Ecuador’s Chiva Express

This item appears on page 83 of the September 2008 issue.

Metropolitan Touring offers expeditions in Ecuador on their Chiva Express one-car trains. The 38-passenger railcars each have large windows, a bar, a toilet and a rear platform. An outside ladder gives access to the roof, where there are securely attached seats and a guardrail.

Excursions by rail and road link Quito with Cotopaxi National Park, Riobamba, Guayaquil and Cuenca. The vehicles depart on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday year-round to journey along narrow-gauge tracks over gorges, through tunnels and down the Devil’s Nose switchback. The highest point reached is Urbina at 11, 841 feet.

Chiva Express packages cost $92 for a one-day trip from Quito to Cotopaxi National Park with lunch; $672 per person, double, for a 2-day tour to Riobamba and Guayaquil, and $862 for a 5-day/4-night excursion to Cuenca.

Overnight tours include transfers, hotels, all meals and a visit to an Indian market. The longer Cuenca package adds an excursion to Cajas National Park or Gualaceo Valley crafts centers. Return flights to Quito from Guayaquil or Cuenca cost extra.

Call Adventure Associates (Dallas, TX; 800/527-2500, www.metropolitan-touring.com or www.galapagosvoyage.com).