With Cotopaxi off the schedule, and Quilitoa done, it was time to move on. Not because there was nothing else to be seen in Ecuador, there definitely was and is, but because of time pressures. The initial plan was to recover after Cotopaxi and then head for Loja and from there to the coast of Peru. From there I intended to take the bus up to Chachapoyas to see the ancient fortress of Kuelap. Since I did not need those days to recouperate, I decided to do what few people attempt, to stay up in the Andes and use the most remote border crossing of the region, La Balsa. Loja is a 14-15 hours ride from Latacunga, and I was considering going from there to Vilcabamba, then take various vehicles from there to get to La Balsa. When looking for a place to stay in Vilcabamba, I noticed a German owned and run hostel there. Great prices and awesome website. Not only that, they ran a limosine from Cuenca directly to the hostel in Vilcabamba. Going from Latacunga to Cuenca takes about 12 hours, and then going by minibus from there to Vilcabamba, only about four. All in all, that saved 5-6 hours on public buses. The best choice all around. And Cuenca, after reading up on it, appeared a very fine choice, indeed. My host at the Tacvnga Hotel gave me directions of where to get the ticket for the bus to Cuenca and the next day I was on the way. What really happened was that the bus never came to Latacunga, because I was the only passenger from there, but the bus company had a truck with goods that the bus was to transport and I got a fast ride from Latacunga to the freeway where I switched to the bus and had a very amazing ride through the Andes. Everyone says that Cuenca is prettier than Quito, and I tend to agree to a point. Quito definitely has the more grandiose setting and, of course, the Basilica.