March 14 The end of our Ecuador travels

Richard, Mark and Susanita at the equator

Well...we have arrived back in Mexico and have said goodbye to Ecuador. Our last 2 weeks were as wonderful as the first 5 weeks and we went to several more places. It is hard to portray how beautiful Ecuador is and traveling by bus or car allows for time to see the beauty between places.  We left Baños for Quito, a 4 hour bus ride through mountains. Quito is a BIG city, spread in a narrow N to S valley between mountains and volcanos. For my taste, it is bigger than I like, but the old historic area is beautiful. We arrived to meet our friend Mark Marquardt (from Chapel Hill, NC) and spent the rest of our time with him. Ecuador, of course, is named for the equator and like all good tourists, we headed to Mitad de Mundo - the middle of the world. There are actually two sites, the one you see above and then a more traditional site which is actually (according to GPS) the real equator.

a view of quito

Here is a view of Quito from high above the city. We took the "TeleferiQo" a multimillion dollar sky tram that takes you 2.5k above the city bringing us to over 12,000 feet. Since we were only in Quito for a few days we did all the things that good tourists could fit into the schedule, like visiting the Palacio de Gobierno - where the President, who was there the day we were there, conducts his business. Inside were some great murals.

The Government Palace

We happened to be in Quito during Carnaval which meant that there was lots going on, especially parades and many people with cans of foam like substance spraying it on everyone. We were all hit with the foam once or twice during the time in Quito as well as the other places we visited. This long 4 day holiday also meant that many Ecuadoreans were traveling for the long weekend and when we wanted to leave to head to Otavalo, our next stop we could not get a bus or if we had waited it would have been for many hours for the two hour trip so we took a cab. The same happened to us the following day when we wanted to go to Mindo and so again the three of us paid for a cab instead of the long wait for a bus. We know enough now not to travel on special holidays like this.

Carnaval in the city

Probably one of the real highlights of the trip was learning about the famous Ecuadorean painter Oswaldo Guyasamin. I cannot explain how it is possible that neither of us had ever heard of him (I hate to admit this). All during our trip had heard about the museum that he had built called Capilla del Hombre - Chapel of Man which represents the suffering of Latin America's indigenous poor and to the underlying hope for something better. We both loved all his artwork and I recommend that you check it out online and certainly visit if you are in Quito.

little varieties of potatos

After these few days in the big city we headed to Otavalo which is known for its indigenous people who still dress in the same styles as they have for centuries. It is also the largest artisan market in South America where people and stores come to shop for beautiful items. Because it rained the whole day we were there we did not spend much time at the market and now have a good reason to go back. We did, however, have an incredible experience in this town. On the bus several days earlier we met this beautiful couple - Marie and Chaski on a bus and I was admiring Marie's embroidered blouse and her native clothing so we struck up a conversation (in spanish) on the bus. When they found out that we were coming to Otavalo they told us about a big concert in the next town and told us to come.

Marie and Chaski (from the band Los Chaskis)

So, when we arrived in Otavalo we called them and they invited us to their home for almuerzo (lunch) and we met their children and their spouses and grandchildren. It was such a wonderful moment in time to meet and have time to talk with them. They are part of an Andean band that spends 6 mos. of every year in Canada so are very successful musicians. We rejoined them later that day and went off to a concert which was a large venue with several bands leading up to the main band from Chili called Illapu. We finally left at 1:00 am and perhaps it went on for another hour. We were the only gringos in a sea of ecuadoreans - over 1000. At some times during the concert we joined them dancing near the stage...kind of a conga line going forward and then changing directions. It is really hard to explain this evening in words but it is a night that all three of us will always remember. I hope to keep in contact with them and even hope that maybe I can help organize to have them come to the US for a concert (Alan...if  you are reading this...what about Grassroots??)

The next day we were off to Mindo. This is the small town (2500-3000 people) where our friends Mark and Rebecca are helping to start a medical clinic. It is a town of mostly Ecuadoreans but there are many tourists coming for the outdoor adventures as well as the incredible birding opportunities. We had a taste of all of these...chocolate factory, coffee roasting company, butterfly garden, hiking, 5:00 am tour to a special place to see a bird called "Cock of the Rock - Gallo de Pena" -  male birds that strut their feathers and squawk at 6am every day and long meals with friends of Mark...getting to know the locals. We saw many other birds as well as 15 or more species of hummingbirds.  I did learn on this trip that I am not really a "birder" and enjoyed the flowers and leaves and colors of the forest more than standing with binoculars looking at birds. I did, however, enjoy watching the other birders.


"Owl" butterflies

We loved this small town and were lucky enough to attend one of the meetings about the upcoming clinic. It was so encouraging to see so many people of different organizations in the town coming together as a community to build this clinic. We intend to go back to Mindo, probably in October, to volunteer with Mark and Rebecca. Richard will help with their patient database and other technology and I will can help with office management and other needs as they come along. I hope that you will all check out their website - www.volunteermedpartners.org. Feel free to make donations and if you know of physicians or other medical people interested in volunteering please let me know and I can get you in touch with them.



Richard and Mark on the early morning birding trip



a few of the birds - really hard for me to get many pictures

So, friends and family our Ecuador travels have come to an end for this time and we are back in Mexico for the next few months. Just to update you all...our plans are to stay here in San Miguel till about June 18 and head back to US for about 6 weeks. We hope to see you all during that time. Then we will come back to Mexico in August and then back to South America for a few months. Details to follow as we plan them.

THANKS all for following our travels. It is wonderful knowing that all our friends and family are with us while we are on the road and please know that we love and miss you all.

March 1 Exciting days in Baños

Baños downtown



This is an incredible country and everytime we take a bus to another part of Ecuador it seems more beautiful and scenic than the last. In our 6 plus weeks we have not missed a day of seeing a river as every city has one or more running through it. Now we are in Baños which of course means bathroom in spanish but also baths...and this town is known for for its many hot baths or pools. The town is surrounded by mountains and one right in town is an active volcano whose last eruption was 2006 when the whole town was evacuated. This volcano´s heat causes the themal waters and minerals which provide the pools for soaking.  One is right next to our hotel which opens at 5am and on Sunday we went at 6am figuring we would be the only people there but found over 200 people joining us at that early hour. The pictures shows the pools after 5pm when the water is emptied and how it looks in the daytime. We have been almost every day early in the morning before breakfast. It is also a nice time to meet others and talk spanish as most of the guests are Ecuadoreans. There are 3 pools going from cold, hot and VERY hot. I like the very hot best and Richard likes the hot. There are also cold showers and I have learned to go from cold to very hot which is quite invigorating. The pool is right at the bottom of a very large waterfall which comes to view as the sun rises. The rest of the 360 degrees has mountains. For future travelers we highly recommend Posada del Arte where we are staying as it is beautiful, great location and delicious food.



Las Piscinas de la Virgen






and with people and water



a view from our bedroom
and from the hot pools

There are many adventures possible for each day and numerous companies and guides.

We had a great guide, Carlos to take us to the Amazon jungle for a long 12 hour day. We drove 2 hours past Puyo to the jungle stopping to buy groceries to make our almuerzo. Carlos studied at a cooking school so we enjoyed cooking and helping him prepare our meal. Our first destination was a Refuge for Monos ... monkeys where they are saved from getting killed in the jungle. An odd occurence happening on and off during the day was a large group who were the contestants for Miss Ecuador along with police, red cross, guides, family, and important tourist people. We left the monkey reserve quickly when this entourage arrived.


we had to remove hats, glasses and
and jewelry so the monos did not grab them

The next stop was the jungle and first to a spot with a large kitchen and area for folks to stay overnight. We helped Carlos cook pasta with pesto and mushroom soup. It was interesting as several other travelers passed through. Our trip was only one da...just a taste of jungle life,  but many of the jungle trips can be 1, 2,3 or up to a week. We shall have to come back for more.

 Next was a walk into the waterfalls and this time we were equipped with high rubber boats so we could go through the rivers. Carlos showed us many plants and even had us try a few leaves and bark. It was a true effort of trust as we just did what he told us to do. In fact, we had very little knowledge before we started about the trip and lived in the moment waiting for Carlos to direct our day. Ricardo and Carlos swam in the waterfalls.

Ricardo takes the plunge

This indigenous woman brought us our boat

incredible scenery in the jungle

Then we took a truck to a spot along the river where there was a long wooden canoe and 6 of us piled in for a canoe trip down the river...mostly propelled by small rapids, once coming very close to some rocks. It felt like a disneyland ride but it was for real. After the boat ride it was about 7pm and we headed back to Baños but along the way Carlos noticed a boa constrictor in the street so we stopped and he picked it up to show it to us. It was scary but fun. We finally arived back to our hotel by 9pm after one big day.

 

a baby boa constrictor

Now friends....if you are not to tired I will go on to tell about our next day ... La Ruta de los Cascades...The route of the waterfalls.

We traveled by double decker bus along the same road we traveled the day before only this time stopping to view incredible waterfalls and crossing the gorges in two different cable cars. Our bus stopped for one hour because of a rockslide on the road and they wanted to be sure there would be no further rocks falling before cleaning it up and allowing the many cars to pass. The final hike down to the Pailon de Diablo waterfall was steep but exciting at the bottom and Richard climbed in the little space to go behind the falls.

behind the Devils Cauldron

one of our cablecars high above the river

Now, Wednesday March 2nd and we are leaving in a little while to head to Quito, the large colonial capital of Ecuador for the final leg of our trip. Love to all and thanks for reading our adventures.

February 24, 2011 Finishing school and our time in Cuenca



 We are now winding down with just one more day here in Cuenca. We have grown very attached to our families and our life here and though it is just over one month it seems in some ways that we have been here for a long time. We know the central part of the city well having walked most of the streets. We have been to many of the museums but not all. Leaving a bit hungry is good so we will have to come back and see what we have missed. Tomorrow we will be saying goodbye to our teachers and school ... bittersweet. If you are looking for a great school in Cuenca check our school...Amauta Fundacion.

As you can see, we  celebrated Ricardo´s birthday with first a cake at school for everyone and then a delicious dinner at our house. Both Yolanda and I cooked using her new grill and made some beautiful works of art. We have both enjoyed cooking together.



Feliz Cumpleanos

 We have visited museums and traveled to Sigsig where most of the hats called Panama hats are made. They really are Monticristos as they originated in a town by the same name in Ecuador. We both have one...Ricardo wearing his and me waiting for a very sunny day which may have to wait till we are back in Mexico.


typical indigenous Ecuadoran costumes




the ¨largest Monticristo hat ... made in Sigsig, Ecuador




working on Ricardo´s new hat




10,000 year old cave in Chobshi ... near Sigsig



Most interesting was the caves and ruins near Sigsig called Chobshi. There is proof of people having lived in these caves about 10,000 years ago as well as more recent ruins of Canari people from about 1600. It is clear when visiting many of these ruins that there are probably many more that have not been uncovered.

Richard entertaining Papacito...Yolanda´s dad

The family out in the campo

We spent our last Sunday with Yolanda´s family visiting their house out in the country. Her dad who we call papacita has some memory problems and loves Ricardo...especially watching him juggle. Reminds us of our dad´s with their problems and it has been nice to be a part of this family.
This week we have had some computer problems and luckily it has been fixed but now everything is in spanish and the keyboard has some limitations such as the fact that I cannot make a dash or close parenthesis. I can, however make ¡ and ¿

We are off to Banos, Quito and Mindo beginning on Saturday so stay tuned for more adventures.

February 14, 2011 A weekend in Loja and Vilcambamba, Ecuador

Happy Valentine's Day to all. We celebrated by spending a weekend on our own traveling south from Cuenca.

On the river in Parque Jiparo, Loja, Ecuador

We left Friday by bus, after finishing our second week of classes, to Loja - a 5 hour bus trip. We stayed at a hotel in the center of town - Hotel Podocarpus. This is a bustling city - about the size of San Miguel - 110,000 people though it felt bigger. It seems to be a town of business and living and we saw virtually no tourists. As typical in Ecuador - there are several churches with small parks for sitting and meeting around them. We have tried a few of the local foods - one we love is humitas - somewhat like tamales but a smoother consistency of cornmeal and usually little cheese. There are loads of specialties that we have not tried - like guinea pig! We walked around both Fri night and Saturday went to two different parks - Parque Jiparo which was like a fantasy land for children with buildings of different countries to visit and learn about. A beautiful lake in the middle and various wildlife around the lake. Then off to another zoological park with animals and a beautiful orchid garden.



Parque Jiparo



plantains and beans



in the zoological park

and we didn't even go to the Galapagos!

Later on Saturday afternoon we took the 1 hour bus to Vilcambamba - the land of longevity. Apparently this town was written up many years ago in Readers Digest because there are so many people living over the age of 100 with good healthy lives, some working into their 90's out in the fields. However our first impressions were that the town (of 4000) is more like Woodstock, NY probably back in the 60's though maybe it is still the same today - hippies all around the center of town in tie dyed clothing selling necklaces and earrings on tables or blankets. Some are Ecuadorean and many others seem to be foreigners but not too many North Americans - many Europeans. From some in town we learned however that there is about 25% of the 4000 who are foreigners of retirement age buying land and living a very simple life with good air and good water and incredible scenery. We did see some large homes dotting the green mountains. Our immediate impression was that it would not be a place to spend months or longer for us but would likely be a place to visit for a a few more days as there are so many wonderful hikes that we heard about and if it were not the rainy season, just beautiful to go to chill out for a few days, It is hard to describe this beautiful land which we saw from the bus rides through the areas and during our exciting hike on Sunday.

making adobe bricks

"cock" fighting ring

On Sunday we got up early and met our guide Angel (which we had arranged the night before) and took off for about 2 miles until we got to the path into the woods heading first along a river and then up into the mountain to a Cascade - big waterfall. It would have been a wonderful hike in good weather but it got much more exciting because it first drizzled and then rained hard so all the rivers and the cascade were flowing very heavily and the path also turned into a muddy river. At first we walked carefully - me trying not to get mud on my shoes but that did not last very long. By the end of the 7 hours - 4 up to the cascade, a little time for delicious lunch prepared by Angel's wife - empanadas with broccoli inside and fruit and then a very careful 3 hours back down - we were soaked and covered with mud. We fell a few times and I took Angel down once as he was holding my hand in precarious spots - not damaging at all as it doesn't hurt when you fall in mud!



check out the mud!



back at the hotel

We returned happy and wet and moved from one hotel to another. There are incredibly beautiful hotels in Vilcambamba (Jardin Escondito on Sat. night and Hosteleria Izhcayluma on Sunday night). After nice long hot showers and changing our clothes we ate at their delicious restaurant. (owned by Germans who liked our German family names).  Again it was pouring at night so off to bed by 8:30 - pooped. We left this morning, Monday back to Cuenca in a van directly which was only 4 hours. Now as I write on Monday my shoes are still wet!  Check out these movies. The first is of the "cascade" and the second is the view from our hotel of the beautiful surroundings. Hard to capture the feel of the mountains and green pastures and village of Vilcambamba but I tried my best.

Traveling in Ecuador is easy, all the people are very friendly, the countryside is awesome and I am understanding a bit more spanish each day. Many people speak quite fast so I am always happy when I find someone who slows down a bit.

It was nice to come "home" to our families and tomorrow we start our 3rd week of school. (We played hookey today).

Feb. 4, 2011 - Finishing the first week of school in Cuenca

Today, Friday was the last day of the first week of school for Ricardo and I. This might be a long blog as I will include our thoughts and things about life with our families and school. First a couple of quick things - we do love this city and it is very cosmopolitan and bustling as any city. There are about 400,000 people and maybe about 800 (supposedly) foreigners here. I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of a future influx of foreigners.  

Yolanda's daughter Bernarda

Our families I live with Yolanda (50 years old) and her 21 year old daughter Bernarda. Yolanda's ex, Diego is still very much a part of the family and they refer to each other as novio's (boyfriend/girlfriend). Yolanda has never cooked vegetarian before but is enthusiastic with everything I make and lets me help in the kitchen whenever I want (which is most of the time). She tells all her friends whenever we are with them about all the combinations of veggies that I have made and we are even planning to hold a "salad making vegetarian cooking class" one of these upcoming weekends. Our home is the third floor of an apartment building and it is 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and simple in design. I am happy to have my own space though we all spend alot of time talking together when we are all home at the same time.

Mi "mama" Yolanda





My house - top floor on the right.

 















Richard's family is composed of a grandmother Mariana, her two daughters (one with husband) and two grandchildren and in addition, one unmarried son which means it is 7 plus Ricardo making 8 in the family - a typical latin american family. Often one of the uncles comes over for a meal. In his house he has his own room (taken from one of the daughters) but they all share one bathroom so Ricardo comes home in the middle of the day for his shower!  They enjoy meals together and Mariana does all the cooking, in fact she does not even want Ricardo's help cleaning up after meals. He is getting spoiled again and I hope I do not have to send him back to "husband's training school" after our time in Cuenca!

El puente de amates - the bridge that we meet at each morning

A typical day for us

We both meet on the bridge which is less than a 5 minute walk from each of our houses - on each side of the River Tomebamba (which runs through the city).  We walk, speaking spanish to each other all the way for 30 minutes to school. Then we have classes from 8-noon with a break at 10:00 when all the students and teachers gather for snack and tea/coffee. It is a fun part of the day as we get to meet some of the other students. This school only offers one-on-one teaching and it is geared to the students level and needs. The first day I had a test and nearly freaked out and went home because it seemed so hard, confusing and I could not remember much of what I learned (or at least that is how I felt). Nevertheless, I was placed as an intermeediate and am reviewing all the tenses that I have learned with some new information and vocubulary. My teaching day goes like this - review homework, read a short story with a moral and then discuss the story, grammar review, conversation, more grammar if needed that day, reading for pronounciation and understanding yesterday a discussion on a controversial subject.  Richard's teacher spends more time on conversation. Next week we will trade teachers for a few days to experience different teaching styles. At the present time our plans are to stay here for the whole month - not sure what accomodations for the whole time but you can stay tuned for that.  At about noon we leave school and walk back to our homes for "almuerzo" the big meal of the day. I usually help cook and we eat together, often with some friendss of Bernarda's joining us. Richard has some subset of his family for his meal at 1:30.  Then we walk back to school when their is an afternoon event (including - city tour, cooking class, museum tour or salsa dancing) every day except Friday. Then back home for evening meal and computer for me and TV for Ricardo.  We have had several friends from San Miguel visiting in town so we have met up with them a few times and also have some new friends that we met at the hotel that we stayed at the first few days, along with some from school and will probably catch up with them next week.

And a little more....

Last weekend, the first day with our families, my family took Ricardo and me to two small towns outside of Cuenca that are known for indigenous crafts - one is Gualaceo and the other Chordeleg. We were able to go to the studio of a weaver who dyes all his own yarn and makes IKAT, a type of weave. Of course we bought me a scarf (and one for Yolanda too).  We have been to a "panama" hat factory. Panama hats actually originate in Ecuador and most are made in Cuenca and the small surrounding towns. They are really called Montecristi - named for the most famous town of its origins in Ecuador. In the 1800's the Spaniards exported them to Panama and soon the world began thinking they came from there. They are still made here, each by hand and there are several levels of hats. Here they run from 20.00-500.00 but apparently they can be bought in the US for much higher prices. I have not chosen mine yet, but I am surely going to get one - they are very lightweight.


Weaving IKAT - a type of weaving style



Church in Chordeleg

Today, still Friday as I am writing, both of our teachers took us to a marketplace where indigenous women use plants, eggs, herbs, flowers, water and not sure what else to bless people and to remove evil spirits. They do this for adults and children. They also can be seen spitting some liquids on their clients.


my professor - Mayra



Richard's professor - Patricia

in the market