PHOTOS!!

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Day 1 Friday 27th May - Quito

After arriving in Quito and getting a taxi to the Secret Garden Hostel , we made a visit to the travel agents downstairs.

We'd been told about them via friends and had hopes that we could get some trips booked up through them.We went through the Jungle options and what was available for the Galapagos.We went away with some thinking to do but it seemed as though there were quite a few options.

In the evening, we sat and had the hostel dinner and then over a beer we came up with the plan for Ecuador.Easy.

Day 2 Saturday - Quito

So we went downstairs first thing to book up what we'd decided.Then the truth came out and it wasn't quite so simple.The boat we wanted to go on was full, the next option was also full.Surprisingly the third option was also full.We decided after a few hours just to go to the jungle, leaving the next evening and see what happened when we got back.Thankfully the lodge that we wanted to stay at and the day we wanted to leave was available, so we booked up.

The Champions League Final was on in the early afternoon and we were keen to watch it.The lonely planet recommended a burger place and especially that they had vegetarian burgers, so we thought there was no better way to start.We were staying in the Old town and this was over in the Mariscal area of the New Town.It was the place to go for bars, so we thought there should be a pub or two showing the football.The burger place was interesting.Vegetarian turned out to be no meat.Nothing in place of it, so it was more like a cheese sandwich.Not sure what Lonely Planet are going on about.We watched most of the first half in the burger place and then made our way over, in time to get a beer and settle in before the second half, to an Irish bar.The place was pretty packed and there were plenty of English in and some Ecuadorians supporting Barca.We sat and watched Man Utd get beat convincingly whilst having a few beers.

Day 3 Sunday - Quito + travel to Lago (jungle)

We really had a relaxed day today.Neither of us was in the mood to do much sightseeing.We took another general stroll round the old town and bought a few bits to take to the jungle.We spoke to a few people back at home and got packed.

At 10pm, we were collected by the agency and taken to the bus station.Our bus was at 11pm and it was going to take 8 hours or so to get to the town where our route into the jungle would start.

The buses in Chile and Argentina had been good.Very smooth and you could get a decent nights sleep.Peru wasn't quite as good but still decent.So, Ecuador….We got on the bus and it wasn't quite as comfortable as either and made worse by the fact we had the front two seats, so we couldn't stretch out to the place in front of us.We got going and settled in for some sleep.Then we realised that we had a wannabe racing driver up front but someone that thought accelerating hard and braking late was the best way.Then the curves came and lots of them.So a driver accelerating, braking and going round one corner after the next didn't make for much sleep at all !!!!

Day 4 - Jungle

We arrived at jungle town and got a taxi over to the meeting hotel, where we sat for a good couple of hours eating and wondering when we could get a nap in!15 minutes after the arranged meeting time and having watched lots of other vans turn up and leave with everyone else around us, our driver finally turned up.We picked up a couple of Dutch people at the airport, who looked a lot less tired !!and then travelled another 1.5 hours down roads with many corners and again with a wannabe racing driver who has no idea.We got chatting to the Dutch couple who turned out to be Laurette and Jereon.We also had a guide with us but after establishing she spoke no English we just spoke between ourselves and wondered how good it was going to be if she was to beour guide throughout the tour.

After the drive we arrived at a restaurant on the side of the river and were given food.Then we got into the boat, which was a traditional amazon boat (see the pictures) and whisked down the river for a further 2 hours, by a boy who turned out to be 16 (we thought he was 12) and an awesome driver.He really flew down the river and knew where every branch was where he'd have to pick the engine out of the water.We were given heavy duty rain ponchos and thank god we were.It really poured the whole time.

When we arrived at the lodge, we were greeted by a guy (can't remember his name and it's not important !!!) who told us he was going to be our guide for the 4 days (to our relief).We were then shown to our room which was really nice.It reminded us of the rooms you see in Africa when on safari.

After meeting the others who were in the middle of their trip and after lunch (we were going to be fed well over these few days) we headed out on the boat for our first animal spotting trip.

In the evening, we went for a night walk in the jungle.The boy driver took us in the pitch black to a different island and then we walked with the guide with just our flashlights.It was very dark and pretty scary, especially when you're trying not to touch anything after the guide tells you that you never know what could be on the other side of a leaf, branch etc.

We have listed all the animals we saw or what we can remember on Day 7.

Day 5 - Jungle

Today we were off to see a traditional amazonial village a few hours downstream, stopping along the way when animals were spotted.We arrived with a bit of a board bum from the seat of the boat and were grateful for the wander round the village and to be given explanations of what life was like for the people and the village as a whole.Turned out that the boy driver was from this village and we were told that all the lodges have a contract to use the people from villages in their lodges. We were also informed at this time that the Shaman (medicine man) we were going to meet was away from the village for the day.This was a real shame as it was something we were both really looking forward to and something that would have been really different.May be in Brazil when we get to go!!

After a while of wandering, we were introduced to a very happy lady who was going to show us the traditional bread of the village, made from the yukka tree.So we watched as she dug up the root (looks like a big white sweet potatoe) and then peeled it, grated it, squeezed all the moisture out using bark from a tree (see pictures - hard to explain) and then cook it on a clay disc sat on an open fire.The bread looked more like a huge tortilla.We got to try it plain but it was pretty boring.We both thought that a bit of cheese wouldn't have made it much better.Then the guide brought out a jar of pineapple jam and it got more interesting.The kids soon got involved when they realised some bread was left and more importantly, some pineapple jam!Marie bought a couple of necklaces that the village people made by hand.

We headed back towards the lodge and on the way we stopped to do some piranha fishing.Think there is a definite skill to it as most people on the boat caught none but the guide and the boat driver managed to catch about 6, including both types of piranha and a small catfish.Martin did manage to catch a fish but we're not really sure what it was and neither was the guide!!

We have listed all the animals we saw or what we can remember on Day 7.

Day 6 - Jungle

As it was the last morning of the group that had been at the lodge when we arrived, we decided that we'd join them for their sunrise boat trip and stay in bed a little more the next day.We got up at 5 and were on the water before 6.The sunrise turned out to rubbish as it was really cloudy (not surprising as it had been raining pretty much the whole time), so we turned around for breakfast.

After saying goodbye to everyone, a few of which turned out to be really nice people, we went out on a 3 hour jungle walk.We were taken to another part of the island and then walked back to the lodge.We were in the hunt for anything that moved.It was so hot today, the sun was really shining and the humidity levels in the jungle were high, meaning that the walk was a pretty swetty one!!!

In the afternoon we went for some more animal spotting.In the late afternoon, just before sunset, you could take a dip in the lagoon.The lagoon however was very brown, it was full of piranha and rain was coming down, so we stayed firmly under our ponchos!!!

In the evening, we went out again to try and spot some caymans or anything else where the eyes shined in the flash lights.It's still a weird feeling, being driven in a typical amazon canoe in the pitch black and at a decent speed.Good fun though.

We have listed all the animals we saw or what we can remember on Day 7.

Day 7 - Thursday Jungle - return to Quito

As we'd got up the previous day to see what no sunrise there was, we stayed in bed for a little longer, had a good breakfast and then did the reverse trip back to Quito, so a 2 hour boat road, 1.5 hour van journey and then 7 hours on the bus, going round loads of corners, heavy accelerating and late braking.As Martin got off the boat at the final stop, he managed to trip and only didn't fall into the water because Marie and a couple others managed to grab onto him.Would have been a great trip back.

We arrived back in Quito around 10pm and went to the hostel, got our old room back (like coming home !!!).

Animals

So we saw - spectacled alligator, a black cayman, grey river dolphins, 7 types of monkey (including sloth, cappuccino, spider, howler), a ferret type thing, piranha, scorpion spider, wolf spider, termites.

Loads of birds.Some of the more cool ones and the ones that we remember are:Hummingbird, toucan, woodpecker, kingfisher, stinky bird (can't remember real name).

The real shame was not seeing either an anaconda or a tarantula.Next time may be…….

Day 8 - Quito

So the travel agency were going to look at all the options for us on Thursday and then we'd turn up on Friday and go through them.Well, that was the original plan.So we went down around 10 and they had nothing for us.Then suddenly they told us about the Darwin boat that was available for a 5 day 4 night trip or 8 day 7night trip.We could get a flight out with the cheap tickets on Tuesday.We were given about 5 minutes to decide and though we originally planned to only do 5 days, we thought "sod it" and booked up the 8 days.It was a bit of a rush to get it through, something to do with the cheap flights having to be registered by 11am but it got done.

We then started our 4 day cash marathon.The travel agency didn't take cards, so we were going out to drain the bank account everyday.

In the afternoon, we went back to the agency to deliver the first instalment, book up a trip to Cotopaxi and organise the Sunday bike tour round the Old City, as well as ensuring we got some benefits from the amount of business we were giving them!!

Day 9 - Quito Otavalo

We had read and been told about the biggest Ecuador market in a town named Otavalo, about 2 hours away from Quito.The market was famous for its traditional handicrafts, made and sold by the indigenous people.The trip was $25 but we thought we'd have a go by ourselves and were pleased we did.We got a taxi to the bus station and then paid a couple of dollars each for the 2 hour bus ride there.We arrived around 11am.The market turned out to be enormous.It did lots of handicrafts as promised, some good and some bad, as well as lots of other things, such as normal clothes, food and even live animals.We strolled round, got some ready good strawberries and grapes (crazy!!) and by the end, we had bought a table runner and place mats of a traditional style.We took the bus back and even managed to find some other tourists to share the taxi back.

In the evening, we had arranged to meet Laurette and Jereon for some food and a few beers.We met in the Old Town and after finding nothing to be open (most people eat at lunchtime, so restaurants close late afternoon) we jumped in a taxi over to Mariscal.It's a Saturday night, so the place was alive with people and plenty of people that seemed to look at you in a way that said "I'm just seeing if you have much I could steal from you".We went for a really nice meal in an Italian before heading back to the Irish bar where we'd watched the football for a few beers.Was a good laugh.

Day 10 - Quito

Laurette and Jereon decided to join us for the bike ride, so they came over to our hostel just before 10.The lady from the agency was going to be our guide and the weather was beautiful, so it had the potential to be a really good morning.In Quito as well, they close the major road from the New Town to the Old Town every Sunday till 2pm for cyclists, so our lives would be so much easier.Today they had a 15km run on, which sounded ok but then you realise they do it at altitude.Bet that was not an easy run.

So we cruised around on our bikes, stopping at many of the squares and major sights of Quito's old town and being told about the history and current times.It was interesting to find out about the previous year when the president had been shot by the police and then saved by the army, who then had a small battle with the police.There are many nun and monk convents in Quito and we visited the church next to the strictest convent but a dying one as all the nuns were over 90.The main squares are really alive on a Sunday as well.People come to them to meet and socialise as well as to dance and a few in the traditional tribal dress.We were really surprised at the vibrancy of the city and felt as though we really should have done this the week before.Oh well, no point crying over spilt milk.

After the tour, we took the bikes and stopped by a park for some lunch in a very traditional restaurant.Martin also realised that in the 2 hours of being outside he was keeping the Englishman tradition alive and had burnt his face.At some point, he'll realise he must put suntan lotion on when it is hot.

After that, we gave the bikes in and boarded two buses for an hours ride over to the official Equator line (well it's got to be done).The place was so touristy.The main attraction (a tower with a museum in it), was surrounded by a small village, all set up for the tourist.We had a brief look round (was pretty rubbish) before heading over to the tower and the museum.Luckily there was an English tour starting, so we joined in and were pleased we did.The tour started at the top, where you get good views, as well as being told that the tower was actually in the wrong place by about 300 metres !!!!Great, so weren't really on the Equator.Then we wound down the stairs, stopping on each level where they went through all the recognised tribes of Ecuador and had the traditional clothing and any tools, handicrafts etc that they had managed to obtain.We were told about one tribe in the amazon that shrinks the heads of their victims. Meaning, after they kill you, they remove the eyes, eye brows etc and then cut your face and head skin away from your body.Then they place this in warm water and it starts to shrink.In the end, they mount it on a pole, with a coconut sized shrunk head attached to the top, with all the eyes, eye brows etc re attached.They had one on display and it looked weird but not that weird.Apparently they don't do it anymore to humans, only to animals!!We were really pleased that we took the tour, otherwise it'd probably been another museum that you wander round without really knowing much. After another meal at the Chifa with Jereone and Lorette we called it a night.

Day 11 - Quito Cotopaxi

We had an early start and needed to be ready and downstairs by 6.45. The driver picked us up and for a while we thought we would be the only people on the tour. But after a traffic jam, we arrived at a hostel and picked up three more. On our way to Cotopaxi the driver pointed out various volcanoes and mountains and he said it would be a good day to see the top. And as we turned a corner we could see the Volcano in all its glory, not a cloud in the sky.

We made a couple of more stops on the way to pick up some bikes, the guide and two more people. We arrived at Cotopaxi national park around ten. We were already starting to feel the effects of altitude albeit not as bad as some of the others.

The guide showed us some of the plants and explained about the surroundings and when we reached the parking lot at 4300 meters we started our climb up to the refugee. The climb was not that difficult but was made harder by the altitude.

When we reached the refugee we thought we were done but it turned out we were climbing further to reach the base of the glacier at 5000m. On our way up we saw some mountain wolves who was looking for food at the refugee. When we reached the glacier the weather had turned and there were thick clouds covering the top. Such a shame but at least we had a great view to start with. We took some pictures and then we headed down (which was so much quicker than up). When we reached the parking lot we had hail stones, but we hopped on our bikes and downhill we went. It was quite a lot of fun but Marie held the break all the way so her arm was aching. The last downhill before the restaurant was much nicer and even Marie managed to let go of the brakes (would like to add she was the quickest girl down out of the three on the tour).

When we got to the restaurant we were pretty wet but had a smile on our face. After lunch we were ready for a sleep, but the 4x4 ride made it impossible to get comfortable.

The journey back to Quito was dreadful and took ages because of the traffic. We had made dinner plans with J and L but we had to cancel as we came back so late and we still had to pack for the Galapagos. It had been a long but worthwhile day.