Machachi (Ecuador)

When I visited Ecuador, I had my friend's parents to rely on to get me to Cotopaxi. After staying overnight in Sangolquí, in east Quito, and enjoying an evening of bachata music in a bar with my friend's pals and his sisters and brothers, we next morning set off along the "Avenue of the Volcanoes".

Machachi simply served as a place to stop for breakfast therefore. In fact it's a miracle I even remember its name. Out of interest, the most widely drunk sparkling water in the whole country comes from near this town.

Machachi is, to say the least, off the beaten track, and therefore serves as a stop-off point when visiting the Ecuadorian mountains. We set off along the stony track leading to Cotopaxi in the parent's pick-up truck once we left Machachi.