There And Back Again

We have returned to the United States. I can't say we either rejoiced or grieved as we returned to Schenectady, we simply accepted the fact that all adventures have to come to an end so new ones can start. At least people weren't auctioning off our belongings and thinking we had just disappeared.

After spending one last day with out aunt in Guayaquil, Ecuador, she went to the airport and we went to the bus station. We boarded a bus that took us to the beach in Peru, where we walked in the surf for an hour before we had to catch an overnight bus to Lima. All went well until 7:00 am when our bus pulled into a terminal seven hours north of Lima and we were informed that our bus was delayed 24 hours due to a protest in the highway. Now, lest you think that Peru is completely out of control, please understand that these protests are actually quite common as they are the only way for the people to get the government's attention. So, people, in this case the cotton workers, put stones in the road and sit on them until someone in a big office realizes traffic cannot move and does something to appease the workers. Because we had nothing else to do, we sat and sat and sat. Meanwhile the bus grew warmer and warmer as the clock ticked towards midday.

Jim made some phone calls and we figured out it would be cheaper to take a taxi the last seven hours to Lima than change our flight, which was scheduled for 5:50 the next morning. Just after sending an email to our parents saying we were going to take our bags, walk through the protest (Jim and walked there earlier and said the protesters didn't look too angry or dangerous), and take a taxi to Lima, the buses began to move. It took a while for the 200 buses to make their way out of the terminal, but we were finally on the road once more. We arrived in Lima 10 hours after we were scheduled to arrive, but, oh well, so goes life in Peru.

After showers as some friends' house, we took at taxi to the airport at 12:30 am. We figured sleeping would be sweet, but the rising for our early flight would be miserable. Starbuck's free internet and not-so-free coffee menu kept us occupied. Our flights went off without a problem: Lima to Bogota, Bogota to San Salvador, and San Salvador to New York. The local time in NY at landing was around 10 pm. There aren't any buses going to Albany at that hour, so, once again, and for the second consecutive night, we stayed in the airport. This time we took turns sleeping on a cushioned bench while the other watched the luggage. For the record, staying awake at 2:40 in the morning after a day of flying and a sleepless night before is extremely difficult.

In the morning, after two train rides, one bus ride, and four hours, we arrived in Albany. It was rainy. The last feeling of warmth from the South American sun faded from our skin and the clamminess of Schenectady clung to lungs like a wet down-pillow. Need I say more?

We Ate Worms

Actually, they might have been caterpillars ... we're not really sure. We saw giant yellow wriggly things that were skewered on a stick and roasted for 15 minutes over a fire until they were crunchy. You wouldn't believe us if we told you they were actually very good and tasted like escargot , so for the record, the worms were disgusting. 

The worms/caterpillars were part of our dinner the last night of three that we spent in the jungle, a half-hour hike from the nearest house. The cuisine was mostly "jungle foods," from around our cabana, including the worms. We also harvested and ate yucca, wild onions, and the marrow of a palm tree. 

When we met our Aunt Leslie at the Quito airport last Wednesday evening, we didn't know exactly what we were going to do--only that it was going to be an adventure. As we were lying in our beds early the next morning, we decided to go to Mindo--the birdwatching capital of Ecuador. We arrived at the bus station outside of the city 40 minutes too late to catch the last bus, so after a few taxi rides in search of other buses, we decided to settle for a visit to the equator.

After a fun day at the equator museum and a tour of one of the largest inhabited volcano crater in the world, we found out about a tour the next day to an ancient Kichwan site that was actually on the equator. The site that is now the equator museum is actually about a quarter-mile from the actual equator, according to GPS readings. We hiked up a mountain to a site where, for the last 2000 years or so, the Kichwan people have sacrificed to Pachakamaq, the creator of the world, and observed the equinoxes. 

We rode the bus to Otavalo that evening to go to the Saturday market, said to be one of the largest in South America. We started around 7:45 am at the animal market, where farmers come to buy and sell livestock, including ducks and guinea pigs, and continued first into the fruit market, and then the seemingly endless rows of artesians' stands packed into the streets surrounding the main market square. By the end, we were all clutching large bags full of various gifts and seemly empty wallets. I can't even count how many times we said "alright, we have enough," only to find something else incredible. 

That brings us to the jungle. And the worms. We left Quito Sunday morning and spent the afternoon at a natural hot spring that is said to be the nicest in Ecuador. Even though I forget the name, I will never forget how clear and warm the water was--so warm we could really only stay in for 15 minutes at a time. I hope Seth forgets how I pushed him into the cold water pool. That was a little mean.

We didn't arrive in Tena, the city closest to the jungle we'd be exploring until after dark. We were all outfitted with ponchos and knee-high rain boots and bought what Aunt Leslie described as the "local insect repellent." She said on multiple occasions during our trip "okay, pass me the local stuff--it probably has the most DEET in it." It was so strong, the writing on the outside of the bottle started to smear, but not strong enough to keep all the bugs away from Aunt Leslie.

It was about 8pm when the local operator drove us 20 minutes outside of town and left us in what felt like someone's backyard while he went to pick up our local guides and cook. Eight of us hiked 40 minutes into the jungle, crossing several streams--or perhaps the same stream multiple times--until we arrived at the 3 story cabana and kitchen hut. We were the first tourists there in 6 months, so the crew worked to get our mattresses and mosquito nets ready while we watched a native dance performed by two energetic girls and one reluctant boy.

After dinner, which I confess I don't remember exactly--thus probably chicken and rice--we fell asleep quickly to the sounds of the nearby stream and an army of crickets.