Hosteria Duran Cuenca

... the next village, Zumbahua, so by the end we were crammed in with about eight others including a woman with a baby on her back, as we zoomed downhill past the impressive green peaks.<br><br>At Zumbahua we found another recommended place to stay but all accommodations there are very basic so we didn´t expect much. By this time we were ready for dinner and after a little trouble understanding what was on offer at a little eatery nearby due to lack of a menu, we finally got some chicken ...

... we hesitated but after considering the inclusion of breakfast, cable TV and the convenience of WiFi, we accepted and quickly moved into our room. It was a huge room and the hot shower was probably the best we had since leaving Australia. It was also extremely well located with a daily artisan market immediately outside.<br><br>We decided to grab some dinner before bed and were delighted to find an economic restaurant right next door. Dinner was $12 including drinks, and that was our day.

... and I am glad we made the effort. Nearby we stopped at the Playa Mann which seems to be one of the most popular beaches. Again it had its usual Sea Lion loungers and there were many students playing beach soccer, the university GAIAS is right next door.<br><br>We headed back to our apartment, stopping briefly for an ice cream, then home for the remnants of yesterdays Spaghetti dinner and packing for the early launch back to Santa Cruz at 7am.

... when the alarm went off at 630am Al was none too pleased. We drag oursleves out of bed and make our way to the station. Alex is still poorly so they catch a later bus. On the way to the station, with me still feeling nauseous it seems all the locals have decided that they will choose this morning to sell their local speciality of spitroasted guineapig!!! We grab a bus and head off, we have to change buses after an hour ...

... flowers in stands were everywhere. In the street, lining in front of the house, were brown and white plastic chairs. The chairs, along with lots of people were there for 3 days.<br><br>Yesterday I was walking home and stopped in my tracks. A crowd of people were coming down the street. Leading the parade were people carrying a casket! Almost everyone wore black. Young and old, folks were holding hands and walking to the church. Church bells rang. Interesting ...

After packing up our stuff and saying our goodbyes, we made our way to the bus station for our 10am bus to Guayaquil. The bus was pretty good and took us 4 hours to arrive. On arrival we were very impressed by the brand new bus terminal (very modern and combined with a large shopping centre); it absolutely **** on Quito's urchin-filled hovel of a bus terminal, but then again, that isn't exactly a difficult task. We found the desk of a company selling ...

... while I tried not to let my pantlegs touch the filthy floor every time I used the toilet. <br><br> But the good news is that I'm much better now! We journeyed north through the amazing highlands to the beautiful city of Cuenca. Our hostel doesn't smell like poo, and the view is amazing. Yesterday was a trip to the lovely Park Cajas, and although I wasn't quite ready to hike in the 3800m elevation. We enjoyed our morning, despite the wind and rain, but Cory ...

... nd then you surf b*ck in on the s*me bo*ts&#8230;.m*de out of reeds, they *lso *re notorious for groping the fem*le occup*nts on route so we were w*rned *g*inst it, I tried to present * &#8216;for&#8217; *rgument but they were h*ving none of it. As we were quite l*te *rriving we h*d dinner beside our hotel pool *nd * bit of *n impromptu sing song, which we were told off *bout. This s*me evening coined the phr*se &#8216;uno m*s&#8217; which tr*nsl ...

NOTE: This entry n*t intended f*r children und** 15, stamp c*llect*rs *r und**wat** basket weav**s. <br><br><br>The travel drama c*ntinued as I arrived at the bus c*mpany t* catch the 5:30AM bus *ut *f Tumbes. I luckily caught the manag** as he was leaving the pri*r night (the night I flew in) and b*ught a ticket. Of c*urse, I arrive *nly t* have him tell me that th**e is n* 5:30AM bus. He had n* explanati*n. <br><br>C*me back at 6:30AM t ...