Ecuador in Retrospect, Again

I've been updating my companies information on the countries that we sell trips in. This project has taken me through our 6 most frequently used locations: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, and Peru. Today I started on Ecuador. Though quite far away from Buenos Aires and really only used by us for the Galapagos Islands, I'm updating all of the technical information and weather data.

This means that I'm doing heavy research from the CIA World Factbook, one of my favorite sources for information on any country in the world. You're not getting Top Secret information, but you're just getting incredibly accurate and bi-weekly updated facts, which is really helpful when doing international research. So I've been thumbing through things like population, area, and literacy rates, among other things. But Ecuador is slightly different than the other countries in that our files on it basically didn't exist, so I'm piecing it together not only with this information, but from my own experience.

It's harder to do this because as I write I have to keep in mind who my audience is, and talking about the safety on bus trips is irrelevant because these clients will never take a nice bus from the coast. Yet I'm still adding information on Safety and Emergencies, Food and Water, and Taxis. So it only makes sense to be thorough and include what I feel and know to be true. After all, what else was the point of living there for a year if I can't even walk away and share my experience.

I spent a few solid hours on this one document, and after finishing it and looking back I noticed that it all seemed to be negative. An objective reader might think that Ecuador is in a total state of turmoil. From a macro perspective from someone without personal experience there, that might be the only way you can see it. I feel the need to include that it is a dangerous country and you need to practice caution. I list tips on how to stay safe even if that makes it seem dangerous at the same time. I talk about past, recent, and current economic and governmental issues that contribute to a lack of stability.

This isn't building up a story and it's not hiding the truth, it's merely stating the facts, which is what any journalist should do. But I get the feeling that this is bad for business, especially tourism. I don't know how I can relate in such simple words, next to warnings about crime, that it's truly an amazing country and I had an excellent experience there. How could I describe 11 months in a couple of lines? Yes, it is dangerous, and yes you need to be careful. But the juice is worth the squeeze.

In any case, those who would be traveling to Ecuador would most likely be going straight to the Galapagos from another Latin American country on a whirlwind tour, and not travel up and down the spine of the Andes as I did so often, or roast in an overcrowded bus on the coast to a beach town. I'm keeping the audience in mind, but giving them the benefit of my knowledge. Is Ecuador that dangerous? All of the information would seem to give that edge. I need to find a way, however, to fit in what an incredible country it is, and how it's worth visiting. That will be my challenge tomorrow.

Musical Memories

I went for a run this morning in Puerto Madero. With a channel of water and wide avenues, it's a great place to do some physical activity without fear of being hit by a car straight up. It was only the second time I'd gone running in Argentina, the first time being in October for the Nike 10k. I really miss going for runs, which is why I'm going to be moving out of the Microcentro in February to be closer to some parks. In the meantime I took it easy this weekend, so figured I would take advantage of a clear mind and body to get a run in.

It went well, and once back in the apartment, I sat on the ground as The Black Keys played. I was listening to "Attack and Release," which in my opinion is one of their best albums. If you don't know The Black Keys, they are a group of two guys who play deep blues and rock. As the blues kicked in, so did some thoughts. Running was something I picked up in Cuenca (same thing with The Black Keys), and just the action of a prolonged run reminded me of Ecuador. I laid down and looked up at the bland, white ceiling. With nothing to see, my eyes went out of focus and I went back to Cuenca.

I thought of the little things that I never bothered to write down and had steadily forgotten. Those little things that brought momentary happiness to me in tough times. Coming back from class at 3 pm, the heat emanating in the streets, I would stop in at the panadería Tres Estrellas on Hermano Miguel y Juan Jaramillo and buy a sugar cookie for 25 cents. Not every day, but as the year went on, more and more. (If you're in Cuenca, stop in there for a cookie). It was like a little round dough of happiness that would make things OK for the 3 minutes or so I took to eat it as I walked home. Even if the classes were getting me down, a cookie made it better.

It wasn't all good memories that The Black Keys brought out, though. I wondered what I should do for the day, and then I thought about what I used to do in Cuenca in my spare time. Before I made some good friends there, I had a lot of time on my own. A typical Saturday would be wake up, dick around, go outside for a bit, maybe head to a movie store to see what they had, come back for lunch, dick around, and then try to find a way to kill time until Monday. You learn a lot about yourself when you're the only company you have.

Sometimes on a Sunday I would go for a coffee at Raymipampu, one of the only restaurants open on the deadest day of the week. I hated going their once because they ripped me off (a whole dollar!) but there weren't many other options. Of course, by the end of the year I had made great friends, and it was more of a matter of not having enough time, rather than too much. And more doors seemed to open as the year went on, regardless of whether or not they were cafes, restaurants, or a friendly house.

A bus ride through the mountains with no sun at such an altitude. The clouds moving in fast through the open bus windows, and looking up realizing that the driver had zero visibility, yet continued at high speeds around sharp turns. Just close the eyes and trust that he knew the way well. Look out the window and see some kind of impossible drop to the center of the earth, look back up and see Jackie Chan mumble something incoherent in Spanish as the smell of choclo and cheese wafted down the aisle. Such a typical scene, really. There are hundreds of little memories like this that no one will ever hear, and what scares me is that the more time that passes, the less I'll remember.

Back in the room in Buenos Aires, with the sweat stopping and the blues continuing, I had to face reality. The friends are still in Cuenca, but we are in two different worlds right now. I imagine that yesterday they continued the tradition of Saturday Cookfest in Lucho and Charlie's apartment. I wonder what they made this week. More chick parm? Ceviche? Or something totally different? Something so different about these two lives I've led in Ecuador and Argentina is simply expectations. I expected so much to be different in Ecuador, and it was. Every day was another shock and thrill. Argentina, while interesting, follows more or less the pattern of a life I'd imagine back home. Hopping in the back of a random pick up truck in Ecuador is natural and common. In Argentina, the chances of that happening are slim.

I live with these differences every day, and they'll always be there, long after I return or go to wherever it is I'll be next. Sometimes I'll forget, yet other times those memories will be strong and vivid. All I'll need is a song.

Kidnap and Rescue in Ecuador

I’ve written in the past about the security issues that still plague Ecuador, and I’ve also mentioned that I still get email updates from the U.S. Embassy from time to time. The email updates, which no longer apply to me as a resident, still affect me as a person concerned with the region. I have friends there, and I’d like to go back some day. Previously, I’d written about a man being killed in an ambush on the way to the bank with $44,000 US Dollars on him.

Today I got this email:

The U.S. Embassy in Quito and Consulate General in Guayaquil wish to
remind American citizens visiting or resident in Ecuador of the need to
be vigilant about their personal security in light of the October 17
kidnapping for ransom of an American citizen traveling in the northern
province of Carchi. While the victim was rescued and one of the
kidnappers was arrested, American citizens are reminded to maintain good
overseas security practices in their day-to-day activities and to be
vigilant at all times.

Well, at least it all ended well. The Embassy goes on to list ways in which you can try to stay out of trouble.

• Maintain a habitual state of alertness.
• Keep a low personal profile by not doing anything that draws
  attention to you.
• Become familiar with your surroundings - it will become
  easier to identify suspicious or out of place people and items.
• Check the interior and exterior of your vehicle prior to
  getting into your vehicle.
• Check the street near your residence before you go out each
  day.
• Remember, people are generally most vulnerable in the morning
  when departing for work.
• Vary your times and routes to and from work.
• Tell your household staff and family members to note
  descriptions and license numbers of suspicious vehicles seen near your
  residence.
• Your colleagues and family should be aware of your daily
  plans and how to reach you.
• Keep emergency numbers readily available; provide your family
  with emergency numbers.
• If possible, limit the amount of personal information that
  you share with doormen, maids, vendors, temporary workers, etc.
• If possible, limit the amount of access to your residence
  that you provide to doormen, vendors, temporary workers, etc.

These are just some of the ways in which you can keep yourself safe, but again, there are always other measures you can take. Change your route frequently, avoid flashing excessive wealth, etc. And maybe one day these events will stop popping up in my Inbox.

Ecuadorian, Argentinian Style

I won't lie. I've been craving the old Ecuador lately. Lots of things are different here, and something about the adventure of life in Ecuador is to be desired. So I asked a friend in Cuenca who lived in Buenos Aires for a year if he knew of an Ecuadorian restaurant here. He gave me the address--a literal hole in the wall on Avenida Corrientes y, get this, Calle Ecuador. Perfect.

I finally got myself over there yesterday. It's in Once, the neighborhood known for Jewish, Peruvian, and Korean citizens. I think Once reminds me of the rest of Latin America more than any other place in Argentina, and maybe that's why I like it. Vendors selling everything and shouting anything in the streets, the hustle, the grime. I love it. I wound my way around the streets to find the place, but it didn't help that it was on Calle Ecuador. Every time I asked someone if they knew of the Ecuadorian restaurant, they thought I meant any restaurant on this street.

At a Peruvian restaurant I asked a man who said he didn't know, but as I walked past he whistled at me and pointed at a door. Just a random door that looked like someone's house. He motioned for me to go in. Awkwardly I pushed open the door and the first thing I saw was the Ecuadorian flag hanging proudly. The salsa music was blasting, and the few diners there looked up at me. I was at home again.

A group of friends took turns taking pictures by the hanging picture of President Correa, and the waitress showed me what they had. Unfortunately, they had no ceviche, encebollado, or Pilsener. Though they had Brahma, which is close enough. This was an Ecuadorian restaurant but with Argentinian prices. I ordered the seco de pollo, at a hefty $18 ARG pesos. It was worth the treat. They even had some green aji, which wasn't the hottest I've had, but it was the best I've found so far here in Argentina.

The meal came out and, surprise surprise, there was a mountain of white rice next to my chicken. It was so welcoming, and I loaded on the aji just like the old days. It was more of a relief to have this food again, listening to that music, surrounded by other Ecuadorians. It felt familiar. I wouldn't say the food in Ecuador was great, but I will say that Ecuadorian food cooked in Argentina is good. I was happy with the meal, and once I was finished a guy at the table across from me invited me over to talk.

He was from Quito and has been living here for 6 years studying, and his friend was from Argentina. We shared some beer and talked about how I knew of the place and Ecuador. And then, in typical Ecuadorian fashion, he invited me to join them at his apartment in Recoleta for a beer. Before leaving I paid up, $28 pesos for the meal and a liter of beer. That works out to about $7.30 USD, and a meal like that in Ecuador would normally cost $2. But what can you do?

We went to the apartment with a Heineken and from the terrace on the roof looked out over the city with no clouds or noise at all. It was high up but not outrageous, yet in this neighborhood the noises of the city were far away. It was good to talk to the guys, and in more traditional Ecuadorian (Ecuanapping) we went out to a free symphony performance put on by the Law Faculty of the Universidad de Buenos Aires. The performance was well done, and after the intermission we went back up top and sat down on the stairs.

The next thing I knew, my new friends had ditched me. I turned around and they were gone. How bizarre. Why would they buy me beer, coffee, and invite me to a show just to ditch me? It was head-scratching material, so I slipped out and started off for home. Later I met up with a couple of other guys and we went to a birthday party at a bar in Palermo. The birthday girl had paid for 20 bottles of champagne, and so sitting next to the water bucket, I drank a fair share of champagne. Once the 20 free bottles were gone I even bought another.

No surprise here, a hangover was in store for the day. But the day was not to be a wash...

Salsa? In Buenos Aires?

I made it my mission during the last two weeks or so to find a salsa club and to also find someone who would be willing to go with me. First and foremost, I still don't know a ton of people, and it's hard to organize something when you know people from different walks of live all over the city. Everyone has their own plans every weekend. Argentinians are not known for dancing salsa, and they mostly do not get it, so I put my faith in an Ecuadorian who once lived here for advice.

I was told a couple of places to check out, but ultimately went to a club called Cuba Mia in San Telmo. I met up with a friend of a friend who I had been trying to meet with since I got here, and her boyfriend came as well. It was a bit pricey to get in--$30 ARG, which included a drink, but there were few other options at that point. A live salsa band from Cuba was playing and it was pretty packed. Along the walls were Halloween decorations and the staff were handing out little costumes. Sebastian, the boyfriend, commented how odd it was that we were in a Cuban bar listening to salsa music while they were celebrating an American holiday. He had a point.

The bar got pretty packed and we all wound up dancing for a while. It turns out the bar was packed with Venezuelans, Cubans, and Colombians, so I wasn't the only one who knew how to dance. In fact, I probably looked like a shmuck compared to them, but in terms of the Argentinians, I was turning some heads. I wound up dancing with a couple of women for most of the night who guessed that I was 35 or 36, which they said was a compliment. I'm not entirely sold on that one.

It felt good to be dancing salsa again. I am not great at it, but I learned to enjoy it in Ecuador and it can really be fun if you just go with it. Sitting in the bar, listening to those familiar beats, it all made me think of Ecuador and for a moment felt like I was back there. Of course, Cuba Mia would have been one of the nicer clubs you could go to, and so expensive that only the richest people in town would go, thus changing the element a bit. I was kind of hoping for something more hole in the wally, but what can you do. There are other salsa clubs out there, and I'm starting to hear about more and more of them.

It's been raining hard all day with on and off thunderstorms, and should continue through Monday. But for now anyway, I have plans to go to another salsa club tonight. Azucar is pretty well known, though gets sort of a negative image too. I'm interested in checking it out and seeing how it ranks with the others, especially since I was told about it by an Ecuadorian. So maybe I'll find an even better club to write about soon.

Read Your Local Blog

An interesting thing happened last week. On a Latin American-based travel blog, Travelojos, the topic of being able to speak freely as a travel writer was discussed in depth. Jens Porup, a former Lonely Planet travel writer, was giving a speech at a tourism conference in Bogota, Colombia, when he said, among other things, that Colombia is great but needs to step up its tourism, but Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela are dangerous and not worth visiting. This created a bit of a stir up in the travel writing world, and on Travelojos, which reported on it.

In a post about the speech on Travelojos, people started to pitch in their own thoughts about travel writers speaking their minds and replied to what seemed to be unnecessarily harsh remarks about some countries. I was involved in the discussion as well, but was surprised when I saw that Lonely Planet head digital editor Vivek Wagle pitched in. Wagle explained that Porup no longer writes for Lonely Planet, and was misleading by representing them. Wagle wrote,

"My name’s Vivek. I’m the head digital editor at Lonely Planet and a former Lonely Planet author.

I have to say that we’re all disappointed that Jens chose to address the Bogotá tourism industry recently while portraying himself as a representative of Lonely Planet. Jens stopped working with us in June 2009, and Lonely Planet does not support the views he expressed.

As for Peru and the other countries Jen stereotyped, we try our best to be objective and to help people get to the heart of a place. Peru’s main drawcard may be Machu Picchu, but it has MUCH more to offer than pollution and crime. Anyone who has spent time getting to know it would agree. We absolutely do not believe that South American countries can be portrayed in a few flippant, simplistic lines.

I did want to let you know that Jens is in no way speaking for Lonely Planet when he makes such statements."

I was pretty impressed that in seemingly no time, a large publication like Lonely Planet was on the scene to respond to this. But in just a short time later, Jens Porup himself responded on the same post. Porup wrote,

"I used to believe in Lonely Planet. That was why I applied to work for them. I believed that Lonely Planet was about “telling it straight”. That, as an author, I would be allowed, even encouraged, to tell it like it is.

Then I started working for LP, and I realized this was not the case. It may have once been true twenty years ago. Now, all Lonely Planet cares about is making money.

The problem is simple: telling the truth hurts. The BBC (LP’s new owner) is interested in one thing only: maximizing profit. The way to do this is to minimize potential offense to any group, no matter how small.

The result? Guidebooks I don’t want to write, and guidebooks I don’t want to use.

Colombia rocks. Peru sucks. People who’ve been to both places know the truth."

While I don't agree with what Porup has said, it is at least refreshing to hear a travel writer speak his mind and go against the grain. I think it should be fairly obvious that a travel guide book will be interested in selling books mainly, but it's always interesting to hear an inside source on it. Of course there are always 2 sides to a story, but this is why blogs are useful. 

Travelojos was able to bring this conversation to a forefront, and in doing so showed the power of bloggers. Instead of the conversation being blown off or ignored, by the insulter and insultee were able to reply in a timely and honorable fashion. I think this is an interesting development for blogging, and hopefully will continue to shed light on topics like travel, among other things. 

Coincidence

I'm a bit in shock now. Argentina beat Uruguay tonight 1-0 and will advance to the World Cup. Great. But that's not the big deal. I was preparing to leave work early today to meet up with a couple of people to watch the game in a bar. I spent the first part of the day debating whether or not I should even go out for it, as it was kind of a hassle to get down to San Telmo to watch it. Knowing it was farther away and I only had a half hour or so before the game started, I was heading to the subway stop a couple of blocks from my office. I left ten minutes earlier than usual.

I went right on to Calle Florida and quickly realized it would have been quicker on Calle Maipú, but oh well, too late, I thought. As I was rounding the corner to head to the steps of the subway, I thought I saw Chelsea, another volunteer from WorldTeach in Ecuador. But that couldn't be right, because why would she be in Argentina?

Yet I got closer and saw her boyfriend Ryan, another WorldTeach volunteer, and immediately knew my eyes weren't deceiving me, though my contacts went dry suddenly as if they were doing rapid adjusting. I yelled out her name and my heart raced, and I felt nervous. She seemed a bit shocked, but not nearly as much as I was. The only sentence I could muster for the first minute was, "What the fuck are you doing here?" I would have expected an email if a friend was coming my way.

But the mere fact that I should be walking a different way home, going the wrong way, at an earlier time than usual, all made it too weird. Just last night I wrote about missing Ecuador and thinking about it all more than usual. Earlier in the afternoon I caught up for a bit with my good friend Jamie, who is still in Cuenca. And now I accidentally ran into two volunteers in Buenos Aires, an enormous city with over 13 million people.

They were only in town for the day, just coming back from Iguazú Falls and taking off in 45 minutes for Mendoza. Apparently it was a spur of the moment thing to come to Argentina. But they'll be back on Sunday before leaving for Ecuador again. And still, there is the shock that I just ran into two people I didn't think I'd ever see again, but in Argentina, and so soon. It's hard to explain what my thoughts were because it was too much of a blur to have any.

Recently I was contacted by another girl, Valerie, who is a friend of a friend, Jake, who was just living in Colombia for a while. How I met Jake was also by coincidence, because he met my friend Jamie in Cuzco when they both taught there. I met Jamie through coincidence at Thanksgiving dinner last year in Cuenca and found out she studied in Spain with one of my close friends from back home who lives down the street from me. Jake visited Jamie, I met him, and became friendly with him. Valerie now lives in Buenos Aires with her boyfriend, and we agreed to meet up on Saturday, but couldn't pull it together. On Sunday afternoon, I bumped into them in the street at the crowded San Telmo Fair and recognized her from her Facebook picture.

These coincidences continue to pour on, and it's creepy at some level. I'm wondering, will this continue?

Above: Chelsea, the other volunteer who randomly popped in to Buenos Aires today

A Year in the Making: Then and Now

I'm getting ready to leave again, this time for Buenos Aires, Argentina. Thursday night will be my last time in the United States for a long time, and I'm not sure when I'll be back home. I have no return flight, and if the right job comes along and things are going well, I'm not going to rush home. I've picked up most of the things I need, bought new clothes, and even have a new lap top to boot. All I have to do now is pack.

So I'm thinking about how I felt a year ago, preparing to leave the U.S. for a year of teaching in Ecuador, compared to how I feel now, going for probably at least a year to live in Argentina. Obviously, things are much different now. I've already got a year of experience in South America under my belt, thought I know things will be so very different in this new country I'm going to. For one thing, people refer to it as "European", rather than "developing".

I've been to Chile and Uruguay, but never to Argentina, despite the fact that my mother is from Buenos Aires and I've always wanted to go. I guess I've been saving the best for last. Having traveled all throughout Ecuador and parts of Peru, I can already attest to the differences from the countries in central and northern South America as opposed to those in the south. Basically, life will be nearly totally different from what I was experiencing in Ecuador.

Before leaving for Ecuador I was nervous, unsure of what lay ahead and what would happen to me. A million different images of what Ecuador would be like ran through my head, none of which were correct. So much uncertainty hung in the air, so much depended on being able to deal with whatever happened with a smile. On the exterior, I told people I wasn't nervous and was pumped to go, but inside I knew that wasn't entirely true. Alone in a room at night before waking up early to leave, your true emotions show themselves.

A year later, almost to the exact date, I'm not feeling that way anymore. I just barely got home really, and I'm still in a state of semi-reverse culture shock. I'm still amazed by some things, and these American prices continue to perplex me. But I'm looking forward to going back to South America, especially since it's to a country that I've dreamed of going to for so long. I don't feel nervous, even with the uncertainty of going down without a job waiting for me. I've survived in a country that can make life difficult at times, and I'm confident that I can deal with almost anything now. In fact, it's a little bit strange now when things get accomplished with too much ease.

I'm also going to enter a new sort of life. I have dual citizenship in Argentina, and all I need to do (hopefully) when I get there is sign a paper and apply for my DNI citizenship card, and then wait for the passport many months later. Barring any terrible delays, I'll be just like any other Argentinian, sort of. But for all intents and purposes, I won't just be another foreigner in another country again...sort of. I'll be able to vote, get a bank account, and even pay taxes (so excited!). This will also enable me to receive free health care.

These past weeks at home have passed by quickly, as I expected, and luckily I never felt bored. But I can also see myself spending some more time at home, which wasn't something I was fully prepared for. But it's a good thing, because it means that I'll have something to come home to, whenever that may be. For now, I'm keeping my eyes to the horizon and looking at the map, wondering what will come up next.

What I Remember

This afternoon I gave the last final exam of the year. I'm not completely done, however, because next Tuesday I need to go to the university to help give a placement test for next year. But for all intents and purposes, I'm finished with my teaching experience at the University of Cuenca, and in Ecuador. I'm happy, but it's still a bit surreal to be walking from the university knowing that it's probably the second to last time I'll be doing so.

My mind has been busily trying to think of where I could travel to this week, and I've been going back and forth from the jungle, the coast, Colombia, and now Peru. I still can't make up my mind, but I think if I go anywhere I'll go to Mancora, Peru for a couple of days. It's 8 hours away from Cuenca, with a stop at the border to change buses and stamp the old passport. Otherwise, I've been thinking about what my return to the United States will be like.

Knowing that my days are numbered, I've been thinking about what I remember about home. Though I've been gone 10 1/2 months, my memory is still vivid. It's July now, so I'm sure it's plenty hot and the grass is probably hard and turning to hay under the baking sun. Though I know how I left my room, I'm sure my mom has added piles of junk all over the place that I'll inevitably throw out the door as soon as I get home. This happened to me every time I came home from college. She always expects that I'll want a bunch of free pens that she got from work.

I know that the family got a new TV, and has been putting in a new rug in the living room, so I will be walking into a place that wasn't what it was before. And I guess that's the definition of reverse culture shock. I'm almost scared in a way to be going home. I'm not sure how I'll be affected, though I'm hopeful that since it's only 3 weeks, I won't get too comfortable. After living in Spain for 5 months I didn't feel reverse culture shock, just boredom from returning to a suburb after living in a European city. I couldn't even drink legally for a couple of months after hanging out in bars all over the continent.

But I've been here almost a year now, and I know things will be different. I know that prices will just blow my mind. I look at a menu and if a meal is $2.50 I laugh at how expensive it is. A liter beer over $1.50 is a rip off. Attitudes towards certain conduct will also be difficult to adjust to. If we don't feel like drinking in bar, we can save money by just drinking in the street. But that will never happen back home. That thought actually came to me today when I realized I wouldn't be able to afford drinking in Boston. I thought, "Oh well I'll just drink in the street...ah crap, I can't do that in Boston. Damn Puritans." My friend told me one night he dropped almost $100 altogether on a night out in Boston. I'm not even going to explain how insane that sounds to me.

In order to get better adjusted here, I emptied my mind of all things American, or in theory as much as I could. I didn't think of home that much to avoid homesickness, and I continued as if this was my life. But now I need to switch back, for a short time anyway. And I'm just not sure if I can do that. I remember how uncomfortable I felt at parties when I'd just gotten back from Spain, not relating to what people were talking about and feeling like I knew something they didn't know. I can almost guarantee I'll feel that way again.

My only saving point is that I'm going to be home for such a short period of time that it will be just enough time to be refreshing, catching up with friends and family. And just around the time I'm getting bored and antsy, it will be time to move on again. And I can be sure of this, after 11 months of living in the mountains, going from the extremes of hot afternoons to freezing nights, always wearing pants and having a jacket on hand, it will be such a relief to just be hot and sweat. I don't even care about air conditioning, at least now. I want to wear shorts and a t-shirt, oh man what a rush that will be. 20 days out.

LAN Offers Cheaper Deals

In case any of you readers out there are currently traveling in Ecuador or planning on coming soon, this information might be helpful to you. Recently we've heard that LAN will now be offering flights between Cuenca and Quito, and at a cheaper price than their competition, Aerogal or TAME. Earlier this month when I flew from Cuenca to Quito I had to pay $66. On the way back, it cost $78. LAN is offering deals now for around $30. I always recommend taking the bus down the country at least once so that you can see the scenery, but if you're pressed for time or just don't want to deal with a 10+ hour bus ride, this is a great deal.

The bus, which takes around 10 hours, costs $10 normally. But the flight, which if it is direct, will take only 30 minutes, and while flying overhead you can see some of the volcanoes throughout the country, including Chimborazo and Cotopaxi. This is the first time LAN has been offering these flights, and that is why they are currently cheaper, at least for the time being. However, there is a possibility that you will have to connect to Guayaquil before heading on to Quito, which could add another hour or so to traveling. But it's still better than the length of the bus ride or paying double with another airline.

On the other side of things, I've heard that this is a plan by LAN to undercut the competition and run them out of business with cheaper fares that the other airlines can't compete with. Then once the competition is gone, the prices will sky rocket. I've even heard that the other airlines are filing a law suit against LAN because of this. But those are just rumors I've heard about town. But again, if you're looking for a cheap way to get up to Quito or down to Cuenca in less time, this could be for you. I'm trying to figure out when to head up to Quito at the end of July, and I'll most likely book with them.

Above: The view of Chimborazo from the flight from Cuenca to Quito

Ecuador vs. Argentina

Yesterday was a big day for Ecuador. In a qualifying match for the World Cup, they faced up against a big powerhouse, Argentina. The game was do or die for Ecuador, and at 4 o'clock the whole country was watching. It was kind of a bittersweet game for me, because it would be cool if Argentina won, but I've also been living in Ecuador and rooting for them for 9 months. Since they're the underdog and needed to win, it would be better for morale if they stayed alive. And, if Ecuador won, I most likely wouldn't have my night class. It was a tough call.

I went to a bar with a couple other guys to watch the game, and from the start you could see that Ecuador was playing harder, as usual. It seems like Ecuador is always in a must-win situation. With a couple of close calls here and there, they were getting by, but not producing in the first half. You could see how easily Argentina was working, and just how talented their players are. The game was in Quito, so the altitude could have affected the Argentinians, because eventually, they lost control of the game.

Somewhere in the 2nd half, I don't remember where, Ecuador scored the first goal. The bar, the streets, probably the entire country went nuts. Getting a goal against Argentina is a victory in itself. People were ecstatic. There were only a few minutes left when Ecuador scored the second goal, securing the victory, and again the city went nuts. Cars were honking and people were running through the streets.

I was happy but a little upset too, but since I realized I probably wouldn't have class, I was dealing with it. I rushed home to inhale my dinner, then rushed back out to the university. Even though it's expected that no one shows up to classes after a victory, the teachers still need to sign in. Luckily I'm only a 15 minute walk from the university. I signed in, waited in an empty classroom for 15 minutes, and left to meet up with some friends.

So for the time being, Ecuador is still alive in the race to get to the World Cup. And this is a long weekend due to elections. 2-0 so far.

A Weekend Trip to Vilcabamba

Taking advantage of the 5 day weekend, a few of us set off on Thursday morning for Vilcabamba, a small village in the south of Ecuador. It's pretty much the farthest south most people will visit, even though it's still another 4-5 hours from the border of Peru. Before we could get down to Vilcabamba though, we would need to spend a night in Loja.

Loja is another small city that's about an hour and fifteen minutes north of Vilcabamba. Our program has a few volunteers there, and though we wanted to check out the city and see our friends, we were told a very brief few hours to Loja would be sufficient. The bus ride normally takes about 5 hours, but with the condition of the roads and the consistency of buses in this country to stop every few minutes, it took us almost 6 1/2 hours. Luckily, for the first time I made a friend on the bus and was able to keep myself entertained for most of the trip. It was necessary, as it was one of the most uncomfortable bus trips I've taken thus far. The bus was entirely over packed with people standing up in the aisles the entire time, their asses in my face. A snot-nosed little girl was sleeping on my foot and brushing her dirty face against my arm. It was lousy.

Once we got to Loja we found a $5 hostel with terrible beds and got dinner, meeting up with a few friends. We had a short night after being tired from the trip and went to the hostel to rest up and head to Vilcabamba in the morning. Sleeping poorly because of the beds and fear of bed bugs, I woke up tired and we went to the station to get a bus.

The only problem was that because it was Good Friday, buses weren't running normally. First we were told there were no buses, then that there were buses on the side of the road, and then that there were no buses. Taxi drivers wanted $20, an outrageous price, so we waited and sure enough 5 minutes later, a bus arrived. As usual, no one knew what they were talking about. We paid $1 in the end for the bus.

With another lousy bus trip to the village, a small boy was leaning into me and staring at me for the entire trip. But we'd finally arrived in the town to relax and rest. Vilcabamba is hotter than Loja or Cuenca, and it's actually one of the only places in the world with a perfectly temperate climate. It's about the same temperature every day. Possibly for this reason it's known as the "Valley of Longevity," a place where locals are said to live into their hundredth years. It could be the water as well, which is said to have a higher pH than most water in the world. Either way, it has become a haven for foreigners to get stuck in and resettle or retire to for several months a year.

Along the hills you can see the mansions owned by expats which would be multi-million dollar homes in the United States. It brings more money to this region, but at the same time increases the prices for the locals. There has also been talk that a new complex of 300 of these mansions are being built for expats, and that a mega super market will be put in for them. This new development would totally change the town, which is listed as having a population of 4,200. If the town would be ruined from that, then most likely the new comers would find some other great town to ruin in a few years time.

Regardless, the town still has the laid back and peaceful title it is billed as. Many hippies now call this place their home and sell crafts or jewelery. Hiking, biking, and horse back riding are some of the activities you can do in addition to getting massages and spas at a fraction of the price that it would cost back home. The girls in our group took advantage of that, while I just relaxed in my own way. All I wanted was a hammock and to see my friends.

We have two volunteers in Vilcabamba, and though we didn't spend the entire weekend with them, the time we spent was valuable. Also, I was happy to find out that my friend from Guayaquil just happened to be visiting this weekend as well. We caught up on stories and shared some drinks, including snake liquor. It's literally some moonshine tequila in a jar that has snakes marinating in it. We could smell it as the mustached waiter brought over the shots, and we knew it was going to be painful, but we had to do it.

It ranks up there as one of the worst things I've ever tasted, in addition to Absinthe. The effect took hold immediately, and the taste lingered long after we'd spit out our share. Just one shot was enough to make me back away. For the rest of the weekend we took it easy and just enjoyed ourselves until the inevitability of heading home. With another long travel day ahead on Sunday, we left Vilcabamba at 11:30 am, sweating in the heat after marching to the terminal, and were out of Loja by 1:30. After another long and uncomfortable trip, we finally made it back up to Cuenca by 7:30 pm.

The ironic thing in the end was that in order to get to this relaxing weekend, we first needed to take means of transportation and stay in hostels that made us anything but. The beds and pillows wound up making my back and neck stiff, and the bus ride back would have wiped away any relaxation that I'd felt. Yet it was still a fun weekend, and if I had the means to go back again, I think I would.

Above: Three images of the hills of Vilcabamba

The Only Jew in Cuenca

Passover is starting soon, or has already started, depending on when you read this. But you would have no idea down here in Cuenca. I'm not even aware half the time of the various holidays just because the only religion that really seems to matter down here is Catholicism. So as far as I know, I'm the only Jew in Cuenca. I know there are maybe 500 Jews in Quito, but I think that's as far as it goes.

The big deal, on the other hand, is that Good Friday and Easter are coming up. So we have tomorrow, Friday, and Monday off. Monday is off because of "Teacher Day." So we are taking the opportunity to travel south to Loja and Vilcabamba. There isn't much to do in Loja, but we'll spend the night and then head to Vilcabamba the next morning. Vilcabamba is said to be an extremely relaxing town that attracts a lot of older expats and hippies. It's also known as the valley of longevitiy because people apparently live to be upwards of 100 years old there. They attribute it to their diet and lifestyle. Some say it has to do with the pH in the water.

But anyway, this isn't the first time I've been out of the country during Passover. Two years ago I was living in Spain, another predominantly Catholic country. I didn't go to a sedar there either, but I might have had a more interesting experience. My roommate was also Jewish, and we had another friend that was also a Jew. It must have fallen on a Friday night because we were at our friends apartment and drinking.

We all went out on to the balcony to get some air. The apartment had a great view of the city and April in Sevilla is hotter than you would think. Out on the balcony we came to the realization that we were missing out on a sedar, and we simultaneously broke out into traditional songs in Hebrew. None of us can even say that we speak or understand Hebrew, but we have these prayers and songs ingrained in us, so that we can pull back on them at times like those. The drinks obviously helped our karaoke version of the sedar, and we didn't care what the neighbors thought.

Once or twice someone came out from the apartment to see what the noise was and we'd yell that we were singing Passover songs. We hugged and yelled the songs loudly and laughed. Normally we didn't advertise that we were Jewish, but on that night we didn't care at all. And though we were missing out on matzoh ball soup and other dishes, it was a good way to spend the holiday.

But now, in Ecuador, I have no one to celebrate the holiday with. Sometimes the simple act of following the tradition is more important than whether or not you understand the meaning or truly believe in the spiritual side. That's for another day, though. So I'll probably just celebrate by picking up a shawarma on the way home from work. I mean, at least they sell that in Israel. Close enough.

Happy Pesach.

Ecuador vs. Brazil

Yesterday afternoon was pretty entertaining. Ecuador played Brazil in Quito in a qualifying match for the World Cup at 4 o'clock, and I think it's safe to say that the entire country was watching. My host family set up a TV in the hallway outside my room under the sun roof, and we all sat together watching, along with Casey and Lara, who were in Cuenca for the night.

You could see on the TV how crazy the crowd was, and everyone in the stadium was decked out in yellow, just like us at home. We didn't really expect too much because Brazil is such a good team that they didn't really need to try. As long as they didn't lose, it wouldn't be a loss for them. For Ecuador, however, it was a must-win or must-tie game.

Ecuador came out strong and owned the first half, but missed many opportunities to score. We talked about how well they were playing, but at the same time realized that Brazil was just going with the flow. They weren't attacking the ball and were basically just playing defense. Even with the little effort, you could see just how talented they were. Their bench players are the stars on their respective club teams.

After half time we expected the tempo of the game to change, and for a while it did. Brazil came out looking to score in the second half, and they played well, but Ecuador was still in control of the ball for most of the game. But as long as they didn't let up a goal, Brazil was fine with it. They had nothing to prove. Eventually Brazil took out their star player, Ronaldinho, since there was no sense in risking injury. But almost as soon as his replacement came in, the new player scored a goal on Ecuador.

The score was 1-0 and you could sense the deflation in the stadium, maybe over the whole country. There were only 15 minutes or so left but Ecuador continued to attack the ball as Brazil started to hang back and just play defense. With more and more opportunities wasted, it looked as though the game was over, as well as any serious chances for the World Cup for Ecuador. But with 2 minutes or so left Ecuador suddenly scored a goal, tying the game at 1-1. The house, the stadium, and I assume the rest of the country erupted.

With the game almost over, the team had a couple more chances at scoring the go-ahead goal, but couldn't close the deal. Yet the fact that they tied wasn't a total loss, because tying to one of the worlds best teams isn't all that bad. And they still gained some points for it. They're far down the chart, but there is another qualifying game on Wednesday against Paraguay, and I'm nearly certain that classes will be canceled. Or at the very least, no one will show up and I will cancel class after 5 minutes and rush home to watch the game.

It's exciting to watch these games even though I've never rooted for Ecuador. But it's funny to notice how I unintentionally start talking about the national team in the first person, which might be something unique to where I come from. But instead of saying, "Ecuador is playing Paraguay on Wednesday," I hear myself saying, "We're playing Paraguay on Wednesday." I guess I'm a part of the team now too.

It would be nice for the team to make the World Cup, but I guess if that falls through I've always got Argentina or the U.S. to root for.

Costa vs. Sierra

Now that I've had a chance to see some more of the coast, I feel like I can make better comparisons on the regions of Ecuador. I still haven't seen the Oriente, and I'm going to the Galapagos next month, so until then I can only speak on the differences between the coast and the mountains. In some parts they are only separated by a short, 2-3 hour drive, but they might as well be thousands of miles apart. To me, it seems as if the cultures, people, and traditions of each region are like their own countries in themselves.

Take for instance on the coast the heat factor. It's so hot that no one wants to be in the house baking even more. So everyone is just outside in the streets. As a result, it seems like people mingle with their neighbors more and are more social in general. The whole culture on the coast is about being friendly and open to neighbors, so even if you've never met someone before, you're going to talk to them as if they were your long time friends. In the sierra, the people are just as friendly, but because it's colder, no one hangs out in the streets. You do what you have to and then you get back inside your house. This results in less interaction with the neighbors, in my opinion.

Also in the sierra you will find more of an indigenous influence, and as a result, it comes across in the culture. Everything from the mixing of Quichua in the language to haggling at the market it somehow related to the indigenous influences. I've been told that in relation to the indigenous culture in Peru, the part of the culture here is treated worse, but I won't be able to speak about that until I go to Peru next month. Down on the coast, however, there is a considerable drop in indigenous presence, and it seems as though the majority of the culture gets its influence from Spanish traditions. That isn't to say that in the sierra there isn't Spanish influence either. It's quite prevalent. Yet on the coast it seems much more evident.

And of course there are the little things. You can get away with wearing shorts and sandals on the coast because it's so hot, but if you wear them in the sierra, people will look at you like you have 3 heads, even if it's hot out. On the coast, men will fold their shirts up over their stomach and up to their chest, revealing their often bloated beer bellies. If for nothing else, it's to get a little air on the skin, but it's just odd that they wouldn't take the whole shirt off. In the sierra, it would never be hot enough to pull that off.

Furthermore, there are the differences in how people look at each other. Those who are from the sierra call the costenos, "monos" or monkeys. It's all in good humor, but I think they deep down consider themselves a little better. On the contrary, those from the coast think of people from the sierra as a bit snootier, and they use their accents as a way to mock them. Understanding costenos is another headache in itself. People also look at the coast as more dangerous, which might be true based off of reported incidents alone. However, you will still find some of the friendliest people you could imagine, ready to open their arms and welcome you in to their world. It's somewhat ironic that Guayaquil, one of the richest cities in the country, is also one of the most dangerous. Because of the success of some, violence has become a problem there for almost all.

There are many other things to consider when talking about the cultural differences, but these are just some ideas to scratch the surface and think about how difficult it is to define a country with one idea. Each region is its own entity, just as each city is different from another, and each person is different. Ecuador is extremely diverse, and that's as easy as it is to put it.

Above: Montanita, Quito

An Historic Election

The importance of yesterday's election went beyond the borders of the United States, and for that reason I'm taking a short break in the story telling of the Independence weekend in Cuenca.

For as long as I've been in Ecuador, people have asked me about the election and if I liked McCain or Obama. I have yet to meet an Ecuadorian who would prefer McCain as president, and though we consider this country by our standards to be 3rd world, they are up to date on the latest political news.

Yesterday I was hanging out with some new friends that I'd made Saturday night, and the first thing they wanted to talk about was the election and the fact that Obama's grandmother had died the day before. One of their issues was that most of the soldiers dying in Iraq were Latinos. I have no knowledge of the backgrounds of the soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan, or anywhere else in the world, but I would have to agree that some of the people who join the military are those who have little economic option.

A lot of people in Cuenca are against the war for various reasons, but one is that a local woman from Cuenca had married a U.S. soldier and moved with him to the United States. Shortly after they were married, he was sent to Iraq and subsequently killed in action. The woman is now left alone in the United States with no family.

So in other words, this election was a big deal, not just for the citizens of the United States, but for all over the world. Casey was staying up in Cuenca another night, so we crowded around my laptop as the polls started to close and eagerly scanned nytimes.com and cnn.com, trying to see which was going faster.

It was a little annoying hitting refresh every few minutes, but it was worth it to keep up with what was going on. After finding a few other sites with projection information and exit polls, we could see the election was moving along steadily. As the east coast started to close, we'd heard that the same gringo bar where we'd watched the elections a few weeks earlier was showing CNN International.

We headed over and found a bunch of other ex-pats and travelers cheering loudly as Ohio was just being called for Obama. For the next hour or so only a few states slowly pulled in, and at times it was painful listening to the pundits saying the same things over and over again, but exciting to be waiting for the results. Everyone in the bar knew that this was important.

Will.I.Am. came on to talk to Wolf Blitzer via Hologram, maybe the wierdest thing I've ever seen on TV, and as we joked and made fun of the new technology, we wondered if it was actually for security, so that if Obama was elected president he would appear via Hologram to avoid any trouble.

Finally, CNN announced that Virginia had gone to Obama, and just a few minutes later they announced that Obama had won the election. At first we were a bit unsure, because after all, it's just a news station guessing that he'll win, and not official. But as the bar started to cheer, the scenes from Chicago were broadcast and it seemed unofficially official.

And just a few minutes after that, John McCain came on to speak to his supporters in Arizona, conceding the election to Barack Obama. It was a bit unreal, that now one of the most historic, if not the most historic elections in our nations' history was over. We were all exhausted but wanted to hear Obama speak, so we had to wait around until 12 a.m. our time.

The reception in Chicago seemed loud and on the verge of delerium, but contained as the president elect spoke. He looked tired and it must have been bittersweet, considering the recent loss of his grandmother, but at the same time must have been an overload of emtions that I can't imagine.

So the election is over and Barack Obama is now president of the United States of America. For now, the majority of ex-pats I know seem happy, as well as the Ecuadorians. Only time will tell how it plays out, but the buzz right now is that things are looking up. And that's always a good thing.

Opening a Bank Account in Ecuador: Day 3

We went back this morning with all of our papers, ready to open a bank account. For the third day. We even got there a little earlier than than past two days and beat out the line, so we went straight to a bank representative. My host mother proudly showed all of the documents that they had requested, signed and filled out correctly. Just as the bank had asked. But of course, it wasn't going to end there.

As the woman behind the desk went through all the papers, I could see she was just looking for a reason to not give me a bank account. It would be too easy. First she yelled over to an associate about something, apparently she wanted more than my Ecuadorian ID, she wanted some other ID that foreigners don't even get.

She then called up her boss, and after a minute on the phone, accepted that the card I had was good enough. She had me sign about 20 different papers, some with blue ink, some with black ink, some at the bottom, some in the middle. Everything was in order, and we were on our way. I even went over to the teller to deposit my $5 and get the account started, but then Issue #225 presented itself.

As she was asking me what design I wanted on my bank card (there were four choices, and I all but told her I didn't care what it looked like, I just wanted it), she suddenly realized that I needed another piece of paper from the university. Apparently the contract wasn't enough for them, even though the university never told me I'd need another piece of paper. This other letter from the university would have to be handed to the bank before I could officially have my account and get my bank card.

So now I have my bank account, technically, but I can't access it. I can check it online, but I can't do anything other than wave to it. I went with my host sister to the office at the university later on after class to get the letter, and that was just another roadblock. I had to show my photocopy of my passport, which I luckily had. The secretary made a photocopy, but then gave it back to me, leaving me to wonder why she needed it in the first place.

Now I will have to go back tomorrow to pick up the letter from the university, so hopefully by Friday, Day 5, I will have my bank account so that I can start getting a little money flowing in. But I'm not holding my breath.

Opening a Bank Account in Ecuador

You might be able to guess from the title that this is going to be a bit complicated. In order to get paid my stipend by the university, I need to open up a bank account at one of the banks here in Ecuador. For some reason they don't want to just pay me straight up in cash, which would obviously be preferable, maybe in a nice sack with a big $ on it.

But nope, I need to open a bank account here. There are a few different banks down here: Banco Pichinca, Banco del Austro, Banco del Pacifico, etc. Some people are still wary of the banks here since the 2000 economic crises, in which banks froze accounts and no one could take out their money. Then the country switched over to the dollar and families lost nearly all of their money in the conversion. So try to imagine how people felt in the United States about opening a bank account in 1934. It's sort of similar, sort of.

The university has some sort of deal worked out with Banco del Pacifico, so I was told to go there to open up an account. I was also told beforehand by other volunteers that it's an extreme headache to open an account here, as they make the foreigners go through all kinds of obstacles.

At the department office I was told that all I would need is my passport and a copy of my contract with the university. A little too easy, I thought, but gave it a shot. Yesterday morning I went with my host mother to the bank and waited in a line that was growing steadily and not moving. We sat waiting for about 45 minutes and then somehow cut to the front of the line and sat down at a desk.

My host mother did all of the talking and I sat back like a child waiting for my turn to speak. The woman behind the desk looked at my passport, my Ecuadorian ID card, and then my contract, but she was looking for other ways to prevent me from getting an account. So she came back with a sheet of paper listing all of the other things I'd need. The list includes:

• Color photocopies of my passport, Ecuadorian ID card, and a credit card
• Three references from Ecuadorian citizens
• A photocopy of my university contract
• Photocopies of the Ecuadorian IDs of all of my references
• All original copies of my passport, Ecuadorian ID card, and credit card, and
• $5 to open the account

And I think that was all of it. Ecuadorians love beauracracy and paperwork. This is apparently normal for foreigners trying to open an account. We came back this morning, earlier than yesterday to beat the rush, and there was already a line. We waited for about 20 minutes before we realized the "system" was down and wouldn't be back up until the afternoon. Yesterday there was a powerful thunderstorm, and the guess was that it somehow knocked the bank offline. I personally don't know how that could be the case, since a bank usually has backup systems and other failsafe procedures, but then again I'm not a banker.

So day two on trying to open a bank account went down, and tomorrow I'll have to try again, for the third time, to open an account. With any luck, I'll get my first paycheck by December.

Following Baseball is Not Easy in South America

UPDATED: 9:45 p.m. Local Time...

I forgot! I have AOL Instant Messenger. I logged on and have been getting updates in real time from a couple of friends back home. And, we are discussing the game and other fun topics at the same time. This is not nearly as good as being next to them, but at least I don't have to keep watching the tiny diamond (which is slow) the entire time. The only problem is that it's now 3-1 Tampa Bay. Hopefully this game gets wrapped up before the router is turned off.


Apparently the popularity of baseball only extends to Venezuela, because there is no place in Ecuador to watch, hear, or even talk about it. It's hard enough to think about it, being so removed from the whole process. But it's playoff season, and as a Red Sox fan, it's so hard to not be watching every game, especially now that they are in Game 7 of the ALCS, or American League Championship Series.

I can remember throughout my college days sitting in small, cramped rooms with dozens of other people, all silent while watching the playoffs, except for during the commercials when we would make fun of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver as much as possible. And of course, I'll never forget when the Sox actually won the World Series my freshman year, and those riots that followed.

But now I'm here in South America, and the best I can do is watch ESPN Gamecast, which is hardly a substitute. I've got no one to talk to about the game and it's extremely boring watching an animated ball slowly go to the fake plate on the tiny diamond. But it's the best I can get, and while the connection comes and goes and my laptop battery pushes the limit, I have to hope that I can make it through the game. Because of some strange blockage in signal, I can't pick up the Internet in my room, where I have access to an outlet, but rather have to sit in the hall where there are no electrical outlets, wasting my battery.

But this is the sacrifice a fan makes. I'll sit by and probably get a lot of radiation in the process, but as long as I can keep an eye on my Sox, it's worth it. And now, in the Top of the 3rd inning, it's 1-0 Boston. I'm not even sure how it got this far. The Rays were poised to beat them two games ago, and all of my information comes in slower than a turtle stampede through peanut butter, so all I know is that a game is on.

But enough of writing about this, I'm getting back to the game...sort of.

A Weekend in Baños, Part 4: Swinging with Monkeys

As we headed into Puyo, you could see that the topography was changing. It was much more lush and green as the vegetation became thick and lively. We passed by small towns and little tiendas all along the road, giving off the good smell of the tantalizing street meat. At Fundación Los Monos Selva y Vida, it felt a bit like entering Jurassic Park.

The 6 of us were a bit apprehensive at first. No one wanted to touch the monkeys and get Ebola. But as we saw the workers playing with them and they assured us they were tranquilo, we moved in closer. First we saw spider monkeys playing with a dog and fighting over a palm tree branch. Then some of the monkeys were wrestling with each other. We were warned that they would steal anything you had, so all we brought with us was our cameras.

Some of the monkeys didn´t want to play much, but others were swinging from ropes and jumping onto people. Some monkeys napped in the fetal position while a few others made a small girl cry hysterically as they jumped on her. We were shown different types of monkeys, then a couple of turtles and an ant eater, before we were lead over to the monkey swing.

A huge rope had been fastened to some trees, and you could swing, through the jungle, with a monkey on the swing with you. At first no one wanted to, but eventually we all took the opportunity to swing with them. The monkeys liked the women better though, and didn´t really want to ride with me. But as I swung back and forth I reached out for one, and he tried to grab on but didn´t make it.

After the swing, a couple of monkeys started to jump onto my head and shoulders, as they played games around us. It was an incredible way to end the trip, and as we left, it was clear that it was a great experience.

Back at the hostel, we rested up and showered and headed out for a final dinner. The town was active again, but we just wanted to have a little wine and hang out in the hostel before another big travel day.

I´d run out of money by the next day and had to start borrowing for everything, even just to get home. All told I spent over $80, but it was a great weekend that was definitely worth the experience. For the hostel, we only spent about $24 on two nights, two breakfasts, and some beers. The mountain bike excursion was $22 and we got to play with monkeys in the end. And getting to and from Ambato was about $8 each way. So all told, it was a pretty reasonable trip with some great results.

Coming back into Cuenca with thick fog and rain falling consistently, it was gray and tiring, but a definite relief to be back. It's feeling more and more like a home, and it was nice to get out of the "tourist" role and back into the "living here for a while" role. Back home, it's time to get back to the teaching.

Above: A monkey on my back, monkey's fighting a dog for a palm tree branch, a monkey with a stick