Ecuador- Ecuadorian Andes - 2018

After flying into Guayaquil again from the Galapagos we were met by  Veronica, our driver guide for the next week. We travelled through the Ecuadorian Andes to Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

Veronica was straight into her job with a walking tour throughout Guayaquil, explaining the city’s history and showing us some of the old colonial style buildings.

Old colonial building in Guayaquil

Next morning as we drove out of town, we climbed towards our first encounter with the Andes and Veronica continued to share more detail about Ecuador, a country with ~70 volcanos and over half of them active. 

The country also has regular earthquakes each month and usually nothing to be concerned about she told us.

The map below shows the entire route we took, including the multiple stops along the way in smaller cities like Cuenca and Riobamba, but more on that later as we had to confront the Andes, that test coming on the first morning.

Our route to Quito through the Andes in Ecuador

It was quite a long climb into the mountains, cars with smaller engines struggling due to continuously reducing oxygen levels and after just a flew hours we stopped at a lookout called ‘Tres Cruces’ or Three Crosses.

Tres Cruces

This is a monument near Cajas National Park where many people have died from either altitude sickness or from being frozen to death when stranded during very cold overnight weather.

We had just reached our highest ever altitude at 4,161m (13,651ft) above sea level as our hearts pounded yearning for oxygen.  After enjoying the view across the very green Andes, the real test came when we entered Cajas National Park at 3,800m to do a 2hr hike along an undulating track.

Scenery in Cajas National Park

Veronica recommended we buy chocolate and Coca Cola to help reduce the risk of altitude sickness.  Well we seemed to cope fairly well, albeit with many rest breaks and panting a lot.  The scenery was very nice but no condors were spotted.

We stayed 2 nights in the city of Cuenca in a nice boutique hotel and really liked wandering the streets of this city because it had a great feel to it.  The entire city is UNESCO world heritage.

Centre of Cuenca at night

Next day involved a 1.5hrs drive from Cuenca, taking a short cut along a rough dirt track giving us a “natural massage” according to Veronica at least, past many small dairy farms.

Interestingly, here in The Andes, the farmers milk their cows by hand in the paddocks, collecting the milk in urns which are then emptied into a small milk tanker visiting each farm twice a day.  Could not begin to imagine these farmers’ lives during the wet season or winter.

The reason for the drive, was to visit the Ingapirca ruins, the largest known Inca ruins in Ecuador, which includes the Temple of the Sun. Veronica explained in much detail the history of these ruins involving the marrying of an Inca king to a local queen, then subsequently the death of the king at the hands of Spanish religious leaders for not denouncing his gods.

Part of the whats left of the Inca city of Ingapirica 

Ancient pathway leading to the Temple of the Sun

During the trip to and back from the ruins, we saw many local indigenous people, the women wearing brightly coloured dresses and also wearing some sort of Panama hat, so it was good to visit a renowned Panama hat factory to see how they are made.

Final products made in the panama hat family

A very early start and a 4hr drive had us moving closer to Quito, arriving in the town of Alausí, a whole pig cooking out front of one of the stores like we saw along the main road through the Andes in each small town. Ecuador’s version of fast food!

"Would you like somer clothes or perhaps some pork?"

If you don't like pork you could ry guinea pig... yum!

Alausí is the starting point of the Devil’s Nose Train, built from 1901 as part of the railway from Quito to Guayaquil but they had to find a way through the Andes.

The Devil's Nose Train at Alausi

This section of track, now named “the Devil’s Nose” because of the many deaths among the workers, estimated at 2,000 and the sheer difficulty of building it, connects the Alausí and Sibambe stations. 

The actual 'Devil's Nose' with railway tracks on it

The elevation of the track drops some 500 meters over the course of only twelve kms using a number of switchbacks being the only way to get the old trains up/down this section of track.

Actual switchbacks on the Devil's Nose

Some of the local indigenous maintenance crew

Well it certainly is a spectacular ride in the well refurbished original carriages, following a river along narrow but deep valleys on the mountain edge until negotiating the switchbacks before repeating the return journey.

Heading back through the valleys

After the train arrived back into Alausí, we were taken to enjoy lunch in a small indigenous village developing self-sufficient tourists venture, including growing the food used for the lunches.  Very warm friendly people.

Locals showing us their traditional dances

As we continued our journey, the ‘Sultan of the Andes’ came into view, otherwise known as the Chimborazo Volcano, standing at 6,268 mtrs, the tallest mountain in Ecuador and although its last eruption was ~1,400 yrs ago, is still considered active.

The Sultan of the Andes shows its considerable face

We also stopped to visit the oldest church in Ecuador known as the Balbanera Church built by the conquistadors in 1534, before arriving into Banos.  

Balbanera Church - stil in good shape after 483 years

Next morning we drove the original narrow single lane road following a deep gorge to take what is known as a ‘cable car’ ride across the gorge to a waterfall.

Our cable car for an exciting ride across a deep gorge

It actually really isn’t a cable car, it was more like an open cage we stood in whilst dangling above the gorge as the rain fell onto us. Proud that Rob did it despite her fear of heights.

Further on, we followed a mass of fast flowing water before it fell into the Devil’s Pot grotto to yet another waterfall whilst we stood right next to it as it plunged to valley below.  There is a walk of a suspension bridge and more stairs taking people down next to waterfall face, spray going everywhere.

The Devil's Plot

Spectacular place to stand on the edge of the waterfall

Our final overnight stay before reaching Quito involved driving through a grubby small community down dirt tracks, wondering where on earth we were going, until we turned through gate to be confronted by a long avenue of tall eucalyptus trees guiding us to the Hacienda La Cienega in the distance.

Hacienda La Cienega at the end of the avenue of eaucalypt trees

This was truly quite an amazing place, built in 1580 by the Spanish as a very large family home, with its own little church and very thick walls.

The hacienda's chapel

Various views of Hacienda La Cienega

It was also here we experienced a classic Ecuadorian dish... potato soup, not just plain potato, it comes with chunks of cheese and avocado in it along with a range of spices.  Rob was in 7th heaven and there were a few more of these consumed as the trip progressed,

It was now time to visit the ‘Throne of the Moon’; otherwise known as Cotapaxi Volcano at 5,987m and the highest active volcano in the world where we did a walk around a lake at 3,800m altitude, some puffing and rest breaks returning, but easier than previously.

The mighty Cotapaxi volcano

Hummingbird at 3,800 metres

There was some wildlife here including wild horses from the conquistador times, deer and humming birds.  A large part of Cotapaxi decided to show itself to us, which was very lucky because it doesn’t happen very often apparently.

Wild horses originally from the conquistador times

Finally we entered Quito for a few nights stay, allowing Veronica to take us on a tour around this city, the modern section having a very messy layout whilst the old colonial section built in grid form.

Partial view of Quito - original colonial section in the foreground

Central courtyard in original Spanish colonial building

Unbelievable totally gold covered church in Quito

Just north of Quito there is an attraction called the ‘Centre of the Earth’ where you can stand on the actual equator and then try a few experiments on and either side of it.

We saw water pouring out of a sink going straight down the plughole without rotating on the equator, then rotating in opposite directions a few metres either side of it.

We were asked to try walking along the equator with our arms out and eyes shut which was nigh on impossible and Rob successfully balanced a raw egg on the flat head of a nail… on the equator, a task impossible either side of it.

Rob successfully balances a raw egg on the actual equator

Finally we bade Veronica a fond farewell and awaited our next transfer to another location in Ecuador.

We enjoyed a pisco sour on rooftop bar in Quito on our last night

Go well!