Rainforest to Cloud Forest

 On Monday morning we departed the Amazon just as we had arrived - by canoe. Once safely onto our tour bus, we headed back to the highlands in order to reach Quito.  At our mid-morning restroom stop, near Archidona, we were able to try "rumi changa" which is either fish or chicken cooked over a fire inside of palm leaves (no, palm leaves do not add any flavor). 

While there Roque, our bus driver, proceeded to eat a raw chincha de chonta (the squirmy white grubs we keep seeing); I simply could not watch, it was too revolting to imagine eating one in such a manner.  Before we all climbed back onto the bus, Antonio bought some roasted "Big Ass Ants" for us to try.  When I asked him what they were really called, because I assumed he was joking, he said that was their name.  When I googled "Big Butt Ants in Ecuador" I immediately got multiple results, so the name is apparently quite common.  Anyway, grubs, especially raw, are a big, fat, "no, gracias".  These roasted ants?  Sure, why not?  

What did they taste like?  Well, I thought they tasted like crickets (thanks, Dad).  There's a story behind why I know the taste of crickets, but that's for another time.

Our next stop was near the town of Cosanga, at San Isidro Lodge.  The lodge is located in a cloud forest reserve and they are known for their variety of hummingbirds. Worldwide, a cloud forest is a rare occurrence "since the exceptional conditions that create these forests are only found in tropical areas with tall mountains." source  As in the rainforest, we again donned rubber boots, and after almost 10 years of packing the same rain poncho into my suitcase (and never having it on me the few times it would have been useful), I finally had it with me on the day of need!  As it turns out, my poncho was a one-size-fits-all sort of deal, and about 2 other people could have joined me inside.  I tied it in a knot at the bottom corner, in an attempt to reign it in and prevent me from tripping on it as we hiked, so between my shorts, tall rubber boots, and XXL poncho, I was looking quite charming! 

These frogs are full-grown!

Our guide's name was Edwin, and he was a knowledgeable gentleman, but alas, a large group of people who struggle to be quiet were following him, so we mostly saw only plants and a few frogs.  The drizzling rain and chilled air didn't create a desire to linger in the lovely cloud forest, so I was content to quickly return to the lodge for some warmth and protection from the elements - the prospects of lunch didn't hurt either.  We enjoyed our meal, and even caught a glimpse of some of the hummingbirds for which San Isidro Lodge is famous, and then we were back on the bus to resume our journey to Quito.

As we were arriving at our hotel Antonio offered to take anyone who was interested into the Old Town for a look around and a bit to eat.  Unlike his offer in Cuenca, most of the group joined the excursion and we were soon off.  The subway entrance was just across from the hotel, and was astonishingly clean.  When questioned, Antonio told us that it had been open for less than a year!  We entered Quito at San Francisco Plaza in Old Town - a world heritage site. 

Wandering past illuminated old cathedrals and down cobblestoned laneways with soft, glowing window displays, it was a lovely walk through town. 

 Antonio suggested we visit a spot he knew that had a rooftop bar with a view of Quito's entire Old Town. A warm drink and a snack sounded delightful, as it was nearing 8pm, so we all headed to Vista Hermosa. While some names don't fit a place, this establishment was aptly named, the views were lovely. While waiting for the elevator, Antonio told us a bit about Julio Jaramillo (his picture was on the wall and they had a large figurine of him in the lobby). He's comparable to our Frank Sinatra and was incredibly famous in Ecuador, and much of South America (listen to his most famous song, "Nuestro Juramento", here). 

The views from the rooftop were enchanting, so we all decided to enjoy something, whether soup, hot chocolate, empanadas, or a cocktail.  The fascinating part of our rooftop view was the visible contrast to the areas of the city enduring their scheduled blackout.  

And thus ended another day in Ecuador...we traveled about 140 miles:

Rainforest Hike and Poolside Afternoon

 I enjoyed my breakfast with Antonio, Roque, and Theresa while listening to the rushing river behind the din of conversation.  We were soon off to be outfitted for our morning adventure.  This mainly consisted of rubber boots and a life jacket, although the lifejacket was only needed for the boat ride. Antonio had advised us to wear pants, long socks, long sleeves, a hat, and lots of bug spray and sunscreen for this morning in the rainforest. After a quick jaunt upriver we were at the Misicocha Private Nature Reserve for a tour with our local guides, Caesar and Andrés.  The nature reserve is owned by the hotel and they're trying to preserve and conserve the rainforest in that area, as it takes a long time to regrow.  

The locals used the rainforest as their medicine cabinet, and one example is the tea we learned about yesterday, called guayusa (wahh-you-sah).  They believes that regular consumption helps to prevent snakes and mosquitos from biting you because you sweat it out and they don't like the scent.  Blessedly, we saw no snakes, but we did see a lot of spiders.  Can you find the spider in this picture?  When I was looking back through my pictures I almost deleted it because I thought I'd mistakenly photographed the ground. 

When I was looking back through my pictures I almost deleted it because I thought I'd mistakenly photographed the ground. In fact, there's an effectively camouflaged tarantula! 

The hike, overall, was less than 2 miles in length, but what it lacked in that respect it made up for in altitude, as many spots were very steep, and the hike was generally upward for the first half.  We all hiked together for the first half a mile, with lots of stops to view spiders, bugs, interesting plants, etc. They told us that the Amazon Rainforest has more trees than all of North America combined, which seemed accurate when I learned that they estimate that the Amazon Rainforest has "390 billion individual trees". But, when I tried to check that against the number of trees in North America, the US Forest Service conducted their FIA (a.k.a. “America’s tree census” they estimated "nearly 300 billion trees in the United States", which wouldn't even include Canada, which is largely forested as well.  

Either way, Britannica declared the Amazon Rainforest " is the world’s richest and most-varied biological reservoir".  Caesar spoke English so he did the explanations and Andrés scouted and searched for the bugs and insects to be pointed out to us.  We learned about the Remo Caspi tree, which is a hardwood resistant to termites, and the Iron Palm (the "chonta palm" - remember those grubs from yesterday's escapades?) which has extremely hard bark that they used for spears and blow guns, and even the Walking Palms (the Quechua people use the young roots, which have protective spikes, as sandpaper).  Shortly before our group split into two (one group for the "difficult" hike and one for the "less difficult, thought not easy" hike), we all had to try out the tarabita. This basket-like cable car, which only holds one person, sort of ziplines you from one part of the forest to another over a canyon. Caesar and Antonio went first (Antonio took photos of everyone as they came across), and Andrés ran the cables, ensuring we all stopped on time.  Although I do not enjoy this sort of adventure normally, I think the basket made me feel safe enough, and the journey was short enough, that I actually enjoyed it.

Only 5 of us chose the difficult hike, and it really wasn't difficult, though it was hot and humid.  We arrived back at the starting point for our hike and waited for the remainder of our party to traverse the remainder of their trail.   

View from the "top" of the hike

 The reward of the hiking adventure (for those willing to accept it) was taking off our rubber boats and climbing onto the balsa wood rafts waiting for us in the river.  Although I enjoy being on the water, the raft was not the reward. The sun was searing down on us in our long sleeves and long pants and the guides told us we could jump in the river.  I hesitated as first, why be stuck in wet clothes, and the water was very muddy.  After recognizing I was returning to the hotel and could change right away, and my but was already wet from sitting on balsa logs tied together, I also jumped in the swiftly moving water.  Glorious!  Relaxing, refreshing, we stayed in the water, floating in front of the rafts, until they made us all climb back on (to ensure we could then transfer into our motorized canoes for the final leg of our journey home).  No photos of our rafting as we'd all handed over our electronics to be stowed in a drybag safely in one of the canoes.

As I was not interested in any of the afternoon's optional tours, I decide to relax by the pool and enjoy some extended free time.  We all enjoyed lunch together and then by 2:30pm everyone was off again for ziplining, a butterfly farm, or an animal rescue tour.  When I returned to the pool (having followed proper sunscreen protocol - the high altitude of Ecuador and its location near the equator make sunburn extremely likely) there was only one family and they didn't stay more than half an hour.  Solitude and sunshine, just what I needed by day 7.  A French tour group arrived around 4:30pm and many of them were soon in the pool.  I had already finished my book ("Josephine Baker's Last Dance" - can't really recommend it, but she lived quite the life) when the group arrived, and with the sun beginning to set the mozzies were coming out.  Yes, some Australian slang still sticks with me, so that's 'mosquitos' for anyone who hasn't read my Australian Adventures.  I had failed to bring any bug spray with me to the pool and decided that scrubbing off my sunscreen and giving my hair a wash was a good way to kill the last hour before everyone else returned and we all had dinner together.

This video (which I found online) gives you a glimpse of our hike - they're at the same nature reserve: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mpf7EwRtlj0

The Devil's Cauldron and the Amazon Rainforest

 We awoke to a stunningly clear morning, which only added to the allure of this remarkable hotel.  The dining room's attractiveness was not diminished by the sun's illumination, and the breakfast options were displayed across an array of antique stoves.  As we exited the hotel, we were met with a striking view of Mt. Chimborazo across the street from us. For those who love a fun fact, if you measure from the center of the earth, Mt. Chimborazo is the highest mountain on earth!  Although a dormant volcano, when we turned our backs to Chimborazo, across the valley we could see another, active, volcano that was sputtering ash clouds into the sky. Ecuador is part of the Pacific's "Ring of Fire" and currently has eight volcanoes in its territory.  On our drive to Rio Verde we were able to see several others due to the clear skies: Carihuairazo, Cotopaxi, and Antisana.  Roque pulled off at an old train depot and we were able to get off and take some photos of Chimborazo, as well as managing a group photo.

We reached Rio Verde (a small "town" outside of Baños) around 11:30am for a visit to El Pailon del Diablo (the Devil's Cauldron Waterfall).  Despite the drought, the waterfall's location on Rio Pastaza ensured we still enjoyed an awe-inspiring view of this 262-foot tall cascade.  Part of the reason for the name, so we were told, was that people often came here to commit suicide! Of the two viewing routes, we went on the suspension bridge route, which also is the route that keeps you driest. 

The "hike" was very easy (which I am allowed to say because I am the youngest person on the tour by at least 18 years), and only took about 10 minutes.  We were able to see spectacular views of the waterfall and saw double rainbows in the cascade's mist on multiple occasions.  Lots of photo opportunities; from standard to quirky, we saw many inventive poses. 

We returned to the bus and headed to a gas station with a rest area to enjoy our boxed lunches. Our next destination was the Quechua (also spelled 'Quichua' or 'Kichwa') village of Tiyuyacu (tee-you-yah-koo) to learn more about their community.  The women there showed us what they do to "survive" every day.  Their village is located on the Napo River, which feeds into the Amazon.  We were now in the rainforest region, and true to its name it began to pour as soon as we reached the Tiyuyacu hut for our presentation.  Since it was raining we didn't walk down to the river to watch them pan for gold, but they showed us a little bit of the process under the protection of the shelter.  Antonio explained to us the damage done, illegally, by those who bring heavy equipment to the riverbanks to dig up gold.  The equipment is very expensive for the average Ecuadorian, and the fines are steep if you get caught, but the opportunity (and likelihood) for a large payout lures in many people.  In addition to panning for gold, they showed us how they make a "chicha" drink from yucca/cassava, and also how they make pottery. In addition to the chicha, we were also taught some about Guayusa Tea. The guayusa tree is native to the Amazon rainforest, is commonly cultivated in Ecuador, and the Napo province is one the largest producers of the trees.  The Quechua people use guayusa tea in religious and spiritual ceremonies, and although it has many health properties it is high in caffeine and should be consumed in moderation.

The Spaniards came here looking for gold in 1541, and the local people who traveled with the Spaniards brought the process of making clay to this area.  The ladies use dried gourd pieces to shape the clay, and after they decorate it they'll bake it for about 2 hours before coating it in resin. I'm sure the grubs in the top left of the photo collage caught your attention, and no, I did not eat one! Chontacuro, a beetle larva or grub known for its unique taste and appearance, is a delicacy that’s nutritious, delicious, and well-loved by the locals.  The word 'chontacuro' comes from Kichwa, where 'chonta' means palm and 'curo' means larva, grub, or worm.  The ladies roasted them over the fire, and will use the fat drippings from the grubs as a kind of "Vick's Vapor Rub".  Blessedly, by the time we finished at the Tiyuyacu village the rain had subsided to barely a mist, and we gingerly made our way back through the somewhat muddy terrain to the waiting bus.

Our hotel for the next two days was located on the Napo River, and required a small motorized canoe transfer (the vehicle ferry isn't exactly insured, so they don't take the tour bus across the river).  It was only about 10-15 minutes long, but was very pleasant and made me extra appreciative that the rain had ceased. 

La Casa del Suizo (located in Ahuano) reminds you of a tropical jungle lodge. With the individual buildings linked by concrete pathways lined by palm trees and flowering shrubs, there were a variety of accommodation styles, but I was located in a duplex-style cabin.  My room had a lovely balcony, with a hammock, facing the river.  It had no windows, only screens to keep out the bugs, so the rushing of the river made it sound as though it were continually raining.  Other than no air conditioning, it was completely modern in all its other facilities and the ceiling fan at night kept enough air moving that I never thought twice about the lack of AC.  With time between our arrival and dinner, I decided to enjoy the beautiful pool, as did many of my tour mates.

Ingapirca, Riobamba, and The Last Ice Hunter

 In the bus and on the road at 7:30am, we were heading to Ingapirca.  On our way there we made a pitstop to see and taste "tascaritos" - pig skin roasted with a torch.  "Tascas" is the word for skin you peel, such as an orange peel.  They would baste the pig with oil mixed with some annetto and roast half of the pig at a time (to ensure it was always freshly roasted) and would use the other portions of the pig to make a variety of dishes.  It didn't really taste like anything noteworthy, but we saw plenty of roadside stands selling them, and they are a cuisine local to this specific area of the country.

 We were on a similar route to yesterday (some of the road were the same), but the Andean vistas were just as mesmerizing. The Cañar province is known for our destination Incapirca.  

The name is the Kichwa expression for "Inca Stone Wall"and the 16th-century ruins are the best-known Inca settlement in the country (a product of the Inca's conquest of the indigenous Cañari). Ecuador has several ethnic groups, one of the ones in this area (the Cañari) were some of the strongest warriors and even the Incas had trouble conquering them.

The ruins are located in a lovely setting, but were not quite what I expected (maybe I was imagining something more like Tikal, in Guatemala).

Onward to the town of Alausí (All-ooo-see), in the Chimborazo province (also the name of Ecuador's highest mountain), known for its railway history.  We had a lovely lunch at El Mesón del Tren before wandering through town and learning some of its heritage. At one time this town was very famous as the starting point of the Nariz del Diablo ("Devil's Nose") train. The Ecuadorian railway system began in the 1860's as a way to connect the Pacific coast with the Andean highlands (Guayaquil to Quito - what used to take a week could be done in 2 days once the line opened). The section we visited was for transporting to Riobamba and was an impressive engineering feat as it "is among the most audacious projects realized in the Andean mountain range".  

At one point you could ride on the top of the train as it made the zig-zag path up the mountains (they would rent you a cushion for your bum).  Alas, heavy damage from rainstorms in the late 1990's, lack of upkeep, the popularity of the Pan-American Highway, and, of course, the pandemic  all had a part to play in the government finally ceasing all operations in 2020 for the liquidation of the company. They now have plans for a "Public-Private Alliance, which will allow repowering and rehabilitating the Ecuadorian train" since it is considered a "national cultural patrimony".  Here's your odd fact of the day: the train tracks in Ecuador are 10" smaller in width than the rest of the world.

 One our last leg of the journey to Riobamba, Antonio told us that earlier in the morning he had learned about the death of "The Last Ice Man".  Antonio knew him personally (his name was Baltazar Ushca), and told us some about the history of ice hunting and experiences Antonio had with tourists and Sr. Ushca.  Here is an excerpt (translated into English) from the article linked above:

"Baltazar Ushca Tenesaca was born in 1944 and became an icon by being the last iceman of Chimborazo, an activity characterized by collecting ice from natural glaciers, located around the highest point of the Chimborazo volcano, and supplying that material to the La Merced market in Riobamba .

In his youth, he shared this activity with his brothers, but gradually he became alone until he became the 'Last Iceman of Chimborazo' , for which he received hundreds of awards in Ecuador and the world . In fact, he was the protagonist of several documentaries and reports that were published in different parts of the world.

What was his activity like? He climbed to the highest peak of the volcano religiously on Tuesdays and Fridays. He had to walk for seven hours or more and he did it in rainy, sunny or snowy weather . It didn't matter if he had to bring down 22 kilos of ice that were divided into up to 10 blocks wrapped in straw.

When he was 77, Ushca embarked on a new stage. He started his business called Agua Baltazar, which comes directly from ice cubes that he extracted from the volcano. From snow to the bottle, this is how Baltazar sought to get his product.  Tourists from different places have come to Guano to try the product. Baltazar and his family have worked hard to make their innovative product reach all corners of Ecuador."

We arrived at Hosteria La Andaluza, and if you can fall in love with a hotel, I fell in love.  Every facet of the location was a delight, and it was absolutely oozing charm.  Antiques, flowers and fauna, small rooms with chandeliers, fountains, street lamps with stained glass - it had it all.  I only wish we would have had time for an official tour of the hotel to learn its history. 

Our dinner that night was in an immense dining room, at what appeared to be a 20-foot table.  I said to Subash "It looks like we'll be eating like kings!", to which he replied, "Well, you will eat like a princess."  He's a hoot.  Dinner was delicious with the most astonishing potato soup I've ever eaten (I think it was called Locro de Los Andes) and a delicious mix of meats cooked (and served) on a hot volcanic stone.  

Towards the end of our meal a group of 5 men came in and played music for us on traditional Andean instruments.  Their first song was quite sad, and they explained that it was due to their region morning the death of the Last Ice Hunter.  After that initial song they played several more lively songs and many of us got up to dance to the music while they played and sang.  A delightful way to end the evening in such a lovely location.

You can take a virtual tour of the hotel here: https://hosteriaandaluza.com/tour360view/tour.html

Gualaceo & Cuenca

Our current location is in the Azuay province, along the Panamerican highway. Cuenca, where we are staying, is the capital of the province and the largest city. This province is also home to the country's largest hydroelectric plant, so they are definitely dealing with the effects of La Niña.  We began our day with a trip to the small town of Gualaceo, about an hour outside of Cuenca, to visit Ecuagenera, an orchid farm in the Andes mountains.  They specialize in the production and the conservation of orchid species and hybrids, and although my sister and I had visited an orchid farm in Thailand, years ago, this one had a far wider range of species.  Sadly, though they have many stunning orchids for sale, you cannot purchase any to take home with you because customs will not allow you to take them across the border.  You can purchase from them online and they can ship them to you, but you would pay a pretty penny to do so.

Because of their mountainous location and the cool weather, they grow everything in greenhouses.  On our drive down into this valley you could view several greenhouses, some of them seemingly clinging to the side of the hill.  Ecuador is home to about 5,000 species of orchids, and this farm produces about 1,500 species.

Onward we went to La Casa de la Makana for a weaving demonstration by the family of José Jiménez.  A "makana" is a shawl, and they are known in this area for ikat designs, woven in the traditional manner.  They use a variety of threads (cotton, wool, silk, and bamboo) and various dyes from natural sources (walnut, cochinilla {known as cochineal in English}, indigo, etc.).  The designs can take between 3 days and 6 months to create!  They still use the traditional back-strap loom and the woman who gave us the tour and demonstration actually had an engineering degree, but she loved her family's traditional weaving more so this is what she does now.  Their small showroom had a wide array of items (coats, scarves, purses, hats, gloves, belts) and some shawls made nearly 150 years ago by his great-grandmother.  Because of the level of difficulty to the pattern and the lack of demand for those types of pieces, they don't make those anymore.  As delightful as I found the patterns, I just wasn't confident I would wear any of the items, and didn't truly need any of them, so I refrained from making any purchases.

After the shopping we were back on the bus for a return to Cuenca for a tour of the city.  The name cuenca is Spanish for "basin made by a confluence of rivers", so this Cuenca (there's also one in Spain) has four rivers: the Tomebamba, Yanuncay, Tarqui, and Machangara.

Plaza de San Francisco

 

We visited many of the same locations last night, such as the flower market and the Plaza de San Francisco.  We were able to visit the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Cuenca, known simply as the New Cathedral.  It's the one with the beautiful blue domes and its design was inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.  The interior was lovely with a lot of local pink marble, although apparently the local pink marble isn't very high quality.  In addition, during the length of the building process (construction started in the 1880s and culminated in 1975), many changes were made to the blueprints and now the church is not quite structurally sound.  The church combines several architectural styles, including Gothic, Renaissance, and Romanesque.

We were soon given free time to explore a bit more on our own or to enjoy lunch somewhere.  I ended up in a small café in the charming courtyard of the Seminario San Luis for lunch with 6 of my other tour mates.

Our lunch view

The Arupo Tree and a woman in local costume

 

We soon headed back to our meeting point to head to Museo La Magia del Sombrero, the "Panama Hat Museum".  The origin of these hats and the process of making them was very intriguing, and at one time (before the Panama Canal was constructed) the production of Panama hats was 6% of Ecuadors GDP!  The museum is housed inside the Homero Ortega company "with the aim of making known the history of the Panama hat, a handmade product made in Ecuador."  The hats are made from a plant native to Ecuador, similar to a palm, with unique qualities that make it excellent for weaving hats.  Even today, the weaving of the hats is done manually.

So the question on many of your minds is likely, "Why is it called the 'Panama Hat' if its origins are in Ecuador"?  Well, their website does a good job of attempting to explain the misnomer, but the simplest answer is: The Panama Canal.  Basically, the construction of the Panama Canal caused a huge demand for the toquilla straw hat (it is very breathable and yet protects you from the sun), with the publicity of the canal the hat became international and people began to call it “Panama Hat”.  Another interesting fact is that the weaving of these toquilla straw hats was "declared 'Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity' by UNESCO in 2012" as it represents an important part of the culture and traditions of the country.  Their showroom had a wide array of styles available for purchase, ranging in price from $30-$2,000, depending on the quality of the hat (the thickness of straw used in its construction and the skill of the weaver).  

Back at the hotel we had free time for the remainder of the evening. At first my plan was to visit the Inca Museum, but it closed at 5pm and it was already after 4pm.  My next plan was to either catch a taxi back to the Old Town and climb the church tower (I'd run out of time at lunch) and wander around a bit more, or enjoy the hotel's swimming pool.  As I was sitting in my room, uploading photos while my phone charged, I noticed the rain clouds were looking more threatening.  Antonio had told us about the big futbol match tonight between Ecuador and Paraguay and that the hotel restaurant would have it on TV.  Since David had purchased a jersey earlier in the day, in anticipation of the game, I knew he and Alice would be there so I would at least have someone to sit with if I went down to watch.  They were indeed there, as were Antonio and Roque.  I sat with David and Alice and it was an enjoyable way to spend a few rainy hours.  The game, unfortunately, ended in a 0-0 tie, which was not good for Ecuador's standings in the World Cup Qualifier for South America (they were in 3rd at the start of the game).

Onward to Cuenca

As mentioned in my post yesterday, the 9th of October is a national holiday ("dia festivo" in Español).  But, since the day falls in the middle of the week, they will move the celebrations to the weekend so everyone gets a 3-day holiday.  All that to say, if Antonio had not told us it was a holiday, we would never have noticed (and yes, part of that is because we're tourists so the places we visit most likely wouldn't be closed anyway).

We began our day with a tour of a large, local market called Mercado Sauces IX.  I didn't notice any other tourists, and the variety of items for sale was extensive.  Anything from fresh plants and flowers to fruits, veggies, raw meats (pork, fish, chicken, beef, etc.), cleaning products, and even toilet paper.  I was able to help Gita and her sister Urmilla purchase a few things with my limited Spanish, and then we were off to the bus for our next stop.,

A main event on today's itinerary was our tour of a cacao farm.  The farm we visited was part of Unocace, a non-profit agricultural cooperative.  Unocace is made up of about 1900 families that raise organic cacao.  The farm we visited had only 5 acres and 4 full-time employees, but seasonal employees are needed during harvest since all of the cultivation is done by hand, no machines at all!

The flowers of the cacao plant (which grow the seed pod) are incredibly fragile, so they plant banana trees around the farm to provide the cacao plant protection from too much wind, rain, or sun.  Even with those measures, only maybe 6% of the flowers will survive and create a seed pod.  Thankfully the tree blossoms almost year-round, but they have two main seasons when they can harvest.  If you're into chocolate, or biology, or both, here's a good spot to learn a bit more: www.thechocolatejournalist.com.
Despite the tropical climate, I was surprised to learn their biggest pest is squirrels!  They like to eat the seeds out of the pod, but since the squirrels are a protected species they can only trap and relocate them.  Only about 20% of the cacao in the world is premium cacao AND organic, so this farm is in a niche market.  Ecuador, overall, is the world's third largest producer of cacao beans (Ivory Coast and Ghana hold the top two spots, although the plants are not native to Africa).  This cooperative exports to exclusively to Switzerland, France, Canada, and the U.S.

Our plans for the rest of the day were changed by an attempted robbery of an armoured car along the highway we were on as we headed for Cuenca.  Unfortunately, one person died during the robbery and there are not a lot of alternate routes through the Andes.  Although our detour doubled our time on the bus, the day was beautiful and the drive through the mountains was lovely.  You could spot the local, indigenous people (in their customary fedoras and colorful clothing) out in the fields and mountain sides.  On the Cuenca side of the Andes there were lots of milk cows, and the towns of El Tambo and Cañar are known for milk production.

We made it to Oro Verde (our hotel) around 6:30pm, and Antonio offered to take anyone who was interested on a walk through the Old Town of Cuenca.  Deb and I (the young ones on the tour), took him up on the offer to see the buildings all lit up.  Now, if you've followed any of the news surrounding Ecuador these days you might be wondering about the power outages.  Well, the power outages are due to the current drought the country is experiencing.  About 10-15 years ago Ecuador decided to go "green" so they borrowed money from China (yes, everyone's doing it) to build hydroelectric dams.  At the time, no one really expected such an extended drought, but it had been over 50 days without rain in the regions where the dams are located, so to deal with the energy crisis they have scheduled outages.  The large businesses, and especially the large businesses catering to tourists, all have generators so they can continue to operate rather seamlessly.  

The flags in this alley are due to the holiday (Guayaquil flag)

This beautiful pink tree is an Arupo tree,
famous for its unique blossoming,
which occurs only once a year.

There were some areas that were dark (no streetlights), and we could hear generators running in some spots, but Antonio noted that there were a lot less people than his last time here at night (pre-blackouts).  There some beautiful views, as many of the buildings had their lights on, and although it was quite brisk out, the views and walking were better than an evening in my hotel room.

Adventure to South America

I booked this tour, with Gate 1, to Ecuador because it was a good deal (they waived the single supplement fee) and because I have yet to visit South America.  I was very close to South America on my visit to Panama in 2012, but wanted to be able to officially cross my 6th continent off the list (Oceania/Australia, Europe, South America, North America, Africa, and Asia).

Despite the relatively close proximity (after Australia and New Zealand so many places seem "close"), my travels to Ecuador too awhile.  I had to go to Philly before I could go to Miami, but blessedly I had no delays or cancellations, and no lost luggage.  I'd scheduled the hotel shuttle to pick me up and when I got to the arrivals area at Guayaquil airport there was a man with my name on a sign - always a welcome sight when arriving in a country for the first time.  I met another couple, David & Alice, who joined me on the shuttle and were also in my tour group.  They were mid-70's, I would guess, and were from Albuquerque, NM. 

With most people arriving late in the evening this tour began with an orientation meeting on the 2nd day of travel.  After breakfast we all headed to one of the conference rooms to meet everyone, and our guide for the week, Antonio.  We all went around the room and introduced ourselves and said where we were from (only 1 Brit and no Aussies this time). The group is quite small, only 20 people, which Antonio believes is due the misguided travel warnings for Ecuador.  Yes, there is crime (who doesn't have crime?), but it's contained to specific areas and is all drug-related.  The scheduled power outages are not related to the crime, but are due to the drought.  The country switched to hydro-electric about 10 years ago and this year they've been having an extreme lack of rain.  Most businesses and all the big hotels in the touristy areas run diesel generators to keep everything functioning.  The official name of the city is Santiago de Guayaquil (pronounced "why-ahh-keel") and it is the capital of the Guayas province.  Surprisingly, it is the largest city in Ecuador and is also their main seaport.

Our first stop for the day was the brightly colored Las Peñas neighborhood where we climbed the 444 steps to the top of Santa Ana hill for gorgeous views of the city below.  The steps actually have little bricks with the step number in them, so you don't actually have to count them.  At the top there was a lighthouse and a small chapel.  The additional 68 steps to the top of El Faro was worth it for the delicious breeze on a humid morning, and for the additional views out into the Guayas River and the city beyond.

From there we headed towards the La Rotonda monument, located on their Malecón 2000 riverfront promenade.  This monument is located on the Avenida 9 de Octubre (today is October 8th and tomorrow is a holiday), named for the date of their independence from Spain in 1820 (Guayaquil was the first city to gain its independence).  The statue depicts José de San Martín (from Argentina) and Simón Bolívar (from Venezuela) meeting to make plans to liberate the people from Spain.

 

It was at this monument that the following exchange occurred with one of my fellow travelers:
Subash: So where in Pennsylvania are you from?

Me: I'm from an hour north of Pittsburgh, I don't actually live in the city.  It's a small town, no one has usually heard of it.

Subash: I'm from Ohio, so I might have heard of it, what is it called.

Me: It's called Butler.

Subash (giving me a strange look): Everyone has heard of Butler, PA!

Me (palm to forehead): Oh my goodness...the assassination attempt...I'd forgotten.

ALL of these years I've been traveling the world it was instinct to respond that "no one has heard of it".  We both had a good laugh, but that being said, I'll still probably stick with "north of Pittsburgh".  

Next we headed to Parque Bolívar (or Seminario Park) which is more commonly known as "Iguana Park".  It was very odd to see so many large green iguanas in such a small place! Since the city feeds them, and they're protected, I suppose they have no reason to leave.  Our visit to the beautiful Guayaquil Metropolitan Cathedral, at the end of the park, was sidelined because they were having mass and we couldn't go inside to look around and I could only get one photo through the glass in the entryway.

From there we headed back to the Malecón for the variety of options for lunch along the riverfront.  I enjoyed some fresh lemonade and a brocheta at La Vaca Purpura (the word "brocheta" is Spanish for "kebab").  By the time we were back on the bus I was beat.  We had free time for a few hours and I ended up falling asleep for 2 of those hours.  After showering for dinner I took a walk to the huge mall next door to our hotel for a browse (basically the same as any other mall you'd find) and then headed back for our official Welcome Dinner.