Andean High Videos

Here are a few videio links to serve as an adjunct to a post I have yet to write.  I riode the Teleferico to an altitude of 13,200 odd feet above Quito.  That was the starting pint of my hike.  I hope you enjoy these.  

http://youtu.be/WCaI46ASqLg

http://youtu.be/xqxXHN92sGk

http://youtu.be/VyhzBebXdfY

Bringing Happiness

To quote Oscar WIlde:  "Some bring happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go."  Thus it is with travelers as well.  There are times when I meet fellow travelers and they bring joy to my trip, making my journey better for their company, however brief.  There are a few travelers that I have met who have become very important people in my life.  You know who you are.  

Then there are the "ass-hats" to quote a wise man I know.  Not Oscar Wilde, another wise man.

This morning I had great happiness brought into my life when I saw a group of people getting into a taxi out in front of the hostel here in Quito.  I was just returning from brekkie down the street, climbing the hill back to the hostel.  In the group was someone I hope I never have the displeasure to run across anywhere in the world ever again.

I suppose some of this could be chalked up to my entering into geezerhood.  I admit that my tolerance level  for noisy, obnoxious, unaware fucktards is shrinking as time passes.  That taken into account, this person reminded me of the pitfalls of staying in hostels frequented by young backpakers versus places where no English is spoken and Loney Planet does not know of establishment's existence.

First of all, no matter how many times you say "Bra" when referring to a male person rather than a feminine undergarment, you will not turn your pasty white ass into a Rastafarian of a Gangsta.  Especially when you are not a natives speaker of English.  Secondly, no matter how important you think your conversation is, shouting it so the whole courtyard reverberates with your inanities does not make your point any clearer.  This is especially true when you have no point.  Can you hear me, Bra?  

If I do meet this person again and he stands outside my door shouting into his cel phone with the speaker on so I can here the other end of the conversation as well, I am clubbing him with my Bate' de Pero Pequeno.  No warning, no nothing, just a hard and constant drubbing until the only noise I have to listen to is his death rattle.  Oh, and by the way Bra, referring to women as "Mad Bitches" is really low class.  Not that you would have the faintest clue what class is.  

So there it is, my intolerant rant for today.  I don't wish to paint all young backpackers with a broad brush.  My  experiences with most of my fellow travelers is by and large overwhelmeingly positive.  They bring happiness wherever they go.  I guess they have had their ass-hat vaccinations.  Too bad I did not have a hypodermic full of the stuff when I needed it.  

Quito Walkabout Part II

Whose idea was this?

Yeah, so, it's just a little stair climb.  OK, it's about a gazillion stairs but hey, what's a few stairs at 2,800 meters above sea level?  In truth I enjoy being at altitude and it has never really bothered me, which is why I live at sea level in Seattle.  But I digress.  There is a steep hill just south of El Centro called Panecillo atop which is perched the statue of a very, very large angel.  So up the stairs we go, skirting the old Banos Municipales built in 1924.  There was still a faint order in the air, but it was probably not the historic smell of piss.  

Stairs, stairs, more stairs and.... and old man with a small brown Dag.  Pay attention, there will be a quiz later.  Do you see the Dag?  The wee cocker spaniel sort of thing.....

So uppity-up I go, climbing through the quiet neighborhood, minding my own business and enjoying the respite from traffic of El Centro.  I started up the section of stairs pictured above, noting the older senora and also the old senor who was busy petting and talking to a small brown dog.  Directly behind me there was a local couple climbing the stairs as well.  Everything seemed copacetic.   The old man is cooing to the mutt as I climb past them both.  Suddenly the dog lunges towards me in a furious spasm of barking and growling, not quite biting me.  As I swung about to face the pest, he lunged for the local guy behind me.  The beastie then had another go at my ankles which I avoided while trying to calm the dog with my best Spanish, "Tranquillo, Calma..."  which didn't seem to hurt anything as the dog backed off.

Ecuadoran dogs are lethargic at best, so this was a surprise.  A few more steps and all seemed well until the wee cocker raced up the stairs after me, which produced a kick from me as my patience was wearing thin.  The mutt raced back down the stairs and had a go at the local guy so I continued upwards.  Turning the corner at the top of the stairs (photo above) I found the next set of stairs, steeper and narrower.  I was well up the next section when I heard a shouted warning from below.  I swung about in time to see the cocker, silent this time, sprinting straight for me.  The result of the cocker spaniel's pea-brain actions was to be chased squealing down the stairs by an angry and swift gringo fully intent on demonstrating the soccer free kick method.  The Dag must Die!  It got away of course but that was the end of the incident as the mutt disappeared for good.  

A short ways on I found just what I needed should the mutt reappear:  

"El Bate' de pero pequeno"     The little dog bat.

I told you so, it's a Big Angel.

Big View of Quito but in the flat noonday light the views did not make for stunning photos.

I zipped back down the hill with my perro club at the ready but there was no sign of the beast.  I re-entered the streets of El Centro, which are always entertaining.  The first item of note were my two local pals attempting to change a flat time on their little truck.  Now I ask you, what could possibly go wrong with this scenario?

Oh, despite flaunting the basic laws of physics, the guy holding the rope is the safety guy.  He is also an Ecudoran super-hero.

The most preserved of the old colonial streets and one of the few really touristy streets as well, but mostly during the evening.  During the day it is a quiet little stroll.

Back at the hostel, I enjoyed a siesta on the roof and thought about the day.  Evening was falling and hunger was gnawing so I headed out into the gloaming of the day, my first time out after dark on the streets of this city.  El centro was busy with folks heading home or out to eat, shopping and getting ready for the bands and festivities of Founders Day.  It will be a big party.  

Some other things had changed a bit on the streets since daylight ended.  I got a few "Hey Baby" calls from smattering of the local working girls to whom I smiled and moved on.  I was a bit more mindful of my surroundings, but everything seemed fine.  I had two cafes in mind from the Lonely Planet, one of which did not exist at the address noted, and one of which just seemed too touristy.  So I ended up at a $2 a plate joint where you pay first and get a ticket.  Good food and more than I could manage.

Ambience, for what do we need this?

Dinner.  There is no avoiding the sopa.  I could have done with just the sopa, actually.

I finished out the evening on the roof of the hostel watching the local folks gather for the bull fight.  The bull fight ring is just across the street from my hostel.  No view of anyone picking a fight with a bull, but a great view of the crowd.  It got all kinds of rowdy as the night went on.

A fine day on the streets of Quito, and ready for bed, I retired to my room with my biography of Simon Bolivar, all 625 pages worth.  

  

 

Quito Walkabout Part One

It was another brilliant morning in Quito, crisp and sunny in the thin air at 2,800 meters.  I had a full day ahead of me with the only goal being no motorized transport.  I was off to do the Lonely Planet walking tour with a few additons of my own.  One of the add-ons was to climb up to the giant angel atop the hill that you can see in the left upper the photo above.  Trust me, that little stick thing in the photo is a giant angel statue.  

The streets of El Centro, the old city of Quito, were already busy with people going to work and traffic cops trying to keep things moving in the goofy rush hour that snarls these narrow streets.  I am already discovering the walking streets that can be traversed without dodging buses or taxis.

My self-guided walking tour officially began in the Grande Plaza, home to the Presidential Palacio and more churches than any town needs.  At the far end of the plaza is the Ministry of Culture which has free access to some galleries and the amazing courtyards that aren't visible from the street.  Inside the gallery was a small collection of Ecuadoran artists from Colonial times until the present.

My favorite piece in the gallery.  Litttle did I know that it was a sign of future events today.

Nest stop on the tour was a church.  Fancy that, a Catholic church in Quito!  I can't even remeber what this one was.  I believe it was the Cathedral, as opposed to the Basilica on the hill.  There were the usual collection of educational paintings of the saints, some great side altars, and a shimmering column of sunlight stabbing down into the nave.

Continuing a whopping 100 meters, I stopped at the Baroque wonder of Latin America, Inglesia de la Compana de Jesus.  There is not really another church like this in the Latin New World.  This structure is a Jesuit church dating back to the 1600's and I do not think there is a straight line or an undecorated surface in the entire building.  The inside is almost completely covered in 24 carat gold leaf.  While there is a no photo policy, I saw more than a few Ecuadorans ignoring the ban, so I snuck a few quick spy shots.  My favorite decorative piece was at the inside of the main doors.  A sprial staircase on the left leads up to the organ loft, a loft that contains a pipe organ produced in the United States and sporting 1,100 pipes!  On the opposing side of the entrance, in a bizarre baroque symmetry, there is faux spiral staircase painted on one of the few flat walls.   

Twisted columns, the hallmark of Baroque Architecture

Golld leaf and more gold leaf.  Light simply glowed throughout the interior.

One of the magnificent side altars.

My walking tour took an unplanned turn when, another 100 meters up the lane, I saw the Banco de Ecuador and the sign for the coin museum.  Free!!  I do love a free museum.  Just being able to walk around the massive stone basement of the old bank was worth the time.  This monstrosity sits atop a foundation of cut stone blocks that are more than three feet thick!  There was display after display of coins and other means of exchange from Pre-Colombian times through the demise of the Ecuadoran currency in favor of the US Dollar.  There were more reals and escudos, in both plata and oro, than one could imagine.  I was dreaming of chest of doubloons before I was done.  No photos allowed and a guard right by my side, so you will just have to imagine.  At the last, however, in the kids section, there were two bins of former Ecuadoran currency, now worthless.

That's a heap of pesos Mi Amigos y Amigas!

More twists and turns and more museums!!  I actually had to walk a few blocks to my mext destination, the famous square of San Fransico, the first major religious building in Quito.  This block long low slung monolith is a Franciscan church, they of the long brown cassocks.  Get it?  San Francisco, Franciscans?  I paid my two dollars and waked into one of the great courtyards in the city.  I also walked into a puppet show, complete with squealing kids in school uniforms.  This was far more interesting than the gory exhibit on the pasison of Christ.  Seriously, Christ wounded, Christ with bloody knees, heavy cross, eyes heavenward, over and over.  Back to the puppet show for me.

How often do you get to see an educational puppet show starring a midget Franciscan that looks like Elmer Fudd?

The good guy and the El Diablo duke it out for the souls of the Ninas!

Oooh!  Oooh!  And there were parrots!!

OK, the puppet show was the highlight of the morning, but thee were miles to go before I sleep.  This was the spot where I was going to jump off track and scale the hill for a panorama of Quito.  Before one climbs a thousand stairs, one should fuel up.  At bit early for lunch, I had the world's largest second brekkie.  A multi-course brekkie!  

I couldn't even squeeze the huevos into the photo.  The jugo is Maro, a type of Ecuadoran grape-like fruit.  Amazing stuff.  Cool colour as well.

Will the gringo make it up the hill or will the altitude kick his sorry ass?  Stay tuned for part two!!

 

Streets of Quito

There are a plethora of ways that folks try to make a buck on the streets of Quito.  You can watch a cartoon or a music video for a buck.  Buy stuff?  Anything you can think of from a woman carrying TV antennae and remotes to Chicas selling chiclets and chocolate.  Shoe shines are less, started at fifty cents.  If your gymn shoes are dingy you can have them painted while still on your feet.  As for more personal needs, this evening I was gently accosted by a few of the least attractive hookers I have seen.  I politely declined, by the way. 

Here is a video link to my favorite guys working the streets.   A photo just wouldn't get it.  

http://youtu.be/mIjGRhz3icE

Enjoy!

On to Quito

The big, slow bus lumbered along the Panamerican, grinding gears up the long grades.  The landscape became more arid and rugged until we skirted off the Panamerican and down into the Cambaye valley.  On each side of the road were greenhoused butted up against one another.  This is the Rose valley, where industrial scale farming of roses supplies the US market for fancy flowers on holidays  like Valentines Day.  The rose industry brings huge money to the valley, but also the use of lots of chemicals and preservatives.  The hidden side of this industry is chemical danger to the workers, the accusations of child labor, and the damage to the ecosystem.

The greenhouses are usually screened off from the road or behind walls.

One of the smaller greenhouses.

The bus slowly climbed its way out of the valley and began the real ascent towards Quito, which sits at over 2,800 meters above sea level.

climbing into Quito

And then there was the grind through third world city traffic.  First there was the bus crawl to the terminal and then there was the really bad taxi crawl to old town.  To put it in perspective, it took two and a half hours to get from Otavalo to Quito and cost $2.  It took over an hour to get from the bus terminal in Quito to the hotel and it cost $6, with a $1 tip for $7.  Very fair taxi, but a brutal ride.

Gridlock in New Town

I checked into the new place, threw my bags on the floor and headed out on a mission.  How long would it take me, in a strange city with no smoking culture, fot find a cigar store and make a purchase?  The answer is about 45 minutes.  I found a likely place on the very good Quito tourist map, and noted that it was quite a ways North in new town.  So, onto the bus system, careful about the notorious pickpockets, and voila!  I got off the bus at the very place I wanted to be, walked into the MegaMaxi and found the cigar shop.  A box of five Habanos clutched in my hand, I was back out on the street, mission accomplished and a good go at the transport system under my belt.  Tip:  stand with your butt up against the wall inthe standup area, mind your pockets, and keep a sweater tied around your waist.

I bused it back to my neighborhood and walked the remainder to find some lunch.  There are huge parks here, and some wide boulevards.  

Nuns on paddleboats!!

I chowed down an economia plata at one of the local places and hit the streets of Old Town for a quick impromptu walking tour before dark.

The basilica, soaring into the afternoon sky to awe the blelievers.

A chiva bus.  This is basically a rolling party on an old bus.  A group can go "Sight-seeing" complete with a lot of booze, throbbing music, and a packed standing deck.  

Our pal Mr. B.  We last saw him in Cali, oppressing the peoples there.  He founded Quito prior to Cali.

The famous square of San Francisco.  Mind the pigeons.

The Grande square, complete with band concerts.

End of the day on the rooftop terrace with a chilly view of Quito.

Otavalo Morning

Morning Graffitti 

The sun was shining brightly through the high Andean air as I hit the streets for a little hill climb to work up an appetite for brekkie.  The local folks were just starting to stir as I headed East, climbing up above the glowing town.

Otavalo from above with the crazy "Bird Building" overlooking it all.

Ready to eat, I dropped back down the hill, threaded through the mercado on the East side, and grabbed some pineapple on a stick to tide me over.  As the Reverend Foreman says "Everything tastes better if it's served on a stick."

I crossed the town and found my spot at the main mercado, where huge pans like giant woks were waiting, filled with a crazy assortment of food that all goes on one plate.

You've got your rice, vege, noodles, taters all supporting a fried egg and all for a buck.

Brekkie needs to be washed down, and the coffee in the mercado tends toward the instant variety, so I opted for some fresh juice instead.  Today's choice was carrot-orange.

I diid a few laps around town, mostly to grab coffee at my two favorite spots, but also to savor the brilliant sunshine before heading to the bus station and Quito.  Here are a few images that I will remember fondly.

My favorite people watching spot, the main parque.

The bustling Plaza de la Ponchos as the craftsfolk get the show set up.

One of the few photos I have with one of the locals in it.  The Indian folks really do not like having their photos taken so I have kept the camera in its case whenever they might be in the frame in a personal sort of way.  At a distance no one seems to mind.  

Otavalo has been a special place for me.  This is a great walking town and a great shopping town.  I recommend this place to anyone passing through Northern Ecuador.  Alas, it is time to move on.  Today I am heading for the big city of Quito, which lies 2800 meters above sea level.