Keeping an eye on the volcano...!

Tina and Alex in Cuenca - is she a little too close to him or did I take the picture on a slant?!

Much debate yesterday over whether we would be travelling to Banos as the Foreign Office website advised against travel due to the proximity to the active volcano that stopped flights in the region recently.

A few calls by Alex to his contacts and a call to our insurance company gave us the all clear (apart from injury by lava!)and so it was another day, another bus journey..Although they may sound tedious, we definitely enjoy the rides - taking the rough with the smooth... - and it was good to get on the road as another tour company at the hotel had decided not to go and we were all keen to see the volcano in action (from a distance) if we could.

Today began with the bus from Cuenca to Ambeto - 7 hours north through the Southern and Central Highlands of Ecuador. As before, the overriding word is 'green'. No banana plantations this time but fields of all kinds of fruit and veg.

The promise of a toilet on the bus failed to materialise although luckily, a 5 minute unscheduled stop outside a Chinese Cafe (to say restaurant would be giving too much credit!) was very welcome - even if we disappointed the owner by only using the toilet and passing on the offer of fried rice to take on the bus!

The bus, far from being the asthmatic type from a couple of days ago began more like a young racehorse - jumpy, a little too quick for it's own good and always feeling on the verge of being out of control. The first couple of hours or more was a real rollercoaster ride up and down the beautiful green hills - Tina was OK though - a combination of a travel pill and the i-pod kept her quiet for most of the journey!

The photo above is of a 'school bus' packed full of kids - hopefully on the way home from school but maybe on the way back from the fields...

The bus also handily stopped to allow a picture of the pig - not that he noticed.

After changing bus at Ambato, it was then on to a packed local bus to Banos - only an hour but the prospect of standing the whole way was not one we looked forward to. That was until the driver and his assistant took pity on us (Tina in particular) and we were invited to sit in the front - Tina next to the driver and Alex and Ian somehow finding room behind the driver.

The view above was our first of the volcano - shrouded in cloud but you can see the lava flow from previous activity.

Hoping for a clearer day tomorrow but if not, will still be enjoying the hot springs and waterfalls in the town. May even get Tina on a bike!