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.