The Bus to Chugchilán

(6 July)

Latcacunga - Chugchilán, Ecuador

*NOTE: Since I was away from civilization in the jungle, I will be updating posts from the last week to fill in the gaps. Posts and photos from the jungle are on their way!

Bus, Latacunga

We board our bus for Chugchilán at 11:30. It´s more of the real deal than the one we were riding on from Quito. Packed to the brim with campesiños, crates, sacks of grain and beans, potatoes, produce - all stuffed in the aisles, on the roof, and in every free square inch. Vendors climb aboard and push their way up and down the aisle - selling every type of fruit, drink, and ice cream imaginable. The bus takes off, and one by one they drop from the front door to the pavement to run to the next departing bus. A fight ensues when one drink vendor gets stuck in the bus and the driver keeps going. She fights her way to the front and finally jumps off several blocks from the station.

Windng through bumpy dirt mountain roads... the bus stops (slows down to be more exact) every few miles, as people jump on and off with sacks of food and luggage. The rickety door opens and closes, and the bus fills with the aroma of tangerine oil and the dust of the unpaved mountain roads we bump up and down on for several hours.

Finally we arrive at Chugchilán in front of Hostal Mama Hilda, where we are staying for the night. We are shown to our rooms, looking out over the spectacular mountain vista and the deep canyon below.

Walking in Chugchilán

Ricarde, a member of the Hostal family who was on the bus with us, and his younger cousin, Andres, take us out for an hour´s hike down to the canyon rim before dinner. The food that Mama Hilda cooks up for dinner is exquisite (yes - she´s real! And she´s the mama of the family who runs the hostal). (NOTE: Hostal is a Spanish word used for Bed & Breakfast-type inns that are run by families in South America. They are different from what we call a hostel in English. They usually have private rooms, and often serve meals) We turn in early to get ready for our long hike in the morning to the Quilatoa Lagoon.

Chugchilán