Monkeying Around

I got back to Quito today (hello altitude, its just me and you again) and I have to say, it has been an amazing week... or should I say amazoning week? No... no I should never say that... lo siento.

Let me give you an idea of how remote I was... first I took a 25 minute flight from Quito to Lago Agrio. The flight basically just gets you over the mountains which by bus would take you about 8 hours. On the way, you can see snowcapped volcanoes poking above the clouds, very spectacular. Once we landed, they three us into a taxi (aka white four seat pickup truck) and a van (there were 10 of us) and we drove three and a half hours into the jungle, about one and half of those were on paved roads thanks to the exploitation of the oil industry, but the rest on rock roads. We pull up at this little bridge and we get out. All 10 of us hop in with our guide into a motorized canoe, and then we go REALLY into the jungle, about three hours in the boat weaving through thick growth. Along the way, our guide is pointing out stuff left and righ. Monkey here, bird there. Just before dark we pull up to the lodge and there are no lights except candles. No hot water either. We are shown to our "rooms" which were separate in theory but the cracks in the walls were see-through and they were open at the top... bathrooms too. Anyway, we have dinner and then head to bed early. Next day, we spend hiking through the jungle, taking a boat ride across the lake to watch the sunset and swim. Next morning, we go through an indigenous village and watch them make yucca bread from the cutting of the plant to the bread itself.

Over the course of the days, I saw 5 species of monkey, a sloth, snakes, birds, caimans and I even caught a piranha. Technicaly, one and a half piranhas but the other squirmed of before I could swing him into the canoe. That, by the way, is a fun experience, swinging a live piranha into a canoe full of people.

I must say, the travel has been easy, perhaps too easy. Today at the Lago Agrio "airport" the scanner kept beeping but the people would hold up a ring or something and he would wave them by. Ah yes, had to be the ring and not the machete tucked into the pants leg.

I also have realized how much I hate little towns that have no character... by no character I mean are dirty, disgusting, ill kept, scary, menacing, smelly and crappy in general. I had to spend last night in Lago Agrio, which wasn´t part of the plan but there were some miscommunications between the agent and the guides. Lagio Agrio is an oil town and fits the description above. My sanduiche was made with wonderbread and two gallons of mustard... And the room had a fan but it only circulated hot air. The window had no bars and was as big as the door so when opened to the "hall" anyone could have walked in. And on top of that, the power went out three times during the night... my only respite, that damned fan, didn´t work most of the night. I slept in a pool of my sweat and probably the dried sweat of countless Ecuadoran visitors to the Hotel Gran Columia.

There is a soccer game on every day all day every where.

After two weeks of local food, I was dying for something familiar. I had McD´s today, I had to, I could not deal with another plate of almuerzo typico. Even at McD´s I still have yet to finish a meal since arriving.

Ecuadorans love soup. It has been served with nearly every meal. I will not eat soup for a long time to come.

It really has been a great trip. I have met some great people, seen amazing things and added to the memories that many will never have. I wish several of you (not all of you) could have come with me.

I will be back in the states soon but may blog tomorrow while waiting on my flight.

Dave


(B, flight is supposed to arrive at 5:50am Sunday I think) I´ll e'mail your gmail account tomorrow to confirm. Thanks, breakfast sounds great!)