Pedernales, Canoa, San Vicente, Ecuador

Diana and Telmo

Telmo and Diana very kindly invited me to go to the beach with them. We took the overnight bus from Quito to Pedernales, arriving around 4:30 in the morning. As we walked around looking for a hostel, the only people we passed and talked to were individual men standing guard, each with a machete and a rifle. They were hired locals standing watch during the night. After finding a room, we slept for several hours and then went to the beach. 

I had had a cold for days, but thought I would be feeling better at the warm beach, out of rainy and cold Quito. Unfortunately, the cold had already moved to my lungs, and my health got worse quickly. That very night of our arrival, I was having trouble breathing. Thus, my beach trip partially consisted of hunting down doctors in Pedernales, Canoa and San Vicente to get medicine and breathing treatments. However, before the doctors told me not to, I did swim in the ocean thrice. It was beautiful and fun! Telmo and Diana were with me for the first 2 days, and I stayed alone for 3 more. Thank goodness I speak Spanish!

Telmo and I

Apparently surfing is good in both Pedernales and Canoa, evidenced by the large number of surfers riding the waves. I was told that Pedernales is good for the “fat and lazy” surfer, because you can ride the rip tide out and surf back in without having to paddle. Simply walk back up the beach. I saw almost no tourists in Pedernales on those two weekdays, only locals. It was wonderful.

The first day in Pedernales, Telmo, Diana and I walked down the beach until it felt like our own private getaway, with a mule grazing nearby on the steep hill beside the dirt road leading up, up, up.  While walking back, we happened upon some fishermen and women. They were fishing with a mile long net, or so I’ve been told, as it takes 2 ½ to 3 hours to pull it in. They were all lined up, from in the water out onto the beach, and they worked steadily, pulling in the line. Telmo and Diana both helped. (I couldn’t breathe well enough, so I simply watched.) Some kids even joined in! A local teacher had brought her class out to the beach for a swim. That sure looked like a fun recess! Telmo pulled for more than an hour, and was rewarded with 5 fresh fish, which we took to a local restaurant to have for dinner. It was among the best fish I have ever eaten because it was deliciously fresh. As the net was finally pulled to shore, the birds attacked, swooping in for an easy meal. One of them knocked hard into my shoulder. What an experience!

The second night there, I moved to a hostel on the beach for $6 a night! There were two near life-sized icy white colored naked woman on my shower doors. How could you not love this place? I could hear the beach all night with my window open. “Be sure to close it before you go to sleep because someone could shimmy up onto that neighboring roof and then it’s like you’re nearly on the first floor.” I slept with my whistle that night.

The view from my hostel door in Pedernales

Quote I read on my tea bag that summarized Canoa for me: "Socialize with compassion, kindness and grace.” Very important advice for stopping in a small town where everybody knows each other, and you are sure to see the same people over and over again. Don’t be a jerk or it will come back to haunt you.

View from my hostel in Canoa

Diana and Telmo in Canoa

Diana and a sunburned Bethany

I thought I couldn't live without Q-tips . . .

Founding of Quito all day parade

During the parade, this group carried and set up bike ramps along the route, performing amazing tricks for the crowd.

The annual fiesta celebrating the Founding of Quito lasted for days. The streets were flooded with thousands and thousands of people, all day and all of the night! The family, with whom I have been comfortably living with here in Quito, has a 24 year old daughter named Cindy. Cindy kindly invited me out with her and her friends three nights in a row. I accepted the invitation the first two nights. Craziness ensued, as you might imagine with that age group. I kept up quite well I would say, considering that I am 10 years older.

One beautiful thing about Ecuador is its’ diversity. Unlike other South American countries I have visited, Ecuador hosts people of many different skin colors, backgrounds and cultures. This I love. The first night of this grand fiesta, we went to a really popular dance club called “One Thousand Arabian Knights” where there were many Arabic people mixed in with the locals. One of the girls in our group knows a couple of Arabic guys that are friends with the owner of this particular discotec; thus, we were able to dance on the primary stage, in front of the DJ booth, passing around the flavor-filled hookah. Communication was interesting with this group, and it went like this: Vero spoke in Spanish to me; I translated what she said into English to Abdu, who translated that into his language for Omar, and vice versa. Later on, in a quiet area, Abdu (of Afghanistan) and I spoke of the war and politics between our two countries. Then, he gave me a gift of comprehending the difference between his Muslim religion and my country’s Christian one. Just as the light of understanding was beginning to shine in my mind’s eye, I was suddenly whisked away. Apparently, one of the guys had unwelcomingly kissed a girl in our group. She slapped him, and we were off to different fun.

In the late hours of the night, we ended up in an all black dance club, the majority of which were Africans, but also mixed in were many local black Ecuadorians. What a joy! I had not seen hardly any black people in South America before. What a nice surprise! The people at “The Knights of Arabia,” moved subtly to the music, hardly raising their arms, but at this new place, the dancing was natural and familiar. People danced moving their entire bodies. I felt most comfortable here.

By 2:30 in the morning, I realized how hungry I was. Leaving the packed dance floor, I wandered outside. There I met Yamil, a Cuban gentleman running a small, clean, late-night food stand. Full of doubt, I asked if he had anything other than meat.

He quickly said, “Yes! Would you like a veggie burger?”

“Seriously? You really have veggie burgers?”

“Yes! Just inside,” he proudly replied, obviously wanting to shatter my disbelief.

I was very excited, to say the least.

Then, he told me, “I must go inside to get them. You are in charge. You are the boss now. Be right back.”

WOW!! So there I stood, on the streets of Qutio, outside of a happening dance club, behind the counter of a food stand, awaiting customers. I was the jefe, maintaining a pleasant, welcoming smile for some 5 minutes. Now, that was an experience! 

Chivas, rolling open air parties all over town for the festival. Many have dance floors aboard, overflowing with people!

The second big night of the fiesta, Cindy and I went and listened to some great live music at a big outdoor stage. Soon, 4 lively young women showed up next to us. They were wearing necklaces with shot glasses attached and were passing around a bottle of liquor. They quickly absorbed us into their happy bunch. Off we went! A group of 6 vibrant and feisty women, celebrating life!

Virgin del Panecillo

You could see her from all over the city!

She mesmerized me

Diana's shining smile is in the middle of the group

The third day of the fiesta, I spent with Telmo, Diana, two of their dear friends, and Cindy. We all piled into one car and drove around the city, taking in spectacular views of Quito seated within the mountains. Before the sun set, we parked and walked to a grand park, where thousands of people were dancing, radiating out from a stage so far away that I could barely see it. I got to use my newly acquired Ecuadorian-style dance moves.

There were lots members of the military present at the parade.

Interesting perspective including the police and "with infinite love" captioned under President Correa, considering the standoff last September between them.

Clown posing for a picture. Check out the boy in the background.

quotes from the road - on the bus from Mindo to Quito

"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all of your thoughts break their bonds, your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new and a great and a wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents come alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be." -Patanjali

 "If you knew who walked beside you at all times on this path that you have chosen, you could never experience fear or doubt again." A Course in Miracles

Cloud Forest

My new friend from Georgia, Bette, that I met in the airport, joined me in traveling to Mindo. Having done most of my traveling alone in life, I’d say we made a good team. We decided to spend one night in San Miguel de Los Bancos, primarily because the bus took us directly there; thus avoiding the need to hitch a ride in the back of a truck late in the day to travel the remaining 30 minutes to Mindo. My guidebook had recommended a lovely hostel called Hostal Mirador Rio Blanco with “magnificent views of the river.”

Rio Blanco

This place was great! We had our own suite with a living room and 3 bedrooms for only $10 each. The food in their restaurant was delicious! Once there, we immediately dropped our bags in the room and went for a hike with what remained of the day. Behind the hostel there are lots of well defined trails through the cloud forest. There were leaves bigger than my torso! 

Proof!

It was so beautiful. That evening, Bette and I sat outside on the porch, talking for hours, listening to the river, and feeling the mist of the clouds on our skin. The owner, Patricio, was the best host one could want. He showed me his moth collection, and shared a drink with us, talking late into the night.

The next morning we saw lots of wildlife outside. 

What do you think these two are thinking gazing at each other like that?

Caught mid-flight

Hummingbird with an itch

He has had more than his fair share of plantains

Late the next day, Bette and I took a cab to Mindo. Our peaceful hostel was a short 7 minute walk down a quiet dirt road to the tiny town center. Mindo was paradise. The first day there we simply lounged around in hammocks, while listening to the river and breathing in the tranquility. (This had absolutely nothing to do with the bottle of Ecuadorian rum we downed the night before.)

Patricio, Bette, y Yo

On the second day, we went ziplining through the canopy! That was an adventure. The cloudforest of Mindo is lush, and it was exhilarating to fly over the tops of the trees. My favorite way to zipline was in the “mariposo” (butterfly) position, which is akin to doing a handstand in the air while flying. Talk about a rush!

The view while ziplining

Later that night we went into town for some dinner. After dinner, Bette and I sat down on a bench in the town square and enjoyed a treat of ice cream. Before we knew it, four little girls were climbing and crawling all over us! They were ages 2, 4, 4, and 4. Imagine the most adorable little girls possible; then add the laughter of little angels. Every time the two year old giggled, I could have wept from her chime of pure joy. They never asked us for a thing, and seemed perfectly content just to have our attention and adoration. So there we were, gringos in a tiny Ecuadorian town, with local children in our laps, chattering and laughing time away. What a blessing.

A moth as big as my hand being born

Our next day in Mindo, we went to a butterfly house, and an orchid garden. The orchid garden was spectacular!! I received a private tour, as the gardener took me around and showed me all of the different species he cares for. Most of the orchids were so tiny that we had to use a magnifying glass to see them! Think of the most detailed and perfectly designed flower you have ever seen, but it is microscopic. 

One particular flower, could barely be seen with the naked eye. It grew out of a leaf, and looked like nothing more than a spec of white. With the aid of the magnifying glass it came alive - delicate white petals, like rays, splashing out from the spectacular wine purple center. It looked like a star! It struck me as a miracle that something so stunning and perfectly made could exist. Tears came to my eyes, for my faith in God/The Universe/Mother Earth was strengthened by this one simple sight.

One of my other favorites was nearly as tiny, and through the looking glass, in the center of the flower, one could see a perfectly shaped dark pink heart. 

Slight obsession with this spider web in Los Bancos

During my last hour in Mindo, I was fortunate enough to see a group of 5 elder locals, all men, sitting at a folding table, situated on the corner sidewalk. The table held a dark maroon felt cloth and playing cards. I asked if I might watch them play. They instantly pulled me up a chair and welcomed me graciously. The game was a form of rummy, but they were playing for money and also had side bets going simultaneously. As I clearly showed my interest, they enthusiastically offered the information of a local man who gives lessons in this game. Sadly, my bus was departing within the hour, but I did consider staying longer just to learn to play.

Upon returning to Quito, Bette and I went out for her farewell to Ecuador dinner. After dinner we hailed a cab (who incidentally was going to price gouge us) and were on our way back to her hostel, or so we thought. On the way, our cab driver decided to make an illegal u-turn, cutting off 4 lanes of traffic, right in front of a cop! The cop halted the cab. (At this moment, we were positioned perfectly perpendicular to those 4 lanes of traffic.) The cop came up to the window and asked the cab driver what he thought he was doing. The driver interrupted the officer and began to argue. The cop immediately put a stop to that, saying something like, “Do you know who you are talking to?!? I could have you arrested right now! If you know what is good for you, you will shut up and listen to me!!” Promptly, the cop got into the passenger side of the taxi. With one cop car in front of us and one in the rear, blue lights a blazing, we proceeded to move. Bette and I sat quietly in the back seat, not knowing what was going to happen. The cab driver and the cop began discussing the situation, and the cab driver blamed everything on us. “These two foreigners were yelling at me to make a left. I tried to protest, but you know, they are foreigners, and they were insisting that I make a left right there. They were yelling for me to turn. What could I do? You know foreigners . . . I just did what they told me to do. That is what happened.” I understood all of this, and was quietly interpreting in English to Bette, who was getting more and more upset. She wanted me to tell the officer the truth, but I figured getting the driver in worse trouble would not help anything. He was the one in trouble, not us. After driving like this for around 5 minutes, I timidly asked the police officer in my best Spanish, “Do we need to get out now?” He brusquely told me to be quiet because he was dealing with the taxi driver at the moment, and that it had nothing to do with me.

After 5 more minutes, we pulled up to a police station. There were uniformed officers of several different types milling all around outside. It was quite intimidating. As soon as the cop exited the vehicle, I leaned up to the cab driver, as though I were bursting to say this (because I was,) “I clearly understood everything you said. If you don’t get arrested, I assume this cab ride will be free.” He actually laughed!

One minute later, the driver was taken out of the vehicle, and we were left sitting in the back seat. We had no idea where we were, and I hurriedly scanned the area. I eyed yellow taxis passing by on the next block. Then, several police officers began looking in the rear window at us and grinning. That was the first time I got angry. We are not on display! In that moment we decided to exit the vehicle, and luckily a cab was driving right by us! I hailed the cab, turned to the police officers, and said in my best Spanish, “We don’t know what is going on. You have not explained anything to us! Goodbye.” And with that, we rode off into the Quiteño smog.

Singing "De Colores!"

Otavalo is home of the largest handicrafts market in all of South America. They have a handmade crafts market, a food market, and an animal market! I am decidedly bad at bargaining. I simply feel bad paying so little for something that took such work. I’ve got a feeling that my skill at haggling will improve relative to my money dwindling. 

Below is the most magnificent rainbow I have ever seen in my life. I saw it when atop the mountain at Parque Condor. Unfortunately, these pictures do not convey the grandeur and expansiveness of this sight. 

You could clearly see the rainbow's end in the town below

It went up, up, up . . .

and over the mountain range

ALL the way over

landing on the other side

and just when i thought it couldn't possibly be more breathtakingly beautiful - a double rainbow appeared!

Otavalo, Ecuador

Today I am in Otavalo, Ecuador. It is around 1 ½ hours north of Quito. As I was traveling by bus yesterday, I kept my small canvas bag directly in front of me, with my legs on top of it. After a short time, the bus driver’s assistant came over and without saying one word, forcefully shoved it under my seat. Of course that made me nervous, knowing all that I have read about theft upon buses; but he was so forceful that I was afraid to put it back where I’d securely held it before. Instead, I only hooked my foot through the strap. Sometime later, I repeatedly felt the person behind me kicking my bag. I annoyingly turned around at least 4 times to glare at them. It was only a woman with a sleeping bag covering her. Strange. Shortly thereafter, I fell deliciously asleep. When I awoke, I fortunately saw a sign that had “Otavalo” on it. There was a young boy, around 11 years old, sitting beside me. I asked him if we were going to stop at the bus terminal in Otavalo. “Yes,” he replied with surety, and seconds later got off the bus. “Good,” I thought, “we must be almost there.” 10 minutes later, I realized that we must be heading out of Otavalo by now. I asked someone, and yes, we were nearly in Cotopaxi, the next nearby town. Long story short, I had to hop off the bus, cross the street screaming (hoping it might keep the crazy cars flying by me at bay) and hail another bus going back in the opposite direction. This bus was full of indigenous people, traditionally dressed, the men with long hair, the women in skirts, several of them smiling at me curiously. A sweet elderly woman was sitting next to me, and we chatted a little. Twenty minutes later, I arrived at the Otavalo bus station, which I clearly had slept through before. I had arrived! Now, to find a place to stay. I shall not bore you with that story, only to say that the first place was a heap, with plywood for both walls and ceiling. Well, what does one expect for $6 a night? Though, sometimes luck brings beauty. Not this time. A few hours after checking in, I came back and paid them $3 for holding my bags, and changed hostels. The one I changed to was almost uncomfortably lush, for only $11 per night. It had crown molding everywhere!! And a television. I spoiled myself that night, watching t.v. for the first time here. The Ecuador vs Argentina futbol game was on. Ecuador lost. 

The story of my bag being forced under the seat comes awkwardly back in now, for when I arrived at my first hostel, I realized that my bag had been slashed through! Not an easy task since it is thick canvas. They slashed through in 2 places, and my notebook was hanging out. The only thing that I am certain is missing is my comfy long john pants. They may also have gotten some Spanish verb papers, but I will never know. I feel certain that the bus driver’s assistant was in cahoots with the dirty thief. Lesson learned. Never, ever leave your bag under the seat, period.

The only beautiful adventure I had this day, was hiking at the crystal clear crater-lake which sits at the bottom of the volcano Cotocachi. This lake is named “Cuicocha,” which means “guinea pig lake” in Kichwa.

Cuycocha crater-lake

Peering into the lake's depths

The next day I took a $2 cab ride to La Cascada de Peguche, a beautiful park with a winding river, precarious bridges, and one huge waterfall. The driver dropped me off at the road’s end, and instructed me to walk straight. There I found a path that led me into the forest. It was so beautiful!! The trees were very tall, and felt ancient, as though they held the silent secrets of history.

I wandered around for a long time, breathing in the silence, with only the rushing river close by. I crossed makeshift bridges, and one big, strong, hanging one, along the way seeing locals swimming in stone walled pools of bubbling water.

Nice meditation spot on this wall

Fun hanging bridge!

Can you see my shadow?

The canal running alongside the river

Slowly, I made my way to La Cascada de Peguche. It was at least 60 feet high, and powerful.

La Cascada de Peguche

To stand on the bridge nearby, one would get very wet, very fast. So, I climbed higher, to a lookout point. I rested there for a while. That was where I met this guy.

We talked for several minutes, when he suddenly whipped off his shirt and began posing. Of course I had to snap some pictures. He told me his life’s story, which was fascinating, involving his being kidnapped and taken to Peru for 2 years, and subsequently living alone in the woods feeding on anything that he could find: monkeys, birds of all types, crawling animals, insects, and more. He spoke in his language as fast as I can possibly speak in mine, despite my requests to slow down. I understood around 65% of his 25 minute story, which ended with him doing his posing for a group of girls somewhere. At that point, I deemed him a bit off, and kindly parted ways.

He kindly took a picture of me.

From there I decided to hike to the very top of the mountain to go to Condor Park, a rescue center for birds of prey. The hike was difficult for me, as it was mostly straight up, and I had to follow nearly non-existent foot paths. I had been advised below, to always pick the path that goes straight to the very top. At one point I took a wrong turn, and the path ended here.

I hid behind the tree to snap a photo of the cow. Do you see the gentleman napping?

I asked this resting, indigenous gentleman, whom I did not see at first, where the trail began again. He told me to turn back and then continue straight up. Along the way, I passed many plots of farmland.

Zoomed in on people farming below

I’m not sure how long I hiked, but it was for quite some time. Near the end, because of the high altitude, I was forced to stop every 15 paces or so to breathe. The sun was strong.  Twice I considered turning back, but finally I saw a glimpse of the road! Then, upon my right appeared a barbed wire fence, so I followed it, as the path was much easier alongside it. Just before reaching the road I saw a building directly to my right, on the other side of the fence. It was Condor Park!! Not only had I made it, but my trajectory took me exactly there! Proudly, I eeked through the fence and continued into the park. It was a beautiful and serene place, overlooking the entire city and mountains nearby. I took a plethora of pictures.

This Condor flew and landed directly in front of me!!!

Condors have a HUGE wingspan

All of the birds here are injured and have been rescued

As many as possible are released back into the wild

This guy was rescued from Miami

He was not my biggest fan