Local markets and awesome crater lake

Finally decided to leave Quito....we had been there far too long. Got up nice and early....paid our huge bill and set off to find a taxi to the bus station.

Amy hiking down a vlocano crater

No nice luxury buses here in Equador...but they are better than chicken buses! Got our ticket, and were hearded straight onto the bus....well after paying our 20c departure tax that was!!

Wasnt very far at all....only a couple of hours....and being first on the bus meant we got pick of the seats....we did have to take our bags on the bus which wasnt a problem till the bus got full, and then they had to go in the aisle meaning everyone had to climb over them.....still no one complained onc...not like they would have in england!!!!

Andean Mountains

Arrived in Latacunga.....nice and early. Should have got off bus when it passed centre....but werent entirely sure where we were so ended up walking back all the way into town, over a huge subway over the road. Found a nice little hotel....a pink one which made me happy!! We expected the place to be busy....having been warned the town fills up read for the market tomorrow....but the hotel was empty!

Went to explore....had a cheeseburger...that was more cheese than burger but still very good! Then decided to try and check out local tours....couldnt see any that did the market which wanted to do, so gave up, deciding we would have to make our own way there...but later we discovered another tour operator which had just opened....offering just what we wanted....the market in the morning....the crater lake in the afternoon, so we booked even if it was a little overpriced....save us getting hopelessly lost on the local buses!

Latacunga town

Spent the evening chilling and then went to a lovely little Italian restaurant where we enjoyed the biggest lasagne in the world ever!!!!! (Neil was still complaining he was ill.....which he has been every since his overinduldgence last saturday....and tonight i had to believe him, cause he actually turned down beer!!!!! Now that has to be a first!!)

The next day we got up bright and early.....excited that we off exploring real equador.  The guy was there waiting for us.  We paid wot we owed and got in his landrover.  Turned out his wife was accompaning us.  We hit the road and traffic was very bad.  The road works from the day before were still happening but it was chaos.  Cars in both lanes heading towards each other, cars and buses cutting up the grass verges.  Eventually we got through and it was a short drive to Saqusili market.  First stop was the animal market where they were animals everywhere, no pens at all, just millions of miniscule natives trying to hold on to there livestock.  There were pigs, sheep, llamas, cows, donkeys, goats, horses everywhere.  Each in there own section but the occasional pig got loose.  Me and ames got chased by one!  It was an old style market, no money involved just swopping of needs.  And then once you got your animals you either bundled them into the back of your truck, or in a sack over your back, or u just purchased a rope to walk them down the road.  The next market was the artisan one where we brought a small wall hanging and then finally the typical foods where they were pig heads, legs, loads of mangos-obviously the season for them, smelly fat, sacks of pulses, stray dogs eating skulls, and strange lumps of other stuff.  There were also markets for potatoes, fish amongst other things.

Local animal market

We then hit the road, firstly driving throught this artisan village with loads of cool statues of people doing artisan stuff and also some festival images, was pretty cool.  Then we got up into the highlands and it was quite amazing....and odd to say at times u could even have been in England.  All little fields clinging to the edge of the hills like giant patchwork quilts, the light illuminating them all in a wide variety of colours.  Passed through some really remote areas where the locals still lived in grass huts and burnt grass for heat as it was too high up for trees.  After a while reached a really cool canyon, looked like the grand one, tho obviously no where near as big......they must get some serious water around there when it rains. After about two hours driving we reached the small collection of huts gathered around the lip of the crater.  Stopped by one we were gonna eat in when we got back....it looked interesting!!!!!

Local food

We walked with our guide up to the lip and decided that even doing that wee walk we were knackered and we definately werent walking out, so booked our horses!  The lake was very beautiful, huge nestled deep in the volcanos crater.  It was a really brilliant blue with the browns and greens of the crater and by this time of day the mist was begining to descend as well.  Our guide left us at the start of the hike down, was very steep and very rocky underfoot, at one point the path was cut right into the rock and you had steep walls either side of you.  After about half an hour of walking down we got to a really sandy bit where u just skidded down.  By this point the man with the horses was hot on our tails and we felt rubbish at how slow we´d been going.  Had to speed up but he was going unbelievable slow in order not to pass us. When we finally got to the bottom you could reallt appreciate how big the lake was.  The mist was really low now and it started to rain.  I was so glad we`d got the horses as it was very steep and would have taken us forever.  The horses had no saddles, just rugs and rope round there middles.  You had to hang on for dear life as the little ecuadorian man ran along behind us.  Every time the horses stopped he whipped them on.  How he could keep up i do not know, he was panting as much as the horses but there was no stopping him.  When we finally got to the top it was time for our snack lunch included in the trip.  Turned out to be the biggest plate of food ever.....beans, rice, egg, pork, chicken, was even more meat in the beans.  The locals in the house had as much food and even more rice, which they ate as they painted there sheepskins.  We were so stuffed that when we got back we chilled and only shared a wee pizza and some beer before bed.

Local wildlife

Neil on Volcano Beach

Our ride out of the crater!

Volcano crater lake