Reflections: An Ecuadorian Journal

How do I describe three weeks of breathtaking biodiversity, sumptuous soups, mouthwatering tropical fruit, adventures in transportation, engaging conversations with informative and inquisitive local Ecuadorian guides, rich history and abundant wildlife, lots of laughter with my travel friend and fellow artist Kathleen, myriad amazing paintable images and. . . you get the picture. With the help of our Adventure Life tour specialists we jam packed three weeks with an exploration of the Andes Highlands, an adventurous flight and boat ride into Kapawi Lodge in the Amazon Rain Forest, and a never to be forgotten eight day cruise through the Galapagos Islands on a 14 passenger/six crew motor sailor. Each trip was interspersed with a night at our home away from home, the Hostal de La Rabida in Quito, where we also spent three full days on the end of our trip. In my style of journaling I tend to do a quick watercolor sketch on site and return to it a couple days later to write whatever comes to mind after I've had some time to digest the experience. You'll see a taste of Kathleen's art as well as mine in this e-journal. And of course, photos. Feel free to skip to the section of our trip that interests you!

It is amazing to me how much we packed into a 3 day tour of the Otavalo Valley area a couple of hours north of Quito. I loved that we had Luis, our guide, and Carlitos, our driver, completely to ourselves in the Adventure Life van. The flexibility we had to be spontaneous was amazing. ''Please stop, I want a picture!'' And with a visit to the Otavalo market and the Monument on the Equator our only ''must dos'' it was fun to put ourselves in their hands to enjoy the myriad sights they lined up. The Piramides de Cochasqui is not normally on the list of sites for tourists to see. I am SO GLAD we stopped here. The 2 hour tour (because we asked so many questions!) of this site provided a foundation for the Ecuadorian history we added to over our entire trip. Cochasqui is a power place, and it was the perfect start for us. The archeological site guide, Fatima, spoke in Spanish and Luis translated. We walked all over the hillsides petting llamas, viewing the covered mounds of still buried pyramids, marveling at the huge unearthed linear sun dials, and getting a real understanding for the pre-Inca history of Ecuador-stuff I sure did not get in my pre-trip reading! -And a real bonus--it turns out that our driver Carlitos grew up just down the road. The history of this place is his personal history. WOW We drove by his family house and we stopped so he could say hello. (Our idea, not his - but how could he not stop?) On our way back we stopped again and got a tour of his cousin's rose greenhouse that was across the road. They were about to start harvesting beautiful long stemmed red roses in another week to ship the roses to the US for Valentines Day. Kathleen and I each bought a bouquet of two dozen roses. $1.00 for each bouquet. The hacienda staff gave us huge beautiful vases for our flowers. We had a casita in the Hacienda Pinsaqui--our own little house! It had 3 bedrooms, a sala (living room) and a bathroom. We spread out into our own rooms for some solo down time and then headed to the bar for the welcome at 7 p.m. Hector, the manager, was delightful. He started us off with tea and ended with a shot of something stronger-we didn't know what it was, but when in Ecuador, ''Salud''! We both bought CD's from the band, the ''Waukis''. We listened to their music in the van the next day and I was dancing in the back seat! I got up early the next day and walked the grounds and sketched. This hacienda was a favorite of Simon Bolivar's, a key leader in Latin America's struggle for independence. The hacienda architecture is wonderful and very familiar for a Californian. Fine weaving was produced here in the past, but there are no signs of that activity now. Some of the sprawling buildings are maintained beautifully and others are in a bit of disrepair, and it all seems ''right''. The view over the valley toward the Volcano with the contour farm fields marching up the slopes into the fog hovering on the mountain is mesmerizing. WOW.

Our days were characterized by 9 am pick-ups (how civilized!) and drives through the countryside to towns and sites of interest. We hit all the suggested shopping and tourist locations in the guide books: wood carvings, weavings, leather work, marzipan, the Otavalo Market, volcano views and lakes. . . I liked simply sightseeing from the van. I had no idea how arid in aspect much of the Andean vegetation is! I enjoyed the feeling of flexibility of being in our own van. I did not feel ''packaged'' at all. Rather, I felt taken care of. I usually travel independently so this was somewhat new-and I've decided I like it! I would never have seen or learned the things the way I did if I were on my own with a guide book. I'm sold on using local guides in South America and treating myself to enjoying the views and getting my questions answered in depth instead of navigating the roads.

When Luis was a child his father would load the family up for a Sunday drive to the Otavalo Valley from their Quito home, and take the family to Rosita's. Luis's father said Rosita made the best ice cream and WOW. It's sorbet-like and the flavors are tropical fruits I'd never heard of. Three of us went in and ordered two scoops each of different flavors and then we traded tastes. There are 8 flavors, so when we finished Kathleen said we had to order one more dish to share the last two flavors. We were all grinning like crazy gringos-even Luis-when we marched up to the counter to order that last bowl. My friend is a wise woman-Dang. Now my mouth is watering!

I really wanted to see the Otavalo Market, and I was concerned that we were going to see it on Wednesday instead of Saturday, the ''big'' market day. We missed the animal market by not going on Saturday, but there were so few tourists on Wednesday I am now super glad we did not go on Saturday. We actually had time to really look at the wares. I got to use my Spanish to bargain and chat with vendors. . . Luis walked us around the perimeter and quietly recommended amounts to pay. We agreed on a meeting time and place, he left, we shopped! Thank goodness we were able to leave our purchases at ''La Rabida'' while we went to the Amazon Rain Forest and the Galapagos Islands. After the Otavalo Market we were both able to check gift buying off the to-do list!

A stop at the Equator Monument outside of Quito was not in Luis's plans, but I was nuts about standing on the equator so he and Carlitos made it happen. We arrived at 4 p.m. in time to get a monument guide to take us through the outdoor exhibits on the equator and the sun, and to be delighted by equatorial science experiments. I successfully balanced the raw egg (yes, I shook it to be sure!) on the head of a nail driven into a board on the Equatorial line. I came home with a certificate to prove it! (No other tourists were successful while we were there!) Don't ask me why but being on the center of our planet has some strange attraction for me! It was a fitting last stop for our trip to the Andes Highlands.

Kapawi Lodge was the first ecotourism lodge in Ecuador. When we told Ecuadorians we were going to Kapawi Lodge they gave us a second-and approving-- look. It is famous in their country because it is a partnership between the indigenous Achuar people and ''modern'' Ecuadorians and foreigners. 37 years ago when Achuar people first had contact with people from the modern Ecuadorian world many people feared it would be the start of the destruction of Achuar culture and way of life. The Kapawi Lodge project is intended to provide the Achuar with an alternative path to the destructive impacts of allowing oil extraction and mining on the extensive rain forest lands that have been identified as the land of the Achuar. All of the Lodge staff-Achuar and non-Achuar alike--are passionate about this goal. The lodge complex is gorgeous. There were only 4 other guests there with us. We were all housed in 3 lodges at the far end of the line of lodges. I felt like we had our own private piece of the rain forest. The lodges have thatched roofs and are round, sitting on poles over a lagoon. A lanai with lounge chairs faces the lagoon. When we returned each night the mosquito nets were pulled down around our beds. It was the rainy season but while we stayed at the lodge there was a break in the rain. It was not as humid as I expected, either. . . A note. . . alert your roommate not to leave a chocolate mint on your pillow. It will melt in the tropics!

Yeah. . . I could have hung out in the hammock on our wonderful lanai all day painting and bird watching. . .but I roused myself to -Go out at night in the motorized canoe to spotlight for caiman, the local alligators. We saw one HUGE caiman lounging on a sandbar. WOW -Go on nature hikes through the rain forest in my lodge-provided rubber boots; -Ride a motorized canoe up river and hop into a kayak to ride back down river with the current, exploring side lagoons; -Visit an Achuar home for a cultural exchange. He asked ''Where are your husbands and why do they allow two women to travel alone?'' and I asked: ''If you could change one thing that has happened since non-Achuar people came to this part of the Rain Forest, what would it be?'' I had a special experience in the Rain Forest at night during the spotlighting excursion to view caiman. The guides turned off the motor and the spotlight and let the boat drift. The darkness, even in the middle of the river, was so intense I felt I could touch it. And the sound. It is hard to see wildlife in the rain forest, but at night the forest is an orchestra of hundreds of different sounds and voices. I've been on lots of nature night hikes where lights go out for a short while, but never as long as this time. I think we drifted for 30 minutes. I forgot to wonder when the motor would start again and I was totally immersed in the moment when the motor was turned on. To say I was startled is an understatement. For that short time I was in another time and place. I will remember that experience my whole life.

I have wanted to visit the Galapagos Islands since I was a little girl. I knew I wanted to spend the maximum amount of time in the islands that my budget would allow on a small boat with few passengers. It did not take long as I researched my trip to figure out I wanted a boat that accepted 12 to 16 passengers max, went out for 8 days without returning to pick up or drop off 3 and 5 day passengers, had air conditioning, included snorkeling in the itinerary and visited lots of islands. After looking at about 40 itineraries I found the Samba! The Samba is a motor sailor (they don't use the sails) with an excellent itinerary. They do a great job with the food, the rooms have adequate space and the crew was a delight! The other passengers selected the Samba for the same reasons we did, so we had a completely compatible group to sail with. I have received e-mails from fellow passengers from Great Britain, Australia, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, and the U.S. We had one night of ''rough sailing'' during which the Captain directed that passengers were not allowed on deck. 3 passengers left the dinner table as soon as food was served to nurse their sea sick stomachs in private. The rest of us ate with gusto! I don't usually get seasick, but I was glad I had the anti-motion sickness patch on behind my ear that night. Our forward room really rocked and Kathleen was at risk for dumping out of the top bunk a few times. The crew laughed the next day when we talked about the rough water. They said that was nothing! In June, July, and August they said all the passengers get sick on that particular nights sail! It took no effort to get into the rhythm of this trip. Each day we had two excursions, transferring from the Samba into ''pangas'', small motorized rafts, for either a ''dry'' or ''wet'' landing. Starting day 3 we snorkeled either once or twice a day. Our guide has a degree in marine biology and has been doing his job for 21 years. He was very knowledgeable, his English was great, and he set a moderate walking pace. He ensured we had time to hang out and look at views and wildlife so I did not feel rushed. His experience showed. At home I read about the Post Office Bay sailing ship tradition of dropping off and picking up non stamped mail to be delivered by others throughout the world. I pre-cut hard stock watercolor paper into the shape of post cards and brought them with me. I placed 8 watercolor sketches in the Post Office Bay container for future visitors to pick up and hopefully mail for me. I put a note on each post card for the recipients to call me when/if they arrived. (Note: I'm back home now and four of the eight have arrived!)

And the wildlife -WOW! I am not a morning person, and yet I set the alarm for 6 am daily and in 10 minutes I was the first passenger up on deck. I couldn't wait to see our new mooring! (We sailed at night!) Elizabeth Bay was magic with flying fish, diving flightless cormorants and blue footed boobies, marine turtles and penguins. With a killer sunrise to boot. WOW! Even though I knew from years of reading about the Galapagos that the wildlife is not afraid of humans. . .WOW WOW WOW. . . I cannot describe how special I felt to stand looking at a Nazca Booby mommy bird shifting her scrawny featherless baby from one webbed foot to the other. A few steps further I saw several Blue Footed Booby parents with their downy chicks. Our guide said the Nazca Booby baby bird was less than 2 hours out of the egg. The mother bird uses her feet to insulate the baby from the hot ground, and her feathers from above to be sure it does not get cold. And the parents ignored us as if we were not there. WOW WOW WOW! For years to come I'll reflect back on lots of wildlife images when I think about the Galapagos Islands. . . . . .Sitting on a white sand beach in the middle of sea lions that I thought were simply sleeping when I came ashore. On the contrary, they were. . . grunting. . . changing positions to get the sand perfect. . . barking at babies to come back. . . letting the waves completely cover them before they bothered to move. . . rolling over so the sea lion next to her rolled over the one next to her who rolled over the one next to her. . . down the line like a bunch of chunky dominos. This colony of sun bathing sea lions was ANYTHING but quiet! WOW . . . Stopping to photograph sun bathing lava lizards with their chunky Popeye arms grabbing a rock. Just before you click the photo the lizard slowly turns his head to present a profile as if to say ''this is my good side-take this picture''! WOW . . . Quietly paddling the panga into a bay of calm marine ponds lined with mangroves, and drifting silently so marine turtles and sting rays peacefully glided beneath us. WOW I could go on and on. . . the punch line for me is that these islands are magically special and surpassed my expectations. I feel very fortunate to have been able to spend time there. I will reflect back on this visit with wonder for years to come.

The bad news: After 17 hours of air flights and airport transfers I arrived in Quito, but my luggage did not. Drat! The good news: Quito-based Ecuadorian Adventure Life Manager Betty Jaramillo took my luggage information and returned to the airport the following day. She worked some kind of Ecuadoriana magic and retrieved my luggage. I was in the Otavalo Valley by then and she offered to have my luggage driven up there if I wished. Talk about service! I suspect I would not have been as successful, if at all, in the luggage recovery department! She was the recipient of my two dozen roses from Otavalo Valley as a thank you! The bad news: Due to the combination of a 6 hour ''mechanical problem'' delay for a Tame flight that resulted in us missing our small plane flight into Kapawi Lodge due to rainy season bad weather (take a breath!), we missed our first night at the Lodge. The good news: The silver lining was a night at another Lodge, engaging dinner conversation with our 20 something hosts about Ecuadorian politics and economy, and some great Ecuadorian beer! Our flight the next morning was great. The bad news: When we were ready to leave Kapawi Lodge rainy season weather delayed our plane. We had to make an early flight to the Galapagos the next morning and we had a big repack to accomplish. A time crunch and the real possibility of missing our Galapagos sail was looming. The good news: When the weather broke our small plane came. We were flown to Shell and then driven four hours back to Quito. (We had long since missed our connecting large plane flight to Quito so there was no point in flying us to the larger Macas airport.) We got to see the Avenue of the Volcanoes and the scenic Banos area on this drive. We would not have seen these incredible views without this ''detour''! Kudos to the Kapawi Lodge team for being incredibly proactive to get us to Quito at 9 p.m. in time to pack for our early morning flight to the Galapagos the following morning!

-During the rainy season leave enough time between trips so you don't miss your next trip adventure due to weather related travel delays. -Ecuador uses American currency. Getting change is tough! Bring only small denominations (no $50 bills or higher). Bring $100 worth of $1.00 bills. I brought $50 worth of $1.00 bills and wish I'd brought more. -If you are going for an 8 day boat trip through the Galapagos, look for one with an itinerary that does not keep returning to Puerto Ayora to drop off and pick up the 3 and 5 day passengers. That way you head out and see more islands, more wildlife and you're with ''simpatico'' travelers who all want to see the islands as much as you do! -Have your guide walk the perimeter of the Otavalo market with you and quietly give you advice on price ranges. Then go back and start to bargain. Luis suggested. . . if the price is low, you can often bargain for the item at half that price. (starting price $4.00. . . you pay $2.00) If the starting price is ''high'', you will pay 80%. (Starting price $12, you pay $9 or $10.) -Have a list of folks you want to buy for and don't forget that you have to get everything home in your luggage! You pay for every pound over the limit. The foldable duffel I packed was a life saver, as it allowed me to keep both pieces of luggage well under the limit. -Pay attention to the weight requirements for small plane air flights. They'll weigh you, your luggage and your carry on before you get on the small plane. Once again, the small duffel did the trick! It was perfect for the Kapawi Lodge flights. -Make one hotel your home base as you travel around. Make sure they let you leave your luggage in storage as you come and go. -If you visit a rain forest lodge ask for a copy of the lodge's written pre-trip information before you leave home. I would have brought a larger day pack and set up our itinerary to leave one ''travel delay buffer day'' between the Andes Highlands, the Amazon Lodge, and the Galapagos trips if I'd had the rainy season delay information as well as the detail of weight limitations while still in the US. -Get the sea sick patches that go behind your ear for the Galapagos cruise, at least on the smaller boats. I am not prone to sea sickness but I suspect I might have added that experience to my repertoire if I had not had the patch on our one rough night. -Sign up for the US State Department's Warden Messages. It's helpful as you plan your trip to consider avoiding certain regions or city neighborhoods and to get a heads up on travel behaviors (i.e. take taxis at night in Quito, even to go two blocks.) Our Quito hotel had an armed guard 24/7. Don't not go!-Just be smart and informed. -Travel with people who are flexible and have a great sense of humor and an unfailing sense of wonder. Thank you Kathleen for being a great travel buddy!