After about 4 weeks with out a blog entry, I sit in some dingy Internet cafe in Ecuador, fully equipped with florescent lighting and noisy ceiling fans, and try my best to figure out how best pick up where ever I left off. I am in Bahia de Caraquez, a big coastal town about 4 hours north of Guayaquil. Although famous for its citizen's commitment of an environmental ethic, this town does not shout a particularly hippy vibe as you might expect of such a place. Rather it comes off as a quite little port town proud of its self and turning quickly into an international vacation and retiree destination. In fact, Ive met more retired Americans here than I have since leaving home, which might have something to do with the fact that the cheapest hostel in town happens to be owned by a retired Australian women who has lots of retired friends. But I was strangely surprised to meet 2 American couples and a number of retired single men who chose Ecuador, of all places, to spend a good chunk of their pension on. So just remember, when you are thinking of places to retire, don't write Ecuador off so easily...
Anyway, I do have quite a bit of catching up to do. I have experienced a lot over the last few weeks, from bidding volunteering in Salasaca goodbye to zip lining in a cloud forest to purchasing my return ticket home, which I suppose is a great place to start.
I finally bit the bullet and changed my air plane ticket home. My original ticket was for September 4, two Sundays ago. But I felt unprepared and under traveled, and simply craving more time to explore this continent. Also mixed into the equation is the fact that Elise, my sister, is living in Mendoza, Argentina and my parents are planning a trip to visit here in the middle of October. This was reason enough to move my ticket to return home October 23, leaving from Santiago, Chile.
So as of this moment I will be taking a bus from Guayaquil, Ecuador, destined for Lima, Peru on Saturday or Sunday, hopefully ending up there Monday. I hope to visit some friends I had met down there before catching another bus for Santiago. I will then cross my third international boarder into Argentina to do some exploring down there.
Expect more interesting posts soon!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Cotopaxi field trip
Here´s the update from my trip last weekend to Cotopaxi that I haven´t written about yet:
As I believe I´ve written before, I live with about 15 other volunteers in a huge house in Salasaca. This number fluctuates because there is no minimum time you must spend here to volunteer; people have stayed from 3 nights to 6 months or more. Last week about 12 of us had developed a great dynamic and decided to travel together to Cotopaxi National Park, a national reserve that circles the Cotopaxi Volcano. After having traveled solo for so long I was a bit apprehensive of traveling with 11 other buddies together to do the same thing for two whole days. But my nerves calmed themselves within moments when we departed from Salasaca, hopping on the back of a pick up truck, a means of transport you become quite accustomed to in this country. We must have been quite a sight the whole weekend; we bartered, made decisions, and ate all together. We then loaded on the bus to Michachi, the funny sounding named town very close to the entrance of the park. Another great thing about traveling with this particular group is that as backpackers with very little money, we seemed to try to out do each other for finding the best deal. So we made it almost a competition to see who could barter down the best price for room and food. We ended up finding a cute little hotel for $4 a night -- and it wasn´t that bad!
Anyway, Saturday morning we awoke with Cotopaxi looming somewhere above our heads (exact location was always a mystery because of the perpetual thick cloud covering) and loaded onto another truck that climbed up the winding hills between verdant farm land and dropped us off at the entrance of the park an hour later. Paying 10 bucks per person to enter the park (oh, by the way, Ecuador is on the dollar), we walked for a while before realizing it was a 3 hour hike to the base of the volcano. With that in mind we hailed the only other truck we could find to take us to the base and with in half an hour we were holding onto the sides of the truck hoping the wind wouldn´t whip us out. Unfortunately even the base, at about 4,000 meters, was colder than most January days in NH or VT. We were throwing snow balls and everything, but were ready to leave within 5 minutes. When we rolled back down the hill we were ready for the bagged lunch we brought followed by a nice long walk through another part of the park.
So, all in all it was a great weekend. And this weekend will find me enjoying Salasaca for all it´s worth before I leave for the South on Friday.
As I believe I´ve written before, I live with about 15 other volunteers in a huge house in Salasaca. This number fluctuates because there is no minimum time you must spend here to volunteer; people have stayed from 3 nights to 6 months or more. Last week about 12 of us had developed a great dynamic and decided to travel together to Cotopaxi National Park, a national reserve that circles the Cotopaxi Volcano. After having traveled solo for so long I was a bit apprehensive of traveling with 11 other buddies together to do the same thing for two whole days. But my nerves calmed themselves within moments when we departed from Salasaca, hopping on the back of a pick up truck, a means of transport you become quite accustomed to in this country. We must have been quite a sight the whole weekend; we bartered, made decisions, and ate all together. We then loaded on the bus to Michachi, the funny sounding named town very close to the entrance of the park. Another great thing about traveling with this particular group is that as backpackers with very little money, we seemed to try to out do each other for finding the best deal. So we made it almost a competition to see who could barter down the best price for room and food. We ended up finding a cute little hotel for $4 a night -- and it wasn´t that bad!
Anyway, Saturday morning we awoke with Cotopaxi looming somewhere above our heads (exact location was always a mystery because of the perpetual thick cloud covering) and loaded onto another truck that climbed up the winding hills between verdant farm land and dropped us off at the entrance of the park an hour later. Paying 10 bucks per person to enter the park (oh, by the way, Ecuador is on the dollar), we walked for a while before realizing it was a 3 hour hike to the base of the volcano. With that in mind we hailed the only other truck we could find to take us to the base and with in half an hour we were holding onto the sides of the truck hoping the wind wouldn´t whip us out. Unfortunately even the base, at about 4,000 meters, was colder than most January days in NH or VT. We were throwing snow balls and everything, but were ready to leave within 5 minutes. When we rolled back down the hill we were ready for the bagged lunch we brought followed by a nice long walk through another part of the park.
So, all in all it was a great weekend. And this weekend will find me enjoying Salasaca for all it´s worth before I leave for the South on Friday.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
I can´t not write about Salasaca because it´s THIS amazing...
Teaching in such a place gives me a new sense of responsibility unknown to me in my previous traveling experiences. I wake up every morning thinking about what I will plan to teach, and thinking about how the students will respond to what I attempt to teach them. Schedules have changed from my first two weeks here; summer school is no longer in session and I am teaching two English classes for high school students. And the eagerness that these children bring to learning is in itself a reason to wake up in the morning. I don´t know how keen these kids are in other subjects, but I daily get to stand in front of 5 twelve year olds who are awake and ready to learn, an anomaly in the world of middleschoolers as I learned from my months of substituting back home. And the past couple of days these students have been asking for class to end a half an hour later...such a gift!
And I continue to be enamoured with Salasaca, Ecuador, the town I´m living in. Every day I walk down the road to school and am greeted by a number of smiling faces, some dirty faces of young children, other toothless grins of older women, others with thick, leathery skin gained by decades working in the fields under a relentless sun. Salasaca is a unique place in many ways, from their interesting history to the ways they treat the world and community. Prior to the invasion of the Spaniards, when the Incas where the conquerors of this land, the Salasacans were pushed out of Peru and exiled to this area. So they share the Quechua-Andean lifestyle, diet, and dress. Their language, the common first language for most Salasacans, is Kitchwa not Quechua. Shielded by the towering enclaves of the Ecuadorian Andes, this town has grown up solitary and continues to hold strongly onto it´s cultural identity. Wearing long, thick, black skirts with a flowy white blouse covered by a vivid wool shawl, the women usually don't leave home with out their sigsig, a drop spindle type instrument they use to spin outrageously thin yarn. And that yarn is in turn given to the men to weave into intricate wall hangings, shawls, or ponchos, the latter of which most men wear over their street close; long, sweeping black ponchos.
And last night my fellow volunteers and I were invited to a going away party for the brother of Fabiola, a women who works with this school and cleans the volunteer house. Nights here drop like thick dark blankets leaving the earth dark, cold, and damp within moments, so the family sent a truck to pick us up. Huddled together in the back, we zig zagged through corn fields and up windy hills to Fabiola´s parent´s house, who ushered us in to their property. Houses here pop up from the ground in clusters, not in one cohesive unit like back in the states. So, the kitchen house, the bed rooms, and other buildings sit huddled together surrounding the common outside area (think court yard of dirt) where the family does their daily chores. Fabiola´s father and brothers are weavers, so their looms dominate their home, and have the biggest room dedicated to them, which was the only place big enough to house the hungry volunteers. Anyway, soon after marveling at this place, we were fed our feast: Chocolo con queso (corn and fresh cheese), potatos with hot sauce, chicken, chicken soup, and, for us lucky ones, cuy (guinay pig). It was lovely.
Ok, I know I need to post more info, I´ll try to give you all a detailed update on my weekend soon, I went a socialized with volcanoes!
And I continue to be enamoured with Salasaca, Ecuador, the town I´m living in. Every day I walk down the road to school and am greeted by a number of smiling faces, some dirty faces of young children, other toothless grins of older women, others with thick, leathery skin gained by decades working in the fields under a relentless sun. Salasaca is a unique place in many ways, from their interesting history to the ways they treat the world and community. Prior to the invasion of the Spaniards, when the Incas where the conquerors of this land, the Salasacans were pushed out of Peru and exiled to this area. So they share the Quechua-Andean lifestyle, diet, and dress. Their language, the common first language for most Salasacans, is Kitchwa not Quechua. Shielded by the towering enclaves of the Ecuadorian Andes, this town has grown up solitary and continues to hold strongly onto it´s cultural identity. Wearing long, thick, black skirts with a flowy white blouse covered by a vivid wool shawl, the women usually don't leave home with out their sigsig, a drop spindle type instrument they use to spin outrageously thin yarn. And that yarn is in turn given to the men to weave into intricate wall hangings, shawls, or ponchos, the latter of which most men wear over their street close; long, sweeping black ponchos.
And last night my fellow volunteers and I were invited to a going away party for the brother of Fabiola, a women who works with this school and cleans the volunteer house. Nights here drop like thick dark blankets leaving the earth dark, cold, and damp within moments, so the family sent a truck to pick us up. Huddled together in the back, we zig zagged through corn fields and up windy hills to Fabiola´s parent´s house, who ushered us in to their property. Houses here pop up from the ground in clusters, not in one cohesive unit like back in the states. So, the kitchen house, the bed rooms, and other buildings sit huddled together surrounding the common outside area (think court yard of dirt) where the family does their daily chores. Fabiola´s father and brothers are weavers, so their looms dominate their home, and have the biggest room dedicated to them, which was the only place big enough to house the hungry volunteers. Anyway, soon after marveling at this place, we were fed our feast: Chocolo con queso (corn and fresh cheese), potatos with hot sauce, chicken, chicken soup, and, for us lucky ones, cuy (guinay pig). It was lovely.
Ok, I know I need to post more info, I´ll try to give you all a detailed update on my weekend soon, I went a socialized with volcanoes!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Vistas under volcanos
I am enchanted with settled life, the lovely monotony of getting to know the landscape of a certain place so well that your eyes can expect what they will see every morning. At first glance this place is spectacular; when I first arrived I had difficulty telling the difference between the vista I saw out of my eyes and a professional photo you´d see on a postcard. But seeing these views everyday, these mountains that tower over the valley, has given me the time to investigate it´s beauty up close. I see the verdant, dusty green valley that tumbles beneath the volunteer house and know that almost every house I see bellow has a donkey or cow lounging behind it in the shade and a large garden that the wife works on while the husband is at work in the city or selling his crafts at the market. I notice how the frequent, small eruptions of Tungurawa, the active volcano near us, effect the weather the following day, usually leaving us with little sun and thick cloud covering. And I count the number of home made kites that swim in the air overhead, hanging on tightly to the string their creator, usually a young child, uses to steer it.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Oh, another day in Salasaca...
I have settled into the lifestyle of volunteering in Salasaca. The days have taken on the calm, steady rhythm of life that I miss from waking up in the same bed for more than 5 days in a row. My daily schedule begins at an earlier time in the day than I have seen in a while -- 6.30 in the morning. When I arise there is oatmeal waiting for me (and the other volunteers, too) in the kitchen, where all the volunteers get a chance to debrief each other and prepare for the day together. Afterward I get prepared for my 9:15 Spanish literacy class for 3 young children do not yet read, and in fact whose Spanish skills are relatively lacking; Kitchwa is the first language which they speak at home and they usually learn Spanish later on. That class is a bit trying because of the behavior problems that come with these kids, but they all are enchanted when being read to. After that I have time to plan my next lesson and write to you (which is my time to write to you now). After that is lunch with the children, usually consisting of a huge bowl of white rice and a few vegetables. I then have the whole afternoon to take the half an hour walk up to the other school where the garden is located. I usually go up with another volunteer to do some weeding and chicken chores (we have 11 chickens and 1 duck). I usually quickly need to run down the long hill in order to make it back to the library to teach an English class to adults. By 6 in the evening I´m usually exhausted, ready for a nap, dinner, and bed.
Another joy of living in Salasaca is the opportunity I have to live with a hogde-podge clan of other volunteers, from all over the world and from so many different lifestyles. The first volunteer I must mention is Robert, an American in his 70´s who moved here 6 years ago when he retired. He has since worked almost every day to improve this school in every way he can, from teaching English classes to repairing the plumbing, to assisting the volunteers with every problem they may have. His dedication to this project is inspiring; he is happy living in rural Ecuador doing something he believes in with his time and money. In addition to Robert, the foreign volunteers usually stay here from 2 weeks to a couple of months, and I have enjoyed sharing traveling stories and learning from what they are up to in their journeys. And, of course, I can´t forget the community of Salasacans I have met through the school and around the neighborhood. On my walk to school everyday I pass a number of Salasacans who offer me their daily greetings and short conversations. I do feel like I again have a comfortable and friendly community to live it, which is something I miss so much from home.
On very special mornings when the fog and thick clouds that usually coat the sky line have found another town to pester, I have the pleasure of socializing with the 6 volcano's of this region. Tunguraurua (I think I´ve spelled this correctly) is the only active volcano, however it won´t let anyone forget that it´s here and lets off little roars on a regular basis. I have never spent so much time around something so imposing and strong as a volcano, but it is a pretty cool experience.
In other news, Monday morning I was walking across the kitchen to get some food and all of a sudden I felt something funny going on on my foot and realized that my Chaco sandal (my favorite kind of footwear) had broken. So now I´m down to one pair of shoes!
Another joy of living in Salasaca is the opportunity I have to live with a hogde-podge clan of other volunteers, from all over the world and from so many different lifestyles. The first volunteer I must mention is Robert, an American in his 70´s who moved here 6 years ago when he retired. He has since worked almost every day to improve this school in every way he can, from teaching English classes to repairing the plumbing, to assisting the volunteers with every problem they may have. His dedication to this project is inspiring; he is happy living in rural Ecuador doing something he believes in with his time and money. In addition to Robert, the foreign volunteers usually stay here from 2 weeks to a couple of months, and I have enjoyed sharing traveling stories and learning from what they are up to in their journeys. And, of course, I can´t forget the community of Salasacans I have met through the school and around the neighborhood. On my walk to school everyday I pass a number of Salasacans who offer me their daily greetings and short conversations. I do feel like I again have a comfortable and friendly community to live it, which is something I miss so much from home.
On very special mornings when the fog and thick clouds that usually coat the sky line have found another town to pester, I have the pleasure of socializing with the 6 volcano's of this region. Tunguraurua (I think I´ve spelled this correctly) is the only active volcano, however it won´t let anyone forget that it´s here and lets off little roars on a regular basis. I have never spent so much time around something so imposing and strong as a volcano, but it is a pretty cool experience.
In other news, Monday morning I was walking across the kitchen to get some food and all of a sudden I felt something funny going on on my foot and realized that my Chaco sandal (my favorite kind of footwear) had broken. So now I´m down to one pair of shoes!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The beginning of my time in Salasaca
Finally I am writing again! It´s about time, too, because a lot has changed in my traveling life since I last updated this blog. First and foremost I have temporarily put the nomadic lifestyle on hold. Last week I moved into the volunteer house of the Sumak Kawsay Yachay Ecuador Organization (SKY Ecuador, look in up on Google, great web site). This is a non profit organization that helps to run and organize a public school in the Andes of Ecuador, in a small town called Salasaca. The volunteers teach classes to children and adults, help with maintenance tasks, staff the library, and-or take care of the garden. Also, as a volunteer you only have to pay 10 dollars a week (a very small few compared to most of these volunteer operations down here) for a bed to sleep in in a really nice volunteer house and two meals a day. This organization is simoulaitiously well organized and laid back and thus can contribute a good education to this town and also attract a troop of traveling volunteers who want to have such an opportunity.
I arrived Friday afternoon after what may have been my most unenjoyable bus ride to date. I have found that the way buses work in most parts of Peru and Ecuador, especially the cheaper ones, is that they act more like a city bus than a long distance transportation service. This means that people can get on and off at any point along the journey, all you have to do is stand at the side of the road and wave one down and if all the seats are taken there is plenty of aisle room to stand. Add to that a noisy and horrific movie and crying children on all sides of my bus seat. So I was a bit squished to say the least. I got off the bus in Ambato and after making my connecting bus to Salasaca I asked around to where I could find this organization. Noticing the very obvious sense of anxiety on my face, a very nice set of Salasacans loaded me onto an open back truck to get off at the Bibiloteca Rosa Maria, the library that this organization runs.
I aimed to find an opportunity to get off the beaten travel track when I came South America. I wanted the chance to live next to people who know this land so well, whose life styles and expectations about life sit out side my comfort level. When I arrived to Salasaca and started learning about this organization I realized that this place can give me the opportunity to ease into finding out more about Ecuadorians. In the short week I have lived here, I have settled back into country living and am now accustomed to walking from home to school to feed the chickens, about a half an hour walk in which time I usually pass a handful of humans to say hello to, and countless sheep, donkeys, and cows. Also, I am enjoying the chance I have to be working again. Although I am not being paid, the satisfaction I get from volunteering is totally worth it, especially after many months of wandering around the continent. The jobs I have are to work in the little garden and to teach two classes: English for Adults in the evenings, and Spanish Literacy (yes that's right, Spanish) to a small group of young children. I think I´ll be learning a lot this month!
I arrived Friday afternoon after what may have been my most unenjoyable bus ride to date. I have found that the way buses work in most parts of Peru and Ecuador, especially the cheaper ones, is that they act more like a city bus than a long distance transportation service. This means that people can get on and off at any point along the journey, all you have to do is stand at the side of the road and wave one down and if all the seats are taken there is plenty of aisle room to stand. Add to that a noisy and horrific movie and crying children on all sides of my bus seat. So I was a bit squished to say the least. I got off the bus in Ambato and after making my connecting bus to Salasaca I asked around to where I could find this organization. Noticing the very obvious sense of anxiety on my face, a very nice set of Salasacans loaded me onto an open back truck to get off at the Bibiloteca Rosa Maria, the library that this organization runs.
I aimed to find an opportunity to get off the beaten travel track when I came South America. I wanted the chance to live next to people who know this land so well, whose life styles and expectations about life sit out side my comfort level. When I arrived to Salasaca and started learning about this organization I realized that this place can give me the opportunity to ease into finding out more about Ecuadorians. In the short week I have lived here, I have settled back into country living and am now accustomed to walking from home to school to feed the chickens, about a half an hour walk in which time I usually pass a handful of humans to say hello to, and countless sheep, donkeys, and cows. Also, I am enjoying the chance I have to be working again. Although I am not being paid, the satisfaction I get from volunteering is totally worth it, especially after many months of wandering around the continent. The jobs I have are to work in the little garden and to teach two classes: English for Adults in the evenings, and Spanish Literacy (yes that's right, Spanish) to a small group of young children. I think I´ll be learning a lot this month!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Exploring new sides of Ecuador
After a calm, relaxing weekend in Vilcabamba, I awoke Monday morning ready to tare myself away from this refuge of chilled out ex-pat hippies and ideal climate (Vilcabamba is a small town in Southern Ecuador that has a huge population of foreigners searching for a different lifestyle). I climbed on a mid morning bus headed for Cuenca, unsure of what to expect but excited to experience a different area of Ecuador. Four hours and two loud American wrestling movies later I arrived in the Cuenca bus terminal and caught a cab to my hostel with the two Australian travelers I had taken the bus with.
Located in the southern half of Ecuador, Cuenca exudes the romantic, quaint feeling I´ve gotten from walking around old cities in Spain. The architecture of the multitude of churches and cathedrals towered over my head as I strolled down the cobble stone streets in search of a coffee shop my first day here. I stopped still in my tracks when I looked up and saw two radiant blue domes socializing with the rain clouds and had to remind myself exactly which country (and which continent) I was standing in. This city seems very proud of its culture and has enough museums to attest it. Yesterday I visited the Museo del Banco Central which houses art exhibits, a display of old coins, and a collection of shrunken heads. Yes, I really mean multiple human heads that have been downsized and sit in glass cases so you can gock and stare at them. It´s actually more fascinating than disgusting. I learned that a tribe in the Ecuadorian jungle would, after capturing an enemy or criminal, decapitate them, take out the insides of the head, fill it with mud and allow the skin to shrink around it. This practice is certainly out side our realm of criminal justice, but I found it very fascinating and the way the museum presented it was with the utmost respect for this dignified culture.
When I first arrived here I was just going to leave the next day; I even bought my departing bus ticket. But last night I had a change of heart and I will be here for one more day. I am finding it to be an ideal place to be right now!
Located in the southern half of Ecuador, Cuenca exudes the romantic, quaint feeling I´ve gotten from walking around old cities in Spain. The architecture of the multitude of churches and cathedrals towered over my head as I strolled down the cobble stone streets in search of a coffee shop my first day here. I stopped still in my tracks when I looked up and saw two radiant blue domes socializing with the rain clouds and had to remind myself exactly which country (and which continent) I was standing in. This city seems very proud of its culture and has enough museums to attest it. Yesterday I visited the Museo del Banco Central which houses art exhibits, a display of old coins, and a collection of shrunken heads. Yes, I really mean multiple human heads that have been downsized and sit in glass cases so you can gock and stare at them. It´s actually more fascinating than disgusting. I learned that a tribe in the Ecuadorian jungle would, after capturing an enemy or criminal, decapitate them, take out the insides of the head, fill it with mud and allow the skin to shrink around it. This practice is certainly out side our realm of criminal justice, but I found it very fascinating and the way the museum presented it was with the utmost respect for this dignified culture.
When I first arrived here I was just going to leave the next day; I even bought my departing bus ticket. But last night I had a change of heart and I will be here for one more day. I am finding it to be an ideal place to be right now!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Exploring a whole new country
Alright, I´m a bit behind the 8 ball with this blog I realize, but I´ll try to make it up to you and give you a nice short version of my last few days.
So, after saying good bye with little hesitation to Mancora, I left Peru Thursday evening heading north to Ecuador, and for the first time in a few weeks I wasn't alone. A few nights prior I had met two travelers from Ireland who had the same plans as me to cross the boarder, so we decided to do it together. And when we rolled into the bus station we picked up two more from Israel. The journey dragged on from 5 in the evening to 7 in the morning, and included very little sleeping. I was a bit nervous to cross the boarder into Ecuador -- I had heard plenty of difficult boarder crossing stories to scare me. But this turned out to be a very easy experience, especially seeing as it was done at 1 in the morning. I paid my fee to the Peruvian government because I had overstayed my time and got my Ecuador stamp on my passport. One of the nicest experiences, though, was standing in line at customs with the two Irish, Natasha and Nick, and the two Israelis, Chen and Ronnie, talking about the similarities and differences in our countries.
I arrived in Vicabamba accustomed to brown, dusty landscapes and high altitude mountains, and my eyes found lush green mountain sides, flowers growing everywhere, and fruit falling off the trees. Although this is not officially the jungle, it is a perfectly comfortable medium between the sierra and tropics. And there is humidity, something many of you may be surprised to hear I miss quite a bit. After taking stock of my new surroundings, I followed the four others to a hostel they had heard about, Hospadaje Izcayuma which is one of the nicest places I´ve stayed yet on my trip so far. It´s a bit expensive, but in the middle of the forest above the town and to our overtired eye, an absolute gem. Every time I saw something new in this hostel, like a swimming pool, clean sheets on the bed, a shower that promised hot water, I felt overjoyed and ready to dive into comfort. So, Friday I focused all my energy on recuperating from my bus journey and slept, followed by exploring this town.
Saturday followed much as Friday went; I enjoyed the unlimited breakfast at the hostel (pretty much unheard of in these parts) and talked with some Israeli girls about their experiences in the army which was very interesting (all Israelis must serve at least 2 years in the army in some capacity, usually after highschool). I then went for a nice little hike with Natasha followed by walking down town for lunch and made it back up to the hostel in time for my massage. Yes I indulged, and it was lovely.
And today I went for another hick with Nick and an Australian girl. I really can´t get over the climate, the trees, everything, and I got to see a lot of it on my walk. We then headed in to town just in time to watch the long soccor match, and was very happy when Spain finally put an end to the suspense!
So, after saying good bye with little hesitation to Mancora, I left Peru Thursday evening heading north to Ecuador, and for the first time in a few weeks I wasn't alone. A few nights prior I had met two travelers from Ireland who had the same plans as me to cross the boarder, so we decided to do it together. And when we rolled into the bus station we picked up two more from Israel. The journey dragged on from 5 in the evening to 7 in the morning, and included very little sleeping. I was a bit nervous to cross the boarder into Ecuador -- I had heard plenty of difficult boarder crossing stories to scare me. But this turned out to be a very easy experience, especially seeing as it was done at 1 in the morning. I paid my fee to the Peruvian government because I had overstayed my time and got my Ecuador stamp on my passport. One of the nicest experiences, though, was standing in line at customs with the two Irish, Natasha and Nick, and the two Israelis, Chen and Ronnie, talking about the similarities and differences in our countries.
I arrived in Vicabamba accustomed to brown, dusty landscapes and high altitude mountains, and my eyes found lush green mountain sides, flowers growing everywhere, and fruit falling off the trees. Although this is not officially the jungle, it is a perfectly comfortable medium between the sierra and tropics. And there is humidity, something many of you may be surprised to hear I miss quite a bit. After taking stock of my new surroundings, I followed the four others to a hostel they had heard about, Hospadaje Izcayuma which is one of the nicest places I´ve stayed yet on my trip so far. It´s a bit expensive, but in the middle of the forest above the town and to our overtired eye, an absolute gem. Every time I saw something new in this hostel, like a swimming pool, clean sheets on the bed, a shower that promised hot water, I felt overjoyed and ready to dive into comfort. So, Friday I focused all my energy on recuperating from my bus journey and slept, followed by exploring this town.
Saturday followed much as Friday went; I enjoyed the unlimited breakfast at the hostel (pretty much unheard of in these parts) and talked with some Israeli girls about their experiences in the army which was very interesting (all Israelis must serve at least 2 years in the army in some capacity, usually after highschool). I then went for a nice little hike with Natasha followed by walking down town for lunch and made it back up to the hostel in time for my massage. Yes I indulged, and it was lovely.
And today I went for another hick with Nick and an Australian girl. I really can´t get over the climate, the trees, everything, and I got to see a lot of it on my walk. We then headed in to town just in time to watch the long soccor match, and was very happy when Spain finally put an end to the suspense!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Two days on the beach
So, for those of you who are checking my new, way cool blog daily (ie Mom and Dad), you will notice that I missed a day yesterday. Well, actually I was doing you a favor because since arriving here in Mancora, I have succeeded living out the beach lifestyle and have fully taken advantage of the ability you can have here to relax. I have never been to Mertyl Beach before, but I imagine that Mancora is to Peru what Mertyl Beach is to South Carolina -- perfectly gaudy because it can be and because of the hoards of beach lovers that regularly flock there. There are vendors that line the beach front, tons of over priced hotels, and ´vacationers´ who seem to have never left the place. Although I usually purposefully steer clear of places like this, I have completely enjoyed my time here. The sun is strong and I find it very rejuvenating after having been in the cold of high altitude places. And the sea is incredible here -- clear, gentle waves roll into the the long smooth beaches all day, and it is perfect for swimming.
Yesterday I woke up and took my first of two surfing lessons. Yesterday´s lesson was a bit disappointing because I my teacher was a 16 year old boy who could only say ´hey baby´ in English to me... but I did enjoy the waves and learning a bit about surfing. After that I promptly returned to my hostel to switch to another one because the previous night I was put to sleep listening to techno music and the sounds of people partying below me. When I checked into my new hostel I met girl from the Netherlands named Cynthia who invited me out to lunch, so I made a new friend while I ate my delicious plate of ceviche (raw fish ´cooked´ in lime juice, delicious). In the afternoon I took a walk on the beach and then went swimming, which gives me sooo much joy! Anyway, that was followed by getting ready for dinner and then meeting up with my new friend and some of her friends for dinner (again, ceviche). I am always so amazed by the ease with which friends are made when traveling.
Anyway, today I started the day by taking a walk to the town´s market. Something very special about towns in Peru is that almost all of them have an outdoor market where fruit, vegetable, bread, and whatever-else- vendors set up their stand to sell their goods to the public. And it´s usually cheaper. So I had a great fruit juice made right in front of my eyes and some fresh bread for breakfast. On my way back to town I met up with an American who owns a great restaurant here called Green Eggs and Ham. When I told him the hostel I'm staying at he told me its the worst hostel in town and treats its employees really badly (paying them no more than 10 soles a day -- he may be streching the truth, but I went with it). I couldn't live with myself knowing that so I switched hotels again! Fortunately for me there are a huge selection of hostels to choose from here. Anyway, after that was my second surfing lesson, and this one was much better, with a better instructor. I really enjoyed the experience and got up on the board a few times.
The afternoon continued in full relax mode. I ate ceviche for lunch, watched Spain beat Germany, and went swimming again. I talked with some friends, ate a chocolate bar, and watched the sun set (well, half way set). So, clearly it has been a busy day!
But tomorrow, the world beacons and I will cross the boarder heading to Ecuador.
Yesterday I woke up and took my first of two surfing lessons. Yesterday´s lesson was a bit disappointing because I my teacher was a 16 year old boy who could only say ´hey baby´ in English to me... but I did enjoy the waves and learning a bit about surfing. After that I promptly returned to my hostel to switch to another one because the previous night I was put to sleep listening to techno music and the sounds of people partying below me. When I checked into my new hostel I met girl from the Netherlands named Cynthia who invited me out to lunch, so I made a new friend while I ate my delicious plate of ceviche (raw fish ´cooked´ in lime juice, delicious). In the afternoon I took a walk on the beach and then went swimming, which gives me sooo much joy! Anyway, that was followed by getting ready for dinner and then meeting up with my new friend and some of her friends for dinner (again, ceviche). I am always so amazed by the ease with which friends are made when traveling.
Anyway, today I started the day by taking a walk to the town´s market. Something very special about towns in Peru is that almost all of them have an outdoor market where fruit, vegetable, bread, and whatever-else- vendors set up their stand to sell their goods to the public. And it´s usually cheaper. So I had a great fruit juice made right in front of my eyes and some fresh bread for breakfast. On my way back to town I met up with an American who owns a great restaurant here called Green Eggs and Ham. When I told him the hostel I'm staying at he told me its the worst hostel in town and treats its employees really badly (paying them no more than 10 soles a day -- he may be streching the truth, but I went with it). I couldn't live with myself knowing that so I switched hotels again! Fortunately for me there are a huge selection of hostels to choose from here. Anyway, after that was my second surfing lesson, and this one was much better, with a better instructor. I really enjoyed the experience and got up on the board a few times.
The afternoon continued in full relax mode. I ate ceviche for lunch, watched Spain beat Germany, and went swimming again. I talked with some friends, ate a chocolate bar, and watched the sun set (well, half way set). So, clearly it has been a busy day!
But tomorrow, the world beacons and I will cross the boarder heading to Ecuador.
Monday, July 5, 2010
From Chiclayo to Mancora
I have made it to the fabled beach city of Mancora on Peru's coast, and thus far it is everything I thought it would be. Mancora is located closer to the Ecuador coast that to any other major city in Peru, and is warmer than anyplace I've been in the country, which is one of the main reasons why I wanted to come up here in the first place. As expected, I've seen more gringos since I arrived this afternoon than Peruvians, but I've heard that during the summer months (January to April) this places swells with Peruvians escaping to the long sunny days and great surfing that this place has. It is so well known for it's surfing in fact that I've decided to take serf lessons tomorrow!
Today has been a pretty mellow traveling day. I woke up early in my hotel in Chiclayo to walk to the bus station to buy my ticket to Mancora, and afterward went to breakfast before heading to the bus station at 10. While waiting for my bus, I saw a couple I had met in the hotel and we traveled on the bus together to Mancora. We got the posh, comfy seats on the first floor of the bus, with seats that felt more like lazy boys than bus seats. Arriving at 4, I headed for my hostel, called The Point, which is on the far side of the town, a 10 minute walk in fact. It's definitely a party hostel, but it's a good way to meet people, I figure. Anyway, as soon as I put my things down on my bed, I high tailed it for the beach...which is amazing! Walking in the water, feeling the sand between my toes, collecting seashells...I can pretend I'm back home enjoying summer for a moment.
Anyway, when I was down town I bumped into the couple who I rode the bus with and we went out for drinks and dinner together. Cindy and Collen are from California and traveling together here for two months. After having been on my own traveling for the past couple of days, it came as a welcomed break to relax and talk freely, without the constraints of a language barrier.
Today has been a pretty mellow traveling day. I woke up early in my hotel in Chiclayo to walk to the bus station to buy my ticket to Mancora, and afterward went to breakfast before heading to the bus station at 10. While waiting for my bus, I saw a couple I had met in the hotel and we traveled on the bus together to Mancora. We got the posh, comfy seats on the first floor of the bus, with seats that felt more like lazy boys than bus seats. Arriving at 4, I headed for my hostel, called The Point, which is on the far side of the town, a 10 minute walk in fact. It's definitely a party hostel, but it's a good way to meet people, I figure. Anyway, as soon as I put my things down on my bed, I high tailed it for the beach...which is amazing! Walking in the water, feeling the sand between my toes, collecting seashells...I can pretend I'm back home enjoying summer for a moment.
Anyway, when I was down town I bumped into the couple who I rode the bus with and we went out for drinks and dinner together. Cindy and Collen are from California and traveling together here for two months. After having been on my own traveling for the past couple of days, it came as a welcomed break to relax and talk freely, without the constraints of a language barrier.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
¨El que no debe ser nombrado¨
I am surprising myself a bit by writing my second consecutive blog entry, but here it is! We´ll see how long this lasts, but I have high hopes.
Today, also known as Independence Day in the States, has been my day off visiting important historic museums of Peru. I saw two. Chiclayo, the city I´m staying in at the moment, is centrally located in an historically important region where there are a number of fascinating ruins. Sipan, Farreñafe, and Túcum are the remains of pyramids that are still being explored by archaeologists; in fact, some of these burial sites where only ¨discovered¨in 1988. Instead of actually going out to see these sights myself, I took the easy way out and went to the beautifully curated Museum of the Royal Tombs of Sipán in Lambayeque, a small city about 15 minutes away from Chiclayo. On the combi ride over I met a lovely Peruvian couple who were on their way to a food festival right being held on the museum grounds. The museum held a treasure trove of gold artifacts found in these pyramids.
I went out for a lunch of fried fish and marshmallow cookies for desert ( marshmallow covered with dark chocolate) on my way to my second museum, the Bruning Museum, which holds some beautiful black and white photos from an archaeologist (Mr. Bruning) and some of the artifacts he found. It was very interesting as well.
On the coliectivo ride back to Chiclayo I was beginning to despair about my lack of Spanish skills and how I wasn't connecting with Peruvians as much as I would like. But, I walked to the Marcado Central, a big bustling mega mart of street venders, and I had two very nice interactions with some women fruit and flower vendors, both of whom warned me strongly of the robbers in the area. And at my hotel I had a nice little impromptu Spanish lesson with the man at the front desk .
And, the title of this addition might seem a little random, but I am reading Harry Potter (2) in Spanish! I´ve been at it for a week and am on page 20, but it´s giving me hope for a larger vocabulary in Spanish!!
Today, also known as Independence Day in the States, has been my day off visiting important historic museums of Peru. I saw two. Chiclayo, the city I´m staying in at the moment, is centrally located in an historically important region where there are a number of fascinating ruins. Sipan, Farreñafe, and Túcum are the remains of pyramids that are still being explored by archaeologists; in fact, some of these burial sites where only ¨discovered¨in 1988. Instead of actually going out to see these sights myself, I took the easy way out and went to the beautifully curated Museum of the Royal Tombs of Sipán in Lambayeque, a small city about 15 minutes away from Chiclayo. On the combi ride over I met a lovely Peruvian couple who were on their way to a food festival right being held on the museum grounds. The museum held a treasure trove of gold artifacts found in these pyramids.
I went out for a lunch of fried fish and marshmallow cookies for desert ( marshmallow covered with dark chocolate) on my way to my second museum, the Bruning Museum, which holds some beautiful black and white photos from an archaeologist (Mr. Bruning) and some of the artifacts he found. It was very interesting as well.
On the coliectivo ride back to Chiclayo I was beginning to despair about my lack of Spanish skills and how I wasn't connecting with Peruvians as much as I would like. But, I walked to the Marcado Central, a big bustling mega mart of street venders, and I had two very nice interactions with some women fruit and flower vendors, both of whom warned me strongly of the robbers in the area. And at my hotel I had a nice little impromptu Spanish lesson with the man at the front desk .
And, the title of this addition might seem a little random, but I am reading Harry Potter (2) in Spanish! I´ve been at it for a week and am on page 20, but it´s giving me hope for a larger vocabulary in Spanish!!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
To begin, I must say I´ve never thought I would actually begin a blog, and it still is difficult for me to believe whether or not I will actually be deticated enough to keep it updated everyday, but I need way to tell you all what I´ve been up to and how I am doing on my trip. A friend of mine has a blog she updates daily which serves as a great way to keep in touch with here friends and family back home and as a way to keep her records of her trip. So, three months in and here it goes!
Today I arrived in Chiclayo, a city far in the north of Peru on the coast which has a bad reputation as being a dangerous place but which beacons travelers by its proximity to a whole array of ruins from ancient civilsations that were some of the most influential, important societies in the history of this contentent. This place is warm and like other places in Northern Peru it does not try to hide it´s European influence; from the beautiful towering cathidral in the Plaza de Armas to the over all mediterainian feel, Chiclayo is a welcomed break for me from South American winter.
I arrived here at 5:30 after a long, twisting bus ride from Cajamarca, a kind city tucked away in the northern highlands of the Andes. I left this morning after having breakfast and watching Germany beat Argentina in the game (which people weren´t too happy about). The bus ride wasn´t too bad. I sat next to an American named Clara and guess where she´s from? She is the first other New Hampshirite I´ve met on my trip! When the bus arrived in the city, the nice owner from my hostel was standing outside the station to pick me up. After that I headed out, explored the city, and sat down for a glass of wine and antichuchos (marinated pieces of cow heart).
Today I arrived in Chiclayo, a city far in the north of Peru on the coast which has a bad reputation as being a dangerous place but which beacons travelers by its proximity to a whole array of ruins from ancient civilsations that were some of the most influential, important societies in the history of this contentent. This place is warm and like other places in Northern Peru it does not try to hide it´s European influence; from the beautiful towering cathidral in the Plaza de Armas to the over all mediterainian feel, Chiclayo is a welcomed break for me from South American winter.
I arrived here at 5:30 after a long, twisting bus ride from Cajamarca, a kind city tucked away in the northern highlands of the Andes. I left this morning after having breakfast and watching Germany beat Argentina in the game (which people weren´t too happy about). The bus ride wasn´t too bad. I sat next to an American named Clara and guess where she´s from? She is the first other New Hampshirite I´ve met on my trip! When the bus arrived in the city, the nice owner from my hostel was standing outside the station to pick me up. After that I headed out, explored the city, and sat down for a glass of wine and antichuchos (marinated pieces of cow heart).
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