Reelpol

Galapagos Gazette, Part I

January 1, 2005 Scrambling to file my column, catch up on email, organize, pack and clean up the house so Lillian won’t think we live like pigs (which we do nearly 50% of the time) took up most of the day. Jon couldn’t believe I scoured the refrigerator shelves! Experts say that the pressure won’t be so overwhelming if you work through each task one step at a time. Hogwash. Even though I had prepared packing lists in my mind and every visit to a store brought in bags of new stuff “we just might need for the trip,” I never believed I would make it in time. I finally told myself that everything that didn’t fit into the suitcase or the backpack, had to remain at home. I was crazy to think I needed 13 days of clean outfits—where there’s a sink, clean clothes can be had (in 24 hours if the humidity isn’t too high). The three-hour wait at LAX actually flew by. So many lines to wait in: 1) to get boarding pass 2) to X-ray checked bags 3) to X-ray carry-on bags. I stupidly insisted on keeping my 19 rolls of film radiation-free and had to wait patiently while each roll (and two underwater disposables) was wiped individually with a special cloth meant to find vestiges of bomb-making material. The writer of my guidebook was particularly adamant about protecting film—hope the hassle is worth it.

January 2, 2005 The plane ride to San Jose (Costa Rica) was uneventful. My Nyquil worked (despite the little tantrum-throwing brat behind me) and I slept nearly all the way. By the time I decided to do something about her kicking my seat back—we were both racking up the zzzz. There must, however, be a more civilized way to travel cheaply than the "red eye." If God intended man to take his rest squished into nine square feet with two other people or sitting upright in a super-hard airplane seat, he would have made us without pain receptors. Sleeping in one’s clothes is also a surefire way to offend, no matter how much deodorant one has applied. I couldn’t wait to get to a hotel room in Quito and take a shower. At least I had toothpaste/toothbrush in my purse. The two-hour layover in San Jose was actually welcome because there would be a chance to eat (no food on this flight) and a chance to get to know the other folks on the tour.When we got to the Hotel Mercure Alameda, I just though I’d lay down and test the bed when I conked out for nearly three hours. What a blissful, dreamless slumber that was. We arrived too late to eat with the others so Jon and I settle for an intimate dinner for two at Spicy’s. Jon had the traditional Ecuadorian soup and chicken stew. My salad was delicious. I didn't think I was throwing caution to the wind (Montezuma’s Revenge from water-washed greens). Spicy’s looked like a clean, well-lighted place and my guidebook claimed the H2O in Quito was certainly potable. I also ordered a T-bone—that was a mistake. Let’s just say the cattle in Ecuador, climbing up and down hills as they do, are tough and lean. Then there's the 9,300 foot altitude. We got back to the room and became engrossed in the film, Behind Enemy Lines. Owen Wilson did a pretty credible job. Actually the constant action held our interest and I might want to consider the film for inclusion in Reelpolitik IV.January 3, 2005. Jon needs about three hours to get ready in the morning so he set the alarm for 5:30 AM. When Jon is awake, everybody is awake. My throat thinks it’s too early to down the sumptuous breakfast buffet the hotel provided (eggs, bacon, and about twenty other dishes). Actually I should be grateful that I didn’t have to nosh on Atkins bars which get really old, really fast.
We managed to get on the tour bus guided by Dulce. She is warm, friendly and highly knowledgeable about a wide variety of subjects. The tour started with Panecillo Hill—Michael added "sound" to my videos. Unbelievable view and the winged virgin statue was quite inspiring.Next we visited the Historical Quito—starting with Independence Square with its Parliament Buildings, the National Cathedral and the Archbishop's palace (home to Mea Culpa). No filming was allowed in the cathedral so I purchased a calendar displaying all the ornately gilded pulpits in Quito’s major churches. The application of gold leaf to just about every inch of the church was mind-boggling. There are apparently two schools of thought with respect to the liberal use of gold—those who think wealth should be more equally distributed (like to the poor) and those who desire the glorification of God’s house. After you see the Banco Central Del Ecuador Museo Nacional, you understand the affinity for glitz yet with many folks trying to live on $160 a month, the equity argument does persuade. Actually the Jesuits (who have more money than God) paid for the renovation of the gilt. The tension between the two school sort of comes to a head at the Church of St. Francis, where the laity has more of a voice in interior decoration. There was this altar-wide nativity scene that was, well, the word that comes to mind is "kitschy" what with blinking multi-colored lights, llamas instead of camels, and a shepherd who was the spitting image of my hippy husband. St. Francis, the oldest church in South America, was also being renovated so most of the art work was missing. What intrigued me was the mix of pagan imagery with the saints. You could find big breasted mermen? on the pulpit and the image of cats everywhere. The choir loft was most striking. All of the martyrs, each with an individual guardian angel, reminded me of Michael’s stint as a brother of the Holy Cross. At noon, he reported, the brothers were read gory accounts of saints’ deaths from the book called The Martyrology—great appetizer, I’d say. Rincon La Ronda was the choice for lunch. It may have taken three hours to eat but it was quite an impressive meal and besides, we needed the rest. We loved the empanadas, shrimp ceviche (best I’ve ever tasted), pork, fried bananas, hominy, and squash. Desert, at least what I chose, was a compote of figs served with goat cheese. The other choices included flan, chocolate cake, blanc mange and a beautiful tore. We ordered coffee but it didn’t arrive until after the last call to board the bus. Gulp. Gulp.Off to Middle of the World monument where you can stand in two hemispheres simultaneously. I took pictures of Jon and Herb engaged in such nonsense. Mike declined the photo op. The Ethnographic Museum, which detailed the lives of about 25 different indigenous tribes of Ecuadorian natives (including head hunters) was most memorable. The exhibit covered five floors and gave us some idea of the diverse handcrafted items we could be seeing in the marketplace. Dinner at the hotel was salad and a bottle of Fabiana Pinot Grigio. It was a most romantic evening and ended exactly the way romantic evenings should end.January 4, 2005 Early start this morning—7:30AM. We hit the Pan American Highway and rode south. The Central Valley was dramatically edged on each side by parallel ranges of volcanoes (Avenue de Volcanoes) named by German explorer Alexander von Humboldt. Our destination was Cotopaxi National Park (founded on July 26th, 1979) and named for arguably the highest active volcano in the world, at 19,700 feet. Alexander von Humboldt made an unsuccessful attempt on Chimborazo, then believed to be the highest mountain in the world (6,526 feet) in 1802 until Mt. Everest was discovered fifty years later. Glacial waters perfectly sculpted the base of Cotopaxi (“Cone of Moon”) which was obscured from view this day due to the serious rain clouds that hid the snow-crested summit. Cotopaxi, considered sacred by the peoples indigenous to the Andes, erupted in 1534, in the middle of conflict with the Spanish. The Spaniards panicked and fled while the natives began to worship. Cotopaxi has erupted several times since then, with the biggest tragedy occurring in 1877, when the Cotopaxi glacier wiped the nearby city of Latacunga off the map.
Lucio Andrade Marin planted a forest of pine trees in Cotapaxi National Park in 1928 to see if conifers would adapt to high altitudes. Unfortunately, once the acid (sap) from these trees gets into the soil, nothing else will grow there. The trees are regularly harvested for house construction. According to the museum, the Cotapaxi National park is home to Andean gulls, hummingbirds, rabbits, deer, gazelles, paramo wolves, bears, foxes, weasels, wild horses, deer, llamas and several rare species including blue-billed pointed ducks, puma, and Andean condors. We saw none of them, having to make do with pictures or stuffed animals (condor with 8-foot wing span) on display.

We also learned that von Humboldt came up with the theory that the higher the altitude, the shorter (in stature) the vegetation and consequently, the wildlife. It all had to do with evolutionary adaptation and the most efficient use of energy. We learned this lesson in the most practical way—a leisurely hike at this altitude literally took our breath away. Most of us tried to disguise our lack of physical fitness with frequent “photo ops.” Lunch at the Hacienda La Cienega (300 years old) was quite impressive. It was still raining and I would have loved to sit on the covered veranda with a glass of wine and watch the oversized drops make the inner courtyard garden glisten. The restaurant treated us to a fabulous salsa made up of mango, garlic, and onions. The first course was an empanada with tuna, followed by a grilled steak, peas w/bacon and chunks of potato. Dessert was a choice of ice cream or fruit. What was really fun was the entertainment. A quartet (Passion de Cotapaxi) serenaded us with exotic instruments. The leader played a 12-sting instrument about the size of a ukulele which he alternated with pan pipes. The sound was so intriguing that lots of folks (including Michael) opted for their 2 for $15 CD deal. After lunch we wandered back across the courtyard for but another “shopping opportunity.” The owner of the shop wove textiles on his own loom and produced some very beautiful tapestries and rugs. We dined that evening at the Red Hot Chili Peppers (we had to try the place just to be able to send a cocktail napkin to Trevor) with Michael and Herb. Michael and I had a great talk while Jon was catching up on his email. January 5, 2005. Today is a free day in Quito. Most of the group ended up at the Banco Central del Ecuador Museo Nacional. The bottom floor exhibited the history of about 25 different indigenous peoples of Ecuador. It was amazing how differently each tribe evolved with respect to culture, art, religion and language in a country about the size of Nevada. Apparently with mountain ranges and rivers the tribes became geographaphically isolated although they came together each year to trade. Reminded me of the Jean Auel series “Clan of the Cave Bear.” The artifacts were well organized and the plaques, written in Spanish and English, were chock full of information. I especially identified with the people of El Tapito Island. These guys were really in touch with sensuality and had a matter-of-fact attitude about sex and relationships. The precious metals room was particularly informative—the gold, silver, and platinum used to adorn one’s person indicated a change in lifestyle from mere sustenance to enough leisure time and wealth to support Pre-Columbian conspicuous consumerism. At the gift shop, I fell in love with a nativity scene in which Mary is a voluptuous brunette, crowned in silver (Pre-Incan), and reclining in a very earthy way but with a look of awe on her chubby face. Joseph holds a staff, wears a silver crown, and seems very protective. Little baby Jesus is swaddled up to his nose and also wears a silver halo like crown. We waited for Herb to purchase a little bird in a nest-like basket for Chris and then headed up to the Magic Bean (a 60's style hotel with a diverse clientele) where we enjoyed a leisurely lunch of port, veggies (turnips, carrots and broccoli), fries and mango salsa. Herb regaled us with yourthful tales of hitchhiking across Europe and Indonesia. I had no idea that he toured Afghanistan before the Russians or enjoyed a sojourn to India and Nepal. We then changed out of rain-soaked clothes and headed over to the park to check out the handicrafts booths. We found a T-shirt for Trevor--"Picasso’s Guitarist" in size 36 (Kids large) and a muted gold alpaca scarf for Brendan to twine over his mouth and around his neck during the snow season in Haltom City. Also spied some cute sweaters with little llamas on them for Max but decided to wait until we visited Otavalo. Returned to the hotel and opted for a dinner of drinks and hors d’oeuvres at the bar. Herb and Mike stopped by and also Carl, Scott, and Bob to trade stories before embarking on the packing we all needed to do for the ship. Procrastination is a wonderful thing. We had the option to check a bag at the hotel—we used ours to house all the gifts and the dirty clothes. Galapagos, here we come!

Galapagos Gazette, Part II

January 6, 2005 Up at 4:15AM and not just to celebrate the Epiphany. Wonder if we will be seeing any of those bread wreaths we saw being prepared on a television cooking show--you know that one in which baby Jesus (made of sugar) is hidden inside? The Epiphany is a national holiday in Ecuador. Christmas decorations are customarily left up until January 6, the day the three wise guys finally made it to Bethlehem courtesy of a star or meteor or comet. The flight to Baltra via Guayquil was pleasant and quick. As we went from line to line (police, immigration, national park service) some of us found out that we didn’t get prepaid National Park fee ($100) stamps from our tour operator. Apparently this was happening mainly to single women or those like me with a different surname than one’s husband. I didn’t think it was any big deal but the other women in our party, who were afraid that we might have to come up with a $100 on demand, insisted on being issued their just due. As it turned out, no one ever asked to see our stamps but then we didn't know that at the time. As to gender discrimination, it seems to be a fact of life in South America. All along the way, I was always placed in the airplane seat next to Michael. I was grateful that the hotel didn’t make me sleep with him. I’ve already been there, done that. We took the first of our many panga rides (an inflatable Zodiac-like boat that holds 16 people) to the Galapagos Legend. See http://gogalapgos.com/legend/legend.html. We didn’t even get time to unpack or check out our cabin before we were transported out to Bartoleme Island—the lunarscape typical of most Galapagos pictures with various volcanic formations to titillate the geologists. The tequillia had yet to turn green and flower. Cacti managed to find what thimblesful of arable soil existed in all the lava. The hike to the summit (365 steps) was challenging but the view was breathtaking and made the sweat-producing effort worthwhile. Our guide (Juan Carlos) needs to adjust his pace to the 50ish and not necessarily in the greatest shape "Cormorants." Very little fauna or flora on Bartoleme Island—just sea lions and marine iguanas at the landing. Did manage to capture a Galapagos hawk in my lens. Near the top we found four cinder cones housed inside a huge crater--the phenomenon was only visible from that altitude. We also got to snorkel on the same beach where the movie Master and Commander was filmed. I headed out for the rocks where I spied a baby hammer head shark and many tropical fish I recognized from Hawaii. Jon had trouble with his mask and missed getting out to where all the fish were--poor baby. There was a raft of Sally Lightfoot crabs moving sideways along the rocks along with a bunch of lazy sea lions sunning themselves. As we headed back to the ship we found some Galapagos penguins moving gingerly on the slippery lava outcropping. Penguins at the equator--imagine that!

January 7 Jon had a very bad night. Around 3 AM he decided to go on deck. For him claustrophobia (the cabins were very short on space) engenders a physical response. He ended up snoozing on a deck chair. The breakfast buffet didn’t offer much for carbophobes but didn't have to resort to those stale Atkins bars in my bag. This morning the excursion was to Fernandina. There’s a nice balance of sand (from shells), pahoehoe lava and mangroves on this island. Right before we landed, blue-footed boobies lined up on the rocks to greet us. I just love these boobies. Hope to get a picture of those unbelievably aquamarine feet.
There were so many marine iguanas on the rocks, you could scarcely walk without hitting a tail. I didn’t know what to photograph first. Juan Carlos showed us a pod which housed a mangrove plant in miniature—shades of Body Snatchers! The sea lions and sally crabs seemed to perform for the cameras. Especially memorable was the mama sea lion nursing her offspring. She must have been bitten by a horsefly and wasn’t feeling all that maternal. The pup’s plaintive cries continued for quite a while until frustrated (can't all overburdened mothers relate?) she just slid into the water. Also captured a couple of marine iguanas “surfing,” fighting iguanas, and some dramatically positioned (against the black lava) driftwood. It was a shutterbug’s seventh heaven. Immediately upon returning to the ship we were asked to slide into our swimsuits and return for snorkeling. This time we were instructed to jump over the side of the panga. This was the best snorkeling on the trip. I had plenty to shoot with my underwater camera in the clear, deep water. There were colorful underwater plants as well as tropical fish. A sea lion got really friendly, circling and bumping into me. Guess he just wanted to play--and he only wanted to play with women. Also discovered a couple of green sea turtles. One came up from underneath and tried to give me a little ride. It was absolutely amazing how fearless the wildlife seems to be. Humans have never been considered a predator by the creatures here. Jon was about to give up on snorkeling. Claimed it was too claustrophobic and he just couldn’t get the hang of breathing, his mask kept filling with water (he has a bump next to his left eye) and getting fogged up. Hope he perseveres. I love snorkeling and found myself totally relaxed, just flowing with the surges and enjoying the show beneath me. I can see, however, that I’m not the one to teach him. Lunch was salad and lots of meat. Also indulged in strawberries sans the whipped cream. We had some time to snooze in the sun or catch up on our journals before the afternoon hike on Isabella Island. We started at Tagus Cove, which is no cove at all but rather a steep cliff with little ledges that are supposed to be steps. The first thing that hits you is the ammonia stench of guano and sea lion scat. It’s absolutely overwhelming and keeps you from thinking that you may descend at any minute into the drink which is basically a toilet. We were told that there were only 160 steps here but nobody mentioned that they go straight up—incline must be 45 per cent. The hike around the island was the most grueling I’ve ever experienced. We spent most of the time tracing the periphery of Darwin’s Volcano (everything here is named Darwin, Galapagos, or lava, e.g. lava lizard). This lake is remarkable because the salinity is twice that of the ocean and because the volcanic cone which holds the water is sealed water tight. One of the other Cormorants in our group summed up this hike perfectly "too much work for too little payoff." There were very few animals to be seen and the climb back down was even worse than the climb up for anyone with bad knees. Jon was so loving, he never left my side but we kept falling further and further behind. I got really scared that we would be left at the landing. Sure enough as we approached Tagas Cove, the boat was pulling out. They were actually on the way to see sea lions and thought it would be funny to prentend they weren't coming back. I wasn’t all that amused. We also took a panga ride around the island to get a better view of the boobies, the pelican nests, and the graffiti left by pirates and whalers.Herb’s daughter Alex had asked her father for a Galapagos sunset. Since there is so little pollution in the air, Galapagos sunsets aren't exactly fiery or as brilliantly colorful as those in the United States.

Galapagos Gazette Part III

January 8 Santiago. We made a wet landing on a black sand beach teeming with sea lions and marine iguanas (who paid no attention to the silly tourists). Also known as James (each island has three names depending on the nation of origin of the "discoverer.") the island is somewhat barren of vegetation thanks to feral goats. Some 100,000 are descended from the original four who were introduced in the early 1800s. Discovered an Oyster-catcher on a nest with one, possibly two eggs that I managed to shoot with telephoto on my video camera. Sally Lightfoot crabs were swarming all over the lava racks. One adolescent sea lion challenged our fourteen-year old Cormorant. Jeff and I were trying to imitate the sea lion's greeting sounds when we figured out he was really trying to intimidate. The best part of this visit was the snorkeling—got some great fish photos.The afternoon hike was on Rabida started out at a red sand/gravel beach. Again, the slothful sea lions barely glanced our way when we arrived. We took a circular hike up and around the cliffs where we spotted a white tipped shark and later saw a whole school of sharks swimming close to the surface. No flamingos at the lagoon but we stumbled over the bleached bones of a sea lion. The snorkeling, as usual, was the best part of the Rabida excursion. This time I focused on sea urchins—there was a startlingly indigo blue starfish deep down--the photo doesn't capture the unbelievable color. I tried to stay away from the blue/black pincushion-like urchins--I heard they were poisonous. I swam all the way out to the deep water but then decided I really didn’t want to bump (literally) into a shark. On the way back I found the surge was much stronger than I was used to, so I moved out from the rocks and was rewarded with all sorts of interesting fish prowling the bottom. This was the one time I wish I had invested in swim fins—I really had to kick hard. One of Cormorants had short “trainer” fins that packed up easily—perhaps I should look into those. This sweet woman from Torrance was nice enough to give me anti-fog drops that really helped. Jon had a good experience this time too. Dinner on the ship (native Ecuadorian food) was spectacular. The chef managed to carve an albatross and a sea lion out of butter in addition to an iguana and tortoise made out of squash and melons. I had snapper done up in foil which I'm definitely going to try preparing at home.

The Question of the Day: where’s the tortoise?
Darwin Center is the place to see Lonesome George but much to our disappointment, Lonesome George wasn’t there. He’s the only surviving Galapagos Tortoise from Pinta and the researchers are anxious to get him to mate. They’ve tried all manner of turtle aphrodisiacs but while he mounted, he fell asleep before consummating the relationship. He’s about 50-60 human years old. I have no idea what that translates into in terms of tortoise. The Centers for insects and marine life at Darwin were closed because it was Sunday so we didn’t get to see anything but tortoises and iguanas. We walked back to town in double digit humidity. Although some 9,000 people live in Puerta Ayora, they must have been in church. There is little evidence of prosperity in the town. Although there is some new development (mostly hotels and shops) it looked like most folks were barely able to eke out a living, especially those selling souvenirs. Many of the families further up in the hills farmed or family members served as crew for the cruise ships. Lunch was pasta and quiche so I concentrated on salad. I decided to pass on the trip to the Santa Cruz highlands to see tortoises in their natural habitat. My ankle is really swollen—I must have landed wrong when I was getting back into the panga. I’ve been dispatched to sit on the deck with an icepack and some anise tea. I entrusted Jon with the video camera. He will be going through seven mini-climates as the bus ascends the hills. Also he can expect mud and mosquitoes since its been raining for two weeks. A couple of hours later, I finally limped down to the room where I fell asleep—waking up just in time for Jon’s return. The Legend ponied up for farewell drinks and the crew had put together a slide show--some great photos of Galapagos inhabitants and some candid shots of us. Dinner was good—Jon had seafood and rice and I had the pepper steak (which actually came out rare). We had hoped to see the constellations (clear as a bell since there were no lights on the Sky deck) as we did last night but it was overcast.
January 10 Santa Cruz. Had hoped we get a chance to wish Brendan a Happy Birthday but he’s so difficult to reach without an answer machine. We will be returning to Quito today but we get one more chance to snorkel at Las Bachus Beach on the other side of the island. The beach was named for the stinkin’ barges left by the United States during World War II. You can still see the metal skeleton rusting away in the pristine, white sand. We took a little hike where we saw flamingoes, sea turtles making love just beyond the surf line, and more surfing marine iguanas.
The snorkeling was abandoned for just swimming because so much fine sand became suspended in the water, making it impossible to see. In fact, snorkeling had became downright dangerous near the lava outcroppings because you only became aware of the sharp rocks when you are practically on top of them. It was great fun watching the boobies dive-bomb for fish just inches away. Both Jon and I got some great pictures with our underwater cameras. Then back to the ship to shower and change. All of our checked luggage had already been picked up and transported to the airport before breakfast. It was sad to be saying “goodbye” to the Galapagos but we were looking forward to sleeping in a non-rocking, king-sized bed in Quito. Guess my little sailor Jon has had enough of life at sea despite his obsession with Melville.

"Galapagos Things" (words modified by Kathie Harris 2005)
Tortoises, sea lions, Blue Footed Boobies
Lava Birds, Frigate Birds, cabins with roomies,
Cactus and Mangrove and ship bells that ring
These are my fav’rite Galapagos things
Um-papa, um-papa, um-papa, um-papa

Herons and pelicans, nests with new babies
Don’t have to think about e-mail or rabies.

Bright constellations, Darwinian things,
Oh what a feeling Galapagos brings!

When the shark bites, when the sun bakes,
Lonesome George is sad,
I simply remember Galapagos things,
And then I can feel … real glad.

All the iguanas with dinosaur features,
So far from home and so many new creatures,
Bright Sally Lightfoots and tropical fish
“Don’t wanna leave“ is my favorite wish!

When the shark bites, when the sun bakes,
Lonesome George is sad,
I simply remember Galapagos things,
And then I can feel … real glad.

Galapagos Gazette Part IV

January 11, 2004 While some women are born with a highly evolved shopping gene, I’m not one of them. I don’t mind picking up souvenirs for family but only if I get a really good deal. I took to haggling over the price like a marine iguana to sea water. So it was with definite mixed feelings that I faced the choice between the side excursions to 1) Otavalo or 2) Cloud Forest. The second promised to be so much more educational what with a unique eco-environment and the promise of butterflies, hummingbirds and miniature orchids. Still my husband Jon insisted on Otavalo. He really wanted to see the Imbabura Province located in Ecuador’s northern highlands—he’s one of those guys who gets turned on by geology.
Imbabura is the province of lakes and mountains located only 50 miles North of Quito on the Pan-American Highway. As we traveled through Quito, I was again struck by the sheer number of “bigger-than-life” sculptures. Since Ventura County folks can’t seem to agree (see: Thousand Oaks Civic Art Plaza “curtain” or Ventura’s “Ride Home”corrugated metal bus stop shelter) on what kind of artwork should occupy public areas, I wondered what can be learned from Ecuadorians. Our first stop was Calderon where the sign outside the shop read “Ecuadorian craftsmanship, massapan and all kinds of craftsmanship, we are the best in this field, we are folkloric artistico.” Inside we found a middle-aged woman fashioning bread dough into colorful figures. The dexterity with which she took tiny pieces of red-colored dough and sculpted them into rose petals was simply amazing. I had fallen in love with the craft when we saw examples at the anthropological museum located at the Middle of the World. At that time I thought I would buy some as unique/handmade gifts for relatives. There didn’t seem to be much of a selection in this shop and we were given only a few minutes to make a purchase. I wish we could have spent more time in Calderon—perhaps cruising shops that weren’t necessary “the best in this field.” As our bus climbed higher in the hills, it seemed like we were entering a different microclimate within just a few miles. In fact, as I looked across the road, on one side drought-loving plants such as acacias and century plants thrived, while on the other, lush ferns and lots of green foliage made themselves at home. Of course. the bus just had to stop for geology. It seems Ecuadorian road builders simply carved a route through hills, leaving a gash which showed all sorts of sexy (to geologists) strata. These guys were in such a hurry to get a good gander at the ash beds (which looked like bricks instead of just random dirt) and attack the earth with their little hammers that they didn’t seem cognizant of the lumbering trucks and compact cars speeding by. I, however, did notice the four flower-decorated crosses on the side of the road. What did warm the cockles of my heart was the eagerness with which our guide Dulce was pumping Bill for information about his specialty. She had already displayed her range of interests (art, history, politics, religion) but now she wanted to know about geology. She was soaking up, sponge-like, everything Bill could teach her about volcanoes and fault lines and what the presence of silicon might mean. I couldn’t help thinking of the old bromide: “when the student is ready, the teacher appears.” As we climbed higher, the hills became a patchwork quilt of beans, corn (300 varieties), traditional agriculture, and cattle. You could tell the soil was fertile and without without the restrictions of seasons, it appeared that the farmers could grow just about anything they wanted. The equator passes through here at Mt. Cayambe, making Cayambe the highest and snowiest spot on the equator (18,750 ft). It’s up this far north that we started noticing greenhouses. Lookout towers also appeared every so often. At first I thought marijuana was being grown but then our guide said it was roses. Apparently Ecuador is the world's 4th largest producer of long stemmed roses (42”) in all colors. In fact, Ecuador supplied all of the white roses used in the 9/11 memorial. Roses seem to love the mountains because despite the cool air, there is more water and light (12 hours) at this altitude. It was also interesting to learn that Ecuador ships roses in different quantities and in different degrees of maturity depending on the buyer. The U.S. desires closed buds in the dozens. Sixty percent of Ecuador’s roses go to America. Europe prefers its roses in tens and Russia wants the blooms fully opened. Otavalo is the biggest artisan market in Ecuador. Indigenous peoples from local villages (Peguche, Agato and Iluman) meet in the Plaza de los Ponchos to display handcrafted textiles in a tradition that predates the Incas. For centuries handmade products have been carried down from the Andean highlands on the back of llamas and traded for goods from other areas such as the Amazon. Ponchos, blankets, scarves, sweaters tapestries, bags and rugs were offered from around Ecuador. There are also other kinds of wares, such as native art, ceramics, and CDs of native music (lots of pan pipes). Otavalo is a small city of about 50,000 inhabitants situated between the Imbabura volcano (15,118 feet) and the Cotacachi volcano (16,200 feet). At the Shenandoah Pie Shop, we watched “The Simpsons” (in Spanish) as we ate lunch. Jon remarked, little did he know that 20 years ago, when his band was being interviewed by Matt Groening, that he would be watching reruns of Groening’s show in a place as exotic as Ecuador.
Before we shopped till we dropped at Cotocachi (known for its affordable and authentic leather goods) we stopped to see Cuicocha Lake (Quichua for "guinea pig lake") which is part of the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve. Lake Cuicocha sits inside a huge crater left behind by a 4,000 year old volcanic eruption. There are also two small islands in the middle (Yerovi and Teodoro Wolf) which arose as the result of some minor volcanic upheavals after the main eruption. The Yerovi Island is named after Monsignor Jose Maria de Jesus Yerovi, who drowned in the lake while fleeing from angered parishioners. Legend has it that he was dead drunk. In testimony to the forgiving nature of Ecuadorians, a statue of the monsignor now decorates the dock. Deep blue water surrounded by breathtaking cliffs made for a perfect Kodak moment. The mountains surrounding the lake also have special significance for the locals. Before the Spanish conquest, the lake was named Achicocha (Quichua for "Lake of the Gods"). Local shamans considered the lake to be sacred, and used its waters for their purification rituals. Every year, around the time of the summer solstice, ritual baths would take place . Cuicocha Lake is the place to see condors, but unfortunately January 11 wasn’t the day. We didn’t spy a single boat on the lake nor any people walking around. How idyllic—not to have to share this serene scene with anyone! Throughout Cotacachi’s center, dozens of shops exhibit all kinds of beautifully made leather goods. The town made the news recently because of its mayor Auki Tituaña plans to revitalize his city through ecotourism. Cotocachi is also known as the music capital of Ecuador. Had we arrived during the first two weeks of September, we would have helped celebrate the harvest and the sun (Fiesta de la Jora) with feasting on carne colorada, nogadas (sweets made with walnuts), arrope de mora (blackberry syrup,) helados (ice cream) and empanadas de morocho, dancing, and lots of chica de Jora (corn liquor). Each of us were amazed to learn that we had crossed the equator nine times. I thought the descent down to Quito was a wonderful metaphor for life—especially when we got stuck behind a truck full of corn moving at a glacial rate.

January 12 Packed and repacked and finally got to the airport around noon. Getting though all the lines was relatively painless. Of course everybody was last-minute shopping at the airport. Even though I had everything I needed, I convinced myself I couldn’t live without a blue booby coffee cup. The flight to San Jose was uneventful and we even enjoyed the 2-hour layover. Gave us another chance to pick up Costa Rican souvenirs. Jon fell in love with a bag of white chocolate-covered coffee beans. I rather enjoyed several thimblesful of the coffee liquor free samples. Made the waiting so much more fun. Six more hours and we’d be on American soil. I took a little snooze on the plane (Jon was kind enough to give me his cold) and soon it was time to pick up the bags, get through customs, and rent a car at Budget. Thank God Budget was able to offer a clean bathroom. We were in our own bed by 1:30A (January 13th) and I finally had to admit that our adventure in Ecuador had come to an end.