The last time I wrote, we were getting ready to head off to Cotopaxi National Park. Ecuador enjoys well made primary and even secondary roads, but the small, cobbled roads leading into the country are another adventure. We arrived at Hacienda El Porvenir just a few kilometers from massive Volcan Cotopaxi after bouncing our way up about 1000 meters and along 15 kilometers of those aesthetically pleasing though bone jarring cobbles. At 3800 meters, we were again in the thin air of the mountains. The hacienda is a retreat of peacefulness boasting of its lack of modern distractions such as TV and internet though who would need such things with the beauty of the changing vistas all about us. We wandered around through the surrounding countryside, the kids rode horses, and we visited with a variety of folks from several different countries. On our last morning, we drove into the national park and hiked up to the climbers refuge at 4800 meters and then onto snowline another 100 meters higher. We were within 1000 meters of the summit but that would have to wait for another adventure. On the way out, our guide toured us through the backcountry to the ruins of an Inka outpost on the path between Quito and Cusco. It was an awesomely desolate place and I had a hard time imagining people regularly moving through - the changes that time has wrought.
As we passed back through Quito, we made a quick change of clothing as we headed to the Galapagos Islands. Sitting on the equator some 1000 kilometers west of the coast of Ecuador, the 140 or so islands are the visible tops of extinct and active mid-ocean volcanoes. For all I have heard of the Galapagos Islands, nothing really prepared me for the experience we had there. As volcanic islands, the landscape is harsh and hard won by the plants and animals that made it there over the millions of years since the land erupted above the waves. Even people initially suffered there due to the lack of fresh water and conspiracy of ocean and wind currents that seemingly increased the distance to the mainland. And while life is more convenient and the land- and oceanscapes more accessible, everywhere we looked reminded us how quickly it could become uncomfortable. No doubt, this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.
We booked an 8 day tour on a sailing catamaran. I had never spent any significant time on a sailboat but we all quickly adapted to the space saving design of the boat. Fortunately, we had calm seas. Each day, our guide directed us to a new region and provided us with a science class's worth of information. We saw tortoises, land and sea iguanas, and birds - all of those finches that diversified and specialized into new species providing Charles Darwin the initial evidence for the theory of evolution, as well as many other ocean going birds that call the Galapagos home (at least during the breeding season). In the water, we watched sea lions frolic, manta rays fly by beneath us, white and black tipped sharks patrolling the depths, schools of multicolored fish communing, and sea turtles flapping their way about the wide ocean. We also saw the effects of introduced plant and animal species, both good and bad as we hiked around the various islands. Poking up through the vegetation that has forced its way onto these islands was lava in as many different forms and shapes as could be imagined. And above everything I felt the persistent tension of sun, wind, and ocean continually shaping these islands and all that call them home. The ocean is a big place able to absorb many a care and I understand better now why humans have gone to it not only for adventure but also for peace of spirit. It was with regret that our time came to an end in the Galapagos Islands and I hope to go there again someday.
We returned to Quito, where we said good-bye to my mother and her man, Steve. Initially they were a bit unsure about the boat and rigors of exploring the Galapagos, and even the bone shaking cobbled roads of backcountry Ecuador, but after it all they seemed to be very satisfied with their effort and left with tales to be told among their friends in suburban New York. We turned back to the mountains for our 2 week volunteer experience in the village of Cariacu.
We arranged to stay with a family for two weeks in the village of Cariacu near Cayambe National Park. We were to help with trail maintenance around the National Park, and teach English in the local school. We drove up another roughly cobbled road to the village. As a visitor, I admire the quaintness of the cobbles, though would (as the locals do) abhor the roughness as a barrier to progress if I used those roads everyday. As soon as Gabriel, local community activist and our host, learned that Lucy and I are medical professionals our job description changed. He asked us to talk with teachers, parents, and students about health care issues, and with the local medical staff about their clinic. All of this would have been fine in English but I am definitely still under-powered in Spanish and felt a bit frustrated with the task. We made it through though on Lucy's rapidly increasing linguistic talents. When we weren't visiting the school or medical clinic, we helped Gabriel, Isabel and their family milk their cows and do the other chores about their small farm. The kids especially enjoyed milking the cows and drinking the fresh milk every evening. Day by day as we met more folks in the community, our faces became more recognized. In the afternoons we helped the neighbor kids with English. We enjoyed choclo (Andean corn from the cob often fried) with habas (broad beans), and ate cuy (guinea pig - an Andean traditional food with deep roots in Inka culture), listened to traditional Ecuadorian mountain music played by Gabriel and his family, and hiked in the country. Though two weeks is a very small amount of time to make any significant change in healthcare, it is a good start to investment within a community. At the end of our time, we felt part of the family and neighborhood - a lovely way to end our visit to Ecuador and our year-long adventure; and begin the transition back to our lives in the United States.
At dinner this evening I asked the kids if they enjoyed their year of travel. Aidan said yes and Charlie said "sort of". As our homebody who wanted to stay with his grandparents rather than join us, he never was quite sure about what we got him into. For all that we have done, and despite my efforts to travel our children into young adults, they have remained children with all of their wild energy, goofiness, and rebellion. And that is just how it should be. When I posed the question, "So...what's our next adventure?", Aidan is looking forward to meeting with friends he made while we were in Cusco and Charlie is looking forward to staying home - until we jogged his memory with specific fun things he did. Well, just maybe, he would come along with us again...
