Ecuador Trip Concludes

In celebration of my departure, all of Gringolandia is coming out to party. Rumor has it Tom and Katie have flown down for the occasion, hookers have been rented out and the pinatas are all shaped like Larry King. He and Gene Shallit are like Gods here. I will try to keep it under control so you won't worry.

So I have been on a quest for crap today; as I truly need to thank those that covered for me at work with some $2 trinket with Ecuador printed on it. I need to relax my standards, because I am actually trying to find something they will not throw away upon receipt.

I also got lost today. B, think St. Petersburg subway lost. Lonely Planet has failed me for a third time on this trip. I got on the bus that they said, and ended up somewhere well south of the city. Ummm... did I stand out... well lets see... white kid, backpack - daypack, shorts, hiking shoes and an expression of "Christ where am I?" Its times like those that I turn to religion, in this case the Virgin Mary that sits on a hilltop in the middle of Quito. From there, I could tell sort of the direction I needed to go. Still, panic was starting to set in when I could not flag a cab and all the buses that went by did not have a familiar destination on them. Finally, I found one though and made it back to Old Town.

For the first time in this town, I had some sunlight for decent photos. I took a few but really I got kind of bored without having a little something more planned.

Speaking of plans... my whole day plan was ruined when I got to McDonalds at 8am for a pequito desayuno and found out that they do not open until 9:30am, at which point I got lost on the bus and by the time I got back, they were open. The Ecuadoran Ronald likes to sleep in... So I go in, really craving a salchipa mcmuffin con queso y huevo and I find out that Ronald in Ecuador does not serve desayuno. F-you Ronald, you have ruined my day and my belief in corporate America to exploit all meals (except for Chikfila).

Typing is a hardship here as the keyboard is slightly different in each place and certain things require multiple keys, so pardon all of the typos.

All in all, this ranks up there as one of my favorite trips. The stuff that I have seen and the places I have gone make this a really good one. I will give a few more learnings though...

I realize how we must sound to foreigners when we keep speaking English to them hoping that they will learn the language by the conclusion of our interaction. I can say that, because I have been on the other end quite a bit. I usually will say that I do not speak much spanish but that is usually followed by a phrase delivered at top speeds to which my expression becomes a shrug and a "gracias". I speak largely in nouns. Peintura, ceiba? I credit the Taco Bell dog for one of my few verbs yo quiero.

According to Lonely Planet, all taxis are required to have a meter. That, is simply bullshit, because I have taken them often and have yet to see a single meter.

Chicklets remain a hot seller for the poor apparently. I have seen this the world over, and I am always amazed that it continues everywhere. These guys really need a new business model, sure, your margin is good, a penny chicklet for five cents is four cents profit but after paying staff, getting corner protection, you really have to do some serious volume to make this pay off.

I find it surprising that this country has such strict standards for its jungle and islands but its cities are pretty much shitholes. I have not yet found the wealthy part of this city and after this mornings' adventure, I have seen a lot of it.

I saw a restaurant today with one table. One. Seriously. How do you make money cooking a $1.50 meal for one person at a time? As much as Tommy likes to refer to me as a socialist, I have a renewed appreciation for elements of the capitalist system and big business (still not a republican though).

There are two companies of size in Ecuador, Porto and Movistar. I think Movistar is like a shitty Blockbuster, but it is EVERYWHERE. I saw a billboard in the jungle... I wonder what the daily circ is on that location? Porto is a cell phone service. I actually stopped in to talk to the guy about their handsets. They have some cool ones but no one buys them he said because they are $600. He sells a lot of RAZRs... imagine that. Now, can I write this trip off?

Privacy is not a concern of many here, last night while writing the blog, a guy was having a conversation on the long distance international phones for about an hour that the entire block was privvy to. And although my spanish is very limited, I am prett sure it was a long distance booty call, because I heard, "mi amor" and "mi corazon"... or maybe with the second he just has a heart problem. Anyway, I heard some baby talk too.

It is almost 5p, and I will be meeting friends for drinks at 7p before heading to the airport shortly after. I am still not sure how the flight back is almost two hours longer than the flight here but who cares, i am in business class this time so let the cake-eaters in coach worry about it. Poor bastards.

This is it for travel 2007, and I am sure B will be blogging the delayed honeymoon some time next year and I will be somewhere in Croatia not long after. You are all invited to my 10th Travel Anniversary in 2009 when I am thinking will be going to Africa.

Until next year...

Dave

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!)

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