Above the cloud

Leaving Cuenca, we climbed into the Andes, through a perfect U shaped valley, passing lush pastures dotted with cattle grazing among pine trees, very Alpine-looking, to the tree-line at 3400m. After that the mountains were rugged with rocky outcrops, and paramo, the rough vegetation, reminiscent of Scotland - only with the altitude 4 times as high.

We reached Cajus National Park where we had a couple of hours walking with a park guide, at 4000m. He showed us different plants which can adapt to the extreme environment. With climate change the plants now have to survive at minus 2 at night and plus 25 in the day. There is also increased solar radiation. In the park there are bears and ocelot, but they did not put in an appearance for us.

We then climbed in the bus to the continental divide at 4270m. The little streams we saw coming off the divide on our walk travelled over 6000m to the Atlantic, via the Amazon. Over the pass on the west, everything will go to the Pacific. We have been so lucky as normally all the beautiful views would be hidden by cloud, but today was lovely and sunny.

As we descended we could see the Pacific cloud in the valley below, billowing up, and gradually we entered the cloud forest. The main bank of cloud was at about 1000m. Descending further we reached the coastal plain, where corn, sugar cane, bananas, pineapples and cocoa are the main crops. It became very humid, not so nice on a bus with no air-con.

On reaching Guayquil we had a quick walk to see the iguanas climbing the trees in the nearby park, and had a stroll by the river before dinner, then a confab about tipping the guide. Why am I always surprised to see that the richest are the stingiest in these matters?