The Devil's Nose Train

Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017--Riobamba to Cuenca Via Alausi

It was another long travel day.  Up at 5:45, I took a bus at 7:00 for Alausi where tourists take the Devil's Nose Train.  I had about 1 1/2 hours before departure on the train, so I left my suitcase in storage at the station and ate breakfast.  Then I checked at both the tourist office and the station about where to catch the first two buses leaving for Cuenca after the train trip.  At both, I was told that I would have to hike to the upper highway, wait at an intersection and wave down the first bus operated by Sucre.  For the second bus operated by Patria, I was told I could go to the station on the much lower middle road. 

The Devil's Nose Train is considered to be an engineering marvel.  It has to descend the walls of a steep canyon so rapidly that there are two locations where it was impossible to have curves.  The solution was to create a Z with the tracks.  When the train comes to the upper point on the Z, it stops and begins to back down the middle portion of the Z.  At the bottom point, the train starts going forward again.

The trip otherwise was similar, but much shorter than the one I took from Ibarra.  We went along a beautiful canyon with great views.  There were dancers to perform for us at the end station.  I am glad I made the trip, but I think the one from Ibarra to Salinas is a better one overall.

I found a great restaurant for lunch after the train trip.  They served the best lunch I have had in either country of my present travels.  The soup was fresh with a big piece of lean pork in it along with potatoes, beans, slices of cauliflower, etc.  The main plate had a tender, thin slice of steak, yellow rice with a sprinkling of lentils cooked in it, and a salad with tomatoes, pickled onions, and pickled beans.  It came with a glass of passion fruit juice and a bowl of a creamy salsa.

I decided to take the later bus to Cuenca because it was easier to reach the stop and because I could wait at the station.  But 10 minutes after I bought my ticket, the earlier bus stopped across the street!!  Everyone had been wrong about its route.  I could have left about 50 minutes earlier if I had known.

The owner of my apartment here in Cuenca picked me up at the bus station when I arrived at 19:00.  He picks up all his renters from the station or the airport.  I'm glad, because it was dark and had started to rain just as we arrived.

The apartment is in the center of the old town which is a World Heritage Site.  The main plaza is just two blocks away.  And the apartment is very nice--modern with big rooms and stylishly furnished.  It also has a rooftop deck with twinkle lights and a view over the old town.  I probably won't want to leave when the time comes!  Tonight, however, I am tired and ready to sleep.