Well, there really isn't much to do in Lima. Actually, that's not true. There are things to do, but everything is so spread out that it makes it difficult to truly go out and see things. Combine that with the fact that Ramsey and I are beginning to lack both energy and money, and you've got yourself two young women who are far different from their former selves. In the past, we walked and explored until we were so exhausted at night. In Lima, we stroll around and take our time. It's actually been pretty nice. Instead of providing a daily play-by-play, I'll just list some of the highlights from our time here in Lima. Here they are, in no particular order...
Plaza de Armas in Lima Centro -- This Plaza de Armas is pretty similar to the one in Cusco, but it's much larger. The day we saw it, there was an enormous mass taking place outside the cathedral and within the plaza in honor of Corpus Christi. It was quite a spectacle. There were thousands of people, and music was playing over larger speakers.
Museo del Convento de San Francisco de Asis de Lima -- Really amazing yellow colonial-era church. Its outside is home to hundreds of pigeons. The inside, like many churches we've seen, is beautiful. The main draw for many people, though, is the catacombs, where nearly 10,000 people are buried. While on a tour, one will see piles and piles of bones. A little creepy but pretty cool.
Parque del Amour -- A small park with a huge statue of a couple in a passionate kiss and embrace. All of the seating is covered in quotes about love and the names of famous couples, such as Don Quixote and Dulcinea. In the general vicinity, there are plenty of couples imitating the statue. We actually walked through there twice, and the first time, there were three married couples posing for pictures. It's a cheesy place, but since it's right by the ocean, it is very beautiful.
Larco Mar -- A mall overlooking the ocean. I mention it to give an idea of how different Lima is from everywhere else we've visited. It's far more commercialized, especially here in Miraflores. This mall has a ton of different stores, as well as a food court, making it similar to the malls in the US. What's different, though, is the fact that it's roofless and next to the ocean.
Random Chinese restaurant -- We had heard that Chinese was a good choice here in Lima, but we didn't realize just how great it really is. We found this one place next to Parque Kennedy that offers lunch for ten nuevo soles (around four bucks). We'd get a big bowl of soup, plus a meal. By the time our meal came, we'd already be full, so then the rest of our food was perfect for dinner. It was such a great money saver, so we ended up eating there three times! One of the best things was Lomo Saltado, a beef stir-fry dish that's a specialty here in Lima.
Churros -- I will never reveal how many we've eaten while we've been here, but it's enough to make up for that ten-mile hike up Machu Picchu we did last week. Normally they're filled with dulce de leche, which is amazing, but today we found some with chocolate dough and chocolate filling. Either kind is fine with me. They're crispy, greasy, sweet, and delicious!
Inca Kola -- We've seen it a lot on our trip, but we finally tried it here. It tastes like Big Red. The fact that it's yellow, rather than red, makes it somehow more appealing for me, but I'm still not totally a fan.
Ceviche -- This we tried in Ecuador, but Peru's version is much different. In Ecuador, it was a lukewarm tomato soup with shrimp, onions, and cilantro. Here, it's a plate of raw fish and onions covered in lemon juice. If you have issues with sushi, you definitely would not like this version of ceviche. I thought it was delicious, though!
Barranco -- We visited this neighborhood twice. It's very trendy, with a lot of funky little restaurants and cafes. There's not much to do, but it's a pretty place to visit.
I don't think I've left out any really big highlights. Like I said, there really isn't much to do here in Lima, so it's been very low-key. If there's one thing I would change about Lima, it would be the weather. It's been overcast the entire time we've been here, and today it rained for a while. Yesterday we at least saw the sky for a brief moment. Overall, though, Lima has provided a nice chance for us to relax a bit before coming home. Speaking of coming home, we fly out tomorrow! We've both had an amazing time on our adventure, but we're also both very excited to see our husbands and families. It will be nice to be home. Unfortunately, it's not exactly a quick trip back. In all, we will be traveling for twenty-two hours, which includes about seven hours of layover time. Oh well, at least we'll be on our way home! I am very much looking forward to seeing and talking to everyone I know and love!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Coffee, Chocolate, and Machu Picchu
First of all, wow, I'm incredibly sore. It's been two days since Machu Picchu, and I'm still not quite fully recovered. It was definitely worth it, though.
To start from the beginning, last Saturday, Ramsey and I were picked up at our hostel in Cusco by our German guide, Nora. Her mom happened to be visiting, so she was actually part of our group, too. The four of us rode a bus for about four hours through the Andes, which sort of fun at first...like riding on a rollercoaster. That fun feeling got old pretty quickly, though. After about two hours of it, I finally was able to fall asleep, which was impressive, considering the way our driver was driving. A little after noon, we arrived at Jose and Julia's farm, which is basically in the middle of nowhere. It's near a small town called Huayopata. Jose and Julie live with their two sons and a niece and nephew. Everyone was very sweet and welcoming. When we first arrived, we had lunch, and then Jose took us on a little tour of their farmland. I'm used to corn and soybeans when it comes to farmland, and this was much different. They basically had a jungle in their backyard. There were a number of fruit trees (banana, passion fruit, manderine, and more), leaves used for teas, and most importantly, coffee beans. We got to pick some coffee beans ourselves, and then Jose encouraged us to open them and taste them. The beans themselves are covered in this slimy stuff that's surprisingly sweet and delicious. We had to suck on them, though, because biting them leads to a very bitter flavor. Next, Jose showed us the cooperative, which is where they bring all of their coffee beans after they're done harvesting them. We got to see the entire process of fermenting and drying out the beans. What's upsetting, though, is the fact that there are good beans and bad beans. The good ones get sent to other countries, like the United States, and the bad ones are what the locals drink. You would hope that these people would get to enjoy the benefits of their labor, but that's not the case. Thankfully Jose and his family take advantage of their good beans, though, and save some for themselves to drink. Even the children grow up drinking coffee. Once done at the cooperative, we got to drink some coffee, and it was amazing. Seriously, it was the best and freshest (clearly!) cup of coffee I've ever tasted. That night, we went to a town party/concert with Nora, her mom, Jose, and Julia. It was fun, but we were disappointed that no one was dancing.
The next day, we had breakfast with the family and then said goodbye to everyone. They were all so warm and welcoming, and both of us agreed that we would have liked to have had more time with them. It was also nice because they had a sweet dog, Chiquita. We both miss our dogs so much, so it was nice to play with a sweet little puppy. Also, there are so many strays in both Ecuador and Peru, so it was nice seeing a dog get love and attention. After leaving, we took a taxi to another farm. To be honest, this family was so extended that I'm not quite clear on the relationships between everyone. There were at least six children there and about the same number of adults. This old man showed us their farm. It was very similar to Jose and Julia's, but they had cacao fruit instead of the coffee beans. We got to open and taste the fruit there, too. It was similar to the coffee beans, but it was even sweeter. We then got to see and be a part of the process of roasting, husking, and grinding the fruit. Once it was roasted, it already smelled like the chocolate I know and love. At the end, a woman made us some fresh hot chocolate, which was delicious!
After visiting the cacao farm, our taxi dropped off Nora and her mom, since they were going to do a longer hike together. We were a little nervous about this since the tour company hadn't told us about this ahead of time. It was fine, though. We road to a train station called Hydroelectrica where we met up with our new guide, a Peruvian named Omar. We had the choice of either walking on the train tracks or taking a train, but we had chosen to walk. It was a little over six miles, but it was so beautiful. I kept looking up at the mountains, thinking about how amazingly close we were to Machu Picchu. We eventually arrived in Aguas Calientes, which is the town at the base of Machu Picchu, and we settled into our hostel. We decided to head to bed early that night since we had to wake up early the next morning, but our attempts to get sleep turned out to be fruitless. We were woken up at about 10:30 by what sounded like a marching band right outside our hostel. It was so loud that our room was vibrating! It turned out to be a little five-man band, but the sounds were echoing in the narrow streets. It was not enjoyable. They eventually left, and we were able to go back to sleep.
The next morning (well, basically it was still night) we woke up at four. When visiting Machu Picchu, one has the option of climbing to Huayna Picchu, as well. It's that peak that can be seen right behind the ruins in all of the famous pictures of Machu Picchu. Only 400 people are allowed on Huayna Picchu each day, though, so that's why we were up so early. We got in line at the base of the mountain with our passports and tickets, ready for our trek. There was a big line, but we were pretty confident that we would be in the first 200 and therefore have first dibs on the time to visit Huayna Picchu (they only allow people at seven in the morning or at ten in the morning). At about 4:50, we were all allowed to enter, and this hike led to one of the most surreal things I've ever experienced. It was so dark, but some people had flashlights. The stairs on the trail simply zigzag up the mountain, so I was left to just keep doing the same thing over and over and over again. Each time I came around the corner, I would just see more figures walking and the bobbing lights from flashlights. With each corner, I kept hoping the hike was over, but it just seemed to go on forever. I was out of breath pretty early on, and I had to stop once for water. I kept up with Ramsey for a while, but she's naturally very competitive (and far more athletic than me), so we ended up getting to the top at different times. A little before six, I made it to the top. It wasn't until after I was at the top that I was reminded that the hike was about five miles! I'm actually thankful that I hadn't realized that because I probably just would have focused on that the entire time. By the time we were at the top, the sky was much lighter and everyone was celebrating the fact that they had completed this trek! Ramsey and I were both in the first group of 200 people, so we chose to visit Huayna Picchu at seven rather than ten. It's funny because your reward for getting to the top so quickly is to get to hike another five miles since that's how far it is to go up and then back down Huayna Picchu. Anyway, once we made it through the gates, we got to see Machu Picchu in all its glory, and it was stunning! It's just as amazing as the pictures, but it was so wonderful to actually be there! There are so many things that don't make it to the post cards. It was incredible to just soak it all in. Hiking up Huayna Picchu, while further exhausting, was incredibly gratifying. It's definitely a workout, and it's often quite terrifying. Once at the top, you're basically just on a bunch of rocks. Omar informed us that if you were to fall off the rocks, there's a 100% chance that you will die. Yikes. After all that climbing, we explored the ruins in detail, and it helped that Omar was so knowledgeable about everything. We were both pretty tired and dehydrated, though, so we were thankful to ride the bus back down once we were finished. In all, Machu Picchu was as amazing as I'd hoped it would be. There are some places that don't quite live up to the hype (I'm looking at you, Stonehenge), but Machu Picchu was simply breathtaking.
After completely exhausting ourselves (walking six miles the day before and then at least eleven miles that day), we ate some lunch and then rode a train to Ollantaytambo. From there, we rode a bus to Cusco, and by that time, we were very, very tired. We still had to check into our hostel, though, and then go find dinner. Cusco was still having celebrations leading up to Inti Raymi, and that night there were fireworks. They were beautiful against the old buildings, but we were so hungry and exhausted that we just wanted to get to a restaurant. Everyone was walking toward the fireworks except us. After eating, we got to our hostel and went straight to bed. To be honest, I don't really remember much of that evening because I was sooo tired.
The next morning, yesterday, we woke up and flew to Lima, which is where we are now. Unfortunately I woke up feeling really sick, and I was afraid I'd caught a bug. I was miserable in the airport and on the plane, but the flight attendents assured me that I would feel better as soon as we landed and that it was probably altitude sickness. Ramsey and I hadn't considered this since we've been in high altitudes for so long, but the flight attendents were right! I felt like a completely different person when we landed. I guess just going up and down so many mountains over the course of a week took its toll on me. I'm still feeling a little weak and don't have much of an appetite, but I'm thankful to be feeling as good as I am. Now Ramsey and I are in Lima, which is the last leg of our tour! We were nervous about Lima when we spent the night here on our way to Cusco, but I think it's actually perfect for what we need right now. We've been go-go-go this whole time, and Lima gives us a chance to take our time and not hurry. There's not a lot to see or do here, so we don't have to feel like we're missing out on anything. Yesterday we visited a pretty neighborhood called Barranco with our new friend Franz and then we ate dinner at a Turkish restaurant. Today has been very low-key, which is nice as I recover. Now we're left to enjoy our time while counting down to when we return home--one week from today!
To start from the beginning, last Saturday, Ramsey and I were picked up at our hostel in Cusco by our German guide, Nora. Her mom happened to be visiting, so she was actually part of our group, too. The four of us rode a bus for about four hours through the Andes, which sort of fun at first...like riding on a rollercoaster. That fun feeling got old pretty quickly, though. After about two hours of it, I finally was able to fall asleep, which was impressive, considering the way our driver was driving. A little after noon, we arrived at Jose and Julia's farm, which is basically in the middle of nowhere. It's near a small town called Huayopata. Jose and Julie live with their two sons and a niece and nephew. Everyone was very sweet and welcoming. When we first arrived, we had lunch, and then Jose took us on a little tour of their farmland. I'm used to corn and soybeans when it comes to farmland, and this was much different. They basically had a jungle in their backyard. There were a number of fruit trees (banana, passion fruit, manderine, and more), leaves used for teas, and most importantly, coffee beans. We got to pick some coffee beans ourselves, and then Jose encouraged us to open them and taste them. The beans themselves are covered in this slimy stuff that's surprisingly sweet and delicious. We had to suck on them, though, because biting them leads to a very bitter flavor. Next, Jose showed us the cooperative, which is where they bring all of their coffee beans after they're done harvesting them. We got to see the entire process of fermenting and drying out the beans. What's upsetting, though, is the fact that there are good beans and bad beans. The good ones get sent to other countries, like the United States, and the bad ones are what the locals drink. You would hope that these people would get to enjoy the benefits of their labor, but that's not the case. Thankfully Jose and his family take advantage of their good beans, though, and save some for themselves to drink. Even the children grow up drinking coffee. Once done at the cooperative, we got to drink some coffee, and it was amazing. Seriously, it was the best and freshest (clearly!) cup of coffee I've ever tasted. That night, we went to a town party/concert with Nora, her mom, Jose, and Julia. It was fun, but we were disappointed that no one was dancing.
The next day, we had breakfast with the family and then said goodbye to everyone. They were all so warm and welcoming, and both of us agreed that we would have liked to have had more time with them. It was also nice because they had a sweet dog, Chiquita. We both miss our dogs so much, so it was nice to play with a sweet little puppy. Also, there are so many strays in both Ecuador and Peru, so it was nice seeing a dog get love and attention. After leaving, we took a taxi to another farm. To be honest, this family was so extended that I'm not quite clear on the relationships between everyone. There were at least six children there and about the same number of adults. This old man showed us their farm. It was very similar to Jose and Julia's, but they had cacao fruit instead of the coffee beans. We got to open and taste the fruit there, too. It was similar to the coffee beans, but it was even sweeter. We then got to see and be a part of the process of roasting, husking, and grinding the fruit. Once it was roasted, it already smelled like the chocolate I know and love. At the end, a woman made us some fresh hot chocolate, which was delicious!
After visiting the cacao farm, our taxi dropped off Nora and her mom, since they were going to do a longer hike together. We were a little nervous about this since the tour company hadn't told us about this ahead of time. It was fine, though. We road to a train station called Hydroelectrica where we met up with our new guide, a Peruvian named Omar. We had the choice of either walking on the train tracks or taking a train, but we had chosen to walk. It was a little over six miles, but it was so beautiful. I kept looking up at the mountains, thinking about how amazingly close we were to Machu Picchu. We eventually arrived in Aguas Calientes, which is the town at the base of Machu Picchu, and we settled into our hostel. We decided to head to bed early that night since we had to wake up early the next morning, but our attempts to get sleep turned out to be fruitless. We were woken up at about 10:30 by what sounded like a marching band right outside our hostel. It was so loud that our room was vibrating! It turned out to be a little five-man band, but the sounds were echoing in the narrow streets. It was not enjoyable. They eventually left, and we were able to go back to sleep.
The next morning (well, basically it was still night) we woke up at four. When visiting Machu Picchu, one has the option of climbing to Huayna Picchu, as well. It's that peak that can be seen right behind the ruins in all of the famous pictures of Machu Picchu. Only 400 people are allowed on Huayna Picchu each day, though, so that's why we were up so early. We got in line at the base of the mountain with our passports and tickets, ready for our trek. There was a big line, but we were pretty confident that we would be in the first 200 and therefore have first dibs on the time to visit Huayna Picchu (they only allow people at seven in the morning or at ten in the morning). At about 4:50, we were all allowed to enter, and this hike led to one of the most surreal things I've ever experienced. It was so dark, but some people had flashlights. The stairs on the trail simply zigzag up the mountain, so I was left to just keep doing the same thing over and over and over again. Each time I came around the corner, I would just see more figures walking and the bobbing lights from flashlights. With each corner, I kept hoping the hike was over, but it just seemed to go on forever. I was out of breath pretty early on, and I had to stop once for water. I kept up with Ramsey for a while, but she's naturally very competitive (and far more athletic than me), so we ended up getting to the top at different times. A little before six, I made it to the top. It wasn't until after I was at the top that I was reminded that the hike was about five miles! I'm actually thankful that I hadn't realized that because I probably just would have focused on that the entire time. By the time we were at the top, the sky was much lighter and everyone was celebrating the fact that they had completed this trek! Ramsey and I were both in the first group of 200 people, so we chose to visit Huayna Picchu at seven rather than ten. It's funny because your reward for getting to the top so quickly is to get to hike another five miles since that's how far it is to go up and then back down Huayna Picchu. Anyway, once we made it through the gates, we got to see Machu Picchu in all its glory, and it was stunning! It's just as amazing as the pictures, but it was so wonderful to actually be there! There are so many things that don't make it to the post cards. It was incredible to just soak it all in. Hiking up Huayna Picchu, while further exhausting, was incredibly gratifying. It's definitely a workout, and it's often quite terrifying. Once at the top, you're basically just on a bunch of rocks. Omar informed us that if you were to fall off the rocks, there's a 100% chance that you will die. Yikes. After all that climbing, we explored the ruins in detail, and it helped that Omar was so knowledgeable about everything. We were both pretty tired and dehydrated, though, so we were thankful to ride the bus back down once we were finished. In all, Machu Picchu was as amazing as I'd hoped it would be. There are some places that don't quite live up to the hype (I'm looking at you, Stonehenge), but Machu Picchu was simply breathtaking.
After completely exhausting ourselves (walking six miles the day before and then at least eleven miles that day), we ate some lunch and then rode a train to Ollantaytambo. From there, we rode a bus to Cusco, and by that time, we were very, very tired. We still had to check into our hostel, though, and then go find dinner. Cusco was still having celebrations leading up to Inti Raymi, and that night there were fireworks. They were beautiful against the old buildings, but we were so hungry and exhausted that we just wanted to get to a restaurant. Everyone was walking toward the fireworks except us. After eating, we got to our hostel and went straight to bed. To be honest, I don't really remember much of that evening because I was sooo tired.
The next morning, yesterday, we woke up and flew to Lima, which is where we are now. Unfortunately I woke up feeling really sick, and I was afraid I'd caught a bug. I was miserable in the airport and on the plane, but the flight attendents assured me that I would feel better as soon as we landed and that it was probably altitude sickness. Ramsey and I hadn't considered this since we've been in high altitudes for so long, but the flight attendents were right! I felt like a completely different person when we landed. I guess just going up and down so many mountains over the course of a week took its toll on me. I'm still feeling a little weak and don't have much of an appetite, but I'm thankful to be feeling as good as I am. Now Ramsey and I are in Lima, which is the last leg of our tour! We were nervous about Lima when we spent the night here on our way to Cusco, but I think it's actually perfect for what we need right now. We've been go-go-go this whole time, and Lima gives us a chance to take our time and not hurry. There's not a lot to see or do here, so we don't have to feel like we're missing out on anything. Yesterday we visited a pretty neighborhood called Barranco with our new friend Franz and then we ate dinner at a Turkish restaurant. Today has been very low-key, which is nice as I recover. Now we're left to enjoy our time while counting down to when we return home--one week from today!
Friday, June 17, 2011
The Navel of the World
Alright, time to play catch-up. I definitely missed Puerto Ayora, especially during our big travel day. It had been so nice to be in such a relaxing environment. Ramsey and I both decided that if we were to change anything about our trip, we would probably end with the Galapagos Islands. It was hard to go from a stressful place to a peaceful place and then right back to a stressful place (especially spending a day in airports right off the bat). Also, it's winter in the southern hemisphere, so we went from a warm, tropical location to...coldness. It's really not so bad, but it was a bit of a shock to our systems when we first arrived in Cusco. We immediately changed from flip flops to sneakers. After some whining about the cold, we had to remind ourselves that we are, in fact, South Dakotans. Thinking about midwestern blizzards has helped us stay pretty warm.
So that first day of travel was pretty miserable. We at least didn't have to wake up too early, so we had time to go for a short jog in the morning. After getting our things together, we took a cab to the airport, took the ferry across again, and then rode the bus to the airport. It was sad doing things in reverse because the island is just so beautiful. To be honest, though, it would have been hard to stay there any longer unless we were going to tour other islands. We saw most of what there was to see on our island. Anyway, we flew back to Quito, waited there for a few hours, and then flew to Lima. Once there, we rode a cab sent by our hostel, and since our hostel is near the airport, we drove through the not-so-great part of town. It made us a little nervous about going there next week, but we'll be staying in the nicer, safer district, Miraflores. Our hostel in Lima was fine. We basically just fell asleep, woke up a few hours later, and then headed right back to the airport.
Our flight to Cusco was only an hour and a half, so that was nice. We were both very sick of planes by that time. Arriving in Cusco was wonderful. Lima was pretty overcast, but Cusco was sunny...although a little chilly, as I mentioned. We got to our hostel, settled in a bit, and then ventured out to explore. Unfortunately, Ramsey caught some sort of bug, so we took it pretty slow that first day. We walked around a lot, and we quickly learned that Cusco is not an easy place in which to maneuver oneself. Cusco was originally built by the Incans in the shape of a puma, which is confusing enough. Then add on growth and development, and it's quite a mess. We got ourselves pretty lost, so, exhausted, we headed back to our hostel for a nap. I slept for a couple of hours, but Ramsey still needed rest, so I checked out the market here on my own. After I got back to the hostel, we both went to this place called Chez Maggy's, which is a pizza place recommended in my guide book. The pizza wasn't amazing, but the atmosphere was great and the sauces served with the pizzas were delicious! Also, our waiter was pretty hilarious.
The next day, we woke up and made it our goal to find the ChocoMuseo. Rather than going on the Inca Trail, we're doing a tour through ChocoMuseo, which involves seeing where cacao beans come from. For an extra fee, we're also visiting Machu Picchu as part of our tour. Anyway, I paid my half as a deposit before we left the US, but Ramsey needed to make her payment. We walked all the way to Avenida Garcilaso only to find that the address didn't fit...there was no ChocoMuseo in sight, and no one knew what we were talking about whenever we asked! We finally learned that there is both an Avenida Garcilaso and a Calle Garcilaso. Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Cusco's map system. Other than that, I really love Cusco. It's a beautiful city with a wonderful mix of Andean and colonial influences.
After getting lost (again), we decided to visit Qoricancha/the Church of Santo Domingo. Qoricancha was built by the Incans in order to honor the sun god, Inti, but then the Spaniards came in, demolished it, and built the church. It was a great place to visit, and it provided wonderful views of the mountains and city. By the way, speaking of Inti, Inti Raymi, a festival celebrating Inti, is on June 24. Because of that, people are celebrating in Cusco all month long...it's been very festive! It's too bad we're missing Inti Raymi, but at least we're getting to see some of the festivities.
Alright, so after Qoricancha, we finally made it to the ChocoMuseo. Ramsey paid most of her fee, and then we enjoyed some coca tea, hot chocolate, and chocolate fondue. Yeah, we skipped lunch after that. Later, we made our way to the Iglesia de La Compañia and the Catedral del Cusco. The first was nice, but the cathedral....wow! It was stunning! Thankfully, the cathedral provided headsets so we had a good understanding of everything inside it. Basically, it's a beautiful meshing of Andean and colonial art and influences, which leads to quite a spectacle. One of the best things was a painting of the last supper with Jesus and the apostles eating cuy...guinea pig. After the churches, we had dinner at a great place called Jack's Cafe, where we ate with a nice couple from Austin.
Today was pretty laid-back. We went back to the ChocoMuseo, so Ramsey could finish making payments (her bank only lets her take out a little at a time). Afterwards, we visited the Santa Catalina Monastery, and then we had the genius idea to go get massages. Seriously, best idea ever. We've been walking so much, and I don't know if it's the elevation here or what, but it finally started to catch up to us. We were both so sore, so we went and got some very good (but very cheap!) massages. Sooo relaxing! After a quick bite to eat, we then visited the Iglesia de San Blas and another monastery. They were nice, but nothing compares to the cathedral here. After some more wandering, we eventually made our way back to Jack's Cafe (it's very delicious!). This time we were seated with sisters from Germany.
Okay, this got long, but I had catching up to do. Now Ramsey and I need to go pack up for our Choco Tour tomorrow! It should be pretty interesting. We'll be staying on a cacao bean plantation the first night and then we'll go on to Aguas Calientes, which is the town closest to Machu Picchu. The next morning we'll head up to Machu Picchu! Later that day, we'll make our way back, sleep, and then go on to Lima! I cannot wait to visit Machu Picchu!
So that first day of travel was pretty miserable. We at least didn't have to wake up too early, so we had time to go for a short jog in the morning. After getting our things together, we took a cab to the airport, took the ferry across again, and then rode the bus to the airport. It was sad doing things in reverse because the island is just so beautiful. To be honest, though, it would have been hard to stay there any longer unless we were going to tour other islands. We saw most of what there was to see on our island. Anyway, we flew back to Quito, waited there for a few hours, and then flew to Lima. Once there, we rode a cab sent by our hostel, and since our hostel is near the airport, we drove through the not-so-great part of town. It made us a little nervous about going there next week, but we'll be staying in the nicer, safer district, Miraflores. Our hostel in Lima was fine. We basically just fell asleep, woke up a few hours later, and then headed right back to the airport.
Our flight to Cusco was only an hour and a half, so that was nice. We were both very sick of planes by that time. Arriving in Cusco was wonderful. Lima was pretty overcast, but Cusco was sunny...although a little chilly, as I mentioned. We got to our hostel, settled in a bit, and then ventured out to explore. Unfortunately, Ramsey caught some sort of bug, so we took it pretty slow that first day. We walked around a lot, and we quickly learned that Cusco is not an easy place in which to maneuver oneself. Cusco was originally built by the Incans in the shape of a puma, which is confusing enough. Then add on growth and development, and it's quite a mess. We got ourselves pretty lost, so, exhausted, we headed back to our hostel for a nap. I slept for a couple of hours, but Ramsey still needed rest, so I checked out the market here on my own. After I got back to the hostel, we both went to this place called Chez Maggy's, which is a pizza place recommended in my guide book. The pizza wasn't amazing, but the atmosphere was great and the sauces served with the pizzas were delicious! Also, our waiter was pretty hilarious.
The next day, we woke up and made it our goal to find the ChocoMuseo. Rather than going on the Inca Trail, we're doing a tour through ChocoMuseo, which involves seeing where cacao beans come from. For an extra fee, we're also visiting Machu Picchu as part of our tour. Anyway, I paid my half as a deposit before we left the US, but Ramsey needed to make her payment. We walked all the way to Avenida Garcilaso only to find that the address didn't fit...there was no ChocoMuseo in sight, and no one knew what we were talking about whenever we asked! We finally learned that there is both an Avenida Garcilaso and a Calle Garcilaso. Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Cusco's map system. Other than that, I really love Cusco. It's a beautiful city with a wonderful mix of Andean and colonial influences.
After getting lost (again), we decided to visit Qoricancha/the Church of Santo Domingo. Qoricancha was built by the Incans in order to honor the sun god, Inti, but then the Spaniards came in, demolished it, and built the church. It was a great place to visit, and it provided wonderful views of the mountains and city. By the way, speaking of Inti, Inti Raymi, a festival celebrating Inti, is on June 24. Because of that, people are celebrating in Cusco all month long...it's been very festive! It's too bad we're missing Inti Raymi, but at least we're getting to see some of the festivities.
Alright, so after Qoricancha, we finally made it to the ChocoMuseo. Ramsey paid most of her fee, and then we enjoyed some coca tea, hot chocolate, and chocolate fondue. Yeah, we skipped lunch after that. Later, we made our way to the Iglesia de La Compañia and the Catedral del Cusco. The first was nice, but the cathedral....wow! It was stunning! Thankfully, the cathedral provided headsets so we had a good understanding of everything inside it. Basically, it's a beautiful meshing of Andean and colonial art and influences, which leads to quite a spectacle. One of the best things was a painting of the last supper with Jesus and the apostles eating cuy...guinea pig. After the churches, we had dinner at a great place called Jack's Cafe, where we ate with a nice couple from Austin.
Today was pretty laid-back. We went back to the ChocoMuseo, so Ramsey could finish making payments (her bank only lets her take out a little at a time). Afterwards, we visited the Santa Catalina Monastery, and then we had the genius idea to go get massages. Seriously, best idea ever. We've been walking so much, and I don't know if it's the elevation here or what, but it finally started to catch up to us. We were both so sore, so we went and got some very good (but very cheap!) massages. Sooo relaxing! After a quick bite to eat, we then visited the Iglesia de San Blas and another monastery. They were nice, but nothing compares to the cathedral here. After some more wandering, we eventually made our way back to Jack's Cafe (it's very delicious!). This time we were seated with sisters from Germany.
Okay, this got long, but I had catching up to do. Now Ramsey and I need to go pack up for our Choco Tour tomorrow! It should be pretty interesting. We'll be staying on a cacao bean plantation the first night and then we'll go on to Aguas Calientes, which is the town closest to Machu Picchu. The next morning we'll head up to Machu Picchu! Later that day, we'll make our way back, sleep, and then go on to Lima! I cannot wait to visit Machu Picchu!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Galapagos
Well, Ramsey and I are in the Galapagos Islands, but our time here is already coming to a close. Arriving here yesterday was pretty seamless. We woke up insanely early, said goodbye to Pily, and made our way to the Quito airport. We had a short stop in Guayaquil, and then we had a nice two and a half hour flight to Isla Baltra in the Galapagos Islands. Once there, we took a bus to the ferry, we rode the ferry to Isla Santa Cruz, and then we rode a bus to Puerto Ayora. Many people have said we're crazy for spending so little time in the Galapagos and in only one place, but from what I've seen and heard, Puerto Ayora has everything one could expect from the islands. There's a lot to see and do, but it was pretty easy for us to fit it into so little time.
When we first got here, we made our way to a hostel that didn't seem great. It was only $25 a night, so we figured it would be fine. There was no AC and no hot water, but we figured it wasn't a big deal. We were just so happy to have found an open room! Then we found some questionable looking bugs in our room, and the incredibly hot room ended up being quite a big deal last night. It is sooo hot and humid here! We checked out this morning, and now for twenty dollars more, we have a room with AC and hot water! Those little luxuries are definitely worth the money.
Yesterday we explored Puerto Ayora and eventually followed a 2.5 kilometer path to Tortuga Bay, which is a beautiful white sand beach. While there, we rented a kayak and found a chunk of mangroves where small, non-hostile sharks like to swim. There were small sharks right next to our kayak! We kayaked all around the area, and when we were done, we swam in the warm waters. We're both pretty sure we saw some sea turtles in there, which makes sense since tortuga means turtle in Spanish! Also, there were a ton of iguanas sunning themselves on the beach. Last night we ate at a fun restaurant called The Rock.
After our humid night in our first hostel, Ramsey and I woke up for a run to Tortuga Bay. Once back, we switched hostels and then headed to the Charles Darwin Research Center and Turtle Reserve to check out the sea turtles. One of the best parts was the area where they have the baby turtles. Some of them are so tiny, and it's amazing to think that they grow so large! Also, we saw two turtles getting it on. They didn't seem too embarrassed about us catching them in the act.
While yesterday was beautiful and sunny, today was really overcast, and actually, after we returned from the turtle reserve, it rained a little bit. We were pretty bummed, but thankfully the rain stopped. We then ended up going on a tour which took us to locales all around the island. My favorite area, though, was called Las Grietas, which means "the cracks" in Spanish. It's this little chunk of water between these two rocky cliffs. It's so beautiful and peaceful, and the water is so clear and cool. It's probably one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. There were also some guys diving from the cliffs while we were there, which was quite a sight. We swam while there, and I would have loved to have spent the rest of our time there. Hopefully someday I can return. We also had a chance to go snorkeling, but my equipment was cheap and not so great. Basically everyone had no luck with it except Ramsey, and she had a sea lion swim right under her! All in all, we were very happy we went on the tour. Tonight we grabbed some sushi at the Red Mangrove Inn, and it was delicious!
All in all, I've really enjoyed the Galapagos Islands. It's definitely packed with tourists, but that's to be expected. It was nice to come from a busy city like Quito to a calm, peaceful environment like Puerto Ayora. Also, there's so much theft in Quito, so we felt like we were always having to be on our guard while there. It's been nice to just be able to walk around and not worry that we're going to be mugged or pickpocketed. One annoying thing about our time here, though, is the fact that nearly everyone traveling here is either a family or a couple. It's just made us miss our husbands a lot, but we both have decided we'd like to come here again and bring them along next time!
Tomorrow is a busy day. We leave here a little after noon, land in Quito around five, wait for three hours, and then arrive in Lima, Peru at 10:55 tomorrow night. Then we're staying in a hostel for the night and flying on to Cusco, Peru the next morning. So tomorrow is just a travel day, but at least we'll be in Cusco soon!
When we first got here, we made our way to a hostel that didn't seem great. It was only $25 a night, so we figured it would be fine. There was no AC and no hot water, but we figured it wasn't a big deal. We were just so happy to have found an open room! Then we found some questionable looking bugs in our room, and the incredibly hot room ended up being quite a big deal last night. It is sooo hot and humid here! We checked out this morning, and now for twenty dollars more, we have a room with AC and hot water! Those little luxuries are definitely worth the money.
Yesterday we explored Puerto Ayora and eventually followed a 2.5 kilometer path to Tortuga Bay, which is a beautiful white sand beach. While there, we rented a kayak and found a chunk of mangroves where small, non-hostile sharks like to swim. There were small sharks right next to our kayak! We kayaked all around the area, and when we were done, we swam in the warm waters. We're both pretty sure we saw some sea turtles in there, which makes sense since tortuga means turtle in Spanish! Also, there were a ton of iguanas sunning themselves on the beach. Last night we ate at a fun restaurant called The Rock.
After our humid night in our first hostel, Ramsey and I woke up for a run to Tortuga Bay. Once back, we switched hostels and then headed to the Charles Darwin Research Center and Turtle Reserve to check out the sea turtles. One of the best parts was the area where they have the baby turtles. Some of them are so tiny, and it's amazing to think that they grow so large! Also, we saw two turtles getting it on. They didn't seem too embarrassed about us catching them in the act.
While yesterday was beautiful and sunny, today was really overcast, and actually, after we returned from the turtle reserve, it rained a little bit. We were pretty bummed, but thankfully the rain stopped. We then ended up going on a tour which took us to locales all around the island. My favorite area, though, was called Las Grietas, which means "the cracks" in Spanish. It's this little chunk of water between these two rocky cliffs. It's so beautiful and peaceful, and the water is so clear and cool. It's probably one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. There were also some guys diving from the cliffs while we were there, which was quite a sight. We swam while there, and I would have loved to have spent the rest of our time there. Hopefully someday I can return. We also had a chance to go snorkeling, but my equipment was cheap and not so great. Basically everyone had no luck with it except Ramsey, and she had a sea lion swim right under her! All in all, we were very happy we went on the tour. Tonight we grabbed some sushi at the Red Mangrove Inn, and it was delicious!
All in all, I've really enjoyed the Galapagos Islands. It's definitely packed with tourists, but that's to be expected. It was nice to come from a busy city like Quito to a calm, peaceful environment like Puerto Ayora. Also, there's so much theft in Quito, so we felt like we were always having to be on our guard while there. It's been nice to just be able to walk around and not worry that we're going to be mugged or pickpocketed. One annoying thing about our time here, though, is the fact that nearly everyone traveling here is either a family or a couple. It's just made us miss our husbands a lot, but we both have decided we'd like to come here again and bring them along next time!
Tomorrow is a busy day. We leave here a little after noon, land in Quito around five, wait for three hours, and then arrive in Lima, Peru at 10:55 tomorrow night. Then we're staying in a hostel for the night and flying on to Cusco, Peru the next morning. So tomorrow is just a travel day, but at least we'll be in Cusco soon!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
You´ve got a little blood in your teeth
Well, without meaning to, I branched out and tried some very, um, interesting foods. While at La Mitad del Mundo yesterday, Ramsey and I grabbed some lunch at this cute little café. We were trying to save money, so we both just got some soup...Ramsey´s was bull leg and mine was called typical soup with tomato and avocado. When we first got our food, we knew something was up. There was a strange smell coming from my soup, and there were these weird mushroom-looking things floating in the broth. Also, on the side, I had a plate of tomato, avocado, and a strange black substance. Ramsey´s soup was broth with a bone filled with pure fat. The waitress explained that she was supposed to eat the fat, which, of course, delighted Ramsey (that´s sarcasm, people). I asked what the black substance on my plate was, but I didn´t catch what the waitress said. I tried to decide whether or not it was safe based on Ramsey´s reaction, and her reaction was fine (turns out she was just trying not to be rude to the waitress). As it turned out, the black substance was cooked blood and the mushroom-y things were.....intestines!! Yuck yuck yuck. The best part, though, was when Ramsey said that which is the title of this post..."You´ve got a little blood in your teeth." Basically, that wasn´t our favorite meal of the trip.
Anyway, yesterday Ramsey and I made our way to La Mitad del Mundo, which ended up being a lot of fun. This location was pronounced as being the middle of the world back before the help of GPS, but it isn´t the actual equator line. There are a lot of little shops, some llamas, and an insectarium (where Ramsey held a huge beetle!), but other than that, there wasn´t a lot to do. The main attraction, though, is the Museo Solar Inti Ñan, which claims to be real middle of the world according to GPS. According to my guidebook, that´s not true, so I don´t know what to think! It still was definitely the highlight of our visit to La Mitad del Mundo, though. There were neat water demonstrations, and we got to take turns balancing an egg on a nail on the equator line, for which we got certificates! I´m definitely putting that skill on my resumé! That afternoon we came home for our night in El Centro with Pily, but unfortunately it didn´t work out since Pily´s car broke down! I felt so bad for her, especially since her cell phone was pickpocketed earlier this week, too. Because of that, we ended up just going to bed kind of early.
After much back-and-forth, we made our way to a nearby town called Otavalo today with our new Russian friend Ivan. Ramsey and I were both so happy we went there because it ended up being a highlight of our time in Quito. Otavalo is the home of one of the oldest markets in South America, and the market itself was amazing. It was huge and just wove through the streets of Otavalo. There are other things to do and see in Otavalo, but unfortunately, our time was limited. For anyone ever visiting Ecuador, I would definitely recommend Otavalo. There are so many wonderful things (clothes, crafts, scarves, tapestries, etc) one can buy there, and buy I did!
We returned to Quito early in the evening, and now we´re packing and preparing for the Galapagos Islands tomorrow! I can´t believe tonight is already our last night in Quito, but I´m excited for this next step in our adventure. Once we get to the Galapagos tomorrow, we´re going to do our best to find a hostel to stay in. We actually had one booked a month in advance, but they just emailed this morning to say that there was flooding and the entire place was closed. To be honest, I don´t buy the story, and I think it was all a ploy to make us spend more money somewhere else (as in, one of the ones they recommended). We´re annoyed, but we´re hoping for the best tomorrow. The worst case scenario is that we´ll just have to spend much more money than we´d hoped. Actually, the worst case scenario is that we´ll have to sleep on the beach and end up attacked by adorable sea lions and penguins. I guess we´ll just have to hope for the best!
Anyway, yesterday Ramsey and I made our way to La Mitad del Mundo, which ended up being a lot of fun. This location was pronounced as being the middle of the world back before the help of GPS, but it isn´t the actual equator line. There are a lot of little shops, some llamas, and an insectarium (where Ramsey held a huge beetle!), but other than that, there wasn´t a lot to do. The main attraction, though, is the Museo Solar Inti Ñan, which claims to be real middle of the world according to GPS. According to my guidebook, that´s not true, so I don´t know what to think! It still was definitely the highlight of our visit to La Mitad del Mundo, though. There were neat water demonstrations, and we got to take turns balancing an egg on a nail on the equator line, for which we got certificates! I´m definitely putting that skill on my resumé! That afternoon we came home for our night in El Centro with Pily, but unfortunately it didn´t work out since Pily´s car broke down! I felt so bad for her, especially since her cell phone was pickpocketed earlier this week, too. Because of that, we ended up just going to bed kind of early.
After much back-and-forth, we made our way to a nearby town called Otavalo today with our new Russian friend Ivan. Ramsey and I were both so happy we went there because it ended up being a highlight of our time in Quito. Otavalo is the home of one of the oldest markets in South America, and the market itself was amazing. It was huge and just wove through the streets of Otavalo. There are other things to do and see in Otavalo, but unfortunately, our time was limited. For anyone ever visiting Ecuador, I would definitely recommend Otavalo. There are so many wonderful things (clothes, crafts, scarves, tapestries, etc) one can buy there, and buy I did!
We returned to Quito early in the evening, and now we´re packing and preparing for the Galapagos Islands tomorrow! I can´t believe tonight is already our last night in Quito, but I´m excited for this next step in our adventure. Once we get to the Galapagos tomorrow, we´re going to do our best to find a hostel to stay in. We actually had one booked a month in advance, but they just emailed this morning to say that there was flooding and the entire place was closed. To be honest, I don´t buy the story, and I think it was all a ploy to make us spend more money somewhere else (as in, one of the ones they recommended). We´re annoyed, but we´re hoping for the best tomorrow. The worst case scenario is that we´ll just have to spend much more money than we´d hoped. Actually, the worst case scenario is that we´ll have to sleep on the beach and end up attacked by adorable sea lions and penguins. I guess we´ll just have to hope for the best!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Short breath
Yesterday was a busy day, so I didn´t really have time to write. I probably won´t write as often when we leave Quito because it will be more difficult to get to a computer. Right now, Pily lets us use her phone and computer anytime without charge.
Like I said, Ramsey and I were very busy yesterday. We started out with our language class...I was able to go for three hours without any problems! If I had more time, I would keep going to classes, but it doesn´t seem worth it since we´re not here for very long. After class, we stopped for lunch at Cafe Amazonas, which is near the school. It was great, and I had some tasty ceviche. It was a lukewarm tomato-y and lemony soup with shrimp and vegetables...mmmmmmm. Ceviche is common in both Ecuador and Peru, and apparently both countries think their version is the best. I´ll make my decision when I´m in Peru.
After lunch, we took a cab to TeleferiQo, which is a lift to the top of a nearby mountain. The ride up was stunning and only took about five or ten minutes. Ramsey and I were both already out of breath after the cab ride because we had gone so high up the mountain. We had to stop and catch our breath after our lift ride to the top. Quito is about 2800 meters above sea level, and TeleferiQo takes you up to about 4100 meters above sea level! We were very lightheaded (and a little cold because of the wind), but it was so amazing up there. We had views of the entire city of Quito, plus some surrounding Andean mountains. Breathtaking...literally. We hiked around a little bit, but we were warned not to go off the path since it can be very dangerous because of both large drops and thieves. When it was time to come back down, we were met with a HUGE line to get to the bottom of the mountain. A kind woman helped us, though, and told us that since we´re foreigners, we automatically had to purchase an express pass, meaning we had a much shorter wait. The funny thing was that anytime an Ecuadorian with an express pass walked through this special line, people would yell (good-naturedly) at them. When we walked through, there was complete silence. It was a bit awkward, but overall, it was a fun environment.
Once we made it back down, we took a shuttle into the city and made our way back to El Centro. There were some monasteries and a church that we still wanted to visit. The first monastery we made it to was closed, so we found the second monastery, which included a museum. It was pretty interesting, and then Ramsey bought some things from the nuns there. We´re not supposed to see the nuns, so they sell things through a revolving wooden door. Next, we made our way to La Merced, which is a beautiful church (with no entrance fee, which is nice). We wanted to see this one because it has an interesting legend surrounding it. Supposedly the bell tower is possessed by the devil, and the only person who could go up to ring the bells was a man named Ceferino. After he died, no one else dared to go up there. Now no one has been up there since about 1810. We looked up at the bells, and the dust on them was clearly visible from where we were.
Last night, Ramsey and I really wanted to experience going out to dinner in Quito. We looked in my book and found this restaurant called La Boca del Lobos, which sounded fun. The book lied a bit about the prices, so it was more expensive than we expected but still great. We ended up having some house wine and splitting two appetizers...a plate of warm camambert and apples served with bread and some breaded mussels with spinach and mashed potatoes. Thankfully, the portions weren´t so small, and we were filled up afterwards. We ended up walking back because the restaurant was only three blocks from Pily´s place and it was before nine (and nine is apparently when tourists should really be careful). We were a little nervous, but we stayed in busy streets. We´ve heard so many horror stories, so we figure it´s best to always be a little bit on our guard.
Today we´re both going to go to La Mitad del Mundo (the middle of the world). The ride there should be about an hour, so it´ll probably be a full day trip. Tonight Pily wants to take us to La Calle Ronda, which is a nice street in El Centro. Apparently it´s a lot of fun on a Friday night!
Like I said, Ramsey and I were very busy yesterday. We started out with our language class...I was able to go for three hours without any problems! If I had more time, I would keep going to classes, but it doesn´t seem worth it since we´re not here for very long. After class, we stopped for lunch at Cafe Amazonas, which is near the school. It was great, and I had some tasty ceviche. It was a lukewarm tomato-y and lemony soup with shrimp and vegetables...mmmmmmm. Ceviche is common in both Ecuador and Peru, and apparently both countries think their version is the best. I´ll make my decision when I´m in Peru.
After lunch, we took a cab to TeleferiQo, which is a lift to the top of a nearby mountain. The ride up was stunning and only took about five or ten minutes. Ramsey and I were both already out of breath after the cab ride because we had gone so high up the mountain. We had to stop and catch our breath after our lift ride to the top. Quito is about 2800 meters above sea level, and TeleferiQo takes you up to about 4100 meters above sea level! We were very lightheaded (and a little cold because of the wind), but it was so amazing up there. We had views of the entire city of Quito, plus some surrounding Andean mountains. Breathtaking...literally. We hiked around a little bit, but we were warned not to go off the path since it can be very dangerous because of both large drops and thieves. When it was time to come back down, we were met with a HUGE line to get to the bottom of the mountain. A kind woman helped us, though, and told us that since we´re foreigners, we automatically had to purchase an express pass, meaning we had a much shorter wait. The funny thing was that anytime an Ecuadorian with an express pass walked through this special line, people would yell (good-naturedly) at them. When we walked through, there was complete silence. It was a bit awkward, but overall, it was a fun environment.
Once we made it back down, we took a shuttle into the city and made our way back to El Centro. There were some monasteries and a church that we still wanted to visit. The first monastery we made it to was closed, so we found the second monastery, which included a museum. It was pretty interesting, and then Ramsey bought some things from the nuns there. We´re not supposed to see the nuns, so they sell things through a revolving wooden door. Next, we made our way to La Merced, which is a beautiful church (with no entrance fee, which is nice). We wanted to see this one because it has an interesting legend surrounding it. Supposedly the bell tower is possessed by the devil, and the only person who could go up to ring the bells was a man named Ceferino. After he died, no one else dared to go up there. Now no one has been up there since about 1810. We looked up at the bells, and the dust on them was clearly visible from where we were.
Last night, Ramsey and I really wanted to experience going out to dinner in Quito. We looked in my book and found this restaurant called La Boca del Lobos, which sounded fun. The book lied a bit about the prices, so it was more expensive than we expected but still great. We ended up having some house wine and splitting two appetizers...a plate of warm camambert and apples served with bread and some breaded mussels with spinach and mashed potatoes. Thankfully, the portions weren´t so small, and we were filled up afterwards. We ended up walking back because the restaurant was only three blocks from Pily´s place and it was before nine (and nine is apparently when tourists should really be careful). We were a little nervous, but we stayed in busy streets. We´ve heard so many horror stories, so we figure it´s best to always be a little bit on our guard.
Today we´re both going to go to La Mitad del Mundo (the middle of the world). The ride there should be about an hour, so it´ll probably be a full day trip. Tonight Pily wants to take us to La Calle Ronda, which is a nice street in El Centro. Apparently it´s a lot of fun on a Friday night!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Sore feet
I can´t write for too long because, well, I have homework. Today we woke up early in order to get to our school. Ramsey was signed up for some one-on-one time with a teacher. For those who don´t know, Ramsey majored in Spanish in college and is now about to be a Spanish teacher. The one-on-one time was a good chance for her to practice conversing with someone for a few hours. I was told that I would be in a group class, but I ended up working one-on-one, also. It actually ended up being a great experience because I could ask a lot of questions and move at may own pace. It was mainly just a lot of review for me, but it helped a lot since I haven´t studied Spanish since my sophomore year of college. I have homework for class tomorrow, but I´m still not sure how this is going to work out. My class was four hours long, while Ramsey´s was only three. I want my class to only be three hours, too, but if that´s not possible (and the director of the school made it seem like it´s not...for some reason that doesn´t make sense to me) then I guess I just won´t go. Ramsey and I just don´t have enough time for her to wait for me for an hour before we continue exploring, especially since it gets dark so early!
After my class, Ramsey, our ecuamama Pily, and I all walked to El Centro again. This time we walked farther than last time, and we ended up eating at a great restaurant that Pily knew. It was much more expensive than yesterday´s lunch (and by that, I mean it was five or six dollars rather than $1.50...everything is relative). My meal included fried pork, corn of different varieties, potatoes, avocado, and banana...so much good food! The best part, though, was a drink called Colado Mora. Pily said it´s blended corn and fruit, and it had chunks of fruit (strawberries and pineapple) floating in it. It was served hot, and it was so delicious!
We walked around El Centro some more, and we ended up visiting the monastery that´s attached to San Francisco Cathedral. The cathedral itself was closed for renovations, but we could still see the upper area (which was beautiful) from the monastery. The monastery was incredible. When you first walk in, there´s a gorgeous courtyard with beautiful flowers and trees and a fountain in the middle. Beyond the courtyard, you can see the mountains in the distance. It was so peaceful. The monastery includes a museum of not-so-happy paintings and sculptures depicting various saints. Next, we made our way to the Compañia Cathedral, which is apparently considered the pride and joy for many people in Quito. It´s definitely impressive...ornate sculptures and gold paint, the works...but it bothers me that it cost three dollars to visit a church while forty percent of this country lives below poverty. Maybe there are things I don´t know. Perhaps this church donates a lot of money to the poor. Maybe.
Once we were done wandering around El Centro (and it started to become cold and dark), we headed back to Mariscal Sucre. By the time we made it back to the apartment, we were all very sore and tired. Tomorrow will by no means be a rest day for us, though. We´re planning on visiting TeleferiQo, which is a lift that takes us to the top of a nearby mountain. I´m also toying with the idea of heading to the equator line itself later this week since we´re so close. Ramsey´s not really interested, but I kind of am even though I know it´s probably a tourist trap. When will I ever have another chance to stand on both hemispheres?
After my class, Ramsey, our ecuamama Pily, and I all walked to El Centro again. This time we walked farther than last time, and we ended up eating at a great restaurant that Pily knew. It was much more expensive than yesterday´s lunch (and by that, I mean it was five or six dollars rather than $1.50...everything is relative). My meal included fried pork, corn of different varieties, potatoes, avocado, and banana...so much good food! The best part, though, was a drink called Colado Mora. Pily said it´s blended corn and fruit, and it had chunks of fruit (strawberries and pineapple) floating in it. It was served hot, and it was so delicious!
We walked around El Centro some more, and we ended up visiting the monastery that´s attached to San Francisco Cathedral. The cathedral itself was closed for renovations, but we could still see the upper area (which was beautiful) from the monastery. The monastery was incredible. When you first walk in, there´s a gorgeous courtyard with beautiful flowers and trees and a fountain in the middle. Beyond the courtyard, you can see the mountains in the distance. It was so peaceful. The monastery includes a museum of not-so-happy paintings and sculptures depicting various saints. Next, we made our way to the Compañia Cathedral, which is apparently considered the pride and joy for many people in Quito. It´s definitely impressive...ornate sculptures and gold paint, the works...but it bothers me that it cost three dollars to visit a church while forty percent of this country lives below poverty. Maybe there are things I don´t know. Perhaps this church donates a lot of money to the poor. Maybe.
Once we were done wandering around El Centro (and it started to become cold and dark), we headed back to Mariscal Sucre. By the time we made it back to the apartment, we were all very sore and tired. Tomorrow will by no means be a rest day for us, though. We´re planning on visiting TeleferiQo, which is a lift that takes us to the top of a nearby mountain. I´m also toying with the idea of heading to the equator line itself later this week since we´re so close. Ramsey´s not really interested, but I kind of am even though I know it´s probably a tourist trap. When will I ever have another chance to stand on both hemispheres?
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