| DIARY 3 |
| 18th July 2005 Hired a quad bike and went down the road to a cable car, meant to be the longest in Ecuador. Got drenched though because it started to rain and by the time we got back to Banos - after going through a pitch black tunnel hoping to get out before any cars came up behind us - we were like Dumb and Dumber. I was frozen in the position on the back of the quad and needed to be prized off!!! So we had hot showers and sat round the fireplace at the hostal from about 3pm to 11.30pm just chatting to other people - fantastic, very relaxed!!! 19th July 2005 Took the quad out for another hour, but got covered in mud so didn�t go far! Sugar cane everywhere in Banos - they make juice and sweets out of it. Banos is a great place - we didn�t do much that was on offer because we just wanted to relax in the beautiful surroundings, but we�ll be coming back one day!!! Caught a bus in the afternoon to Riobamba - Terry didn�t get a seat and had to sit on the floor next to a smelly tramp, but they made friends in broken Spanish!! Met an Australian couple on the bus - Nat and Steve. When we arrived 9 of us got in the back of a pick-up for a lift to the train station to book tickets for the next day - must have looked daft!! Then went out for dinner with Nat and Steve. 20th July 2005 Got to the station just before 6am to catch the Devil�s Nose Train ride!!! Basically everyone sits on top of the train for a 5 hour journey through the countryside and Andes and down the steep devil�s nose at the end!!! It was such a laugh especially sitting with Nat, Steve, Kieke, Mark, Jules and Caitlin - Oz, Holland, London!! Terry had great fun throwing lollipops to the children on the way - seeing how many he could hit I think!!!! All had numb bums by the end of it but got some good photos!! Then got bus straight to Cuenca - Ecu�s 3rd largest city and stayed and went out for dinner with Nat, Steve, Kieke and Mark. 21st July 2005 Went to a museum by the river and saw shrunken heads and other artifacts, but realised we�re not museum people!!!!! So walked along the river and sat in the sun for a while, just people watching!! Then dinner with the six of us again after which we stumbled across a political demonstration with great live music in the street!!!! Good fun - Tony Blair should take note!!! 22nd July 2005 Caught a bus to the border with Peru - 5 hours - driving through Machala, the Banana Capital of the World, you can say that again..... huge plantations!! Crossed the border with a New Zealand couple and shared a taxi with them to Tumbes - arriving at about 3pm. Then booked bus to Trujillo which was leaving at 7pm, so the boy from the bus station gave us a tour of Tumbes, taking us to the beach for a boat trip over to a mangrove with a crocodile reserve. Terry went in with some big crocs and we both held little ones!! Don�t think the public normally get to do it!!!! Got back just in time to catch the bus which was 10 hours!!! 23rd July 2005 Arrived in Trujillo at 5am and found a hostal to get some sleep before the next bus journey to Huaraz tonight. Had a wander round in the afternoon and Terry got talking to some locals in the square, who weren�t the first to think I�m not English... apparently because I�ve got olive skin I look Danish, German, Swiss?????? We don�t get it!!! Caught bus to Huaraz at 8.30pm - another ten hour overnight journey! 24th July 2005 Arrived in Huaraz - exhausted - booked into hostel and went to bed for a couple of hours!!! Hostel has the best views of the Cordillia Blanca from the roof - surrounded by snow-capped mountains!!! Really hot during the day - brilliant blue skies, but gets cold at night. The bus on the way in had frost on the inside of the windows!! Just spent day finding our way round and deciding which trek to do over the next week. Tried a Snickers and Milky Way (Mars Bar) but not as nice as English chocolate - very disapointing!!! 25th July 2005 In the morning we climbed to the Mirrador - a cross on the hill (mountain) overlooking the town - in order to acclimatize for the trek. Great views!! There were children up there playing football - why the hell they want to go all the way up there to do it beats us!!! Back down in town we watched the end of a parade through the main street as today is Huaraz Day (the 148th anniversary of the town). Terry had his hair cut for just over a pound - looks just as good as what he pays for in England - apart from the cut on his neck from the cut-throat razor!!! 26th July 2005 No sleep last night - Claire got horrible cold - decided to go to chemist to get something for it and continue with the 5 day hike we had planned to start today, as we had bought all the food and booked the donkey and donkey driver!! We got to Cashapampa for the start of the trek and the first hour walking was beautiful but Claire couldn't breath and was getting dizzy due to blocked nose, sore throat, heat, exhaustion... (I'm not making excuses - it was tough!!) - so after a hard decision to give up we headed back to Cashapampa and then back to Huaraz. Feel terrible - really wanted to do it and didn't want to let Terry down, but he cooked me dinner and made me hot honey and lime (let's face it - we've got plenty of food to use up!!!) 27th July 2005 Breakfast in bed - porridge and honey - bless his little cotton socks!! Then just spent the day relaxing on the roof terrace in the sun to try to get rid of cold. Oh... and Terry cooked dinner again and another hot honey and lime - I could get used to this!!! |