Ecuador

Well completely surprisingly enough, I got to Quito, Ecuador with no problems at all and my bags made it as well!! Once I had settled in I had a walk around the old town, which was a very interesting place. There are still loads of people who dress in their tribal clothes, which are very colourful and pretty.

The following day I went to Mitad del Mundo. This is apparently where the Equator crosses Ecuador. The bus journey there was a bit interesting! They appear to squeeze as many people onto the bus as possible, and even when the seats have clearly all gone, they still drive along with the door open shouting the destination of the bus! I was lucky enough to be sitting next to an old lady who had brought 3 alive chickens with her!! Their legs were all tied together and were plonked at my feet - nice!! These poor birds spent the entire journey (2 hours) trying to get up and flap around! Anyway, I eventually made it to my destination. To mark the spot of the Equator crossing is a big square statue........ and that would be about it!!! Its a very touristy area and there are tons of little shops selling bits and pieces you know you don´t want!! I didn´t hang around too long and made my way back to Quito. My journey back to Quito was ok, but the problems started when I had to get the connecting bus to the old town, where I was staying. I asked the bus driver and he confirmed that he was indeed going there so I hoped on. Everything was going ok, until we got so far and then started going back the way we had come - not good!! Some guy, seeing the look on my face and the fact I was looking at the map, asked me if I was ok. I said, ´no´as I thought we were going to the old town and now we are not! So he very kindly helped me to find the right bus and made sure I got to the right destination. His English was not very good, so conversation was limited, but he did manage to ask me if I was married or had a boyfriend!! Then when we got off the bus he asked whether I wanted to visit his family with him!! I quickly made my excuses and pretended that I didn´t understand him and promptly walked off in the opposite direction!!

The next day was Saturday which meant market day. There is one of the biggest markets in Ecuador in a place called Otavalo. I hoped on a bus there - this time I spent the journey being squashed against the window by some lady who was determined to keep her elbows out!! But the journey was worth it. It has to be the biggest market I have ever been to. It appears to take up the whole town - every street is literally covered with stalls. I spent a couple of hours wandering around and I bought a few things that I didn´t need but I liked!!

On Sunday, I felt that I had not spent enough time on the buses in this country so I thought I would make another journey to a town 3 hours south of Quito called Baños. There are several reasons I wanted to visit this town. It is surrounded by volcanoes, it is very pretty and its name when translated means ´toilets´!! Well I had to see it for myself. This time I spent the bus journey next to a woman who breastfeed her son the entire way! And when he wasn't feeding he was trying to clamber all over me and take my book and water away!! Baños was a very pretty town and a nice place to relax after being in a crazy city like Quito. It was not covered in toilets as one might expect but what the locals call baths (or what we would called swimming pools!). I enjoyed myself there, not doing anything much. I went on a few walks, but I really didn't have time to do anything else. After a couple of days I caught a bus back to Quito. This time I was chatted up by two different men who I think where only interested in me as I was the only gringo on the bus (=money!). My time in Ecuador was then over and so I flew onto Peru...