We arrived in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, a city nestled in a valley high in the Andes. at 10:00pm. When we stepped off the plane, which you do by an outside stairway, we immediately had difficulty breathing. The altitude is 9370 feet, and we live at sea level. It was even difficult for us to walk. It was quite a scary feeling, since we are used to breathing without thinking about it. Now it was a struggle.
A van met us and took us to the Hilton Colon Quito, which is a beautiful hotel, and the largest in Ecuador. We had a beautiful room. We turned on the air conditioning, thinking it would help us breathe, but no such luck. When morning came, we were up early, but couldn't breathe any more easily than the night before. It takes two days to get accustomed to the height, and one must drink plenty of fluids, and limit salt intake. All water is bottled, as even Ecuadorians cannot safely drink the water. We showered, had a wonderful breakfast of the best tasting fruits we have ever tasted (even white pineapple, which doesn't "bite" at all). There were watermelon, pineapple, peaches, pears, mango, papaya, cantaloupe, guava, bananas (Chiquita bananas come from Ecuador), apples, pears, kiwi, and probably some I can't think of at the moment. The juices were grapefruit (also extremely sweet), orange, papaya, mulberry, watermelon, pineapple. Then eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, Ecuadorian cheeses (delicious), cold cereals, pancakes, and all kinds of rolls, croissants, breads (including banana) and buns........of types we had never before seen. Every breakfast in Ecuador, no matter where we ate, was the same.
Now we were going to venture onto the street. The first thing we heard and saw outside of our hotel was a demonstration of chanting and bloodlettingby hospital workers. They were protesting because they had not received any salaries for over two months. Not receiving a salary for many months at a time is a common occurrence in Ecuador. It is a third-world country........VERY poor. Children are begging on the streets everywhere. They hang onto your leg, all the way down the street, until you give them something, or yell at them to go away. It is heartbreaking. When you stop to eat a meal, the children watch, and when they think you have finished eating, they ask if they can have your leftovers. They gobble it up as though they haven't eaten for weeks. We sometimes bought food and gave it to the children so that they could have a whole meal. The handicrafters sell their wares on the streets as well. At every bank there are armed guards.............armed with high powered rifles at the ready, and dressed in camouflage. Their government feels a family can live on $200 per month, but rent alone is about $250. There is no welfare system, so these people receive no help with food, rent, income, or medical expenses. Not all streets are safe to walk.......not even in daytime, but many are, too.
On our second day, we had a city tour. We visited the old town of Quito (our hotel was in the new, modern part). It IS a beautiful area, and is designated as a World Heritage Site. In the old town, we visited the President's Palace (where he lives), beautiful churches, whose inside walls are all very ornate, and covered with gold, (Ecuador is primarily a Roman Catholic country), saw the legislative buildings, and wandered around looking at businesses, homes, and the people. The town square is so peaceful, and very scenic.
On the third day, we
hired a driver, and we went to Mitad Del Mundo,the
center of the earth. We stood with one foot in the
Northern Hemisphere, and one
in the Southern
Hemisphere. This spot was determined the center
of
the earth in the 1700's by scientists from around the
world. When satellites came into being, it was proven
that these ancient scientists had hit the nail right
on the head!! From there, our driver, Milton, took us
a few minutes north to the only volcanic crater in
the world that is inhabited by people. It is named
Pululahua.... It hasn't erupted in 2300
years.
When we arrived at the market, there were people everywhere. The Otavalo Indians have a market every day of the week, but Saturday is the largest market. The Otavalo women were dressed in beautiful white, hand embroidered blouses, worn over a long black skirt, and a shawl. They adorn themselves with gold beads. The wealth of an Otavalan woman is displayed by the number of beads she wears. The men wore white, 3/4 length pants with blue ponchos and felt Panama hats. They wear their hair long, and in a single braid, that is wrapped with ribbon or other type of fabric. The children are dressed the same. This is their everyday apparel. They are not a poor tribe, unlike the other Indians in the country. At the market they sell meats, poultry, vegetables, fruits & nuts, as well as their handicrafts. Chickens are sold live, and when purchased, they are carried upside down by their feet. Their handicrafts consist of tapestries and weavings, leather goods, wood carvings, silver and bead jewelry, pottery, paintings, clothing, blankets. Meat hangs in the open, with no refrigeration. Barbecued foods can be bought and eaten while you shop, as well as roasted corn and roasted bananas. It is a most interesting place.
After the market, we headed to a wonderful hacienda for a meal. When we arrived, there was a band of musicians, dressed all in white, and they played Ecuadorian folkmusic, and marched ahead of us to lead us into the building. The music was wonderful. It has such a driving beat, and we loved it. The hacienda was gorgeous, and the gardens were a place one would never want to leave. It was so peaceful...........gorgeous lakes and flowers everywhere. Even hammocks by a lake for us to rest in. Horses roamed the grounds freely. Our meal there, like all our food in this country, was excellent. We started with a salad of avocado, filled with the most delicious "stuff" we ever ate. I have no idea what it was. Then on to the locro (a creamed soup made of potato, avocado and cheese, and my personal favorite), and an entree of trout. Dessert was coffee and a type of cake topped with a delicious chocolate sauce. The coffee in Ecuador is superb. Then it was time to head back to the Hilton, as this was an all day affair. On the return trip, two Otavalan girls rode on the bus with us, and sang to us. Another great day!
By
the way, did I mention that the Hilton Colon is right
across from a beautiful park, and Pinchincha, a smoking
volcano?
On Sunday, we found that an open-air art display was happening on the sidewalks in front of the park, right by our hotel. The paintings were beautiful, very well done, and so varied. The prices were unbelievably low. Inside the park was like a carnival. All types of rides were brought in for the children. There were musicians and comedians everywhere. We were the brunt of the comedians jokes. There was all kinds of food, drink, fruit, and ice cream for sale. There were fake bull-fights being held. It was such a joyous atmosphere. On the opposite side of the park from our hotel, we found a Kentucky Fried Chicken. We decided to eat lunch there, and for the first time, have some American style food. To our surprise, the food was exactly the same as our KFC is here in the States, all except for the price. We each had two pieces of chicken, cole slaw, french fries, and a drink. The cost for the two of us was $3.00. Two people can eat a full meal anywhere in Ecuador, except for a "high-class" restaurant, for well under $5.00. After we ate, we spent the rest of the day in the park.
On Monday, Milton picked us up early in the morning and took us to Cotopaxi, a snow capped volcano, and the largest, active volcano in the world. It is very famous. The weather was not good that day, so we went further on to Latacunga, thinking we would be able to see Cotopaxi later in the day, as that is when the fog in the Andes usually lifts. We went to a market place for a short time, and then on into a very poor section. We wanted to see how the most poor lived. We took large bags of bread for these families. It was most interesting. Most of them make pottery for a living. They work for days on end, and their earnings are about $14.00 every 3 days. They cannot afford to burn more than one small light bulb in their homes, and of course, there is no heat. They cook on wood-burning stoves.
We went to another gorgeous hacienda for lunch. It was equally as great as the first one we went to. At this hacienda there were many hummingbirds in the gardens. The most beautiful of these creatures were the teal blue ones. Another place we could have stayed forever. On our return trip, we again tried to visit Cotopaxi, but the weather didn't permit, so we had to miss it.
Milton had been a school teacher, but he is a married man with two children. Like the hospital workers I spoke about earlier, months would go by, and he would receive no salary. That's when he turned to taxi driving. He belongs to a coop that works specifically for the Hilton Colon. He has now been showing his country in his taxi for 10 years.
That evening, we went to a fine restaurant in Quito, named LaRonda. We had another great meal, and were entertained by a wonderful group of Andean folk dancers, and strolling musicians. The costumes were beautiful. Women danced while balancing glass bottles on their heads. They are so very graceful. The men danced with so much power and gusto. There was that usual driving beat that the Andean music is recognized by. It was a most enjoyable evening.
There is relatively no prejudice in this land. Blacks and whites get along well, and intermarry with each other, and well as with the Indians. English is almost useless here, except at hotels. The Ecuadorians speak Spanish and Quechua (the Indian language). Some schools are just beginning to teach English as well. Many, many children do not attend any school, but the literacy rate is almost 100%. Some attend school during the day, and some go for evening sessions. Little tiny children carry their siblings on their backs. The women all carry heavy burdens on their backs. They not only carry their children this way, but the wares that they sell, as well.
Ecuador is extremely diversified in it's scenery and climate........from beautiful mountains, to rugged coastline, to steamy jungle, and it is the home of the mecca of biology. There are 4 different regions here......the highlands, or Andes area (mountains), the Oriente (jungle), the Costa (rugged shoreline), and the biology and ecosystems archipelago (Galapagos Islands). In Quito, which is in the highlands, we experienced 4 seasons in one day......everyday. In the south, there are natural hot springs.
I must be very honest here. When we first arrived in Quito, I thought the scenery was beautiful, and although I found it interesting, I really didn't like the city. As each day passed, I began to like it more and more, until I finally loved it. Ed felt the same. The Ecuadorian people are wonderful, warm people, and all very attractive.
I love this country and
it's people, and would go back in a
heartbeat.
If you are interested in seeing my complete photo album of mainland Ecuador, just click here.
This is the end of my story about
MAINLAND Ecuador. From the mainland, we
continued our expedition in Ecuador by traveling to
the Galapagos Islands, and then, into the Amazon
Jungle. If you have the time, please read my stories
about these amazing places. I think you will find
them interesting.
before you
leave.
