Viajando

Today we started on our extension as we said goodbye to our travelmates from Canada, Florida, and Washington. We began our journey south with a quick stop at the town of Salcedo, which is famous for its ice cream. It was so delicious and creamy, with flavors such as chocolate, Oreo, and avocado, or the traditional leveled ice cream of strawberry, blackberry, vanilla cream, naranjilla, and taxo, which are two tropical fruits we have discovered here. I can best describe the look of these ice creams as the candy corns we get around Halloween...but on a stick. After loading up on ice cream and snacks, we were back on the road.

We then made a stop at Quisapincha, a small town known for its leather works. We spent some time touring the small town and looking at some of the wares for sale, Afterwards, we started out again for San Andres and our hotel. As I sit here and type, I can look out the window and see the peak of Chimborazo, the highest peak in Ecuador. Although this volcano has been dormant for some time, it still has an impact that we are sleeping at the base of a volcano.

After lunch at the hotel, we were back on the bus for a short ride to Guano, a nearby town. (yes, that word means what you think it  means.) We visited a local museum with a mummy of a Franciscan friar who was sealed in the wall of the Church he helped found, climbed to the op of the town, where one hundred steps never were so...breathtaking, at this altitude, looked at some beautifully decorated carpets which the town is known for, and also tried some chola, a bread filled with sugar cane syrup. As us girls were walking around, we managed to pick up one of the stray dogs that are found in many of these towns. The dog followed us from shop to shop, patiently waiting outside. She also became protective of us rather quickly, barking and growling with raised hair at anyone who had the luck of passing our group on the street. After taking a group photo with our Pepito/Oreo, we were back on the bus and heading towards the hotel.

The town we are staying in is small and quiet, and everything is closed up as everyone settles in for the night. It is a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the other cities we have stayed in. On the negative side, there is no wifi and no or very little cellphone service, so we are taking turns using the one hotel computer to communicate. So, if we are radio silent for a few days, that is why! Also, I am not sure if it has made the news in the States, but please know that we are safe from the volcano that is erupting in Ecuador, though we can see the ash and smoke in the air.

Tomorrow we are exploring the city of Riobamba and also experiencing an indigenous village, where people still live in the same way as their ancestors did years before. Hopefully I will be able to write tomorrow as well, but, if not, I will when we return to Quito on Wednesday.

Hasta luego...