Montañita and Puerto Lopez

Today is Sunday and currently I am listening to the San Francisco Giants play the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. It would be nice to watch the game somewhere but the town that I'm currently staying is very quiet during this day of the week. Puerto Lopez is going to be a home base for the next three nights and four friends plus myself are staying at a cozy hostel called La Fragada which is located one block from a small fishing bay. Puerto Lopez is a small coastal town that has a beautiful waterfront and a very tranquil attitude.

Earlier in the evening we booked a boat tour of Isla De La Plata which is considered to be a cheaper alternative to the Galapagos. The price we payed includes transportation, snorkeling, and a guided tour of a place that houses a wide variety of wildlife. It should hopefully be a fun day trip and a good change from the more hectic Montañita, a wild party town we just visited.

Before taking a one hour bus ride north along the Ecuadorian coast to Puerto Lopez, my friends Nick, John, Sean, Hannah and I spent three nights living at the Iguana Backpacker Hostel in Montañita. The living situation boasted live iguanas and a social atmosphere and those are petty much the only good things about it because the amenities were pretty bare minimum. We reconnected with about twelve other people who had stayed un Quito so it felt very much like a reunion of classmates rather than the visiting of a foreign town.

Montañita is a very small surf town that offers warm water, great seafood, tiki bars, and an impressive nightlife filled with more discotecs than stop signs. Despite its tiny size this ocean community feels very much like Bourbon Street because everyone arrives ready to party and exist with very little sleep. The group I came with did just that and we had some long nights that crept into daylight. We also had one really nice beach day on Saturday and spent great deal of time in the water.

The next few days will also include Halloween back in Montañita then a long bus ride south to help Cuence celebrate its independence day/ Dia De Los Muertos next weekend. More updates coming soon and hope you are doing well too!

South Via North

Today is Tuesday and there has been a two week absence between blog posts. I am very sorry for the delay but to be honest not too many changes have occurred since the last update. Life in Quito is coming to an end and within two days "home" will consist of sandy beaches and a lifestyle of habitual wandering. Classes at Simon Bolivar Language School wrap up tomorrow and it will be refreshing change the environment despite how helpful the experience has been. Starting Thursday my friend Nick and I will be exploring the Ecuadorian coast beginning with a three day stint in Montañita with a handful of other good friends trekking from Quito then letting the breeze of the Pacific Ocean be our navigator. Nick has to return to Quito for volunteer work in a couple weeks and my plans are an open canvas. Some tentative plans will include Cuenca for its Independence Day in early November then bussing down to Mancora, Peru for a Loki Hostel experiece.

After spending a month in Northern Ecuador the next handful of weeks will consist of constant moving and rambling towards Cuzco, Peru. Since the last blog post I have done my best to improve my Spanish and have been meeting a number of locals through Couchsurfing in hopes of conversation exchanges. This has proved pretty cool because these people have been really open toward exploring the city and since then I have gained a better perspective of how locals carry out their day. One of the highlights has been eating guinea pig then going to a theatre called Ocho y Medio in the La Florista and seeing an Ecuadorian movie with a plot set in Guayaquil which thankfully had English subtitles.

A few side trips have included visiting the Mitad Del Mundo (the Earths equator line) and hiking up Cotopaxi which Is one of the worlds tallest active volcanos. Yesterday a friend from Couchsurfing and I hung out in the Itchimbia District which boasts some good views then today we checked out a museum dedicated to Oswaldo Guayasamin who is a well respected Ecuadorian artist. My friend Jordan from Missoula was in town today and we just had dinner in Old Town with a couple other people.

It will be bitter sweet to leave Quito and the experiences here have been ones that I will remember forever. Ecuador in general is filled with wonderful people, a deeply rich culture, and it has been an honor to have been blessed by its presence. More updates to follow and I hope everyone who reads this is doing well!

Firsts and Revisits

Today is Friday and it's the end of a long week filled with studying Spanish, learning Salsa, and trying to experience as many new things as possible. Life in Quito is developing into a solid routine of waking up, having some complimentary coffee at the hostel, then doing my best to improve conversational skills with my teacher Zulma.

Today we took a bus to her side of the city and we toured her neighborhood which has a more authentic feel compared to the Mariscal Distict which is where I live. She lives in a very relaxed neighborhood and her mom made us empanadas. Guidebooks refer to my part of the city as "Gringolia" because it caters to travelers and provides people with a comfortable atmosphere. After two weeks of language classes improvements in speaking are definitely visible but there still remains a great deal of work to be accomplished. I have been fortunate because the people who work in the Vibes hostel are fluent in Spanish and enjoy speaking their natural tongue. Simon and Stephanie are two really great people and without them I wouldn't practice nearly as much.

In addition to studying there have been some very cool people staying at the hostel and now we have a solid crew who do a lot of activities together. Nick from Belgium, Alex from Germany, John from the UK, me from the USA. For the majority of the week we have been found playing pool, kicking a soccer ball, or enjoying a few casual beers while going out for $2 set lunches at local restaurants like Tarzan's in the Mariscal. Yesterday we played soccer near the Botanical Gardens against some Quito locals at a park that was swarming with different games taking place. The wet season in Quito is approaching and light drizzle storms greeted us on the playing field.

Today a good friend from Missoula name Jordan and myself met up for the first time in a couple years. She is traveling for a few months and happened to be passing through the city. It was great to see a familiar face and share some good memories. Tonight people at the hostel want to partake in some rumba activities and Monday a buddy and myself will be in Guayaquil to help the city celebrate it's independence day on October 9th. Next week there will also be a salsa dance at the studio where classes are held and a World Cup qualifying soccer match between Chile and Ecuador. The hostel will all be in attendance and excitement is already growing in the air. I hope everyone is doing well! Peace and Love and you look really good right now..

Guaya-Not?

It's Wednesday and currently I am relaxing at the Manso Boutique Guesthouse with my friends Justin, Nick, and Joost. This quant hostel/hotel is located in the Malicon district of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The four of us took a nine hour bus ride from Quito to help the city celebrate it's Independence Day which is on October 9th. On that day Simon Bolivar liberated the city from the Spanish Empire.

We arrived in a big passenger bus that played violent Spanish dubbed films at around five on Monday and were greeted by a vastly misunderstood city. Guayaquil is the largest city in the country and is known for crime and shifty characters. We were told not to come here because of its negative reputation but after two days of celebrating, seeing sites, and meeting some really friendly locals it is easy to see that Guayaquil is definitely a hidden gem. The countries' bigger port city boasts an iguana park, mildly warm weather, and a family friendly waterfront boardwalk.

Yesterday we woke up early and ate a three dollar breakfast then went to a large park to watch the beginnings of a long military parade. The president of Ecuador gave a brief speech and ceremonial guards strided in formation while donning elegant white uniforms. After seeing parts of the concession we got lunch and checked out the multicolored houses in the las Penas district which has a lighthouse that overlooks the entire landscape. We stayed in the area for most of the day and came back later in the night to take in the nice views and inexpensive beer. There also was a bright fireworks show and a live salsa band to help begin a lively evening.

Today we all felt sluggish from a lot of celebrating last night but still managed to buy cheep Ecuador football jerseys and explore a little more of the surroundings. Earlier in the afternoon I met up with two locals for coffee and walked around a historical animal park. The two are named Maria and it was my first ever couchsurfing experience.
They have been very hospitable and want to show my friends and me more of the city later in the evening. After meeting them I want to pay it forward when I move home because it is a great way to learn about other cultures and make friends from around the world. More updates coming soon!

Back to School

Today is Sunday and it currently It is a very sunny morning in Quito. Right now I am sipping on free coffee from the Vibes Hostel and 80's rock is echoing from behind the backpacker's bar. This particular living space has brightly colored walls and a decent lounge for relaxing after a day of studying.

After arriving last Monday night the week has been filled with language classes, salsa classes, and meeting some really interesting people. Wednesday was the first day of what looks like 3-4 weeks of personal Spanish classes at the Simon Bolivar Language School with a friendly Ecuadorian named Zulma. So far the experience has been interesting and Friday we talked for two hours about our opinions of Hip-Hip and our mutual dislike for Jennifer Lopez. The process has been really challenging but also good fun. The school arranges student activities outside of the classroom which is nice because it provides opportunities to make new friends. On Thursday the school celebrated it's 18th anniversary and after cutting a cake we all boarded a Chivas party bus and joyrided for a couple hours with loud Latin music blaring and people passing around servings of spiked cider. The school is almost entirely filled with Germans and people with Eastern European dialects.

Since arriving the week has also been consumed with personal Salsa lessons with a lady named Fernanda and its been very fun but extremely hard. Hopefully after a few weeks I won't look like a gringo on the dance floor and next Wednesday a few people at the school will go Salsa at a local bar.

Yesterday some Germans from the hostel and myself took an hour long bus ride to Otavalo which hosts a huge market each Saturday. Anything from necklaces to goats could be bought at a reasonable price. Today will be a walking day through parts of Quito's historical Old Town. I hope everyone is doing well! More updates soon!

Quito Kid

It's Thursday and over the course of three days a great deal of tripplanning has been altered. On Monday I took a plane from Bogota to Medellin and had a few hour layover before taking another flight to Quito, Ecuador. The final destination was supposed to be in Guayaquil with hopes of enrolling in a Spanish school in Montañita later in the journey. After doing some research and following a gut feeling I decided to not finish the day's trip and left the Quito airport with my backpack and booked a hostel very last minute. It was a risky choice but the taxi driver from the airport was a really informative and friendly guy which provided a great deal of positive reinforcement.

I now have been in the city for three days and have been enjoying a stay at the Vibes Backpackers located in the heart of New Town. The staff is friendly and I am the token American in a place filled with Germans, Kiwis, and various members of the European Union. This particular area of the city is filled with hostels and does a good job of catering to a diverse set of travelers. The prices for food and rent are considerably cheaper than Colombia which is a very nice bonus. Cars are more relaxed and the massive Pinchincha volcano looms above the city.

Yesterday I registered for Spanish classes at a language school called Simon Bolivar and will be doing intensive private lessons for at least the next three weeks. My teacher is named Zulma and she is pretty nice so it should hopefully be a good experience. In addition to Spanish I also just enrolled in a salsa dancing school to try and get more immersed in the local culture. Dancing and language learning are two major reasons for the trip and it feels good to have found a city that offers both as a reasonable price. A tentative idea is to stay here for three weeks but this could end up being longer or shorter. Only time will tell but until then life as student should be fun. More updates to follow but I hope all is well!

Farewell and Hello

Currently I am enjoying my last cup of Colombian coffee in a chill location called Diletto's and taking in the scenery before getting a taxi to the El Dorado Airport. Classical music is the cafe's soundtrack and it feels bittersweet to be on the road once again. Excitement comes knowing that an entirely new culture, history, and series of experiences are about to greet me on arrival in Ecuador. Bitterness comes from leaving newly gained friendships and walking away from a really good life in Bogotá. Thirty minutes ago all of the other great people at Emerging Voices and myself said our goodbyes then parted ways as they left for today's projects. These were some of the nicest people I have ever met and it is a gift to have crossed their path.

I know little about Ecuador and the mystery of a new place sounds like a good way to start the week. Today I'll fly to Medellin, have a second layover in Quito, then have a final stop at Quayquil which is where my hostel for the next two nights is located. After Wednesday the itinerary is a completely blank canvas: There are tentative plans for visiting Puerto Lopez then enrollment in a Spanish School in Montañita. As of now I'm looking into Couchsurfing contacts and waiting to hear back from two schools. Either way I'm headed to the beach and am planning on learning Spanish while enjoying hopefully some surfing or just being a complete bum. The trip has been really structured so far and it will feel good to take it day by day. There are also some help exchange opportunities near the Peruvian border which might be a good fit.

What waits ahead is relatively unknown and this is exactly what I want. Farewell Colombia with your vibrant people, insane drivers, foot stomping music, and mind erasing Aguardiente. Hello Ecuador it is a pleasure to meet you :) shall we dance?