Mindo

Mindo

 

Decisions just plain stink. You can not see it all. I've faced this all too often. The more I travel the more I want to see. After de sting the choices of mountains, volcanos, ,markets , and jungles we decided to take a day trip to Mindo.

Most people already know I love butterflies. I had heard Mindo is the best place to go to see some butterflies as well as being a beautiful cloud Forrest. I made the choice and figured it was a good plan to do and then do a two day adventure tour after that.

Jess, Lynn (a new girl I met in the hostel from New Zealand), and I caught a cab and met the tour in another part of Quito. The drive was about two hours before we arrived. Our guide awkwardly explained the plan and changed it over and over, did this guy even know what we were doing!

The first part of the trip was a hike to see a waterfall. We had to pay an extra five dollars so that we could ride the cable car to the trek points it was basically a zip line with a metal car attached that took you over top of a jungle gorge. The view was very pretty.

The next few hours however were not very fun. I'm writing this now that the day has concluded and haven't decided exactly what I didn't like about it. Maybe it was because we had just come from the Amazon so we weren't impressed, or that we had come from banos with an Amazon waterfall, or maybe we were all just grumpy. But the trek to the waterfall and back up left us annoyed and unsatisfied. Then when we were told the bus wouldn't be driving us down and we had to walk for 40 minutes we were angry. By the time we had made it down the group of 5 backpackers on the trip were very unhappy.

 

We had paid a decent amount of money to get to a town and have to pay for everything we did. It solidified our thoughts that it was better to do things on our own. We could've easily caught a bus locally and saved a good 40 dollars. 

The downfall of becoming an experienced traveler is knowing how much you are capable of doing. Also, being more easily let down when you know it could be much different.

Grumpy and annoyed we decided to flip the day around. Why not take things in our own hands. We expressed our less than satisfied opinion to the guide. He was mortified that we wanted to leave. I felt bad because I know the company will think it is his fault. Ugh tough situations.

We decided to ask if we could leave the older couples in the group and go extreme rafting while they did bird watching and a chocolate factory.

The day changed. We all had a more positive outlook and it was a three sixty. It's crazy how perception and attitude can affect a day. I hate to say I ruined the morning but when everyone is putting out bad vibes it's hard to pull away from that. But when we decided to look at it in a positive light we were able to enjoy and have fun, a lot of traveling truly is what you make it.

We then saw beautiful butterflies.

 

The blue were the most beautiful and the size of my hand.

 

I was able to get a few on my arm,

 

And even on my face!

The rafting was even better. Locals tied together massive inter tubes. After stacking them on top of the car we headed off to the entry point. They handed us life vests and helmets. Maybe this will actually be extreme!

It was! For the next half hour we were jolted around in our tubes through Rapids. We were banged off rocks, scraped the bottom, soaked, freezing, and smashing into things. Our guide was brilliant as he navigated us through the rapids jumping in and out of the water. I swear he knew every rock.

After rafting we joined the rest of the tour at the chocolate factory. While they toured three of us went shopping. I purchased some beautiful jewelry that was hand made by a local. These people are unbelievably talented at making metal jewelry that twists intricately around stones. After we drank hot chocolate, ate a browny, and befriended four other backpackers staying in Mindo.

As I write this I'm heading back to the city to shower and go out salsa dancing. I have no clue how to do it but there is a street where locals go to eat and dance the night away (la Rhonda where I mentioned earlier). One thing I learned is things won't go according to plan. I won't do it all. I can't see it all. I can't always be happy. But the experience a lot of times truly is what you make of it and today proved that in a successful way. I love that traveling gives me the experiences to learn about how I handle things and his I can change my actions to help my own outcomes and those around me!

Quito - Middle of the World

Middle of the World and Quito

Local buses are awesome. Cheap, confusing, and entertaining always makes for good trips. We luckily made the two bus journey to the middle of the world pretty smoothly for a whopping 40 cents. In the middle point I got an awesome fruit and whip cream cup for a dollar! This made for one happy Libby!

 

We reached the he monument and had a blast taking pictures in the equator line. The funny thing is is that the monument is actually built in the wrong place. It still stands to honor the expedition of scientists that found the spot. However recent gps has given more accurate readings. Oh well I think it's impressive that these guys got this close!

Our group photos were funny as we posed half on each side of the earth.

 

In the monument we were able to learn about the science of the equator. The myth of toilet flushing is not true after all. The origin of he water is what effects toilets. The gravity only has an effect on large bodies of water. 

Taking photos in the photo boothwas quite fun as we dressed up in traditional clothes.

Turns out you way one kilo less on the equator!

 

We bombarded the children's museum and played around like kids. I'm never growing up!

 

Although we tried to find the real equator we failed. A bit bummed I may try to go back another day so I can get my stamp. My name is passport envy after all and I need that stamp!

Banos

Banos

Flashback to the days before the Amazon trek

This place was just plain awesome. Basically I spent a few days doing some cool activities, hanging out with friends I met a month previous, testing my boundaries, and not wearing shoes!

Here are the highlights of banos.

The Devils cauldron waterfall is just breathtaking. Tremendous amounts of water tumble down powerfully into the abyss. Somehow spiral stairs have been built into the cliff side making it even more of an impressive sight.

 

The end of the world swing makes for good pictures. Although the swing is not very dangerous the pictures look as if you are swinging at the end of the world.

 

In my typical fashion I had to push my limits, the swings bounds, and use the fact that Ecuador has little safely limits or rules to my advantage. I decided to stand up in the swing. The few families shouted protests and held their breath as Sketch pushed me higher and higher.

 

We had a fun with this nice sketch found out he could spin us around. The swing became so much cooler!

New friends. Meeting Bronte and a few others in banos was a highlight. Their whole personality was awesome and just fun to be around. The hostel had a cool hangout jungle area and just a perfect place for practicing our Spanish music video dancing to taxi!

Taking he plunge. On the local bridge anyone can pay 20 dollars to jump off a bridge. No papers needed. No security releases. No double harness checks. No tour agency. Literally you walk to this bridge in the middle of town, pay an Ecuadorean 20 dollars, he puts you in a harness, fastens a rope with one clamp, helps you onto a small platform hanging off the bridge, and you jump.

No I'm not in a death wish. No I'm not fearless. I was terrified. Some locals filmed me as I sat on the sidewalk and fretted going. Bronte had to physically turn a guy's camera off when he was in my face. 

But this was a time to overcome fears. We had discussed that for the rest of the trip I was going to do whatever was offered and not back out due to fear. I stepped up onto the platform nervous. Then with a deep breath I extended my arms straight out to my side and fell forward off the platform. So much fun!

Piercings. I knew I wanted to get an Equator piercing. Weird traditions have been heard about people who passed the equator in older times and one is the tradition of a piercing. I knew I wanted my anti helix pierced but was nervous. Fear number two! 

 

Bronte, Gavin, and I headed to the piercing parlor. Bronte was going to get a flamingo tattoo that sketch had been convincing people to get. He had convinced 9 so far and she would be number 10. Her previous tattoo was infected so they rejected doing it. She settled for doing just the nose piercing instead.

She went first as I began my second round of panic. Watching the needle go through her nose and then the plastic piece until the stud got in was not a good idea. She held my hand while Gavin filmed. It seemed like forever and was very painful. Unlike lobe piercings this is not just a quick gun piercing. To do this one they had to thread a needle through the thick cartilage at an angle. Then a piece of plastic sat there until the jewelry is inserted. Because it's an awkward place this took a good ten minutes of tries and pushing through my ear. I left with a very sore ear but so excited to have it done and to not have backed out!!! 

I loved everything about banos.

P.s. I learned how to make a killer guacamole from fresh ingredients and ate it with like and chili Doritos! I wish they had those in the United States. 

Amazon part 2

Amazon part 2

I awake to the sound of snoring. At least that's what I think the sound is. Sitting there for a few mi its I can hear the odd sound in the distance. Slowly one by one we all wake up in our cabins under the nets.

 I sat on the dock staring at crocophile. It's so cool. Here I am in the middle of the Amazon without any of the normal luxuries. 

 

Jorge Informs us we will need long pants, sleeves, and muck boots for the trek. I obviously got my neon hiking pants and put them on. Our boat took us away from the camp and onto a shore.

The next two or three hours we spent hiking through dense jungles. I was just so excited to be in the actual Amazon. I've spent loads of time in jungles across Asia but this was the Amazon! The Amazon jungle!!! Just the thought gave me chills.

 

In the Jungle there were loads of plants, insects, and even some animals. Massive ant burrows littered the ground. 

You could see the ants marching one by one. I loved seeing the one ant carrying leaves three times their size. It looked like a movie,

 

Everywhere bizarre plants and greenery grew up from the ground and into the sky high above. Massive blue butterflies continued to flutter by every so often.

 

Since it rains a lot the path often got really muddy.

At one point Bronte and I lost everyone. Trying to speed up and catch them I felt something but my head. What was that? I stopped. Two second later another stick lands right next to me. I dart my gaze up to the treetops.

There above us in the next layer of life were monkeys pelting me with random objects. They jumped from tree to tree swinging gracefully. Bronte and I couldn't take our eyes off of them. It was a whole different world up there. I imagined what it would be like to join them. 

 

Once we caught up with the group we finished the walk and went back for lunch. Jorge had a change of plans and we decided to go learn some survival skills, how to make food, and meet with the shaman.

 

Because if he rain we opted out of sleeping in the self built shelter. How we we did learn how to locate edible roots, dig them up, and peel them.

 

Next we ground up the root on a metal plate and into a hollowed out tree. The shredded root was then wrapped in a braided net and twisted to remove excess liquids. Lastly we out it in a woven strainer to get a fine powder. 

 

Our host grandmother then cooked it into a delicious bread. We are this with tuna and spices in top. The whole experience was really cool because it was so real and not as touristy. Everyone was related to each other and living their true lives in the jungle. We were getting a peak into this life and not just a show. 

 

Our day concluded with some interesting events. We went to the shamans house to have our bodies cleansed. He was out fishing so while we waited we got to play with a local monkey that was just hanging about in the town. When the shaman arrived it was already dark outside. We sat quiet in the sacred area as he described what his job was in the community. He was responsible for trying to cure any problems in the town. This was often done using an herbal drink that was supposed to help its users.

 

Before he could cleanse our bodies he needed to have extra supplies. Unfortunately he was out of them. He sent us down to the next town to get the supplies. We left our guide and took only the best driver. In the pitch black we began to navigate down the windy river. I'm still overly shocked at how this guy was able to see a thing. It was pitch black! After about 10 minutes we drove straight into the jungle. 

Our driver made some bird calls and noises and we waited. Then there in the dark a shaman dressed in his ritual clothes appeared on a small wooden boat out of the jungle. I felt as if I was in a movie. This scene can't really be happened. I felt like a true jungle woman. Supplies in hand we went back to the first shamans house. There he lit a fire and cleansed our bodies, chanted random things, tapped me with leaves, and whisked away the bad vibes. 

Back to camp we did another pitch black boat trip. The whole way we chatted about the experience we had just had and how beautiful nature and local people can be. I was so excited to do not a cookie cutter experience. And believe me this was anything but that. The rest of the night we watched the stars, the candle flames dance across our cabin wall, and listened to music. It was a travel day and night that will go down in my history books as one in a million. 

The Amazon Part1

I got a little behind so I'm skipping the Galapagos, Banos, and Montinita. I will write those posts on my next bus journey and post them later. I just returned from four days in the deep Amazon and thought it better to share the most recent journey.

 

Our group took an overnight bus from Banos to Lagoagrio up in the northeast part of Ecuador. The bus took the long winding road up and down the mountain path through the night. The weather was cold, rainy, and miserable and made it hard to sleep. I had to politely ask the bus driver to stop so I could get out my only jacket to stay warm.

Arriving at Lagoagrio we went to our meeting point at a little pizza restaurant. Worst. Breakfast. Ever! We sat there looking like the perfect picture of hippie backpackers. Our packs thrown on the ground, us In baggy dirty clothes, my feather in one ear, and half of us sprawled on the ground. Cameron's long shaggy man hair with tie dye head band and Brontes patterned bucket hat only contributed to the sight. We frantically messaged our friends and family to say we would lose all contact for days as we would not have any internet or forms of communication for days.

Then we started our journey. First an hour and a half truck ride on the only road out of town and further into the Amazon and out of civilization. The houses resembled that of Southeast Asia with tin roofs and clothes hung everywhere. The trees got bigger and bigger and some reminded me so much of the tree of life as they shot large and grand above the rest.

 

Finally we reached a small building at the end of the road and next to the river where we had a quick lunch of rice, beans, and bananas. This is an Ecuadorean staple food.

Next we loaded into a long skinny boat and headed downstream and away from technology. For a few hours we went deeper and deeper and the wildlife began to present itself. Vines clung to the trees, grew upwards, spiraled around, and then cascaded like waterfalls back into the water.

 

Massive blue butterflies bigger than my hands would float majestically across our path and get swallowed into the dense jungle trees. It was nothing short of breathtaking. About halfway through the journey trees right in front of our path shook and brown blobs jumped from tree to tree. Monkeys! Many monkeys! We sat watching them in their own natural habitat and not tainted by humans. It was so different than seeing the monkeys in India, maylasia, and Thailand because they were still living uneffected by humans. I sat in fascination.

Eventually the river opened into a beautiful lake. We crossed and made our way into a small mangrove floating forest. In the between the trees we could see our small camp. It was made up of small huts built on stilts above the ground. We later found out that this was for multiple reasons. One because the water level changes and second because of the cayman!

 

Next to the dining area we looked into the water and found our first cayman. A pretty large guy he just hung out in the water with a menacing look. We were given very strict orders not to go j to the grass because he is aggressive. Also, during the night to stay on the walkway because the cayman likes to wonder around.

Sure enough one cayman wasn't enough! Under the beds and the bathroom lived another cayman. This took the whole "crocodile under the bed" scare I had as a child to a whole new level.

 

Fascinated by the cayman the one by the dimmer area quickly became our friend. We watched him for so long and joked around about him. We named him crocophile. The one worker Fernando had a ball attaching meat to a fishing line and letting us watch crocophile attack the meat. Massive creature.

 

We went out in the evening to spot dolphins and watch the sun. We got to see gray and link knew but we're hard to capture on camera. As the sun went down it was cloudy but made for a beautiful view with the reflection on the water.

 

That night, exhausted from the day's journey and sights, we all jumped in one bed and watced into the wild on the tablet. Dinner was served midway by candlelight. They tried to start the one small generator but it ran out of gas and was a fail. Back into our small cabin One by one we nodded off and retired to our small bunks and under our mosquito nets!

42nd Border Crossing- The Pope

42nd Border Crossing - The Pope

I took the border crossing with two English guys, a German girl, and another American named Ethan. We had heard rumors of how bad this crossing was and people getting robbed, scammed, and kidnapped. Truth or not it was going to be annoying crossing at 2 am.

Immediately we had already been scammed on our tickets. We had payed for the nice seats in the first floor of the bus that reclined. Entering the bus we found our seats were given to locals and we were sent upstairs. Yes it is a luxury at I don't need but I don't like getting scammed to pay for others.

As usual the guy came around and videod all of our faces for security reasons. Then we were off through the night. It was to be a direct bus. Not! Stop after stop we picked up randoms and who knows what.

The border was a very exciting surprise. We stood barefoot as massive roaches scuttled on the floor. The line took forever. But then a band started up. Everyone in line and outside began to dance. After the stamps instead of getting back on the bus everyone made a circle and continue used to sing. All of the dogs were about God and the Pope. There was so much spirit and happiness. It was a touching moment and I still get goose pimples thinking about it. There was so much passion in every word.

Back on the bus and a few hours later we were in Guayquil and I was alone once again. Missing my friends but happy my bags were not stolen I entered the bus terminal. It's massive. No seriously it's twice the size of Pittsburgh airport. I've never seen anything like it. It was only 430 in the morning and still dark outside. Again I had heard horror stories of taxis in Ecuador. Robbery was super common. 

Walking into the night I grabbed the nicest looking taxi and asked for the airport in my broken Spanish. I had mapped out the airport ahead of time so I would know which way the taxi should go. 

He was supposed to turn left and he turned right instead! I start to tremble a bit. Ok it's fine I'm sure there are multiple ways.

The taxi begins to talk to me. He keeps saying papa. What the heck? Is this sicko wanting me to call him daddy. Ahhhhhh! A five minute ride to the airport is now about 15 minutes through empty roads.

Then we hit the policed area. I mean police everywhere. Good I'm not going to die! The taxi asks me about daddy a few more times and points to his watch. What does he want? At least I have 7 hours before my flight.

We pull over to the group of cops and they chatter in Spanish. He continually points back to me. I'm usually confident but at 5 am I'm not a bit nervous and wish I spoke Spanish. The cops part and we drive through. Am I being kidnapped?

We pull over and just sit for awhile. I notice the airport is to my left. Holy cow I'm next to the airport!!! I could make a run for it. Then I notice the crowds starting to gather as the sun comes up. Well I'm not going to die. France dressed women with massive cameras appear and it all makes sense!

The Pope is coming to Guayaquil!!! Papa is pope. Laughing hysterically the taxi looks at me. I think he notices the relaxed looked on my face as I figure out what is going on. We leave our stuff locked in the car and join the crowds. He looks happy that he has me because I'm sure it's the only Wayne got past the cops.

A few hours later and the crowd erupts in cheers as the popes planes lands in the airstrip. Off in the distance I see the plane hatch open and he Pope emerges. The crowd loses it. People are crying tears of joy, newscasters are trying to get the first report, and people are prayer. And with that my scary morning went from thinking I was kidnapped to seeing the Pope! Now off to the Galapagos!

Amazon Notice

Off deep into the Amazon with a killer crew of backpackers. I will not have service for the next 4 to 5 days as we build our own shelter, fish and eat pirahanas, search for Anacondas and Pink Dophins, meet the Shaman, tribal paint our faces, and enter just plain survival mode! I don't think the Amazon is ready for us!

I will be posting all of the posts up to this date when I return back to modern civilization! Wish us luck!