We have found a cheap apartment near the Panamericana on the outskirts of town. Here we take a little break, even though our overnight stays in the pastureland were also very nice. When I research where we are, I’m surprised to find that Loja is quite beautiful. So it’s worth going to the city center.

Day 5 Without a Breakdown

It’s warm and it’s hard to believe that carnival is starting today in Cologne. But in Ecuador people are already preparing for Christmas, including Santa Claus, fir branches and elves.

During the day it will cloud over and rain a little, but it will still be warm.

We have the impression of being in Europe, as green as it is and how familiar is the sight of the black and white cows grazing in the mountains. We are only directly away from the equator.

In Ecuador we always get popcorn with our meals. Salty. Not a bad idea.

Loja has a beautiful canal, parks and shopping streets selling Christmas items. There’s even a castle!

The Puerta de la Ciudad, i.e. the gate of the city, is an imposing building in the style of a Central European castle and now only protects fine restaurant guests from the mob.

After the break we will set off again and continue our journey north.

For this we have to go through the green mountains again, where milk cows graze between agaves.