Day 4: "bushwacking" Ecuador style

Less cactus, more trespassing!  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  What the heck were we doing romping through fields outside Riobamba?!?

We left Baños at 7 am to head to Riobamba.  I was tired and sore (from climbing and not enough sleep), but excited for bike riding down the slopes of the Chimborazo volcano!  And the sun was finally peaking through the clouds, so the weather was looking like it was going to be perfect!

Thanks to the clear weather, I had beautiful views of the Tungurahua volcano.  Tungurahua is an active stratovolcano just outside of Baños that last erupted in July!  Fortunately, there was no major activity of the volcano while I was there...

 

And as we approached Riobabma, we had great views of Chimborazo (the highest peak in Ecuador @ ~20,500 feet):

Seeing the peak, I was getting super excited for my bike ride down it's slopes: 35 miles of riding from the refuge at ~16,000 feet to the city of Ambato at 8500 feet!!  A little climbing, but mostly downhill through beautiful landscapes!

However, when we arrived in Riobamba, we found out that the school never made the reservations with the agency. :/  So we had to change the plans around so that I could do the ride tomorrow, staying an extra night in Riobamba.  

Trying to make phone calls and discuss how to rearrange my plans in Spanish along the busy, noisy streets of Riobamba, I found myself for the first time extremely frustrated. Can we just speak in English for a minute?!?!? It was stressful to try to figure out all of the logistics, and between my comprehension and the noise, I was having trouble understanding what was going on.  Although I had only just arrived, I was already ready to get out of this city!  

So when my teacher asked me, "que quiere hacer" (what do you want to do), without hesitation, I answered "quiero caminar" (I want to hike!).  I bet she's starting to wonder if I ever want to do anything else!  She's a trouper though...

So we returned to the travel agency to get recommendations on hikes.  While I was discussing the ride tomorrow, I missed most of the conversation, but it sounded like my teacher received information on a great hike to a lookout over a lake outside of town.  I didn't realize that "hike" was clearly being used a bit loosely....

We arrived in the town of Colta and headed down a dirt road towards the hills.  My teacher told me that this town is where the historical Quito was located before the Spanish arrived.  There were many old, deserted buildings that made it feel like a ghost town. 

  

However, soon we were in the countryside, surrounded by farmland cultivated by indigenous Kichwans.

And soon my teacher was heading off through the farmland.  Apparently, the only way to the peak we were headed to was directly through the fields!  

 

The American in me felt bad the entire time...I kept asking her "Esta bien?!?"  The dogs, pigs, sheep, roosters, and donkeys (yes, donkeys!) announced our presence at every new residence, making me feel like a trespasser!  Although I couldn't help but be a bit amused inside over the sound of the donkeys....

And the views were well worth it!

When we made it to the top, we stopped to have lunch, and I ate by far the weirdest sandwich ever!  I had ordered an Italian sandwich, but instead I received a "vegetarian" sandwich.  Which consisted of 2 kinds of canned olives, canned mushrooms, canned corn, lettuce, tomato and cheese with enough mayo to make Jimmy John's sandwiches seem healthy!! I have to say it was pretty gross, but I was happy to have food and take in the views nonetheless...

 

Despite an admittedly frustrating day, we definitely made the most of it.  

Ice cream and some good laughs this evening over a "hola guapa" (incidentally the first word in Spanish I ever learned...turns out tall blond women turn heads in Ecuador) and seeing aerobics in the park also didn't hurt ;)

Excited for actually doing the bike ride tomorrow and hoping the weather holds up!

Day 3: Climbing basalt!

Climbing the volcanic rocks of Baños:

Today I had the opportunity to enjoy one of the adventure sports Baños has to offer: mountain biking, canyoneering, climbing or rafting.  This was a difficult decision, considering how much I love all of the first three choices, and that I have never been on a real rafting trip.  

But, it really came down to canyoneering or climbing, my two main loves since moving to Arizona...

When inquiring about the canyoneering, I found out that the guide assists you in your rappels.  Great for safety and liability reasons no doubt, but I knew this would take the fun out of it for me.  And the fact that there was already a number of people signed up sealed the deal.  I prefer people in small doses when enjoying outdoor adventures!

So needless to say, I chose climbing.  No surprise, probably...it had been 5 days since my last climb and I was in need of a fix!! 

The crag was an exposure of basaltic rock cut by the Rio Pastaza:

 

I quickly discovered how different climbing on basalt is!!  Being used to the textured granite characteristic of most climbing spots in AZ, I could not believe how slippery it was!  Not only were almost all of the holds slopers, but they felt like they'd been greased in butter!!!! Greasy slopers and underclings....my favorite! :P

Despite some frustration, I made it to the top of the first route and was starting to get the hang of it...

So we continued moving down the crag, and up in grade, towards the river.  The last route we did was 50 meters long of sustained, tough climbing.  Here is pic of my guide rappelling back down:

Although a more difficult climb, I was thankful that there were some hand jams along with the slopers and underclings!  So I felt like I at least occasionally had a decent hand to work my feet up with!  From one slick foot hold to the next. ;)  

But, I made it!  You can see how greased up the rock is in this pic too...

All in all I did 4 routes, all super fun and full of interesting body positioning! Although the slippery rock was challenging for me, it meant that for the first time climbing outside (ever?!?) the rock didn't draw any blood.  None. Nada!  Those of you that climb with me know how surprising that is!  I like to say, "You're not having fun until you're bleeding."  But today was definitely an exception! :)

Although it seemed difficult and frustrating climbing in an entirely new environment, I was surprised how the guides kept saying how I was a very strong climber (uhhh....did you not see my falls??).  Another guide wanted my contact information to climb when he traveled to the SW next year!  AND, he has a friend that may be able to take me out climbing this weekend in Cuenca :)

Although I was flattered, I had no idea what grades I was climbing because they use the french system in Ecuador.  5b, 6b, 6b+ and 6c sounded like they should be easy!!  Turns out, they translate to 5.9, 5.10d, 5.11a and 5.11b!!!  On my first time on basalt?!?  No wonder!  Now I'm proud I persisted through them all! :D

(Hopefully, I will be able to post pictures of me on the wall once my guide sends them to me.)

A las seis de la mañana, vamos a Riobamba!  Next adventure: biking down the slopes of Chimborazo, the tallest peak in Ecuador (and furthest point from the earth's center)!

Day 2: Baños

Highlights:

1) Jogging around laguna Quilotoa "trato trotar porque es muy alto y difícil!" I tried to run, but turns out running at 12,000+ feet (on rolling terrain) is tough!  Views of the lake and the clouds rolling in over the mountains were worth every second of panting, though...

 My friend Leo followed me to the lake...

2) Traveled back to Latacunga and on to Baños, through the mountainous indigenous Kichwa agricultural communities.  It was a beautiful ride and I was amazed at how they can cultivate such steep land.  Unfortunately, the bus was jam packed (I was lucky to get a seat), so I was not able to get any pictures...

3) Spanish lessons got personal as we discussed relationships and nuestros novios (past, present...and future?!).  Spanish makes explaining my love life easy...one word: amigovio. :)

4) Arrived in Baños and proceeded to try to kill my teacher with another steep climb up to a lookout over town:

5) Walked to see the water fall and the thermal springs that make the town famous "Baños de la Virgen" 

  

 

 Tomorrow's agenda: climbing the basalt walls of Baños!!! :D
 

Immersion day 1: Laguna Quilotoa

Highlights:

1)      Discovered when they say immersion…they really mean it.  Sólo en español… Thankfully, I understand a LOT more than I can speak, which my teacher quickly realized, saying “entiende mas que habla.”  I just laughed cause it’s SO true!

2)      Arrived at our hostel in Quilotoa 6 hours and 3 bus rides later.  Naturally, I had to use the baño immediately, and somehow the door got stuck and I was locked in the bathroom!  I ended up having to escape out the narrow bathroom window…who knew how many ways caving comes in handy?  But, I learned the word for window!

3)      Hiked down to Laguna Quilotoa, a beautiful turquoise colored crater lake formed when the caldera collapsed after an eruption 800 years ago. 

4)      The lake sparked a conversation about my research, lakes and El Niño, again entirely in Spanish.  That was interesting!  Already amazed at how far my Spanish has come in one day!!

5)      Took a kayak out to the middle of the lake to enjoy the views of the crater walls

6)      First experience peeing into a hole in the ground…

7)      The ~1400 foot hike out definitely proved to be more difficult at such high elevation, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. (learned later that the lake is situated at 12,800 feet)  Fortunately, I felt better and better as the hike went on and was thankful for the Cotopaxi training right out of the gate!  My teacher didn’t fair the same, and I worried she wasn’t going to make it.  As a result, we finished just as it started to get dark….seems to be a common theme!  Learned the word for nauseous (which is actually the same!): a bad combination of too many sweets, hiking and the altitude for my teacher…

8)      Met 3 men from Holland over dinner, and since my teacher was sick and not eating, I got to speak in English for the first time!  Paid the price later, when my teacher wanted me to practice by telling her all about it en español!

9)      Learned how to say “run/jog” in Spanish, which ironically is only one letter off from the verb for “to try”.  “Trotar = to jog” vs “tratar =to try.”  The irony of this became even more apparent on my run at 12800 feet the next morning…

Return to Quito

My trip to Quito this time was shockingly smooth, despite layovers in both Dallas and Miami and an overly talkative lady next to me on the MIA-Quito flight (I REALLY didn’t want to hear every last detail of all of her childbirths, but I heard them anyway!).   Normally carting numerous bags and action packers full of research gear into Ecuador, my load felt exceptionally light, even with my big backpacking pack on my back and another smaller pack on my front.   

As we left Miami, the clouds were illuminated with a faint orange glow of the lingering sunset below a brilliant full moon.  I tried to look as occupied as I could in my Ecuador travel guide as my friendly neighbor told me her whole life story.  Fortunately, she eventually either ran out of things to tell me, or decided to let me read, and I tried to plan my free day in Quito.  I’m not sure how far I made it, but I woke up to the thud of my book falling on the floor.  Surrendering to the exhaustion and remnants of a hangover from a late night and FAR too many shots the night before, I slept HARD the rest of the flight.  

I woke up again to my friendly neighbor, this time telling me it was time for me to put my seat back upright in preparation for landing.  Although initially a little annoyed, I’m so glad she woke me.  Eyes heavy, still half asleep, I looked out the window.  That’s when I saw it.  Or am I imaging things?  I rubbed my tired eyes. No, it can’t be mistaken.  It rises brilliantly even through the darkness, the snow capped peak almost blending in with the clouds.  Cotopaxi.  Even at night it stood as majestic as I remembered.  There is something about it that just captivates me.  I watched it as it left my field of view and was replaced by Chimborazo, the highest peak in Ecuador.  Although higher than its sister peak by about a thousand feet, the near perfect symmetry of the Cotopaxi volcanic cone is utterly captivating.  I cannot explain it.  All I can say is that since I first set eyes on it last October I’ve been a fixated.  Now I return to climb it.

Arriving in Quito at 11:30 PM, I’m thankful that this time around I have a prearranged taxi driver waiting for me.  It was such a relief to walk out of customs and see a small sign rising from the crowd of people with my name on it.  No hailing a cab, no being beckoned by unmarked taxi drivers, no uncertainty whether the taxi driver knows where my hostel is.  After all, my Spanish isn’t that great….yet!

Although it’s 2 am by the time I get settled into my hostel, I head up to the balcony to quickly jump on the WiFi and am greeted with a gorgeous view overlooking historic “old town” Quito, with the towers of the Basilica del Voto Nacional lighting up one end of the horizon and the 30-meter statue of the Virgin of Quito on the hill on the other end:

Motivated by my proximity to all the must-see old town sights and a desire to get going on my acclimatization, I decided to do a walking/jogging tour of old town today.   As a compromise for doing the tour on foot, I left all valuables (including my camera) in my hostel.   I was determined to not be mustarded (v. to have mustard, ketchup or other liquids squirted on you in an attempt to rob you, a common tactic in Ecuador), but unfortunately that meant no pictures of this adventure…. 

Starting at the Basílica del Voto Nacional, I climbed up to the top of the 115 meter towers on either side of the Basilica to take in the views of Quito.   Thankfully I’m not bothered by heights because the stairs and metal ladders up to the top were quite sketchy.  Let’s just say there’s no way that would be allowed in the states.  At one point a lady in front of me got half way up a set of steep, shaky metal stairs and froze, saying “no puedo”, which I proudly understood as “I can’t” and proceeded to have a good laugh with her and her friends (once she got back down, of course).

Among other notable old town sites was “La Compañia” (aka Quito’s Sistine Chapel), an incredibly ornate church that contains seven tonnes of gold on its ceiling, walls and altars.  For a moment, I almost felt like I was in Rome.  Although beautiful, I quite frankly found it over the top-- an in-your-face example of opulence.  My favorite part was a painting of hell, depicting sinners labeled with each of the deadly sins receiving horrifying punishments.

I ended the day with una cerveza y encocado mixtos at a restaurant overlooking Quito.  Although the encocado did not even come close to what you can get at William’s in the Galapagos, a good dose of local Aji hot sauce on top hit the spot.  It feels great to be back and was fun to actually explore Quito a bit this time around.  Tomorrow, I head south along the “Avenue of the Volcanoes!”

Immersion

In a little over a week I take off for Ecuador for 3 weeks of immersion.  Spanish immersion that is.  Although my original goal was merely to improve my Spanish to aid in communication during field work in the Galapagos, I'm realizing it will be much more than that.  As I travel through the remote areas of the Ecuadorian highlands, living with a host family, and climbing peaks of the Andes, immersion will take on many other meanings I'm sure.  Immersion in the culture, and immersion in my mind and body...

As a inherently social person, this will be my first long trekking adventure on my own.  In another country. With another language.  And to new heights (culminating in hopefully an ascent to the peak of Cotopaxi at ~19,400 feet).  I'm excited to take on this adventure, knowing it will likely be a transformative experience in many ways.  I'll try to share my adventure here along the way...

My trip in a nutshell:

Nov 16th: Fly to Quito (A)

Nov 18th: Meet my Spanish instructor, with whom I will explore the highlands between Quito, Banos (B) and Riobamba (C), learning Spanish along the way

Nov 22nd: Take a bus from Riobamba to Cuenca (D)

Nov 23-30th: Lessons, homestay and exploration of Cuenca (including hopefully many hikes with El Cajas National Park)

Dec 1st: Fly back to Quito

Dec 2nd:  Hike Ruminahui peak (15,489 ft) (E)

Dec 3rd:  travel to Cotopaxi national Park and hike to base camp at 15748 feet.  Glacier practice and rest.

Dec 4th: wake up at midnight and (hopefully) summit Cotopaxi (F)

Dec 5th: visit Casa Cultural Trude Sojka

Dec 6th: Fly back to the US