🇪🇨 Imbabura - Ecuador • 12.14.23

The last of the excursions in Ecuador to the Imbabura Province in the North that hosts a number of sleepy volcanos.

I traveled with my right-hand man… who happens to be a right handed woman. She’s around 4’9 and weighs around 90lbs and eats 120lbs of food each and every day… so we get along famously. She’s from Ibarra and we would be visiting her parents there.

I met her folks a couple of weeks ago while they were in Quito on errands. Don Herrera is about 4’8 and Doña Marta is barely 4’2 and neither speak a lick of English but they’re muy amable and totally adorbs. They asked, “Conoces, Ibarra?” which literally means “have you met, Ibarra?” I said no, but I’d like to…

Apparently, that was an invitation… and me saying, “I’d like to…” was a big fat affirmative. So… they would be expecting me.

It’s a 3-ish hour bus ride from Quito. The bus is the transportation of the people, it’s affordable, they run often, tell the driver or the attendant where you are going and they’ll kindly let you know when to get off.

Verónica explained to me that her parents are simple people and Ibarra is a small town so I shouldn’t expect much. I think she believes I live some exotic movie star life… the fact is… I’m quite happy with simple.

Approaching Ibarra I can clearly see it’s not a small town. It’s at the foot of the Imbabura Volcano and is about the size and population of Boise, ID. It’s bustling and surrounded by nature and many other small towns… like Boise, ID.

We landed in Ibarra and dropped our gear and went to dinner with the folks. It was a chicken place downtown that prepares it in a way uniquely to the region. The folks were immensely curious about me and asked a multitude of questions. “What are these tattoos?” - “Did it hurt?” - “do they have rotisserie chicken like this in the Estatos Unidos?”

They were concerned for my tender American stomach and asked often if I was okay with what I was eating. I was and when I replied “estoy bien, mas comida!” they would erupt with joy… and then more food happened.

I had mentioned some things I’d like to do while in the area… and when you mention what you’d like to do to the Herreras… you’re are signed up for those things and there’s no way you’re getting out of it. I mentioned I’d like to try Cuy… maybe. Cuy is Guinea Pig… and there’s a town that is famous for it here.

I said maybe to the Cuy, which is a hard yes in Ibarra… so Cuy was going to have to happen. Don Herrera was teasing me that Cuy would be [too] nutritious for me so I should only have one leg. I asked if it would make me taller?… they all laughed. I wasn’t exactly joking and had mild concerns about my ability to eat Cuy.

We hit one of their fav Cuy restaurants in a town North of Ibarra. One half of a Cuy was served. Don Herrera broke it in half and instructed me what not to eat. I have to admit it was a little rough getting down. It was super greasy, gamey, and crunchy… the folks asked me how it was sitting in my stomach… and i was fine. I’ve spent a third of this year in Latin America… maybe I’m getting acclimated.

Anywho, the dad thumbed through my Cuy and it was mostly gone. He took a picture of me to send to daughter #2 to show his American guest surviving Ecuador foods. They were so impressed I didn’t 🤮 or 💩 myself that later they were discussing other weird Ecuadorian things they can get me to try. They said next time I visit I will get a complete Cuy… I nodded… and that means I’m obligated. No getting out… no way at all.

Like I said… I mentioned what I‘d LIKE to do… and that means I’m signed up. Hiking, Laguna Cuicocha, Hot Springs… small town visits… and Cuy of course. Verónica and I are just pals (according to her) so we have separate rooms… I was told I could sleep till 8am and that’s when I came downstairs to the news that I’d be going for a walk with the dad. I said ‘hiking’, and that’s what I will be doing.

José is 72 years old and speaks zero English… and I have the conversational skills in Spanish of a drunken 3 year old… AND it would just be him and I for a morning hike. Okay… straight up the mountain - and this 72 year old dude totally trucks up to the top. We are in the Andean foothills and the trail starts at 9,000ft. Yep… heavy breathing and light heart attacks for me. We trudged to the top which levels out and then circles the mountain. It’s called “La Vuelta,” a round trip or something like. He asked me one million billion questions in Spanish… and i did my best to answer them in my own inebriated Spanish… while pretending not to die from lack of oxygen.

José pointed out things on our hike… mostly pointing at all the 70 somethings doing multiple laps on the mountain. Exercise folks… it’s 60-80% of a healthy life equation… I know… cuz I saw it on tv once.

Also… trips to Cotacachi, a cutie small town with an expat population. It’s where I first met Verónica and that’s where she told me she would not kidnap me like other Ecuadorian women. Don’t know… feeling a little kidnapped here.

Otavalo for coffee and the indigenous peoples market. I was barked at by VH and the mom for not negotiating enough… I got a good deal… get off my American ass!

Chachimbiro Hot Springs. Beautiful setting in the hills… there were no other people there that day. Just wow!

It was time to say aloha to the folks… I said I may be back in March… which means they will be expecting me in February… and more Cuy and weird fruits to eat.

We made it back to Quito for one last day. We took the brand new Metro, that opened for service Dec 1st, to get to our favorite vegetarian restaurant in Centro Histórico. The new subway is beautiful and an important addition to the transportation system for Quito. It’s 45¢ and cuts travel to a third of the time and more during rush hour. It’s new… brand new… the people look mildly confused riding it… the trains move slow and brake soft and accelerate slowly. It’ll be some time for adjustments before they kick that thing in the guts. The Subway in Mexico City takes off like a rocket and brakes in the same fashion… it would totally throw your ass to the other end of the car… except… it’s so packed full of people that you’re not moving an inch.

I offically left Ecuador a couple of days ago… I was pensive about leaving… VH said I should move to Miami to be closer to Ecuador… there is no chance of me moving to Miami… but the world is as small when you want it to be.

I do miss speaking the English language in full force and in all it’s glory. Kindly meet me for lunch and I’ll share how to get through South America without getting a food/water born illness… and how not to get kidnapped by the women of Ecuador. (Spoiler: you don’t…)

🇪🇨😘💙🌋

#cuycuy