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Humans are such dirty things
We left Quito in a hurry due to the granja´s mistake in the bill and hailed a taxi from outside the hotel. The taxi driver was a lovely man, who spoke nice slow Spanish but unfortunately thought we were German. A dreadful mistake to make and one which will be remedied by the purchase of Union Jack Flag patches. It was amazing to see how many people (locals) in Quito had jumpers, hats, jackets, T-shirts etc. with the Union Jack flag or England written on it. Made one feel rather proud. Anyway, back to the taxi driver, he ended up chasing a bus down the road and stopped it in traffic so that we could get on our way to Riobamba. A truly helpful gent but obviously we didn’t leave him a tip and paid just 2 dollars.
The bus journey was uneventful and upon arrival at Riobamba we took a taxi to the cheapest hotel listed in LP. This hotel was incredibly crispy, and was another dilapidated mansion house. The room was large with four beds and perfectly adequate for only 6 dollars a night. Unfortunately the bathrooms were not in the same state. We asked if they had hot water before accepting the room, and the answer was “yes” but on closer inspection no hot water ever escaped from the filthy pipes. The bathrooms looked like they had never been cleaned and the only bathroom with a toilet seat was covered in all manner of human waste. We vowed to remain dirty and not to take a shower until we reach our next stop.
We left the hotel to buy tickets for the train. The office was closed but a crazy man with a head like a nodding dog informed us it would be open soon. When we returned the tickets were purchased and we were harassed by people with cushions. We almost ended up reserving some by saying “no”, in the end we just had to walk away. Proof that actions speak louder than words.
We wandered about the town looking for cheap food and a nice café but there weren’t any to be found. We rested in the park and watched a small band march past us with very battered instruments and a girl waving from a carriage. No idea what all these things are about but we enjoy the laugh. A sign in the park said it had reached 26 degrees centigrade. Worryingly this felt quite cold to us and we remained dressed in jumpers. Eventually we decided to eat pizza at a restaurant down the road. The service was terribly slow and the atmospheric music was replaced by a loud war film blasting from a large TV next to our table. The food was nice but before we had chance to leave a storm moved in and heavy rain thundered onto the street. Lisa employed delaying tactics by ordering more Sauvignon Blanc but the staff were also adding delaying tactics by remaining out the back and not observing the needs of the customers. The thunder past and the rain became lighter so we rushed back to our hotel. Charlie did Lisa´s nails again in a lovely blue shade. We went to sleep nice and early in our greasy feeling sheets.
The next morning we got the train
Final Thoughts: A disgusting town with nothing noteworthy. Hotel though cheap was even below our reduced standards. We were glad to leave here so early in the morning.
Mark out of 10: 2
Next Time….. Cuenca
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