Ecuador into Peru

After leaving the Galapagos (sadly) we flew into Quito and headed out towards Baños (still in Ecuador).. we didn't quite make it in one day so we had an overnight stop in a city called Ambato. When we arrived in Baños early the next day we had a look around the main square and walked around the town... A nice place set next to a river, with a huge active Volcano looming over the town... A few years ago the town was evacuated for fear of an eruption but after a couple of years and no show of an eruption the residents returned to the town (through the blockades!!!) and set up shop again. It's very touristy - lots of internet places, cafes, etc etc... and there are hot springs you can visit although we didn't. We had a long walk in the lush green countryside the next day (including a 2 hour walk up hill) to see Bellavista (a large white cross up on the hill overlooking the town) then onto Runtun, a small friendly village (close to the volcano), then onto La Virgen (a large statue of the Virgin Mary - also overlooking the town). The next few days were spent travelling overland, with a stop in Cuenca where Paul and I visited the gorgeous cathedral with beautiful satined glass windows and lots of people worshipping, it was really special. We crossed the border into Peru the next day via Macara (a small border town) and have now spent the last 2 nights in Chiclayo, a fun lively city on the coast in the North of Peru. So far we have really enjoyed Peru (only 2 days in though....) the people are very friendly and speak nice and slowly so it's easy for even Paul to understand them!!! Off to the northern highlands next....

01 Banos, Ecuador

02 Heading for the Peruvian border

03 The Ecuador/Peru border

04 Chiclayo, Peru