After a few days in Guyaquil, when we felt fatigued all the time (I blame grey sky!), we headed off to the Ecuadorian Andes. Andes here are much lower then in Peru, but they have quite a few active high volcanoes that are popular for climbing. Guess, what my plan is?
September 23-26th. Cuenca
Cuenca is 3 hours from Guyaquil by micro or 5 hours by bus through beautiful mountains and rain forest. Needless to say that I could not find a bus (well did not try too hard, especially when micro leaves 5 mins from our hotel (with wi fi, breakfast and neighbourghs from Africa)).
Cuenca is a place where middle class US citizens retire: town is full of them.
Cuenca is also a place to eat natural home made yogurt with pan de yuca.
We stayed in the hostel run by 2 young couples, 1 little child and 1 huge dog. A girl spoke Russian! She studied in Ukraine and worked a bit in Moscow. This hostel was a place where concentration of Russian speakers were unbelievable high: we have also met German who studied in MSU and a guy from US with Russian grandparent.
Cuenca has pleasant colonial city center and huge market.
Also Cuenca is an access point to Cajas National Park. It reminded me Patagonia a bit with its hills and lakes. Although Cajas is 4000m high.
Cuenca is a cultural and hystorical center. There is a museum of archeology, ethnography and modern art (all in one building!), ruins of Inca town that was founded by the last Inca and one of his heir-sons was born here. During the time we were in Cuence performance art festival started and US ambassador passed by to play blues with Ecuadorian band. The latter was free, so we did not hesitate to join an army of white-headed US-citizens to listen him play.
Cajas National Park
![]()
![]()
Theatre where US ambassador playes
![]()
Policia?
![]()
Лиза и свинья
![]()
Cuenca
![]()
September 26-27th. Nariz del Diablo
We planned to go straight to Riobamba, but somehow just an hour before departure our plan changed drastically. We ended up in Alausi, small village from where touristic train leave to the Devil's nose. The village is so small that we could not even find a place to eat except Chifa (Chinese restaurant) where owners could not understand our Spanish. Again. Well, they were Chinese.
We spent a night in one of the hotels on the main street leading to the train station. In the evening when we decided we need tea and sugar, we realized that we are locked in the hotel. We were saved luckily by returning owner.
Next morning after loooooong and I mean loooooong procedure of buying a ticket we are finally seated in this over priced tourist train that runs for 25 mins one way to La Nariz del Diablo and back.
The fun part is that there is altitude change of over 500 m in a very short distance. So the train goes serpantine changing direction.
This railway runs from Quito to Guyaquil and is called transandean railway. At the moment it only serves as tourist attraction (I believe it will stay this way) between certain places.
![]()
![]()
27-30th September. Riobamba
My goal in Riobamba is to climb Chimborazo, but today is weekend so everything is closed, so until Monday we ended up wondering around the streets/markets/chatting with another guests in the hostel (well, ish: we have double with private bathroom!). Riobamba is not particulary interesting place with all its museums (not that we tried to visit) being closed, narrow streets and mountains around.
September 23-26th. Cuenca
Cuenca is 3 hours from Guyaquil by micro or 5 hours by bus through beautiful mountains and rain forest. Needless to say that I could not find a bus (well did not try too hard, especially when micro leaves 5 mins from our hotel (with wi fi, breakfast and neighbourghs from Africa)).
Cuenca is a place where middle class US citizens retire: town is full of them.
Cuenca is also a place to eat natural home made yogurt with pan de yuca.
We stayed in the hostel run by 2 young couples, 1 little child and 1 huge dog. A girl spoke Russian! She studied in Ukraine and worked a bit in Moscow. This hostel was a place where concentration of Russian speakers were unbelievable high: we have also met German who studied in MSU and a guy from US with Russian grandparent.
Cuenca has pleasant colonial city center and huge market.
Also Cuenca is an access point to Cajas National Park. It reminded me Patagonia a bit with its hills and lakes. Although Cajas is 4000m high.
Cuenca is a cultural and hystorical center. There is a museum of archeology, ethnography and modern art (all in one building!), ruins of Inca town that was founded by the last Inca and one of his heir-sons was born here. During the time we were in Cuence performance art festival started and US ambassador passed by to play blues with Ecuadorian band. The latter was free, so we did not hesitate to join an army of white-headed US-citizens to listen him play.
Cajas National Park
Theatre where US ambassador playes
Policia?
Лиза и свинья
Cuenca
September 26-27th. Nariz del Diablo
We planned to go straight to Riobamba, but somehow just an hour before departure our plan changed drastically. We ended up in Alausi, small village from where touristic train leave to the Devil's nose. The village is so small that we could not even find a place to eat except Chifa (Chinese restaurant) where owners could not understand our Spanish. Again. Well, they were Chinese.
We spent a night in one of the hotels on the main street leading to the train station. In the evening when we decided we need tea and sugar, we realized that we are locked in the hotel. We were saved luckily by returning owner.
Next morning after loooooong and I mean loooooong procedure of buying a ticket we are finally seated in this over priced tourist train that runs for 25 mins one way to La Nariz del Diablo and back.
The fun part is that there is altitude change of over 500 m in a very short distance. So the train goes serpantine changing direction.
This railway runs from Quito to Guyaquil and is called transandean railway. At the moment it only serves as tourist attraction (I believe it will stay this way) between certain places.
27-30th September. Riobamba
My goal in Riobamba is to climb Chimborazo, but today is weekend so everything is closed, so until Monday we ended up wondering around the streets/markets/chatting with another guests in the hostel (well, ish: we have double with private bathroom!). Riobamba is not particulary interesting place with all its museums (not that we tried to visit) being closed, narrow streets and mountains around.
No comments:
Post a Comment