Looking Forward To 2007

I love the first of anything and the first day of the new year is no exception. It is a beautiful day here in Ambato and I plan to enjoy it.

As I reflect briefly on 2006, it seems that the year passed like a hurricane in the night, but when I think about all of the things that happened, both good and bad, happy and sad....I wonder how could all of those things have taken place in those 12 short months. All in all....it was a wonderful year full of surprises and I am glad that I had a chance to live it.

I do want to thank all of you who have visited this blog, and a special thanks to those who have donated to any of my projects. Your generosity has been accepted by everyone, in the manner given.... “con coriño”. Join me, as we rush head-long into 2007, with all of its unknowns....that is what makes life the adventure that is worth taking. At the risk of repeating a favorite poem, I invite you to join me. ”Come to the edge”, Life says. “I can´t, I am afraid”. “Come to the edge”, Life says. “I can´t, I am afraid”. “Come to the edge”, Life says. I went. Life pushed and I flew.

Feliz año nuevo.

English Classes in Salasaca

A couple of months ago, by popular demand, I started an English school in Salasaca. A friend of mine gave me the space which is small but for the present is fine. He did not want to charge me, but I agreed to pay him $30 per month because I know he needs the money and could rent it to someone else for the same price.

I am not an English teacher but what the heck I am better than nothing. I have about six kids ranging from six to 17 years old. A couple of the older boys had had some English in school but since the English program for them was only one hour per week they understood almost nothing. My method of teaching English is probably un-orthodox, but we are making progress. I believe that the best way to learn is the way that you learn your native language. First learn words, words and more words....a little later you put the meanings to the words.

One day I got an e-mail from someone who had read this blog and I told her about my project in Salasaca and she decided to help in collecting preschool English books and supplies. It turned out that her husband works in Ecuador and travels back and forth between Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and Quito, and all I had to do was to go to Quito and pick up the supplies. Thank you Holly for all of your help. The kids have read and reread the books that you sent.

The word is spreading....A few weeks ago I was invited to a small local school that is in the hills overlooking Salasaca. The director, Rosa Maria wanted to start an English program but had no money for a teacher. They have 32 kids from five to 14 years old and many do not even speak Spanish as Ketchua is their native tongue.

As luck would have it I had just had a visit from a young Dutch women who had also read this blog and was looking for a volunteer job teaching English or doing something useful for at least six months. When I took her to Salasaca she was excited about the project and wanted to help. I am happy to report that on Dec. 12th Janneke Robb started teaching the first class at Katitawi School. She is teaching about four hours or more per day and according to her last message to me I believe she is doing just great. From the looks of the below photo she is having no trouble connecting with the kids. For a better look, click on the photo to enlarge.

Janneke wrote:"Faviola and I have been jumping in the back of the car every morning at 7.45 to go to the school Katitawi. It´s been a lot of fun teaching the kids. In general they are very well behaved and seem to be excited about my classes (on Friday when it was time to go they said they wanted another hour of English class).

I´ve been spending some time with Faviola and her friend Jose, which has been a good opportunity to immerse in the culture and get to know the way the people live there. Their houses are so old, simple, full of chickens, dogs, love and music."

.I hope to have some pictures soon.

Along with some Salasacan friends we have started a library. We need books of every description. Of course Spanish will be the most useful, but I would also like to get a good section in English. If anyone wants to donate books you can send them to my new best friend in Saskatoon who has offered to include them in the luggage of her husband on each trip that he makes to Quito. Any English school books that you have in the attic or in the garage would also be appreciated. From preschool up. Her address is:

Holly Walker
2206 Kenderdine Road
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7N 4G7
Canada

Well that is what is new in my adventure here in Ecuador.

We have started a Salasaca English School and Library Fund. If you have ever visited Salasaca, and even if you haven't, you may want to make a small donation. It is easy just push the button below.

Thanks for your help.

A Great Way To Spend An Evening....Indulge Yourself.

Last night I joined about thirty or forty others for a luxurious mineral bath in the the thermal pools in Baños. It was a lovely night and for a time the moon was directly overhead. Most of the foreign visitors were freom Europe and appeared to be with a tour group. This was the first time I had visited the thermal baths at night for a very long time. The city has done a lot of work on the facility over the past year and although the price has gone up some it is still a great bargain. $1.80 during the day and $2.00 at night. If you are over 60 the price is cut in half.

The facility has two levals. The upper leval has three pools, cold, warm and hot. Most people use the warm pool which is the sise of a swimming pool. The water is a dirty yellow color and you can only see a few inches below the surface...but there is no odor. They have underwater benches around the sides so that you can relax with just your neck out of the water. The hot water pool is about half the sise but there are fewer users....especially in the early morning hours (4:30 AM) it is just too hot for most people.

My favorite time to go is around 5:30 AM, it is dark but a great place to greet a new day. Daylight is from 6;00 to 6:30 depending on the time of year but sunrise is delayed for a couple of hours because of the montains. The hours of operation are from 4:30 AM to 5:00 in the afternoon. They close for an hour to clean and drain the pools and open again at 6:00 and closes at 10:00.

In the evening they only use the hot upper pool and the lower level circular pool. It is about 20 feet in diameter and will comfortably handle 50 people. There is a snack bar and tables where you can enjoy a snack or a drink. Bathing suits are required as well as a shower before entering the pools. Bathing suits and towells are available for rent should you arrive unprepared.

They do not allow drunks or drinking in the pools and as the sign says..."if you want to drink the bars are only a mile away"....or something like that.
It was a great evening....I think I will indulge myself more often.

Daily Tungurahua Volcano Reports

The latest news on current volcano eruptions all over the world can be found on the Southwest Volcano Research Centre site. By clicking on the title above you will be transferred to the site. Once there scroll down near the bottom of the page for the Tungurahua report.

Magda Up-date.

It took two operations to get it right, but I am happy to say that Magda is now at her home and hopefully in two weeks time when she takes her first steps everything will work properly.

The doctors operated on Tuesday night and thought everything was ok but the next day when the the swelling and pain was getting worse, not better, they took an x-ray and found that the leg had slipped out of the socket. They took her back to the "OR" and put it all back together. It seems to be working because she is more or less comfortable in her own bed. The extra trip to the "OR" really played hell with the budget. The doctors fee stayed the same but the hospital cost doubled.

Now all we have to do is give the body time to heal. Thanks for your prayers and phone calls and for your donations. Thanks to PayPal...it is easy to transfer, even small sums of money.

Why Are We Here, If Not To Help?

Have you ever wondered why you are in a certain place at any given time? I know I have, and the events of the past few weeks have given me much food for thought. Here is my story.

For the past nine months, my time has been split between Margarita Ville in San Francisco, Baños, Salasaca and Ambato. The distances are short, as it is only about 40 miles between Ambato and San Francisco, with Salasaca and Baños in between. In Ambato I am operating a small spa, that is not a very good business but I have a few customers and many have become friends.

One of my first customers was a young woman, I'll call her Magda, because that is her real name. She is an attractive 23 year old law student who is gregarious and has a great sense of humor. Everyone loves to have her around. After a few visits, I noticed that she walked a little funny and when I got to know her she told me what her problem was. She has, what they call, a congential hip. I knew what that meant because my own daughter had that problem and the only thing the saved her from having the same problem as Magda was an astute doctor who caught the problem when she was only a few months old and put her in a cast, for I believe, around six months. The result was excellent and today in her 40's she has no problems.

Over the past nine months, Magda’s problem has become worse and every step that she takes is torture. The joint that should ride comfortably in the hip socket is so far out of center that it looks like it will disjoint at any moment. She has a small motor scooter that gets her around because to walk even a block is too painful.

The answer to her problem is an operation, where they will replace the joint with some plastic parts. She is scheduled for the operation on Tuesday, which is expensive, but way below what it would cost in the United States. We are talking about $6,000. Her father lives in the southern part of Ecuador and her mother is in Columbia. They are doing everything they can to raise the money but are still short. I told her that I would see what I could do to raise the extra money and to make sure the operation takes place as scheduled, I would guarantee the amount that was missing.

So today I was thinking, just maybe this was the reason I came to Ambato. To help make it possible for Magda to walk, run and dance again.

If anyone who reads this blog regularly or even for the first time is moved to donate to the fund....feel free to push the “donate” button.

If you are so inclined, say a little prayer for Magda on Tuesday. Thanks.

Tungurahua, And Other News.

Yesterday afternoon the Tungurahua volcano awoke for a caughing spell that emited material into the atmosphere as high as 2.4 miles. The alert level remains at "Orange".

Baños is a low risk area for visitors and all services are available. If you have any fears about spending the night...Salasaca is a great option.

Salasaca Overnight Option.

The Tungurahua volcano is still stable and poses no real threat to Baños for the time being. Some international tourists are returning and little by little they are pumping new blood into the failing businesses. The tourist office in Baños along with a group of business people are in Quayaquil for an international tourist fair promoting the destination. Along with the usual handouts they took 6,000 small volcanic stones that had rained down on the city the 17th of August.

There are still a lot of people who would rather not bed-down for the night in Baños so I have the following suggestion. Why not spend the nights in Salasaca. It is only a $0.50 bus ride and the Hosteria Salasaca is a great bargain.
$10.00 for a single cabin and $15.00 for a double. At the present time they have six cabins with a restaurant and bar. In 15 days they should have their new SPA open which will include a steam room, whirlpool bath and massage service. It is located just a block from the main highway on the north side of town. The e-mail address is hosteriasalasaca@hotmail.com. (I will have some pictures soon.) The place is owned by Michele, a French lady, who has lived in Salasaca for the last 8 years, and her husband Antonio.

While you are in Salasaca you can spend some time visiting the market on the main plaza where many of the crafts that are made locally are sold. I will expand on this idea a little later.

Beautiful Day In Baños

The weather has been wonderful this past week in Baños. The skies have been almost cloudless and the temperature warm. The volcano continues to be activ emitting a small amount of gas, ash and small amounts of lava that dribble down the western slope for a short distance, however in Baños, this all goes unnoticed since the winds take all the ash to the West and from the city center the view of the crater is obscured.

There are a few tourists, but only a fraction of what normally are here this time of year. Everyone is looking forward to an increase of locals from Ambato and Quito on the weekend.

I did get my first look at the new DVD that is now available of the recent eruptions. The vendors on the streets are selling it for $1.00. I am going to include one of these videos with each of Lorenzo's tapestries.

Maybe It's a Good Idea & Maybe Not...You Decide.

A few nights ago while in Ambato, I met with a friend who is a rice distributor. I was telling him of my project to raise a little money for the famililes who were forced out of their homes when Tungurahua erupted. He offered to sell me rice at cost and I even talked him into going with me to deliver it at no extra cost.

The conversation drifted to tons of ash that needed to be cleared and he suggested that I send a little bag to each person who made a donation. The more he talked, the more excited he got. His last comment was, "we could bottle it and make a fortune". I told him that that was not the idea, however we could send an ounce in a little plastic bag along with a note describing where it came from.

So this is the plan...I do not want to take anything from the donations, but if anyone would like an ash sample, just add an extra $1.00 to cover the cost of mailing, and advise me that $1.00 is for the ash.

Better act fast....There are only 40 thousand tons of the stuff scatered around Ecuador.

Thanks again for all of you who have made a contribution.

Clean-Up Begins In Salasaca Hours After The Big Bang.

Tungurahua Eruption Sale

Because of the lack of tourists in Baños, the artisans from Salasaca who provide many of hand-made items in the shops are finding no market for their products. One of the artisans happens to be Lorenzo, a friend of mine, who came to see me a few days ago and told me that he was not able to sell his work and was thinking of moving to the coast to look for employment. I offered to buy his inventory for the same price that he would get if he sold them to his customer in Baños.
I now have 10 tapestries which represents about a months work. I will now try to sell them at the wholesale price of $22, plus of course the $14.72 which is the cost of delivery to anyplace in the Americas. If you would like to own one of these 1.7 meters x .7 meters all wool walhanginggs and help a hard working entrepreneurur at the same time, just push the button below.

I thank you, and Lorenzo thanks you.

Baños is Ready...When You Are.

Just a week ago the volcano Tungurahua exploded in grand style discharging an estimated 30 to 50 million square meters of material in the form of ash and heavy pyroclastic material and lava which caused the death of four people, injured a dozen more, killed thousands of cattle and other livestock, devastated thousands of acres of prime farm land, burned a number of houses and displaced thousands of people. From one day to the next lives changed drastically and there wasn't much anyone could do about it..

While many areas were changed others received little or no damage. Baños, for instance, received a pelting of small volcanic rocks, but it had very little ash which is the real healt hazardrd. The lighter ash moved west with the winds and left Ambato and other cities to the west covered with up to three inches of the dense material, affecting many with breathing problems and causing damage to the crops and in many cases death to the livestock. A week after the giant eruption the people in Ambato are still wearing masks while the people in Baños are enjoying clear, clean air.

Although Baños is in almost perfect condition it is suffering. I would estimate 99% of its income comes from the tourist, and since there are very few tourists the town is hurting. I did see about 10 young people with backpacks yesterday, but they were the adventure seekers who did not listened to the dire predictions that Tungurahua is ready to blow again at any time. We will just have to wait and see.

The busses are running and even if you would be a little nervous about bedding down for the night....why not take a day trip? After all...the Virgin of the Holy Waters has a perfect record of keeping the town safe.

Back to Cotalo...

On Tuesday I took a trip with two of my frineds from Salasaca to see what was going on on the West side of the Tngurahua Volcano. We hiked from the town of Cotalo across the Chamba River and up to Bilboa. The town was mostly deserted but we did see a few children playing by the church and a few famlies working in the field. There had been some rain the night before so we had no problem with the ash that was everywhere.

From there we went North tword Baños across no-mans land where most of the pryoclatic flow had passed a few weeks ago and into the comunity of Casua. On the South side of the town there is a clear line where the fiery flow passed. On one side it is lush and green on the other is like a dry river bed that streathes more than a kilometer and still smells like a bonfire that had been doused with water. There were large rocks (2' x 2') that had been tossed out of the crater and looked looked like they had been turned to charcole.

The town of Casua was also deserted except for a few people we saw working in the fields. Except for a few minor rumblings the volcano seemed harmless enough even though it was obsured by clouds. We continued on to Baños, arriving late in the afternoon.

It was a great day and I was thinking that the danger was over and if I was one of the misplased persons camping out in the church in Cotalo I would return to my home.

However, on Wednesday there was an increase in the seismic activity and 38 evemts were registered and some 400 explosions....two were very large and windows rattled some 15 kilometers away...so once again in my life I was wrong.

Just In Case You Missed This.

Four villages on the skirts of Tungurahua had to leave their homes because of the risk of more eruptions and the rain of volcanic ash that is as deadly as the lava itself. Many of the people in Cusua lost their crops as well as their livestock. The community of Cosalo across the Chambo River is giving shelter and food to these families whose homes are still at risk. The food is coming from private donations as well as a little help from the government. I would like to do what I can to help provide help and maybe you would like to help as well. One thing that is different here than in many other parts of the world.... one dollar goes a long way. One dollar can feed a family for a day. I have added this "donation button" to make it easy to donate. You have my word that every dollar collected will go directly to the familes who need the help.

Anyone who would like to make a donation for the misplaced people who had to leave their homes on the side of the Tungurahua Volcano you can do so by clicking here.

Thanks for your help.

Trip To Cotalo

A few days ago I visited Cotalo, a small community on the western side of the Tungurahua volcano. This picturesque town sits on a platto with the Chamba River and a narrow valley between it and the volcano. On the Cotalo side of the river the land is lush and green and on the other is a wasteland left after the last serries of eruptions.

I went with a couple of friends from Salasaca and we hiked about two-thirds of the way down to the river but had to return because the ash was getting pretty thick and we did not have masks. Going down was easy but it took us a hour to get back to town. Cotalo is hosting the families who lived on the other side until it is safe to return to their homes. I am going back on Sunday and plan to explore the other side of the river to see first hand the amount of damage to Casua and Bilbao

A Picture Tour Of The Baños Area

A short time after I arrived in Baños, I met a man who was also a new arrival and was living with his wife Yvoone, on the other side of the Pastaza River and about 25km from town. To get to where they were living takes a 25 minute bus ride and a 30 to 45 minute hike depending how much of a load you were toteing.

He came to town several times a month to get supplies and we became friends. He was a photographer by trade and for more than a year we spent many happy hours hiking the countless trails around Baños and the Pastaza Valley. He ended up with hundreds, if not thousands of pictures of the area. J and Yvoone returned to Florida last year and he has started posting a photo-essay of their time in Ecuador. Take a look....You will see why I love this area.

Most of the pictures on this blog were taken by J, and I used to call him my personal photographer. I miss him. The latest word is that he will return. I hope soon because I have some projects in Salasaca and I need him.

Enjoy the fotos.

Tungurahua....Still showing off.

The volcano continues to emit gas and ash at times as high as 7 km. The winds aloft continue to be to the west and southwest so Baños and the nearby city of Ambato have been spared the fallout. The western side of the mountain is still being bombarded.

In the early morning hours there were several large explosions which created lava flows with out any warning. The road from Baños to Penipe has received the a lot of damage. I am not sure if it is passable or not.

Yesterday afternoon all of the businesses closed and a evacuation drill was held. At the present time there is no problems in Baños but the city is ready should an evacuation be necessary. The condition is still "yellow".

A week ago Friday most of the tourist left along with a some of the locals. Most of the locals returned but the tourist went on to other destinations.

The financial loss to the city is enormous.

Everything is Normal in Baños.

As of this morning, with all of the activity of Tungurahua, life goes on as usual. Although Tungurahua Volcano is located only a mile to the north of Baños, the city has been spared from the ash which is a major problem for other comunities close by.

Up-Date on Tungurahua

Yesterday during the day the activity of Tungurahua increased with almost 300 explosions and 26 quakes recorded. There were also reports of some mud flows because of the rains in the area. However in the early evening the activity increasd and for the first time since 1999 that there was significant lava flow.


I was in Ambato last night and although Ambato is about 20 miles or less (as the bird flies) from the volcano we had an impressive view of the eruptions that lasted until around 9:30.

Since the crater is a little off center and faces North, I am sure that we had a view of the lava flow that was not seen in Baños.

The mayor of Baños suggested a voluntary evacaution of the city and many people who had cars left, and many from Ambato and surrounding communities went to Baños to help evacuate friends and relatives. What percentage left...I have no idea but my guess is that it was small.

The big problem is the ash which polutes the air. So far here in Ambato there has been no significant fallout as the prevailing winds have taken it in another direction.

If any of my friends in Baños are reading this, I would appreciate a first hand report of what the feeling was and is, in the city. Please e-mail me at banosecuador@hotmail.com. I will have more info later.

Tungurahua, Spouting Off

Tungurahua has been putting on quite a show the last few weeks, and not since 1999 has there been talk of another evacuation.

The seismic activity continues to increase with more than 100 hundred explosions on some 24 hurs periods, with emissions of gas and ash. The explosions vary in intensity, some strong enough to break windows in nearby villages.

The people living in main risk areas been advised to pay attention to the status reports as the volcano is changing. At night you can see the fiery eruptions when there is a break in the clouds. The fact that the steam emissions create instant clouds does not help the viewing either.
Business is also efffected....Baños is concerned with its tourist business and the other communites are concerned with the health of their livestock and the condition of their produce

Everyone is a little nervious at this time remembering well October 1099.

What is going on at Margarita Ville

As the days and weeks fly by, living in paradise just gets better and better. The project at Margarita Ville can become all consuming....of time, money and energy, and it is a struggle to keep it from becoming an addiction.

Here in the mountains at the equator the days and the night are equal. Well, that is not exactly true. We are located approximately one and a half degrees below so there is a difference of about 30 minutes a year, but it is hardly noticeable. This time of year is typically the rainy season but that too doesn’t change much either throughout the year. It is either raining or it isn’t. For example, the last two days it rained most of the day and night, but this morning dawned with a dense low fog that lifted about 8 AM and was replaced by an almost cloudless sky. You cannot imagine the beauty. A week or so ago there were four or five days without rain. I was beginning to worry that we were heading into a drought, but the next day it rained and didn’t stop for three days.

Yesterday we had a couple of visitors from Great Briton who missed a turn-off outside of Baños and ended up two hours later at Margarita Ville on their 4-wheeler. It had been raining for most of afternoon but they were having a good time. Over coffee we discussed the weather and the consensus was....without the rain it would not be nearly as beautiful.

A typical day here usually starts with a walk with Blaze to the Pastaza River. Blaze is a six month old pup that we were given five months ago. She is a pure bred Ecuadorian and smart. She looks forward to this walk in the mornings and is pretty discussed with me if for some reason I have something else planned. I have never been much of a dog person, but I have to admit this one has changed my mind. As soon as I grab my walking stick she takes off, stopping every few seconds to be sure that I am following. When she is satisfied that we are really on the right path she takes of in earnest. We head down the trail that parallels the Margajita River and she has her 101 places that she has to check out until we reach the clearing that borders the Pastaza.

Blaze, the wonder dog.

Photo by Alex Hernandez

Here she goes crazy. (This is a site where for several years was a gravel and sand operation, providing materials for the construction of the new highway and tunnels connecting Puyo and Baños. Now it is a large flat area covering several thousand square meters that is just starting to return to its original state). As I am walking, she will take off at full speed and run 100 meters and dive into a puddle of water, thrash around for a few seconds and take off again in another direction until she finds her favorite sand pile and dive in, dig like crazy for a minute and then come racing back. If she happens to come up on my blind she will jump on my back as if to tell me to pay attention.

When she was just a couple of months old we walked down to a little pond fed by a nameless creek and she slipped on the loose sand and went sliding down with her front feet straight in front and her back legs dug in to slow her down as she ended up in the water. She was a little shocked at what had happened, looked up at me, shook herself, struggled back up the hill and when I turned around down she came again. Ever since that day, that slide became one of her favorite stops. Since this area was a sand and gravel operation in the past there are still several mountains of sand and gravel left which have become favorites as well.

One more story and then I will move on. One day I was pretending to chase her and she took off at full speed and after 25 yards she did what I can only describe as a pirouette She changed directions without stopping. Going full speed in one direction she raised up on her hind feet, did a 180 degree turn and was heading back to me without loosing any speed. I should change her name to Wonder.

This week we are working on a new entrance and hope to have the swimming pool back in operation. The local people enjoy the pool....for me it just never seems warm enough.

Doors are opening here in Baños.

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of being a judge at an English poetry contest taking place between the different high schools in the Canton of Baños. My name had been submitted by my English teacher friend, to the Foreign Language Department of the Tungurahua Education Department in Ambato.

When I received the invitation, I was a little apprehensive and somewhat nervous because I have always felt uncomfortable being in the spotlight of anything. I was assured that I would not be asked to make any remarks unless I was chosen to be the spokesman for the three judges. It was with more then a little trepidation that I arrived at the designated place on the 25th of May. As it turned out, it was a pleasant experience and I was happy that I had been invited.

The group of contestants. The first and second place winners are holding their certificates.

Photo by Alex Hernandez

In addition, the judges received a very large basket of fruit, (about 25 kilos), as a gift for our participation. These baskets were donated by the Patate students. (Patate is a small agricultural center outside of the city proper), We were told during the presentation that all of these fruits were products of their town of which they were very proud.

During the event, I had the pleasure of meeting Lic. Susana Mayorga, the Director of the Foreign Language Department for the Province of Tungurahua. Since that meeting I have met with her in her office in Ambato where we discussed at length the need for volunteer English teachers in the province. I will meet again with her and her associates on the 10th of June when we will formulate descriptions of the kind of help that is most needed. I will have more details next week.

In the meantime….think about this wonderful opportunity to see a new country, immerse yourself in a different culture, while having a wonderful time doing so.

Most Bus Scams Can Be Avoided.

I talked to two visitors to Margarita Ville this past month that related stories of how they were conned on the bus before they left the station in Quito. The young conmen/thieves are alive an doing well at the Quito bus station. A little extra precaution is advised for single travelers as both of these incidences involved women traveling alone.

The first involved a young German girl who was helped by two well dressed young men whom she thought worked for the bus company. They helped her to her seat and when she was seated with her backpack on her lap, one of them told her that she would be more comfortable if she put it under her seat. He helped her get it in position for his partner who was behind her, to cut the bottom and extract her camera. These guys can be charming…so beware.

The second involved a mature lady that arrived at the station by taxi and the driver had helped her get her luggage stored below. She entered the bus and took a seat. A few minutes later a young man approached and asked where she was going and told her the fare was $3.50. She gave him a $10 bill and he said he would bring the change back. He then continued and took money from several other passengers. When the bus left the terminal and was on the road the drivers assistant started through the bus to collect the fares. She told the man that she had already paid and in fact was waiting for her change. His remark was, “You didn’t pay me.” So she had to pay again the correct amount of $3.40. In retrospect, she realized that he only asked money from those that looked like tourists.

This problem can be solved easily if you know how the system works. There are two ways you can buy passage on all of the busses. Buy a ticket at one of the many ticket windows in the main bus station. They will note the bus number, the time of departure and assign a seat number. The second is to board the bus without a ticket and once you are on the road the conductor will pass through the bus and collect the fare. In Quito they never ask for the money before you depart unless you are buying a ticket from one of the many ticket windows.

The overall bus transportation system in Ecuador is good and I have not personally had a hint of a problem.. It is affordable and there is no place that I know of that is not on some route. You can flag a bus anywhere on the street or highway and they will drop you wherever you want along the route. Most of the population here in Ecuador depend on the busses to move around along with their cargo. If you get tired of riding your bicycle, flag a bus and they will hoist it on top, without hesitation or groans of displeasure. It is just part of the job.

Banana Plantation at Margarita Ville

Photo by J. Walker

Although bananas are big business in Ecuador, here in the Pastaza Valley at 1,200 meters in elevation they are not what you would call a cash crop. Here on the property we have about 50 plants which provide more fruit than we could ever eat.

Learning about the care of these prolific plants has been challenging. Knowing when to cut the bunches has been trial and error and I hope by next year I will know a little of what I am doing. If, among the readers of this blog are any banana growers, I would really appreciate any information you are willing to give.

I have learned that in order to have healthy plants you need to separate the shoots. I read where you should to this when they are around one meter high. We have cleared an area where we intend to use for our small plantation. How far apart, I am not sure, but will start with about six feet.

At the present time we have many bunches hanging and are just waiting for the right time to cut them down, which is still hit and miss. I have been told that you should cut the bunch when the sharp edges have become rounded. This is sometimes hard to judge when the bunch is almost 20 feet above the ground, so as a result I have cut several bunches too early and they never did ripen.



Photo by J. Walker

The appearance of the bloom happens overnight it seems. One day there is nothing and the next you have this giant pod. A few days later, the flower starts to open and the individual hands appear one by one. From what I have heard, from this point it takes about four months for the bananas to mature.


Photo by J. Walker

At this point you may now have more information about bananas then you care to know, however I have found it a fascinating process.

Rio Negro....A Walk Along the Rio Estancia.

Just a few kilometers east of the village of San Francisco is Rio Negro, a 70 year old of about 1,000. The first time I visited this quaint little town I looked for the Black River but only found the Pastaza. Although the river is far from clear it is not black. One of the residents told me that there is indeed a Black River a little West of town. Since this town is in the middle of what is known as the Corridor Ecological Amazona and there are plenty of reasons to spend some time and explore the area. There are several restaurants and small hostels for the tourist who would like to spend more time. From San Francisco or Margarita Ville you can take the bus for $0.25 or walk. You can always bus back.

At the east end of town there is a road to the right that crosses the Pastaza and takes you up the mountain beside the beautiful Rio Estancia, taking you ultimately to the a small village by the same name. The walk is a pleasant one with breathtaking views of the Eestancia River with an abundance of the beautiful Sobralia Rosea orchids growing along its banks.


Photo by J. Walker

Three kilometers from the Puyo Highway you pass a Hari Krichner compound and one km further, brings you to a to the beautiful Hosteria Encanto Natural.


Photo by J. Walker

This hostel is a little out of the way but would be a perfect place for a group get together or special retreat where you want to get away from the crowds and yet have all the comforts of a first class resort. If interested you will find more information here.

One kilometer past the hostel you come to a trout farm where you can catch your own trout and have it cooked to your order. Medium sized fish dinner is $2.50 and a large is $3.00.

The best way to make this trip is walking or by bicycle. The walk along the Estancia River is one of the highlights of the trip. I have been told that there are some trout in the river…probably fugitives from the trout farm up stream. The round trip from Rio Negro is about 10 kilometers, and if you don’t cotton to the idea of walking roundtrip you can always taxi up from Rio Negro and walk off lunch on the return. A taxi/pick-up cost $2.00 for the trip.

Sunrise over the Margajita River.

Photo by J. Walker

At the Close of the Day....

Looking west towards Banos, from Margarita Ville we are treated with some beautiful sunsets.

Photo by J. Walker

Short Walks from Margarita Ville.

In a small box canyon up the Margajita River, about a 10 minute hike from Margarita Ville is one of the loveliest watterfalls I have ever seen. It drops aproximately 50 feet into a clear pool. Very few people visit the area even though it is very close to the highway.

Photo by J. Walker


Photo by J. Walker>

At the base of the falls the water runs into a small pool. On a warm day it could be a fine bathing pool.

Photo by J. Walker