When Things Fall Apart

Pema Chödrön

“Rather than letting our negativity get the better of us, we could acknowledge that right now we feel like a piece of shit and not be squeamish about taking a good look.” 
― Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

It's been years since I've read Pema's book. I think I originally picked it up when I was going through a painful divorce. Not that there's any other kind, really. Given that this is the messiest my life has been since that other life-changing event, it is apropos I am once again drawn to her matter-of-fact-get-over-yourself words.

A few months ago, I was climbing the stairs to the bell tower of the Basilica in Quito chatting with a guy from Dallas, TX. I was amped up because I had just accepted the perfect job (retreat manager) in my favorite country (New Zealand). Mr. Dallas was curious when I said I'd been living in Ecuador since January teaching English. When the conversation shifted to my new venture he was down right envious. New Zealand seems to be the Holy Grail of countries for so many people, even those who've never been.

Assured by the person who hired me that they had successfully navigated the immigration process many times, I submitted my visa application and returned to California to wait out the process. Then everything came crashing down.

After months of answering questions, waiting, following up, submitting more documentation, more waiting, and working with my immigration case worker in Washington D.C., last Friday I received an overnight package with the verdict. I was so confident I'd been approved I had to read the letter four times before it sunk in. VISA DENIED.

“Letting there be room for not knowing is the most important thing of all. When there's a big disappointment, we don't know if that's the end of the story. It may just be the beginning of a great adventure. Life is like that. We don't know anything. We call something bad; we call it good. But really we just don't know.” ― Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times 

For the past eight days I've been learning to embrace the not knowing. Accepting this life is all a great mystery, that there is something even better just waiting to be discovered.

At first it was difficult and all I wanted to do was blame. Blame the person who hired me for not doing her part to meet the immigration requirements. Hell, blame her for not knowing what the new requirements even were! Blame my caseworker for not interpreting my documentation the way I thought she would, or should.

Could have. Would have. Should have. Dialog designed to keep me stuck in the past and mired in suffering.

With each passing day it is becoming easier to see the light. Easier to awaken my curiosity and begin asking what's next. I've also become rather adept at taking a good look at my negative emotions. Observing them, comforting them, and then watching them shift and fall away. Thankfully I have Pema keeping me on task!

“We can step into uncharted territory and relax with the groundlessness of our situation; [we can] dissolve the dualistic tension between us and them, this and that, good and bad, by inviting in what we usually avoid. My teacher described this as "leaning into the sharp points.” 
― Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

There Was This Guy and His Cows

If you find yourself walking through the Andean countryside and happen to meet up with a cattle herder, I encourage you to proceed with great caution. Yesterday I was minding my own business enjoying a pleasant meander to el Chorro, just outside of Girón, when I met said cattle herder who answers to the name Jaime.

After a few minutes of polite conversation, Jaime asked if I was on my way to the waterfall; clearly the only reason for a Gringa to be walking up this particular stretch of roadway. My initial intent was to just head up to the base of the first waterfall, but Jaime assured me the trek to the base of the second waterfall was a mere 30 minutes through the rain forest.

I'm sure what he meant was 30 minutes if you have Andean lungs and you've lived your entire life walking to and from town. If, on the other hand, you have sea-level lungs and are out of hiking shape it's more like a two-hour tour. I hate to admit that he was more nimble on his feet in $3 rubber boots than I was in my $80 trail shoes. Pathetic!

The forest was overflowing with unusual flowers. I am constantly amazed that I see new varieties every single time I go hiking. How can this be? The orchids aren't blooming at the moment, but I can only imagine how glorious it will be when they burst forth in October.

As the trail grew narrow, steep and completely overgrown, I began to question the sanity of this adventure. Jaime, however, was determined to show off his backyard and who could blame him!

Thankfully we took the easy way down and about mid-way Jaime and I said our goodbyes. He had cattle to tend to before nightfall. I did the slip-and-slide the rest of the way through dense fog on a trail strewn with rocks. Before I knew it I was sitting on a bus back to Cuenca. Sweaty, exhausted, covered in mud and overflowing with gratitude for another amazing day!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Well, at least that's what my second-grade teacher back in Minnesota always told me. In Cuenca it's more like March, April and May showers bring on the flowers...and raging rivers.

During a recent break in the downpours, Jean and I headed over to the University of Cuenca orchid research greenhouses. The goal of the laboratory is to prevent the extinction of Amazonian orchids. Surprisingly there are no restrictions against heading into the Amazon and gathering all the orchids you want. Yet another sustainability issue to check into before purchasing your next orchid!

Only about an eighth of the plants were actually blooming during our visit. Nonetheless it was a feast for the eyes with orchids ranging from itty-bitty things no bigger than a honey bee to blooms measuring five inches tall. All of them stunning!

Semana Santa - Leon, Nicaragua

Semana Santa in Leon has been interesting, but not nearly as insane...by way of lots of people...as I was prepared for. Not being Catholic, nor a particularly informed Christian, I'm unable to interpret much of what has been happening around me. What I do know is there has been a procession every morning for seven days. The first six days there was basically just one procession a day, usually in the morning, with people carrying platforms with statues of Mary, various saints and Jesus carrying the cross. 

Yesterday there was a six am procession, a late-morning procession, an early-afternoon procession and then the Grand Finale. Around 5pm a procession moving even more slowly than earlier processions and containing a statue of Jesus reposed on pillows, rather than carrying the cross, moved through the city and ended at the Cathedral. After what have must of been a two-hour mass, the entire procession worked it's way in reverse back to the whichever church Jesus can normally be found.

A few things struck me as, well, odd and disturbing. First and foremost that there were vendors selling everything from hot dogs to glow-in-the-dark lasers to brightly colored blow-up animals intermingled with the band, the priest and Jesus. Everyone in the States asks what the Easter Bunny has to do with Easter and I think he's pretty darn inoffensive in comparison. 

The second oddity were the number of homes along the procession route who had living people laying in front of their homes made up to look like a deceased Jesus. Just laying there. Motionless. For hours.
 









The city of Leon has been a rather toasty place to spend the week, what with the temperature hovering right around 100 and humidity fluctuating between 60-80%. Yet I have managed to get out on a few early-morning wanderings about town. What has struck me the most is the vast number of homes that still bear scars of the revolution. It is impossible to walk any complete block in the city and not see the spray of bullet holes across a building.



The most annoying thing about Nica is the plastic. Of course this is a world-wide problem, but here it just amazes me how senseless it is. If you stop at a street vendor and purchase a Pepsi in a glass bottle they will pour it into a plastic baggie and give you a straw. Even if you promise not to move and drink the soda right there. Yesterday I had a chicken wrap that was enveloped in butcher paper and a snug fitting baggie, yet they still wanted to give me another bag to carry it away in! 

Nearly everyone you see on the street has the chewed off corner of a plastic bag stuck in their mouths sucking out any number of cold or frozen beverages. And every piece ends up on the street until the cleaning crews come through in the night. It's seriously enough to put me right over the edge. Or maybe it's just the heat.

Making the Most of It

Lupines Blooming at Lago Quilotoa

The power of language and the words we choose to form our thoughts is something I find utterly fascinating. A month or so ago I started noticing that when people asked how I liked Cuenca or Ecuador my response was less than enthusiastic. In fact I found myself saying things like, "Oh it's alright. I can make it until my teaching contract is up in November." My mind was on constant repeat uttering, "Tough it out. Make the best of it."

Thankfully on the rather long bus ride from Baños to Cuenca I rediscovered Eckhart Tolle and The Power of Now. As I sat watching the patchwork-quilt of fields pass by dotted with brightly dressed indigenous women, I listened to Eckhart's discourse on the beauty of living in the present moment. Not a new philosophy for me, but this time I heard something new.

To paraphrase Mr. Tolle, the mind is always busy creating a story of how a situation is going to play out and we get so hooked into following the story that we aren't able to see events as they are unfolding. We're just looking for the events that we've created in our story.

His words hit me. No, slapped me across the face yelling, "Wake up!" You see, when I first decided to move to Ecuador I was just going with the flow. Several people had mentioned I should check it out and, having nothing better to do, I decided to see what opportunities might arise. I hadn't yet created a story. But then the insidious mind kicked in and said, "You'd best create some sort of plan." Thus began the researching of towns which led to the creation of Cuenca, The Perfect City by Shantel Beckers.

When Cuenca didn't live up to my expectations I became disappointed. That disappointment, fed by the constant grumbling of my dissatisfied mind, grew until I found myself planning my escape from Ecuador.

Today I'm happy to report that I've changed my mantra from Make the Best of It to Make the Most of It. Rather than comparing the Cuenca of my story to the Cuenca of reality, I'm simply embracing what is. I'm allowing the plot to develop and unfold day-by-day without expectation of where it's going to take me. By simply plugging a different word into my daily mantra, I'm back to enjoying the adventures of life in Ecuador!

Give Me Shelter

For the second time in less than I week I've found myself sucked into a group tour. Definitely not my preferred way to explore an area, but when faced with a travel companion who has an agenda compromises must be made.

The biggest pitfall of the organized tour is following the time schedule. How dare you drop me at an indigenous market and give me a mere fifteen minutes to explore; that's not even enough time to find a bathroom and buy a soda!

The upside of having a guide is just maybe you'll see something that might otherwise go unnoticed. Such was the case as we drove through the hillside from Latacunga to Quilotoa. As I was gazing out the window I noticed the haystacks dotting the fields.  It came as quite a surprise when we pulled over and walked up to one of these haystacks to meet the local inhabitants!

With the earthen walls dug into of the hillside and a grass roof, the haystacks indeed turned out to be homes. Albeit really small homes. The dwelling we visited was roughly ten by fifteen which was home to six humans, three dogs, one cat, a few chickens and eighty-one guinea pigs. Yes, 81! I know this because the farmer was quite proud of his herd. Squeaky little buggers to sleep with, but I suppose one would get used to it.

The highlight of the day was definitely hiking around the crater lake at Quilotoa. While not nearly as large as Crater Lake in Oregon, the views were still breathtaking. Probably because we were at 3500 meters!

Mark and I were hoping to hike the entire rim, which supposedly takes 5 hours, but once again the time keeper put the kibosh on that plan. With only two hours to explore we settled for an out-and-back exploration. The trail is a wee bit exposed in parts. Which, combined with my head cold, made me glad I thought to bring along trekking poles.

As we began our descent back into Latacunga I noticed the hills were plastered with greenhouses. The guide quickly boasted that every last one of those greenhouses was growing roses. Following petroleum, roses are the second largest export for Ecuador and they are all grown in this valley. There's an airport in town solely for the purpose of flying those cut flowers right off to Miami.

Petroleum, flowers and bananas. It's unfortunate that top exports in Ecuador are all environmental disasters. In fact, I have yet to met a local who eats bananas, or at least not the commercially viable variety, because of the impact production has on the environment and the mistreatment of workers.

Poor Man's Galapagos

Isla Plata is a small island located just off the coast of southern Ecuador and 1000 Km from the Galapagos, yet the islands are remarkably similar in flora and fauna. While Isla Plata really can't
compete with the Galapagos...it doesn't, after all, have the famous tortoise...for the budget traveler unable to swing $2000 for the real deal, it's a great way to get a glimpse of what the fuss is about.

Much like it's more famous sister, Isla Plata can only be visited with a certified guide. While I'm not generally one for organized tours, I have to admit this was one of those instances where it was worth it. Our guide pointed out native medicinal plants and gave a detailed explanation of the breeding practices and life-cycle of the blue-footed booby. (Who named this poor creature, by the way? It's a good thing they don't have to go through human puberty with kids making up rhymes about their name!)


The boobies are so unconcerned about the human visitors that they quietly sit next to the trail posing for photos. The babies who had yet to begin molting were just adorable fuzz-balls! It was also interesting to learn that for the first year their feet are a grayish white. From there they gradually turn from turquoise to a deep blue; a process which takes about five years.

After tromping around the island for several hours in the mid-day sun, snorkeling along the reef in a protected cove was a welcome, and refreshing, activity. Clearly the green sea turtles are accustomed to the tourist schedule as they magically appeared just as we moored the boat.

I was a little annoyed to see the tour operators here still toss out food to attract the marine life. While the area is a protected national park, they obviously still have a bit to learn about the negative impact of such a controversial practice.

Carnaval ~ Ecuadorian Style

I'll be the first to admit, I have some rather complex personality quirks. I love big cities as well as the solitude of living in the country, but don't care much for mid-size towns and break out in hives at the thought of suburbs. You'd be hard-pressed to get me to spend much money on a hotel, yet I'll readily spare no expense on a good meal.

This same sort of odd reasoning applies to festivals, parades, parties, etc. I either want a wild-and-crazy-blow-out or nothing at all. Which is why Carnaval in Gualaceo was such a downer. The paper listed three days of activities that led me to believe I was about to experience something fabulous.

First misleading promise was the "artisan fair in the park with handicrafts" that turned out to be row after disappointing row of Made in China. Board shorts, t-shirts, plastic toys, hair accessories. Not one solitary item made by the hands of a local artisan. It was like an afternoon at the Santa Maria flea market without the potential of discovering an interesting antique.

I finally gave up on finding one of the Panama hats the area is famous for to find a spot on the parade route. Scheduled to begin at ten, in the spirit of mañana it actually started moving along at 11:30. Sort of. It moved for about five minutes and then stopped, with a marching band playing the same refrain over...and over...and over.

At this point my friend Jean and I decided that walking the parade would be more entertaining than waiting for it to pass us. Good thing because it took a good 30 minutes before they started moving. By which time we had discovered a little pub along the route where we enjoyed the remainder of the parade.

In the end we determined that Carnaval is just an excuse for grownups...mostly of the male gender...to throw water, flour and spray foam on passersby while consuming large amounts of beer. Apparently the flour and water bit is leftover from a indigenous celebration involving the second full-moon of the year. I guess that was my little taste tradition!

If I'm still living in South America next year I've decided to do it right. Anyone care to join me in Rio?

Ingapirca

The largest known Inca ruins in Ecuador, Ingapirca was first a sacred ceremonial site of  the Cañari. Much of what is known about the site was actually shared through the oral history by the indigenous Cañari who still live in the surrounding communities.

Inca Sun Temple - Round Structure, Square Stones

It was interesting to see the difference in construction techniques as the Cañari were round-stone-and-mortar folks and the Inca are precisely-cut-square-stone people. Because both cultures are astronomy based, there is much overlap in their traditions especially as related to planting, harvest and tracking the passage of time.

The Sun Temple was so well constructed that only 5% needed to be restored. The rest of the structure has remained intact since the 15th century!

High Priestess Burial Site

There is a Cañari ceremonial burial site which predates the Inca. During excavation the body of a Cañari priestess was found surrounded by eleven slaves. While the priestess was dead prior to burial, the slaves were alive - although they were given a sedative. It was considered an honor to accompany the priestess in death to be her servant in the afterlife. Uh huh, as if they had a choice!

The Cañari were historically a matriarchal society and primarily worshiped the moon. In contrast, the Inca were a patriarchal society and worshiped the sun.

Cañari Calendar

Both marked the passage of time by tracking shadows. The Cañari used rocks with depressions. When the depressions were filled with water they would observe the reflection of the sun on the water. Fortunately for them it rains daily at Ingapirca!

The Inca built the Sun Temple so that the summer solstice sun hit precisely the right spot to illuminate the wall of statues honoring other gods.

There is also a stone erected by the Cañari, but used by both cultures, that acts as a sundial. The fields were planted based on the shadow cast by the dial.

Religious Iconography

A collage of just a few of the churches around Cuenca. I've probably only seen a quarter of them!

Funny Money

Money is always a mystery when traveling. I'm not sure why, given that technology has infiltrated every last patch of dirt on the planet. Nonetheless it seems there is always some twist.

In Thailand they freak out if the bills you're trying to exchange for local currency are torn. And heaven forbid you should accidentally catch a Thai Bhat in the zipper of your wallet and deface it. It's adorned with the face of the Prince and it's a crime punishable with  jail time for being disrespectful to His Majesty.

When I was in China they would only take brand-new bills. So I wandered around for a month with a purse full of bills with just the slightest crease. Un-useable.

Armed with the information from my previous excursions abroad, I stopped by my local bank prior to leaving for Ecuador and requested all new $100 bills. Wouldn't you know those bills have been nothing but a pain in my ass! The US government issued new currency in late 2013. All the bills I have are so new they haven't even seen them in Ecuador yet!

The first time I tried to use one, it took some serious fast-talking to convince the the clerk at the store it was not a counterfeit bill. There I was with my limited Spanish vocabulary pointing out all of the security features of the bill. All the while she was rubbing it between her fingers convinced I was trying to pull a fast one.

Today I realized I was running low on $10s and $20s and, and everything soon to be shut down until Wednesday due to Carnaval, so I headed off to the bank to break a $100. I stopped at Banco Pinchinca, where I've performed this task twice before, only to be told the only place I could get change was at Banco Central.

Walking in the pouring rain, I arrived at Banco Central where there was only one teller working and a line of 15 people ahead of me. I finally get my turn with the teller only to be told they won't give me change without my passport. WTF? This has never, ever been requested before. Keep in mind that I am not changing US dollars for a local currency. They use the USD!

By this point my little banking expedition has eaten up an hour of my day. I'm wet and frustrated and decide I could use a cocktail. Aha, if I stop by SuperMaxi and buy a bottle of rum not only can I break that damn $100 bill, but I can make use of the frozen pineapple in my freezer. Turns out there is a silver lining to those clouds!

Stairway to Turi

Counting down from 440 can be demotivating when the counting down involves climbing up; in the mid-day sun at altitude. Especially when I'd already climbed 175 stairs prior to the numbering system kicking in! Of course I could have taken the bus up to the "best views" of Cuenca, but where the hell is the fun in that?

While the views were rather pleasant, I found the shrine with bundles of horsehair and the cemetery more intriguing. I'm not sure where this odd obsession with old cemeteries stems from, but I'm sure it's related to my fascination with ancient churches; despite the fact that I don't really feel a connection to religion. My curiosity takes over and I want to understand why.

Why do they dress up their Saints in really horrible quinceañera dresses? Why is there a procession nearly every Sunday with young children wearing tacky adult wigs? What is this shrine with globs of horsehair, sheep wool and ribbons? Why is the cemetery fenced off from visitors yet piled with discarded diapers and food containers?

Alas, all questions that may never be answered. The good news is I got in one heck of a workout and plan to make the trek again one of these days to explore the villages on the backside of Turi. Who knows what hidden treasures await!

Shrinking Heads - Cuenca, Ecuador

There are so many museums in Cuenca I've realized I need to explore them based on geographical location rather than try and fly through them all in a few days.

Starting with Museo del Banco Central brought me up close and personal with the shrunken heads of the Shuar. Oddly, this is the only exhibit in the museum with both English and Spanish descriptions. That must say something about the curiosity of the tourists!

The process of shrinking a head is rather complex and I was astounded how the features are retained. Basically the skull is removed and the remaining cavity is filled with hot sand. The head is continually rotated while the sand cools to ensure uniform drying. Several applications of hot sand are necessary and the whole process can take many days.

The purpose of shrinking the heads is to destroy the evil spirit of the soul of the person who was killed. According to the placards at the museum, the Shuar believed they were performing a great service for the planet in decapitating their enemies.

Quite honestly, the rest of the museum felt a bit like Disneyland. It's basically a collection of dioramas representing the various indigenous groups of Ecuador. There was basically zero explanation, in any language, of the traditions, customs or way of life of the people depicted.

Adjacent to the Museo del Banco are the Pumapungo Ruins. The ruins are believed to be the spiritual and ceremonial center of the Incan city of Tomebamba. Sadly, after the Spanish conquest many of the stones from the site were used to form the foundations of the colonial buildings in the town centre. Supposedly the site bears evidence of the pre-Columbian tradition of burying a man alive in the foundation to give it strength.

Ruins of Pumpapungo

All-in-all this museum visit was just a tad macabre! Thankfully my tour through Museo de las Culturas Aborigines was way less gruesome. Room after room filled with artifacts from every Ecuadorian culture from 13000 BC up to the Spanish conquest. 

What I found most interesting was the vast collection of decorative stamps. Carved on cylinders of stone, the designs were quite intricate and were rolled in plant dyes to create a border on the object to which they were rolled. For some reason I always enjoy seeing an infusion of beauty in the implements of daily life!

Clockwise from upper left: water vessel, Macanas (battle-axe), decorative figurine, carved stamps, large water vessel, primitive game board and a collection of bowls. 

The Worst Fake Tan Ever - Baños, Azuay, Ecador

After putting forth a solid effort securing a job and an apartment, I decided I deserved an afternoon of pampering. Not to be confused with the white-water rafting center of Ecuador, this Baños is a mere 8K from Cuenca. There are at least four different establishments with soaking facilities, but I was feeling like a good splurge and headed to the most luxurious of them all Piedre de Aqua. The entire place is built from lava rocks giving it a unique feel, but torture to walk around.

Ten bucks gets you an all-day pass to the bath-water warm swimming pool, a cold plunge pool and a hot pool. Plus the Japanese bath area, which quite frankly I didn't understand as the hot pool was hot enough to scald skin and the relaxing pool was filthy.

I opted for the $30 day which basically gave me free run of the property. I started with the eucalyptus steam room and, in a word, it was sublime. Branches of new growth from a nearby tree filled the room with a very pleasant eucalyptus steam.

There wasn't really anyone around to direct me, so from the steam room I just started wandering. I ended up in the grey mud bath, which was apparently out of proper order and got the attendant all worked up when she found me.

She basically forced me to move to the red mud bath. The one I wanted to avoid because I was wearing white swimmers...they are now a not so pleasant rust color. The red mud also gave me the appearance of having been victim of an 80s self-tanning product. It took a whole lotta scrubbing to fix that!

Venturing down some stairs I located the subterranean hot pool with polar plunge. The water was just right. Not so hot that I couldn't hang out a while, but hot enough that the occasional plunge into the frigid water was exhilarating.

Lastly, I was stuck into a steam box. Like one of those weight-loss-torture-devices of old, I was seated inside a wooden box with a hole for my head. The attendant wrapped my robe around my neck to ensure I felt 100% claustrophobic. For a control freak like me it was a great opportunity to practice my breathing!

After all of that relaxing I was famished! While the spa has a restaurant I was in the mood for
something a little less froufrou. Thankfully they were some locals roasting up a piggy that was scrumptious! I'm not sure where the heat-source was and I've learned it's best not to overthink street food no matter what country your in. 

San Sebastian - Cuenca, Ecuador

I know, I know...I've only been here for four days, but this is my favorite area of Cuenca! The square is anchored by San Sebastian Cathedral and surrounded by restaurants, coffee shops and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

The museum features South American artists in several small rooms which surround a lovely courtyard. Much like the museum in Leon, Nicaragua, I was amazed at the lack of climate control protecting the art. But then I suppose it's no different than having a masterpiece hanging on your wall at home.

Apparently the museum started out as a House of Temperance - a place for the local drunks to dry out. Before becoming a museum it also served as a jail, orphanage, homeless shelter and insane asylum. Now there's a checkered past!

The San Sebastian plaza in front of the cathedral is the prettiest plaza in Cuenca. Simply a great place to observe people, read a book or bask in the sun beneath the palms. Yes, palms at 8000 feet? Who knew!

Café San Sebas is heavily frequented by the expat and tourist crowd, but don't hold that agains them! This is the place in town to get an authentic cappuccino with perfect foam. It's a wonderful place to spend a few hours if you're feeling homesick and need a coffeehouse fix. Plus they have great food, homemade preserves and Kombucha.


The San Sebas neighborhood is also home to storefront selling fresh coconut water and raw sugarcane, just down the street from the museum. While there are carts around town selling the same, it can be difficult to track them down when you're thirsty!

Now Arriving - Ecuador

Photo credit: Andrew de la Rosa

For some reason asking for help is not in my genetic makeup. The double-whammy of stubborn German and Polish heritage. (Some call it self-sufficiency, but let's be honest.) The wild card is that I'm not much of a planner; something that flies right in the face of same said heritage. Unable to get my belongings down to two bags required a different approach. I planned ahead and booked not only a room, but also a taxi for the day of my arrival in Quito. Of course my middle-of-the-damn-night ETA played a small role in this decision as well!

I have to admit, it was my easiest arrival in a foreign country -  ever. The only slight hiccup was checking in for my flight in LA. Why is my government the only one who is concerned about seeing proof of onward or return travel? What is so wrong with a one-way ticket and no plan as to when or where I may go next?

I was selected for stress-free security - no taking off the shoes, no pulling liquids in baggies and computers from my carryon, no invasive x-ray scanning - it almost made me hug the TSA agent. My flights were both on time, I breezed right on through customs AND all of my luggage made it. To top it all off, there was a cute Ecudorian woman holding a sign with my name ready to whisk my off to the hotel which was better than anticipated.

As I recuperated between flights I chatted it up with a family from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. They spent three months in Ecuador last year and this year they are spending six. With no plan other than to meet interesting people and have great experiences. (Guess what, their government doesn't require them to have proof of onward or return travel at the airport!)

Back at the airport for round two of flights, the Customer Service Agent for AeroGal waived my overweight and extra baggage fees because I'd come in on an International flight - even though I'd thrown away my proof.

The cherry on the ice cream has definitely been staying with Lynsey and Josh. The adorable, outdoorsy couple from Chicago who have been living in Cuenca for 18 months. They have welcomed me into their home until I find an apartment and have been been full of helpful suggestions. Now that my foot has recovered, I'm even going to join their workout-in-the-park crew for runs. Yay, change is so much easier when I ask for help!

South Cuenca View from Josh & Lynsey's

Big Basin Redwoods, California

A girl always needs friends who drag her out on a 17-mile trail run when she's all mushy from a year of wandering aimlessly. Big Basin is just the place to kick the training back into gear as the scenery is so beautiful I barely noticed the pain!

We stayed in the the Big Basin Tent Cabins and I'm not sure it's an experience I would care to repeat. The campground was quiet enough as it was the way-off season, but I have a suspicion that the place gets crazy during the summer. The cabins were spartan yet clean and thankfully there was a pot-bellied stove in each cabin as the overnight low was a measly 35!

Keeping a close eye on your food is a must. There were six of us standing around the fire pit when a rascally raccoon grabbed a pack of pitas from the table and ran!

We ran out the Howard King trail until it intercepted with Skyline to the Sea. The beginning of Howard King was nice, easy rollers. At about five miles into the run it changed to exposed, loose rock with a really steep descent to Skyline to the Sea. It's really hard to enjoy the downhill when you know you have to regain the lost elevation!

Fortunately the return trip wasn't nearly as difficult as anticipated. Skyline to the Sea is a gentle climb on a nicely padded fire road following the creek. It was beautiful and so worth the effort!

If you find yourself in the Santa Cruz area you MUST stop at The Buttery. The menu was creative and the food was fresh, yummy and reasonably priced.