The Misadventures Of Seinor Malo

Blahhhhhh

thebauerguy — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 13:28:00 GMT

Well holy crap. No good morning here. It's off to the dive shop to cancel my dive for today. I can't even clear my ears on the surface. No way I am going to be able to get under the surface. So I resign myself to a hammock for the day and catch up on my travel logs. I am a bit behind. Sorry to all of you in la la land I will get them posted soon. Internet access and free time have not been so available. I have a five hour rule rather that a five second rule, I drink water from the tap in foreign countries and I eat food in places the health department wouldn't go into. And what happens I get a cold from being on the dang ol' airplane. Go figure...

Deep six

thebauerguy — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 13:26:00 GMT

Morning nomads. With fingers intact its time to go diving finally. It's off to the dive shop by 7 am so another early start. Why can't vacation days start at 9 or 10 in the morning instead of 6 am? Oh well off I go. At the dive shop its the usually and customary briefing on where were going and also a meet and greet of your fellow divers. During the briefing we are told we would be traveling back across the island back to the canal to board the dive boat. Ok no problem let's get going. As we get to where were diving its time to do a checkout dive for all the divers whom are new to the group so we can get our buoyancy worked out. Apparently the water here is super high in salt content and it shows with the extra weight. What I can't figure is why in the heck we are diving in two piece farmer john 7 mil wetsuits. I mean come on the water is 70 and I use this suit for diving in water that is at freezing temperature. They say you get cold with the thermo clines here. After the first dive I am praying for one of these cold spots. I am just about cooking in the 7 mil suit and I am only wearing the bottom half of it. I spend a lot of time trying to get fresh water in to cool me off. My camera wants to give me heck as well. Half of the lens on the scuba case is fogged up for the first dive so it makes taking pictures really hard. So I finally give it up and resort to simply enjoying the beautiful environment. There are tons of fish here. We cruse along the walls and across the sand beds. The garden eels are pretty cool but I want to see something that can eat me. After our surface interval and a snack we head from the Seymour canal to Seymour point. Here we find a few small cave where white tip sharks are resting. Really cool. Can I pet the shark fish? The dive master said no. Oh well. Maybe I will wait until he's not looking... As we head out into the blue we don't have to wait long untill a hammer head school shows up. Unfortunately I am starting to feel the effects of a cold today so I am unable to get deep to see them up close. It was really cool none the less. Finally, something meaner and nastier than I am....

Out to sea

thebauerguy — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:24:00 GMT

I know its morning by that strangely bright light creeping up over the horizon. On the airplane the captain told us the time here was an hour behind Quito. So I set my watch. At 7:15 on my cell phone I head to the curb. I was told the Santa Fe Yacht bus would pick me up at 7:30 in front of my hotel. Ok cool. At 7:45 I was wonder if maybe I missed the bus. I waited until 8 and then asked a guy for the time just incase I had the time wrong. He told me it was 7. I looked at my watch. An agreed with him. With a polite thank you I went back to the curb to wait for the 7:30 bus. Apparently I didn't bother to set my phone to the correct time and also didn't bother to look at the hour hand on my watch. So I was just a little early for the bus. Oooops. When the bus finally did arrive I hopped aboard and rode all the way back across the island to the canal I had to cross yesterday. As our required naturalist guide calls our attention he leads us to a little motorized dingy. I'm thinking I actually paid money for this. As I look around I see the cabin cruiser out in deeper water. Ok this isn't bad it's a nice cabin cruiser called the Santa Fe 2. We headed west to the area of this island called Cerro Dragon. While aboard I acquaint myself with my fellow passengers making small talk to pass the time. The cook is on the back deck preparing the red snapper he will be cooking later. Can you guess whom shows up for lunch. I half expected to see seagulls myself but here they are replaced with frigate birds. There is always some one around looking for a free lunch. At least the frigate birds are not as pestulant as seagulls. Maybe I only say that because I don't live here. We arrive to the lagoon were we are going to stop. The boat drops anchor and we pile aboard the dingy for a ride to shore. Here the guide takes us on a walking tour to see marine and land iguanas as well as give us the 50 cent tour of the local vegetation and a little history of the islands. Damn it, I learned something to day. Don't people realize I am on vacation and learning is not on the agenda. I hope I didn't pay extra to learn something. Oh well, I will just pile this in the attic of other information forced upon me. Kind of like where I put everything I learned in high school. Was I supposed to be paying attention back then? I was only slightly disappointed in the small number of iguanas I saw but I have more land tours to do so I am sure I will see more. After all this is a really large island so there is lots of space for the animals to spread out. And the information the guide gave us was pretty good. Ok so I actually like learning something but if you tell any one I will break your fingers. We finish our tour back at the beach. As everyone prepares to go swimming and snorkeling I catch a ride back on the dingy. As I get back on the Santa Fe I ask the captain permission to dive off of his boat. He says no problem have fun. so I did. Up to the top of the boat which makes a perfect 4 meter platform into beautiful clear 70 degree waters of the pacific. After a dozen or so dives I don a mask and snorkel to get a closer look at the fish swimming under the boat. With camera in hand its time to swim with the fishes. In a good way that is. As I'm floating there taking photos I am holding my camera with my thumbs and index fingers. Now my other fingers are extended out of the way and I am not looking at them but rather the screen on my camera. Just because I am not watching my fingers doesn’t mean some one else can't have their eye on them. A really large blow fish thought my left pinky finger would make a really great snack. Not just the tasty tip but the whole thing. I tell you those little bastards are sneaky. Fortunately it wasn't one of those shark fish wanting a taste. I would have had trouble pressing the A, Q and Z buttons on my key board. You don't relie just how improtnt tht finger is untill some little critter comes long nd tries it for lunch.

An other day in paradise

thebauerguy — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:22:00 GMT

Morning all. It's off to the airport for an early morning flight to the Galapagos. I am totally filled with the anticipation of the trip. I can't wait to see the islands with their varieties of wild life. I am just totally amped 15 days on the Island Santa Cruz in the Galapagos. This I defiantly one of the best places in the world to go scuba diving. As we land in Baltra the deep blue of the sea stretches as far as the eye can see. The island seems very dry with lots of cactus. Not what I expected but then I realized, I was on the dry side of the island. After a while the bags are place out for everyone to hunt though the piles to find their bags. Come on this isn't LAX after all. I buy myself a bus ticket to Puerto Ayoro. I think that's where I am going. Maybe I should pay a little more attention to the details of my trip. Naa. I get on the bus and enjoy the scenery but before I know it, it's time to get off the bus. I come to find the island we landed on is not the island I am staying on. It appears there is a small canal about 300 meters or so across that I have to cross. So it's pile the luggage on top of the boat and climb aboard. Surprise boat fee is not included in the bus ticket. No problem what's 50 cents. Oh look there is an other bus. Hey guess what the ticket is good for bus number two. How lucky. Of course your hounded by the taxi drivers. Maybe I should have taken a taxi. There is one road across the island and it takes 45 minutes to drive it. The driver would have known where I wanted to go and I wouldn't have had to schlep my bags across town in the midday heat. The bus makes only two stops. One at the canal and the other one the opposite end of town from where I want to be. Fortunately I found my hostel on the way to the dive shop so I was able to drop my bags off. After checking in a the dive shop it was off to find supplies. I wonder what that could include. Tang, water, beer. That should be enough for a couple of days. What else does a man need. Ok so the Tang was extra but it goes well with water. I get back to the hostel about 3 and claim myself a hammock. I fell asleep for 3 hours. You couldn't have woken me up by setting me on fire. I guess I was a little tired. With the evening creeping along it's time for dinner and that beer is calling my name. This evening I spent my time doing a little relaxing and spent some more time in the hammock. I met a few guests here at the La Perigrina. Jimmy and Andrea (Sweden) and I stayed up till about 2:30 bs'n. What goes with beer and whiskey as well as shootin the shit?

Just a few days

thebauerguy — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 13:21:00 GMT

Well good morning nomads. Time to transfer back to the hostel Posada Del Maple. I prefer it to Hotel Rio Amazonas. I will take a month in a good hostel over a couple of days in a 3, 4 or 5 star hotel any day of the week. You just can't beat the experience that a hostel provides. If you want to spend your vacation alone and not get to know anyone then the Hilton is the way to go. Ok don't get me wrong you may get to know the staff. You can get that at a hostel and you will get to know all of the other guest as well. A couple days to rest and relax. I would love to say I spent my time sight seeing and partying it up. But, the body needs sleep to recharge the batteries. Ok I can't lie. I didn't rest and relax. I kept myself very busy and in the company of friends. I went to cable car up the mountain top to get the birds eye view of Quito. It's rather strange taking a ski lift to the top of a mountain without skis and no snow. What a view. My only question is where the hell did the air go. You have defiantly gone well above nosebleed territory when your at the top of the mountains here. Heck the city is at an elevation of 9200 ft. At the tops of the mountains well I don't what to say other than it's damn high. I also checked out a few of the local museums. And of course, partied with my new local friends. Can't let lack of sleep get in the way of a good time right?

On the bus again

thebauerguy — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 13:20:00 GMT

Good Morning and no hangover for me. Well the others I can't say they faired as well and myself. Fortunately I have an iron constitution. I did however sleep past the animal market. I would have liked to have taken photos of it but too bad you snooze and you lose. I was snoozing. I didn't bother to get up till 8 and then went for a bit of a wander. The Saturday morning market was huge. It must have stretched 8 blocks in one direction and 4 in the other. Walking room well it was tight. Fortunately everyone bought their stuff the day before so we got the best prices and didn't have to fight the crowds. On the bus ride back to Quito we had our first problem with pick pockets. Fortunately nobody got anything pinched. It turned out to be 2 guys working together trying to go through peoples bags under the seats. They were lucky they didn't mess with me I would have made serious problems for them. But I was in the back of the bus and didn't know anyone else was having problems. One thing I can't stand is people stealing from me or my friends. With the travel all done and checked into the hotel, I was off for another hot date. Karla, Paul, Eli and I joined the group for one last dinner together and to say goodbye to everyone. Then it was off to a house party for Sebastian one of Paul's coworkers. It was a good time but reminded me kind of a bridal shower with the types of games they had people playing. The best game was you were given a safety pin to wear. If you were caught answering a question with a yes or no or if you had your legs crossed you lost your pin to whom ever caught you or tricked you in to breaking the rules. Of course I had to bring a gift for the birthday guy. A bottle of tequila of course. Would you expect anything less.

As for the end of the gap trip. It was kind of weird for everyone to say goodbye. It's kind of a shame to leave such a good group of people. It's not everyday you manage to travel with a group and have everyone in the group get along as well or as easily as we did. This was defiantly a special group. Not something you could copy. I want to give my thanks to Carlos our fearless leader for being part of our little clan. He really made this trip something extraordinary and unforgettable. Aloha to all of my new friends even those whom think eating meat is wrong. Here's Cuy at you. Cheers. You will all be missed. With our toes pointed towards adventure may the circles that our journeys make, one day cross again...

A long 4 blocks...

thebauerguy — Fri, 9 Feb 2007 13:19:00 GMT

Good morning once again. Well today were off to Otavalo to go to the market. With a short 1 hour ride we manage to get to our next hotel. A nice hotel 1 block from the city square one direction and 2 blocks from the market in the opposite direction. Of course my room had to be on the 4 floor and there are no elevators in the building. So I make every trip to my room count. The market at Otavalo is open every day and is much like a flea market as everyone sets up their little booth with knickknacks and junk for sale. During the week the market only takes up one block in the city. I am told that on Saturdays the market gets really big. So the group scatters and everyone goes their own direction to shop for junk. I on the other hand hide the wallet and grab the camera. I don't like shopping but I do enjoy taking photos of the markets. As I am looking around I see a shop in a building on the edge of the square. It's a shop that makes guitars as well as other stringed instruments. So I wander in to meet the owner. I have seen a number of chorango's being played by number of musicians and liked the sound of it. A chorango is basically a 2 foot long guitar with 10 strings. I had seen a number of them in the market for sale. Ranging in price from 75 to 100 dollars. But I decided to buy on from this shop. Some thing about meeting the man whom personally handcrafts your instrument makes it a little more special. Whether or not you can play the darn thing. It's just got a nifty factor. So after looking at the different Chorangos for sale I decided on one with in what I was willing to spend. Yes I bought the cheapest one he had. Only 55 dollars. I was impressed with the quality of his craftsmanship. His high end instruments were all carved from a single piece of wood and simply beautiful. My instrument may not be as nice and may not sound as good but I did not want to spend 280 dollars for his top end models. I am just as happy with mine and if I never learn to play it makes a nice decoration. Well I think everyone is shopped out and most have managed to make it back to the hotel. We had planned to meet up for dinner but only Sam, Ena, Mod, Tracy, Peit, Carlos and I showed. Every one whom wasn't feeling ill for one reason or an other ended going to a symphony concert here in town. The rest of us went to dinner. We decided on going to a restaurant Carlos had never been to before but had been mentioned to him by a friend. It was a nice place owned by a German couple. As we were waiting for our food I was asked why I wasn't drinking any alcohol. I simply replied, "I just didn't feel like drinking yet." Our dinner came and we were all pleased with our meals. The flavors were all really good from the vegetarian plates to the burritos everything tasted great. With belly full there it was the craving for a little tequila. Poor Tracy was not feeling so well and left to go back to the hotel. So I excused myself from the table and headed for the bar. Returning with two shots I had planned for myself ended being shared with Ena. Well, then it was on. It was our last night on the road together so let's have a party. I asked the owner to bring me a whole bottle of tequila. The price for a bottle of tequila in the restaurant was only 5 dollars more than what I pay at the grocery store at home. Rather quickly the 6 of us finished that bottle. With the bottle empty it was time to move on to a bar about 4 blocks from the hotel. While everyone was trying to figure out what to drink I just simply order another bottle. Well lets just say that bottle lasted less time than the previous bottle. Good ol' Sam steps up next with a nice bottle of rum and coke mixer. Now we have a little trouble headed our way. Peit is falling down on the dance floor and then we get Ena dancing on the stage with the lead singer of the band. No one is feeling much pain except Mod whom has now assumed the position of hugging the table so she doesn't fall over. Carlos, Sam and myself are doing just fine. Apparently I go to the bathroom for a quick pee and when I get back Ena has left her mark in the corner of the bar and they all decided the exit stage right. So back to the bathroom I go to get Peit whom at the time was praying to the porcelain gods. As we poured our selves out of the bar it was worse than an act of the three stooges. Sam carried Ena I carried Mod and Carlos carried Peit. Well, that lasted till the end of the block. I tried to get a taxi to take us but nobody was willing to stop. I can't possibly imagine why.... All I can say is the 4 block trip to over 30 minutes to complete and only involved 5 barfing sessions, Several falling overs and a whole bunch of crashing into walls. Thank goodness the buildings were there to hold Peit up one one side and Carlos on the other. The problem was Peit was connected to Carlos whom was connected to Mod whom was connected to me. And Peit made like a ping pong ball and I was at the opposite end of the paddle. I got the trees, curbs and street signs. I think we might have been a little quite getting back in the hotel. Carlos told us "Be cool" in a vain effort to keep us quiet. Well sorry Harv. We didn't mean to wake you and Carol as well as the rest of the hotel. Oooops...

Cozy cool

thebauerguy — Thu, 8 Feb 2007 13:17:00 GMT

A well rested hello to all of you nomads. With the cooler temps and drier air of the mountains I was able to sleep very well. I just pulled up the blankets and was out like a light. Being half buzzed didn't have much to do with that. We all arose fairly early to get a quick morning breakfast before horseback riding. Several of us saddled up for an hour ride around the ranch and by the local farms. Harvey was off at full speed from the get go. My horse was the laziest horse of the whole lot. It would get halfway up a hill and have to stop to take a break. Peit was off at full speed against his will a number of times. If his horse wasn't off at a full run it was at full stop eating at just about every bush it came to. At one point all you could hear coming up behind you was the patter of Peit's horse and the screams of fear from Peit trying to get the horse to stop. Good luck Peit. After horseback riding Peit, Mod, Sam, Ena, Liz, Stein and I were off in a pickup truck to go visit the local ruins. The guide spoke English quite well and taught us about the local plants and the common uses for them. He even showed us a plant that the berries if squeezed the juice makes a really good sunscreen. Other plant for curing colds and headaches among other things. The ruins being quite old and a historical treasure had to be covered in dirt in order to protect them from the elements. They were all covered in dirt except where a roof structure had been erected to allow you to see some places where excavations had been done and other places to show the structure. It's not the Pyramids of Egypt but interesting non the less. We learned some more local history and the possibly history and use of the ruins. It is believed they were used as a solar and lunar calendar for the harvest and planting times. After the tour was over the guide asked us if we would like to see the llamas that lived there. We all said "yes". So he let's out a few little whistles. Low and behold the entire herd of llamas comes a running. All of the llamas not just a few of them. There was even a sheep whom apparently thought he was a llama came running along with the group. As we got to where the museum was all of the llamas were waiting for us. The guide got out a bucket of powdered salt for us to give to the llamas. We all had so much fun being surrounded by the llamas. Most all of them would allow you to pet them. As the salt treats were running out we were treated to a llama orgies. In all the excitement a few decided to get their groove on. What a laugh.

After the truck ride back to the hacienda I managed to sneak an other ride on the horses with Pia. I was given the same horse Peit was on earlier. I don't think this horse ever stops eating. We would be walking down the center of the trail and as a bush approached the horse would slowly edge over towards it. Just as the horse was about to grab some grub I was there with the reigns to pull it's head away. Finally after about 20 minutes of this the horse got the picture. And finally we could go uninterrupted. After and hour we found our selves back at the hacienda for a little R&R. A visit to the pool was very welcome. Of course not a hammock left. The sleeping beauty syndrome has stuck again. And as usual I am a dollars short and a day late. So no hammock for me. With dinner time finally here I couldn't wait for the Cuy. Of course Pia had to sit right next to me to watch me Cuy. The beauty of growing up with sisters is you know all the tricks for grossing someone out. Of course I had to such the head and try to offer a piece of Cuy to Pia. She politely declined and was totally fine with what I was eating. Until. I could resist no longer. I took the head and pointed at Pia. With a lovingly funny voice I said, "Please eat me Pia. Eat me. I am delicious." It was at that point she lost it. She had to get up and sit at the other end of the table because she was way too grossed out to sit near the Guinea pig. For those of you whom have never tried Cuy it is very much like duck in flavor just a lot smaller in size. You have to try it as soon as you get the chance. You love it. After a few hours and a few more cocktails in the lounge it was time for bed. As for me I am bushed I have to crash so see you tomorrow.

Who knows...

thebauerguy — Wed, 7 Feb 2007 13:15:00 GMT

Why do I do it? We partied like it was 1999. Sleep? Well not really. There is plenty of time to sleep when your dead. Right? I set the alarm on my cell phone to let me know when to leave to catch bus to the middle of the world rather than when to wake up. That's not bad is it? Most of us took a private bus up to the middle of the world. To see the equator. We were a little early so we continued on to a parking area up the mountain a ways. The view of the valley was very nice. It turns out its really just the crater of a volcano. I would hate to be one of the many people whom live in it. It would be a really crappy way to wake up to an eruption. We headed back down the hill to an equator museum and education center. The experiments to prove you really are on the equator were really simple and very cool. Yes, draining water vortex does spin the opposite direction in the other hemisphere. You might also be interested to know it doesn't spin at all on the equator. Can you balance a raw egg on the head of a nail at home? I can do it on the equator fairly easily. The museum here had a shrunken head as well. They wouldn't sell me one. They told me if I wanted to have a shrunken head I would have to use my own head and shrink it. What does that mean???? Just kidding. Were off once again. Back to the hotel to catch another bus to Cayambe. So, a cat nap on the bus ride to Cayambe ends me up at a 400 year old hacienda. Thankfully Carlos wakes us up to let us know when we need to get off of the bus. Or who knows where I would have ended up. At the Hacienda the rooms are divided up and bags tossed in. We are given a quick tour of the grounds and a brief lesson on the hacienda's history. With the 99% of the group well rested it's time for a leisurely hike up the hill to get the view of the valley. Oh sh**, that's not a hill. It's a freaking mountain and it's straight up. Ok, so living at 5500 feet gives me a little a little help with the 8000 foot elevation we are at. But a 1000 feet up this hill just ain´t going to happen. Not today it's not. Maybe next year I will climb this hill. Then again mabye not. So plan B is formed. I decide to hike with Harvey and Carol (Canada) through out the woods on the flat grounds. I figure I will go take some pictures and then go buy beer. Yahoo that's a winner. I kept an eye on the others on their assent and decent of the non hill. It was actually easier than it looked. So I am told I still didn't believe them I saw the mountain with my own eyes. Boy I tell you that cold beer tastes really good on a hot day and I didn't have to break a sweat open the bottle. Well dinner time rolls around and look what's on the menu. Cuy (Guinea Pig) apparently a local delicacy. I have tried Cuy on a number of different occasion and really enjoy the flavor. We did manage to find it on the street in Banos but we were already on the way to a restaurant for lunch and there was none left by the time I got back. Pia was really interested in seeing me eat Cuy. She didn't believe I had eaten it before and she didn't think I would try it. So, with it being a special order item I placed an order for the next day. Peit and Mickel ordered one to share as did Liz and steen. I know there isn't much meat on a guinea pig so I order a whole one for myself. After a nice long dinner we made our way to the billiards room slash old church now entertainment room. With nothing to do anywhere else and the beer supply once totally remove for the local stores the games were on. The ping pong table didn't last long and some how the ball got lost half way through a game. Who knows where it went. It was probably carried of by a rat or one of the dogs. Who knows...

Want not waste not

thebauerguy — Tue, 6 Feb 2007 13:14:00 GMT

Ok I am awake once more. How about you? Morning brings free time to go explore some more. So I join up with Tracy to go to the museum of the Banco De Central. A rather interesting museum covering culture and history of Ecuador. We did manage to bump in to Liz and Stein(Denmark)in the beginning of the museum for about 20 seconds then we lost them some where between the pictures of past heroes and executed leaders. Unfortunately at the entrance I had to give up my camera as photos were not allowed in the main part of the museum. What a shame. I would have loved to have some photos of the shrunken heads display. I tried to get one as a souvenir. The guards didn't like that. What a shame I only wanted one it's not like I was going to take all of them. After a couple of hours in the museum it was off to get food and meet the group. We were supposed to meet up with some of the others to check out the old church and then do lunch. Well, with the aid of bad communication we were on the wrong side of the central square in front of the wrong church. That's really bad considering we all speak English. After 30 minutes of waiting around in the area Tracy and I assumed was correct our stomachs took over and forced us in to a cafe. Oh well, Tracy and I had a lovely lunch of empanadas for me and a vegetarian sandwich for her at a little cafe called El Oso just off the square. Noon time rolled around and so did the time to head back get our bags and catch a flight to Quito. So it's back to the hostel. Which by the way was very nice just don't eat there. It will clean you colon I was told. So once again the herd is off in a swarm of taxis to hop a flight back to Quito for a quick over nighter. The million dollar question: What to do with the left over bottle of rum. If I pound the remaining half bottle I probably won't be allowed to get on the plane. It's a sin to through away perfectly good rum. So what to do? I hear and knock at the door of my room and who should arrive just in time. The maid, problem solved one soon to be drunk maid....

Ok so back in Quito and back to the hotel Rio Amazonas. I am glad to have take the 30 min flight instead of a 12 hour bus ride. Especially since the toilets on the buses here are reserved for the women only. The men and number 2's are not allowed on the bus. Well, it's time to boogie I've got a hot date I don't want to keep her waiting. It's party time once again....

Food courts?

thebauerguy — Mon, 5 Feb 2007 13:12:00 GMT

Morning all. Well after getting in at about 6 last night and a really great meal at the local mall food court. Food court at the Cuenca mall is way better than food courts in Reno. They made the food fresh and the menus were like that found in a restaurant. Don't get me wrong there was KFC and Burger King there as well but the other places had very nice food. I have to say sitting there looking at the KFC I had the craving for one of their biscuits. I was heart broke when I came to learn they don't serve the biscuits here in Ecuador. They have cookies instead. I almost died. A KFC with no biscuits is like, well, I don't know what its like but it pretty damn awful I assure you. So anyhow, It was up at 8 for a walk of the city. We managed to find a French style cafe with French style service. Really bad service. I got my beverage after the first portion of my breakfast and the rest of my breakfast after everyone had already finished eating. How hard is it to make a damn crepe with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. NO TIP..... We continued our day with a walk around checking out the town center, a cathedral and then the local Panama Hat factory. I was lucky to survive the church I wasn't stuck by lightning or stricken with the plague for walking in. I didn't press my luck and made my visit short. At the hat factory we were given a full tour and taught how the hats were made. A very labor intensive process in making one little hat. fortunately with the use of a few machines the process is only streamlined just a little bit but every bit helps. I didn't know you could buy a straw hat that could cost as much as 500 dollars. That same hat would probably cost you a 1000 dollars in the US. A standard hat takes about 2 days to make goes for about 15 dollars and the one that takes 6 weeks to make is 500 dollars. I was very impressed with the quality of the hats and the weaving yet I decided to not buy one. I don't blink an eye on spending 2000 for a camera but 500 for a hat. No thanks. I did enjoy learning how the hats were made. Really a cool process of turning a local plant in to a fine article of clothing. With weary legs and high temps outside I have decided to just be a vegetable for the rest of the afternoon. I am going to try to work on sorting out my photos. I am anxious to look at all the ones I have taken. That lasted a little while and the need for sleep overcame me. After a couple of hours nap it was time for dinner. Ok, so I partied some more after dinner what the heck. We all stayed up late enjoying a few six packs of Club beer and a other bottle of rum.

31 Flavors

thebauerguy — Sun, 4 Feb 2007 13:11:00 GMT

Well yet and other early morning rise. So here is a groggy hello to all you road weary travelers. With just enough time to inhale breakfast and catch a private bus from Banos to Cueanca. A big thumbs up for the private bus. The group was off and rolling. We decided to hire a private bus instead of taking the regular bus. It was much nicer because we could stop for Kodak moments, Lunch, bathroom breaks and also stopped at the Inca Ruins on the way to Cuenca. From Cuenca we would have spent half a day and 40 dollars to go see the ruins. The private bus only cost 12 dollars extra per person. Totally worth every penny to have a the added convenience. On the way we also stopped at a farmers market in some small town on the way. Lots of the indigenous people out selling their produce and what ever else they had for sale. We were told that the locals here don't like to have their photo take so if we wanted to take their photo to do it from a distance. Now do I listen to what I am told to do. Well, sort of. I only took 325 photographs in the market and only one person thought I was taking their photo. Which of course I was. I just put on the neck strap and held the camera down at my belly auto focus and wide angle. That is the only time you will really see me use the auto focus feature. I had to learn to shoot from the hip in high school. That was the only way to get photos of many of the shy students. I have to say I loved all of the colors in the market. It makes flea markets in the US look boring by comparison. After the market it was down the road a ways for lunch at some hole in the wall. Decent food cheap and it didn't clean out the colon for the next week so not bad. Now their swimming pool, well, alligators wouldn't have swam in it. Back to the bus. With Mario Andretti at the wheel we made some good time to the ruins. The ruins were pretty nice. Not really large by some standards but nice non the less. It was interesting to learn some of the political and racial bias about the locals and tourism to the ruins. Such as how the locals own the ruins and didn't want half breeds working there or giving the tours there unless the spoke the local language. That kind of thing would never fly in the US with all of the political coward ness we have to suffer with back home. That's right not political correctness it's political coward ness. I have to give the Ecuadorians credit they enjoy a much simpler and slower pace of life. Their value of family is top notch compared to the US. They don't seem to measure life by how much crap they own or how much nicer their Escalade is than your Honda. All though some of that does happen here. Over all they enjoy life and most seem to be really happy, poor by American standards but happy non the less. So far most every person I have met has been super friendly and has been as helpful as possible. Back home it seems you more likely to get the middle finger than a smile. Not here. Although here being too nice to a local woman is considered flirting. Oops. I wonder what making out with a chick is considered. I hope I don't have to get married before I leave Ecuador. My friends would really get on me for that. I wonder if they let me live it down for just bringing a few of the local girls home. If Baskin Robins can have 31 flavors why can't I.....

Time for adrenaline

thebauerguy — Sat, 3 Feb 2007 13:09:00 GMT

Well conscious again. As much as we could be anyhow. An early breakfast and then off to get the quads for the day. Peit, Sam, Ena and myself decide to rent quads together. While most the others rented mountain bikes or hired taxi's to get them around to see things. The four of us set off to ride up the mountain to hopefully catch a good view of the caldera from across the valley. The view didn't happen due to cloud cover. Oh well, we can still have fun riding. We met the bikers almost at the top of the mountain on their way down. They cheated a lot and were shuttled up the mountain in a truck so the were able to just ride down. Some of them actually rode back up part of the way. Just serious punishment if you ask me the dirt road was pretty steep with tons of switchbacks. The four of us rode our quads up over the top and back down the other side. As we were nearing the bottom we decide to turn back so Peit could make it back in time for his river rafting adventure. On the way back with a little extra time on our side we explored a side road up to an eco lodge. Low and behold I blow the tranny out in my quad about half way to the lodge. That was just a topper. Sam and Ena's Quad kept losing the drive chain about every 10 to 20 minutes so we had to stop plenty of times to fix that. Luckily that is a really easy fix. Thankfully, I had asked for some rope at the rental shop to tie down my raincoat and water bottle. That quickly became a tow strap. I tied the rope to Peit's rear bumper and made a loop around my front bumper so Peit could tow me up the hills and I freewheeled down the other side. Some where between the 4 wheel slides around hairpin turns with 200 foot drop offs next to me. And the sheer speed of the all out get the machine to go as fast as possible with no motor I managed to take a wrong turn. Funny thing was the others made the same mistake so I don't feel bad for getting us a little lost. So some how we made a wrong turn and ended up on a different road going down the mountain. We ended up way east of where we wanted to be. Our first clue was a fork in the road and the lack of houses we passed on the way up. I have to say again the 4 wheel slides at 20 or 30 mph around the switchbacks really got the adrenaline pumping so I didn't pay too much attention to anything else. Instead of heading all the way back to the summit some 3 or 5 miles back up a very steep road we decided to continue down. Our mistake. That decision cost us a minimum of 12 extra miles and many stops for directions. I so love how when you stop and ask a group of people what direction it is to Banos you get 3 different directions and a few of them also had no clue. We decided it was majority rules and the direction that the most people pointed was the way we went. So after some 20 miles of coasting and towing we made it back to the hi-way and cell phone reception. I was able to make a couple of calls and with Carlos's help we arranged the rafting company to pick Peit up on the hi-way and then Carlos finished towing the quad back to the shop. I was able to get the shop to upgrade me to a 2004 Honda dual sport motorcycle for the rest of the day and they gave one to Carlos to finish out Peit's rental for just 5 dollars more. After a short stop for fuel and new toys Sam, Ena, Carlos and I were off again to go to this swanky Swiss lodge for lunch. Really nice place and really out of the way up the mountain on the other side of the valley. One small detail over looked was the drive chain on Sam's quad. Fortunately the chain only came off a few times. After a really good 10 dollar lunch Carlos and I headed up to the top of the mountain. 100 kph up the mountain in a twisty one and a half lane pavement optional road gets the juices flowing. We explored and number of different routes up the mountain and I managed to find a little single track. Well let's just say that I should have walked up it first to see if it was good for riding. I only had to back the bike down the muddy leaf covered very steep very narrow trail about 800 feet. There was no way to turn around and the hill dropped off very sharply to the left. And I mean very sharply it dropped off. After getting as far as we could with the lack of public roads and accessible mountain we finally came back to town to meet up with the rest for dinner. Saturday night 8 O'clock in the evening group of 13 no reservations. Well, we had to hunt for a place to eat. We found one place totally empty and they said we could come back in 2 hours cause they were already reserved for a large group. I think not, next... With stomachs growling the hunt for food continued. Talk of going down the street and getting some more Guinea pig to eat arose. Even the vegetarians were almost willing to try it. With a little more searching we found a place almost empty and available to serve a large group. The second problem with really big groups going to a restaurant is the food takes forever to come out of the kitchen. With our bellies full some decided to crash others decided to party a little. I mean come on its Saturday night. Play all day and party all night isn't that the rule. Well, maybe not tonight my ass hurts from riding and we have to get up early. The girls decided to have a night out to party it up since the boys were out last night. It's the girls turn right? Why not. I will be good and sleep right? Well, Ok, so just till 1am what the heck...

Just a little loud

thebauerguy — Fri, 2 Feb 2007 13:08:00 GMT

Good early morning to you all. Yoga was not attempted for a second time for some strange reason. I can't imagine why. With a quick breakfast in it was off to catch the bus to Banos. A Scheduled 4 hour trip turned into a three hour trip even with a 25 minute delay for road construction. I decided to sleep most of the way. At one point our bus became a school bus and we had about 20 kids standing in the isles. It's nice how the buses in this country will pick you up anywhere you happen to be. And the prices for bus rides are reasonable. Unlike the US where if you not at bus stop your not getting on the bus. At some point towards the end of our ride a father and his 5 or 6 year old daughter got on the bus. This little girl was so tired. She and her father were standing in the isle at the front of the bus against the wall behind the driver. So slowly the little girls eyes blink a few times and then finally they would close ever so gently. Mere moments later the legs would ever slightly begin to ease her toward the ground all the while her father held her arm. Trying to keep her standing. As finally she slumped down as far as her fathers grasp would allow he would give her a gentle tug and so she would stand back up just to fall into slumber once again. As we arrive in Banos we hailed a small fleet of taxis for a 5 block journey to the hotel. After we checked into the hotel, Carlos gave us a little tour of the town. More just to acquaint us with our surroundings and give us a general idea of where we were so nobody would get lost. I don't know how anyone could get lost in that town its 6 blocks wide and 10 blocks long. As we sat down for lunch people were asking where specific things were at. I noticed a common theme in Carlos's directions. Everything anyone wanted was just around the corner. Everything in this town is just around the corner or down the block.

Apparently some 90% of the people here make their living from tourism. This place is a total adventure tourism town. Here you ride dirt bikes and quads on the streets no problem. You can imagine what's on the list for tomorrow. Carlos (Quito, Ecuador) our tour leader knows all of the best places to eat. So it's once again follow Carlos our fearless leader. Everyone laughs because every time he and I walk past a nice motorcycle we have to take a look and then chat about it. Or it's if we get a chance to rest and we bust out the car mags. Boy and their toys. What else can you say... I had a little time to down load the photos from my cameras. All of the photos from my 10d were great. My new camera on the other had I wasn't so happy with. The half of the photos from yesterday the files are corrupt. I don't know if it's the camera or the card or the card reader that caused the problem. The camera indicates a problem with the card but the card works just fine in the computer. Hopefully I will be able to find a new card for the camera or I will be S.O.L. in the Galapagos for scuba diving. With dinner out of the way it's off to the bars. A few tequilas later its time to play pool. The bar we were in had the worst table ever. I've played tables that slanted one way or the other. But this was ridiculous. This table slanted 5 different ways from Sunday and the felt was way beyond worn out. So on my suggestion I lead the boys to a pool hall I had found earlier. After a bunch of Cuba Libras and Jack on the rocks our skill lever was, well let's just say we sucked. With booze in one hand and a pool que in the other we fretted the night away. With 2 am knocking on the door and the boys well lubricated it was time to go. As we got back to the hotel we almost had to let Sam sleep in out extra bed because Ena didn't want to wake up to let him into their room. After a small herd of drunk guy rolls into a hotel not many people are left asleep. Ooops...

Pain oh pain

thebauerguy — Thu, 1 Feb 2007 13:06:00 GMT

Hello all. Well brilliant idea in hand it was up early for yoga lessons from Pia. Ok, Wow, Pia can bend like a Gumby Doll. It was painful just watching her do yoga. It was even more painful trying to do it myself. She had us put our hands under our feet and then straighten out and twist and too many other things to mention. It was nothing more than shear torture you to death maneuvers. It was to say the least PAINFULL.... I settled for touch my knees and calling for a stretcher. I was never more happy to hear the breakfast horn blow. After breakfast it was off to a powered canoe ride down the river to a local makeshift museum and then to a wild life rescue center slash zoo. Now on a relatively smooth river in a ultra long motorized canoe how is it I am the only one who manages to get totally soaked from head to toe. Pia sitting right next to me didn't even get a drop. I guess I was just being a gentleman and catching all of the water or something. Next time I am going to duck. The first stop was a museum of local customs and traps for hunting. I was to hot and sweaty and wet to really enjoy it. I quickly found a beer and a hammock that had my name on it. The rescue center or second stop was pretty cool. I really enjoyed the monkeys that were running around wild. The Danish chick whom was working there seem really frustrated with the lack of being able to do anything for the animals. The varieties and stories of the animals there were interesting and rather pathetic at the same time. Too many of the animals were doomed to live out the rest of their lives stuck in the cages. Too many years in captivity has stripped them of their ability to live in the wild. The legs refused to hike up and down the hills and stairs but I made them go anyway. I think I broke myself with the Yoga. Back at the Eco lodge (Shangri-La) we all took cold showers to cool of and hit the hammocks for a couple of hours before dinner. With the beer rations dwindling it was time to bust out my bottle of rum and a big bottle of coke. With a couple of drinks down we were surprised with a performance of local music and dancing. Partly the owners birthday and a semi regular treat for the larger groups. Almost all of the guest in the lodge partook in the festivities. Those whom didn't missed out on free booze. Yeah free booze. The lodge treated us all with a local drink of sugar cane alcohol cinnamon tea and sugar. After rounds 3 and 4 we were feeling no pain. Some how even after the performance we didn't manage to finish the rum. But with a little help of an Ipod we were in reggae heaven and feeling' fine. As everyone else started to head to bed we heard the scream from Pia and Mod's room. You know what that means. Round two with mister roach. I won. One flat roach later things were peaceful in Shangri-La. I didn't bother to tell the girls just who's shoe has mister roach caked to the bottom of it. Ooops...

Bugs

thebauerguy — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 13:05:00 GMT

Hello nomads. How many vacations do you get to go on where you get to help in the construction of a school. Where you can participate in back breaking labor all while sweating you balls off. And enjoy it. After yet an other amazing breakfast we were off to go see the school where Estella teaches. The group went into the school to help teach the children. Except for Pia and I. We of course just dug in with some of the other parents who were helping to construct a kitchen for the school. Pia (Bristol, England) grabbed a pick and I grabbed two wheel barrows to help with the dirt work to dig out the area for the foundation. I make a really good mule apparently. As the children were coming out for a break most of the others in the group and most of the kids got a football game going in the field. While some of the others joined in on the finishing touches of the dirt work. Mission complete just in time to head back for lunch. I did manage to get a few photos of the football game before the humidity fogged up my camera lens. After lunch (very delicious by the way) it was back to Tena to transfer to our next lodge. Of course with another two days out in the jungle the store in Tena got wiped out of their supply of Club once again and a nice bottle of rum. Next stop a really nice eco lodge built on the cliffs over looking the river about 1 hour from Delphine's home. Our local guide Chico didn't speak any English but made sure we got what he was saying and had a few good laughs on the hike though the hills behind the lodge. At the top of the hike he busts out a big bottle of water complete with cups and candies for us all. How nice was that. For once the hike back was actually easier than the hike up. Though my legs now hate me but I enjoyed the burn. Back at the lodge in time to shower and dinner. We of course had to hit the hammocks and break out the beer supply. Aided by a little thing called electricity we enjoyed this wonderful thing called cold beer. As the night got on and the empties piled up and impromptu to lessons in capoeira (Brazilian dance fighting) from Mod, Belly dancing from Tracy and a little Hip Hop and break dancing from me we kept the party going. With the help of my Ipod and some speakers from Sam and Ena (England and Chile) we belted out a few sing-a-longs. A little karaoke fun had by all. Thanks to Pia the brilliant idea of getting up early for Yoga lessons came about. For some strange reason I said "sure I will get up extra early and join you guy for some yoga." Any ways as the night was coming to a close Peit and I sat up bs'n and along came a shrill scream and then the lights in Pia and Mods room came on. Well, boys to the rescue. We get there to find Pia wasn't sleeping alone. A friendly roach decided to share her bed with her. I don't quite understand what the big deal is. Its just a little roach. It's not like he was looking for a little something special. He was just looking to catch a few Z's with her. So, with a little searching we managed to chase it up into the cracks of the roof. Roach out of site the girls manage to calm down and to eek out a meager nights sleep. I couldn't bring myself to tell them he's just in a crack in the ceiling and he'll probably be back later. I wanted to sleep and as long and the girls were asleep before he came back it's all good. Right????

They be gettin hitched

thebauerguy — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 13:04:00 GMT

A good night’s sleep had by all brought us to a home cooked breakfast. And when I say home cooked I am talking all from scratch. With bellies full it was time for hike up the waterfalls just a ways up from the farm. Equipped with super duty rain boots (gun boots) we hiked up through the creek bed. We climbed up the waterfalls with the aid of some ropes and some well placed logs. The beauty of the area combined with waterfalls was spectacular. Our hike revealed three different waterfalls and a number of wading pools. We took advantage of each and every one. What a place to live. I can't think of many places that have such natural beauty. If you haven't had a waterfall massage in the jungle yet, you need one. It will beat anything you can get at that overprice massage parlor you go to. Time to return back to the lodge always comes too soon. Why is it the hike down is always tougher than the hike up. Well worn out it was time for me to hit the swimming hole. On the way back down from my room I found every hammock full with sleeping beauties. I guess the hike was too much for them. Better for me the swimming hole was mine. All mine, how nice. 20 minutes of peace and quite was only broken by the laughter of children. Seconds later all of the kids were down with me and the games were on. It was all about who could make the biggest splash and an impromptu to game of volley ball minus the net. What a blast.. It's so nice to see children appreciate the simple life and not spend their entire existence in front of an Xbox. After another amazing meal we were on a small hike around Delphine's farm to learn about all of the local plants that were used in their daily lives. So many plants for poisons, building supplies, medicines and foods all just mixed in together and so close to their home. Even a low grade gold panning location their on their land. As the evening was approaching it was time to return back to the house for yet another great dinner by candlelight. After dinner we were treated to another performance by the family and a little education about local customs. Some dancing, musical instruments. The highlight of the evening was the wedding customs. Well, Peit and Mod (Switzerland) were suppressed to find that they were the ones whom were getting thrown in for an arranged married for our entertainment. Pretty fast relationship. Meeting to arranged marriage in 2.5 days. Go figure... Maybe we'll wait till morning to tell them they really are not husband and wife....

Lovin the jungle

thebauerguy — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 13:02:00 GMT

An early morning hike was in my plans I wanted to check out the scenery. I step outside and I find a distant mountain peak covered in snow. The ride in the buss the day before was overcast and rainy so it obscured the mountains. Tracy (Bristol, England) apparently had the same plans so she joined me for a couple miles worth of hiking up the hill. Just as we were about to turn around and come back we found a little foot path that followed the river back to the lodge. Really nice pathway but I lost count just how many spider webs I caught with my face. I figured, I would never get the spiders out of my hair. After a delightful breakfast it was time for the walk back down the hill to the bus. A scheduled 4 hour ride to Tena turned into a three hour ride even with a 25 minute delay for road construction. Apparently there is a small problem with landslides. With the extra time Peit and I were able to walk around Tena and then go have lunch at a local hotspot. We were scheduled to be in the jungle for the next 2 days no electricity and no access to a local 7-11. Well they don't have 7-11 here so we have to settle for a minimaxi. So the hunt was on for a beer supply that was worth drinking. You can't seem to find good tequila and good beer in this country. So I had to make do with a few six packs of club. It does the job but nothing else. So Peit (Darwin, Australia) and Mickel (Denmark) and myself emptied their shelves of club. With the 30 minute ride into the outskirts of town and I mean outskirts we arrived at Delphine and Estella´s home. A very simple and yet very nice lodge slash farm with no electricity for miles around. Nestled in the mountains close to a creek this place was great. A short hike to get an amazing view from the cliffs over looking a large river and a little information about the local flora was first on the list. Second was to get the bathing suit and go for a swim in the pond that the family had made by damming up the stream. Damn howdy, that was that nice. A pristine setting with no noise other than that provided by the jungle and the sighs of relief from road weary travelers. After cooling off for a while it was time for a candle lit dinner. It was a lovely dinner cooked for us by our hosts. Traditional fair with all ingredients grown there on their humble farm. After dinner we went through the introductions and a nice little performance by the children. It was a rock concert literally. The kids banged rocks together to make music. It was really cool. Flintstones here we come. Delphine was kind enough to share with us some of his personally grown tobacco. He hand rolled us cigars rolled in banana leaves. Wow what flavor... The best cigars I have ever had. Of course with it getting late, road weary and a little buzz skirting our sanity. The pot insinuations and jokes came out then the giggling and laughing began. And a bit of who could smoke the roach to the bottom without smoking their fingers. I can say it got a little hot on the tips... Dude, I got the munchies...

Chicks in bikinis

thebauerguy — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 12:57:00 GMT

Hello all... Well in at 3 up at 7 for a free breakfast. Is there any better kind? I had a couple of hours after breakfast to walk around Quito. I was impressed to find that on Sundays they close off large portions of central Quito to all cars so people may bicycle around in total safety. Of course there is always that one in the crowd whom well is best labeled a moron. Now when you ride your bike up on to the sidewalk over a curb you lift the front tire up right? Well I do... I did manage to catch glimpse of one whom may possibly be eligible for the worst cyclist of the year award. I have to commend him on his amazing impression of Superman. The flying bit and all. He did however manage to break his fall with his head. I just think he over reacted by knocking himself unconscious, I mean come on his head only bounced twice. We in the US should get rid of the pesky bicycle helmets. The species could use a little thinning. The biggest disappointment was I was unable to get a photo of his not so graceful flight. Excitement over I hop on the bus to Papallacta (papa-yakt-ta). 4 hours later and pavement optional we arrived right on time. When we arrived there was a pickup truck there to meet us and bring us to the lodge. The question I had was how to get 13 people and bags in to a full size ford pickup truck. The answer became really clear really fast. As the pickup was driving away I realized that I as well as 5 others were walking. I believe the phrase its just up the hill was mentioned. I think I said ok no problem or something stupid like that. Come to think of it. So was the phrase "its not that far" was also mentioned. Well after more than a mile up hill all the way at 10500 feet in elevation we made it. Liz and Steen (Denmark) had a little trouble with the altitude so the mile took a little while longer than normal. We were all shown to our cabins and boy were they nice. The hot tubs which were fed directly from the hot springs were right outside the door. I was amazed at how clean the water was, no sulfur. After reaching the perfect state of prunage and buzz it was time for dinner. A nicely simple restaurant with great presentation. The meals were traditional Ecuadorian cuisine and nicely decorated presentation. The use of colors and flavors was perfect. The prices were in the 5 to 12 dollar range and worth twice that. With our bellies full and another craving for beer it was time to restore the prunage. Not many things better than cold beer and hot tubing with hot chicks in bikinis.....

Gettin GAP

thebauerguy — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 12:55:00 GMT

Well today is the day I am joining my Gap tour group. With a little help of a taxi driver I found the hotel I was staying at. Just 4 blocks away... Ooops. I guess I should have looked at a map. It cost me 2 bucks for the taxi ride but I didn't have to carry my bags so what the heck. Come to think of it the taxi ride across town with 2 people cost me the same. Oh well what the heck I am supporting the local taxi driver population by being a little lazy. After cruzin´ around town for a while, I met up for lunch with Karla and chilled for a while. After seeing how late it was getting I figured I should go check in for the tour. By accident I found out that the meeting was already underway. I was only 45 minutes late. Better late than never. A quick look and briefest of introductions to the group and then the meeting was over. Boy that was exhausting. Well time to go, I was invited to a birthday party for one of Karla's girlfriends named Eli. They don't know me very well do they... Back to bungalow 6 for again yet another night of drinking and hell raising. I will take total credit for the horrendous tequila hangover the birthday girl suffered the next morning. After about 6 or 7 shots of tequila and many pitchers of margaritas we were sharing our birthday girl was feeling no pain and then some. It was about that time Eli's boyfriend Paul asked me to stop giving her tequila. I reluctantly agreed and shortly after that when ever Paul wasn't looking Eli would sneak over to me and ask me for just one more please. So what the heck Paul wasn't looking anyhow. I am glad I didn't have to baby sit her after that night....