Devils Nose Train Ride - Alausi, Ecuador

A day trip to Alausi, Ecuador for a ride on the Devils Nose Train!

My cousins Linda and Larry from Washington stopped by Cuenca for four days on their six week trip around South America. We decided to drive to Alausi, Ecuador to take the Devils Nose Train ride which is 157 Km (98 miles) drive from Cuenca. The 2 hour 20 minute drive took us 3 1/2 hours with all the windy cloudy roads with buses and trucks to maneuver around in my small car!

We left Cuenca at 6 a.m. and arrived in Alausi, which is on the Pan American Hwy driving towards Quito at 9:30 a.m.

Devils Nose Train

  

We purchased our tickets when we arrived, regular price is $25 each but with my Cedula (resident card) we got our tickets for $14.50 each.

The train ride takes 2 1/2 hours all together and travels down the mountain on a steep cliff using 3 switch backs. The train leaves at 8am - 11am and 3pm daily!

We boarded the train at 11a.m. for the 45 minute train ride down the steep cliff to another old train station once used by trains going from Guayaquil to Quito.

You can see where we descended behind us.

We arrived at the train station below Alausi for an hour stay, you can see the Museum on the hill above.

We were entertained by the local dancers

Photo shot with Lama. The track we are standing on once went to Cuenca, now it will become a hiking and biking path once all the tracks are removed.

Construction on the train tracks from Guayaquil to Quito was started in 1825.

After an hour we boarded the train for the trip back up the mountain to Alausi.

Back to the Alausi station we ran into the train that runs from Guayaquil to Quito on a 3 day excursion.

Then we headed out for our 3 1/2 hour drive back to Cuenca we encountered thick clouds, many pot holes which I think I managed to not miss any! Speed bumps, slow moving buses and trucks!  Alausi is a beautiful small Village and the lust green scenery on the drive is breathtaking!

Dinner for Larry and Linda on their last night in Cuenca with Deborah Marsh our good friend of three years who is moving to Mexico.

Good luck to all of you on your new adventures to come!

Why Ecuador for me

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AL3XPTY/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_alp_wy8Xqb0BB5FB0

Why Ecuador for me is the story of planning and retiring in Cuenca, Ecuador. It provides the reader with all the details of why I decided to make the move from the United States. I spent hours on-line obtaining information on what is required to become a resident