Butterfly Flutterby

Recent weather: sunny and high 60s in the morning, daily afternoon showers, cold evenings; they say you can experience all four seasons in one day in Quito.
Recent reads: John

I arrived in Quito on Saturday night. At about 10pm the power went out on the whole block and stayed out for 12+ hours which is fairly unusual, even for South America. The power went out 2 other nights while in Quito but was back on within a couple of hours. On Sunday, the neighborhood was still very quiet, so we ventured just outside Quito to the equator. One of the main tourist attractions in Quito is El Mitad de Mundo (Middle of the World), right on the equator where the latitude is 0'0'0'. There is a whole park with various shops, restaurants, and other tourist traps along with a huge monument constructed to commemorate the coordinates.

Latitude 0'0'0'...Lies

In both hemispheres simultaneously! 

Traditional dancing

But 18 years ago, advanced US GPS satellites determined that the actual location of 0'0'0' was 240 meters northeast of the monument. Here, at the real middle of the world, there is a far more interesting museum where they do a few experiments on the equator. For example, you can attempt to balance an egg on the head of nail as it should be easier to do at the equator. They also used water demonstrations to show the different centrifugal forces. At the equator water flows start down; in the northern hemisphere a few feet from the equatorial line it flows counterclockwise, and in the southern hemisphere it flows clockwise. After visiting both locations, I found it hard to believe that the wrong location is still so widely promoted and most visitors aren't even aware or told that a more exact location exists.

On Monday I was able to watch the changing of the guards at the presidential palace. It was a 15 minute production with marching, music and even the president, Rafael Correa, came out on the balcony to wave to me.

Raising of the flag with Rafa out on the balcony.

The following day I visited the presidential palace. The president works at the palace but, unlike previous presidents, Rafa doesn't live at the palace. He claims it's because he believes the palace belongs to the people and he isn't a king, fit to be living in a palace. I speculate the real reason is that he doesn't want to be assassinated there like some of his predecessors. Rafa wasn't in when I visited, but it was still great to see the offices where they work, the balcony that overlooks the whole plaza, and the all the gifts visitors have brought to the palace.

It says "visitor" but it really means VIP. 

Saluting the flag

Where they do work.

The balcony overlooking the plaza where the president watches the changing of the guards ceremony.

View of the plaza from the balcony

Dining room

Gifts from Vladimir Puton. He never got me anything.

I visited quite a few churches in old town Quito as well. El Monestario del San Francisco was a beautiful sight. Many of the biblical paintings even have simple touches of real gold like on Christ's collar or the cuff of his sleeves done in a gold leaf pattern. The altar was beyond stunning and the intricate sculptures and carvings were amazing. A carving of Christ's crucifixion even has real blood mixed with the paint to make the carving more creepy-I mean realistic.

I just picture the architect drawing up plans thinking, "it needs something more..."

La Compania de Jesus was another amazing church. This wealthy Jesuit church once owned much of downtown Quito and the church itself proves it. Much of the church is covered in 24-carrot gold including doors, windows, and altars. There is enough gold inside the church to pay the debt of Ecuador and then some! But, of course, that will never happen because the church is a protected heritage site.

The whole door is covered in intricate leaf patterns made of 24 carrot gold.

Then, I took a jaunt to Mindo, a city in the cloud forest just 2 hours from Quito. The first day there, we walked 20+km/12+miles to view 2 beautiful waterfalls and I took a well-deserved swim.

Taking the cable car.

A little repelling was involved.

Pretty jungle-y

Worth it!

A little rickety but it held...

Then we treated ourselves to a treat: quinoa pudding with strawberry-mint and passionfruit-basil ice cream!

The following day we visited a mariposeria, butterfly garden. I didn't expect much from the garden as I am not exactly a butterfly expert but I was blown away by how spectacular it was! There were lots of pupas and larvae with varying colors and patterns as camouflage. I saw an amazing array of butterflies including the owl butterfly. Nature is awesome!

The pupas hanging out and one newbie owl butterfly that just hatched today.

All the different pupas with amazing camouflage capabilities!

Looks like a leaf, but it's not!

Eye of the butterfly

I am the butterfly whisperer!

I had gotten mixed reviews about Quito but I very much enjoyed my time here! That being said, the harsh reality is that I have had more instances in Quito where I felt unsafe than other city I've visited, South American or other otherwise. I will spare you the details, but let's just say I was on the receiving end of several attempted muggings in varying settings and with varying MOs. Fortunately, none were life-threatening and nothing of mine was stolen. It's been a strong reminder to listen to my instincts and remain vigilant especially as I come upon the end of my travels. Speaking of the end of my travels, I have officially booked my flight to Wisconsin for November 12th!

Tomorrow I head to Colombia, my last country!

Welcome to the Jungle

Recent weather: 60s-80s, intermittent rain
Recent reads: Luke, "American Assassin" by Vince Flynn (a real conversation starter with locals, ha!), "A Foreign Affair" by Caro Peacock, " In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez.

It's almost midnight in Mancora, Peru and my bus to Cuenca, Ecuador has finally arrived. It's just me, a German girl, and an Aussie couple hopping on. We hand our bags to the co-pilot who chucks them in the storage compartments and we board the bus. It's almost completely full and, with the lights off, it's difficult to tell which seats are available. I find a seat next to a snoring girl. If she's out cold snoring already, chances are my snoring won't wake her. I pull out my neck pillow, hug my backpack and almost instantly fall asleep.
I am bolted awake by the copilot yelling "Inmigracion!" Half asleep, I stumble off the bus towards the source of light at 1am. I wait in the "salida" line to exit Peru and then the "ingreso" line to enter Ecuador which move rather efficiently.
I walk back to the bus, step up and take my original seat. Immediately, I wonder if this is indeed my bus. The copilot walks by but I don't recognize him. Maybe this is the actual driver? I hand him my paper bus ticket and ask if this is the correct bus. "Cuenca?" He asks. "Cuenca," I respond confidently. "Cuenca," he says again, mimicking my confidence. With no reason to question it further, I take my seat again noting that the seat is exactly how I remember it. The foot rest pulls out the same too. There's even the "Sonrei :) Te estamos filmando" sticker above the door just like I remember.
And then the bus takes off. The bus is half empty and the snoring girl is not next to me! Now I know this isn't my bus. I immediately get up and tell the co-pilot that I am definitely on the wrong bus. "Cuenca," he says again really meaning, "We just went over this, gringa." Obviously, there is more than one bus to Cuenca. "Tranquilo," he says. He tells me that they can't turn around now but there is a spot coming up where I can get off and wait for my bus. Get off and wait on the side of the road for my bus at 2am just across the Ecuadorian border? I don't think so! As we continue driving, (I am now wide awake at this point) I see that we are on a fenced-off road with cones and lights directing us to a vehicle border check point. Convinced that my correct bus will have to stop at the same obligatory check point as well, I get off the bus. The Ecuadorian border patrolman points to a table with chairs where the other 3 military officers are sitting. I plop down at the table with them and they ask what I'm doing here. I explain my story sheepishly and they all laugh. They all guess where I am from, the majority consensus being Australia. "Los Estados Unidos!" I blurt out, first excited that I fooled them and then embarrassed again as I am now the stupid American tourist. They tell me this kind of thing happens every day and it's usually Australian girls who don't notice until much later. We all laugh about it and I feel better about the whole mixup.
Cars, trucks and semis pull through and each officer takes his turn checking them out. The officers recruit me to be their poker deal which passes the time but whenever I hear a vehicle approaching, I look over my shoulder wondering if it's my correct bus approaching. I know the Aussie couple, among others, were behind me in the immigration line so I am sure that my correct bus is still coming but as time goes by, my confidence level is decreasing. The patrolmen offer me a soda and a sandwich so I help myself.
A poker winner has been crowned and it's been an hour later so my concern is growing. One officer votes that I should have just stayed on the wrong bus since they were both going to the same city. Another officer reassures me that my bus is still coming. Finally, just after the guys brought out their 3am bowl of popcorn, my bus pulls in. I confirm that my backpack is in the bodega and board the correct bus. The driver looks at me and I get on. I tell him I got confused and he just giggles. Clearly he had no idea I was even missing. I find my seat and take comfort in the familiar snoring of the girl in the window seat next to me. I pull out my neck pillow, hug my backpack, and almost instantly fall asleep.

Once in Cuenca, I set out for an afternoon stroll. It's a cute little town with colonial and baroque architectural influences and lots of lovely graffiti art for my viewing pleasure. I visit a few museums and Inca ruins the first two days. Then, I start to feel ill. By the time the fever and body aches set in, I had quarantined myself to bed. Nothing worse than being sick except being sick in a hostel in a foreign country. Within 24 hours, I was feeling much better but ready to vacate the bed, hostel, and city that got me sick. On to Baños!

Pumapungo ruins 

After a 7 hour night bus to Baños and a subsequent nap, I was ready for some more nature. I rented a bicycle and headed to Pailon del Diablo, a waterfall. Well worth the trek.

Then, I was off to the jungle! On our way, we drove through a town called Shell, as in Shell gasoline. And actually, that's how the city got it's name. Unfortunately but not surprisingly, Shell used this city as its base when it harvested oil from part of the rain forest. Shell is one of the last cities with roads and has an important airport and school of aviation for flying to jungle cities.

We stopped at an animal rescue center along the way. Many of these animals were found injured and rescued but few will ever be able to be released into the wild again. Some of the animals are endangered due to various reasons. For example, there is an indigenous group that believes the penises of a certain species of monkey are an aphrodisiac and increase fertility. They kill the monkey, disintegrate the penis and add it (along with a whole concoction of other things) to women's cocktails in hopes of spreading their seed. True story. My favorite animals were the ocelot and the caiman. The monkeys were hilarious to watch but only because there was a fence between us.

Yes, that's a cow's head there.

So much monkey business going on here.

Fresh talapia: lunch is served!

For our treks, we donned our knee-high wading boots and made our way through the jungle, crossing ravines, wading through streams, schlepping through mud pits. At one point, we needed to make our way up a stream towards our waterfall destination but the water was going to be a bit more than waist deep. So, there we were, in just our swim suits and boots, with our backpacks above our heads, wading upstream. We made our way to several breathtaking waterfalls-partially because when the water is that cold, it really does take your breath away!

No filter needed.

These boots were made for wading!

Success!

In the jungle, we grabbed handfuls from a fallen nut the size of a beach ball and rubbed it over our legs and arms as natural mosquito repellent. I chewed on a fat stack of leaves with analgesic properties until my tongue was numb. We even rubbed clay from the stream on our faces to clear our pores!

Walking tree.

Let your mosquito net down and stay a while.

I was amazed by how lush the jungle really is. It sounds silly, but when you have the opportunity to look out at a vast portion of the jungle, the whole flat expanse of green is just overwhelming.

The jungle soundtrack would complete this scene.

Reflecting on an afternoon well spent.

Putting my feet up...

Once back in Baños, I did a couple more hikes with views of the city and visited the infamous swing over the edge of the world at La Casa de Arboles to round out my time here.

Not safe to drink but very nice to walk to!

Lovely little hike for a view of the city.

Sweatin' it out.

Don't worry, this is why I have travelers' insurance!

Next stop: Quito!