Well, Ecuador is (finally) drawing to a close after six weeks and Peru is just one hop away,
so probably a good time to drop a line.My general impression is that Ecuador is a country where the majority of people live in poverty but still manage to hold 14-day parties, sink vast quantities of rum and dance
badly for hours in funny felt hats.
Spent too long in Quito - which is fun but a little too Gringofied. Also did a brief tour of duty in Colombia which was cool. Cartagena on the Caribbean coast is beautiful and hot.
Still containing most of its original Spanish architecture it's currently virtually empty of tourists and very full of gun-toting soldiers and people selling something for the weekend. Really friendly (and generally
drunk) people, great beaches and bars. Discovered that my backside is too big for salsa.
Climbed a couple of mountains in Ecuador (for those in the know - they were Guagua Pichincha and Iliniza Norte, which was
terrifying in gale force winds, thick ice and sheer drops on either side, not to mention spending a freezing night in a refuge at 15,500ft). Have just about got my breath back.
View of Cotopaxi above the clouds at sunrise made it all worthwhile.
Best thing to date though has been the Galapagos which were superb. Wildlife is amazing, weather was baking and snorkelling with sealions and sharks
certainly beats watching Eastenders. Managed to squeeze in two games of footie as well on vague, lava pitches. Ecuadorian crew of the Yate Amigo vs Gringo Tourist Collective. Needless to say we lost both and sustained
various injuries.
Spent a couple of days in Banos, while the active volcano under which it nestles belched out columns of smoke and ash. A tad unnerving, although I was reassured to see that the hostel was only in a
zone of moderate risk, where there was only a small chance of rock showers in the morning.
Currently in Cuenca, which is a bit more relaxing than Quito and a lot prettier. Leaving tomorrow for Loja which is
the last big town in Ecuador and then onto Piura in Peru
