Tired
Trip Start
Aug 02, 2007
1
5
22
Trip End
Aug 22, 2007
Cuenca,
Ecuador
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
So, today we travelled to Cuenca, Ecuador. Travel days are always a bit chaotic and exhausting. We got up very early...yet again...and decided we were tough and would walk to the bus station with our backpacks. Walking there without our packs was easy...not so much for me with 30 pounds on my back. (Mike says he should not be included in my wimpiness...he thought it was easy.) We made it to the crazy bus station. It's not a very big station but it's certainly bustling. For some reason, which we have yet to understand, the guys stand in front of their buses yelling out where they're going. Ok, yes, that makes sense, however, it's almost as if they're trying to convince you to go where their bus is going. "Ambato! Ambato! Ambato! You want to go to Ambato? Come on my bus!" Well, we did want to go to Ambato, so we got on, got good seats, and were happy. We left a little late because they were busy trying to fill the bus; then when we finally left we drove through town slowly as the bus ticket guy hung out the door still trying to get more passengers...as if you're walking down the street and you hear his calling for Ambato and you think, "Yes, I think I'll go to Ambato today." Very odd.
Anyway, the bus driver (who looked 15 years old) made up for leaving late by speeding through the mountain roads like a maniac. We got there in less than an hour and found the bus to Cuenca. Very efficient. So, then we faced a 5 1/2 hour bus ride on a not so nice crowded bus, but at least it was relatively comfortable. Early on in the ride, a man stood up at the front of the bus and seemed to be delivering a speech. We figured out that he was actually selling some vitamins or something. The bus activity is always entertaining. On the bus ride to Ambato, a guy got on with traditional Andean dress and started playing music.
So, we made it to Cuenca...tired and hungry. Stupidly we hadn't brought any snacks along and we left our hotel in Baņos too early to get the free breakfast. So we checked into Hotel Milan, which was the hotel the Dutch couple recommended. We weren't too impressed and decided we'd find a new hotel the next day. So, we found Cafe Moliendo and had a very tasty lunch. The waiter looked at me like I was crazy when I ordered an empanada and some guacamole on a Columbian-style tortilla...oh well...it was good (and really not that much)! After lunch, we went to the tourist office for some information on flying to Lima. (We decided that taking a 24 hour bus there was just not our idea of a good vacation.) The girl there was the first person in Ecuador who speaks English! Basically she just told us to check with Lan airline. We checked on some flights online and then went back to the hotel...completely exhausted. It was the first night we decided we'd stay in and read. Amazing...we were actually too tired and sore from horse-back riding to get dinner and drinks. A first!
