I'll Trade You My Ice Axe for a Surf Board

Too Much of Good Thing

Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed climbing in Peru, and ….I somewhat rashly decided that I needed to be in Ecuador on the coast practicing yoga and learning how to surf.. Beginning to feel slightly jaded, I knew I needed a change of pace before I ended up not even liking the sport that I love.

Before I left Huaraz I made sure to buy a complete Quechuan outfit. A friend of mine went with me to help me buy something very traditional, as each small village has their own specific attire. I can easily say that this was some of the most endearing interactions I have had with Quechuans in my four months of living in their country. The ladies would come in, looking for a shawl or blouse for themselves, and first they would laugh and gawk in disbelief, and then they would smile and make friendly conversation with me-helping me pick out color combinations. I think they were flattered, which made me really happy. I had been rather afraid they would be offended by me trying to dawn their attire. Walking back to the hostel in my new outfit won me many double takes and unashamed pointing in my direction, but all with smiles. Now all I have to do is convince Andre to buy a men’s version so we can win the next Halloween contest!

Trujillo- 22 hours from Ayampe

Today we had tamales for breakfast and then went to this ruins called Huaca de la Luna. It was really unique, this people, the Moche, who ruled from 100 A.D. to 600 A.D. lived in the dessert next to the beach and built these massive temples. Every 100 years they would fill the entire temple in and build a newer bigger  one on top and around the old one. The result was sort of a Russian doll effect, and you can still see some of the original paintings of the walls of all these buildings, with intricate depictions of all of their gods, which generally were part animal and part human. The coolest part about the exhibit was it was only really discovered in the late nineties, so they are still uncovering all sorts of cool secrets. I want to come back in 30 years to see how much more they have uncovered. 

You can see all five levels, each one built 100 years after the other. Each century had a different pattern, supposedly corresponding to a change in power.

Today I road on a collectivo with a bucket of chicken feet next to me. The whole van smelled like raw chicken in the heat of the day. I know its culturally insensitive to plug one’s nose, but so is vomiting on the other passengers, so I went with the former.

Sitting in a cafe drinking Chilean wine and waiting for our bus to leave. 18 hours to Guayaquil, Ecuador. I am so tired, I don’t think it will be any problem to fall asleep on the bus. Once in Guayaquil, Nick and I will part ways and I will go to Ayampe, where you can find me relaxing in a hammock reading my Harry Potter 6 in spanish, while drinking a piña colada. I’m excited to be traveling on my own for a bit, as I always learn so much about myself doing so. Adventures are sure to ensue; stay tuned. 

Peruvian men on the beach in Trujillo

 

Guayaquil to Montanita- 4 Hours to Ayampe

After delays at the border we made it to Guayaquil, and about ten minutes after saying to Nick, “Goodbye and wish me luck finding my way to Montanita by myself”, I met a lovely young lady named Ashley Holly who informed me that she was travelling there and I could join her. Six dollars and three hours later we arrived in crazy-hippy-party-gringolandia. One night was plenty for me in this town that vibrated until six in the morning...It was pretty epic though. Ashley and I slept in the cheapest hostel in all of Montanita. Our accomodations included an old mattress on the roof, in the open air, dorm-style. It even boasted a mosquito net and a trunk to lock your things in. With the loudest disco in town being right next door, one understood why it was only six dollars.  :)

I soon realized that Montanita was the kind of town that sucked tourists in and had them essentially walking in a small circle saying hello to the same people over and over again and then doing drugs on the beach at night. I sped out of there ASAP the next morning and went to my final destination: Ayampe.

 My first day of surf lessons in Ayampe!

Ayampe

It was instant paradise: a tiny, jungly, seaside town with only one small store. I ended up sleeping in the attic of a Colombian family’s house for 10 dollars a night. Despite being an attic, my room had high ceilings, wood floors, lots of windows and a big bed with mosquito netting. It was tranquil and just what I needed to do some reflecting and writing. I was kept company by a large yellow tropical bird who said hello every morning by pecking loudly on my window. (I don’t know why he didn’t just come in through the many windows that didn’t have glass on them, maybe he just liked to make noise?) A hyperactive bat liked to do a few laps around the room at night too before flying back out the glassless window, which was also rather entertaining. 

I even got to meet up with some Argentine friends I had made in Guayaquil and we hired a boat to go see hump back whales jumping and flipping in the water. That was probably the coolest part of my entire trip even though beforehand I had thought, "whale watching is for after I retirej". The boat driver let us do flips off the top of the double decker boat, and go snorkeling alongside the Blue-footed Boobies. 

 The colorful town of Puerto Lopez.

 We saw a family of three playing nearby.

 Boobies!

 Fresh fish being chopped up on the beach. Watch out for flying guts!

 That fresh fish turns into delicious cebiche!

I didn’t make it to the Ecuadorian jungle, but Ayampe was rather wild still. The first day as we are just starting our yoga practice I look to my left and see a tarantula about the size of my hand, seemingly ready to start sun salutations. If I hadn’t been about to get my zen on, and if killing living beings weren’t so anti-karmic, I would have tried to kill it. Fortunately for Mr. Tarantula, my teacher, Vanessa, was quite accustomed to these large spiders by now and she swiftly relocated him to the garden with a purple yoga block. My house mom said its good luck to spot tarantulas, but I still couldn’t sleep that night. 

 My life is so rough right now.

Yoga has always been something I kind of enjoyed, but I never did it enough or with the right teachers to really get it. Vanessa’s yoga was different though. Slower, gentler, and more meditative. The classes were much less about competing for flexibility, and much more about awaking your own connection to your body and to the Pachamama, or mother earth. It was my first experience with group chanting, and all I can say is that once I let go of the stereoptypes about what chanting meant, and stopped worrying about whether participating meant I was committed to any particular yogi spiritual worldview, it was beautiful.

I did yoga in the morning, and surfed in the afternoon, depending on the tide. Because Ecuador is so close to the Ecuator, the tide changes about 40 minutes every day, which was surprising at first. I didn’t surf as much as I had hoped due to the fact that I got sick for two days with a fever, and then the waves got to about 15ft overhead from swells and the full moon. In fact, they were so big there was an orange alert along the entire coast of Ecuador, which made it illegal to enter the water. I took this as a sign that it was time for me to head back to Peru, and so I began the two day bus journey. Quite honestly Andre and the cheap Peruvian prices were the only things I was really turning around for. I was pleased with the progress I made; I still would not call myself a “surfer” but I can now consistently stand up and often actually ride the wave in! A big improvement thanks to the patience and positive spirit of my surf instructor. 

My adopted Colombian mother. I will miss this family.

Back in Huaraz, I am rested and ready to climb another mountain, but, can you believe it, Andre didn't want to! Jungle here we come!