The Amazing Ecuador...
We've been in Ecuador for about a week and half now, and really love it here. Ecuador is alot more relaxed than Chile, people are friendlier, everything is cheaper and there are lots of greenery all around. We spent about 5 days relaxing and exploring around their capital Quito, which is set in a high Andean valley 2850m above the sea level and its historical centre (the Old Town) is full of beautiful old colonial buildings and plazas, which reminded me of Italy or Prague. From there we went on a day trip to Otavalo, famous for its craft market and indigeneous culture and their weavings, and also saw some nice mountain scenery, including a volcano that were mostly hidden behind clouds, along the way. On another day we visited the Mitad del Mundo monument, which marks the Equator, and learnt that the name Quito means the centre of the world. A nearby museum called Museo Solar Inti Nan further demonstrated that they are in fact the real equator, using the GPS... From there we saw that waters run straight down the drain (instead of circling clockwise or anticlockwise), it was easier to balance an egg on a nailhead because there were no net gravitational forces (though none of us managed that..), and also we weighed less along the line of the equator.. ,There were also some fascinating history about how the Incas use their knowledge of astromony to build churches and monuments along a star pattern originating from the real centre of the world, where there is also an indigeneous monument. We spent the last day in Quito walking around the Old Town, and walked up the towers of the Bascillica cathederal on the outskirt of the town, which had an awesome view of the city. It was a little scary because at the very top level, the floor was replaced by wire mesh that caved as you walked..
From Quito we went to the town of Banos, famous for its hotsprings and lush, mountainside scenery. The world Banos means bathroom, though we often interpret as toilet during our stay in South America as all the toilets use that Label. So I thought we were going to a Toilet-Town.. not knowing what to expect or why people would chose that name for their town.. Luckily there was nothing smelly about the town, and we enjoyed the most amazing scenery on the bus ride there from Quito, as the bus gradually wind its way down the huge mountains into Banos. However I was a little dissapointed to have chosen to sit at the wrong side, and missed all those photo opportunities. We lived like kings and queens in Banos, with beautiful mountain views right outside our window.. At night we played chinese checkers and in the morning we ate delicious breakfasts at the rooftop cafe, which had 360 degree view of the town and the mountains.
We decided to make the most of our time in Banos by doing an 'easy' trek not far from town. I found the trek information through a book on treking in Equador and brought a photocopy to the hike. An American girl joined us, which was very lucky in hindsight because she spoke perfect spanish and was a pretty good navigator. It was only an 8km hike, and we started around midday. It was very easy at first, the photocopy proved useful as it has everything down to the tiniest detail. The trek was called Valley of the Waterfalls, and we were walking on a well trodden trail with the mountain to our right, and another mountain to our left, separated by a big river. Sometimes you can see the waterfalls in the distant mountain. It was a cool, cloudy day, which was perfect for hiking, and about 2 hours into the hike we saw a local coming from the opposite side. When he informed us that it's only another hour and half to the waterfall and cable car ride, I was almost dissappointed by how easy and short it was... I had hoped to use this as an another opportunity to prepare for the daunting Inca Trail. I needn't have worried.. Almost as soon as he's gone the sun came up, and the trail turned into a windy and steep zig-zagged path. We huffed, puffed and sweated for the next 50 minutes or so, until we finally reached near the top of the mountain. Then it started to rain. At the same time we lost sight of a clear path ahead. According to the photocopy we needed to find a narrow, downhill road near a house. We found the house, but not the path.. Fortunately the owner of the house saw us, came out and guided us through his back garden, which was steep, slippery and muddy, and totally unmarked. It was then the adventure started. From there and for the next 40 minutes or so, we descended through unchartered terroritory, trying not to slip or trod on the many cow, dog and donkey dung on the path. My friend who was wearing sandles had the most fun, and was grateful for the opportunity to indulge his feet in the theraputic materials underneath. To cut the very long story short, the hike seemed to have lasted forever, and after the downhill path we were lost many more times because we couldn't find any clear signs or trails... we have encountered many dogs barking theateningly at us, and then climbed at least 4 sets of barbed wires, before finally finding the final waterfall. The hike ended with us catching a cable car in the heavy rain while holding up a table cloth for shelter, and then standing under a little sugarcane booth and trying to flag down a taxi or a car to get us back to town. The last bit took at least another 40 minutes. The American girl and I both agreed it was an amazing experience, but not my sandle-clad friend..
posted by Susan @ 6:24 PM
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