Greg's Ecuadorian Adventure

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. A.A. Milne Today is the day I am officially thirty years old. 30. When I originally signed my contract in Ecuador, I knew this major life event would occur. The combination of different factors-- aging, living abroad, traveling, among others-- started me reflecting on a lot in my life.  "When I was younger," I dread the day I turned 30. It's old. It's an age more likely closer to death than it is to birth. Other people think it is old. You're tied down to a job and you don't have as much freedom to travel and enjoy life. Retirement is about twice the amount of time you've lived at that point.  There was a point in time where I was positive I would spend my 30th birthday in bed all day, feeling sorry for myself. My god, I thought some radically incorrect things. Life is just starting. Age = Experience. Age = Self-E...

One year ago last weekend, I went to Baños . Surprisingly, I have not been back yet.  But on weekends that are extended due to holidays, such as Guayaquil Day , I have to go far enough away from Quito . Not because I hate Quito... no. I love Quito, but I need to get out of the city sometimes. This three day weekend is brought to you by Cuenca , the furthest point south in Ecuador I have been so far. I really hope to make it to Loja soon, which is a bit further south. The best city map I have seen in Ecuador! Historic Center of Cuenca Anyway, the weekend not only marked Guayaquil Day but also the end of the first partial / making period / grading period. Brenda and I concluded that we both needed to go to Cuenca still, so we booked out tickets a few weeks in advance. That week, I feverishly worked my butt off with planning and grading so that I would have an uninterrupted experience from all things work-related. Cuenca has an impressive 52 churches! We (Brenda) book...

It has been a month since I returned to Ecuador from my summer adventures. Seeing as I neglected to update my blog since Bolivia, I am going to do a little back tracking before I delve into some of my most recent adventures. When I got back from Bolivia, I had a week to relax, regroup, and unpack my belongings into my new apartment. The dry season is real. Dry air, crazy amounts of dust and dirt particles being swept up in the air... and all of this created the perfect storm for an allergy cold. I have had strong allergic reactions to dust in the past... leading to extreme drainage of mucus into my throat and stomach. What this basically does is give me flu symptoms and a lost voice. I was intending on going to Otavalo at the end of this week but I was projectile vomiting from my allergies for a good two days, and was confined to my bed to rest and recover my health. I resorted to purchasing as many gifts as I could stuff into a suitcase at the mercado artisanal at Jorge ...

By the end of the next two bus rides, I would resolve with a sweet-and-sour decision. Natalia and I arrived to the terminal about one hour early and the place was completely packed with people. We checked in at the office to see where we needed to go, the lady told us, and I had to leave my checked-backpack with her before going downstairs to the buses. What the... ? I have never had to do this before and I was paranoid about not being able to see my bag go underneath. Street Art in La Paz There were buses everywhere they could fit but ours was there... so I thought. I walked up to the conductor, he looks at my ticket and tells me, "otro bus." Nooooo, this is my bus? It was in the stall / carril assigned to us. But as the time got near to board and depart, the marquee said they were leaving at 7:45 P.M. Ours was 8 P.M. Hmmmm... Street Art in La Paz Luckily, a local walked up to us and started explaining everything that was happening. There was another bus for us.....

Natalia and I boarded the bus. Actually, it took us about 10 minutes to figure out which bus it was. Our ticket said bus 1 (with normal seats) but we paid for bus 2 (semicama). This was my first time boarding a bus in this country on time, and it was difficult to figure out what is normal and protocol. One of the many times we had to get off the bus. This time was because part of the road was dug-out. The previous bus, the one I chased down in a taxi, provided blankets for everyone. This came in handy because the was no heat on the bus and the temperatures inside fell below freezing. When I walked onto the bus to Sucre, I noticed there weren't any blankets but this was definitely our bus. I walked off to ask the ticket lady if I could use a blanket... all I got was a confused and blank stare. There was NO  way she was providing me with one. I figured, "okay, it is only an 9 hour ride. It can't be that bad, right?" I hopped back on, turned to Natalia and said...

Salar de Uyuni (Uyuni Salt Flats) After officially arriving in La Paz, ten hours later than when I was supposed to, I immediately headed to the hostal that Carrie recommended to me-- The Adventure Brew Hostal . All I really knew about it was that it would be cheap, and after 8 P.M. I would get a (small) free beer. What I didn't know was how close it would be to the center of action AND  how cold it would be inside the hostel. In Ecuador, there are no central heating systems and most places lack fireplaces. This makes sense because it is on the equator ( hence the name )... but this is 1300 mi. / 2100 km. southeast, in the mountains, with snow and ice. I was not expecting almost every place to lack some source of heat. I quickly unpacked my stuff in my dormitorio, added a couple of layers of clothes, and set out on finding the best deals on tours for Salar de Uyuni. After walking around for a couple of hours from location to location, I found the best deal at Madidi Travel . Th...

It feels so good to be finished with work for the school year, and now I can begin my travels. I've been anticipating this trip for months now that it has become a reality. Bolivia has always been a one of my dream destinations... and I got mixed responses from people when I shared my plans. Most were of the "Bolivia? What's there?" nature. The other camp of responses were from people who have  already traveled there. Unanimously they said  that Bolivia is very poor but extremely beautiful. Now, you may has asked yourself "Why would that ever be a dream destination?" Well, when I was growing up, my mom recorded what-seems-like dozens of VHS tapes with Disney programs. On one of these tapes, Donald Duck travels to Lake Titicaca and this captured both my attention and imagination: The actual cartoon segment is much longer than this brief clip, but it makes me feel like a kid again to view it, nonetheless. I booked my flight from Quito for a steal ($550 in...