Considering we are almost ready to leave Ecuador i figure i should probably tell you what has been going on. I will keep it short and sweet as the sun is out and a game of beach volley ball is calling!

We spent the first few days in Quito and it was so much nicer than San Jose, we heard a lot of bad stories about muggings etc but we actually felt much safer than in San Jose, although it did get a bit dodgy in the evenings. Went to the statue that i have as my picture and also went up this huge cable car which took you part way up a volanoe. You could walk the rest of the way but we hadn´t got used to the altitude and to how cold it was the higher up you got! We decided to go to theme park at the bottom of the cable car and i have never felt so sick and scared in my life. We went on one ride that i thought was just going to spin you round but it bounced up and down and there was no straps on it to hold you in. Me and SJ started on opposite sides and some how ended up next to each other screaming for the guy to stop and he thought it was funny so just carried on! I was covered in brusies the next day and I think i lost a fair few brain cells!!

We also went to the ecuator and the fake ecuator - they built this huge statue only to realise they were 750m away from the ecuator line! It was really interesting to see how the water goes down different ways and how you loose a lot of your strength when you stand on the actual ecuator - was quite upset that it wasn´t warm as always thought the ecuator was warm!!

After Quito we headed to Otavalo which was famous for its saturday market, we got there on Friday and thank god we did most of our shopping then as the market on saturday was crazy. All the men and women are in traditional dress and seem to carry everything including their kids and shopping in a pouch on their back. On Saturday we decided to go to the animal market loads of piglets squealing and cows all over the place with people haggling for prices. I thought it would make me feel sick but that was yet to come! We walked back in to town to the food market and came across and inside bit that had food so we thought we would get some breakfast. We walk in and there are dead pigs, buckets of chicken feet and heads, and all their insides everywhere - i have never felt so sick in my life! It took me a good week to be able to manage meat!! The market was huge and covered nearly the whole town and was selling everything you could imagine!

Spent a few days in Otavalo and did a 6hour walk around a lake, which was beautiful but we thought it would take 3 hours!! After this we headed towards Volacan Cotopaxi one of the highest peaks in Ecauador 5789m high! You could climb all the way up over two days but we decided to just do the one day tour. They take you up to 4500 and you have to walk up to 4800, only 300m but it took us 45mins due to the alititude, you are just totally unable to catch your breath! Once up there it was well worth it as at 4800m the cone is covered in snow and glaciers and we got to go and sit right by one of the galciers and you could hear it cracking, and we got snowed on which was weird as the day before we had got sun burnt!!

After cotopaxi we headed to Banos which was the best 4 days ever! We went on a 5 hour bike ride and got soaked as it rained all the way and just after we had dried off we found a waterfall that you could stand right behind so we got soaked again! The next day we went white water rafting which was calmer than expected but fun all the same as the guy accompanying us on the canoe kept pulling us all in the rapids! On the last day we went to watch people doing a brdige jump kind of like a bungee but instead of bouncing you swing under the bridge. Had no intention of doing it but when i go there it looked quite good fun and a few of the irish guys we met were doing it so i thought i would give it a go! Was suprised that i was able to throw myself off a balcony (sorry mum!) but it was good fun - video to follow soon. The activities were accompained with 4 days of heacy drinking thanks again to the crazy irish lads!

After Banos we began to head down to cuenca via riobamba to do the devils nose train which was sadly over rated but it was good fun riding on the top of a train, even if it did look like a mini bus on train tracks!! Next was Cuenca which is like the third largst city but we were only there on the sunday and everything was shut so we didn´t really get to see much of it. We visited a few villages near by and it was nice to get out of the big city, but after Banos where there was so much to do we were missing the excitment.

Instead of heading to Peru early we decided we needed some sun, so spent the day on the bus and headed over to the coast. Spent the last few days just chilling out on the beach. The town is one road and a beach, its really laid back but nice and warm and a good place to end ecuador. We have just been and attempted surfing again but have come to the conclusion that it might be worth getting a lesson so that we have an idea what is going on. Met up with loads of people that we have met during our three weeks in ecuador making it even more fun. Off to a full moon party on saturday and then spending 27hours on a bus to Lima!! Should be fun!

Sorry this entry has been a bit less detailed than costa rica but not done as much, Ecuador has been a bit more chilled which has been nice. We start our tour on Tuesday but are quite heavily regretting booking on to a tour as enjoying moving around on our own, but hopefully it will be ok once we start!

Hope you are all well xxx