Ecuador - Kiwis in the Jungle

Hola everyone!!! Our 3 weeks in Ecuador is almost up, so thought it was about time we updated you on what we have been up to.

(Picture to right is view from bus enroute to Cuenca, a typical Ecuadorian view)

We have joined our tour, which goes through Ecuador, into Peru and then on to Bolivia. The tour is the perfect concept for us. How it works is that we have a kiwi tour leader who is in charge of getting our group (10 of us at the moment) from A to B and into accommodation. We mainly use local buses to get around, so we are not too isolated from the ´true´ South American experience - rather are just spared from the time and hassle of arranging transport and trying to communicate with the crazy bus drivers! The accommodation is in hostels, most of which have been quite nice. Once again, it is nice not to have to waste time wandering around town looking for a place to stay! Our tour leader is also a bit of a foodie, so is never short of a great tip for a place to eat. There is HEAPS of free time when we get to places, so we are not always doing things as a group. The group activities are often optional... as we type some of the group is off to a Panama hat factory.

So, what have we been up to? I will summarise for those who just want the short version: Markets, Jungle, Hot Pools, Bus rides and Ruins. More detail follows.

Prior to joining the tour we attempted a day trip on our own to the Equator - basically compulsory when in Ecuador. For us the adventure was getting there and away - quite a debacle really. We had three different sets of instructions on how to get there before we even started, which was probably a bad sign. The trip that should take 1 to 1 & 1/2 hours one way and involve 2 local buses took us 3 & 1/2 hrs and involved 5 local buses, plus much walking, an army base and much miscommunication with helpful locals! By the time we got there it was almost time for us to leave again (but to prove we made it, the equator monument is to the right). The trip home was equally hopeless - our bus took us in a strange direction. We needed to be back by 6pm for a tour briefing and at 5:45pm thought we were in the middle of nowhere. By 5 to 6 we had a vague idea where we were, but that was about it. We coped out, grabbed an (overpriced) cab, and managed to be back just in time for the briefing........ This experience was enough to convince us that the tour was going to be just what we needed!!!!

We joined our tour in Quito and the first day we headed north by local bus to Otavala - a small town most well known for its craft markets. The bus trip was interesting - our tour leader spotted a couple of guys trying to steal some stuff from one of our group member´s bags.... not a great start! The driver was a bit crazy like most here - the roads are windy and often have very steep and long dropoffs next to them - this does not deter the bus drivers who tend to think that their buses handle like a Mazzerati (or Datsun Sunny), can pass on blind corners and can fit 3 abreast on a 2 lane road....... Not to worry - we got there. Otavala was nice and we managed to leave with several bracelets/necklaces, two paintings and some other nicknacks..... hopefully for our backs´ sake we will not continue to shop at this rate........

Couple in Otavalo markets - Ross and Michelle in 50 years!

Next key stop was a 2 day trip into the Amazon jungle. The bus trip in reminded us of the movie Romancing the Stone - it was very cool. The jungle itself was beautiful. We had a local guide who was a bit of a comic and who was quite touchy feely with both guys and girls. Highlights were tubing down rapids in the rivers, getting up close and personal with jungle flora and fauna (spiders, butterflies and frogs.....), drifting down the river in a canoe at night, the delicious jungle meals and the beautiful friendly children of the family who looked after our jungle huts. You will all be dying to know how Michelle dealt with her proximity to large spiders (including tarantulas......(sp????)). Given our huts had no lights or mosquito/spider nets, had bats (and I don´t mean pink batts) and plenty of gaps in the walls she did what any mature Taranaki lass would do - kept ordering Cuba Libres (rum and cokes) until she was sick and fairly sedated...........

After the jungle we headed to Banos - a place known for its hot pools and outdoor activities. It is nestled under a 5,800 m volcano which is fairly active.... actually it erupted in August this year killing 5 people..... as a result Banos was not overrun with tourists while we were there! It was a fantastic spot - probably our favourite town so far. Nice hot pools, spectacular surroundings and heaps of outdoor activities to do. We mountain biked and road horses. The horse trip was great, although our horses hardly responded to our commands and our butts are still fairly tender 3 days later..... We had amazing accommodation there - let us know if you are ever going to be in Banos.....

After a 7 hour bus trip through the foothills of the Andes we are in Cuenca (3rd biggest city). It has a very colonial feel. The 2 of us have spent the day wandering around - the highlight was probably the local markets. These were very similar to Melbourne´s Vic markets featuring fresh fruit and vegies, fish, meat and sneakers. The only difference was that there was no refrigeration - so we were not too tempted by the fish and meat...... but the fruit is fantastic and cheap. The other great thing about Cuenca is that it is the home of Datsun 120Ys. They are definitely the boy racers´car of choice (naturally) and are suped up with small fat tyres, mags and racing steering wheels. Datsuns come here for their second life - I reckon we might have got double what we got for the Datty in NZ if we had been selling it here. Tomorrow we have another day here - where we see Ecuador´s most significant Inca ruins - Ingapirca.

So as you can see we are having a fantastic time and seeing so much in a short space of time. The weather is pretty warm so are slowly losing the Kiwi winter coat..... although have a long way to go before we fit in with the locals!

Chow until Peru.