Transfer days are usually bad as they involve hours hanging around airports. However, in Ecuador the transfers have all been by road as the country is so small. Yesterday our transfer from Riobamba to Cuenca involved a trip on the Nariz del Diablo or Devil's Nose Train. We nearly didn't make it as a cycling race was taking place on the road to the station and all traffic was halted for 45 minutes as it passed us by. Juan Carlos had to drive like Lewis Hamilton to get us there on time. The train journey is a circular route to and from Alausi down a 800m descent using a series of tight switchbacks carved out of the mountainside. This section has recently been restored at a cost of $5m, and was re-opened in 2009. Needless to say the views were spectuacular and the journey back served another purpose in transportng a JCB. The rest of the journey was by road through mountains and thick, low cloud.
Today we explored Cuenca which is famous for making panama hats (the name comes from the workers building the Panama Canal wearing these very distinguishable hats). As you will see from the phtographs we tried them on but decided they were not for us!
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| Not sure it suits my ears! |
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| Could I wear this to work? |
No the hats weren't for you!
ReplyDeleteDear Bonne, We agree and the money we saved from not buying hats will go into our prize fund for the most avid follower and commenter. It could be you . . .
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