Quito, Ecuador and volcanoes

Quito was a pleasantly civilised city after the experiences of La Paz. A couple of days orientating to Quito which included a tour of the Old Town with it´s amazing Basilica (only begun in 1929) was rewarded with the city having a traffic free day where people were able cycle around unimpeded, though fortunately for me the excellent `Trolle` bus service was operating. An added bonus of that particular Sunday was the entertainment held free in all the city squares, where most of the families in Quito appeared to be out on the streets, and added to all of that the sun shone.
After 3 days in Quito I retreated to the peace and quiet of Hacienda Patagoya about 20 km from the city. A lovely place, owned and run by Israeli´s, not only was the accommodation comfortable but the food was of a particularly high standard, and added to that there were peaceful walks nearby and a jacuzzi to untie knots in overworked muscles afterwards. From Pasagoya I joined 2 other hikers, from Denmark, and a guide and we completed a three and a half hour hike up to the rim summit of the Pasachoa volcano (4200m), where we had spectacular views of the other volcanoes surrounding Quito, including the highest, Cotapaxi (5600m). The only active volcano in this area was Cotapaxi, and it has been silent for 100 years.
After the peacefulness of Patagoya it was with regret I returned to Quito for 2 nights, before flying out to the Galapagos Islands.

Photo 1. The rim summit of Pasachoa.
Photo 2. Enjoying a rest on the lava before the descent from Pasachoa
Photo 3. Another one of those repeats!!!
Photo 4. Hacienda Bolivar (it belonged to the Bolivar family prior to 2000) now known as Patagoya.
Photo 5. Sunday entertainment in Plaza Grande, the centre of Quito old town.
Photo 6. The nave of the Basilica, Quito, viewed from the gallery.
Photo 7. The Cathedral in Plaza Grande.
Photo 8. The bells in the belfry at the Basilica. Rather a sad array and it looked as if they are not currently rung.
Photo 9. The Basilica seen during the steep ascent from the Plaza Grande.

A week in northern Bolivia in Rurrenabaque and 3 day stay in the Amazon Jungle

Travelled north to Rurrenabaque, a small town downriver from the Amazon jungle. The journey, was an 18 hour bus journey on roads that can only be described as hazardous and at times hair raising.... Returning a week later I opted for the more expensive option (47 pounds, total, as opposed to 8 pounds on the bus) of flying back to La Paz, a flight of 35 minutes and worth every extra penny.
Rurrenabaque even boasted a decent sized swimming pool at the local hotel, which, needless to say, I made frequent use of even though I stayed in another hostal on the edge of town in a much quieter location and away from the locally popular karoake bars. The women of the town still wore traditional Bolivian costumes with very fine full skirts made from some very beautiful taffeta type fabrics, with decorated blouses and very pretty lace shawls, which were always topped with ´bowler style´felt hats, though given the heat, many of the younger women wore t-shirts and jeans or shorts, which was a custom I also adopted, with the usual flipflops.
The 3 day jungle journey started with a 3 hour journey upriver to our base, an eco-lodge situated in the jungle, about 15 metres above the river. The facilities were basic but clean, with mosquito nets provided for each bed in the dormitory. Washing and toilet facilities were suffering from a lack of water (the small river that normally drained into the main River Tuini, had dried up, due to its being the end of the dry season and the rains had not yet properly started) with the result that showering was by using a bucket of water, also used to flush the toilet! The camp dining room was, like the dorms, covered with a roof of palm leaves but perfectly effective in keeping out the rain (light) and the worst of the heat from the sun. The food was plentiful and provided by a cook who gave us the opportunity to try local dishes, all of which were popular with us.
Hiking journeys into the jungle were of 2-3 hours duration, usually twice a day , and our guide spoke very little English, (I spoke very little Spanish!) I teamed up with a New Zealand couple, James and Sandy, who both were able to translate our guides information. Each journey was full of information about plants (which were medicinal and which were poisonous) as well as help with spotting animals and insects (including the many varieties of tarantullas). Sadly we did not see many animals, though on our night walk we saw the alligators eyes (only!) gleaming in the torchlight! We did see some varieties of macaws though not the Tucaman parrots (Martin and I had one for a few years, though the parrot died recently) that I had hoped to see.
The last morning at the camp we had fun making necklaces from seed pods, and I took the opportunity to practice my archery with guide David´s handmade bow, even though I had to make my own arrows, which were pretty crude renderings of the ones I was used to, but you can only make use of the materials available! The boat journey back to Rurrenabaque took only one and a half hours, as we were travelling downstream.
It was good to book back in to the hostal and take a hot shower and generally clean up. 2 days later I took the plane, a small 16 seater Douglas Fairfield (similar to the Lukla plane in Nepal), back to La Paz.
On the 12th November I flew to Quito, via Lima, a surprisingly straightforward journey excepting the chaos of La Paz airport. Quito, on the equator and at an altitude of 2,480 metres was much warmer than La Paz, particularly at night, so I was back into my comfort zone!

La Paz and Conderira Mountains

Crowded, dry, dusty and hectic La Paz provided me with the incentive to spend 3 days trekking in the Conderira Mountain Range, part of the higher Andes, and only a couple of hours away from La Paz. The local guide for the trek introduced himself as Felix, and his wife, Victoria, who provided the portering with the assistance of their mule, who carried the tents and cooking equipment and food. Though neither of them spoke much English we managed basic communication.
The 3 days were spent in the high Andes mainly in the vicinity of the 3 highest peaks, including Haughan Potosi, and their respective glacial formations. At times we were higher than some glaciers though did not walk on the glaciers themselves. We climbed passes up to 5,200 metres and I can state with honesty that I´ve now fells walked, though with my heart in my boots! The tents were pitched at 2 camps both with minimal facilities, showers were most definately not an option. Needless to say it was cold at night as on both occasions we were camped above 4,800 metres, and hot drinks of coca tea were very welcome in the early mornings.
The weather was sunny but with a persistant chill wind which brought the temperature down but there was still a need for sunscreen in the conditions. The landscape was of rocks and scree though the valleys had a covering of grasses with the presence of many lamma´s and alpaca´s, very hardy creatures and well suited to the climb.
After 3 days it was good to return to La Paz and the opportunity for a hot shower. Sadly my pleasure was short lived as a bogus policeman lifted my Ipod and camera (I was very annoyed that I´d fallen for the commonest scam in La Paz!!) therefore this blog will not include photos, disappointing as I´d promised Felix and Victoria copies of some of the trek photographs. Claiming on the travel insurance is fairly straightforward, and the Policia Turistica were very helpful in providing me with the necessary reports, so am optimistic that the claim will be paid , that is if the British post office delivers the claim (?).
The next stop will be Rurrabaque, where will be looking at an Amazon jungle trek, before flying on to Quito, Ecuador.