A Ginger Journey

No traveller should leave Ecuador without first heading south on the Pan American highway along the Avenue of the Volcanoes to explore some pristine towns, plenty of adventure, and a clear view of the lush countryside dotted with llamas. 

We left Ayelet and Greg for a few days to venture out on our own with the wonderful guidance of Santiago from Gentian Trails.  Here are a few of the obscure highlights:

Llamas.  It goes without saying that these guys won over my heart in the mountains.  Blame it on the altitude and lack of oxygen flowing to my brain, but these guys are down right adorable.  Friendly, full of personality, and hard working, what’s not to love about a llama? 

The beautifully dressed people.  Our visit to the Ecuadorian countryside was filled with the presence of men and women dressed in bright, traditional clothes, a fashion dating back to colonial times and beyond.  What can I say, they wear it well. 

Volcanoes, of course.  We were lucky(?) enough to see the Tungurahua Volcano during a feisty moment.  She gave us a real show as she spewed puffs of ash into the air all afternoon.  And yes, the local people have determined her sex to be female due to her frequent hot temper. 

A few years back, the volcano spit out chunks of lava and the town was encouraged to evacuate.  We met a local who stuck it through and kept this piece of pumice as a momento from his yard.  Here’s the proof:

The roses.  Ecuador has established itself over the past 20 years as one of the largest rose exporters in the world.  Every day, countless flowers are flown to the far corners of the world.  While cruising the countryside, we stopped briefly at a rose factory/farm to check it out. 

What took my breath away was the endless rows of roses, some even taller than me.  First, the workers (both male and female) pick the flowers, grouping them by color.

Roses are then brought to the warehouse where they are sorted.

Soak in a chemical bath to preserve their appearance.

Are trimmed to the appropriate length.

Bundled.

And packed up for international shipping.

A tip for any romantic: Ecuador is a great place for you - a dozen roses might break your bank at the eyebrow-raising price of $2.

The Devil’s Nose Train.  Take this switch back train dating back 100+ years down to Devil’s Nose from Alausi.  You start in this picturesque town:

Board the train.

And get an incredible glimpse of the vista as you head down to a lower altitude. 

Be adventurous.  Head to the tiny town of Banos, a backpacker favorite, for some rock climbing, bunji jumping, hiking, and more.  We even met one of the country’s best rock climbers.  A genuinely nice guy who now runs a small guest house and local rock climbing school for kids.

The area is perfect for a hike to a waterfall in the nearby cloud forest. 

Which leads me to the wildlife and nature in Ecuador.  The country is absolutely packed with life.  For example, the it boasts having 8% of the world’s population of orchids, over 4,400 varieties of butterflies, and 1,650 kinds of birds.  No wonder why it’s a quiet mecca for adventurous backpackers, bird enthusiasts, and nature lovers.  Orchids are growing everywhere!

Just keep in mind that you will see plenty of bugs.  Especially in unexpected places.  Trust me, they lose their scare factor after a while - even if they are gigantic. 

Now that you have your appetite, let’s talk food.  The local Andean food is delicious.  It ranges from my favorite Locoro Soup (a potato, cheese soup served with slices of avocado), to their version of unpopped popcorn, to dishes of potatoes, sausages, and corn served with spicy aji sauce.  Here we have a traditional favorite. 

I will also mention the local sugar cane drink, canelazo.  It’s a hot drink from the highlands made with sugar cane liquor and cinnemon. 

You can even head to the town of Salcedo where they proudly make ice cream and display a giant sized version of their specialty at the entrance to town.

What’s even stranger are the trash cans.  Yup, some company has manufactured the world’s weirdest trash bins to be heavily distributed in the Ecuadorian Highlands.  Here’s a sampling: 

Overall, our trip through the Ecuadorian Highlands is one to be repeated.  The views are amazing and the tourist flow low.  My idea of heaven. 

Greetings from the beautiful city of Quito! 

Ayelet and Greg have been doing a superb job showing us their new city. 

Our first few days have been spent seeing the city through their eyes.  It was great to see Ayelet in action as tour guide once again since Israel.  Of course, she oriented us…

Then fed us…

And finally let us loose on the streets…

Contrary to the photo above in the picturesque Ronda district, Quito’s main plazas and streets are jam-packed with people, cars, bikes, and busses all flashing by. 

It’s a colorful city full of life and taxi drivers warning the gringos to “watch the wallet” and “beware of the danger”.  Apparently my red hair and height have successfully drawn attention when, once again, all I want is to blend in to the crowd.   

We haven’t seen too many tourists and I’ve been able to use my spanish at every corner.  My idea of heaven.   Locals in indigenous dress and Andean hats are everywhere.  The women carry their babies in woven slings - no baby strollers in sight. 

Here are some other things we’ve noticed in the city:

No shortage of shoe shiners or heladerias (ice cream stands).  These guys cram every plaza.  See the ice cream cones that are stuck upside down on the ice cream waiting for customers.

Good old spanish colonial design:

And we can’t forget the over-the-top, intimidating decoration common in South American churches.  Yup, the interior is gilded with gold.  It’s intent was successful as my father and I both uttered a simultaneous “Wow” when we walked inside.

What I love are the tiny stores selling everything from candles to fruit to yarn to bread and beyond. 

You guessed it, there’s even a blender part store that can make any juice making worries disappear.  What I love about the culture here is that the focus is on fixing material items rather than tossing them out and buying a new one.  If the blender stops working, get the right part from your local tiny store and fix it.  Voila!

Now what I have to share with you is the airport located in the heart of the city.  It’s a distinct sensation to land in Quito and glide in, as I’ve mentioned.  It’s a completely different experience to watch the planes actually land.  They seem to come so close to the city! 

Exhibit A:

Spot the spec of a plane coming in on the left in front of the volcano…

Now getting closer to the city…

And getting closer… See the runway yet?

Rumor has it that a few accidents have prompted the city to work on constructing a new airport further outside the city away from residential apartment buildings, which should be open in a few years time. 

What’s more concerning to the locals is the constant recoccurance of earthquakes and prevailing fear of a volcano eruption.  The earthquakes here seem to bring people together.  Neighbors and strangers talk about them like we chit-chat about the weahter back in the States.  “Did you feel that one last week?”  “Yes!  I could see the elecrtical wires moving outside my window.  My books fell off the table.  My cat refused to come out from under the bed.  What a shake.” 

Added bonus, Quito is essentially cuddling up against a volcano.  What’s more, it’s also situated nicely along an entire ridge of 78 volcanos - some are more active than others.  What strikes me is how calm people are to the imminent threat.  It’s similar to my encounter with the Israelis as they discussed the unrest and violence in their backyard.  The people of Quito accept that they live in a potentially disasterous area.  No one can really predict when something will happen, so it’s better to live life in the moment. 

And that’s exactly what we did as we enjoyed a lovely sunset and followed by a delicious meal in a restaurant’s outdoor courtyard.  Cheers to Ayelet, Greg, Heidi (a friend from Chicago also living here) and my father for a great time in the city. 

Next up, Dad and I are heading south through the Andes along the Volcano ridge to see a bit of the Ecuadorian countryside. 

Greetings from America del Sur!

The word of the day is Soroche: Altitude Sickness.  Why?  Keep reading. 

I´m off adventuring again, this time to Ecuador with my trusty travel partner, Dad, to visit my good childhood friend, Ayelet, and her husband, Greg, who recently moved to Quito in August.  If you´ve been following my journey, I was with Ayelet and her family only a few months ago in Israel.  See my previous Israeli posts for more of those Mediterranean adventures. 

First, a few things to mention about our flight down south. 

1) While people boarded the plane, I continued hearing bird noises from the seat next to me.  Other passengers became curious as well.  Surely there wasn´t a native Texan bird that had mistakenly boarded in Houston.  Quite the contrary, my father was simply playing with his latest iphone app - a bird calling program.  What made matters worse was my response, “Dad, this is so embarrassing.  Please stop.”  I should have known that after 27 years this only adds fuel to the fire.  My father responded by turning up the volume.  And at this point, other passengers paused by our row  while boarding to guess the specifics of the bird calls.  Yup, you guessed it, we had bird watching hobbiests and professionals on board - all heading to the Amazon and beyond.  My father was in his element. 

2) Flying at night is still high on my list of favorites.  I can spend hours staring out at the universe peacefully gliding above the cloud cover.  Sunsets from way up high in the sky take my breath away.  Last night was no different.  A full moon made the view even more spectacular.  There´s something magical about being so high up away from all of the issues on the ground below. 

3) Flying into Quito at a cool 9,000+ feet is a completely different experience.  The plane doesn´t really descend.  It simply glides down.  My ears didn´t pop and walking into the terminal, my breath became heavy and each step belabored.  Ah, good old altitude - I missed you in the midwest. 

This leads me to soroche.  If any of you have heard my story of landing in the Peruvian mountains and suddenly (dramatically) passing out in front of my new host family from the altitude, only then to wake up on a strange bed surrounded by ten people all taking at once in a mix of Spanish and Quechuan, please remind me to recount the episode.  Let´s just say that I don´t deal well with sudden changes in altitude and was fortunate last night to know the signs and take some precautionary steps.  I´m fairly certain that my father has had limited exposure to this kind of altitude so I walked him through what to do.  Drink plenty of water.  Drink plenty of Mate de Coca (yup - real coca).  Don´t move around a lot.  Don´t drink alcohol.  Don´t eat a lot of food.  The headache, nausia, and dizzines are normal.  It will take two+ days to acclimate.  The good news is that there´s O2 at the hotel!  Yippee, a real excuse for an oxygen party with my dad! 

Arriving in Quito late at night, we headed into town and straight to our hotel.  A HOTEL!  My hostel nights and bunkbed (bedbug) memories have been temporarily put on hold.  What a luxury to stay at a hotel! 

Quito is quiet at night.  Not too many people out at 10pm.  Empty streets.  A few busses and cars.  The colonial architecture reminded me of Cusco and the Old Town of Lima.  This, however, felt cleaner and less chaotic.  Maybe it had sometime to do with the time of day.  Time will tell. 

Hasta pronto!

Here is a collection of my favorite signs spotted during my world travels.  They made me laugh, think, and question.  Now, will they have the same effect on you?

Rules for visiting the Summer Palace in Beijing:

Apparently, babies cannot do an Irish Jig on the airport table.

Not “Mind your head,” but “Mind your hair.”  Let’s get the priorities straight.

You will indeed lose your head in China over driving while talking on a cell phone.

This sign means to say that carrying kindling into this area is prohibited.  The grammar simply does not translate.  

Obviously the locals are confused as well.

See if you can find the price of god, the chicken is crisp crisp, frangrantspick chicken wing, and board muscle.  There are a few other winners listed as well.

An engagement photo example.  Chinese love the western weddings.  They even write romantic notes above their photos.  This one says, “I love you small lovely.  I let you live from now on more beautiful my feeling to you a ratio gold Nuptial chamber that night…”

There are many risks, but you could turn into Superman…

The Birthday Party itinerary at China’s Pizza Hut.  

1) Welcome Guests

2) Game Time

3) DIY Pizza

4) Western Dining Knowledge Introduction

5) Farewell (cue soundtrack from the Sound of Music)

A survey at Delhi’s KFC.

- Was the Food… a) Hot like a supermodel?  b) Cold like an ex-girlfriend?

- Was the temperature in the restaurant … a) Cold like Kashmir? b) Hot like Kanyakumari?  c) Perfect like Miami?

- Was the menu board … a) Easy like a nursery rhyme? b) Crazy like an algebra equation?

- Were you welcomed like … a) A politician? b) An electrician?

Apologies for the sideways slat.  My favorites on this Indian menu are the Veg. Paneer Chowmein, the Choupsy, the Chinese Pakoda, and the Hash Brown Potato.  When in doubt, stick to the Mango Lassi.

Better head to the restaurant where “Food is God.”

This Italian restaurant in India needs to change either it’s name or slogan.

Here’s where to find your Indian Chowmin and Finger Chips:

Swedish vintage store gas mask:

An Australian banana stand:

The Australian Scooter Roo Loo:

Wise words…

Convincing ad for aussie beer:

Note on windshield asking to hitch a ride in Australia.

“G’Day Mate,

Are you on your way to Rainbow Beach?   Do you have 2 spare seats?  Would you like to have 2 funny and nice girls to join you?  Of course we would share the fuel costs. If you want to make great memories and make us happy just call.”

Chinese souvenier:

Now what does this say about our country?

Israeli souvenier:

Holy Rock Cafe in Old Jerusalem:

A “How To” guide at the Israel Museum:

Tango instructions:

Spotted in Israel - “If I gave up my arms, could you teach me…”

“I took my world apart to be here with you.”

What a valentine’s gift - an “I love you forever and never” balloon.

Political placemats:

And less so…

A creepy form of advertising for a juice stand in the form of a parked car:

And the close-up.

Visit the Swedish Viking Bar!

Hair Salon in Stockholm:

The most efficient sink I’ve ever seen.  Stick your hands here for water, soap and a quick dry.  See how easy these instructions are to understand in Swedish!

What a fabulous wall quote:

“He lived, nightly, and drank, daily, and died playing the ukalele.”

This sign is probably here because this has happened in the Copenhagen canals before.

Does Copenhagen not like Doxens?

Again, this probably means that people have attempted to do this before…

London’s Tree-athon: 5K run, street art, plant a tree.

Just don’t play baseball in Edinburgh…

This is how I feel about still living out of a suitcase after three months.

Home at last!  My first big stop?  Milwaukee’s famous local greasy diner, Solly’s.  I promised myself abroad that I would head straight to this American joint for a chocolate malt, fries, and a cheese burger smothered with butter and covered with the works.  The waitresses even remembered my face.  It feels great to be a local again.  Plus, US food never tasted so good!

81 days to circumnavigate the world.  11 countries (although 4 of those were layovers).  I was tested, inspired, rejuvenated, and came home a different person.  Oddly enough, it feels like I never left.  It would feel like a dream if not for that fact that I’ve checked my bank account, which is a solid confirmation that I did indeed travel around the world.  

Stay tuned for some exciting new posts and the video you’ve all been waiting for.  Song requests are still welcome.  And for those of you who did not see me traveling, I leave you with this image from my European leg.  I promise that only two of those items were picked up along the way.

I have indeed earned back my college nickname, “Bag Lady Kate.”