South America
Where am I now?
I know that some of you are following my route and you may be a little bit confused about where I am now and how I reached this place as my reports have been jumping around a bit. I am currently living more or less in the middle of Colombia, about an hour outside...
It’s Friday so it must be Colombia
Leaving Ibarra behind we set off on a bus for the border. I have to admit that me and M were both a bit jittery about travelling into Colombia, after all, you should read the Foreign Office website; " The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all but...
Beyond the Edge of the World
M does like a nice waterfall and in Banos there is a road that runs for about thirty kilometres along what is known as the Ruta de las Cascadas so this was a must for us to do. Many people choose to hire bikes and they freewheel down the road and then later they...
Ibarra and the Hostal Fevilamir
After Baños it was back on the bus for the six hour journey north to Ibarra. Or it was sold to us as a six hour journey but obviously it was always going to take nearly eight. We got off to a bad start when the bus dropped us at a deserted petrol station in the dark...
Baños and The Santa Cruz Backpacker Hostel
Trundling down the Avenue of the Volcanoes we were treated to yet more spectacular scenery through the window of the bus on the way to Baños. Just a few days previously I had received a flurry of messages from friends and family who wanted to know that I was all right...
Return to Quito and to the Minka Hostal
I returned to Quito after my little foray to Latacunga and I was as pleased as punch to see some familiar faces at the Minka Hostal. Pedro and Josh are both working as volunteers there and are two of the loveliest men that you could ever hope to meet, along with...
Quito – The First Time Around
I had met a Swiss girl whilst in my hostel in Mindo and we teamed up to go to Quito together. Martin (of the frog chorus) joined us on the bus trip back and after me and Kath had checked into our hostel (the Minka Hostel - more about this in the next post) Martin...
So, what did I get up to in the Cloud Forest?
Well, to begin with, I got lost! I went for a walk, took the wrong turning and then I ended up about a mile away from town up a dead end. But it was no big deal – after all, I was wandering around the countryside just a stone’s throw from the equator and surrounded by...
The Bio Hostal, Cloud Forest, Mindo
You can’t help but to unwind on the journey to Mindo as the road slowly unravels across the mountains. Leaving the concrete and crowds of Quito behind, the surprisingly good road curls its way up and down for a couple of hours before it drops deep down into the small...
Onwards and Up the Map
After the craziness of Carnival and a rapid repack of my backpack, I was boarding a bus at a half past midnight in Trujillo. My amazing friend G had come to see me off at the bus station, and after an emotional goodbye with him I settled into my almost fully...