Scenes from a Chilean rest area

Here are some snapshots from a rest area on the Pan American Highway near Temuco.  We stopped by this morning on our way to dropping off Neil's parents at the airport.  

Note how on Chilean-style hamburgers the mayonnaise layer is as thick as the meat.  That's avocado, not lettuce, under the mayo.

Showers are available for 500 pesos (about a dollar).

These prehistoric looking birds (the equivalent of Canadian Geese?), pecked peacefully by the exit. 

We resisted the call of these donuts.  Should we have tried them?

In contrast, we could not resist the wine the other day at our lunch stop in Central Chile, right on the Pan Americano.  We had delicious salmon tartare, seafood salad, and steak sandwiches -- definitely a cut above I-95.

Snapshots from the road

Two happy gents in Valpo

One of Valpo's many staircases

Chilean parkour?

The cleanest rest area I've ever seen

You can even shower on the Pan Americano 

Chilean condiments

Chilean hostess cupcakes?

A whole new world of eating

One thing that is the same in Ecuador and Chile is that food portions are generous.  The similarity pretty much ends there.

I've been in Chile for only three days, but here is what I have learned about Chilean food.

1.  Chileans like mayonnaise on everything.  Eg, the popular fast food, completo, is a hotdog topped with guacamole and mayo.

Get out your knife and fork

2.  Chileans eat hamburgers and other large sandwiches (heavy on the mayo) with a knife and fork.

3.  Because of the influence of the English, Chileans drink tea.  The coffee here sucks even more than it does in Ecuador.

4.  Seafood and wine are the best things to consume in Chile.  You can't go wrong with either.

It's summer vacation time in Chile and we joined the hordes today at Quintay, a tiny fishing hamlet halfway between Santiago and Valparaíso.  It used to be the biggest whale processing center in the Southern Hemisphere.  

Today, it was like Cape Cod in August.  After waiting for parking, a table, and then service, we finally ate lunch at 4 pm.  

Without a dictionary, we were a bit flummoxed by this menu.  Pastel de Jaiba was the big hit -- a creamy crab stew.  Neil had anguias (baby eel).  Ruby and I had ostion pil pil, oysters in olive oil.  All the dishes were bubbling stews served in cast iron bowls.  It was well worth the long wait!

We decided to have a light dinner in Valparaíso of ice cream.

I had chocolate and churros.  Someone's gotta do it!

A whole new world!

We arrived in Santiago a few days ago, literally agog.  Seeing Chile through the eyes of Ecuadorians, we saw a paradise of cleanliness, efficiency, potable water, pothole-free roads, and prosperity.  The Santiago metro is identical to the Paris metro.  Oscar commented that it's nicer than the NYC subway. Chile feels just like Canada!

Neil feeling exuberant in the Santiago metro

More specifically, Santiago looks like Nice or a less grand version of Paris.  Chileans really emulated the French in the 19th Century.  Today, Chileans act like Germans (the government encouraged Germans to settle here in the 1800s and the German influence remains strong in the areas of food and a predilection for rules).  Valparaíso looks like San Francisco.  The rest of central Chile looks and feels like California 30 years ago.  The physical landscape is similar -- deserts, vineyards, and windswept Pacific coasts.

Starbucks!

As for the people, after months of dealing with friendly and courteous Ecuadorians, I was a bit put off by the brusque people in Santiago.  Neil says they're just like New Yorkers, i.e. in a hurry, but I found them more dour and rude than my compatriots.  "Buenos dias" and "muy buenos dias" are replaced by a curt "hola."  And no one in Santiago says "que vaya bien" upon parting ways.  

yarn bombed tree in Santiago

Just one example of Santiago's ubiquitous graffiti

It was wonderful to meet up with Neil's parents, who are joining us for about two weeks.  We spent the last two days touring and eating our way through Santiago.  Highlights:  pisco sours at Confituria Torres, the oldest restaurant in Santiago (it looks like a Paris bistro), the Museo de la Memoria y Los Derechos Humanos, the walking tour of Yungay, our fancy Peruvian dinner at Astrid y Gaston, La Chascona (Pablo Neruda's house), exploring the China Mall (all the cheapest crap at the lowest prices possible), and meeting Howie Katz, an old college friend, for drinks (who just happened to be in town with his Chilean girlfriend).  

Is this really what China looks like?!

Post-museum rest

This morning, we loaded up in a 12 person Hyundai van and hit the road.  Chilean highways are a dream -- 120 km speed limit and we even have the Chilean version of EZ pass.  Navigating the steep, windy streets of Valparaiso was tricky (I only had to back down one street, and Neil's GPS wanted me to turn up a street of stairs), but we made it to our hotel in one piece.  Tomorrow, we check out Valparaiso and then head to wine country.   

Chile...

Here we come!  

Looking forward to drinking potable water & good wine, and (possibly) flushing toilet paper.

Final thoughts on Ecuador

Ecuador's natural beauty is astounding.  Because of the extreme changes in elevation over a small area, the biodiversity -- plant and animal life -- here is truly mind-boggling.  It's the only place in the world with snow-capped mountains at the equator.  There are active volcanoes, hot springs galore, the jungle, the Galápagos, the Andes.  Ecuador should be a top destination for anyone who loves the outdoors.

The people of Ecuador are wonderful. Almost without exception, we met kind and friendly people here who were willing to help or spend some time with us.  Indigenous cultures continue to exist, even thrive, and remain a source of pride throughout the country.  Traveling around Ecuador, we didn't see abject poverty anywhere.  Successive bouts of land reform and an administration with a socialist bent have made a tangible difference.  We did see traditional ways of life in small villages and towns all over the country.  It's hard to know how and whether they will survive over time.  

Ecuador is a country dominated by construction.  Both the countryside and cities are just filled with half-built concrete buildings.  Growth feels somewhat improvised.  Quito's brand new international airport lies only 23 km as the crow flies from the city, but the drive through glaciated valleys on single or double lane roads can take two hours.  Why is there no infrastructure to support this world class airport?  With no airport hotel, and a couple of early morning flights, we have stayed twice at small hotels (essentially houses divided into hotel rooms) located in tiny hamlets near the airport.  It's a distinct experience to lie in bed next to a farm in a single road village, listening to roosters crow and the sound of jet engines taking off.

Unlike 20 years ago, Ecuador now has first world roads.  But they're still filled with third world traffic -- buses loaded with people that stop for anyone, trucks filled with livestock, and camionetas of campesinos and city-dwellers alike.  With car ownership growing exponentially, and current gas subsidies continuing, Ecuador might simply become one huge traffic jam.

Ecuador feels like a country in transition.  It's hard to tell whether all the construction will be completed soon, or never.  Everyone talks about President Correa's obessessive road building.  Much of Ecuador's future depends on how the government deals with corruption, oil production, and development in general. 

On a more visceral level, here are my 5 sense impressions of Ecuador.  

Smell:  wood smoke, roast meat, wet wool, car exhaust, and sewage.  

Taste:  fresh juice (naranjilla and tomate de arbol!!), potatoes, stringy meat, delectable soups, ceviche.

Sound:  car engines, barking dogs and crowing roosters, Latin American music and Andean Muzak (imagine Hotel California and Titanic on Andean flutes).

Feel:  hard beds, heavy wood furniture, tile floors, hand-made textiles, and thirst (between equatorial sun and high elevation, we were always fighting dehydration).

Sight:  snow-capped volcanoes, the páramo, the extraordinary light on soft green hills (words simply can't capture it), school kids in track suits everywhere at all hours of the day, traffic.

Turning the Page on Ecuador

I'm going to miss this...

....but not this..

Tomorrow is our last day in Ecuador.  We set off before dawn on Monday for Santiago, and I’m already perusing my Chile guidebook – in particular the food section.  Food, for the most part, has been satisfactory in Ecuador, even good at times; but ultimately, it’s not a highlight.

When we first picked Ecuador as the place to spend the first quarter of our sabbatical, we got a range of reactions.  Some people who knew the country well encouraged us and recommended many things to do.  Others, including some NYC-based Ecuadorians we know, were incredulous – Yo’s doctor said, “I can’t imagine spending more than three weeks in Ecuador”.  What were we doing spending so much time in this tiny country of only 15 million when we could be in Argentina, Colombia or Brazil?

We settled on Ecuador for a few reasons – diverse, safe, easy to get around, good Spanish schools, not expensive.  And there is a lot to do here, particularly for people who like the outdoors, as we do.  One of our biking guides said something that really resonated with me: “In Ecuador, you’ll find everything you expect to find in South America.”  He was right.  Spectacular mountains, Amazon rainforest, wildlife, relaxed beaches, vibrant indigenous culture, colonial cities – there’s a lot here. 

And we’ve done it all (well, almost).  After two and a half months, I’ve spent more time in Ecuador than in any other country outside the US, apart from the two I’ve briefly called home, Germany and Thailand.  So I do feel like I’ve gotten a bit of a feel for the place. 

The highlights:

1.     The Andes – I found the stark volcanic peaks and the surrounding countryside to be simply awesome, in every sense of the word.  I wish we could have spent more time exploring them.

2.     The Oriente – Being deep inside the world’s largest forest, surrounded by such a diversity of life that had absolutely no use for me, inspired in me a feeling of smallness that I’ll remember forever.

3.     The Galapagos – A strange place full of exotic animals that have no fear of humans.  Absolutely unique in this world.  Also, nice to see a fragile place where the forces of preservation seem to be defeating those of human development.

4.     The people – Although Ecuadorians have a reputation for being more formal and reserved than their neighbors, we met some really friendly and remarkable people, and even in casual interactions, found that people could not have been kinder or more helpful.

Meh:

1.     The cities and towns – Even the considerable colonial charm of Old Quito and Cuenca couldn’t overcome the concrete, construction, traffic, diesel fumes and generally monotonous character of Ecuadorian towns.

2.     The food – The seafood, particularly the ceviches, can be good, as can the soups.  And the portions are such that you’ll never walk away from a meal in Ecuador hungry.  But there’s a lot of bad food, and not a lot of variety.  I’m ready for a change.

3.     The beaches – I liked the beaches of Ecuador.  And the food on the coast (like the encocados - coconut seafood stews) was far better than in the Sierra.  But they suffer in comparison with the country’s real treasures.  The Andes, the Oriente and the Galapagos are absolutely amazing.  The beaches are just nice.

So what would I do differently?  Not much, maybe trim a day or two here and there – a couple of fewer days on the coast, a couple more in the mountains.  It’s been a great two months in so many ways.  As I write this, in the Ali Shungu lodge, overlooking the Andean town of Otavalo, I’m watching the evening clouds roll in as the volcano Imbabura fades from view.  I’m going to miss Ecuador.  But I read that the lamb and seafood in Chile are fantastic!

Well, at least there are no ice storms

We've been following the news about how this has been one of the worst winters ever in New York, with over four feet of snow so far in the City.  Just today, we had to have someone come clear the snow off the roof of our house upstate, which we've never had to deal with in over 10 years there.

There aren't any snow storms in Ecuador - no hurricanes either at the Equator - but there are all sorts of other hazards.  See below (and I forgot to take a picture of a tsunami evacuation sign to add to my collection).

Quito

Baños - we almost needed this one, and 2.62km is a long way to run!

Mi español

The other day, after a few seconds of chatting, a waiter asked me if I was from Spain.  After I stopped laughing, I thanked him for the compliment – I’ve certainly never had anyone confuse me for a native speaker (even one from another continent, where the language is quite different).  So I guess I must be making some progress with my Spanish.  But like anything, I have good days and bad days.  Sometimes I feel pretty articulate, and other times, I can’t seem to come up with the right word for anything.

I think my Spanish has actually gotten better now that I’ve focused more on trying to speak fluently than trying to speak properly.  For example, I hear lots of Ecuadorians not bother with the subjunctive when they probably should be using it, so I don’t see any reason why I should. 

I’m still puzzled by genders.  Adjectives are supposed to take the gender of the noun they are modifying.  But sometimes nouns of different genders get run together, as in “una botella de vino”, a bottle of wine.  “Botella” is feminine and “vino” is masculine.  But then if someone says “it’s cold”, referring to the bottle of wine, it seems like there’s no rhyme or reason as to which gender they assign to the adjective “cold” (frio/a).  So they might say "es fria" or "es frio".

Actually, the word “agua” has been a big source of confusion for all of us.  “Agua”, unlike most other Spanish words ending in “a”, is masculine.  So “the water” is “el agua”, not “la agua”.   Simple, right?  Just memorize the exception.  But in every day usage, adjectives modifying agua are always feminine.  So you have “agua fria” (cold water), “agua purificada” (purified water), “agua aromática” (herbal tea), etc.  Small bottles of water are called “aguacitas”, a feminine diminutive.  I’ve been asking Ecuadorians about this, and haven’t been able to get a straight answer.  We asked our waiter on the Galapagos cruise about it, and he was stumped.  Hours later, I heard him discussing it with the rest of the waiters, and none of them could come up with an explanation.

My reaction to all this is to keep on speaking and not worry too much about genders of adjectives.  But I’d love an explanation of what’s going on with “agua”.  Any help from our readers on this? 

Fiber arts

It's our last weekend in Ecuador and we're enjoying it in the highlands north of Quito, in Otavalo.  

Here's Neil relaxing in our casita at the wonderful Ali Shungu Lodge.  

For my fiber arts friends, Otavalo is famous for weaving, ponchos, shawls and all that can be made with alpaca and wool.  

Here's Miguel Andrago, fourth generation master weaver, demonstrating spinning by hand.

 

His daughter showed us an older spinning method.  

Weaving is done by hand, with intricate patterns committed to memory.

 

Señor Andrago's father made this belt, which supports the weaver's weight as he or she leans back.  These belts are always made out of the skin of cows' faces, the strongest leather.  

Normally, we would not buy anything because we couldn't carry it.  But with Neil's parents meeting us next week, we picked up a few things.  And I hope to find some alpaca in the market tomorrow for some knitting projects.  Ojalá, as they say.

The Galápagos

The last time we were in Ecuador, we didn't have enough money to visit the Galápagos Islands.  As it turned out, widespread protests shut down the Charles Darwin Station and airport during the exact time of our trip, so we couldn't have made it anyway.  Today, almost 20 years later, we were able to spend a wonderful week exploring the many islands in the archipelago.

It's a much happier story here in the Galápagos than in the jungle, where cynicism prevails and oil interests seem to massively overpower eco-tourism.  Here, the Ecuadorian government and local communities have forged an alliance to promote tourism, sustain local commerce, and protect the eco-system.  Development on the islands is tightly controlled.  You can't live here unless you marry someone from the Galápagos.  You can't work in tourism unless you're from here or marry into the community.  The government dictates access to the islands -- both the number of visitors and timing of visits.  Fishing is allowed but fisherman cannot use nets that can entangle wildlife.  As a result, many fewer people live on the Galápagos now than in times past, and wildlife on many islands is flourishing.  The government has successfully eradicated cats, goats and horses from a number of islands, protecting many species of iguanas and turtles.  It's one of the few places in the world where one can see nature fighting back and reclaiming what has been lost.  From our limited perspective as tourists, the alliance successfully protects everyone's interests.  I'm sure it's much more complicated than that, but we didn't have time to delve into the issue.

One other key difference between the Galápagos and the Oriente is that it is much easier to see animals here.  Unlike the jungle, where they hide from people, the animals here just hang out in front of people.  On many occasions, we had to move out of the way as a curious sea lion entered our midst. Also, the jungle contains an enormous variety of species.  In contrast, in the Galápagos, we saw many animals of a smaller number of species.  This is especially true of the mammals, birds and reptiles.  Once we were snorkeling, however, we saw a huge variety of aquatic life and I couldn't even begin to list the species.

As everyone knows, Charles Darwin sailed to the Galápagos Islands on the Beagle and developed the theory of natural selection based on his research here.  The Galápagos remain a center of scientific research, and most of the land remains protected and off limits to visitors.  A few years ago, the government limited access even more so that boats essentially cover half of the islands per tour.  We didn't feel the loss from visiting just the western islands.  In 5 days, we saw a great deal and were kept busy from morning to night with excursions, snorkeling, beach visits, hikes, etc.  We traveled on a luxury boat with a friendly mix of Ecuadorians, Americans, and Europeans.  It's vacation week in the Andes, so we spent the week with a number of teachers and families from schools in Quito.

Neil and the kids will blog in more detail about everything we saw.  I'll focus here on my favorite place -- Fernandina, the youngest island, which lies farthest to the west.  Fernandina is the world's largest pristine island, meaning it is the most untouched and uncontaminated by humans. Topped by one active volcano, 1,500 meters high, Fernandina looks dramatically lunar and volcanic -- dark, lava topped by scraggly trees with just a hint of green.  Without rats, cats, goats, horses, or other introduced animals, Fernandina has a huge population of marine iguanas -- the only iguanas in the world that swim.  Rounding the bend on our hike, we came upon hundreds of them lying in a large pile.  They were camouflaged perfectly on the lava, down to the dark skin color, and the lighter ridged scales that looked like fissures in the rock.  Comically, the iguanas repeatedly snorted liquid out of their noses, making a belching sound.  They do this in order to desalinate their bodies. They swallow a lot of sea water when they swim and eat algae.

Marine iguanas on Fernandina

Fernandina is also home to a particularly large species of Galápagos sea lions.  They are an example of gigantism -- natural selection has favored very large sea lions because the particular environment on Fernandina can support them.  We saw many species of sea lions in the islands, many endemic, and they ranged greatly in size.

Baby sea lion nursing

This juvenile sea lion chased Oscar, our juvenile human 

 Fernandina also has an endemic lava heron and many cucumber cacti.

cucumber cacti

They grow right in the lava

Interestingly, the Galápagos islands are so isolated, even from each other, that unique species live or lived on each island, and sometimes, in certain areas of each island.  For example, Isabela had five distinct species of land tortoises, one for each volcano.  Sadly, three are now extinct.

One of the most curious animals here in the Galápagos are flightless cormorants.  Only 2,000 individuals survive, all living on Fernandina or Isabela, the large neighboring island a bit to the east.  As you can guess from the name, flightless cormorants cannot fly.  They still have small vestigial wings that they preen and use for balance while on land.  These cormorants have long snake-like necks, and they are excellent swimmers.  Looking at them speed through the water, it's easy to imagine their wings evolving into flippers some day.  One of our greatest thrills was to snorkel and swim with flightless cormorants, Galápagos penguins (the only penguins to live in the northern hemisphere -- barely, as the equator bisects the Galápagos), and sea lions.  The Galápagos penguins are small, an example of dwarfism.  These animals are clumsy on land, but they were amazing agile acrobats in the water.  Both Galápagos penguins and flightless cormorants are relatively rare in the islands.

Galápagos penguin

Flightless cormorant

We've been resting up in Santa Cruz for a couple of days and sadly must leave tomorrow for the mainland.  The downtime was very much needed.  Neil and Ruby are recovering from a stomach ailment and I am healing from the third or fourth round of jellyfish stings.  Luckily, we are renting a comfortable, spacious apartment where we can cook, watch movies, and relax in air-conditioning. Santa Cruz is small and prosperous, filled with fancy gift shops, tour agencies, tourist restaurants, and neat homes and businesses.  Like the rest of Ecuador, we are in election season.  Party trucks of supporters with matching T-shirts and flags travel around town, and at night, they throw competing karaoke parties.  Tonight, assuming everyone's feeling up to it, we hope to eat at the kioskas, small stands selling fresh seafood dishes with tables in the street.