January 14, 2001

Leaving Banos we couldn't resist saying goodby to Tungurahua volcano and the Virgin. Today we will travel via the "The Avenue of the Volcanoes," a high altitude fertile valley of the Andes with volcanoes towering on either side.

Following the Rio Pastaza and various tributaries, we will be exploring new landscape as the highway on the way to the next town Pelileo rises 850 meters (2,780ft) in only 24km (15 miles).The region produces sugar cane for distilled alcohol and many kinds of fruits and vegetables

You wouldn't want to invest in property in Pelileo. It has been leveled four times in the past 300 years - the last time in 1949. It is Ecuador's major production centre for blue jeans.

A few miles on we came to Salasaca, the home of a small, beleaguered indigenous group, which is struggling to hold on to its land and maintain its customs in the face of enormous pressure from whites in the surrounding communities.

The Salasaca are said to have been part of the Incas' divide and rule policy, under which groups of people were moved from one part of the empire to another. Although there is no documentary evidence it is believed that they originated in Bolivia and were sent to Ecuador by the Incas as punishment for a revolt.

Our next stop was Ambato, The Floral City, with its streets lined with flowers. It is known for having the largest city market in Ecuador so was a must see on our agenda. Of course, there were those things many of us did not want to see but are part of the cultural experience.

After that it was time to visit the cafeteria for samples of Ecuadorean drinks and traditional foods. On leaving the main market area I stumbled across a kiosk containing something I had never noticed before.

After the market we visited Ambato's Parque Montalvo , named after the writer Juan Montalvo (1833-99) We then loaded into the bus and headed for a traditional Ecuadorean meal.

Each town seems to have its specialty and for those who were still not full a community specializing in traditional ice cream was a real treat.

Our next stop was what one might consider "basket heaven." Fortunately in most cases they are not practical for taking home.

The closer we got to Quito the more traffic. The road we had been on since Ambato is part of the Panamerican Highway. Although this central valley is only a small fraction of Ecuador's land surface it contains almost half the population. Without designated lanes we were now on a multi-laned highway. Driving techniques seem a little different from what we are use to but everybody seems to get where they are going. We were soon back at the Hotel Reina Isabel in Quito. Sadly, it was time to say goodby to some of our group.

Index — Ecuador & the Galapagos