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Date:
February 7, 2002
Hello !
I hope this email finds you all well.
I arrived yesterday in the lively mid sized city of
Riobamba, Ecaudor. It is located about 200km south of
the capital city of Quito.
My experience started very badly in Ecuador. I was
robbed in The Old Town section of Quito. I had heard
all the warnings and felt that I was being cautious.
Scott and I had ventured into Old Town on our second
day in Quito. We strolled the streets that were lined
with old churches, narrow alleys and houses with tile
roofs. The area had all the stunning architecture and
culture that I had found to be missing in Costa Rica.
We found a cafe in the plaza and sat down to enjoy an
overpriced cup of coffee. I checked my surroundings.
The cafe was fenced in and there was a security guard
at the entrance. I felt safe to place my bag under the
table. In the next hour somehow my bag disappeared
without either of us taking notice. It contained my
camera, jacket and two weeks worth of my journals. A
local man believed that the guard was working with the
thief. Or course the restaraunt had no history of
theft. Before leaving the cafe I met a man who had his
back pocket razored and upon returning to my hostal I
listened as two Danish women told me they had been
robbed. Someone sprayed ketchup on her and when they
offered her a towel they cut the strap to her bag and
disappeared.
This is the first time in my life that my person has
been robbed. The incident violates my cozy little
secure world. I now carry a camera that fits into my
pocket. A backpack seems to risky. What if while the
thief is cutting the strap they cut a little too deep
? Quito is a beautiful city but in my opinion is not
worth the risk.
I had other more positive firsts. My campsite one day
south of Quito allowed me my fist view of the snow
capped Andes. The next morning I watched Volcan
Tungurahua erupt in the distance. A cloud of smoke and
ash billowed into the sky. The eruption seemed
routine. The locals took no interest in the display.
Scott' knee is causing him pain. It forced us to
hitchhike for the first time. He did not feel
comfortable finishing the climb through the mountain
pass north of Riobamba. Hitchhiking in Ecuador is very
common. Within 10 minutes we were relaxing in the back
of a pickup truck on the way to town. It is reassuring
to know that I have this option on the days when
things seem overwhelming.
The countryside of Ecuador is radically different than
Quito. I have begun to ask permission to camp in the
small towns that dot the Pan America Highway. The
locals are very gracious. They let allow me to camp in
the park or by the school. One morning we were the
entertainment for the young students arriving for
school. They boys lined up for photos but the girls
fled at the sight of a camera. They boys giggled while
peering through Scott's binoculars. The children
restored my faith in the people of Ecuador.
This is my first time south of the equator. Yes the
water in the toilet does swirl in the opposite
direction. What has amazed me in the weather. I am 1
degree south of the equator but the nights have been
damp and cold. This is the middle of their summer !
The prospect of a raw 45 degree morning has kept me in
my sleeping bag longer than normal. The climate is due
to the high altitude. The Pan American transverses the
spine of the Andes between the elevation of 8000ft and
13000ft.
The traffic and pollution continue to be a problem.
The buses and trucks belch clouds of smoke. Between
the pollution and the altitude there are time that I
find my self gasping for air. I still hold hope that
the traffic will thin south of Riobamba.
My next goal is the city of Cuenca in southern
Ecuador. From there the border of Peru is a two day
ride.
I miss you all !
Love, Dennis
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