16th-20th September 2006- Montanita
We learned to surf in Montanita, the hippy surf capital of Ecuador. We became friends with the only Ecuadorian artisan making natural balsa surf boards- the mythical Moreno
20th- 25th September 2006- Banos
After a 12 hour bus ride from the coast the soroche(altitude sickness) set in. After a few days recovering in this thermal resort town, we took a quad up the mountain to the view point to observe the Tunguragua. The volcano was erupting ash a few weeks before our arrival and there was still some concern.
27th September 2006- Devil’s nose Train ride
The infamous Devil’s train ride from Riobamba was a very exciting experience, sitting on top of the train, whilst whizzing through 5 different ecological and climatic zones.
28th September 2006- Incapirca ruins
The spectacular and the main Inca ruins in Ecuador, gave us an insight into the fascinating Inca culture. Unlike Machu Pichu there is much more knowledge and history known regarding this sight. There is an interesting museum with some of the recovered artifacts. We enjoyed breakfast overlooking the ruins for $1.50
28th September - 2nd October 2006-Cuenca
Women of Cuenca in traditional dress. Though the dress and hats vary considerably from region to region. This is actually the capital of the panama hat, originating here and not in Panama as popularly thought. This is probably the most beautiful city in the country, with many fine churches, colonial buildings and cobbled streets. Roberto celebrated his Birthday here. We finally found a nice restaurant - not easy as it is a very tradional city and everything is usually closed on Sundays.
1st October 2006 - Cajas National Park
Roberto’s Birthday. Reminded us a little bit of Ireland. Amazing trekking though many a tourist has been lost and perished in the freezing conditions of the park. Maps and paths are not very clear. We had a great day though.
4th-6th October 2006 – Vilcabamba
Climbing Mandango or The Inca Face; A tough but rewarding climb over the ridges of the Andes. At times we needed to go on our bums as the ridges were very windy and narrow, with a sheer drop of hundreds of metres to the valley below. Vilcabamba is known as the land of the Eternal young. Possibly because of the climate of the area and the good quality water and air.
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