I just got back from two weeks in beautiful Ecuador. Two weeks isn't really enough to really hit all of Ecuador. Another month or so might have done the trick, but it would be easy enough to do a month volunteering at the Andean Bear reserve. As for the two weeks that did happen (and not the months of travel Rachel and I have dreamed up at various times- prepare yourself Easter Island!) there are many stories, but first I wanted to empty my head of a few facts and observations from my time there. Maybe after that we'll get to a few stories. Ready, set, jet:
In Quito (the capital) it is very common for pedestrians to run across the street to avoid cars. It is simply a cultural acknowledgment that in many situations, a person can cross the street if the car slows down, or if their feet speed up. In most cultures I've been in, the general choice is that the car slows down, unless it's the car's turn, in which case the pedestrian just waits. Travelling Ecuadorians seem to only use the turn taking system when the other option involves the hospital.
In a similar vein, the driving is free-form, unless there is an immediate physical reason to fall into line. If you think about it, there's usually space for a passing lane in the combined empty space in most two-lane, two-direction roads. Everyone just needs to move over a little. It's easy enough, as long as you're not completely terrified by the whole idea, which none of our drivers was, and we only were some of the time.
A guy we met at a hostal said they had a near miss on a bus. I didn't think much of that comment, because saying that in Ecuador is sort of like saying you almost bumped into someone on the train at rush hour in New York. It was only clear how near his miss was when he said that the bus driver pulled over to catch his breath and steady himself while all the passengers yelled at him for almost killing them.
Enough bus- Cotopaxi is the highest peak in Ecuador and an active volcano. According to our guide, it last went off 100 years ago, and so the citizens of the nearby villages (which are very much in range, should it go off again) are not worried. I can't recall if that's because 100 years is a long time for a human (it's been forever) or a short time for a volcano (it's not due for a while) or a long time for a volcano (it seems done for now), but as long as they're living there anyway, I'm glad they feel safe.
A full moon will make it harder to spot caiman, because they like to have as much darkness as possible. You spot them by shining a flashlight around the shores of the river and looking for their glowing red eyes.
There is a town called Iluman that has a shaman collective with hundreds of members.
We met a shaman in the amazon who is a mere well-informed mortal by day, but at night, when he takes ayahuasca, he can look into your soul and describe what ails you on the level of raw energy.
One day I hope to take that potion, but our actual introduction to shamanic ceremonies of South America was perfect. You'll have to stay tuned for that though.
In Ecuador, sometimes there are large rocks in the middle of the road. Not often, but more often than never.
I'm a big 1 for 1 in hitch-hiking.
You can make an awesome bread out of yucca root.
All this time, you people have been keeping possibly the best part of the cacao plant from me: the gooey stuff around the beans! It's colorful, sweet and nutritious! Was anyone going to mention this, or did you want me to figure this out on my own?
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