Driving North to Otavalo

Giant Hummingbird, photo by Ian. Note the size of this largest of all hummingbirds compared to the barbed wire.

About this Post:

Tuesday, January 6th, 2008 Janet, Ian and I drove with Fausto to Otavalo on the Panamerican Highway. We stopped at many places on the way, a lovely drive through the Avenue of the Volcanoes.

 Today, January 18th:

Arriving home last Thursday night to Boston after an easy day of travel, we found snow on the ground and a taxi with a partition between us and the driver. $45 for a 15 minute drive, OMG culture shock! In Ecuador it would have cost $5, and we would have talked with the driver...

Joe came home on Friday for a week as there are no hotel rooms in DC due to the festivities of the Inauguration, great timing for us. Luke, Ian's friend from Maine arrived on Friday for a few days of birding with Ian, and they were so lucky to find the rare Ivory Gull at Cape Ann, specifically Eastern Point in Gloucester.

 Ian's Ivory Gull images: http://picasaweb.google.com/goshawk227/IvoryGull#

I'm happy to be home and be with Joe again, looking forward to seeing friends this week. A great quote from my friend Susan  "I love the experience of returning home from far away places:  the familiar is brand new for a few bright moments."

Ian and I did indeed have a most excellent Ecuadorian adventure, it was fantastic and I hope to go back again many times!

I'll post the rest of our trip in the next 2 weeks, Ecuador has so many fascinating images to offer, I just need to edit the 8000 or so pictures into manageable groupings.

Janet and Fausto at the place we found the Giant Hummingbird, just outside of Quito.

The runway location of the new Quito airport, 45 minutes north of the old one, on the Panamerican Highway. Due to open in 2010.

Janet happily birding.

Landscape just before the crater.

Puluahua Crater, an very old volcano that is now a lovely pastoral home to a small village.

Locals enjoying the view from above the crater.

Close-up inside the crater.

A restaurant overlooking the crater, for special occasions.

The donkey turned his back on us at the last minute. The donkeys can be hired to take you down to the bottom of the crater. Photo by Janet. Ian, me and Fausto.

Street vendor, in the highway, selling Guabas.

We bought all this for a dollar!

Inside the Guaba, you eat the white fuzzy stuff, kinda sweet, and spit out the black seed.

More yummy fruit, sucking mangos. Para chupar. 

Delicious!

Chirimoya also sold on the way to Otavalo, a great drive sampling all kinds of food.

A different Equator stop than Ian and I did a month ago, much less touristy, nice views and we were the only ones there.

Janet, Ian, and Fausto checking the GPS to find the exact Equator.

This area is known for it's flower growing, exported all over the world.

Cayambe is known for it's Bizcochos, melt in your mouth little morsels of dough resembling pie crust. A big hit with all of us, too.

Ian checking out the Bizcochos.

Scenery as we approached Otavalo.

Images of Old Town Quito

Fausto took us all over Old Town Quito, here are a few more images of our 4 hour walk.

Ian after too many churches.

Plaza de San Francisco

.

Rock Pigeons on fountain.

The famous angel on Pancenillo, little bun shaped hilltop.

Detail inside a church.

One of many images of a Mother carrying her sleeping child.

Pretty courtyard off of Ronda Street.

Janet at the vegetarian restaurant we lunched at after our tour. Community dinning with a wait at the door.

Ronda Street.

Ecuador: President and Preamble

The Ecuadorian President has set aside Mondays to attend the changing of the guard at the Plaza de Independencia in Old Quito.  It's a well received event and free to all. We enjoyed all the pomp, splendor and people.

President Rafael Correa Delgado at his balcony with the honored school children of the week.

Plaza de Independencia before the changing of the guard.

Ian, Fausto and Janet.

 

Ecuadorian Preamble

 

We, the sovereign nation of Ecuador

 

Recognizing our millennial races, composed of women and men of diverse backgrounds,

 

Celebrating the natural environment, la Pacha Mama (Mother Earth in Kichwa - the primary indigenous language of the Andean region), of which we are a part and which is vital for our existence,

 

Invoking the name of God and recognizing our diverse forms of religiousness and spirituality,

 

Appealing to the knowledge of all cultures that enrich our society,

 

As heirs of social struggle for liberation, facing all forms of domination and colonialism,

 

And with profound obligation to the present and the future,

 

We decide to create

 

A new form of citizen coexistence, in diversity and harmony with nature, with the intent of attaining a better form of life, el sumak kawsay; ("sumak" is the Kichwa word for beautiful or marvelous, while Kawsay is the word for existence, costume, culture and life)

 

A society that respects, in all its' forms, the dignity of people and communities;

 

A democratic country, dedicated to the integration of Latin America -the dream of Bolivar and Alfaro - peace, solidarity and with all communities and people of our earth; and,

 

In exercise of our sovereignty, in the City of Alfaro, Montecristi, the province of Manabí, we give ourselves the present.

For more check out this blog:

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/riahl/1/1222978500.html

The constitution, voted on in October 2008,  also aims at ameliorating the living situation for the youth of Ecuador (that comprise a majority of the population).  It promises free education through University for all Ecuadorian citizens, gives the right to vote to people as young as 16 and allows people to serve as senator (a democratically elected position) at 18.

Tour of Old Town, Quito

The neighbors request no sexual work on this street.

On Monday the 3 of us took a tour of Old Town Quito with Fausto, our trusty guide. We saw many churches, which Ian did not like, and a great changing of the guard with the Ecuadorian President in attendance.  Here are some of the Church images.

Fausto drove us to Otavalo on Tuesday and we've been here ever since in a little hotel off of the Plaza de Ponchos, where the biggest market in South America sells it's wares. The roosters add ambiance, and the owner's family that seems to live in our lobby is always there to greet us, dog and small child included. $40/nt for all 3 of us, it's an authentic Ecuadorian experience, complete with hot water and private bath. 

We've seen many, many wonderful places and people over the last week, but no internet at Hotel Indio, so blogging requires a trip to the internet cafe, and there is just too much shopping and exploring to do.  Janet, Ian and I only have 5 more days left and are making the most of it! 

Our group doing the sights of Old Town.

Around Quito with Janet and Ian

Janet arrived safe and sound from CT at midnight last night at our hotel, Nu House. Today the 3 of us happily walked around the rather quiet city of Quito. Being a Sunday after the New Year most of the residents were on holiday at the seashore, but the park was busy and the weather was perfect.

Our hotel in the background, and the Plaza Foch cafe where we had dinner.

Sophie.

Hanging out in the plaza.

Parque El Ejido weekend art show.

Eating oranges in the park.

View towards the Ave Rio Amazonas.

Janet having a soft spot for a child asking for money.

Don't know the name, but was told you eat them raw out of their pods.
Ian and Janet.

Selling colorful goods.

Guilliermo, a thirteen year old video expert. We've visited him several times.

The store where he works, selling legal bootleg DVDs.  A common practice in Ecuador.

Art on the rooftops...

Holding hands.

Night scene in the Foch Plaza.

Street view in the Mariscol, New Town section.