Papallacta

Itchimbia

La Compania

Quilotoa

Panacilla Descent and La Ronda

Mitad del Mundo Complex

Our last post for awhile!  Back to Saskatchewan on Wednesday!

The Cyclopaseo runs from Quitumbe in South Quito to Bicentennial Park, the old airport, in North Quito.  The total length of the route is about 29 km.  Kim and I did the south portion, the longest from where we live, in about 4.5 hours.  I did the flatter north portion in about 2 hours.

Pantanel Thermal Springs at Papallacta-We spent a night in a fairly rustic hotel.  There were two large cooler pools and a hot pool by the hotel and a walking trail with additional pools of varying temperatures built into the coulee.  The cool waterfall pouring into the hot spring was a refreshing experience.

Kim’s cousin Pat arrived and we were rejuvenated!  We did two bus trips.  The first was to Quilotoa, a lagoon in the crater of an active volcano.  We walked down and then rode mules/horses back up to the top.  The second bus trip was to Pululua Crater and Mitad del Mundo, with the nearby UNASUR (Union of South American Nations) building.  The building was built at a cost of $43.5 million US dollars and has never been used.  Nestor Kirchner, former Argentinian president and inaugural secretary general of UNASUR, has been convicted of corruption.  The organization has fallen apart and Ecuador is left with the bill for this immense physical structure.  Presently it sits empty; one proposal would see it used as a university for indigenous nations.

Kim and Pat took the TeleferiQo (gondola ride) up the lower slopes of Volcan Pinchincha one day and were fortunate that it was clear enough to get some great views.

Another day we went up Panecillo (the hill with the Virgin) then walked down to La Ronda, the oldest street in Quito, still with the original stone streets.  We had locra (potato and avocado) soup and canelazo (warm drink) before we headed to La Compania, a breath-taking historic church built between 1605 and 1765.  It has a reputed 7 tons of gold leaf decorating the sanctuary (no pics allowed).  We also went to the Basilica del VotoNational, another church with amazing views of Quito.  It has towers that are 115 meters high.  Ecuador is famous for its production of chocolate and a coffee shop called Republica de Cacao in the historic part of Quito has an attached chocolate production museum that we stumbled onto and all three of us enjoyed!

Kim and I biked and hiked to Itchimbia Centro Cultural, located in a park that overlooks the historic center.  The glass cultural center has a re-purposed roof from the old market, designed by Gustaf Eifel.

Monday and Tuesday, March 4, 5, are Carnival.  Lots of water shooting and spray foam!  We were warned that we’d probably be victims, and we were!  All in good fun!

The Galapagos Islands are truly the Enchanted Islands!  From Jan. 19 to 26 we soaked in the experience.  We caught an early morning flight from Quito to Baltra Island via Guayaquil, took a water taxi across the strait where we caught the panga boats to our 16 passenger ship, the Ecogalaxy (formerly the Galaxy II).  We cannot say enough wonderful things about the ship experience, great rooms, great service, great food, great guide. We snorkeled and swam with fish, sea lions, rays, sharks, eels, iguanas.  Pictures are great memories but our camera is limited and so often I was enthralled at the moment and did not capture it in a photo.

We toured the Eastern Galapagos (older islands), Santa Cruz, Floreana, Espanola, San Cristobal, Baltra, Genovesa, South Plazas, Seymour Norte, Mosquera.  We learned about the history of the islands and saw so much wildlife.  Birds we saw:  blue-footed booby, nazca booby, red-footed booby, great frigatebird, lava and swallow-tailed gulls, waved albatross, red-billed tropicbird, lava heron, striated heron, galapagos hawk, galapagos mockingbird, galapagos dove, cactus finch, woodpecker finch, galapagos short-eared owl, galapagos flycatcher, petrels, stilts, flamingos, pelicans.  Reptiles:  giant tortoise, pacific green turtle, marine iguana, land iguana, lava lizard.  Mammals:  galapagos sea lion, galapagos fur seal (not a true seal,  sea lion family).  Marine invertebrates:  sally lightfoot crab.  White-tipped reef sharks, surgeonfish, angelfish, parrotfish, manta ray, spotted eagle ray.  Plants:  mangroves, cacti, scalesia.  Hiking and snorkeling were daily activities and we learned and saw so much.  When we signed up for the tour, we thought this would be a once in a lifetime adventure; now we are thinking of the west islands with their seahorses and penguins are a destination!

The first four pictures are from the National Museum of Ecuador which we toured on Sunday.  The women sculptures were so lifelike.  Then you can find Kim and I in the interactive art scenes.  The VW van is a food service…very old van!  The rest of the pictures are from Saturday when we took a tour bus to Quitsato Solar Clock (picture of Kim walking the equator line), San Pablo Lake Lookout (notice the tethered pig), Indigenous market at Otavalo, Peguche waterfall (kissed an alpaca!), Cuicocha Lagoon(boat ride, water sometimes bubbles from the eruptions below!).  Best tour ever!  84 active volcanoes in Ecuador.  Ecuador produces 63% of the world’s cacao.

A few more pictures.  Bottom right is one of the little fires burning in boulevard.

On Dec. 30th we took Trenecuador on the Tren de los Volcanes.  It went south from Quito through the communities of Tambillo, Machachi to El Boliche, the recreation area of Cotopaxi (active volcano and because it was such a beautiful clear day we could see the steam emerging).  At El Boliche we went on a short hike but it was much longer than the 90 m posted on the sign.  I later realized that the 90 m was the increase in altitude not the length of the trail!  There’s a picture of me in front of a tree that is estimated to be 300 years old.  The scenery along the route was absolutely stunning.  We ate in a wonderful restaurant in Machachi where there was also a petting zoo.  The fellow (about 5′ tall) with the pet goose had been a pro wrestler at one time; had fought in Winnipeg and decided the Canadians were too big!  The goose was amazing, came when he called, danced to music, and raced!  We watched a game of Ecuavolley (a variation of volleyball) at Machachi, 3 on a side and very popular here.

New Year’s tradition-young men dress as women and stop cars in the street, dance provocatively and ask for money.  We saw several doing this, often with their girlfriends watching and helping with costumes!  All in good fun and drivers and pedestrians happily contributed a few coins.  Apparently this custom started with getting rid of the sadness from the past year, from when families would hire women to be mourners at funerals and it has morphed into what it is today.  They are called widows.  The other New Year’s custom is the burning of dolls, figures, representative of the negativity from the past year, so that the New Year is started fresh.  Not a bad idea!  There are several pictures of dolls, etc.  A lot of families get together and spend the day making the dolls and then burn them.  They are also available for sale as you can see from the photos.  The last picture is of our New Year’s cake that we bought at Cyrano’s (we can see it from our windows).  We had to wait in line to purchase and I can’t even estimate how many cakes they must have sold today.  Delicious!  Kim and I went for a short walk this evening.  Very quiet as everyone is at home celebrations.  However, there are still fires happening in the streets and fireworks going off as I write this.

Time flies by as quickly in Ecuador as it does in Canada!

We keep busy with routine activities.  December was a slow month for teaching, many classes were cancelled.  December is sometimes known as the party month in Quito and I can understand why.  Dec. 6 is a big holiday here, the founding of Quito.  Celebrations and parties start at least a week ahead.  Chiva buses (party buses) open and playing music, drinks and sometimes food are served, and everybody dances.  Street parties go on till dawn sometimes.  There are huge parades that go on for hours for about 3 days in a row, lots of marching bands and ethnic dancers.  Then the Christmas parties start and many businesses shut down between Christmas and New Years.

Quito has this great program to encourage people to cut down on driving.  BiCiQuito rents bikes to registered users at no charge.  You can ride between stations, keeping a bike for up to 45 minutes and staying within a prescribed area, which we just happen to live in. We are enjoying them, sticking to bike trails in the park or riding on Sunday down Amazonas Street, which they close down to traffic (about 30 km).

Kim and I went up the Teleferiqo and this time climbed the mountain as far as we could safely go in our runners.  There’s a picture of me at the Bear’s Den, near our endpoint.  Views were beautiful and we were absolutely exhausted by the end of the day.

We’ve been up to Parque Metropolitano several times.  There are a multitude of walking and bike trails.  Been to Parque El Ejido (artsy), took the Quito city bus tour and visited El Panecillo, the Centro de Arte Contemporaneo, and the Marsical (area of restaurants and bars) just north of the old historical part of the city.

Next weekend we are taking a train ride to the volcanoes nearby.  Our Galapagos trip was postponed due to boat trouble so we now go Jan. 19 to 26.  Time is flying by and we will not get to do everything.  Thinking we will have to come back again next year so I am in the process of applying for a visa.

Kim got a case of “Latin American” sickness.  He managed to get over it with pills (for vomiting and diarrhea) and electrolytes, but we were just about ready to head to the hospital.  Needs to get another hole punched in his belt!  We went out for pizza and beer but Kim stuck to coke!

Christmas was quiet here, a walk in Parque Metropolitano, chicken dinner with all the trimmings!  Thank goodness for What’s App to keep in touch with loved ones faraway!

It has been an exciting week; our new grandson was born on Wed., Nov. 21.  Joseph Daniel weighed in at 8lbs 4oz.  Everyone is home now and doing well.

Kim and I have joined a group called Internations Quito.  Last Saturday, we participated in an excursion to the volcanic crater of the extinct Pululahua Volcano.  It was formed in ancient times when the cone of the volcano collapsed, leaving a huge crater 400m deep and 5km across.  The flat and fertile bottom is used for agriculture.  We spent the afternoon hiking and finished up with a delicious ecuadorian meal.  Pictures above.  Pictures below are from Parque Metropolitano where we spent Sunday.  Beautiful views.

On Monday, we picked up our BiCiQuito bike passes-a free program to help reduce the amount of traffic in the high traffic areas of the city.  On Friday we used them to go and get my visa extension-bit of a process-go to office, pick up form and bank account number, go to bank and deposit fee, go back to office with deposit slip and form and get visa renewed.  The bikes made it pleasant as we were able to ride through Carolina Park from the SW to the NW, and then back.

Classes have been a little slower the last few weeks as three of my students are not starting new units until after Christmas.

We’ve booked a Galapagos cruise for Dec. 15-22.  So excited.  Everyone we’ve talked to whose been to the Galapagos loves them.

Kim arrived about 2 am on Fri., Nov. 2.  His flight out of Houston was delayed about two hours so he was very tired when he got here, having left Avonlea at 2:30 am on Nov. 1.  Everything went smoothly otherwise.  He has been a little tired by times but otherwise does not seem to be suffering from altitude sickness at all.

Nov. 2 is Day of the Dead.  Families take flowers to the cemetery and do plot maintenance.  It is not as big a day as it was in the past.  Traditional food is Colada Morada (a drink made from fruit and thickened with purple corn flour, served warm or cold) and Guagua del Pan (bread shaped and decorated like babies and filled with all sorts of delicious fillings-ours was chocolate-Yum!).  In the picture with Kim is my boss and a friend of hers.  Halloween is very low key and no trick or treaters around here.

On Sunday, we took our first bus ride to the Historic Centre and toured the Bascillica, where we climbed to the top of the tower, and the Museum de la Ciudad (city).  There are pictures from the top of the Bascillica and the beautiful wood floor in the Museum which shows Quito in days past.  The bus ride was an adventure in itself as we relied on other passengers to make sure we got on and off the right bus at the right time!  25 cents each on the way down and on the way back, we got the grey hair price of 12 cents each!  There are pictures of Kim and I in the Plaza San Francisco with the Basillica in the background, and a picture of Kim in front of the Church of San Francisco.

Boyd and Jenaya, we had to take a picture of the Bassett Hound bench located near our apartment.

We have made a few trips to the market.  It’s about a 20 minute walk from home, open 7 days a week from about 8am to 5pm.  Immense amounts of fruit, vegetables, fish, pork, chicken, eggs, herbes, etc.  Liquor, nuts, and more are also available.  We had our very dull knives sharpened there for under $4.  I purchase dried herbes for tea there that seem to be helping with my allergies.  One of the pictures shows a whole roast pig that they carve off of for meals.  It makes for a nice outing and we get groceries at the same time.  We tried red bananas last week, a little sweeter than the yellow bananas.

Two pictures are from one of my student’s office building:  a view down Avenida Naciones Unidas and a rooftop spot (rakes-sand-Zen garden?).  There’s a picture of me in the yard outside the courthouse (near the market).

There is a picture of the flower vendor at the corner of our street.  Bouquets are $5, roses $1 a dozen as they near end of life.  There are vendors all over selling shoes, hot food, fruits and vegetables, clothing, cigarettes, water, hats. They work long hours for very little profit, often 7 days a week, often with young children with them.

The Venezuelan economy is troubled and there are many Venezuelan immigrants who come here with absolutely nothing.  They have become part of the street vendor economy most often selling candy to eke out an existence.

Education in Ecuador is generally poor.  There is no law requiring education.  Parents send their children to private schools if at all possible, and then send them out of the country, most often to the U.S.A. for college.

Top left:  Dinner out at a Korean Restaurant-L to R, My boss at Inlingua, Lauren, French teacher at Inlingua, Maria del Carmen, my Spanish teacher at Inlingua, and Carla, English teacher at Inlingua.  Lauren, Maria del Carmen, and Carla have been such a large part of my positive experience here in Quito.  Top centre, dinner out-Italian pasta.  The other three pictures are taken at the beautiful Metropolitan Park.  It is a beautiful, natural park nearby.  In the earlier views of Quito taken from the Telefiriquo, it is the large green area behind Carolina Parque and the area where I live.  It’s about a half hour uphill walk from my place.

I feel very fortunate to be doing what I am doing.  I love my job; it is exactly what I wanted.  It is challenging, rewarding, and gives me an insider’s peek into what life is like for Ecuadorians.  It allows me the flexibility and time to pursue my own interests as clients and myself can mutually agree to change our schedule.  I am very happy with a self-imposed max of 17 teaching hours per week.

The weather is absolutely beautiful here in Quito.  The people tell me this is drier than normal as the wet season usually starts in Oct.  Global warming is a concern here and there are worries about this drought.  The weather is also very changeable and I have been caught without my umbrella, luckily I had a raincoat with me.  The rains have not amounted to much moisture.  The sun is extremely strong here due to the altitude.  I use sunscreen daily and sometimes my umbrella as shade.

Latin American life is more relaxed than that of North America.  My clients are now always on time for our lessons, and if they are going to be late, they contact me.  However, not all clients are like that and it is not uncommon for clients to be 15 to 30 minutes late for a lesson.  I really like all my clients and I learn so much about business and life in Ecuador as they practice their English.  The history of corruption and violence in politics and life goes back centuries and this culture is very difficult to change.  Ecuador appears to be doing okay currently; everyone is in agreement that switching to the American dollar in 2000 helped stabilize the economy.  It did not come without a cost though, as anyone who had more than a certain amount of money in the bank, saw their savings significantly devalued.  Many retirees and those near retirement suffered.  There is a great distrust of banks and it is very much a cash economy.  One of my clients recently upgraded his wife’s vehicle.  The purchase was made in cash.  He and the car dealer had to go to his bank, withdraw the money, take the cash to a notary where all the serial numbers had to be recorded (any bills $100 or greater), then they walked with the cash to the car dealer’s notary, where all bills were again recorded and then the car dealer took the cash to his bank.  Although such a large purchase as a car is not usually done in cash, it does happen.

My Spanish is not progressing as quickly as I’d hoped.  I teach English, so my work life is English.  I am also not forcing myself to stay immersed in the Spanish language.  I do listen to Spanish radio, but understand only the odd word.  I watch a little Spanish TV but again understand only minimally.  Netflix is flexible and depending on my mood, I watch in Spanish with Spanish subtitles, in Spanish with English subtitles, in English with Spanish subtitles or in English only.  The wonders of the internet.  How different my experience was in the early 80’s in French-speaking Quebec.  It is so much less isolating now with almost daily What’s App conversations with home.  I also watch CTV Regina news and read the LeaderPost.  I know more about what’s happening at home that I do of what is happening around me.

A wonderful side-effect of my job and living here is that I am losing weight.  I calculate that I put on roughly 25 or 30 km/week, which is much more that I was doing at home.  I am also eating differently.  I eat a big breakfast, a mid-morning snack, then my large meal mid to late afternoon, and sometimes a snack in the evening.  I am often exhausted by evening and in bed by 9pm as I start my days between 5 and 6 am.  The 6am to 6pm consistent hours of sunlight make it easy to get into a routine.

I am looking forward to Kim’s arrival on Nov. 1!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I am having dinner at a Korean restaurant today with a few people from work.  Last evening, I cooked a beef roast and invited two friends over for supper.  It was fun.

I have not been taking pictures lately as I haven’t been doing much exciting.  Also the camera on my new phone is poor.  Work is going well, I think.  The one-on-one teaching is quite relaxing (compared to a classroom) and the clients are very interesting.  Walking to and from the workplaces is good for me and its amazing how much walking I do in a day.  Even though I’m only teaching 17 hours per week, prep, travel to and fro, and Spanish lessons keep me very busy weekdays.