Hello from Alausí, Ecuador

Yesterday was another fun day in Quito. We rode the Teleférico to the top of the mountains again (spectacular and breathtaking views of Quito and the surrounding mountains and volcanoes), and then went to Mitad del Mundo - a monument on the equator. Today was a 7 hour bus ride, crammed full of people, from Quito to Alausí, far south of Quito but still in the Andes mountains. We were just dropped off on the roadside of the PanAmerican Highway high above the actual town and had to walk down, luggage and all, into the central area too look for a hotel. Alausí is a very small town set deep within a small valley surrounded immediately by towering barren mountains. It really resembles a wild west sort of town. Tomorrow morning we will catch a train here that will take us through the ¨Nariz del Diablo¨ - the Devil´s Nose - which is supposedly one of the most spectacular train rides in the world. Afterwards, the train should return to Alausí. Then, Friday evening, we will have to either return to Quito, or find a bus to Guayaquil, because those are the only two cities that have international bus terminals (apparently) with service to Peru. The bus ride from Guayaquil to Lima is around 24 hours, and therefore would be much longer from Quito to Lima. Another option would be to return to Quito and then fly from there to Lima. We´re still looking in to all the options.