Today we loaded back up on the bus to head back down to Guayaquil and make a few stops upon the way. The ride was a little more cramped this time, since our bus had seven less seats in it, so seven unfortunate individuals had to stand for the first hour and a half of our journey.
We made our first stop today at the Ingapirca Inca Ruins. This was the ruins of a small Inca village and temple. The area was originally inhabited by the original indigenous peoples of Ecuador. These people were conquered by the Incas who replace their temples to the moon with ones to their own celestial body, the moon. Apparently every building here can somehow tell the time, day and year with respect to the movement of the stars, moon and the sun. The view from this mountain was astounding, which is why they chose this location, since you could see any possible invaders from miles around. While I was here I also able to buy some good souvenirs; I found a leather hat and a llama blanket that was died a nice dark blue for the folks at home. And now it is time to get back on the bus for the last 3 1/2 hours of the journey.
We got back a little late, so I had about an hour to get ready for our final dinner out with the group. The steaks were awesome and I loved the time spent with all of my fellow travelers. One last thing I noticed about Ecuador that I didn't mention before (wanted to check several sources first), the pace of life in restaurant is much slower than in the restaurants in the States. This goes back to our talk over the cultural difference between Ecuador and the United States, the locals in restaurants take their time and talk and spend time with each other before enjoying their meals. In the United States, if you don't have your food in the first 15 minutes you are in the restaurant, then you typically walk out disgruntled and still hungry, no time for conversation, we want it now!!
This was our last night in Ecuador and we spent it in style! The final dinner was a great idea and was a grand finale to all of the wonderful experiences that we encountered along the way.