traveling band

After some painless convincing, Ryan and I, along with two Israelis, a gigantic Dutch guy and an amazing French Canadian, left Baños late Tuesday night and headed to Riobamba... The plan was to head to Riobamba and wake up early Wednesday morning to hike up the tallest mountain in Ecuador, Chimborazo. We got into to Riobamba and stayed at the Hotel Imperial for $5 a night.It was pretty grimy but we went to bed early and woke up the next morning at 6:30 for the hike. A driver came at 8 to drive us to breakfast and then he drove up the hour and half it took to get to the beggining of the treck.

The mountain is actually an extinct volcano and supposedly the peak of Cimborazo is the furthest point from the center of the earth.So the drive up the lower parts of the mountain is beautiful; there are many small villages and waterfalls.But at one point, the entire landscape changes because you get to a point above the treeline.Mud and giant lava rocks cover the ground and the sky was completely grey the day we did it, so there was an incredible eery feeling.The driver dropped us off at this wooden cabin, where we sat and played cards and drank coca tea for about an hour to get used to the altitude, 4800 meters.If you dont have a guide or hiking equipment, you are supposed to hike from this first wooden cabin, or refuge as they call it, to the next one about 200 meters up.It seems like a short distance but the second I started hiking, I could feel this immense pressure in my chest cavity.We filled up on waters and chocolate to help along the way, but even with all of this I constantly felt the altitude. We must have stopped every ten minutes or so to catch our breath and relax our hearts.After 40 minutes we reached the second summit and sat in front of a small fire to warm up, since it was freezing - and I was wearing almost everything I had in my backpack. we played some more cards (Taki - an Israeli card game similar to Uno) and tried to figure out the route to go higher.Snow was mostly at the highest peaks, so we figured that we would try to get to the snow and head back down.

After the second refuge, there was not much of a trail and the mountain was much steeper.It started snowing right after we left refuge and the mountain was completely encompassed in these pale grey clouds.I turned around a bit after we had left and realized that you could not see the cabin anymore, the mountain was just come completely isolated and mysterious.Eventually, though, I was overwhelmed by the altitude and everyone sat on one of the cliffs to take Chimborazo in before we turned back.The walk back was easy and by the time we got the bottom where the car was, it was 4 and we were all exhuasted.

When we got back to Riobamba, Ryan and I wanted to figure out our plans, since we had previously arranged to stay with this girl in Guayaquil who we had found on couchsurfing.com - a website that helps connect people who are traveling and/or want to share their own town or city with others. It is amazing. Check it out.It is truly a safe and smart way to travel.Anyway, Ryan and I were supposed to go to stay in Guayaquil, but the rest of our 'traveling band' were heading straight to Montañita, the beach town with great surf. So Ryan and I talked to Kahyda, our host from Guayaquil and decided to go along with the others to Montañita.

After four long bus rides, we all got to Montañita late thursday night and headed straight for the hostel.Veronica, the French Canadian, was here some weeks back so she took us to where she stayed when she was here before. Its called Centro del Mundo and we are all staying on the third floor, its completely open except for the roof of course, but it is right on the beach and a block from the center of town, which is both good and bad..We sleep on the mattresses on the floor and wake up to the sound of the ocean - a bit of paradise with the additive of loud music and heavy drinking.On the weekends, this is like a smaller version of Costa Rica or Cabo San Lucas but more like like a hippie colony with non-stop partying and tons of Israelis.People walk around barefoot and most everyone is here for the surf, partying, or to enjoy the carefree life.The town is congested between a few streets and the real pueblo lies just around those streets.The beach is vast and clean.It was probably once a very serene place.But we've been told its getting built up fast and the tourism has just been growing.On the weekends here it is packed and this is the low season, the high season is from January on.It is somewhat surreal here and I can see why so many people stay - its a beach town where you can live on $2,000 a year. So many people come as a tourist and never leave...

Its amazing how Montañita is this haven for Israelis.The main restaurant in town is owned by Israelis and the first morning we were here, the owner invited us to his house for Shabbat dinner.He came here about five years ago and it seems like he has been investing in it ever since.He has a hostel and a restaurant, with plans for a newspaper and a gym and his employees are really taken care of...Either way, the dinner was beautiful.The men prayed first and then some 40 of us sat down at a long table to welcome shabbat and eat.I hadn't eaten a meal so appetizing since Ive been in Ecuador. There was an enormous amount of food, which was all delicious.After dinner, the electricity in the house was turned off, I think from the concert that was about to start next door.So we all sat around in a candlelit circle while some of the guys played guitar.Eventually the electricity came back and the concert of three Ecuadorian bands, began, so we headed out to watch it from Tomer's property. (Tomer is the owner of the restaurant and hostel.) He has a beautiful home with tons of land, cabanas in the back, direct access to the beach, and plenty of space for guests.

Since the dinner, we have have not been doing much.The town of Montañita is pretty small and if the weather is bad there is not much to do but sit around.So Saturday was a lazy day, but finally yesterday we got some sun, which is abnormal for this time of year, so we all headed to the beach.The water is fairly warm here, even if the sun is not out, and the waves aren't too large unless the tide comes in super strong.I played a bit of soccer on the beach and then attempted some surfing unsuccessfully.

And otherwise, Ive mostly done a lot of lounging - lounging in a hammock, lounging on the beach, lounging in a restaurant, lounging in the hostel, lounging in someone elses hostel.Its strange since mostly everyone here is at the end of their trips, since they came from Brazil and went down to Argentina and up to Ecuador. So they really want to be here and relax. But Ryan and I are at the beginning of our trip, so we juxtapose all of them.One guy told me that you will feel like you are in the beginning of your trip until you hit the half year mark and then your whole pespective changes. So I dont know, I guess Ill just have to wait and see.But its amazing to think what Ryan and I have ahead of us.

And it looks like we may leave tomorrow along with the rest of our little group even though I was somewhat offered a job here.But Im sure many more jobs and opportunities will come, and I'm not sure how I would fare in a party city that never sleeps. So we will go to Guayaquil and finally check out the largest city in Ecuador for a few days and probably on to Cuenca and someday Peru....

Un beso muy fuerte a todos.xoxo

P.S. Mom- you would be so proud, Ive even praticed a little of my Hebrew.