How funny! I just went back and read over City Mouse`s adventure in the jungle and found that we had mainly the same adventure- just a month apart! So, I started the trip to the jungle sick with a super sort throat- seriously that`s a bit of a downer on a vacation, to be sick twice! We got up early on Sunday and took a bus to the airport, a plane from Cusco to Puerto Maldenado, a bus from the airport to a boat (very cool long boats), and then hiked a few minutes to the lodge. And I slept on everyone of those modes of transportation- and later slept in the lobby of the lodge waiting for dinner! We were all pretty wiped out with the heat and all the hiking from the previous days.
On the bus ride they gave us a little basket with banana chips, brazil nuts, an orange and starfruit juice and on the boat they gave us rice wrapped up in a large jungle leaf. This group- Rainforest Expeditions- does a good job. I recommend them if you ever want to go to the Peruvian jungle. We rode on this boat for an hour, slathered in deet and soaked with sweat. The lodge was amazing- all open, with mosquito nets over the beds, no doors, no complete walls, showers with clear curtains so you can really see outside into the jungle while you`re showering- but it`s a cold shower, so not a lot of time for looking around. We took a short hike to a huge tower in the middle of the jungle to look out over the trees. We saw a lump that was supposedly a sloth, and saw some Macaws fly by, which I really wish I could have gotten on film or wish I could remember it forever because it was beautiful. Then we had some free time at the lodge, in which I think most of us fell asleep and at dinner Arturo (our ACTIVE guide) took one look at us and decided that maybe we would save the night hike for another night and all go to bed!
So the next morning we woke up at 4:00 a.m. and took the boat up river and a short hike to a flat boat that we took around a lake and looked for birds. We saw some toucans flying and some monkeys in the wooods, and a way chunky brown heron, and some big birds with crazy hairdos. Then we went fishing for pirranhas. Chunks of meat with a bamboo pole. Pirranhas are little dudes, I imagined something much bigger. I caught one after much persistent trying! Then back to the lodge and out again (I have decided I love maracuya juice. Does Owens carry Passion Fruit?) after a brief nap in the hammock. We went to see the birds on a clay lick. We saw three macaws. Hanging all upside down in the trees and jumping on to the hill of clay. I guess it`s a supplement to their diet. In the afternoon we went to visit the Shaman and see his forest of medicines. We tried a piece of a plant that was like novicane (I`m not sure on the spelling, the stuff they use at the dentist`s office), were written on with a purple dye from a leaf, drank one of his concoctions that was supposed to be for a cold and it must have worked because, my sore throat is finally gone today! He told us about different ingredients, one to cure cancer, one a natural viagra, another a love potion. Quite interesting. After dark, we went on a night hike to look at insects. We saw an itty bitty possum, a rat, a wolf spider, a tiny frog, and some monkeys in a tree. And I saw the leg of a tarantula. At the lodge of all places. I wasn`t much intersted in sticking around to see the rest of it.
This morning the journey back to Cusco. And most of the group went on another bike ride. I decided to decline that opportunity out of fear for my life, but we ate lunch overlooking Cusco. Tonight is our last night here and it`s off to Puno tomorrow.
I`ll be home in a few days, and looking forward to seeing you all.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Machu Picchu
City Mouse, did we go to the same Machu Picchu? I didn´t think it was small at all! We took a 2 hour tour and learned about a lot of places and still I would have loved more time to look around. It was beautiful.
Then we took a bus to Aguas Calientes where we were supposed to visit the hot springs. But, Arturo said they were a bit crowded and dirty so we all decided against that. We´ve had enough of dirty. They did rent bathing suits though- what a funny thought! We were still super dirty but had a few hours to walk around the town and shop at the markets. I visited an internet cafe and drank a latte. Pizza for dinner at 10:00 p.m. after we got back to Cusco and it was marvelous.
Today was a free day, doing a little wandering the streets and shopping. And now I think I´ve spent a few hours on this blog. So I best go pack and take a nap! But first I must tell you of the little boys I met this morning in the Plaza. I just wanted to sit and relax and write in my journal. Well every two minutes someone would come up to me wanting something. Selling paintings, postcards, cigarettes. Wanting a donation to such and such. It was maddening. Two different boys tried sitting with me and talking to me for awhile. One of them was 13 and he lives in Cusco with his brother and sister who are 16 and 18 and his parents live near Lima. He is here for school. He sells "his" paintings all day on the weekends. We talked about the weather and our plans for the day and our families. All in Spanish. He still creeped me out a little when he asked if I was alone or with a group and what hotel I was staying in but hey, it was a nice conversation.
We´re flying to the jungle tomorrow.
Then we took a bus to Aguas Calientes where we were supposed to visit the hot springs. But, Arturo said they were a bit crowded and dirty so we all decided against that. We´ve had enough of dirty. They did rent bathing suits though- what a funny thought! We were still super dirty but had a few hours to walk around the town and shop at the markets. I visited an internet cafe and drank a latte. Pizza for dinner at 10:00 p.m. after we got back to Cusco and it was marvelous.
Today was a free day, doing a little wandering the streets and shopping. And now I think I´ve spent a few hours on this blog. So I best go pack and take a nap! But first I must tell you of the little boys I met this morning in the Plaza. I just wanted to sit and relax and write in my journal. Well every two minutes someone would come up to me wanting something. Selling paintings, postcards, cigarettes. Wanting a donation to such and such. It was maddening. Two different boys tried sitting with me and talking to me for awhile. One of them was 13 and he lives in Cusco with his brother and sister who are 16 and 18 and his parents live near Lima. He is here for school. He sells "his" paintings all day on the weekends. We talked about the weather and our plans for the day and our families. All in Spanish. He still creeped me out a little when he asked if I was alone or with a group and what hotel I was staying in but hey, it was a nice conversation.
We´re flying to the jungle tomorrow.
The Inca Trail
The Inca Trail. I think that I am still making up my mind about it. I think under different circumstances I would have really enjoyed it.
I started feeling a little sick to my stomach on Monday night, and even considered not going, since I was still having problems breathing as well. The alternative though, would have been 4 more days in Cusco. A city. I am the Country Mouse. So I went. It involved departing at 5:00 a.m. Only five of us were taking the Classic Inca trail, the rest of the group took the Lares Trail. . . and I hear they had nice weather. So Arturo (our guide), Claire (my British friend), Coleen (61 year old), Kim (45 year old physician) and I met up with another group: 4 friends from San Francisco, a couple from San Francisco, a guy from London and our guides Roger and Casiano. We took a bus for a few hours to the starting point Kilometer 82, I think. And we set out. It started really well- flat ground- but as we started going uphill, I started falling behind. We stopped for a lunch.
And let me stop right here and describe the meals on this camping trip. . . Amazing. Whenever we arrived we had a tent set up for us with plastic chairs around a table. Silverware, metal plates, bowls, cups, tea cups. I remember the first meal distinctly because I had not expected the extravegance. Garlic bread, an appetizer (maybe it was avocado and tomatoes), a soup (which were always delicious), and plates and plates of pasta and two different kinds of sauce. Every lunch was like this- a bread, appetizer, soup, and multiple food dishes, sometimes chicken, beef, fish, in wonderful sauces, with rice or quinoa, or potaotes. They even decorated the food like on a cruise with little birds and flowers made of vegetables. Amazing! And the breakfasts were the same, porriage in a cup, bread and jelly, pancakes one day, eggs another. The last day we had a cake for breakfast! Baked right on the trail. And between lunch and dinner we had happy hour with popcorn and crackers and Milo.
Porters. We had 18 porters carrying all our bags, tents, food, chairs, etc. They run up the mountain in front of the group and get set up either for lunch or a campsite before the hikers get there. They carry 27 kilograms each (I´m not sure how much that is), and they all had sweet personalities. There wasn´t much conversation because they spoke Quechua, but they woke us up in the morning with cocoa tea, brought us warm water for washing when we arrived for the day and when we woke up in the morning, and they watched over us at night.
So back to the hike. I think the weather that first day wasn´t bad- brief rain, so I was able to get some photos which was nice. I think we probably hiked 7 hours that first day and all I kept hearing was how the 2nd day was much harder. My stomach bothered me that day but was really unpleasant that night and I think I zoned out a bit because I don´t remember much of that day or evening. We played slaps and a version of spoons for dinntertime entertainment. The bathroom at this campsite was hopefully the worst bathroom I will ever see in my life. It consisted of a hole in the ground covered in logs and surrounded by a log frame with plastic over it for privacy. And that´s all I really want to say about that place.
There was actually no peeing in the woods. Every few hours they had bathrooms. They were disgusting but most were buildings with a plastic hole in the ground that you stood on either side of and there was a flush at the top. I survived.
I had a tent to myself which was unexpected and made me feel a bit bad because someone had to carry that extra tent up but what´s done is done. I was a bit cold at night in my alpaca hat, 2 long underwear tops and a fleece, and long underwear bottoms and the sleeping bag but I didn´t sleep too poorly.
We woke up to rain on Wendesday morning. And rain and rain and rain. And if you thought that it might stop raining and take off your rain coat and put it away, in five minutes you would have to get it out again. And it was uphill. Forever. To Dead Woman´s Pass. My stomach was awful and my breathing was awful and I was way last. By lunch time everyone knew I was a bit sick but thankfully it turned around that afternoon. For the most part. So the morning´s rain was just a misty type rain. As we switched to the downhill portion of our journey it became a downpour. I was freezing and soaked but I really enjoyed the downhill much more than the up. We went down steps that were covered in mud and water and I was so glad someone had talked me into buying the walking sticks at the beginning of the trail because I would have been toast without them. I fell down once- looked around- saw that no one saw me and kept on going. I didn´t get many pictures this day because of the rain and because of the constant fog surrounding everything. I´m sure it would have been beautiful, had we been able to see it. We hiked a lot that day. I think we set off at 6:30 a.m. or something and arrived around the same time at night. It was rough. The most challenging day I´ve ever had, probably. But you have to keep going of course.
Our campsites were all lovely, perched on the side of a mountain and while it poured all Wednesday night we awoke to a bit of a clearing on Thursday. At least we could see some pretty cool Inca ruins on a mountainside a ways away and we had a dry start to the day. And it was a pretty good day because it was mostly downhill. Thankfully, I fell in with the girls from San Francisco and they had a way of getting through the uphill parts- setting goals. Okay, we´re going to make it to that bush there, or we´re going 20 steps up. They made it bearable. We finished around 2:00 this day so it was a shorter day. It rained off and on. Toward the end of the hike on this day we started seeing electric lines and hear the train and it seemed quite out of place after all the quiet of no technology.
There were supposed to be hot showers at this site so everyone got very excited. However, they were closed for maintenance when we arrived. So a few of the girls ventured to use the cold porter shower. Now if the above was the grossest toilet I´ve ever used, I hope this is the grossest shower I ever use. First of all, if you know me, you know I´m a bit modest. And the door on this shower shut very poorly- no lock or latch and there were porters outside the entire time. The water wasn´t just cold. It was like ice falling out of the wall. And the water on the floor. Uggg. Gross, gross gross. But I was a small bit cleaner.
We went to see an Inca ruin a few minutes away and it was pretty awesome. I can´t wait to show the pictures.
So let me tell you what I learned about the Incas. Well, I learned a lot of things but coming to mind right now:
I started feeling a little sick to my stomach on Monday night, and even considered not going, since I was still having problems breathing as well. The alternative though, would have been 4 more days in Cusco. A city. I am the Country Mouse. So I went. It involved departing at 5:00 a.m. Only five of us were taking the Classic Inca trail, the rest of the group took the Lares Trail. . . and I hear they had nice weather. So Arturo (our guide), Claire (my British friend), Coleen (61 year old), Kim (45 year old physician) and I met up with another group: 4 friends from San Francisco, a couple from San Francisco, a guy from London and our guides Roger and Casiano. We took a bus for a few hours to the starting point Kilometer 82, I think. And we set out. It started really well- flat ground- but as we started going uphill, I started falling behind. We stopped for a lunch.
And let me stop right here and describe the meals on this camping trip. . . Amazing. Whenever we arrived we had a tent set up for us with plastic chairs around a table. Silverware, metal plates, bowls, cups, tea cups. I remember the first meal distinctly because I had not expected the extravegance. Garlic bread, an appetizer (maybe it was avocado and tomatoes), a soup (which were always delicious), and plates and plates of pasta and two different kinds of sauce. Every lunch was like this- a bread, appetizer, soup, and multiple food dishes, sometimes chicken, beef, fish, in wonderful sauces, with rice or quinoa, or potaotes. They even decorated the food like on a cruise with little birds and flowers made of vegetables. Amazing! And the breakfasts were the same, porriage in a cup, bread and jelly, pancakes one day, eggs another. The last day we had a cake for breakfast! Baked right on the trail. And between lunch and dinner we had happy hour with popcorn and crackers and Milo.
Porters. We had 18 porters carrying all our bags, tents, food, chairs, etc. They run up the mountain in front of the group and get set up either for lunch or a campsite before the hikers get there. They carry 27 kilograms each (I´m not sure how much that is), and they all had sweet personalities. There wasn´t much conversation because they spoke Quechua, but they woke us up in the morning with cocoa tea, brought us warm water for washing when we arrived for the day and when we woke up in the morning, and they watched over us at night.
So back to the hike. I think the weather that first day wasn´t bad- brief rain, so I was able to get some photos which was nice. I think we probably hiked 7 hours that first day and all I kept hearing was how the 2nd day was much harder. My stomach bothered me that day but was really unpleasant that night and I think I zoned out a bit because I don´t remember much of that day or evening. We played slaps and a version of spoons for dinntertime entertainment. The bathroom at this campsite was hopefully the worst bathroom I will ever see in my life. It consisted of a hole in the ground covered in logs and surrounded by a log frame with plastic over it for privacy. And that´s all I really want to say about that place.
There was actually no peeing in the woods. Every few hours they had bathrooms. They were disgusting but most were buildings with a plastic hole in the ground that you stood on either side of and there was a flush at the top. I survived.
I had a tent to myself which was unexpected and made me feel a bit bad because someone had to carry that extra tent up but what´s done is done. I was a bit cold at night in my alpaca hat, 2 long underwear tops and a fleece, and long underwear bottoms and the sleeping bag but I didn´t sleep too poorly.
We woke up to rain on Wendesday morning. And rain and rain and rain. And if you thought that it might stop raining and take off your rain coat and put it away, in five minutes you would have to get it out again. And it was uphill. Forever. To Dead Woman´s Pass. My stomach was awful and my breathing was awful and I was way last. By lunch time everyone knew I was a bit sick but thankfully it turned around that afternoon. For the most part. So the morning´s rain was just a misty type rain. As we switched to the downhill portion of our journey it became a downpour. I was freezing and soaked but I really enjoyed the downhill much more than the up. We went down steps that were covered in mud and water and I was so glad someone had talked me into buying the walking sticks at the beginning of the trail because I would have been toast without them. I fell down once- looked around- saw that no one saw me and kept on going. I didn´t get many pictures this day because of the rain and because of the constant fog surrounding everything. I´m sure it would have been beautiful, had we been able to see it. We hiked a lot that day. I think we set off at 6:30 a.m. or something and arrived around the same time at night. It was rough. The most challenging day I´ve ever had, probably. But you have to keep going of course.
Our campsites were all lovely, perched on the side of a mountain and while it poured all Wednesday night we awoke to a bit of a clearing on Thursday. At least we could see some pretty cool Inca ruins on a mountainside a ways away and we had a dry start to the day. And it was a pretty good day because it was mostly downhill. Thankfully, I fell in with the girls from San Francisco and they had a way of getting through the uphill parts- setting goals. Okay, we´re going to make it to that bush there, or we´re going 20 steps up. They made it bearable. We finished around 2:00 this day so it was a shorter day. It rained off and on. Toward the end of the hike on this day we started seeing electric lines and hear the train and it seemed quite out of place after all the quiet of no technology.
There were supposed to be hot showers at this site so everyone got very excited. However, they were closed for maintenance when we arrived. So a few of the girls ventured to use the cold porter shower. Now if the above was the grossest toilet I´ve ever used, I hope this is the grossest shower I ever use. First of all, if you know me, you know I´m a bit modest. And the door on this shower shut very poorly- no lock or latch and there were porters outside the entire time. The water wasn´t just cold. It was like ice falling out of the wall. And the water on the floor. Uggg. Gross, gross gross. But I was a small bit cleaner.
We went to see an Inca ruin a few minutes away and it was pretty awesome. I can´t wait to show the pictures.
So let me tell you what I learned about the Incas. Well, I learned a lot of things but coming to mind right now:
- They built 354 of these sacred sites I think. The ones that the Spainards did not find are the most intact ones.
- They had fountains, and terraces for farming and they did experiements to see which forms of agriculture would work at what altitudes.
- They built their buildings from the natural rock that was at that location- white granite, which when the sites were created would have been polished and the ruins would have been white. Their buildings were created with interlocking stones that no one has been able to replicate. They withstand earthquakes and go in at an angle a bit.
- They didn´t have money, they all worked together. There was some sort of service period where they worked on the various Inca sites for the state and then they got to go back home.
- The Incas were still building- never finished and more and more is found every day.
- The reason the Spainards were able to overrun them so quickly was because they had just had a civil war between two brothers or rulers, or something. Also, it took them a while to realize that they were enemies.
- Some Incas fled to Machu Pichu when the Spainards conquered and lived there for forty years undiscovered. The Spainards never found Machu Picchu.
Forgive me if some of my facts are wrong, and there is much more fascinating info, but this is getting rather long.
So the next day we got up for a 2 hour hike to the Sun Gate. The entrance to Machu Picchu. Did I mention that we got up at 3:30 a.m.? So we had to hike with our headlamps 5 minutes downhill in the rain (again torrential downpours during the night) to this checkpoint. The checkpoint didn´t open until 5:30 a.m. but for some reason our guide wanted to be first in line. There were a lot of other groups at this point. And honestly, when it opened, I thought I was part of the Amazing Race. For 20 minutes we raced through the cloud forest- still in the dark mind you- until I got so hot, I tried to take off my fleece so then I was carrying my backpack, walking poles, fleece and raincover all in my arms trying to run and keep up and finally I just stopped and took my time. I´m not sure what the race was about anyway. Running through the puddles, pushing by people (not me but people pushing by me!), and then there was some uphill so that finished it for me. It was kind of fun though, hiking in the pre dawn light. Hearing all the little frogs chirping. We arrived at the Sun Gate after some steep steep stairs to. . . what was supposed to be Machu Picchu in the sunrise but it was just fog. Everywhere fog. So we hiked down the final half an hour and then the day turned lovely. And we were at Machu Picchu.
In hindsight there were some really great things. The views, the Inca Trail itself was made by the Incas and was pretty cool, and I didn´t get blisters or have any awful muscle or joint pains which was great. But if you decide to do the Inca Trail, I would suggest going when you´re sure the rainy season is over. I wish I could remember what website I looked at that said April was the dry season- ha!
No brake! No brake! Stand up!
So on Monday, I got to try out my first real mountain biking experience. Yeah, sure, I tried the Winona Lake Bike Trails a few years ago and ended up walking the bike more than riding and with bruises all over my legs, but this, this was real mountain biking- and a near death experience. To start with though, I must tell you about Peruvian strikes. They don´t involve people just not working for a period of time until the two parties come to some solution. If the Peruvians don´t like something, they put piles of boulders all over the road and cut down trees to fall across the road. They are downright violent about it. This strike had something to do with the privitization of the water supply, frowned upon by the Peruvian people. The boulders in the road interupted our plan so we may have taken a slightly harder bike route than was planned. Everyone else seemed fine with this. . . but it was probably the most scared I have ever been. There was no way I could have trained for this experience. Only taking Nancy´s cycling class with my bike´s back wheel propped up at a 60 degree angle could have been similar. First we biked up a road with all the boulders and trees on it. Then it was a dirt path with rocks and ruts and dogs randomly running out and barking at you. And then it was all down a mountain. Sometimes, I could look in front of me and see nothing but the great expanse of Cusco out in front of me because it dropped off that much. Again, I have never been more scared in my life. Toward the end, Arturo, our guide, tried giving me some advice, because I was at the end, which consisted of "No brake, no brake, stand up!" I had no idea you were supposed to stand up when going over the ruts. Which left me very sore the next day. And I didn´t really take his advice much- I griped those brakes with all my might. I only fell once. Just a few scrapes. Man, not something I want to do again!
Then we went on a hike, after a brief lunch sitting among some trees. I think it was a 3 hour hike around some Inca ruins. I sadly don´t remember much of it now, even though Monday was only a few days ago. I think the weirdest food of the day was a fried potato with an olive and boiled egg stuffed inside. Interesting.
Then we went on a hike, after a brief lunch sitting among some trees. I think it was a 3 hour hike around some Inca ruins. I sadly don´t remember much of it now, even though Monday was only a few days ago. I think the weirdest food of the day was a fried potato with an olive and boiled egg stuffed inside. Interesting.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sexy Woman
So apparently the computer I was using was possessed because it is dead this morning. Now the guy at the lobby desk says- just use mine. How nice ey? So yesterday, where to begin really. . . we got up early to go to the Catholic mass and we attended half of a Quechua mass and half of the spanish mass. We couldn´t understand anything but it was interesting. then we went in search of some alpaca hats with ears for ourselves for the Inca trail. It was fun to look at all the markets- they had all colors and the hats can turn inside out for different patterns.
We met up with the group at noon. There are 9 of us. A family of four from Canada, a lady from Mass. who is around 60 and another lady around 60 who is from New York, another lady who isn´t meeting us until today and claire and I and Arturo our guide. Most everyone is very fit. I already have a p roblem keeping up.
So I really probably should have taken more Cardio Challenge because I was gasping all the way up the hill. So these hills make the hills that I walked with Allison seem like a molehill. We went to Sacayhuanen- thus the title, it´s pronounced Sexy Woman. It was an Inca temple and we learned a bit about Inca history. It started to rain while we were up there and while it was really pretty at first because it was still sunny and raining and there was another rainbow, I ended up putting on my raincoat over my camera bag- had several comments about my being pregnant. We then hiked up to the Christo Blanco- white Christ. Which yesterday when I saw it on the map, I said- there`s no way I´m hiking up there! It got dark very quickly and we hiked back down into the city. I have to go now but I´m sure you`re very interested in the food of the day. I had Quinoto, an Alpaca steak, asparagus and avacado, a soup made of poro a peruvian tuber and andean ice cream with a fruit on it I`ve never heard of- salco, I think. Oh and I didn`t tell you about the market! Meat, animal heads, vegetables fruit- you name it. That may just have to wait for the pictures.. . . Adios, the INca trail is tomorrow. I hope i don`t die!
We met up with the group at noon. There are 9 of us. A family of four from Canada, a lady from Mass. who is around 60 and another lady around 60 who is from New York, another lady who isn´t meeting us until today and claire and I and Arturo our guide. Most everyone is very fit. I already have a p roblem keeping up.
So I really probably should have taken more Cardio Challenge because I was gasping all the way up the hill. So these hills make the hills that I walked with Allison seem like a molehill. We went to Sacayhuanen- thus the title, it´s pronounced Sexy Woman. It was an Inca temple and we learned a bit about Inca history. It started to rain while we were up there and while it was really pretty at first because it was still sunny and raining and there was another rainbow, I ended up putting on my raincoat over my camera bag- had several comments about my being pregnant. We then hiked up to the Christo Blanco- white Christ. Which yesterday when I saw it on the map, I said- there`s no way I´m hiking up there! It got dark very quickly and we hiked back down into the city. I have to go now but I´m sure you`re very interested in the food of the day. I had Quinoto, an Alpaca steak, asparagus and avacado, a soup made of poro a peruvian tuber and andean ice cream with a fruit on it I`ve never heard of- salco, I think. Oh and I didn`t tell you about the market! Meat, animal heads, vegetables fruit- you name it. That may just have to wait for the pictures.. . . Adios, the INca trail is tomorrow. I hope i don`t die!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Dancing Day
Well, let me tell you about this computer I am using. It looks kind of like the computer that my family purchased for our first computer. It´s acting kind of posessed tonight so I´m not sure how far into this marvelous day I will get. We woke up to sunshine. After several days of clouds, this was a wonderful way to start the day. We set out around 8:00 a.m. ready to discover Cusco. We mainly wandered the entire day and I am very lucky that Claire has a good sense of direction because mostly, I have absolutely no idea where we are. We went to see all of the churches, just the outside because you have to pay to go inside. And we saw many fabulous views. I made up for not taking any pictures last week today and am quite happy about it. We struck out up stairs and down narrow alleys and passed men working on the street by hand and open sewers and little children who want to shine your tennis shoes or who want you to pay them to take pictures of them and their llama. We learned the phrase "No gracias" well because so many people want to sell you something. We wandered through alleys that had open doorways that led to beautiful courtyards of merchants and restaurants and stores selling Alpaca which is very soft- and expensive. We did go into one exhibit Qorikancha and the Saint Dominic Priory. It had beautiful gardens and a bathroom- which is very important! And there are remains of an Inca Temple there. And we learned about the Incas. Cusco was the center of the Inca empire.
Claire and I are good travelmates because we both like to take pictures and because we both want to learn about what we´re seeing. Also her sense of direction makes up for my lack of. It´s amazing that there can be a bit of a language barrier when we both speak English but. . . we just use different words sometimes.
We took a little snack midday of coffees and bread and we bought the bread because the place where we had the coffee smelled so amazing. I wish I could bottle it up and keep that smell with me. The bread came with 4 different toppings, a tomato spice herb chutney (that´s what Claire called it, I´m not sure I´ve ever used the word chutney), guacomole (yes the green stuff-for bread), mango orange jelly, and a really soft cream cheese with rosemary. Cereleun step out of the way!
We stepped into the Plaza (our main reference point) to see that there were some more festivities going on. We aren{t sure if they´re for Easter or just for the weekend or what but it was amazing. Dancing galore! Many different types of traditional dress, men dressed up as llamas, all sorts of things and we think that they danced througout the maze of streets all afternoon to live music playing so that you could hear it everywhere. And they were so happy and can you imagine- these heavy customes and it was really sunny and dancing all day! And they were cool dances, sometimes acting out some sort of scene. It was just amazing- you can bet that despite the crowd I took a whole roll of film! There was an instance where a little adorable girl, maybe 4, came up and stood with us, talking to us- in spanish so we didn{t understand her, i think she asked me if i was a mother at one point- and put her arms around us. A little too close for comfort. It´s sad when you´re afraid to trust a 4 year old but. . . we got out of there. We had really great up close seats by the street but we moved on.
We hiked up a mountain- or so it seemed, i´m sure in a few days, it will seem like a small hill- to another church and we saw a rainbow over the city!
Then we made an afternoon stop for some maracuya pie (one of those fruits with the gelatinous seeds, I think it´s a passion fruit) and I had strawberry milk- I{m pretty sure they were fresh strawberries.
In all the places we´ve eaten here we´ve had the privelage of sitting on balconies that overlook the street or the plaza with amazing views. I think our eating clock is a bit off so we eat very early- also so we can get in before dark, but it means that everywhere we´ve eaten has been almost empty. Fine with us, we get the good views! A lot of the restaurants here have a wood stove because the evenings get quite chilly.
One scene that made me think. . . as we were looking down into the plaza, a man jogged by and some change fell out of his pocket. There was a little girl who helped him pick it up and handed it over to him. She was maybe 5 or 6. And I couldn´t tell that he even thanked her. He moved on, still at a jog, but she found some more money on the street. I thought she would keep it because he was several yards away at this point. But no, she runs after him, yelling "me amigo" I mean, she sprints after him to give him this change. I never saw whether or not she caught up with him, but really, I hope he either thanked her well or she didn´t catch him and got to keep the money. She was just so sweet and sincere about getting him his change.
Well it was an amazing day and we wrapped it up with a lite dinner- I had a crepe with potato and cheese. There were tomatoes on my plate and I was dismayed at not being able to eat them because I wasn´t sure that they had been washed and then I noticed that the skin had been removed- so I decided they would be okay- right?
Tomorrow we meet up with the tour so I may not be able to post for awhile. Everyone have a lovely and blessed Easter!
Claire and I are good travelmates because we both like to take pictures and because we both want to learn about what we´re seeing. Also her sense of direction makes up for my lack of. It´s amazing that there can be a bit of a language barrier when we both speak English but. . . we just use different words sometimes.
We took a little snack midday of coffees and bread and we bought the bread because the place where we had the coffee smelled so amazing. I wish I could bottle it up and keep that smell with me. The bread came with 4 different toppings, a tomato spice herb chutney (that´s what Claire called it, I´m not sure I´ve ever used the word chutney), guacomole (yes the green stuff-for bread), mango orange jelly, and a really soft cream cheese with rosemary. Cereleun step out of the way!
We stepped into the Plaza (our main reference point) to see that there were some more festivities going on. We aren{t sure if they´re for Easter or just for the weekend or what but it was amazing. Dancing galore! Many different types of traditional dress, men dressed up as llamas, all sorts of things and we think that they danced througout the maze of streets all afternoon to live music playing so that you could hear it everywhere. And they were so happy and can you imagine- these heavy customes and it was really sunny and dancing all day! And they were cool dances, sometimes acting out some sort of scene. It was just amazing- you can bet that despite the crowd I took a whole roll of film! There was an instance where a little adorable girl, maybe 4, came up and stood with us, talking to us- in spanish so we didn{t understand her, i think she asked me if i was a mother at one point- and put her arms around us. A little too close for comfort. It´s sad when you´re afraid to trust a 4 year old but. . . we got out of there. We had really great up close seats by the street but we moved on.
We hiked up a mountain- or so it seemed, i´m sure in a few days, it will seem like a small hill- to another church and we saw a rainbow over the city!
Then we made an afternoon stop for some maracuya pie (one of those fruits with the gelatinous seeds, I think it´s a passion fruit) and I had strawberry milk- I{m pretty sure they were fresh strawberries.
In all the places we´ve eaten here we´ve had the privelage of sitting on balconies that overlook the street or the plaza with amazing views. I think our eating clock is a bit off so we eat very early- also so we can get in before dark, but it means that everywhere we´ve eaten has been almost empty. Fine with us, we get the good views! A lot of the restaurants here have a wood stove because the evenings get quite chilly.
One scene that made me think. . . as we were looking down into the plaza, a man jogged by and some change fell out of his pocket. There was a little girl who helped him pick it up and handed it over to him. She was maybe 5 or 6. And I couldn´t tell that he even thanked her. He moved on, still at a jog, but she found some more money on the street. I thought she would keep it because he was several yards away at this point. But no, she runs after him, yelling "me amigo" I mean, she sprints after him to give him this change. I never saw whether or not she caught up with him, but really, I hope he either thanked her well or she didn´t catch him and got to keep the money. She was just so sweet and sincere about getting him his change.
Well it was an amazing day and we wrapped it up with a lite dinner- I had a crepe with potato and cheese. There were tomatoes on my plate and I was dismayed at not being able to eat them because I wasn´t sure that they had been washed and then I noticed that the skin had been removed- so I decided they would be okay- right?
Tomorrow we meet up with the tour so I may not be able to post for awhile. Everyone have a lovely and blessed Easter!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Peru, in a better mood
I will first apologize for my typing on any blog posts in the future. This keyboard is not natural. I have not yet told you about my interesting last meal in Quito. We went to a lovely restaurant on the 13th floor of a building with an almost 360 view of Quito. It was quite awesome. I wanted to order something Ecuadorian and Allison recommended the Corvina so we asked the waiter which of the Corvina (a fish) dishes he recommended and he said the Corvina con salsa de mariscos (seafood sauce). Someone taught me that when you ask for a recommendation, it´s rude to not take it. So, I did. And I think it was probably the strangest meal I´ve ever ordered. It was good fish in a good sauce but it also had some strange things on it, I think one was a baby octopus.
Fast forward to today, I successfully met up with Claire and we made it to the hotel and went out to the Plaza de Armas which is fairly close to us. It´s really beautiful here but I didn{t take my camera because im a little unsure how safe it is but i wish i had because its just pretty cool. We each had a soup for dinner, i had a quenoa soup (oh where is Allison who can help me with all my spelling! And im fairly positive would not have allowed me to get ripped off by the taxi today) with vegetables and potato and cheese and split a rocoto relleno (im not sure about that spelling either) but its a spicy pepper with meat vegetables and cheese. Good dinner overlooking this ancient plaza and an awesome backdrop of moutains.
I have read not to stay out after dark here. But the sun did go down while we were eating out dinner. But being that it{s Good Friday, there was a parade and a mob of people crushing us. The parade included a Crucified Christ and i think people must have been throwing flowers. But i didn{t really get to see anything else. We were happy to make it back to the hotel safe and sound. And I was super happy to find a computer with free internet!
I want to congratulate my little sister on her art opening tonight and I wish I could have been there!
Fast forward to today, I successfully met up with Claire and we made it to the hotel and went out to the Plaza de Armas which is fairly close to us. It´s really beautiful here but I didn{t take my camera because im a little unsure how safe it is but i wish i had because its just pretty cool. We each had a soup for dinner, i had a quenoa soup (oh where is Allison who can help me with all my spelling! And im fairly positive would not have allowed me to get ripped off by the taxi today) with vegetables and potato and cheese and split a rocoto relleno (im not sure about that spelling either) but its a spicy pepper with meat vegetables and cheese. Good dinner overlooking this ancient plaza and an awesome backdrop of moutains.
I have read not to stay out after dark here. But the sun did go down while we were eating out dinner. But being that it{s Good Friday, there was a parade and a mob of people crushing us. The parade included a Crucified Christ and i think people must have been throwing flowers. But i didn{t really get to see anything else. We were happy to make it back to the hotel safe and sound. And I was super happy to find a computer with free internet!
I want to congratulate my little sister on her art opening tonight and I wish I could have been there!
Peru
We have made it to Peru. Having trouble getting money because all banks are closed because of Good Friday and the ATM gave us large bills. Got ripped off (over charged) by taxi. Welcome to Peru!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
My last day in Quito
So we had Sushi at Sake last night. Yes, again, I am eating non Ecuadorian food in Ecuador. It was some of the best sushi I have ever had- no offense to Caleb and Nate and Noa Noa. We had the spicy tuna, while not too spicy was still excellent. And we had one with white tuna (Ethel, I am so sorry you couldn't join us) that was tempura fried with cream cheese, avocado, and wrapped in a banana. In a peanut and soy sauce- it was amazing. But the best one was called the Volcano. It was tempura fried shrimp with avocado, lettuce, salmon, the usual rice and seaweed. And it was covered in a sweet honey soy sauce. But then they poured flaming alcohol over it. I'm realizing that this blog has become less about traveling and more about food!
Today we tried Pan de Yucca- bread made from the root of the Yucca plant, like the plant we use in landscaping- and mini bananas.
It's rainy and cloudy again today so I'm hoping for better weather when I head out for Peru tomorrow morning!
I am set to meet Claire, who I met in New Zealand, on our flight from Lima to Cusco. Then it's us on our own until Sunday at noon. I'm not sure what I would have done here without Allison so I'm hoping Claire has a better directional sense than me! I enjoyed Quito very much and now I am ready to start the next part of my adventure!
Today we tried Pan de Yucca- bread made from the root of the Yucca plant, like the plant we use in landscaping- and mini bananas.
It's rainy and cloudy again today so I'm hoping for better weather when I head out for Peru tomorrow morning!
I am set to meet Claire, who I met in New Zealand, on our flight from Lima to Cusco. Then it's us on our own until Sunday at noon. I'm not sure what I would have done here without Allison so I'm hoping Claire has a better directional sense than me! I enjoyed Quito very much and now I am ready to start the next part of my adventure!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
More time in Quito
So yesterday morning it was cloudy once again so we decided to go the other Guayasamin museum, farther up on the hill, the chapel of man. It was pretty amazing also- huge paintings and it's at his house so you get to look around it a bit as well. Here's the website if you want to see some Guayasamin work. We went out for a traditional Ecuadorian lunch and the translation in the menu said that I was getting "Chicken Stew with Rice" (Seco de Pollo) but when it came it was this huge dish of like a fourth a chicken, a ton of rice, a tomato, potato and an avocado! And I had juice of tomate de arbol another fruit that we don't have anything similar to. Then we went to have pedicures! I used to think that I would never like such a thing, but I've discovered that I was very wrong. Then we came back to the apartment and took another afternoon nap/read. Allison and I decided to try our hand at cooking a traditional Ecuadorian meal Corn Sango with Shrimp. I will say that we did very well and it was excellent! I wrote down the recipe so maybe I'll make it at home sometime. They use this white corn here that is huge and all puffed up, that was the basis of the dish. We also tried baked tomates de arbol but alas, that was not so successful.
Today. . . you'll never guess. . . it was cloudy again! We went for breakfast at this little cafe and had cappuccinos- so I am not at a total loss here, I can still get coffee with lots of milk in it and we had humitas which are like a corn pudding (I thought it tasted like cornbread) wrapped in a corn husk. Carrie, a friend of Allison's had a tamale, and it's different from a mexican tamale, I'd say it was corn based also with meat and maybe some vegetables and wrapped in bananna leaves! We also had a Quimilito which was a sweet version of the humita and then we finished it up with chocolate cake! You have to try everything, right!?
We decided to try venturing out to the Mitad del Mundo- which is where you get to see the line of the Equator. But it's a bit tricky- there are two different places that claim this status. We went to the original one first. I guess the first people who tried to measure the earth claimed that the line was here. They have a huge sculpture and have marked the line and Allison named it the Disney World of Ecuador because it is very touristy. We took a few photos on the line and went into the Insectarium/bug museum where I let a giant beetle type thing set on my arm (not on my skin- no way- on my raincoat)- Ethel you would be proud. But then we went to the other place and I loved it! It's just 210 meters away from the original spot (so the old guys were pretty accurate) but this is the actual Equator as measured by GPS. They took you on a little tour and did little experiments to show you that you are on the Equator.
Which leads me to the learning section of the day, these are especially for Jason:
5 Ways to Know that You Are on the Equator
1. When you drain water in a sink, the water goes straight down and does not create the spiral that normally occurs. This can be demonstrated by placing little leaves in the water that kind of just stay where they are instead of getting sucked into the spiral.
2. An egg is easier to balance on a nailhead. I say easier because it was still impossible for me to do.
3. It becomes harder to walk in a straight line- making you look like you're drunk. Something about the two centrifugal forces of the earth coming together at the equator.
4. You weigh less and your resistance is less when exactly on the equator. I'm not sure that I understood why on this one.
5. And something about on a sundial on the solstices the dial creating no shadow for a period of time. This was very hard for him to demonstrate as there was no sun today.
We learned all sorts of things about the indigenous people of the area- how their houses were built, and about some of the animals in the area, which I would really not like to think about, but City Mouse he did describe how tarantulas will spring at you while you are taking their picture. And he told us about shrunken heads and really I never have considered that something that is real- but I guess it is, Gross. And I got to try shooting an arrow with a blow gun, and we saw some guinea pigs in a pen- because they eat them, and he talked to us a little about the plant life. A plant that looks like aloe vera but is bluer is what is used to make tequilla, who knew? And also he told us a little about burials and the indigenous people used to bury a person's family with them when they died, it may have just been the prominent people but they would give them this cactus juice that would cause them to hallucinate and then they'd put them in these giant vases and bury them alive. How terrible!
But I think that little place is my favorite so far in Quito. Our tour guide was fun and he spoke english so it was a good experience for me. We also got our passport stamped at both of the Equators so now I have some new stamps.
I tried some empanadas this afternoon, with cheese- excellent! And they flavor (with orange in this case) their soy milk which I also have found that I enjoy.
One note on the driving. I wouldn't make it one day. I really don't think they have rules and sometimes in the taxi I have to close my eyes. Our taxi driver was so nice today- he drove us all the way out to the Equators and waited for us for like two hours while we were there. And he wasn't mad at us or anything for making him wait. Good guy.
Today. . . you'll never guess. . . it was cloudy again! We went for breakfast at this little cafe and had cappuccinos- so I am not at a total loss here, I can still get coffee with lots of milk in it and we had humitas which are like a corn pudding (I thought it tasted like cornbread) wrapped in a corn husk. Carrie, a friend of Allison's had a tamale, and it's different from a mexican tamale, I'd say it was corn based also with meat and maybe some vegetables and wrapped in bananna leaves! We also had a Quimilito which was a sweet version of the humita and then we finished it up with chocolate cake! You have to try everything, right!?
We decided to try venturing out to the Mitad del Mundo- which is where you get to see the line of the Equator. But it's a bit tricky- there are two different places that claim this status. We went to the original one first. I guess the first people who tried to measure the earth claimed that the line was here. They have a huge sculpture and have marked the line and Allison named it the Disney World of Ecuador because it is very touristy. We took a few photos on the line and went into the Insectarium/bug museum where I let a giant beetle type thing set on my arm (not on my skin- no way- on my raincoat)- Ethel you would be proud. But then we went to the other place and I loved it! It's just 210 meters away from the original spot (so the old guys were pretty accurate) but this is the actual Equator as measured by GPS. They took you on a little tour and did little experiments to show you that you are on the Equator.
Which leads me to the learning section of the day, these are especially for Jason:
5 Ways to Know that You Are on the Equator
1. When you drain water in a sink, the water goes straight down and does not create the spiral that normally occurs. This can be demonstrated by placing little leaves in the water that kind of just stay where they are instead of getting sucked into the spiral.
2. An egg is easier to balance on a nailhead. I say easier because it was still impossible for me to do.
3. It becomes harder to walk in a straight line- making you look like you're drunk. Something about the two centrifugal forces of the earth coming together at the equator.
4. You weigh less and your resistance is less when exactly on the equator. I'm not sure that I understood why on this one.
5. And something about on a sundial on the solstices the dial creating no shadow for a period of time. This was very hard for him to demonstrate as there was no sun today.
We learned all sorts of things about the indigenous people of the area- how their houses were built, and about some of the animals in the area, which I would really not like to think about, but City Mouse he did describe how tarantulas will spring at you while you are taking their picture. And he told us about shrunken heads and really I never have considered that something that is real- but I guess it is, Gross. And I got to try shooting an arrow with a blow gun, and we saw some guinea pigs in a pen- because they eat them, and he talked to us a little about the plant life. A plant that looks like aloe vera but is bluer is what is used to make tequilla, who knew? And also he told us a little about burials and the indigenous people used to bury a person's family with them when they died, it may have just been the prominent people but they would give them this cactus juice that would cause them to hallucinate and then they'd put them in these giant vases and bury them alive. How terrible!
But I think that little place is my favorite so far in Quito. Our tour guide was fun and he spoke english so it was a good experience for me. We also got our passport stamped at both of the Equators so now I have some new stamps.
I tried some empanadas this afternoon, with cheese- excellent! And they flavor (with orange in this case) their soy milk which I also have found that I enjoy.
One note on the driving. I wouldn't make it one day. I really don't think they have rules and sometimes in the taxi I have to close my eyes. Our taxi driver was so nice today- he drove us all the way out to the Equators and waited for us for like two hours while we were there. And he wasn't mad at us or anything for making him wait. Good guy.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Country Mouse in Quito, Ecuador
You may notice something alarming in the title here, "Country Mouse" and Quito. A bit bizarre, right? What is the country mouse doing in the city? Well I am following my dear friend and leader Allison in dodging cars, catching taxis, and trying out the local cuisine. So country mouse has arrived safely and has managed to not get hit by a car for two days.
I feel I must make a comment about air travel and how bizarre it is that we wander around in masses from one gate to another and although we know that we are being flocked down this tiny tunnel just to sit longer on an already longish flight most people rush and are in a hurry to get on the plane and then they're in a hurry get off the plane to stand in line at customs. We are odd creatures. I arrived after a great flight, despite the child behind me throwing tantrums and kicking my seat, to Allison waving roses at me. Flowers are a bit cheaper here in Quito and I saw some calla lilies at a flower stand today that were blue and green. And in another side note- calla lilies grow here. In the yards. Anyway, I am staying with Allison is this beautiful apartment with a beautiful view.
Sunday morning we went to the older part of the city and saw a Palm Sunday parade. People were carrying around these baskets made of fronds of some sort and in the parade, they were waving cornstalks and rosemary behind a statue of Jesus. And they were singing. I liked it. I also liked the architecture in this older part of the city. But alas, for safety reasons I did not bring my camera so no one will see any pictures of it. Just imagine in your minds, masses of people carrying and waving cornstalks and singing to God. Families and little kids.
Although it may be a little bizarre, I like that the streets here have an incline a lot of the time. Just visually it's something I like vs. the flat streets of Indiana. Walking up them is a bit challenging but. . . it's awesome to look back down the street and see the city laid out in a way you couldn't see a minute before.
Then we took a bus to the artist market- something like an art fair where they sold jewelry and textiles. I think it's good that I don't wear jewelry because I might be tempted to buy a lot here. Then we took a cab to Guapulo, I'm mainly including names here for Gretchen who is from Quito. If I understand correctly it's on the other side of the mountain and it's on very steep roads and has beautiful views. I guess last week sometime a plane failed to make the ascent back into the Quito airport and crashed into some buildings in Guapolo. We tried my first Ecuadorian meal, ceviche. I loved it. It's a soup made of citrus juice and oil, cilantro, onion, tomatoes and shrimp and topped with popcorn and plantain chips. It's served cold which alarmed me at first because I'm not so much a cold-food-that-should-be-hot type person but it was good. I guess sometimes the seafood is not even cooked beforehand but the citrus in the soup "cooks" it.
Then we went to the grocery store- inside the mall! Super maxi it's called. They have so many fruits here that we don't. And they're much smarter about the environment. Instead of doing the huge plastic containers for everything, they have smaller packages that are cheaper that you can use to refill the big things. And the milk and eggs are not refrigerated. The milk comes in cardboard containers.
Then we went to Corfu. I'm so sorry Gretchen to rub it in, but they have so many fruit flavors and it's just lovely! I tried a passionfruit flavored one. It just makes me wonder why we have so many sugar sweet flavors instead of these awesome fresh fruit flavors.
Then we watched some Fairie Tale Theater, Now I don't remember many of these little classics but they're pretty corny. Thumbelina. . . sister? Do you remember that one?
Then we went out for mexican. I think tonight we're going out for Indian- isn't it bizarre that I go to Ecuador and mainly eat international foods? I guess that's one of the benefits of living in a city. (Yes, country mouse did just imply that there were benefits to living in a city.)
I have to say that it's great to be in the spring weather. It's not really too hot- although I did burn a little yesterday, and it's not too cold. And everything is green and flowery. They never have winter or fall here, it's always this same springtime weather. The bad thing is that the clouds roll in in early afternoon and then it's rainy looking and dark. At least it's been that way for the past two days.
We watched Benjamin Button last night. It's not out on video, you might point out. . . but it is here!
Today, we went and had a breakfast of pastries and lattes at Cyrano. Sat outside. Really, breakfast should be savored more, instead of downing a bowl of cereal and running out the door. We went to the fruit market to pick out several weird fruits for me to try. More on that later.
Then we climbed another steep street hill to a Guayasamin museum. He was an artist and in addition to having his own works on display his collection of pre-columbian artifacts was also there. Quite a difference from museums in the States- the artwork and artifacts were just on the wall- not in glass cases, there was someone there wondering if you have any questions. In the States, people are just mainly there to yell at you if you get too close. And we could take pictures- not with a flash but normally if you want a picture of the artwork you have to pay for it. It was a refreshingly open little exhibit.
We set out to have a picnic lunch but the clouds rolled in so we ended up eating out picnic in the apartment. Here are the strange fruits we tried:
Pitahaya- an orange spikey fruit with a grey gel inside with little black seeds. This one was probably the best of the ones we tried.
Granilla- a harder exterior orange fruit with a brainy looking inside with what looked like sunflower seeds in tapioca.
Taxo- a long skinny fruit with squash like interior and it was not good.
Tuna- a green oblong fruit that was gellike with the seeds on the inside like the other fruits but it was harder to get the fruit.
Allison wasn't even sure about some of these fruits- how to eat them so maybe we're going about it the wrong way? Any advice Gretchen? I also tried Naranjilla juice today- you can get just pure fruit juice for like $1.50 and it's so good and refreshing. Then the grey clouds really rolled in which inspired naps and blogging.
I would like to say that I like Tobey, Allison's cat. He's just entertaining and pretty well behaved. I'm not saying I want a cat- just if I had to have a cat, I'd want it to be like him.
That's all for now, I know it's not as exciting as City Mouse's account of South America but just wait. . .
Also, here is Alison's blog so you can see her cool pictures of some of the fruit we tried and pictures of Quito and her apartment- they're back a few months but pretty cool. . .www.greycatadventures.blogspot.com
I feel I must make a comment about air travel and how bizarre it is that we wander around in masses from one gate to another and although we know that we are being flocked down this tiny tunnel just to sit longer on an already longish flight most people rush and are in a hurry to get on the plane and then they're in a hurry get off the plane to stand in line at customs. We are odd creatures. I arrived after a great flight, despite the child behind me throwing tantrums and kicking my seat, to Allison waving roses at me. Flowers are a bit cheaper here in Quito and I saw some calla lilies at a flower stand today that were blue and green. And in another side note- calla lilies grow here. In the yards. Anyway, I am staying with Allison is this beautiful apartment with a beautiful view.
Sunday morning we went to the older part of the city and saw a Palm Sunday parade. People were carrying around these baskets made of fronds of some sort and in the parade, they were waving cornstalks and rosemary behind a statue of Jesus. And they were singing. I liked it. I also liked the architecture in this older part of the city. But alas, for safety reasons I did not bring my camera so no one will see any pictures of it. Just imagine in your minds, masses of people carrying and waving cornstalks and singing to God. Families and little kids.
Although it may be a little bizarre, I like that the streets here have an incline a lot of the time. Just visually it's something I like vs. the flat streets of Indiana. Walking up them is a bit challenging but. . . it's awesome to look back down the street and see the city laid out in a way you couldn't see a minute before.
Then we took a bus to the artist market- something like an art fair where they sold jewelry and textiles. I think it's good that I don't wear jewelry because I might be tempted to buy a lot here. Then we took a cab to Guapulo, I'm mainly including names here for Gretchen who is from Quito. If I understand correctly it's on the other side of the mountain and it's on very steep roads and has beautiful views. I guess last week sometime a plane failed to make the ascent back into the Quito airport and crashed into some buildings in Guapolo. We tried my first Ecuadorian meal, ceviche. I loved it. It's a soup made of citrus juice and oil, cilantro, onion, tomatoes and shrimp and topped with popcorn and plantain chips. It's served cold which alarmed me at first because I'm not so much a cold-food-that-should-be-hot type person but it was good. I guess sometimes the seafood is not even cooked beforehand but the citrus in the soup "cooks" it.
Then we went to the grocery store- inside the mall! Super maxi it's called. They have so many fruits here that we don't. And they're much smarter about the environment. Instead of doing the huge plastic containers for everything, they have smaller packages that are cheaper that you can use to refill the big things. And the milk and eggs are not refrigerated. The milk comes in cardboard containers.
Then we went to Corfu. I'm so sorry Gretchen to rub it in, but they have so many fruit flavors and it's just lovely! I tried a passionfruit flavored one. It just makes me wonder why we have so many sugar sweet flavors instead of these awesome fresh fruit flavors.
Then we watched some Fairie Tale Theater, Now I don't remember many of these little classics but they're pretty corny. Thumbelina. . . sister? Do you remember that one?
Then we went out for mexican. I think tonight we're going out for Indian- isn't it bizarre that I go to Ecuador and mainly eat international foods? I guess that's one of the benefits of living in a city. (Yes, country mouse did just imply that there were benefits to living in a city.)
I have to say that it's great to be in the spring weather. It's not really too hot- although I did burn a little yesterday, and it's not too cold. And everything is green and flowery. They never have winter or fall here, it's always this same springtime weather. The bad thing is that the clouds roll in in early afternoon and then it's rainy looking and dark. At least it's been that way for the past two days.
We watched Benjamin Button last night. It's not out on video, you might point out. . . but it is here!
Today, we went and had a breakfast of pastries and lattes at Cyrano. Sat outside. Really, breakfast should be savored more, instead of downing a bowl of cereal and running out the door. We went to the fruit market to pick out several weird fruits for me to try. More on that later.
Then we climbed another steep street hill to a Guayasamin museum. He was an artist and in addition to having his own works on display his collection of pre-columbian artifacts was also there. Quite a difference from museums in the States- the artwork and artifacts were just on the wall- not in glass cases, there was someone there wondering if you have any questions. In the States, people are just mainly there to yell at you if you get too close. And we could take pictures- not with a flash but normally if you want a picture of the artwork you have to pay for it. It was a refreshingly open little exhibit.
We set out to have a picnic lunch but the clouds rolled in so we ended up eating out picnic in the apartment. Here are the strange fruits we tried:
Pitahaya- an orange spikey fruit with a grey gel inside with little black seeds. This one was probably the best of the ones we tried.
Granilla- a harder exterior orange fruit with a brainy looking inside with what looked like sunflower seeds in tapioca.
Taxo- a long skinny fruit with squash like interior and it was not good.
Tuna- a green oblong fruit that was gellike with the seeds on the inside like the other fruits but it was harder to get the fruit.
Allison wasn't even sure about some of these fruits- how to eat them so maybe we're going about it the wrong way? Any advice Gretchen? I also tried Naranjilla juice today- you can get just pure fruit juice for like $1.50 and it's so good and refreshing. Then the grey clouds really rolled in which inspired naps and blogging.
I would like to say that I like Tobey, Allison's cat. He's just entertaining and pretty well behaved. I'm not saying I want a cat- just if I had to have a cat, I'd want it to be like him.
That's all for now, I know it's not as exciting as City Mouse's account of South America but just wait. . .
Also, here is Alison's blog so you can see her cool pictures of some of the fruit we tried and pictures of Quito and her apartment- they're back a few months but pretty cool. . .www.greycatadventures.blogspot.com
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