On the way to Baños dont miss out on Radiator Springs.

I am trying to update my blog as much as I can.

Last week I went to pick up my son and wife from Ambato. They had gone there since my in-laws live in Ambato and wanted to spend some vacation time with their grandson.

I made my way to Ambato as per usual on Highway 35.

I usually take the old road to Ambato (not the new side pass) since I dont want all the towns on the way to Ambato from Quito (Lasso, Salcedo and Latacunga) to become like Radiator Springs in the CARS animated movie, desolate and depressing. Also there are fewer or no speed traps on the old road and you can make a stop in Salcedo for some Helados de Salcedo:

 ice cream in Salcedo is tasty.
my kid loves them he always gets one on the way. 

Also on the way is Latacunga which is a bigger city which even has an airport. Really the Quito Airport should have been built on top of the Latacunga airport and a super highway built to get there quickly. But ....

In Latacunga I usually stop to get some KFC or Gus Chicken, and the last time I headed to Ambato I decided to try Allullas. Allullas are pretty dry crumbly bisquits of sort which are not that tasty on their own but go great with the authentic and traditional string cheese served in an achira leave. Ive had the ones they serve in Cayambe plenty of times but they pale in comparison to the authentic Latacunga queso de hoja.You can also get a local dish called Chugchucaras. I havent tried those in a long long time, I should try them sometime. They seem to have fritada, harmony, pork rhins, potato patties, avocado slices, empanadas and some more stuff.

Allullas with queso de hoja 

Chugchucaras 

Another great stop on the way to Ambato is at La Avelina, they have some really tasty ice cream bars made with milk from the area.

And then we finally make it to Ambato. Be careful as you arrive to Ambato since they have some speed traps that lower the speed limit as you get closer to the city limits. Also inside Ambato there are very specific speed limits that will definitely catch you if you are not alert. Take it easy.

In Ambato I have two favorite spots:

El Ponche Suizo:

With its original 1952 recipe brought back from Switzerland, the Ponche Suizo has been operating in Ambato ( and now in Baños and Latacunga) for years now. The original recipe has not changed at all and its always a great treat to have when in Ambato and its surroundings.

and

La Choko Banana:

The Choko Banana Cafeteria is located close to the Miraflores neighburhood in Ambato and a couple of blocks from the city center. Its a local hotspot where you can purchase most tickets for shows, concerts and entertainment in Ambato. Inside the cafeteria they serve fast food and some ice cream, good stuff but their crown jewel is the Choco Banana. Its a banana at its perfect state (they must buy the best bananas in Ecuador so probably the best bananas in the world) and use Ecuadorian chocolate (also the best in the world) to cover the banana. Their chocolate recipe is perfect it never drips or cracks. Its just bliss. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

And the last spot on the way to Baños is Pelileo.
If you are short on clothes or jeans this is the place to stop. They have a wide variety of local made jeans and clothing that can easily replace a pair of jeans you tainted on your tour. In Pelileo if you make your way to the market there you will find some women selling tiny smoked tamales. They are pretty darn good, they have some fried pork bits inside. They are 3 for a dollar so a cheap and tasty snack on the way to Baños.

And finally we head to Baños .... to be continued ....

QUILOTOA CRATER LAKE

Ive heard so much about the Quilotoa Crater Lake and how its a must see in Ecuador. I recall my cousin Chris S telling me about how he had visited Quilotoa a couple of times and how much he loved it. On top of that the place I work at took all their employees for a trip to Quilotoa and Isinlivi. I wasnt able to go and thus was feeling pretty left behind. So I made it my prerogative to take a trip to Quilotoa. Its funny how local people dont take proper advantage of the beauty of their country. People from all over the world visit Ecuador and make the Quilotoa crater lake a top priority in their travels while in Ecuador. I got to thinking: Do they know something I dont or am I just pretty ignorant about my own country?

So, one given Friday I got home and told my wife and kid we were going to Quilotoa on Saturday and to start packing. They were really excited and we quickly made a plan to go the next day. 

I quickly looked up how to get there online, but was mostly going to rely on asking people on the way. A typical way of getting around here in Ecuador. 

Saturday rolled around and we were off to Quilotoa. Left home a little later than I wanted but it was not too bad. I do suggest leaving early in the morning around 7am to be able to get there at around 10ish. On the way there it was pouring rain, another tip is: it might look like its going to be a horrible day in the morning but it does open up. 

We stopped at some eateries on the way up to Quilotoa where we had some Fritada. Was hoping it would be pretty good and a rare find (like the Fritada in El Chota - the best you can find in Ecuador) but it was pretty mediocre. I would recommend taking a box lunch or snack to have on the way there and then you can have lunch at the Quilotoa. These eatieries are not worth it. 

But before we made it to Quilotoa we made a quick stop at a mask shop. They sell a wide variety of masks here, handmade and just beautiful. I want to buy a couple and hang them in my living room I think they will look pretty sweet. 

TIGUA MASKS

Still on the way up we were able to make a couple of stops to check out the Grand Canyon in Ecuador. Thats what the area surrounding the Quilotoa is referred to as. And it truly is a beautiful sight. Make a stop at the overlook point of this canyon and take a picture with a llama there to help out the groundskeeper. 

Finally we made it to Quilotoa. Paid for the entrance fee which implied that there were good bathrooms inside. Tip: there are no bathrooms inside you must pay a storekeeper some cents to be allowed in the bathroom. 

At the Quilotoa overlook you have a bunch of souvenir stores, you can buy the masks aforementioned and many other unique handicrafts. You can find some restaurants and parking here too. One thing I really liked was that at the information counter they rent bikes to be able to go biking around Quilotoa to Chugchilan. I defintely have to go back to rent a bike and do that ride. 

Then my kid was running around in spite of the high altitude close to 4000 mts. I was having trouble breathing when we just arrived. We took some cool pics in the overlook: 

me and the kid pumped up about Quilotoa - check out the view ... WOW!

An artsy fartsy pic.. pretty cool. 

The down hill takes about 45 minutes and the uphill takes about 2 hours. Or you can take a horse up. 

At the bottom you can rent canoes and take a ride on the Lake. There are restaurants and some neat spots. 

We didnt go down all the way since we got there kind of late. Remember I mentioned going to Quilotoa early in the morning from Quito. Take note.

So we took some more pictures, breathed in the crisp mountain air and enjoyed some magnificent views.  

After we were done with this we had some late lunch at the top and started to make our way back to Quito. 

It was an amazing experience. I highly recommend this tour. Its pretty hard if you dont have a private car, public transportation is not that great to get to Quilotoa.