AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT - QUITO EDITION

From Bogota, we decided to put continue our high-altitude acclimatization in Quito.  At about 9,200 feet above sea level, Quito proved to be a true test.  We started off with a walking tour of Quito’s old town, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its well-preserved historic city center.  Our guide hosted a fantastic tour of the baroque-style monasteries and churches, as well as some cultural experiences, like sampling local fruits and a coffee tasting.  It was a great overview and a perfect way to start our stay here.

Street vendors selling their fruit and veg wares at the Mercado Central.

Looking up toward the Basilica del Voto Nacional - perhaps my favorite church ever...

...because the gargoyles are all Ecuadorian wildlife, like turtles and anteaters (zoom in).

Chocolate tasting!  So interesting... and delicious.

I love Quito's architecture!  This is one of the indoor courtyards of the old historic buildings around the historic town center.

Can't get enough of the colorful buildings - and blue sky.

Looking toward El Panecillo, an old volcano overlooking the historic old city.

Local fruits on display in the Mercado Central.

And, of course, graffiti art on display everywhere.  This was one of my favorites...

... and this one too.

As if the base elevation of Quito wasn’t high enough, we also took a trip up the teleferico, a gondola that takes visitors up the Pichincha volcano to a height of about 13,000 feet above sea level.  It offers spectacular views at the top.

View of Quito from the top of the teleferico.

As high up as we were, we still weren't at the top of Pichincha.  That yonder is the peak - and a day hike (at least for those who didn't have to stop every 20 feet to catch their breath) from the top of the teleferico.

Obligatory selfie to prove we were there.

But considering our current home in Jakarta is actually below sea level, all this elevation gain took a toll on both of us.  I had a headache for about three days, but Andrew actually got altitude sickness.  He was feeling really lousy, so back at our hotel in Quito, I inquired at the front desk if there was some sort of drop-in medical clinic we might visit so he could get checked out.  They suggested having a doctor come to the hotel room instead.  I started seeing dollar signs flash before my eyes, so imagine my shock and joy when they said this could be arranged for the cost of US$100.  Sign us up!  Within the hour, a doctor arrived, checked him out, and prescribed some meds to help get him back on track.  The meds were also delivered directly to us within the next hour for a cost of about US$12.  Two big thumbs up for the medical service in Ecuador.

A little caldo del gallina criolla (Ecuadorian chicken soup) helped put him on the road to recovery too.

While Andrew was resting back at the hotel, I booked a shuttle to head to the Mitad del Mundo – the “middle of the world” – to put my feet on the equator.  The Mitad del Mundo itself is a monument proclaiming your arrival at the equator, but to visit the monument, you pay a small entrance fee and maneuver through a Disney-esque tourist park.  I paid my fee, beelined to the monument, took a few obligatory photos, and headed back to the shuttle.  The next stop was a museum and interpretive center right next to the monument park that was far more interesting and entertaining, with all sorts of informative displays and fun facts. 

Made it!

Welcome to the middle of the world.

With Andrew back on his feet, we headed to the Mindo cloud forest for a couple days of hiking… and bird watching.  True, I completely hijacked this portion of our vacation.  Andrew took a pass on the 4AM start on our first morning there and let me go off with the guide on my own.  But while I was gone, the birds came to him, and when I got back, he gave me a run down on what I’d missed.  I think we may make a birdwatcher out of him yet.

Warning: Bird photos will ensue.  First up, blue-winged mountain tanager.

Oh, the flame-faced tanager and the golden-naped tanager can be friends... 

The Andean cock-of-the-rock... a contender for best bird name ever and the object of our 4AM departure.  Success!

Meanwhile, this masked trogon visited Andrew while he was sitting at the lodge having coffee.

Mountain toucan.

He was none to happy about this squirrel stealing his banana.

I wonder why they call it a cloud forest?

Still can't figure it out.

The great bird hunters.

And so, just as we’d finally gotten accustomed to the altitude, we took our leave of Quito and the cloud forest and headed back to sea level.  Next stop… the Galapagos.

 

 

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT - BOGOTA EDITION

Some overseas posts in the Foreign Service are harder than others.  The air quality, healthcare system, and overall living conditions are harder in some places – say, Jakarta – than others, say, Paris.  So to make up for that, overseas locations that are deemed “hardship posts” come with a little extra perk for those who serve in them – an annual “R&R.”  Basically, once a year, we get a round trip ticket back to the U.S. (or can pay the difference to go somewhere else).  After being in Jakarta for almost a year, we decided to cash in an R&R to go to a friend’s wedding in Bogota, Colombia.  And since we were going all that way, we also decided to add on a trip to Quito, Ecuador and then on to a bucket list destination, the Galapagos Islands.  This was an epic adventure, so one measly blog post about it will not suffice.  So this is Part I – Bogota. 

Andrew spent most of March in the U.S. for work, so the plan was for us to meet in Miami and then have a (relatively) short flight to Bogota (compared to the 30-ish hours to get to Miami from Jakarta).  

The 30-hour trek back to the U.S. starts in the Jakarta airport, where these googly eyed HVAC units make me laugh every time I see them.

On the other hand, the Doha airport, my connection point to Miami, is like an oasis in the desert.

The first item on the agenda was our friend’s wedding the day before Easter, and so we aimed to spend a few days before and after the wedding seeing the sights in Bogota.  Easter week is definitely a quiet time to visit since lots of places are closed.  But we found where all the people were when we tried to hike up Monserrate – one of the mountains overlooking Bogota – on Good Friday.  We took a cab from our hotel to the trailhead and found THOUSANDS of people hiking up to the church at the top as a pilgrimage, so we headed in the opposite direction and walked through some cute parks and neighborhoods back to the hotel.  We tried again on Easter Monday, and it was mucho mas tranquillo.

A sign at the top proclaimed we were at 3,200 meters (10,500 feet), so needless-to-say we were winded and sweaty.  But the view at the top was worth it.  

It took us a couple hours to climb to the top of Monserrate... mostly on stairs.  Even though the Good Friday crowds had dispersed, there were still a lot of people on the trail making a pilgrimage to the church at the top.  Several of them were walking backwards on their way back down.  

The church in the background was the destination for the pilgrims... but there were several restaurants and stalls selling souvenirs.

There was also a pathway winding from the church to a building that housed a funicular - and we took that option to get back down the mountain.

Looking out over Bogota on our way down Monserrate in the funicular.

In addition to our Monserrate hiking attempts, we also walked explored the Candelaria neighborhood.  Plaza Bolivar, a huge public square, is at the center of the neighborhood, with lots of cute restaurants, shops, and street art all around it.  

The cathedral - and a llama - at Plaza Bolivar.

All sorts of vendors in Plaza Bolivar.

The "graffiti" in the Candelaria neighborhood are works of art.

We had a great time wandering around the little laneways in Candelaria.

So colorful and fun!

And on our last day in Bogota, we took a stroll through the huge botanic garden with its lovely green spaces, arboretum, and greenhouses. 

A lovely day for a stroll through a garden.

Of course, the whole impetus for heading to Bogota and points beyond was Andrew’s friend Ben’s wedding.  The bride Natalia hails from Bogota, so it was her hometown wedding.  They pulled out all the stops and put on a beautiful event.

We clean up OK.

It was an absolutely beautiful wedding!  So many flowers!

Our overall impression of Bogota was – let’s go back!  So many great aspects, including...

WEATHER!  The weather was amazing – cool with blue sky and puffy clouds.  A refreshing change from Jakarta’s weather.  The only day it rained was on the actual wedding day, but it didn’t put a damper on the celebration in the least. 

DOGS!  It seemed everyone had a dog, and they were out walking them around their neighborhoods.  And we’re talking legit dogs – not weird street mutts that you see in so many places.  These were well-groomed and well-loved pooches.

FOOD!  Empanadas.  Arepas.  Pastries of all varieties.  Fresh fish.  Coffee.  I could go on and on.  I love Latin American food – and Bogota’s offerings did not disappoint.

THE CITY!  It was clean, had bike lanes and sidewalks, green spaces, parks (for all the aforementioned dogs).  Granted, we were there during Semana Santa, so we avoided all the traffic the city is also known for.  But after Jakarta traffic, it’ll take a lot to scare us off.

All that to say, Bogota was a wonderful way to start our R&R.  From there, onward to Quito, Ecuador!  Stay tuned for Part 2… coming soon.