Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Ecuador (part 1)

Everything in a hurry... not enough time to do everything. Time just slipped through my fingers. Well, what´s done is done and the rest is history.

I was very happy when the final weight of my belongings for the WHOLE year only reached 35 lbs (16 kg). This is including trekking gear like tent, sleeping bag, mattres, stove, pot, water purification and more. This will allow me to move faster with bigger convenience. I hope I didn´t forget anything.

Thursday, 09 IX 2010

First surprise happened at the airport when the airlines did not want to let me out of the country because I didn´t have a return ticket. They said I need to show them proof that I´m coming back since Ecuador only allows turists for 90 days at a time. It didn´t make any sense when they were ok with selling me a return ticket dated 11 months from then. Hmmmmmm... Since I have no idea when or from where I will be coming back I didn´t want to buy the damn thing. Thiking hard I flipped 180 and gave them my polish passport. They did not have a problem with that and let me through. Adios...

Friday, 10 IX 2010

With the kindness and unlimited hospitality of Hugo and Suzana Osorio (THANX!!!) I am able to stay at their house. I made it my base for exploring Ecuador as I wait for a small package from my parents.
Today I went with Hugo and explored a bit of Quito. Quito antiguo have a nice feel to it. Small streets with antique churches and people on the streets. Besides few churches and a museum I went to the huge park Carolina where people come to play cards, tennins, soccer, ride in a bike or skateboard park, take a pedal boat on a man made river, or just hang out with friends and family.




Saturday, 11 IX 2010

I offerend my help to Hugo with acquiring and transporting material for the house that he will start building on Monday. In the afternoon I helped set up the rooms for three kids from the disfunctional family that Mr. and Mrs. Osorio are sponsoring to go to school and have a better start at their lives.

Sunday, 12 IX 2010

We visited Mitad del Mundo located a bit north out of Quito ($2) where you can stand with one leg in the southern and the other in the northern hemisphere. Actual equador supposedly is a few hundred meters away. You can climb the tower ($3) with ok views and explore the museum in it displaying history and the type of indigenous people that live/lived in Ecuador.
In the evening we went to the street called La Ronda. It´s filled with bars/restaurants where you can have gynormous empanada de viento (see below) with a warm Canelazo drink while listening to live music.


Monday, 13 IX 2010

Lazy/internet day where finally I could call my credit cards and tell them that I´m gone, cancel my phone service and do other organizational things I have not done before I left.

Tuesday, 14 IX 2010

I took a bus to BaƱos (3,5h - $3.70). I got there around 1pm and with the crazy Ecuadorian weather clouds came and it started rainig. There is aboundance of hostels and you can find a decent place for $7/night. Since the weather was murky I just strolled around the city and visited nearby bridges with the view of the river flowing in the high and steep canyons.
(bellow is the pic of San Francisco bridge from which I jumped hehe)


Wednesday, 15 IX 2010

I woke up to an open cloud and didn´t get out of the room untill noon. I rented a bicycle ($5/day) and headed down on the Ruta de los Cascadas. It´s a great ride mostly downhill where you can enjoy nice views of the mountains and multiple waterfalls. Don´t forget to go down to the Pailon del Diablo waterfall ($1) and go behind the waterfall where you can feel its force. The day was perfect. Overcast but with temperatures still for shorts and t-shirt. Sometimes I had to race the rain clouds and I won every time hehe. Initially I wanted to go all the way to Puyo (60 km) but due to the late start around 5pm I cought a bus back ($1) and the bicycle went into its belly.
In the evening I went to a recommended tour agency Kanu Travel (Address: Luis A. Martinez y Eloy Alfaro, 097272244) owned by a chevere Patricio Paredes. I set up my next day and after he invited me to hang out with him and his friends. I had a great time.


Thursday, 16 IX 2010

The day started early at 8:30am since I went to bed at 3am hehe. Rafting down the Pastaza river was in store. There weren´t enough people that wanted to hit class 5+ so I had to settle for class 3 and 4. It was short (1.5h on the river) but packed with rapids back to back ($25 including transportation and lunch). Fun times.
Afterwards I took a dive from a bridge attached to a dynamic rope (puenting - $10). You fall only about 35m but it´s that step from a height of 150m that gets your adrenaline boiling hehe.
Stupid rain and dark clouds once again canceled my plans to go for a hike and see recently active volcano Tungurahua.


Friday, 17 IX 2010

I caught a bus at 5:40am to Latacunga (2h - $2) from where took another one to Zumbahua (2h - $2). From there you can walk or go with a local in a camioneta to Laguna Quilotoa (30min - $5) which is a crater of an inactive volcano ($2 entry). I took the fast option as I had to go back to Quito tomorrow.
Strong winds welcomed me but clouds were high and I had the whole view of the crater – pretty nice. Rim is located at 12,500ft and the laguna about 800ft lower. There is one primitive hostel at the bottom of the crater ($10/night) and there are few up on top. I recommend Hostel Chosita ($10/night including dinner and breakfast). Due to a blister on my heal from rafting I opted out of logging my backpack to the bottom and left it at the Chosita.
It´s nice to make a trip to the bottom (30min). There is only one more route headding to the top about a quarter circle to the right from the main trail down. It´s hard to spot it while hiking around the bottom I started hiking up a very steep slope at one point climbing a sand rock. Big mistake as it was very unstable and I almost rolled down to the bottom. I made it to the higher grounds just to find out that I passed the actual trail which is over a spur. I had to trek up even higher but was able to cross it. Shortly after I ran into a heard of llamas (that probably made the fake trail I took) and it crossed my mind to ride one to the top hehe.
Once I climbed out of the crater I headed towards the highest peak of the loop. There is something about climbing the highest peak... pushing yourself to the limit... achieveing something that many wouldn´t even try. Wind would blow through my hair as I walked the narrow ridge... wait, what hair? The sun would peak out of the clouds on and off and it is just too bad that I forgot sun screen and burned my face. You can make the whole rim loop in about 5h (without going down). I did not have enough daylight so once summited the highest peak I went back the shorter distance around the rim.
Maybe I made a mistake or maybe I didn´t. I could have taken my tent and set it up on the bottom. Even better option is once you climb up the second route and head left (towards the highest peak) there are few tent spots right on the edge of the rim. There is also a small hut you could crash for the night. I said maybe it wasn´t a mistake because the wind probably would have blown the tent around with me inside. Not to mention the temperature dipped pretty low.


Saturday, 18 IX 2010

After breakfast I went back to Zumbahua where they had a weekly market. You can buy anything from food and clothing to tools and household goods. I did not spend too much time there and went back to Latacunga by bus (this time it cost me only $1 for some reason) from which I had a ticket for a one car train ride back to Quito at 2:30pm. When I arrived at the train station I got lucky as there was a free tour of Latacunga hosted by students from a local university. Even though I did not understand everything we went around visiting few churches, museums and parks.
Way back on the little train car was very picturesque combined with practicing (butchering would be a better word) spanish with a friendly guide Luisa. Almost everywhere I have a chance to find out that I suck at spanish LOL. Well I think I´m not that bad when asking for directions, explanations, or just talking about current stuff. It´s bad when it comes to telling stories. I´m not loosing faith in getting better at it as it is just the beginning and I don´t speak english almost at all.

Sunday, 19 IX 2010

Wake up was at 3:00am as I went with Hugo´s friends to a 4x4 race in El Angel near the border with Columbia (3.5h by car from Quito). It was fun to watch as the modified copact cars slip and slide on mud and blow through deep pools of water. All the spectators were being covered with mud by every car but nobody cared as they wanted to be as close as possible to the action, myself including hehe. I wish I would be one of the drivers...


Monday, 20 IX 2010
Tuesday, 21 IX 2010

Resting, internet, finally writing this blog, next trip planning, picture organization and more.

Monday, September 6, 2010

One way ticket...

Thursday, September 9, 2010
Leaving:      Los Angeles, USA    -      8:00am
Arriving:      Quito, Ecuador         -    10:40pm