Just a quick update on the camera/replacement situation. It's been a right nightmare for Ad and his mum. We just found out this morning that despite getting all the stuff over to Fedex on Friday they had lost it!!!!! Thankfully it's now been found and being treated as priority. Hopefully we should receive it on Thursday or Friday. We can then finally move on.I should maybe say a few words about Baños as although we left there last Friday, today we have decided to come back here for a further few days in order to enjoy it properly. It's a gorgeous little town surrounded by huge vertical hills and dominated by a massive volcano which is still active - last erupting in 2006. It´s one of those places where ACTIVITY and ADVENTURE is splashed everywhere, whitewater rafting, quad-biking, canyoning and trips up to the volcano. Unfortunately when we were here before every morning was taken up by phone calls and internet stuff and we only managed a couple of walks up to some waterfalls. Waterfall!!! That brings me to another subject. The weather is shit!!! So unpredictable and changeable. I have never had to put on and take off so many layers in the course of an hour. Rain, cold then sun then more rain and just for good luck and good ole downpour. However it seems to work in cycles with the morning good, the afternoons rubbish and the evenings brightening up.
I shall go back to last Friday when we left Baños.....
Friday Afternoon we arrive in Riobamba. The guide books paint it as a lovely little town with colonial style architecture and quaint oldy worldiness. In reality it´s quite a drab nondescript place where it rains all the time. Eeeeeek!!! We found a hostal in a guide book that looked really good. It said that it had a Llama and a couple of parrots in the garden area which the rooms all surrounded. Wrong!!! No Llama, no parrots, about 2 km from anywhere and our room was - how can one say - reminded me of somewhere that a goblin may live, without the charm or class. We affectionately called it The Hovel.
We decide to make the most of our time here and book an excursion up to Chimborazo Volcano - yes i know another Volcano, place is full of them!! We arrive early the next morning at the tour operator office as we have signed up to mountain bike down the side of this massive mountain. What the hell I´m doing being talked into this I don't know - I haven't ridden a bike for 30 years, I´m secretly hoping they have one with stabilisers or three wheels. No such luck. We check out the bikes and find ones that fit - if that's the right terminology. I´m given one with a razor blade for a seat... ooooh dear! Anyway we have a practise ride up the road. This is easy I think, until I try to turn around and hit a wall (luckily no one has seen me and I peddle back full of fear for later on).We set off in a van that is going to take us up to the volcano to a height of 4800 metres, after which we have to walk to another 200 metre height to the refugio - sound familiar? When we arrive the weather is appalling. Visibility is down to a couple of hundred foot. We make the ascent and much to my surprise, whilst it wasn't easy, I make it to the stop-off in pretty good time and shape. The now customary celebratory cigarettes are broken out. Unfortunately we can't see the volcano at all and it all feels a bit of a wash out. We go into the refugio and they have hot drinks on offer. We plump for coca-tea!! We are expecting a cup full of mashed up leaves but are disappointed to find that coca tea comes in teabags!!!
When we come down the weather has worsened, raining, snowing and visibility down to a few yards. We can see nothing but our surrounding space. The guide asks us whether we want to cycle down. Not on your Nelly!! I can hardly see to walk let alone cycle. I could just see me going over the edge. We ask the guide to drive us further down the volcano and see whether the conditions improve. Half way down the visibility becomes greater and we mount up. We have all the togs on, so much so that it's difficult to cock your leg over the seat. We set off. Ad is like a duck to water, I´m like some freak of a circus act trying to keep my balance.
The descent is quite steep. I´m ok when going straight but turning corners, balancing and braking is proving somewhat of a challenge - never really been good at multi-tasking. All the others in the group whizz off and I´m left at the back like a three year old on a tricycle trying to keep up with the bigger boys.It all goes well in the end despite nearly going over a hedge. We have a 30km ride ahead. It starts off well and we are able to see the beautiful undulating countryside which has some domesticated Llamas roaming around and a huge herd (?) of Vicuñas - much smaller than their bigger cousins and much more elegant and cute. Apparently Vicuña wool is extremely expensive as they can't be kept in captivity - too sensitive or something! But they are really gorgeous.
We ride on for a few kilometres more and then the heavens open, we get absolutely drenched and we both have the right hump by the time we get back to Riobamba. More rain when we get back. It´s starting to feel as if everything is against us. Even the weather. We are in serious need of cheering up. We're now toying with the idea of missing out the Andean countries altogether, as every time we try to do something the weather is ruining it!.
Sunday and we have booked tickets to go on a beautiful scenic train ride called the Nariz D'el Diablo - the Devil's Nose - not sure why they call it that but it takes you out of Riobamba on a 5 hour journey through stunning countryside, mountains and scenery. The train is made up of 5 carriages, 4 of which are freight carriages and 1 for passengers inside. Most of the people taking this journey travel on top of the freight carriage roofs!!! I put my foot down with a firm hand!! There is no way after sitting on a razor blade for 2 hours the previous day that I am going to subject my Farmer Giles to 5 hours of sitting on a thin cushion on a corrugated iron roof!!! I don´t think so.The journey is fantastic. The Ecuadorian country-side is exquisitely beautiful; rolling mountains, luscious green hills, snow capped volcanoes, deep cavernous gorges and all along the way children running after us waving, smiling and catching sweets that the passengers throw to them. I had my misgivings about the sweet throwing, but then I don't suppose a $5 WH Smith voucher will somehow have the same appeal. We get to the point of the Nariz D'el Diablo. The train is clinging to the side of this mountain with at least a 300 foot drop to one side. The railway´s have a unique and extremely clever way of getting down the mountain - it zig zags down!! The train makes a series of forward and backward manoeuvres down the zig zaging track that in effect allows the train to vertically descend the mountain -genius!!!
The weather is beautiful all the way and despite not sitting on the train top Ad finds a spot on the back of our carriage, outside, where he sits dangling his legs over the side and probably has the best views of anyone on the train. We really have a great day and our spirits are rising: until we get back to Riobamba.It is absolutely chucking it down. We go out to eat and get drenched and to top it off everywhere is closed, because it's Sunday, except a couple of Kentucky Fried styley places and a pizza place. It´s time to leave Riobamba!!!
Ooooooh nice snowcatman..
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