Travel Blog

Well after my last entry we were due to get stuck into a bit of bar hopping. But in true Irish style we hopped to one bar and stayed there playing pool and table football with locals and Americans. We hadn´t planned on drinking too much as we had a 60km cycle coming up the next day however that never works and we came home later and drunker than intended.






Wednesday 3rd January

Up at the crack of dawn, made a bit of a picnic and went to the bike rental place. We were given a bike each, a map, a pump, a spare tyre and a lock. So off we set on our 60km cycle to Puyo. You might think we were crazy attempting a 60km cycle but we were mislead into thinking that the entire trip was downhill. We started off and hit a few small hills early on. We figured that of course there would be a few hills and that soon it would be all downhill. Soon enough we entered a tunnel and instantly regretted it. Although we could see the exit dead ahead, it was pitch black in the tunnel and we couldn´t see a thing. Completely freaky. And the torch that I was so proud about remembering to bring didn´t help us one bit. Finally we made it out the other side and we were grateful to still be alive! About 20km into the cycle, we came to a waterfall whose name escapes me right now. We parked up our bikes and began the 1km hike down to the waterfall. It was very steep and meant that the 1km hike back up was a killer. The waterfall itself was impressive. Very powerful and noisy. It was also set in kind of jungle terrain that made you feel like you were deep in the amazon. After finally making it back up to the road we continued on our way but a good bit more tired. Soon, the upward hills began to get steeper and more frequent. We couldn´t understand what was happening as the lonely planet guide said it was all downhill. At one point along the trail, it began lashing and I mean LASHING rain. We were completely drenched all the way through. Nonetheless we finally made it to Mera about 45km along the route and decided that we could give up now and still be proud of the cycle. A bus came and we jumped on with out bikes on the roof. Safe on the bus, we decided to read the Lonely Planet more closely. As it turns out, the book told of a descent to Puyo as Banos is at 1800m and Puyo at 800m. We had taken that to mean downhill. So we had learned our lesson and made a pretty good stab at it considering. In any case, it was great training for the Inca Trail next week. That night we cooked up some pasta and veg bought from the local Mercado. About 9pm, we made our way to the natural hot springs which lie under a waterfall. After our mega cycle, it was pure bliss to relax in a bath of hot water looking up at a waterfall crashing down beside you. By the time we finished the baths, our muscles were so relaxed it was definitely time for bed.

Thursday 4th January

Got up early again today and this time rented horses for a 4 hour trek around the volcano. The trek was fun and after a while I got used to being on a horse and wasn´t in so much pain. Unfortunately due to our lack of experience and generally being cappers, we had to go really slow. We made it to the top where there was an excellent view of Banos and we were actually in the clouds. As you may expect it started to rain so for the second day in a row we got soaked. Coming down the side of the volcano was interesting. While the road up was paved, the road down was just a narrow dirt track and very steep. So it was quite painful for a couple of inexperienced riders. We made it back to Banos just after lunch and eagerly tucked into tuna and tomato rolls. As we are leaving Banos tomorrow, the plan for tonight is to go on the complete lash and work off our Chuchaqi tomorrow with an 8 hour bus ride to Cuenca. Adios!