Once in Latacunga, we figured out that the animal market in Saquisili was the next day so we decided to go there and continue on the Quilotoa loop. We caught a bus to the main market in town, but wanted to check where the animals were being marketed. We asked and asked and no one seemed to know what we were talking about. Finally we figured out it was called the "feria de los animales" aka Animal Fair and jumped in the back of a truck to get a ride. There were three yards: one for pigs, one for sheep/goats/llamas and one for cattle.
Beauty transport trucks
There were many people decked out in their traditional wears as it is a gathering of many of the aboriginals to sell their animals. We walked around talking with the people about farming and how much their animals were worth. They were very interested in how we did things at home. Definitely one of those experiences you get a lot more out of if you can speak some Spanish. Cow/calf pairs went for anywhere between $600-$1000 USD depending on size and quality. A 600 lb steer $300. Mature ewe: $90-$120. Larger pig: $240 and $80 for one a couple months old.
After roaming around there for a bit, we jumped in the back of a truck again to the main market in town. We found an animal section there too. It was full of guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens, and even some cats and dogs.
We then jumped on another bus to head to Sigchos to start the Quilotoa loop which is a hiking route/bus route that is done over there a few days ending at a crater lake. From Sigchos, we started hiking through the countryside towards Insilivi. It was the through rolling green hills with dairy cows.
We found ourselves a very nice hostel called the Llulu Llama which had a hot tub and served you both dinner and breakfast with the price. We had heard some of the hostels along the way were great and it did not disappoint.
The hostel
Not easy taking selfies into the sun...
The next day, we started hiking towards Chugchilan with our new friend Vi from Quebec. It was another beautiful walk with some great views. There was one difficult uphill section in the heat, but nothing too crazy.
We made it to Chugchilan before 1 pm, so we decided to continue up to Quilotoa lake on the bus. You can hike this section as well, but it takes another 5 hours and as we are on the equator. It is dark by 6. We were lucky to just jump on a bus that was leaving and be at the lake by 2. The view was great over the lake with the clouds rolling through.
We relaxed for a bit just taking it all in until the clouds totally enveloped the view. We had ourselves and nice little trout lunch and decided to jump on the bus back Latacunga.
The next day we headed out on a tour for Cotopaxi which is a large volcano about a hour and half away. We were the only ones on the tour for the day so had a guide for ourselves. A guide is necessary after some ill equipped tourists tried to climb it on their own and paid with their lives. We weren't even intending to climb to the top, but you can't even enter the park anymore without a guide. Unfortunately, it was raining when we left but they said it can change. We made a couple stops at the entrance and at the info center.
The clouds continued to block the view and eventually the rain turned into snow as we climbed elevation in the jeep. Kind of cool that it was snowing basically on the equator and for many locals it would have been a new experience. Not new for us Canadians, so after about 10 mins walking uphill in the wind and snow towards the cabaña on the hill, we turned and headed back down. We have been so lucky with the weather overall on our trip, so we were due.
Apparently it looks like this.
We stopped on the way back at a local place for lunch. It looked really good and they were serving soup with a whole crab in each bowl. I was excited! Until I put the crab in my mouth...it was rotten. Literally the worst thing I've had in my mouth, ever. Being a vet, there has been some pretty gross fluids in there. Don't know how I didn't spew. Roberta could tell something wasn't right but I calmly spit it in a napkin. Roberta's and the guide's soup/crab was quite good apparently but there was no way I could even try it. I was trying to eat my main course and kept getting whiffs of the rotten crab that was putting me off, even though it was long gone. Finally, I figured out it was coming from my hands and promptly washed them like 4 times.
As it happens, we were in Latacunga at the same time a festival was happening. Weird eh. This one called "Fiesta de la Mama Negra." We spent the next morning watching the parade which once again was quite cool with all the costumes.
Every so often there was a guy carrying a dressed pig along with some booze and other butchered animals like chickens and guinea pigs. They were usually straining with all of the weight and after a few steps and maybe a spin or two, a guy would put a table behind them to put the load down for a couple mins.
The afternoon was a little less exciting.
A proloooonged bus ride to Guayaquil, where we were flying to the Galápagos from. The cost of buses in general in Equador are ridiculously cheep. This one was like $10 for a 7 hour ride. It was a decent bus as well with TVs in the aisle to watch some Spanish movies.
The next day we checked out the waterfront at the river.
It was nicer than I had expected and there were some very affordable seafood restaurants along the way. We were also able to pick up our money from Western Union as our vehicle had sold to a German couple. Just in time to blow it all in Galápagos....
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