Ecuador

In Tena, Ecuador right now. There´s paragraphs but don´t expect too much!

So. since my last email...

Had a chill out day on the beach in Puerto Colombia before an early start the next day (29th July) to find our way from there to Caracas and the flight onto Quito. Caracas airport is so inefficient. Got there with more than two hours before take off and ended up running to the gate (with a quick food stop, throwing money on the counter type thing, for me) after having to queue and deal with lots of miserable Venezuelans. Not the nicest note to leave the country on.

Arrived in Quito via Bogota, Colombia, late that night. Quito has an old and new town. The old town is pretty quaint and houses government buildings, museums, theatres etc. The new town is designed to cater solely for tourists. There´s a square and strip of restaurants, clubs and bars that style themselves on those in Europe and the US. Didn´t really get a chance to take advantage but we´re back there on Tuesday so will fork out the 1 USD club entry prices then I´m sure.

Decided to stay in the old town. Spent the day wandering about, popping into the odd building or church (of which there are loads). Met a guy protesting outside the presidential palace because his son-in-law had been killed unlawfully by the Ecuadorian police.

Quito is very high up so it´s a bit colder than Venezuela (though is just below the equator) and is very mountainous. We took a cable car up to the top of one of these mountains and got a fairly good view of the city. It´s also very cheap in Ecuador, so that night we ate at what has got to be one of its most fancy restaurants, overlooking the presidential palace.

Next day (31st July) realised early on, with a call to NatWest, that my debit card had been cloned in Caracas. The bank told me that the card had been tried long after I´d left Venezuela, in Venezuela. Cancelled it. Not gonna moan too much about it, but the insurance company were incredibly difficult to get hold of, and when I did finally, they refused to help. Hoping that my new card gets to Charlie in time for her flight out here on Tuesday.

The front page of all of Ecuador´s papers around that time was a picture of a volcano which had erupted somewhere outside Quito. Would have been great to go see it but no one seemed to know where it was. Actually, got lots of conflicting information about where it was.

Headed to Baños instead which is famous for its hot springs and another volcano. The springs were pretty poor. More like an outside swimming pool with a good view. Met a guy in there though who recommended we get a cab to see the volcano. Jamie and Nick had read earlier that it was rumbling and the Foreign Office had advised against all but essential ravel to Baños. Got up there and as soon as we got our cameras out to take photos, the thing started smoking.

Jamie was really keen for this train ride at the Devil´s Nose. The Devil´s Nose is a mountain with a train track winding up it, built in the last century with quite a large loss of life apparently. So, that evening (31st July still) left Baños for Riobamba. Not much there except the train station. Views from the train were pretty impressive. Got to sit on top too. It´s cool but very much a tourist attration. It´s called Devil´s Nose incidentally because the church didn´t want a train link across the Andes and described it as the devil´s work.

Got the worst of the buses yesterday to Tena, which is where I am now. I really like it here. Reminds me a lot of Bartica, in Guyana, as it has the same authentic atmosphere. It´s not full of tourist places trying to sell you stuff but more bars full of locals playing pool and drinking Pilsener (a huge bottle for 1 USD). Saying that though, it´s world famous, apparently, for its white water rafting. So we´re giving that a go (for 40 USD, our accommodation is just 5 for a night!) tomorow.

Have just gone the south american way by getting my bag repaired rather than buying a new one so will go and collect that and dazzle the man con mi español.

Tried to add some photos but it´s taking forever so next time...

Girish