5 hour road trip.....after all it's Ecuador

We decided to go on a 4 or 5 day road trip.  We headed toward the coast over the caja mountains that circle Caunca. We had to go through the huge port city of Guayagill  with crazy traffic.  So, after a pleasant day and night on the coast with huge waves, great late supper,  fishing villages,  and lunch on the beach, we headed inland. 

 We stopped in a Jipijapa ( a large town) for snacks and headed out of town,  the wrong way,  around 3:00 p.m. Things went down hill from there.  Our first sign that it was going to be a wild ride was passing wild burros on the road. Jim is driving as hard as he can all over the road trying to missing huge pot holes and speed bumps. We pass a few brahma cows. The later it gets, the worst the road gets.  Jim wants to get off this mountain before dark. We pass  through the jungle with the tallest  bamboo and largest elephant ear leaves I have seen. 

We think that we may find a hotel in the many towns listed on the map.  We soon realize, these  are towns in name only.  A few adobe huts, maybe  one tienda , clothes on the line  and a few men hanging out. Now chickens are crossing the road.  It is getting serious and we are getting a little silly. By the way, it has started raining and getting closer to dusk.  There goes some dogs and hogs.  The gravel  road  full of pot holes has become a muddy road full of pot holes. Mark and I are bouncing around the back seat,  trying not to grunt too loud.  The clouds and/or fog are making it hard to see. We are following a blue jeep. Now,  we  are passing a burro with a man and and boy and a bunch of bananas. There goes  a mama chicken followed by baby chicks crossing the road. We keep passing buses going  the other way, back up the hill, at this time of night. Where are they going? 

 As we ride, I am wondering why we did not stop back in that town with a big mall.   Hind sight is 20-20. Each town looks smaller and dirtier and it is getting late. Amongst all this poverty, we pass signs advertising Direct T.V.  We just passed a huge bon fire and  stacks of bamboo and stacks of bricks and bags of ???something. I think that we are getting near a real town.  There are small children playing on that big pile of rubble.  Just went over two bridges with big holes in them.  That's different.  Now we are passing motorcycles with two or three people on them and no lights at 7:45.  

Finally a real town with hotels.  We ride around for a while and find a surprisingly clean hotel with the first A/C we have seen since landing in Ecuador.  We walk to a nice diner in this wild west looking community and eat  the traditional supper....chicken, rice and beans and go to bed. 

 Thank you Lord.. I think the guardian angels had to work overtime today.