Hello everyone. It's been a long time since we've posted to "Life is a Beach." As a matter of fact, our last posting was in March 2009 and told of our travels through Belize. You'll notice that the link to this posting is not connected in any way to our life in Bermuda. To find out about that you'll have to come and visit us:) This posting is all about our recent trip to Ecuador. I just could not resist showing off some of Lori's photography, although on the second day we had our other camera stolen in the colonial section of Quito. This was the camera with the new telephoto lens that we bought especially for the trip. So all the photography you see here consists of landscapes taken with our wide angle lens, although Lori got really good at "shooting from the hip" and getting some great images of the indigenous people.
We flew into Quito on November 11th, 2010,landing in the late afternoon through a thick overcast at 9,000 feet in elevation. It was rather chilly at that elevation and wet. Not what we expected. Hey, this is the beginning of the Ecuadorian summer! Ecuador is on the equator! This is supposed to be the land of eternal spring! Here we were, two visitors in Bermuda shorts and t-shirts shivering in the 50 degree weather. Needless to say, we equipped ourselves with jackets, parkas and boots over the next few days and continued on our way.
Below you see a map of Ecuador. It even shows where the country is in South America for those that don't know. The map is comprised of a "flash movie" that shows the route we took over the 21 days we were there. Everyone who has visited Ecuador say that you must take in the Galapagos Islands, but we didn't. What interest to a couple of visitors who grew up on the West Coast do whales and sea lions have? Ditto for the sea turtles. We are inundated with them in Bermuda. So, ok, we didn't get to see any red footed boobies, but the cost of visiting Ecuador's archipelago was prohibitive and we didn't have the time. Another unique area of Ecuador is the Amazon Basin and the jungle. We didn't go there either, sorry. Where we did travel was the central Andes from Cotacachi in the north, south to Cuenca then over to Guayaquil, the second largest city in Ecuador. We then drove up the coast, staying in various towns until we finally arrived back in Quito. Part of the reason we didn't follow the typical tourist route was that we were investigating Ecuador as a possible retirement destination. One can't set up in the Galapagos or the jungle.
In this posting you'll see imagery and some dialogue about our trip. I've increased the size of the images as I am hopeful most people have increased screen resolution these days. If you set your resolution to 1280 or higher then you won't be encumbered with those nasty scroll-bars. As before, you can click on most images to see them in full screen mode. Even "mousing over" some of the pictures causes the image to change; often a close-up or a different view of the same subject. So move around with your mouse pointer and please click on some of the more interesting pictures. You'll have to click on the back button on your browser to return to "Life is a Beach!"
A rare blue sky for a few hours on our second day in Quito. The image to your right shows a part of the colonial area of Quito, a few blocks from where we were robbed of a camera and lens. We were not out of the taxi more than a few moments when Lori was bombarded with the most foul smelling excrement ..... in her hair and down her back. A middle aged Ecuadorian lady came over to help exclaiming; "Avion, avion", meaning "bird" in Spanish. She swiped at the goop with a small piece of tissue. A moment later there was a middle aged gentleman there helping us as well. Good Samaritans! He wiped off a huge amount of excrement from my back as well. I never thought I was hit too. How many birds were there? By this time I had hold of both cameras as Lori attempted to clean herself off. I remember the smell almost caused me to gag. The man convinced me to put the cameras down for a moment so as to remove my jacket. Lori grabbed one of them and the man the other. I turned around and the good samaritans were gone. With the camera. We had been had. A very slick set up by professionals using the art of misdirection. Direct your attention to something else while they pull their trick. We spent the next few hours with the very friendly police filling out forms and then went home for the day to soak for an hour in the hotel shower and have our clothes washed.
So the great experienced world traveler was duped! I thought I was on guard. We were even warned to be careful! At least no one was hurt. The picture is worth clicking on to view full size and you can see the statue of the Virgin of Quito top of the hill in the background. Remember to click the back arrow of your browser.
On the third day in Ecuador we met with our guide, Dennis Yepes of Guanguiltagua Expeditions, and we headed north. On the way we stopped to enter a forest and hike to the waterfall seen at right. Although the water was very cold, the children were happily swimming in the pools.
The advantage of having an English speaking guide is that one hears the history of every region and the names of all the plants, trees and, of course, volcanoes. For example, the Eucalyptus trees that largely made up this forest and could be found throughout the Andes were imported by the Spanish and were grown for their timber.
In the same area as the waterfall, Dennis took us through some back roads (to show off his 4 wheel drive) and we came across the old lady seen in the image to your left. I took this picture through the dirty windshield and thought the image was a throw-away until Lori worked her magic in Photoshop.
Many of the people of Ecuador go barefoot as their only means of transportation. Sometimes they have a mule or donkey to help them out. This is probably one of the reasons they live so long; good natural home grown food and lots of exercise in an unpolluted environment. Also many don't have electricity so sleep when it gets dark and get up with the sun.
If you move your mouse pointer over the picture it will show a close up of her and if you click it will enlarge full screen.
Ecuador is full of "Hostels" where ever you go. Not to be confused with the youth hostels for back packers, these hostels are really small hotels. Usually for 10 or 20 bucks you can get a comfortable room with bath for the night and it always includes breakfast. The currency in Ecuador is the American dollar so it's easy to figure out the exchange! Of course, it helps to speak a little Spanish.
Constructed in 1790, Hacienda Pinsaquí was originally a colonial textile enterprise, employing over one thousand weavers and spinners. Hacienda Pinsaquí is rich with centuries of history and situated at the base of Imbabura Volcano, just north of the famous Otavalo market.
The Hacienda was a pleasant surprise after the first two nights in downtown Quito. Warm and cozy with a roaring fire, the perfect ending after a day traveling in the high Andes.
We met some interesting people at the Hacienda including a group of bikers from Columbia. They tried to talk us into visiting Columbia next. We just might do that!
Excellent and friendly service and delicious meals, we recommend the Hacienda Pinsaquí to anyone visiting Ecuador. Only a few hours drive by taxi or Bus from Quito ($5.50 for the bus), it is an excellent base for visiting the Otavalo Market or the Leather goods at Cotacachi.
If you click on the thumbnails you will see that the marketplace had lots of interesting crafts for sale and the price was very low. Lori, after feeling cold for days, bought a warm poncho which was roomy enough to hide her remaining camera. I was interested in the little old lady. I figured I could stuff her in my suitcase with no problem. Even Lori towered above her.
I thought of brother Scott while running my fingers through all the incredibly soft Alpaca furs and rugs. I remember the time when he brought a shipment of these home to BC to try and market himself.
All the neighboring towns and villages each specialized in a certain craft, including leather, weaving, pottery, wood craft and jewelry just to name a few. Of course, each town also had it's food market with an incredible variety of locally grown produce and meat. For a very small sum, one can eat to their hearts content at the produce markets.
After staying a few days in Cotacachi and Otavalo we headed South through some amazing countryside called the Avenue of Volcanoes, all at an elevation of around 9,000 feet. To the right you see an image of a volcano crater lake we visited. The island you see in the middle is actually comprised of three separate lava domes. The image isn't very clear as it was raining and as always, it seemed, we were in a cloud forest.
As you can see below, the Andes are completely cultivated in a patchwork quilt of farms. Even the steepest slopes are cultivated by means of oxen and hand plow. The volcanic soil is incredibly rich and black. Every so many years a volcano spews tones of ash which enriches the land. The variety of crops is astounding. The images you see are pictures taken during the rare times when the clouds parted enough to allow a clear picture. Many of the famous volcanoes were invisible as we passed due to heavy overcast.
On our 6th day in Ecuador we arrived in Banos, famous for being on the slopes of a very active volcano. In 1999, volcanic activity from Tungurahua caused the evacuation of the city of Banos. It is said that many of the residents of the town didn't return. In recent years, there has been even more volcanic activity, in 2006, 2008, and 2010. We saw huge trenches built and being built to divert the lava away from the town.
We stayed in Banos for two nights so as to spend a whole day at the hot springs and to explore the surrounding area.
The image of the Cathedral at left was taken from the window of our room at the Ross Hotel. Move your mouse curser over it and see what it looked like at night! Better yet, click on it and see it at night in all it's splendor. You can tell it was a favorite subject for Lori's camera.
Our first morning in Banos we were awakened, not by the rumblings of Tungurahua Volcano, but by a parade right below our window. Lori scrambled downstairs with her gear to get the shots you can view as a mini slide show to your right. As are children the world over, the Ecuadorian kids were delightful.
Our day in Banos cleared up and the sun actually came out from behind the clouds. At the base of this waterfall was the hot springs where the water is heated by the volcano Tungurahua.
The image at your left is of the interior of the Banos Cathedral. Very elaborate and the shrine beautifully carved out of local wood. These cathedrals were found in every town and were well attended by the Ecuadorians.
The mural above we found in a public building in Banos. I think it was a sort of theatre. We were on our own as our guide had a day off and so had no one to translate or tell us where we were.
In the afternoon we rented a "dune buggy" and headed out of town a few miles and took pictures like the one below.
From Banos we traveled further South to the third largest city in Ecuador named Cuenca. This is a beautiful city and it the choice of many ex pats for a place to live. We stayed at the Hotel Victoria for another two nights. That bum in front of the hotel is myself.
I made Lori take a picture of the stained glass window in the lobby of the hotel as it was very well designed and put together (and I happen to like stained glass).
Cuenca is the third largest city in Ecuador by population, which is about 467,000. Of all of the cities in Ecuador, Cuenca is arguably the most charming with its cobblestone streets, old-world cathedrals, colonial parks and urban rivers.
Lots of old colonial buildings for Lori's camera, I've posted only a few to give you the idea of what it was like to walk the streets.
Like the rest of the Ecuadorian Andes, Cuenca has a mild climate year-round. Days are generally warm and nights are cool enough that you want to pack a sweater. The average daily temperature is 14.6 degrees C (58 degrees F). The rainy season generally lasts from mid-October until early May. During our trip to Ecuador the mornings were often sunny and afternoons cloudy with light, periodic showers.
Although Cuenca is considered much more safe to be in than Quito or Guayaquil, it still pays to watch where you go, especially at night. Notice that every store front is in the form of a roll-up steel door. It is the same throughout Ecuador.
Some of the colonial buildings were beautiful hotels such as the one we explored at left.
We were told that we were taking a chance wandering around the market area toting Lori's camera, but we had no problems in the middle of the day. Seen at right is a picture of one of the meat stands. Almost every imaginable form of meat (and some you've never imagined) are offered at the market.
The prices of the produce and cooked food was very little. For a few dollars you could eat your fill.
Ecuador roses are emerging as a stable and very marketable international crop, earning up to five times per acre what fruit crops bring in. Geographically, Ecuador offers the correct temperature and space to produce large quantities of roses. In this industry, it is the easy supply of international capital in combination with rock bottom prices for labor which provide the conditions to make the business flourish. One can buy a long stemmed perfect rose at the market for pennies.
Below left you see me leaving the portal by which one can communicate with the "cloistered" nuns. Not allowed to look. There is a bell to summon a nun so as to buy things that they make. You can speak to them (in Spanish) and request to buy their stuff which they put on a turnstile (after they get your cash).
We took so many pictures of the amazing landscape of the Ecuadorian Andes that I put a few together in the form of a slide show above.
Before we left Guayaquil the next morning, Lori wanted to take a picture of this building we saw the day before under the right light. (The right light is always early in the morning or late in the evening).
The images came out pretty well as you can see but I'm embarrassed to say I don't know the name of the building or what it's purpose is. I remember it was across from the City Hall. Too bad one can't plug a picture into Google and have it come up with the identity and description. One day.
Salinas is a tourist town. With an average year-round temperature of 27°C (80°F) and its location on the Pacific Ocean, the beaches of Salinas are a popular resort destination in Ecuador.The city offers a number of restaurants and cafes on its boardwalk, as well as artisan crafts markets.
We were grateful to leave the cold and wet Andes for the humid warmth of the coast. The sun never came out and the days remained muggy but it was warm.
We stayed at a great little Hostel called "Cocos" which was right on the strip. We could sit at it's outside tables and drink or eat and watch the passers by. I think the room, which was huge, was about $24/night.
On our first evening there, fourteen glamorous girls trounced by and Lori ran for her camera and chased them down to strike a pose.
I couldn't upload a posting to "Life is a Beach" without an "art" picture from Lori. I'm thinking of enlarging this to put into a frame. What do you think?
<----------- click!
Just up the road from the party crowd at Montienita was Olon Beach which is a sleepy fishing village and a favorite spot for ex pats to buy land and retire.
On our travels up the coast we always stopped for food at local eateries. Of course, the specialty is always seafood which is my favorite dish. Ceviche is a dish popular in the coastal regions of Ecuador. The dish is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with chili peppers. I loved it and ate it whenever offered. However I paid dearly for it when shortly after these pictures were taken I fell ill for days.
In the image to the right you see our guide, Dennis, with Lori. Dennis is the owner, along with his wife Eva, of Guanguiltagua Expeditions.
On the way back to Quito we pass lots of interesting subjects. Always many types of exotic produce for sale.
Those are very colorful "crabs" you see to your left, for sale on the side of the road. Would you buy some of these crabs for diner?
We also overtook this Mazda pick-up full of cows. Guess how many were in the back? Believe it or not, there were eight cows!
There were also about 6 people in the front cab.
One of the fun things to do when traveling is to try out the local fare. In Ecuador a favorite dish is guinea pig! They raise them in back of their homes for food. They also run wild. They call these animals Kwi Kwi, just like the sound they make. At right you see me chowing down on Kwi Kwi for the first time. Mouse over the image to get a closer look!
Note: Lori's new camera will have video. This would be a great video shot and competition for Andrew of "Bizarre Foods"
After returning to Quito and saying goodbye to Dennis, we decided to spend our remaining few days back in Cotacachi and so caught a bus and headed North again. We stayed at a wonderful hotel as you can see and found a quaint restaurant down the block that was frequented by ex pats.
Lori perfected her "shooting from the hip" style of photography on the sidewalks in town. Some of the imagery of the local ladies are quite good.
So this is the end of our posting to "Life is a Beach". We hope you enjoyed the imagery of our travels through Ecuador. I know the scrolling down the page was rather long. I'm sure sister Jude would suggest several pages rather than just one.
Our trip to Ecuador was interesting to say the least. The theft of our camera literally right out of my hands was a sobering experience. I goofed in thinking that it was a good time of year to visit that part of South America and so we suffered some uncomfortable days and nights. I am now also enlightened as to my stomach not being the cast iron pit I thought it was.
One reads all sorts of print about where to find a retirement paradise but we have found that much of it is an exaggerated sales pitch to sell you something. I think we've come to the conclusion that we don't want to live in a third world country. We are still on the search for our spot to settle and call home. Somewhere where it is warm most of the year and not too expensive to live. Somewhere where people speak our language. We've been spoiled of course, living the last 6 years in Bermuda.
As has been my style in the last few postings, I will leave you with a panorama image (below) typifying the Ecuador countryside. If you have any comments or want to ask any questions about our trip, please email us at ross@rossgo.com. This is especially true if you plan on visiting Ecuador.
Have a great day and thanks for looking ~ Ross & Lori
