7/15-16...Buses, Beaches, and Bathrooms

These are some notes I took from the road this weekend. The intention was to ride the Nariz and head to Guayaquil, but you will quickly see that this didnt happen...

1. After boarding the midnight express bus from Quito to Riobamba (Karate Kid dubbed in spanish for the ride? check.) we checked in around 1230, and set alarms for 530 to get up and get tickets for the Nariz. Pouring rain and cold, but a good plan none the less. Upon arrivalto the station the next day at 6am, we found out the the Nariz stopped running back in March, and that even the alternate route was sold out. ZING. So after a quick photo session with the kindhearted staff, we set off for Guayaquil.

2. Have i mentioned my love for buses yet? Nothing like a pit stop for a bathroom/hole in the ground, and so that the bus driver could test the tires with his trusty baseball bat.

3. The ride from Riobamba to Guyaquil was beautiful, and seeing the landscape go from mountains to the coast was incredible. The sun rising over the mountains, the indigenous people greeting it in vibrant colors, the color of the soil...

4. Good travel company can be hard to find. I lucked out this month, and got to know some great people and see beautiful places. I am very thankful for this.