Quito: Nestled between the towering cloud covered mountains, this is Ecuador’s 2nd largest city with a population of about 1.5 million and situated at a height of 2850m. Quito was our home for just more than a week and we stayed in different hostels and hotels between setting off on our various trips. Most of our time in Quito we stayed in a backpackers called The Secret Garden which was very good indeed. It had a brilliant view from the roof terrace where we could watch over the old town and the mountains while the La Virgen de Quito statue watched over us from the hill. The Secret Garden was slightly more costly than most of the other backpackers but well worth it especially since they grind their own coffee which was free!
Ecuador is a poor country and with an average income of only $117 a month, most of the people are very poor which contributes to petty crime such as pick pocketing and muggings. Most of the time I felt a little on edge while walking around in town but fortunately nothing happened and we were free to experience the culture and sample the local foods. Guinea pig is one of Ecuador’s local delicacies and I sampled one of these critters one evening at a restaurant. It did taste a little like chicken but is was very small and fiddly to eat so I’m not sure if I would have it again. A drink we tried while in Quito was called Canelazo which is a hot drink spiced with cinnamon and laced with a shot of alcohol. They make it with various fruit and we were lucky enough to try an unusual fruit called Naranjilla which had a slight citrussy flavour.The Basilica is a prominent building in Quito and one day we climbed up the towers for a nice view over the city. There is also a nice coffee shop where we tried some flavored coffee (amaretto and cognac). Towering over even the Basilica is a high mountain called the Rucu Pichincha. We took the teleferiQo up to Cruz Loma (4100m) and then climbed to the tip of Rucu Pichincha which was at a height of 4680m! The climb up was very challenging as the oxygen there is very thin and breathing hard. We were lucky that day as the clouds lifted as we hiked up but many days the tip of the mountain is covered in clouds.
We started our trip the 18 September 2010 from Quito. Our tour company is called Tucan Travel and they supplied us with a “van and man” (Trevor the Truck and Scoota) to drive us down South America for the next 63 days. Trevor is a big yellow monstrosity of a truck – it can seat 34 people and has loads of packing space underneath its belly for luggage, kitchenware, tables, gas cookers, water, etc. With Trevor we are pretty much a mobile restaurant! Scoota, our Aussie driver, is a very entertaining fellow with an endless supply of one-liners and puns and we all knew that our trip was going to be interesting…
Our group was meant to consist of 12 members but somehow one of the members mysteriously vanished! According to our hotel he checked in but never showed up for our meeting or when we set off the next day! A few emails have being sent and a few phone calls being made but still no news…That left us with 11 members: Miguel (our tour leader), Scoota (driver), Le Roux (me), Gillian (girlfriend), Adrian & Sally, Matt & Hannah, Claire & Lindsay, Vanessa and Paul. It was with 11 members that we took off the next morning for Otavalo.
One thing that I noted was just how short the people are in Ecuador – I feel like a giant between them standing at 6ft1! Something that I noted and found very odd is shops selling fridges and motorbikes at the same time - it wasn’t just one shop but all of them!
Otavalo: While driving along to Otavalo we were awed by the collosal mountains which seemed endless. Most of the mountains were evergreen with waterfalls and the road snaking through them. Along the way we saw some random things like a whole pig hanging from a shop window with most of its skin sliced off. The Ecuadorians use a lot of fried pig skin in their dishes and we saw quite a few pigs hanging from shop windows. We also saw a lot of very scruffy animals roaming around freely which ranged from dogs, pigs, donkeys, horses, cats, llamas and many more.
This town is known for its market which pre-dates the Incas and is apparently one of the biggest in South America. It is especially busy during Saturdays and many of the locals still wear traditional dress. We arrived there on a Sunday so unfortunately didn´t see the market in its full glory although it was still spectacular none the less. One of the things that struck me were all the vivid colours and the randomness of some of the items that they sell. You could buy pretty much anything from dried cows udders to colourful alpaca blankets, hammocks, bags, panpipes and many more. Be sure to always barter with the crafty stall owners as they always have "gringo prices" at hand for the light-skinned travellers...Being an electrical inspector, I´ve been appalled by the general electrical installations in Ecuador! I´m usually trying hard to turn a blind eye when I walk past a spiders nest which is an electrical accident waiting to happen but to no avail! It is pretty bad and I´m convinced that a lot of people must get electricuted each year! On a brighter note, the Ecuadorian kids are really cute. Most of them love to pose for photos and then quickly run over to see themselves in our cameras. Most people in Ecuador have dark features and a lot still wear traditional dress - the women in dresses, blouses decorated with flowers, shawls and hats. Another common site is women walking along witha baby hanging on their backs in colourful shawls.
We drove up to the Volcan Cotacachi in the Lagunas de Mojanda National Park after checking into our hotel in Otavalo and had lunch there next to a crystal clear blue lake. It was fairly windy and cold up there so we didn't stay for too long that day. On our way though we had some engine problems with Trevor the truck and we had to stop amidst a cloud of smoke. The previous mechanic worked on the injectors causing the pipes to hang too close to the exhaust manifault causing the pipe to melt and spill diesel all over the hot exhaust. This caused all the smoke but luckily Scoota had a spare join and soon we were on our way again! It wasn't all sunshine and roses for Scoota though as he managed to rip out 2 telephone lines in a residential street while driving through Otavalo with Trevor!
The jungle: From Otavalo we travelled down to Mishauailli via a quick stop at the equator where we had breakfast. It was amazing how the temperature changed from Otavalo which is situateted in the highlands to the lower lying Napo River. We travelled down the Napo river to Anaconda Lodge in a dug out canoe fitted with a outboard engine. The Napo River is a tributary of the Amazon River. The first thing that struck me other than the heat was the sounds coming from the jungle. This jungle symphony especially became alive during the night. It has a constant background hum of crickets which got broken by various sounds coming from frogs, birds, bamboo rats and many more which I can only try and guess at. The bamboo rats apparently look like guinea pigs with a long tail and they sounded especially funny - almost like a Lister Engine with a heavy fly-wheel running out of momentum after you winded it up!( puppupupupupup-pup--pup---pup----pup---------pup--------------------pup)
The next morning we travelled up river for a hike and we had to stop and help push the boat along due to low water levels. Along the way we could see the local women and kids washing clothes and swimming in the river. The kids were yet again very cute and we saw some of them floating down river in inflated tyres and paddling with their sandals! Our guide for the next few days was a local guy called Fausto and it seemed that all of the girls from our group fell in love with him. He had a vast knowledge of the jungle and showed us a lot of the special plants and animals. Some of the plants included walking trees, rubber trees, lemon-ant trees (we tasted these and it tasted slightly like lemon sherbet), garlic, cinnamon, paradise flowers and a bark which they use for making poison for their blowpipe darts.
Another spectacular plant is the strangler vine which hangs from high trees and which is strong enough for even four people to swing from! A few of us swung accross the jungle with one of these although one of our group almost had a nasty accident when his hands slipped and he fell a fair way to land between two tree trunks, one of which was really sharp and could have caused serious damage! Fausto also showed us a colourful poisonous frog which can kill a human being in about 20 minutes! Along the way we also saw many colourful butterflies which elluded our cameras. The last stretch of our walk wading through a riverine and I found the girls very amusing wearing bikinis and wellies! We had lunch on the river bank where we got mauled by tiny sandflies - I couldn't even see them as they were so small but I sure felt the itch after! I felt sorry for some of the girls as some of them were almost eaten alive and decorated with numerous itchy, red, swollen bites.
After our jungle trek we visited a jungle museum where we were showed all the various traps which the locals used to trap animals for food. There was a long swing suspended across the river as well which was great fun! My favourite part of our jungle trip however was visiting the animal rescue centre after the museum. The rescue centre is run by volunteers and is an asylum for injured and captured animals which were lucky enough to be rescued from the black market. The centre was alive with playful shrieking monkeys jumping around in the trees and many other very unusual and odd looking animals. We saw squirrel monkeys, spider monkeys, capuchin monkeys, woolly monkeys, scarlet, blue and yellow maccaws, red/blue and black headed parrots, brazileros, cabybaras, kaymans, tortioses, turtles, pekari pigs, agoutis, amazon parrots, kinkajous, jaguarundis, ocelots and my favourite - a grey winged trumpeter. The trumpeter followed us around and sounded like someone doing beat boxing when it puffed itself up! Some of the parrots were also very funny as they were perfect mimickers laughing at us laughing at them and causing a snow-ball effect which lasted for a long time! 
We were also told how some people still use dynamite when fishing or crushing a local root which kills the fish when put upstream. The fish are then collected in woven baskets placed downstream - the root is so strong that it can kill all the fish for up to 4km! An interesting insect we were told about is the rubber tree fly which is massive and also deadly. Many of the locals got killed while sapping the rubber trees although one day a dying man wanted to have sex after he got stung and waiting to die - he survived! Apparently this is the only way to survive when you get stung by one of these flies!
The next day we were taken to meet some local families and showed how they create some of their crafts. Fausto also showed us how to weave palm leaves and make hats. Yuca is a root plant that the locals use for eating and more importantly creating a potent local drink called yuca chicha. This drink plays a huge part in the size of some of the families! Fausto had us try some fresh cocoa seeds which tasted very sweet and refreshing. Next on our list was raft building although Fausto did most of the work. The balsa raft was great fun and we drifted for about two hours down the river while sipping cold beer and occasionally going for a swim. Adrian showed us how to use a life vest (PFD) as a "nappy" which works perfectly for drifting down the river! After lunch and a siesta back at our ranch we went to see how the yuca chicha is prepared. We also had a go with a blow pipe trying to hit a wooden monkey suspended from a tree. 
Our next stop was a visit to a local shaman who "cleansed" one of our team with chanting and blowing fire water over her. We got to try the fire water which is made from sugar cane and is very strong! From there we went to the local village where we visited a carver and local woman making pots. Most of the crafts they make are painted in bright colours and make for very good, cheap souveniers. In the town we got swamped with many of the local kids who posed for pictures and demanded to see the results after. For the last few days I've had man-flu and have not been feeling too well. Fausto had a local remedy and I braved lying back while he dripped crushed ginger up my nostrils...This definitely helped but burned like hell (for a long time)going down my nasal cavities! Fausto also gave one of the girls, Claire, "dragon blood" for her insect bites which worked wonders (without any pain!) The dragon blood is a secret local remedy made from one of the plants - we can only guess.
Banos: While driving to Banos we drove through a small town called Tena. We made a pit stop here for groceries and drawing money. There were a few fishmongers along the way and I saw some of them selling piranhas which were kept alive in fish tanks! We stayed in a campsite called Pequena Paraiso Camping near Banos where we pitched our tents for the first time. The campsite is situated on a shoulder of a very deep gorge with a river far below. There were many noisy and colourful birds which shared the campsite with us. Everytime we went to town we took the local bus which costed 40 cents per journey which sure beats the 8 dollars for a taxi ride!
Banos is a mecca for adventure sports which include horse riding, abseiling, quad biking, bridge swinging, white water rafting, etc. The streets were lined with vendors selling roasted guinea pigs, chickens, fruit, unrefridgerated meat and I was amused by some of the vendors who enter the bus selling magazines, fruit and even mixed meat kebabs to the passengers! Most of our group went quad biking one day which was great fun - even Gillian had a good time after flipping her quad complete with guide on the back after only two minutes on the road! I got a 250cc scrambler and had lots of fun with it zipping around between the quads. We were all tired, dirty and dusty by the end of our trip which took us up to an active volcano called Tungurahua Volcano. We also hiked to the thundering Pailon del Diablo waterfall which fell from high above, ending in a fine spray of water at the bottom. From Banos we travelled further down towards our next stop which was Cuenca.
Cuenca: This is the 3rd largest city in Ecuador and one with probably the best architecture. There were many old churches and a large cathedral which decorated the sky with its blue towers. The plazas in most of the towns are well kept and especially so in Cuenca with a lot of locals sitting around on the benches chatting. There were a lot of vendors again selling anything from fruit, meat and ice cream which doesn't melt...I'm not sure what it consists out of but I'm convinced that it has "two weeks on the toilet" written all over it! Shoe polishers are also very common and I saw some men sitting in the streets with grinding stones sharpening knives. We also visited the Panama hat factory while in Cuenca which was definitely worth the visit. They showed us how they colour and weave the hats and we were amazed that some of the hats can take up to 8 months to complete! No wonder they can cost up to $1200! So we came to the end of our time in Ecuador. I found Ecuador to be very mountainous and the climate fluxuating from cold and windy in the highlands to hot and sticky in the jungle. We had a nice time in Ecuador with the highlight definitely being the Galapagos Islands followed by our stay in the jungle. The only let down being that we had to constantly look over our shoulders when withdrawing cash from an ATM and not being able to walk at night in the larger cities. Most trouble can be avoided though by playing it safe and following the rules. Ecuador is cheap for travelling and well worth a visit.
Our group:
Trevor Benz (Germany): Weighing in at 12 tons and with 310HP, Trevor is a lot of engine! A yellow monstrosity of a truck which can seat 34 people and towers over all other trucks we encounter as we travel through South America. Trevor can be a little temperamental at certain times and will throw a strop by breaking down. Update: Trevor has since died and has mutated to various other trucks. Certain parts of him is now in Dorris so I'm sure he is happy.
Miguel (USA): He is our tour leader – tall and lanky with a floppy hairstyle that he can expertly clear away from his eyes with a quick flick. I suspect that he was weaned on chili sauce (salsa picante) when he was a child as he eats pretty much all of his food with lots of it. He also has a metabolism like an ostrich as he can eat the equivalent in a day for what is needed to feed a small army! Update: Miguel has left us in Lima and has taken up a new career - if anyone has got any updates on him please inform the curious masses a.s.a.p.
Scoota (Australia): He is our bus driver who can manage record speeds with our truck not previously recorded. Definitely not a morning person and looking very disheveled especially after just waking up. His waking up time is mostly delayed until at least 10pm after his 6th beer has kicked in and we are exposed to his full charm and naughty grin. When it comes to fixing things, I can only describe Scoota as a gynecologist mechanic as he’s so good he can pretty much overhaul an engine through its exhaust pipe! Update: Scoota is very fond of obtaining fines in Argentina - at least he didn't make the same mistake within a few hours!
Adrian (Australia): A very curious individual who can’t leave any faulty mechanical or electronic device alone. Unfortunately his success rate at fixing things, as a percentage, is about the same as the average yearly temperature in England…Update: His success rate at fixing things fell to the average Icelandic temperature after his attempt to fix his broken camera.
Sally (Australia): She is a lovely, petite girl who sometimes switches herself off from human existence by holding her hands in front of her (mother Theresa style) and staring into nothingness with a sweet solemn smile. I can only guess that she must be in a happy place somewhere or having an out of body experience during those numerous occasions. She is also very prone to accidents which usually occur around her bum and thighs. These include bug bites and swinging accidents…Update: She has since moved on to her solemn holding-a-teacup stare. We're not sure if it is the coco tea or another out of body experience.
Matt (England): He is probably the only person I’ve ever seen who is able to sleep on a shaking bus while lying half comatose at a 45 degree angle! I never knew that it was possible for someone’s eyes to grow so big after I saw him on a quad bike with Hannah on the back clinging on for dear life with clenched white knuckles and gritted teeth. A great guy with a good sense of humor! PS: Never sit next to him though at the dinner table as you’ll probably end up with a few less teeth and bruised ribs due to him eating with his elbows. Update: Matt is now also exposed as a sleep walker, sleep talker and excessive early morning faffer. He is also known to amuse himself with a football for hours on end. A very talented writer who is good with words and fun to have around. We will miss having him and Hannah around.
Hannah (England): It is a treat to see her while hiking – with arms turned inwards, lowered head and a stern, determined look on her face ,she races ahead at a slow pace of about 1mph! She is a very avid beer pong player who used very successfully, to her advantage, her distracting hip swaying dance. No normal person would be able to sink a beer pong ball while having to witness her dancing! Update: I've never seen anyone that can so easily fall asleep on a truck! Her hair is usually in various positions of disarray throughout the journey...
Paul (Australia): A very quiet individual who comes to life on the dance floor especially after a few beverages. His invisible wall dance is superb and very entertaining for those lucky enough to have seen it…He successfully managed to observe that swinging from strangler vines in the jungle is definitely not a career which he will pursuit. Update: Paul is still very quiet. He absolutely loves it when the truck goes around corners and shakes around. Don't be fooled by the green sheen in his face...
Lindsay (England): With a constant twinkle in the eyes, she turns into a party animal after a few cocktails! She is also an “alcohol Medusa” who can successfully seduce any person into drinking more alcohol than they intended. She is most comfortable in her PJ bottoms and we are half expecting to see her coming for dinner at a fancy restaurant while wearing them. Update: She would gladly kill any noisy animal the morning after a heavy night out. Her dinosaur noise is very entertaining. She is also a very good sidekick to have around when it comes to singing. She is the first person that I've ever met who gets a spaghetti Carbonara hangover!
Vanessa (Australia): She seems like a very nice person but I can’t tell for sure. At first we lost her for days after she started reading “The girl with the dragon tattoo” series and just when we thought she started paying us attention, there were some key AFL matches…Other than that she is usually lost somewhere in a virtual world of movies, skype or youtube. Hopefully we can get to know her sometime during our trip! Update: We've finally managed to get to know her and found that she is actually a very sweet person. She is also the queen of victory card game dances - it is very entertaining to watch!
Complete photo album: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=298359&id=749927742&l=2b6afb7bad
Quito Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=293012&id=749927742&l=686ba6f655
Our group:
Trevor Benz (Germany): Weighing in at 12 tons and with 310HP, Trevor is a lot of engine! A yellow monstrosity of a truck which can seat 34 people and towers over all other trucks we encounter as we travel through South America. Trevor can be a little temperamental at certain times and will throw a strop by breaking down. Update: Trevor has since died and has mutated to various other trucks. Certain parts of him is now in Dorris so I'm sure he is happy.
Miguel (USA): He is our tour leader – tall and lanky with a floppy hairstyle that he can expertly clear away from his eyes with a quick flick. I suspect that he was weaned on chili sauce (salsa picante) when he was a child as he eats pretty much all of his food with lots of it. He also has a metabolism like an ostrich as he can eat the equivalent in a day for what is needed to feed a small army! Update: Miguel has left us in Lima and has taken up a new career - if anyone has got any updates on him please inform the curious masses a.s.a.p.
Scoota (Australia): He is our bus driver who can manage record speeds with our truck not previously recorded. Definitely not a morning person and looking very disheveled especially after just waking up. His waking up time is mostly delayed until at least 10pm after his 6th beer has kicked in and we are exposed to his full charm and naughty grin. When it comes to fixing things, I can only describe Scoota as a gynecologist mechanic as he’s so good he can pretty much overhaul an engine through its exhaust pipe! Update: Scoota is very fond of obtaining fines in Argentina - at least he didn't make the same mistake within a few hours!Le Roux (South Africa): That would be me! The cheeky author of this blog…
Gillian (England): She is my girlfriend. Known to get a glazed look in her eyes and a trembling top lip when events for the next decade are not neatly laid out in an Excel Spreadsheet. Her orangutan arm waving walk (it is for balancing she said) is very amusing to watch from behind when we go on hikes. Update: She turns grumpy when she doesn't get the cards she deserves while playing President.
Adrian (Australia): A very curious individual who can’t leave any faulty mechanical or electronic device alone. Unfortunately his success rate at fixing things, as a percentage, is about the same as the average yearly temperature in England…Update: His success rate at fixing things fell to the average Icelandic temperature after his attempt to fix his broken camera.
Sally (Australia): She is a lovely, petite girl who sometimes switches herself off from human existence by holding her hands in front of her (mother Theresa style) and staring into nothingness with a sweet solemn smile. I can only guess that she must be in a happy place somewhere or having an out of body experience during those numerous occasions. She is also very prone to accidents which usually occur around her bum and thighs. These include bug bites and swinging accidents…Update: She has since moved on to her solemn holding-a-teacup stare. We're not sure if it is the coco tea or another out of body experience.
Matt (England): He is probably the only person I’ve ever seen who is able to sleep on a shaking bus while lying half comatose at a 45 degree angle! I never knew that it was possible for someone’s eyes to grow so big after I saw him on a quad bike with Hannah on the back clinging on for dear life with clenched white knuckles and gritted teeth. A great guy with a good sense of humor! PS: Never sit next to him though at the dinner table as you’ll probably end up with a few less teeth and bruised ribs due to him eating with his elbows. Update: Matt is now also exposed as a sleep walker, sleep talker and excessive early morning faffer. He is also known to amuse himself with a football for hours on end. A very talented writer who is good with words and fun to have around. We will miss having him and Hannah around.
Hannah (England): It is a treat to see her while hiking – with arms turned inwards, lowered head and a stern, determined look on her face ,she races ahead at a slow pace of about 1mph! She is a very avid beer pong player who used very successfully, to her advantage, her distracting hip swaying dance. No normal person would be able to sink a beer pong ball while having to witness her dancing! Update: I've never seen anyone that can so easily fall asleep on a truck! Her hair is usually in various positions of disarray throughout the journey...
Paul (Australia): A very quiet individual who comes to life on the dance floor especially after a few beverages. His invisible wall dance is superb and very entertaining for those lucky enough to have seen it…He successfully managed to observe that swinging from strangler vines in the jungle is definitely not a career which he will pursuit. Update: Paul is still very quiet. He absolutely loves it when the truck goes around corners and shakes around. Don't be fooled by the green sheen in his face...
Lindsay (England): With a constant twinkle in the eyes, she turns into a party animal after a few cocktails! She is also an “alcohol Medusa” who can successfully seduce any person into drinking more alcohol than they intended. She is most comfortable in her PJ bottoms and we are half expecting to see her coming for dinner at a fancy restaurant while wearing them. Update: She would gladly kill any noisy animal the morning after a heavy night out. Her dinosaur noise is very entertaining. She is also a very good sidekick to have around when it comes to singing. She is the first person that I've ever met who gets a spaghetti Carbonara hangover! 
Claire (England): A carefree girl with a constant smile which stretches from ear to ear! She fell hopelessly in love with our jungle guide, Fausto and I’m sure that she has a photo of him in her purse or under her pillow each night…She is also known to emit very goofy sounding laughs while watching comedy on a laptop while we are driving. Update: She is now also known as having a perma-smile and we've discovered that she has got the grace of a baby giraffe while sand boarding!
Vanessa (Australia): She seems like a very nice person but I can’t tell for sure. At first we lost her for days after she started reading “The girl with the dragon tattoo” series and just when we thought she started paying us attention, there were some key AFL matches…Other than that she is usually lost somewhere in a virtual world of movies, skype or youtube. Hopefully we can get to know her sometime during our trip! Update: We've finally managed to get to know her and found that she is actually a very sweet person. She is also the queen of victory card game dances - it is very entertaining to watch!Complete photo album: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=298359&id=749927742&l=2b6afb7bad
Quito Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=293012&id=749927742&l=686ba6f655
