Darkness

After 12 years Ecuador is again having issues with the electricity supply. The majority of the electricity is produced from water turbines. We are currently experiencing the worst dry season (in the past 40 years, according to the government…)

There is a big controversy over who is responsible for this electrical crisis. The opponents of the government accused them of a lack of plans and foresight. This comes on top of the fact that there was a large amount of extra money generated by the government when the prices of oil were higher.

The government is defending its management arguing that their predecesors did not make wise decisions in order to develop the electrical system.

Anyway, the result for the public is a schedule of “rolling blackouts” everyday. If you are currently in Quito you can “google” “horarios de cortes eléctricos Quito” and you will find the daily schedules for the regions without electricity.

If you are not going to have electricity at night in your neighbourhood it is a good reason to go home a little earlier, not only for issues of safety but also for the opportunity to have a good meeting with a couple candles and a book as our great grand parents once did…

Quito´s gondola lift (Telefériqo)

The Pichincha volcano is a big protecting wall located at west of Quito. Some decades ago it was a funny trip climbing up to Cruz Loma, one of the volcano peaks, from San Juan or Miraflores neighbourhoods. The trekking took about 3 or 4 hours. Nowadays getting Cruz Loma (4000m S 00° 11.103´ W 78° 32.228´) is pretty easy. A gondola takes us there in about 12 minutes.

The Telefériqo opened in July 2005 with great expectations, unfortunately the big amount of people has been decreasing during these years. The restaurants and the food court now is closed and people rent that spaces for lectures or weddings. Most of the stores are closed as well and even some of them have sued the sponsors of this project.

However taking the Telefériqo is a nice experience in Quito. The Pichincha´s peaks Guagua Pichincha, el Capellán Encantado, Rucu Pichincha and Cundur Huachana, are reachable now thanks to the gondola and there is the chance to go trekking from the station, taking care, is a perfect activity for a summer day.

If the day is clear you can see easily the summits of the Cayambe, Cotopaxi and Antisana, even the Cotacachi peak is visible from the natural Cruz Loma lookout. The whole city can be seen from here so it´s perfect for taking amazing pictures.

The Telefériqo fares are:
Normal: adults $4.00; children $3.00; elderly and handicapped $2.00
Express: adults $7.00; children $5.00;elderly and handicapped $3.50
For foreign people the prices double.

With 4000 meters over the sea level the Teleferiqo is the highest in the world and for that reason you have to take care of high altitude sickness. Wind is intense so carrying warm clothing is a good idea.

Next to the parking lot (USD $ 2) there is the Vulcano Park, and amusement park with many attractions and reasonable prices. Few months ago a church was opened in Cruz Loma and mass are held on Saturdays noon.

Is recommendable going to the Teleferiqo in a sunny day, especially from July to September.

Surprises

Long time since the last post. There are not a lot of surprises in the political environment in Ecuador. President Correa was reelected and his political movement got a tremendous majority in local governments as in the National Assembly. The new four year period is going to be inaugurated next august, just when the bicentennial of the independence is going to be celebrated.

However the lack of surprises in politics, weather has been very intense in the last days. And yesterday was particularly strong. Rain, wind and hail. Some walls were destroyed because of that event. There were lots of traffic and people in north of Quito were scared for a while.

Check this picture from La Hora newspaper.

Southern Quito is safer than the north

The Ecuadorian newspaper El Comercio reports that the increase in crime was again marginal in the south of Quito, while further north it rose with almost 23 %. This despite the fact that southern Quito has the reputation of being the "poor and dangerous" part of the city and most foreigners never even think of going there. Having spent a year working in southern Quito I have to agree with the experts reasoning for the differences in crime increase; the community spirit that exists in the south. The people stick together and look after each other's backs. I had the opportunity to really get to know several neighborhoods in southern Quito (some of which in the article are listed as the most dangerous in southern Quito) and I never felt more secure during my time in Quito than when I was in these neighborhoods. Southern Quito does not deserve its bad reputation and it is a shame that not more people get to experience it. 

There is no way to go to the coast

Long time since the last post. Well, the last months have been very rainy and because of that lots of roads and highways are very bad. Sometimes I think that there is no way to keep the roads very good for long in the Ecuadorian mountains. It is part of living in the Andes: some many roads here are over canyons, next to rivers, in the base of volcanoes.

Last week the main road that joins Quito with the coast was interrupted because of a massive downpour. It was the Aloag – Santo Domingo road. Some days before the other road: Calacali – La Independencia was also damaged for the same reasons. Today (Tuesday) news announced that one of the alternative ways, going through Ibarra, was also interrupted because of the rain issues.

There are other alternative roads in the center of Ecuador that people can use for going to the coast, even when those are going to take them for longer trips.

Lot of people form Quito usually goes to the beach in these holidays. They have to look up for alternatives. And then we will see the consequences of this problem in the market, because of the exchange of products between the coast and the highlands.

Carchi Province

Carchi is the northest province in Ecuador, just next to the border line with Colombia, its beauty is incredible but it is not well promoted, that´s why we decided to go to 2 places in this province:

La Gruta de la Paz.- (La Paz cavern) From Quito take the Panamericana Norte (Pananorte) toIbarra (2260m N 00°20.448´ W 78°08.704´), pass by the Chota valley, el Juncal, Bolívar (2638m N 00°30.523´ W 77°54.386´) until Paz in aproximately one and a half hour. La Paz is a little town with 3000 inhabitants that basically are farmers

There are two ways to get the cavern, one is from San Gabriel and the other one is from La Paz, being the last one shorter and in better conditions than the first one. Inthe central park in the village there is a sign showing the way to the cavern, from this point it is about 4 km of stoned path, it is ver narrow so you better take care.You pay to enter to the cavern only if you´ll use the spring waters.

The legend says tat local people found the statue inside the cavern and its figure seemed like the virgin, they just painted and put clothes on, so it was no made by men.

Inside the cavern there is the virgin statue over a platform at the bottom of a chapel, next to it there is a riverthat comes from inside the cavern, there are also pipes with hot water to the spring waters. The devotion of the people is reflected in all the plaques thanking for miracles, even some people have left their crutches showing that thye had been blessed with a miracle. Like an any cavern there are bats ans stalactites. We recomned you to buy "amasado" cheese in La Paz town, they are delicious!

El Salado lagoon.- (2777m N 00°34.932´ W 77° 47.323´) Going by the Pananorte to San Gabriel take the way to the right next to a gas station (just at he entrance of the town), there are no sign so you better ask locals how to get the lagoon. Once you arrive there you will enjoy the beauty of nature, trees, wild ducks, herons and fish. There is a space to camp at the end of the lagoon.

There are more destinations in Carchi province such as El Angel moorland, lots of lakes and lagoons, waterfalls, spring waters, etc.

It is a good idea to get all the information you need such as brochures and maps at I-Tur office in Atuntaqui (3001m N 00°19.900´ W 78° 12.633´)

More pics from these destinations in our gallery.

Zuleta

Zuleta (2915m N 00°12.437´ W 78°05.501´) is a little village in the northern region in Ecuador and it is famous because of the homemade needlework. Its community is well organized and they know about their touristic potential so nowadays they are supporting many projects in this area.

To get Zuleta, from Quito, you have to take the Panamericana Norte to Ibarra and then enter by La Esperanza, eventhough there is a shorter way. Go to Cayambe (3140m N 00°02.517´ W 78°08.564´) and continue by the Panamericana until the detour to Olmedo (3122m N 00°08.445´ W 78°04.514´), the highway is ok until this place, then you have a 2nd order way (no asphalt) to get Zuleta.

500 meters before Zuleta´s church we found a path that took us to a nice small lagoon with herons, half an hour later we got a waterfall with no name, it was a perfect place to enjoy the water with a little swimming.

The community is building a Hostel next to the church, but now just the restaurant is working, its style is roustic and the food is delicious.

From Zuleta you can climb the Cunrru mountain (3306m N 00°13.789´ W 78°05.792´), the hiking is about 2 hours (you can hire a pick up that takes you 30 minutes before the top). There are spectacular landscapes with the Cayambe volcano, valleys, cattle, etc. There is a perfect place to camp in the top of the mountain just next to a small lagoon.

Another recommended activity is to visit the Hacienda Zuleta (2900m N 00°12.357´ W 78°04.913´), wich is a Hostería nowadays. The paths are well defined with signs and you can visit the earthworm-culture area, the cheese museum and the pyramids and funerary "tolas" wich will take you to the time when the Hacienda was inhabited by ancient tribes like Caranquis.

Cóndor Huasi is a project supported by the Galo Plaza Laso foundation and it is located inside the Hacienda, its main objective is to reinsert to the wild to condores that are nowadays in big cages. the project also teaches children and youngsters about nature and enviromental education. Some wild condors have came to this place and fly over the cages. Until now 12 birds have been classified. It is impressive to see the king of the andes range flying free over the high grassland.

Thera are more pictures of this destination in our gallery.