Hello all!

We have returned from the Quilitoa Loop and are now in a town called Banos which seems to be a bit of a tourist hub with lots of tour organsiers but is lovely!

The Quiltoa loop was really fun with amazing views! We started in a town called Latacunga where we stayed in a very cheap hostal only $3 per night.. was basic and lumpy bed but we were on a budget after splashing out at the Secret Garden Cotopaxi! We got dinner at a market stall .. i´m (Tilly) am starting to op for the more veggie option as i can´t handle the carcus meat :) but even the sauce has like cow intestine in it.. yummy, anyway we have been travelling with a really nice couple called Mark and Chrissie who we have been with scince Cotopaxi and are still with today. It´s been really good as they have been travelling for 2 years so we are learning the ´thing to do´.

From Latacunga we left our big rucksacks at the hostal and just took one change of clothes for our 4 day trip. We got the Bus from Latacunga to Pujili which was a nice small colourful market town, we stopped of for a quick breakie of fruit and very sweet rolls before we got on another bus to a town called Zumbahua where we got a early lunch with the school kids before we started our 14km walk to Laguna Quilitoa. The funny thing about Ecuador is they sell you buses (like everything else) A big change from home where you have to flag down a bus and they sometimes drive pass.. here they litrally have a man running up to you trying to get you on their bus!
Anyway our walk took about 3 hours through little Andean villlages it followed the road so wasnt too strenuous... a bit off uphill for the second half but we survived. A intresting thing about ecuador is that most the building have RC steel bars sticking out the top.. we found out that apparently this is because if your building is not finished you only have to pay 1/3 of the tax so therefore they just leave there building looking half finished (with no intention to build ontop)which looks very strange (maybe more of intrest to people at EWP)
AnywayLaguna Quilitoa is a Unactive Volcano crator which has a lake in it.. it is really beautiful and a bright emerald colour! We stayed ina nother hostal there... VERY COLD, and set out on another trek the next day. We picked up Beni, a American guy to trek with us.
It was a amazing walk of over a hour around the ridge of the crator (explains the endless photos of the lake) and then a further 5 hours to our destination Chugchilan. The walk was very different to the previous days .. completly off the beaten track throuh rock gulleys all the way to the bottom of a gauge and then bakc up the other side.. at times we were following steep downhill paths on cliff edges.. scary.. was a amzing walk though! Although very out of breath i felt surprisingly alive the next day. We stayed in a lovely wooden Hostal called Cloud Forest Hostal which had amazing food and was quite good value. Simon and Mark played football with the village kids.
The next morning (ive lost track of the days) we got the 9am milk truck to the next viallge Sigchos which was a experience in itself!! Up close with the locals .. they kept piling in more people .. we got up to 21 people in the back of a small open top truck including a disabled man with in a wheel chair.. wish i could have got more photos but we were getting funny looks (especially as all of us where at least a head taller than everyone and rather pale) Was a bumpy uncomfortable hour on rough road but well worth it! We changed buses at Sigchos to get back to Latacunga.. playing Yahzee to pass time (a great game Mark and Chrissie taught us) So it was back to Latacunga, got our bags from the Hostal then on to Banos (with a change in Ambato) Finally after alot of travelling got to Banos .. found a lovely little hostal where we plan to spend a couple of days!

Had a lazy day (as i wasn´t feeling too well last night) and having a BBQ tonight bought a MASSIVE slab of beef for $6 !! tomorrow we might do some downhill mountain biking or maybe stretch the budget to white water rafting! v exciting! Banos is known for its Hot Baths as it is underneath a active volcano (last big erruption in 2006 :s!) Which we might treat ourselves too.. also known for taffy .. oppisite the internet cafe there are people stretching it ! really cool!

Anyway must bust a move.. i could go on forever!

PS appologies for the bad english .. spelling and grammer but im a lazy typer and i would prefer to write more than less propaly (sorry mum) :):):)

And just a random thing to add.. it is election in Ecuador tomorrow or monday which means all the bars are closed from yesterday and no alcohol can be served so the ecuadorians can have a clear head to vote!!! haa

Hope all is well at home
xxxx