Ecuador 2007

Chiva Express - Sunday 25th March

As the Chiva Express was being repaired, we joined the ordinary train for our journey to the Devils Nose. These trains were Mercedes vehicles, rather like a bus converted for a railway. We boarded at the depot to allow us to choose seating and then backed very slowly to the station for about a mile to pick up the remaining passengers. Jim and Christine bravely chose the front of the top while Ann, Anthea, and Grog elected to sit inside. At our first stop there was an active street market to greet the train. .

Being inside suited us as the train was delayed by a rock slide. We were treated to a view of the passengers leaving the train in front to attempt to clear the tracks. They failed and a bulldozer was called to pass us and the other train to clear the tracks.

At the bottom we did all change places. Jim and Christine sat inside and we clambered up on top for a very scary return journey. On the journey up, the train leaned out over the cliff and we could see, all too well, the state of the track we had just travelled.

After the Train Journey our Guide, Diego, took us to the ruins at Ingapirca and then to the Hotel Santa Lucia in Cuenca

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Updated July 9th 2006