Hola from Ecuador!

It has been near impossible to get on the internet here because we´ve been running around like crazy! So here´s the run down (blog is poorly written, not very funny, but is very informative!):

Day 1: Eden and I get screwed by American Airlines and are sent off to catch a flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador via Continental. Thank goodness neither of us checked bags because I would probably still be on the same pair of underwear right now had we done so. We arrive in Guayaquil finally around 1:30am. Mike and Bill (see Eden´s blog for description of who they are) are already there. Carlos, one of Mike´s host family´s friends is there at the airport to pick us up. Good thing too because Guayaquil is one scary looking city. First thing that happens after leaving the airport: Eden takes a fall. Good sign of things to come, eh? We spend the night in Mike´s host family (the Crespos) pied-a-terre in Guayaquil.

Day 2: No stay at all in Guayaquil. We immediately head to the very lovely city of Cuenca by bus. Everything is fine except a quarter of the way there, the freaking ass bus breaks down in the middle of the Andes. Mike has the genius idea of switching buses as another passing bus collects a few of the stranded passengers. Unfortunately, no speaka Spanish and thus, we did not realize until it was already too late that the bus was standing room only.



How much longer to Cuenca, Mike? Oh, an hour.

We end up standing for freaking over 3 hours as buses are sooooo slow. We all scowl at Mike the entire ride.

When we arrive in Cuenca, the first thing I see coming off the bus are the two hottest women in the bus terminal (and frankly, in Ecuador so far). Everyone is staring at them as they walk past and of course I just assume they´re there for someone else. The next thing we know, they´re approaching me and asking if I am Mike´s friend (Mike is still collecting his bags). Holy crap.

When Mike told Eden about the host family we would be staying with, he failed to mention that they are elite Ecuadorian society (an ex-president is in the immediate family). They proceed to chauffeur us all around the city and be exceedingly hospitable. We go out to eat (yum, ceviche! Huge plate with beer for $4!!!!!) which is also the first time we have eaten in about 40 hours. I suppose aside from the diet of parasites and diarrhea, there is also just plain ol´ starvation.

That very night, Maria Belen (the older daughter) insists that Eden, Mike, and I join them at the disco, which incidentally, Maria Belen´s cousin owns. The place is packed and although neither Eden nor I were in any mood to drink, one tequila shot led to another to 10 or 20 more. We lost count. Oh, and did I fail to mention that the only clothes Eden and I packed were hiking clothes? Thus, picture us in the super cool disco, dressed in weather-proof pants, fleeces, and cross trainers. Very uncool. The girls kept looking me up and down in the bathrooms like, wtf, mate? Anyhoo, despite my horrible attire, I did get asked to dance on quite a few occasions. Men in Cuenca are pretty damn hot. Hoohoo, still got it.



We go home in the back of Maria Belen´s boyfriend´s truck, rolling around like drunken fools. Pass out. The end. (In photo, me, Eden, Maria Belen, her bf Daniel)

Day 3: wake up early and get chauffeured to take a bus ride around the city of Cuenca. It is a beautiful, old city with lovely architecture.



That afternoon, Maria Gusta (Maria Belen´s mother) tells us her father invited the lot of us up to the ranch in the mountains where we will eat guinea pig.



Yes, your childhood pet is my food. Being an adventurous eater, I am quite eager to try the guinea pig (cui in Spanish).

We drive up to the ranch which is an active dairy farm complete with a ton of dairy cows imported from good ol´Wisconsin (they must be happy here). The farm is 90 hectars and the scenery is absolutely stunning--up high in the beautiful Ecuadorian Andes. It seems like Maria Gusta´s entire family is there and ready to partake in CUI!!! YUM! Oh, and also, the entire family is stunning! Everyone is seriously GORGEOUS!




View of the farm and surrounding landscape.


The farm help prepping the cui.


Roasting on an open fire.

Verdict on the guinea pig: Too much work for such little meat! Haha. Basically, the skin is what is sought after--as well as the claws. It tasted pretty much like chicken, but more tender and delicious. I wonder how many people buy guinea pigs from the pet stores up in the states only to breed them and eat them? Hmmm... I will probably be eating this again as it is quite popular in the Peruvian Andes and Bolivia. Eden, on the other hand, would sooner die.

At the dinner, we also meet another American. Maria Belen´s cousin´s boyfriend whom she met while at an Ecuadorian surfing town. He is a typical blond California surfer dude with slow, halting speech. However, he is also equipped with a dual math and physics degree from UCLA. He is also class of 2005 so I wonder if I can facebook him. Anyway, the kid is seriously cool if flaky. He has been traveling in Ecuador for 2 months and already, his Spanish is near fluent. In fact, I assumed he was Ecuadorian upon first meeting him. He tells us tales of his learning to hang glide (and nearly die) with an old man on an antique hang glider in a tiny town in Ecuador. He tells us of a mayor inviting him to dinner which turned out to be a little more than dinner (or attempted, at least). He tells us also of working in an Ecuadorian restaurant for $5 a day just for the hell of it. Seriously, cool kid. Hope to meet him again some day.

We return home to Cuenca and sleep. I do not sleep well as I am already homesick (wtf???) and the tequila from the night prior was still not sitting well with me.

Day 4: Early risers. The incredibly hospitable Crespo family take us to pick up some supplies at the local mall where everything from the states is freaking expensive. I end up spending $15 on a small bottle of sunscreen while Eden, who had lost an entire bag earlier in the trip, had to pick up well over $100 worth of crap. $74 for a freaking memory card! Food here is cheap, but as expected, the imported goods are muchos pricey. Maria Belen and her boyfriend then take us up to the Cajas--one of the national parks in Ecuador--in the afternoon. It is about 2,500meters above sea level and freakin´cold. Unfortunately, the weather wasn´t so great but lunch was. The ¨lagoons¨up there (basically lakes) are filled with trout (trucha) and the locals make one hell of a good trout fillet. Lunch at a fancy schmancy place with appetizer, fish, and desert was only $10 per person. Totally made up for my $15 sunscreen.


Up in the Cajas, we see some llamas (alpacas? whats the diff? is there one?)


We also hike around this beautiful lagoon.



Weather wasn´t so great, but you can see that this place is just amazing. I love the Andes!

So let me tell ya, it is EFFIN HARD HIKING UP IN THE HIGH ALTITUDES! Literally, you are winded going up hill after about 5 steps. I recently hiked in Phoenix and while I wasn´t an all-star, I certainly wasn´t passing out with my heart beating through my chest. Holy craps... I wonder how soon we´ll get accustomed to this elevation and how we´ll do when we hike the Inca Trail and Colca Canyon in Peru. Dear God... save me!

We return home from the Cajas all muddied up and have some hot cocoa and sandwiches courtesy of Maria Gusta. And now we´re in the internet cafe taking forever to type an entry because a lot of shit has gone down, yo!

Again, I apologize for my lame, boring writing style but it´s just too hard trying to be witty when you´re typing this much (although you should read Eden´s blog bc she is a fantastic comedic writer and I´m sure her blog that she´s currently typing next to me will be hilarious).

All right... and onwards to Lima on Tuesday!

I obv have many more photos to share but it takes for freaking ever to upload them so yòu´ll just have to wait til I´m stateside!