After our last breakfast in Banos we take a cab to the bus depot to catch the bus to Riobamba. We will only stay there one night on our way to Alausi.
Running for 200 miles south of Quito between two parallel cordilleras, Ecuador’s “Avenue of the Volcanoes” contains seven peaks more than 17,000 feet high. The tallest, 20,565-foot Chimborazo, was long thought to be the highest mountain in the world.
Riobamba is quite a large city. It located at 2,754 m on the Avenue of the Volcanoes. Unfortunately there is cloud cover and we are not able to see Chimborazo.
We take a cab for $2 from the bus station to our hotel. It is quite an old building but has only been a hotel for 3 years. It is quite cool, but the interior staircase is quite echoy and the traffic starts early in the morning right outside our window. OK for one night 🙂
It is Sunday and many many shops and attractions are closed. We walk towards the train station as we understood that it was open until 3pm today and we would like to buy tickets for the “Devil’s Nose” for Tuesday out of Alausi.
The biggest complication faced by the construction of the Trans-Andean railroad was the Devil’s Nose, a mountain with almost perpendicular walls. To overcome this obstacle a zigzag railroad was built that climbs more than 500 meters in less than 12,5 km with steep ascents and descents. It today remains an impressive piece of engineering.
The train station also appears to be closed. We wander around looking at some displays and the artisan market that is also located there. Greg notices a door to an office, the lights are out but he sees a woman sitting at a desk. He tries the door, it is unlocked. He goes in and tries his best Spanglish to ask about buying tickets for the Devil’s Nose. She looks at him and answers in perfect English. 🙂 🙂 We all have a good laugh and we buy our tickets. Regular fare is $33, but for those of us who are seniors only pay $22!! Bonus!! Here are some shots of the engine and a model of the Devil’s Nose or “La Nariz del Diablo”
We have a little tourist map from out hotel and Greg plays tourguide as we follow the map to the points of interest. Here are some shots of some of them.
