Sunday, 10 February 2019
Riobamba, Ecuador
Always wanted to travel on The Devil’s Nose railway ever since one of my first (and one of my finest…I know she’s reading this) bosses went in the early 1990s. Back then, I recall that she was able to sit on the roof of the train. Sadly, this is no longer allowed and have to sit in comfy chairs inside.
The track was built in 1901 to enable the railway line to rise up from the river valley below Alausi to the town, a rise of 512m over 12km, to enable the railway to continue on its way to Quito.
Trundle down the mountainside until the train is above Sibambe station at which point the track goes into a series of switchbacks. Travel forward down one leg, points switched and then travel backwards down the next leg, points switched at the end of that leg and then travel forward down the next leg. Marvellous feat of engineering and the name The Devil’s Nose came about because of all the deaths of the workers during the construction of the railway.
Once on the valley floor, the train would in theory continue on to Huigra, where we were yesterday, were it not for the recent landslides.
Yet more music and dancing at the station. When will this torment ever end. There’s also a few adobe houses to show how life was back in the good old days. Some young lads are pressing black agave in a mangle to extract the juice, which, served with fresh lime juice, is quite a nice and sweet drink. The black agave is then dried and the fibres are used to make clothes. Another hut has a wood fired oven which is used for baking empanadas, which are quite tasty, and, at 50cents, very cheap.
Return to Alausi back the way we came and surprised to see a small bull ring complete with raked seating. Thought that only happened in Spain.
Although it’s Sunday, Alausi town is alive with the street market. All along one wall are women selling herbs in their brightly coloured skirts and cardigans. Further along, the smell of BBQ chicken wafts over but upon closer inspection realise it’s chicken feet that are on the BBQ. Yuk.
Plenty of bananas and other fresh produce for sale. Very friendly atmosphere. Quite a few mobile stalls are selling quail eggs which are being peeled by stall holder. Fellow Brit on the trip remarks that she likes quail eggs but they’re so fiddly to peel.
“You can get them pre-peeled in Waitrose.”, says moi (nice for canapes to go with your champagne of an evening).
“That’s so middle class!”, says she.
Yep. And proud of it.
See a number of small lorries with tarpaulins over the top and assume it’s for freight. Startled when one of said lorry rear doors is opened to see a load of humans standing and sitting down with their shopping. It’s communal transport. Must be horrid to travel like that. No windows. Just a dark enclosed space.
Leave Alausi to drive over the mountain pass to pick up the train at Palmira and an excellent lunch on board provided by people in the next town. Now travelling at about 12,000feet so feeling the effects of altitude again.
Stop briefly at Colta to see the first Catholic church built in Ecuador. That’s not the most interesting highlight though. See plenty of roadside BBQs selling…
Guinea pigs.
Lots of guinea pigs slowly roasting over the BBQs.
Yep.
Never seen so many guinea pigs.
They seem longer than the pet ones you get in the UK and have a large diameter steel rod poking up their backside which is then rotated over the BBQ. The heads and teeth are on full display. Part of me wants to try roast guinea pig. Guide tells me that here they cost about US$12 but in Quito, they will be double that. It’s customary to give your guest of honour at a party guinea pig, he says.
One of the artesan market stalls has a lathe that is turning a tree nut. Once finished it looks exactly like ivory. It’s from the so called ‘ivory nut’ of one of the local palm trees.
Arrive at Riobamba. Very old friend (as in longevity of friendship…phew…think I got away with that…) refers to it as Riodumpa. She’s not wrong. It is a bit of a dump.
The so called panoramic city tour only takes in one point of interest. A monument to the French Geodesic Expedition in the 18th century. They were using the local mountain, Chimborazo, to prove the shape of the earth.
Check in to Hosteria La Andaluza (https://www.hosteriaandaluza.com/en-gb). A turn of the century farm house/colonial mansion.
However.
My bed is littered with red rose petals.
What a bloody faff clearing that lot away.
Definitely not my cup of tea.
One response to “50. That’s so middle class!”
What a food feast – roasted guinea pigs. Certainly an acquired taste! I have never seen them as a food source before. Chicken feet are gross as well. I think I would become a vegetarian in no time……..
PS I loved the dancing and singing in Peru, Ecuador etc.