Ecuador continues to enthral us both . It really has everything. As usual it takes 2 minutes max to get a bus from Vilcabamba first to Loja then a 20 minute wait to Cuenca by mid afternoon. It is a delightful city with mountains all around but lovely Spanish squares and architecture. We stay 3 nights here and enjoy the city . It is famous for Panama hats . We took a walking tour round the city which was rather lack lustre in content . We met a lovely Canadian couple during the tour and I persuaded Ceri to enjoy a beer as it was happy hour at lunch time . I bought a lovely hat to replace the one Anthony had bought me many years ago . We found a nice restaurant one evening and happened on a man with a heavy nose bleed . Conversations ensued and help from me . Discovered their best friends lived in Culm Davey !! Art gallery number 43 visited which resulted in an invitation to an opening of an exhibition and a free glass of bubbly … 44 then ! We met a mercurial potter their which we had visited earlier in the day . Ceri fell in love with a lovely pot . At least she said it was lovely so I have to believe her . I couldn’t see where to store the pens and pencils. Isn’t that what pottery is about . I do feel a philistine at times but I know which beer I prefer . However Ceri came to my rescue later . We have planned to go to the Galapagos for some time and secured some late late booking at a good price . So far so good . The company need payment up front …..Suffice to say that it took 4 hours to successfully pay the company in Quito from bank account . Lovely Barclays suspected fraud so stopped any payment and all cards .. so phone calls to UK and fraud squad . ‘ Please hold we value your call ‘ Eventually i hand the phone to Ceri as I am losing the will to live ….. anyway we’re in 8 days on a small boat … more later . Sorry to leave Cuenca. Bus to Banos then …. wait … 3 mins ! Via Riobamba . One of the glorys of travelling by bus is that you see life as it is . Every bus tourney is a series of buying opportunities. On average each say 6 hour journey will have at least 15 local people getting on and off the bus selling .,,. crisps / sweets / ice lollies/ apples oranges melons / pens/ toothbrushes/ jewellery . Most stay on for 5-10 kms then get off and go back the other way on the road . Father and son do a double act sort of play from one end of the bus to the other all in Spanish . We understand little but they deserve their money . I should say that on one of these lovely journeys I must have had my laptop stolen from rack above us . The bus was very full with people standing . Sleep overcomes from time to time , you may say why did I bring a laptop round South America? In my fledgling career as examiner in Extreme Medicine,I need to mark various submissions for the new MSc starting in Exeter. Impossible to do on an IPhone. Anyway ”tis gone .

Banos is great full on adrenaline place . We stay 2 nights . We get a lift up on the back of a truck to a high mountain ledge with bicycles and proceed down hill for 2,000 metres or so whizzing down gorges and watch people zip wire across the valley . In the evening we find lovely warm thermal springs … our third ones on our trip and then a beautiful meal in Posada Del Arte ….. yes more art ! 

Too soon we are off to Quito by bus once more . Ceri finds the usual eclectic place in the old quarter overlooking the Basilica. We don’t have long in Quito as our flight leaves for Galapagos at silly o clock . I’m too excited I can’t sleep . First pic is where we stayed in Cuenca second floor on the corner .