14th Oct - Baños to Quilotoa

Missed my 6am alarm to get going but no hassle, I'm on holidays! Didn't end up going to breakfast until around ten - massive fruit salad as usual! Packed and then pottered around for a while.

Got going and caught bus at lunch time.

On the bus, I was hoping that I might meet up with Andy, a lad I know from London. He has just graduated from college, and along with 10 of his classmates, they've built a car which looks v similar to a Formula 1 car. And they're driving it the full length of the Pan American Highway, from Alaska to the bottom of Argentina. Impressive enough, but even more impressive is that the car uses no gasoline. It's run totally on electricity. http://www.racinggreenendurance.com/ is their website and it's pretty impressive stuff. Anyway they'd a problem with the car and were stuck in Quito for the past week. I was trying to meet up with them but because they'd lost so much time, they were bursting through Ecuador to get to Peru. Turns out we were both passing through Ambato around the same time but didn't meet up. Ah well!

I arrived in Latacunga and had to get a taxi from the stop to the main bus station.

The usual routine when I get a taxi over here in South America is:
Taxi driver: so what country are you from?
Me: I'm from Ireland there chief.
Taxi driver: <usually a big approving nod and smile>... ah you're Irish!
Me; sure am... do you know where that is?
Taxi driver: ... Ah... no. No I don't.

Happens every time! They all pretend to know it and none of them have a clue! Some of them have an idea that it might be in Europe but that's rare enough. Anyway, this lad in Latacunga, after I'd asked him where Ireland was said:

Taxi driver: ah, is it in Asia?
Me: No boss.
Taxi driver: near Japan or China?
Me: No boss.

I checked in the mirror later but I really don't think I look in any way Far Eastern!

Landed in Zumbahua. Was offered a lift for $6 to Quilotoa. They always start high so then he said $5. I refused. Got it for $4, money wasn't crucial but great to get one over on a local. Spoke to a couple of locals hanging around and they said it's always $5 minimum! Delighted with myself!

Got to Quilotoa after half an hour or so. Wasn't too impressed. Pretty shite little village. Stayed at Cabañas Quilotoa which was recommended in the book. Wasn't too impressed. Pretty shite little resting place!

Shite resting place

Went for a walk around town and it was about 3 mins to the lagoon. The lagoon is special, it's basically the crater of a volcano that now houses a lake within it. Today was the first time I'd been at the edge of a volcano so it was class. And sunset was superb with the clouds rolling in and the colours in the sky. Amazing.

Quilotoa lagoon - amazing

What I didn't like so much was the pushiness of the locals demanding I purchase hats scarves and headbands. They were also pushing lifts to the next town, guided tours etc etc. I kind of expect this nonsense by now in big cities or major tourist traps but in this idyllic little town? I didn't take to the place. My intention when I got here was to walk to the next town tomorrow, spend the night and the third town the following day, spend the night and on to Quito on Sunday morning. But they tell me here that there are no maps either on sale or to look at, and there are no signposts either so if you get lost, might be hard to get back on the right track. Reckon I'll leave around 8.30am or so, so that I've the whole day to find my way - that'll do!

Back to the hostel and met the lad sharing the room with me - Unai from near Gijon in Spain. Big Barcelona fan so we'd plenty of craic to be getting on with. Best of all, he has v poor English so we chat in Spanish only! Good practice for me.

Had dinner in the house where we staying, comes as part of the price. Only 6 of us staying there, 2 of us, Swiss lad, Swiss girl and a sound German couple. Dinner was rotten, then after dinner the Swiss went to bed and the 4 of us stayed up chatting. Germans are both medical students and studied Spanish too so wanted to do a month's work experience in a South American hospital. There were a few family pets lying around too, it was great!

Very enjoyable end to a long old day!