South of Riobamba, the Panamericana splits close to Cajabamba. The southwesterly route ploughs down the mountains towards the coast and Guayaquil or Machala. This is the “Panamericana Internacional ” and the fastest route south to Peru. The southeasterly road, the “Panamericana Ecuatoriana,” winds south towards Guamote, Alausi, Ingapirca and eventually, Cuenca.

There's not much to see in Cajabamba, but if you come on Sunday, the fields close to the road junction are turned into an outdoor market by the local Indians — one of the most unique sights in the highlands. About four kilometers [two-and-a-half miles] beyond Cajabamba lies the Laguna de Colta. The road passes the little chapel of La Balbanera, on the site of one of the country's oldest churches. The lake is stunning on a clear day, and sometimes you can see local Colta indigenas gliding through the reeds on rafts. You can walk around it in around two hours. Heading south on Panamericana, on the beautiful road which hugs the railtracks, you come to Guamote after 47 km [30 miles], a pretty town with a busy Thursday market — one of the biggest and unspoiled in the country. From Guamote, the new dirt road to Macas in the Oriente strikes east, while the Pana coils its way south.

|Article contributed by Dominic Hamilton|||

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