My 'Round the World' travels!: Quick loop of Ecuador

Time to leave Quito after completing my two week Spanish class. I was also given the all clear with my eye again from the specialist. This time, I've another certificate to add to the others - now it was 'intermedio alto' (intermediate higher) in Spanish. I'm thinking they got it wrong or something as there's absolutely no way I'm that- they felt sorry for the dumb Irish. It was so much fun and I really liked Quito and Ecuador and met lots of lovely people.

I decided to head southwards towards a town called 'Banos', known for its thermal baths and waterfalls. 'Bano' is Spanish is 'toilet', so I presumed 'Banos' would be 'toilets' and maybe looked like them (bit like terrible named towns like 'Muff' in Co. Donegal in Ireland or 'Cockermouth' in the Lake District)- it doesn't really sound good at all! But, no, 'Banos' actually means 'baths' here and was a stunning place. It is a town of about 20 000 inhabitants. The town is quite quaint and pretty with active volcanoes in the region.

I went to Banos with two girls I met travelling; Millie from Ireland, who I met in Guayaquil and Ornit from Israel who I met in Quito,so it was nice to hang out with them. Most days, I decided to branch off and go for a cycle to see the waterfalls. Banos is in a valley surrounded by lots of hills and very big ones at that. The first day I cycled 40 kms, then the next day I decided to go a bit further and cycle past a town a town 70 kms away. The cycle was amazing. The scenery was just breathtaking - and on the 70 km journey, I was the only cyclist on the road.

There were plenty of times when I was cycling on my own heading up and downwards towards a part of the Amazon Rainforest. Whizzing past little shacks on the side of the road with people selling lots of oranges and the smell of cooked chicken making me hungry as I passed through each little settlement. Either side of me was flanked by lush, green trees of the rainforest, windy roads and stunning waterfalls.

I was met on my journey by lots of workmen digging up the road on various occasions (the roads in Ecuador are just as good, if not better than the roads at home. Definitely better than the roads in the south of Ireland anyway!) This is all in part thanks to Rafael Correa, the President. Big cities, like Quito, have everything and more in them to offer any local or tourist alike. In my eyes, miles better than Belfast.

It's strange to comprehend that Ecuador is still a third world country, but the differences between the wealthy in the big cities and the poor as you move outwards towards the countryside is vast. Modern buildings with fancy cars and well dressed people are quickly replaced by shacks crowded together, with families sitting outside houses trying to survive by whatever means they can.

Anyway, as I was on my cycle, the workmen all stopped to probably see what this strange, bright, white, shining UFO light in the distance was, coming towards them (with reference to my zero tan). They smiled and said hello to me as I either flew past going downhill or cycled slowly going up the huge hills panting and sweating away.

On my journey I was greeted or practically attacked by a few savage dogs snarling and running after me. Thankfully there were no cars on the other side of the road, as I always ended up there cycling like crazy and telling them to get lost in English, which I'm sure they didn't understand. I didn't know the dogcode word for 'eff off' in Spanish. This happened on a few separate occasions and I survived with a few minor scratches but nearly having a heart attack in the process.

Three hours later, I made it to my destination dying of thirst as all I had was an apple and a tiny drink of water in my bag. I stopped off in a little shop and bought some juice and the lovely lady in the shop had a wee conversation with me and here, they ask if I was cycling 'solita' (by myself)...which is always met with a few gasps of ooohh and ahhhh probably thinking..'This one's a weirdo alright - at her age, she should be at home with 12 kids, making the dinner and sweeping the floors'.

Obviously some of the women here don't do this kind of thing on their own. The people here in Ecuador are really friendly. I'm thinking even more so than in Peru....yeah, I know - how could I possibly 'diss' my favourite country in the world; but Ecuador is starting to surpass it a little...but I still love Peru though! To get my way back, I could've cycled another 70 kms back up and down hills again on the same route, but most people catch the bus and take the return journey back to Banos, so I decided to do that also as I left late in the morning and didn't want to be cycling back in the dark. To be honest, I think it was those dogs that prevented me from making it 140 kms.

On my bus journey back, I met a woman who was an author for the 'Rough Guide' Travel books. She was in the process of currently updating a new edition about Ecuador and it was really interesting talking to her and finding out the good and not so good spots to go to here. I was thinking she might be a bit kindof famous and has maybe been on TV and I never noticed. She wrote travel articles for magazines also. Just got her first name...Sarah. I gave her the name of some nice restaurants in Banos and when I met her the next day she checked them out and ate in them (for free if you don't mind). I should be getting a cut of her profits!

After spending four days in Banos, I had cycled all the routes I wanted to and climbed lots of steps to see things on hills (which normally turn out to be holy things/statutes - they are everywhere in South America - they are obsessed) to take some nice photos. So where next? I decided late one night that I was going to go to Montanita on the west coast (Banos is on the east) so one of the girls decided to join me also. It was a bus back to Guayaquil (yeah, smart decision from me - I'd already been there when I first arrived in Ecuador) but this was the quickest way to the west without returning back to Quito again. Oh and I decided to leave a bag in Quito also so I had less weight on my back.

Again not one of my brightest ideas as I've made a weird travel pattern around Ecuador that goes something like this...up the middle, down the right, up a wee bit of the middle again, then to the left, up to the top and down the middle again by the time I leave. There must be a name for that kind of pattern in crotchet/knitting terms or something like that...fu*ked up pattern, that's what!

12 hours of travelling, jumping off one bus onto another two after that. The last one, we literally got off and our bags were quickly lifted and thrown onto a little combi filled with locals to take us to Montanita. Montanita is the beach party town of the west coast. The place is full of gringos and locals alike. We didn't have a hostel booked and thought it would be easy enough to find one - how wrong were we. The weekend is not a good time to arrive anywhere without a prior booking. Two hours later after wandering around to every hostel like tramps, we eventually found a place. A complete dive, with wires hanging out everywhere around the room; but it was a bed (boggin at that) but somewhere to stay so I didn't complain. We even managed to sleep with the boom, boom of music going on all night.

The place was heaving with people on the beach and streets. The weekend was manic. The small streets here reminded me a bit of Bangla Road in Phuket,Thailand, but not as seedy nor as many people, in the night time with the parties going all into the wee small hours. There's lots of wooden bamboo huts/shops etc all over the place, with the locals selling everything from ceviche, fruit, all kinds of food and tapestry on the tiny streets. There are outside cocktail bars everywhere.

Now, myself and Ornit are in Puerto Lopez. This place is quieter than Montanita and the beach is much nicer. Was able to run along it with hardly anyone in my way only the hermit crabs running out of the water and sidewards along the sand. The two of us suffered badly the first night with a bit of food poisoning - my first lot...that'll be the street food in Montanita - either choclo with mayo or the fruit salad for breakfast that was bought from the vendors..not a nice feeling at all and still feeling rough. The smell of street food brings on a gag reflex and turns me right off! After Puerto Lopez I'm going my separate way back towards Quito and maybe stop by Otavalo and Cotopaxi on the way there. If my stomach has other ideas, then I'm not risking an 11 hour bus journey until it holds a bit of food again.

Next week, I am leaving Quito on Tuesday for Guayaquil and then a 3 day bus trip back to my adopted homeland of Peru. Ecuador has been amazing - I've really loved it so far. The people here are just so lovely, warm and welcoming. I also wanted to get into Columbia, as I've met lots of gringos who've been there and loved the place, but I have other plans and hope to make it there after.

Three guesses as to where I'm going in Peru - ok, actually only one then, as most of you will get it. Yes, I want to go and return to the dodgy house in the desert, followed by the most exciting Peruvian city of all - Trujillo (not). I'm returning to Cusco, for a fourth time. This time, it's not for Spanish. I'm starting a course in TEFL/TESOL there (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). It lasts for a month and afterwards they try and find you some work. I will need the income by that stage and am looking forward to being on the teacher side of the desk again instead of the student side. TEFL will hopefully open up more doors of opportunities for me whilst I'm abroad, and will most likely, benefit my teaching at home when I return.

So yeah, that's my plan for the next wee while. Back to the daily grindstone like normal people out there, of 9-6 pm in classes and course text books that cost a fortune. Students have to wear 'proper teacher attire' as we'll be teaching classes on our last week. Somehow I don't think my threadbare travel clothes will allow me into the classroom - so it's goodbye to my trainers and flip-flops and crappy tops for a little while (until the course finishes). Now I'll probably turn into a 'chica tranquil' (quiet girl) with all this work...hmmmmm?