My day starts like any other in Ecuador, with the ubiquitous crow of a rooster. Of course, that's also how my day ends, since--as I've learned on the Hacienda--roosters do not only crow in the morning, but all day long.
Life here is fairly vanilla, in fact, if I were surrounded by Maple or Walnut trees instead of Guava, I may forget that I was even in the Galápagos. In many ways, living here is like living on any other farm you would find in the States or Europe. We rise early, milk the cows, saddle up the horses, and get to work.
Our work here is mostly clearing of invasive species and farming. Our ultimate goal is to restore the land to it's native state, hence creating a natural habitat for Giant Tortoises. This means that most of our work is trudging through Elephant Grass to fell Guava trees, hacking away at endless patches of Black Raspberry (the same one that rings our yard back home in PA), or digging holes and planting various endemic and native plants. We also run many gardens that supply food to the surrounding communities, educate the locals about conservation, and help local children with disabilities.
My days are long, filled with hard work, and close with an early bedtime. We cook our own food, and I spend my free time lounging in a hammock with my nose in a book, listening to the mooing cows or screaming donkeys. Before coming here I had no idea what a donkey actually sounds like... now I can say that it is not the old childhood "eeh, aww" we all learned, but more of a murderous, blood curdling scream. It really sounds like someone is torturing these poor animals 24/7.
The next two days here are Carnaval, which includes a big parade in the street where people will run around throwing flour, water balloons, and rotten eggs at you. Unfortunately I will not be partaking in the festivities due to the nonstop rain. We are now in the 83rd hour of massive rainstorm here, where we have been in a complete deluge without more than 30 minutes of respite for the past few days.
Hopefully now that there are fewer people at the Hacienda I can get some pictures of our work and accomodations soon. Until that point, I bid you all farewell, and will be heading back to take care of the cows and chickens!
Monday, February 11, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
An Unexpected Arrival
My journey from laid back Santa Cruz to my next volunteer project in San Cristobal started off like any other day in Ecuador, standing on a crowded dock with hundreds of other people trying to catch boats and everyone screaming incoherent interjections at the controllers. When I eventually shoved my way through the mob of other travelers that resembled a barking sea lion colony, I hopped on the first boat I saw, and made my way to the next obstacle, my ferry to San Cristobal.
The boat I took had a capacity of 26 people... there were at least 30 adults, and about 10 children. This made for a less than comfortable two hour ride, squished in between a sweaty Dutch guy and an Ecuadorian woman with two kids piled on her lap. But I hunkered down and put my mind on my destination as we bounced along, baking in the high noon sun the whole time. When I hopped onto the dock at San Cristobal I was slathered with a nice mix of sweat, sunscreen, and salt. The coordinator of my program met me with a taxi to go food shopping and get back to the volunteer house so I could finally relax. Unfortunately it was Sunday, meaning that every food shop was closed. We ended up finding one where I managed to buy a couple of potatoes, some dry pasta, and two cans of tuna. With my pantry stocked, we headed back to the "Hacienda Tranquila" which I would soon learn was anything but "tranquil".
When I arrived I was greeted by more than twenty teenagers all chattering in thick British accents. I had unwittingly stepped into a group of "Organized Gap Year" people, which from the description, sounds just like a big group of people who travel for 10 weeks together doing some volunteer work along the way... not what I would call a Gap Year, but oh well, to each their own. I slouched down in a plastic chair out of the patio and stuffed my nose in a book. But with twenty 18-20 year olds (17 of which are girls) all flapping their lips, I managed to get through about two pages before I just gave up and retreated to the sanctuary of my bedroom, which I share with three other boys.
After a week of being here, I've gotten to know most of the group, and they're actually very nice people, the Hacienda is just not set up to accommodate such a large group. There are a few other solo travelers that, like me, are a little bewildered by living like bees in a hive, so we manage to find solidarity in each other.
I really am enjoying the work here, and I plan to write about our activities ASAP. Hasta Luego!
The boat I took had a capacity of 26 people... there were at least 30 adults, and about 10 children. This made for a less than comfortable two hour ride, squished in between a sweaty Dutch guy and an Ecuadorian woman with two kids piled on her lap. But I hunkered down and put my mind on my destination as we bounced along, baking in the high noon sun the whole time. When I hopped onto the dock at San Cristobal I was slathered with a nice mix of sweat, sunscreen, and salt. The coordinator of my program met me with a taxi to go food shopping and get back to the volunteer house so I could finally relax. Unfortunately it was Sunday, meaning that every food shop was closed. We ended up finding one where I managed to buy a couple of potatoes, some dry pasta, and two cans of tuna. With my pantry stocked, we headed back to the "Hacienda Tranquila" which I would soon learn was anything but "tranquil".
When I arrived I was greeted by more than twenty teenagers all chattering in thick British accents. I had unwittingly stepped into a group of "Organized Gap Year" people, which from the description, sounds just like a big group of people who travel for 10 weeks together doing some volunteer work along the way... not what I would call a Gap Year, but oh well, to each their own. I slouched down in a plastic chair out of the patio and stuffed my nose in a book. But with twenty 18-20 year olds (17 of which are girls) all flapping their lips, I managed to get through about two pages before I just gave up and retreated to the sanctuary of my bedroom, which I share with three other boys.
After a week of being here, I've gotten to know most of the group, and they're actually very nice people, the Hacienda is just not set up to accommodate such a large group. There are a few other solo travelers that, like me, are a little bewildered by living like bees in a hive, so we manage to find solidarity in each other.
I really am enjoying the work here, and I plan to write about our activities ASAP. Hasta Luego!
Scuba Steve!
I am now
certified to breathe underwater; at least that’s the gist of it. You see, two
weeks ago, I began my PADI Open Water Diver course. It was without a doubt, one
of the best things I’ve ever done in my life.
The four
day course began with theory and in pool exercises, pretty boring stuff to be
honest. Although the feeling of breathing underwater is definitely worth the
inconvenience of slapping a scuba tank on your back. But once we got these
little requirements out of the way, it was time to move on to the real diving,
open water.
 |
| These Sea Stars come in all kinds of crazy colors. |
The
Galápagos is actually considered among experts to be the best place in the
world for diving... it’s also one of the most difficult. The islands are
affected by several strong ocean currents that make diving here difficult even
for advanced divers. You have the Humbolt coming up from the south, the Cromwell Countercurrent from the West, and the Panamic Current coming from the north. All of these
currents are changing on a daily basis, which means that visibility,
temperature, and current strength can be different day to day. The benefit of
having these currents is that they flood the Galápagos with tons of plankton,
algae, and nutrient rich water, all of which attract large marine life. It is
for this reason that the Galápagos is one of the best places in the world to
see sharks, manta rays, turtles, and sea lions… and I saw plenty.
 |
| Hey there! |
Our open
water dives began with the very humbling activity of struggling into a seven
millimeter wetsuit. If there’s anything more revealing than a skin tight layer
of neoprene I don’t know what it is. But putting all shame behind us, we suited
up, clipped on our BCD’s (buoyancy control devices), strapped on our tanks, and
took the plunge. At first it’s an odd feeling to breathe underwater, but that
quickly goes away once you descend into the underwater world. Being down at 20
meters really does feel like being in another world. I’ve never been so
surrounded by wildlife as when diving. At different points you’re swimming with
schools of tropical fish, playing peek-a-boo with a moray eel, or being circled
by hundreds of sharks.
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| This Rock Scorpion Fish is quite the looker if I do say so myself. |
I breezed
through the practice, aced the tests, and before I knew it, was the proud owner
of my diving certification. Along the way I had the privilege of meeting and
diving with the executive coordinator of the Charles Darwin Station, who taught
me countless things about the islands and what it’s like to live here. I also
have to give a shout out to my amazing dive shop, who made it an unforgettable
experience… thank you Scuba Iguana!
 |
| Me, surrounded by sharks, grabbing onto the rocks to avoid being swept away by the very strong current. |
 |
| These are all White Tipped Reef Sharks, but during our dives we also saw Black Tipped Sharks, and Hammerhead Sharks. |
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Hot Tips for Ecuador: The Amazon
This post is quite after the fact, given that I have been out of the Amazon for more than a month, but nonetheless I will stride forth with the blog, and the next part of my beyond-the-guidebook series "Hot Tips for Ecuador"; up now, the Amazon!
1.) The shoes make the outfit.
In the Amazon, proper footwear is of the utmost importance. I have seen several people come through with brand spankin' new $200 hiking boots, only to completely trash them in the quicksand like mud that pervades the Amazon. The fact of the matter is that there are only two pairs of shoes you need in the Amazon, and if you think you can stray from this course because strappy, slip on, water-proof, Eco-friendly, zero carbon, vegan Keen's are the just the "best shoes ever", you are wrong. The first thing you need is a cheap $2 pair of flip flops for walking around your living area, and for times you will not be venturing into the jungle. The second is a $5 pair of thick, tall, rubber boots. These are literally the best thing you can own in the jungle; they protect against sharp rocks, roots, thorns, tarantulas, and whatever other dangers might be lurking on the forest floor. And most importantly, you can go sloshing through calf deep mud--a common occurrence in the Amazon--without a second thought. It's pretty obvious that rubber boots are the way to go once you enter the jungle region and see 99.99% of the population wearing these all day long... I've even seen people wear their rubber boots to dance parties.
2.) Beware of spiders.
Of course the first thing everyone thinks when coming to the Amazon is "I hope I don't run into a tarantula!" Well, having already spent a few days in the Amazon before coming to Sacha Yacu, I was rather desensitized to this fear. You see, in the four day tour to Cuyabeno reserve that I did in September there was a large tarantula that liked to hang out with us while we ate. It was here that I got the idea that spiders are generally not something to be afraid of. While it is true that spiders are generally not aggressive towards humans, I ended up being the one guy who actually gets bitten by one. At the center we often go to collect bananas for the animals. This involves cutting down banana trees, and carrying the bananas about a mile back to the house. One good thing to know before doing this activity is that bananas are the number one place to find tarantulas in the Amazon (they like to hide in the "clusters" or whatever you call the vine thing that bananas grow on). So one day we were bringing back bananas, and I volunteered to carry all of the big clusters of bananas (this is kind of what it looks like when you carry bananas http://www.rainforests.net/Men%20carrying%20bananas.jpg). So I slung the bananas over my back, carried them two by two in to the fruit shed, and hung them up to ripen. A few days later, I was picking bananas off these same clusters while preparing food for the animals, when ho! I recoiled my hand and leaped back, having noticed, crouched, hiding way in the back of the bananas, a tarantula. It was an immature tarantula, but still larger than any other spider I had seen in the wild... Big, harry, and with pink toes that looked like they had been painted with neon nail polish. By this point I had developed a big bump with a rash that was painful and itchy on the exact spot on my back on which I had carried the bananas. I'm not 100% sure that it was a tarantula bite, but the symptoms were strikingly similar to what I red on the web (yes I know, the "web" is pretty unreliable, but still). And as I write this, which is almost two months after this incident, I still have that bump/rash, and it still itches, although it is somewhat better than two months ago. The lesson here... in the Amazon, always check bananas before slinging them over your shoulder.
3.) Don't drink the Chicha (if you can avoid it).
One thing the Amazon is famous for is an alcoholic beverage they've been making for centuries, called Chicha. The only ingredients are Yuca and... something else. It's a fermented beverage, usually served at ceremonies, parties, or any other special occasion. Nowadays, Chicha is often made by simply mashing yuca with a big stick and leaving it to ferment in a pot for several weeks. However, in the more isolated areas of the Amazon, it's still made the traditional way, which is for the elder women in the tribe to chew the Yuca until it is paste like, then spit it into a big pot and let it ferment... then you, the lucky guest gets to slurp down a bunch of old woman spit mixed with some yuca and lots of alcohol. I happened to attend a party at one of these very traditional isolated communities, and there was plenty of Chicha to go around. The women spend the entire night, making circles around the party with buckets of Chicha and bowls. They come up to you, fill the bowl with Chicha, shove it in your mouth, and tilt away. You do not have a choice in drinking the beverage; for one thing it's an insult to their culture not to, but more importantly, they will tip the bowl up whether you swallow or not, so it's either have Chicha in your mouth, or all over your shirt. The taste is difficult to describe... the Chicha I drank was very fermented, about 30% alcohol. I would say it tastes like vinegar mixed with moldy cheese and sour milk. It is, in all honesty, the worst thing I have ever tasted. And the knowledge that you're drinking other people's saliva does not help to get it down. I came very very close to throwing up from it... a friend of mine actually did throw up. My advice to spare of this rancid beverage is to keep a watchful eye on the Chicha ladies, and go hide when they're coming around to your area. Although even when I tried that, they always managed to find me... oh the woes of being a tall blond kid in Ecuador.
Well, there's probably more interesting anecdotes about the Amazon that I'm forgetting, but if I think of them that will just be one more excuse to write a new blog. For now, I'll steal from Loony Toons (which I have been watching a lot of in Spanish), and just leave you with.... That's all folks!
1.) The shoes make the outfit.
In the Amazon, proper footwear is of the utmost importance. I have seen several people come through with brand spankin' new $200 hiking boots, only to completely trash them in the quicksand like mud that pervades the Amazon. The fact of the matter is that there are only two pairs of shoes you need in the Amazon, and if you think you can stray from this course because strappy, slip on, water-proof, Eco-friendly, zero carbon, vegan Keen's are the just the "best shoes ever", you are wrong. The first thing you need is a cheap $2 pair of flip flops for walking around your living area, and for times you will not be venturing into the jungle. The second is a $5 pair of thick, tall, rubber boots. These are literally the best thing you can own in the jungle; they protect against sharp rocks, roots, thorns, tarantulas, and whatever other dangers might be lurking on the forest floor. And most importantly, you can go sloshing through calf deep mud--a common occurrence in the Amazon--without a second thought. It's pretty obvious that rubber boots are the way to go once you enter the jungle region and see 99.99% of the population wearing these all day long... I've even seen people wear their rubber boots to dance parties.
2.) Beware of spiders.
Of course the first thing everyone thinks when coming to the Amazon is "I hope I don't run into a tarantula!" Well, having already spent a few days in the Amazon before coming to Sacha Yacu, I was rather desensitized to this fear. You see, in the four day tour to Cuyabeno reserve that I did in September there was a large tarantula that liked to hang out with us while we ate. It was here that I got the idea that spiders are generally not something to be afraid of. While it is true that spiders are generally not aggressive towards humans, I ended up being the one guy who actually gets bitten by one. At the center we often go to collect bananas for the animals. This involves cutting down banana trees, and carrying the bananas about a mile back to the house. One good thing to know before doing this activity is that bananas are the number one place to find tarantulas in the Amazon (they like to hide in the "clusters" or whatever you call the vine thing that bananas grow on). So one day we were bringing back bananas, and I volunteered to carry all of the big clusters of bananas (this is kind of what it looks like when you carry bananas http://www.rainforests.net/Men%20carrying%20bananas.jpg). So I slung the bananas over my back, carried them two by two in to the fruit shed, and hung them up to ripen. A few days later, I was picking bananas off these same clusters while preparing food for the animals, when ho! I recoiled my hand and leaped back, having noticed, crouched, hiding way in the back of the bananas, a tarantula. It was an immature tarantula, but still larger than any other spider I had seen in the wild... Big, harry, and with pink toes that looked like they had been painted with neon nail polish. By this point I had developed a big bump with a rash that was painful and itchy on the exact spot on my back on which I had carried the bananas. I'm not 100% sure that it was a tarantula bite, but the symptoms were strikingly similar to what I red on the web (yes I know, the "web" is pretty unreliable, but still). And as I write this, which is almost two months after this incident, I still have that bump/rash, and it still itches, although it is somewhat better than two months ago. The lesson here... in the Amazon, always check bananas before slinging them over your shoulder.
3.) Don't drink the Chicha (if you can avoid it).
One thing the Amazon is famous for is an alcoholic beverage they've been making for centuries, called Chicha. The only ingredients are Yuca and... something else. It's a fermented beverage, usually served at ceremonies, parties, or any other special occasion. Nowadays, Chicha is often made by simply mashing yuca with a big stick and leaving it to ferment in a pot for several weeks. However, in the more isolated areas of the Amazon, it's still made the traditional way, which is for the elder women in the tribe to chew the Yuca until it is paste like, then spit it into a big pot and let it ferment... then you, the lucky guest gets to slurp down a bunch of old woman spit mixed with some yuca and lots of alcohol. I happened to attend a party at one of these very traditional isolated communities, and there was plenty of Chicha to go around. The women spend the entire night, making circles around the party with buckets of Chicha and bowls. They come up to you, fill the bowl with Chicha, shove it in your mouth, and tilt away. You do not have a choice in drinking the beverage; for one thing it's an insult to their culture not to, but more importantly, they will tip the bowl up whether you swallow or not, so it's either have Chicha in your mouth, or all over your shirt. The taste is difficult to describe... the Chicha I drank was very fermented, about 30% alcohol. I would say it tastes like vinegar mixed with moldy cheese and sour milk. It is, in all honesty, the worst thing I have ever tasted. And the knowledge that you're drinking other people's saliva does not help to get it down. I came very very close to throwing up from it... a friend of mine actually did throw up. My advice to spare of this rancid beverage is to keep a watchful eye on the Chicha ladies, and go hide when they're coming around to your area. Although even when I tried that, they always managed to find me... oh the woes of being a tall blond kid in Ecuador.
Well, there's probably more interesting anecdotes about the Amazon that I'm forgetting, but if I think of them that will just be one more excuse to write a new blog. For now, I'll steal from Loony Toons (which I have been watching a lot of in Spanish), and just leave you with.... That's all folks!
Monday, January 21, 2013
Island Getaway
After the somewhat hectic and stressful experience of having all of my important things stolen, I decided to amend the itinerary for my vacation with my parents just slightly. We unfortunately had to cut out Cuenca, as we had lost a few days recouperating from the theft. But that did give us a couple more days to spend chilling out in Baños. It was a very relaxing and enjoyable stay, filled with massages, hot springs, steam baths, good food, and waterfalls. But on the whole, it was not terribly eventful, basically just a spa week to recover from all the adventure we had been through.
After our detox in Baños, it was time to once again hit the road, and make our way to Guayaquil where we would catch our flight to the Galápagos Islands. This was to be our last hurrah together as a family, and I wanted to make it a memorable one. So after spending a couple nights in a very nice hotel, enjoying the beach and town of Puerto Ayora, we hopped on a six day cruise that we snagged as a last minute deal.
These past six days have been some of the most amazing of my entire trip. We began in Puerto Ayora, sailed to Puerto Villamil, then all around the western edge of Isabella, then up to Santiago Island, North Seymour, and finished back at Santa Cruz. Along the way we saw some of most incredible wildlife and scenery in the world. There are so many species and landscapes that are entirely unique to these isolated little islands. But the truly wonderful thing about the Galápagos is just how surrounded and immersed you become with nature. The animals living here have almost no natural predators, so they have no fear of humans. For this reason, the Galápagos is probably the only place in the world that you can take a hike and have to look at the ground to keep form stepping on marine iguanas. Every animal, from Blue Footed Boobies to Sea Lions will allow you to practically walk up and pet them without showing the least sign of distress or fear.
It was a fantastic trip, with only one downside... we had to live on a boat. One of the things I learned about myself during this trip is that sea life does not agree with me. From the moment I stepped on the boat, I felt dizzy and slightly nausiated. I did eventually adjust, but I never really adapted to constantly rocking back and forth. And throughout our trip I had sever bouts of headache and nausia. But it was still a fantastic way to end our trip, and I an experience I will never forget.
 |
| Giant Tortoises living in the wild, they really are huge, over 600 pounds! |
 |
| Sea Lions are just everywhere around the Galápagos, and they are really friendly. |
After our detox in Baños, it was time to once again hit the road, and make our way to Guayaquil where we would catch our flight to the Galápagos Islands. This was to be our last hurrah together as a family, and I wanted to make it a memorable one. So after spending a couple nights in a very nice hotel, enjoying the beach and town of Puerto Ayora, we hopped on a six day cruise that we snagged as a last minute deal.
 |
| It's the nesting season for most birds and Sea Lions now, this pup is probably a week old. |
 |
| Me with a coconut, the beaches here are just beautiful! |
These past six days have been some of the most amazing of my entire trip. We began in Puerto Ayora, sailed to Puerto Villamil, then all around the western edge of Isabella, then up to Santiago Island, North Seymour, and finished back at Santa Cruz. Along the way we saw some of most incredible wildlife and scenery in the world. There are so many species and landscapes that are entirely unique to these isolated little islands. But the truly wonderful thing about the Galápagos is just how surrounded and immersed you become with nature. The animals living here have almost no natural predators, so they have no fear of humans. For this reason, the Galápagos is probably the only place in the world that you can take a hike and have to look at the ground to keep form stepping on marine iguanas. Every animal, from Blue Footed Boobies to Sea Lions will allow you to practically walk up and pet them without showing the least sign of distress or fear.
 |
| The ubiquitous Blue Footed Boobie. |
 |
| This is the Sally Lightfoot Crab, the colors are just amazing, and this picture doesn't capture them that well. |
It was a fantastic trip, with only one downside... we had to live on a boat. One of the things I learned about myself during this trip is that sea life does not agree with me. From the moment I stepped on the boat, I felt dizzy and slightly nausiated. I did eventually adjust, but I never really adapted to constantly rocking back and forth. And throughout our trip I had sever bouts of headache and nausia. But it was still a fantastic way to end our trip, and I an experience I will never forget.
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| These lava flows cover much of the islands, it really looks like an apocalypse. |
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| The Galápagos is the only place in the world where Marine Iguana's are found, they enter the water to feed and cool off. |
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Back in Business
I'm back, and better than ever. Once again I apologize for the long sabbatical, but I ran into some unexpected trouble on the road and had to put blog posting on hold for a while. Although it seemed pretty devastating at the time, in hindsight it's actually a rather interesting story, so here goes nothing.
We were biking across the Andes Mountains, pedaling through one of the most beautiful areas in all of Ecuador. Our day started at Quilotoa, the emerald green lake cradled in the crater of an active volcano. We began from there on our ride down through the valleys and over the mountains, passing through what could have easily passed as the set for The Hobbit. It was a very surreal experience, like being picked up and set down in the middle of a movie, the scenery was really that beautiful. Around midday we stopped by a river winding it's way between two mountains, huge sheer cliffs looming up on one side of us, and endless rolling green hills on the other.
Later that day we arrived at our hotel, hopped out of the Jeep, and stretched our stiff legs. Pulling our bags out of the car, I quickly realize that my backpack was not there. Not the giant backpack with all of my cloths, the small day pack that has everything important in it, the one I never let out of my sight. I quickly started digging through the bags, rooting around like a pig going through the compost... it wasn't there. Without that backpack, I was done for. It contained my passport, visa, ATM card, laptop, camera, cellphone, ipod, kindle, books, notebooks, and countless other essentials. I retraced every step I had traveled that day, the only time I took my eyes off the backpack was during our lunch stop, I would later get confirmation that that was where it was stolen. While we were having lunch, quite literally in the middle of nowhere (we were probably in one of the most remote places in Ecuador, there were maybe 5 houses that we saw along this entire road), someone drove up, opened the door to our car, grabbed my backpack, and drove off.
Later that night, our tour guide had the bright idea of calling my cellphone, which was at that time, with the thief. To everyones surprise, I got an answer. To be honest, I was so stunned that I had no idea what to say, I managed to choke out an 'hola', and got a reply, but they quickly hung up. We tried a few more times, and always got an answer, quickly followed by a hang-up. I sent text messages offering money for my things back, but to no avail. I went to bed with a pit in my stomach and thoughts of simply getting on the next plane to the U.S.
"Will, Will, get up! There's someone on the phone!" my Mom shrieked, stumbling into my room, blind without her glasses. I jumped out of bed, half dressed, and dashed over to the adjoining room. My Dad handed me the phone with little warning, and there I was, all of a sudden having a conversation with the thief of every important belonging I had. I was still in mild shock, and not in any condition to be negotiating. Went around in circles for about five minutes, before we basically agreed that he would return my passport, visa, and debit card (which we had already cancelled), for some amount of money. I offered $200, the reply I got was not encouraging.
"Listen, I'm Ecuadorian, if I lost my ID, drivers licence, credit card... I know how important those things are." he boasted.
"Well that may be true, but I've already called my embassy (a lie), and I can get a new passport in only a couple of days (a lie), for less than $100 dollars (a lie)." I shot back.
I essentially told him that because I could just get a new passport, it wasn't worth more than about $200... he wanted $1000. I told him there was no way in hell he was getting $1000 out of me, after having already stolen everything else of mine, and that $200 was a lot better than his alternative, nothing. That pretty much ended my contact with the thief, he realize I wasn't going to give, and just gave up. I sent another text, offering him one last chance to get some money, $200 is a lot better than nothing I pointed out.
The next day started out on a low note, pretty somber, but I decided to put all that had happened behind me, and enjoy the last day of our tour. It turned out to be a picture perfect day, it was clear, sunny, and we got a postcard view of Chimborazo. Sometime that morning, while we were on our bikes, I heard the phone ring; I could not pick it up. We waited until we had stopped, called back, and got an answer.
"Hello, who am I speaking with?" I asked.
"Uh..w-with the, uh, owner of your passport," came the reply. It was a woman's voice, not the man I talked to last night. This girl was unsure and stuttering.
We worked out that she had found my passport somewhere and was in Latacunga... we would be passing through Latacunga in about an hour on our way home I told her; she got scared and said she would call back later. When we got closer to Latacunga I called back, and told her I would give her money, a meeting point was set. We pulled up to the crowded bus station (our decided meeting point) and waited anxiously.
She was scared. The more I talked to this girl, the more I realized that she may really be innocent. She clearly knew nothing; I told her to wear the backpack so I could recognize her, and she replied that she didn't know about any backpack, she just found my passport and phone when she was going through the garbage (she claimed to be a garbage collector.) She was afraid of getting mixed up in a bad situation, and didn't want to cause any problems, she wanted me to come alone (that part felt very secret agent.) The whole time her voice was shaky and her breathing heavy, you could almost hear her heart beating over the phone. My own heart felt like it was about to crack a rib.
In my head this all went down very slick, like something from a James Bond film, or an exchange you would see on TV, with the briefcase casually set down and picked up by the recipient. In reality, it was much messier. We kept calling each other back and forth, trying to arrange a proper meeting place, trying to find each other.
"Wait, now you're at the bus station? You said you were at the traffic light." "Ok, now I'm at the bus station... oh you mean on the other side of the station." "Which mango tree are you under? There's like 10 mango trees out here."
After about 10 minutes of walking in circles, probably passing each other several times, I finally spotted her. I stuffed my hands in my pockets, put my head down, and slowly approached, trying to look as least threatening as possible. She was a young woman, probably in her late twenties or early thirties, wearing very plain cloths, all covered in dirt and stains. She was obviously very poor, and so far he story of being a garbage collector was holding true. As I walked up to her, she looked terrified, she stuck out her hand and thrust the passport and phone in my face. It would have been so easy to just grab them and walk away, without giving her any money, she never would have followed me, or said a word for anyone. But seeing this woman in her ripped sweater and worn out sneakers, with dirt smeared across her face and clothing, I felt sorry for her. I ended up giving her $100, making an about turn on my heals, and speed walking back to our car.
And that's how it ended, I got my passport, visa, credit card (now cancelled, and worthless), and cellphone back. We ended up staying in Quito for a few unplanned days, to purchase some replacements for essentials I had lost (computer, camera, headlamp, etc.) And I now write from a brand new laptop, sitting in the beautiful Galapagos Islands, enjoying life more than I ever have. I owe the woman who found my passport a lot, I will be forever thankful to her, and I hope she uses the money I gave her to feed her family, or something important... unfortunately it's likely more than she makes in a month.
There are some things I cannot get back, certain photos, and videos, some contact information, notes, and books. But I am just feeling lucky to have recovered from what could have really ruined this trip. I have a ton of blogs to post, on what I've done, both before and since this incident. I doubt anyone will read this whole post since it's basically a short novel. But thanks for waiting, and I hope to have more up soon!
We were biking across the Andes Mountains, pedaling through one of the most beautiful areas in all of Ecuador. Our day started at Quilotoa, the emerald green lake cradled in the crater of an active volcano. We began from there on our ride down through the valleys and over the mountains, passing through what could have easily passed as the set for The Hobbit. It was a very surreal experience, like being picked up and set down in the middle of a movie, the scenery was really that beautiful. Around midday we stopped by a river winding it's way between two mountains, huge sheer cliffs looming up on one side of us, and endless rolling green hills on the other.
Later that day we arrived at our hotel, hopped out of the Jeep, and stretched our stiff legs. Pulling our bags out of the car, I quickly realize that my backpack was not there. Not the giant backpack with all of my cloths, the small day pack that has everything important in it, the one I never let out of my sight. I quickly started digging through the bags, rooting around like a pig going through the compost... it wasn't there. Without that backpack, I was done for. It contained my passport, visa, ATM card, laptop, camera, cellphone, ipod, kindle, books, notebooks, and countless other essentials. I retraced every step I had traveled that day, the only time I took my eyes off the backpack was during our lunch stop, I would later get confirmation that that was where it was stolen. While we were having lunch, quite literally in the middle of nowhere (we were probably in one of the most remote places in Ecuador, there were maybe 5 houses that we saw along this entire road), someone drove up, opened the door to our car, grabbed my backpack, and drove off.
Later that night, our tour guide had the bright idea of calling my cellphone, which was at that time, with the thief. To everyones surprise, I got an answer. To be honest, I was so stunned that I had no idea what to say, I managed to choke out an 'hola', and got a reply, but they quickly hung up. We tried a few more times, and always got an answer, quickly followed by a hang-up. I sent text messages offering money for my things back, but to no avail. I went to bed with a pit in my stomach and thoughts of simply getting on the next plane to the U.S.
"Will, Will, get up! There's someone on the phone!" my Mom shrieked, stumbling into my room, blind without her glasses. I jumped out of bed, half dressed, and dashed over to the adjoining room. My Dad handed me the phone with little warning, and there I was, all of a sudden having a conversation with the thief of every important belonging I had. I was still in mild shock, and not in any condition to be negotiating. Went around in circles for about five minutes, before we basically agreed that he would return my passport, visa, and debit card (which we had already cancelled), for some amount of money. I offered $200, the reply I got was not encouraging.
"Listen, I'm Ecuadorian, if I lost my ID, drivers licence, credit card... I know how important those things are." he boasted.
"Well that may be true, but I've already called my embassy (a lie), and I can get a new passport in only a couple of days (a lie), for less than $100 dollars (a lie)." I shot back.
I essentially told him that because I could just get a new passport, it wasn't worth more than about $200... he wanted $1000. I told him there was no way in hell he was getting $1000 out of me, after having already stolen everything else of mine, and that $200 was a lot better than his alternative, nothing. That pretty much ended my contact with the thief, he realize I wasn't going to give, and just gave up. I sent another text, offering him one last chance to get some money, $200 is a lot better than nothing I pointed out.
The next day started out on a low note, pretty somber, but I decided to put all that had happened behind me, and enjoy the last day of our tour. It turned out to be a picture perfect day, it was clear, sunny, and we got a postcard view of Chimborazo. Sometime that morning, while we were on our bikes, I heard the phone ring; I could not pick it up. We waited until we had stopped, called back, and got an answer.
"Hello, who am I speaking with?" I asked.
"Uh..w-with the, uh, owner of your passport," came the reply. It was a woman's voice, not the man I talked to last night. This girl was unsure and stuttering.
We worked out that she had found my passport somewhere and was in Latacunga... we would be passing through Latacunga in about an hour on our way home I told her; she got scared and said she would call back later. When we got closer to Latacunga I called back, and told her I would give her money, a meeting point was set. We pulled up to the crowded bus station (our decided meeting point) and waited anxiously.
She was scared. The more I talked to this girl, the more I realized that she may really be innocent. She clearly knew nothing; I told her to wear the backpack so I could recognize her, and she replied that she didn't know about any backpack, she just found my passport and phone when she was going through the garbage (she claimed to be a garbage collector.) She was afraid of getting mixed up in a bad situation, and didn't want to cause any problems, she wanted me to come alone (that part felt very secret agent.) The whole time her voice was shaky and her breathing heavy, you could almost hear her heart beating over the phone. My own heart felt like it was about to crack a rib.
In my head this all went down very slick, like something from a James Bond film, or an exchange you would see on TV, with the briefcase casually set down and picked up by the recipient. In reality, it was much messier. We kept calling each other back and forth, trying to arrange a proper meeting place, trying to find each other.
"Wait, now you're at the bus station? You said you were at the traffic light." "Ok, now I'm at the bus station... oh you mean on the other side of the station." "Which mango tree are you under? There's like 10 mango trees out here."
After about 10 minutes of walking in circles, probably passing each other several times, I finally spotted her. I stuffed my hands in my pockets, put my head down, and slowly approached, trying to look as least threatening as possible. She was a young woman, probably in her late twenties or early thirties, wearing very plain cloths, all covered in dirt and stains. She was obviously very poor, and so far he story of being a garbage collector was holding true. As I walked up to her, she looked terrified, she stuck out her hand and thrust the passport and phone in my face. It would have been so easy to just grab them and walk away, without giving her any money, she never would have followed me, or said a word for anyone. But seeing this woman in her ripped sweater and worn out sneakers, with dirt smeared across her face and clothing, I felt sorry for her. I ended up giving her $100, making an about turn on my heals, and speed walking back to our car.
And that's how it ended, I got my passport, visa, credit card (now cancelled, and worthless), and cellphone back. We ended up staying in Quito for a few unplanned days, to purchase some replacements for essentials I had lost (computer, camera, headlamp, etc.) And I now write from a brand new laptop, sitting in the beautiful Galapagos Islands, enjoying life more than I ever have. I owe the woman who found my passport a lot, I will be forever thankful to her, and I hope she uses the money I gave her to feed her family, or something important... unfortunately it's likely more than she makes in a month.
There are some things I cannot get back, certain photos, and videos, some contact information, notes, and books. But I am just feeling lucky to have recovered from what could have really ruined this trip. I have a ton of blogs to post, on what I've done, both before and since this incident. I doubt anyone will read this whole post since it's basically a short novel. But thanks for waiting, and I hope to have more up soon!
Friday, January 4, 2013
Out of Order
I apologize to anyone who has been checking my blog recently only to find old posts. I recently had my laptop, among many other things, stolen. So I will not be able to post, email, facebook, and many other things as easily. As soon as I am able to get all of my stuff figured out, and get plugged back in I have a lot of blogs to post. Sorry, but thanks for the understanding!
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