El Nariz del Diablo

It was supposed to be the train ride built accross hell but it turned out to be more of a circus from hell. Back around a hundred years ago a bright lad had the idea of connecting Ecuador´s two major cities, Quito in the highlands and Guayaquil on the coast, by train. Construction began in 1899 and took a total of nine years to complete - god only know how many bananas. The only portion of this once grand line that currently runs is the portion that took longest to build. From the small cilantro smelling town of Alausi, where the decent begins is about a two hour bus ride from Riobamba, and then an 45 min train ride down the sheer rock face known as El Nariz del Diablo.

I met two girls Swiss/Austrian on the bus from Baños to Riobamba and after quickly forming a united fellowship of travellers international, we decided to take on the gringo clad adventure of the rails. Arriving at Riobamba´s recently renovated train station early Sunday morning at the wee hour of 6:00 we soon discovered that the train for whatever reason was not to arrive at Riobamba but could be caught from the small adobe town Alausi. We arrived at Alausi around 9am among a throng of whiteys and Gringos, all wanting to take part in this unique Andean action.

(The REAL Nariz del Diablo)

After waiting in a line to buy yet another ticket for this ride de Diablo and noses we boarded a crammed cattle car to begin our journey down (it is no longer allowed to ride on the roofs like monkeys as a Japanese tourist was decapitated about 5 months ago...way to ruin for everyone else, guy) again we had to keep our pants on as local train officials tried, in seemingly archaic fashion to fix a derailed car of railroad ties that was blocking the main track. This haphazard work went on in the warm sun until around Noon amid a throng of falling objects and bold but seemingly wreckless train workers.

Once on our way however nothing was to stop our cattle cattle car adventure as we descended deeper and deeper into Ecuadorian paramo terrain - except for about 45 mins later when the train was making its way back up the steep switchbacks where it...derailed again. After about a 30 minute wait to fix this new derailment the train, yes once again derailed for a record breaking third time. I will say, at least they were consistent. After losing complete faith in the homely attired officials manning this monkey ride, and fearing somewhat for my half Ecuadorian life, along with my European counterparts we started the trek back up to the town, about a 25 minute walk. We beat the train and acquired our tickets to the architectural gem of Ecuador, Cuenca. This train experience was to say at the very least, a very interesting perspective into the inner workings of Ecuadorian governmental agencies.

Lessons to be learned here? I suppose if you put yourself in the position to be a monkey you will be a monkey, monkey.

The journey to Cuenca is a four hour bus ride from Alausi which passes through poor, run down cement towns and eucalyptus forests. Wild packs of dogs are seen tearing at garbage bags sitting patiently on street corners and locals are seen staring blankly out of roughly built store fronts at the pan-american highway rushing quickly by.

Now in what is probably the cultural center of Ecuador my heart is at ease, and the rest and observing here in Ecuador´s third largest city, I think will be good.

(Cuenca)