Today I rode bikes through Baños with Alejandro. We passed under waterfalls, jumped puddles, cruised curvy mountain roads. In other words, I went mountain-biking on a mountain bike! We also rode an open-air cable car across a huge canyon. On the other side, I hopped in a tire swing and laughed as I flew through the air. I almost did a bridge jump too, but prefer to go with people I know & trust. But don´t worry, I purchased the ¨Extreme Sports Rider¨ with my travel insurance policy. It looks like great fun! I watched a man leap from the bridge...he looked really scared!
We continued on to the Pailon del Diablo. The trip from Baños is about 17 kilometers, so there and back made 34 km, about 21 miles or so in total, I think. A crater full of water at the top of the mountain funnels down into a powerful downpour of a waterfall. We had to hike a bit to see the cascades. I went to the top of the cascade for the view and ended up climbing through crevices to pass behind the falls. I´m a little scared of caves and cramped spaces apparently, so it was a challenge to go it alone and face that fear. I got pretty muddy too but didn´t mind one bit. A great day for exercise, except for a 15 minute rain shower that left me soaked. I lost a toenail too, dagnabbit!
We also crossed a bridge that can only hold 5 people at a time. The planks are not strong enough to support the weight of more people than that. It suspends over the rapids gushing down from the cascade. Back at the top, we ate lunch. The garbage can at the restaurant was a tree trunk lined with a plastic bag. How ingenious!
And on the way back from Baños, you have to pass through dark tunnels in the mountains at certain junctures. As the majority of the clothes I have with me are black, no cars could see me in the tunnels. And there are no lights. Period. We had to wait for a car headed into the tunnels to light the way. Only problem is that then you have to bust your tush to maintain a decent speed for the car trailing you! I wasn´t moving too fast, but the driver at least held out until I could see daylight again.
So tomorrow is the travel day to Montañita. Oh yeah! I love the beach! Say a prayer that the plans don´t change...AGAIN!
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
Liqui-gel, anyone?
So the shopping trip to Ambato did happen. I bought more JIF (crunchy) and pickles!! God bless Super Maxi! Oh, and I picked up a pair of shoes too...they were only $25 and darn cute. I can always make room in my bag for shoes, you know.
After we got back from Ambato, I made chocolate cookies, not from scratch (waah), couldn´t find semi-sweet morsels. DAMN. But with the help of Betty Crocker, I made a few Ecuadorians and a Russian happy in, count ´em, 22 minutes!
I´ve developed a cold since returning to Baños and have been taking my malaria pills and Advil liqui-gels to cure it. Who knew that malaria pills were also antibiotics? Smart, I say, smart. And liqui-gels...those things are like smack!! Not that I know what smack´s like, but the moment you pop one of them puppies, the pain subsides...lovely!
After we got back from Ambato, I made chocolate cookies, not from scratch (waah), couldn´t find semi-sweet morsels. DAMN. But with the help of Betty Crocker, I made a few Ecuadorians and a Russian happy in, count ´em, 22 minutes!
I´ve developed a cold since returning to Baños and have been taking my malaria pills and Advil liqui-gels to cure it. Who knew that malaria pills were also antibiotics? Smart, I say, smart. And liqui-gels...those things are like smack!! Not that I know what smack´s like, but the moment you pop one of them puppies, the pain subsides...lovely!
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Baby Daisy
I returned to Baños last night. My friend Lenin´s brother & his wife had their baby this morning and there´s a party planned. I´m also headed to Montañita again with a bunch of people from Baños, so I figured I´d make the trip with the gang. It´s nice in Baños now, like October in NYC, but the people here think it´s freezing! I can´t imagine how they´d fair in an actual winter!
I went to the hospital today to the the mama and baby. She was wrapped in yellow & in an illuminated bed to the right of her mom. The whole family came to visit but I´m not sure where the dad was. They haven´t named the baby yet...interesting. She looked like a daisy all wrapped up. I picked up 2 bottles of champagne for the party but they can´t leave the hospital until Tuesday, so the fun will have to wait.
I went to the hospital today to the the mama and baby. She was wrapped in yellow & in an illuminated bed to the right of her mom. The whole family came to visit but I´m not sure where the dad was. They haven´t named the baby yet...interesting. She looked like a daisy all wrapped up. I picked up 2 bottles of champagne for the party but they can´t leave the hospital until Tuesday, so the fun will have to wait.
Open Mind
Ok, so I have to remember wisdom when traveling. Not my own, or other people´s, but the notion of it in itself. The two people with whom I was annoyed yesterday were young. And I know better. Not that being young equates with anything, hell, I´m young and age only a number. But last night I had two separate conversations with two different men, strangers to me, Antonio from Spain, and Leo from Ecuador, both probably in their late 40s early 50s. We covered a range of topics from illegal immigrants working in our respective countries & the pros & cons, to movies, bus travel and religion. The Spaniard said he didn´t believe in God. The Ecuadorian did, but also mentioned world unity. That as people we have to come together to share and negotiate for all. His words reminded me that I have to keep an open mind and that I cannot be offended by a quick conversation or off-hand comment. People can call me whatever they want...Anne or Ana usually works just fine...I´m finding that random people met on a bus or in a restaurant or on the side of the road tend to have more of an open mind than foreigners traveling the world. It´s surprising that a person living in the middle of nowhere in the mountains of Ecuador has a more worldly view than someone from a burgeoning metropolis. I´m learning that I much prefer the authentic experience, talking to people in the communities and in stores more than other travelers in my hotel. And I prefer to speak Spanish with a stray remark or word in English, to learn and share, rather than argue about politics or jockey for some sort of position.
Yesterday, I saw a fileted pig. Its back on the table, its ribcage split open, pools of blood in the valleys of the ribcage. A woman sliced off portions of the pig per order. And there are so many unusual animals here. In the garden at Cafecito, there is a bird that sounds exactly like a frog! And in Baños, every so often, I heard this wild screech...almost like something out of Jurassic Park. I never found out what it was, but imagined a velociraptor!
Yesterday, I saw a fileted pig. Its back on the table, its ribcage split open, pools of blood in the valleys of the ribcage. A woman sliced off portions of the pig per order. And there are so many unusual animals here. In the garden at Cafecito, there is a bird that sounds exactly like a frog! And in Baños, every so often, I heard this wild screech...almost like something out of Jurassic Park. I never found out what it was, but imagined a velociraptor!
Saturday, February 24, 2007
An American in Cuenca
Last night I hung out with several people also staying at El Cafecito. We were discussing languages, a woman from Switzerland who speaks four languages, a man from Norway who also speaks four languages, a woman from Chile who speaks two, and me (I can manage in English, Spanish, Latin and American Sign Language...). The Chilean asked about the difference between up-side-down and inside-out. Hmm...not sure how to explain that one. She also mentioned that she gained over 15 pounds in the month and a half that she lived in the States. She said that she enjoyed eating all that we eat and as much as we eat but that when she returned to Chile, none of her clothes fit! She also wasn't able to smoke wherever she wanted like she can in Chile. She said that probably added to it too.
At one point, we were talking about the names used for travelers and I asked what people from the US are called. The Chilean said Norte Americanos. Claro. So I asked about Canadians and Mexicans. They're from North America as well but aren't called North Americans, just Canadians and Mexicans...hmm. What's that about? I mentioned that we call ourselves Americans and Fran got insulted. She said that South Americans are Americans just the same. It got a bit heated. My point: what other country has the word America in its name? It's not that we're the only Americans but is there another country with that actual word in the name? I couldn't think of one, nor could she. So...it's logical, not elitist. In truth, we're called gringos. There is some hostility toward the US and its people here. Understandable, I guess, the perception being that we've got it easy. We don't work for a month to be paid $200. But at the same time, it's hard to handle the assumptions made about my life just because I'm from the United States. And I think Mexico is actually the United States of Mexico, so technically, a Mexican could say, "I'm from Estados Unidos" the same as I say. Solution: I just tell people that I'm originally from Atlanta, GA and live in New York now...
Oh and one more thing. I exchanged maybe six sentences with a guy from Holland last night as well. He asked me in what language I preferred to speak and I told him, "Espanol, Ingles, cualquier linguaje. No me importa..." He took it upon himself to tell me that his professor said that "No me importa" (it's not important) is really rude and that I shouldn't say it. I asked the Chilean and it's a crock. The guy from Holland also offered up his Spanish lessons book to me. Wow. It's funny to think I've been here a month and haven't run into a problem communicating with native Spanish speakers, only with people learning to speak it themselves.
At one point, we were talking about the names used for travelers and I asked what people from the US are called. The Chilean said Norte Americanos. Claro. So I asked about Canadians and Mexicans. They're from North America as well but aren't called North Americans, just Canadians and Mexicans...hmm. What's that about? I mentioned that we call ourselves Americans and Fran got insulted. She said that South Americans are Americans just the same. It got a bit heated. My point: what other country has the word America in its name? It's not that we're the only Americans but is there another country with that actual word in the name? I couldn't think of one, nor could she. So...it's logical, not elitist. In truth, we're called gringos. There is some hostility toward the US and its people here. Understandable, I guess, the perception being that we've got it easy. We don't work for a month to be paid $200. But at the same time, it's hard to handle the assumptions made about my life just because I'm from the United States. And I think Mexico is actually the United States of Mexico, so technically, a Mexican could say, "I'm from Estados Unidos" the same as I say. Solution: I just tell people that I'm originally from Atlanta, GA and live in New York now...
Oh and one more thing. I exchanged maybe six sentences with a guy from Holland last night as well. He asked me in what language I preferred to speak and I told him, "Espanol, Ingles, cualquier linguaje. No me importa..." He took it upon himself to tell me that his professor said that "No me importa" (it's not important) is really rude and that I shouldn't say it. I asked the Chilean and it's a crock. The guy from Holland also offered up his Spanish lessons book to me. Wow. It's funny to think I've been here a month and haven't run into a problem communicating with native Spanish speakers, only with people learning to speak it themselves.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Spondiluz and TLC
Tiled rooftops, cobblestone streets, Cuenca is gorgeous. 
The river that runs through the town is a brook more than a river. Grasses line the riverbanks, as do all sorts of trees and flowers.
Women and their children wash clothes in the river and leave it all on the grasses of the banks to dry. Cuenca is a combination of quiant English country-side and tropical paradise. It's similar to Savannah too, but bigger, wider streets, more people. Colonial, that's what it is.
And when I read that it's a colonial town, I expected an old-world feel, but with colonial, one has to remember, at which mother country's hand the city was originally colonized. Spain, Spain indeed. I've yet to visit, but a woman on the street today made mention that Cuenca is more like Spain than Spain itself.
The owner, Dueña Laura, of a three-floor postcard shop took it upon herself to give me a lesson in local culture today. The chosen topic was spondiluz, a conch, the shells from which local artisans make all sorts of jewelry and crafts. Laura also recommended a couple of tourist trips but they sounded more like traps than cool, fun adventures.
I visited the main cathedral today that stands unfinished. It's a grand accomplishment as it is, but I read that the grandeur wanted and expected was even greater. Two towers were to house several huge church bells but the towers were deemed unable to support the weight of the bells.
So the cathedral stands unfinished, two tower levels high with no bells, the third level to remain a dream in the architect's mind.
I also spent about an hour today looking for the cinema. One is rumored to have movies in English with Spanish subtitles at one cinema here, so I sought it out. It's now a car park.
Like New York, graffiti is quite popular throughout Ecuador. Here, however, the messages are usually either expressions of love or political statements. I first saw a "No TLC" tag in Baños and first thought of the hip hop group from the 90s, then, thought of tender loving care.
Neither is correct, of course. It's a statement against free trade, technically "No Tratado Libre Comercio." A movement against US politics, particularly against the capitalist idea of free trade, it stands for locals against signing a free trade agreement with the US.
A bit more graffiti, I guess in Ecuador, punk has died.
The river that runs through the town is a brook more than a river. Grasses line the riverbanks, as do all sorts of trees and flowers. Women and their children wash clothes in the river and leave it all on the grasses of the banks to dry. Cuenca is a combination of quiant English country-side and tropical paradise. It's similar to Savannah too, but bigger, wider streets, more people. Colonial, that's what it is.
And when I read that it's a colonial town, I expected an old-world feel, but with colonial, one has to remember, at which mother country's hand the city was originally colonized. Spain, Spain indeed. I've yet to visit, but a woman on the street today made mention that Cuenca is more like Spain than Spain itself.The owner, Dueña Laura, of a three-floor postcard shop took it upon herself to give me a lesson in local culture today. The chosen topic was spondiluz, a conch, the shells from which local artisans make all sorts of jewelry and crafts. Laura also recommended a couple of tourist trips but they sounded more like traps than cool, fun adventures.
I visited the main cathedral today that stands unfinished. It's a grand accomplishment as it is, but I read that the grandeur wanted and expected was even greater. Two towers were to house several huge church bells but the towers were deemed unable to support the weight of the bells.
So the cathedral stands unfinished, two tower levels high with no bells, the third level to remain a dream in the architect's mind.I also spent about an hour today looking for the cinema. One is rumored to have movies in English with Spanish subtitles at one cinema here, so I sought it out. It's now a car park.
Like New York, graffiti is quite popular throughout Ecuador. Here, however, the messages are usually either expressions of love or political statements. I first saw a "No TLC" tag in Baños and first thought of the hip hop group from the 90s, then, thought of tender loving care.
Neither is correct, of course. It's a statement against free trade, technically "No Tratado Libre Comercio." A movement against US politics, particularly against the capitalist idea of free trade, it stands for locals against signing a free trade agreement with the US.A bit more graffiti, I guess in Ecuador, punk has died.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Baños a Cuenca
Leaving Baños is a lot harder than I expected it would be. It´s not difficult to hop on a bus for somewhere else, but it is hard to leave people who ROCK. I wasn´t a part of the group exactly but was becoming a face in a certain crowd of people all of whom I´ve grown to adore. And when I told them I might never leave, their faces lit up and they cheered. It´s not so much that it´s me, but that it´s a shared experience, as though they too had found Baños or Baños them and had never left. I don´t know what I´d do in Baños, how I would earn a living or how I´d adjust to living in a small town that thrives off of tourism. I think I would be the first American extrañera there though...
On the buses, vendors hop on & off selling piña, secos de pollo, helados, porta tarjetas and sometimes even their own agenda. This morning there was a guy putting candy in everyone´s hands, talking about his family and their suffering. Why is someone who is suffering giving away candy on a bus? After the speech about his family and the plea for help, he came back around to collect the dough you owe him for taking the candy. Ah! There´s the rub!
Our second security checkpoint--Thursday must be a good day for busting people without proper registration.
There is a train that passes from Riobamba to Alausi but never seems to be functioning. This particular stretch is the only remaining track in use in all of Ecuador. With such steep mountains all the way down to sea level, trains derail frequently, landslides long since having left other lines in ruins. On the bus south to Cuenca today, we followed alongside the train tracks. There were sheep, farmers, cows, children, goats, dogs, farms, but no trains. They say you have to have luck to be able to catch the train. And as it is, you ride on the top of the cars in the sun...or rain. Several extrañeros hopped on the bus last minute before leaving the terminal in Riobamba, so I´m guessing the train wasn´t running. I didn´t feel too great riding a bus through curvy terrain at such high altitudes with people who have bad luck! But I made it and am staying at El Cafecito a hotel with a happenin´ restuarant and bar. A´ight!
On the buses, vendors hop on & off selling piña, secos de pollo, helados, porta tarjetas and sometimes even their own agenda. This morning there was a guy putting candy in everyone´s hands, talking about his family and their suffering. Why is someone who is suffering giving away candy on a bus? After the speech about his family and the plea for help, he came back around to collect the dough you owe him for taking the candy. Ah! There´s the rub!
Our second security checkpoint--Thursday must be a good day for busting people without proper registration.
There is a train that passes from Riobamba to Alausi but never seems to be functioning. This particular stretch is the only remaining track in use in all of Ecuador. With such steep mountains all the way down to sea level, trains derail frequently, landslides long since having left other lines in ruins. On the bus south to Cuenca today, we followed alongside the train tracks. There were sheep, farmers, cows, children, goats, dogs, farms, but no trains. They say you have to have luck to be able to catch the train. And as it is, you ride on the top of the cars in the sun...or rain. Several extrañeros hopped on the bus last minute before leaving the terminal in Riobamba, so I´m guessing the train wasn´t running. I didn´t feel too great riding a bus through curvy terrain at such high altitudes with people who have bad luck! But I made it and am staying at El Cafecito a hotel with a happenin´ restuarant and bar. A´ight!
Google language tools translation for sand flea: pulga de la arena
I was supoposed to go to Ambato today to do some shopping. I know, I know. Like I need more stuff...I just wanted to look at the clothes, really, I know, buying clothes?!? Even worse! Luckily, the plan fell through and I spent the day wandering Baños, saying goodbyes in my mind. It´s a good thing because my storage locker in NYC is 3x3x4. Can you believe that I fit all my stuff in there?
So instead I picked up a $1.50 copy of 40 Year-old Virgin to watch with friends at Margarita´s house but couldn´t get the DVD player switched to either dubbed Spanish with English subtitles or simply Spanish subtitles. The remote was broken and I couldn´t figure out how to make the change on the player itself. Now, I´ve called people with some pretty ridiculous questions before...how do I hookup a modem...how do I...no, that was the only ridiculous thing--HA! DVD players here are sound systems, stereos, with the capacity to play DVDs. So I got the Equalizer set to perfection, surround sound kickin´, but am not yet personally quick enough with my Spanish to be able to translate a joke about Michael McDonald´s music. Several of the scenes are self-explanatory (if you´ve seen the movie, you get the point, hee, hee) but I´m not sure how to translate the racial slurs, body part references, among other things, in the movie. I guess the 40 Year-old Virgin will have to wait one more day.
So instead I picked up a $1.50 copy of 40 Year-old Virgin to watch with friends at Margarita´s house but couldn´t get the DVD player switched to either dubbed Spanish with English subtitles or simply Spanish subtitles. The remote was broken and I couldn´t figure out how to make the change on the player itself. Now, I´ve called people with some pretty ridiculous questions before...how do I hookup a modem...how do I...no, that was the only ridiculous thing--HA! DVD players here are sound systems, stereos, with the capacity to play DVDs. So I got the Equalizer set to perfection, surround sound kickin´, but am not yet personally quick enough with my Spanish to be able to translate a joke about Michael McDonald´s music. Several of the scenes are self-explanatory (if you´ve seen the movie, you get the point, hee, hee) but I´m not sure how to translate the racial slurs, body part references, among other things, in the movie. I guess the 40 Year-old Virgin will have to wait one more day.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
To plan or not to plan
The last day of Carnaval in Baños, everyone meets at the pool to douse each other in water & sprays and with eggs. I have yet to figure out what Carnaval is exactly, why the celebration exists. It doesn´t seem to have any significance whatsoever. Not that it has to, I guess. It´s just different. We have parties and parades to celebrate a certain holiday or religious day usually...need to do some research on Carnaval.
So, here´s a quick review. It´s been almost a month traveling. I´ve gone through a bar and a half of soap (yes, I shower every day), half a tube of toothpaste (I also brush at least twice a day, no cavaties, thank you very much, Dr. Granade), the remainder of my drama puddy (aka pomade for hair), sniff, sniff and specialty shampoo. I haven´t lost anything yet, I don´t think. I bought a new skirt in Montañita, a bracelet in Baños & that´s it so far. My bag is getting lighter or maybe I´m just getting stronger or more used to manuevering with it.
I am enjoying traveling and experiencing South America. Last night, I shared wine with the Italian girl I camped with last week. She was staying with her boyfriend above a friend´s tatoo shop. In the backyard, there is a marijuana tree, not a plant, a TREE. I guess that stuff´s pretty happy in this climate. It made me a little nervous. I´m starting to really dig this whole traveling thing and am contemplating the next venture. Maybe into the fourth month, I´ll be crying for New York, but lately, I´ve been considering Japan. Who knows? It´s nice to be able to contemplate and live. They say life is what happens while you´re making plans, but what happens when you´re not making plans?!?
Did someone say siesta?
So, here´s a quick review. It´s been almost a month traveling. I´ve gone through a bar and a half of soap (yes, I shower every day), half a tube of toothpaste (I also brush at least twice a day, no cavaties, thank you very much, Dr. Granade), the remainder of my drama puddy (aka pomade for hair), sniff, sniff and specialty shampoo. I haven´t lost anything yet, I don´t think. I bought a new skirt in Montañita, a bracelet in Baños & that´s it so far. My bag is getting lighter or maybe I´m just getting stronger or more used to manuevering with it.
I am enjoying traveling and experiencing South America. Last night, I shared wine with the Italian girl I camped with last week. She was staying with her boyfriend above a friend´s tatoo shop. In the backyard, there is a marijuana tree, not a plant, a TREE. I guess that stuff´s pretty happy in this climate. It made me a little nervous. I´m starting to really dig this whole traveling thing and am contemplating the next venture. Maybe into the fourth month, I´ll be crying for New York, but lately, I´ve been considering Japan. Who knows? It´s nice to be able to contemplate and live. They say life is what happens while you´re making plans, but what happens when you´re not making plans?!?
Did someone say siesta?
Monday, February 19, 2007
Use
I´m convinced that all the dollar bills the US government has deemed unsuitable for circulation & use in the US end up here in Ecuador. The typical dollar is almost brown from so much use, having been green a mere memory for the bill. I had a brand new Sacagawea dollar coin earlier, paid for my breakfast with it and the waiter told me the couldn´t accept it. I knew it was brand new, but I don´t think he´d ever seen one & thought it was counterfeit. Crazy huh? They´re so used to worn in bills and coins that fresh ones are suspect.
Ok, let´s talk about bathrooms. I´m not sure anyone really wants to read this, but it´s certainly been an intersting phenomenon for me. Few toilets here have seats, meaning if you do sit, you sit on the rim of the actual toilet. And even fewer have toilet paper for that matter. You definitely have to plan ahead here. And also, you cannot dispose of any paper of any sort in the toilet. Now that´s a hard habit to break, let me tell you. If you do, you are contaminating the water somehow. So there are trash bins in every bathroom for disposal of all paper. Scary thought to imagine that the paper is worse than whatever else may have been put in there...
Ok, let´s talk about bathrooms. I´m not sure anyone really wants to read this, but it´s certainly been an intersting phenomenon for me. Few toilets here have seats, meaning if you do sit, you sit on the rim of the actual toilet. And even fewer have toilet paper for that matter. You definitely have to plan ahead here. And also, you cannot dispose of any paper of any sort in the toilet. Now that´s a hard habit to break, let me tell you. If you do, you are contaminating the water somehow. So there are trash bins in every bathroom for disposal of all paper. Scary thought to imagine that the paper is worse than whatever else may have been put in there...
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Scrambled? Fried? Poached...?
Ok, some good stuff. Last night was the first official night of Carnaval. Everyone floods the streets to watch the parade through town. It´s a procession not only of schools, university groups, clubs, but also a random assortment of indigenous populations and generations. Women get dolled up in long, floral skirts with matching tops, midriffs decorated with wildflowers. There was a group dressed in tribal gear, the women in coconut bikini tops and beaded bottoms, the men in hides with spears. There was even a Stayin´Alive group, the men in white suits with black shirts boogeying Travolta-style, the women in polyester dresses in assorted colors with plummeting necklines. Cowboys, mariachis, traditional Spanish-style dancers, all dancing through the town without a care. Queens per town and neighborhood are driven on the backs of trucks waving and throwing sugar cane candy into the crowd. There was even a promotional truck for a new flavored wine, chics on the top of the truck in tight yellow tops, chucking small boxes of wine to people. There are people on the street, people on the balconies, people on the rooftops, all cheering on the procession.
After the parade, the real fun begins. All sorts of sprays--foam, string, shaving cream, water guns, beer--coat the hordes of people. I sat with a group of friends all from Ecuador on the ledge of an internet cafe and watched the spray battles. I chatted up 2 Californians, Mike & Kyle, loaded with foam canisters. My friends had selected eggs as there weapons of choice...troublemakers, yes, but all in good fun. Until one of them smashed an egg on the side of Mike´s head. Great. And as expected here came the American temper and urge to fight! Mike would have probably beat the kid to a pulp but, being from here, he was able to elude Mike´s anger and fists. I can understand that having an egg smashed in your face may not be your idea of a good time. But at the same time, it´s Carnaval. And you´re in another country. What are you gonna do? File a police report that a kid egged you? Or better yet, make an international collect call home from Baños, Ecuador for bail money because you beat up a local? Or better still, fight your way through an entire town of Ecuadorians because a 115 pound kid hit you with an egg? Come on. Have a frickin beer and chock it up to Carnaval.
After the parade, the real fun begins. All sorts of sprays--foam, string, shaving cream, water guns, beer--coat the hordes of people. I sat with a group of friends all from Ecuador on the ledge of an internet cafe and watched the spray battles. I chatted up 2 Californians, Mike & Kyle, loaded with foam canisters. My friends had selected eggs as there weapons of choice...troublemakers, yes, but all in good fun. Until one of them smashed an egg on the side of Mike´s head. Great. And as expected here came the American temper and urge to fight! Mike would have probably beat the kid to a pulp but, being from here, he was able to elude Mike´s anger and fists. I can understand that having an egg smashed in your face may not be your idea of a good time. But at the same time, it´s Carnaval. And you´re in another country. What are you gonna do? File a police report that a kid egged you? Or better yet, make an international collect call home from Baños, Ecuador for bail money because you beat up a local? Or better still, fight your way through an entire town of Ecuadorians because a 115 pound kid hit you with an egg? Come on. Have a frickin beer and chock it up to Carnaval.
Yums!
Today I cruised the streets with Stefi, the 7-year-old daughter of the owners of Hotel Grace. We got ice cream. Oh my god. I had black & strawberry together dipped in chocolate sauce, then dipped in coconut. There were actual berries in the ice cream-no lie! Delicious!There seem to be 20 different types of police officers, here in Baños anyway. Not sure if it hold true throughout Ecuador. Come to think of it, I don´t remember seeing a single cop in Monañita--probably one of the reasons it´s so popular...A friend was explaining the differences in the groups. Let´s just say she didn´t have the greatest opinion of them... They´re differentiated by clothes, some in camoflauge, some in official khakis, some in dark blue. I haven´t seen any with semi-automatics, much to my delight, like there are in Penn Station.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Silverware vs. socks
Anyone who´s lived with me in a house not equipped with a dishwasher knows that I´m not a big fan of washing dishes. To my credit, I will wash plates, bowls, cups, mugs, pots, pans, no problem. But silverware. Issues. I´ll leave them to soak and soak they will...for days, even weeks, I hate to admit. A single girl in NYC, I simply went out to dinner or ordered delivery, no biggie. And here in South America, I don´t really have a kitchen, not to mention silverware. I did lift a spoon from the unsuspecting Mama Inez. I plan to return it. One day. So silveware´s not much of a problem here. But socks. They have become my new silverware. You go through them as quickly as forks, knives. They´re mismatched just like silverware inevitably becomes. And they too are a pain in the ass to wash. By hand. I developed a much easier method today, putting them on my hands like mittens. That works much better. But still. Not my favorite thing in the world.
One rumor to dispell: You can use the water when brushing your teeth, and even on occasion swallow a mouthful and not get sick.
One rumor to dispell: You can use the water when brushing your teeth, and even on occasion swallow a mouthful and not get sick.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Cluck, cluck
We hiked down the mountain starting at about 9 am and got to town around noon. We all planned to meet at the pool--a cold, chlorinated one just like those I adored when I was a kid in good ol´ Atlanta, GA--but I think every single one of us passed out.
Let´s just say Malvado has a big mouth and doesn´t mind sharing his thoughts. He´s a riot, but apparently no one got any sleep, thanks to him!
I sang that night with Nina & Raoul at their bar, Pipas Bar. Silvia, a cool German, played the bongos. People seem to come to Banos and never leave. I guess we shall see! I sang the Doors, a little Led Zeppelin, U2. Good stuff. Nina´s Swiss and good people too. She & Silvia had several topics to discuss, AKA men, and let me listen in. It felt like we were hens on the roost. Ain´t nothin´ a Southern girl likes more than a lil gossip!
And what this Southern girl learned living in the North is that you don´t share that gossip...unless of course it´s your own!
More random thoughts and photos:
In Ecuador, you don´t post signs in your yard for the political candidates you support. You paint their names & corresponding ticket numbers on walls.
And here´s my favorite house in Baños. The owner is rumored to be Swiss...And here´s a kindergarten.
Let´s just say Malvado has a big mouth and doesn´t mind sharing his thoughts. He´s a riot, but apparently no one got any sleep, thanks to him!I sang that night with Nina & Raoul at their bar, Pipas Bar. Silvia, a cool German, played the bongos. People seem to come to Banos and never leave. I guess we shall see! I sang the Doors, a little Led Zeppelin, U2. Good stuff. Nina´s Swiss and good people too. She & Silvia had several topics to discuss, AKA men, and let me listen in. It felt like we were hens on the roost. Ain´t nothin´ a Southern girl likes more than a lil gossip!
And what this Southern girl learned living in the North is that you don´t share that gossip...unless of course it´s your own!More random thoughts and photos:
In Ecuador, you don´t post signs in your yard for the political candidates you support. You paint their names & corresponding ticket numbers on walls.
And here´s my favorite house in Baños. The owner is rumored to be Swiss...And here´s a kindergarten.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Activity
It´s really amazing the strength of people. I rode one of those four wheel moto whatevers today and on the way down the mountain, this man was carrying a huge barrel on his back. I´m not sure what was in it, but it wasn´t empty. Women here strap 2 and 3 children to their backs with scarves, blankets. The indigenous women who wear fidoras carry the heaviest of loads, it seems. Up the sinuous curves of mountains, across streams, through city streets. I´m humbled. Carrying 3 full bags of groceries 14 blocks is a workout for me.
Even the pigeons are lean here.
After the moto ride, I went into the mountains with a group for a little camping. We were seven in total: 2 from Baños, an Italian, a Swiss, an American (me), one from Quito and a Colombian.
As for names, I´ve met so many people in the last month, my head´s aswim but I´ll give it a go. Luis & Malvado, Juliette, Manuelita, Anne, Chami and Alejandro. Chami´s real names is Edison. Malvado´s first name is Enrique, I think. We camped on the top of a mountain, built a fire, sang songs and laughed into the night. Wild horses ran through the camp site on occasion, and if all were quiet, you could hear cows chomping on grasses in the near distance. I couldn´t sleep at all. If my feet are cold, I can´t sleep. And I couldn´t seem to warm them up. So I drifted in and out of naps, waking from time to time, fearing a mountain lion, stray panther, even bear, although I don´t think they have those here.
The volcano Tungurahua is active, contrary to my previous report. From our campsite, we had a spectacular view of it. It spouted dust twice about 5 am. How cool is that?! I´ve been living in close proximity to an active volcano for almost a week. Of late, the people of Baños shush any mention of volcanic activity. Carnaval starts Friday and is a huge money-maker for the town. Only any sign of volcanic activity will scare the weekenders to another location. Several of those camping witnessed the most recent eruption. Last August, Baños was evacuated. Malvado described a black sky raining ash with a huge tunnel of fire rising from the volcano up to the sky. Manuelita fled into the mountains not far from where we set up camp. When visiting people´s homes, you see volcano preparednes kits--several masks, safety goggles, and blankets at least.
Even the pigeons are lean here.
After the moto ride, I went into the mountains with a group for a little camping. We were seven in total: 2 from Baños, an Italian, a Swiss, an American (me), one from Quito and a Colombian.
As for names, I´ve met so many people in the last month, my head´s aswim but I´ll give it a go. Luis & Malvado, Juliette, Manuelita, Anne, Chami and Alejandro. Chami´s real names is Edison. Malvado´s first name is Enrique, I think. We camped on the top of a mountain, built a fire, sang songs and laughed into the night. Wild horses ran through the camp site on occasion, and if all were quiet, you could hear cows chomping on grasses in the near distance. I couldn´t sleep at all. If my feet are cold, I can´t sleep. And I couldn´t seem to warm them up. So I drifted in and out of naps, waking from time to time, fearing a mountain lion, stray panther, even bear, although I don´t think they have those here. 
The volcano Tungurahua is active, contrary to my previous report. From our campsite, we had a spectacular view of it. It spouted dust twice about 5 am. How cool is that?! I´ve been living in close proximity to an active volcano for almost a week. Of late, the people of Baños shush any mention of volcanic activity. Carnaval starts Friday and is a huge money-maker for the town. Only any sign of volcanic activity will scare the weekenders to another location. Several of those camping witnessed the most recent eruption. Last August, Baños was evacuated. Malvado described a black sky raining ash with a huge tunnel of fire rising from the volcano up to the sky. Manuelita fled into the mountains not far from where we set up camp. When visiting people´s homes, you see volcano preparednes kits--several masks, safety goggles, and blankets at least.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Burros and PB&J
So no Cuenca yet. I went to the bus station to check out the departure times and these two Ecuadorian policemen started talking about me and laughing. I wanted to ask them, ¨Que? Nunca ven una mujer antes? (translation: What? You´ve never seen a woman before?)¨ followed by a few words I won´t write. But instead, I just left pissed off. I´ve never really had much of a problem with cops, but when they act like asses and feel like they can behave that way and get away with it just because they´re cops, well, that´s just tacky.
So I did a good thing today. I ran into Alejandro (the Colombian salsa dancer; salsa dancer does not equate with being gay here) on the street after the incident with the fuzz and he invited me to go hiking. It´s a beautiful day in Baños so I packed a lunch, hee, hee. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with some weird orange cookies. PB&J is not known in these here parts. He had never had one before. Ah, HA! Blackberry jam, creamy peanut butter, 7 grain bread with salted peanuts stuck in the middle...he loved it! Who knew that PB&J hadn´t made it to South America?! Sure, it´s nice to be the one experiencing new things, foods, sights, but it´s also pretty to cool to be able to share some of your own culture while abroad. I asked him about the organ hunting thing too. He´d never heard about it before. He got upset. Oops. Maybe Ecuadorians don´t tell you to your face what they actually think about you and ¨your people.¨ I can only imagine what they must say about mine, especially being on the US dollar and all. I saw a cartoon in yesterday´s paper. Bush was in a bed, under the covers, with dream clouds about his head. In the clouds there was a map of the world and the whole world was covered in stars & stripes. The caption read: Bush´s Utopia. Kind of an oxymoron, eh?
So I did a good thing today. I ran into Alejandro (the Colombian salsa dancer; salsa dancer does not equate with being gay here) on the street after the incident with the fuzz and he invited me to go hiking. It´s a beautiful day in Baños so I packed a lunch, hee, hee. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with some weird orange cookies. PB&J is not known in these here parts. He had never had one before. Ah, HA! Blackberry jam, creamy peanut butter, 7 grain bread with salted peanuts stuck in the middle...he loved it! Who knew that PB&J hadn´t made it to South America?! Sure, it´s nice to be the one experiencing new things, foods, sights, but it´s also pretty to cool to be able to share some of your own culture while abroad. I asked him about the organ hunting thing too. He´d never heard about it before. He got upset. Oops. Maybe Ecuadorians don´t tell you to your face what they actually think about you and ¨your people.¨ I can only imagine what they must say about mine, especially being on the US dollar and all. I saw a cartoon in yesterday´s paper. Bush was in a bed, under the covers, with dream clouds about his head. In the clouds there was a map of the world and the whole world was covered in stars & stripes. The caption read: Bush´s Utopia. Kind of an oxymoron, eh?
Dreams
I woke up this morning singing Willie Nelson´s On the Road Again...just can´t wait to get on the road again...going places that I´ve never ever been...I just can´t wait to get on the road again. Guess you can take the girl out of the country, but you can´t take the country out of the girl!?!
In my last dream before I woke up, I won a speedwalking contest. How lame is that?!? At least I wasn´t wearing some Richard Simmons get up. Phew!
So today I´m on to Cuenca. Old world charm, lots of historical sites and museums, and the only site of Incan ruins in Ecuador. I may come back to Baños for the weekend. I hear that in Cuenca no one is spared during Carnaval!
Did you know? The word hola actually means wave. So when you greet someone and say hola, the direct translation is wave. Interesting to think...we greet people from a distance with a wave all the time but never say that particular word.
Quick note: As you may have noticed, I figured out how to upload photos, so scroll back through old blogs if you´d like to view what I´ve uploaded thus far. In this entry, I included a photo of Pearl and me. The owners live next door to where I´m staying and their puppy is the most precious little thing in the world!!
Just look at her!
In my last dream before I woke up, I won a speedwalking contest. How lame is that?!? At least I wasn´t wearing some Richard Simmons get up. Phew!
So today I´m on to Cuenca. Old world charm, lots of historical sites and museums, and the only site of Incan ruins in Ecuador. I may come back to Baños for the weekend. I hear that in Cuenca no one is spared during Carnaval!
Did you know? The word hola actually means wave. So when you greet someone and say hola, the direct translation is wave. Interesting to think...we greet people from a distance with a wave all the time but never say that particular word.
Quick note: As you may have noticed, I figured out how to upload photos, so scroll back through old blogs if you´d like to view what I´ve uploaded thus far. In this entry, I included a photo of Pearl and me. The owners live next door to where I´m staying and their puppy is the most precious little thing in the world!!
Just look at her!
Monday, February 12, 2007
Hey, how much for that liver?
Monday...the day most dreaded. The weekend´s over, the usual week begins. In that spirit, I paid bills this morning. Oooh, exciting, right? But even paying bills here can be an adventure! I have been behind the times for years, writing a check every month & dropping the bills in the mailbox on the corner. I hopped on the text message train before it started moving out of the station, but online bill payment...well...sometimes it takes a trip to a developing country to bring us up to speed. Welcome to the tail end of the 20th century, indeed!
I´ve been eating better here in Ecuador than in the US. And it´s cheaper too! Nice. Today I skipped breakfast (paying bills) but devoured a chef slad with tuna, fresh veggies and a touch of hummus for lunch. It´s so nice not to have to endure the odors of the hot dog, falafel, mixed meat vendors in the city. That container of hot water in which they cook the hot dogs. Oh, man, I don´t miss that! Then again, I´m biased. I have never been a hot dog fan. The occasional cheese dog maybe(I know, I know! Bleck!), but hot dogs--spare me. Oh yeah! And the COFFEE here! I say, being in a country next to Colombia does have some advantages. Although I did hear last night that I should safeguard myself from Colombians in particular. They have some sort of reputation of kidnapping gringas, taking them back to Colombia and harvesting their organs. It can run a profit of over $200K. They don´t kidnap Ecuadorians, from what I heard, or other South Americans, just gringas. Vaccinations apparently make our organs much more valuable. I have to admit, I never considered the monetary value of my liver. Until now. Then again, this whole theory is coming second-hand from the mouth of an Ecuadorian, and there may be some political, cultural tension between the two...
I´ve been eating better here in Ecuador than in the US. And it´s cheaper too! Nice. Today I skipped breakfast (paying bills) but devoured a chef slad with tuna, fresh veggies and a touch of hummus for lunch. It´s so nice not to have to endure the odors of the hot dog, falafel, mixed meat vendors in the city. That container of hot water in which they cook the hot dogs. Oh, man, I don´t miss that! Then again, I´m biased. I have never been a hot dog fan. The occasional cheese dog maybe(I know, I know! Bleck!), but hot dogs--spare me. Oh yeah! And the COFFEE here! I say, being in a country next to Colombia does have some advantages. Although I did hear last night that I should safeguard myself from Colombians in particular. They have some sort of reputation of kidnapping gringas, taking them back to Colombia and harvesting their organs. It can run a profit of over $200K. They don´t kidnap Ecuadorians, from what I heard, or other South Americans, just gringas. Vaccinations apparently make our organs much more valuable. I have to admit, I never considered the monetary value of my liver. Until now. Then again, this whole theory is coming second-hand from the mouth of an Ecuadorian, and there may be some political, cultural tension between the two...
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Fits and fluidity
Sundays seem to be lazy days in all of Ecuador. I was dancing at the Leprechaun bar last night til closing with two Swiss girls, Geraldine & France. The past 2 Saturday nights a crew has been filming the dancing crowd. I think there´s some sort of pending promotion for vacationing & fun spots in Baños. It´s a good idea. There´s a lot of fun stuff here. And good people too.
I had a bit of a fit last night post dancing. I cried for the first time since I´ve been traveling. I missed it all. Sure I´ve missed friends, family, work, but it had been a fond missing. Last night I was just plain sad about it all. It was surprising but also relieving. I guess I´m just thankful to have as many wonderful people in my life as I have. And quite a variety of folks at that. Thanks. Thanks to whomever is reading this for keeping up with me in this latest jaunt.
I visited my friend Nancy at her cafe today. It´s called El Jardin (the garden) and it´s beautiful & serene. It´s her business and her home. When you walk in the front gate, there are garden tables and chairs and a hammock. Those small, white Christmas lights outline the covered cafe which has several tables and chairs as well as an intimate bar. I´m supposed to help her set up a website or blog or something to get her on line. She´s also going to set up wireless in the cafe. She´ll be the first in Baños to go wireless! Nancy mentioned that my Spanish has improved a lot, is more fluid. Hope so. I still stumble from time to time trying to resolve which language (English, Spanish, Japanese?? maybe one day), which accent (southern, long island, castellano), but her comments are encouraging.
Houses here in Baños go for $8K. Hmm. It´s a thought!
I had a bit of a fit last night post dancing. I cried for the first time since I´ve been traveling. I missed it all. Sure I´ve missed friends, family, work, but it had been a fond missing. Last night I was just plain sad about it all. It was surprising but also relieving. I guess I´m just thankful to have as many wonderful people in my life as I have. And quite a variety of folks at that. Thanks. Thanks to whomever is reading this for keeping up with me in this latest jaunt.
I visited my friend Nancy at her cafe today. It´s called El Jardin (the garden) and it´s beautiful & serene. It´s her business and her home. When you walk in the front gate, there are garden tables and chairs and a hammock. Those small, white Christmas lights outline the covered cafe which has several tables and chairs as well as an intimate bar. I´m supposed to help her set up a website or blog or something to get her on line. She´s also going to set up wireless in the cafe. She´ll be the first in Baños to go wireless! Nancy mentioned that my Spanish has improved a lot, is more fluid. Hope so. I still stumble from time to time trying to resolve which language (English, Spanish, Japanese?? maybe one day), which accent (southern, long island, castellano), but her comments are encouraging.
Houses here in Baños go for $8K. Hmm. It´s a thought!
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Baños otra vez
So I´m back in Baños again and will most likely stay here for a while before moving on to Cuenca, Vilcabamba and on into Peru. Here´s the view from Bella Vista.
I was reading about the border crossings into Peru today. The stories I´ve heard have been less than favorable. Ecuador lives off of tourism. Tours, jungle trips, dancing, hiking, kayaking, all that stuff. But I´m hearing that there´s not so much to do in Peru or maybe that it´s not as organized. So there´s a great deal of fighting for what one does have and can get. At the crossing in Huaquillas to Tumbes, people tug at you, pull you this way and that, so that you´ll use their taxi or bus or change money with them. Oh no. Not going to do so well with that. I think I´m going to cross through to Zumba. I´ve read that the police are friendly and that your busdriver will even wait for you when necessary. Sounds much more peaceful and like a lot less hassle. And it´s an easy trip from Vilcabamba, two stops from now.
I was planning on staying in Baños for Carnaval. I have several friends here and thought it would be more fun, but I´ve kinda got the traveling bug, even if it means riding a hot bus for hours!
I was reading about the border crossings into Peru today. The stories I´ve heard have been less than favorable. Ecuador lives off of tourism. Tours, jungle trips, dancing, hiking, kayaking, all that stuff. But I´m hearing that there´s not so much to do in Peru or maybe that it´s not as organized. So there´s a great deal of fighting for what one does have and can get. At the crossing in Huaquillas to Tumbes, people tug at you, pull you this way and that, so that you´ll use their taxi or bus or change money with them. Oh no. Not going to do so well with that. I think I´m going to cross through to Zumba. I´ve read that the police are friendly and that your busdriver will even wait for you when necessary. Sounds much more peaceful and like a lot less hassle. And it´s an easy trip from Vilcabamba, two stops from now.
I was planning on staying in Baños for Carnaval. I have several friends here and thought it would be more fun, but I´ve kinda got the traveling bug, even if it means riding a hot bus for hours!
Friday, February 9, 2007
Bye, Montañita. I love you!
Back on the bus...In triunfo, we just passed Moe´s Bar and there was a painting of Moe from the Simpsons on the second floor of the bar just to the right of the bar´s sign. Hee, hee! I wonder if they serve Duff beer! Should have stopped.
We also passed a house made of what looked like balsa wood on stilts with 6 motorcycles underneath the house. It´s kind of wild to think that someone would prefer to have a whole bunch of motorcycles rather than a house that won´t go up in flames at the drop of one lit cigarette. I wonder if there would be enough people, enough people old enough to know how to drive all those motorcycles away if a fire did hit...
We also passed a house made of what looked like balsa wood on stilts with 6 motorcycles underneath the house. It´s kind of wild to think that someone would prefer to have a whole bunch of motorcycles rather than a house that won´t go up in flames at the drop of one lit cigarette. I wonder if there would be enough people, enough people old enough to know how to drive all those motorcycles away if a fire did hit...
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Los Duraznos
Elena, Alison and I created a club called Los Duraznos. Elena´s husband, Alison´s father and several other guys (one´s a cocktail vendor with a portable bar, his name is la Poeta..don´t know why) have a club of their own called Las Mandarinas... mandarine oranges. Not sure why they chose that fruit, but we chose Los Duraznos (peaches) because they´re soft on the outside but have a tough and strong core. And when mature, they´re extra sweet and juicy! HA!
Elena is 30 and she´s la reina (the queen). I´m la princesa and I don´t remember Alison´s official title. It´s la gran something. She´s only 17 but has a good head on her shoulders. Her dad Julio runs the local taxi service and is a great guy. He loves pop music but the old school stuff...we rocked out to Gloria and I Will Survive, from his car. Alison has him wrapped around her finger. Good for her!
I have to admit, I love listening to people´s impressions of the words to songs in English. It´s a riot! I can remember not knowing the words to songs as a kid. David made so much fun of me! I´m not making fun, but it´s a good time for sure. I´m enjoying hearing what people who speak mostly Spanish come up with!
Elena is 30 and she´s la reina (the queen). I´m la princesa and I don´t remember Alison´s official title. It´s la gran something. She´s only 17 but has a good head on her shoulders. Her dad Julio runs the local taxi service and is a great guy. He loves pop music but the old school stuff...we rocked out to Gloria and I Will Survive, from his car. Alison has him wrapped around her finger. Good for her!
I have to admit, I love listening to people´s impressions of the words to songs in English. It´s a riot! I can remember not knowing the words to songs as a kid. David made so much fun of me! I´m not making fun, but it´s a good time for sure. I´m enjoying hearing what people who speak mostly Spanish come up with!
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
col´ chillin´ kid
I relaxed on the beach all day today. Again. I´m getting caramel!
I sang last night with 3 musicians...I think they were all Ecuadorian. We covered Dust in the Wind, What´s Going On? and Santeria. It was even more fun because none of them knew any of the words, only the melody. So I had to step up and bring it! No worries...I ain´t scared!! It was great and a very close second to karaoke with Tony...
I sang last night with 3 musicians...I think they were all Ecuadorian. We covered Dust in the Wind, What´s Going On? and Santeria. It was even more fun because none of them knew any of the words, only the melody. So I had to step up and bring it! No worries...I ain´t scared!! It was great and a very close second to karaoke with Tony...
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Billete?
The owners of the hotel are lovely. Her name is Elena, his Xavier (it´s his last name, but he goes by Xavi). We sat on the porch in front of the hotel and internet cafe and simply chatted the day away. There are only 2 internet cafes in Montañita and this one gets tons of traffic making it great for people watching. They also run a tour agency out of the hotel and a cute kid named Carlos teaches surfing lessons. They call Carlos ¨billete¨ but I don´t understand why...the word means the paper used to create and print money. He´s a compact kid and lean, but I don´t get the correlation. (AH! as I´m loading this onto the computer, a friend just explained...it means buck! HA!) By the end of the night, we had emptied the refrigerator of Pilsener and Brahma both.
Monday, February 5, 2007
Mauna Loa
Off the bus in Montañita, I cruised the main restaurant, cafe, bar drag looking for a good spot to call home but everywhere I went, the rates were high. I´d been on the bus for about 8 hours and needed to wash my face at the bare minimum. Lugging a backpack around in the beach heat...not my idea of a good time.
I ventured into an internet cafe to see if I could make a reservation somewhere. Apparently, you can´t book a reservation for any hotel, hostel, hell, even hammock in Montañita ahead of time. So I asked the internet attendant (turned out to be the owner as well) for a recommendation and, as luck would have it, there are habitacciones above the cafe. Mauna Loa. A room with my own private bath, a deck off the back overlooking the ocean, with a hammock toboot. A shower later, I went back downstairs and happy hour had begun among the owner and his wife and the others who work there. Am I in heaven?!?
I ventured into an internet cafe to see if I could make a reservation somewhere. Apparently, you can´t book a reservation for any hotel, hostel, hell, even hammock in Montañita ahead of time. So I asked the internet attendant (turned out to be the owner as well) for a recommendation and, as luck would have it, there are habitacciones above the cafe. Mauna Loa. A room with my own private bath, a deck off the back overlooking the ocean, with a hammock toboot. A shower later, I went back downstairs and happy hour had begun among the owner and his wife and the others who work there. Am I in heaven?!?
Salinas? Not gonna happen...
So the gentleman at the front desk woke me up at 5:45 am and I still couldn't get motivated, so I missed both buses to Salinas. Walking up the stairs to the bus terminal, at the top of the stairs came walking a cow and two sheep, as though starting their morning stroll through town. Their owner followed shortly thereafter, but at first it looked like a group of friends walking to the market, chatting or something.
So I got on the bus headed south to the coast. We just passed a house with tires on the roof. There must have been thirty, holding down the tin roof of the house. On the radio, so far I've heard Streets of Philadelphia, You Can Do Magic(remember that one?!?), Red, Red Wine, and I Can't Live, If Living Is Without You. Interspersed have been a few songs in Spanish. Sometimes I can't tell if people put on English radio, television, subtitles because I'm there or if it's totally random. It's kind of nice but then again not necessary. Ah, here we go...Shakira's on now.
Last night the son of the owner of the hotel kind of hit on me, I think. And today on the bus a man took the seat right next to me in the front. Of all the 40 other seats available, he had to sit next to me. And then engage me in conversation...it made me nervous. It's so different from New York where you only speak to people you know, unless you're a tourist and lost. For some reason I was uncomfortable in Guaranda. I was the only non-Guarandan (made that word up) there and people stare at foreigners. It was kind of off-putting. I think that added to it. Anyway, Alex and Jesus (both of the guys) were really nice after all. I was just bugging.
Out of the highlands, the people of the lowlands live in houses on stilts. Looks like bamboo. They construct 30 foot long bridges directly from the road to their front doors. Could be dangerous getting home after a night of fiestas.
It's a trip the way the people view the differences in climate in different regions. On the bus this morning still in the mountains, I had the window open all the way, enjoying the wind and breeze. It was probably, say, 67 degrees and the man in the seat behind me asked me to shut it because he was cold. Luz Maria who worked at the hotel in Guaranda made mention of how hot Guayaquil is. It's funny. I'm not sure what temperature is just right for Ecuadorians.
So, I made it to Montañita, a small mellow surfing town. There's also a coastal Salinas, apparently the hot spot for Guayaqueños. Skipped that one too....
So I got on the bus headed south to the coast. We just passed a house with tires on the roof. There must have been thirty, holding down the tin roof of the house. On the radio, so far I've heard Streets of Philadelphia, You Can Do Magic(remember that one?!?), Red, Red Wine, and I Can't Live, If Living Is Without You. Interspersed have been a few songs in Spanish. Sometimes I can't tell if people put on English radio, television, subtitles because I'm there or if it's totally random. It's kind of nice but then again not necessary. Ah, here we go...Shakira's on now.
Last night the son of the owner of the hotel kind of hit on me, I think. And today on the bus a man took the seat right next to me in the front. Of all the 40 other seats available, he had to sit next to me. And then engage me in conversation...it made me nervous. It's so different from New York where you only speak to people you know, unless you're a tourist and lost. For some reason I was uncomfortable in Guaranda. I was the only non-Guarandan (made that word up) there and people stare at foreigners. It was kind of off-putting. I think that added to it. Anyway, Alex and Jesus (both of the guys) were really nice after all. I was just bugging.
Out of the highlands, the people of the lowlands live in houses on stilts. Looks like bamboo. They construct 30 foot long bridges directly from the road to their front doors. Could be dangerous getting home after a night of fiestas.
It's a trip the way the people view the differences in climate in different regions. On the bus this morning still in the mountains, I had the window open all the way, enjoying the wind and breeze. It was probably, say, 67 degrees and the man in the seat behind me asked me to shut it because he was cold. Luz Maria who worked at the hotel in Guaranda made mention of how hot Guayaquil is. It's funny. I'm not sure what temperature is just right for Ecuadorians.
So, I made it to Montañita, a small mellow surfing town. There's also a coastal Salinas, apparently the hot spot for Guayaqueños. Skipped that one too....
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Guaranda
Guaranda is colonial and quaint. The drive here from Banos was mid-blowing. Past snow-capped volcanoes, up to a dry, desert-like region that has tons of wildlife. My hotel overlooks the town. I found a cute cafe called Los 7 Santos. It's full of art and stickers from around the world. And they have pilsener lite...SCORE! It's the first time I've seen it. I much prefer wine, but hey, lite beer'll do. They put in an Argentine film about dancing and put the subtitles in English for me. How sweet.
On the way back from dinner, two indigenous women were fighting in the street. Literally fighting. One of the slapped the other and the other said that she was going to call the police. There are several indigenous groups here, typically differentiated by their clothes. These two women wore long skirts, frilly white shirts, gold beaded necklaces and hard, round gray hats. I think they were fighting over a man. What a surprise.
I'm slated to go to the remote village of Salinas tomorrow. They make all sorts of goods in small factories by hand. The bus leaves at 6 and 7 am only so we'll see.
On the way back from dinner, two indigenous women were fighting in the street. Literally fighting. One of the slapped the other and the other said that she was going to call the police. There are several indigenous groups here, typically differentiated by their clothes. These two women wore long skirts, frilly white shirts, gold beaded necklaces and hard, round gray hats. I think they were fighting over a man. What a surprise.
I'm slated to go to the remote village of Salinas tomorrow. They make all sorts of goods in small factories by hand. The bus leaves at 6 and 7 am only so we'll see.
My last night in Baños
I love when crazy things happen. There was a parade my last night in Baños. I'm not sure why, but there were school kids, women dressed in what looked like clogging outfits, a brass band. Just out of the blue, just outside our hotel. I had been talking about parades earlier in the day with Ben (the Aussie I met in Quito), so, of course, a parade ended up rolling down the street right in front of us on the way to dinner.
Before dinner we went for a dip in the official baños of Baños. There are three pools with varying degrees of water. One super hot, one mildly hot and the other freezing! The whole town pretty much comes to these baths to soak, seems to be a daily town event. For about an hour afterward, my skin and body were still red and hot.
We ate dinner at Buon Giorno--pizza and pilsener. Cocktails and dancing followed. Nancy, the owner of a cafe called El Jardin who I met in 2005, and 3 of her friends also joined in the fun. I danced the night away with Alejandro de Colombia. What a wonderful man and even better dancer. It made me believe in the goodness of people. Not that I didn't believe before...I guess he just helped reaffirm that notion. That things do work out and that you can laugh and dance and share moments with people you may never see again who wish you nothing but good things.
Before dinner we went for a dip in the official baños of Baños. There are three pools with varying degrees of water. One super hot, one mildly hot and the other freezing! The whole town pretty much comes to these baths to soak, seems to be a daily town event. For about an hour afterward, my skin and body were still red and hot.
We ate dinner at Buon Giorno--pizza and pilsener. Cocktails and dancing followed. Nancy, the owner of a cafe called El Jardin who I met in 2005, and 3 of her friends also joined in the fun. I danced the night away with Alejandro de Colombia. What a wonderful man and even better dancer. It made me believe in the goodness of people. Not that I didn't believe before...I guess he just helped reaffirm that notion. That things do work out and that you can laugh and dance and share moments with people you may never see again who wish you nothing but good things.
Friday, February 2, 2007
Random notes
The tops of all the garbage cans in Baños are clown faces. The mouths open for you to put garbage in...not sure if it´s fun, cool or just plain creepy.Also, the garbage truck makes the rounds through town about 5 pm and plays music as it gathers the garbage. The music is almost as annoying as the ice cream trucks in New York. The thought of listening for the music of the garbage truck, though, is so much less enticing.
I have met several friends while here as well and realized that I haven´t mentioned a one. I met Meredith my first day. She was on the bunk below me in Quito, got in the same day I did, only from Boston. I gave her 2 Advil liqui-gels on the second day to cure her hangover and we were buds from then on. Ahh, the power of Advil! I also met Ben in Quito, an Australian who´s been traveling since last March. He and I exchanged slang. Maybe I´ve just been hiding under a rock, but who knew that New Zealanders are called kiwis?!? Most recently I met Fiona, another Australian. She was teaching English in a mining community in the jungle. She had some stories to tell...being heli-evacuated because the indigenous people are threatening to kill everyone in the mining community. Now that´s serious!
Virgen de Agua Santa
647 steps to the Virgen de Agua Santa. I walked up to the top and back down, a total of 1294 steps. By the time I got to the bottom, my left leg shook on its own. The mother at the hotel said there are only 200 some-odd steps but I counted them on the way down...all of them...
After the steps, I visited the cemetery.
If your family has money, a small house is constructed where the family will be buried, each person with his or her own little room. The rooms are called nichos. They build above ground rather than into the earth, more masoleums than graves. Those with little money or no family are taken care of my the municipio, given small plots with a cross.
The moon was full last night and the stars gorgeous. Because Ecuador´s in the middle of the world, you can see so many of the constellations year-round. The full moon has me moody. It´s a good thing I´m not traveling with anyone else...I´d be insufferable...it´s hard enough for me to stand me!
After the steps, I visited the cemetery.
If your family has money, a small house is constructed where the family will be buried, each person with his or her own little room. The rooms are called nichos. They build above ground rather than into the earth, more masoleums than graves. Those with little money or no family are taken care of my the municipio, given small plots with a cross.The moon was full last night and the stars gorgeous. Because Ecuador´s in the middle of the world, you can see so many of the constellations year-round. The full moon has me moody. It´s a good thing I´m not traveling with anyone else...I´d be insufferable...it´s hard enough for me to stand me!
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Vulcan Tungaruhua
I ventured across the Puente de San Francisco today and up into the mountains on the other side of town. The bridge crosses over the river Pastaza. On the way up , I caught a glimpe of the Vulcan Tungaruhua, for which the province is named. The volcano has been active in recent past several of the agencies in town take trips to the volcano at night to watch it spew smoke & ash. I hear it´s sort of a scam as the volcano hasn´t been too active in the last few years.
After my hike I went for an hour massage--Swedish. Dios mio! A tiny woman named Carmen had to use brute force to deal with the knots in my back. It was awesome.
After my hike I went for an hour massage--Swedish. Dios mio! A tiny woman named Carmen had to use brute force to deal with the knots in my back. It was awesome.
Baños dancers
Every day around 4 pm I have watched a dance class from the rooftop terrace of the hotel. There are usually 6 women and yesterday they were joined by 2 men. The teacher leads the class in a formation split into 2 lines. The women dance with fans, the music a slow rhythm, the singer a very deep voice. It´s traditional Ecuadorian music, I think. The lines move up and down a small park and the dancers come together for the occasional spin or brief promenade.
My favorite of the group is this one woman. She may be more of a girl; I can´t tell from the distance. This girl has rhythm and a sense of beat but is always one step behind. She moves in rhythm, only her own rhythm. When the women dance with open fans, she swings hers in a huge sweeping motion. That along with being off a step every step, it´s pretty funny. Everyone knows that she´s off but in the days I have seen, no one has made mention of it. It´s kind of nice how they let he go at her own pace, dance how she feels, without comment or correction.
The group is a range of ages--gray hair in braids on two of the women. It´s surprising to think that a woman of that age would need dance lessons. I guess I just assumed that most people in Latin cultures grew up dancing & had natural rhythm. Just goes to show, you can´t take anything for granted.
My favorite of the group is this one woman. She may be more of a girl; I can´t tell from the distance. This girl has rhythm and a sense of beat but is always one step behind. She moves in rhythm, only her own rhythm. When the women dance with open fans, she swings hers in a huge sweeping motion. That along with being off a step every step, it´s pretty funny. Everyone knows that she´s off but in the days I have seen, no one has made mention of it. It´s kind of nice how they let he go at her own pace, dance how she feels, without comment or correction.
The group is a range of ages--gray hair in braids on two of the women. It´s surprising to think that a woman of that age would need dance lessons. I guess I just assumed that most people in Latin cultures grew up dancing & had natural rhythm. Just goes to show, you can´t take anything for granted.
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