From South to North

I`ve been traveling up the coast of Ecuador with some teaching friends for the past week and a half. It`s been the most amazing experience, and such a great time. We started in Montañita, a popular surf town about 8 hours from Cuenca, and the first main stop on the southern coast. And, if you are a faithful blog reader, it`s the same place I went for my first school break, where I got that strange rash/spots all over my face. Good thing it didn`t happen again!! We arrived just in time for one of the biggest parties of the year, Semana Santa (Holy Week, aka: Easter Weekend). Music blared non-stop for 48 hours, including at 7am. Unfortunately, neither I, nor my fellow traveling friends were in the mood for partying, and so the music was more annoying than fun. However, the weather was great, our hostel was clean (but smelly...what the heck is with us and smelly places?!), and the waves were awesome. I got slightly sunburnt on the last days, but overall it was a great start to our Ecuador adventure traveling.

Next, we caught a bus to Ayampe, an hour north of Montañita. It`s basically two hostels and ten houses, barely even a spot on the map. However, it was PARADISE. We stayed with this family, Galbon, his wife, and his five year old son. Galbon is an amazing cook, although he was away for most of our stay, which was a little disappointing, although the food was still incredible. Our days consisted of eating, swimming, suntanning and reading in the hammocks. It was a phenominal way to recharge our batteries, after teaching annoying rich kids for the past six months!

Finally, we had a big day of travel (broke my daily transportation record, and traveled in 5 buses and a boat!) and arrived in Canoa, another 8 hours north of Ayampe, and yet another chillaxed surf town, just in time for another party weekend. We learned to surf, boogie and body board, and spent even more time in the sun and the sand. Canoa is awesome in it`s own way, less touristy and busy than Montañita, but still Gringolandia and fun. We spent our time in two relaxed hostels, The Bambù, and CocoLoco, both right on the beach, and met up with some cool fellow travelers.

Yesterday, my school friends left for Quito, and tomorrow, I`m heading back to Cuenca, for my second to last leg of Ecuadorian travel. Although I could definitely spend more time on the beach, I think I`m filled up enough to be content with what I`ve had. I am tired of the constant bugs (soooo itchy!!), and the feet that are never clean. And the beach isn`t as fun when you don`t have cool people to enjoy it with.

I can`t believe I only have a month left!!

Speeding down the Streets of Cuenca

There`s this statue in Parque de la Madre that never fails to cheer me up. It is the most disproportionate statue of a human being I have ever seen, of a man with a giant butt, tiny thin legs, huge head and nose, and anorexic arms. It`s supposed to be of Jefferson Perez, a man from Cuenca, who won an Olympic Gold for speedwalking (did you know speedwalking was an Olympic event?! I didn´t!!). At any rate, they`ve erected a statue in his honour, and although I`ve never actually seen Jefferson Perez in person, I`m guessing it`s not an exact likeness, since there`s no way a guy of the statue`s proportions would EVER be able to walk around a track even one time...his legs wouldn`t be able to support his ass, and even if they could, his neck and chest would NEVER be able to hold up his giant head for more than a few hundred meters!!

I think as a result of the Olympic medal, speedwalking is a HUGE sport here in Ecuador. At any time of the day, I have to dodge serious speedwalkers pacing their way around Parque de la Madre on my way to the Millenium Plaza or SuperMaxi. Their concentration is total, and they would sooner bowl me over than lose even a few seconds off their time to go around me. They also take their speedwalking VERY seriously, and it is a sin to joke about it. One time, some friends and I decided to have a speedwalk race through Parque de la Madre, and we got more than a few disgusted looks at our pathetic attempts to imitate their swinging hips and arms. However, I learned that speedwalking is not an easy feat. It takes training and coaches and is not for the faint of heart! There is usually a team of speedwalkers training in the park in the afternoons with coaches and whistles and lines. You don`t get whistles for just anything!

Except apparently, anyone can get a whistle. There are guys who guard the cars on the streets at night. We call them "The Whistle Men." They are paid by the neighborhood and the car-owners to patrol the streets with their batons and whistles, to keep them safe from...harm? Mostly, the men look like socially inept drunkards who couldn`t hold down a job where it is essential to have people skills. And they blow their whistles for no reason, all through the night. I`ve been walking down the street at midnight, or 1am, and have seen a whistle man blow his whistle at a plastic bag. Or at nothing. They just blow them. For fun. I`ve also seen them urinate on the cars, but that`s a different story.

Anyways, I am leaving Cuenca tomorrow for the beach. I finished teaching last Thursday, and due to a bout of food poisoning, a stolen camera, and traveling companions who came down with a butt cyst and mono respectively, my travel plans to the jungle have been put on hold until April. Hopefully it`s not raining on the coast, but even if it is, it will be much warmer than here.

I gotta go. I`m sneezing up a storm.

Creepy Crawlies

It`s been raining here in Cuenca for many months. Although the sun is making more of an appearance these past few weeks, and the rain isn`t QUITE as ferocious as last month, it still rains everyday for at least an hour.

One thing I`ve noticed lately is that many disgusting and gigantic bugs have been sighted down by River Tomebamba, AND climbing up The Escalinata (stairs, at the top of which I live). Though a lot of them are getting killed during their pilgrimage up the stairs, a whole lot more are now crawling around where PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIVE! Ick. When I first got to Cuenca in September, there were no bugs to be seen. It`s a city. I would see the occassional cockroach or fly, but bugs of the scary giant variety were non-existant. Now though, I frequently have to cross into the street because huge-ass beetles the size of my HAND are sitting pretty in front of my door, or a tarantula is trying to hail a cab. The moths here are the size of BATS. I didn`t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I once made fun of a friend for an entire month who was traumatized by a moth in his bathroom. Little did I know he was NOT exaggerating the size of the buggers, until I got caught in the bathroom with a moth/bat myself, unable to get out in time.

I never thought of myself as scared of bugs. Granted, I`d rather not have them crawling all over me, but in the past, I was the one who was brave enough to kill a spider on the wall or trap the cockroach that got in. But these ones, they`re HUGE. Monsterous. Dinosaur-like. The thought of one of THEM creeping along my neck or up my leg is enough to give me the heebie-jeebs for a week.

Mom, send bug spray.

Breaking News

I`m not sure how much of what is going on in Columbia is getting to the Canadian newspapers, but the shit is in the process of hitting the fan here in South America.

Apparently, some members of Columbia´s largest rebel group, FARC, was seeking asylum across the border in Ecuador, when the Columbian army raided Ecuador and killed 17 guerrilla fighters, as well as their head honcho, Raúl Reyes, this Saturday. Reyes was wanted by Interpol for crimes against humanity, and FARC is a notorious terrorist group.

The result of the military attack on Ecuadorian soil has resulted in some very hot heads, and threats of war between Columbia and Ecuador, along with Venezuela (Ecuador`s leftist ally). The border between Ecuador and Columbia has been closed, and Rafael Correa (the President of Ecuador) has announced that he was intent on severing all diplomatic ties between Ecuador and Columbia. Military troops are being sent to the border, and military presence in and around Ecuador is more evident since the attack over the weekend.

Columbia is accusing Ecuador of getting involved and supporting FARC, while Ecuador denies any untoward behaviour. Because Ecuador and Venezuela have leftist leanings, the American government is quick to side with Columbia in this dispute. If, in fact, the three countries go to war, Columbia is certain to have the US backing it.

Hopefully, things will cool down before it gets too out of control. Keep watching the news, and pray for a non-violent resolution.

Drowning in Cuenca

It`s been raining for a week. And I`m not talking about just a little rain. I`m talking rivers flooding, mudslides over highways, eternally wet clothing rain. The kind where sometimes you have to put your hand over your mouth so you can take a breath. The kind that after the first five minutes, the water on the street is coming up over your shoes. My one pair of jeans are so constantly wet, they`ve started to mold. I`ve started wearing flip flops because all of my shoes are squelchy and my socks are soaked within seconds of putting on shoes. The wooden front door has sopped up so much water, it has swollen shut, and I have a minor panic attack/spaz everytime I try to get in or out (can anyone say "fire hazard"?). And I`m oh so tired of it!!

The thing about living on the equator is that sometimes the rainy season comes multiple times in a year (I think global warming also has a hand in it as well...). So, even though I arrived in Cuenca in September to rain everyday for a month, that wasn`t enough for Ecuador. The torrential downpours apparently will continue on for the next few weeks.

Can`t wait.

A vacation from a vacation

This past weekend was Carnival in Ecuador, which, as previously mentioned, is a country-wide water fight. Desperate to avoid it, some friends and I decided to get out of the country entirely, and try our hand at Peru. We climbed on a bus on Friday morning, and made our way to the border town, Huaquillas, 5 hours south. Climbing off the bus was like entering a different world. We were instantly hot and sticky, and in what I could only imagine was a market in China. And although the people looked and spoke Spanish, I was convinced that it was China, none-the-less. There were fruits and vegetables everywhere, people pushing ox-carts piled high with fish and oranges and clothing, and men riding bikes with carts attached. Taxis and tuk-tuks were everywhere, and the rules of the road were apparently non-existent. It was chaos.

We were under strict instructions not to talk to ANYBODY, because EVERYBODY would try to rob us, yet on all sides, we were mobbed by men trying to get us into their taxis. It was all very overwhelming, since we didn´t even know what direction to walk to get to the border. Finally, we ended up in front of a police station, and decided that perhaps we could trust them, and we ended up getting into two tuk-tuks the policeman recommended. The guy seemed trustworthy enough, and took us to the Peruvian border, 4 kms away. We all piled out, and immediately piled back in, after we were told we had to go to the Ecuadorian border to get our exit stamps. So, back through the market, back through a parade of water balloons and shaving cream, back to where we started, into another cab, to the Ecuadorian border, 10 km away. This border was just a shack on the side of the road. I wonder how we could´ve missed it?? Anyhow, armed with our exit stamps, we made our way BACK to the border of Peru, through all the muss and mess of Huaquillas, and were FINALLY allowed into Peru, after an hour and a half of mass confusion.

We arrived in Mancora, a beach town in the north of Peru, at around 8pm, 11 hours after we started our journey (we were told it would take us 7-9 hours...). We found a hostel, found some much needed food, and I went to bed while the others went to find the nightlife in Mancora. The next day, we got up, and spent the day on the beach. And the next day. And the next day. It was amazing. The water was warm, the sun was hot, and vendors would walk along the beach, calling out their wares, so you didn´t even have to get up to get water or food. In the evenings, we would walk along the market stalls, admiring the jewelery, sarongs, books, and clothing, before we ate dinner and went out dancing. The best part was, I didn´t get involuntarily wet the whole weekend!! I love Peru! Ooh, and the other best part was the four gorgeous women I was with, they made the trip so much fun, we all got along splendidly, and had some amazing and at times vulgar conversations. Good times.

The ride home was a lot more productive, since we knew what we were doing, although we did end up in a deserted parking lot with three sketchy men (they wanted money to sneak us across the border...don´t ask!). However, not two minutes after getting my passport stamped in Ecuador, I got hit by a water balloon!! Stupid Carnival....

I wish I packed a super soaker...

In Ecuador, the people celebrate Carnival by throwing water balloons and buckets of water at each other. And although Carnival isn´t technically until February 3rd, most people think that starting right after New Years is a good idea. Thus far, I have been hit with five water balloons, and aimed at countless times. It is a war zone here in Cuenca, and as a gringa, I am a worthy target. I have to be on constant lookout, because the balloons can come from anywhere. People stand on rooftops and balconies and pelt passerbys, or children hide behind doorways, or teens ride around in cars, chucking them out windows. Let me tell you how wonderful it is to get hit in the face or the stomach by a balloon thrown from a car going 50 km. I have bruises. Also, it´s less than ideal to arrive at work to teach 15 teenagers, shirt soaked and clingy (even worse if you got hit in the nether-regions...). I´ve heard horror stories of getting hit in the back of the head with a frozen water balloon, or pelted by 15 balloons at once.

Apparently it´s only going to get worse.