Leaving Cuenca and the highlands behind we bus down the Yunguilla Valley which passes through a series of bio-zones from over 8,000 feet down to the coastal plain covered with banana plantations since United Fruit Co. (Chiquita) ran the show many moons ago.
The first section down from Cuenca reminds me of Switzerland with dairy cows grazing on green rolling hills. Then the terrain steepens and vegetable and fruit farmers cling to the hillsides. Soon we see sugar cane, avocado, and mango.
We found a hostel in Santa Isabel midway down the valley and ate a nice dinner of goat and chicken near the highway. The owner of the restaurant began varnishing tables near us as we ate. Mixed with diesal fumes, clouds of road dust and dogs running around, this made for a different dining setting, to say the least. Que sera. The hardships of the road get pretty spicy at times.
Immediately upon leaving in the morning the road dropped steeply down through an arid region of acacia and cactus. We follow a muddy brown river down into the cloud forest. Everything is green. Bananas grow like blackberry vines. The jungle is rampant and dense. The clear streams we cross flow out of side valleys populated by indigenous people and accessed only by foot path.
We bus through the coastal plain and advance to Guayaquil eating mandarins, fresh cheese, whole wheat buns, and studying our Spanish - with some movie blaring over the speakers.
The Guayaquil Bus terminal is unbelievable. We'd been warned many times that this is a dangerous place with thieves all over. But what we found is a place more modern than the best US air terminal, with hundreds of buses arriving and leaving every hour for all parts of the country. Inside the food court we find delectable espresso, chocolate brownie, and spinach quiche. Surely we have earned this!
We are now enjoying another internet-free night in the Hotel Cisne in the decidedly Ecuadorian town of Santa Elena. After a list of bus transfers, we are almost on the coast.
We've had our roast chicken dinner at a sidewalk table, watched a city park youth dance competition, and spoke with another enthusiastic young man about his favorite places in Colombia. This town has much more life than any place we've been.
