Trips and Experiences

El Nariz del Diabl0 - The Devil's Nose

5/27/2015

Road Trip!
Our time here is getting short, and there are a few places we want to make sure to see. In this case, the town of Alausí, which is the launching point for the steepest segment of rail travel in Ecuador called the Devil’s Nose. We decided to rent a car for this excursion. Buses are a cheaper option, but bus travel is nothing like a road trip in your own car. The car allowed us to stop to eat when we wanted, make pit stops as needed, and stay at a hostal outside of town.

Our first stop was at the “Bufalo Bill” restaurant in Cañar (close to the Ingapirca ruins) for lunch. What group of Coloradans could resist stopping at a place called Bufalo Bill? As we entered the restaurant Doug exclaimed to the shocked patrons “hitch up the wagon pardners, we’re heading west.” Well, no, not really, but that would have been an amusing sight. Despite the lack of theatrics, the food turned out to be excellent. No buffalo meat or Old West themed items on the menu, but we enjoyed a great meal for 4 for under $15.

We arrived in the mountain valley town of Alausí in the early afternoon just as it began to pour. We had picked a hostal on the outskirts of town for its vibrant flower garden and large open space – the former for peace of mind, the latter so the kids could burn off some energy. Luckily it also had a rec room with ping pong and pool tables, and we were able to get some play time in despite the downpour. Equally enjoyable was listening to the heavy drops of rain fall on the tin roof, and watching the clouds roll in and slide down the steep mountain slopes.

The Devil's Nose
The next day was clear, promising dramatic vistas throughout the train ride. This was the kids’ first real train ride and we were enchanted by the railcars, retractable tables, and comfy seats. The segment of rail we traveled was part of a broader system that provides access between Quito in the northern highlands, the coastal port city of Guayaquil, and Cuenca in the southern highlands. Construction began in the late 1800s with the help of a North American engineer and thousands of workers imported from the Caribbean. The countryside is gorgeous. But at the time the railroad was built, yellow fever, malaria and dengue were common and the technology used to build railways consisted of dynamite and hand shovels. An astounding 1,200 people lost their lives in the railway’s construction, most due to blasting accidents.

Coming from Colorado you’d think I would be used to steep mountainsides. But the Andes are a whole different level of steep. I’m not sure the pictures do justice to just how perpendicular the landscape feels. Perhaps more indicative: when we booked the tickets for the train we were asked whether we wanted the side of the car that looks out to the mountain or the side that looks into the “abyss”. The segment of rail we traveled drops 1,970 feet in just 6.25 miles. Since a rail track with gentle curves and moderate descent were not options for the terrain, the engineers decided to employ a “zigzag” technique. In Spanish it is called “ziiig zahg”. Imagine a large Z carved into the side of a mountain, or a trail switchback. The forward-moving train fully passes the switchback on a short extension of that rail segment (say the upper line of the Z), levers are moved, and then the train proceeds backwards down on the new rail segment (the slanty part of the Z). Then does it again, this time moving forwards again, once it gets to the bottom section of the Z. It was fun to experience the system in action. The name of the route is said to come from the face that can be seen on the side of the mountain that dominates the zigzag section. It may also come from the experience of the workers who helped complete the rail.

The tourism projects of the railway are managed by a public enterprise with an emphasis on benefiting local communities. The destination of the Devil’s Nose train is the Sibambe station where we were greeted by dancers from the local community of Nizag, as well as pet llamas and vendors. The dancers looked a little less than enthusiastic during their welcoming dance. I can’t blame them since there are three trains a day. I imagine there is not much to do at the station in between train arrivals. But after performing their traditional dances they invited the tourists to dance with them and everyone seemed to have more fun that way. It was an unexpected, but nice, surprise.

Alausí
Sunday is market day in Alausí. On the train ride we were able to see the animal market in the distance. The town itself was packed full of people doing business and lots of trucks transporting both goods and people. We climbed up to a huge 30-foot statue of San Pedro (St. Peter) in a park that overlooks the city. The statue looked to be made of concrete and was covered with colored tiles. The park provided incredible views of Alausí and the surrounding countryside.

The Panamerican Highway: footpath, road, message medium and front yard.
The road from Cuenca to Alausí is the Panamerican Highway, although in most places it is just one lane each direction. It goes through cloud forest in some places and on our way to Alausí we were driving through clouds for a good portion of the trip. On the way back we had fewer clouds and I took pictures of the towns and houses we passed, as well as the pedestrians for whom the highway is the preferred route from town to town. I’m always fascinated by the variety of housing found in relatively close proximity, ranging from very nice newer construction, to traditional adobe, to abandoned and half-finished ugly concrete skeleton structures. I also documented the roadside signs that promote conservation and respect for the environment, which we’ve seen on all the roads we’ve traveled in Ecuador.

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Highlands and Amazonia Part 2: Back to the Highlands

4/13/2015

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We had planned to spend several days at an ecolodge in the Amazon, but had a last minute change in plans that meant a day-long trip back to the highlands and our newly selected destination, Lago Quilatoa. A road delay allowed for a nice break.

Lake Quilatoa
Lake Quilatoa always makes the top ten list of destinations in Ecuador. Doug and I had visited there on our first trip to Ecuador, and so had Karin. Yet the three of us were more than happy to go back and eager to share the experience with John and the kids. Lake Quilatoa is a crater lake and in order to reach it one must circle around and climb up the base of the volcano that contains it. As a result the lake and the various towns around the base of the volcano are quite isolated. Once one gets to the volcano it takes a good hour and a half along a slow, winding road to reach the town of Quilatoa on the crater’s edge at 3,914 meters (12,800 feet). Other towns around the volcano are even more isolated, reached by smaller roads and infrequent bus service.

We enjoyed a spectacular walk down to the lake the day after our arrival. The lake alternates from deep blue to turquoise green, and is most brilliant in bright sunlight. We had an overcast day but the walk down to the lake and the scenery of the surrounding landscape were spectacular nonetheless. There are horses available for the ride back up to the crater rim. Even though we live at high altitude in Cuenca (about 8,300 feet), the altitude at Quilatoa did me in. I had scoffed at first at the idea of skipping the hike back up, but in the short uphill trek from the lake shore to where the horses are tethered I changed my mind. Afterall, shouldn’t we make sure the kids had adults around when they got to the top? Poor Lucia who loves horses but always seems to end up on a donkey, got a donkey again on this adventure. I should mention that Doug did hike back up and made it in about an hour, making feel a bit wimpy!

Quilatoa Hostal and Town
Because we had traveled all day, we reached Quilatoa late in the evening, having done most of the winding and climbing to the town in the dark. We arrived exhausted, cold, and hungry. We had reserved rooms at the Hosteria Alpaca Quilatoa (http://www.alpacaquilotoa.com/) which offers dinner and breakfast each day. The family-style dishes of steaming potatoes, soup, stewed meat and veggies that were waiting for us felt extravagantly welcoming, as did the warmth of the wood burning stoves in the dining area. The hostel is run by a local family, and during the day various family members would stop by to help out or for other errands. One day a traveling doctor came to the lodge to conduct well child visit for the family’s infant and toddler. And on our first night, when Gabe had a terrible ear ache from the change in altitude we were offered a traditional remedy: alpaca wool, heated in the fire, and then put in the ear to create a vacuum. It seemed to work, as Gabe’s ear ache was gone by the morning.

The town of Quilatoa has a number of rustic hostels, but doesn’t feel like a tourist trap. We had tasty food, bought some local handicrafts, and enjoyed some leisurely walks through the town and, a few of us, part way along the rim of the volcano. It was equally delightful to hang out in the dining area of the hostel talking to other travelers, journaling, and playing cards. We were thrilled to find out that the hostel offers laundry service. We had been trying to wash a few things for days, but had been foiled by our travel schedule and the lack of facilities. Our hosts assured us that while they had no washer and the clothes would be hand washed, they did have a dryer and our clothes would be done by the morning of our departure. Imagine our surprise when, walking back from an evening stroll to look down at the lake, we found our clothes spread out on the trees and lawn in front of the hostel, soaking wet. They were, however, dry by the next day- thank goodness.

Zero Latitude
From Quilatoa we headed north to another popular tourist destination, Otavalo. Along the way we stopped at one several sites that mark the location of the Equator. Doug and I had visited the “Mitad del Mundo/ Middle of the World” outside of Quito, which has a painted yellow line marking the equator, and some rather dubious displays to prove it is on the equator. In fact, it is a few yards off. But it is a fun place to visit. This time we stopped at the Quitsato monument, located on the Equatorial Line (0 Latitude). This is a more recent monument, linked to research on the relationship between the equator and many of the pre-Colombian religious sites throughout Ecuador. While many countries lie along the equator, Ecuador is one of the few that has mountain peaks. Indigenous cultures in Ecuador used those peaks to map the movement of the moon and sun, and many cultural sites were built based on their location along, or relative to, the equator. The Inca, and later the Spanish, built their own ceremonial sites and churches on top of those sites. Another interesting project related to the monument is an effort to promote a world map oriented not along north-south lines, but in relationship to the equator. (www.quitsato.org). Karin and I were intrigued by the site, and walked away with their full set of information, I think both vaguely hoping it will be fodder for a future science fair project or two.

Otavalo Countryside
The last leg of our family trip was spent in Otavalo. Otavalo is one of the few areas in Ecuador where the indigenous residents are in control of local politics and commerce. Otavalenses are known for the weaving, and for their business acumen. Many residents proudly wear traditional dress, or a mix of traditional and western wear. I talked about our New Year’s Eve experience there a past post (see Febraury post on this page), so I'll continue where that post ended. Once we had properly said goodbye to 2014, we retreated to a lovely hostel (lalaunaecuador.com) in the mountains outside of Otavalo. The hostel has a big open field and, to the kids’ delight, a horse in the pasture, as well as a view of the nearby Fuya Fuya and Imbabura volcanoes. We enjoyed decent bird watching, good food and wine, a cozy fireplace, hammocks, and the view. Doug and I had a lovely hike to a nearby lake, Mojanda. While Otavalo is most famous for its weekend animal and craft markets, I think the countryside itself is worth the visit by itself. I’d go back at the drop of a hat.

The Animal and Artisan Markets
Of course we also made a point to visit the markets. At the animal market we enjoyed watching people bartering for animals, and walking away with a sack full of chickens or Guinea pigs, or a pig strapped to their back. I was a little surprised at how expensive guinea pigs are ($8 for one that still needs to be raised: $12 for a mature one). They are a popular delicacy, but a relatively expensive one. Also on offer were cows, pigs, chicks, geese, you name it. And there were a few kittens and puppies for sale too. The kids were all relieved when a particularly endearing pup went home with an apparently loving family.

The craft market is large, taking up a full square and spilling onto neighboring streets. In addition to woven alpaca items one can find jewelry, t-shirts, clay whistles, dolls, etc. I get a little overwhelmed in that kind of setting, but the kids enjoyed using their spending money, and the Gallups found some nice souvenirs.

After a morning at the markets we said a sad goodbye to the Gallups, who stayed in Otavalo a couple more nights, and headed back to Cuenca. There is something incredibly special about traveling and exploring with those we love. Even if the details of the experience fade away over time, I hope the memory of our Ecuador road trip will hold a special place in all of our hearts and memories for a long time. I know it will in mine.

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Highlands and Amazonia: Part 1

4/5/2015

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Outbound to Lago Agrio
Time to catch up a little on our December and January travels! We had a great time touring Ecuador with the Gallup family. Right after Christmas the nine of us took off in a big van with a hired driver. We traveled over several days to Lago Agrio in the northern Amazon (close to the border with Colombia), and then over the course of sixteen hours climbed back up to Lago Quilatoa at 12,800 feet in the central highlands. I never cease to be amazed at the incredible variety of climates, ecosystems and communities in Ecuador. Here are a few highlights from our trip, to be continued in the next post.

Ingapirca
A few hours outside of Cuenca is Ingapirca, the largest Incan ruin in Ecuador. When the Incans conquered this part of South America (i.e., what is now Ecuador) in the early 1500s, they built structures on top of important indigenous sites partially because those cultures and the Incans shared astrologically based religions. In this case, Ingapirca was built on top of a Cañari religious center. The modern day Cañari continue to live in the area and manage the archeological site. The central structure is the Temple of the Sun (for the Incas- the Cañari were more interested in the moon) used for astrological observation. The site was connected to the broader Incan empire by the famous Camino del Inca or Inca Trail. The phrase “Inca Trail” is a misnomer as there was a vast network of roads, not just one as the term implies.

Salasaca
Our next stop was Salasaca, a small town in the central highlands. We spent the night at a hostel run by an indigenous man, Alonso Pilla, and his family (www.hostalrunahuasi.com/es/). Alonso and his wife were incredibly gracious hosts. The hostel is right behind their family home, with views of the valley and farmland. In that area plots of farm land are divided by rows of agave plants, not fences. At the hostel, the kids particularly enjoyed the bunk room in the attic and the hammocks in the sideyard. We all enjoyed the tasty traditional meal of soup and vegetables and the warmth of an open-pit fire in the courtyard - it was a cold night! It was an extra treat to hear from the Pilla family about their heritage and the international student program they provide for several universities.

People in Salasaca share heritage with Bolivians, thanks to the Incan Empire’s penchant for relocating entire villages in order to prevent uprisings. The Salasacans dress in a style similar to that used in parts of Bolivia, and are talented weavers. The women are constantly spinning wool that the men will use to weave on backstrap looms. When we asked our hostess about the constant spinning she said she didn’t feel right if she was walking around and not spinning. Now that is an attitude a chronic multi-tasker can identify with. We were treated to a visit to Alonso’s weaving workshop and a demonstration of the backstrap loom that Salasacans use.

Baños
From Salasaca we wound our way down the mountain through the town of Baños, which is known for its warm climate and waterfalls. It is a popular tourist site for Ecuadorans and international travelers alike with roadside stands featuring a wide variety of treats, including sugar cane and freshly pressed cane juice. As we descended from Baños toward the town of Puyo in the Amazon basin we stopped for a hike at the Pailon Del Diablo (Devil’s Cauldron) Falls. The trail to the falls is quite developed with a well-maintained path and a series of signs giving advice about how to live life. There are a number of handicraft stalls clustered around the beginning of the trail along with a restaurant and mini-store. A nice counterbalance to the touristy feel of the excursion was a sighting along the way, thanks to our resident birder, of the brilliant Gallo de Peña, Cock-of-the-Rock, just off the trail.

After the hike and lunch, we drove a little further down the canyon and we watched people zip line across the ravine to another set of falls. Some of the zip lines originated as a way for residents to cross the rivers during the rainy season – not a mode of transport I would want to rely upon, but a huge hit with the tourist crowd. The many food vendors were a big hit as well. We bought some very yummy fried dough balls that were gone in no time flat.

Waterfalls and Energy
The landscape changed markedly as we descended toward the Amazon Basin, becoming much greener and wetter. We stopped often to take pictures of the rivers we crossed and of the lush hillsides covered with waterfalls. One of our last stops was at the San Rafael Falls on the edge of the Amazon Basin. According to our guidebook it is the highest waterfall (131 meters) in Ecuador. It made the waterfalls in Baños look like a trickle. It amazed me to see such an incredible volume of water with no connection to melting snow or ice. This isn’t spring run-off. It is water flow that is re-generated on an ongoing basis with rainfall. I’m particularly glad we got to see the falls since Ecuador, with Chinese financing and oversight, is in the process of building a rather controversial hydroelectric plant a short way upriver that will reduce the flow of the falls.

One of the reasons Ecuador is developing hydro-electric power is to reduce its dependency on oil production. We followed an oil pipeline for most of our trip. It is striking how exposed the pipeline is, and easy to see how spills have been catastrophic in the areas where they have occurred

Amazonia
The towns in the Amazon feel very different than those in the highlands. Along with the differences brought about by the warmer climate, the buildings and people have a rougher edge to them – perhaps as a result of having grown primarily from the increase in energy development. They lack the colonial architecture the Spanish brought to the highlands. It was fun to walk around Lago Agrio and get a sense of the somewhat livelier and more chaotic vibe of the lowlands.

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Highlands: Carnaval of Fruits and Flowers in Ambato

3/24/2015

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Agua, Maicena y Espuma
Ecuador’s primary religious identity is catholic. Many celebrations at the national and local level reflect the catholic calendar, including Carnaval (Carnival, or Mardi Gras to those of us in the US). Carnival is a time for colorful, joyous and often out of control celebration before the beginning of the contemplative season of lent.

The main ingredients for carnival in Cuenca and much of Ecuador are water, cornstarch and foam (kind of a crazy string meets shaving cream). The objective? Get people wet! Or powdered, or covered in foam. The kids’ school allowed the students “play carnival” on the last day of school before their February break. Water was banned, althoughGabe reports that some classmates snuck in water balloons and water guns. Lucia came home with so much cornstarch in her hair that we sent her straight to the shower.

Other carnival play I witnessed were high school kids splashing each other in the Yanuncay river, and a few unfortunate high school girls drug into a fountain by their school. We ourselves were victims of a “drive by” foam attack during our February travels.. And when we toured the Sani community school in the Amazon one of the classrooms was still full of water from the carnival celebration on the last day of school.

We had the fortune of traveling to Ambato, the capital of Tungurahua province in the central highlands for the Festival de Frutas y Flores that celebrates both carnival and the anniversary of Ambato’s founding. The festival is just what it promises to be: a festival of fruit and flowers. Ambato was one of the first cities to ban use of water in carnival. Instead, it has developed an event that shows off the fruits and flowers that are grown in the region.

We visited a flower show on the main plaza which included sculptures created from flowers, a judged competition of flower arrangements in a number of different categories, a gallery of paintings in flower themes, an exhibition from the local flower club, a display of flower-themed cross stich, and an orchid sale.

Works of Art

A Mural of Flowers and Fruit

The day we were in Ambato was one of the first of the festival, and there was a mass to celebrate the opening, held on a platform in front of the cathedral. The entire front façade of the cathedral was covered in a mural made entirely of, you guessed it, fruit and flowers. It depicts Christ with an outstretched hand, surrounded by doves, children, etc. It is hard to give an idea of the size of the mural in these pictures. The front façade of the church takes up a city block. Part of the annual festival is a parade of floats all made of flowers and fruits, which we weren’t able to see. Having seen the mural on the cathedral, though, I imagine it is quite impressive.

Enjoying the Festivities
All kinds of artists had set up their paintings, jewelry, etc. around the outside of the square, including a few vendors selling products made from the local fruit. There were a number of musical acts throughout the day, but the one I enjoyed was the unofficial one in the pictures below, an Andean musical group that also incorporated some saxophone into their set. It happened to be Valentine’s Day, so we treated ourselves to a lunch at a nice restaurant. In Ecuador Valentine’s day is know as El Dia de la Amistad, or friendship day, which was more appropriate for our group. Doug was on his way to meet us after spending some time on a birding trip with some friends. So it was, me, the kids, and our young family friend Tiffanie.

We were delighted to spend part of Carnaval, and valentines day, at Ambato’s Festival de Frutas y Flores

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Amazonia/ Amazon

3/8/2015

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The Amazon Basin is a magical place, with particular attraction for the biologists and nature lovers in our family - that is to say, all of us! The fact that it remains one of the wilder and most undeveloped places in the world, with the potential for danger (snakes! poisonous plants! Jaguar!), the intense humidity and the density of the vegetation all make for a dramatic experience. If you have to take malaria medicine to visit, then it has to be a unique place, right? Doug and I Ioved our time at an ecolodge off the Rio Napo, with birding as a primary focus, when we were there 12 years ago. This time we stayed at a lodge run by the indigenous Sani community a little farther down river. We enjoyed the mix of activities that included trekking through the forest to learn about plants and animals and a visit to a Sani community to learn about their culture. I feel blessed that we were able to visit again, and very much enjoyed watching the kids and our friend Tiffanie, visiting from Colorado, relish their first experience in the Amazon.

Getting There

Our adventure began with a flight from the highlands to the town of Coca on the edge of the Amazon Basin. From there we got on a large power canoe for a 3-hour ride down the Rio Napo, then took a 15 minute walk into the forest along a boardwalk, and finally a hand-powered canoe trip across a lagoon to the lodge. It is a gorgeous trip, although it was striking to see a substantial presence of the petroleum industry along the Rio Napo. We noted none on our last visit.

Canopy Tower

Once at the lodge we wasted no time getting fit with rubber boots and beginning to explore. A quick canoe trip across the lagoon and a “blackwater” channel – so called because tannins from the tree leaves make the water dark like black tea - brought us to the canopy tower. Climbing the 30-meter high canopy tower was worth it as we had close-up views of a Great Potoo with a chick folded in its wings, as well as an impressive spider, bullet ants, and the tree canopy itself.

Exploring the Forest

Over the next few days we took several short hikes around the lodge, canoe trips on the lagoon, and took a boat across the Rio Napo to visit the Yasuni Reserve. We learned about many types of plants and trees. Every hike started with a warning not to touch anything… and every explanation of the plants or seeds we saw seemed to include the phrase “this is medicinal in my culture”. Some of my favorite plants were the “walking palm” which moves 1 cm a year by putting out new roots that allow it slowly shift closer to the sunlight; a grove of trees that has a symbiotic relationship with ants that eat any competing vegetation, and the spiky palm which has big tall roots that can be used as a drum. And of course the striking flowers.

Wildlife

We were fortunate to see a number of animals. On our first full day our guide found an Anaconda in the reeds along the lagoon. The guides directed the front of the canoe into the reeds, and we took turns balancing at the front to get a good look. Luckily no one fell in. That snake was BIG! It was in the same spot during our whole stay, presumably digesting something big. On our night walk we saw an Amazon Tree Boa. No picture of that one, but it was impressively large, and quite beautiful as it slowly wound itself along the tree trunk. We saw five species of monkeys: White-fronted Capuchin, Squirrel, Spider (much larger than those we are used to seeing in zoos), Howler, and Woolly monkeys. Although Doug has a special dislike for monkeys, during his separate birdwatching time with a guide he also saw the world’s smallest monkey – the Pygmy Marmoset – as well as a Gray-bellied Night Monkey. His doubled dislike for rodents inevitably led him to also see what was probably a Peruvian Tree Rat in the wee hours of the morning while waiting in the tree canopy tower for dawn to arrive. The rest of us enjoyed watching the monkeys, especially the young ones, swing through the trees and we could hear the howler monkeys’ earie call often when we were in the forest. We also saw lots of ants and termites, including some leaf cutter ants that were busily cutting up one of the trees in the lodge courtyard and transporting it through the lodge property into the forest. I hadn’t thought about bats, but we saw them a number of times. During our night canoe ride to look for Black Caiman there were huge bats (we’re talking wingspan of at least a foot) flying around. And we saw several during the day, roosting on tree trunks and on a stick in the lagoon. We saw a number of frogs and toads, but sadly Gabe missed the one poison dart frog our group spotted. We saw a ton of parrots (Mealy and Yellow-crowned) at the natural salt lick that is along the Rio Napo. We saw some beautiful kingfishers (Green and Amazon), the Hoatzin which looks and sounds more like a dinosaur than a bird, and Doug was able to add a couple rare birds to his life list, including the Orange-breasted Falcon and Harpy Eagle. While it was cool to see a Black Caiman, what I most enjoyed about our night time canoeing was the night sky. The sky had so much more depth and so many more stars than we usually get to see.

The Lighter Side

We had the opportunity to try our hand at a few “traditional” activities. We practiced using a blow gun to shoot darts at a banana (must mention here that mom surprised all with her 3 for 3 success), throwing a wood spear, and piranha fishing. Our guide had a prankster side to him, and he enjoyed engaging us in some silly activities. He put a spike from a palm trunk on Lucia’s forehead, and turned Tiffanie turned into a character from Avatar. Our secondary guide, Enoc, had a gift for weaving palm leaf threads into grasshoppers and adornments. They also went the extra mile to offer us unique experiences… including a rather dubious climb alongside the Rio Napo to get some limes for us to taste, with several limes floating down the river before attaining success. There are no pictures, thankfully, of us trying to climb a tree to practice avoiding an attack by a pack of peccaries (wild pigs), and fortunately we didn’t end up needing that skill. We also had some fun culinary adventures. The mushrooms we harvested on a hike and the Piranha Enoc caught during our otherwise failed attempt at Piranha fishing each showed up for dinner. Tiffanie and I tried lemon ants (they were pretty refreshing, actually, and so small you didn’t notice you were eating ants); and we all liked a spicy plant that grew along the lagoon.

Sani Culture and Sustainability

The lodge is located on the border of two national parks: the Cuyabeno reserve to the North, and the Yasuni on the South (across the Rio Napo). The Sani community has developed the Sani lodge as a way to maintain itself and the forest, an alternative to engaging with the petroleum industry. One day we visited the Sani Community Center, which includes the school, a meeting room, and a visitor center with a shop and kitchen. The Sani women are in charge of showing visitors around the community, and sell necklaces and bracelets made of local seeds and nuts. I had hoped for some more direct interaction with the female leaders but our guide served as translator (the Sani community speaks Kichwa) and seemed to direct the discussion some. We saw the school (four cement classrooms with aluminum roofs, and a newer set of rooms with better roofing) and the pond in which the school children raise turtles to release into the lagoon. Then we had a tour of the community garden which includes yucca root and fruit trees, as well as coffee and white cacao (not used for white chocolate) trees. Each community member has their own plot of land with a garden, and many raise coffee to be sold by the community. The women cooked a traditional meal for us which we ate served on large leaves, spread on the floor. We enjoyed yucca, roasted white cacao, a traditional fermented drink (chicha), heart of palm steamed in leaves, and plantain. Not bad, and the steamed heart of palm was quite good. Doug, Tiffanie and I also tried the roasted grubs that are an important source of protein now that the Sani have stopped hunting rain forest animals. The guide said grubs taste like chicken curry to him. Doug’s tasted like a mixture of cardamom and anise. I can’t say I loved them, but I didn’t have to spit them out. The kids might have ventured to try them if we hadn’t been shown the live grubs right before dinner was served. Overall it was an interesting visit.

Sani Lodge

The lodge itself is lovely and comfortable. Almost all the staff at the lodge are Sani. The staff roles that don’t need special training (house and grounds keeping, for example) are rotated among community members so all benefit from the endeavor. The kitchen staff have attended culinary school, and the guides go through extensive training. Secondary guides are mentored by primary guides. We loved the collegial atmosphere at the lodge and found it to be well run. The food was excellent and all the staff took pride in their work, including the bar tender who kept a spotting scope handy to help birders take advantage of the lounge’s convenient location, and invented some yummy cocktails. We also enjoyed Maria Julia, the young trumpeter that had been injured and was recovering under the auspices of the lodge. But she seemed to run the place, often walking us to our cabin or showing up in the lounge to check out what was going on.

Hasta la proxima....

Our last day we got up at 5:30 to travel back through the lagoon, across the boardwalk, and up the Rio Napo. It was magical to hear the birds calling as we paddled through the lagoon, and to watch the sun rise over the Rio Napo.

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Happy New Year and, more importantly, goodbye Año Viejo

2/3/2015

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We began New Year’s eve in Quilotoa, Ecuador, a town at 12,800 feet in the Andean highlands, located along the rim of an ancient volcanic crater. I knew that Ecuador had certain traditions for celebrating the New Year. But over the previous few weeks, and as we made our way toward Otavalo, the town in the Northern highlands where we would celebrate, we learned that there is as much focus on closing out the Año Viejo, or Old Year, as on welcoming the new.

Our first clue was the celebration at the kids’ school. During the last few days of school each class was charged with creating an effigy of a teacher at the school using old clothes and recycled materials. Then on the last day of school they burned all the effigies in a bonfire. Aside from being a little surprised by the fact that they had a bonfire at school (the second one, so far) I was also puzzled by the idea of burning an effigy of a teacher. Did this mean the teacher was disliked? Or express a desire to get rid of her/him? Obviously not since Lucia’s class was assigned a well-liked teacher and most of the teachers in the school were represented. Our travels took us to the Oriente, the part of Ecuador by the Amazon basin. There the effigies were different, featuring huge super hero figures that would also be burned on New Year’s Eve. And in Otavalo we found the effigies varied considerably. Some didn’t seem to represent anyone in particular. But there were plenty representing the president of Ecuador and other local and national political figures. Nearly every shop and home had an effigy, and the hostal we stayed in had a very elaborate display with an effigy, a poem about the prior year focusing on politics and accompanying props (chair, eucalyptus branches, etc.).

Some cute effigies... probably burn fast

An example of what we saw in the oriente. These were at a hotel.

The effigy at our hotel

On our trip from Quilotoa to Otavalo we learned about a tradition to honor the expiring year. Men and boys would traditionally dress up as widows of the expired year, all in black, and hold babies representing the new year. They would ask for “limoznas” or charity in the form of a few coins, since historically widows and orphans have depended on charity. The modern day iteration of this tradition is men dressing up as buxom women, often in suggestive clothing, and stopping cars with a rope pulled across the road. Doug couldn’t resist having a picture taken with one such group (as he said, when else will I get a picture like that?), and in Otavalo evening traffic was brought to a near halt on the main drag, as many groups stopped cars. Early in the evening we saw a group of young kids trying to stop cars, but very unsuccessfully. Either they would chicken out about stopping certain cars (those with older people driving, or that looked somewhat official), or the cars would call their bluff and drive through. We also saw a large group of men dressed as armed aliens from the Predator movies who had much more success and were quite entertaining. The car stopping action on the main drag got much raunchier as the evening went on, so we chose to take the kids back to our hostal which was having its own New Year’s celebration.

The hostal had a roof top terrace where we could enjoy the evening stars, occasional fireworks, snacks, and a special and very potent “hervido”, basically a warm drink featuring blackberries and local grain alcohol. It is a tradition to wear yellow underwear on New Year’s eve to bring luck in the coming year, and red underwear for luck in Love. The underwear was widely available in stores and street stands that afternoon, so Karin and I opted for some yellow (already having good luck in love). And the kids got to celebrate with fun masks, and some Inca Cola which had the added benefit of caffeine to help keep them up until midnight.

At midnight we all made our way to the street, where families and businesses burned their effigies. Some were helped along with a big dousing of gasoline and thus produced a mini explosion. We also threw in some papers where we had written down things from the prior year we wanted to let go of. We were informed that one could jump over the burning effigy in order to enter the new year without fear, and in the end we all did, including the kids once the fire burned down a little. It was pretty impressive to see little bonfires for blocks in either direction.

After participating in the whole event it made sense to me that the focus of the celebration in Ecuador, commonly referred to as “Año Viejo” rather than Año Nuevo, is on letting go of the old in order to move forward. So the teacher effigies open up space for the new year, they aren’t meant to send a message that they should get a new job. I found the Ecuadoran celebration to be a lot more interesting and energizing than the common U.S. focus of watching the clock hit 12, or the ball drop in New York City. I doubt we’ll take to burning effigies in the street back home, but I hope we can find a way to imbue our future celebrations with recognition of the passing year, and creatively opening space for the future.

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Podacarpus National Park and Copalinga Lodge

10/13/2014

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October 9 is a national holiday in Ecuador, celebrating the Independence of Guayaquil. Since the 9th was a Thursday the day off was moved to Friday and we had a long weekend- time to break out the suitcases! Elena zoomed out of the preschool right after her last class, and we picked the kids up early from school to start our 5 hour journey to Zamora, which is South and East of Cuenca. Zamora is the gateway to Podocarpus National Park, and described as being half mountain community, half jungle community. Podacarpus has one of the most diverse rain forests in the world as measured by orchid, amphibian, and bird species.

We stayed at Copalinga lodge , haven for birdwatchers. Doug did some serious birding and we all enjoyed the Tanagers on the banana feeders, the Hummingbirds on the Verbena and Hummingbird feeders, and the tropical landscape. Look on the bird page in the near future for bird photos. Here are a few highlights of our time at Copalinga and Podocarpus:

We saw many moths and butterflies. Now, the moths were a little disconcerting when they fell from the overhead lamp during dinner, or zoomed by our face, or got caught in the bathroom sink. But they were super cool: a wide variety of colors and sizes, from smaller than a fingernail to as wide as an adult hand. The butterflies were beautiful and diverse.
Flowers and Orchids. Copalinga has an Orchid garden and we enjoyed seeing many flowering plants in the park.
Bats. They like the same banana feeders that the Tanangers enjoy during the day.... we saw them zooming by as they took a flying bite.
Rain! Boy did it rain. The hydro-power system the lodge uses had to be shut down one day so it wouldn't get ruined from the silt that builds up in heavy rains. The kids and Elena enjoyed hanging out in the hammocks while the rain poured down. Doug was out in the downpour looking for birds.
Waterfalls. And playing at the base of the waterfall. Also seeing the change in water volume after the rain... no more tranquil pools to splash in.
Warmth and humidity. A nice switch from cool and drier Cuenca.
Colibri. Hummingbirds. They are just SO cool to watch, and especially when they are zooming around by the breakfast buffet, close enough to watch with the bare eye and holding still for a few minutes.
Meeting other travelers. At the lodge we met three German dentists on break from some volunteer work, a French couple working on the light rail project in Cuenca, Ecuadorans, Spaniards, and a young American couple that we keep running into in Cuenca. Oh, and the owners of the lodge are Belgian. It is exciting to be in a place where people are talking in three or four languages about the natural wonders around them.
Surprises. Lucia and Gabe spotted an eel like creature in the water.... ongoing investigation to figure out what it was.
Tropical sounds including the very loud hum of the Bombuscaro river, tree frogs, cicadas and horses. And rain on a tin roof.
Landslides. Lots of them, small and large. It looks like road repair is a constant activity in the Zamora area!
A bee tree... abuzz with bees humming in and out.
And last but not least, it appears that the entry area to Podocarpus Park has some connection with Narnia- check out the lamp posts in the picture.

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About this page

The challenging thing about truly living in another country is that, just like at home, it is hard to make time after a vacation to write about our experiences.

Rather than give you a chronological accounting I’m going to follow the Ecuador Ministry of Tourism’s example and organize some posts by region: Amazon, Pacific Coast, Andes, and Gallapagos,

So off we go!

El Nariz del Diabl0 - The Devil's Nose

Highlands and Amazonia Part 2: Back to the Highlands

Highlands and Amazonia: Part 1

Highlands: Carnaval of Fruits and Flowers in Ambato

Amazonia/ Amazon

Happy New Year and, more importantly, goodbye Año Viejo

Podacarpus National Park and Copalinga Lodge

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