While I had good intentions of blogging about my seventh trip to Ecuador, I have been a little busy and in between internet connections so I am just getting around to posting now on “hump day” which marks the middle of our mission in Cuenca.
The trip started out at 0330 when Mary and I arrived at the airport for our scheduled 0630 departure toting 2 hockey bags each of (mostly) medical supplies and some personal items. This was in addition to the rolling carry-on bag of personal items and a small backpack. Even 3 hours in advance of our departure the line-up at the United counter was already snaking back a bit, mostly with our group. The United counter opened a little early and we were able to check in and it was off to customs. We were able to dump off our hockey bags before going thru security and then to the friendly happy US customs agents. Ours actually smiled at us. The advantage of being so early was that we were able to negotiate customs and security quickly, those who arrived later took a lot longer.
After eating breakfast and coffee in the departures area we boarded our flight to Houston. When about 40 people with carry-on luggage descend on a plane there is always a little tension over the overhead compartment space something that would be repeated later in the day. We left a little late due to de-icing. I alternately slept or read on the way to Houston; I had my iPod playing Jimmy Buffet which made for some interesting dreams. Arriving in Houston most of us headed off the Pappadeau's a Louisiana style seafood restaurant where we usually have the lunch buffet. This is usually busy but we were able to get tables fairly quickly and had the buffet and a beer. We had a 5 hour stopover in Houston. The Houston airport is a little like a shopping mall but we mostly just wandered around. Some of the people from Calgary and Vancouver who were joining us in Houston met us there. We more or less boarded our flight on time with another fight for overhead space and some of our group had to check their carry-on. There were two other missions on the plane with us.
It was a five hour flight to Quito but finally the plane descended over the mountains into Quito. Quito is said by some to be the mostly difficult airport in the world to land in. It seemed like we had to go around a mountain which seemed uncomfortably close before flying down the valley where Quito is, flying low over houses landed roughly and braking hard. We deplaned, got thru customs in short order and went to get our bags. It was in the baggage area that a man approached me and asked in quite good English whether I was from Edmonton, and on replying, yes, explained that about 32 of our bags had been left behind in the Houston because of weight restrictions. This is something that has happened in the past; this time however they actually had a list of exactly what bags had been left behind, had the lost baggage claims already filled out and photocopied our passports so that the bags could be sent to our hotel without having to return to the airport. All in all pretty good service. After X-raying those bags that had arrived we were spat out into the crowded Quito arrival area where Manuel Avila the local physician who arranges our trip was waiting for us.
Because in the thin air of Quito planes cannot take off heavily laden, our hockey bags are transported over the mountains from Quito to Cuenca in a truck, so we loaded the bags on the truck and took a bus to the Savoy hotel. It was now getting towards midnight. The Savoy where we stay in Quito is near the airport. Judging from the decor it was built in the 60s or 70s. It has been renovated over the last few years and the rooms are now cleaner and more comfortable with showers where you actually feel cleaner rather than dirtier after using them.
Despite the noise of planes landing and taking off, dogs and car alarms we slept fairly soundly. Breakfast was at 0800 served in the basement which backs out onto a garden where you can see hummingbirds flying around. We had our first cup of thick Ecuadorian coffee with hot milk and ate fruit, pastries and huevos. It was a beautiful sunny day.
After 0900 most of us left on a small bus for Otovalo, via the Equator monument. The after winding its way thru the streets of Quito and the suburbs, we got onto a substantial highway and were at the Equator museum fairly quickly. The Equator monument we visited is about 200 metres south of the “official” monument measured in the late 19th century. The museum we visited which is where the indigenous people believed the Equator actually was, was proven by GPS to the be the correct site. We had a tour demonstrating the Coriolis effect and learned something about the indigenous people of Ecuador including a demonstration of shrunken heads.
Leaving the monument, it was off to the fabulous Otovalo market. The Otovalo market is a place where one can buy all sorts of local merchandise such as sweaters, ponchos, table clothes and scarves, made of alpaca and other fibres. Having been there several times we have bought most of the popular items but we did pick up a few other items; first buying a cloth bag to carry our purchases. From there we took a short bus ride to Cotacachi (Catch a Coatie), otherwise known as Leather Town. The main street of this town has leather stores on both sides of the street stretching for several blocks. Unfortunately because we were late, we only had 40 minutes. Leather Town is somewhat overwhelming with the selection of coats, purses and hats and 40 minutes was probably not enough but we did it justice. Finally rounding up all our group we headed back to Quito which was 2 hours away.
While most of the group went our for Chinese food (in Quito go figure), Mary and I were tired and I had a bit of cold so we ate at the hotel which was actually not bad including beer brewed at the hotel. Then to bed and we slept thru the planes, dogs and car alarms.
Manuel and Dr. Greidanus went to the airport the next evening to pick up the rest of our bags. We were able to get most of them but there were still 7 outstanding.
We had a 1200 flight to Cuenca the next day which made for a more relaxing morning with another breakfast at the hotel, time to pack and the bus picked us up at 1000 to go to the airport. Air travel in Ecuador is always interesting even when we have tickets as we did this year. Arriving at the LAN desk the staff didn't seem to believe we had reservations. Apparently you are supposed to check in online. Eventually after some negotiation we were able to check in and go through security. Joining us at the airport was Mitch Giffin the other anaesthesiologist who had flown in from Vancouver the night before with his wife and 16 year old daughter. This is my fifth mission with Mitch so it was nice to see him again and catch up on things.
After a short one hour flight we arrived in Cuenca. We picked up our luggage and left the luggage area where we were met by the local Rotarians who presented us all with a rose and a chocolate bar. Then we piled into a bus and off to our hotel in Cuenca.
Every year that we have stayed in Cuenca since I started, we have stayed at the Inca Real Hotel which has really become a second home for me. This is a beautiful hacienda style hotel with a covered courtyard. The staff seemed genuinely happy to see us all again. Mary and I checked into our room and then out to the courtyard for a bag lunch and a chance to talk things over before heading over to the hospital to unpack our bags.
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