Hosteria Caballo Campana Cuenca

... to get there. On the way we had plenty of time to chat to Tanya from Australia, Lucy and Chris from the UK and Maria from Norway.<br><br>When we got to the trailhead, we began the climb through soft volcanic sand up to the refuge. We climbed 300 metres over about a kilometre and at that altitude it was a mission and we were all puffing. It also got cold very quickly when we stopped climbing at the refuge so after a five minute break we pushed on for another 200 metres of altitude over ...

... was another four blocks. The church San Blas was closed but it was set yet another typically attractive square. On the each were some very cheap restaurants and we noted what was on offer and the price before heading down to the river, Rio Tomebamba. The river was hardly flowing, it was a trickle amongst large boulders. I wondered if perhaps it was healthier in when the wet season arrived next month. A man selling coins caught Christies eye next to the river. Ever since we ...

... the same, all have so many churches its not funny and the same style buildings.<br>After a quick rest I met up with my Ecuadorian wife for dinner. We went to a restaurant with typical food, walked around town for abit, had a few beers and called it a night. It felt pretty good that she could understand most of what I was saying.<br><br>13th October<br>Off today to the Parque Nacional Cajas. I slept in majorly, so could only do a ...

... it was already hard to see.<br><br>Despite the short glimpses it was satisfying to see these wonderful creatures and it gave us the urge to visit Santa Fe. Maybe they would still be around in a few days. Only last night Christie and I had remarked that we had seen most of our favorite sea creatures here except for Whales and Dolphins, and now here were the Whales. We would be lucky enough to see Dolphins I thought. It wasn&#8217;t long before that question was answered. About halfway ...

... in the rough guide. It's again a completely different place to the other parts of Ecador that we've been to. It's very colonial with a very strong influenence of the spanish invaders. With cobbled streets and gaudy (beautiful if Phil asks) catholic churchs around every corner. To be fair there is a stunning cathedral just next to our hotel with beautiful blue and white domes topping it. We spent two days in Cuenca and did a mixture of cultured stuff and sitting ...

... Inca Trail that extends into Ecuador. The color of the earth was pretty interesting...in certain areas the dirt was yellow, green, and pink due to the minerals in it I think. We had lunch in the sacred area. It was presented on a white cloth that was laid out on the ground. The food was placed directly on the cloth and we all shared and ate together. The presentation was really cool. Before leaving this area Alfonso guided us in a 2nd ritual that was basically an agreement that ...

... for God´s guiding hand in getting us to the right place at the right time.<br><br>We ended up paying cash for our medical outing yesterday, which wasn´t bad. For an emergency room visit, consulation and bloodwork, it was $20 USD. The chest x ray was $15. Finally, the nebulizer treatment was $4. All her medications came to $120 but only because we had to buy her antibiotic twice after she spat out the tablets (HORSEPILLS!) We ran out to the ...

We decided to break the 14 hour journey between Latacunga and Vilcabamba with a two night stay in Cuenca, which is said to be Ecuador&#8217;s most beautiful city. The old town certainly lived up to this reputation with it&#8217;s colonial architecture, garden squares and skyline punctuated with church spires. It was especially beautiful at night once the streets and churches were lit up. Cuenca is also famous for ...

... from Secret Garden, had another beer and went to bed. <br><br>Shane says <br><br>Milli&#8217;s birthday today, but seeing most things in Cuenca are closed on a Sunday, we celebrated last night just in case, and besides with Australia being 15 hours ahead, it was her birthday by then anyway. <br><br>The last week in Quito was fairly low key, just working, getting peoples contact details and a last minute pack before we flew to Cuenca yesterday. <br><br>Our last day at ...

... slow roasted on a rotating metal rod, carved in small bits, and wrapped in a flat bread (like a pita). I have probably already mentioned this, but just about every bit of food I've had so far has been wonderful. The slight Ecuadorian twist on the shawarma was the aji sauce. Aji is a spicy sauce that varies from place to place but I think usually has a combination of onions, peppers and maybe tomatoes.<br> A couple hours outside Cuenca is a tiny ...