Ecuador: The Final Frontier
Or is that Space?
At any rate, barring any happenings of the unexpected kind, I've just crossed over the last border of the trip before hitting Yankee shores. It was a dreamy last day in Huanchaco, with a little beach time before heading to the bus station. As it turned out the bus was scheduled earlier than the time I'd found online, but I was there just in time... and then the bus was about an hour late so I got to wait around anyway. The plan was to breeze right through Piura with just a quick connection, over the border and straight to Loja, Ecuador. I was good and did my research and everything - but unfortunately the info I'd found was either outdated or just plain incorrect.
When I arrived in Piura a little before 10pm I was glad at the prospect of leaving straight away. Towns like that aren't the most charming at night in the first place, even if there were still more tuk-tuks on the streets than hookers (of which there were plenty). My hopes for all the buses being conveniently located in one terminal were disappointed as soon as we pulled in; though they were on the same street, it took some looking around to find the right one. I asked at my arrival station where to go for Loja, and the lady directed me to a company across the way. I walked down the dark little street and through the entrance - a big garage door - and inquired, but the guy said they didn't serve Loja. I set out in search of the right office but couldn't find it at first, so I asked a few people who were not much help. One guy in a guest house said it's 'that way' and 'close' but wouldn't say how close or exactly where. Back on the street I went in hopes of finding this bus before it was supposed to leave, but after walking around a bit and not wanting to wander back and forth too much with my pack, obviously a clueless tourist, I finally hailed a tuk-tuk to take me there. He either misunderstood or had his own idea, as he drove me to the office that I first went to, and then upped the fare to take me to the correct one when they again assured that they didn't have the right bus. When we finally got to the right station, I think around 10:20, I asked about the 10:30 bus which I found online but there was none. The last bus had left at 9:30.
I was now looking at a night in Piura. The guy at the terminal offered to help me with a room, so I bade adieu to Mr Tuk-tuk and followed him into the station. As it turned out the room was in the station, two dingey little beds with an attached bathroom, a big dead roach under the sink and a few more scurrying past. It was cheap and I almost took it despite its dreary and disgusting appearance, till I realized that I would be sleeping behind a gigantic locked gate (this was the garage where the buses go) at the mercy of a lone stranger that I knew nothing about with no way to get off the premises on my own. So I said thanks and went back out onto the street to the nearest guesthouse. It was the one where I got the useless directions - and it was apparently full. I tried another one which was more than I wanted to spend, but as I was once again walking down the street a police guy started asking me questions and told me to be very careful. I thought this was a good sign to cut my losses and just take what I could get, so I went back to the last place. The kid at the desk was really sweet, which slightly eased my frustration at being stuck here for the night. Plus I had a TV (with a remote control to boot) so I was quickly able to numb the night into sleepy oblivion. In the morning there was more life to town, shops open, hordes of tuk-tuks in primary colors on every street and driveway. I bought my ticket and soon was on my way to Ecuador...
Seeing some of the landscape in the daytime made the night in Piura worthwhile. As we got closer to the border, urban middle-of-nowhere turned to rural middle-of-nowhere with beautiful farms, then we crossed what looked like an endless lumpy plain studded with bushes, which in one instant turned to solid green as far as the eye could see. Myriad foliage, flowers, citrus fruits, good smells coming in the bus window. The Peru/Ecuador border is located on a river; you check out of Peru, then walk across a bridge over the river and check into Ecuador. It's superbly scenic.
Soon after our crossing the bus began to make its way up into the mountains. Mountains teeming with dense live greenery. I had one of those moments where I realized I was just entering a brand new place, an absolute jewel, an entire beautiful country to explore... for which I only have one week. The bus broke down a couple of times along the way, but they were quick to fix it, and we arrived into Loja just a while after a spectacular sunset: bright green hillsides founded on pumpkin-orange soil, misty clouds lit up bright pink all the way down to their toes that were dangling on the mountaintops.
Along the way I had met two girls, one from Germany (P) and the other from Australia (S). P kept mentioning that they were going to this really nice town called Vilcabamba and that she had this great hostel picked out, and - not to say what I should do - but I was welcome to change my plans and come along. For the last few days I'd been thinking about a change of plans just to keep things interesting, and my only real reason for stopping in Loja was to make it to the local Provincial Park, which I now didn't know if I'd have time for due to the extra beach day and extra bus day. So when we arrived at Loja I agreed to follow the girls to Vilacabamba. P & S were actually just planning to split a taxi and go their separate ways, but S was tempted by the hostel as well... and on learning that it was her birthday the next day we decided that we'd all go together.
I'm not usually fussed over accommodation but I have to mention this one. They didn't have space in the dorm so we got a private room with attached bathroom, possibly the best bathroom in any hostel. The walls are made of big stones, and even the shower (with a big rainshower head) is built into a stone alcove. If I ever end up building that dream house, I'm stealing this bathroom design. And building a patio with hammocks. I hadn't been in a hammock since I was a little kid until this morning after a nice buffet breakfast, when we went out back to check out the digs and swing a little in the breeze, watching butterflies flutter between the millions of leaves of trees. The valley views from the outdoor dining area are gorgeous, looking over the town itself, and there are flowers galore in the entry. I've already been convinced to cut another day out of the rest of the itinerary to hang here with the girls.
A little while ago we rolled down into town on cruisers borrowed from the hostel, complete with big handlebars and dodgey brakes. And now here I am, catching up on a couple of things, in a beautiful little valley town where apparently people live to be older than anywhere else in the world. We've already seen quite a few ancients wandering around, and no wonder, what a place to spend your days!
At any rate, barring any happenings of the unexpected kind, I've just crossed over the last border of the trip before hitting Yankee shores. It was a dreamy last day in Huanchaco, with a little beach time before heading to the bus station. As it turned out the bus was scheduled earlier than the time I'd found online, but I was there just in time... and then the bus was about an hour late so I got to wait around anyway. The plan was to breeze right through Piura with just a quick connection, over the border and straight to Loja, Ecuador. I was good and did my research and everything - but unfortunately the info I'd found was either outdated or just plain incorrect.
When I arrived in Piura a little before 10pm I was glad at the prospect of leaving straight away. Towns like that aren't the most charming at night in the first place, even if there were still more tuk-tuks on the streets than hookers (of which there were plenty). My hopes for all the buses being conveniently located in one terminal were disappointed as soon as we pulled in; though they were on the same street, it took some looking around to find the right one. I asked at my arrival station where to go for Loja, and the lady directed me to a company across the way. I walked down the dark little street and through the entrance - a big garage door - and inquired, but the guy said they didn't serve Loja. I set out in search of the right office but couldn't find it at first, so I asked a few people who were not much help. One guy in a guest house said it's 'that way' and 'close' but wouldn't say how close or exactly where. Back on the street I went in hopes of finding this bus before it was supposed to leave, but after walking around a bit and not wanting to wander back and forth too much with my pack, obviously a clueless tourist, I finally hailed a tuk-tuk to take me there. He either misunderstood or had his own idea, as he drove me to the office that I first went to, and then upped the fare to take me to the correct one when they again assured that they didn't have the right bus. When we finally got to the right station, I think around 10:20, I asked about the 10:30 bus which I found online but there was none. The last bus had left at 9:30.
I was now looking at a night in Piura. The guy at the terminal offered to help me with a room, so I bade adieu to Mr Tuk-tuk and followed him into the station. As it turned out the room was in the station, two dingey little beds with an attached bathroom, a big dead roach under the sink and a few more scurrying past. It was cheap and I almost took it despite its dreary and disgusting appearance, till I realized that I would be sleeping behind a gigantic locked gate (this was the garage where the buses go) at the mercy of a lone stranger that I knew nothing about with no way to get off the premises on my own. So I said thanks and went back out onto the street to the nearest guesthouse. It was the one where I got the useless directions - and it was apparently full. I tried another one which was more than I wanted to spend, but as I was once again walking down the street a police guy started asking me questions and told me to be very careful. I thought this was a good sign to cut my losses and just take what I could get, so I went back to the last place. The kid at the desk was really sweet, which slightly eased my frustration at being stuck here for the night. Plus I had a TV (with a remote control to boot) so I was quickly able to numb the night into sleepy oblivion. In the morning there was more life to town, shops open, hordes of tuk-tuks in primary colors on every street and driveway. I bought my ticket and soon was on my way to Ecuador...
Seeing some of the landscape in the daytime made the night in Piura worthwhile. As we got closer to the border, urban middle-of-nowhere turned to rural middle-of-nowhere with beautiful farms, then we crossed what looked like an endless lumpy plain studded with bushes, which in one instant turned to solid green as far as the eye could see. Myriad foliage, flowers, citrus fruits, good smells coming in the bus window. The Peru/Ecuador border is located on a river; you check out of Peru, then walk across a bridge over the river and check into Ecuador. It's superbly scenic.
Soon after our crossing the bus began to make its way up into the mountains. Mountains teeming with dense live greenery. I had one of those moments where I realized I was just entering a brand new place, an absolute jewel, an entire beautiful country to explore... for which I only have one week. The bus broke down a couple of times along the way, but they were quick to fix it, and we arrived into Loja just a while after a spectacular sunset: bright green hillsides founded on pumpkin-orange soil, misty clouds lit up bright pink all the way down to their toes that were dangling on the mountaintops.
Along the way I had met two girls, one from Germany (P) and the other from Australia (S). P kept mentioning that they were going to this really nice town called Vilcabamba and that she had this great hostel picked out, and - not to say what I should do - but I was welcome to change my plans and come along. For the last few days I'd been thinking about a change of plans just to keep things interesting, and my only real reason for stopping in Loja was to make it to the local Provincial Park, which I now didn't know if I'd have time for due to the extra beach day and extra bus day. So when we arrived at Loja I agreed to follow the girls to Vilacabamba. P & S were actually just planning to split a taxi and go their separate ways, but S was tempted by the hostel as well... and on learning that it was her birthday the next day we decided that we'd all go together.
I'm not usually fussed over accommodation but I have to mention this one. They didn't have space in the dorm so we got a private room with attached bathroom, possibly the best bathroom in any hostel. The walls are made of big stones, and even the shower (with a big rainshower head) is built into a stone alcove. If I ever end up building that dream house, I'm stealing this bathroom design. And building a patio with hammocks. I hadn't been in a hammock since I was a little kid until this morning after a nice buffet breakfast, when we went out back to check out the digs and swing a little in the breeze, watching butterflies flutter between the millions of leaves of trees. The valley views from the outdoor dining area are gorgeous, looking over the town itself, and there are flowers galore in the entry. I've already been convinced to cut another day out of the rest of the itinerary to hang here with the girls.
A little while ago we rolled down into town on cruisers borrowed from the hostel, complete with big handlebars and dodgey brakes. And now here I am, catching up on a couple of things, in a beautiful little valley town where apparently people live to be older than anywhere else in the world. We've already seen quite a few ancients wandering around, and no wonder, what a place to spend your days!
posted by mitch at 11:38 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home