Fantastic Biking Routes in Ecuador, Part One

February 25, 2012

Innovation and new trends are the keys to success in tourism and travel these days.  So, we decided to join the Biciaccion (Bikes in action) Group in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, to try a new and exciting way to discover (or re-discover) the varied wonders of the Andean country and its historic capital city.
The city lights have replaced the sunny equatorial afternoon and the grandiose silhouette of the enormous Pichincha Volcano, the city’s tutor, now presides over the scenario, set against a dark purple-black sky, dotted with dozens of stars… I join Mario, Roberto, Santiago and more than twenty other cyclists, with our bikes, reflective blue vests, helmets, gloves, knees and ankles protection, whistles and lights, to begin a unique nocturnal tour of Quito on bikes… On a feisty atmosphere, we depart from the spectacular United Nations Boulevard, with its colorful open-air exhibit of more than 30 large-scale statues of diverse species of hummingbirds, the bird-symbol of Quito, an amazing display of lights, flags and lots of color…  It is Saturday night and we head on towards the center of town, along the Ciclovia (the bikes way), running through the heart of north-central Quito. En route we pass by the Parks of El Ejido and La Alameda, this one with its old Astronomical Observatory.  So far, the ride is mostly flat, along paved streets and avenues.
Entering now the old part of town we have to pedal more strongly, as we climb a steep street, alongside the enormous National Basilica, a giant and stunning neo-gothic style church, ornamentally illuminated to make it more impressive.  The ride is not a speed contest, as the idea is to enjoy the city’s magnificent monuments from the unique perspective of a bicycle, so we take it easy, ascending towards the traditional neighborhood of San Juan.  Reaching its main park, the view is just awesome, right above Quito’s Historic City Centre, with its dozens of church towers and domes fantastically illuminated in tones of blues, greens, oranges and reds… After a short stop, we undertake our first downhill, quite challenging, over one of the narrow cobble-stoned streets bringing us back down from the Hill of San Juan.  We literally “glide” down Garcia Moreno Street, known in colonial days as the Street of the Seven Crosses.  The biking caravan now reaches the historic heart of Quito: Independence Square beautifully illuminated, with the column to the Heroes of Independence in the center and at the square’s four sides, the imposing 17th Century Presidential Palace; the City’s Metropolitan Cathedral; the City Hall and the Archbishop’s Palace.
We park the bikes at a designated place and join a guided walking tour of the colonial churches of La Merced and San Francisco.  The tour is led by a group of actors, representing the cast of one of Quito’s many legends and stories of the colonial days…. The “devil” leads one group inside the splendid temples and, while representing his role, he provides us with a host of fascinating information about the centenary paintings and sculptures, which, come alive under Xavier (the devil)’s superb explanations and theatrical acting.
Now it is time to get back on our bikes to pedal a few blocks uphill again, on Quito’s irregular topography, yet truly magic with its colonial homes and balconies.  Now we are at the western end of 24 of May (Ecuador’s Independence Day) Boulevard, an old colonial street, remodeled into one more startling boulevard, this one in the old part of the city, surrounded by churches and convents and framed by the foothills of Pichincha Volcano, and, to the southeast, the icon Hill of El Panecillo, with its gigantic stone and metal statue of the Winged Virgin of Quito.  One more descent leads us to the parking area near the oldest street of Quito:  La Ronda, incredibly narrow, picturesque and, after decades of oblivion, rescued as a popular public space, teeming with small bars, typical restaurants, souvenir shops and handicraft workshops. Here we are treated to a traditional “canelazo”, a hot beverage made of naranjilla juice and sugar cane aguardiente or fire-water. Well fueled inside in the cool night, we get back to our bikes for the ride back to the north of Quito, after three hours of a memorable and unique experience.  This was just the training session for our next biking trip, to be told on the next issue…..

E     N     D         O     F         P     A      R     T         O     N     E

A Unique tour of some coastal haciendas in Ecuador, Part three

February 18, 2012

The Province of Los Rios (meaning “the Rivers”) is the only landlocked province of Ecuador’s coastal Region.  With no ocean in sight, this province, however, boasts one of the country’s biggest aquifers: a vast system of rivers and waterways, many of them cascading or rolling down from the Andean snows, which create a large maze of water bodies, crossing the province in all directions, thus its name…  We are now riding one of the excellent highways of coastal Ecuador, from Babahoyo, the provincial capital, to the city of Vinces.  The mid-sized town, set alongside the namesake river is a post card of its own… Having been the center of the cocoa boom in the mid 1900’s, the city and its surrounding estates became the hub a wealthy class, known locally as the “Grand Cocoas”… They travelled around the globe and furnished their splendid mansions with furniture, utensils and decoration, brought expressly from France and other European countries.  Thus the city was promptly dubbed by the Ecuadorians as “Little Paris”…
As we reach Vinces, we admire several of these magnificent homes, now almost a hundred years old, their elaborate gates bearing French iron and an ambiance which combines nostalgia from bygone days of splendor with the beat of the 21st century, when a second cocoa boom seems to be on its way to a new peak, with Ecuador reputedly producing some of the world’s best fine aroma cocoa, used by many of the most famous chocolate producers…  Of course, we get the “must” picture, next to the town’s own replica of the Eifel Tower, an element which had to be there, to live up to the city’s reputation as a rural, Ecuadorian, “Little Paris”….
After a brief tour of the small town, we head on west, over a secondary but quite good road, passing by colorful coastal pueblos and endless rows of banana and cocoa plantations.  The Vinces River accompanies us at one side of the road and we can frequently see some small yet inviting riverside sandy beaches and even some small tourist complexes. Now we arrive to “The Lord of the Horses” farm and tourist complex… Gabriel, the owner, greets us cheerfully and shows Veronica, Elvis and me around the main part of the complex… This area hosts a nicely set complex of thatch-roofed but very comfortable, air conditioned bungalows with a local architectonic style and materials, which blend well with the natural surroundings.  Living up to its name, the property, which owes its name to a wealthy local patriarch of the early 1900’s who took praise in having the area’s finest horses; now has its own select and beautiful horses, which are used for lovely horseback rides along well crafted trails and an arena for the extremely picturesque “Montubio Rodeos”. Montubios are most of the inhabitants of Ecuador’s inland coast, and the local “cowboys”.
Along with fresh orange juice and trays of the always tasty “patacones” (green plantain patties), we are invited to watch a special “Rodeo” demonstration…. The lively “montubios” expertly ride their beautiful horses while performing some amazing tricks, which include some lasso passes to capture running cattle.  The show is completed with a typical rural band, playing merry tunes while pretty local girls, boasting beautiful white dresses, plated and embroidered with blue designs, dance and invite the guests to dance with them at a typical montubio party….
Back to the farm’s main installations, Gabriel shows us the swimming pool and the small lake where ducks, geese and some swans provide material for more pretty pictures. The lake is equipped with a small ramp and jetty, a small motor boat, plus dugout canoes and kayaks for the guests to explore the surrounding waterways.  As the afternoon is coming to an end and we must make our one and a half hours’ ride back to Guayaquil, we sadly live this rural paradise, after a journey filled with some unique travel experiences in the little known yet fascinating plains of Ecuador’s coastal inland………

T     H     E         E     N     D

A Fascinating visit to some coastal haciendas of Ecuador, Part two

February 11, 2012

Continuing with our special tour of coastal haciendas of Ecuador, Veronica and I, accompanied by Elvis, who also drives our van, find ourselves in a sunny early morning, crossing the long bridge which connects Ecuador’s main seaport and largest city, with the inland plains of the country’s Pacific coast.  As we traverse the bridge, right over the mighty Guayas River, the extremely picturesque Waterfront of Guayaquil appears, alongside the iconic river, deeply attached to the city throughout history.
At the other end of the bridge we enter the old and historic town of Duran, the coastal hub of Ecuador’s legendary railway which unites the large and commercially crucial seaport, on the southwestern coast, with the millenary capital city of Quito, up in the mountains of Ecuador’s northern Andean region.  Duran boasts a renovated railway station and a site museum, with memorabilia of the centenary rail venture which became known as the “world’s most dramatic rail feat”.  Leaving the town riding over a modern paved toll-highway, we begin watching the post-card picture scenes of Ecuador’s rural inland coast…. Large rice fields, dotted with flocks of white and cattle egrets and many other wading birds are the subject of attention first, soon to give pass to miles of banana plantations, sugar cane fields and coffee plants, alongside with citrus fruits trees, mango trees and the large and leafy bread-fruit trees, typical of the area.
An hour later we reach the busy town of Bucay, already nestled on the lower slopes of the western Andes.  The climate (dubbed by the locals as “an eternal spring”); the architectonic style and materials of the houses plus the surrounding vegetation signal that we are on a transition zone between the Coast and the Andean highlands.  We veer off to the north and head on towards San Rafael, a large estate which grows bananas for export overseas and features a touristic complex, complete with gardens, meetings and conventions facilities, children’s games, a swimming pool, entertainment areas, indoor and attractive outdoor dining facilities, among other attractions.  The traditional construction of the complex reflects the best of the traditional local styles and materials.  An artificial lagoon is the centerpiece of the main part of the tourist complex.  Jackie, our host, greets us with delicious and warm “muchines”, a typical delicacy made of yucca (manioc), filled with cheese and served with a variety of sauces. Glasses of pure mango juice complement the snack, as an introduction before touring the complex.  A highlight of the visit for me is being offered the chance to do a round-trip canopy ride over the lagoon, which I fully enjoy… As we are greeting goodbye to our gracious host, a large group of visitors arrives on a big bus, ready to enjoy a fun-filled day in coastal rural countryside.
Now we travel to the west, towards the province of Los Rios, traversing the city of Milagro, Ecuador’s “pineapple capital”.  The sights and scenes continue to be beautifully bucolic and give us new reasons to rave at every bend.  Small and colorful towns, with their “montubio” inhabitants riding their horses and wearing the traditional white straw hats, are another source of joy and fun along the way.  Close to the city of Babahoyo, we leave the main road to enter a secondary dirt road, yet not uncomfortable at all, for some 20 minutes, before we reach another Hacienda, “Rodeo Grande”, another banana, cocoa and sugar cane producing property.  The estate has a large and sumptuous farm-house with an unmistakable flavor of the 1800’s.  Our hosts here, Colin and his family, greet us and show us around the beautiful house which includes two or three guest rooms and the nice terraces which serve as open-air living and dining areas.  Here we are invited to a traditional luncheon, which includes hearts of palm, fresh orange juice, a host of salads and green plantain cakes.  The main course is a typical “seco de gallina”, a rich chicken stew, delicious in taste, covered with a light sauce and accompanied by the always present bowl of steaming white rice…  Dessert is a fabulous bread-fruit pudding on a caramel sauce which any high-heeled restaurant would envy.  Of course, freshly brewed local coffee and bonbons close an impeccable lunch.  Once more we find here a perfect combination of rural life, agro-tourism and nature in the gardens and surrounding trees, teeming with large numbers of birds which can be seen, either naked-eyed or with binoculars from the house’s terraces.  Our fascinating haciendas tour is yet to continue and we will tell you more on the next edition….

E     N     D        O     F        P     A     R     T        T     W     O

Touring some coastal haciendas of Ecuador, Part one

February 4, 2012

The skyline of Guayaquil’s high-rise buildings begins to disappear behind one of the hills which surround the city to the west, as we enter the eight-lane motorway leading from Ecuador’s largest city and main seaport, towards the Pacific beaches and towns.  The view is now replaced by new, American-style, low-rise but elegant, private and gardened condos and housing projects, as the city continues to grow to the north and west.
Samuel drives the comfortable air-conditioned vehicle while Giovanni, our host, enthusiastically tells us about his project to convert his mango, cocoa and coffee producing hacienda into a tourist facility.  That is exactly what Veronica and I are going to see.  We go past the entrance to the Cerro Blanco Protected Forest Reserve and, to the opposite side of the road, the last waterways of the mangrove-framed Puerto Hondo estuary.  Some 30 minutes from the city centre, we leave the main highway and head on towards Giovanni’s farm.  First we go right through the heart of the extremely picturesque village of Chongon, teeming with activity on this Friday market-day.  The local inhabitants are the coastal “montubios”, a mix between the ancestral indigenous peoples who used to live on the inland plains of Ecuador’s Pacific coast and the European conquerors.  Noisy, colorfully dressed and friendly, they wave at visitors like us who bear the unmistakable looks of “tourists”.
As we ride the muddy secondary road, we start seeing vast extensions covered with banana plantations, coffee, cocoa and mangoes, the main products of the area.  In spite of the extensive farming, the zone is also dotted with patches of primary coastal forests, where the kapok trees dominate the scene. It just takes us an extra 15 minutes to reach Giovanni’s property.  There is no farm-house, but he intends to build a small and ecologically oriented country inn, capable of lodging a small number of visitors.  We rapidly put on rubber boots (it had rained heavily the previous night) and start a loop trail traversing the estate.  A quick attention catcher is the intense sound of myriads of birds singing on the dense vegetation around the plantations.  First he shows us the mango plantation and, with the help of one his aides, he passes on two samples of a truly unique and different type of mango: lean texture, a perfect flavor, not too sweet not tasteless, a real delicacy…. Not being myself a big mango-fan, this one qualifies for “the best tasting and texture” of a mango I have tried anywhere.  We continue our tour along the large banana plantations and we learn a host of interesting facts about farming and rural life in coastal Ecuador.
We reach a large, thatch-roofed hut which is meant to serve as a semi-open dining area to serve snacks for day-visitors. A small sanitary battery with one ladies and one gents’ room has been built alongside.  The area borders the Chongon River and is a good place to observe more birds.  Finishing the loop trail, the owner invites us to follow him on a short but steep hike, across a fascinating patch of dry tropical forest, to the top of a hill, which provides a fantastic view of the southernmost tip of the Chongon’s coastal cordillera and the vast flatlands of Daular.  More interesting vegetation and more bird life come into view as we can also observe the immensity of the banana, cocoa, coffee and mango plantations which ply the area. A fascinating mix of rural life, agro-tourism and pure nature combine here to become an interesting tourism product.  We say good-bye to Giovanni and we continue on westwards, some 30 more minutes, to Hacienda El Castillo, magnificently set at the top of another hill, with spectacular views of vast cocoa and banana plantations.  This Hacienda has a splendid farmhouse, complete with paintings, furniture and ornaments dating from colonial days, which belonged to the ancestors of the current owners.  They show us around the house with its splendid terraces and panoramic decks; the elegant interiors and the plantations around.  Getting close to midday, we are treated with delicious “patacones”, crisp and crunchy plantain patties, served with a superb cheese sauce.  The refreshment is totally unique: pure cocoa juice, with a small shot of rum, a truly delicious treat… Then we are offered a tour of the small cocoa processing plant, where we can see from the plant`s seed being dried, grinded, crushed and melted to emerge as the powder which will serve to produce some of the best chocolate in the world.  As we exit the plant, we are offered a tray of homemade bonbons, the perfect complement to yet one more amazing experience.  And the story continues on the next edition……

Nature, culture, and gastronomy in Esmeraldas, on Ecuador´s norhtern coast, Part Two

January 28, 2012

After visiting the fascinating organic ranch of “Don Ignacio”, we board again our dugout canoe and head back along the Rio Verde (“green river”) waters, looking at the luxuriant forests in the background, while the shores are mostly dotted with ranches, established by settlers, who raise bananas, coffee, cocoa and olive palm trees, among many other produce.  The air is filled with a warm humidity and the typical scent of the tropical forests.
At one of the river bends we see a minuscule dugout canoe with a young afro-descending man standing and magically keeping balance so his small craft does not capsize.  He is net-fishing for some river fish species and crustaceans which ply the plankton rich waters…. We slow down and stop a prudent yet close distance from him, not to disturb his deeds… He smiles at us, realizing that, in addition to the locals he knows, there are these “tourist-looking” characters, that is, Andres, Cristina and myself…. We ask him what he has caught thus far.  He shows us some typically coastal “chame” fish and one beautiful looking large stone crab, his blue and violet tones shining against the near-midday sunlight.  The crustacean is alive, of course.  One of the local settlers accompanying us asks how much for the stone crab…. The young man says one dollar… Deal made.  The colorful and strikingly big animal passes to our motorized canoe, while Carlos teaches us a master lesson on how to handle these animals, whose large hands-feet-pincers can easily crush to pieces our human fingers.
We learn how people live in the area.  While some take the farming (and also some cattle raising) as their main activity; others take it into the waters and mangrove forests which dot the rivers’ shores, looking for fish, oysters, mussels and crustaceans…  This is the real life away from the urban centers, people making a living out of what the natural elements provide in the surroundings, just like eons ago… However, there is a change in the attitude… Nowadays, almost all of them talk of “sustainability” and carry on their survival activities with good environmental practices, so that the natural habitat is not disturbed nor the species depleted, for their own future disgrace… For Andres, Cristina and I, all of this leaves ample space for a lengthy and enriching philosophical and sociological discussion…..
We arrive back at the tiny and colorful village of “Vuelta Grande”, right when the sun is at its Zenith, temperature close to 90 degrees Farenheit and high humidity.  We rush for thirst quenchers and while we were expecting water, juices or sodas, we are offered the most traditional beverage of the area, a phenomenal refresher:  cool coconut water on large glasses. The women of the village show us their innovative enterprising: they farm-raise blue crabs, collected selectively and carefully from the nearby mangroves and fed  in controlled captivity, with pure corn flour and mashed plantain, a diet that makes them grow large and full of meat.
The flagship dish of the town is “Cevicangre”, a unique combination of a typical Ecuadorian river shrimp “ceviche”, nicely spiced with onions and red peppers and accompanied by thin slices of fried and crunchy bananas and then the masterpiece is a full blue crab, complete with its set of tools: artisanal made wooden trays and heavy wooden hammers, while we are all provided with delantales to protect our clothes from the inevitable splash of juices and carapace bits bound to fly all over the place. Everybody starts the job, a ceremony by itself, to hammer and crush the nicely cooked crab’s carapace and to take with our own hands (no further cutlery available), the hands, legs and other parts of the crab to taste the delicious flavor of the crustacean’s meat, juicy and deliciously, just mildly, spiced… A bowl of white rice is a “must”, along with more coconut water to accompany the meal, where the idea is to get as messy as possible, with juice splashes and crab pieces flying across the table, a cultural tradition which is also meant to bring together a merry spirit of camaraderie, friendship and livelihood, a toast to being alive and enjoying the incredible fruits that nature supplies….  Thus, we live one more unique experience on a remote part of the amazingly varied land of Ecuador, where nature, culture and great gastronomy, blend together into one fantastic tourism product: perfect happiness…..

T     H     E        E     N     D        O     F        P     A     R     T        T     W     O