Quito
Still high (and exhausted!) after our most amazing trip to the Galapagos Islands, we decided to spend our time back in Quito, the capital of Ecuador with our feet up, boozing in our hotel room on some cheap alcohol and getting fat on copious portions of dominos pizza as eating rice for 10 days on the islands got tremendously tedious.
Situated high in the Andes, Quito is nestled between mountain peaks where apartment blocks creep up the mountain slopes. Although not fit for doing much activities here other than sleeping and eating, we did muster up the energy to visit some of the city sights as if we didn't it probably would have been pretty shameful!
The old city of Quito is where most of the beautiful sights can be found, the most prominent being the Basilica of the National Vow which is the largest neo-gothic basilica in South America. This place of worship is enormous with gorgeous stained glass windows that dominate the structure. Here we climbed the 115 meter high bell towers where we got the chance to appreciate the enormity of the structure and get a birds eye view of the entire historic centre sprawling below. Strolling though the quaint streets of the old town we were lucky enough to be greeted by a bustling street fair where traditional men and woman danced and sang in harmony.
Our next visit in Quito was to Mitad del Mundo 'or Centre of the World. This is supposedly where the worlds equator lies however, rumour has it that the actual real equator lies 200m to the North. Looking for a bit of light hearted tourist tack we decided to pay this place a visit and it was actually a lot more enjoyable than we had expected. We had the chance to do some quirky experiments which tested the gravitational pull of the equator and to climb to the top of the monument to get another view of the city below. We even got our passport stamped as proof that we were at the centre of the world....if you don't get the stamp were you even there?!
On our departure day in Quito we did run into some drama involving a Venezuelan waitress, a taxi man and 3 policeman on motorbikes. After checking out of our Airbnb we rambled into a small breakfast cafe next door that sold empanadas - a pastry filled snack which we survived most days on. We quickly ordered and Paul was busy researching bus times as we were heading South to begin our hike to Quilotoa Lake. With our bellies full Paul ordered us an Uber on my phone (he broke his phone on the Galapagos) to bring us to the station so when it arrived we quickly put all of our bags into the boot and hopped in ready to go. About 100m down the road, Paul asked if I had my phone to which I replied "No! I thought you had it!?". The two of us started to frantically search our pockets and the car seat in the hope it was there. No luck so we stopped the taxi and searched our bags and the boot. Nothing. Paul raced back to the cafe as that was the last place we had it so surely it was there. The waitress who had served us came out looking confused and when we tried to explain about the phone she said there was nothing left. The table we were at was all cleaned and the only other people there were the chef and two little old ladies. There was no time for anyone else to have come in by the time we realised and got back. We asked her to ring the number and it didn't ring out even though it had fully battery. Something was definitely up here. We checked the taxi one last time before sending him on his way and stacked our bags up against the cafe to try and figure out what had happened. We ran over the sequence of events over and over and the only conclusion I could come to was that the waitress or chef had taken it. Paul wasn't so sure but I pressed ahead with my gut and asked for the police to be called. A few minutes later two uniformed officers arrived and the waitress went straight over to them and began talking to them in Spanish. I assume she was stating her innocence as by this stage she definitely knew I suspected her. The police had no English so it was hard for me to make my case but they eventually called for a third officer who spoke some English. He explained that the waitress claims we must have left the phone on the table and a passer by must have taken the opportunity to swipe it. Of course she would say that! We knew the street was quiet and nobody was in there from the time we got into the taxi and when Paul made it back.
We were so annoyed at ourselves as we are normally very careful with our belongings but on top of that this was the only phone we had left since Paul had broken his and we had also broken our camera. We now had no way to take any more pictures if we couldn't get this phone back. The police weren't too interested in our side of things as we had no evidence and seemed happy to believe the waitress but as time went on I got angrier and angrier with them so they eventually said if I was so convinced then I could search the cafe and see if I could find it. No search warrants needed in Ecuador apparently. So off I went as Paul stood by saying it was a hopeless feat. I searched every nook and cranny of the small cafe as the waitress looked on. I was opening presses, lifting up pots and pans and I even found myself sifting through the ingredients they had in the fridge. I must have looked like a crazy b*itch. There was nothing there. The last place to check was the toilet which was conveniently locked. After getting it unlocked I gave it a quick scan. Not many hiding places here but my eyes were quickly drawn to the bin. I lifted it and gave it a shake and heard a heavy rattle at the bottom. I opened the lid and low and behold there was my phone. I marched back into the cafe with it held up high, delighted I stuck to my convictions and utterly furious with the waitress. The look on her face was priceless when she realised I had it. Once Paul spotted I had it he came in and was also furious. The police explained to us that the waitress was Venezuelan and was more than likely desperate for some cash. As we traveled more and more throughout Ecuador and Colombia we would see and hear more about the plight of Venezuelans, millions of whom had fled their home country due to economic hardship. We had left the phone on the table and got into the taxi so when she went to clean up she obviously took the phone but it was a crime of opportunity and thinking back now I don't blame her with the economic situation she found herself in. In all 13 months of travelling this would be the worst thing that would happen to us crime-wise so we considered ourselves lucky as we had met plenty of travellers who had been mugged, one even at gunpoint. This small act was far outnumbered by the wonderful and kind acts of people we experienced from every country and indeed in Ecuador.
Quilotoa Hike
Always one for a good multi day hike, when we read about this little gem, we knew we would have to get the extremely worn hiking boots back on and head into the hills of the Ecuadorian country side. This hike either ends or starts at the Quilotoa lake, a stunning crater lake in the Cotopaxi province. Each night we would sleep in hostels situated in small towns along the trail which was a dream as no camping gear needed to be sourced and rented. This meant no weight had to be hauled on our backs meaning a much more comfortable walk each day and a less annoying time for Paul as Niamh wasn't moaning about the weight or 'are we there yet' sighs after every few kilometers..... a win win for everyone! And even better, we thankfully had my phone to take some photos!
Many people come to Quilotoa lake as part of a day trip as there is a good road connecting the village to the larger town of Latacunga. But why make it so easy right? We decided to begin this 3 day hike in a town called Sigchos as we wanted to leave the highlight of the trek for our last day but this meant mostly uphill hiking and of course we like to make things difficult for ourselves! It was just as well we didn't have heavy backpacks to carry as every day we hiked down into and out of giant mountainous canyons. We walked on winding up hill dusty paths, around rolling green hills and though small village settlements situated high in the mountains. Although the scenery may not have been as striking as that of the snow capped mountains of Nepal or Peru, it was delightful to be able to look out onto sprawling green fields as we traversed the winding paths. Our surroundings each day were peaceful and remote and the disconnection from the outside world was perfect.
The area here is still home to many indigenous people who make their living from farming these lands like they have done for hundreds of years. As we traversed the rugged country side we met many locals and their children wearing their traditional Andean clothing and herding llama and sheep. We even stopped to greet a young boy who was delighted to accept a drink of water and some sweets from us.
Although peaceful, the hike too was demanding and utterly exhausting so on our final day when we reached our final destination, a huge sigh of relief was had by both of us. Not only was it an end to our arduous uphill walking but we were thankful our hiking boots lived yet another day.
Sitting at an elevation of 3900m the volcanic crater lake of laguna Quilotoa offered us stunning views and albeit the bitter cold and blustery wind, we enjoyed some time resting at the crater rim admiring the bright and spectacular colours of the lake resting 400 meters below us.
Banos
Our next stop in Ecuador was to the adventure capital, Banos which we reached by bus from Quito. This is the place to go if you want to fill your days with extreme sports such as canyoning, rock climbing and rafting to name but a few. The town is surrounded by mountains, rivers, waterfalls and hot springs. Oh, and the famous 'swing at the end of the world' which to be honest was a lot less exhilarating and dramatic as it sounds!
Banos is situated in a beautiful valley at the base of an active volcano called Tungurahua which means lush greenery is in abundance. However for me this place was a bit of a mixed bag. The town itself is over whelmed with tourist shops, over priced tour operators and fairly bleak looking budget accommodation. However seeing as we were booked in for a few days we decided to embrace our surroundings and forgo some dollars on adventure activities.
One of our first stops was to the 'Swing at the End of the World' situated in a seismic monitoring station in a tree known as Casa del Arbol. The purpose of this dwelling is to observe Mt Tungurahua, the nearby active volcano. Going by the name of this place what we were expecting was a huge swing that dangled out over a deep canyon where I was fully expecting to be mentally trying to prepare myself for flying through the air like a mad woman. However, what greeted us was a not so big swing where just a few feet below was rolling hills and vegetation. A far cry from dangling out at the end of the world which one might have expected going by the dramatic name but that's the beauty of camera angels, instagram filters and tourist hype you see. In a way I was kind of relieved that the structure was a bit pathetic as it meant I could enjoy my time there with the peace of mind that if somehow the thing did break that I wouldn't be plummeting hundreds of meters to my death. Despite our negative impressions, the views out into the lush green valley were pretty epic and the nearby active volcano with smoke emanating from the top was pretty cool. We took a few goes on the swing which was fun, we enjoyed our surroundings and decided to call it a day.
The next day we decided to try for something a bit more adrenaline fuelled so signed up for some rock climbing. Now rock climbing was something we've never really done before but God loves a trier. The wall we would attempt to climb was positioned right next to a fast flowing river which added to the drama. Now as expected our skills were obviously not what we would have liked but the wall gave us many options from relatively easy to insanely hard but if you ask me, the 'relatively easy' was also pretty damn hard. We both just about managed to traverse the first 'easy' climb but when it came to the second level, things went from bad to worse. I spent more time looking down to Paul and our guide stuttering 'I cant do this' than actually trying to do it. I managed to lift myself a few feet from the ground but even that was immensely difficult as the gaps in the rocks are only centimetres in width for both feet and hands to gain grip. The arm muscles were slowly losing the will to keep me hanging on the rocks so I decided to call it a day not only for the fact I wasn't making any progress but also for the fact that our guide I'm sure was losing the will to live listening to me. Paul made it further than me but didn't make it past the second level either. Despite our not so great success, we actually really enjoyed the activity and one thing we did learn was that we seriously need to start lifting!
Montanita
For the next few days our arms and legs were steaming so thankfully a few days at the beach was next on the itinerary. Our final stop in Ecuador was the sea side town of Montanita. By no means was this place comparable to the beaches of the Galapagos but it was nice all the same to relax and unwind. One of the main activities I wanted to do here was not only enjoy some sea side cocktails but also the opportunity to see some whales and luckily we were in the area for whaling season which usually runs from July to September. The whale tour could be done through our hostel so we decided to put our names down. From our hostel it was about an hours drive to the port where the boats for the whale watching departed from. Once on the boat my anticipation was building in the hope I would get the chance to see these magnificent creatures. As out boat bounced through the choppy seas we could see the whales fins and spews of water from a distance so I was hoping we could get a closer look as the boat motored forward. After some time the engine came to a quiet stop and we all sat in silence watching the waters while the boat bobbed up and down with great anticipation for a giant whale to appear. Unfortunately we didn't get a close up view of a whale jumping high out of the water like all those amazing photos you see online but instead we got a few glimpses of the whales fins and thrusts of water billowing from their breathing holes. Even with those few glimpses we did encounter, the sheer size of these creatures was clearly apparent.
Although our time in Ecuador was short and the fact I now know I'll never be an avid rock climber, the small part of Ecuador we did see was thoroughly enjoyable and much less trodden than other parts of South America. There was plenty of beautiful scenery and wildlife on offer which of course are some of my favourite things if you don't know that already about me.
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