Ecuador « One Young Man's Yestermorrows

Las aventuras en Ecuador

“‘Remember what Bilbo used to say: It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.'” – J.R.R. Tolkien

“Simplicity and repose are the qualities that measure the true value of any work of art.” – Frank Lloyd

“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” – Ovid

Every three months at the Albergue we are aloted a week off for vacation, and this can be very important. I am a firm believer in the concept of rest, that in order to do something well you have to be charged. However, this also comes with the idea that that rest precedes time in hard work. Anyway, in addition to a time of refreshment, when someone from the U.S.A. comes to Peru without a visa, they can receive 90 days and then exit the country to renew their time. I have been in Peru for over 3 and a half months now, and it was time for a break and a fresh set of days. So…I went to Ecuador!

My friend Juan is from Piura, a city about 6 hours north of Trujillo in Peru and a good launching point for reaching Ecuador. The both of us first went to his home in said city. Piura is a cool place, reminiscent of Trujillo but more concentrated, smaller, and hotter. It is quite easy to walk where you need to go, and because of its smaller size taxi is a more common form of transportation (as opposed to the rampancy of micros in Trujillo). We stayed there for a bit (and ate really well!) Below is a pic of delicious ceviche as well as the Plaza de Armas de Piura.

Bueno, from there we traveled up to Ecuador, about three hours to the border. Peru and Ecuador certainly are neighboring countries that are similar, but it is also evident right off the bat they are different. On the Peruvian side the officials use their notebooks and pens and are a bit disorganized; however, 50 yards away on the Ecuadorian side, there are computers that print the immigration details on your passport and people professionally doing their job. We got back on the bus and headed to our destination, and throughout the trip the cleanliness and order in comparison to Peru came into view. The countryside is greener, void of the overflow of trash, and the road system is noticeably more pleasurable. Peru is a wonderful country that has been my home, yet it was interesting for me to observe the comparisons between Peru, a developing country, and its neighbor up north that is noticeably more, for a lack of a better word, advanced. A couple of other points: the food of Ecuador does not touch that of Peru, and I noticed that the people of Ecuador are very nice and kind, yet more reserved and quieter.

About three hours from the border we arrived in Cariamanga, a charming little city in what I would call the High Coast, not quite in the mountains but high up nonetheless. We found a great hostal upon arrival for a great price (15$ each person for two nights) and explored a bit of the city. There was also a carnival going on, finishing up its last night before leaving.

The highlight of the trip came the following day, when we did some hiking! This turned out to be intense. It took us about three hours or so to get to the top of this big hill, through some rough terrain. Once up top, we decided to jump to neighboring mountain/hills on the path that was up there, but when we got further along we decided to head down. However, we headed down on the opposite side of the hills, away from the city, and found ourselves in an area where there was no path. We had two options: retracing our steps and finding another way to head back down, and making our own way through. We chose the latter. This began with a trip down a mini cliff, where I grapped a root for support. Well, as I began my descent, the root snapped and I went sliding down! Gracias a Dios, a stopped at the bottom with nary a scratch! We then, lost in the forest of Ecuador, made our way through the brush, over fences, and past the clearings to the city finally! Overall we were out for about 6 hours, and it was an adventure!

The next day we headed back to Piura, where I once again experienced the hospitality of Juan and his family, and the day after that back to Trujillo. So, obviously it was a short trip, but at the same time a great opportunity of refreshment and a lot of fun! Adventures, ya gotta have em’!

There is quite a bit to say as far as what I have been up to as of late at the orphanage, but I’ll have a post with regards to that later on. Enjoy the photos, y hasta la proxima!