Oh how we adore Ecuador!
Trip Start
Sep 03, 2008
1
44
77
Trip End
May 2009
Alausí,
Ecuador
Sunday, January 25, 2009
We breathe a sigh of relief
And tropical air
Relaxing at Hostel Izhcayluma, Vilcabamba
Leaving Peru behind, we crossed into Ecuador and were met at the border by a tree filled with wild monkeys. It was an auspicious beginning in what is turning out to be one of our favorite countries. Our first stop was Vilcabamba, a delightful little town nestled in the verdant Andes. Rumor has it that citizens of this valley live to be over 120 years old! Documented cases really only reach into the early 100s, but hey, that's still pretty impressive. We spend a wonderful time unwinding, hiking through the hills, and playing pool at our super cool hostel. Very rejuvenating.
San Francisco Church, Cuenca, Ecuador
Next stop was Cuenca, a beautiful colonial town with a great vibe and wonderful architecture. We toured the town's many churches, visited a few stellar museums, and even caught a magic show - yes, a magic show. In fact we waited an hour and half with a horde of locals of all ages to get into the packed theatre. Totally worth it! This is Eli's favorite city so far (might have been the magic!) and definitely a highlight.
Woah!!!
We kept moving north and found ourselves in a sleepy little town called Alausí . There is not much here, besides a kind of awesome mosaic statue of Jesus overlooking the town and a ton of rhino beetles (see photos). The other attraction is a train - or rather, a bus body on a train track - which goes on a one hour trip into the Nariz del Diablo (The Devil's Nose), an impressive valley with a steep rock face and rushing river. You can sit on top of the bus/train as it descends and ascends, super fun! We then took another bus/train to Riobamba, 3 hours north, where we met up with our Aussie friends Luke and Holly (from the salt flats) for a night of pizza and beer. We'll be traveling with the intrepid Australians for a few days as we continue to explore Ecuador!
Sunset through the trees, Vilcabamba
Jerome enjoys a nature walk
Schoolgirls in Ecuador
Catedral Nuevo in Cuenca
Now that's a load of bull!!
Mother and child, Alausí
Meeting of the minds, Alausí
Comin' round the mountain!
Window seat, train to Riobamba
Where I stayed
Hotel Riobamba Inn, Riobamba
Hosteria Izhcayluma, Vilcabamba
Hostal el Monasterio, Cuenca
Hotel Americano, Alausí
Comments
Geography lessons
You can tell I'm a product of the USA school system - I had no idea that Ecuador was north of Peru; in fact, I thought it was in Central America! Thank goodness you guys went on this trip so I could learn something! And thanks for the beautiful pictures - but no pictures of the ice cream?! How can you deprive me that way??!!
Devil Boogers
AMAZING photos!!! I felt like I just flipped through a pictorial in NatGeo! And you rode on top of a train?! Who are you Indiana Jones and Lara Croft?! (Except Indi's weakness in this case isn't snakes, but magic shows!) Awesome.