Great day planned for Sunday. I love trains, especially old trains. I had no idea that Ecuador had an old train that is now a tourist train, but once Juan Carlos told me, that had to be done. So early Sunday morning we met on the Ecovía and headed to the station.
Isn't it beautiful?! There are several routes, but the one we were taking left Quito and winds down through the mountains to Machachi, then continues on to Boliche, next to Cotopaxi National Park. Or, you can get off in Machachi, spend the morning, and pick up the train again on the reverse. It really didn't matter which route - it was the train!
Unfotunately, there were no tickets to be had. (And as you now know, I couldn't get them for the following weekend either. I have to go back just to go to Mindo and take the train.)
So that was disappointing. But it wasn't going to ruin the day. New plan: to the bus station and let's see what's going where. After the craziness of Saturday's bus adventure, we wanted something a little more regular and predictable. Juan Carlos picked Salcedo, a small pueblo. The bus to there was leaving in five minutes and the route ended there. This sounded good.
While he slept on the bus, I was afraid to miss any of this amazing scenery. I've had the good fortune to travel to some lovely and amazing places, but nothing speaks to me quite the way Ecuador does. It's always so beautiful.
Being Sunday, it was market day! The pueblo was teeming with people and stalls and goods and food. We wandered for a while, while the weather decided what to do. Finally we decided that food was good. While there were a number of similar places, he chose this one.
This is a very typical dish called hornado. Basically, it's spit-roasted whole pig, served with the most incredible mashed potatoes. Greens? Potatoes are vegetables. And there's always aji, the spicy salsa. That has onions. The piece on top is a super hard piece of skin; not for me. Actually, this one heaping plate was enough for us both. And the nice señora in charge of the pig let me take this photo.
Like all these towns, there's a lovely little church in the center. Yes, service was underway, oops.
Ooh, a clear moment! The weather went back and forth for a while. And the church really was pretty.
This little park is across from the church. I liked the lime green scrollwork, it was really different. But this fountain was made in NYC, one of the big ironworks in the early 1900s. Huh. I do wonder about its story and how it got here.
We wandered for hours. Aside from food, I don't think we bought anything. But it was great to wander and explore. Needless to say, we needed dessert at some point, and thankfully for us, the ice cream in Salcedo is famous. You can find these kinds of ice cream pops all over, but it's this particular combination of flavors that is "Salcedo." So, given my love of ice cream, we had to have that. (Actually, I think this was one of only two occasions where I actually had ice cream while I was away. Seriously. Sad.)
While other flavors are avaiable (including my new favorite fruit, guanábana, or soursop), the "surtido" is vanilla, blackberry, naranjilla (I can't find an English equivalent), and taxo (also called banana passionfruit - odd). In any case, it's wonderful. The taxo especially is fantastic. I wanted more, but oh well.
Not only do I love signs, but I couldn't resist this one, reminding everyone of the ever-present danger of living along the Route of Volcanos. It is a real danger and there is fear. As a daily thing, though, you just don't think about it.
Ah the joys of market day! How many can fit in the truck?
And when you wander you see all kinds of interesting things. There were actually "dueling billboards" for healers. We saw a sign for another who will take payment in chickens and guinea pigs. I really am curious to know if they can fix my knee....
Construction like this -- bright colors, or ostentatious buildings -- is usually a sign that people are overseas and sending money back. I've seen this in rural Mexico, but the extent in Ecuador was new for me this time.
And before you leave for the bus, always a good idea to use the bathroom, as the buses don't have them. Even though this trip was "only an hour" (read: about two hours), it pays to use a clean bathroom when you can find one. And inexpensive too -- I think this one was 25¢ for paper and use.
I liked this logo on the side of the bus. It's one of the newer symbols of Ecuador tourism, promoting the beauty and nature that is Ecuador.
On the way back, we scoured the iPod for new music for me -- I have a ton of groups now to look up and check out. And the views were no less stunning, including a surprise peek at Cotopaxi! Equally emotional, but in the other direction, was the young Quechua woman with two young children on the bus. It was really heartbreaking. Then, on the Ecovía back to the center, I watched a woman put on her makeup, including using the edge of a tin to curl her eyelashes. Not only do I never think about curling my eyelashes, I was just amazed by her ingenuity and resourcefulness. I wasn't really hungry for dinner that night, but went out anyway, just to get out. And that was how I discovered my new favorite drink: Sauvignon Blanc frapé with guanábana juice. I just found guanábana nectar tonight at the little bodega down the street; now I just need Sauvignon Blanc. Woohoo!
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