Gail South
Ecuador~October, 2005
Saturday, October 8, 2005
Left Beach Haven about 9:45 am. Stopped at Wal-Mart for yarn for an “airplane” project, dropped Jake off at Paige’s and got to the airport before 2 (for a 5 o’clock flight). Had lunch (bad) at Hojo’s, where we left the car at the Vista parking lot, and checked our single (large duffle) bag.
The flight on Continental was the tightest I’ve ever been on. Every seat of the 737 was taken and the seats were TINY. No dinner. Terrible chicken sandwich. Stopover, about one hour, at Panama City. Landed easily at 11:30 pm, only to find our bag had been left, intentionally, in Newark. Apparently they had a large load of freight and decided to leave the larger passenger bags behind. They had quite a staff waiting to placate us. We leave for the Amazon early Monday morning, and all of our clothes are in the duffle. The van was $16, and we are told that a cab would only be about $5, so we will use them from now on, but it was comfortable to have the van waiting in the middle of the night.
Our van Casa Bella Vista in the Cloud Foresttook us right to the Casa Sol, brightly painted orange with a metal gate—very nice and clean. Our room with tiled private bath with plenty of hot water and hand-woven woolen blankets was on an internal courtyard and was quiet and well maintained. The staff was very helpful, and continued to make us feel at home throughout our stay. There is a room with cable television, games, and book exchange. They have fire every night, which is welcoming since Quito gets rather cold in the evenings.
The breakfast in the morning was included with a different fresh juice every morning, rolls, fruit, coffee, and cereal with fruit and yogurt (eggs were extra, but you really didn’t need them) served in the cafe amongst all the other guests.
Sunday, October 9
In the morning we walked around the areas, located in New Town (Mariscal) and close to many travel spots including internet cafes, bars, restaurants, and English-speaking bookstore. We visited the weekend market and people-watched the many walkers and bikers. We saw a group of children performing a sort of circus act. Jerry stood up into a tree and got a huge, bloody gash on the traditional spot. Quito is a small city and on Sunday seems very safe, contrary to all printed and verbal reports. It looks as if a little work could turn it into a beautiful city. The tiny children begging were a turn-off.
Came back to the hotel, regrouped and went out for lunch. We lucked into Le Cebiche, where we were the only non-natives. First they brought out a bowl of popcorn and fried corn kernels, then bread with a tomato/green onion/garlic/pepper sauce, then empanadas with plantain and crab, “Vuelva a la vida” (shrimp, oyster, avocado ceviche), sopa de mariscos and a half bottle of Concha & Torres Sunrise Sauvignon Blanc (total $45).
Went back to the hotel to meet with Elsa, the agent who had set up the Galapagos and Quito tours. We paid our balance to her, and then Fernando arrived to take us on an afternoon tour of the Old City. He was very good and we saw the main sites.
Plaza de la Independencia
The heart of colonial Quito features a winged statue to independence atop a high pillar. A park surrounding the base often echoes with the cries of evangelical preachers ignored for the most part by the legion of old men out to feed the pigeons and enjoy the sun. On the plaza's Southwest side, the grimy Catedral Metropolitana is actually the third to stand on this site. José Antonio Sucre, the number-two man in South America's independence battles, is buried here. Behind the main altar is the smaller altar of Nuestra Señora de Los Dolores, where on 6 Aug. 1875 President Gabriel García Moreno drew his last breath after being shot outside the presidential palace. A long arched walkway to the Northwest lines the front of the Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace). The balconies over the plaza, originally from the Palace of Les Tuilleries in Paris, were a gift from the French government just after the French Revolution. At the entrance to the main courtyard off the walkway stand two long-suffering guards in full uniform who must be among the most-photographed people in the country (it's probably for the best that guns aren't a part of the ceremonial outfit). Inside the gate is a large painting of Orleans descent of the Amazon. The former Palacio Arzobispal (Archbishop's Palace) on the Northeast side now houses a series of small shops and boutiques. Cobbled courtyards, thick whitewashed walls, and wooden balconies make it worth a peek. The plaza's colonial spell is broken only by the stark City Hall to the Southeast, whose simple glass lines still manage to echo those of the Palacio de Gobierno opposite.
Plaza Santo Domingo
A statue of Sucre pointing to his victory site on the slopes of Pichincha decorates this plaza at the southern corner of Old Town. Crowds often surround performance artists in front of the Iglesia Santo Domingo, begun in 1581 and finished in 1650. Four clock faces and an off-centre tower decorate the stone facade. Despite the stained glass behind the altar, the decorative elements inside somehow don't seem to work together; especially jarring is the baroque (read: Chinese-restaurant) filigree of the Chapel of the Rosary to one side.
Plaza San Francisco
This gently sloping, cobbled expanse can easily keep you occupied all afternoon. Head up the set of circular stairs to the front of the Iglesia San Francisco, where vendors of religious souvenir keep visitors stocked with rosaries, candles, incense, icons, and amulets. This largest colonial edifice in the city is also the oldest, begun on the site of an Inca royal house within weeks of the city's founding in 1534. The first wheat grown in Ecuador sprouted in one of its courtyards, and Atahualpa's children learned to read, write, and add in its school. Much of the original construction has been lost to earthquakes, but some original work remains--look to the right of the main altar in the chapel of Señor Jesus de Gran Poder for an example. Two white spires flank a glowering stone facade, which sets the perfect mood for the interior. Inside bare bulbs are almost swallowed by the dusty gloom, with little help from the small, high windows. It's easy to imagine yourself in the 16th century; a musty odor drifts up from the creaking wooden floorboards. They didn't even bother to paint the walls here, choosing instead to gild first and ask questions later--thick encrustation cover almost every square inch. Seeing the carved roof alone is worth a visit. Notice how many of the design motifs come from the Inca, including the smiling/frowning faces of sun gods, repeated several times, and harvest symbols of flowers and fruit.
And MOST IMPRESSIVE: La Compania de Jesus. Its green-and-gold domes are an impressive sight from the Plaza San Francisco just two blocks away. Seven tons of gold were supposedly used to gild the walls, ceilings and altars of this church, and quitenos proudly call it the most beautiful church in the country. The construction began in 1605 and it took 163 years to complete.
It was raining very hard (Jerry bought an umbrella from a street vendor). We went up, up to see the famous statue of the Virgin, but didn’t stay long. The tour was $25 apiece plus a tip. Returned again to the hotel, still worried about our clothes.
The desk clerk recommended that we go to “the mall”, so we took a taxi ($2) and bought a minimum of clothes ($341 worth), which will hold us in the Amazon.
Taxi ($0.47 plus tip) to Mare Nostrum, which is a world-class restaurant. Jerry’s bouillabaisse was judged to be the best he ever had (not a tomato base, more of a butter base). I had a four-compartment entrée with shrimp in coconut butter, shrimp in herbed butter, gambas (huge shrimp) and grilled octopus. With a drink, wine (La Casillera del Diablo), and brandy, the bill was $77The Best Seafood in Ecuador Excellent Food, Prices can be considered high but it is actually cheaper than the TGI Fridays in Ecuador. It has hands down the best seafood in Ecuador. This dimly lit restaurant with a distinctly medieval feel is the best (and most expensive) place in Quito to enjoy fresh seafood. You won't find ceviche on the menu; instead, the offerings have more of a European flair. Specialties of the house include bouillabaisse, paella, and other seafood stews. Arroz del capitán (rice, prawns, mussels, clams, squid, octopus, and any other fresh seafood available that day mixed with coriander, soy sauce, and onions) is the only Ecuadorian dish on the menu. However, the coconut shellfish dish uses local tropical flavors. Also available are Chilean mussels, lobster, calamari, and fresh fish. The sea bass in a butter and garlic sauce is succulent. Whatever you order, you probably won't be disappointed -- the chef has a knack for throwing together different flavors from the sea. Landlubbers beware: Tripe is the only nonseafood dish available. Main courses $7-$21 AE, DC, MC, V
Monday, October 10
I heard the doorbell ring in the middle of the night. Our bag had come. We are hoping we can return our purchases and that Continental will make good on its agent’s claim to reimburse us for the same.
Up at 6:30 for a last hot shower for a while. Repacked, breakfasted, and got a taxi to the airport, arriving after only 15 minutes at 9 am. Our rep from Sani Lodge, Maria, met us t 9:45 with all of our documents. The flight to Coca was in a surprisingly large plane. After a half hour we landed at a very third-world airport, collected the bag we had had to check (because of my Swiss army knife) and a box we later discovered to hold our lunch. Whimper picked us up and drove us to a riverbank where our motorized dugout was loaded with propane, sugar, and about ten native villagers. The town reminded us of a frontier cow town, with dirt streets, one-story buildings in various states of disrepair, and all sorts of oil workers, shoppers and hustlers. We sailed down the Napo River, through many rain showers and lots of sunshine, for about three and a half hours. Part way down the river, we began a series of stops to disembark our passengers, members of the Quinchua tribe. As they exited, they unloaded their purchases, propane, and fancy shoes they had worn for the trip to town. We later found out that before the motorized canoes, the journey had taken one week. We also passed several oil pumping stations.
We were let out, along with an Indian named Juan, onto a large rock on the riverbank, where a small dugout canoe picked us up and entered the Challuayacu stream on which we motored (in a manner of speaking) for 45 minutes to the Lodge on the black, mysterious lake, Challuachoca. We arrived about 4:15 and were greeted with a lemonade and some snacks. Alyson, a tall, blond, blue eyed young American from Maine came and introduced herself and her Indian companion, Guillermo, as our guides.
We declined the 4:30 canoe trip in favor of getting ourselves settled in our very nice cabin with bunk beds and a double (with mosquito netting, which we later discovered we did not need) and an excellent bath (no hot water, but we didn’t mind). We hung up our wet things and unpacked. Then back to the bar, where we watched the birds and had a drink (no ice) by candlelight. We met the other guests, Ian a professional bird photographer from Australia, and Laurance and Suzanne from Holland.
Our dinner was served at 7:30--tomato soup, fish with baby Brussels sprouts, red cabbage salad, potatoes and pound cake. Took a canoe ride around the lake and saw our first caimans (crocodiles). In bed by 9:30 w a 6 am wakeup.
Tuesday, October 11
After a good breakfast, we boarded the dugout for a 45-minute ride to the westernmost shore, viewing lots of birds along the way. Arrived at the Chorongo Trail, the longest on the property. The walk was arduous—the first physical activity ever that made me feel like a senora vieja. The first two hours were very interesting, with many different birds, plants, reptiles and monkeys. The last two were torture. When we finally got back, I drank a bottle of water, stood in the cold shower for 10 minutes and slept for three and a half hours. Jerry brought me a bowl of excellent bean soup somewhere in the middle of my nap. In the afternoon, we went for a sunset canoe ride and saw many new birds and some “marching wasps”. When their nest is disturbed, they rub their backs against the nest and it sounds as if an army is marching. We all shouted together to wake them and it worked. After we got back, Alyson went through the bird book and reviewed all that we had seen. Nice dinner, then to bed.
Wednesday, October 12
Up at 5:30 (Laurance and Suzanne left at 6) for a short canoe ride to a dock where some people occasionally camp out. Then about a 25-minute walk to a high tower, built upon a huge kapok tree, 30 meters (380 steps) up to a platform at treetop level. Just as we arrived, three many barred aricaris (toucans) flew into a branch just above our heads. We stayed for about an hour and a half and watched many new species of birds.
Back for a big breakfast, then took off on a beautiful two and a half hour walk from the back of the lodge around and back to the dock where we had started the morning. This time, I had no trouble keeping up. The jungle was awesome, and Allison and Guillermo pointed out plants, frogs, insects, etc as well as birds. It was also a more leisurely walk. At the end we saw, but didn’t hear, large red howler monkeys. Ian’s 500mm lens has captured wonderful shots on every trip. Back about 11:30 for a shower and some laundry duty. Big lunch—baked eggplant with olives and cheese for an appetizer, soup, chicken and squash with vegetables and fruit. Late afternoon canoe trip around the lake. Pre-dinner concert of Quichan songs. Dinner at 7:30 and bed an hour later.
Thursday, October 13
Breakfast at 6:30. A new “volunteer” guide came in in the middle of the night. He and Juan had to walk from the river, as no one was there to pick them up. Took a beautiful hour and a half canoe ride through a long “alley” of water philodendron. The highlight of the ride was the hundreds and hundreds of various parrots, parakeets, and white-breasted macaws feasting on the fruit of the elephant ear plant. Then a very interesting two-hour walk through a different kind of jungle. The scenery on the ride back was a spectacle of mirror images on the lake. Lunch and siesta—very hot day. Then a nice canoe ride. Dinner. Jerry has been enjoying Montezuma’s revenge since we arrived (he thinks it was a bad oyster in Quito) so Juan made him a native tea of oregano. When we asked how long they had had oregano, Juan said, “About five years.” Night canoe ride—saw two big caimans and a night jar (paraque).
Friday, October 14
5 am wake-up for a 6 am departure. The canoe was “The Last Train to Clarksville” as the dry season is upon us. It took about an hour to get to the river. From now on, the guests will have to walk in. We picked up lots of passengers on the river. Made a pit stop for Ian, but most of the people got out too. It absolutely poured rain all the way to Coca. The flight was as expected. Everything OK. At Quito we found Continental and got $100 (only) reimbursement for clothes. At La Casa we felt as if we were coming home. Did laundry in their modern laundry room. Tried to return things at the mall, but they don’t do that in Ecuador. Had an excellent dinner at Las Redes—similar menu to Mare Nostrum, but completely different ambiance. We were the only patrons (because we ate at 5 pm). They were playing American music from the fifties, and I sang right along. Las Redes LP M44Ecuadoran, Under $10, Pichincha Fishing nets hanging from the wall clue you in to the fact that the specialty here is seafood -- cooked Ecuadorian style, naturally. Small and informal, the restaurant opened in 1969 when Av. Amazonas was the most popular shopping street in Quito. If you haven't tried Corvina yet (a Pacific sea bass), have it here, drowned in shrimp sauce. AE, DC, MC, V. This restaurant serves the best ceviche in Quito. I'm not the only one with this opinion; all my local Quiteño friends agree. Here, you can order any type of ceviche from clams to octopus to fish or shrimp. The chefs here also do an excellent job with all sorts of seafood. One of the specialties includes the gran mariscada, which is an enormous beautiful platter of an assortment of sizzling seafood. The arroz con mariscos (yellow rice with peppers, onions, mussels, clams, shrimps, calamari, octopus, and crayfish) is also delicious. Even though Las Redes is on one of the busiest streets of Quito, the simple wood tables and fishnets hanging from the ceilings make you feel as though you are at a local seafood joint on the coast. The best sea food restauran in the world! You cannot miss the opportunity to eat at this wonderful restaurant, specially if seafood is your passion! Bandeja de mariscos, an exotic seafood mixture served on a huge metal tray. Among other choices, you will find the Salpicón de mariscos, Corvina en salsa de mariscos and the Arroz marinero. Choose from the most select local and foreign liquors to accompany your meal.Tues-Sat 11am-10pm; Sun 10am-4pm Main courses $5-$9 DC, MC, V Address: Av. Amazonas 845 y Veintmilla, Quito, EcuadorPhone: 02/252-5691 One note: Quito is not a safe place. We took cabs everywhere. Our waiter here was very nervous about our cab. There are armed guards everywhere.
Saturday, October 15
Up at 5:30 for a good special breakfast. Fernando arrived at 6:25 and we were off for the famous market at Otavalo. There was no traffic on this sunny weekend. After an involved discussion about the corrupt politics of Ecuador, he talked about geological and geographical subjects. Ecuador has 52 active volcanoes. From Quito, we first saw snowy-topped Mt. Cayumbia, at 5800 m the third highest in the country. Antecerna at 5700 is number four, and the gorgeous, snow-capped Cotopaxi, the second highest at 5900 m and the highest active volcano. It is young, only five million years old. We followed Rio Guyallambe through a trail of flower plantations—roses, hibiscus, bougainvillea—which provide flowers for the world. Then we crosses “zero, zero”, the equator. Imbabura Mt is the “father” of the Otavalo community. It is a holy mountain for the local Indians--(Imbayas) Cotacacha is the mother. It is an active volcano, which we visited later.
We arrived in time for the famous animal market—no llamas—lots of pigs, and cows, sheep, horses, burros, donkeys and chickens. This was a market for locals. There were a few tourists, but not many. Then we walked through the fruit, vegetable, grain, etc. market where meat, chicken, and other interesting meats hung. Then we walked and walked trough street craft markets. We did all of our Christmas shopping, then remet Fernando. He took us to a tiny town where we visited a house of native musicians. The grandfather demonstrated how to make a native flute system and also played many native instruments of Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. Then we left and so did they—dressed in white pants, shirts and shoes and heavy wool blue ponchos. We stopped for an excellent lunch at a lakeside resort, Hosteria Puertolago right on Lago San Pablo. On the way back, we stopped and bought two dozen gorgeous roses for the hotel; staff for $1. Got back to La Casa and packed for the Galapagos.
Good dinner at La Querencia. Hominy and fried pork skin and lamb stew for me and Oyster ceviche and steak for Jerry. Nice view. La Querencia Ecuadoran, Under $10 to $12, New City Diner Rating: 4.4Best known for its superb Ecuadorian dishes -- try the seco de chivo (lamb stewed with fruit), or langostinos flambéed in cognac -- this restaurant has excellent views of Quito from its rustic fireside dining room. You can also eat in the serene outdoor garden. Some nights, the friendly waiters can be heard singing along to soft Ecuadorian music as they roam the restaurant. AE, DC, MC, V. No dinner Sun. La Querencia offers delicious local food in a beautiful setting. If you're looking to try Ecuadorian specialties such as seco de chivo (a lamb stew) or ceviche (white fish cooked by contact with acidic citrus juices rather than heat), but you're a bit apprehensive about venturing into a hole-in-the wall restaurant, La Querencia is for you. From the outside, you can immediately tell that this is a place for wheelers and dealers. On the inside, you'll find large picture windows, which open on to a garden; brightly colored walls decorated with typical Ecuadorian crafts; a fireplace; and charming, large-planked hardwood floors. I recommend starting your meal with empanadas de verde and tortillas de maíz. Note: The locals eat the empanadas with their hands, so don't be bashful about using yours. The seco de chivo is outstanding, as is the ceviche. Other unique dishes include papas con cuero (pork skins with potatoes in a peanut sauce) and arroz con menestra (a juicy filet served with rice, lentils, and fried bananas). This is definitely the best restaurant in Quito for high-quality local dishes. Mon-Sat 11am-11pm; Sun 11am-5pm. Main courses $5-$22 AE, DC, MC, VAddress: Av. Eloy Alfaro 2530, at Calle Catalina Aldaz, Quito, Ecuador Phone: 02/246-1664 or 02/244-6654
Sunday, October 16
Up at 5:15. Met Elsa at the airport. She gave us $30, since the tour yesterday was supposed to be all inclusive and we paid for 3 lunches. Everything was fine. Quito to Guayaquil to St. Cristobel. Paid our $100 each entrance fee to the park and met our guide. There will be fifteen of us on the boat Angelito. A very short bus ride then the tender took us in two trips. The boat is very nice and we were assigned a cabin on the upper deck (as requested). Bunk beds with ample storage and a full bath with shower.
Lunch was served after a short introduction by Efraim, our naturalist and guide. Very fresh yahoo, broccoli, tomato and cucumber salad and watermelon. There are two couples our age from Colorado, one couple from Florida with their daughter and son-in-law, a young couple from Belgium (he works for IBM), a couple from Holland, and a single man from Italy. Everybody was compatible and friendly.
Took the tenders to Cerro Brujo where scores of Galapagos sea lions basked in the sun, frolicked in the waves, snorted and grunted. We saw a baby nursing and many birds (swallow tailed gull, yellow warbler, ground finch, blue footed booby, great blue heron, brown pelican), marine iguanas, lava lizards, a Galapagos green turtle, sally lightfoot crabs. Cruised around Kicker Rock (Leon Dormida), a steep walled tuff cone that has been eroded in half. Many magnificent frigate birds, masked boobies, Elliot’s storm petrel and G. storm petrel. Meeting at 7 to meet the crew of 9 and to discuss tomorrow’s program. Dinner was preceded by some sort of crème de menthe cocktail. Chicken, vegetables and stewed fruit. We had a good night’s sleep, but a “quartering” sea gave some of the passengers a bit of quease. Boat left at midnight for North Seymore Island.
Monday, October 17
Up early for a pre-breakfast look around. Right after breakfast, we dinghied over to the rocky cliffs of the flat uplifted North Seymore Island—dry vegetation of the arid zone. We walked a long trail and saw more sea lions, including many babies and nesting birds. Also our first land iguanas. The magnificent and great frigate birds coexist peacefully. The magnificent is larger, with a purple sheen on its back and its females have a smaller white chest. The great has a green sheen and its females have a larger white chest. They engage in “kleptoparasitism”, which means they steal from any- and everyone. We saw a couple try and get some fish a blue-footed booby was feeding its baby. Blue-footed boobies fish in a graceful flock and plunge dive to catch their prey. They start up high and fly until almost to the water, when they fold their wings. The flora here is very desert-like—Dwarf Palo Santo trees, prickly pear, saltbush, etc.
Back for a snack before lunch. Mixed bag of beef stew, pasta w chicken, rice, salad—all of which was gone on the first round—this is a hungry crew. Afternoon was wonderful. We went to a beach on Bartolome and snorkeled with seal lions, green turtles and beautiful fish, including the tropical surgeonfish. We also saw (Jerry actually spotted it) a penguin on a cliff. Back on the boat for a quick snack and change of clothes then off to climb the mountain for a view of the Chinese Hat and Pinnacle Rock at sunset. Good dinner of longfin tuna and veggies—everyone ate well.
Tuesday, October 18
Very rough night. Only Jerry and Bruno (half of the young couple from Belgium) slept well. Wet landing on a rocky trail on Genovesa, Damon’s Bay. White coral beach with sea lions. Nesting area for swallowtail gull, red footed booby and masked booby. Galapagos mockingbird, warbler finches. Some snorkeled, but didn’t see much. Watched a young male at the island day spa with a yellow tailed damsel finch. After another good, big lunch, we rested till three, when we rode to Phillips Steps, stopping to see our first fur seal and many red-billed tropicbirds as well as Audubon shearwaters. We were in search of the short-eared owl but were unsuccessful. Lots of nesting masked boobies.
Wednesday, October 19
Early breakfast (6:20) so we could land at low tide on Puerto Egas at St James Bay, Santiago—a black sand beach. High volcanic cliff with interesting patterns of flow and erosion. Wet landing, then walk along the cliff with views of new sea birds including several wimbrels and semi-palmated plovers. The low tide revealed tidal pools with sardines. A Hieroglyphic Hawkfish (carabali) had bee left high and dry by the receding tide and was being eaten by a velvet-fingered Ozius crab. An oystercatcher was feeding on pencil-spined sea urchins. Huge colonies of marine iguanas and just a few fur seals. We walked across the island and saw skulls of a feral goat and a burro. The island is the site of an abandoned salt mine, with a still useful soccer field, where the crews of the boats at anchor played. Back by ten with a sail to Isla Rabida. Lunch and off to the “Red Beach”, where we took an interesting walk with a flamingo. Snorkeled with sea lions and beautiful tropical fish including a scorpion fish. A baby sea lion was very curious and nibbled at my toes. Back on board for the trip to Puerto Ayora, which took until 8 pm, by which time we were all starved and were served a very good final meal, complete with a pre-dinner pink pina colada with cherry, lasagna, shrimp, broccoli, rice, cabbage slaw and frozen peach cake.
Thursday, October 20
Breakfast at 6:20. The Baltra airport has apparently been closed for repairs for five months and today is the first day it’s open. Because it is open, we are able to visit the Charles Darwin Research station to see the giant tortoises for which the islands are famous. We spent about an hour there and had good explanations of the history and biology of the animals. Then all 16 of us got into a small bus for the one-hour trip across to the top of the island. From there, we took a ferry to Baltra, then another bus to the airport. In spite of the apparent chaos, we boarded and left efficiently for the non-stop to Quito. We asked at information for the Harley Davidson store and got a cab. Just before we got there, a terrific thunderstorm opened the sky. We found the store, but got soaked. Got a T-shirt for Devin and got another cab back to Casa Sol, where we did laundry. Very good dinner at Ricon de Francia. We were the good Americans. One party of five demanded an English menu because, “we can’t read this one.” Gail :escargot, Crème de Langouste, Corvino w almonds; J pate de pate, mushroom soup, corvine w champignonsRincón de Francia LP M102Rincón de Francia is an elegant French restaurant with great service and flavorful food. Set in the west of the Mariscal, take a cab at night. *****It´tradition.Succesfull place for many years. Romantic if you want so, but good for any moment. Ideal place after a visit to the most wonderfull churches of baroque style . May be too an excursion to the indian market of Sangolqui, near from Cotopaxi: the highest active volcan in the world. This restaurant is located in the north of the city very near to the financial quarter, and one of the city's main arteries (Avenida 9 de Octubre). This exclusive venue offers traditional French cuisine in an elegant and tasteful atmosphere. The place is fully carpeted with tables for small and large parties, all beautifully decorated. Visitors can also enjoy the live piano music while they savor their meal. In the Rincón de Francia (The French Corner), you can enjoy Carapachos rellenos (filled shells), Corvina flameada al pernot (flamed sea bass), Charolais a las tres pimientas (Three peppered Charolais), and other very special "a la carte dishes" prepared by expert chefs. There are excellent French wines to be tasted or if you prefer you may have champagne. If you do not like wine or spirits, you may order a juice or a soda. Open Hours: 12:30p-3.30p & 7:30p-11p M-F, 7:30p-11p Sa
Friday, October 21
Pickup at 8:30, then a two hour ride past Mitad del Mundo (center of the world), stopping to see the crater of an extinct volcano. Arrived at Bellavista in the Cloud Forest about 10:45. The change from arid Quito to this lush, green forest is amazing. Richard, the owner, met us and explained the rules: meals at 8, 1, and 7. Guided walks at 6, 9:30 and 3. We decided to try one of the trails ourselves before lunch and selected (naturally) the most difficult. Straight down the mountain to a stream where there was supposed to be “Discovery Falls” but which was a mere trickle in this, the driest October they have ever had. We got back, very beat up, just in time for a good lunch of chicken, soup, small salad and four potatoes. We went with the guide, Santiago, on the afternoon walk and saw many birds. There are a dozen or so hummingbird feeders around the Dome (the main lodge) and they are full of birds. Had a vegetarian dinner of potato soup (no doubt from the vegetables left over from lunch), cauliflower and egg custard, tomatoes and mixed veggies w papaya for dessert. Early to bed.
Saturday, October 22
Up at 5:15. Met Santiago at 6 at the Dome. Spent close to an hour in the parking lot. You don’t have to travel to see an awful lot of birds. He is very knowledgeable and also quick to spot things. We did a walk down “H” trail and then came back for breakfast at 8. Then we met again at 10 for about a three-hour walk where we spent a lot of time on vegetation as well as birds. One fascinating point was that the “elbow” and “wrist” of the hummingbirds are fused. So, instead of flapping its wings (from 25-120 times per second), it rotates them 180 degrees from the shoulder. The last bird we saw was the “Powerful Woodpecker”, twice as big as the Pileated. Lunch was a big rainbow trout filet and chocolate mousse. In the afternoon, we visited “Tony’s House” ($5). Tony, from Mississippi and his wife, Barbara, from Germany, have built a little house not far from Bellavista. However, it is about 200 meters below the lodge and the additional hummingbirds there because of this difference was startling. No electricity in the house. He is a guide and she is an artist. He plays the piano (how he keeps it tuned in all this humidity is a question) and she plays the saxophone. They were having a weekend party and Santiago was bringing his guitar and his girlfriend was to play the violin. Dinner was a chicken back and some vegetables.
Sunday, October 23
Rained in the night—very good for the forest. Heavy dew and fog in the morning, but it lifted by 6:30. Had a great parking lot bird watch and then walked trail “H” and saw four golden-headed Quetzals—hooray!! Jorge took us and a couple from Madrid back to Quito after lunch. I have a headache from speaking Spanish for more than two weeks. At the hotel, there was a young American physician’s assistant who was doing a rotation in Guayaquil. She had the weekend off and had come to Quito, but couldn’t get her ATM to work so was out of cash. We went to dinner with her at what turned out to be a very good steakhouse just half a block from La Casa (which didn’t prevent us from using the armed guard). She paid the bill with her credit card and we gave her enough cash to get her back to her assignment. Very interesting. She expected to be the only OB/GYN medical person at the clinic.
Monday, October 24
To the airport, paid our $25 per person “get out of Ecuador” fee and flew home without incident. We had exit row seats with no middle passenger up to Panama City, and then a Hispanic lady came and sat in the middle. I was too tired to talk to her, so just knitted most of the flight. Picked up the car at Vista, stopped for dinner and were home by 9