Long Travel Days

We are used to long travel days. Ten hours to the cabin, RV trips to Alaska, and last year we came home from Australia. So when we heard we had a long travel day, we didn't think much of it. We had no idea. We left Puerto Ayora at 8:45 a.m. and took a bus to a ferry to cross a small canal. The line for the ferry was longer than Alejandra expected, so it took some time to get on the ferry, and although the crossin could not have been 5 minutes, we then had to await a bus. We took another bus to the airport on Baltra, where we caughter a plan that landed in Guayaquil before landing in Quito at 4:00. We were taken to the Wyndham Hotel to be able to relax before dinner. Then we had to be at the airport 3 hours early, which meant we left the hotel at 8:00 for our 10:55 flight. We arrived in Atlanta at 5:05 a.m. and then had to wait until 8:30 to grab our flight to KC. Luckily Don slept the whole way, so he should be able to drive the 2.5 hours home - I hope. By the time we will have returned home, we will have been traveling over 18 hours - worth it, but ugh!

My Favorite Hotel

We stayed in many different kinds of hotels - corporate usually but some local - and all were clean and good. But OAT saved the best for last. It was extremely hot in Puerto Ayora and we had gone to the dog rescue, the coffee/moonshine/chocolate farm, and the Galapagos Turtle Preserve, so we were ready to crash. When we walked through the gates of the Plaza Luna hotel, we were handed frozen washrags and mint tea. We were like putty in their hands. The hotel was the childhood home of the family who still owns it. After the mother passed away, the family decided to create this lovely hotel in her memory. She must have been a wonderful woman, because her children created quite the memorial to her. I am not certain how many rooms they added to the house - there were 8 children, so maybe they didn't need to add many - but each one is individually designed with special murals. The bathrooms are nicely appointed, and we even had washrags - something many of the bigger hotels did not have - and the air conditioning worked well. I could have stayed there for days!

The Lava Tube

When volcanoes erupt, sometimes lava tubes form. This occurs when lava flows away from the eruption. As the outside cools, the inside is still hot and continues to flow. If all of the lava drains out, an open tube remains. In some particular kinds of lava flows, especially low-viscosity ones, They occur more often, and they can be very dangerous. If the weight from above is too much, they might coillapse, and on Santa Cruz Island, cattle and turtles have been known to fall into a lava tube. If no one finds them, of course, they perish. We were able to walk through a lava tube on the Galapagos Ranch, and it was quite interesting. Because of the rain, it was quite wet inside, and one of the other lava tubes was flooded. Some say a cave is a cave, but each cave has its own uniqueness. I did not notice the stuffy smell that some caves have, and inside mosses and other plants were growing. I was glad for the opportunity to learn about and experience lava tubes.

The Galapagos Tortoise

When one thinks of the Galapagos Islands, I suspect most of us think of the giant tortoises. We went to visit a preserve where many live, though they are free to roam off and on the property.The property is fenced with barbed wire, but the managers make sure the bottom wire is high enough that the tortoises do not get tangled in it. He longest-living tortoise that we know of was named Harriet, and she was nearly 200 years old when she died a few years ago in Australia. At one time Harriett was owned by Steve Irwin. We were able to see a number of very large turtles, though no one really has much idea how old they are . . . and tracking them really doesn't work well, because they live longer than the batteries in the tracker and the people who are trying to study them. Apparently the turtles need to eat food that is half of their weight - daily - and once the guava tree was introduced, they have no trouble liking their food. They also eat grass and other things, but they love the guava. They walk using both front feet at the same time, which looks awkward, but it works. The younger turtles still have the concentric circles or squares on their shells but as they age, the shell becomes more shiny because the circles smooth out from the friction of the bushes. The turtles do not have diseases so they either die of old age or sometimes when they are mating they flip over, and if no one can turn them over, they die. The fine for hitting a turtle on the road is upwards of $30,000, so those who have cars drive very carefully. Turtles can also overheat, so they try to find water puddles on hot days. I think some of us were ready to join them!

A Galapagos Dog Rescue

Since many in our group are dog lovers and dog rescuers, Alejandra found a way for us to visit the dog rescue in Puerta Ayora. The group began just before the pandemic, when the family realized that there were many abandoned dog in the city. During the pandemic it got worse, and they continued to try to help with the dog population. The very humble business began with just one dog - Juanchito - and now they house over 40 dogs and 30 cats, either at their facility or in foster homes. It is not an easy job in a culture like the Ecuadorian, as animals are typically not considered as important. But this family believes strongly in what they are doing, and they make sure their snimals are spayed or neutered before they are adopted out. The only requirement they have for families who take the dogs is that the people have a house with a fenced yard. Their primary cost is food, but they have many other costs as well. They receive some help from international foundations, and our group did donate some to them, too. They are doing good work, and I hope they are able to continue doing so.

An Entrepreneur Extraordinaire

Many years ago a young man, Adriano Cabrera, arrived in the Galapagos with only one sucre (the currency at the time) in his pocket. He was determined to make a life for himself, and he began to farm and work. Now, at 84 years old, he is still running his business, and it is the most extraordinary farm I have ever seen. First, he showed us how he extracted sugar juice from sugar cane. It is a process done by hand, using a large piece of wood that he turns by hand. At times he would use a donkey to turn it, but frequently he or his family would turn it themselves. Then he takes the sugar cane, ferments it with a bacteria for 24 - 48 hours, boils it, collects the condensate and creates alcohol that is 50% proof. He makesv two different kinds - anis and regular - but I have no idea what to call it - maybe a liqueur? We tasted it, and it had quite the kick, at least to me. His still looks like it belonged in the swamps of Kentucky during Prohibition. He also grows coffee, and he showed us how he dries the coffee beans (originally they look like red cherries)in the sun for several weeks, then he crushes the beans to get the husk off the beans. Using a hand fan, he then separates the husk from the bean. Finally, he roasts them over a small fire while pushing the container back and forth over the fire. He does what he calls automatic, using a rope that keeps it going. Once they are roasted, he bags the beans for coffee. Don really liked the coffee, and hence, we are taking home two bags of it. We were treated to bananas fresh off the tree (similar to eating pineapple in Hawaii - much better than eating them in Kansas), and we learned a little about his production of chocolate, too. One interesting aspect of his farm is that his crops are intermixed. This avoids many pests that might take out a whole crop if planted together, and it allows for the mixing of tastes in the fruits. Such a fascinating business, still done the old-fashioned way - and quite successful doing it that way.

Things that happen only on the Equator

While we were on the boat we learned about some other interesting facts of being near the equator. Besides water going down drains in opposite ways in each hemisphere but going straight down on the equator, we balanced an egg on a nail, tried to stand on the line with our eyes closed, and experimented with other phenomenon. Alejandra also told us why Ecuador does not experience hurricanes or cyclones. The currents in the Pacific ocean that affect the equator are the Humboldt, the Panama, and the Cromwell. The Humboldt and the Panama are in the southern hemisphere and the Cromwell in the northern hemisphere come together, they cancel each other out so that a hurricane or a cyclone cannot form. This is the Coriolis Effect, and at the equator the Coriolis force is zero - hence no rotation! Physics - wish I had taken it as a course.

Snorkeling

It has been a lot of years since we have snorkeled, and I could tell. I dropped into the water, and panic swept over me. I had forgotten what to do. Luckily, Alejandra had a life saver that she let me use, and I put it in front of me and paddled along. That worked well, and I was able to see many fish I had only seen in aquariums. We came upon some fur seals and some Galapagos sea lions, and they came into the water and swam with some of the snorkelers. Some of the fish has gorgeous colors, but my favorite was the small cobalt-colored fish that may have been a baby wrasse. We chose not to go on the second snorkel where some saw a hammerhead shark, but the next day we chose to try it again. Much easier this time. We were again treated to seals, marine iguana, ghost crabs, anemones, sea urchins, star fish, white-tipped sharks, and numerous other fish. What a difference between today and yesterday. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Frigate Birds

Frigate birds are probably the most interesting birds we have seen. They have scissor tails, much like a swallow, but they are very large birds. They fly incessantly, looking for food mostly, and they stay aloft for hours. One study in the Indian Ocean tracked a frigatebird aloft for two months. In the Galapagos, two kinds of frigate birds live here - the great and the magnificent. The Great Frigate Bird is the most common on the islands where we were, and they have several interesting characteristics. First they cannot get their wings wet, and so they fish by swooping down and snatching fish that have been forced to the surface by other fish. They also are known as pirate birds, as they may steal food from other birds and they occasionally eat other birds' chicks. On one of our trips, a frigatebird was found sitting in the ocean. Alejandra, our guide, seemed distressed, because frigatebirds normally cannot get their wings wet. A large bird came swooping by, and the one in the water flapped its wings and very awkwardly managed to fly to the cliff. Alejandra thought it was probably a juvenile bird, and it was lucky to have the strength to get out of the water onto the cliff. Disaster averted. The most interesting thing about the frigatebirds, however, is the way the males attract their mates. The males have a red pouch on their throat, and when they want to attract a mate, they inflate the red pouch. It takes enormous energy for the males to inflate their pouches, and if they do not attract a mate and "abort the mission," the pouch slowly deflates and the bird must wait another year to try to attract a female. The males reach mating age about 10 or 11 years of age, an thev females about 9 to 10 years. When a female decides to mate with a male, she swoops down next to him, he puts his wing over her, and they engage in what the natives call "honeymooning." Then they lay their eggs, and after the eggs are laid (which are about 6% of the female's body weight), they take about 4 weeks to hatch, and then the parents spend up to 4 - 6 months taking care of their babies. Seeing all of the red pouches in the trees was quite the experience. We are lucky to have seen so many of them!

Palo Santo - Incense Tree

The Palo Santo, or Incense Tree, is a prolific plant in the Galapagos. It loses its leaves at various times of the year, but it blooms with yellow flowers. The wood is very aromatic, and it smells like frankincense. It is also used as a bug repellant and it is used in religious ceremonies as incense. It can be purchased in the United States as Palo Santo Incense.

Boobies - or bobbies

My Uncle Tom always used to joke that his favorite bird was the red headed, yellow breasted mattress thrasher. I think he might get a kick out of birds called boobies. One of the most familiar birds in the Galapagos is the booby . . . very colorful, plentiful, and of course, the name. One of the primary characteristics of the booby is that they dive for their food, kamikaze-style, sometimes up to 28 mph. This is very dangerous if they do not hit the water straight on or if the water is too shallow. The first booby we met was on the dinghy trip the first day. We came to one of the nesting areas of the blue-footed booby. They nest on the ground and mark their nests by pooping in a circle. Because they are near the coast, they lay up to three eggs, and sometimes, particularly if food is more scarce, the biggest chick may push the other one or two chicks out of the circle. If the chick is not within the circle, the parents may not feed them - or not - and potentially the baby may die. The blue feet and blue beak are part of their ability to attract a mate, so some are more blue than others. The more blue the feet, the better health of the bird, so females tend to try to find a male with the bluest feet. The Nazca booby is white, it nests on the ground also, and it has gray feet. It lives more inland, and if the female lays more than one egg, frequently the older sibling will kill the younger one. Recent studies have shown that the Nazca booby is more aggressive, potentially as a response to the stress of being the one to kill the other sibling. The red-footed booby has red feet, obviously, and lives farther inland. Because food is harder to find in the interior, the red-footed booby only lays one egg, and they nest in trees. Both parents incubate the nest, and their chick is tended by both parents. It may take four months before the baby flies, and the parents usually stay together for several years. One interesting habit that the red-footed booby has adopted over time is that they will not breed on islands where their major predator, the Galapagos hawk, lives.

Mangrove

In the Galapagos, three kinds of mangrove trees exist. On our first day on our boat, we all gathered in dinghys and took a tour of the mangroves. I noticed that many of the trees had yellow leaves, and our guide, Alejandra, explained that the red mangrove always has yellow "sacrificial" leaves. The red mangrove is not perfectly adapted to salt water, so it has what the natives call sacrificial leaves, which collect the salt from the water so that the tree can survive. We also were introduced to the white mangrove, which does not need the sacrificial leaves. We also saw a few turtles, a marine iguana, pelicans, and other birds . . . more about that later. It was a nice introduction to what we were going to see later.

Botanical Gardens

Visiting Botanical Gardens is one of the best ways to learn about the plants that live in an area, and this Botanical Garden had some very interesting exhibits. Two houses of orchids exposed us to many variations of orchids, one held a variety of carnivorous plants, and one featured Japanese plants, including a group of bonsai trees. The garden is in the middle of what is Quito's Central Park. Few people were there, and the cost for admission was nominal. We could have stayed longer, but we had things to do . . . like go eat Fanesca, which is a sort of soup. I want to try the recipe when I get home, as I was worried that I might find MSG in the one we had . . . and I am pretty certain I was right. So I had a caprese sandwich and tasted the Fanesca . . . which was really good!

Museo Nacional

The first place we visited with Cristina was the National Museum. It was filled with mostly replicas of some of the most famous and pertinent Incan and Ecuadorean items. Cristina was hoping we would see the large golden sun, but of course, it was being cleaned. We enjoyed seeing some of the unique artifacts of early Ecuador, and if Don had not left one of our umbrellas at the museum, it would have been a perfect visit!

Driving in Quito

My oh my. We are so glad Cristina was driving. It takes only one person to mess up the flow, but as long as everyone is changing lanes at will (they are pretty good at using their signals), things seem to go well. They appear to be used to people infringing upon their lanes, and missing cars by an inch or less is common. Whether in a bus or in a car, the number of what we would call "near misses" happened every minute. Cristina and Patricio are both good drivers and make their way around easily, and the bus drivers are incredible. Don is just glad he wasn't trying to drive the RV.

Cristina, Patricio, and Leo

One reason we decided to take this trip was so that we could spend some time with Cristina, Patricio, and Leo. Cristina was an exchange student who joined us before Christmas of 2006, and she stayed with us until June of 2007. We had quite a time and with us, and she was able to go to a football game in Houston, to New York City (where we saw the play Mary Poppins), to Princeton, and to the cabin. She also participated on swim team and in a play at school. It was a great time. Our first chance to see her was at a restaurant where we had dinner, and it was a glorious reunion. It was so fun to meet Patricio and Leo, and Leo loved his Little Blue Truck and his book we brought him. The next evening, we went to her house for an amazing several-course meal. I wish I could remember everything we got to eat, but it was all delicious. Fried pork, a delicious tea from the south, vegetables, and dessert. Of course, I remember the desserts - Tres leches, and figs with cheese. She nearly needed to roll us out the door. We also brought Kansas City Chiefs shirts to Patricio and Leo, a KSU shirt and books to Cristina, and more books to Leo. They seemed to like them . . . Then Patricio and Cristina drove us to see the lights of Quito which included the statue of the Virgin. It was foggy that night, so the statue was especially ethereal. It was a beautiful evening.

A visit with a sex worker

Probably the most interesting discussion we have had was the one we had with a sex worker. I don't know that I have knowingly engaged in a conversation with a woman who makes her living this way, but we did on Thursday. Prostitution has been legal in Quito since the 1920s, and it has been regulated for many years. Under current laws, a person must be associated with a legalized brothel and must undergo health screenings every month. If the person tests positive for STIs or other issues their license is revoked, and they receive 50 free condoms a month. Current charges are about $13 for ten minutes and up to 4 different positions, and the worker receives $10 and s/he pays $3 to the brothel. When the woman arrived, she was dressed as any ordinary woman - jeans, a nice top, regular shoes, no excessive make-up. One of the rules of her trade is that they must look like regular women, especially if their brothel (hotel) is near a school. They rarely have tourists as clients (she has only ever had 4, and she did tell some funny stories about them), as most of her clients are locals. When asked how she found herself in this situation, she said that she fell in love with a Ecuadorean (she is Colombian) who promised her great things in Quito. Within a week he had her working the streets with the promise that she would not have to do it for long. Eventually she realized she had been taken advantage of, but she stayed with him for ten years and bore two children. She was able to break away from him, but not from the life on the streets. It was the only way she could support her children. Some days she has 4 clients, but the day we met her she had had none. I suspect some days she has more than 4, but she did say it was a good day when she had 4. When asked about her children, the emotions overcame her. Her son is now in his 20s, educated, and very good to her. She says he has become the "caballero" she had always wanted to marry. Her daughter is graduating this year and wants to become a guide.v The children's mission is to get their mother "off the streets," into a home, and able to care for herself. She talked about the time her daughter had a little tiff with another girl, and the girl said something similar to, "You are awfully high and mighty for being the daughter of a prostitute." That, of course, opened the conversation for the woman to talk about her life. She moved the children to a private school (how she afforded that is impossible to understand), and they have grown up to be very fine people. She did say that most of the women who are in the same profession do it for their children, and she indicated that very few of the women had addiction problems. The courage, bravery, and stamina of this woman impressed me beyond belief. She is not proud of what she does, but her intentions are as pure as gold. The importance of listening to each other and their stories is what makes the world a better place, and Don and I are grateful we had a chance to heard "the rest of the story." Our prayers go out to this woman and all others in her position.

The Legend of Catuna

Catuna (the n should have a tilde over it, but I do not know how to do that) was an Incan mestizo who was a good builder and stone mason. One year, the Spaniards asked him to build an atrium for the new San Francisco Church. He was more than willing to help. As the end of his contract was approaching, he realized that he had promised more than he could deliver. He began to pray to God for help, but he did not receive an answer, and hence, he prayed to the devil. When the Devil quickly appeared, he and Catuno hammered out a contract that if the Devil was able to complete the work by 6 a.m. the next day, Catuno would give the Devil his soul. The Devil knew his little diablitos would easily finish the work, so they began. Throughout the night, Catuno watched the building, and he knew they would finish the job in time. Unbeknownst to them, however, Catuno sneaked over to a completed part of the wall, took out one brick, and he hid it under his shirt. At 6 in the morning the Devil proclaimed the work done, but Catuno pointed out the missing brick. He escaped with his soul, and the work he promised was complete.

The Historic Center of Quito

We made our way to the historic center of Quito where we were introduced to several churches, one of which was totally covered in gold inside. Each chapel as well as the nave had been made of wood and then bathed in gold, and when a fire nearly burned down parts of the church a few years ago, they repaired it with the same. We had lunch at the Bishop's palace, a beautiful building constructed by the Spaniards and used as the home for the local bishop. The religious artwork was probably created by local artesans who were taught by the Europeans who were brought in to teach them to paint, and in some of the churches, some of the paintings were obviously used to protest the religion of the Spaniards. The food was very good and the setting was beautiful. It isn't often one gets to eat in such a gorgeous place. After lunch we walked around the plaza, looking at the Inca architecture on which the Spaniards built their buildings. In the next few posts, I will discuss some of what we learned.

Cacao - Ecuadorian Chocolate

We were able to hear a presentation on Ecuadorean chocolate, which is where most cacao beans are harvested. We discovered that part of the reason for the tastiness of Ecuadorean chocolate is that so many plants grow near the cacao trees, the tastes from other plants are absorbed creating a very rich flavor. After showing us a cacao pods, he opened it and scooped out some of the beans. They are covered with a slimy white substance that when put in your mouth and suck on them, taste like a sweet-and-sour fruit. We were told not to swallow the seeds. Then we were shown how chocolate was changed into powder and oil. The best part, of course, was having tasting opportunities. I prefer milk chocolate, but the dark chocolate was pretty good.

Standing on the Equator

The Center where the Equator is exactly at 0 degrees, 0 minutes, and 0 seconds was an amazing place. Our guide was particularly good in explaining the physics behind many of the equatorial phenomenon. He had us try to stand on a line, hold our arms out, and close our eyes - but because of the equator it is difficult to hold one's balance. Once off the equator, the ears are able to balance and most people can stand. When water is poured down a drain on the equator, water goes straight down. But take the drain just about two feet north of the equator and the water spins counter-clockwise; two feet south it spins clockwise. Then we were given an opportunity to balance an egg on a nail. Don struggled to do it, but I managed, as did Stacey Meinen, and we both received a certificate for accomplishing the task. The Center was a fun interactive place that I would recommend to anyone!

Sinanume School

Our first venture on Wednesday in Quito was to visit the Sinanume School, which was founded by the best trumpet player in Ecuador. He is now 85, but when he founded this school, it was with the intent to provide Downs Syndrome children and children with disabilities with an educational experience that includes two hours per day of music instruction. Many of the students are older adults, a few are blind, and many have learning issues, but the music helps their brains learn and adjust. The symphony they gave us included four or five Downs Syndrome who danced several dances, including a bull fighting song. The group played some traditional Ecuadorean songs, a few songs from the US, La Bamba, and Frank Sinatra's My Way. The rendition of My Way really highlighted the founder of the group - and I believe that at one point he really was the best trumpeter in Ecuador. We danced to When the Saints go Marching In, and the last song, Don was invited to dance with one of the students. Soon most of us were dancing, and the students were delighted. The School receives some funding from the Great Circle Foundation, which is the Foundation started by the group with whom we are traveling, Overseas Advanture Travel. The Foundation sponsors projects around the world, and we have been able to experience two of them.

The flowers of the Larco Museum

The gardens of the Larco Museum were beautiful. Bougainvilla was prolific and gorgeous. Many orchids, vines, and perennial flowers bloomed everywhere.