Monday, September 03, 2007

South/Cental America #12 - Ecuador

Photos: Ecuador

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1. Mendoza
2. Quito
3. Otavalo
4. Cotapaxi
5. Galapogas Islands
6. Riobamba
7. Banos
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I hope that all is well around the globe.... 7 1/2 months now and counting.

Well the last couple of days in Mendoza were great, I had an amazing day up at Punta de Inca, a fresh snow fall contrasted great with the hot springs. A great view of Aconguaga - highest mtn outside of Nepal and plenty of snow fights with some other tourists I met.

Flew up to Quito...nice enough place but way too many gringos so I got out of there pretty quickly. I took off for La Esperanza to climb a volcano - Mt Imbarra 5000m. A long day climb and the last 1km verticle in thick cloud. I thought this was one of the hardest things I had done until 3 days later...

But before that I went to the Otavalo markets and resisted all temptation to buy a tonne of local shirts, hammocks, chess sets and even really nice leather jackets for $70. So I headed back to Quito where I joined up with my tour to climb Cotapaxi volcano - 6000m. Setting off at 1am for the climb, laden with crampons, ice pick, full cold weather gear and roped into a guide and a swiss guy we set out under a perfect stary night. Well the climb was straight up and continued to go on and on, every bend promised to be the last but yet continued on. As sun rose over the horizon we could see forever...shame that only lasted 10 minutes as the weather closed in and before we knew it we were faced with 10m visibility and 40 knot winds making it about -20. Well after being blown over on a thin ice bridge the guide asked if we wanted to continue...really stupid question as I was always going to give it everything. Anyway after 5 1/2 hours of climbing we reached the summitt, took two photos in the freezing cold and walked back down again. So after two climbs I have a heart as big as Phar Lap and quads bigger than Arnie and I am happy to say that I summitted my first two mountains, a tough but great experience.

24 hrs later I was on a boat just shy of the equator. Yes I finally made it to the Galapogas, a set of islands that I thought was only obtainable in my dreams. Islands so amazing that it really does excel any words or pictures that I can share with you, so excuse but I will try. The only way to truly see the islands is by boat, I joined Merak a 15m sailing boat with my buddy Ziggy, 3 German and 3 Irish ladies, tough I know. The boat was great, the guide very knowledgable and a nice guy, the cook Omar was simply amazing and the food the best I have had the whole trip and the two boats crew were also first rate. But the islands....stopping off and seeing birds flying within arm reach, baby seals sitting on the beach and nibbling your toes, sea lions swimming so close to you that they actually kissed my goggles, iguanas - the ugly things - are everywhere you have to watch that you do not step on them, penguins - yes I am still wondering why they are there - swim around you, sea turtles that you can hang on to for a ride, sharks, millions of fish, dolphins riding the bow wave, whales......the list is endless. Also on the islands you can pretty much stand over lists on endemic nesting birds that really do not care that you are there. They are all so interesting, the differences are amazing betweeen islands and also between sections of islands - 15 different tortise species, 9 different finches, boobies (a type of bird) one with blue feet that nests on the lands and one with red feet that nests in trees and sea birds that can not get wet. Go figure.

The actualy islands are all fomed from volcanic eruptions so extent cone after cone rise out of the water creating some fantastic scenery even without the animals.

I stayed out on the island with Ziggy for another couple of days and did some dives, easily some of the best I have ever done. Diving with hammerhead sharks, sting rays, eagle rays, schools of Barracudas ..... again very very cool. As I said I could go on all day, so if you want more info just ask and I will be happy to oblige. It is expensive but if you get the chance please do not hesitate to fly out to the islands, you will never forget it. It reallly is like living inside a 24hr Discovery Channel.

So that was number 4 out of 5 off the list..only Havana to come now.

I am now back on the mainland, after a quick stop in Guayaquil, I headed back to the mountains and have been on some very scenic bus rides and went on the Devil's Nose train ride were you get to sit on the top of the train and travel through the countryside and eventually down a couple of swtichbacks into a canyon. Everyone, and I mean every single one of the locals run out of their homes to wave as you go past, I think secretly the govt pays them 10c each to do this as part of the journey.

Next up off to Banos where upon arrival I met up with Mat and Phil that I met some days before and within 10 minutes of getting off the bus I was abseiling down 8 waterfalls, the final 3 where 75, 68, 71...a great days out getting very cold and wet but canyoning was fun. Spent the rest of the time finding a jungle trip that I convinced the other two to come on.

So leaving the next night we set off for the jungle..the amazon that is. Arriving at the last town in Ecuador we caught a 3hr bus ride to now where and then a motorized canoe another 3 hrs. Waking up the next morning to find ourselves on a beautiful lagoon. Over the next couple of days we tried to hunt down a anaconda (no luck), fished, saw monkeys, pink dolphins, plenty of birds, went for many swims...and one day paddled down river for 5 hrs, then up an impassable stream for 1 hr before hacking out a campsite for the night, really in the jungle this one. Plenty of mosquitos and other bugs but good fun.

I am now back in Quito and I have to say that I am quite sad to be leaving, My time here in South AMerica has been amazing, I would like to thank everyone that I met for making it such a wonderful experience. Highlights would take too long...for those that live here one day I promise to be back and I hope that we can all meet again soon.

Again photos are on the link below...also added some extra photos to the Mendoza lot.

I am soon meeting up with my good friends James from Sydney in Cancun on the 18th for the trip to Cuba and beyond.... I will be in touch.

Roland

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