Travel Tips

It was not that easy to reach Quito with all these strikes everywhere ! Backpacked for at least a one year travel, I find myself in a deserted parisian subway station, a telescreen spatting "No traffic". I take a look outside : traffic jams here and there (in Paris, it means everywhere) and only two hours and a half left to get to the airport. And no free cab, of course ! I jump in the first cab I see (already in charge) and I explain to the driver that I can't miss this flight : fortunately (thanks, Douve !) he and her client accept my intrusion. Then, the impossible journey begins, and I spare you all its details : I arrive at the airport with only one quarter to take off time. At this point, *** happens again : due to the strikes, the flight Paris-Madrid is delayed, what means I am very unlikely to get the connexion for Caracas. I call Stef and tell her to change her flight ticket in order not to arrive before me, as agreed.. and finally, the flight to Caracas is held back in Madrid for a few persons... and me ! Stef has already changed her ticket, what means one more day in solo in Quito for me.
The connexion Caracas-Quito is a bit shaking (hey, Aeropostal !) and my sleeping bag did not make it through, though well fixed (or too much for a mere sleeping bag...). At last, I arrive at the hostel and I fell easily asleep at 1 in the morning (8 AM Paris Time) to wake up 5 hours later with the sunrise !
Indeed, in Quito, sunrise at 6 AM, sunset at 6 PM, all year long !

Thanks to my legendary sense of sociability (hmmm....), I meet some clients of this surprisingly pleasant place that is Auberge Inn (see hotels), whose patio is most favourable to backpackers' meeting and exchange of feelings about the country. Amazingly, a few of them had a situation in their own country and decided to wander around for a while, what conforts me a litlle more in our choice.
I enjoy my "free time" with my new friends in Quito, visiting mainly its modern part. You quickly realize that you are in South America : tiny houses, smashed streets and pavements, sellers in the streets, beggers, jeeps and chirokees... The particularity of Quito is to be perched at 2800 meters (you can feel the height, especially its consequences on the pollution in the air !) and to be surrounded by volcanos and mountains, some of them harvested on their side (wonderful landscapes).

More Tips on my Quito Page

Otavalo...aaaaa

After Stef's arrival (at last !), we carry on with the market of Otavalo, small village in the North of Quito. This market takes every square metre and everything is on sale (even Scooby-Doo's doles and Nike shoes !). Old ladies from Peru (no more than 1,2 meter high !) wander around near whole families (even babies) in the middle of stinking raw meat, fishes barely fished and food sellers with scary looks.
But I had imagined it more or less like that : there's a somewhat surnatural in this, even more when sellers climb in the small buses to sell "cuy" (sort of guinea pig) with corn, toothbrushes, crisps or to play guitar...
And of course, the unforgettable "eh Gringoooooo !" yelled at any corner or "Quito a Quitoooooooo" screamed by the bus assistants to fill in the last places left.

We're in !!!

Atacames... sing around !

The western fellowship is now disolved, after a cool boozing night in Calle Jose Camala (Gringoland) and we decide to leave for the Costa. At the main bus station, we understand that there are strikes jamming our road (we feel a little closer to France). No matter. We take a bus to Santo Domingo de los Colorados and enjoy our first glimpse of the "pampa", its luxurious vegetation (imagine hairy trees !) and this unforgettable fuss : a guy setteld in in the middle of a lake... So nice !
Arriving at the jamming point, a man takes our bags off the bus to put them in a sort of plow set in front of its bicycle : we join in and the guy makes us zigzagging under the trucks wheels (better than Disney Paris' Space Mountain !) towards a bus for Atacames.. Unexpected !
And there we are : Atacames, in the North of the Costa, trendy place with music shouting on the beaches and mega-cocktails or whoever has 3 US$ to spend. Women are moving on "merengue" music in the street. Some unthinkable beetles are moving in and out the sand. A waiter in an italian restaurant (Pavarotti Junior : excellent pizzas !) advises us of an itinerary we decide to follow.

Suaaaaa.....

Situated 4 kms below Atacames on the map, but in galaxy far away from Atacames' daily bustle, Sua is "muy tranquila", with its lovealy boardwalk, its "peñas" (bars made out of wood and bamboo), its wonderful green hills surrounding the beach... It's a small fishermen's village, with no tourists around.. For, the prices increase as we use to practice some "tiendas", the quality being sometimes decreasing. It is no hazard to meet somebody here, as long as you are likely to accept a boat tour in the nearest islands. The only cheap smile is the one of the hostel owner. Whatever, we string the incredible cocktails of Bolter's peña : he makes you dream in and around your glass for 3 US$ only !
Sua's beach is not that large, but thousands of crabs err on it (see Zoo), sufficiently gentlecrabs to let us pass on our way. The sun hits and our backs and legs won't forget until 4 painful days. But there is nobody, the night is silent, except for crickets' sound and peñas' reggae... A mini-paradise...

Come and discover this little paradise...

Same... I could have loved you !

7 kms in the South of Sua : we are about to go there when my stomach begins to hurt and forces me to stay in Sua. Same has maybe the largest and most beautiful beach of the North of the Costa, but nothing is more depressing than the never-to-be finished buildings surrounding it... We opt for Sua.

Demon.... piche !

Once I am a little better, we are ready to leave for Monpiche. Here, you must forget EVERYTHING. While taking notes for this travelogue, I am comfortably sitting on a rocking-chair, on the terrace of our house, my sight hesitating between my notepad, 50 meters of beach sand and the ocean...
There is almost nothing in this small fishermen's village : the electricity was settled 2 months ago, 2 restaurants fight for the food supremacy (i.e. : two small hotels who propose food on their terrace), there are 3 or 4 mini-markets (3 meter square each)...
To catch an idea of a walk on the streets, remember "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" best scenes. Of course, there is worse, and that is why it is so good to stay here. We met Raino, an austrian guy, with whom we'll travel a bit. One morning, the three of us and the italian owner of a restaurant were watching the ocean, saying nothing, during a loooooong time... It's the philosophy of the place : there's nothing to do, don't do more ! We drink the local rum to pass time... The insects are fearsome (horseflies, ticks, mosquitoes, cockroaches, fleas, spiders...) but we are used ... to be victims ! Kiddies are smiling, as well as most of the inhabitants... Pretty cool !!!

Click here to see where I really to settle down, one day...

Canoooooaaaaa....

As it is not the best season to burn under the sun, we decide to leave with Raino to Canoa, being advised by a tall about-to-be transexual (TAT) that it is a place "muy bo-ni-tooooo". Our guidebook also recommends this place as being one of the best ecuadorian beaches. But, unfortunately, in May-June, it is not the best weather of the year :3-4 hours of sun a day, not more. Even if the journey was funny (1 hour in the back of a gratis pick-up, killing our legs...), we find ourselves in a cute but cloudy and windy village. We better understand the reason of the TAT advice, as Canoa seems to gather the TATs of the region. It's "muy bo-ni-toooo" for them too ! Whatever, we meet 2 nice swiss, Stef makes the whole village move the body on the Coco Bar dance-floor, drinks and cocktails are suddenly free... and time goes on and on...

Bahia ... Baila !

Bahia de Caraquez is a very pleasant town whose municipality has declared a war against dirtiness (public dustbins in the street ! I've never seen that before in Ecuador !). The blocks of buildings are similar to the ones of an US city (barely tinier) but the proximity of beaches and ocean gives it a touch of exotism. We decide to stay a bit, as Stef recovers from a virus. We enjoy our time visiting the local museum (as it is easy to guess the reason why, the museums belong to the banks and alwyas bear the name of "museo del banco" something).
But it is not enough for riders like us, needing stong emotions. Consequently, we decide to register for a tour... in an ecologic farm (Tauro in Rio Muchacho). Ok, ok, it's not very "rock'n'roll", but it seemed to be good on the leaflet ! See : visit of the farm, making of tools in tagua (vegetal ivory), horseriding (I am allergic !!), a night in a hut in the trees... You can even make your own chocolate ! Finally, Tauro is fun, but it's very expensive for what is actually is (30US$ a day, event if you sleep there only one night) and the volunteers treat you more or less like tourists, refusing to realize that they are like you, just paying less, staying longer and working hard... Well, we had a good time, participating at the local compost (i.e. we let ourselves go in the WC, and the remainings will serve to improve the seedling of applepines you are about to eat soon....), and I succeeded in riding a horse (thanks Stef and medicines !).

More Tips on my Bahia de Caraquez Page

Crucita...lic

2 days later, we arrive in another fishermen's town, Crucita, where the contrast "desert beaches-green hills-new constructions" is striking. The sun in shining, our room is small but cute (Hotel Rosita) and we spend our time reading under the sun, before going to Manta, where we will stop for 3 weeks, in a spanish school.

Manta ... nance

The city, at last... But, as a matter of fact, we are quickly fed up with this environment we already know by heart and we begin to miss the exotism of our first weeks. We have to take it slow, because it is mandatory for us to speak spanish if we want to go further on. For, the conditions are perfect to study this language, to see the premices of its circumvolutions, to estimate the digestion time of hundreds of words whose meanings are very different from similarly written words in ou native french, or take some shortcuts to stock some "malas palabras" that will certainly be very useful.

Our home family, the Buchelis, feeds us with information about the country, the way of life of people and our female teachers do the same during the spanish lessons. We watch too many videos (here, movies are on tape even before they're on theater : this allowed us to watch "Matrix II", comfortably lying on a coach, only 2 weeks after its international release !). We play games, drinking our "chismes" (our secret spanish word to call "Cuba Libre"). Previously, we had planned to work for an organization, but eventually we renounced, as the temporary positions we were offered did not win over the two of us. It will certainly be OK later and maybe, this time, we won't have to seek out for jobs or internships...

Nevertheless, we are now sure of two things : there is a lot to do here (we already knew it) and it seems possible to make it (what was not so sure).

Click here to watch a bit of Manta

End of the Coast...

After these 3 studying-spanisg weeks, wetake our backpack back and go down the Coast again. We arrive at Puertolopez, famous place to observe the annual "ballet" of the whales who try yo hang up in the neighbourhood. On our floating way to la Isla de la Plata, aka "the Galapagos Islands for poor people", we enjoy a special session of jumping whales that we will never forget. Then, after having visited the best Ecuadorian beach (Los Frailes) and without avoiding the snakes and other goats in Agua Blanca Natural Reserve, we go to Montañita, the little mountain, headquarter of the muscled and sun-tanned surfers, where we meet again our Austrian Guy, Raino.

Click here to enjoy Puerto Lopez and its surroundings

Back to the Andean range

Though, the weather is not exactly as we had expected, and we decide to accelerate our comeback on the Andean range. For, we go to Latacunga (2 hours in the South of Quito), a very nice little town, too much neglected by the guidebooks, in our opinion.

Click here to enjoy this nice colonial city...

From this moment, we begin to enjoythe andean landscapes, that take our breath away (and not only because of the altitude). It is very well described in our guidebooks (patchwork of colours, magnific mountains), but, as a matter of fact, there is no word that may render the series of powerful colours, the beauty of the upchained relieves, the purity of the valleys (we thought that some of the episodes of "The little house on the prairie" had been shooted here), the feeling of being in another world over the mountains peaks, when you watch below a cloud carpet, and, above, one of the bluest sky we have seen since we are in Ecuador.
And not very far from Latacunga, we discover the Laguna of Quilotoa : a huuuuge lake surrounded by enormous mountains perched at 3800 meters above the sea level (of course the picture cannot prove its density , but I swear it was really impressive). A wonderful moment, a descent of 30 minutes, Stef reporter about to surrender on our way up (atmosphere...), but an unforgettable landscape.

Click here to watch the incredible lake...

Below ...

After Latacunga, Ambato : except for the weird zoo, forget about it !.

... but have a look at the natural museum !!!

Then, below, to Riobamba, a very calm city, towered by the Chimborazo, a more than 6000 meters high mountain...

Click here to feel the height of Riobamba ...

And still with a nice weather, we arrive at Cuenca, a spanish style city (more spanish style influenced than other cities, I mean), very attractive.

Click here to visit the most beautiful city of Ecuador

But, we don't stay there much longer as we have to quench our thirst of neverending bus travels and never-to-be-seen-again landscapes. So, we go to Loja, in the very South of Ecuador : also a calm city. On our way to Loja, landscapes slightly change from unseen mountains' shapes to wide green fields... The valleys are marked with little red or purple flsahy points : andeans women who work in the fields and wear on typical clothes that you can't miss. There are no more little huts made of stones and mud we saw nest to Latacunga : now, you see houses in cement and, on their walls, the usual ads for presidency candidates (a local custom that helps some travelers not to loose themselves !).

Last days in Ecuador

Loja is basic and we decide to make a last stop in Vilcabamba, before passing the peruvian boarder. This small little village is inhabited by very old people that made the fame of the city because of their longevity ... We enjoy a mini-paradise, the hotel Madre Tierra (See the tips on my Vicabamba Page ), in which we are received as we were kings. We meet a lot of backpackers(hey to Vincent, Rachel, Raphaella, Claudia et Jack), and enjoy the night fires with Marcel and Jack...
Walks in town, masages, jacusi, good talks... We can't leave anymore ! We are trapped ! But we have to go and go on our trip : backpacked, we take the direction of Peru, at the end of a sunny afternoon...

Click here to relax in Vilcabamba...

See you, Ecuador !!!