Sunday, June 15th, 2003 – Day 117
Got up at 9.00am and decided to go to Cuicocha Lake after a small bit of shopping. You may see some of my new dodds in pictures soon. Could not find public transport to the lake so had to get a taxi for six dollars (30 minute drive. Expensive but… Anyway it is part of a National park with visitor centre. Entrance to the National park is one Dollar. Cuicocha is a sparkling blue crater lake, formed about 3,000 years ago when the crater of the volcano collapsed onto itself during an eruption. The crater was covered with snow and when the snow melted, this lake was born. When the Incas came here, they thought that the island in the middle looked like a cuy (guinea pig), hence the name Cuicocha (guinea pig lake). You can take a motorized boat ride out to the island in the middle of the lake–you’ll see tortora (the reed used in this area for making baskets and floor coverings), ducks, and a primary forest. The ride costs $1 per person.
Decided to walk the trail which loops around the crater–it takes about 4 hours to circle the whole thing. It rained heavily most of the time and I got very wet. It was also very misty obscuring the view many times. I didn’t meet any other tourists doing the trail.
)
Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Otavalo – Ecuador – Scenery around Cuicocha Lake. It reminded me of Ireland. The colour were so green and lush. Many crops are grown here including potatoes and wheat. (15-06-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Otavalo – Ecuador – Cuicocha Lake. (15-06-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Otavalo – Ecuador – Cuicocha Lake. (15-06-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Otavalo – Ecuador – Cuicocha Lake. (15-06-2003)
I finished the trek around 3.00pm and was quite wet and miserable. i got a taxi back to town for 6 Dollars. I was a bit low in funds so decided to visit the ATM but found that it didn’t accept my VISA card. I only had 5 Dollars left and by this time it started to rain heavily here too. Much of the town closes down on Sunday and most people here get drunk. I had enough for a 1.80 US Chicken and Chips Dinner and a few cans of beer. I also browsed the few open shops and watched locals play a type of handball on the main plaza road. There were three or four on opposing teams striking a small handball back and forth to each other. They had to strike the upwards. They could strike the ball well and high. Men of all ages played throughout the evening between the showers.
)
Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Otavalo – Ecuador – Handball. Will he get there to strike it back. Usually they would let it bounce once if they are positioned correctly. (15-06-2003)
Anyway I had an early night because of the rain, the closed shops (including NET cafes), and lack of funds. Anyway, I had a tough decision of throwing away old clothes so that I could fit my new sweathers into my bag which waw already full. I the away my old reliable Guineys sweather which has featured in many past photos. It cost me only ten EURO and has been a good friend to me over the past 117 days. I also threw away some shabby T-Shirts and some tourist brochures which I will not require anytime soon.
Monday, June 16th, 2003 – Day 118
I got up at 8.00am. I was packed and ready to go. I walked the 5 minutes to the main bus station (I could not afford a taxi) and got on a taxi north to Ibarra to find a ATM. Ibarra is the provincial capital and I hoped I would find a VISA ATM here that worked. The cost was only .50 cent for this attractive and scenic bus journey that lasted 30 minutes. The bank mentioned in the Lonely Planet did not even have an ATM so no luck there. I asked about and found a Bank which had. I had my bags with me and had a choice to make. I could stay a night in this unremarkable town, take a bus up north to Tulcan and travel down the Pacific Coast or my preferred choice: get to a Corpus Christi celebration in Southern Ecuador in Pujili. The only problem was that I did not know what date it was on. After asking locals, ringing the tourist office in Quito, checking the NET, I had been given three dates. They were the 19th, 22nd and 29th of June. I decided to post the question on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree. The answers reassured me it was the 19th. I got a bus to Quito from Ibarra for 2.50 US. The journey was quite and nice with good road. I got to the bus terminal in Quito at 1.55pm and immedialy bought a 2.00pm bus ticket to Riobamaba. I rushed on and off we went. The bus was packed and stuffy and I was happy to reach Riobamba at 6.00pm. It was getting dark. I met two travellers who had just gotten off the bus from Cuenca down South. They were Mary from Australia and Charlie from Holland. I had picked out a hostel from the guide called Hotel Los Syris, and we decided to investigate. The 2km taxi journey into town was only one Dollar.
The Hostel was fine and clean (and central). The cost for a large room with TV was four Dollars without bath and seven with bath. The dearer rooms also had Cable TV. At 7.00pm we went out to search for a bar. It was difficult and we ended up in a KAroke bar near the train station. It was only 1.25 US for a large bottle of beer. The owner also showed us the private Karoke room upstairs. It was luxurious with cushions, candles, big screen TV, sound system. If we wanted we could sing Karoke in private all night. We declined but we noticed a big Chinese-Ecuadorian population here. After a few drinks we got a bite to eat (chicken again) and went for one last drink in a CHIFA (Chinnese restaurant that are in every town and village in Ecuador).
There were very few tourists about which was surprising. Even though Riobamba is more of an industrial city I though Riobamba would be popular as it has Ecuadors only train line – a tourist train, which involves a spectacular journey along the switchbacks known as the Nariz del Diablo – Devil’s Nose and Ecuador’s highest peak called Chimborazo, which is 6310m high.
I was in bed by 12.00 as we had decided to travel to Ecuadors highest peak tomorrow by transport arranged with the Imperial Hotel. The cost was 20 US with incluced transport to and from the mountain and the 10 US National Park entrance fee. We decided to go at 7.30am in the morning. Charlie was heading to Quito to fly home.