Charlie and Steve's Excellent Adventure

December 5, 2014

While you were working- A touch of drama

With our time in Huanchaco coming to a close its time for these little ducks to soak up some relaxation before the next step in the adventure, Huaraz and Cordillero Blanco. Cordillero Blanco is a region of the Andes that shares a title with just a few others as a particularly amazing part of a particularly amazing mountain range, a giant among giants as it were. Combining elements of altitude, hiking, untamed wilderness and famed allure for those who dare to venture it’s a naked flame to these moths, typifying just about everything that we seek in South America and indeed the world. With the somewhat distracting allure of whats to come, we attempt to set that aside in the pursuit of appreciating the now.

Back to business, a final meal is in order; for celebrating Huanchaco but moreso for the closing of a dream travelling gift, that being the newfound friendship with Piotr and Ola. We meet people all the time on our travels and in the shared world of isolated separation from all comforts a familiarly rapid friendships form; Tomas and Sarah sprint to mind, our stoic German friends from Mexico. Travel engenders transient associations: sating the pervasive need for social attention that isolation from security brings, as Tyler Durdan would say, it’s ‘single serving friends’; but not this time we think. Heaven forbid, I think we just may have found mates that could breach the gates of a more socially fortified existence, an idea rarely permitted in the parallel social universe that is travelling abroad.

But back to the food; it was unanimously determined that we need to more or less replicate the first meal we had here, soups, ceviche and who could forget that awesome whole fish. With a meal to eat befitting the company to farewell we dine in style freshened by the Pacific breeze that we’re fondly familiar with. But we want to linger longer than we are able, we are off for another hateful night bus tonight. Passing up the preferred option of the local bus but as we are running a little behind time we need to go for a taxi and fork out the few extra soles.

With fond farewells we are in the taxi, ready to embrace the upcoming mountains, Cordillero Blanco here we come. In the taxi, not ten minutes out of town the taxi breaks down, bugger. We are stuck on the side of the road and with time ticking the taxi driver admits that we will need to get another taxi; here’s where the fun starts. In the process of transferring the taxis we are confronted by a couple of guys on the side of the road; with pulses racing a couple of hurried punches are traded before they flee the scene… along with the taxi.

It always feels like a long time on account of the number of emotions that are processed but it’s only a few seconds in truth. Our triumphant beating off of the assailants has been shown up as nothing but a well set trap, and we were caught completely. With two taxi drivers and the two others all choreographing a well worked routine we watch as distant tail lights carry not only a stolen innocence but just about every worldly possession we have. The feeling of embarrassment is palpable and right now thats about enough of that topic, moving on kids, nothing to see here.

Slowly processing the enormity of the shit-fight in which we now find ourselves, we beg our way onto a corporate bus picking up its shift workers. We drag our sorry looking faces into the nearest hotel we can find at god only knows what time, we now have now way to tell time, of course. With feelings of anger, vulnerability and despair preventing the sleep that should have been we await the acceptance of a travelling experience to feed long tales. For now romanticism is swamped by all flavours of negativity, the silver lining as distant as the tail lights that I can’t seem to purge from my vision.

December 5, 2014

While you were working – Around Huanchaco

It’s time to don the tourist hat and go catch some ‘must see’ sights of this area, and of course in this part of the world, they’re ruins. In our sights are the sun and moon temples (las Huacas Del Sol y La Luna) and the city of Chan Chan, all of which are pre Inca, dating from the years 700A.D. for the temples up to about 1300 for the temples and up to 1300 for Chan Chan, the largest pre Incan ruins in the Americas. So with team Poland in fine form we bustle off to see what must be seen. First stop is the museum which is, like everywhere here, stuck in the middle of an unforgiving desert nestled beside the rearing temples of the sun and moon. We have a guide for this one and to have the images, artefacts and cultures explained paints a real picture, it all happened in this area. Human contest and sacrifice were a strong part of the iconography here with many items displaying the defeated combatants bound and naked being marched to their deaths, drunk on hallucinogenic cactus till the end.

Museum done, the first thing we note about these structures is that they’re not stone, they’re adobe brick. Forming the bricks from clay, sand and some sort of binding agent from a local Cactus, these blocks of sand have withstood the rain and elements for over 1500 years. The simplicity of this construction balanced with its longevity is mind boggling: I wonder if our houses would stand that long? Although quite dilapidated now, the temples are still huge and still intact enough for us to make our way through to view the alarmingly intact inner frescoes and murals. This venture is not as pretty or spectacular as other ruins we’ve seen but for sheer unbelievability, they’re probably leading the pack. We cast our eyes over the valley space between the two temples, the former city of an empire that was now melting into irrelevance before our eyes.

While the sun and moon temples are jarringly inspiring, a triumph of possibility, Chan Chan is sadly in not so good a state. With just a few of the most prominent palaces the only forms that seem more than termite hills, the sprawling space of 14 square kilometres again permits the mind to ponder the grandeur that was. Now for all the closet greenies of us, it turns out that much of this desolate valley was liberally covered in Cacao trees. Archaeologists believe that the trees were felled without replanting which has led to the desolate landscape we see today, not to mention not helping the civilisations existence.

As a quick aside, we are stopped numerous times by giggling groups of girls for photos; photos with them, not just the usual ‘can you take a photo of us’. It appears the oversized guys are quite a novelty here. We shrug off the freak-show aura and embrace what will possibly, nay definitely be the only time in our lives we feel a little like Hugh Jackman. It’s all quite funny really, we’re set off on our days in a slightly better mood than we were before.

Taking in the mentally transporting journey that is Chan Chan we notice a lot of craftsmen restoring the ruins which prompts the very conflicting nature of this place. Peru has funding from UNESCO for the preservation of these historically significant sites, but it comes with a catch, to receive the funding, it must be left as it is, not restored. On one hand this makes perfect sense, to preserve and maintain a culture and society it seems only relevant to maintain what was of that culture, not make a new replica, right? On the other hand, any casual observer can cast a glance around and see what is to become of this most significant of assets if left unattended, nothing but termite mounds at best.

So as we return to Huanchaco, we’re conflicted. This dilemma is a little sad and disarming, on one hand the value of ruins are held in what they are, a survival of the past not a modern replica. But on the other, the value of this site is also relevant beyond the structures, allowing it to become plain desert does a disservice to this regions history. Does an asset like Chan Chan retain value if its value is only perceived in building it again?

November 27, 2014

While you were working – Huanchaco Peru

I wake to a shock, panic flooding the fleeting moments as dreams escape to ether; but no, we’re not still on a bus, we awake in a bed, a real bed laying flat and all. This is happiness, or maybe relief; either way we’re in Peru, we can hear the waves crashing, the sun is shining, Australian cricket is ranked no.1 again, all is right with the world. The foreboding emotions that assailed us on the first penetration into Peru seem a long way away now, the seaside sense of welcome massaging away the seizing grip of the desert.

A little obsessed with seafood and Ceviche now we’re on the hunt, up at the crack of dawn, otherwise known as 9:30am, we set off into town. Ending up at a small beachside restaurant we order our Ceviche and salivate as much for the pending deliciousness as the diminishing distance of upset stomachs and the constant vigilance of toilet proximity. And Peru doesn’t disappoint on the food stakes, again we savour the sour acidic spicy punch in the face that accompanies the silky texture of raw fish: heaven. Along with a Pisco Sour the flavours of Peru are distinct and anything but shy; sour spice ensures that nothing passes the lips uncelebrated.

Food done, we embrace the challenge of overcoming the difficulties of life in an isolated seaside township in a tropical country, life really is tough for us strugglers. Although I have been battling with how to say this and not sound like a complete tool, but alas there is no way around it so lets take it head on, this is not an Aussie beach. It’s lovely none the less but when we’re used to our beaches it’s cause for a refreshing dip before climbing out over the rocks again, a short swim is enough. This beach is as suited to looking at as it is swimming in. At least this touristy town seems to have skirted the rubbish plague that we have witnessed thus far. It’s a bit of a personal travelling challenge for us, usually embracing all that is gritty and challenging about any culture we find ourselves unable to rationalise a romantic slant to rubbish, it’s just simply…. rubbish.

A subtle backdrop to this serene gorgeousness is the desert. The township of Huanchaco clings to the coast like bubble gum to a shoe, close behind the harsh dark desert sands rise up into small mountains, an eastward yin to balance the cresting waves from the westward yang. In other circumstances this town could easily be brought down by the foreboding presence of the desert, seemingly ready to swallow it at any moment but no; Huanchaco feels quite the opposite, all the more welcoming for its sense of oasis in an otherwise harsh existence. We are pleasantly surprised that the weather here is so temperate, we’re at sea level in the tropics and it’s comfortable and easy despite the strong bite of the sun. Nights are cool and humidity is low, Huanchaco is a perfect advertisement to those like us that often scurry to mountains desperate for the cool that altitude brings.

So we’re in a different country now, in a different culture, so far it’s a mixed bag of impressions with a singularly positive experience. We can’t help but feel that we’re in a little bit of a tourist biased bubble but really who really cares. Right now we’re happy to overlook that we might not be quite experiencing Peru in truth, recklessly casting a desire for insight to the coming 3-4 weeks. May time gift to us all that we fail to seek with intent.

November 26, 2014

While you were working – Another day; another border

It’s travel time again and this one is gonna be a doozy, we’re travelling from Cuenca in Ecuador to Huanchaco in Peru, it should be about 17 hours hours over three buses leaving at 9:15pm… hateful. We’ve opted for a big leg as much of what we want to do in Peru is down the south so we’re biting off a big chunk to get the distance behind us. So board the bus we must, at least this time Ola and Piotr are travelling with us so it should be amusing if nothing else. We’ve also got that other phenomenon of pretty much everything not suiting tall people. As a broad rule South American people are usually a little shorter than in Australia, so as I embrace having my knees as faux earrings for the next however long I summon passivity into that trancelike traveller state; just need to get through this.

The bus all said and done is bare-able and we have our first stop of this journey. As we approach the border, at two in the morning, there’s a bit of a a shuffle along as about a third of the bus gets off, but not apparently us; it’s seriously the middle of nowhere so we’re not sure where those people are going? But shortly ahead we arrive at immigration only to be told that this is the Peru border, we need to exit Ecuador before entering Peru. Back to the bus we go. So backwards we go about 5 minutes up the highway in a tired state rueing every metre we’re travelling in the wrong direction. So exit Ecuador we do and we’re back on track, we hope. There’s a few people that don’t get off the bus at all, clearly this is not the Israel/Palestine border. Still no sign of the early leavers from the bus we get it all over and done with and we’re on our way. I’m sure the group that we’re leaving behind know what they’re doing but we take off seriously thinking that we should alert someone, ‘stop the bus, you’ve left people behind’. But tiredness and a lack of desire to articulate far more than our Spanish allows sees us bedding down for another attempt at sleep.

With a few hours nap managed while being contorted like a Romanian gymnast we slowly stir to the forming light of a new day and a new nation on this most excellent of adventures. Without doing any real research I am quite dismayed to look out of our bus window at a scene that is nothing short of bleak. Obviously I know now that much of Northern Peru is desert but coming from the lush tropical alpine greenery that was Ecuador, this scenery made the waking travel haze even more challenging than usual. Taking more than just a short moment to orient ourselves and rationalise that we are indeed where we want to be, we settle in to take in the jarring visual scape that we have laid out before us.

There’s something a little odd about looking over the Desierto de Sechura, this expanse of nothing, it’s that it’s not quite nothing at all that creates the consternation. Where deserts are inevitably somewhat foreboding, the open expanse, monotone colours and harshness scantly betraying a beauty all of its own; it’s usually a far more balanced scene. Here however it tips clearly over into a less balanced feeling of clear desperation and grim sadness. Punctuating the nothingness is an overwhelming presence of rubbish. Some sections are indeed just for this purpose, open rubbish plains abutting the road clambered over by dogs and vultures alike. I guess this area is just seen as unusable so it’s basically landfill, the atmosphere created more like an emotionally confronting scene from a post-apocalyptic movie. Welcome to Peru.

The other layer of visual confusion to greet us is the vast arrays of semi construction. I say semi construction as huge open spaces of dwellings and townships seemingly fighting to simply exist here are largely open shells, often barely a few incomplete walls. The first flashing thought for me here is that we are entering a country so famous for Inca ruins and it is how these repeated scenes appear. Where there is romance in the relics of a once grand civilisation, the modern ruins here are bereft of romance, they look a little depressing. I can’t help but think that the Incas were a mighty civilisation that failed, this seems like a civilisation that has prophetically failed before it even began, both ending in ruins, albeit carrying vastly different stories to their graves.

First bus change in Chiclayo; not a lot to report except that I’m glad we didn’t choose to stop here. It’s dirty, messy and with the city seemingly failing to fight off the advance of the desert, it’s pretty grim. On to Trujillo, the penultimate stop on this odyssey and again, pretty grim. The repeated theme here is simply a staggering amount of rubbish, everywhere. I guess we’ve been spoiled by Ecuador so for the moment it’s a weird sight; Peru so known for tourism and it looks like this? Definitely something to adjust to, it’s a bit of a surprise.

And finally we arrive in Huanchaco, only a touch over 20 hours from Cuenca and we’re smashed. On the plus side we arrive just in time to dump bags and catch a total winner of a sunset over our doorstep beach. Right now the harsh confronting scenery we travelled through for much of the day has made for an appreciation for anything beautiful, and beauty is definitely what we have here.

Food time. We have had our sights on ceviche (cured fish common in this part of the world) and with a quick tip from the hostel we venture out to bring this longest of days home with a bang. And holy crap what a first meal in Peru. What could possibly offset this horror of this day better than the most amazing ceviche we’ve ever had, seafood soup and freshly caught sea bass barbecued over blazing coals on the street right in front of us. Our mouths are watering and our belies are thankful, while desperate hunger does bias the judgement this fish is possibly the best fish we’ve ever had, outstanding. We also sate our developing alcoholism with the national drink, Pisco Sour, and does that go down a treat, we need panty liners immediately.

Our first meal in Peru with Piotr and Ola

Cerviche

With the harshest of introductions, Peru has drawn us through a sort of Indiana Jones style penance, before revealing all that is wonderful in the kit bag to only those who persist. With this greatest roller-coaster of a first day drawing to a close we venture a last walk out onto the pier, flanked by fishermen and watched intently by hoards of pelicans we soak up the smells and sounds of the sea and its crashing waves. From an unsalvageable day Peru has played its ace late in the hand like the canniest of poker masters. We are now suitably disoriented and our newly refreshed perspective waves goodbye to whatever we thought we knew about Peru. So come on Peru, surprise us again, we dare you.

November 26, 2014

What you’d rather be seeing – Ecuador

# please view on iPad or larger screen

Ecuador really resonated with Steve and myself. The people, the outdoors, the volcanoes and the architecture all made our time in Ecuador more than this small country ever promised. I like to think the images below give each of you an insight into what an amazing country Ecuador is and we seriously encourage you to consider visiting. We came with small expectations matching our knowledge but leave holding Ecuador in the highest regard.

Ecudorians

Quito central market – lunch time

Cuenca market

Shrunken heads of Ecuador – Cuenca museum

Tourists in Quito

Hiking near Quito with our Polish tornadoes – Piotr and Ola

Volcanoes and surrounds of Ecuador

Cotopaxi Volcano

Ecuadorian Architecture

Quito Basilica

November 25, 2014

Top 10 – Ecuador

It’s top 10 time again, and this one is a tricky one. While avoiding the folly of ranking countries it must be said that Ecuador has the least downsides thus far, there’s simply nothing to pick at in Ecuador, nothing. It’s in this feature that naming a top 10 is tricky, Ecuador is the emotionally stable counter to Cuba’s bipolar craziness, it’s hard to rank one good thing above another. All the more amazing is the surprise packet that is Ecuador; from complete basket case to captivating revelation in recent years, Ecuador is not only a great place to visit, it’s a lesson to the world. Not to mention an advert for shorties; with most Ecuadorians barely able to peer over a well pruned box hedge a tall person could feel out of place, but of course, the people are graciously welcoming at every turn.

10 – Parque condor
Just making it into the top 10 is the man made bird sanctuary, Parque Condor. It’s always a bit conflicting to see wild animals in captivity but the majesty of these great birds is unmistakable. We were able to see them up close and flying free and its in this instance that we were given an experience we’ll definitely remember.

9 – Lago Quicocha
One never forgets their first time… and Quicocha was our first volcano in Ecuador, as special for us as it was for Quicocha. The short walk we took around the lake was all things that combine beauty and force. With imposing black craters more familiar for us when it comes to volcanos this tranquil lake and picturesque scenery masked what was unavoidably right in front of us, a volcano.

8 – Quilotoa volcano
Ecuador has the avenue of volcanos so it’s no surprise to see another in the list at number eight. Quilotoa is also extinct with a stunningly beautiful lake bordered by an aggressive and unmistakable volcanic crater. What’s more is that Quilotoa boasts a great local community of indigenous people. Speaking Quichua, many people here live in traditional homes, wear traditional dress and live a lifestyle that inspires pure romance to any who choose to visit and be welcomed.

7 – Quito Architecture
It’s widely known that Quito is a beautiful city, it says so in the guidebook; but that’s said about a lot of cities to disappointing results. On this score however, Quito blows away all expectations. With the backdrop of the grand local terrain forming the perfect setting, the beauty of the colonial architecture in Quito is matched only by its abundance. A romantic city that needs to be seen to be believed.

6 – La Mariscal
Yes we’re still in Quito, what an amazing city; just having ‘Quito’ as an entry would be a travesty. The historical grace of Quito central is offset by the modern party district of La Mariscal. Now every city has one of these places, what makes this so notable is the style in which Ecuador brings its culture to the fore in a very modern way. The manner in which La Mariscal elegantly avoids the trappings of all temptations superficial and gaudy is nothing short of masterful.

5 – Quito Basilica
We always feel a touch conflicted in a church balancing the grandeur of the buildings with the unfortunately disproportionate hold on power and money. But off the high horse, the Basilica is a beast in its own right, and given that we could climb up and through this monster it will remain in our minds as an event that typifies a great city far above all else. Places of importance are so rarely accessible, but here we replace foreboding with welcome, a total winner.

4 – Parque Cajas
We only had a small look into Parque Cajas but that taste was enough to confirm the wonder that only a natural environment can. With aggressive landscape at approx 4000m above sea level, the feeling of foreboding beauty is palpable. That balance of beautiful vs imposing is always an emotive driver and Parque Cajas achieved this sensation with consummate ease.

3 – Eating in Quito
Where to start? Eating is Quito was a complete gem with the entire range of experiences on offer. From the delicious and authentic food in the central market we were treated to the quintessential travellers culinary experience. Take this all the way to the fine dining of La Choza and the jaw dropping setting of Vista Hermosa and we have the whole box and dice.

2 – Party time in Cuenca
It’s been a long time since we’ve had a good old fashioned hangover, and an even longer time since we thought it was worth it. In Cuenca, ably aided by team Poland, we found ourselves being locked into a small local bar at one point to dancing in a restaurant at another. Cuenca is a beautiful city in its own right and the relaxed, welcoming nature if the locals made being festive inviting; no, irresistible.

1 – Cotopaxi
Controversial one here, and a deserved number one. Cotopaxi is an iconic flagship to Ecuador for obvious reason, it’s stunning. It’s also the sight of one of my most confronting travelling experiences ever. With time to rationalise the difficulty that was attempting the summit of Cotopaxi, the grandeur, immensity, beauty and mystique of this great peak are what remains. Whether travelling or at home, not much inspires quite like a truly surreal environment and this is what Cotopaxi delivered. It’s in this ‘trip to another world’ that we were granted memories of such magnitude that they will likely never fade, yes Ecuador will always, in some way, mean Cotopaxi to us.

November 24, 2014

While you were working – Party time in Cuenca

Through the alcoholic haze induced by the eastern European occupation of our formerly civilised state, the sights and sounds of Cuenca continue to impress. We finally get around to the Ecuadorian dish controversially called a delicacy by some, cuy, otherwise known as cute little fluffy guinea pigs. It’s definitely an experience and quite a unique and potent flavour to say the least. I’m not sure we’d be clambering to return for this dish, it’s more of an experience than a delicious dining experience but by no means unpleasant, I just wish the little buggers had a bit more meat on them.

The typical free flowing reduction in moral standards ensues over two bottles of wine and something approaching 20 odd cocktails between us all. This time however it’s Charlie leading the charge ordering drinks by the trayfull. We’re in the restaurant space of our hostel in a pumping atmosphere being serenaded by a raucous three piece guitar group, even venturing to dance in the restaurant, yes a festive mood is in full swing and we’re gleefully being swept along with the tide. The crowd here is also super suave, it’s impossible to ignore. With guys in dapper semi formal dress and girls looking like a million bucks this is anything but the humble casualness so common in South America, this is European middle class tinged with latin flavour, a combination dripping with style.

Skipping forward we wake to much of a daze and desperately trying to get our heads together to journey to a nearby national park, Cajas. With blood that is probably flammable by this stage we seriously need a bit of nature, fresh air and exercise, literally a walk in the park. We jump on the bus with notably diminished energy levels, Ola particularly nursing a hangover of comic proportions. With Ola sitting by the window nursing genuine hopes for vomit we are surrounded by the dictionary definition of narcissistic vacuousness in the form of a group of young American girls. What’s the collective noun for these creatures I wonder: I’m going with ‘abattoir’, an abattoir of skanks, yes that has an appropriate ring to it. Safe to say that the bus trip is funny in an appalling kind of way if not entirely comfortable.

As we near the park the landscape reveals its nature, and it’s turning out to be a little more than we thought. Never seeming to diminish in grandeur over time, mountain regions such as this have an enormity, scale and power that continues to intoxicate. The slopes are aggressive, and the peaks rear up above us like gods with scattered lakes and tarns dotting this landscape that demands no other adjective than beautiful, utter beauty.

We pass up on a more adventurous walk in favour of a more gently walk around a small lake, Ola particularly is flagging badly and I think we’re all a little happy for the excuse to abandon a more macho ascent. As is often the case walking in mountain landscapes each turn presents a new revelation so ever welcome to these sore and sorry heads. Pictures tell the visual story; what is moreso felt here is that familiar sense of humility and surrender. It’s impossible to feel self important here (possibly not for the abattoir), but for normal people of socially functioning EQ there exists an absolution of stress and burden unavailable anywhere else.

To balance all that is beautiful, we have poor Ola. The walk is only a couple of hours but the descent into a world of pain is etched all over her face. Towards the end of the walk Charlie and Piotr strike off onto a side path to explore a different view. At this point I glance back and see a face that communicates desperation and resignation that can only possibly engender compassion. I quickly declare that we can take the direct route back. I admit it is a little funny watching someone else in a world of hurt, usually, but for now it’s just pity and we struggle our way over the last few hundred metres. So it’s no alcohol for tonight me thinks.

Being in Cuenca we have been immersed in a more constructed existence, the visit to the park only expands the appeal of this town, far more than a one-trick-pony. What Ecuador seems to do with effortless ease is to balance an experience and offer a crazy range of experience with absolutely no need to hunt or look for it. It’s in this respect that Ecuador throughout feels less like a tourism destination and more like a place you’d like to be. There’s an elegance in having all the things you want to do, see and experience when it’s not contrived or built. It makes sense now that tourism is so inadequately advertised. What do you propose as your best drawcard when the cards are so evenly scattered, and indeed you don’t see them as cards at all, rather just normal living?

November 23, 2014

While you were working – A day in Cuenca

On our first full day in Cuenca we are pleased to see that our initial feelings are holding true, Cuenca is beautiful, contemporary and the game of ‘avoid the Americans’ isn’t all too invasive. The one funny thing is that early in the week everything seems to be closed, and I mean everything, it seems that the latter part of the week is the time that this city comes alive. And I have to say it again, how good is it that we have decent coffee. We wile away the day before the Polish tsunami arrives, Ola and Piotr are stalking us and we are concerned that if we don’t take an alcohol free day we might end up in hospital by the end of this week.

The crowning glory of this very mellow day has to be the main church which overlooks the graciously designed central plaza. This church is interesting in that the facade is grand, but mainly just brick and fairly boxy, not a typical design. Inside however it’s high domed ceilings and lavish stonework and gold bring back all the familiar grandeur that makes up a church as we know it. As in Quito we can also climb to the top of this one. Funnily enough the domes on the two main spires aren’t finished so we are stuck to the central rampart. Apparently in Cuenca the city boundary was formed by the churches and from this height the spires and domes crown over the rest of the city in gaudy fashion. A sad tale of the churches here is that the church used to forbid the indigenous Ecuadorians from entering the town with exile only abating with the action of praying to display a conversion to Catholicism. Don’t get me started. As always this story maintains the conflicting feeling of being in a grand church; the architecture is breathtaking but the sense of mis-used wealth and power is an ever present cause of disappointment and frustration.

Like clockwork the sirens wail and the news reports are grim, Poland is invading. In preparation for the assault we nabbed a beer and a bite to eat at a really cool bar named Stencil, fittingly boasting walls splashed with stencils of famous faces. We eat in yet another reminder of the social suave that has Ecuador sitting far higher in the tree than we had ever thought. Our very uni student hipster in his vintage corduroy jacket and velour pants transports us to a socially elitist Melbourne bar; concerningly it feels quite comfortable. With our quick cultural immersion complete we check our soldiers on the border as the might of Eastern European alcohol consumption swarms the barricades.

But something truly amazing happens, its unbelievable, we end up at yet another cool little bar drinking with Ola and Piotr: hang on, that’s not amazing at all. So normal broadcast is resumed, happy hour sees Mojitos at $1.50 and it appears we just don’t learn. The local crew are quite happy that tourists have descended and we have an instant party on our hands. Alejandro, a dashing young dentist is quite taken with Ola, or Charlie: we really can’t tell and Piotr has his hands quite literally full with Monica. But closing time arrives far too early but instead of being asked out, the doors are shut and the party continues. We need to keep it quiet as we’re not meant to be in there so the private party continues with hushed mirth. It may be the too many mojitos, but stuck in a bar after hours with the locals it’s feeling like a quintessential travel experience, Cuenca delivers!

Cuenca is also a perfect representation of that other Ecuadorian phenomenon that has continued to amaze us, the recent history. Much of South America has pretty recent turmoil underpinning its typically rocky climb from the mess left from colonial pillaging. Not surprisingly Ecuador is little different; but whereas much of Latin America has had a decade or so of relative stability, Ecuador had the police shooting up a hospital housing the president in broad daylight… in 2012!

Massive political change happened in 2006 with the election of Rafael Correa after ten presidents in 7 years. With massive corruption seeing 80% of the oil wealth going offshore or to politicians, Correa turned the tables and directed that 80% to Ecuador by forming Ecuador Petroleum. In eight years, not without a bumpy road it has to be said, Ecuador has gone from basket case to revelation with the police and army now well on board. Wages have routinely more than doubled, poverty has halved, domestic violence reduced by 40%, roads and schools are popping up everywhere and children are even given school uniforms for free. Education and health are 100% free as Ecuadorians are embracing what is routinely seen as the most important element to their future, education.

It’s always tetchy ground making broad social statements like this; however guidebooks, news articles, historical accounts along with numerous local accounts such as our language teacher are all singing a similar story. With a relatively consistent message aligning so elegantly with our own observations we find scepticism banished by the undeniability of the positive changes sweeping Ecuador.

Along with the boom in Ecuador comes an obvious sense of national pride and an explosion of creativity and culture, Ecuadorians now see opportunity and a future of more than internal conflict and corruption. The signs are everywhere and it is starting to seem obvious that this general sense of positivity is what has made this such an exciting and enjoyable country to visit. It’s also crazy to think that just eight years has seen this reversal. Some good governance, minimal corruption and a focus on supporting a society by creating opportunity has carved away at unemployment, poverty, social inequality and disadvantage. Simple effective governance with a social focus; amazing to see what can happen when politics works for the country as a whole, not just the lobbyists that got it into power. It’s hard not to take a potshot at western politics, particularly Australia and the woeful record on indigenous matters. But right now this is a triumph for Ecuador and a story that should be told around the world.

November 21, 2014

Gluttony Expedition – Who’d have thought

As we near the end of our travels in Ecuador, a resounding theme that crops up is that whatever you think about Ecuador is probably totally wrong. From culture, style, economy, sophistication and definitely food, Ecuador is far more than that little country in South America (or Africa as many people think apparently), it’s so much more.

So what about the food? The principle philosophy here is to keep it simple, keep it fresh and just put some nice food on the plate. Sounds obvious right? We’ve all sadly seen it before though, a cook who thinks they’re far more sophisticated than they are; trying to do something a bit too tricky. Whether it’s a greasy spoon serving pastry or bogan Australia trying to do a risotto (my pet hate), the outcome is inevitably flavoured with disaster. In Ecuador the culinary egos are far more in check and the result is everything that a travelling heart desires, unique regional delicacies underpinned by an abundance of clean, fresh, healthy food. The range and diversity also embraces the scope of the food pyramid in relatively proportional fashion. Fruit and vegetables are abundant, plenty of lean meat, seafood and grains are only imbalanced by a propensity for carbohydrates but that’s really a slight slant.

A special mention must also be paid to Menu del dia, Menu of the day. Nearly every establishment typically serves soup, salad, meat and rice with either a drink or small dessert. On one hand this is a well balanced, tasty meal with the Ecuadorian soups often stealing the day, good option right? Yes, but what makes it a great option is that it’s often $2-3; for the lot, amazing! We routinely stuff ourselves at a big lunch with a Menu del dia and one more elaborate dish, routinely a mass of seafood for around $10. I’m reluctant to harp on about money too much but the value here is outrageous. Good food on holiday often comes with a price tag and or inside knowledge. It’s a true feature of Ecuador that good food is simply what food is, not a specialty or something that needs to be discovered.

So what culinary journeys caught our fancy? Glad you asked.

Market food is always interesting and the central market in Quito certainly delivered on all fronts. Tuna soup stacked with vegies and a delicious taste was amazingly capped by the fried fish. This massive slab of fluffy white fish has a crispy fried crust and epitomises everything light, fresh and moorish about a good piece of seafood. It also comes with a tangy prawn ceviche salsa that gets lavishly poured on top, it’s salty, fresh and delicious. As with any food it’s the obliteration of expectation that crystallises memory most firmly. In this respect we have a total winner. We both ate shamelessly for $6.50.

Surprisingly enough, we had totally respectable Italian. Again embodying the ethos that seems to be Ecuadorian cuisine, less is more, simple wins that day. I guess that is why Italian kind of suits, with simple flavours and good produce unburdened by elaborate interfering techniques, Ecuador shows not only a propensity for its own food but a worldly appreciation with sympathetic appropriation. We had pizzas with thin crust unburdened by that foul obsession with cheap cheese, pasta not swimming in liquid mush and it all tasted a treat.

On the drinks side, holy crap how good are Ecuadorian Mojitos! The saccharine freshness of a regular Mojito is layered with a sourness from a far more present lime injection. Additionally, Ecuador doesn’t only use mint, there’s a somewhat related plant that only grows in the Andes and it’s the business. The only comparison I can make to my palate is that it’s like a Thai green curry that uses proper Thai basil rather than regular basil, it’s bigger, bolder, better and simply tastier, it’s a new thing entirely and at $2 it’s nothing short of a weapon of mass consumption.

With some pretty delicate stomachs after our time in Colombia we were unfortunately not brave enough to sample a bunch of regional delicacies but there is one that you simply can’t go past. In Cuenca we took the plunge and finally had Cuy, guinea pig. We were lucky enough to have a back stage view at a small rotisserie over an open fire, the poor little guinea pigs skewered and spinning for approximately and hour. Served with simple potatoes the Cuy is like a super strong flavoured rabbit. Served whole, little claws, head and all, the flesh is gamey and rich, if not abundant. The sinewy little critters aren’t a big meal but the crispy skin makes up for it, there’s no real comparison, it’s weird, tasty and potent, wow!

Travelling is of course an opportunity to immerse into and experience a style of living that differs from your own and one of the most indicative windows to culture is food. On that score, Ecuador is sophisticated, elegant, simple, fresh and knows exactly what it wants to be. As a perfect parallel to the country itself, Ecuadorian food destroys myths, embarrasses expectations and educates the naive, which we were. These gluttonous little piggies are most definitely enjoying this cultural immersion far more than the poor little piggies on our plate.

November 19, 2014

While you were working – Into Cuenca

With a touch of romantic sadness we farewell Quito, already having extended our stay but alas, we must move on. Our journey takes us to Rio Bamba, in the Chimborazo province, the site of the highest mountain in Ecuador: Volcan Chimborazo. But this is a fleeting stay, spoiled by the grandeur that is Quito, this otherwise pretty town is not scratching it where we need it so it’s just a quick stopover before we head off to our more sought after destination, Cuenca. Cuenca is noted for its colonial beauty and Spanish classes; we’re due for a top up on our Spanish education so the quick move allows for time to stop and relax for about a week.

So what about Cuenca? We check in and dump the bags before heading out for a quick little jaunt along the river. First impressions are spot on, we see an abundance of beautiful street-scapes not unlike a smaller version of Quito with a small but beautiful river dissecting the town. With grassy banks it’s clean, picturesque and a great touch to what is quite a decent size city that feels more quaint and comforting than imposing, as cities often can. It’s on the banks of the river that we stumble into our first establishment outside the hostel, funny, frightening and funny again: in a frightening kind of way.

Inca bar, what to say about Inca bar? Well the place was nice but allow me a little licence in describing the setting if I may. We walk past Charlton Heston tuning Sarah Palin to sit at our table next to Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and the pro-life lobby. There’s Hugh Heffner drawing thoughtfully on a cigarette emblazoned by every characteristic that defines American indignity in displaying relative wealth in a poorer country. Old greasy looking white men really shouldn’t indulge in using youth language in a display of social ‘cool’ while masquerading for Will Ferrell provocative sexiness a’la Blades of Glory (cue spine shivers). Through the usual collection of hollywood style hookers and wanna-be cheerleaders we order a burger and salad from a refreshingly lovely Ecuadorian girl, apparently ‘one of my girls’ according to Moe Sizlac. Yes, we’re basically in the middle of ignorant self interested middle America, it feels like a republican fundraiser, I keep waiting to overhear a discussion about how ‘we’ need to save another resource rich country: for their people of course, being so altruistic and all. For these little latte lefties we’re in a swamp of red state decay and we’re corroding rapidly. But it’s so offensive, so acute and unbelievably cliche it soon becomes inoffensive and humorously sad. Instead of being in the midst of a KKK…. sorry, NRA gathering, we’re more on the set of the Chaser, where’s Chris Taylor when you need him? The food was nice I have to admit but none the less we scurry out of there choking back the urge to scream ‘Hillary for president’ like a hangover vomit.

Wow, we wanted experiences and we got it. I know Australia has pretty much an equally bad element to our society, but for sheer comic offensiveness, America, in this respect you truly are a world leader. It resolves that Cuenca is known for it’s expat retiree community, we hadn’t noted that bit as yet so it kind of makes sense I guess. As in Cancun, I wonder if Inca Bar is a fly trap for tourist poo, it can only be: it defines the concept. The real question is: is the trap big enough?

Despite the comedy that was Inca bar, Cuenca is showing plenty enough to override the frightening experiences of our short trip to the deep south. As in Quito, albeit on a smaller scale, the streets here gush forth a romantic torrent of visual sustenance, an invasive excitement as incessant as breathing. We get the feeling that the game of avoid-the-americans will be ever present but wholly overrun by the city itself. The parks and plazas are truly graceful while the history and grandeur of the architecture displays a wealth and elaborateness that is impossible to be immune to, it’s infectious.

And halelujah, we’re pleased to report, we have coffee: I repeat, we have coffee, well a piccolo more or less the way we like it at least. We’re conscious not to say that brewed coffee (known as Americano here) is necessarily bad but geez it’s hard to see the appeal, just different tastes I guess. This in itself is enough to bump Cuenca up another few notches. We also have a comfy bed, a good size room and no trace of the other bugbear thus far, we have a shower with hot water. Don’t get me started on zero water pressure of just-off-freezing water in the showers. Yes I believe we’ll be happy little piggies in Cuenca.