Riobamba

Trip Start Jun 12, 2005

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of Ecuador Riobamba, Ecuador
Thursday, October 27, 2005

Laura (a fellow volunteer at my site from Canada who also has a travel log; TYPE IN LAURITA in the TravelPod Search) and I arrived into Riobamba last night and found a hostel without any problem (as we have Vacaita). Actually, everywhere we have been has been more than welcoming and for better or worse, Vacaita makes this gringo stand out all the more whether it be walking down the street or just typing a new entry as I am doing now (as I have been writing the owner and the lady next to me are playing and petting the designer dog). By the way, it is true - the ladies, no matter from which culture they may be from, do like guys with puppies. In a few months I will be trading her in for another another �cancharro�.

Riobamba, situated at the base of the closest mountain to the sun (taking into account the curvature of the earth), has been a nice change from the village in which I live in which is seemingly the center of scary tarantula spiders, hand-sized cockroaches, snake-sized worms, 300 lb

Buildings

. cat fish, and biting bugs that are small enough to fly through the Peace Corps. provided �insect-proof� sleeping net; otherwise known as Monda�a. Between the perfect cool temperatures, the great restaurants and pubs, nice parks, beautiful colonial architecture, welcoming smiles and nice conversations with the residents, today has been re-energizing and a nice start to another adventure as a volunteer.

Bright and early tomorrow morning we are going to be riding on the historic train route (http://www.codeso.com/TurismoEcuador/TurismoTren01E.html) 7 hours south, en route to Cuenca for the festivities of Dia de los Difuntos. We will be opting for the roof of the train to capture the views and we twist and turn through vallies and ledges overlooking deadly cliffs (don�t read this part mom).