Travel to Ecuador, Vilcabamba.

This blog looks to be about the last one until we get back to Arizona. We are back in Cuenca today and have lots of those just before we leave things to do. We head out on on Saturday for Quito and then USA on Sunday. Home Sunday night late.

Our last little jaunt was not one we had thought of till we got here and began talking with folks. Vilcabamba was on our original research list of places to visit but seemed to fall victim to the cities. Once here though, the cold and rain helped us to decide to give it a whirl. After all, it's only a 5 hour bus trip to Loja ( the driving is known as "careening down mountain roads and it fits our experience), a change to another bus (more careening)for and hour and a taxi to the hotel.

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Travel to Ecuador, Cuenca.

It really is hard to believe that we have been married 49 years and that we both still have enough grey matter inside our heads to be able to accurately count them. We have had many adventures during August and celebrated our anniversary in one form or another depending on where we were.

The craziest was a canoe trip in BC where we lined the canoe through a very cold stream between 2 lakes. We arrived a bit wet and cold and started to set up our tent when a huge rainstorm hit, swamped our tent and left us low and wet. When we finally got the tent up, we tried to use our little gas stove to dry it but burnt a hole in it and had to stop.

Along came another couple and we sat in their dry tent. He was a pharmacist and had brought along some excellent straight grain alcohol which he mixed with lemonade. We had a freeze dried gingerbread cake which we put on the stove to cook. We got a bit loose and thought the cake was the best we had ever eaten.

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Travel to Ecuador, North, Quito.

Today we woke feeling lazy and decided to have a catch up day which probably was needed! We woke up at about 6.30 which was actually good cos the tennis semi - rafa/djokovic had started at 6am. So instead of dozing back to sleep which I would usually do at 6am, we switched the tennis on and proceeded to water an epic 4.5 hour match in bed! We did get up at one point and go down and have our breakie which was included. Simple but delicious. Fresh, warm bread, granola, fruit, yoghurt, juice and coffee. They did have a coffee machine so we asked for a latte. She said ok then went on to spend the next 15 mins attempting to our together a latte but it just wasnt working so we kindly put her out of her misery and said not to worry! All full up, satisfied and back to the tennis in bed! Well actually Ben was showered, dressed and on the bed. I was not! Anyway 4.5 hours later and victory was rafa's!! Wahhoooo he's back! I thought then and got told firmly it was now time to get up and shower!

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Travel to Ecuador, Centre, Baños.

We got up and thankfully it was the last time I had to hear “I'm in love with this beautiful shower”...Rach's new shower singing tune in tribute to the epic pressure and hot water that our hotel bathroom generates.. Well, that's what I thought however she's still blasting it out right now at the top of her lovely singing voice as I'm sitting here writing this blog in our Banos hostel (now, where is my iPod).

We organised a cab to take us to the South Terminal bus station. As with anything in Quito, it wasn't as close as we had expected and about an hour later we arrived. It seems that whenever they decide to build a new piece of infrastructure, be it an airport or bus station, they must build it in the most inaccessible of areas. Anyway, we arrived at wondered around, looking at the many booths looking for one that looked like it would sell us tickets to Banos.

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Travel to Ecuador, Galápagos, Isabela Island.

After a large tropical smoothie for breakfast at our hostel we headed up to do a walk to 'the wall of tears' originally built by 300 prisoners that were detained on isabela island between 1945 and 1959. The wall was built to basically keep the prisoners occupied, stone by stone with bare hands on glass sharp lava stone in the harsh conditions of the galapagos with very little food or water. The saying goes "that here the strong cry and the weak die" locals believe to still hear cried from the wall.

The walk itself out to the wall was quite long and tiring on sand and gravel and we saw most people riding biles, but we enjoyed our walk and found it rewarding when we saw our first wild galapagos giant tortoise!  In the couple of hours it took to walk the 5 plus Km's we saw a total of 6 wild tortoises either walking along the path or sat in the bushes munching on vegetation. We also saw some big marine iguanas sunning themselves on the path and a large flock of blue footed boobies on nearby rocks drying out after a swim.

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Travel to Ecuador, Galápagos, Santiago Island.

Wowza! What a day it was today. I'm currently sitting on the top deck of our boat sailing back from Santiago Island. The afternoon swells have arrived and its a little choppy so hopefully I don't make too many typing errors let alone get sea-sick!! Unfortunately its been quite overcast here today and after our little snorkling trip, Rach is huddled next to me wrapped in anything available to keep her warm!

Our day started with a 5.30am wake up call. The bus collected us right on 6am and after making a few more stops at various hotels to pick up our fellow gringos, we travelled north to the boat dock that will take us out for the day. After an hour, we arrived at the boat dock, swapped wheels for waterproof jackets and took the little dingy out to our waiting boat. They fed us 'breakfast' as soon as we got on board which consisted of a ham and cheese sandwich, an apple and a fruit box. I'm pretty sure it was apricot juice however Rach overruled me given her knowledge of Spanish words for various fruits. After knocking back breakie and finishing our peach juice, we settled in  pinnacle rockup on the top deck to get the best views on our way out to the islands.

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Travel to Ecuador, Centre, Riobamba.

Hello again

I promised more detail about Saturday 2nd to Tuesday 5th Feb in my last blog, so here is some of it. Ive added (or rather Caroline has added for me) a very small selection of the photos I have taken on the trip so far. The ones on this blog actully relate to Monday day which I,ll tell you about.

But first, I must catch you up on Sunday. We walked around some of the central parts of the Capital City of Quito; a huge spralling place spreading over, I think it was, 44 km from end to end. I forgot to take my camerawith me so have no pictures of that day, but Croline took some good ones and hs written up a very full blog about Quito so have a look at that.

I,ll go on to Monday. (by the way I can,t type apostrophes on this Hotel Computer!)

On Monday 4th Feb, we went to what was said to be the largest Market in Ecuador and word famous at that!! I took loads of photos as the Market and the local people were so vibrant and colourful. Mind you photos (taken by
Arriving at Otovalo Marketan inexperienced photographer like me) cannot do justice to this experience. I bartered reasonably successfully for the things I bought and enjoyed interacting with the people who were all very polite - keen to sell, but not pushy or intimidating.

Have a look at the market photos.

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