Ecuador travel tales, by Alan
Andean Trails’ Alan reports back after his first week exploring Ecuador, which has seen him befriend ice cream sellers, cross the equator three times in a day and sleep in a hotel with a plane in the garden……..
Alan writes:
“We landed on time and the new airport at Quito is modern and clean. I spent the first couple of days checking the city and some hotels, and then headed to the cloud forest at Bellavista.
When you drive to Bellavista from Quito you cross the Equator three times. Fab! We went on walks in the morning and evening. The place is quirky and I really like it.
In the cloud forest some of the worms grow up to a metre long, so you can say that cloud forest worms are bigger than cloud forest snakes. (Well , I at least thought that interesting).
I left the cloud forest and headed to Cotopaxi National Park, where we drove into the park, had a walk around a small lake – beautiful.”
Aircraft in the garden
Next, Salcedo. I had a look around the town which is famous for its ice creams and was rather startled by the bins with sort of scary cartoon character heads on top and where you shove the rubbish in its mouth. I have noticed them in other villages too.
Spotted a restaurant I would go back to for dinner and then headed to the hotel.
This is the weirdest place I have ever stayed in…..guns on my bedroom wall and in the grounds as well as a swimming pool, and football pitch they have a cadillac, a real shell of a DC9 aircraft, a mini Ferris Wheel, an ostrich and more!!!!!!!
Went back into town and had a HUGE steak; to digest what I’d seen.
Ice cream friends
Next, a bus to Baños. I headed to the wrong place to catch the bus, hence the photo of my feet. Anyway, luckily for me I met Angela, the ice cream lady who jumps on the buses to sell her ice creams, and she got me on the right bus.
She was very chuffed because I am her first Scottish friend. Although she probably hates me now because I didn’t buy an ice cream. Feel a bit guilty now.
I hadn’t realised that my hotel is right above Banos and has a cafe with spectacular views of the city below.
Also the cafe is at the top of some trails so I had a nice down hill walk into town and into an internet café, where I sit typing this.
Off to Cuenca tomorrow.”
