Last weekend was absolutely the best! Four of us went on a tour, with a guide, which took us to Cotopaxi National Park and to ride the famous "Devil´s Nose Train Ride" I referred to in my last blog. The entire weekend was very full, yet we could take our time. The tour guide was absolutely one of the best and could speak English, which made our trip a real break from school. We all needed this!
There aren´t adequate words to describe the scenery I saw this last weekend. Pictures can´t capture the depth and richness of the colors of the landscape in Ecuador. I can only thank God that I am blessed enough to have been able to see it and with a group that was very cohesive and fun! One of the guys is from Switzerland and one from Holland. Both can speak the same language, but they indulged the other American woman and me by speaking English all weekend. A real treat!
We left Sat at 7:00AM in a small van and stopped for breakfast at a great place around 9:15. Then on to Cotopaxi National Park to the highest volcano in the world (at 19000 Ft). We drove to approximately 15000 ft. We could certainly tell the altitude. Unbelieveable scenery......above the clouds.....glacier....at the base of volcano, variety of flora....volcanic remains in layers, denoting time of volcano eruption (Ecuador has 12 live volcanoes, most in the Galapagos, but several are here)....saw a llama....on to the hotel in Robamba. Hotel was very nice. We had a couple of vinos and cerveza. Vino was not very good, but enjoyed it anyway because the company was great and, at that altitude, I was very relaxed!
Next day left at 6:30A for the train. This "Devil´s Nose Train Ride" is written up as one of the most famous train rides in the world, along with the Orient Express, etc. It certainly is one of a kind and fantastic. Besides being the train ride of my life, the guide had arranged for the four of us to sit with the conductor in the engine. Unbelievable experience!! He also made sure we had a boxed lunch, which we could eat on the train. He followed the train to the different stations and waited for us at the end. We ended up on the train for about 7 hours. Seven hours of bliss! We got back to Quito around 9:30P exhausted, but totally enthralled with the experience!
The train was built in 1905 and the tracks as old. The tracks and the train did not look as though much had been done since 1905. The train cars look like cattle cars with a railing around the top of each train car. People chose to sit on top of the train in order to see the views and soak in the entire experience, which can´t be relayed with mere mortal words. The train went very slowly and was derailed 3 times during our journey. It was a little intimidating at times, but all was well as the train men had been through this many times. The scenery is undescribable!!! It was like being put in the middle of a scene in a movie, with a 360 degree panorama view of the entire countryside. The "Devil´s Nose" part of the trip is where the train moves zig zag around the mountains.....the cliffs drop straight down many, many feet.... the train track is as wide as the path on the mountain on which there is room for the train to proceed. From the top of the train, we looked straight down to the bottom of the mountains....rushing waters....arcane bridges...beautiful, beautiful views.... plenty of fresh mountain air for the body and spirit!! We derailed twice during this portion of the trip....somewhat scary but exhilerating!
We went up, down, through, and around mountains....through towns where there were many indigenous people standing along the streets, selling their wares and waving to the train...through the agricultural countryside, where indigenous people were farming....along the way we saw many animals, both in the countryside and tied up along the area near the tracks. Cows jumped....horses ran....dogs chased the train... Many of the indigenous children and adult waved to the train as it went through their territory. I and the other woman in our group went into the engine first. The two guys went into the engine later. Of course, it was during their time in the engine that the train derailed several times. We came to find out that one of the guys was talking to the conductor when it derailed. We had a lot of fun out of that, as you can imagine! He had worked, at one time, for a railroad in Holland and had driven a train, so being "up front" was great, both in the engine and seeing how the Ecuadorians fixed the derailment. Both of them enjoyed it tremendously, as did we. The entire experience was without a doubt the greatest highlight of many of my travels.
Will see Chip this coming Saturday, so am excited...on to the Amazon next week. Time is flying by! I have a new teacher this week. I like her very much and she is very motivating, which means I better get home to study. Love you all....Hope all is well with you....XXOO
No comments:
Post a Comment