Jungle Fever?

This is going to be my last blog for a while because I seriously doubt that many of the idigenous of the Ecuadoran jungle have T1 lines... internet or food, internet or food... hmmmm...

Today the altitude sickness was kicking but I soldiered on because I will not have three consecutive days in Quito to acclimatize so I just sucked it up... literally. I took a cable car to the top of Pinchincha, or at least one of the peaks. I got up early enough to get a look at the snowcapped peaks of other volcanoes in the distance and the Andes before I was awash in a cloud. I walked around up there for a while sounding like an asthmatic.

Back down on the ground, I was yelled at for taking a photo of this lady in traditional garb but I has already decided not to and was just looking at my other pictures when the husband saw me with the camera in that direction. Oh well, I am not guilty so I will not feel bad.

I also got laundry done, and thank God. I will not have another chance until I come home, which may prompt Brian to leave my car somewhere rather than picking me up.

This time around, I am staying in the Mariscal Sucre which is also known as Gringolandia. I can see why, but ironically, it is really unsafe feeling, way more so than old town but there are more palatable eating places. Knowing that I am heading really into nowhere, I really wanted McDonalds tonight but it is not walking distance and I did not want to cab it. Look it up though, I am going from Lago Agrio to Cuyabeno. I will really be in the middle of it, so if you do not hear from me Friday, well it does not look good then. They were doing shrunken heads here up until a few years ago, or so I am told.

Weird thing, I do not think I have finished a meal in over a week. I am not sure why but I hope that lasts!

Bouncing to a little Snoop and Dre in a Gringolandia bar... and I am out.

D

Back to Mainland Ecuador

Okay, since my public not only demands an entry but totally new subject matter, here we go. I have managed to accumulate a few things to share.

The Santa Cruz police force once had a radar gun, they used it to keep the ubiquitous white pick'up trucks (aka taxis) from speeding through the island. Well, the gun broke. Rather than fix it, they approached the problem with a standard latin american ass to elbow approach. They hired 6 new policemen. They stationed two at each end of the island and one in the middle. When leaving one end of the island, the driver is issued a time stamped ticket. When he reaches the middle point, he checks it with the 2 policemen there. If he got to that point in under a certain amount of time, they fine him $6. Same when he gets to the other end of the island. Seems to me that just fixing the radar gun would have worked out a little cheaper. I found out that story from some locals.

Brian, you will be happy to know, I actually met a German I like. Yep. He had a sense of humor and seemed to get sarcasm (which may have been an act but I´ll let it go). The guy had 2600 dives (he organizes German diving vacations abroad... sucky job huh... well... the german part) and Galapagos is his favorite spot and he has been virtually everywhere. I had dinner with him, a british girl, and three odler Americans (two of which live on a yacht traveling the coast and the other was from Austin). Interesting conversation from a fairly well'traveled crew.

I gave the driver today the location of my hostel and was corrected for my spanish. I said "amazonas y pinto... amazonas inn"... his correction "no, no, no pinto y amazonas... amazonas inn"... I for one am glad we got that cleared up, I didn´t want to have a culturally offensive gaffe.

The "airport" in Galapagos is a shed. Literally. It is totally open across, save a few "offices". It is by far the simplest airport I have been in. When you can bypass security by walking around the shed, I question its security but I can´t imaging this is a terrorist aim.

I am now back in Quito and already feeling the altitude again. I was told that chocolate helps. That may not be true but its a nice lie. I´m thinking of telling future travelers that sex and chocolate will help. Its the least I could do. Maybe even better, Sexual Chocolate (give it up for sexual chocolate).

Just had dinner with a british couple that have been traveling together for nine months now. I want to find an american woman willing to do that. Hell, I would be fine with just finding an american woman willing to do that for two weeks. Okay, okay, we all know I would be happy enough just finding a woman (american or no). I met several couples this week that travel together at all ages (late 20s, 40s, 60s) and it gives me hope that I can find that.

I am going back to the hostel and will run the prostitute gauntlet to get there. In the morning I am on a quest to find a lavanderia open on a holiday AND a sunday. Wish me luck, otherwise, pray for my companions in the jungle.

via con dios (dude)

Dave

Lava Salon Dos - Galapagos

Geoff, you would have to name your salon lava rocks salon, the lava doesn´t flow but there are tons of the rocks around.

Today is my last full day in Galapagos and I´m not diving so I took some time to just lounge a bit. I had breakfast at the guesthouse and a friend joined later when I saw her walking by. We made plans for her to borrow my shower later because she only has a cold water shower and has been feeling grimy after scuba lessons. I took off and headed for the beach, think Lopes Mendes for the Brazil crew, but not as much of a hike (though still a hike). White sand, green and blue waters, again, amazing. I snorkeled a bit in the bay but didn´t get to see the sharks there. I felt like I´ve seen enough sharks anyway so I wasn´t disappointed. I may have been spoiled for most other dives. Unless I am in one of the other reknowned spots in the world, it may all just be downhill from here for diving. I guess I will have to come back.

I finally have gotten a little sun, but not too much. My neck and back got a little red on the boats but not too bad since I had the wetsuit on most of the time. One of the boats was sort of funny... to make sure you don´t pee in a borrowed suit, they watch everyone go to the bathroom before hand. It works though, I had a smell free suit. And by watch I don´t mean in a catholic priest sort of way, I mean more like make sure you go into the on'board latrine.

I´m having dinner with my friend tonight, its been nice because she is traveling solo for the first time and wants to have someone to do stuff with and I appreciate the company.

Its hard writing the blog because there are few oddities to remark about to provide you with entertainment. I don´t have black boogers like Brian talked about, I don´t have the constant source of rage that are the Germans (very few here, some Swedes,Swiss,Brits etc.) and I don´t have any feelings of... ¨hey this is messed up¨ like Georgia racists in St. Petersburg. My guesthouse is very plain but clean and a GREAT location so I can´t complain. All in all, this has been a fantastic week!

One thing that is odd, only 1 in 10 people that come to the islands actually stay in Puerto Ayora. This means those of us who are okay with land'based trips, see each other a lot. I must have had dinner with several of the same people in the different restaurants three different nights.

Signing off for now. Bound for Quito tomorrow and will climb the volcanos!

Dave

Lava Salon Dos - Galapagos

Geoff, you would have to name your salon lava rocks salon, the lava doesn´t flow but there are tons of the rocks around.

Today is my last full day in Galapagos and I´m not diving so I took some time to just lounge a bit. I had breakfast at the guesthouse and a friend joined later when I saw her walking by. We made plans for her to borrow my shower later because she only has a cold water shower and has been feeling grimy after scuba lessons. I took off and headed for the beach, think Lopes Mendes for the Brazil crew, but not as much of a hike (though still a hike). White sand, green and blue waters, again, amazing. I snorkeled a bit in the bay but didn´t get to see the sharks there. I felt like I´ve seen enough sharks anyway so I wasn´t disappointed. I may have been spoiled for most other dives. Unless I am in one of the other reknowned spots in the world, it may all just be downhill from here for diving. I guess I will have to come back.

I finally have gotten a little sun, but not too much. My neck and back got a little red on the boats but not too bad since I had the wetsuit on most of the time. One of the boats was sort of funny... to make sure you don´t pee in a borrowed suit, they watch everyone go to the bathroom before hand. It works though, I had a smell free suit. And by watch I don´t mean in a catholic priest sort of way, I mean more like make sure you go into the on'board latrine.

I´m having dinner with my friend tonight, its been nice because she is traveling solo for the first time and wants to have someone to do stuff with and I appreciate the company.

Its hard writing the blog because there are few oddities to remark about to provide you with entertainment. I don´t have black boogers like Brian talked about, I don´t have the constant source of rage that are the Germans (very few here, some Swedes,Swiss,Brits etc.) and I don´t have any feelings of... ¨hey this is messed up¨ like Georgia racists in St. Petersburg. My guesthouse is very plain but clean and a GREAT location so I can´t complain. All in all, this has been a fantastic week!

One thing that is odd, only 1 in 10 people that come to the islands actually stay in Puerto Ayora. This means those of us who are okay with land'based trips, see each other a lot. I must have had dinner with several of the same people in the different restaurants three different nights.

Signing off for now. Bound for Quito tomorrow and will climb the volcanos!

Dave

Words Cannot Describe

Okay, since my faithful readers are nagging for a new blog, here goes.

Yesterday and today have been incredible. I have seen and done things I never thought I would. In the past two days, I´ve swam within feet (4 or so) of a manta ray. For those of you not up on your marine biology, thats about 7 of me side by side... with a tail. They are so graceful, it really us unbelievable. One swam over me today and blocked out the light, unreal.

Today I played with sea lions. I don´t mean a game of catch, I mean that they swam around me in circles so I did the same, they would flip and I would flip, we played chicken... it was something I will remember for a lifetime. I was within inches of them. At one point, it was just one and me, but at another, there were six or seven darting in and of the rocks.

I saw probably 30 white tip sharks, mostly all in a series of caves just hanging out but I got within a few feet of them. We missed the hammerheads but tomorrow is another chance.

We swam along in a school of probably 200 barricuda as though we were just another fish. There are fish everywhere.

I did see a turtle from a distance and was a few feet from some penguins but didn´t get into the water in time to swim with them. I have seen blue footed boobies, and frigate birds with their red chests all inflated. Unreal.

This blog is boring because there is no way telling you about this is going to compare with what I´ve seen and done yesterday and today.

I will say this... some scuba equipment is different around the world and for the first time, I got some I´m not familiar with. It caused a dive to be cut short yesterday when I pressed the inflate button instead of deflate and couldn´t stop my ascent. I was a little worried about the bends, especially since I had a massive headache, but turns out it was just a headache. My divemaster thought I was an idiot but one of the guys on the boat said he almost did the same thing and was constantly confused. Its too bad tomorrow is with a different dive boat, I´ve met several really nice people diving and would have loved to have had another day with them. I am going to dinner momentarily with a few of them.

Fanta... check
Carbonara ... check

Sadly, I´m not really hungry though. I think I´m just beat from the full day on the boats. I can´t understand why anyone would do a live aboard here, it is just not necessary.

Anyway, there you have it. One freakin´amazing place and an experience that is going to live on forever. The jungle tour is set for this weekend and I´ll be heading into the middle of no... where...

Hope all is well back home.

Dave

Galapago-go-go-you must go

I believe in love at first sight. And I am in love.

Before you women begin to get panicky, its a place, this is my place. I flew into the Galapagos Islands today, Isla Santa Cruz. When you land all you can see is this volcanic mountain in the clouds in the distance, miles of scrub and lava rocks and azure waters all around. You could see a trail cutting straight through the mountain, long and slow. I wasn´t sure it was the road until we crossed the channel from the airport to the main island and I got into a truck/cab and sure enough, that was the road. You could see probably 25 of the 42 km from that boat drop to the little town, just until it disappeared over the hill. My driver, whose name I have forgotten, was awesome. Picture one of the guys from Globe Trekker, now picture him as Ecuadoran, now enter his little white truck in the Indy 500, that was my ride. He spoke no English but I got an amazing amount of his spanish. He seemed proud that I figured out Norte, Sud, Este and ouest. I chucked him on the shoulder and said ¨shucks¨ but in spanish which is ¨shuckenos¨.

The town of Puerto Ayora is perfect. It is waterfront, for the most part, and made up mostly of guesthouses, dive operators, food and shops... not unlike a strip mall but imagine if they were colorful, nicely kept, with smiling people waving when you pass. That is this place. It reminds me a bit of Ilha Grande, Brazil, but nicer. I spent much of the afternoon at the Darwin Research station... giant tortoises and lava lizards and finches. I had a finch land within 6 inches of my shoulder while I was sitting in the shade, he looked curious and decided I wasn´t that interesting (odd, he reached the same conclusion as most of the women I´ve met). I will be diving tomorrow and I´m pretty excited, just standing at the pier I saw a seal, a stingray, several gulls, and an albatross.

Also, I have decided to write a book on travel. Now I know I don´t have the experience Tommy and Meredith have, but I´ve started putting it together in my head and I think it is going to be great. I will take some consultation from my fellow travelers and friends. In fact, thats sort of how I´m entertaining myself, writing a book in my head.

But it wouldn´t be a blog of mine without some observatio:

I would be a volleyball GOD here... if they had rules, remember newcombe from elementary school, for the kids that couldn´t hit straight they created a game where you could catch it, well that is similar to the volleyball here. Then again, these guys are about the size of some elementary school kids so maybe thats why.

Apparently wearing no shirt to a bar is hot... two nights ago in Quito, there was a guy shirtless... he was wearing skin tight leather pants, with chains and no shirt. It was sort of chilly so I doubt he forgot it. I suppose that was the next logical evolution from the mesh shirt in the clubbing world.

I´ve now been propositioned by hookers in at least 3 countries, none of which are my own. Yep, my cab driver last night tried to set up this deal. Alright dude, if I was going to do that, I would do some better shopping than this road skank. He says ¨you have sex with her?¨and I wonder if she was offended by just how fast I said ¨No, just mi cambio¨

Breast feeding in restaurants, museums, parks, wherever... I have nothing more to say here.

Change is just as hard to get here as anywhere but the U.S. ... what is the F$&"·&%G reluctance to change a bill? If someone has been paying you all day for something, you have money right? I just don´t get this and I never will.

Several other things to note:

B - I just had my first Fanta and I have already found my carbonara on the menu, I´m set. Also, I have had coffee several times and a normal mug each time.

Greg - They have toi'toi´s here, not exactly the same, plus the have urinario or something like that. I was walking through a plaza the other day and smelled the stink of urine... I looked around to see if there was a bum nearby and nope, it was a urinario. Also, tell Jen I had a Brahma for lunch today, remember those? Good beer.

Geoff - Already got your present picked out, it SCREAMS you.

I wish you were all here. This may just be one of the most beautiful places I´ve ever been.

hasta

Dave

Straddling the World

Ah, now I have some stuff to talk about.

Yesterday I took a tour, wasn´t worth it though because my guide spoke little english and I actually helped her with a few words. I did better reading the plaques (in spanish) when I walked the route through old town after the tour was over.

But I guess the biggest news is that my body reads like a checklist for altitude sickness. The headaches started yesterday morning, the dizziness kicked in and so on and on. I wasn´t sure so I opened my Lonely Planet and there were each of my symptoms in order that I noticed them. The only good news on that front is that I have managed to avoid vomiting (which is surprising after seeing the painting of Satan in a church vomiting over the denezins of hell). I slept it off part of the afternoon which was fine because it was pouring... which it is doing again now. Its about a 2-3 hour storm everyday at 3p.

I´ve learned that a menu is merely a suggestion. Last night they couldn´t serve 90% of the menu at a ¨nice¨ restaurant and this morning they couldnt make banana pancakes even though it was listed. Oh well, my stomach probably couldn´t have handled it anyway.

I just pulled back into town after several hours on a bus to the Mitad del Mundo... the center of the world. Yep, we were doing ¨the dozens, and someone said, you so fat, your butt cheeks are called northern and southern hemisphere¨ and it was true. I have a picture with a cheek in each hemisphere. Next door to the monument, is the REAL hemisphere and they show some experiments that are pretty cool. Like right over the equator, if you flushed, it just goes straight down, no swirl, but a few feet to either side and you have opposite swirls. Several college frat guys were getting frustrated straddling the equator and just couldn´t give their nerdy Quiteno guide a swirly.

On the way back, I was sitting next to an older woman on the bus and I couldn´t figure out if she smelled, I smelled, if it was the window or all of the above. I´m going with all of the above because I could choke a dog after he rolled in something dead with my stench.

And buses are an adventure, not like the Central American chicken buses but because there are no maps with stops etc. You wing it. I knew a stop on either extreme end and Thank God, I´m not too far from my place.

You would think the road where my hostel is would be quiet as it is out of the way, but I heard people and / or cars all night long... and I mean ALL night... I know because insomnia is a symptom of altitude sickness.

I leave for the galapagos tomorrow. I already met someone who is staying in Puerto Ayora where I´m staying. She is british and she is meeting up with her boyfriend and they are diving. I´m pretty sure I will bump into them again and maybe have someone to go to dinner with.

You all almost lost me yesterday (once the disappointment fades, i´ll continue) I was walking up the back stairs in the hostel to the rooftop to take night photos and made a wrong turn. A dog with black eyes nearly took my head off. He looked like a boxer and if he was, he was a Mike Tyson, and may have bitten my ear clean off.

I think I´m going to take a shower now.

Hasta la vista

Dave

In Quito

I´ve landed and I have to tell you, first impression is that the people here are the friendliest I have ever met. Even the guy stopping me at the airport for my baggage ticket was ¨"excuse me" and the customs officers weren´t surly... a first.

I am stopping in just for a second to let everyone know that I´m down and managed to navigate from my hostel to the old town with no problems. Brian would be proud, I´ve already sneaked a few photos of some people that were just too rich to pass up.

This isn´t all that interesting a blog, give me a few more hours. Just checking in!

D

Countdown to Ecuador

Three days until I arrive in Ecuador, the city of lights, the city that never sleeps, the big apple... you know, those sound awfully familiar, I'm wondering if I should question the xeroxed pages of this lonely planet I bought in a roadside Cambodian market? I'm pretty sure Ecuador isn't a city, but I do plan on taking the book's advice and drinking the local water often... what could go wrong?

Actually, that brings up an interesting subject, perhaps only interesting to me but for the time being its my blog so I'll proceed... to date... knock on wood, I have yet to come down with any kind of gastro problems while traveling that would cause frequent evacuations from either end. The reason is a.) stomach is messed up enough as it is and wouldn't notice, b.) street meat and I are like peas and carrots, c.) depends undergarments, d.) knowing many toilets don't have paper and forcing my mind over ...ummm... matter.

Is it bad that I'll be staying at the Chicago Hostel? Maybe Chicago has some spanish meaning... hopefully not "get your coca-ina here".

So time is counting down and like every year, I'm really looking forward to it. I really think this will be a great trip because Brian isn't here... I mean because I'll get to visit three different ecosystems (dang, do I sound like a tool) in the Galapagos, the Andes and in the jungle. I'm hoping to find an opportunity to paraglide in the Andes, how amazing would that be?

Anyway, this post is a warm-up, look for more to come once I'm there and can describe it all too you. I'll see if I can upload a photo of me straddling the equator (yeah, I know where some of your minds were going when you read straddling, sickos).

If I'm not back in two weeks... just wait longer.

Dave