In and Out of Ibarra

From Otavalo, we set out for Ibarra, about forty-five minutes away by bus. The plan was to stay one night in Ibarra and then get up early the following morning to cross the border into Colombia. The only real criteria for our lodging for the night was that it was close to the bus terminal, cheap and clean. Well, one out of three isn't the greatest success rate. The hostel looked as if it had barely survived a nuclear attack and the cockroaches were the only survivors, along with the local addicts who use the space as their drug den-cum-hostel. We were surprised that instead of the free toiletries that the hostel didn't supply syringes and a spoon. The large, spacious room couldn't make up for the stains sprayed all over the walls and the dark dank smell in the corridors. The pictures certainly didn't match the dump that we were offered. Although there was very little within the city, despite being one of the largest cities in the north of Ecuador, the streets offered more than being cooped up in the Bates hotel waiting to be the next victim of some psychopathic drug addict. Needless to say, we exited as soon as we could.

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