Machala

Driving Through Mountains

I think the drive from Cuenca to Machala was one of the most incredible rides, scenic-wise, that I have ever been on. Its quite a few hours drive but the road takes you through some fantastic countryside. We switched cars for this drive so it was just Maisa, myself, Henry and Grace. With the youngsters alone on the road, the music blaring and the windows down, we crusied through jungle scenes, around the winding sides of bare mountains and along a series of rivers. We skated arocss valleys and toured through plantations of banana trees as far as the eyes can see. It wasn't until now that I finally understood why Ecuador is one of the biggest exporters of bananas in the world. We stopped along the way too, to buy some of the bananas of which there were around 7 different varieties. They only cost us just 5 US Cent each - I remember thinking it was definately cheaper than Tesco. At one point we also stopped off to swim in a river - of which was very popular with the locals in the area too. It was like taking a swim in an icy bath with an entire village. It was cold in there, but thats exactly what was required after the sweltering heat of the jungle climate.

After some hours of driving, through ever-changing scenery, we eventually made it to our destination. Machala is a small town, located deep in the south of Ecuador. Its only about an hour from the Peruvian border and the average tourist would likely only find themselves here if they were heading to or coming from Peru. Its a nice little town though, surrounded simply by banana plantations. We stayed in a 5-star hotel called Oro Verde. It was an amazing place, complete with swimming pool, tennis courts and an incredible breakfast. The rooms were fantastic too and I can't remember having a better shower since my visit to the Ceasers Palace in Las Vegas almost a year earlier.

The next day we headed for Peru. People have often told me that the border between Ecuador and Peru is a bit of a nightmare although actually it didn't seem all that bad. We did have problems though, of course we did!!! Firstly, you have to go to an office on the Ecuadorian side and get an exit stamp. Simple enough. Actually for all of Maisa's family and myself - it was simple. For Henry, it was a disaster. The problem he had was that he had to extend his visa, so he did that a few days before, but it was done in a bit of a rush. He got his passport back from the immigration office just one day before our trip began. He had all the correct documentation so his passport was all in order. However, the day we left was a public holiday and then it was the weekend when the immigration office is shut and nobody works. Henry's problem was although he had the right stamps in his passport, the computer system with everyone's details on it hadn't updated his information - so at the border they said he couldn't get an official exit stamp because the computer said NO. When we drove to the Peruvian side (which is across a large bridge), they said they couldn't give Henry an entry stamp because he didn't have an Ecuadorian exit stamp. Ahhhhhh. Then, some Peruvian officals said not to worry and just to go on through anyway. Amazingly there is no-one there really stopping you getting into your car and driving into Peru, but it didn't sound right to us. We knew if we did this that Henry would have problems getting out of Peru or into Ecuador on our return so we went back to the Ecuadorian office. Essentially what were doing was travelling back and forth between countries. After some talking, the officer realised he had made a mistake and Henry's details had been updated - he was apparently looking on the wrong computer screen. As we left, Maisa's father (Marcelo) muttered to us that the problem here, was that the Ecuadorian officer was not actually human at all but some form of baboon. I remember thinking that a baboon would probably have no problem stamping a piece of paper and getting us all through the border and that such a comment was harsh on the entire species of baboons. After driving across the bridge once more and getting all our stamps - all of us were finally and officially into Peru.......................