It took me a more than a day to go from Quito, Ecuador to Puerto Montt, Chile. I left sunny Ecuador at six in the evening and later changed planes in Lima, Peru. Why am I not staying to see Machu Picchu? Believe me, many have asked and I really don’t have a good answer except I just decided not to now. I am trying to not cram in too many places on this trip and very high on my list was the Galapagos and also Patagonia. So I’ve decided to skip Peru this go around, but don’t worry—if you know me at all, you know this is not my last trip—not even close.

So, where was I? Oh yeah, jammed into a seat on an Airbus 320 heading to Santiago, Chile. I arrived in Chile at three in the morning the next day. My flight down to Puerto Montt and the Patagonia region wasn’t until seven thirty in the morning. So…after clearing immigration (where you have to pay a $100 reciprocation fee to enter country—we pay this because the U.S. makes Chileans fork over the same amount when entering our nation) and customs I looked for a place to crash. The airport was modern, clean, and mostly quiet except for night workers who scurried about mopping floors and doing overnight type things like construction work. I found a group of folks dozing in one area near the domestic flight check-in counters. I joined them and laid down across four attached red metal chairs and used my back pack as a pillow. I covered my eyes with the sleeve of my fleece jacket and tried to sleep. Not easy for me—a very light sleeper who has the very bad habit of having the need to sleep on her stomach. That’s just not possible in hard metal airport chairs. In between folks getting drinks from a soda machine nearby, and a few errant overhead announcements, I dozed for an hour or two and finally sat up around six-o’clock in the morning to collect my boarding pass and proceed through security towards my gate.

Now, normally sleeping in metal chairs would not be high on my list of fun nights out, but in the world of budget travel, I do feel like your priorities and standards change a bit. Don’t misunderstand me, I haven’t become a ‘real’ backpacker–sleeping on dusty floors and not showering until I can actually smell myself (or getting so used to my own stench that I don’t smell myself anymore). I definitely still set my standards at clean sheets and towels and of course a safe and clean place to sleep. And I was not looking forward to this sleepless night in an airport, but it wasn’t a surprise to me so I just took it in stride—well, ‘zombie-like’ stride. In life, we so often get caught up in minor inconveniences and make them major mostly due to our own overreaction to them. I’ve found that in the world of budget travel when you don’t expect too much, you are rarely let down. In fact, quite the opposite—since my expectations may be lower, I am often pleasantly surprised at my accommodations or my food or even a mode of transport getting me from point A to point B. It certainly allows me to appreciate the small things in life and appreciate the big things even more.

Ecuador has the highest population density of any other South American country and an estimated 70% live below the poverty line. This tiny country also has some of the most diverse geography around—there are jungley rainforests, the majestic Andes mountains, and the coastal lowlands and the flora and fauna rich Galapagos Islands. Ecologists call it a ‘megadiversity hot spot’ for it’s more than 20, 000 plant species. In comparison all of North America only has 17,000 plant species. There are also 1500 species of birds and 300 different mammals.

The sad news is Ecuador has one of the highest deforestation rates in Latin America. High up in the Andes, poor villagers have burnt large tracts of forest for farming and ranching. Over 90% of the tropical forests between the Andes and the coast have been cleared for banana plantations and other farms.

Endangered species in the Galápagos Islands include the dark-rumped petrel, black petrel, African ass, two species of turtle (green sea and hawksbill), and the Galápagos giant tortoise and 11 of its subspecies. A subspecies of Galápagos giant tortoise is extinct, and another may be.

Also sad is the fact that man brought many non-native plants and animals to the Galapagos and these now all have had adverse effects on the indigenous flora and fauna. And now thousands of pigs, goats, and other animals are being eradicated to save the ones that were there in the first place. Kind of sad how humans messed it originally and now they have to pick the one animal species that is more important than another. Countless pig carcasses are just left to rot (instead of feeding the hungry) as there are no roads to be able to cart them off and the construction of roads would in turn harm the fragile landscape…

Ecuador’s natural attractions could lead to increased tourism, benefiting the economy. However, environmental problems, including further endangerment of native plants and animals, could be exacerbated without careful management of the areas attractive to tourists. Just something to think about…

Today I hiked higher than I ever have in my life. I went on a day trip (I was gone for 14 hours so I think they should actually call it a day and a half trip) to Cotopaxi, which is often considered the world’s highest active volcano—at 19,400 feet. To get there we boarded a small rickety tourist train in which the best seats were actually on the roof. We climbed atop this one-car machine, sat on wood planks attached to the roof, and literally drove down the tracks—it was an old converted bus! The air was crisp and the sky was clear as we headed into the green valley with towering snow-peaked Cotopaxi in the distance.

We arrived near the base of the volcano, drove up a rocky, steep road and then did a one hour hike up switchback paths of steep lava-rock terrain that turned to mist and snow. It was freezing and the altitude (we hiked to about 16,000 feet) was pretty tough for me considering I had just arrived a day earlier from sea level in the Galapagos Islands–probably not the smartest move on my part. So, I was huffing and puffing like an old wheezy smoker up the side of this crazy volcano and it dawned on me: why does anyone think climbing mountains is fun? I certainly discovered that I’d much rather view the beautiful mountain from its base. I would just about say I was miserable with frozen toes and fingers and the only thing that kept me going was knowing we were climbing to a refuge where we would eat lunch. The fact that I hadn’t eaten anything all day wasn’t helping my fragile state either.

We reached the refuge where other climbers crash awaiting their 1AM (yes AM!) departure for the summit. Here we scarfed down a lunch of guacamole, turkey, chips, cheese, tuna, and Oreos. Real healthy sustenance.

Afterwards our guide led us over to a glacier. It was a huge hunk of craggy ice clinging to the side of the mountain. It was impressive, but I was ready to descend into a more breathable air range. We made our decent down a much steeper path of crushed soft lava rock on which we practically jogged down. From the bottom of the trail we thawed a bit and then jumped on some over-used mountain bikes and careened down the bumpy, pot-holey mountain dirt road to the bottom. This was my favorite part except for the crap bikes they had—my brakes were so hard to press and my hands were so frozen that I thought my right hand would forever be stuck in a ‘claw’ grip. Luckily at the base, my hands and toes thawed and the clouds cleared so we could catch a two-minute glimpse of the Cotopaxi peak at sunset. It was stunning—pink and orange clouds slowly cleared away to reveal her snowy peak. Who needs to be at the top where all you see is clouds and fog—seems like the bottom is the place to be! Not a bad ending to a somewhat miserable yet adventurous day–if you don’t count the bumpy two hour bus ride back to Quito.

Hey all! First I want to thank everyone for their great feedback, comments, well-wishes, and love! My trip has been great so far and complimenting it nicely is the connection I have with all of you back “home.”

I have started to contact travel mags, local newpapers, local websites, and the like, in hopes of getting some of my articles/essays/blogs published. I would eventually LOVE to put a book together of my blog and get it published. If anyone out there has any contacts, friends, confidants, neighbors, paperboys that are somehow in the publishing industry (magazines or books) I would be forever grateful to be connected to them. I would love to publicize this site and get a buzz going. All suggestions/contacts welcome! Muchas gracias mi amigos!

LL

I’m a bit nauseous so I’m not sure how this will come out (pun intended). I’m on a yacht cruising through the Pacific waters to our next island here in the Galapagos. The “Estrella del Mar” (star of the sea) sleeps 16 passengers plus a crew of about 7. The boat is much nicer than I imagined—ultra shiny wood floors throughout, a lounge with white leather couches, and a lovely dining room. The rooms are small, but have comfy beds. The three course meals are amazing, plus everyday after returning from an excursion we are greeted by tuxedo-clad Herman, the waiter and all around manager of the boat, with plates of snacks like pizza or chicken wings. I just don’t think I will be met with food and tasty snacks again on my trip.

I am on a tour which is just one of many Galapagos Islands Tours offered here. On our sea vessel it’s another stew of folks from all over the globe: a cute young couple from Ireland, some loud overbearing Poles from Canada, two older lesbian lovers from France, and others from the Canary Islands of Spain, Japan, Brazil, England, Switzerland, and me, the sole Americano. Uh-oh, I feel another reality show coming on. It’s Survivor: Galapagos Islands. Who will be voted off next and forced to swim ashore?

After about four days (halfway through the tour I’d bought) I was just about getting used to the rocking sensation of the ocean. When the first group of folks left and the second arrived, I was happy to see a few more young people come aboard. On the other hand, part of me was a bit tired of making small talk with strangers. There’s the typical traveler chat: where we’ve been, where we’re going, how many months we were traveling, what to see, where to go, etc. But then also at the same time, I also started really relaxing, and getting to know the crew. They were a bunch of nice Ecuadorian guys some of whom love to hit on the solo chica traveler.

Pancho was the oldest. He was the chef, a musician, and all around bon vivant. He marveled us with meal after meal of fabulous gourmet fare—beautiful homemade soups, vegetable and meat dishes. My first day on board, I sat right down to a bowl of steaming chicken and rice soup. I slurped up the last drop thinking that was lunch. But, no, it was just the first course. Next came a plate of succulent chicken topped with a savory mushroom sauce, tasty green beans, and a small salad. And after, came a plate of fresh island fruits. And this was just lunch! Dinner was another three-course affair with dishes every night like filet mignon, calamari in a light tomato sauce, stuffed pepper with meat, vegetables, and eggplant cakes. It was all so good. My diet plan of losing weight on this trip was suddenly going by the ‘weigh’ side! The food was way more than I expected. Chef Pancho was a tiny wrinkled man. He spoke no English, but was perhaps the funniest of all the crew—doing little dance jigs here and there and taking bows on cue—a real character—just adorable.

Herman was the all around boat manager, bartender, chamber maid, and waiter. He was tiny and cute and they called him “Nato” which means little nose, which of course, he did not have. He was cute and friendly and always quick to joke when we asked what he was serving that it was ‘filet of pinguino’ or ‘turtle soup!’

The captain, Efran, was guess what? also a small, leathery faced older guy. He was perhaps around forty-five, but looked older due to the constant exposure to the equatorial sun. He let me steer the ship one day which was quite fun. He also led me snorkeling one day and would grab my hand to point out cool sea life. But the problem was he didn’t ever let go. Hmmm. Do I pull it away forcefully and possibly offend the captain of the ship? This made me slightly uncomfortable, but others said he’d done the same with them—of course they were all women, though. But things did get a bit strange one night when I was lying in a lounge chair on the top deck taking in the fresh air so as to not get seasick. He came up and laid next to me and helped me practice my Spanish. But, whereas I was lying on my back gazing at the stars above, he was curled on his side gazing onto my face—more uncomfortable! Eventually I actually fell asleep only to awake to him draping me with a blanket. Finally, he fell asleep and I crept off to my cabin. The next day I casually avoided him and he began to give me the cold shoulder. Apparently he was hurt because the next evening I went ashore into town with another couple from the boat and Javier, our tour guide.

Javier was the ‘naturalista’ guide. The boats all come with different guides of varying degrees of knowledge. I chose this boat, which cost a little (a lot) more because Javier was a “Naturalista III’, which meant he had a biology degree (in his case studied biology for 2 years) and spoke very good English. He was the biggest crew member—about six foot four, with a big build, big round face, and even bigger smile. Every evening he gave us a briefing of the next days activities. The way he over-pronunciated his English made me chuckle.

“Tomorrow we go on a rrrocky trail.” The way he said ‘rocky’ reminded me of Ed Sullivan and how he sounded like he spoke with a mouth full of marbles: “Right here on our stage…”
After each briefing, he would wrap up with “any comment? any question?” and then rang the dinner bell. I became sort of his assistant and he’d flirt with me off and on. It was harmless fun.

One day after an excursion on one of the islands, the crew took a break to play some fútbol (soccer) on a small dirt field just behind the beach. Javier kept bugging me to play. I really wasn’t going to as I’d never even played before (well maybe a few times way back in high school gym class), let alone even knew the rules of the game. Eventually, I and another girl, Sinead, who played on a team in Ireland, couldn’t resist their urging and joined it. It was so much fun! We were only playing on half the field and I realized I was running around a lot more than most of them. Amazingly, I somehow managed to score 3 goals, more than anyone on my team. They all thought I lied about my little soccer experience, but I think maybe the fact that I was playing in my bikini top was a strategic move on my part.

But really the show here was the animals. It was truly amazing. Most of the animals here are indigenous and found nowhere else in the world.  AND there are no predators here so none of the animals are afraid of us (although, looking at our motley bunch, they should be). We stroll by one hundred-year-old tortoises, swim up to sharks and penguins, and even snap photos mere inches from sea lions basking in the sun.

This barren, volcanic group of islands lies directly on the equator about 1000 kilometers west of Ecuador. It was discovered by Peruvian Spaniards around the 1500s, but really hit the spotlight thanks to Charles Darwin. He visited the islands for three weeks in 1853 and what he discovered here eventually led him to write his theory of evolution. There are 13 major islands and many small ones and the whole lot of them is a national park so you must pay $100 cash dinero just to get on. By the way, just a little trivia for ya: The national currency of Ecuador is the US Dollar. That’s right—our greenbacks, with our presidents on them is the official dinero in these parts.

Every day on our 8 day cruise was another adventure. Javier would lead us around a different rocky volcanic island. Most islands are off limits to visitors unless you are escorted by a guide. Most of the islands very dry. It’s almost like a moonscape, but here life abounds. We see hundreds of marine iguanas and lava lizards lying next to crabs and barking sea lions. We also got to snorkel nearly each day which I loved. We swam around rocky outcroppings and the waters teemed with beautiful colored schools of fish, star fish, blowfish, stingrays, and even a few white-tipped sharks.

The final evening was capped off with a song and dance by Pancho (as he ‘played’ the cheese grater!) and a wonderful buffet dinner. I was sad to leave my new friends and home at sea.

Back in Quito—I missed my life of sun and leisure in the Galapagos Islands. I went from amazing three course meals of fresh seafood, meats, and fruits to a dinner of Ritz crackers and Oreos. Nothing was open due to a holiday here and I was stuck raiding the snacks in the hotel lobby. Back to the reality of a budget traveler, I guess.