Avenue of the Volcanoes

Yesterday we left rainy Baños, and headed west, then south on the route called Avenue of the Volcanoes. We voted for, and paid extra for a private bus; that way we could make some stops along the way, and take pictures out the window. The route south to Cuernca is spectacular. We were in the Sierra (Highlands) and travelled as high as 4,000 metres. The countryside in Ecuador is beautiful, rolling hills and mountains, very, very green, as the volcanic soil is so fertile. Everywhere, up to the high mountain slopes, something is planted and growing.

We lucked out and had clear weather for the first part of the day. At some points, there were as many as 4 volcanoes visible from our bus, stretching out in all directions. The above picture is Chimborazo Volcano, the highest mountain in Ecuador.

Trivia point - although Everest is the highest mountain above sea level, the top of Chimborazo is both the farthest point from the center of the Earth, and the closest point to the sun. This is because the Earth is not a perfect sphere, it bulges out at the Equator (i.e., Ecuador).

It was Sunday, so along the way we managed to stop at the most authentic market I could imagine. I was surprised how many rural people in Ecuador still wear traditional dress. Our guide had warned us not to take pictures of people, as they get very offended. I did manage to discreetly take this video to give you a bit of a flavour of the place.



We wandered the market, seeing all kinds of stuff for sale. The highlight for me was all the wonderful fruits and vegetables; no wonder they taste so good.

































Mora (blackberries) the makings for my favourite juice in Ecuador!

I grabbed an Empanada de queso (deep fried turnover with cheese) added a little sugar... mmmmmmm!



After our stop at the market, we headed further south, towards the ancient Inca ruins of Ingapirca. It is a very modest introduction before Machu Pichu.