Take 1: Intro
I have developed a habit to write these essays in my head while riding a bus or trying to sleep… I even write them while things have not happened yet. Well, I guess these are the consequences of traveling solo, but don’t get me wrong, I would not change my “nomadic” status for the world. Now, the famous college Compare/Contrast essay, I’ll try to reveal some of the truth about (my experience in) Ecuador by comparing it to.., you guessed it: Colombia. I have been “accused” of unreasonably loving Colombia a bit too much, especially after having a blast in Ecuador and particularly Galapagos Islands. I love Ecuador! Yah, its true, like a true middle-eastern decent man I am allowed to love more than one woman, or a country for that matter. However, there is always a favorite wife, or a country. How does one compare wild and “dangerous” Columbia with a pleasant and lovely Ecuador?
Take 2: In the mix
Ecuador. Only positive, truly, nothing and I mean it nothing bad or simply unpleasant happened there. Unlike Colombia, where I had to straggle with the captain, with migration officials, the cold (raining season) and an altitude sickness, in contrary in Ecuador, there was only pleasure. Nice people, great weather, good food, everything is easy in Ecuador. It is quite small, so it is very easy to travel around and see practically all of it within 3 weeks. It also, has it all: the beaches, the mountains (that was actually the only hard thing I have done in Ecuador, when I have climbed Cotopaxi, may it go to hell) and the Amazonian jungle. Because of this, there are a lot of tourists, nice ones though.
I met a cool bunch of Israelis in Quito and we spent some high-quality time together. These children of a constant war zone, bargaining and parting heavily their way throw Latin America… I love them and I hate them at the same time. Then, I did not mind the tourist so much because I was mostly hanging out with locals (I’ll get back to this later)
We split with Israelis, they went to Montanita, a famous beach hang out for gringos and I went to Galapagos. What about Colombia, where is the compare/contrast? Well, here is one: there are no tourists in Colombia, only the some brave backpackers and couple of missionaries who keep on getting eaten by the cannibalistic tribes of Colombian Amazon. I was not really afraid of the guerrillas in Colombia but I did get a little paranoid when the passengers of the long distance buses were filmed on a video camera juts before departure. Nothing like that in Ecuador, I was at ease there, so relaxed, that I stopped watching my backpack and carried large ($100-200) sums of money after dark.. And all that taking into account that Mariscal (gringos’ neighborhood in Quito) is considered dangerous. Aren’t they all? Anyways, no contrast here, I know people who were robbed in Bogota and Quito, so watch out.
Take 3: Vilcabamba: gaining happiness.
First I read about this place in my book: the “Longevity Valley” where people live well over 100 years. Then in stupid glossy magazine, you know, the ones thy put in every seat on the plain. That kind of put me off but it was on my way to Peru so I went. I’m glad I did. It was a pleasant little town where I did not do anything… nothing. It was easy; time did not seem to exist there. I would sleep though free lessons of Spanish in the morning wake up by midday swim in the river talk to some people here and there, take a walk, run downhill to swim in the river again. In the evenings my new friend Michael (a bartender from Quito, who also spoke Hebrew, an important skill in Latin America) and I would drink a lot of booze – that’s how my evening Spanish classes started. By the end of these “lessons” he and I would speak a crazy mix of Spanish, English, Hebrew and Russian the only language he did think he knew. Then sleep.., like a baby, a newborn. A newborn, well I was. Suddenly it hit me, it was on the tip of my tong but I could not say it.., it was a feeling, a feeling of happiness. I am not really accustomed to this strange notion, but I was sure it was it. I played with this thought; I tried different languages, starting with Russian “schast’e”, an odd word, sounds rough to my ear, definitely didn’t describe what I was feeling, happiness, that was a little better, a softer one but yet abused by the hippies and pop culture. The Hebrew substitute I have never learned, or effortlessly have forgotten, not like I have ever used it. Then it occurred to me: Alegría. That was it. How simple and descriptive.
I have developed a habit to write these essays in my head while riding a bus or trying to sleep… I even write them while things have not happened yet. Well, I guess these are the consequences of traveling solo, but don’t get me wrong, I would not change my “nomadic” status for the world. Now, the famous college Compare/Contrast essay, I’ll try to reveal some of the truth about (my experience in) Ecuador by comparing it to.., you guessed it: Colombia. I have been “accused” of unreasonably loving Colombia a bit too much, especially after having a blast in Ecuador and particularly Galapagos Islands. I love Ecuador! Yah, its true, like a true middle-eastern decent man I am allowed to love more than one woman, or a country for that matter. However, there is always a favorite wife, or a country. How does one compare wild and “dangerous” Columbia with a pleasant and lovely Ecuador?
Take 2: In the mix
Ecuador. Only positive, truly, nothing and I mean it nothing bad or simply unpleasant happened there. Unlike Colombia, where I had to straggle with the captain, with migration officials, the cold (raining season) and an altitude sickness, in contrary in Ecuador, there was only pleasure. Nice people, great weather, good food, everything is easy in Ecuador. It is quite small, so it is very easy to travel around and see practically all of it within 3 weeks. It also, has it all: the beaches, the mountains (that was actually the only hard thing I have done in Ecuador, when I have climbed Cotopaxi, may it go to hell) and the Amazonian jungle. Because of this, there are a lot of tourists, nice ones though.
I met a cool bunch of Israelis in Quito and we spent some high-quality time together. These children of a constant war zone, bargaining and parting heavily their way throw Latin America… I love them and I hate them at the same time. Then, I did not mind the tourist so much because I was mostly hanging out with locals (I’ll get back to this later)
We split with Israelis, they went to Montanita, a famous beach hang out for gringos and I went to Galapagos. What about Colombia, where is the compare/contrast? Well, here is one: there are no tourists in Colombia, only the some brave backpackers and couple of missionaries who keep on getting eaten by the cannibalistic tribes of Colombian Amazon. I was not really afraid of the guerrillas in Colombia but I did get a little paranoid when the passengers of the long distance buses were filmed on a video camera juts before departure. Nothing like that in Ecuador, I was at ease there, so relaxed, that I stopped watching my backpack and carried large ($100-200) sums of money after dark.. And all that taking into account that Mariscal (gringos’ neighborhood in Quito) is considered dangerous. Aren’t they all? Anyways, no contrast here, I know people who were robbed in Bogota and Quito, so watch out.
Take 3: Vilcabamba: gaining happiness.
First I read about this place in my book: the “Longevity Valley” where people live well over 100 years. Then in stupid glossy magazine, you know, the ones thy put in every seat on the plain. That kind of put me off but it was on my way to Peru so I went. I’m glad I did. It was a pleasant little town where I did not do anything… nothing. It was easy; time did not seem to exist there. I would sleep though free lessons of Spanish in the morning wake up by midday swim in the river talk to some people here and there, take a walk, run downhill to swim in the river again. In the evenings my new friend Michael (a bartender from Quito, who also spoke Hebrew, an important skill in Latin America) and I would drink a lot of booze – that’s how my evening Spanish classes started. By the end of these “lessons” he and I would speak a crazy mix of Spanish, English, Hebrew and Russian the only language he did think he knew. Then sleep.., like a baby, a newborn. A newborn, well I was. Suddenly it hit me, it was on the tip of my tong but I could not say it.., it was a feeling, a feeling of happiness. I am not really accustomed to this strange notion, but I was sure it was it. I played with this thought; I tried different languages, starting with Russian “schast’e”, an odd word, sounds rough to my ear, definitely didn’t describe what I was feeling, happiness, that was a little better, a softer one but yet abused by the hippies and pop culture. The Hebrew substitute I have never learned, or effortlessly have forgotten, not like I have ever used it. Then it occurred to me: Alegría. That was it. How simple and descriptive.
I have lost it now. Alegría. I had it for several weeks and lost it.., somwhere in Peru.
I have failed to present a valid essay. I started it a while a ago and now can’t really get back to. Somehow it doesn’t seem important anymore. I wanted to write Take 4: Falling in love. It was an interesting story how I felt in love with a local girl who was a missionary. She lived in a monastery, studied to be a lawyer and on her spare time was converting Amazonian Indians into Catholicism. But I won’t write about that. Instead, I’ll write about the jungle…
I have failed to present a valid essay. I started it a while a ago and now can’t really get back to. Somehow it doesn’t seem important anymore. I wanted to write Take 4: Falling in love. It was an interesting story how I felt in love with a local girl who was a missionary. She lived in a monastery, studied to be a lawyer and on her spare time was converting Amazonian Indians into Catholicism. But I won’t write about that. Instead, I’ll write about the jungle…
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