The Long Bus Ride in the Andes

 If I told you I'd be riding a bus for over 8 hours in the USA you might picture whizzing down the interstate seeing the same fast food places at every stop.  You'd also expect that if you were leaving from Seattle and going south you would make it to northern California 8 hours later,  some 400 miles away.   So why does a trip from Cuenca to Baños, a distance of about 206 miles, take 8 hours and 45 minutes?  

Well, first there are the roads.  If you have ever driven down US 1 on the California coast you have an idea of the roads for the majority of our trip.  Because we're going along the ridges of the Andes, the 2 lane road curves around and up and down each hillside, hour after hour.  

Roads wind around everywhere 

Then, sometimes the road is closed and you have to go on the makeshift road that the locals built. 

The "new" road, very steep 

The closed road

Green truck laboring up steep road

And they collect a toll, which means a huge slow down of traffic in both directions.  Our bus driver jumped the line about half way up, nose diving into a space that couldn't fit the bus, thus blocking the oncoming traffic until we could creep forward.   No one seemed upset by this.

Then there are the numerous unscheduled stops. Our bus advertised that it stopped in 3 places between destinations.   Nope.  Anyone standing along side the road could, and did, get on.  People could also be let off where ever.

Coming aboard at an unscheduled stop

Also one can encounter the unexpected on the highway. 

The drivers are fearless when they pass

Good thing he went slow

This can make passing really interesting and sitting in the first row of the bus is not for the faint of heart.  I got to saw several near misses.

Though the trip was long, it was entertaining.  The scenery is outstanding. 

Everything is farmed

Our road

And the scenes of every day life along the road are fascinating. 

Typical roadside store

Vendor in front of the barbershop 

Hardware store

Roadside pig ready for slicing

People watching is great from the bus.

Rubber duck man

Yes. It was a long day and my body hurt all over from trying to stay in my seat.   Would I do it again?  Yes, but not anytime soon.