Two Hobos travel the Devil's Nose

  Riobamba, Ecuador
Sunday, October 15, 2006

An early start and we were off to catch the devil's nose railway. This stretch of railway is all that is left of the trans Ecuador railway system that fell into disrepair when people began to afford cars. It has been kept open because it is impossibly spectacular and dangerous and tourists seem to enjoy paying for the thrill. Just to make it a little more exciting the done thing is to sit on the roof of what can only be called cattle trucks for the six hour journey that runs three times a week.

Today however was presidential election day and the driver hadn't turned up because he was voting. In Ecuador you are fined $100 plus if you fail to vote. The train had arrived at the station with much hooting and commotion and all the tourists had raced over the tracks to climb up the ladders onto the roofs. (no chance of being run over because as I say, this is the only train left in the country - all the others fell off the rails ages ago)

We were cleverly baulked by a woman who turned out to be letting all her French friends up our ladder to grab the best perches. Initially, gallantry stopped me pushing past her but once I realised they were French, the elbows came out and Gill and I managed to get a spot on the right(literally) side of the train for the best view.

Gringo Hobos

Sometimes that seat changed onto the left side of the train but I will come to that.

Eventually, the driver arrived to a great amount of jeering, which didn't seem to faze him because he promptly took a leaf out of the bus drivers' handbook and went off to buy some sugar cane from one of the many stalls that were drawn by the magnet to this Gringo laden train.

Huge tooting and the train rolled out of the station and proceeded at walking pace straight up the middle of the town's streets to the amusement of all the locals who must think Gringos are a daft breed.

Watching them watching us

Gradually the tracks became more railway like and we started traveling through fields - still to the amusement of every child and dog in the area which came running helter skelter to the best vantage point to wave or bark at the train respectively.

Gradually, we got the hang of things. The engine could just about cope as long as it had a pause every now and then, the brakes were operated by men standing on the carriage roofs turning huge cast iron wheels whilst dodging the odd overhead cable where a telephone pole had seen better days, but I was extremely concerned about the track. This was Sunday and there had been no train on the line since last Wednesday and we were in landslide country. The track was pretty invisible being buried in the dried mud most of the time and when we could see it, it was better not to look because there was a severe shortage of sleepers. ( I will never criticise the tube again - promise). Things were not helped when I realised why the brakemen sometimes waved a hand on an outstretched arm as if to indicate "dodgy" - well that is exactly what they were signaling to the driver as they watched each carriage over every set of invisible points.

After several dusty hours, we pulled into a station and we raced to get to the front of the toilet queue whilst a nice German girl saved our spots from those nasty Frenchies. If we had only known what was coming, I think there would have been even more demand for the loos!

Now Gill HAD read all about it but even she was not prepared for the drama of descending 800 metres down a sheer rock called the devil's nose.

The Devil's nose

Basically the train went one way and when it ran out of rock it started backwards down a lower track and so on backwards and forwards

Zigzag

until it reached the bottom and a station that had lost its roof ages ago.

Destination

They were a brave lot the Ecuadorian travelers in 1905 - but then they live in a country with 22 active volcanoes so I guess they are happy risk takers. Now bankers like people who enjoy taking risks - plenty of profits there!

After a suitable stop for a bit of sugar cane chewing, I guess, a frazzle in the equatorial sun and a little entertainment from some poor Dutch girl who had obviously been at the back of the loo queue who bravely squatted down behind an inadequate rock in front of four carriage roofs' full of travelers, we chugged off back up the hill to safety.

A nice easy stretch

Phew, what a scorcher! I will now keep an eye out on the news from Ecuador - this train is bound to fall off the tracks some time but hopefully not on the near vertical drop sections of the line.

Ps
The adrenalin must still be flowing because I forgot to mention that we really enjoyed the views

Splendid Views

and the experience and would recommend the ride to anybody!!!!