AWESOME...INSPIRING...MIND-BLOWING!!!

Wednesday (Miercoles) 11 de Augusto, 2010

First the really great stuff…

As the title gives hint too…

AMAZING…MIND-BLOWING… AWESOME…

GORGEOUS… INSPIRING and…

                    

I’m sure there are many more descriptive words.

   


The above is my attempt in giving you…albeit...
a small hint as to the descriptive scenery throughout 
about 95% of our (my two friends and our guide / 
interpreter) trip via a very comfortable mini-van.

The place…

Cajas National Park which incidentally…crosses the

Continental Divide somewhere between Cuenca and

Guayaquil (pronounced…Goo-why-a-keel).

To give you a small idea of our trip…we traveled up

to an elevation of…thirteen thousand feet (13,000ft) 

or just shy of 4km or…almost 2.5 miles high.

Keeping in mind that Ecuador as a whole…is a

micro-climatic area…we traveled from a temp of low

40F (Cuenca…a.m.) to Guayaquil (about mid-high 

80F’s for the time we were there).

The drive took just about three (3) hours. Once the 

van dropped us off near the airport (drop-off point)…

we taxied directly to the Registration Office and…

“lucked-out”…BIG TIME!

The building is huge…and so was the mob of people.

However our guide/translator…after a few quick hit ‘n

misses ended up at the correct window where we

“prepaid” the cost of the Cedulas ($2.00).

That done we were ushered into a room that…

and I’m guessing here…probably contained a

thousand people. The upswing to all this was that

there were 24 or so booths in which various citizens'

type  business was conducted.

So with our personal “next” numbers in hand…

we sat...and waited !!!!

I still cannot believe it but we probably waited

about a half hour… and we were each in our own

little both with our own clerk…about to embark on

the needed “Residency” classification J J J

Jumping ahead a bit…after going over our required

paperwork…getting finger-printed (no ink)…photos

taken…we were done! 

Well almost as we were then informed that we needed 

to return in 48 hours to pick up our Cedula I.D. Cards...

DECISION TIME !!

We could have camped out in a hotel for the next

two (2) days or return to Cuenca…hence return at a

later date. We opted to return back to Cuenca...

that same day (Tuesday)...

Now at this point one needs to [again] understand the

Ecuadorian mind-set...

Remember my past Rantings?

Ye know things like...later don’t necessarily mean that

day or for that matter…the day after next etc. etc.

Anyway…with our knowledge of how things sometimes

work in these here parts J…we decided to leave

Guayaquil and return on the following Tuesday (one

week later to the day). 

The reasoning behind this is simple! Thursday…(though 

this is the suggested day)…is way too soon and Friday…

well...it’s another National Holiday! (Ecuador is loaded 

with Legal Holidays) and Monday...which is the start of 

the week…is a BIG no-no!

So…next Tuesday at 7 a.m. we ‘re off again to…

”hopefully” bring this governmental adventure to a close!!

OK…official stuff done! 

Now it was time to get some “fuel” as in lunch and 

have a look-see around.

Now…Guayaquil is a BIG CITY!

I’ve always heard the “bad” things about the city and

to be fair… depending on how one presents or carries

him/herself in public (and this is true in most cities of

the world)…probably translates to the degree of crime

one may or may not attract. With this in mind…

Off we went to do a bit of exploration and also

to “do lunch” J

Now…there is an area that is called El Malecon 

(The Malakon)…which is nestled by the El Rio Guayas

(The Guayas [goo-why-aas] River). The area frequented

by everyday people...stretches about 2.5 miles and is

made up of (and I’m quoting this from a guide book)… 

”sculptures…ponds…playgrounds…gardens and of

course river views”. There is also a covered outdoor

food court in which yours truly and friends took part in.


                           
 

The food was surprisingly “very” good…considering it

was not a restaurant i.e. “food court”. The ‘views’ and

over-all ambience (yes…food court) was very relaxing

and enjoyable…as was the company of my...

comrades-in-arms. J J J

Anyway as the temps and least we forget the humidity

that Guayaquil is known for (as in high)...we figured it

was time to VAMOOSE !!

However…before we grabbed a taxi back to the

“van” site we made a quickie stop to a small park a 

few blocks away.

The park is known for its...Iguana (some where “huge”)

and Turtle (also quite large) population where they

roam free (well the Iguana do anyway). This by the

way…was a very welcome respite from the heat as

the park has many many large trees!

OK…Iguanas and Turtles finished with...it was time to

head on back to the “van” and back to hittin’ the

road to Cuenca.


I MUST CONFESS !!!!
If you haven't already guessed...I cheated a bit as...
all photos represented here were "sadly" not taken
by yours truly...as I forget to take "El Camera" with
me on this trip. So...these pics are stock photos
I found on the web. Still...it gives you a tiny idea
of what I experienced.


Now on with the rest of the story...

Back in the mountainous regions of Cajas National 

Park once again…I was presented with a sight that

was well…too awesome for words. Remember…

13,000 feet.

If you’ve ever flown (as most have) in a large

passenger jet you will be able to relate to this.

Remember when being a passenger...on a passenger

jet…and then starting the decent from the very high

altitudes and going through the clouds? 

Well…then also try to recall those puffy clouds.

Now picture yourself driving on a 2-lane mostly well-

paved road. 

Next envision yourself traveling through those…

lush green mountains accompanied by beautiful white 

puffy clouds which are waiting for you to “drive” through. 

However…as you drive…you realize…no…it isn’t like 

being in a jet at all. Because in a jet aircraft it’s an 

“impersonal and ignored experience” and your through 

those clouds in a few minutes "flat"!

Now while being a part of and...up in the Cajas 

mountains… convert those few moments to...well an 

“unlimited and one-of-a-kind” experience like no other

and one in which I…and maybe one day you…

will never forget!

Hasta Pronto mi Amigos y Amigas J