We left Otavalo on Friday afternoon in a down pour and headed to the bus station for a weekend excursion. The terminal in Otavalo is a paved plaza that, to someone, must have a clear order, but to me, resembles a pick-up-sticks tangle of busses. Walk around confused for a moment in this town, however, and help will find you. A gentleman in a yellow raincoat and pants pointed us to the bus for Ibarra, and within ten minutes of arriving at the terminal, we were on our way.
From the terminal in Ibarra, we walked six blocks or so to the smaller station from which busses leave for Esperanza. We found the plaza and began to board the bus, but the driver stopped us, explaining that we would reach Esperanza faster on the neighboring bus, which, as it turned out was the express.
It was probably evident to the driver and all the other passengers that when we boarded we were headed for the house of Doña Aida. The hostel, which sleeps 70 comes highly recommended both from the Lonley Planet book and fellow travellers as the starting point for climbing Volcan Imbabura. When we asked when to get off, the passengers passed knowing smiles and assured us it was a kilometer further up (and up indeed it was, the bus had been climbig steadily since we left Ibarra). When we neared the stop, we were ushered out of our seats and to the front of the bus. "Casa Aida?" the driver asked, and let us off at the door.
Doña Tamara met us at the door as if she had been expecting us, though we had no reservation, and she showed us to our room. She graciously agreed to have breakfast ready for us at 6:00 am and arrange for a camioneta to take us to the trail head at 6:30. We settled into our turquise, red and mustard colored room grateful for all the hands who had eased our journey.
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