The Bus to Chachimbiro

Our objective for today was to travel by bus to a hot springs resort at a place called Chachimbiro.

There are only three buses to Chachimbiro, leaving at 7:00 a.m., 7:30 and 12:30 p.m. We had intended to go on one of the early buses but we overslept and couldn't get out to the bus station on time.

So we settled for the 12:30 bus. This would mean a short swim because the last bus from Chachimbiro leaves at 3:30.

Bus service in Ecuador is wonderful. The stations are clean and it's easy to find your bus and buy a ticket in the station.

Chachimbiro is only 24 miles from Ibarra, but the trip takes an hour and a half, winding around in the high Andes and stopping frequently to pick up and let off passengers. The scenery is beautiful and the people watching on the bus is good too. The local bus itself is a little grubby, but not too bad.

You can't beat the fare: $1.25.