The Ecuadorian coastal road is pretty amazing although a lot of the time it doesn't strictly follow the shore. It sweeps inland and often curves up and above the coast so you get some wonderful views of the sea and beyond. It also takes you through some jungle feeling terrain, which is always nice. We left Salinas for this amazing ride as we were heading to a small place called El Carmen.
The ride to El Carmen, where Maisa's aunt and uncle have a home and where we were to be staying for one night, is some hours north of Salinas. Its hard to keep track how many hours, but we broke up our journey by stopping off at places on route. We made one stop at Puerto Lopez, which is actually a popular tourist spot as many come here to see the whales which often pass by this particular area. We only stopped off for lunch, but it also has a nice long-stretched beach to look at too, especially when you are eating delicious soup. We also stopped off at some small fishing village. I don't remember the name of the town, but the people there looked and acted odd and I don't think many of them had left the place, well, probably ever. It was an interesting experience being there though, as an army of fisherman were crowded on the beach standing over two huge swordfish. We watched as they hacked these things to pieces before feeding the unwanted parts to two very eager looking dogs. The smell made me feel somewhat ill, and it reminded me once again why I don't eat fish. It would have been fascinating to see those two swordfish actually in the ocean, alive and blazing through the water because before they were dismantled, they looked immense.
Eventually we made it to El Carmen. Just off the main coastal road, a small dirt-track leads to a farm, where Maisa's aunt and uncle have a rustic, wooden jungle house. It was certainly different to any of the other accommodation that we had stayed in thus far on this trip but it was incredible to be there. The shower is basically a bucket of water, the toilet has no flusher, and the rooms are simply wooden boxes with beds. Surrounding the house though is an assortment of amazing things. Chickens run riot there, and around is every type of growing plant under the sun. They get meat and eggs from the chickens, then the plants provide them with oranges, passion fruits, cocao plants, yuca and avacadoes.......plus more. They really don't need a local supermarket as they have everything right in their back yard. They cooked us some very fresh and organic food, including a typical Ecuadorian coastal dish which involves crispy rice. Unfortunately, there are also a ton of bugs there including thousands of mosquitos, but we slept with the nets up so it wasn't so much of a problem.
The next day we continued north about an hour or so, where there was a party that we were to attend. Im not exactly sure what the whole thing was about but it included the entire family of Maisa's aunt (who is not blood related). I don't think I ever have or ever will see a family this big again in my entire life - as there must of been like two hundred people there. Im sure if you were part of this family you would meet up with everyone and each time see some relative that you never had before. Maisa only knew a hatful of them there and im not suprised. I don't think if you counted the members of my family from all the generations going back to the time of the cave man (or Adam and Eve - whatever you believe), would it have totalled the number at this event. It was incredible. There was food and beer flowing and a lot of chatting going on. The event went on all day, mainly I think because by the time you had gone around and said hello to everyone you would probably have passed at least three hours. We only stayed a short time as we needed to get back to Quito, so off we went again, continuing north.
The views continuing north up the coast and then swinging east, past the town of Santo Domingo and on to Quito is pretty spectacular. It mainly sweeps around mountains and outlooks some wonderful views. If you have problems with car-sickness, this would have been your nightmare ride, but luckily I don't have such issues. We got back to Quito late, and I spent that last night at Maisa's house in the valley. The next day the parents prepared a huge feast including some delicious salty pork which is one of my favourite things to eat out here. Eventually Maisa gave Henry and I a lift back to the old town of Quito where I live. After a 10 day trip crossing two countries, seeing around 10 locations and doing an absolute mass of things, I walked into my room, shut my door and collapsed!!!
It had been an amazing trip and I was glad to take the time off work for it. It was packed full of adventure and a ton of travelling, but then I like my vacations to be busy. Culturally it was fascinating too as we covered so many different regions, foods and life-styles. One day we were staying in a 5-star hotel and the next in a wooden jungle house surrounded by chickens. It was worth every minute and one trip I won't forget in a hurry. For now though, once again, it was back to work................................
Tuesday 6 September 2011
The Ecuadorian Coast & El Carmen
Back In Ecua-Land - Guayaquil & Salinas (Ecuador)
It was a long drive from Mancora. We set off about mid-day, took the short ride to the border (through arid desert and coastlines) before crossing the frontera back to Ecuador. The paperwork getting back over was nothing more than a formality this time around. From the border, we took the long drive around the southern part of the country (through all those banana plantations) towards the large city of Guayaquil. Actually we wern't spending much time here. We were just passing through. We stopped for dinner and had a look around before continuing on our journey. I had passed through Quayaquil a number of times, as its the main hub for travelling on to a number of places in the south of Ecuador. Most of those previous occassions I had only driven through the city, so I never really got to see the place up close. This time however, despite it only being a whistle-stop tour - I did actually manage to get out the car this time and see some sights properly.
Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city and despite not being its capital, it certainly is its economic hub. Because of this and the fact that it has a reputation of being dangerous, not many backpackers bother to stop here. However, underneath its shell of business and robbers its actually quite a cool town. The city is located away from the high altitude mountains and so its climate is more tropical, being hot and humid for most of the year. The city has a number of things to keep the average tourist happy, but nothing more so than the Malecon, which is often seen to define this place. The Malecon is essentially Quayaquil's river-side promenade, where people come to shop, walk and eat - and often all in one go. The promenade runs along the huge Rio Guayas (Guayas River) which is used as a major trading route. During the short time we had in Guayaquil - we spent it on the Malecon, for a night-time stroll. We started at La Rotonda (a famous statue depicting the meeting between Bolivar and San Martin that took place here in 1822), before continuing south, past the clock tower and yacht club as well as a whole host of other night time delights!!! It would have been nice to spend a bit more time here and in the city in general, but we were pressed for time, so we eventually got back in the car and continued on our way.
It was less than two hours to reach our destination - Salinas. The town lies on Ecuador's southern coast and it is here that Maisa and her family have a holiday home. The place was only a few minutes from the beach and after a bit of a spruce-up (the house hadn't been lived in for over a year), it felt like home. I had been to Salinas before. About 6 months previously I participated in a scientific conference where I presented a talk to 200 Ecuadorians on the explosive activity of Tungurahua Volcano. The conference was held at a university in the nearby town of Santa Elena, but we all stayed on the Navy Base in Salinas - so I got to see a bit of the town then. From afar, Salinas looks like Miami Beach - with tall hotels and apartments lining the shore. Yachts dock just off the bay and during the months from December to April - they often come from all over the world.
In the few days that we spent in Salinas we spent most of our time along the beach-front, eating in the restaurants and admiring the many market stalls. We also had time for a couple of expeditions though too. We went to a famous and dangerous part of the coast in Salinas called the Chocolatera - which is where a series of ocean currents meet, crashing against the cliff-side rocks. We stood precariously on the top of those cliffs and watched the ferocity of mother nature in action below us. We also took a drive up the coast including the two hour ride north to Montañita. I had spent some time in this small, party town (and once for a crazy New Years Eve night) but Henry had never been and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. We didn't stay for the evening so he didn't get to experience it in all its glory but he got a taste of what the place is like at least.
After some days, we had to continue on our way again. Our trip was coming to an end and we had to get back to Quito. Before our return journey though we still had some time left................so we ended up driving north to stay in a Jungle house and attend a party with 200 family members. Of course we did!!!
Crossing Countries - Mancora (Peru)
Its amazing how different a place can look simply by crossing from one country to another. Really, that is pretty odd, because its only an imaginary line - but somehow the change is very noticable. That is because, in the south of Ecuador, the climate is such that plants and vegetation thrive so the whole landscape looks green, mainly with banana plantations. But as you cross to the north of Peru, the climate shifts and everything becomes very arid and dry. Of course, being in Peru is different for a whole host of other (non-landscape) reasons, such as the infrastructure and people, the cultures and the currency. One thing you notice straight away when you enter Peru is how everyone drives tuk-tuk's - a motorbike with a big carriage on the back for carrying a few passengers. They are extremely popular in Asia, where I used to hop on them all over the place to get from one location to the next. You don't really see them in Ecuador though.
The drive from the border to the popular beach-side town of Mancora is only a few hours, so we arrived pretty quickly. Most of our trip from this point on would be along some part of the Pacific coast. That meant one thing in terms of food...........fish. Anyone who has ever met me, knows that I am not a big fan of eating anything that has come out of the ocean. Don't get me wrong - if it resides on the land, whatever it is, then I will throw it down my gob with little hesitation. On my travels I have eaten; Grasshopper; Snake; Guinea Pig; and Cricket (to name just a few), but put a piece of cod in front of me and my lip starts to quiver. In Peru and in Ecuador too they have a famous fishy dish called cerviche - which is some type of uncooked sea creature in a very strong lime-juice sauce. Its a bit like a soup and the idea is that the fish doesn't need to be cooked because the lime-juice keeps it fresh. I have actually tried this dish before and apart from all the fishiness, its quite tasty. Along this part of the coast 90% of places only sell fish and cerviche so I thought it was going to be hard-work just to find something for me to eat. On top of that, my work compañero (Pete Hall) also told me that in northern Peru, they harvest so much anchovy that they end up feeding it to the chickens so that the chickens also have a fishy taste..............I knew then I was going to be in real trouble!!! Actually, throughout my time in Peru and back up through Ecuador I generally didn't have problems finding something (non-fishy) to eat and I was also the only person in our group who didn't get sick at some stage................I say thats 1-0 to the land eater!!!
Mancora was much smaller than I expected. It has a reputation for being a popular backpacker spot, especially for those who want to party, so I was suprised that the Coello family chose this place for their relaxing vacation. Actually it seems, that's its the hostals themselves which are the party venues and although the town did have quite a few beach-side bars, it wasn't as crazy as I had expected. I guess it could be compared to Ecuador's Montañita - but really there was a lot less going on here in Mancora. For us, it didn't actually matter - because we were here just to enjoy the beach and do very little - clubbing wasn't really on our agenda. We only stayed in Mancora for two nights in the end, because the sun failed to come out in any forceful manner and the town of Mancora failed to impress the Coello family. The first night we stayed close to the town. It was a nice hotel but the beach there had a constant gale force wind. So, the second night we headed a bit up the coast and found an amazing resort type place where we could just relax. The beach was far more tranquilo and this hotel was incredible. We essentially had our own apartment, right on the beach, and the pool was so amazing that we barely put our feet on the sand. There, we did nothing but soak up the sun and drank Pisco Sours (a famous Peruvian alcoholic cocktail). This hotel also had an amazing restaurant, pool-table and service, which meant you never had to leave your sun-bed. It really was an amazing place for doing very little.
Often we would head into the town of Mancora just to eat and see the place at night. It has a nice street-side market, specifically for selling to backpackers. I tried to get used to the currency in Peru but I wasn't there long enough to fully adapt. Its a pretty easy conversion though - at about 2.5 Soles (more or less) to one US ($) Dollar. The Peruvian people always seemed firendly and polite, just like their Ecuadorian neighbours although again, I wasn't in the country long enough to fully know anything about them. A few days later, we headed north, back up the coast towards Ecuador again. It was interesting and fun being in a new country and I was glad for the opportunity to see another place on this vast continent. I would definately like to head back to Peru again some day soon - and do a bit of backpacking around some of the famous sites (like Cusco and Machu Picchu), but they will have to wait until next time. For now, we continued back up north and once again made it to familiar territory.....................Ecuador!!!
Machala
I think the drive from Cuenca to Machala was one of the most incredible rides, scenic-wise, that I have ever been on. Its quite a few hours drive but the road takes you through some fantastic countryside. We switched cars for this drive so it was just Maisa, myself, Henry and Grace. With the youngsters alone on the road, the music blaring and the windows down, we crusied through jungle scenes, around the winding sides of bare mountains and along a series of rivers. We skated arocss valleys and toured through plantations of banana trees as far as the eyes can see. It wasn't until now that I finally understood why Ecuador is one of the biggest exporters of bananas in the world. We stopped along the way too, to buy some of the bananas of which there were around 7 different varieties. They only cost us just 5 US Cent each - I remember thinking it was definately cheaper than Tesco. At one point we also stopped off to swim in a river - of which was very popular with the locals in the area too. It was like taking a swim in an icy bath with an entire village. It was cold in there, but thats exactly what was required after the sweltering heat of the jungle climate.
After some hours of driving, through ever-changing scenery, we eventually made it to our destination. Machala is a small town, located deep in the south of Ecuador. Its only about an hour from the Peruvian border and the average tourist would likely only find themselves here if they were heading to or coming from Peru. Its a nice little town though, surrounded simply by banana plantations. We stayed in a 5-star hotel called Oro Verde. It was an amazing place, complete with swimming pool, tennis courts and an incredible breakfast. The rooms were fantastic too and I can't remember having a better shower since my visit to the Ceasers Palace in Las Vegas almost a year earlier.
The next day we headed for Peru. People have often told me that the border between Ecuador and Peru is a bit of a nightmare although actually it didn't seem all that bad. We did have problems though, of course we did!!! Firstly, you have to go to an office on the Ecuadorian side and get an exit stamp. Simple enough. Actually for all of Maisa's family and myself - it was simple. For Henry, it was a disaster. The problem he had was that he had to extend his visa, so he did that a few days before, but it was done in a bit of a rush. He got his passport back from the immigration office just one day before our trip began. He had all the correct documentation so his passport was all in order. However, the day we left was a public holiday and then it was the weekend when the immigration office is shut and nobody works. Henry's problem was although he had the right stamps in his passport, the computer system with everyone's details on it hadn't updated his information - so at the border they said he couldn't get an official exit stamp because the computer said NO. When we drove to the Peruvian side (which is across a large bridge), they said they couldn't give Henry an entry stamp because he didn't have an Ecuadorian exit stamp. Ahhhhhh. Then, some Peruvian officals said not to worry and just to go on through anyway. Amazingly there is no-one there really stopping you getting into your car and driving into Peru, but it didn't sound right to us. We knew if we did this that Henry would have problems getting out of Peru or into Ecuador on our return so we went back to the Ecuadorian office. Essentially what were doing was travelling back and forth between countries. After some talking, the officer realised he had made a mistake and Henry's details had been updated - he was apparently looking on the wrong computer screen. As we left, Maisa's father (Marcelo) muttered to us that the problem here, was that the Ecuadorian officer was not actually human at all but some form of baboon. I remember thinking that a baboon would probably have no problem stamping a piece of paper and getting us all through the border and that such a comment was harsh on the entire species of baboons. After driving across the bridge once more and getting all our stamps - all of us were finally and officially into Peru.......................
The Start Of My Ten Day Trip - Cuenca
A while ago, Maisa had said to me that her family were going off for another trip somewhere, but it wasn't going to be a weekend expedition this time - it was going to be a 10 day ride across Ecuador and into Peru. They asked if I wanted to go and before she had finished explaining the plan I had already agreed to it. In over a year and a half of being on this continent, I have only seen the delights of Ecuador so naturally I was excited to head somewhere new. All I would need to do is take 5 days off work (which was suprisingly easy), to pack the one bag that I own (slightly more challenging), and get ready for some travelling action.
Coming along for the ride, was myself, Maisa and her three sisters, her mum and dad, my friend Henry (who is dating one of Maisa's sisters), and Maisa's aunt and uncle. We would be travelling across two cars, which was nice because as big as their car is - squeezing 10 people into one vehicle was always going to get crowded!!! It was going to take us a few days to drive down to Peru but that was no bad thing as we would be stopping at some pretty cool places on the way.
We first set off to the large city of Cuenca, located in the South of the country. Its quite a long drive (around 9 hours) so along the way we stopped off at a number of places for food or to see some sights. One of the places we parked up at was Alausi, a small, old town made famous for its trains. If you want to ride a train in Ecuador it will undoubtedly go through Alausi. It is also the last stop before the decent down the famous Nariz del Diablo (Devil's Nose) Pass - where the train is designed to snake back and forth down a mountain side. It is meant to be breathtaking and scary to the point of heartstopping all at the same time. I haven't yet done this ride, but definately have it on one of my things to do before I leave this country.
We also stopped at another small town close to Cuenca, called Azogues. It has a very impressive church structure know as the Iglesia de la Virgen de las Nubes (Church of the Virgin of the Clouds) that was carved, way up high into the side of a hill. It was dark by the time we reached this spot but the views of all the twinkling lights given off by the town below still made the experience special. The church was also deserted which allowed us plenty of exploring time, with myself and Henry clambering up some precarious ladder to the top of one of the spires. The ladder was hanging to the side of this church by one loose bolt pretty much and its only that Henry and myself are complete ignorant morons which gave us the ability to attempt this ridiculous and dangerous expedition.
The ride from Quito to Cuenca is pretty spectacular. It runs down the Andes mountain range so most of the time you are cruising up at high altitude. At one point we criss-crossed around some of the mountains and below was a deep valley filled with clouds that made you think you were in some heavenly place. We did have some drama along the way when halfway to Cuenca, two of Maisa's sisters realised they had forgotten their cedulars - which is basically what South American's can use instead of a passport when they are travelling around their continent. Just like a passport for myself and Henry, it would be impossible for either of them to have entered Peru without these documents - a country we were to reach in a couple of days. It meant that Marcelo (Maisa's dad) had to make some arrangements for both the cedulars to be flown from Quito to Cuenca, where he would pick them up the following day.
After a long ride, we finally reached Cuenca. Its a really nice city, made famous for all its historical buildings. Churches and monuments fill the city center and small rivers line the many parks around the town. I had been here some time ago but was glad to get another look around. The only issue I have with Cuenca is that it is cold most of the time - but then coming from London, maybe I am making more of a deal about that than it really is.
One the one day that we spent in Cuenca, we wondered around the historic sites and took the steep ride up one of the nearby hills for spectacular views over the the city and surrounding area. We also had some traditional food from this part of the country, which is Mote (a type of maiz) that is cooked in a number of different spices and herbs and one of them with eggs thrown in too. Pretty tasty!!!
Eventually we got back in our vehicles and continued on our way. The next stop was to Machala, a small town deep in the south of Ecuador and only about an hour away from the frontera (border) between Ecuador and Peru.........................
