CHAPTER THREE
Far Off Lands
Even though they had quickly planned a trip to Ecuador, things went smoothly even with the language barrier. The flight south to Ecuador was exciting and very much a steppingstone to a much broader trip to follow the following year. A plane took them from Panama to Guayaquil, Ecuador in just under 3 hours. As the plane was arriving and rapidly lowering in altitude, TJ realized they had passed the equator and they were landing in the southern hemisphere. Things already looked radically different below them as heavy rains and flood waters were receding around the city and airport. They had suffered a storm the week before which had drenched the country in rain. Surprised by so much water covering the fields outside the city, they hoped to travel without problems. Days later no sign remained of the heavy rainfall. The rain had seeped into the soft soil and drained into the rivers. They passed through customs without much ado and hopped into an airport taxi waiting by the exit door. A room reservation had been made prior to landing by the Travelocity website and paid for with a credit card. A short but hectic ride followed to the hotel.
It was a budget hotel in the core business area of the city which was filled with store fronts and restaurants. TJ and Athena started exploring the city as soon as they had settled in. The waterfront called the Malecon, and downtown center were considered extremely safe for travelers and locals. This was beyond the scope of what they had experienced in Latin America as far as scale and overall impression. The city screamed out the richness of people and culture, buildings, and life!
Things looked different in the southern half of the Globe. The look and feel had a far more European style mixed with Spanish colonial on a grand scale. Large urban buildings were built to dwarf the populations, yet enough space was left on the streets and sidewalks to easily carry the busy foot traffic in the entire downtown without feeling crowded. An exceptionally large park on the river’s edge had room for families, lovers, and loners to find interest in whatever was wanted. An ice-cream vender inside the family friendly area was next to theatres and nightclubs down the trails and steps from the Casino. The area was a mixing pot for all ages, locals and tourists alike mingled in the vast area.
Several days were spent around the park and river, as well as the old downtown core containing the churches and business centers. A week of hectic exploration passed, and they decided to head to the town of Cuenca. A shuttle bus was chosen as the means to traverse the steep mountain pass from the coast to a high plateau of the Andes mountains. To the surprise of the three paying passengers, the shuttle bus was exchanged because of a lack of passengers for a local man with a small car, able to drive them, as well as another man through the mountain pass. TJ and Athena were shocked and surprised to go from the hot humid weather on the coast to a temporary snow blizzard halfway up the mountain pass. The driver was losing visibility as the frigid air was fogging up the driver’s window. As such he decided to drive through the heavy snow with all the windows on the vehicle rolled down. Snow was blowing in TJ’s face as they climbed the pass and made a downhill run for the attractive town of Cuenca. Athena, who had been wearing a skippy tank top and shorts was chilled to the bone as their backpacks were inaccessible in the trunk of the car. Never would they have expected to be covered by snow in a country which sat on the invisible equator between north and south. By the time they arrived frozen and feeling like packaged popsicles, the snow had dissipated and the entrance to the city was in sight. Giant stone walls led to the entrance of the old town. The area had a climate close to an eternal spring. Not to hot and never cool enough to require more than a light sweeter. They drove through the streets with pleasant cooling breezes, passing the well-kept buildings and streets.
This was their first impression of a Southern colonial city dating back several hundred years with large churches and government buildings. Cuenca had been a city of wealth and influence under the Spanish rule.
The main park in the center of the city was a mix of palm trees, large perennials as well as tropical trees which did well growing in the cooler climate that the city had to offer. One side of the park had a large Cathedral and on the opposite end sat a very old historic bank building. There were some newer buildings which housed cafes and restaurants completing the busy street.
A week was spent going around areas in the small city, with its many familiar routes taken by many walking tours. The small city was known for the amazing natural hot springs which claimed to have healing powers. The bathers would finish the day with tired bones soaking in the mineral rich water and sleep like babies at night. They would sleep well due to the fresh air inhaled in the high mountain pass which was surrounded by many hiking trails. To keep energy levels high, the local stores sold candy made from coca leaves and sugar, and every other imaginable variation. Cotton candy and bags of treats hung from the shelves and would give any dentist enough work to last a lifetime.
Returning to Guayaquil they were on a larger adventure as they explored the river front area around the city. The small markets and shop areas on one side of the pavilion and the zoo and botanical park were mixed in with small boats and fishermen along the inner harbor. They saw amazing sites and sounds at every turn as they worked their way through the city’s sites of interest. When at last it was time to board a bus and head for the beach on Ecuador’s southern coast, and after a full day’s travel they arrived in a busy beach town known for surfing and life on the cheap.
The town’s name was Manteño. It was nothing short of a backpacker’s paradise. Hanging out on the beach and keeping things to a mellow yellow laid back attitude concerning all things in general, they were happy and content just to have such a simple existence in a complicated world. Meeting a fellow Canadian who was staying at the hostel, they became intrigued. The man by the name of Doug was in his late forties and of average height and build. He spoke no Spanish at all and was having a severe case of culture shock. He was the owner of an Architectural company in Vancouver, BC. For whatever reason he had given the employees severance pay and shut the doors on short notice. He had suffered some sort of burnout or mid life crisis and just ran away from home and his life in Canada. Having somehow arrived in this town, he was completely out of his comfort zone, but left around the pool and the pizza joint next door, he managed to pass the days in comfort with his bottomless bag of weed. We introduced ourselves and went for a lunch together next door. I finally asked him, “so what do you think of the country?” “I haven’t actually seen much yet. When I got here, I found this bag in my swim shorts inside my suitcase. Didn’t even know it was there, he chuckled. It would have surprised me more than anyone, if the airport security had opened my suitcase and questioned me,” he remarked.
The next day we packed ourselves onto a small bus to check out the next town together over breakfast. Three orders of bacon and eggs with toast came to the table at an outdoor restaurant. Walking along the main street after the meal and having seen most things of interest the town offered, we waited for the return bus. Doug started getting antsy and hunted down some beers for the trip. When a taxi drove by slowly, he jumped onto the street with hands in the air. “Hey Doug, the bus fare is only fifty cents, lets take it,” Athena said. The taxi braked hard and avoided running overtop of our new friend. He opened the passenger door and Doug climbed in. “Are you guys coming or what?” Athena and I got in the backseat and TJ said, “the rides on you Doug.” “No problem,” he replied pointing straight ahead he motioned for the driver to go. We left the town behind us, and the driver started with small talk and asked where we wanted to go. Doug, with all intention of being serious wanted to know how much the driver would charge to drive him around the country. The driver said he could lower the price to a hundred fifty US dollars a day, I laughed and said, “Hey Doug for only two dollars a day you can take the bus.” The taxi driver struck a deal with Doug but by the end of the trip realized that communicating with Doug without our help would be impossible. Getting out of the taxi we looked back at the two with forlorn looks on their faces because of lost opportunity for Doug and a big income loss for the driver. Five minutes later the idea went up in smoke as Doug lit a joint and forgot all his troubles.
A few weeks passed and it was time to move on again. Doug stayed behind to work on his bag of weed that kept his nerves in check. Traveling in foreign cultures with different languages came easy for us. But others suffered with the adjustment. We took the bus north along the coastline and through the small towns and villages that were spread along the highway as we began a giant circle of the country, and eventually returned to the city of Guayaquil.
The plane flew out in the morning with a pleasant sunrise showing itself through the small cabin window. Puffy clouds filled the sky, and the flight was comfortable. The country left them with Great memories and a later return at which time they would explore more places of interest.
They arrived back in Panama City in the early afternoon and took the bus from the city to the little town of San Carlos where Joe was living. Having a cold beer and retelling details of their adventures around the pool, the housekeeper kept her presence and jealousy to a bearable minimum. She was gaining more influence over Joe in his everyday actions.
Spring was finally returning to Canada after many months of frigid temperatures. They had to wrap up the short time left and get on the flight to Canada. They left on a good note with TJ’s father, Joe.
Summer came fast as both were busy with jobs they had taken for the season. They kept it in touch with Joe by phone calls and counted the days until travel would once again resume. Not much contact was made with TJ’s brother and family members. A quick mention of Andrews wedding with the shortest possible notice was given. The wedding date conflicted with a long wait for a dental appointment. Apologies made and a small gift sent to the couple.
A guilty conscience on his brother’s part, was how TJ explained the behavior to himself and Athena. Although he wasn’t sure what his brother was feeling guilty about, he guessed there was something unspoken about their mother. Not a call came from any of the now adult nephews and niece to catch up with TJ. No questions asked about their exciting lives. Or their lives were only exciting to themselves, and others saw it as a waste of time? Summer passed without news or a visit between the two brothers. How strange to have the opportunity to visit Panama on the cheap. To stay with their grandfather and share some time together. Was it a lack of money or lack of want? Given all that TJ and Athena had experienced in Latin America, disbelief was all that came to them. They met incredible and helpful people everywhere they had gone.
Saving each paycheck from the summer jobs and living very frugally TJ and Athena felt ready to plan a trip to the tip of South America. Australia was also discussed or even going to New Zealand. But after checking prices and wanting to see more of Latin America, it was agreed to explore the country of Chile and then head in a northern direction to visit Joe in Panama at the end.