Day Trip

I had to make a day trip to  Cuenca to submit my papers for a Visa.

Up at 4, on the minibus at 6.  I slept a large part of the 3 hour trip, but what I was awake for was amazing secnery… I tried to keep my eyes open, but the lack of oxygen and the earlier hour made it difficult .

I was not looking forward to the return trip, since it was booked at 6pm, which would mean the switchbacks and mountains at night.

The people at the school helped me get my papers submitted so quickly that I had half the day with nothing to do.  I could explore, but 28 in the shade, and the fact it is a large city, I decided to leave the exploration for another time… I was able to catch a return bus at 1:15…. Which means the trip in daylight!

I am very glad I did… The secnery was absolutely amazing.  I don’t have the words, or the photographic skills to capture what I saw.

The road ( part of the Pan-americian hiway) was is great shape, for the most part.  It is 2 large lanes of concrete.  Very impressive…. Espically with the grades and switchbacks it has.

Their are some sections that were under repair, or had rock falls.  The driver was impressive.  It was a little disconcerting when we climbed into the clouds to extremely limited visibility…. But he slowed down to a speed that safe.

I am not sure what heights we climbed to, but there were times I felt a little short of breathe, and the way the van was working, it wasn’t happy with the height as well.

There was one climb, where we would go up…. And I would think we were at the top….and then there would be another switchback and we would climb again.

Once we reached the top of this plateau things looked very desolate… And there at the top was a small town.  I guess people can live just about anywhere.

I am safely back in Loja… Realizing I don’t think a lot of the cities, but I am really enjoying the amazing country side of Ecuador.