Wednesday

We travelled to Quilatoa to see the crator lake which is 250m deep due to the volcano. This meant going to the south terimal to catch a local bus (where we watched Final Destination 1 in Spanish), to Latacunga, then change to Quilatoa. Once there, it ended up being a tiny little hamlet of a few houses, and the hostel was a few rooms out back of a family{s home. Very basic. Once we had a look over the side of the crator down to the lake (we had to kneel down as really windy) 2 German girls and a women and us got a taxi across the mounthains to Chilchulan. Here Adam and i discovered that the Black Sheep Inn eco lodge as closed so had to lug our stuff all the way back down the drive (which was HARD work going up) and head back to town. We ened up at the Forest lodge were everyone was. Once settled in we had a walk around town. The school were practising a display and where marching and dancing to music and 2 young boys here doing back flips!

We worked out that the buses went at 3am and 4am the next day and decided to move on as we did a pretty detailed tour of the mountains with the bus and taxi! The main point i have noted is that the women and all in traditional dress and the men in jeans or trouser, t-shirts and jackets and caps. The women look amazing in their colourful shawls, hats, skirts etc.

Dinner was included so we all sat down for dinner. We sat next to a Belgium couple who where travelling for about 18 months.

Since we were right up in the hills, it was cold. The main heating was a wood burner, and i pipe that rain into the rooms. Our{s was not on, i my extravagent item came out - my hot water bottle. I was lovely and warm!! I need these creature comforts in my old age!!

At 3am we woke and at 3.45am i hailed down the bus as it was approaching and we jumped on to Latachunga. The bus beeped as it went through the mountains, and people who were standing on the side of the road in the pitch black jumped on and off. These sides of the mountains seems a lot for organised with a few fields, some with wire fencing and less animals tied to a peg about 2 meters away.

At Latachunga we got on another local bus to Ambato, there changing again to Banyo. Banyo is a lovely warm town on the side of a volcano. It{s famous for it being sleepy and it{s termal baths. Our hostel has again a roof terrace and since arriving at about 9.30am, i headed straight up to have breakfast. As i sat down, the view was of the mountains, waterfall and a bit of a landslide, was pictureresque. When the sun came out, i moved to the shade to have breakfast and Adam came and joined me. Over the next few hours, we bumped into Matt who was in Quito the first night, Sonal from the last night, and the swiss guys.

We had a nice walk around town and the waterfall, and then spent the afternoon resting from our early morning trip!! That evening, Sonal had invited us to the termal baths with a group, but some how we missed them, and since it was raining, we head to a place where you pay $5 for use the saunta, steam room, jucuzzi, swimming pool etc, so we spent the next hour there. after we headed for a late dinner at the Swiss Bistro, where i had a good Zurich rosti.