Back in October our friends Burt and Evelyn started planning a small trip within Ecuador for Carnavale and we were lucky they agreed to have us join them. On the Wednesday before Carnavale the four of us depart Cuenca at 7AM for our six night trip. Our first night we are booked at a lodge in the town of Chugchilán. Google Maps says the trip is 6 1/2 hours, following E35 north up to the town of Latatunga then turning west to pick up the Quilotoa Loop. Burt is at the wheel of the 4 wheel drive Jeep Cherokee which has been rented for our adventure, and off we go, thinking we would arrive near our lodge around 3 pm with stops for breakfast, lunch and a couple of gas station bio-breaks.
E35 follows along the Andes Mountains, and the landscape is green and lush as we drive north toward Biblian and Canar, which are towns William and I have previously visited. We stop at a local restaurant along E35 for breakfast, then are back in the car. There is a light rain and fog, but after an hour or it clears and we see the top of Chimborazo, Ecuador's highest mountain peak at 6,268 meters (20,564 feet).
E35 follows along the Andes Mountains, and the landscape is green and lush as we drive north toward Biblian and Canar, which are towns William and I have previously visited. We stop at a local restaurant along E35 for breakfast, then are back in the car. There is a light rain and fog, but after an hour or it clears and we see the top of Chimborazo, Ecuador's highest mountain peak at 6,268 meters (20,564 feet).
As we approach Riobamba it is lunch time. We consult TripAdvisor and find there's a restaurant called LuLu's with good reviews and get directions via Google Maps. We circle around the area and then decide to park and walk believing it must be close. There is a pack of dogs roaming the street, which we understand is a common comment of travelers in Riobamba. Alas, we are not able to find LuLu's, but we do see a nice looking hotel with a busy restaurant. They are able to find a table for the four of us.
The hotel is Mansion Santa Isabella. It was built in 1910 and appears to be well preserved/maintained or recently restored. The restaurant is nicely decorated and the almerazo is tasty; the pace of the meal like most in Ecuador is relaxed. After lunch we take a few turns to find the right route back to E35 and off we go again. The landscape is a patchwork of small farms which go all the way up the mountains.
We drive past Ambato to Latatunga, where we are to take Highway 40 west (part of the Quilotoa Loop). The Garmin has stopped tracking and providing directions and Google Maps also doesn't work. It is already well past the time we thought we would arrive near our lodge. We stop and ask directions six times as we circle around the roads of Latatunga. Finally we find the right road out of town! As we pass the first town on the Loop I am quietly guessing we have another hour to the lodge. Evelyn calls to reconfirm with the lodge that we are on our way, and also to get an idea of the drive time....2 more hours!
The drive along the Quilotoa Loop is gorgeous and the road condition is generally good, however it has many twists and turns. The sun is going down as we come to a construction detour. Luckily there are a few locals chatting who tell us where to go for the detour and also that we are getting close to our lodge. Burt puts the Jeep in 4 wheel drive and we go down a steep dirt detour road and then up the other side to rejoin the main road. It becomes very rough near the town of Chugchilán. We press on. In the dark we spot the sign for Black Sheep Inn. Good thing we have 4 wheel drive as Burt heads up the steep dirt road to the Inn. It's 6:45 PM and we have arrived; almost 12 hours after we left Cuenca.
We drive past Ambato to Latatunga, where we are to take Highway 40 west (part of the Quilotoa Loop). The Garmin has stopped tracking and providing directions and Google Maps also doesn't work. It is already well past the time we thought we would arrive near our lodge. We stop and ask directions six times as we circle around the roads of Latatunga. Finally we find the right road out of town! As we pass the first town on the Loop I am quietly guessing we have another hour to the lodge. Evelyn calls to reconfirm with the lodge that we are on our way, and also to get an idea of the drive time....2 more hours!
The drive along the Quilotoa Loop is gorgeous and the road condition is generally good, however it has many twists and turns. The sun is going down as we come to a construction detour. Luckily there are a few locals chatting who tell us where to go for the detour and also that we are getting close to our lodge. Burt puts the Jeep in 4 wheel drive and we go down a steep dirt detour road and then up the other side to rejoin the main road. It becomes very rough near the town of Chugchilán. We press on. In the dark we spot the sign for Black Sheep Inn. Good thing we have 4 wheel drive as Burt heads up the steep dirt road to the Inn. It's 6:45 PM and we have arrived; almost 12 hours after we left Cuenca.
William is the worst for wear as he came down with a flu/stomach issue yesterday and has been sick the whole day. Burt has had a long day of driving. Although we enjoyed the scenery and companionship on the drive we are all happy to have arrived.
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