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Ecuador:
Land of the Equator
(21 October – 8 November 2009)
Our border crossing into Ecuador was the easiest yet. We would have finished in less than 30 minutes except for the paperwork for Ewok and Amadeus (Figure 1). Of course, this took over an hour.
Figure 1. Ewok waits for her Ecuador visa.
We drove south on the Panamerican Highway to the Equator, the real one (Figures 2 & 3). I say this because there is a place just outside Quito that is called the “Mitad Del Mundo” (Middle of the World). It is where French scientists in the 18th century determined the Equator’s position (Figure 4).
Figure 2. Sharon straddles the real Equator.
Figure 3. The Equator by my Garmin GPS off by only .003 minutes (Garmin error).
Figure 4. The wrong Equator with Juan Francisco, Miriam, Mateo, y Sharon.
We arrived in Quito, at the house of Miriam and Juan Francisco Carrera, on 22 October. They are the parents of Juan Pablo, Nicté’s boyfriend. Miriam and Juan Francisco put us up in their house for a week, and showed us Quito (Figures 5 & 6). They are wonderful people.
Figure 5. Quito at night.
Figure 6. Juan Francisco at a BBQ.
We left Quito (28 October) to drive south to Baños de Ambato where we will meet up with Gary and Karla. Baños is a town of thermal springs. We stayed at Monte Selva Hosteria for two nights, 28/29 October. The town is a tourist attraction (Figures 7 & 8).
Figure 7. Cathedral at Baños.
Figure 8. Monte Selva Hosteria in Baños.
Our next stop was at the quaint little town of Alausi, where there is a train that takes you to “El Nariz del Diablo” (the devil’s nose). Gary, Karla, Sharon, Ewok, and I are just in time to catch the train on 30 October (Figures 9 to 15). The train ride is considered to be quite exciting, and many tourists find it a highlight of their visit. Prior to 2007, one could ride on top of the train for a full experience.
Figure 9. Alausi Train Station.
Figure 10. Conductor on the train to Devil's Nose.
Figure 11. Train to Devils Nose, the tracks in the valley.
Figure 12. Alausi train to Devil's Nose, Gary and John.
Figure 13. Picking the Devil's Nose.
Figure 14. Safety on the tracks.
Figure 15. Safety on the tracks, maybe a few new ties?
It was late when we got off the train, so we made it only as far as the Inca ruins of Ingapirca where we camped for the night (Figures 16). Here we met Eddie and Bridget, a couple from Switzerland who have been traveling in South America for the past four years. They have a fantastic “motorhome” for their trip (Figure 17). Their motorhome is a huge 6X6, custom built.
Figure 16. Camp in parking lot at Ingapirca.
Figure 17. The Swiss motorhome of Eddie and Bridget.
In the morning, 31 October, we examine the Inca ruins. It supposedly is the northern-most Inca ruins known (Figures 18 to 21).
Figure 18. Ingapirca Ruins.
Figure 19. Cooking area in the Ingapirca Ruins.
Figure 20. Observatory and temple of the sun at Ingapirca.
Figure 21. Gary, Sharon, Ewok, and John at entrance to the Observatory.
We drive on through the Andean Highlands to Baños de Cuenca. The highlands are home to many indigenous people and interesting photo opportunities (Figures 22 to 25).
Figure 22. Andean field worker.
Figure 23. Andean women herding milk cows.
Figure 24. Two women by the roadside.
Figure 25. Roasting pig along roadside.
When we arrive in Cuenca, we decide to spend a couple of nights in Baños (31 October & 1 November leaving on 2 November), another thermal hot springs town. We are allowed to camp at Hosteria Durán for two nights (Figure 26 to 28).
Figure 26. Our camp at Baños de Cuenca.
Figure 27. Volcanic Dike at Baños de Cuenca.
Figure 28. Church in Baños de Cuenca.
After two days we move to Cabaños Yanuncay in Cuenca (2-5 November). Humberto, the owner, allows camping. There is a French couple in a Peugeot camper and Eddie and Bridget, the Swiss couple we spoke of before. Gary and Karla went to Parque Nacional Las Cajas. We wanted to go, but they do not allow pets. We have Ewok and Amadeus. We did get a feel for Las Cajas as we drove the road to the entrance (Figures 29 and 30).
Figure 29. Vista from the road to Las Cajas National Park.
Figure 30. Entrance to Las Cajas with sign indicating no pets.
Our stay at Cabaños Yanuncay is nice but unremarkable. We spend a lot of time looking in the city for propane and other necessities. Cuenca is quite beautiful (Figures 31 to 34).
Figure 31. Central Cuenca with Plaza San Francisco in foreground.
Figure 32. Panama hat factory in Cuenca.
Figure 33. John with a $260 Panama hat.
Figure 34. Camp at Cabañas Yanuncay in Cuenca.
On 5 November we leave Cuenca to drive south over a Gima Trojillo Pass at 3500 m. Just south of this pass we see a brocket deer crossing the road (Figure 35). We drive on to the small highland town of Saraguro where we have lunch (I have cui, guinea pig). The town was settled by people displaced from their original homeland by the Incas prior to Spanish takeover. It is a colorful town (Figures 36 to 38).
Figure 35. Brocket deer crossing road near Gima Trojillo Pass.
Figure 36. Saraguro Church.
Figure 37. Saraguro Woman.
Figure 38. My lunch of cui (guinea pig).
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We met up with Gary and Karla at Loja. We decided to drive into the Amazon side of the Andes to a town called Zamora where there is a nice lodge, Cabañas Ecologicas Copalinga. It is run by a Belgium couple. The area is just outside Podocarpus National Park, and is a birder’s paradise (Figures 39 to 45).
Figure 39. Squirrel Cuckoo.
Figure 40. Speckled Chachalaca.
Figure 42. Orange-Bellied Euphonia.
Figure 43. Magpie Tanager.
Figure 44. Green Honey Creeper.
Figure 45. Blue-necked Tanager.
We leave Copalinga after two days to drive to Macara on the border with Peru. We are able to find a camping area in a military base. The Comandante says it is OK to camp at his base. It is quite comfortable (Figure 46). The next day (we cross the border at Macara into Peru. Along the river on the Ecuador side we see squirrel monkeys playing in the bamboo (Figure 47). The dry forest around Macara is dominated with the Cebo tree (Figure 48).
Figure 46. Camp at Macara military base.
Figure 47. Squirrel Monkeys at the Macara border with Peru.
Figure 48. Cebo tree (what the locals call it) in dry forest near Macara.
Ecuador was a pleasant surprise in South America.
