★★★★★★★★★★7/10

Two women meet on a bus from Equador’s capitol Quito to southern city Cuenco. From city to city, it’s a 9 hour trip through winding mountain roads. Almost immediately, the trip ends before it starts; a general strike by native Indians has closed all major roads. The ladies take to their feet and hitchhike.

Esperanza (Tania Martinez) is free spirit from Barcelona, as a travel agent she gets to do a big trip every year. Tristeza (Cecilia Vallejo) is a university student and active in sociopolitical issues. She’s intent on getting to Cuenco to stop her quasi-boyfriend’s impending marriage. It’s a beautiful journey through the sparsely populated areas of Andes. Along the way they meet fellow Cuenco-bound traveller Jesus (Pancho Aguirre). A poet and an actor, he’s bringing his grandmother’s ashes to the funeral there.

There’s not really much of plot beyond what’s been described. But with road movies, it’s about the journey and this one is great. Top it off with very likable characters, well matched music and hold-your-breadth images of Ecuador, it’s an hour and half well spent!

Bus, Cuenco, Ecuador, film, friends, highway, indian, info, movie, natives, Quito, review, road, road movie, South America, strike Drama, Ecuador