TRAVELING ECUADOR'S SIERRA VI – Alausi to Cuenca

8. March 2012, Day 6

Again, we got up early, had a quick (ten minute) breakfast and were ready to get on the train at 8 am. From Alausi the train went down the nariz del diablo - a fairly steep hill.
The hill is very steep and the last part the tracks zig-zag to make it possible for the train to go down. Due to the complicated terrain the construction of this railway was celebrated 100 years ago when it was build. Engineering-wise it was difficult and the help of many laborers was needed. Unfortunately many of them lost there lifes - about 2500 Jamaican slaves (out of 4000) died.
A long time ago, Ecuador had a fairly extensive train system with trains going from Quito to Guayaquil and Cuenca. But for many years now only short parts have been working. Currently there is construction going on everywhere and the plan is to open the railway from Quito to Guayaquil in 2013. Mainly for tourists. I guess, before the nariz del diablo train ride was something for the adventurous, but it is now a little more upscale. Very organized, with guide and lunch included and no sitting on the roof. Nevertheless the landscape is amazing and worth the train ride.
The train went down the valley from Alausi, where we had a snack, walked through a little museum and took many touristy photos before the train went back to Alausi.
There we got our stuff from the hotel and went straight to the bus station to catch a bus to Cuenca. After four uneventful hours we arrived in Cuenca in the afternoon. Finding an hostel was easy but finding a restaurant was a little more difficult. Not that there were no restaurants or bars. They just all seemed to be closed in the late afternoon. Eventually we found a fast food place that was open.
We walked along the cobble stone streets with many beautiful old buildings and churches and visited the huge and beautiful old cathedral.
At night we went out for a beer at an microbrewery where we had homemade beer. Cuenca seems to have many little bars and a lot of students and young people. We walk around a while and after another beer it was time to sleep.

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TRAVELING ECUADOR'S SIERRA V – Alausi

7. March 2012, Day 5

We got up early in the morning to get a bus to Alausi. There we were hoping to get the afternoon train to nariz del diablo. After four hours on the bus, we arrived in Alausi, checked in at the first hotel (which wasn't a smart choice since it was rather expensive - 30$ for two - and didn't value the money) and went to the train station. We had just missed the 11am train and there was no train in the afternoon. We bought tickets for the next morning and spent the afternoon in Alausi. It is a very small city that has not much to offer but it's a nice place. It has a few beautiful old buildings and is beautifully located in a valley.
We were still tired from the biking the day before and had a good afternoon nap before going for a long walk through town.

TRAVELING ECUADOR'S SIERRA IV – Biking at Chimborazo

6. March 2012, Day 4

After an early breakfast at 7.30am we were ready for the trip to Chimborazo. We were picked up by the guide at the hostel and by van we slowly made our way to Chimborazo.
Chimborazo is not only Ecuador’s highest volcano it also is the mountain with the longest distance to the center of the earth (because of the equatorial bulge).
Along the way there were cows, pigs and sheep as anywhere else but there were also torros (huge bulls ready to fight and worth 11,000$ each) as well as llamas and vicunas (a wild relative of the llama).
As we made our way up, it got colder and colder. From the first refugio at 4,850 m we walked up to the second refugio at 5,000 m above sea level. It was cold, cloudy (we couldn't see the top of Chimborazo) and it started snowing. Walking was difficult at that altitude but eventually we made it. After a nice hot chocolate at the refugio we made our way back to the lower mountain hut where we got on the bikes. The first part was easy downhill biking on a dirt road. The most difficult part here was the fog and that it was snowing for a while. And it was cold. I couldn't feel my hands and for a moment I was wondering why I'm doing this (for the fun and the beautiful landscape).
After about 8 km and a short stop we went on a much smaller trail. Biking was a little more difficult but a lot of fun. On the way down the trail changed between rough narrow trail, dirt road and asphalt. There was a fairly short uphill part. At an elevation of over 3000 m, this was much more difficult than it sounds and involved walking for parts. And even that was exhausting. The last kilometers was easy rolling down on asphalt streets and it was great to speed a little.
On the way back to the city we had great views of volcanoes Tungurahua and El Altar. Only Chimborazo was always at least partly covered in clouds.
After returning to Riobamba just before sunset we were quite tired and only managed to get some Chaulafan (Chinese style rice with shrimps and chicken) before falling to sleep.

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TRAVELING ECUADOR'S SIERRA III– Riobamba

5. March 2012, Day 3

After a good breakfast with coffee, juice, eggs and cheese sandwich (the typical continental breakfast here) we were looking for an agency that has bike trips at Chimborazo. With 6,268 m, Chimborazo is Ecuador highest mountain and an inactive (at least for the moment) volcano. We found a company that was mentioned in lonely planet for good bike trips. To get to their little office you had to get to the third floor of a shop selling all kinds of fabric and clothes. The bikes were stored at the roof. A very unusual place for an office but quite interesting. After a bit of information we signed up for a downhill ride the next day.
The afternoon was spend shopping and at the cinema.

TRAVELING ECUADOR'S SIERRA II – Ambato to Riobamba

4. March 2012, Day 2

Ambato does not have much to offer for tourists. We got breakfast at the local market before taking a taxi to the botanical garden a little outside town. It was nice to walk around and there were two Quintas, former country homes of famous Ecuadorian families. It was interesting to walk through the houses and you could get an idea about the life of rich Ecuadorians about one hundred years ago.
After picking up our bags at the hotel, we went to the bus terminal to get the bus to Riobamba. Luckily it was only a little more than an hour on the bus. After getting there we had lunch at KFC (always something special since you can found it only in a few cities) before going to the hotel. The hotel was near the train station but unfortunately there was no train leaving from Riobamba. We both didn't feel very well and spent the rest of the day hanging out at the hostel.

TRAVELING ECUADOR'S SIERRA I - Canoa to Ambato

3. March 2012, Day 1

Living at the beach is nice and relaxing but since I didn't have any project to work on, we decided to go traveling for a few days and explore more of Ecuador.
We left Canoa by bus at 4.30 in the morning. After only two hours of sleep and a few too many beers the night before, the first hours on the bus where spend sleeping. Basically all day was spend on buses or in bus stations. The first bus only was a short half hour ride to Bahia where we just made the bus to Portoviejo. There we didn't have to wait and immediately got on the bus to Quevedo. After long and hot five hours we finally arrived. At the terminal we bought the tickets for the next bus and had lunch. The bus was scheduled to leave 12.30 and we got to the platform at 12.32. Well, unfortunately that was too late, even in South America. The bus left on time. Or even earlier. The office of that bus company was closed and we had to buy tickets from another company. Luckily the tickets aren't too expensive here and the bus left less than 30 minutes later. After about an hour the bus stopped. There was construction going on at a bridge and the police didn't allow buses to pass. So we had to wait for an hour before we could go on. It was hot but luckily we could leave the bus and walk around and watch the construction. As the bus was climbing up the mountains (we had to get over an almost 4000 m pass) it got rainy, foggy and colder. Much colder. As we got near the pass we got above the clouds and the views were amazing. Finally, after another six hours on the bus we got to Ambato.

LIFE AT THE BEACH

January - February 2011

Eventually I might write more about life at the beach in Ecuador. About Christmas, carnival, trying to surf, renewing my visa, food, parties, the rainy season, day-to-day life,...
But for now I'll skip writing about the first two months of this year and the next posts will be about two weeks of traveling in Ecuador. Otherwise, I'll never catch up with this blog.

BACK IN CANOA

October 2011 - December 2011

After a week in New York and a long flight I arrived in Guayaquil on the first of October. The only problem was that my backpack did not arrive. Carlos waited for my at the airport (and he had to wait a long time since I had to deal with the missing bag first). We stayed in Guayaquil for three days waiting for my bag but than gave up and took the bus to Canoa. Luckily I had a few clothes in my other bag. It was very nice to be back in Canoa. Walks at the beach, talks, nothing special, just enjoying the relaxed life at the beach.

Within one week in Canoa we moved to a nice apartment. Not directly at the beach but on a little hill with great view of the whole village and the ocean. Second best spot for watching the sunset (only topped by watching it at the beach).
After only a few days in Canoa I got to work on the first project for my old company. Although it wasn't easy to get back to engineering after not working at all for such a long time it felt nice doing something useful and it was even fun working.
The relaxed life was only interrupted by frequent calls to the airport to inquire about my backpack. But always the same - we don't know where your backpack is. Finally, after almost three weeks, I got an email from my friends in New York. There was a postcard from the airline that they had found my backpack. Only a few more calls, few more days waiting and a seven hour bus ride to Guayaquil and I had my backpack back. YEAH. I've rarely been that happy to carry a 50 pound bag around.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

26. September - 30. September 2011

After a great time with my family in Germany and traveling in Europe and Egypt it was finally time to go back to Ecuador. But not without a stopover in New York. Being back in NYC felt great. It felt like being back home and I just enjoyed walking through the streets. Of course it was great to meet friends and colleagues.
THANKS to everyone who spent some time with me, invited me for a beer, lunch or dinner.
Biggest THANKS goes to Nannette and Janos for letting me stay at your place.

A FEW MORE DAYS IN GERMANY

16. September - 26. September 201

After a great time in Egypt, I got back to Germany just in time to celebrate my sisters birthday. We had a nice weekend celebrating with family and friends. The rest of the week was spend seeing family and friends and organizing.

CAIRO – Part III

12. September – 16. September 2011  

Back in Cairo we went to visit the stepped pyramids in Saqqara south of Cairo. Quite interesting and sooo old.

The last days in Cairo were spend with more sightseeing, backgammon and souvenir shopping.
THANKS Ayman, Heidi, Lamice and Anas for a great time. It's always good to see you guys! 
    

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NILE CRUISE

8. September - 11. September 2011

Since I spent three weeks in Egypt, I decided that I had to go south to see the great Egyptian temples. I opted for a four-day, full-board, cruise on the Nile with frequent stops to visit the temples First, I took an overnight train from Cairo south to Luxor. I bought a first class ticket and expected the car to be full of tourists. Well, that wasn't the case. I was the only foreigner and the car was neither clean nor comfortable. Anyways, I slept quite well until the morning. I didn't know where to get out and couldn't read the station signs either. Luckily there was somebody who spoke a little English and told me when to get off.
I was picked up at the train station by someone from the agency that I booked with and by taxi we went to the cruise ship. A three story boat with bar and pool at the roof. It seemed like I was the only person younger than 60 years. There were a few younger people but mostly there were older German couples. After relaxing a while on board, I met the guide for the first excursion to the Luxor and Karnar Temple. Very impressive. Huge columns and colorful paintings - and all this thousands of years old.
The next morning was spend visiting the "Valley of the Kings” - with many tombs of pharaohs. Most of them are long tunnels underground with a burial chamber at the end. In some tombs it is till possible to see the colorful wall paintings. In other tombs there is not much too see.
From there we went further down the river with stops at more temples. It was very impressive but after three days, all looked quite the same. Huge columns, colorful paintings, huge statues.
Check out my pictures at picasa - or just use the slideshow below.
At the end of this trip, I went to visit Abu Simbel. It's difficult to explain but the sight of these huge statues is amazing. And the chambers as well. It's also interesting because, the temple was moved from it's original position to the hill higher up when lake Nasser was build between 1960 and 1970.
From Aswan I took the train back to Cairo for a few more days with my friends and more sightseeing.

CAIRO – Part II

4. September – 7. September 2011

After we got back from the North Coast it was time for some real sightseeing.
With Heidi and Anas, I went to the Egyptian museum. There is sooo much to see there. Unfortunately it doesn't feel like a museum at all. It's more like walking through a warehouse stuffed with lots of very old, dusty things without much information. We paid a guide to show us around but he wasn't very good either.
We also went to the Pyramids in Giza. Impressive! So big and so old. I have no idea how they managed to build these. We hired a camel and a horse and went on a little tour around the pyramids with them. It was interesting to ride on a camel and we had a great day.
We also went to several mosques and walked around town. I also set out on my own one day to walk around Cairo. It was interesting to walk the busy streets and narrow lanes with market stalls. I was greeted many times by friendly people in English.

RELAXING AT EGYPT'S NORTH COAST

31. August - 3. September 2011

Together with two other families and there kids we went to the north coast for a few days. We stayed in a house that could have been very pretty if the owner would have taken better care. It was a little run down but still had a great terrace and a nice garden. Our days there were very relaxed. We spent the morning in the swimming pool, the afternoon relaxing at the terrace and swimming in the sea.

The sea had beautiful blue water but unfortunately there was a lot of garbage. As everywhere in Egypt. It's very sad to see how little Egyptians care about their country and nature. Garbage is just everywhere you look and especially Cairo is extremely dirty. In South America I sometimes thought it's quite dirty there but compared to Egypt that was nothing. Especially coming from Germany.

We went swimming anyways and had fun.
Nights were spent on the terrace again with playing backgammon, drinking tea and political discussions and stories about Egypt.

 

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CAIRO – Part I

27. August - 30. August 2011

After a great time in Europe it was time to discover a different continent. For three weeks I ­was visiting my good friends Heidi and Ayman with there kids Lamice and Anas. A very long time ago (15 years ago to be exact) I was living with Ayman in a student house in Hamburg. Since then we've been friends. 

My trip to Cairo didn't start very good. I got a cold the day before the trip. After a four hour train ride I arrived at the airport to find out that my flight was delayed almost two hours and I arrived in Cairo quite late at night. Ayman picked my up at the airport. At their house, Heidi and the kids where already waiting for me. We stayed up until 3 am talking and had dinner before going to bed. When I went to bed I could already feel that my stomach was a little upset. I spent the night with regular trips to the bathroom. Not the best way to arrive at a friends' house. My first day in Cairo, I didn't see anything from the city but spent all day inside. Sleeping, hanging around, talking and playing with Lamice and Anas. Since it were the last days of Ramadan – the month of fasting, meaning that it's not allowed to eat between sunrise and sunset, we stayed up until three or four in the morning, had dinner (or breakfast) before going to bed and slept late. Therefore the time until sunrise was fairly short. Originally, my plan was to try fasting as well but since I wasn't feeling that well the first days, I skipped that. So, the kids and me had a little snack in the afternoon. 

On my second day in Cairo I finally set out to explore town. My friends are living in Maadi, a fairly wealthy neighborhood, and in the afternoon I was checking out the area. At night, Ayman, Heidi and me went out to Cairos old town. We walked through small streets with many small stores selling souvenirs and other stuff. The buildings were quite old and there were lots of people - mainly locals - walking around. We drank tea at a nice old cafe in a very narrow street. The atmosphere was very nice and I liked walking around. Back in Maadi, I went to a cafe with Ayman to play Backgammon. But there was a soccer game going on and the cafe was packed with people – men. I think, besides me, there was only one other woman and it was kind of strange to be there, surrounded by 100 men. Especially in a culture were women are not commonly seen in situations like this.

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