Santa Lucia Cuenca

... up having to pay $10 each for a hotel. We tried going out in the evening but everything was just too expensive - $10 cover charge just to get into a bar!! <br>We did happen to meet 2 english guys on the bus - Dave &amp; Paul, who are doing pretty much the same route as us and finishing off in Rio in Feb. We all went to a bar for a coffee once we´d sorted out our accomodation (they were in the same place as us) and we met this crazy conspiracy theory guy called Grant Johnson. He ...

... for us anyway.)<br><br>We walked up the hill and got the next bus out to Cuenca, four hours away, which seemed like an eternity on the local bus filled with loud people, trying to watch that our bags weren´t unloaded from the other side of the bus, something that has been a concern during the local bus trips.<br><br>Finally we arrived in Cuenca where we were to stay for a week to take Spanish classes staying with a local family. I called the number I´d been given and arranged for ...

... the rest of the devices were manual.<br>Halfway the trip, we stopped in a small village, where the woman sold local drinks and food. We ate our first empanada, filled with cheese. They also sold a drink, made from cornmilk (Chicha), but this we haven't tried out. :-) <br><br>After the train ride, we took the bus from Alausi to Cuenca, a 4 hour lasting trip in a skanky bus. But we made it in one piece. ;-) We were happy to have a seating place, as they had sold ...

... cars stop and go at intersections (clearly no big buses in town) and don't hoot every 5 seconds just for the sake of it!<br><br> Not much else to say really except that it was a nice little stop on the way to Baños where we head tomorrow. Incidentally, that will be our last lengthy bus ride - 7 hours which is quite a thing for us! Lets hope tomorrow's driver went to a different driving school...<br>

... We returned to our truck and down the road towards Cerro Colorado. The road was not tarmaced but it had a fairly smooth and reasonably maintained asphalt surface for the entire 20km route, more evidence good investment on this island. Cerro Colorado was another Big Tortoise centre, fairly new built around 2005, on about 17 hectares and again everything was well presented in the visitors centre and well maintained. There were the usual tortoises both small and large and still as ...

... there&#8230; We&#8217;re trying to get moved in.<br> <br><br>Q: Do you feel safe?<br><br>A: Sure&#8212;except from the threat of those little flying moth-flies that bite, or the fleas. We&#8217;ve only had one friend that was robbed at gunpoint a few weeks back. Huge holiday here with lots of out of towners. About 12 folks were hiking up the mountain that we see from our house. Pretty isolated. They were only robbed. I tell folks I live here, I am not a ...

... ground floor, then up some steps to three single beds. We had our own private bathroom and a TV (though Ecuadorian broadcasting is peculiar to say the least). We quickly sorted our stuff then went out to eat. We settled on a restaurant recommended by Rough Guide, Raymipampa close to the Cathedral and opposite the park. The waiter was friendly and attentive, and the food was good. We were pretty tired though so we soon shuffled off back to the hostel and went to bed.

... He had also bought some biscuits for my birthday &#8211; hadn&#8217;t been able to find a cake in Quito! So it was a really nice way to finish our shift up, and then we were done! I had heard a few people had visited the museum of Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamin and all came back really inspired so we organised for our last day to go. Leaving everything till the last minute of course! <br><br>That week was full of farewell drinking so Shane had a nap instead ...

... ruins. The only thing i really wanted to do though was visit Parque Nacional Cajas, a lake-dotted paramo landscape.<br><br>Upon arriving, it drizzled. Then it rained. The riverside Inca(?) ruins were temporarily replaced by men in hard hats with cement mixers. The it rained some more. There really wasn´t much keeping me here, so i went off to do the shopping for the following day´s hike, watched a curious, seemingly major ...