On the bus to Riobamba I met Robert from California who has been traveling for 5 years! We spoke about the joy of being on the road, the wonderful encounters and the great feeling of never knowing what the next day will bring... He told me that traveling now comes natural to him and he can`t imagine to settle down in the future. Somehow I fear I might end up like him - an eternal traveler ;-) We shared some travel stories and most of all we had a good laugh about all the warnings you receive - especially from people who have never left their home towns or countries. Those in particular will tell you how dangerous the country is you are currently traveling in and how high chances are to get robbed, raped, killed, what ever! Sure, you have to be careful wherever you go but we both agreed that until now - thank God - the positive encounters outweigh the negative experiences by far. Still, we also shared some tips on traveling save and I was happy to hear that so far I have done exactly as he - as a far more experienced backpacker - does too. Robert also recommended me some interesting books on South America, especially about the history of the continent and we ended up trading travel guides - my Footprints South America Handbook against his Lonely Planet South America on a Shoestring :-)
Riobamba is smaller then Cuenca but it is also far less touristic and therefore has its own charm. Once again I have been blessed with a great Couchsurfing host, Fausto. He showed me around, we cooked, watched a movie... once again it feels like being with an old friend - the joy of Couchsurfing :-)
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