EC Amazon & Galapagos Day 12

Day 12-2 – Sunday, December 14, 2008 - Ride Devil’s Nose Train--Overland to Cuenca

We slept well in our country hacienda at 11,000 feet. Our wake up call came at 4:30. The stars were still bright in the sky as we got on the bus at 5:30 am.

The view of Chimborazo Volcano, Ecuador’s highest mountain at 20,565 feet above sea level, was incredible as the full moon illuminated the snow capped peak. It was cold this morning at 54º and 77% humidity.

Today’s itinerary is to ride the Devil’s Nose Train overland from Riobamba and Sibambe a section of Ecuador’s Trans-Andean Railroad. Last night Antonio told us that the actual old train was no longer running, but we would be riding on a locomotive on the same route.

As soon as we reached the city of Riobamba we went right to the train station and stood in line. There are a limited number of seats sold, but the prime photo spots are on top of the train.

Gennie and I were able to get a seat on the top, but it was very crowded. The upper deck passengers actually sit on a rack on the top of car and have to hold on to the railing.

The train left the station at 6:40 and we had a brief look at the city of Riobamba as we made our way out of town. There were a few people out to see us off but the city was pretty quiet this Sunday morning.

Because there were about 40 of us crammed on the upper deck, it was difficult to move and take photos. The views were very beautiful as we passed through green valleys with winding streams.

The black soil was very fertile, making this one of the prime areas for broccoli, onions, peas, cabbage, potatoes, strawberries and even corn. The hillsides were terraced and the small plots of produce looked like a patchwork quilt from a distance.

The train stopped at 8:15 in the small village of Guamote for a 10 minute rest stop. Vendors were ready to sell us alpaca hats, shawls, socks, and mittens.

Gennie decided she had had enough of the prime photo seating and went inside with most of our group for the rest of the journey. Don, Al, and I stayed on the roof to take full advantage of the unobstructed views.

The terrain after Guamote was completely different. The land was more mountainous, it was drier, and the tracks followed a rushing river through steep slopes. There were small villages along the route; we stopped several times to let locals get on and off of the train.

In this section called the Devils’ Nose the engineer had to go to a side track, back up the train, and then back down the steep switch backs. We turned around at Sibambe and we all had time to change seats and stretch our legs.

By that time many people wandered out into the hillsides to water a few bushes. It was 76º and very dry, only 59% humidity. We had really descended and the altitude was only 6180.

There was a malfunction with our brakes and it took awhile for the engineer and the conductor to bang and hammer and fix a sheered bolt that was missing. They actually wired the mechanism together; not a very reassuring sight, but it worked and we were on our way to Alausi.

When we returned to Alausi Edwin was waiting for us with the bus. We went to a very small kitchen café for lunch. Antonio gave us time to walk around town a bit.

There was a Sunday market just around the corner. We talked to the vendors, a friendly group of indigenous people who were quick to smile and we could tell they really enjoyed life.

At 1:30 we continued our journey through the Avenue of the Volcanoes and the snow capped Andes peaks. We were back on the Pan American Highway and driving through a thick fog.

Traffic came to a complete stop so Antonio got out to see what was happening. There was a bad accident that would not be cleared for another hour.

Edwin knew an alternate route through a very tiny village. He turned our bus around on a steep curve and continued on a dirt road. About 20 minutes later we were back on the main highway.

Another hour and we made a bathroom and coffee stop at the small town of Zhud. I shared the “suspiros” I had bought at a bakery yesterday and most people enjoyed them with their coffee.

We finally approached the city of Cuenca and left the Pan American Highway to go on the new ring road and then into the heart of the city. We arrived at our hotel in a down pour!

After getting our rooms and having an hour to unpack, we had dinner at a restaurant across the street from the hotel. We took a short walk after dinner to stretch our legs and see a little of the town.

We came back tour room and Gennie worked on the journal and I sorted the hundreds of photos we had taken today.

Accommodations: Carvallo Cuenca Hotel - - - Meal: B, L, D

If you wish to travel with OAT Click Here.

To receive $50 per person off your first reservation with OAT, mention the following information when reserving your Overseas Adventure Travel Trip: Mr. Victor Garcia Customer #673062

suspiros -- yuck! haha, not my thing :)

The train ride sounds like the high light of the trip for me. I look forward to the rest of the trip report.

Day 13: Azores & Madeira: Portugal's Unspoiled Archipelagos

Island Beauties

Island Beauties

Island Beauties

Island Beauties

Island Beauties

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Day 13 - Saturday, April 22, 2022 - Depart for U.S.

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