Ecuador: In the Middle of It All

 

A pelican guards the beach in the Galapagos Islands. as Kicker Rock watches.

Most of our trips in retirement have featured memorable cities, famous locations, and somewhat leisurely travel on boats. 

This trip was not that sort of vacation. 

Ecuador was a little out of our comfort zone. But the chance to see incredibly different scenery in a new continent, no less, proved impossible to resist. We were were off on a trip that took 16 days through big cities, rain forests, and volcanic islands. There were a few of the typical attractions along the way, especially in the capital city of Quito. But otherwise, this is about experiences instead of places.

Yes, there were obstacles. Special medication for yellow fever and malaria was needed. Allergies and digestive problems turned up along the way. (Buying medicine in a country where you don't speak the language can be frustrating.) We brought stuff we didn't need, and couldn't find the stuff we brought because we forgot where we put it. The ocean turned rocky a few times, turning a late-night trip to the bathroom into an exercise in acrobatics. We were still dizzy while walking even after returning home. But it was without a doubt worth it. There aren't many adventures like this available on the planet.

In other words, this is the long answer to "What was it like?" There will be a lot to read, and a lot to view, but it comes with a guarantee that the content will be unique ... at least on this travel blog. Sharing the link is welcome.

We thank the eight others who joined us on the tour; one even contributed some a video here. We also salute the two excellent guides who patiently answered our questions and helped us navigate stormy seas of all kinds.

The trip at a glance

We piled up some frequent flyer miles on this trip, including some on local airlines who aren't likely to see us again. It started with a Buffalo-to-Atlanta jaunt, followed by a four-hour delay on the flight to Quito thanks to an internal electrical problem (lights kept going off) and an outdoor electrical problem (thunderstorm). We arrived at our hotel at 2:30 a.m.

After two days in the capital, it was off to Coca on a 30-minute flight. A short trip to town was followed by a 45-minute ride on a motorized canoe to our lodge in the rain forest of Rio Napo (a tributary of the Amazon.) Eventually we landed at the Yarina Lodge, our home for three nights. Then it was back to Coca and a return flight to Quito, where everyone did laundry and slept a bit over two nights. The group followed that with another airplane trip (less than two hours), this time to the Galapagos Islands, where we were transferred to a boat for a week's worth of touring of the Eastern end of the region. 

Then it was back to Quito again with a don't-get-off-the-plane stop in Guayaquil, dinner and luggage repacking at a nearby hotel, and then off to Atlanta at 11:20 p.m. for another five-hour flight. After a four-hour layover, we were back in Buffalo by 11:15 a.m. - about 26 hours after we got off our boat the previous morning to start the trip home. Whew.

First obligatory cute wildlife photo

 

Cheektowaga and the Galapagos Islands can claim to be home to pink flamingos.

Three things you should know about Ecuador

1. If you check out the videos on YouTube about Ecuador, many mentioned the same casual warning for tourists. No, it's not the famous decree of "Don't drink the water," which still applies to the South American nation. It's "Don't flush your toilet paper." 

It seems that the plumbing pipes can't handle any paper sent its way, no matter how thin it is. So people are instructed to wipe with the paper and deposit it in the trash container nearby. You can make your own jokes about the situation, and we did, but it took a little time to get used to the rules.

Meanwhile, another adventure awaited when it came to brushing teeth. The country has some bacteria swimming around in its water system, and the gentle stomachs of tourists don't have time to adjust to the situation. So when brushing their teeth, they are asked to sprinkle bottled water on the brush. They also shouldn't drink water out of the tap, and shouldn't drink liquids with ice cubes that aren't from fresh sources. It's a lot to remember.

This raised an interesting question: Can a first-world city and country get away with second-world plumbing? 

2. The easiest part of a trip to Ecuador is the money. No conversions are necessary after crossing the border, and the ATMs are a snap. The United States dollar is accepted as legal currency throughout the nation. 

The move was a reaction to a crisis in 1999, which saw inflation reach ridiculous heights. International bankers told Ecuador's leaders that changing to the dollar was the only way out. It did so in the fall of 2000, although the switch did damage the bank accounts of the residents of the country. 

By the way, the people of Ecuador don't like dollar bills, so they use more-durable dollar coins in proper situations.

3. Care to mail a gift or post card to a friend back home? Forget about it. There is no post office in Ecuador. The business was losing money in large quantities, and the government gave up on it around 2020. 

If you do want to send a post card home, private companies will do it for you. The piece of paper is shipped to the United States and mailed there. In other words, forget about a local stamp. As for the time of delivery, well, it gets there when it gets there. For those ordering packages from the equivalent of Amazon.com, it's also done by businesses.

Meanwhile, everything else is done by email. That includes tax forms and other business and legal documents.

Speaking of toilets ...

The first thing everyone wants to do when visiting Quito is to see the Equator. They did name the country after it, right? And you can do that, as long as you take about a 45-minute drive north of downtown. 

But for me, I wanted to find the answer to an age-old question. What's the story with the toilets flushing the "wrong way" in the Southern Hemisphere? 

We visited the museum that was well equipped for the question. Guides were given a plastic sink that measured roughly 18 X 24 inches, with a drain in the middle, and a pitcher of water. They put the sink right on the equator, poured some water in the bottom, and threw some small leaves to follow the progress of the drainage. The water went straight down the drain - no spinning. The sink was then moved into the Northern Hemisphere, and the experiment was repeated ... and the water spun counter-clockwise while draining. Then the sink went a few feet into the Southern Hemisphere, where the water drained clockwise. Amazing.

The Museum was nice enough to put up a sign explaining what was happening ... in English, no less. The Coriolis Effect is a reminder that the earth is spinning, and water heads to the poles when it gets the chances. (By the way, the earth is about 26 miles wider in the middle than it is at the poles.) 

Being on the equator has its advantages. Sunrise and sunset are always a little after 6 o'clock. And there are no "growing seasons."  Since the weather changes little during the course of the year, what grows in March can grow in October. No wonder it's the world's most popular imaginary line.

Second obligatory cute wildlife photo

 

Time for a family portrait.

Speaking Spanish

After more than 50 years, my three years of Spanish in high school finally paid off ... a little.

I still remembered a few of the words and phrases, and they came in handy during our visit. I could be polite to natives who were helping us along the way such as a bus driver, and that was a nice feeling. 

And I helped on a couple of purchases that certainly bolstered the Ecuador economy. For example, Jody was very interested in buying some clothing, but was having trouble communicating with the market store owner that she wanted a different color. She asked me what Spanish for "red" was, and I went back into the recesses of my brain. I turned to the woman and said, "En rojo?" She smiled, took off for another booth in the market, and brought back a red version. Success. (By the way, it's always a little surprising to me  how all the souvenir outlets in a given city all have virtually the same items for sale.)

For example, Jody wanted to buy a cute night shirt but had no idea about the cost, and the saleswoman didn't understand her English. I piped up with "Cuanto dollares?" as in how much in dollars was the shirt. She said "Veinte" - 20 - and we had a sale.

When a little help was needed for ordering a sweet treat, this sign provided a vocabulary lesson.

An unusual speaker

We weren't sure what to think when the travel company lined up a sex worker to speak to our group before lunch in Quito one day. It turned out to be a fascinating experience on a number of levels, as she gave a speech that drove her to tears a few times. The woman also didn't dodge a single question. 

Christina (early 40s) grew up in an abusive family, and in her teens she essentially married the first guy who was interested in her. But he wasn't any better than her dad, turning her into a sex worker in no time at all. Christina hung around long enough to have a couple of kids and earning what she could. But when she came up short of her "quota" one day, the husband cut her face with a broken glass ... which sent her running out the door for help. He took off when the police were called, and he never returned. 

Christina went back to work, and told us the current going rate for her services was $12 ($2 for the hotel room) for 10 minutes of work. The government supplies the condoms as part of a "it's not legal, but we'll look the other way" approach to the industry. She usually meets her clients near a church in the touristy Old Town district. I asked what her life was like during the pandemic, and she said it was something of a vacation for her and her family. Along the way, the nuns checked in to make sure she had enough food for her family since she wasn't working. 

Christina's son is studying medicine in Argentina, while her daughter is in high school. Maybe there will be a happy ending to the story. It sure sounds like there's a book to be written about this somewhere. 

Third obligatory cute wildlife photo

This guy will be tough to beat in his age-group in a 5K when he hits 140 years old.

A story about the language barrier

A guide was directing a group around Ecuador and noticed that two of the single travelers were in the process of developing a good-sized attraction. Near the end of the trip they were practically an item. 

So it was no surprise when the male tourist went to the guide and asked how he could buy some condoms. The problem was that with all the accents involved, the guide thought that has asked about buying condos, as in condominiums. He answered, "Well, you would need an Ecuadorian citizen to co-sign the purchase."

The tourist followed, "Would you do that? The guide answered, "I guess so," and then asked, "What size do you need?" The traveler said, "Um, normal, I guess." 

Once they figured out they were going in different directions, the conversation got easier.

Jumping for joy

It came without a warning. We had left the lodge in the rain forest by canoe, slowly moving toward the river. Suddenly, there was a noise from above. The boat slowed down, and everyone looked up. 

Then came a scene that everyone remembered: squirrel monkeys jumping off of tree limbs on one side of the river, and grabbing a lower branch on the other side. There must have been a dozen of them, one after the other. 

My efforts to take a still photo proved unsuccessful. But a tour teammate was all over it. 

 

Sunset in the jungle

 

The end of the day provided a couple of big highlights when it came to our visit to the rain forest. On our first full day, we sailed on a lagoon as dusk fell. Then the stars came out, filling the sky perfectly. We could see the Southern Cross, which is visible in the Southern Hemisphere only. Then came the sounds, a symphony of noise from the creatures lurking beyond our view.

 

The next day, after a visit to another small stream, we stopped on a sandbar in middle of the Rio Napo. The river must be close to a mile across at that point, and it's easy to wonder just how big this river is when it joins the Amazon. We hopped off the canoe and had a toast to our visit to the region. Someone must have known a Syracuse grad was around, based on the orange tint to the sunset.

 

Fourth obligatory cute wildlife photo

 

OK, maybe he isn't really that cute. I'll check with his mom.

 

The Galapagos Islands at a glance

 

You've heard of the Galapagos Islands, but you probably don't know many details. It's essentially one big national park, located almost 600 miles from the mainland. But it is more unspoiled than Yellowstone or Glacier, and hasn't changed much in thousands of years. (OK, the airports and towns are pretty new in geological terms.)

 

There are 127 islands in the group, which surrounds the equator. You can narrow that list down to 13 in terms of "major islands."  The land masses are volcanic in nature. They have been rising from the seas essentially forever, only to eventually crumble back into the water. It's a pace that makes movement by glaciers seem speedy. Some of the young islands are essentially big rocks, while the older ones have more plant life and thus can sustain animals better. Life here started from scratch. Plant seeds were carried by the wind, as were birds. Sea lions dropped in after a nice long swim. The only critter who invaded the region was a rat, and they are still arguing about what to do with the descendants a few hundred years later.

The Galapagos were discovered in 1535. Man's early efforts to settle it as a home proved rather fruitless. Charles Darwin turned up here in 1835, and he spent time studying the creatures he found. He came up with his theory of evolution soon after that.The Allies did have an air base here during World War II, as a spot was needed to guard to the Panama Canal. The area turned into a giant national park in 1959 - one that's more sanctuary than tourist stop. Many areas aren't even open to the public, but there are new delights waiting around every corner to those who walk the rocky trails. One of them is the view of the shoreline like this one. Our boat is out there somewhere.

 

For the record, it costs $220 (payable to the government) to enter the Galapagos Islands. I'd say it's worth it. Usually there were only a couple of groups within sight when we were exploring an island. Timed reservations are needed to go to certain places in the park, so that nothing gets overrun. 

 

Get a room

 

After seeing a documentary that partly talked about the albatross, we found a few on an island a day later. Almost amazingly, we saw two go through the same sort of courting dance that we saw on television. Hope they didn't mind that I took a video of it.

 

 

Quick hitters

 

* What sort of creatures did we see on our trip? Blue-footed and red-footed boobies. Dolphins. Giant tortoises, Seals. Frigate birds. Albatrosses. Pelicans. A baby boa constrictor. Iguanas. Penguins. Egrets. Crabs. Flamingos. Barnacles. Mockingbirds. Oystercatchers. Among others.  

* Quito's population is spread out over a valley that's more than 9,000 feet up - the second-highest capital city in the world. (La Paz, Bolivia, is No. 1 at 11,893.) The geography means that the approach by air to the Quito airport is one of the most beautiful in the world, since planes fly over snow-covered mountains and water-filled craters of dormant volcanoes. There aren't many great sections of Ecuador's capital, as the buildings don't receive much upkeep, but not many horrible ones either. It's a different story in Coca, which has some serious third-world poverty. Coca's bathrooms in the airport reportedly set new lows for cleanliness. 

 

* I was asked by a friend to try to find a baseball in Ecuador. I failed. The game isn't played there at all. However, there might be an easy way to introduce the game to the citizens there. The city of Quito has a big empty bullfightng ring, as the "sport" has been outlawed in Ecuador. So turn it into a baseball stadium, and hold tryouts for the brand-new "Quito Mosquitos." Think of the t-shirts!

 

* For the record, there were no Presidential assassination attempts or signs of gang warfare during our time in Ecuador. To be fair, the TV news there was a little difficult to understand unless CNN or BBC were on.   

* When it comes to bargains, Quito has plenty of them. The cost of living is quite low there. For example, I had a cheeseburger and fries in a downtown hotel, and the cost was $7.50. Prices are a bit higher in other parts of the country, but prices are still quite low by our standards.

 

* Our group had lunch at a family house in the rain forest. We were greeted by the mother of the household, who was barefoot and wielded a machete as she cut down fruits and vegetables for our meal. Pretty impressive. And grubs were included in the buffet. It took some courage to swallow one, even if it is rich in protein. Also, the family had a unique garbage disposal system: They threw it outside the house, and the dogs and chickens gobbled it up in literally seconds.

 

* After that meal, the guides gave us a lesson on how to use a blowgun. I'm happy to report that both members of the Bailey traveling  party hit the target - the only couple to do so.  We called ourselves "Mr. and Mrs. Blowgun" for the rest of the trip. (Note: Success was purely luck, since we didn't know what we were doing.) For what it's worth, a woman in our group said my new outdoors outfit made me look like a salesman for Orvis.

 

* "Interstate" road signs have the same design in Ecuador as they do in in America. 

  

* I looked in vain for a Panama hat in Ecuador. That's not as stupid as it sounds. Panama hats always have been made in Ecuador.  Ecuadorians wore them while working on the Panama Canal, and Teddy Roosevelt received one as a gift from the workers. When asked about where he had gotten his new hat, he said, "Panama" - and the hat had a new name for life. There were such hats for sale, but my 7 7/8 hat size - "muy, muy grande," as I told the saleswoman - was too much of an obstacle.

 

* If you think we do live in a global village, you are right. You can follow the Buffalo Bills by phone in the rain forest and on the Galapagos Islands ... if you really want to do so.

 

* We discovered a new taste treat in Ecuador: popcorn in soup. I greeted this discovery secure in the knowledge that I wouldn't starve on the trip, since I consider popcorn a major food group. I soon will start a campaign to make this concept an American standard.   

Final obligatory cute wildlife photo

Thanks for visiting!

 (Follow Budd on X.com via @WDX2BB)