No Place Like Home

The second to last show was held in front of the presidents house in the Plaza de Grande. Hundred of people were around due to the Quito Holiday. People old and young gathered to watch the "gringo reggae" show and while no one danced they did listen. This young man (below) wandered around and shined shoes as the show went on. Look how young he is and how black his hands are!! I just can't image, it's very sad to watch.











The crowd at Seseribo was a bit confused when a reggae band showed up to ruin their salsa night. They ended up being pleasantly surprised however and the dancers were in full force.


Last night we were packed and ready to go. We got to the airport two hours early and waited in numerous lines only to be told that our flight was canceled due to volcanic ash. The security alert seemed very high and after the flight was canceled around 1:30am we didn't get our bags back until 5am only to find they had been gone through. My guess is that is was not volcanic ash since the ash is blowing south and we are a hundred miles north but who knows. So far tonight our flight is an hour and a half delayed and we have missed our connecting flight, just hoping that the flight actually leaves tonight, our fingers are crossed. As much as I enjoyed our stay here I am beyond ready to go home, release us Ecuador pretty please :)

Thanks for following the blog and I look forward to the next adventure!!

Guayaquil

Crab night was phenomenal, hands down the best thing I've eaten since I've been here. There is a place in Guayaquil where all the locals go and work for their food. Lined up inside are live crabs just waiting to be cooked. They are all tied together and piled up so they can't get away but alive, it's a bit creepy but fascinating! You are given a slab of wood and a mallet to crack open the crab then some rice and salsa to eat with it. I learned shortly after ordering that if you pay a bit more you can get the dish already prepared, after being splattered with crab water and working fifteen minutes to get a few bites I ordered the ready made dish and wow what a treat! I love me some crab, mmmmm that's another thing I'll need more of when I get home.








The guys played at a place called Diva Nicotina that was situated steps away from an enormous river (Guayas), brown and very fast. These stairs were intimidating but I couldn't help but wonder what was at the top so Jimmy and I took the challenge. 444 steps later we reached the top and found a small chapel and a breathtaking view of the city. Nothing like a little Rocky work out to get your blood pumping.













Later that evening we made some new friends at the club and enjoyed some good music and food. It's amazing how friendly and accepting people are here, each performance has been met by a welcoming audience (if only more would dance).



The next morning we headed for Parque Seminario (otherwise knows as iguana park) to see what it was all about. In one corner of the park several large iguanas fraternize with turtles and pigeons. Food is brought in by locals which I'm assuming keeps them there, quite strange really to just see them roaming around and coming within a few feet (I guess this will have to tide me over until I'm able to afford a Galapagos tour). One thing we learned during our visit is to never walk under a tree full of iguanas. Unfortunately Garrett was the victim of a full bladder. I was too busy dodging the bullet to notice how big this particular iguana was but I think it may have had the bladder of a horse!! Lesson learned :)


Below is a group of homes and buildings situated at the top of the city, unfortunately I didn't take the picture at the right time of day but the colors and lack of privacy are quite the view. The last picture is one of my favorites, I love the old people here! The age span of workers here is crazy, the tiniest children are out selling and shining shoes as well as the oldest of old are trying to make a buck.


All in all Guayaquil was not our favorite but an experience non the less, we are happy to be out of the city even though we have only be transported back to another city (Quito). Tomorrow is our last day here before boarding a plan around midnight. The volcanic eruption has not affected us at all and hopefully it will stay that way. We have been so busy and on the go that we haven't been able to do any shopping so tomorrow is dedicated to looking for some fun souvenirs, wish us luck!!

The Drive

Like I said, beautiful!!! Even though the three and a half hour drive was full of near death experiences (nothing in particular just every car/bus/plane ride is a white knuckle experience) it may have been one of the most incredible drives I've ever taken.









At one point we drove through the clouds to a rest area where we grabbed a snack and stopped to check out the view. Their was a small farm there where we had the honor of stumbling across this huge pig, unfortunately he will most likely be served as lunch there later in the week :(




Guava anyone?? This is not your typical guava, a lot less delicious actually but all part of the experience. They look like enormous green beans and could actually be used as a weapon if needs be. Inside the bean like shell is the soft white fruit (almost marshmallowy) that covers a rather large black seed. Fruit is in abundance here, while the papayas don't measure up to Hawaii's the mangoes are awesome!!!



Guayaquil (where we are now) has been our least favorite place so far but we did get to check out the Iguana park and enjoy a delicious meal with the locals (pictures to come) . Even though the experience has been great and memorable I am starting to count down the days until I'm back in my own clean bed. I could however get used to the no working thing, much needed and appreciated :) We are taking our last in country flight today back to Quito for the last several shows. Stay tuned for our final adventures.

Loving Loja

The beautiful city of Loja, we all loved it there. The guys were able to play with some well known musicians in the area and the people there were very receptive to the tunes :)



We were fed well and catered to in every way, having the government fund a gig is the way to go. I was introduced as the photo journalist so I played the part while there. Hey after all, that was actually my number one job choice way back when (in fact maybe I ought to reconsider that). Loja was the first city in Ecuador to have electricity and known for it's musical influence. A place I would definitely return to.




Our next stop was Cuenca, we arrived shortly before dark and were housed only two blocks from the venue which was great but the hostel not so great. The noise from the street does not bode well after a late night show. Ecuador seems to shut down by 11pm but the hustle and bustle starts by 6am (4am in Utah) and that is not my cup of tea.



The owner of the club was British and spoke great English which was a breath of fresh air after second guessing what everyone is saying around you (I am however impressed by how much vocabulary I've retained through the years). I was so excited to order the babaganoosh (my spell check won't tell me if I spelled this right) on the menu but sadly it wasn't available nor the key lime pie my stomach requested (Rebecca, Mazza is calling my name so plan it when I get back). The ambiance in the club was great, drawings of Che and beautiful paintings plastered the walls plus the view (above) from the balcony was not so shabby either.



Our stay there was short lived, we loaded into the van the next morning for our three and a half hour ride up the mountain to Guayaquil. Below are some examples of what one might see out their window on a mid afternoon ride :)







Can't get over this kids outfit above, nor the fact that he is peddling treats at the ripe age of what three?? Wow



Next stop Guayaquil, the drive from Cuenca was breathtaking. We drove up at mountain above the clouds that reached nearly 14,000 feet before descending into the city, pictures to come.