Cuenca, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

Very excited to be going to the El Cajas National Park today. It’s one of those places that isn’t on your radar but once you read about it, it seems to grow as a ‘must do’ destination and it is only 30mins outside of Cuenca.  

As we arrive in the park we start with an easy walk in lower cloud forest. The lake Llaviuco is calm with spectacular hills  surrounding it. It has many reeds around the shore leading up into cloud forest which is filled with moss covered trees. Our guide points out orchids and plants used by indigenous people as we go round.

The next stop is busy, but we can see across the Toreadora lake to moorland which will provide our quiet hike. The blue sky is coming through as we start this 3 hr route, past several glacier fed lakes taking it easy as we are at 4000masl. The land is interesting with lots of alpine flowers in the Andean tundra vegetation which is springy underfoot. We continue on and step into a Polylepis forest full of twisted Paper trees that form what is claimed to be ‘the highest forest in the world’.

The final section shows us Totoras and Patoquinuas lakes which continue on to provide Cuenca’s main drinking water. We climb up to where our van in waiting, pleased with ourselves and keen for lunch. We enjoy traditional potato soup with avocado and egg, followed by grilled trout. Arriving back in Cuenca late afternoon, I arrange to meet Juliette from the tour for dinner and drinks. Great end to a invigorating day!

Cuenca, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

I am struggling a little with Cuenca, it is a lovely city but it doesn’t have a heap of tourist attractions, well not ones that make my list. Today is a holiday, remembering the First cry of independence so it is even quieter here. I decide to wander in the opposite direction to yesterday, along Calle Larga to Pumapongo where there is supposed to be a good cultural museum and also Inca ruins. The museum is free and has a couple of rooms with colonial art. The ground floor has an exhibition on the history of Ecuadorian currency and the top floor showcases traditional costumes from each region. These vary greatly and my favourite exhibit has to be of tzantzas (shrunken heads) from the Shuar culture of the southern Oriente!

The archeological ruins are behind the museum and are supposed to represent part the old Incan city of Tomebamba. There are Incan terraces and a extensive garden at the bottom where I manage to find some shade and watch hummingbirds. Walking along to the pond there are some aviaries with local birds. I really enjoyed the area, more than I thought I would. Following the river back there are a few bars overlooking it where I enjoy a massive slice of passion fruit cheesecake whilst watching families enjoy the holiday. 

– Also discovered today that the Panama hat is made in Ecuador.  The Europeans named it as it was exported from the Panama Canal!

Cuenca, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

For the first day in Cuenca it has to be a walking tour! I travel a few blocks to the main Plaza where I am hoping a tour starts from. The guide shows up and explains that we will make 3 stops, as soon as he starts talking I start drifting off. I think he just wasn’t very engaging so I decide to stop after the first stop. We head into the new cathedral, the Inmaculada Concepción.  It was finished in 1988 and so is quite modern, a relaxing space without being too garish. The Cathedral has two towers that are squared off, the story is that when they put the statue of the Virgin Mary on top the facade cracked and they realised it would not take the weight of the intended tower spires, so left them off. The three blue tiled domes on top of the main section are shiny in the sun and a distinctive feature.

As I am now on my own I grab a map from the tourist office and head out on my own tour. I visit the Catedral Vieja or old cathedral as a contrast which is much smaller than the new one but pretty painted colours inside. The flower market is next, sat in a courtyard in front of the Carmen de la Asunción it is full of arrangements that are triangle shaped and supposedly handed down the generations.

I walk down Mariscal Sucre to San Sebastián square and church, Cuenca is a picturesque colonial city with a lot of churches.  It’s a good long walk so I finish the day with a craft beer and crunchy Thai noodles. 

Cuenca, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

Time to move, and whilst I have relaxed in Baños I am keen to find somewhere to explore so I have booked a bus to Cuenca. I climb onboard what looks to be a local bus and realise that the next 7 hours are going to be bumpy. And there is no toilet…

Whilst the trip is entertaining with various local people hopping on and off (often whilst the bus is moving) the scenery is stunning. I love the colours of the landscape and the patchwork hills with different crops. We also get to stop twice for the bathroom so that was a relief.

It is early evening by the time we arrive and despite sitting down all day, I am fit for nothing. I find a tasty restaurant nearby and then tuck myself in for the night.

Quilotoa, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

I’ve booked to go to the Quilotoa crater today, fortunately a British couple, Joel & Kate, also want to go and so the tour is on.  Sat eating breakfast as the guide walks in, bizarrely it is Fernando ‘messy’ who was our raft guide on the river a few days ago. We set off by car (nice change from mini vans) and Messy talks us through the villages and towns we pass including Pelileo which is the main commercial market for the region and mass producer of jeans. We stop briefly at a lake and then at Tio Toachi canyon. This canyon is pretty cool, it was actually formed by lava flow. Messy makes me stand on the edges for photos which I do nervously.  

Our arrival at Quilotoa coincides nicely with lunchtime and we sit in a cute restaurant with a wood burning stove eating quinoa soup and chicken. The crater lake view is amazing, the minerals keep it a lovely blue with brighter edges. I hadn’t fully realised we would be at 4000masl until we walked a bit and I felt it in my lungs.  

Our hike took us down to the lake edge, a steep 300m down on a sand path. The lake was really peaceful and tranquil, we spent 20minutes down there before starting the climb out. Jeez, that was the tough part. The sand path and gradient was exhausting but we took it slowly. I was red and knackered as we made it back to the top but still smiling. We drove back to Baños as it grew dark and I took Joel & Kate to my favourite Italian for my last night in town.

Baños, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

Friday was Justin’s last day in Ecuador as he needed to get home via Lima. We wandered up to the bus station via a quick coffee stop and he left on a midday bus. It was quite funny watching the bus leave, throwing some passengers off and stopping for a few more before it had got out of the station. He seemed okay as he set off for Quito and his afternoon flight to Lima.

After a faster paced few weeks, I was ready to chill and plan my next move. I grabbed my things and moved to a cheaper hotel down the road with the important addition of a hammock on my balcony for strategic planning/snoozing. I made good use of this spot over the next few days as it was also perfectly positioned for people watching!

I can skip through the next 3 days as they cover the same routine. The weather was pretty grey so I spent time in coffee shops, reading in my hammock, indulged in a body massage and enjoyed a few nice meals including an excellent spaghetti carbonara. I have decided to stay in Ecuador till the end of the month to explore more before heading to Colombia. 

Baños, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

I woke up with a bit of a funny tummy, and it is raining. I am thinking the bike ride is going to be a wash out, but we agree to read for an hour or so to see if it clears up. There is a great spot at the hostel with two hammocks that we can laze in. It is Justin’s last day so I am hoping it isn’t a write off.

By 11am it had cleared up enough for us to grab the bikes and set off, I am pretty sluggish but this route is perfect as the 16km is mostly downhill. It is called the Waterfalls route as it tracks a river with three waterfalls. We pass Cascada Agoyan, then Cascada Manto de la Novia and both feature zip lines or suchlike with multiple companies, it is fun to watch the chiva tours or party buses as I would call them moving on the adventure tour.

The ride is mainly on road unless there is a cycle route around one of the tunnels. Our last stop is Cascada Pailón del Diablo or Devil’s cauldron, this waterfall is best viewed by hiking down to see it. It is immensely powerful and it’s always fun to get close enough for a thunderous spray. The hike back up isn’t nice but once at the top we can load our bikes and ourselves into a truck for a bumpy lift back to town.

We drop the bikes back and stroll to a cafe.  I manage a camomile tea whilst Justin wolfs down a corn muffin topped with cheese and a coffee.  A restful afternoon and I am feeling much better as we head out for dinner. I can’t believe this is Justin’s last night before he starts the trip home. We order red wine to toast a great trip and I play it safe with chicken and rice. Unfortunately my stomach reminds me it is sick about half way in, which puts a dampener on our celebrations.

Baños, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

Slightly apprehensive about our activity today. Last time I went white water rafting my last dunking was not particularly pleasant, but I rationalise that today’s rapids are graded 3&4 so should not be as crazy.   

We pick up our safety gear and set off on a 45 minute drive along the river to our entry point. Our raft has 6 people plus the guide, who all speak English so following commands should be straight forward. I am pleased to be with 4 guys so we should have the muscle to paddle out of trouble. It soon becomes clear that our guide is going to use the muscle to paddle into the rapids. I wedge my feet under the rope, say a prayer and start paddling.  

We are on the river for an hour and travel around 20km through different grades of rapids, all good fun with a few scary sections. I was very pleased that I managed to stay in the raft and a little dissapointed when it ends. We climb out and change al fresco style before climbing back into the van. We arrive back in Baños in the late afternoon following a pit stop for a roast chicken and rice lunch which was included in the day.

Our preferred coffee house is closed but we find a better one near the square and sample a tasty flat white. Tonight is Justin’s choice thus we enjoy a burger and a couple of beers in a brewhouse, mine being a ‘ginger’ beer which was very good.

Baños, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

A slow, easy start to today with a trip to the tour agent. We enthusiastically sign up for white water rafting tomorrow and to hire bikes on Wednesday. They suggest a tour up to Casa de Arbol, but I think we can do it ourselves. Sure enough there is a local bus that can take us up for a dollar which is a relief as I think Justin has been contemplating a hike up!

The Casa de Arbol is of course a tree house, but off it hangs simple swings that go out over the edge of the hill, marketed as a ‘swing at the end of the world’. On a clearer day you can see the Tungurahua volcano. We arrive after passing several imitations and pay our entry. It’s not too busy and there are four swings for us to choose from. Whilst this is a simple concept, it is great childlike fun to swing out and back so we have two goes just to make sure we get good pictures…

We have decided to take a scenic hike down via a mirador but manage to miss the badly signposted turn offs. We eventually find a turn that takes us past a huge cross (that is illuminated at night) and downwards to the town. It is pretty steep and slippery but gets us great views and a bit of exercise before finding a coffee shop with hammocks to recover in.

Tonight we visit the ‘healing’ thermal baths that Baños is famous for, La Piscinas de la Virgen. We time our arrival for evening opening when they refresh the water. It is nice but only one bath where I can take the temperature and bobbing in a crowded murky bath whilst wearing the obligatory hired pink hair cap can only be done for so long. We last an hour before hopping out in favour of clean showers at our hotel. A tasty Italian pasta followed by a chocolate fondant rounds off a good first day in Baños. 

Baños, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

The Hilton is so comfy, I could have happily stayed a week but more adventures are beckoning and we decided on Baños for Justin’s last few days. We bid goodbye at breakfast to Colin, Kate, Hayley & Rob as we all go our separate ways. The bus terminal is a 40minute taxi ride away and costs more than the 3hour bus to Baños, which is only $4.50. It’s fairly stress free, if you don’t count the high volume Spanish movie played for our entertainment and impossible to drown out. Scenery is lovely and green with the white capped volcanos appearing along the way. 

We arrive in Baños late afternoon to find a small town with a nice vibe.  Our hotel is good, set close to the hill with a few hammocks for lounging in. It’s a lazy evening for us with a short stroll and dinner.