After I was dropped off on the outskirts of clean and nice El Chaco I headed directly for the main road to Quito to eat a little and waited over an hour (a long time in Ecuador) for a bus home. Apart from my physical exhaustion I felt quite mentally detached also for the duration of the several separate legs of my journey back to the Posada del Maple , which was lucky because I really stunk. I pity the Colombian lady who was next to me.
It was a long ascent in the bus to what seemed at least 4000m followed by a lengthy descent into the Quitumbe terminal including what would be the sweetest downhill run on a roadbike. Long easy corners, consistent decent decline and not too dangerous either. I had to catch two Trole busses home and even then had to walk a few km`s in Quito alone at night - something I`d heard was very dangerous so before disembarking I practised in one smooth motion drawing my machete out from my backpack and slicing phantom opponents. Luckily for the criminals they bothered me not and I arrived a muddy hot mess at the steps of the House of Maple Syrup late in the evening.
My hips felt like a 10-year old Alsacion`s, right knee was quite sore, my body had numerous cuts and scratches and I developed weird pussie (not pussy) bites on my left side which I was later explained as probably being the psycho ants from the jungle. I met Tanya from Canada along with her compatriot Maddy. Maddy and Jack, Luke and Jasen from Old Blighty had all met on a Mutual Dislike of Cali (Colombia) Forum and travelled south together. We went out (sort of) in overpriced Plaza Foch and generally tried to avoid decorum and sincerity. I had wanted to go to see ex-Brit and now porteño (someone from Buenos Aires) Rowan Blades who was one half of late 90`s prog house act Breeder, but didn`t. Nice one... oh well, I saved $15 I reckon (big bucks over here).
The next few days I spent trying to avoid a cold gained undoubtedly from spending 15hrs straight in soaked socks and boots and also hanging out with Jess from the States and her ecology classmates Nicole and Kelsy who had been studying and working in the cloud forest. This lot turned out to be even bigger chocolate fiends than me. If you believe that. :} I also loved Cyclovia again, washed, dried and repaired things and may have been seen escorting two different groups of Maple-lites to the Kallari Cooperative Cafe to get closer to God. Kelsy and I went to see `Shutter Island`. Whoo!! Great film.
AND I finally got an offer of companionship..... oh, resulting from my search for fellow trekkers. So Luke from Melbourne and I decided that due to his then current Spanish lessons to postpone our trek until the following week and I decided to visit the balmy coast and contacted my friends that I met in Santa Marta, Chris and Jess. They were keen and mustard and I therefore packed and shipped out, getting an immediate and empty semi-cama bus from Quitumbe - smooth sailing boys!
The 7hr journey was relatively un-windy (straight, some people say) and also quite forested and green compared with the central Ecuadorian Sierra - defintely not as steep. Despite having been in Quito on and off for several weeks my sleep was still being affected by the altitude and a return to a consistently warm and breathable air was a welcome relief.
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