Yo soy Jose...

I guess I did anger the travel gods because my camera was run over by a car. More on that later…

We met our tour group at Q restaurant for free coffee and decided to pass on the $9 breakfast. We jumped in a decent van for an hour ride to Papa Gayo, very nice hotel run by Israelis (and they have 3 puppies!). We then jumped into a 4x4 with our tour guide and 4 others to Cotopaxi (a hibernating volcano) to begin our mountain biking adventure. On the way we crossed a crazy river (yes river not stream) sans bridge. I first thought there was no way we were going to cross it, but apparently a little water like that ain’t no thang. We stopped at a museum for a quick info session, drank some Coca Tea, and bought some Coca candy to aid with any potential altitude sickness (and just to try this stuff of course). Alas, I didn’t receive a buzz because there are no narcotics in it(major disappointment) but the tea was really tasty- I would drink it normally even knowing there was no buzz. We jumped back into the truck and drove to the parking lot a bit up the volcano and started the clime (hiking not biking).

It was really cold and raining and windy, and when I say really cold, I mean I was freezing my ass off and I was getting really wet with the raining hitting me sideways. We started walking up the volcano taking our time. At this altitude there’s no need to rush. The wind was blowing really hard so we took the path between two mountains to shield us from the wind. The weather wasn’t too bad at this point, or I was ready to pass out and I couldn’t feel pain anymore. It was really steep and I had to stop to catch my breath from the high altitude. We were walking on volcanic soil and snow, it wasn’t compacted, so there was some slipping. Overall it was pretty exciting to be hiking at high altitude on a volcano. Andy was first of course to reach our destination and I was second. Our destination was the Refugio Jose F Ribassj, altitude 4,810M= 15,875 ft.

My excitement for reaching the top and taking pictures only lasted a couple minutes until the wet coldness set in. I was so happy to head for the building for warmth, but of course it was not heated. Andy gave me his down jacket since he always over packs because I apparently don’t understand how to pack for myself. You would think by now I would realize I’m always cold?! We eventually had some hot chocolate and soup made which made everything OK. Everyone was freezing and Andy had a damn t-shirt on, he was steaming. WTF? Lunch consisted of soup, Doritos, Ruffles, guac (it was really good), bread and queso. I was so hungry the meal was delicious. We headed back down the hill- so much easier than walking up. The way down started off warmish, then it turned into cold rain once again. Everyone else chickened out because of the horrible weather. Andy and I were the only ones to ride the bikes down the mountain. Even the guide couldn’t believe we were actually going to volunteer to be in this weather. It was so damn cold and the bikes were shit. It was a one size fits all type deal, brakes didn’t work, no suspension- it made the ride that much more difficult. The first hill was very steep with many ruts. The brakes hardly worked so I went fast and though I was going to crash. As we descended the weather got better and I was actually quite warm- maybe the three jackets was overload? We stopped along the way to take some pictures of us riding the bikes and the amazing scenery. Plants and flowers at the bottom of the volcano were so beautiful. We had to bike for a couple miles which seemed like 20 as I was sweating my ass off and my pants kept getting caught in the spokes. We finally made it to the lake where we were meeting the group, then I realized I lost my camera. We quickly jumped back in the truck and found it but it was run over. It appears to still work but the screen is broken. I seriously need to stop messing with the travel gods. On the way back the 4x4 truck we were in started swaying side to side. The sway started off slow, then it got harder and harder until we almost flipped over. We have no idea why the driver didn’t slow down or have a concern that he was going to flip the damn thing. We started saying slow down, slow down! What's with the lack of concern of flipping the car?

We went back to Papa Gayo and ate some german chocolate cake with lemon tea. I called Efrain’s (Tom Brown’s sister’s husband) fellow travel agency friend to book the Amazon trip he so graciously hooked us up with. The tour dropped us off back to the Marscal (the last time we’re hopefully here) and had coffee with our new friends Tom and Marcio from Israel. Tom was just finishing up an 8 month tour of South America and his dad came down to meet up with him to go to the Galapagos (unfortunately they aren’t on the same boat as us). They told us about a hotel in the Old Town with warm water (we were 1 for 3 so far with warm showers) and wi-fi so we decided to stay there. Maria’s travel agency (Jungal Tour) was close so we walked over, braving the dangers of the Marscal. She was amazing, so friendly not to mention she was coming in on her day off, and we booked a trip to the Amazon. We booked a three night/day trip from Lago Agrio down to the Amazon! I’ve been wanting to go to the Amazon since I did a project on it in 5^th grade. I even remember my closing statement: yes the Amazon can survive the modern man, but only if we stop the deforestation now. How come I can remember that but I can’t remember what happened last week?

Finally we left for the hotel in a cab and ready for dinner. The electric connectors came off a bus on a narrow street we were on so we were stuck in a cab for a bit. When we were sitting in the cab, a strange dude started walking up to Andy’s side of the cab. Any and the driver saw him, and the driver immediately told us to lock our doors. So we can even get mugged in a damn cab? Everyone on the buses around us got off and started walking. Figuring we were going to be here for a while, we decided to get out and walk with everyone else although the cabbie told us it was a little dangerous. Yes we are two gringos with large backpacks on, but we’re walking with a large crowd of people, safety in numbers? We walked around for a bit because the hotel’s map was wrong. I was nervous that we looked like we didn’t know where we were going (because we didn’t), but it didn’t really matter since we were obviously not locals. We finally found the damn hotel (not on the street the map showed). We gave Marcio his jacket back that he left behind during coffee and he asked us to dinner. We really enjoyed spending time with them so we were happy to. We took a much needed shower and met up with them for dinner. We walked (yes walked) to the square (beautiful at night) where we previously saw a protest the other day. We went to dinner at the same building we ate lunch the first day. It was a good thing we were there before because it was the only thing open. You would have never guessed it was there since you had to walk through a door and down a hall to reach the courtyard within the building. We talked about Americans, how all Israel’s have to serve in the military, travelling, and politics. Marcio asked us to stay in Israel with him and his family sometime. Guess we’re going to Israel! We told him we’re not the kind of people to pass on this opportunity and he was happy to see that we are serious. The four of us walked back to the hotel, braving the danger. I honestly wouldn’t have walked back if Tom and Marcio weren’t with us, but we probably wouldn’t have had a choice since there were no cab around and the hotel was only a couple blocks away. Tom had made me a little more nervous since he said he was a bit nervous earlier from some shady individuals.

We were exhausted and ready for bed. We packed for our early flight, brushed our dirty volcano shoes, and jumped into bed for our 530 alarm. Then the local alcoholic started yelling ‘yo soy Jose Ar….’ over and over again. How long could he go on? A very long time. Needless to say it took us a while to go to sleep, then I woke up at 3 from some screaming. We’re out of this joint in the morning and heading for some warm weather- Galapagos bound. I’m not sure if I’m ready for sharks, but I have no choice at this point. I’ll be offline until the 6^th- wish me luck!

A bus tragedy and half a guinea pig

We got up around 620, after a night of little sleep thanks to the party beside us, waterproofed ourselves and headed for the bus stop. It really wasn’t much of an issue. It was warm outside, although it was raining, and we only waited for 40 minutes I think. The first bus sped past us because it was an express I was told (at least that’s what I think he said) but the second stopped. We only paid $3 each for over a 2 hour bus ride, what a deal! At least much better than what I paid Marcello the previous day. After another ham and cheese sandwich from the gas station, we snoozed on and off the rest of the way. The waterfalls were in full swing and the ride was beautiful, so lush and dense forest.

Here’s the part of the story that’s not great bus has to be told. Andy had a GPS tracking device (did I just give it away?) and he put it on the window seal so it could get good reception. I said, “wouldn’t it be funny if you left it on the bus and people at home thought we were travelling back and forth to the same place?” Well you know what happened. The bus was turning around at Quito and heading farther away from where we thought we wanted to go so Andy said let’s go! I was on the computer but I jumped up with all my crap and we headed for the exit. Needless to say the tracking device didn’t make it with us. As soon as the bus drove away Andy realized what happened and we hailed and cab to chase it. We made it to the station, Andy found the bus, but the GPS device was no longer on it. Damn those people move fast! Oh well, what can you do but have some cervesas?

We hailed another cab to the new town section of Quito called the Marscal Sucre because we didn’t visit it the other day and it was supposed to be the place where all the restaurants and bars were. Well, what we didn’t realize was that’s all this place had to offer. Since I was no longer a college student on spring break it really wasn’t my thing. We ate some empanadas and Guinea Pig (when I say we I mean Andy at the pig and I had a taste). The pig wasn’t really my style, or maybe I was so turned off from what I was eating I lost my appetite. That sucker was so greasy they gave us gloves to eat it. I'm not sure if it's because how they cooked it or that's how greasy they are. I had more fun taking pictures after Andy ate it. The paw sticking up in the mash potatoes was awesome.

We sat and people watched for a bit. Headed to a market and bought some hats. I was really disappointed these people are the bargaining type. I’ve learned so much from the India/China days, I was ready to get it on! We didn’t know what else to do so we headed back for more cervesas, did some more people watching (say a couple dressed all in white, very impressed), got a pizza to go (don’t judge me!) and headed back to our very nice but way too close to the party hostel. I took the first warm shower I’ve had since I’ve been here- only 3 days ago I think so not that bad- which was amazing. We found a tour agency who is going to Cotopaxi tomorrow so we’ll be doing some mountain biking up an active volcano. By mountain biking I mean they will drive us up a hill and we’ll ride down on a mountain bike. That’s my kind of riding. I hope we can make it two blocks over in the morning with our backpacks on since this city is so dangerous. Oh shit, I hope I didn’t anger the travel gods again.

Baeza- the first unplanned town

Upon arrival in Baeza, it appeared all the hostals were closed but they weren’t, they just appeared closed (damn Lonely Planet)! After saying adios to Marcello (he gave us his number of course as he just made a ton on our gringo taxi ride) we dropped off our stuff and headed for a hike. The Andes are beautiful, so lush and green. It was warmer than Papallecta since it’s tropical (the edge of the rainforest). We found a road that took us up and over the town with beautiful views of the valley. I’m not sure if was the altitude or how out of shape I was in, but the hike got me breathing hard. After some pics which Andy had to work very hard for, jumping up and off ledges to get the right view. We saw a falcon snag a mouse and yellow bird chase the falcon away from their nest. The flora was amazing. So many flowers, so colorful, and huge orchid growing on trees. The view was amazing, we could see over the town and over the Andes.

I was starving so we headed for the only restaurant that had people in it earlier. Along the way saw a lady carrying two hind legs of some animal. It’s interesting that men here will sit and watch a woman do the heavy lifting. I guess everyone has to do their share. I had shrimp ceviche and Andy had friend chicken, and of course dos cervesas. The food was bomb! I ate the ceviche with the fried plantains since I’m used to eating it with chips. We finished it off with some ice cream sandwiches and grabbed some snacks for the road. We’re told there are lots of buses that leave Baeze every 30 min- we’ll see in the manana.

Oh and I thought the post was over. This town of maybe 500 decided to have a party next to our hostal last night. I swear it was in our room it was so loud. I wouldn't have minded the music if it wasn't 2 in the morning and I was already up partying with the locals. I hope I can sleep on the bus tomorrow...

Thermal baths of Papallacta

I set the alarm for 7 thinking we had to get up early to catch a bus out of town. We had breakfast on the roof with consisted of yogurt with fruit, bread and jam, watermelon juice and of course coffee. We wanted to catch the bus to Papallacta where the thermal baths are. The damn bus only leaves at 530 and midnight so we had to think of another plan. We decided to hire a taxi to drive us there.

Marcello drove us 2 hours to Papallacta and the views were incredible. We drove up and over 12,600 ft and finally down a bumpy road to the thermal baths (my bladder wanting to explode the whole way). Marcello agreed to wait for us to take us to Baeza after we had fun for several hours. We paid our $7 each, locked up our huge backpacks in a large Spanish-styled dog cage, then changed and headed to the pools. The water was warm but not too hot. It didn’t smell like sulfur like I thought it would. We soaked for a while in a pool sans Gringos, until we saw a cold bath and Andy of course decided he was going in. Andy jumped in the cold bath and ran down to the warm water where I was still relaxing. I thought what the hell, I might as well give it a try, how bad can it be? I barely touched my foot in the water and I was already freezing. I went for it, didn’t put my whole torso in the water, but I ran in and out the other side. It was refreshing to say the least. Andy jumped in again (full body submersion) and we immediately jumped in another warm bath. My skin tingled for several minutes and I wanted to do it again. It’s amazing how quickly you forget how damn cold the water was. The river was flowing next to us so we checked out the water which seemed colder than the bath. Back into the warm water to relax and try to get a spot near the hot water waterfall. A nice patch of black hair rubbed up against Andy’s hand and he asked if his mustache fell off. Not 5 minutes later I accidentally got some water in my mouth. Andy commented on how disgusting it must be to have skin cells and fecal matter in my mouth. What an asshole. It was time for the cold water again, then for a 3^rd and final time for me (4^th time for Andy). After the last jump we headed straight to change our clothes. The outside air wasn’t warm so getting out of the cold water into slightly warmer air was the way to go. We changed without a towel and got some food. I had the friend trout with fries, Andy had the pork with fava beans and corn on the cob, and of course dos cervesas. Andy’s meat was a bit overcooked (better than under out here). He tried to eat a piece but it wasn’t working so he put it on his plate and said I’m saving that for later. After the last piece he freakin put the previously chewed piece back into his mouth and finished it. I’m always impressed. We met up with Marcello and headed for Baeza.

And we made it

Two layovers and three ham and cheese hot pockets later we were in Quito. The half sleeping pill rocked our worlds and the 11 hours flying felt like nothing. I forgot my jacket on the plane so I had to wait for everyone to deplane; therefore we were last in line at customs. Heading over to pick up our luggage, I saw Andy’s bag but not mine. I though oh great, the 5lb box of nails for my friend Tom’s sister freaked customs out and I no longer have a bag. I got it and all was right in the world. We took a bus to the Secret Garden Hostel I booked; along the way we saw some very nice houses which had electric fences around them, way better than crappy rebar in the windows. We dropped our stuff off and we went out for food. The Old Town is very quaint, pretty, and Christian. We tried to walk into a church but it say the service was not for tourist, and there was a service of course at 3pm on a Thursday.

Walking along the streets we saw a protest, either for or again the government, it was hard to say. We thought it was a good idea to take shelter from the rain with the other protesters, then we realized what was going on. I thought back to a comment by Kevin (Andy’s friend) when he goes to Tijuana for work “I just stay away from any place that has police and I’m fine”. About that time we thought it was a good time for food. We found a cute little restaurant on the third floor. We had empanditas and a pork/plantain dish, along with cervesas and roasted corn kernels. It was a delicious way to start off our Ecuadorian food feast. The rain stopped and we headed back to the hostel and had some cervesas on the roof. The view was amazing and we took some good pictures. We were very tired so we headed back to our nice little room with a painting of a tiger on drugs. Andy ended up passing out at 830 and I shortly after called it a night.

Andy 1 Beth nill

Yes we just got to the airport, but I'm already in the hole for the traveler of the year award. I knew when I booked the damn 1:30 am flight I was going to mess up the dates. I woke up Tuesday morning to his email: DUDE we leave tomorrow night! Well it could have been worse; we could have been hanging out this evening going over the itinerary to find out we have only a couple hours to get to the airport. Well we made it and I'm exhausted. My brain can't imagine attempting to speak Spanish in 5 hours.

I was just informed when you land at high altitude (as in almost 10k ft in Quito Ecuador) the plane has to be going really fast. This should make it interesting. Good thing I'm sitting next to strangers on this flight. Hopefully it's a small child. Buenas Noches. See you on the other side of the equator.