Ecuadorian Culture

Megan:
We have been enrolled Spanish classes in Quito for only a few days, and Jon and I have already noticed a renewed enthusiasm in ourselves. We are looking forward to pouring ourselves into bettering our Spanish, and beginning next week, we will also be sharing some time with local kids who could use a little extra affection. We'll be volunteering for four hours in the morning at a home for underprivileged children, and then going to school for four hours in the afternoon. As we had hoped, I imagine this will keep us quite busy and engaged.

We also moved in with our local host family on Sunday. The mother, father and three kids have been a delight to be around, and they have provided us with a great venue to practice our Spanish. They have also been teaching us a bit about typical Ecuadorian cuisine. We began expanding that culinary knowledge last night in our first cooking class which our school offers each week. We have been very impressed by the organization and personal attention that the Simon Bolivar Spanish School has provided. Tuesday's school activity was salsa dancing. We attempted to shake our hips to the ever increasing speed of the Latin music, and I think we may have even made some progress by the end of the two hours.

Our first few days in Quito, we enjoyed exploring the city before we were committed to a schedule. Over the weekend, we stumbled upon a city-wide festival where performance stages were set up in various plazas around old town to celebrate Ecuador's Independence. We enjoyed seeing the huge crowds of locals dancing to different kinds of music in the streets, and found that we had a perfect view of one of the largest stages from the balcony of our hotel. We decided a bottle of wine would allow us to properly take advantage of our front row seats.

Due to the intense schedule that we have committed to for our three weeks in Quito, this will probably be one of the only blog updates for a while. I'm guessing we will make up for it the first week of September when we share our photos from the Galapagos Islands. That's right...we have booked our eight-day cruise to see some of the most amazing wildlife in the world. But for now we'll try not to let our imaginations wander too far into that aquatic paradise...after all we still have some substantial work to do before then.

Hasta la proxima vez, Colombia

Jonathan:
We haven't really mentioned our "Cities we could live in" list since we left Guanajuato about four months ago, mainly because Guanajuato has been by itself at the top of a big blank page since then. We've visited some amazing places on this trip-- cities rich in texture and culture, small towns filled to the brim with authenticity and charm, stunning vistas and breathtaking natural wonders. We have marveled at the beauty that has surrounded us since we left home, but very rarely have we been so taken by a new place that we feel like we could stay-- as if we've found some piece of ourselves there that makes us feel like we've always been connected. Guanajuato was like that for me four months ago. This past week as we were wandering through the narrow cobbled streets of colonial Bogotá, I couldn't help but smile as I felt that same sensation well up inside me again and again-- like I was home.

Perched on a high mountain plane at about 8600ft, and nestled up against a jagged mountain ridge that dramatically frames the city's edge, we couldn't help but notice the similarities between Bogotá and our own Boulder. On our way into town from the airport, we noticed that half of the city's main parkway was closed to vehicular traffic, and was packed with cyclists. Thinking it was some sort of race or a special event we asked our cab driver what was going on, and he casually mentioned that everyone likes to ride a bike on Sunday, so they close the freeway for it-- isn't that normal? To continue the parallel in a way that was almost eerie, within two hours of arriving in the city we had found our way to an annual vegetarian food festival that just happened to be held in the botanical gardens that day. If you weren't paying close attention, it could have easily passed for the Boulder farmers market or the Creek Festival-- tent after tent boasting impressive spreads, homemade bread, organic tapenades, gourmet honey and yoga supplies. Needless to say, we were enamoured from the start.

It only got better as we explored Bogotá's beautiful centro viejo (old town), stumbling upon gourmet cafes, handcrafted beer pubs, and pastry shops set around pigeon-filled plazas. It was beautiful. Everywhere we went we were met with smiles and warm greetings. Friendly strangers eager to help us find the right bus, or decode our cryptic Lonely Planet map. This was not the Colombia we expected. There were no hoards of machine gun toting soldiers patrolling the streets, no bomb-proof limos or shady drug lords. Instead we found beauty and smiling faces around every corner; parks full of families having picnics and flying kites; and the only camo fatigues we saw were stretched over busty mannequins in window displays.

In Colombia we found all the unspoiled charm we had been promised, and none of the chaos or danger we had feared. I'm sure its darker side is lurking out there somewhere, but we certainly didn't find it. It's doubtful that we'll ever choose to live there, but Colombia will always hold a special place in our hearts. I can't help but feel that we'll be back again someday.

Cartagena in all its beauty

Megan:
I think we can safely say that Colombia has been the most pleasant surprise of our trip thus far. Cartagena, a history-rich town on the Caribbean Sea, is absolutely gorgeous. The historic center of town where we stayed for six days has narrow streets winding through charming and brightly-colored colonial buildings, parks, plazas and churches. Because Colombia has not experienced an overwhelming number of foreigners in its recent past, the people do not seem to be jaded by the idea of tourism. Instead they are very welcoming and quick to ask what we think of their country or where we are visiting from.

We enjoyed exploring Catagena on our own and meeting up with friends from our sailboat trip at museums, outdoor cafes or even just bumping into them around town. One afternoon was spent wandering though an old stone fortress, Castillo de San Filipe de Barajas, and its complex system of underground tunnels that were built to facilitate the supply and evacuation of the fort. Jon and I really enjoyed exploring the dark and sometimes spooky maze of tunnels. This castle, along with a thick stone wall that encompasses the city center, was built in the 1600's to protect the city from pirate invasions.

We also visited a small volcano, Volcán de Lodo El Totumo, 30 miles outside of the city where lukewarm mud bubbles out of the earth. This 'mud bath' is supposed to have therapeutic qualities - it very well may have been good for the skin, but I could not get past how weird the whole sensation was. There was no bottom to the pit of mud, and everyone was just suspended, neutrally buoyant, neither sinking nor floating. I have never felt anything like it - weightless and incredibly heavy all at the same time. And, let me tell you, it's tough to get clean after an experience like that... we are still finding surprise deposits of mud.

From Cartagena, we flew to Bogotá - our first flight since we arrived in Mexico over five months ago - surprisingly, this is the longest Jon has gone without taking a flight in the past six years. It's amazing how quickly you can get from one part of a country to the next when you aren't riding on a chicken bus. We will be posting our experiences and photos of the refreshing and stylish capital city of Bogotá soon, so stay tuned.

The sailboat Melody

Jonathan:
After 6 days at sea aboard the sailboat '>Melody, it's really nice to be back on dry land. The sailing trip took us and 6 other passengers from Puerto Lindo in northern Panama though the San Blas Islands to Cartagena. For the most part the trip was great, but to be honest, getting tossed around by 10 foot waves in the open ocean for a few days definitely has its challenges. Those of us who weren't lying green-faced next to the rail spent most of our time trying to pin ourselves between various crates on the deck to keep from falling overboard, or attempting (sometimes unsuccessfully) to balance ourselves in the galley just long enough to make a sandwich or heat up some water for coffee. The only thing that seemed to help us forget the incessant rocking was that on two occasions we were joined by several dolphins who came to play in our wake.

Fortunately, we spent most of our 6-day trip cooling our heels in a very remote section of a chain of 300 small islands off the northern coast of Panama, a spot which our fearless Pepsi-fueled captain Mark lovingly refers to as the swimming pool. We spent 4 nights and 3 full days anchored in a reef cove surrounded by 4 or 5 islands, more coral reefs than we could count, and a vast expanse of crystal blue Caribbean sea. The majority of our time was spent in the water-- exploring the numerous coral fields and chasing the reef sharks and amazingly majestic eagle rays that seemed to abound in the area. When we were too tired to swim, we lounged around on the deck of the Melody, or on one of the beautifully green coconut islands within swimming distance of the boat. Like our sailing trip in Guatemala, the other travelers turned out to be great company. We all thoroughly enjoyed making fast friends and sharing travel stories.

Although quarters on the boat were a little tight for 9 people, all of us found ourselves almost constantly reassured that we had made the right decision by going with the Melody. We were fed extremely well (including a dinner which consisted of a giant thanksgiving-style butterball turkey, stuffing and potatoes), and on numerous occasions Mark went out of his way to make sure our trip was as comfortable and rewarding as it could be-- including staying an extra day in the islands at his expense to wait out some rough weather between us and Colombia. The few conversations we had with travelers from other boats along the way were filled with horrid tales of bad canned tuna, stale bread, rigid captains and rough nights at sea (all for the same price we paid).

Having arrived safe and thoroughly satisfied in Cartagena, we've enjoyed the past few days of basking in the sheer beauty and romance of this city's narrow cobbled streets and its breathtaking colonial charm. We'll be here through Sunday before we fly to Bogotá (the capital of Colombia) for a brief 3-day visit on our way to Quito, Ecuador where we're planning to spend a month studying Spanish and working on a community volunteer project.

Taking risks

Megan:
Jon and I have been traveling through Panama for about a week and a half now and have been quite impressed by the variety of climate, landscape and culture. Boquete, a small town in the western state of Chiriquí, has made it on our list of trip highlights. This mountain town remains refreshingly cool during the day, has an impressive restaurant and coffee scene, and offers numerous lush hiking trails that are easy to navigate independently. We took advantage of this opportunity to do a few hikes on our own, crossing over rivers, back country roads, farmland and dense jungle. Our last day of hiking was along the Quetzal Trail, named after the infamous quetzal bird, which connects Boquete to the nearby town of Cerro Punta. We were amazed by the beauty that we saw along the way - misty low-lying clouds, brilliant green fields, a rainbow, and the crystal clear water of the Río Caldera. After hiking for 15km, we arrived in the sleepy town of Cerro Punta where we spent the night before embarking on what ended up being a very full day of travel to Panama City.

This capital city has been a great cultural outlet for both Jon and I. We spent yesterday afternoon at Casa Cor which is an annual architecture and interior design expo showcasing 50 rooms designed by different professionals throughout the country. We have also been enjoying art galleries, historic plazas and many eclectic restaurants. And of course, no trip to this city is complete without stopping by the Panama Canal. What an impressive operation to witness. We were both captivated by the scale of the ships passing through the Miraflores Locks and the detail that must be maintained for everything to run smoothly. We were also pleasantly surprised by the well designed museum filled with explanations, models and photos.

In just a few days, we will bidding farewell to Central America and getting rid of another bulky tour book. We are departing by sailboat for the San Blas Islands off the northern coast of Panama where we will enjoy our last chance to snorkel in the Caribbean, and our final destination will be Caragena, Columbia. Although not originally in our itinerary, we decided to add Columbia to the trip after talking to traveler upon traveler who have recently passed through there and told us not to miss it. We've heard that the cities, the culture, and the people have an unspoiled friendliness, and a welcoming quality that is very unlike anywhere else in Latin America.

This has been a decision Jon and I have thought long and hard about since as US citizens we are told that Columbia is a risky country to be visiting. As we have been sharing this change in plans with family and friends, I have noticed how vulnerable I am to the influence of other people´s opinions. When someone questions this decision, it is easy for me to move into a place of self doubt. Jon and I have both become increasingly aware on this trip how easy it is to operate from a place of fear. It's been interesting to travel alongside people from Europe, Canada, Australia and the rest of the world who have come here without our American sense of paranoia about what might hurt us. They tend to take more risks when it comes to eating, talking to locals, exploring a new area and because of this, they often attract richer experiences. We have come to depend on using common sense and trusting our gut when a situation doesn't feel quite right, but we have also found that if we become too obsessed with what might hurt us, we do not remain open to really experience the places we are visiting.

Still, for the moment, I find myself feeling torn between my intuition and fear. This trip is teaching us both how to take risks; it's teaching us to trust ourselves, and I think our experience will be richer because of it.