Last two weeks in Ecuador - amazing adventures

Banos church at night

Banos hot pools

Hike to the Virgen

Once again we have found new adventures and repeated a few that we have enjoyed on earlier trips. Leaving Cuenca is always a bit sad as we had to say goodbye once again to Yolanda and the rest of the family. We headed out by bus to Riobamba for one night on our way to Banos - the town of hotsprings that we have visited 3 years ago. You all probably realize by know that we love hot water (especially Ricardo) so we celebrated his birthday with a hotel with jacuzzi followed by the big pools of volcanic hot mineral water a block from our hotel. We went every day and especially enjoyed going at 6am with the earlybirds. Amazingly - there are always folks there and very few tourists...mostly Ecuadoreanos. We enjoyed two hikes - one up to the Virgin Mary who looks over the city and another on the opposite side of the deep canyon. We never saw Volcano Tungharhua - the one that erupted the day we arrived to Ecuador and caused our delay to Cuenca because of ash. It was always buried in clouds during this visit.

Land of sugar cane

Tomato crop along the trail

another steep climb

Crossing the deep canyon for our hike

friendly visitors along the way

Latacunga is home to the famous
Mama Negra festival in Sept of each year

After lots of hot water we were off to Latacunga and then to Chungchillan which is a tiny village of 80 people and home to "The Black Sheep Inn" - an eco lodge deep in the mountains. We had heard

Our room with wood burning stove

Somehow I missed a picture of the black sheep

about this place several years ago and I have read books and articles about the small villages around Lake Quilotoa and have wanted to go to see this volcanic lake. The sight of it was awesome and we spent a long and challenging day hiking the rim of this extinct volcano. See Richard's thoughts and feelings on this hike below. Here you will see amazing photos of our day and none will do justice to the sight and color of this lake.

First view!!!

color changing all day - depends on the sun

See the tiny trail behind us - we walked
that rim

with our new friend Emily from London

The following day I went on another harrowing rim hike with our new friend Emily called "Skywalk". This was shorter but equally beautiful with mountain, canyon, valley, farm and GREEN everywhere.

On the skywalk

Emily on the edge

We left these beautiful mountains for the big city of Quito. The new airport was built outside the city so we are staying in a hotel near the airport in order to catch our early flight tomorrow back to Mexico. 

A view from inside the home of Guyasamin
 looking towards Quito

Another spot that had been on my list to see in Ecuador was the thermal waters of Papallacta

One of the many pools at Papallacta

and we went there yesterday. Today we had a chance to go again to the Museum of the Ecuadorean artist Oswaldo Guyasamin. We learned about him and visited the museum three years ago but this time we were able to see his home and studio which is now part of this museum. He is one of Ecuador's most famous artists and depicts the sad and difficult lives of people all over the world.

"Tenderness"

"I cry because I don't have shoes
until I saw a child who had no feet"

One of many hands of Guyasamin

Here are Richard's thoughts and feelings about the hike of the Quilotoa Lake Rim trail.

Some times in life the best experiences are the most difficult.  I would like to share this one with the readers of this blog.  This is our third time visiting this exquisite country called Ecuador.  I will keep my discourse only to this main hike that we took together called the "the Quilotoa rim trail" which we finished just a few days ago. I would have liked to have written this right after or even during the hike since the mind tends to change with time and forgets some of the most difficult experiences and details. I believe that this is a good thing, but I will try and do my best here to describe it.

"King of the mountain"

As with most adventures that we take, I prefer to know as little as possible and let the experience be my guide.  With this incredible hike at 13000 feet where the air is thinner then normal the difficulty of breathing becomes the experience and all of your perspective takes a back seat. This is like experiencing a new color or realizing something new for the first time. I have hiked a bit higher to 14000 feet at Macchu Pichu but never felt or appreciated my body as much and gave thanks to my genealogy and the great care that Susan has given to me all these years so we could still take these kinds of adventure type holidays.

Colors changing every moment

Now back to the hike. As I said earlier the crater was spectacular at 13000 feet. Walking 12 K around the rim we found the terrain very hilly with ups and downs and in the middle was the most beautiful lake possible with forever changing colors. The mineral content and clouds create the palette for the sun to paint and it painted it with these beautiful colors and shadows. 

The clouds rolling in

Now for the hike. The first hill to climb was almost vertical where we needed to use both hands to climb up. Up until that point it seemed like a walk in park. We have decided that a walk becomes a hike when more then two feet are needed and this was only the beginning. On both sides of the trail were sheer drops and with any slip you would probably not make it and if you did, you might wish that you didn't.  In the last few years two hikers had fallen to their deaths. I was so happy that we found a qualified guide to show us the way around this massive crater call volcano Quilotoa.  So what happened.  After the first and largest peak my legs gave out and my breath was deep gasping for air and for revival. I was ready to turn back until the guide (Miguel) told me that the return would have been harder.  I always take a good laugh at myself when humbled and once again I was laughing with a kind of joy realizing my humanity once again.  I was with Susan and a new friend from England named Emily. We were all having a hard time except I wanted out. After a much needed rest we went forward and some how my body got the second wind like a little miracle. There were more hills but not as high as the first and at times I was still using all fours.  About half way around a heavy fog or at this altitude we call them clouds set in so for the next 2 hours we could only see the path in front of us and thankfully the guide was a angel to get us through this. Soon the clouds cleared and the view of this incredible natural beauty appeared once again for the rest of our hike.  

Again I am so happy to have experienced this event which one can only do If one so desires to have these kind holidays. I know it is not for everyone.  But in these times when you push yourself a bit harder there is a different kind of feeling... hard to describe... that comes over oneself during a personal challenge. To push to your edge and to go just a little bit further is like a deep meditation because then and only then are you really putting yourself in the present moment and this is something that I really enjoy.  At the end of the hike I was glad that it was over but after a few days out now, I am looking forward to our next adventure.
Always,
Ricardo

So friends....thanks again for traveling with both of us...here you see our writing and thinking styles...different but yet I am so grateful to have found a partner to enjoy the amazing adventures that we have together. Stay tuned soon for our March/April adventures in Chiapas, Mexico.

Back in Ecuador...two weeks in Cuenca

Olmec at Museo

Museo de Anthropologia

 We are on the go again. First we traveled to Mexico City and saw the ruins of Templo Mayor as well as the Archeological Museum which offers so much on each visit. I wish I could remember all that I see but I don't. I like seeing the artifacts but mostly like to see the various cultures of history and places we have been traveling - Maya, Aztec and Inca. Someday I will sit down and learn about the time periods that they each cover and who was trading or fighting with whom. Amazing are the things that are found - pottery, cookware, jewelry, etc.

Mitad del Mundo -
The Equator

Rio Tomebamba - Cuenca

Then we were off to Ecuador. We arrived in Quito at 5:30 am and waited for our 8:30 flight to Cuenca. As luck would have it, we learned at about 8am that the airport in Cuenca was closed due to ash from the Volcano Tungurahua which erupted late the day before. Due to wind currents the airport was closed for several days. We made quick friends with folks sitting around also waiting to go to Cuenca and discovered an expat travel group planning to visit places in Ecuador with ideas of moving here. We spent the day with them - went to "Mitad del Mundo" - the Equator and then stayed in a convent that night with the group of 40. Plans were to leave the next morning by plane but the airport was still closed so they rented a bus for their group and were kind enough to take us along. I had my moment of "tour guide" as they gave me the microphone on the bus to talk about our "expat" life in Mexico. Guess I always wanted to be a guide and this was my chance. Since we had 12 hours on the bus there was no hurry and I could answer questions from the group.

La Familia

Finally we arrived in Cuenca on Monday night instead of Sunday morning and were reunited with our family - Yolanda, Bernarda (daughter who is a medical intern in a small village 3 hrs away). Diego (husband) and two new friends - Sara (whom I met in SMA in 2013) and Max, a 20 year old University student. So now we had 4 students all studying at the same school - Fundacion Amauta. Fun moments were sitting around the dining room table after dinner doing our homework, asking each other questions about our lives, speaking Spanish and laughing together. To me it felt like being a kid again.

Cooking class at school with Marcella

Traveling gives us such a wide experience of family and cultural life. This being our third time with "our" family, we have begun to learn the ins and outs and the ups and downs of their lives. Perhaps like many families there is a bit of a "soap opera" feel to their lives. Of course we are hearing everything in Spanish so it is harder to understand each detail but it is a great way to learn via listening and to appreciate the similarity of all people, no matter where we are. Having friends here gives us a completely different life than the usual travel life of hotels, restaurants, etc.

Cuenca is a very pretty city of 500,000 people and the expat presence is much larger than it was 2 1/2 years ago when we were here last. There are many new restaurants that cater to "gringos" and the prices for meals have increased as well. We frequented a few of them as well as others. It is still amazing that one can get a complete "almuerzo" which consists of soup, meal, drink and sometimes dessert for $2.00-$2.50.

Family in Saraguro

One Saturday we went with Sara by bus to Saraguro - a small village of indigenous people and the women specialize in beaded jewelry. What fun it was for us to buy loads of beautiful items and talk with the women. I showed them a few things that I had made myself as well as necklaces from Mexico as each design of culture is a bit different. Walking around gave us a chance to see their clothing - still the same as the past - each village having its own style of decoration.

Sharing bead techniques with
artists from Saraguro

The men in Saraguro wear dress pants that are cut off at the knees and all the women wear heavy jewelry and big beaded collars, including the young.

In the church at Saraguro

combination of broccoli and cauliflower

Birthday celebration -
Ricardo and Poppie

The men of Saraguro

Winding down our time today with dinner at home with the family including Yolanda's parents, a pre birthday celebration for Ricardo and Poppie who turns 90 next week. Taking a group photo was entertainment trying to get the dog to cooperate. This will be a memory that we will all keep for a long time. Many tears as we said goodbye to our family as we do not know when we will see them again. Tomorrow we are off for our last two weeks in Ecuador - Banos and Quilotoa Loop. We wanted to return to Banos as we loved it last time and Quilotoa loop will be completely new to us. 

Thanks again for traveling with us and love from the both of us.

The family together...
La abuelita, Yolanda, Poppie, David,
Bernarda and Pucha

Patagonia...an amazing adventure

Wow...this was an amazing trip and very difficult to summarize in words or photos as the grandeur was beyond them both. Ricardo and I have spent some time thinking about the trip as we are now back in Mexico after a 2 night red eye trip. Patagonia is FAR away! Though I am writing, there is a mixture of both of our thoughts on this trip. You will see some of the many scenery photos that I took. There were 360 degrees of mountains with snow and beautiful skies to photgraph.

Penguins in Turis-Otway

Here are a few facts...we were a group of 19 hikers, 23 runners and 4-6 guides at various times. The owner of Andes Adventures, Devi was with us all the way as a runner, and his guide, Abelardo from Cusco was with us the whole time as well. At different times in Chile and Argentina, especially in the national parks, we had local guides. We were in 3 different national parks, hiked close to 60 miles, were together for 17 days, stayed in hostels with 6 in a room (3 bunk beds) in Torres del Paine National Park, visited the towns of Punta Arena, El Calafate, El Chalten, Ushuaia (southernmost city in the world) and lastly in Buenos Aires for 3 days. We traveled by bus, plane, boat and by foot. In fact, the only option in Torres del Paine National Park was by foot from hostel to hostel.

Teamwork

We were a bunch of 42+ people with a mix of marathoners, ultra marathoners, hikers and walkers in various levels of fitness. Everyone had different goals or ideas of what they wanted to do each day. Although most were well traveled and knowledgeable on what they like to do, we all followed the lead of the guides since we were in their care in this wild and wooly place. It was interesting to watch this large group morph from folks who did not know each other at all, to a close knit family by the end. And where did we fit into this group? Ricardo is funny and friendly to all. I am quieter and tending to my own needs...physically, especially. Richard feels that what is most important to him is to be a part of the group however at times he enjoys being alone with nature and his own thoughts. I loved watching him joke around with everyone, help folks who needed help and just enjoy the company of the group. He says that he is very proud of himself that what comes out of his mouth, more and more, is a type of Spanish that can allow him to develop friendships with Spanish speaking people, like the guides on this trip. He often uses his Mexican Spanish expressions and gets a good laugh from everyone. We were some of the few who did speak Spanish on this trip.

Weather...

We had all 4 seasons in an hour, half day or day with only one day in a short sleeved tee shirt and this was their summer! Many days we had layers of clothing and hats and/or gloves on and off all day. The wind was the strongest I ever experienced....almost all the time. If there was only one word to describe the weather I would use "WILD".

Food... It was not difficult to be a vegetarian but hard to be a vegan especially not eating wheat. I did manage most of the time with lots of nuts and fruit. All our meals were included in our tour and many days we had box lunches to carry (lots of cheese sandwiches for Ricardo). We drank water right from the streams. We asked many many times if it was OK and always got the same answer- yes it is fresh and fine for drinking. I tried a berry from the Calafate bush - if you eat them, you will return to Patagonia. We met a women who was eating dandelion leaves from the wild in her salads as well as other fruits and berries she found along the way. Most of the restaurant food was good and meat eaters loved the piles of lamb and beef that were served in both Chile and Argentina - especially in Buenos Aires. Devi did take good care of the vegetarians and got us special meals in each of these places.

Personal comfort

Hostels vs hotels. We like the camaraderie of hostels. We had 5 nights in hostels with 6 in our room. There was no other way to get between them but to hike. This was a huge challenge for me as I developed some knee problems after the very hard first day which got worse the next few days. We were in Hostel Torres, Los Cuernos and Paine Grande (all in Torres del Paine national park). Hotels were more comfortable and of course, nice to be on our own. I found it challenging to always be with so many people...especially at meal times, in restaurants. The noise level was high, and we could only sit with a few to talk. As we were traveling together between places on buses, boats and planes, we were always part of a large group. Day by day the group grew closer and closer. It was a bit sad saying good bye to each other at the airport and at the hotel in Buenos Aires. There are a few we will hopefully see again somewhere, sometime. These are all very adventurous travelers so it will not surprise us if we catch up again. Maybe a few will come and visit us in San Miguel de Allende.

Celebrating our anniversary in a little
tea shop in El Calafate

People are very friendly In both Chile and Argentina. There were many, many hikers from all over the world. All the hostels in the national parks were full. This was not only the holiday season, but the beginning of their summer vacations. We had a big Christmas dinner at the hostel on Christmas Eve and celebrated New Years in our hotel in Ushuaia though everyone did not stay up till midnight. We also celebrated our 23rd anniversary on Dec 30th. On New Year's Eve we met up with my sister-in-law Mei Mei's cousin Nick and his wife Tracey who were on a different hiking trip and we knew we would be in the same place at the same time....small world for sure.

Getting on the boat to leave
Torres del Paine National Park
(in the rain!)

Tour traveling...for us the tour traveling is good, especially for all the logistics. I think we were slightly over our heads for this type of hiking and I think in the future I will do a bit more checking before signing up for a big adventure of this type. I am more of a walker than a hiker. There were many ups and downs, uneven terrain, boulders to climb over on the first day, rivers and mud, etc. I developed a very sore knee on the first day which made downhills very uncomfortable and slow for that day and the next few. It was better by our last day of hiking. We were very happy with Andes Adventures with their great guides and so very well organized.

Wow moments - glaciers, mountains, wild flowers, Torres del Paine, penguins, sea lions, foxes, guanacos (from the llama family), color of lakes...aquamarine which seemed like they were painted (from the minerals in the glaciers), soothing colors, sitting on rocks and meditating, wind in our face, leaning into the wind and not falling. I had one moment when the wind was so strong I had to kneel on all fours alone on a corner as I turned and the wind was so strong I was afraid to move. I could not call ahead to Deborah. I thought it was a long time and thought about how people would freeze to death in the really cold weather. I was not afraid as I knew the wind would pass but it was a bit scary. For Christmas eve we were gifted with a complete rainbow!

Perito Moreno Glacier

What did we learn? I learned that I am a walker, not a hiker. Sometimes it felt like a really bad joke...every time we asked how long someone told us 10-15 minutes and it was more like hours. Also the terrains were described as rolling up and downs but that was not how it seemed to me. Is this a lesson? Perhaps not to ask questions and to experience the moment, but when suffering in discomfort, that is hard to do. We have connected with mother nature and magnificent scenery. We learned about glaciers and land created by glaciers. Both London and Torres de Paine are at about the same latitude (50) yet the climates are so different...as a result of the strong winds in Patagonia. On the boulder field on first day our guide told us that each year when he comes it is different as the wind blows and snow move the rocks. It would be nice to be more knowledgeable on weather. Richard wants to study more about geology. We saw a differences between the management of the parks in Chile vs. Argentina and the differences between the private sections of the park, and the public sections. The public sections were much better maintained. 

I also learned to STOP making comparisons. I spent a bit of time in the beginning comparing myself and my hiking abilities to this elite group of folks till I finally realized that comparisons are worthless...as they are only a moment in time and there is nothing to compare among us all in these ways. There are always better and worse, larger and smaller, smarter and less smart and I never compare others to me, so why would I want to waste another moment comparing myself to others. This was a big lesson for me.

At the southernmost post office in the world
Got a special stamp in our passport!

The whole hiking group on our last hike in
Tierra del Fuego National Park

We spent the last few days of our trip in Buenos Aires. It is a large and beautiful city and would have been nice to have more time to explore. We chose to go out ourselves one night to one of the BEST vegetarian/vegan restaurants we have ever been to - BIO. We recommend it highly.

In Buenos Aires...not sure if there
was a purpose to these tree warmers!

Buenos Aires colorful buildings

Sidewalk in Buenos Aires

Color in Buenos Aires

Meeting our friends in CA from our Inca Trail Adventure
of 6 years ago - before heading to Patagonia

Hanging out with Tom in Beaumont, CA

We got to meet our cousin Jackie Gish and her husband
David in Glendale, CA. We have connected
through email about our family tree so nice to meet.

There were a few amazing events as well that happened during our travels. You all know that I am good at connecting and since we had a few days in CA before heading off to Patagonia, we had a chance to see our friend Tom who I know for over 30 years. It was nice to catch up and decorate his tree together.
Then we met 4 of the group of travelers from our Inca Trail event at the LA airport the night before we left. Then we headed to Glendale CA to meet Jackie and David Gish. We had connected this summer over many emails about our large family tree - of the decendents of 16 children born in Frankfurt. Then we met another relative in Buenos Aires on our last morning there. I suspect that we will meet more and more of our relatives as we discover their whereabouts.

Our "cousin" Ricardo Schlesinger from Buenos Aires

We both want to wish you a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR and are grateful for your traveling with us on our special adventures. We feel so fortunate that we are physically and financially able to take such incredible trips.