Day 114 - That doesn't look like a nose to me

Riobamba

Giant statues are a thing in S. America

This part of Ecuador is known not only for having the world's highest mountain, but also for the famous train ride called El Nariz del Diablo (The Devil's Nose). In the past tourists were able to ride on the roof, but because of some deaths in 2007 this is no longer allowed. The train also used to leave from Riobamba, but now it needs to be boarded in the town of Alausi, a two hour bus ride away.

We caught the 8am bus from Riobamba so we could be at the station in Alausi for the 11am departure. We arrived in town around 10am, so after paying for our tickets we walked up to see the giant statue of St. Peter overlooking the town, and to admire the views of the town and surrounding countryside.

The right side is the best side!

The reviews we had read about the train ride were quite mixed as the time spent on the train is quite short for the cost but we decided that as we were there anyway we should go. As the train descends from Alausi to Sibambe it uses switchbacks as the slope is so steep there isn't room for the train to turn around, instead it reverses direction as the tracks are switched, so it zig-zags down part of the mountain.

The only tickets available for us were on the left side of the train, but all the greatest views on the outward journey are on the right side, so we were a bit jaded by the time we arrived at Sibambe after 45 minutes we were siding with the reviews that had said the ride wasn't worth it.

We stopped in Sibambe for an hour, and this part of the trip was extremely touristic, with locals dancing, photo opportunities with llamas, crafts for sale, and overpriced food.

Can you see a nose there?

Fortunately on the way back everyone switched sides, so we did get the good views, but the trip back was also much quicker, so the experience wasn't quite the same. So based on all this, we would really only recommend doing this if you can get tickets on the right side.

The bus ride between Riobamba and Alausi has interesting scenery that is in parts similar to the train ride, not quite as spectacular though. The landscape is very green and lush, lots of grass and cows, and cultivated paddocks on the sides of the mountains. This is very different to the countryside we'd further to the south, and at times has an almost European feel.

We stopped off for a snack when we arrived in town and M ordered extra spicy papas fritas, interestingly they came with a pair of plastic gloves - what's wrong with a fork?