down invloved a variety of transport. Having travelled throughout Central America we know how scary bus journeys can be but what with time and increasing age we had forgotten! Our first bus ride to Baños soon reminded us!!!!! The bus looked like it was falling
People Transport
Now they is some wheels.... apart and the driver seemed to have a death wish. However, we eventually arrived to a spectacular sunset over the top of Tungharua - an active volcano located only 8Km from Baños, where we were to spend the night.
We checked into Plantos y Blancos, which was cheap (13 Soles (2 quid) for a double with private bath) and really really nice... I repeat really really nice. It has an amazing roof terace with panoramic veiws, loads of games and to top this an honesty fridge stocked with all sorts of beverages! We booked ourselves in for a steam bath in the morning (also located at the hostal) and then relaxed with a beer whilst taking in the fresh mountain air, It felt great being out of the city
After our beers, we headed off to the local natural thermal baths where we bathed under a waterfall tumbling down the steep mountainside and a black sky dotted with bright stars....potentially very romatic had it not been for it being full of Ecuadorian families staring at us...they were all quite curious about the blond, blue eyed boy who appeared in the locals pool rather than what seemed to be
The middle of the world
Well the fake middle anyway... the gringo pool located downstairs!
Baños is a lovely place with a great atmosphere and we would have loved to have spent more time there. But needing to be in Trujillo, Peru by the 27th, this wasn't possible. So after climbing up to a statue of the Virgin overlooking the town (650 odd steps which proved to be more difficult than we imagined due to the lack of oxygen available...) we headed off to Riobamaba on the direct road which had just been reopened after the last volcanic erruption destoryed major parts of it. When the locals said "open" i now understand they meant this in the loosest sense, ie open for 4x4s and buses. Some of the "bridges" (I use this word lightly) were constructed by two bits of metal spanning large chasms, the bus driver slowed down when he approached these, and showed them more respect than he did the rest of the road which twisted and turned through the Andes.... It was then I realised that the bus drivers dont want to die either so we kicked back, stuck on the olde headphones and let Bach accompany us through the immensity that is the Andes.
Equator
Aparently you weigh less here than any other place in the world... unfortunatley for me no scales...
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George the Greek
George Mason
Ha ha! Found it!
Good work on setting up yer blog Dunc*. I will be checking regularly to see what I can expect next on my journey given that I'm a fortnight behind ya both! Big love. Gringo George.