January 15, 2017
Isla de la Plata
Isla de la Plata
It took us one hour to reach the Isla de la Plata on a tiny speedboat powered by two Yamaha motors. As the boat was rolling and pitching in the Pacific Ocean, the Isla de la Plata, a small dot on the horizon, gradually turned into a lifeless, rocky iceberg lost amidst impossibly blue sea. We approached the shore and were immediately welcomed by the curious giant turtles putting their snake-like heads out of waters to then disappear into the blue depths, leaving only a trail of bubbles.
Nowadays the Isla de la Plata is a conservation area protected by the state, but this was not always the case. In the mid-20th century a businessman from Guayaquil was seduced by the beauty of this remote island and bought it from the Government of Ecuador to transform it into a resort. He did not succeed, though, with no drinking water available and hardly impressive landscape (dense thickets of dry bush against white cliffs and sun-scorched grass), his purchase was a nuisance rather than joy. As a result the island was again owned by the state. The years of private ownership had a negative impact on the island's fauna, with rats, cats, and dogs settling there, forcing local birds and animals to adapt to the new enemies. When the owner left the Isla, the population of these self-invited guests started to decrease, and now birds and animals are not threatened anymore and enjoy their safe home in the middle of the ocean. Park rangers protect turtles laying eggs, birds, and prevent corals from being stolen. The island is striving.
Nowadays the Isla de la Plata is a conservation area protected by the state, but this was not always the case. In the mid-20th century a businessman from Guayaquil was seduced by the beauty of this remote island and bought it from the Government of Ecuador to transform it into a resort. He did not succeed, though, with no drinking water available and hardly impressive landscape (dense thickets of dry bush against white cliffs and sun-scorched grass), his purchase was a nuisance rather than joy. As a result the island was again owned by the state. The years of private ownership had a negative impact on the island's fauna, with rats, cats, and dogs settling there, forcing local birds and animals to adapt to the new enemies. When the owner left the Isla, the population of these self-invited guests started to decrease, and now birds and animals are not threatened anymore and enjoy their safe home in the middle of the ocean. Park rangers protect turtles laying eggs, birds, and prevent corals from being stolen. The island is striving.
The most famous and hands down the funniest inhabitants of the park are the blue-footed boobies that can be seen literally under every bush or tree. Looks like all of them are craving for attention and want to be photographed: they showcase their little ones covered in white fluffy feathers, or just stand on their eggs on their blue webbed feet by turns, taking breaks for a seafood lunch. Blue-footed boobies are not shy and willingly pose for a picture when alone, but when their little ones are around they become nervous and may even attack the intruder.
January 8, 2017
Cajas National Park
As you drive away from Cuenca ascending to whopping 4,000 meters, the landscape starts to get rougher, and lush meadows resembling a patchwork quilt give way to harsh lifeless mountainous landscape. The silence here is tingling, and the beauty is so overwhelming that all you want is just to listen to it and contemplate the scenery.
Cajas National Park looks like a huge unmown yellow field dotted with thousands of azure lagoons, where someone threw a handful of bizarrely shaped stones, and then covered it with a warm blanket of a milky fog. Even though all routes on the park are well marked and look like an invitation for a pleasant hike, it is easy to get lost, as we were told by an Englishman that we met along the way, who had been struggling for several hours trying to get back to the trail's head, with no luck.
Cajas National Park
As you drive away from Cuenca ascending to whopping 4,000 meters, the landscape starts to get rougher, and lush meadows resembling a patchwork quilt give way to harsh lifeless mountainous landscape. The silence here is tingling, and the beauty is so overwhelming that all you want is just to listen to it and contemplate the scenery.
Cajas National Park looks like a huge unmown yellow field dotted with thousands of azure lagoons, where someone threw a handful of bizarrely shaped stones, and then covered it with a warm blanket of a milky fog. Even though all routes on the park are well marked and look like an invitation for a pleasant hike, it is easy to get lost, as we were told by an Englishman that we met along the way, who had been struggling for several hours trying to get back to the trail's head, with no luck.
December 30, 2016 — January 1, 2017
Isinlivi — Chugchilan — Quilotoa
Isinlivi — Chugchilan — Quilotoa
We took an early morning bus from Latacunga bus station to reach Sigchos village. The ride was nothing less than hair-raising, but the views were so stunning that it was unclear whether we should fear for our lives or just relax and enjoy this fearsome journey.
The dusty, desert road from Sigchos to Isinlivi was winding and down in the mountains, with no other signs of civilization than rare pointers to hostels and stones painted by locals in different colours to make hiking easier and to advertise their simple en route accommodation. Surprisingly, this day we were only six to hike Quilotoa loop. Had we been in Peru, this wouldn't have been possible: not only similar treks are very expensive, but they are also impossibly crowded. While hiking, we met black pigs, a pack of angry dogs accompanied by a five-year-old boy (or vice versa?), all kinds of goats and sheep, donkeys, and chicken. Humans, on the contrary, were hardly seen, but all of those that we met on the road always happily greeted us and waved. Some of us even had a chance to visit a local wedding celebrated by the entire village. Having spent a night in Isinlivi, a tiny hamlet surrounded by vivid green, emerald mountains, we set on a 12 kilometers hike to a nearby Chugchilan where we would celebrate the New Year.
The Ecuadorians like partying hard and the New Year is not an exception. They begin as early as 6 a.m, when bands beating drums flood the streets to make sure that no one is spared from the festivities. Then, a tent is pitched and the main square transforms into a dancefloor with live music and "animators", local people dressed as demons of all kinds.
Alcohol being abundant, hour after hour entertainers gradually transformed from the would be demons into the real ones. At some point, all the demons left their dancefloor tent and headed for an improvised square at the village entrance, where they started to attack passing cars and buses asking for a passage fee (with no real violence involved and just for everybody's fun and enjoyment), but also frightened children who ran away from them in all directions, shrieking in excitement, to the delight of the crowd, danced and behaved indecently, as all demons are supposed to behave.
After a few hours of madness we all heard a sound announcing the beginning of a new stage of the celebration show. All people present at the plaza then lit giant candles and directed their steps to the church, along with the demons. The procession moved slowly, cheered by the music, but at the church all demons stopped and could not go any further. They had to stay at the gate, in the passing year, embodying all bad and unfortunate events that are not welcome in the year to come.
The dusty, desert road from Sigchos to Isinlivi was winding and down in the mountains, with no other signs of civilization than rare pointers to hostels and stones painted by locals in different colours to make hiking easier and to advertise their simple en route accommodation. Surprisingly, this day we were only six to hike Quilotoa loop. Had we been in Peru, this wouldn't have been possible: not only similar treks are very expensive, but they are also impossibly crowded. While hiking, we met black pigs, a pack of angry dogs accompanied by a five-year-old boy (or vice versa?), all kinds of goats and sheep, donkeys, and chicken. Humans, on the contrary, were hardly seen, but all of those that we met on the road always happily greeted us and waved. Some of us even had a chance to visit a local wedding celebrated by the entire village. Having spent a night in Isinlivi, a tiny hamlet surrounded by vivid green, emerald mountains, we set on a 12 kilometers hike to a nearby Chugchilan where we would celebrate the New Year.
The Ecuadorians like partying hard and the New Year is not an exception. They begin as early as 6 a.m, when bands beating drums flood the streets to make sure that no one is spared from the festivities. Then, a tent is pitched and the main square transforms into a dancefloor with live music and "animators", local people dressed as demons of all kinds.
Alcohol being abundant, hour after hour entertainers gradually transformed from the would be demons into the real ones. At some point, all the demons left their dancefloor tent and headed for an improvised square at the village entrance, where they started to attack passing cars and buses asking for a passage fee (with no real violence involved and just for everybody's fun and enjoyment), but also frightened children who ran away from them in all directions, shrieking in excitement, to the delight of the crowd, danced and behaved indecently, as all demons are supposed to behave.
After a few hours of madness we all heard a sound announcing the beginning of a new stage of the celebration show. All people present at the plaza then lit giant candles and directed their steps to the church, along with the demons. The procession moved slowly, cheered by the music, but at the church all demons stopped and could not go any further. They had to stay at the gate, in the passing year, embodying all bad and unfortunate events that are not welcome in the year to come.
Passed midnight, on the stroke of twelve, all Ecuadorians started to burn stuffed dolls wearing masks. Each family had their own doll, which they brought to the main square, or just set on fire in their private yard. Hawkers start selling papier-mâché masks several weeks before the occasion: they came in all sizes and shapes, including pig snouts, long-nosed old men, and Donald Trump. Central plaza was transformed into a bonfire with dozens of dolls stacked on top of each other. Most of participants were too drunk to understand what's going on around them and act accordingly, as was the case with one of the partying guy who tried to have sexual intercourse with a burning doll, then fell face down into the fire, then again and again, and would have continued his show all night long if it had not been for his angry wife who rushed him home.
We started our first day of the year 2017 with the most difficult hike to the Quilotoa lagoon, an extinct volcano that erupted several centuries ago and whose the crater is now filled with azure water. To be honest, when confronted with such beauty, it's easy to forget about all the difficulties, the endless uphill hike to breathless 4000 meters, and constantly changing weather. This incredible site just leaves you speechless and enchanted by tranquility and serenity of nature.
Another cold night in Quilotoa, another 12 kilometers hike to the Zumbahua village, and the trekking is finished. A small, wonderful journey into a completely different world of the Ecuadorean Andes.
We started our first day of the year 2017 with the most difficult hike to the Quilotoa lagoon, an extinct volcano that erupted several centuries ago and whose the crater is now filled with azure water. To be honest, when confronted with such beauty, it's easy to forget about all the difficulties, the endless uphill hike to breathless 4000 meters, and constantly changing weather. This incredible site just leaves you speechless and enchanted by tranquility and serenity of nature.
Another cold night in Quilotoa, another 12 kilometers hike to the Zumbahua village, and the trekking is finished. A small, wonderful journey into a completely different world of the Ecuadorean Andes.
December 25-28, 2016
Quito
When flying from Miami to Ecuador, we met Willson, an Ecuadorian American. He forgot his glasses at home and could not fill in his customs declaration. We volunteered to help and to thank us, he shared the story of his life, fascinating and captivating as it was.
20 years ago Willson set on a three months journey from Ecuador to the US which cost him an astonishing 11 000 dollars. He crossed the Mexican border illegally to reach his final destination, New York. As years passed by, his entire family joined him the US to become American citizens and his ten years old granddaughter doesn't speak a word in Spanish. But surprisingly, having spent almost half of his life in this country, Willson is dreaming about the retirement to get his monthly 2,500 dollars from the US government and to move back to Ecuador. When we asked Willson why he is so reluctant to stay on the American soil, he replied that in this country you can not afford to relax and enjoy yourself, even for a short moment, because if you do so, you'll see bills piling up, whereas in Ecuador you don't have to work hard and there is no stress.
Quito is an unbelievable city. Why on Earth would someone build a city amidst endless mountains, winding up and down, to create such a challenging but outstanding landscape? Red tiled roofs are, vibrant green hills and endless blue sky – a real feast for the eyes! We spent two wonderful days in Quito but the best advice for those coming here would be to take it easy upon arrival and relax, because at 2,800m you may experience difficulty breathing.
Quito
When flying from Miami to Ecuador, we met Willson, an Ecuadorian American. He forgot his glasses at home and could not fill in his customs declaration. We volunteered to help and to thank us, he shared the story of his life, fascinating and captivating as it was.
20 years ago Willson set on a three months journey from Ecuador to the US which cost him an astonishing 11 000 dollars. He crossed the Mexican border illegally to reach his final destination, New York. As years passed by, his entire family joined him the US to become American citizens and his ten years old granddaughter doesn't speak a word in Spanish. But surprisingly, having spent almost half of his life in this country, Willson is dreaming about the retirement to get his monthly 2,500 dollars from the US government and to move back to Ecuador. When we asked Willson why he is so reluctant to stay on the American soil, he replied that in this country you can not afford to relax and enjoy yourself, even for a short moment, because if you do so, you'll see bills piling up, whereas in Ecuador you don't have to work hard and there is no stress.
Quito is an unbelievable city. Why on Earth would someone build a city amidst endless mountains, winding up and down, to create such a challenging but outstanding landscape? Red tiled roofs are, vibrant green hills and endless blue sky – a real feast for the eyes! We spent two wonderful days in Quito but the best advice for those coming here would be to take it easy upon arrival and relax, because at 2,800m you may experience difficulty breathing.
