jenjoy

Magazine Article about my Galapagos Trip

Some of you may remember that a travel writer and photographer were part of my tour group in the Galapagos.   The article they were working on finally came out in the LAN Airline magazine.

Solidarity with the Galapagos

Enjoy.

Farewell Ecuador

Today we began the long process of heading home.  Unfortunately I am not 100% today, not sure if it’s a minor relapse or just a reaction to all the pills I took the day I was sick.

It didn’t help that our plane was delayed in The Galapagos and the unairconditioned airport was crowded and sweltering. 

 

Our travel began at 8:30A, or rather 8:45A because our cabbie was late.  It takes almost an hour to get to the ferry, then across the channel to San Cristobal, and another 15 minutes to the airport.  We arrive around 10A in plenty of time for our 11A flight. 

That flight didn’t end up leaving until after 12P. 

 

After a quick stop in Guayaquil, we landed in Quito around 4P where we were greeted by not only Fernando but also 60 degree temperatures and pouring rain.  Really the first significant rain (except for some overnight showers on the islands) that we have seen.

Apparently the mainland had been experiencing torrential downpours and Fernando told us that the day after we left Banos, the road we traveled on was washed away.  Wow!  Good timing on our part!

 

Luck continues to be on our side.  Fernando takes us to the equator and when we pull up the rain stops. 

   

(Paul straddling the equator)

Apparently there are many “official” equator spots.  There is the big touristy one that costs $10.  Then, there is a smaller one that also has local Indian artifacts that was opened after GPS determined that the equator was 300 ft away from the touristy spot.  We chose the second option and were greeted with no crowds and one on one time with our guide.

 

 

(Jen with a foot in each hemisphere)

Our guide led us through a variety of tests and demonstrations, including the famous water going clockwise or counterclockwise or directly down, depending on where we were standing.  We also balanced an egg on the head of a nail and did a strength test that’s showed us exactly how weak we were when standing directly on the equator.

(Paul balancing an egg on the head of a nail.  We both got official certificates for doing it.)

From there we saw original Indian dwellings, shrunken heads and caged guinea pigs.

All for a mere $3.  Paul and I both agree it was the best $3 we spent in Ecuador (but remember most things costs $1 so we didn’t have much to compare it to…)   One of the more amazing things we found out was that the Indians knew this was a special area and built temples here.  How did they know?

   

(Jen and Fernando at the original equator marker)

After a quick stop at the original equator marker, built in the 1930s in a small village town’s square, we headed back to old town Quito for dinner.  I wasn’t able to eat much but both Paul and Fernando enjoyed their meal.

 

Then, our time in Ecuador and Fernando was truly over.  He dropped us off at the airport and I do think I saw tears in his eyes.  Maybe that was because I ended up giving him the honey that we searched for early in our trip.  We just couldn’t figure out a way to get it back to the States!

(Paul sad to leave)

Another great adventure!  Where will we go next?  (African Safari?)

Isabella and Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Ecuador

  Day 8

Isabella

 

Today I learned that la sopa is soup.

 

I am sick.  At least, when I have the strength to raise my head from my bed, I can see the swaying palm trees, beach and waves.  Then I fall back into my slumber, my body trying to shut down so it can heal itself.

 

Paul and the group set out to see Volcan Sierra Negra today.  They hike/ride horses for about 5 ½ hours but see amazing caldera of the Sierra Negra.  Sounds like I picked a good day to stay in bed.

 

 

 

Paco and Vanya leave today at 11A.  They stop to give me a hug and say good-bye.

 

I have toast for breakfast and don’t eat again (or at least keep anything down) for 24 hours.  I’m sure I have lost weight, which makes this the best vacation ever!  But I can’t seem to stay awake for more than twenty minutes at a time.  I estimate that I slept for at least 20 out of the last 24 hours.  But at 3:30A I wake up and am well. 

 

Day 9

 

Isabella/Santa Cruz

Today I learned that huevos are eggs.  (Okay, I already knew that one.)

 

It’s a miracle but I am feeling much better and am able to eat a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast and tea. 

 

Our trip is winding down and this morning’s tour is low key.  The Spanish girls left at 6:30A this morning, as did Javier.  So it is only me, Paul and MariaElaina and our driver.  There are no paved roads on this island, but the black lava sand is a great compound for a road and there are not as many pits as there would be normally.  It rained overnight and it is very humid this morning, but the cool sea breeze comes through as we drive along side a beautiful (and empty) expansive white sand beach.  Our path then leads us inland, where the trees and foliage form a tunnel around us, as if they begrudge our invasion. 

 

This road also becomes an obstacle course of avoiding tortoises.  These young tortoises (around ten years old) have been releases by the local reserve and won’t start their journey to their nesting grounds for another ten years.  They are all numbered and again are not fearful of people or cars.  This island has at least five sub-species of tortoises as lava fields separated each kind.

 

Muro de Las Lagrimas (Wall of Tears) is our goal today but that is just so we can have a destination.  The gentle path around the Wall of Tears (a wall built by a penal colony) is the true wonder.  The birds are abundant here and because they have no fear of humans, they buzz around you (I thought one was going to perch on Paul’s head), landing in nearby trees, watching you with wonderment.  They are so close that you can see the different types of finches, defined mostly by their beaks and can easily pick out males and females.

 

On our way back to town we stop by the tortoise reserve and see some of the 800 tortoises that they are currently raising.  They have the mating pens, then many smaller corrals for the babies.  The babies, like all youngsters, seem full of energy, walking around their pens as fast as their little stubby tortoise feet will carry them. 

 

After a quick drive around a lagoon, where we see our one and only Galapagos flamingo,

it time for a very very very bumpy boat ride back to Santa Cruz.  Lets just say I am very glad I didn’t have go on that boat yesterday.  It would have been UGLY!

 

Back at our original room at the Adventura Lodge, we are happy to see that the sea lion still is in residence in the lounge chairs and the young marine iguanas are sunning themselves on our deck.

 

We meet up with Maria Elaina once last time for a tour of the Charles Darwin Center.

Unfortunately it was 99 degrees and super humid so I didn’t do well on this walking tour, which was mostly see more tortoises.  It took me longer to recover than the actual tour.

 

Paul and I walked into town when the temperature dropped to do a little shopping and sat out at the dock, watching the pelicans fish for dinner.  A young pelican hopped up on the railing next to us, not paying us any mind, his eye on his dinner below….the fishing birds are a joy to watch.

 

It’s hard to believe that our trip is almost over.  Tomorrow we begin our long journey home and start planning our next one.

Floreana, Isabella Galapagos, Ecuador

Day 7

Today I learned that sandia means watermelon and palido means pale (that it what Paul and I were before we came on this trip, now we are rojo, which means red).

A crowing rooster is our alarm clock this morning (remember we have no power until 9A).  After breakfast with Ms. Cruz again, we load up into the open aired bus and head to the highlands of Floreana.  

As promised, the humidity lifts quickly as we climb in altitude along a bumpy, dusty road.  We are surprised when we hear a horn honking and are quickly passed by a pickup truck with a small load of tourists in the back.  This was a Floreana traffic jam!

 

Our visit today is to one of the only sources of fresh water on this island or on any of the islands (which is one reason they weren’t inhabited earlier) but to our surprise, on our hike, we walk thru a tortoise reserve.  They are feeding the tortoises so they are all congregated on flat concrete pads, munching, ignoring us.  We are captivated by their slow grace, aged wisdom and extinction plight.  

 

Javier and Maria Elena finally tear us away from these ancient giants and we find ourselves at the spring, the spring that drew early settlers here on Floreana.  Floreana was first visited by pirates and whalers (who also ate the huge tortoises) but its first permanent inhabitant was an Irish man who landed in 1908.  The Whittmer, a German Family, who carved rooms out of the lava tunnels to form their house, followed him.  Descendents of the Whittmers sill live on the island and Rolf, their son was the first person born here (he is still alive).

 

The vista from Cerro Pajas (Bird Hill) is breathtaking, the island lay out beneath us, reaching out to the ocean beyond. 

 

Mid morning finds us back on our ferry headed to Isabella Island. 

We swing by Isa Tortuga, where we see flocks of blue-footed boobies and frigates nesting on the steep uninhabited island’s lava cliffs.

Our afternoon is one that will not be soon forgotten.  After checking into the Isabella Lodge, we take a ponga boat out into the bay and cruise slowly by sea lions, pelicans,

penguins and boobies.   

 A walk thru a giant lava field is next where we watch a young sea lion chase fish as they hopscotch across the water top trying to avoid death.   

 Dozens of young marine iguanas sun themselves here, clinging to the lava rocks, as bright orange crabs scurry around them.

We spot a sea turtle pop its head up in a crystal clear lagoon and then, further up the path, in another cove a baby sea lion darts around the shoreline as curious about us as we are about him.  Marie Elana says that this area is baby sea lion childcare, the mothers force the babies to stay in these shallow coves where they can play and catch little fish, while the mother’s go out for big fish.  The sharks, the only natural predator for the baby seals, won’t come into this shallow of water.

 

After our short hike we dive into the water for another snorkeling tour but soon find that the waves have become too big (even though Paul did enjoy some body surfing) and the current became very strong.  Pulling anchor, we headed into the edge of the harbor where we snorkeled in some lava tunnels.  So narrow, we had to go one at a time, it was fascinating.  Schools of little shrimp floated at the top of the water, filling the view in my mask.  Orange crabs clung to the walls, and they are beautiful up close, a variety of different colors fusing together that aren’t noticeable except at close range.    Back out in the bay we spot a manna ray before heading back in for the evening.

 

The lodge on Isabella reminds Paul and I of Caye Caulker, with a staircase leading to an upstairs deck.  Our room faces a deck and palm trees, the waves cascading onto shores just a few feet away.

This is a beautiful setting and that helps because on Day 8 I was in bed all day.

Santa Cruz, Florena, The Galapagos, Ecuador

Day 6

Santa Cruz

Today I learned that tortuga means turtle. 

Two young women from Spain join our little group this morning (from this point on they will be referred to as the Spanish Girls).   We head to the highlands of Santa Cruz.  On the way, we stop at the ranger station because MariaElana must register us for each tour we take into the park.  Only 3% of the Galapagos is usable for humans, the other 97% is reserved and carefully maintained.

Los Gemelos (The Twins) are two huge collapsed lava chambers on either side of the road leading to the tortoise reserve where we are headed.  They are giant craters and I can only imagine what it must have been like for somebody making their way through the forest to suddenly find themselves on the precipice, looking down about 100 feet to a certain death. 

 

Next on our agenda is a huge lava tunnel, rising 20 feet in height and running almost 1350 feet long. 

 

Luck is not with us at the muddy Primicias Ranch.  We don our borrowed boots and traipse around in the muck, sweat dripping, looking for the giant land tortoise. 

 

Did you know that a tortoise is a land animal and a turtle is an aquatic animal?  I just learned that today.  So we find one tortoise, who isn’t too pleased that we are bugging it, but our guide was smart enough to loop us through the woods long enough that some people thought it was a second tortoise by the time we passed it again because it had moved far enough way from the place we initially saw it!

 

Back at Aventura Lodge, Sophia and Alex join us for lunch.   It is a bittersweet lunch because they won’t be joining us for the rest of our trip.  We exchange emails and Alex promises to send us the article when it comes out in July and Sophia will send us pictures. 

I really feel a connection to Sophia.  She hugs me tight when she leaves and says, “We really must stay in touch.”  I love the camaraderie that travel brings, strangers in a strange land bonding, sometimes creating long lasting friendships.  I think that it comes from living in the moment and sharing the same experience. 

Floreana

After lunch we take our private ferry over to Floreana Island, about a two-hour ride.

Floreana was one of the first inhabited islands in Galapagos and still boasts a population of 120.  Our Red Mangrove Rep, Javier, was born here.  There are no paved roads here and very few vehicles but an open air bus is waiting to transport us to Luz del Dia (Light of Day Cove) and a black sand beach. 

 

Today I also learned that “playa negra” (black beach) means run like crazy into the water because the black sand is very hot. 

The snorkeling was amazing today.  Large schools of silver/blue fish twinkle in the shafts of sunlight coming through the water, dancing around me.  They don’t seem to mind my presence.  A giant sea turtle (remember, not a tortoise because its in the water) glides gracefully below me.  I am living in a nature show on the National Geographic channel.  All the creatures I see mesmerize me; puffer fish, a spotted sting ray,  the only sound my own breathing.  I see a motion out of the corner of my eye and come face to face with a sea lion.  As quick as he is there, he is gone.  

 

Our lodging for the tonight, the only on the island except for a few local “rooms”, is a rustic stretch of ten cabins lined up along the beach.  Small but accommodating, we had been warned that there was no air conditioning, TV, internet and limited electricity.  From midnight to nine a.m. there is NO electricity.  I can handle an evening of limited amenities but what I don’t like are the mosquitoes who show up…somebody must have told them fresh white tourist meat had arrived!  Javier gives us a tube of misquit, an herbal bug spread and we slather it on, dressing in long pants for dinner.

 

Seven o’clock finds us gathered on the wooden deck, the sun setting over the ocean, waves crashing on the black lava rocks in front of us.  Venus has just begun to shine in the night sky as Javier opens up a bottle of white wine and pours the eight of us each a glass.   Maria Elana toasts us, thanking us for visiting the islands.  It is sweet and heart felt.

 

Dinner is in town (5 minutes away) at a restaurant run by Lalia Cruz.  Her family was one of the first inhabitants, her father moved here in 1925.    We decide to walk back to the cabins after dinner, flashlights our only guide.  Earlier in the day we saw dozens of spiders, each one larger than a quarter, sometimes three to a tree.  They love the mosquitoes that I hate so much.  I make Javier and Paul walk in front of me because I don’t want to walk through their webs.

 

We see a shooting star as we leave dinner and Maria Eleana decides to show us the night sky when we arrive at our rooms.  We douse all the lights and meet on the deck again.  She points out Orion’s Belt, Cannabis Major and Minor, and of course the big dipper and North Star.  We also see the Southern Cross, which is only visible from one place in the United States, Key West.  It points to the Southern tip of the earth, just as the big dipper points to the North.  It is also clear enough to see the Milky Way.  The night sky is amazing and it makes me sad that we have lit up our world so much we can’t appreciate it more.

The night had cooled by then and Paul and I managed to not let any mosquitoes into our cabin, so we settled in for a very restful evening.

Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Ecuador

Day 5

Today I learned that bano means bathroom.

 Who knew getting to the Galapagos Islands could be so difficult.  Arriving at the airport, Paul and I have to pay $10 for a visitor’s card and have all our luggage inspected specifically for the islands.  Our flight, which stops quickly in Guiyaquil, takes about two hours and before we land on San Cristobal (the only island with an airport), all the overhead compartments are opened and fumigated.

As we bank across the islands it is easy to spot the small cruise ships in the crystal waters.  San Cristobal, at least where the airport is, is flat with small scrub brush and cacti.  It reminds me of when we landed in La Paz, Mexico.  The air is humid and we finally feel as if we are in a tropical environment.

After paying our $100 cash fee for entrance into the Galapagos National Park and having our luggage sniffed by the drug dogs, we are loaded onto a big transit bus.  With us are our Naturalist, MarieElana and our Red Mangrove rep, Javier.   A ten minute crowded bus ride through the desert gets us to two ferries.  Our luggage is tossed on top and we quickly traverse the small channel to Santa Cruz Island.  There we transfer to a cab and head off to Red Mangrove Galapagos Lodge , about a 45 minute ride.  Santa Cruz Island begins with the same type of landscape as San Cristobal but soon changes to trees and lush greenery. 

Our hotel is located in the small community of Puerto Ayora on the island and is quaint with red buildings under towering mangrove trees.

We find our room, named Naranja (“Orange”) and find ourselves looking over the dock, watching pelicans dive for fish in our small harbor.   (view from our room at right)

Lunch quickly follows, where we are joined by sunning iguanas, an egret in the drained jacuzzi and a sea lion that has staked a claim to one of the lounge chairs.

As soon as lunch is over we are assigned our snorkels and masks for the remainder of our trip and change for our very first snorkeling tour in the famous Galapagos Islands!

 Four additional people join us for the tour, Paco and his lovely wife, Vanya, Alex (a woman) and Sophia.   Alex and Sophia are from Buena Aires and are on assignment for the airline magazine, LAN,  Alex writing and Sophia taking pictures.  Paco and Vanya are from Valencia, Spain but Vanya is originally from the Patagonia area of Chili.  Within fifteen minutes we are in the water, after being checked out by a curious sea lion, we snorkeled along the shore of a small island and see dozens of fish.  A school of blue damsels, basking in a spot of warmer water, were happy to swim around me, within touching distance.  I thought they’d come up and taste my mask but none were that brave.

(Javier in the boat on the way to snorkling)

If you ever go snorkeling or diving with me you should know that I have a really hard time jumping into the water (Julie, remember our snorkel trip in Kauai?).  Once in, it is even harder to get me out.  Meaning of course that I love it and I love to snorkel and dive.  It’s just that jumping into the depths of the unknown that I find so hard.   Well, in this case it was also physically hard for me to get out of the water and into the boat.  I’d like to blame the ladder and/or the rolling water but more than likely it was my out of shape body.  I handed my flippers and mask to Javier and tried to get both feet on the bottom rung of the ladder.   I am pretty sure my body wasn’t meant to be in that position, but I finally managed to do it.  Meanwhile the boat is rocking and the top of the ladder is not directly up but overhead.  Javier reaches down to help me, all 140 pounds of him, and as I am trying to lift myself, I almost topple him headfirst into the water.  Well, now I am laughing too hard to do myself much good.  One of the boat assistants come over and between the three of us I managed to clamper over the edge of the boat, depositing myself in a heap on the boat floor, a little bruised and bloody, but safe and sound.

 

At Tortuga  (Turtle) Bay, we waded ashore and stalked some aquatic iguanas, which are only found in Galapagos.  Following their tail trail in the sand we quickly find some, perched in the sun, taking an afternoon siesta.

 The quantity of wildlife is amazing.  We see the famous Darwin Finch (the bird that lead to Darwin’s theory of Evolution, of which there are fourteen varieties), lava lizards and a lava gull (the lava gull is all a dark gray and smaller than the gulls we are used to in the United States), just to name the animals I can remember! 

By the time we get back to the hotel to shower and change for dinner, a storm has set it and we can hear the wind and rain beating along the side of our room.

Tomorrow we head out to see the giant turtles and then onto another island.

Luna Runtun, Pisaquincha, and Hacienda La Cinega, Ecuador

Day 3

Today I learned that caliente means hot.

 Paul and I split up today.  While he went  canyonering, I decided to add some spa appointments and catch up with my writing.  Since there isn’t much to report today, I will tell you about our stay at Luna Runtun Adventure Spa and Resort.

Luna Runtun's name can be interpreted several different ways. Luna means moon but the is also the last name of the owners.  Runtun, in Incan, means fortress.  Therefore, Luna Runtun can mean Moon Fortress or Fortress of the Luna Family.  Built fifteen years ago on the side of the still active Tungurahua Volcano, it has survived several eruptions and many scares.

Spread out over 300 acres, Luna Runtun has hilltop hot tubs, warming pools and swimming pools.  The rooms and suites are sprinkled in small buildings throughout the property.  On our last night there we felt as if there were no other guests, the wind teasing the trees was our only companion.  Even when the hotel was sold out for Easter weekend, we would be more likely to see employee than a guest.

The hot tub and warming pools are located up the hill (hill doesn’t really describe, vertical climb is better), along with the Café del Cielo.  Café del Cielo is a specialty café serving sandwiches, a wide variety of coffees and crepes.  Today I had a nice ham and cheese sandwich, followed by a banana crepe, while Paul had a strawberry crepe (he ate lunch while canyonering).  Everything we had there was exceptional and fresh.

 

All the other meals at Luna Runtun are served in the restaurant, located on another steep hill and were good as well, but were even tastier when not served buffet style.  I had two traditional soups, Cauliflower Soup and Potato Soup (with cheese and avocado).  One breakfast item that soon became a favorite was a cake type pastry with cinnamon cooked in banana leaves.

 

 
The Volcano Spa is located on yet another incline but sports amazing views of the valley.  It feels quite decadent to have a foot massage while overlooking the mountain vistas.  Between the two of us, I believe we sampled almost all of their spa treatments.  We both partook of a couple one hour body massages, foot massages, honey exfoliation (which tastes wonderful, but more on honey later), facials and manicures.  In addition I had a rose petal bath and a hair treatment.  The spa girls are all very sweet and skilled at each of the treatments.

 

Day 4 

Today I learned that la miel means honey.

After a few final spa treatments, Paul and I climb back into Fernando’s van for the trip back to Quito.

Juan Fernando Rueda is quite a character.  Tall and lean, he seems to tower over most of the locals.  But with his sparkling greens eyes, gentle manner and impish smile he wins everybody over quickly.  Dubbed the “flying cat” by his friends in the Galapagos, he and his family recently moved back to Quito from Galapagos so his daughter, who is seven, could have better schooling.  A native of Ecuador, his background is as a chef and he worked in the Caribbean for over seven years before going to the Galapagos to teach the kitchen staff on the small cruise ships how to prepare food.

 Fernando has a silly sense of humor, often making fun of himself, and a strong sense of responsibility for his guests (whom he always refers to as the passengers).  His English is self-taught and while amusing, does cause some confusion.  For quite a while Paul and I thought the Virgin of Quito was the Vision of Quito and on our way to Banos he kept talking about mini pigs, but what he was saying was guinea pigs (a delicacy, by the way, seen spread out on spits in the street shops).

 Today could be called Jennifer’s Quest for Honey.  I have fallen in love with the honey we had at Luna Runtun and have decided I must have some to take home.  We ask about honey in Banos and are told it can be found in the next town, which is on the way to Pisaquincha, the leather market.  One there, Fernando asks again about honey and is told that nobody is selling it today but if we go to this lady’s house we can buy it from her.  This leads us on a quest and finally, after four houses I have two huge pots of honey.  Now, if only I can figure out how to get them home!

 

We make a quick pit stop in Pisaquincha for some leather goods (yes, I bought some birthday and Christmas presents but I’m not saying for who!) and then went to Hacienda La Cienega Built 380 years ago, this Hacienda, which is now a hotel, was home to many founding members of Ecuador, writers of the constitution among others.  It has been well maintained and gives an excellent glimpse into how life was back in the 1700’s.

 

 

Paul and I have a quiet night (well quiet if you count all the car alarms, barking dogs and planes overhead) at Laguna Suites in Quito, since we have an early wake-up call for our flight to the Galapagos tomorrow.

Banos, Ecuador

Day 2

I can’t believe I’m in Ecuador.  In South America.  And the view outside my window deepens the disbelief.  Early morning, our huge picture window is a wall of clouds, thick fog and mist that completely covers the small town of Banos below. 

We don’t have a TV in our room, but find that watching the clouds is mesmerizing and we both stand in front of the window, as in a trance, or sit in the lounge chair, window open, watching the clouds form, then pass.   The noise from the Banos echoes up the mountain, music and car alarms yet doesn’t destroy the tranquility the mountains impose.

 Luna Runtun Adventure Spa is nestled on 300 acres in the Sangay National Forest in the Andes Mountains.  A small resort, spread out on the mountainside, it has a total of 27 rooms and can accommodate approximately 70 people.  With a spa, hot spring hot tubs and two restaurants, there is almost no reason to leave. 

 Of course, Paul and I find a good reason to venture off property.  A tour of the local waterfalls!  Our guide for the day is Darwin (his parents must have a great sense of humor), and along with our driver, Jose, and fellow guests, Debbie and Carl Jensen (from Denmark but living in Ecuador), we are off to explore.

 

 

Darwin is a native of Ecuador but has just returned after, not only living in the United States for fifteen years, but also serving as a paramedic with the Air Force.  Debbie and Carl currently live in Guayaquil, a port city, where Carl works for Maersk.  They have been lucky to have lived all over the world including Dubai and Singapore.

As Darwin says, in this part of his country there are only two ways to go…up or down.Farmers cultivate small patches of mountain where ever possible, in fact there is even a small garden adjacent to Luna Runtun, with cabbage and corn among other things.

 We head down then east out of Banos on the road to Puyo and the Valley of the Waterfalls.  This used to be considered the most dangerous road in Ecuador since it was one lane etched into the cliffside, a deep drop to the river below for the unlucky few who tried to pass.  Within the past few years a series of tunnels were added and the road was paved.  A trip that took 7 hours, now takes only two and a half and it has opened a new area of Ecuador to explore.  The old road can still be taken for the canyon and waterfall views and for a chance to use the Ecuadorian car wash (a waterfall that falls directly on the road). 

(Ecuadorian Car Wash, photo by Paul)

The Machay bridges (old and new) are one of our first stops.  Pendulum swings have been set up and we watch a few brave souls take the plunge.  For only a $10 fee (Ecuador’s currency is the dollar), Paul decides to join them.   Within seconds he is harnessed in and on the edge of the old bridge. 

One, Two, Three and he’s gone, down and across under the far bridge, almost to the river’s edge and then back. 

A guy below throws him a rope and pulls him over to the rocks, where Paul finds a path back to the top of the bridge.  It was exhilarating to watch (don’t worry Mom, I have NO DESIRE to do anything like that) and I couldn’t help but think this would be a great place for The Amazing Race!

 A few minutes further down the road we stop to take a gondola across the river to twin waterfalls.  Last month there was a flash flood that destroyed fourteen houses, killed four and created duel waterfalls where only one use to exist. 

The ride, which costs $1, is exhilarating and the operator likes to tease the riders buy stopping over the waterfall and causing the car to rock back and forth.  Even though most of the riders are tourist, the gondolas also carry locals and goods across for their communities.

 

El Pailon del Diablo is our final destination.  The Devil’s Cauldron is one of the largest waterfalls in this area, located in the Ecuador National Park.  An almost two mile hike down to the waterfall base is fun and crowded with local tourists.
The waterfall is located on private property, so for a $1 admission (it seems like everything is $1) we hike back up to the top to the observation area.  From there, a small tunnel leads to behind the waterfall. 
Paul and I get down on our hands and knees and make our way through—it reminded me of our ATM cave adventure in Belize last year—Paul makes it all the way to the top but I have to stop a bit short.  The power of the waterfall is energizing and the people that make it this far up are giddy with excitement.

Paul emerges, drenched but with a big smile on his face and we slide and slither our way back, where our new Danish friends are waiting for us.

 

The two mile hike back up was a killer.  It reminded me that after Belize last year I swore I would be in better shape for my next vacation.  But here I am, two movies and sixteen months later, a little heavier and in WORSE shape.  So, I again vow that I will be in better shape for our next adventure (we are thinking African Safari).  Many of the locals on their way down, laugh at me good naturedly, the pale chubby American huffing and puffing her way up the trail. sweat dripping off of her, face completely flush.  Darwin and Paul are sweet and good natured about my many rest stops.  Darwin has done this hike six times already this week and says he can make it to the top in eight minutes—SHOW OFF!

 

One thing that I loved about everything we did today was it felt like these were things that Ecuadrian do for fun.  It was a great way to meet and interact with the local culture, from natives in their black skirts, pure white shirts, bowler hats and brightly colored scarves to petite men with parched skin and families, black haired children, all with friendly smiles on their faces.

 

Our morning excursion over, we headed back to Luna Runtun where Paul and I had an afternoon of spa treatments planned.  (more about Luna Runtun and the spa in a later post)

 

Another happy day.

 

Quito, Ecuador

DAY ONE

Paul and I arrive under the cloak of darkness, weary after the five hours flight, the second leg of travel for both Paul and me.  The airport is packed with locals, waiting for their loved ones.  It seems tradition for the entire family to pick up visitors or returning friends. 

 Our hotel is located only ten minutes away from the airport and our driver gets us there quickly.  The Laguna Suites is a boutique hotel with only 23 rooms.  It is well kept but soon we find that it is in the flight path for one of the runways.  In a year, when the new airport opens up, this will no longer be an issue.

Juan Fernando Reuda is our guide for today, Good Friday.  Old Town, its collection of churches our destination.  La Basilica is our first stop, with its gargoyles of turtles, iguanas, armadillos and other local animals. 

Begun in 1892 the church is still under construction.

Walking on a catwalk above the vaulted cathedral ceilings,

 

we climb into the bell tower for our first city view of Quito.

It is spell bounding, multicolored houses, like jewels embedded up the mountainsides, white fluffy clouds hiding the peaks.  Today is perfect and bright, not the rain that the weather websites had forecast for us.

 

Conquered by the Spanish in 1544, Ecuador (and neighboring countries) was lead by a peaceful colonial rule until 1720.  The United States’ independence spurred the South American areas held by Spain to seek their own liberation and Antonio Jose de Sucre, under the direction of Simon Bolivar (from Venezuela), led the fight beginning 1n 1821 for Ecuador.  By 1824, the Spanish were defeated and by 1830, Ecuador succeeded from the Gran Colombia Federation and with 700,000 people birthed a nation.

(Jennifer and Fernando in front of one of the many churches, photo by Paul)

On the southwest side of the Plaza de la Independencia, we visited the Cathedral.  Sucre, along with the first and second presidents of Ecuador are entombed here.  The Presidential Palace, Archbishop’s Palace and City Hall complete this square, also known as the heart of colonial Quito.

 (Presidential Palace, photo by Paul)

The city is buzzing with people today, most having arrived to see the processional that will mark Jesus’ path to the cross and death.  We visit a few more churches, each spectacular in their own way before heading to the Plaza San Francisco.  Built on the site of an old Inca temple, using the same footprint and stones, this is the starting point for the processional.    We watch as men dressed in blue and purple robes with hoods, shirtless men carrying crosses and others flogging themselves make their way slowly through the streets.  Bands separate the communities that are represented.  Taking five hours, walking on bare feet on the hot asphalt, this is a way for repentance for the transgressions and sins committed.

 

(photo by Paul Pawlicki)

We, however, don’t have five hours and find that our car is blocked off from us.  We are trapped within the boundaries of the processional.  There is only one way out.  We have to cut through wall of people lining the streets and navigate around the men dragging chains and cross to the other wall of people on the opposite side.  Trying not to be disrespectful, we push our way through and then get trapped, standing in front of people who lined up hours ago to witness.  One local gave us a look that reminded me of the angry Incas depicted in the movie Apocalypto. 

 Safely away from the emotional crowd (overall the Ecuadorians are very sweet, friendly people), we drive up to El Panecillo, the Virgin of Quito.  Built in the 1970’s, this site was important to both the Incas and the Spanish because of its position high in the middle of the city.  From this vantage point you can see all directions of Quito, as it spills up the mountains and into the valleys beyond.

 

(photo by Paul Palwicki)

We stop at a café overlooking the city for a traditional Good Friday lunch of  Faneska, a dish made up of twenty five ingredients; fish, beans, cheese, peppers, egg, plantains, grains are among a few.  The soup, along with a big glass of fresh blackberry juice hit the spot!

 

Fernando dropped us off at our hotel to pack, while he made an airport run to pick up a family returning from the Galapagos.  They were also headed to Luna Runtun in Banos, so we would share a ride there in the afternoon.

 Our trip to Banos is a three-hour drive, mostly along the famous Pan-American Highway (that starts in Alaska and ends in Chile) and will take us to the Cotopaxi provence of Ecuador, also known as the Avenue of the Volcanoes.   We find that each little town we drive through has its own specialty, one is home of the cowboys (also known as chagras), one makes steel, one sells cheap jeans, one’s claim to fame is ice cream (we stopped and tasted and it was good).  The volcanoes are imposing, puffs of steam coming from within, they stand only 200 meters below the tallest mountain in the Himalayas.  Cotopaxi is one of the tallest active valances in the world, Sangay THE most active, and Guagua Pichincha, Tungurahua, Reventador and Sangay all have erupted within the last ten years.

 We arrive in Banos, again under the cover of darkness.  The small town is still alive with activity from the day’s festivities.  Banos' specialties, if you were wondering, are the hot springs and for the local Ecuadorian tourists, the Church of Our Lady of the Holy Water.

 Our resort, Luna Runtun , sits almost 1800 feet above Banos, perched on the Tungurahua Volcano, it overlooks the city.   Paul and I head for bed after a quick dinner and a dip in the hot spring fed hot tub, exhausted from a wonderful first day.

 

(night view from our huge picture window)