Taking an overnight bus from Quito to Lago Agrio (Ecuador)

Here’s something I learned about myself while taking an overnight bus from Quito to Lago Agrio: I'm whiny, and I can't get over it.

ANOTHER OLD TRAVEL JOURNAL

The Place: An overnight bus from Quito to Lago Agrio, where my Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve tour started

The Date: Feb. 17-18, 2008

Journal Date: Feb. 25, 2008

A street in Lago Agrio.

“That 7½-hour overnight ride to Lago Agrio was one of the worst bus rides in my life. It was so damn cold and I had packed both my blanket and my socks away. And since I kept thinking about how cold I was, I couldn’t even begin to concentrate on sleeping. It turns out that when something is bothering me, no power on earth can get me to stop inwardly whining about it. After several hours I finally stuffed my right foot into my cloth-wallet-turned-camera case, and my left into a plastic bag, and jammed them both into my black shoes. After that I managed to sleep about one hour before we arrived in Lago Agrio.

It’s an oil city that for some reason reminds me of the Old West. I guess because Lonely Planet describes it as having prostitution and other such lawlessness. I bought an Adidas hair band, though I was pretty close to buying one that said, “I Love You” all over it.”

What You Should Know: The bus leaves Quito’s main bus station and cost about $8.

You can buy milk to drink straight from the goat.