Friday 30 March 2012 I bought a ticket for the El Nariz del Diablo (the Devil's Nose train ride) for 11am this morning, not being able to summon the energy to make the 8 am trip, with the train ride (including return) taking 2 ½ hours, and it should only take 2 hours to Riobamba, so that I didn't have to rush out. It seemed a lovely example of bureaucracy, buying the ticket, or a case of job creation (a bit like all the security guards in Ecuador guarding al...

Thursday 29 March 2012 In the morning, before going out to pick up my remaining laundry (jeans), I packed up my main backpack, and went for breakfast under the arches adjacent to the Catedral Nueva. Whilst eating breakfast, I did some people watching, in particular, the shoe shiner guys parked under the arches. One guy spent what seemed an extraordinary time setting up his seat, and then addressed every passerby. It worked, I guess, as one indigena woma...