Off to Ecuador!

Posted on July 18, 2012 by dottieday | Leave a comment

Published July 10, 2012

Sunday morning we heard the alarm on my phone jangle at 4:45 am. We hurried to get dressed, gather our luggage and grab a cup of coffee. Mike quickly spread cream cheese on two bagels for me and we threw the other snacks into a plastic bag, tossed it in my carry-on and hopped in the car for the 30 minute ride to the airport. The countdown was over; we were on our way to Sud America!

The first leg was routine. Just Phoenix to Houston. Once we landed in Houston, we had a few hours to kill, so we had lunch at Ruby’s Diner where Ron was able to get a real chocolate malt! I had some delicious fried zucchini which probably wiped out all my work on the treadmill for the past month.

The next leg was Houston to Panama City, Panama. You think the airports in the U.S. are inefficient, wait til you see Panama City. We waited for about 20 minutes for a gate to open up so the plane could park. Then it took another 20 minutes before anyone could get off the plane – never found out why.

Fortunately, the gate for our Copa Airlines flight to Quito was not too far away. Ron bought some scotch at the duty free shop so that he would have some on the final leg of the flight. We were tired by this time, but the flight to Quito was only two hours and by the time they served our sandwich and drinks, it was almost time to land. Ron complained from the time the wheels touched down til we arrived at our hotel, so I won’t go into how long it took us to get through immigration, get our luggage, get through customs, etc. But finally, there was Bill’s face and arms waving at us. Whew! He had already arranged for taxis to take us to Casa Arbolitta where we would spend the night. Details of our stay at Jenny’s place and our first day of our trip coming tomorrow. Had two glasses of wine at dinner and ready to fall asleep.

The Baths at Banos

Posted on June 12, 2012 by dottieday | Leave a comment

July 19, 2012

We stayed at the somewhat seedy hotel in Ambato, but it had the most comfortable bed we have found in Ecuador, with a heavy quilt to keep us toasty. We had breakfast at C’bastian’s. I had a waffle with yogurt and honey, no butter, no syrup. Even the waffles are a healthier version. Ron had huevas rancheros, but when it came, it looked like French onion soup.

After breakfast we took a taxi to the bus stop to take a bus to Quizapincha, where they supposedly make a lot of the leather goods that are sold in Cotacachi. I tried on a few leather jackets, but they were made for the smaller Ecuadorean people and felt tight, not comfortable. And the prices were much more than the guidebook had promised. I did see a bag that I liked, mainly because it had a woven pattern that was similar to the bedspread on our bed in the condo. At the same shop I saw a pair of sandals that were only $13. The owner sold us the bag and the sandals for $22. We then hopped a bus back to Ambato.

We thought we would go from Ambato to Tena, but I started reading about Banos, a town on the way to Tena. There are many mineral baths in Banos, heated by the nearby volcano which is only 5 miles away to the south. The guidebook advised to check the status of the volcano before going there since there is a risk of another eruption. I ignored that advice and we got off the bus in Banos. Found a lovely hostel, Isle de la Banos, just blocks from the mineral springs. There was a restaurant, Cafe Hood, where we went for lunch. I had yet another great burrito, with some of the worlds best guacamole. Ron had enchiladas and claimed they were the best he had ever eaten. Plus he ordered a drink that was hot passion fruit juice with the local cane liquor. Oooh, it was delicious!

We strolled around the pretty park and took some photos, then went back to our room until time to go to the hot pools around 7 pm. we watched the US national team play Great Britain and win. I saw my boy, James Harden, playing with all the big-time stars. As soon as it was dark, we walked the few blocks to the baths. We paid the “tercera erad” or senior rate so it was $1.50 each. It was really crowded, mostly with locals, but felt wonderful. There was a light drizzle falling, but the water was like a hot, hot bath, with steam rising into the cool air. We left that pool and went to the pool that was “medium” hot, but right under the waterfall. What a treat. Am so glad we stayed in Banos. It is a lovely town and there are quite q few ex-pats living there. Our hostel is owned by a German, and we saw many restaurants that cater to foreigners. Watched The Big Bang Theory and went to sleep in a hard, firm bed with another of those heavy quilts that kept us warm.

Weavers’ Museum

Posted on June 9, 2012 by dottieday | Leave a comment

Ecuador

Published 07/28/2012

On Friday, I almost wanted to just stay home, but Ron said that if we didn’t go back to Paguche and climb up to the top of the falls I would definitely regret it. So I packed my collapsible cane and off we went. This time we took the bus to Otavalo and then asked where we could get a bus to Paguche. It was just across the street from the big bus station, and we only had to wait about 10 minutes. The bus dropped us off right at the gate to the falls. Since we had been there before we knew where we were going. The first time we went we were surprised that so few people were there. Well, not today! There were at least four school buses and the place was jumping with hundreds of kids. We found the path going up and I got my cane ready. It was about a 200 foot climb to the top, and I made it. Some great pictures from up there. By the time we started down, all the kids were starting up. They were so cute, though. They all said “buenas Dias” or “hello.”. One young man stopped us and asked where we were from and said “Welcome to my country.” I doubt if American kids would do that.

We walked down the road to the bus stop and waited for a bus to come by. Soon enough one came toward us. I asked the driver if he was going to Otavalo and he said “Si, si.” when we arrived at the bus terminal Ron whipped out his little Otavalo map and we headed for the main square. We thought there would be restaurants around the square. There usually are, but not this time. We had to walk up and down a few streets before we found a good place. After a very nice lunch topped off with fresh strawberries and cream, we set off to find the museum of the weavers.

Of all the things we have seen and done in Ecuador, this may have been the most enjoyable. First, the entrance did not look like a museum, it looked like a restaurant or cafe. Off to the far right of the path was a small door that said “Museo.”I opened the door but it looked like a storeroom or something. I ducked back out and I guess I must have looked puzzled because the woman outside waved me on and nodded vigorously saying “Si, Si.”We ventured on and crossed a courtyard to another old, rickety door. When we opened that one it was obvious that this large room contained old artifacts having to do with wool, spinning, and weaving. Before we could get our bearings an old indigenous man came in. He started talking to us, but soon realized that we spoke only “poco Espanol.” He was very considerate and patient. He spoke slowly and watched us carefully to see if we were getting was he was telling us. He explained how the sheep are sheared, then the wool is washed. He sat down and took a handful of wool and demonstrated the carding process. After he had the wool carded and rolled into a long strand, he went over to the spinning wheel and spun it into yarn. We went all around the room, from station to station with him telling us what was done at each stage. I shot video of him at several spots. Finally he showed us a magazine with a photo of his son who is a professor of neuroscience in California. Another son was shown shaking hands with Fidel when he was in Ecuador, but we didn’t get what this sons occupation is. He was obviously very proud of them. Before we left, he led us over to a framed certificate, embellished with gold, and displaying a medal on a ribbon. He made it clear that he was awarded the medal, but we don’t know for what. We made a contribution to the museum, or to Señor Maldonado, and left, feeling that we had experienced a truly special treat.