This is pretty much the tip of the iceberg and going by my experience behind the bar, is the limit to what I am going to write.  Needless to say, there is much to improve on all around but we are still  hard at it, no matter if that means throwing down on a Saturday night or waking up Monday morning and wondering why we spent the weekend carrying on over trivial matters.

Expat Quito is a melting pot and at times that pot boils over.  working behind the bar puts me in the center of this and from this experience I have learned to judge when the fireworks are going to go off.  More importantly I have learned when to stay home and read a book and go in the next day to clean up the remnants of the previous night.  This past weekend was an exception as I unexpectantly found myself in the middle of the mayhem that I usually avoid.

Case and point, I walk into work to be greeted by a friend who had just won the rugby championships in Ecuador, celebrated in another city, had a kip on the plane back, rode his bike to the bar, had a drink and decided to carry on for the night.  Fair enough, but that was just the start of the night..

It took a new friend from Ireland who grew up behind bars to help me get my head on straight as the night progressed.  Despite what friends of mine think, working in a bar for extended periods of time, working behind a bar in Quito for extended periods of time is a skill.  It doesn’t compare to your one-off job slinging beer at your neighborhood local and I certainly won’t be comparing war stories with you about whatsit and thingy anytime soon.

At this point  I am wondering if I should go on but strongly telling myself not to.. It’s far too late in the wee hours and I am hoping that the events of tomorrow will drown out the drama that is sure to come in the evening.  A good night to all, and to all a good night.

Th

For me, this feeling first took root when living in mountain towns in Colorado working whatever jobs I could find for the freedom of standing atop a mountain at midnight wondering if I could get up early so as to steal a line down the glistening powder before the gapers cut it to piles of dust.

If someone had told me on a lift up the hill in Colorado where I lived and worked for eight years that what we were doing would help me travel and eventually live in Ecuador, I wouldn´t have known how to respond. How can traveling in a small South American country where there is no snow, the language is different and most of the country’s population has never strapped on a board compare to living in the Rocky Mountains?

After dedicating a fair amount of thought to this on bus rides up mountains and down twisting roads in Ecuador where there is nothing but mountains as far as the eye can see, I have come up with an explanation of sorts. The same thrill of boarding down a mountain atop a fresh load of powder is alive and well in Ecuador. Hopping on a bus to new destinations, exploring regions far away from Quito, telephones or even a place to grab food can easily be compared to jumping a lift, finding an untouched run on the other side of dense trees and feeling the solitude that comes with being fourteen thousand feet up on a mountain with no one around. It’s just explaining it that takes the effort of translation.

The more I think about the similarities in the abstract, the more I have found comparisons for the practicalities of living in Ecuador. From navigating the ins and outs of daily life in Quito to traveling around the country, there are adjustments my skiing and snowboarding experience has prepared me for. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re headed to Ecuador to travel or to live.

Lift Lines and Waiting in Line in Ecuador

Ecuador has its own rules for waiting in line. These are such that they change whenever an Expat figures them out, often on the spot at the place where you have been studying the tiles on the floor for what seems to be an eternity. But as a rule of thumb, here are the basics.

Don´t expect things to be orderly and organized. Like lift lines with aggressive people pushing and shoving, Ecuador´s ques are a sport. People normally enter a shop, walk in front or around the person in front of the counter and demand cigarettes, phone credit, candies and beer. The fact that you are there and about to open your mouth to ask for something means very little.

The tactic that I´ve come up with for dealing with this is the same as I adopted when waiting in line for a lift during a busy day. Plant your feet and poles stoically and refuse to let someone past. While standing firm and politely refusing to yield to an impatient consumer here works for the most part, there is still that one person who manages to give me the slip. In this case it´s a decision to call them out or just let it go. Line jumping is such a common occurrence here that my Expat friends have developed a point system for dealing with it. One gets points for standing their ground and calling out the line jumper out and loses points for letting it go!

Lifts and Hopping on and Off Buses.

Anyone who has hopped on a lift knows the feeling right before they sit down and after the lift hauls them up into the air. There is a surge forward where gravity and machinery argue for a moment followed by the lightness of traveling high above the ground which is akin to an airline taking off. When jumping on and off buses in Quito and at stops in-between major destinations, the feeling is the same. Buses on streets rarely come to a full stop when flagged down. Their destinations are plastered on the front by neighborhood and area. Once spotted, the person standing on the road is expected to hop on the bus as it slows down, only to be catapulted down the aisle of the bus as it speeds away the minute you climb up the stairs.

Getting off is the same as getting off the lift. There is an alarmingly similar checklist and procedure. One checks to see that all their belongings are safely stashed, nods to the driver with a ¨gracias” and waits for the mutually agreed moment between the bus driver and attendant when the bus is traveling slow enough to hop off with a few steps in the direction of travel before safely coming to a stop away from oncoming traffic.

The Weather

The weather in Colorado is pretty straightforward at first glance. It snows in the winter and is warm in the summer. The simplicity stops there. Ask anyone who live there what the weather is going to be like for any given day and you will receive a smile and an answer that states, “Wait a half an hour and find out!” This is more of a fact than a brush off! It’s been known to snow in July after a week of sunny days. On any day in the summer there is sun in the morning, pounding thunderstorms or BIG WEATHER in the afternoon and chilly temperatures in the evening.

This phenomenon is taken to a new extreme in Ecuador. For an American, the weather cycles are confusing to begin with. The rainy seasons are juxtaposed with the states. Beach season is during the winter and the summer months are drenched with rain and clouds. Beyond that the seasons themselves are constantly changing. A few years ago the rainy season failed to produce rain to the extent that there wasn’t enough water to fill the dams and fuel the hydroelectric electric for the country. This year the sunny season waned to a short month or so as the rains kept coming well past their welcome.

For those trying to plan a trip, this can be a nuisance. For those who live here, it’s more about waking up in the morning, checking to see if the volcanoes surrounding Quito can be seen, and making plans accordingly. This isn’t a far stretch from Colorado as I can wake up in the valley outside of Quito to hot temperatures, take a bus into the city where it’s chilly and end up in an afternoon downpour before going to bed beneath a pile of blankets to ward off the cold evening air. Picture driving over a high mountain road where it’s sunny on one side, snowing at the top and arriving at the other side to a light rain and rainbows on the horizon and you’re on the right track.

The People

I’m taking a risk of sounding like an eccentric anthropology professor I had in school who routinely went through the checklist of characteristics when studying another culture by making the following statement. The people in Ecuador are happy and fit. In order to qualify this I think about the first time I arrived in Colorado from Chicago and jumped in a buddie’s van for the two-hour ride from Denver to the mountains.

During the ride we discussed the difference between Chicago and Colorado. The consensus was that people in Colorado were more active, healthier and for the most part happy. The reasons listed were the beautiful setting and the amount of outdoor activities available, the resulting lack of obesity and couch surfing and the general appreciation for life in the mountains. When it comes to the people in Ecuador, these reasons still ring true.

Ecuador’s changing terrain stretches across tracks of mountains, miles of remote beaches and through dense patches of fertile rain forests. In any region for some part of the day the sun shines brightly. I think as in Colorado, this contributes to the smiling faces seen on buses, people working on farms and those lining the streets of Quito. Ecuador is a beautiful country and it’s people, despite the harsh realities of a third world country, appreciate living here. It’s a part of the national identity that I can easily relate to. The sunshine, the constantly changing horizon and the warmth of even a small greeting from a passerby are powerful aspects to everyday life.

To say that one has to try to keep active in Quito or Ecuador is an oxymoron. The nature of living here consists of journeys on foot across blocks, up hills and through the valley that Quito occupies. Even a bus journey is an active endeavor as most of the time it involves standing up and hanging on as the bus speeds up, swerves around corners and abruptly comes to a halt all within a few minutes time.

This is daily life in Quito. Pedestrians are the majority with vendors pushing laden carts and visitors from other parts of the country carrying huge sacks on small backs twice their size and probably almost their weight. There is a village in Southern Ecuador where it’s said that the residents live longer lives because of the water. But to the naked eye, more than the residents of Vilcabamba can claim this trait. It’s common to see older people swinging hammers, laying stone pavement and walking up steep inclines without slowing or missing a step.

All of these facts remind me of my time in the mountains skiing alongside people my grandparent’s age, long hikes up steep and slippery hills and bumpy rides in pickups back down to the valley and town. Within this comparison there are differences that should be pointed out. The people in Ecuador aren’t active out of choice, it’s the way things are and their appreciation of the surroundings comes from a collective source, not an individual like of time off or playing around on steep hills in the outdoors.

Karma

Within the appreciation described in the preceding paragraph and the construct of the intangible element of travel and adventure is the concept of karma. Not the watered down hippy idea that love is spread and passed around like water flowing in a river, but the stark, stripped down version whose sister Justice checks in with when pondering the fate of events to come.

In Colorado, karma is tied to the immense power of nature with good things deeded to the warmth of the sunshine and benevolent power of the forces that be and bad things conversely attributed to nature´s harsh, unpredictable side.

A local newspaper in the small mountain town of Breckenridge used to issue good and bad karma alerts daily, praising good Samaritans who returned wallets and wishing the worst for the scumbag who swiped a bike or broke into a local shop.

In Ecuador this feeling is magnified by proportion of the population. Here karma cries out from the speeches of the president rallying the nation down to the peddler on the corner whose wares were plundered in an instant when their back was turned. To the extent of my knowledge, here is my understanding and appreciation of it when it comes to living in Ecuador.

Day to-day life in Ecuador can be a like running a gauntlet through unforeseen circumstances which rattle the nerves and test one’s resolve to get something done well. A protest blocks the way across town, the power goes out, someone decides not to show up, the cash machine is out of money, the cell phone network goes down, there is a national shortage of gas or things just move on a different path than the days or weeks before. This goes beyond things not always going as planned.

When I first arrived here I was shocked by this. More often than not at the end of a day fighting with the language, rattled by the lack of organization and befuddled by my apparent lack of ability to accomplish the smallest task, I ended up at the bar where I worked looking for the first of a few beers. My wise friend and boss would patiently sit with me and explain that things change swiftly in Ecuador and if I wasn’t ready for it, I would be back sooner than later to join her again.

One friend who taught me the ropes of traveling in Ecuador was passionately shocked by the lack of care by the people about things working out or coming together in a positive way. The complaisance in general would leave her swearing at the end of the day or insisting that children who she befriended begging on the streets take us home to meet their parents. Another Ecuadorian friend who lived in the States for years hardly finds the general disarray surprising and thinks that eventually the whole world will reflect the same habits, as the economic fall of the west in recent years has to yield its changes. My experience lies somewhere in between the two views and goes back to conversations in the states with a brother of mine who lived in Africa for years amidst corruption and turmoil.

During these conversations I was living with Joel, who was a Peace Corps volunteer and relief worker and had seen a lot of what the world can do when carelessly approached. I would come home shocked by a situation and aghast at the circumstances that occurred during a day and he would smile as I explained my frustration as if to say, “Why were you expecting different?” While this may seem jaded at first, He has an activist mindset that balanced this view that I have adopted in Ecuador and karma plays a big role to this philosophy.

Hanging out at any Expat bar there is a strong urge to become complacent and decide that things are going downhill and nothing short of a revolution or change in government will reverse the flow of the day’s events. This is the low grumble of the expat’s experience trying to accomplish pretty much anything in Ecuador.

Working and saving money here is hard and to do so one should expect to work more hours, come up with solutions to problems not found elsewhere on the spot and take situations on with the passion of an activist. It’s not enough to try to accomplish something and then sit fuming at the end of the day, there is a skill needed to navigate past belittling circumstances and keep moving towards the outcome that yields the most toward the common good.

There is no way to fake this. I have found that taking on the day with as much energy that I can muster and showing people my intentions instead of my frustration has inevitably tapped into the sense of karma that people exercise every day. The frustrations I face aren’t mine alone and despite the language barrier there is a communal agreement about how things could work for the best that keeps things moving ahead despite the pitfalls and hindrances that can seem impassable on your own.

The random acts of kindness from strangers here at crucial times come unexpectedly and are surprising. The man at the corner shop discounts a purchase instead of jacking up the price, the taxi driver who took off with a backpack in his car returns an hour later with it in hand and the owner of the hostel where I was staying lets me pay when I can after someone swiped my bankcard. For every complaint that I hear or mutter about the corruption here and the maze of bureaucracy, there seems to be an act of good will or unprecedented kindness that inspires me to keep trying.

The latest example has to do with recent changes to the requirements for getting married here. In short, the new laws state that if an Expat wants to get married to an Ecuadorian, they have to wait seventy-five days before doing so. This seems reasonable but the visa laws are such that two of my friends needed to renew their visas before the waiting period was over prompting its restart at day one of the new visa. This perpetuates an ongoing loop where the time drags on and the ceremony doesn’t take place. But after months of hearing about my friend’s frustration, I met a friend who after pleading his case with pictures and facts detailing his six-year relationship with his fiancée, was granted an exception and was married a week after applying. This is a big occurrence but it’s important to stress that even the smallest of gestures can make a huge difference during a day of keeping up with events that are on a path going no particular direction.

It’s this spirit of goodwill that I use as a rallying point and have come to see as the source of Ecuador’s resilience. Underneath the compliance with in plain view there are those who question why things turn out the way they do and go out of their way to help things go better. This is the source of the protests around the capital, the outrage over injustice and the pleas for help at any given corner.

The Community

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead

When I first traveled to Ecuador, I was lucky enough to have an artist as my guide to the country. Her passionate resolve to quietly help in any way she could combined with sharp insights into the culture drawn from piercing eyes taking in the landscape in front of her woke me up from a banal drudgery attributed to being bored in the States. Her expertise came from an upbringing of truth with parents who lived in Latin America for years and became activists of sorts after returning to the raise their family in the U.S. She came to Ecuador to prefect her Spanish and step out of the footsteps and a shadow that was cast far and wide.

Her belief in the power of the community won over the most ardent of objectors. From taxi drivers who saw her as a gringa to staunch male Ecuadorians who mistaken assumed that she was willing to endure their advances, my friend defied convention and left them wondering how to right the wrongs that they committed in her eyes.

Her passion was well received and one of the reasons I moved to Ecuador was the positive reactions that she received while wandering vacant roads and struggling to understand the culture around her. What remains of this experience in present day is the heartfelt efforts of the people of Ecuador towards keeping a community despite influences from the western world and circumstances beyond their control.

Case and point.

Taking a bus in Quito isn’t a dangerous adventure that most travel guides will have you believe. Instead, as I find in any city I visit or live in, it’s a glimpse into the conditions of the day. No matter how crowded, there are school kids expectantly waiting for the next amusement, workers hurrying across the city, couples immune to all but each other and older people looking disapprovingly across the passengers.

One occurrence that left me humbled and speechless here provides clear insight into the community which is the beating pulse of Ecuador. I have only experienced this in small communities in Colorado when residents would gather to support those in need of medical support or enduring crisis. Witnessing such compassion in the middle of a sprawling city it a testament to Ecuador’s people and their collective heart.

Sunday nights are a quiet reminder that the city shuts early in Quito. Streets are vacant of all but those with nowhere to go, the tourist district is rife with those looking to steal, and only the sure footed trust themselves enough to step outside the confines of their houses. It’s within these conditions that I found myself on a bus headed from the historic center to the new town to meet a friend for diner at a Thai restaurant that has the distinction of being one of the only places open.

I made it past the group of lingering Ecuadorians at the bottom of my steps and found my way to the bus terminal. After boarding a bus filled with similar travelers, I thought myself lucky to have a seat on the fifteen minute journey spanning the main street across town.

Buses in Quito have a unknown element to the States as there is a tradition of salesmanship that jars the senses. People board and announce to the passengers that they are selling oils, candies, greeting cards or trinkets. They hand out samples, make a speech and assertively ask if anyone would like to buy their goods.

The flipside to this is those in need of help. Blind men and woman, those with disfigurements and the con artist who figures he can make a buck by telling a sad tale regal their audience with sorrows and woes.

Being a shy man in a land where the language and set of everyday circumstances often results in a state of intimidation, I tend to steer away from these people. As I know enough not to give handouts as a rule but care enough to be considerate with my fellow man, I usually find myself torn when turning away from these situations.

On this particular Sunday night I was reminded in mass of my experiences with my passionate friend on my first trip to Ecuador.

A woman younger than me and with the resolve of a saint stood up started making a speech. Her voice quivered with sincerity as she explained with sheepish passion how a loved one had fallen ill and despite her efforts, didn’t have enough resources to fill the gap toward recovery.

As She talked, the whole bus fell silent, listening attentively to the details that she could recall and collectively feeling her frustration at not only being on the bus, but her struggle to do what was right despite overwhelming circumstances.

The typical procedure in these cases is to hand out candy in return for a quarter. True to the custom, she faithfully handed out sweet snacks to the passengers and not one person turned their heads instead of giving a small token of generosity.

This incident is an example of the community found in Quito. Be it Expats or Ecuadorians, there are moments where the individual appeals for help and the community provides in force. This can be in the form of a bus load of people pitching in to help someone in need or a neighborhood in the Mariscal coming together to fight an onslaught of crime on their streets.

It’s this sense of a common good that at once reminds me of Colorado and motivates me toward the future in Ecuador. Just as in Colorado’s small mountain towns, there is a period where newcomers have to prove themselves to the people who make up the community. Being a group of Expats from all different places and backgrounds, there is a standard which needs to be set for the coming events. Those that prove that they have higher aspirations than making a buck, randomly finding something to do or bilking their circumstances for all that they can, make the cut. Others who fall short are given a reprieve until they figure out their circumstances for the better.

As much as I loved living in Colorado, moving to Ecuador has been an adventure and period of growth where my experiences living all over the states have come together.  Elements from the mountains, the cities where I lived and things that I did for the experience have proved themselves worthwhile.  Living in another culture has its ups and down but is never boring.  The people, friendships that I have made and things that I have learned are unique to an experience which has proved again and again to be far from over.

The fact that the thingy told me today that I am intrigued by is that most people spend about a minute on the site before moving on to the thorn tree forums or trip advisor. One minute… While not being offended as I spend a lot of my time researching material both for future travel, and for travel articles which I edit, I surf a lot of sites. I also think that the site is still developing and appreciate anyone who reads my post to begin with.

The question that came to mind is what can you do with one minute? Walk to the store, make a phone call, decide what to do tonight, eat a snack, buy a book on Amazon, find new bands on pandora? The possibilities are many and of varied difficulty.. Making a tough decision takes a lot of thought but the moment it is made is less than a minute! With computers, microwaves and the like, the stuff that used to be an afternoon errand is now a few clicks of the button.

As someone who has watched the computer take over parts of daily life and didn´t have a cell phone till my thirties, I have an appreciation of all things new but a fondness for those things which take time. Seriously!

Some of the best things to do require effort, and at the end of the day, time. Going for a hike to a towering mountain peak, planning the perfect evening and creating literature or art require more than a fleeing glance. Making a gourmet meal, enjoying friendship and taking a vacation are dependent on the amount of time spent planning in regards to quality. So with this in mind I write this today as a disclaimer. If you don´t have a wee bit of time to spend poking around this site, it´s not going to automatically tell you what you want to know. It might not anyway but you might find out something new if you look.

This blog is about the people, places and time that I have spent in Ecuador spending and enjoying. It´s meant to help those wishing to travel or live here get one guy´s perspective and take on Ecuador. Beyond that I try to keep it current as to the opportunities and changing conditions here. I talk to a lot of people who live, work and travel here and aim to have the most current information around.

As a result of my job editing travel articles about destinations all over the world, I am revamping this site. The articles I receive cover family travel in Jamaica, outdoor activities in Hawaii, city guides for Chicago and New York and everything in between. Drawing from this experience I am planning on rolling out a new set of articles about travelling in Ecuador. My goal is to provide a bird’s eye view of travelling here complete with contacts, information not yet in the guidebooks and alternatives for those who want to get off the beaten path. I think I have covered a lot of ground already but I want to organize the information more succinctly.

The new articles should start rolling out this week. I´m focusing on writing long form guides with strong writing. If you look around the site you will find a mix between sparse, informative posts and those which I have tried to find my style. Overall I think that there is a lack of well written articles about Ecuador and with some work, will try to put a dent into the problem.

In the meantime, enjoy your minute on the site. The people and places that I have written about are good people and places. As always, if you have a question and want a locals answer, shoot me an email at savvytravellerecuador@gmail.com. Best Regards, Jon.

Many say that Ecuador reflects the best of travelling in South America since traveling inside the small countries borders one encounters vastly changing terrain.  With the exception of the Galapagos, I’ve put a dent into my list of things to do and places to go.  Here are three that I would return to as they made a lasting impression and there is more to discover there.

1.Vilcabamba

Situated in the southern tip a few hours from the border of Peru, Vilcambamba was a vacation spot for the Inca, home to hippie havens and is presently becoming a retirement spot for people from all over the world.  While the later isn’t exactly smiled upon by the locals there, the spirit of enchantment which hangs in the air admist the towering mountains surrounding the town remains.

The small town’s residents has a reputation for long lives, some say it’s a mineral in the water, others insist that its clean living. Whichever the case there is a vibrant energy to the people there projected in warm smiles.

The idyllic setting, close proximity to Podocarpus National Park and the laid back attitude towards life lures many a traveller into staying at one of the many charming hostels.  Live music fills the air at night and conversations spark between those who have just arrived.  The first time I visited, me and my erstwhile travel companion were invited to a party in the hills outside of town.  The last time I was there I was befriended by a couple from Belgium who were riding across South America by bicycle.  They just got off the road after a few hard, uphill days and we spent the night both cursing and downing pilsner while comparing different aspects of Ecuadorian culture to our own.  Somewhere I still have their blog about their journey which despite being in another language, is an inspiring reminder of what people can accomplish.

How to Get There

From Loja, busses leave frequently during the day.  At night, there are taxis who cover the hour journey for reasonable rates, about thirty dollars.  I caught a ride back to Loja once with a good Samaritan who helped us after we missed the last bus.

Where to Stay

While many I know swear by Hostel Izhcayluma, I like The Hidden Garden. It’s close to the main square, has a great outdoor garden which includes a pool and hotub and the food is good.  On weekends there is live music.  Private rooms are bright and have amazing showers with piping hot water.

2.Napo Wildlife Center

Any search on Napo will give you a spattering of reviews saying that it’s the best in Ecuador.. I find that hard to disagree with.  But besides the remote setting, two hours up a tributary by canoe after a motor boat ride down from Coca, the mission of the place sold me outright.

Instead of selling their land to the might oil company, the community which owns it decided to build a lodge.  That they did.  Set on a tranquil lagoon alive with monkeys, otters, strange and exotic bird sounds and brimming with movement, the collection of thatched cabins are out of a movie.  Imagine the Swiss Family Robinson with room service.

The guides spent every minute of their time when working and relaxing pointing out the myriad of creatures around us.  At lunch one day, they hurried us to the edge of the property where a gang of monkeys were plating hide and seek with all the camera laden guests.  The staff went out of their way to be helpful and accommodating to both the adults and my three favorite heroes in this world, my nieces and nephew.  The smallest of which was one and a half.  (For the record, she arguable had the best time.. Falling asleep when bored and laughing hysterically when animals came into sight.)

Our guide was on his second to last trip, having joined the lodge in order to train the members of the community.  He decided that his job was finished and wanted to let the community get more involved.  That’s the level of commitment that the lodge inspires.

We stayed a total of three days and left feeling like we just saw the tip of the iceberg.  I wouldn’t hesitate to go back and spend more time discovering the many animals that call the Napo home.

3.Otavalo

A mainstay on any travellers itinerary for the blocks of stalls spread out through the city nestled between mountain peaks, this prosperous town boasts a stunning history.  Originally the textiles being sold were started by the Spanish, setting up factories and haciendas while forcing the indigenous people of the region to work in slave like conditions.  After Ecuador´s independence, these conditions remained until tourism in the sixties made it possible for a reprieve.  The indigenous people started selling their wares for themselves and today the region is seen as one of the wealthiest in Ecuador. 

Apart from the colorful blankets, the jewelery, the clothes and the thousands of knick knacks, I go to Otavalo to relax.  The hills surrounding the town, the many hikes to lagoons and mountain peaks and the peaceful ambiance are a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of Quito.  A short taxi ride from town takes one to La Luna, a tranquil hostel nestled in the hills with private rooms, fireplaces, a great view of the valley and good food.  The owners, English and Ecuadorian, maintain a low-key approach to running a hostel and laying in a hammock reading a book is the perfect counter balance to the frenzy of the market and of Quito.

The first few months presented funny challenges that couldn´t be anticipated..  It was like waiting tables in Chicago where there was a line at the door and nothing was working the way it should.. You just hung on and tried the best you could..

A great friend of mine who used to live here always said that your friends are like your family when living abroad.. As I have spent every holiday, birthday and frustrating and happy moment a like with my friends and the expat community here, I tend to agree..

During the first few months I depended heavily on friends from the hostel where I was working but more on the expats that had befriended me at the bar where I worked.  My boss and now one of my best friends took it upon herself to look out for me.  I remember long nights at the bar listening to explanations about how things in Ecuador worked.  I also remember getting schooled more than a few times before I started paying attention!

At the bar, I wasn´t the only one.. One after one, the traveller, expats and those who just moved here wandered through the door, had a seat at the bar and started asking questions to myself or my new friend/guardian, Ursula..

As it happens, these individuals who were teachers, guides, Peace Corps people, Oil guys and fellow restaurant workers and owners bonded over a pint of the national beer.  Holidays went by, sports seasons kicked off and couples emerged.

This group in turn became an entity.  Collective judgements were decided, fun nights of mayhem popped up and both the tragic and the ecstatic were equally mourned and celebrated.

In Spanish there is a word for your peeps, friends and hommies called familia.. In this translation it´s slightly a kin to kindred.. For me, the first group of expat friends here became just that.. The kindred spirits who I could complain to, ask for help or just have a ridiculously fun night because the day was insane.

What they don´t tell you about living abroad in the guides, the expat forums (not that I checked one before I left home) and the websites telling you that Vilcabamba is the perfect retirement spot is that Expats move around a lot.. And when they do, they go in packs!

I first learned this a few years back when about ten of my close friends left within a few months of each other.  My boss and friend moved to Peru, two of my best friends decided they had had enough and went back home to find good jobs.  A really good mate who was good at what he did and could have signed onto any number of fun gigs, decided one Christmas that there was more at home than he thought and was gone within a month.. This is how things work living abroad..

At first it came as a shock and I stopped attending going away parties.. This was partly because working at the expat bar, there is a birthday or leaving party every other day, but it also was for my emotional state.. I needed to find the people who were staying instead of feeling the impact of something missing after my friends had left.

After going through this about four times, I have developed and stay or leave philosophy to life.. Those who are here, are here and those who aren´t, aren´t.. I am lucky to have a small group of expats friends who have been here the duration of my three-year stay.  When things get funny or people start to leave in droves, they are the ones who provide stability.

One of these long-term expats once told me that no one takes you seriously until you´ve been here two years.  In part it´s true because if you figure out enough about living here that you can make it two years, you are probably good.. Another could be that with all the people coming and going, it´s wise to invest your time with someone who is going to stick around.

It´s hard not to look back on all the friends I have had here who have left.  I remember the people who made my first weeks here a great time, those who got me straight when times were tough and those whose wise consul at four o´clock in the morning and made me see something in a better way.

While I miss these people and do my best to keep in touch, life goes on and there is a constant struggle to find new friends with the same attitude towards life here.  Just as many things feel when experiencing something new, I think back a lot on the first group of expat friends I made here.  Phrases like, ¨back in the day¨ and ¨when it was going on¨ creep up a lot.  Now at times I am awkwardly presented with situations where I am telling someone whose lived here far a year or too about the old bar, or when so and so or whosywhatits was around.

But for the most part, the spirit that spurned us on then is very much alive now.  People are still helping each other, we all get together and have funny, fun days and nights, and we still bitch about the same stuff when things go awry.  It´s good to have good people and good craic when you need them.  Sometimes it´s takes a reminder that your part of something bigger to bring yourself out of the past and back to the present.

Moments like these need to be savored and enjoyed. Living in Quito presents its difficulties.. On any given day when going to work, to use the internet, trying to call home or going to the bank there is a one in ten chance that something will go wrong.  With this logic one should expect something to happen every ten days.  This is the x factor to living here and once I realized that this is more the rule than the exception, I developed a “role with it” attitude.   It´s ok if something goes pear-shaped every ten days just as long as they all don´t do it on the same day.  It really sucks when the internet is down, you run out of beer to serve people because the guy didn´t show up with more,  skpye blocks your account because you’re in Ecuador and the bank screws up a transfer so your money is in limbo…

Truth be told, an email to skype, a phone call to the bank, a trip to another internet cafe and a walk down the street to borrow a keg fixes the problem.. It´s just the sticker shock that picks you up, flips you over and deposits you facing the wrong direction that throws you off guard for a minute.  Also the fact that the computer is down makes it hard to email, skype is blocked so you can´t call the bank and the place that sells kegs is open when they feel like it doesn´t help.  In moments like these it´s worth noting that your friends are invaluble.  A little team effort and lots of support make the difference between bad and aweful.  Being an independant spirit, this has been an adjustment.. Not an easy one, but nothing worth fussing about.. Friends worth having are friends worth helping!

After I fairly garbled exchange between myself and the taxi driver we give up and both seem to enjoy the sun and shadows.  I make a note to myself to learn more of the language as it´s a daily struggle which leaves me exhausted at times.

As we make our way though the narrow cobblestone streets of the historic center, my thoughts drift toward some of the recent posts on the travel forums about Quito.. What strikes me is that no one asks or discusses the above rule of chaos in Ecuador.

I guess it´s not good form to announce to people headed this way that there is at least a one in ten chance that something won´t go well during your stay.  Your luggage might get lost, your credit card could have a hold put on it or that someone, somewhere might not have gotten the memo and there will probally be a few hours in limbo at some point during the trip.  But to me this seems like it would be good info to know in advance..

The forums are full of questions about safety, booking tours, questions about itineraries, people worried about all sorts of things and bits and pieces of info from other travellers.  Why doesn´t anyone address the general disregard for rhyme and reason that permeates every day life here?

One answer could be that it´s not easily explained unless you experience it.  Like the sunshine and rain clouds, the street merchants, the protests around the presidential palace and the thousands of other daily occurences which have become comforts of home, it needs to be seen to be believed.

A friend of mine who used to guide gap year kids around Ecuador used to say that the fact that busses don´t run on time, people don´t show up and that things go wrong is in itself a learning experience.  Once he got his groups used to that aspect of life in Ecuador, things could go forward.  Another friend says that living here you have to stop expecting things to work out and try whatever other ideas you have until something works out.  Between the two there is the lesson and its answer.  Don´t expect what you´ve done before elsewhere to work, but keep trying until something eventually does.

At times this has me thinking about my grandfather..  He was a farmer, moved to Chicago during the depression, got a job typing and eventually became the head of a shipping company.. A few blocks away from me where I sit at my destination writing this, there is a library that has on display printing  presses from the thirties that coincidentally are from Chicago.  These very well could have arrived here on the same ships that my grandfather was is charge of sending different places.. Somehow this gives me comfort, as at times navigating the sea of change and lack of predictability seems endless.

For all the challenges, the annoyances, the language barrier and the days where everything decides to jump up and do something different, there are moments where the ridiculous situations and little problems present an absurd meeting of loose ends.  In these instances and against all odds,one can´t help but laugh.  Only in Quito could this happen so why not enjoy it?

The sun appears to have won the battle and the rain which is inevitable daily has been held at bay.  With this in mind, I´m out to enjoy the last hour before the skies open up.. Hope this finds you well!

3 Dollar Cover Charge, 2 Dollar Budwisers, Bar Menu, Open Mic and Hip House Band  and Good Times…

Hostel Tiana, in Latacunga is currently looking for volunteers for three months to help with the hostel.  It’s a great way to make friends, practice your Spanish and see a beautiful part of Ecuador from a local perspective.  Volunteers help with day to day operations like checking people in and out and serving food.  Food and lodging are provided.  Latacunga is the gateway for the Quilotoa loop.  The hostel has extensive information about traveling the loop.  It also has a trekking company for climbing the nearby Cotopaxi.. If interested drop me an email for contact info. savvytravellerecuador@gmail.com

Uncle Ho’s in Quito is looking for a part time bartender to work three shifts a week.  Experience in bar/restaurants is key.  Also it is preferred that those interested would be staying in Quito for at least two months.  Uncle Ho’s is a hip Vietnamese restaurant and bar.  You would be working in a relaxed, professional setting.  Regulars include a diverse group of Expats, teacher and guides.  They regularly host groups of students, those going to the Galapagos and travelers looking for great craic.  If interested, stop by Diego de Almagro y Calama in the New Town and talk to the owner, Kevin.  If you have questions, drop me an email.