Cuenca Continued

Day# 4: Today we didn’t have any morning tours. For our Spanish class walkabout, we visited a local market where female shamans perform ritual cleansings on people. Most of the recipients were children brought by their parents. During the ritual, the patient is brushed with leaves from the Huanto plant (seeds used to make Scopalamine) and the plant called Ceniza. At the end of the session the shaman took a drink of some liquid and sprayed it on the patient.

Cuenca, Ecuador

Cuenca Day #1:  We arrived around 5:30 P.M. and were greeted by our hosts Ivan and Enma. We share the home with 6 other people and 3 Yorkies. We have breakfast and dinner with the family and during those times we discuss in Spanish what happened during our day as well as share information about our lives in general.

Immersion experiences are not only an intense way to learn a language, but also a great lesson in adaptation. You basically move in with total strangers who don’t speak your language, so you must rely on your knowledge of their language to communicate all the things you need in your activities of daily living. If you have already had some classes in Spanish, it is by far the best way to advance your knowledge and speaking ability.

Shortly after our arrival, Ivan offered to show us how to navigate our way to class from their house and to take us on a short tour around the city. The school is about a 20-30 minute walk from the house.

Cuenca has a population of about 510,000, 10,000 of which are ex-pats. It is a city steeped in antiquity with many old churches, hotels, government buildings and museums. The streets are impeccably clean. The pedestrian signals are equipped with 2 different bird sounds that accompany the change in color. Green makes a Cuckoo sound and red makes a tweeting sound. As with most Latin American cities, people drive really fast and use their horns a lot. They pretty much always take the right of way, so this requires extra mindful walking practice – no spacing out while gawking at city structures.

Cuenca Day #2:  We struck out on our own and successfully located a nearby laundromat , where we were amazingly able to communicate our needs. Our sentences sounded like Caveman Spanish, but the woman seemed to understand, as she smiled and nodded politely.

Next, we traced our way back along the route that Ivan had showed us to our school. We met our instructor Maria Elaina, who it turns out is also a nurse. We spent our first class talking to her about ourselves and discovered just how much of our previously learned Spanish we had forgotten.

At the end of our session, before our walk home, she advised us to be careful, because there were occasionally robbers on the corners near the school. “Great, we said, undoubtedly scoping out the tourists!” She said that they frequently use the drug “Scopalamine” in its natural form. It is a drug that is rapidly absorbed through the skin on contact and can render the recipient unconscious and sometimes dead.  It is apparently placed on a brochure or other kind of printed papers that people try to hand you, so the rule of thumb is, don’t accept any form of paper from strangers on the street.” Ok, we say, we will walk fast and with purpose – like we know what we are doing.” Of course we don’t stand out at all. No worries, we made it home without incident.

Cuenca Day #3:  Our day started at 9:00A.M. with a city tour. Our first stop was at the cathedral of San Sebastian built in 1736. Our next stop was at the Museum of Modern Art. Strangely, the place didn’t seem to have much art. Its history was more interesting than the art displayed. Prior to becoming a museum, it had been an orphanage, an alcohol treatment center and a prison.

We visited a tiny shop where an elderly man made a form of metal art called “Repujado”, and another small shop where they repaired “Panama Hats”, that apparently originated in Ecuador, not Panama. Our guide informed us that the process of dying the hats white was extremely toxic and that many of the workers develop throat cancer as a result of working with sulfur to dye the hats.

We walked through an indigenous market where they had many different kinds of fruits, vegetables and herbal products that claimed to cure everything. We tried several of the fruits and also the “Hornado” (roasted whole pig) – very tasty.

The shining star of the tour was the new cathedral built in 1885. It is the 2^nd largest in S. America. Inside there were huge pillars made of pink marble and  an alter that is a perfect replica of St. Peters in the Vatican.  Outside of the main cathedral we visited a cloister of the Carmelite nuns, who are not allowed to have direct contact with the outside world. They do make several products that the public can buy for $5.00. The procedure goes something like this: First, you ring the bell and wait for the response –“ Ave Maria Purisma”, to which you reply, “Sin pecado consivida”(without sin conceived). Next you place your $5.00 on a rotating shelf with your request and in turn they place your product on the shelf. Outside of the cloister is an incredible flower market where you can purchase elaborate bouquets for $3.50.

Devil's Nose Train

From our overnight stay at the hacienda in Riobamba, we continued on our journey to a town called Alausi, stopping on the way to see the church of Balbanera built in 1534. Outside of the church there were still smoldering as piles of Eucalyptus from fires built the previous night to celebrate the Virgin of Balbanera. There were also stands cooking Puerco Hornado (roasted whole pig) and other stands selling souvenirs. Here we got our first glimpse of Quinoa plants, a high protein grain that grows well at altitude. It grows all over the hills and mountains around here.

In Alausi, we boarded a train for a 2 hour round trip ride down the “Nariz Del Diablo” (The Devil’s Nose). Before 2005, people were able to ride on top of the train down the steep incline, but there was an incident where 2 tourists were killed and that brought the practice to a screeching halt. The train used to operate from Quito to Guayaquil, but now it only runs the short round trip out of Alausi. They hope to rebuild the line in its entirety someday, but as you can imagine, it is a major financial obligation.

The train ride involves a steep incline with many switchbacks. The scenery is rather bleak with towering mountains and minimal vegetation except for Agave plants. Half way through the trip you stop at a place for snacks, a traditional dance demonstration, and of course more souvenirs. You can also hike up the hill to see a museum about the railway. After returning to Alausi, we stopped for a typical lunch of lamb stew and then resumed our journey to Cuenca by car, where we will be living with a family for 6 days during our Spanish immersion.

More Amazon Photos

Amazon Adventure

The day after we arrived in Quito, we headed to the Amazon. We stayed at a place called Sacha Lodge located off of the Napo River.  To access the lodge you fly from Quito to Coca where you board a long boat for a 2 hour ride down the Napo River. After 2 hours you reach the Sacha Lodge dock where you disembark and walk for about 20-30-min. on a raised walkway through the jungle. At the end of the walkway you board a canoe and row through a small canal that leads to the lagoon where the lodge is located.

The lodge has a common eating area and bar in the front and the bungalows are behind, dispersed throughout the jungle. They are accessed via a raised walkway. The lagoon is considered a black water lagoon because of the tannins and other substances from the local vegetation that color it dark brown. The water is highly acidic and therefore inhabitable for mosquitos.

Some of the inhabitants of the lagoon are caimans and piranha. There are also many types of frogs that sing their hearts out in a nightly croaking contest. Another sound heard during the day is the exotic watery sounding call of the Oropendula. Their hanging basket nests are located throughout the property. Another bird that is located in the bushes surrounding the lake is the strange looking Hoatzin Bird. They remind me of a punk-rock turkey. At one time scientists thought that these birds were a distant relative of Veloceraptors, because the young are equipped with claws attached to their wings that allow them to crawl out of the nest before they are able to fly if threatened by a predator. Some of the adults retain this feature and some don’t.

There are 3 different species of monkeys that inhabit the area, they include: Squirrel Monkeys, Black Mantled Tamarind, and Red Howler Monkeys. The Black Mantled Tamarind is the size of a small squirrel and has a cat-like face. The Red Howlers make an incredible sound like the sound of a howling wind signaling an ominous storm.

We had 2 full days of excursions during our stay. On the first day we were awakened at 5:30 A.M. for hike #1 through the jungle canopy walk way 42 meters high. We spent 2 hours in the canopy and saw a troop of Howlers, 3 kinds of Toucans, a black and white turkey bird, and many other types of birds. On our way back from the canopy we found a Hummingbird nest made from the cotton-like fiber of a Kapok Tree. We also spotted an Amazon Forest Dragon.

In the afternoon we took another hike to a 42 meter tower surrounding a Kapok Tree where we spotted many more birds and got our first glimpse of a poisonous Wolf Spider (mean lookin critter).

Day #2:  Up at 5:30 A.M. again. This time we headed to the parrot clay-lick on the Napo River hoping to see hundreds of parrots feeding on the clay. We saw and heard many parrots flying and landing in the trees above the lick, but alas they would not go to the lick, because in addition to the tourists watching from below, there were predators watching from above. One was a falcon that nabbed one of the smaller parakeets while we were there. The other predator was a boa constrictor lying on one of the branches of the trees above the lick. It had a parrot sized lump in the middle of its body.

Near the clay lick we visited an indigenous Kichwa Community where we were shown some traditional dances and hunting materials. Dave tested out the blow gun and hit the target on his first try (a natural). Afterward we went to meet the local Shaman and he performed a cleansing ceremony on one of our group. We also tried some of the local brew called Chicha made from fermented sweet potatoes. Yuck, it’s obviously an acquired taste!

After this tour I decided to brave the waters of the lagoon and swim with the caimans and piranhas. Despite my fears of what was lurking around me the black water was amazingly refreshing.

Later we took an afternoon/evening hike where we saw many more frogs, lizards, spiders and other insects. We also took a canoe ride in a nearby lagoon called Lagarto Coche that is inhabited by caimans and electric eels capable of delivering 500 volts of electricity. On the way back to the lodge our guide showed us a Cookui Beetle that displays a bright orange light while flying – if captured it displays 2 bright green lights that look like eyes. Last but not least, our guide showed us what was supposed to be a biting grasshopper with a razor-sharp, beak-like mouth, but when he attempted to coerce the little guy to open its mouth with a leaf, it refused, placing its feet over its mouth. I guess it was a pacifist.

Suffice it to say, we had a great time in the jungle. Our next stop is in the Avenue of the Volcanos where the altitude increases to 12,000 feet and the temperature drops – time to break out the fleece.

Arriving in Quito Ecuador

Upon arriving in Quito, we were taken to a charming B&B called Casa Aliso that is located in an upscale area of the city. It is a large house with 10 rooms that has been converted to a B&B. It has several quaint little sitting areas and a lovely large dining area. There are many different types of restaurants located within short walking distance from this place.

Beqa Lagoon Resort Review

During our recent group trip to Fiji, we stayed at a picturesque tropical resort set amongst towering palm trees and surrounded by lush vegetation. The place is called Beqa Lagoon Resort. It is located on the tiny island of Beqa, just off the Southern coast of Viti Levu. After landing in Nadi, we took a 1 ½ hour bus ride to the town of Pacific Harbor where we boarded a boat for a 45 minute ride to Beqa Island.

On our arrival, we were greeted by resort staff singing a welcoming song in Fijian. We were then escorted to our bures (Fijian term for bungalows). The bure locations are beachfront, garden area and around a Koi pond. All of the bures are nicely appointed, each with its own unique charm.

During our week long stay we did 2-3 dives per day and a few of us did an additional night dive. The water was 80-82 degrees with about 50-80 feet of visibility. We dove on a well preserved wreck, an 80 foot Chinese trawler at a depth of 100 feet. It had some easy swim-throughs and colorful soft corals growing on its body. We also swam through a variety of tunnels lined with sea fans and soft corals on several different dive sites. On other sites we cruised over hard and soft corals littered with colorful orange and purple Anthias.

Our grand finally was the Beqa Lagoon Shark Dive. There were 38 divers (normally 52) who signed up for 2 dives. The dives were at different depths in the same area. We began the dives hanging on a line at the surface, peering into the depths below. Surrounding us were juvenile Batfish, and free swimming Remoras, the big boys were waiting below.

Upon receiving the signal from our divemaster, we all descended in mass to yet another line that was strung across an area just behind the feeding platform. All the bubble blowing spectators were positioned along the line. Looking out over the cement platforms, there were several nurse and lemon sharks swimming lazily by, as well as a variety of large game fish like the Giant Trevally swimming above the platform in a slow semi-circular fashion.

As the food bucket was lowered into the feeding area, the pace of action quickened. The semi-circle became a tight cyclone that enveloped the bucket and the feeder. When the lid was lifted, the water became murky with the fish stew and the cyclone’s intensity reached a crescendo. Large bulky shapes began emerging from the twister. The bull sharks had arrived. The feeder appeared from the frenzied mass and began hand feeding the bull sharks as they swam by. Meanwhile a group of nurse sharks lay at the base of the bucket sucking up the juice. There was so much going on all at once that it was hard to know what to focus on. What wasn’t difficult to focus on was the occasional bull shark that would swim straight at me only to veer off at the last second as I shrunk below the coral ledge. The event was fast and furious and then it was over, but what a great opportunity to witness a variety of big fish and sharks up close.

Our main focus for the week was diving, but we also got a chance to experience several other noteworthy events that enhanced our experience of the friendly culture in Fiji, one of these events was the Kava Ceremony. In order to give their guests a taste of the local culture, Beqa Lagoon Resort offers a weekly kava ceremony. Organizing our tasting experience was a cheerful local named Tuamo, who had a wildly infectious laugh that was slightly reminiscent of Woody the Woodpecker.

A large woven mat was spread out in a section of the dining area. Tuamo summoned all who dared to take part in the ceremony to sit cross-legged in a circle around the mat. Selected from the group was one to act as the chief, known as “Ratu” and one to be his spokesperson. Once the ceremony had begun no one was allowed to leave the circle without asking permission from the chief through his spokesperson, as direct communication was forbidden. The ground Kava root was brought to the mat in bags that were emptied into a large wooden bowl and mixed with water.

The ritual involves communal drinking of the Kava mixture from a half coconut shell that is filled from the large wooden bowl and served to each member one at a time. The chief initiates the process. Upon receiving the cup, one must clap, drink it down, clap again then hand it back to the server to be passed to the next member.

The flavor of the muddy looking liquid is earthy, bitter and numbs the tongue. It is clearly an acquired taste. It is often described as a mildly narcotic substance, but after consuming 3 full cups, the only effect that we noticed was a numb tongue. I got the feeling that one would probably get sick to their stomach before they could drink enough to actually get a buzz.

Another optional afternoon activity that the resort offered was a hike to a nearby waterfall. Friendly Tuamo was our guide for this activity as well. As luck would have it, the weather that had been mostly sunny during our stay turned to intermittent showers that day and during our mostly uphill hike to a somewhat less than impressive waterfall, it decided to pour. Looking on the bright side, the rain did make what might have been a hot sweaty event more refreshing. The hike itself provided an opportunity to see some of the landscape outside of the resort and learn something about the local flora. One little tidbit we learned was about a vine that grew along the trail called the “Mile a Minute Vine.” Tuamo informed us that this vine had coagulation properties and was used by the locals to stop bleeding.

Drenched and muddy, we arrived back at the resort just in time to witness the legendary “Firewalkers.” Indigenous fire-walking was originally practiced only on the island of Beqa and was a significant religious event that involved the entire community. The fire-walkers were required to abstain from having sex and eating coconut for 1 month prior to their walk across the searing coals.

The preparation for the event at Beqa Lagoon Resort began in the morning with building a huge bonfire. By the time we arrived late in the afternoon, the fire had died down to a small flame and the coals were being prepared for the final event. During the preparation there was periodic chanting amongst the fire-walkers. Once the coals were ready, each member dressed in warrior garb, made their way across the hot stones, one at a time, pausing briefly in the middle for effect. Though the event has clearly switched from a spiritual practice to a commercial one, it was still a unique representation of a different culture.

There is an opportunity provided by the resort to meet the actual chief of a nearby village, unfortunately we missed the scheduled event due to our shark dive. We did take a guided walk to the village and were shown the chiefs house. There we met his son you who officially welcomed us to the village and apologized for his father’s absence. It is customary to bring a gift when you visit the chief, so we brought… what else… Kava!

It turns out that we actually did meet the chief on the path to the village but just didn’t know it. He was just a guy carrying a machete, walking with his wife who was also carrying a machete. Who knew!

Last but surely not least, the resort has a spa on the property where I was treated to the best massage I have had in a long time. It was 70 minutes of pure bliss! The treatment I received was “The Signature Massage,” and is a combination of Lomi Lomi and deep tissue techniques. Oooh la la, no tired diving muscles after that!

On our departure we were again serenaded by the resort staff who gave us Hibiscus flowers that we were to cast into the sea as we floated away indicating that we would return one day.

More Beqa Photos