Ecuador and Galapagos Islands

No Exit

The long bus rides through Colombia demanded a lot from our bodies. Sitting for hours with minimal movement and restricted legroom dominated the torture. On the journey to Quito, Ecuador, we sat on the bus with countless Venezuelans. They, like the couple mentioned in the previous blog, fled to Peru to find work and hopefully have a better life. The mood was cheerful. Perhaps it is easier to flee with people of the same age who are in the same predicament. The group dynamics on the bus were lively. Only the gangster film dampened our mood. It was about a girl who was kidnapped in the most brutal way. The gang mistreated her and demanded a ransom for her release. There were young children and refugees on the bus, making it an unfavorable film for this target audience. Brutality and youth protection are not handled as sensitively in this country. Thank you, Switzerland.

Impressive Hospitality

Upon arriving in Quito, we continued to Yaruquí, a village near the airport. After dinner, Rezi wanted dessert, which led us to a bakery with many delicious treats. While looking around, the saleswoman behind the counter asked us, 'Where are you from?' 'From Switzerland,' we replied. A brief small talk turned into a nearly two-hour stay at the bakery. After asking what their favorite dessert was, they gave us various local delicacies to try. Eventually, we ended up in their bakery. The owners of the bakery were so delighted with our visit that they partially left the sales counter unattended. Customers kept coming in, forcing one of the bakers to break away from our conversation.

Their son, Alex Edison, wanted to show us the city. We had never experienced such a warm and welcoming reception in a bakery. After the long meeting, we exchanged phone numbers and received an invitation to stay with them after our time in Galapagos. The offer to stay with them was an offer that could not be refused. 'Hasta luego,' we shouted to each other as we left and waved goodbye. We still couldn't believe their openness and hospitality. We smiled at each other, full of anticipation for what lay ahead.

Animal Paradise in Champagne Mood

A dream came true when we finally arrived in Galapagos. The strict control of fruits, seeds, kernels, and the usual items such as weapons and metal objects at the airport was long but also sensible. We gladly paid the $100 national park fee to even be able to visit these islands. This incredible natural wonder must be preserved and protected. Since our arrival at the airport, we have been very well taken care of by the tour operator and guided through all the necessary stations. The 50% last-minute cruiser we booked for this five-day trip in Galapagos was the newest and best. It was a catamaran with gourmet cuisine, beautiful rooms, and even a sun deck with a jacuzzi. We felt like we were in the world of James Bond. As soon as we arrived on the ship, we explored all the accessible spaces and could hardly recover from our astonishment. The corners of our mouths were so high that they were almost tickled by our eyelashes. We laughed and were delighted with our investment in the Galapagos trip. Our guide Carlos was a local and spoke fluent English. His father has been working as a biologist and tour guide on the islands for 30 years.

In the afternoon, we started with our first activity. We snorkeled at the northern cape of Seymour Island. It was like being in another world. There were lots of sea lions underwater who wanted to play with us. Equipped with wetsuits and snorkels, we swam with the animals for almost an hour. The sea lions stared at us, zoomed past us, spun around their own axis, and saw no danger in us.

In the evening, we enjoyed a welcome drink and were introduced to the entire crew. Carlos informed us about the program before we helped ourselves to the delicious buffet. The food was excellent throughout the entire week. The wildlife and diversity of the islands, combined with Carlos's information, were fascinating. The whole week was perfect and unforgettable. This trip heightened our interest in a pristine nature. The harmony between nature and humans is desirable. There would be an interesting story to tell about every single animal on the islands and something to say about each of the twelve guests on the yacht – but that would far exceed the scope of this post. We would be happy to describe our dream experience in Galapagos in more detail at home. The pictures show a lot, but there is much more in our hearts. Just WOW!

Full Heads and Open Arms

With all the impressions of the unique volcanic islands of Galapagos, we traveled to the same hotel where we had stayed before Galapagos. We needed some rest and relaxation to let everything sink in. We certainly needed more time than just one night to fully process the diverse impressions. We prolong the complete process. The next day, we visited the bakery, where we were welcomed with open arms and taken to the family's simple 'casita.' Alex let us use his room, where we could sleep for a week. The mutual trust was there, and their interest in our culture and existence was great. They asked us curious questions. We quickly realized that they spent most of their time in the bakery. The apartment was minimally furnished and not even equipped with a kitchen. We had a guided tour of Quito, the capital of Ecuador, danced to Latin American music in the discotheque, bathed in hot springs in the middle of the mountains, visited the center of the earth, the crater lake Quilotoa, a cocoa plantation in Mindo, and generally spent a lot of time in the bakery. The younger son, Luis, is nine years old and liked to show us his English skills. We were amazed and somewhat startled by how deep their education and understanding of the world was. The belief that Europe is located in America was particularly shocking to us.

The hospitality was immense - perhaps too immense. We felt a bit deprived of our freedom. Their interest was so immense that they were almost constantly following us. Are we too freedom-loving? Do our minds need too much space to breathe? Shouldn't such interest be evaluated positively? Every culture has its customs. We sometimes found it unpleasant when we had to provide information about money, wages, and expenses. However, it was exciting to experience a different culture and be right in the middle of it. We were always the tourists from Switzerland, but we lived the Ecuadorian culture with them. Not only the ignorance of the people surprised us but also the excessive consumption of sugar. Surely, this was also related to their education. For example, Father Luis put seven heaping spoons of sugar in a cup of coffee. One would feel like he's drinking cola based on the amount of sugar. Furthermore, there is a strong belief in God. The sons stood with praying hands in front of their father during each greeting and farewell to receive his blessings.

We sometimes missed Switzerland and its high standard of living. When we were caught up in the daily grind at home, we often didn't appreciate it that much. Sometimes distance from home is needed to welcome our own things more. We had a hard time with the cleanliness and neglected order at the Jiménez household. Do you know the feeling when you stand in the shower with hollow feet and try to wash yourself with as little contact with the floor as possible to avoid unhygienic discomfort? It is not pleasant to know that Alex uses the same towel as us and that Luis might even lie on our bed with the dog. Such annoyances frayed the nerves of us 'Bünzlis' (Swiss people obsessed with tidiness).

Quilotoa Crater Lake

For the Quilotoa volcano tour, we checked out with our host family for one night. We spent the night at an altitude of nearly 4,000 meters in Quilotoa, where we enjoyed a romantic fireplace atmosphere. This is one of the poorest regions in Ecuador. We quickly noticed the similarities with Guatemala in terms of the many stray dogs, strange looks, and unfinished houses. The mountain dwellers here wear ponchos and hats. Often, the women are dressed very colorfully and wear stockings or knee socks under their skirts. The scent of the people in the mountains is different from that of the city. We mainly smelled scents like burnt wood and cooked food.

The next day, we hoped for a beautiful sunrise, which unfortunately did not happen. After breakfast, we walked around the crater lake Quilotoa. We were accompanied by a dog most of the time. He annoyed us - it's hard to believe that he managed to come so far with us without being kicked by us and ending up in the cold water of the crater lake. The hike was unique, sometimes leaving us out of breath and making us feel the altitude. We were particularly impressed by the play of colors in the water.

Many Thanks

The time with the Ecuadorian family allowed us a unique opportunity to immerse ourselves in a different culture. Their loving treatment, warmth, and helpfulness greatly impressed us. We appreciate their patience and immense interest in communicating with us in Spanish. It was not always easy for us to express our thoughts in this foreign language. We communicated with sign language most of the time. On the other hand, the Jiménez family showed a lot of empathy and patience. The cultural differences provided us, two Europeans, with plenty of topics to discuss. We will remember our experiences in Ecuador fondly. Working in the bakery and having a glimpse into the nine-year-old Luis's school life were two experiences that showed us the lives of the people in Ecuador. We are very grateful for the wonderful time we had there and at the same time, we are looking forward to continue on our independent journey. Bolivia is waiting for us.