Occupy Ecuador

" But what a feeling, chasing the sun. Living my life like a shot from a gun. Laughing a little bit more with every mile." -Jason Aldean
   
     25 hours of travel and we finally arrived in Quito with time to spare.  If you hate conveniency then you will love this next part.  There are two roads that lead to Ecuador from Bogota, Colombia.  The more direct route is full of guerrilla activity though.  I don't mean the King Kong type either. I mean the drug cartel, machine gun carrying kind.  Needless to say, we opted for the long route.  On our way out of Colombia there would be stretches of highway with military personnel wandering the side.  Everyone we passed gave us a thumbs-up.  I have no idea what that meant but I'm sure a man with an automatic rifle giving you a thumbs down doesn't end well.  We had no trouble crossing the border and got approved for a VISA through March 17th.

     So far Ecuador differs from Colombia in a few ways.  Our bus was stopped two or three times and "policia" boarded.  The first time they ordered all the men off the bus and I guess searched it for something.  The second time they boarded they asked me to show them my passport.  They just don't like dudes in this country I guess.  Ecuador uses US currency, which makes it easy to tell how cheap something really is.  Tonight we are going for pizza and a soda for $1.75.  It costs a quarter to ride the trolley.  People here are also very nice and quick to help out, like in Colombia.  Ecuador does seem to have a lot more poverty than we saw in Colombia.  It makes you think about our "problems" back home and how minuscule they really are.

     A side note: I haven't been able to work this into my blog yet but they are two semi-important points I want to add.  Most of the water from the tap is undrinkable.  You don't realize how much you take that for granted until it's unavailable.  I caved and use tap water when brushing my teeth but I do not ingest it in large amounts.  Time will tell if this is a good idea.  The other thing is that the plumbing in South America is about as impressive as me in the weight room.  When doing your business, you are supposed to dispose of toilet paper in the trash rather than the toilet bowl.  I am a creature of habit however and made the mistake of flushing toilet paper. The end result was not good.

     Quito itself is a wonderful city.  It is the second highest capital city in the world (9,200 feet).  It is divided into three parts.  New Town is to the north.  Most bars and hostels are here in a district called "El Mariscal" which is supposed to be very dangerous after 9pm.  We chose to avoid that all together and stay in Old Town.  A wise choice on our part, as Old Town is amazing.  It has a very European feel to it (cobble stone streets, similar architecture, and a massive church in the center).  Our hostel is massive and has a 5th floor terrace that overlooks the city.

     Tomorrow we are back on the road, to Riobamba this time.  I have no idea what that city is like but at least it is fun to say.  From there we will head to a farm just east of Puyo.  The farm is run by a Shaman and his family.  It will no doubt be an interesting experience.  I don't think we will have internet access so on weekends we may have to go into town and find an internet cafe.  I hope this time apart from technology won't discourage you from following the blog.  I promise to update as much as possible.  Also, don't forget to check the girls blog at http://www.volar2012.blogspot.com/.  I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday season!

   

Bogota

"One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple." -Jack Kerouac


     Sitting in a penthouse apartment over looking downtown Bogota I realize this isn't exactly "roughing it".  We lucked out with our stay in Bogota.  My older brother has a friend, Adam, that has been living in Bogota for the past four months, and he very graciously let us stay with him.  He had pizza ordered by the time we got here, took us to a few of his favorite eateries, let the girls sleep in his bed, made us dinner one night, and basically went above and beyond to make our stay the best it could be.

     Despite being 274 miles apart, it took us nearly 12 hours by bus to get from Medellin to Bogota.  There are no highways here.  Our bus weaved up a winding two lane road, surrounded by the most beautiful landscapes you can imagine, ignoring double yellow lines and passing trucks and other buses until at long last we arrived in Bogota.

     Bogota is Colombia's capital.  Home to almost 9 million people, it is the third highest capital city in South America (8,612 feet) behind La Paz and Quito.  This city was not made for someone 6 feet tall or above.  I have hit my head on a few over hanging signs, the roof of the taxi,  and struggled to squeeze in to some of the tables at cafe's.  I also seem to draw a lot of attention when we walk down the street, but that's more likely because I am a gringo.


     I'm would venture a guess that Colombia does not have 'smog tests' for vehicles.  We have been blasted with black billowing exhaust from countless buses and trucks.  Near the main roads the air is polluted which, mixed with the altitude, makes breathing a bit difficult.  Stepping into the less crowded areas the air clears up quickly.  It is surprising that the sky still manages to be a deep blue when the clouds part, rather than the ugly brown that stains the sky above Los Angeles.  


     The drivers in Colombia are crazy.  I don't mean that every so often one will dodge between trucks and cabs, almost hitting one.  Everyone is all over the road but we are yet to see an accident.  It is a controlled chaos on the roads.  I find that it is much less stressful not to pay attention to the driver and what is happening in front of you.


     Police presence is everywhere, but I think it is more for intimidation than anything else.  There are a few dodgy areas that Adam told us not to venture to at night.  He also advised to crack a window every time we enter a cab because on occasion cab drivers pump a gas through the vents that causes you to pass out.  Once unconscious they rob you and dump you on the road.  I have also heard a few horror stories about bus rides but I'll wait until we get to Ecuador before I share those... Don't want to jinx it.


     We leave Bogota on Friday and head west to the small town of Salento.  I find that I have become a voluntary PR rep for Colombia.  Is there crime? Sure, but what major city is 100% safe.  The people of Colombia are always so quick to help out.  They smile at me as I struggle to explain something in Spanish and then help me out with a quick game of charades.  That's pretty much all I have to share at this point.  The next step is, once again, relatively unknown.  If I do not have internet access then it may be a while until my next post so, just in case, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!