Loja, Ecuador, South America

I got up this morning, packed up my stuff, and checked out of La Querencia. It’s been a really nice place to stay for the last six nights and I can only hope my next place is as nice. I got a van from Cuenca down to Loja that took three hours and cost $12. It was a pretty easy ride, no surprises, so that was good enough for me. We got to the van company’s office and I got a taxi into the city center to the Hostal Real Colon Aguilar. I was hoping it was going to be more of a hostel, but it’s just like a hotel. This means that it’s tougher to meet people. I was hoping to meet some people who were heading down to Peru as well, but it looks like that could be tough.

I spent a few hours walking around the center of Loja, and it’s pretty nice. Not as nice as Cuenca, it doesn’t have that colonial look that Cuenca does, but it’s still nice. There are a few churches in the town center and each one has a little square in front of it, I like that.

I went around to a bunch of different travel agencies trying to find a day tour of Vilcabamba for tomorrow, but I don’t think they exist. It’s a town that I was told I have to visit, so it looks like I’ll be making that trip on my own as well. Ah well, I’m pretty used to that now.

I was pretty happy to get back to my hostel after dinner to find out that we get ESPN here and I am actually watching Monday Night Football right now, on TV, in English! It’s been a long time since I got to see an NFL game on a big screen. And it was a bonus that the Jets lost. Thanks Chicago!