EC Amazon & Galapagos Day 11

Day 11-1 - Saturday, December 13, 2008 - Transfer from Quito to Riobamba along Avenue of the Volcanoes--Discover Indian Markets

Our laundry was ready this morning so we could finish packing for our road trip today. We had breakfast and then met our surviving dozen colleagues at 8:30.

Edwin packed our small bags on the 16 passenger mini bus. There were several empty seats leaving room to stow our back packs and cameras.

Antonio gave us a short synopsis of what we would be doing today and Winnie passed around a map with our route clearly marked for our post trip.

Traffic was light today because it was Saturday departing Quito for Riobamba, as we followed the Pan-American Highway southward along the spectacular Avenue of the Volcanoes.

This was an opportunity for a great look at the rural areas of Ecuador.

The altitude just south of the city was 9260 feet and climbing. We had light rain again today with a temperature of 54º and the humidity was 96%.

Along the roadside there were small villages, farms, and commerce centers. We saw grazing cattle, plots of vegetables and other produce as well as many tree farms.

Many vendors were selling their products at road side stands. Right now the mangos are in season. We passed Machachi, known for its dairy products and bottled naturally sparkling water.

Many mestisos live here; the original cowboys who herd the cattle and still wear the traditional clothing. We saw other people who are of pure Incan descent living in this part of Ecuador.

Edwin stopped at a service station where Antonio bought more water and a snack for each of us. We had an opportunity to use the rest rooms, a chance not to be passed up!

There are several portions of the Pan American Highway which are being expanded, a good thing as we saw several accidents along the way. We climbed to 11,465 feet and Antonio pointed in the direction of the second highest active volcano; Cotopaxi. Unfortunately for us, the clouds were very dense and we could not see the mountain.

Just after the town of Lasso, we turned off of the main highway for our first learning and discovery of the day; the Roses & Roses Unlimited Center. Our guide Dario took us on a tour of the 20 acre flower farm, exclusively for roses.

They grow 40 different varieties of roses here catering to many international markets within 24 hours of picking. Roses are harvested every day, but during the high seasons such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day, over 30,000 are cut for shipping.

Eighty employees work here daily watering, fertilizing, and grooming the rosebushes. We watched them pick the roses that are always picked in the mornings when they are the freshest.

Our next stop was the production facility where workers graded, measures, and packaged the roses. At 11:30 we thanked our guide and went back to the main highway. We made a very brief stop when Cotipaxi was visible to get a photo of this spectacular peak.

We continued south for about 30 more minutes and then came to the town of Latacunga where we visited the local market. This town was completely destroyed in 1877 when Cotipaxi last erupted.

Edwin parked the bus about three blocks away and we walked through the stalls admiring the fresh fruits and vegetables. It was very difficult to take photos of the Mestisos and native indigenous vendors as they were very shy and reluctant to have their photos taken.

Several did consent so we could capture their physically powerful features. Gennie bought bananas chicas for everyone so they could try the sweet little bananas I grew up loving.

We met at 1:00 and then continued south and turned down a very narrow dirt path to Las Casas del Perez where we had lunch. Alberto Perez is a renowned and popular artist who works in a variety of media such as oils, pottery, stained glass, and portraits.

Alberto and his wife Aida and his sister Margarita welcomed us into their home as if we were their long lost cousins. This was truly the most delightful home-hosted experience we have ever had in our 14 trips with OAT!

We were served a delicious salad of celery, grated carrots, grated apples, raisins, and walnuts in a light yogurt sauce. They also served mashed potatoes and a tender beef in mushroom sauce. For dessert we had a homemade ice cream with a black raspberry sauce.

The family let us tour their home and see the remarkable art work and antique accents throughout the house. We left Las Casas del Perez at 3:00 and stopped at the small town of Salcedo where Antonio treated us to a special ice cream bar. Gennie had chocolate and I had the featured selection called ensalada de frutas.

As we made our way south on the highway we passed many small towns and cities tucked into the hillsides. We passed along a ring road skirting the city of Ambato which was destroyed in the earthquake of 1948.

This area is noted for cuy, a delicacy enjoyed by many South American people. Guinea pig or cuy is roasted over very hot coals. Most of us tasted a small portion and it really was much better than what we had eaten in Peru.

We traveled another 40 minutes and because it was raining so hard, Antonio elected to stop at our hotel on the outskirts of Riobamba and we will go to visit the town in the morning. We found our room and settled in. Gennie worked on the journal while I explored the rural hacienda.

Our dinner was served at 7:00; we both wondered how we could possibly even look at food after all we had eaten today! After dinner we were serenaded by a group of Andean musicians called Nuevo Amanecer. I tried to do a video but the light in the restaurant was very low. We did enjoy the music and purchased their CD.

We came back to the room at 9:00 to finish the journal and look at the photos but there is no internet here at this hostel so we will post the journal tomorrow.

Accommodations: La Andaluza Hosteria - - - Meal: B, L, D

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