South America

novembre 2016 - maggio 2017

Un’avventura di 184 giorni di Taylor Leggi altro

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Viaggiatore South America
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- 26 nov 2016, 09:05
- ☁️ 3 °C
- Altitudine: 178 m
- Stati Uniti Illinois Cook County Duncans Addition Saint Paul Catholic Church (historical)41.872078, -87.64038141°52’19” N 87°38’25” W
Giorno 1
Chicago, Illinois
26 novembre 2016, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C
Started the trip with a 9 hour Megabus from Minneapolis to Chicago. Gonna spend a quality day with the sibling before I fly out tomorrow morning!
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Viaggiatore South America
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- 27 nov 2016, 16:42
- ⛅ 27 °C
- Altitudine: 11 m
- Panama Provincia de Panamá San Felipe 8.953677, -79.5363318°57’13” N 79°32’11” W
Giorno 2
Panama City, Panama
27 novembre 2016, Panama ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Going from cold Chicago weather to humid post rain fall weather in Panama isn't so easy. I arrived in Panama City today, flying over the canal was pretty cool. I'd arranged a shuttle to pick me up, but since I was the only one I more or less got a private ride to the city from Guillermo who gave me the low down on Panamanian politics and how their former president was very much like our soon to be. Oh did I mention I almost wasn't able to board in Chicago? Long story, glad it's over.

Checked into the hostel and took a long walk around Casco Viejo, ended up getting out of the tourist area and seeing a bit more of how life is there. Luis a man from Illinois who grew up there showed me around into a little housing area where remnants of the city's first wall is.

Back at the hostel now cooling off. My bags were checked straight to Quito so I'll be trying day three in these clothes I'm wearing ;)Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore South America
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- 2 dic 2016, 14:13
- ⛅ 16 °C
- Altitudine: 2.842 m
- Ecuador Provincia de Pichincha Centro Histórico Quebrada del Tejar -0.216357, -78.5111390°12’59” S 78°30’40” W
Giorno 7
Quito, Ecuador - Day Two
2 dicembre 2016, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
I arrived in Ecuador and made some French Canadian friends on the plane. We figured out how to get to the city and then I caught a bus to my couchsurfer's place.

My Couchsurfer Nicolas is awesome and the first night was spent just chatting as I was pretty tired. We went to the top of his apartment building where you could see over the city and all the lights.

I'm in an area called La Floresta which is artsy and close to most everything.Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore South America
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- 2 dic 2016, 14:23
- ⛅ 17 °C
- Altitudine: 2.841 m
- Ecuador Provincia de Pichincha Guápulo -0.196906, -78.4787590°11’49” S 78°28’44” W
Giorno 7
Quito, Ecuador - Day Three
2 dicembre 2016, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
I walked through town to the historic center where I met my two friends from the airplane. We walked around the old streets filled with people selling fruit, sharpening knives, and polishing shows. We saw the presidential palace and a photography exhibit with photos from all around South America.

I got lunch at the Mercado Central and it was a mix of meats, rice, egg, avocado, and beans fof $2 can't beat that (well actually you can pay less)

We went back to their hostel to drink beer on their rooftop and play pool. We then met up with another Couchsurfing friend Michell who took us to a tienda (kiosk) and to an area called Plaza Foch to drink Cannelazo a hot Ecuadorian drink made with Narajilla.Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore South America
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- 2 dic 2016, 16:02
- ☁️ 7 °C
- Altitudine: 4.486 m
- Ecuador Provincia de Pichincha Hacienda San Ignacio Rucu Pichincha -0.165173, -78.5680520°9’55” S 78°34’5” W
Giorno 7
Quito, Ecuador - Day 4 - Pichincha
2 dicembre 2016, Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
The weather forecast looked good so I decided to climb Pichincha which is a volcano just outside of Quito. To get there I took a cab to the Teleferico which is a cable car that goes up the side of the mountain. From the top you can see the entire city and from there begin the ascent on Pichincha.

On the Teleferico I met two guys one from Canada and another Australia and we started to hike the volcano together.

Because Quito itself is high up in elevation being so high made the hike must harder than expected. It was cool to see the peak in the clouds and work our way closer.

Eventually We climbed to a height of maybe 15,500 ft and the weather was freezing. But from there towards the top you could see the city, the countryside, and the trail we took way down below.

We met another group of hikers from Sweden and made our way back down. The elevation change was very noticeable.

I can't say it was easy but quite rewarding and nice to get out into nature.

That evening my Couchsurfer took me to get some street food "tripa" or tripe (lamb intestine) it was quite good. We then met some of his friends Daniella and Alejandro and hungout at a closed bar called Misquilla which is a Kichua word that means "the feeling you get when you play traditional Ecuadorian music (Pasillo)".Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore South America
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- 4 dic 2016
- ☀️ 25 °C
- Altitudine: 26 m
- Ecuador Provincia de Manabí Tarqui -0.950608, -80.7333670°57’2” S 80°44’0” W
Giorno 9
Manta, Ecuador
4 dicembre 2016, Ecuador ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
I spent two days in Manta with a friend from Brooklyn's family. Turns out they lived most their lives a couple blocks from my old place in Brooklyn, but now call Manta home. Their son Joseph picked me up in his dad's 1973 Chevy Impala and drove me around the city.

Manta was hit hard by an earthquake this past spring and is still very much so recovering. Many buildings have yet to be taken down and there are while streets that are blocked off and guarded by a few military for safety. As you drive by they almost look like move sets deserted and empty.

It was a good thing I stayed with them as I had gotten abad stomach bug and they fed me some good food and I was able to relax a bit.Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore South America
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- 6 dic 2016, 00:00
- ⛅ 22 °C
- Altitudine: 15 m
- Ecuador Provincia de Manabí Santa Marianita -0.991088, -80.8504890°59’28” S 80°51’2” W
Giorno 11
Santa Marianita, Ecuador
6 dicembre 2016, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
I got a ride in the Chevy Impala to a small beach town about 20 min south called Santa Marianita. It's relatively unknown for many tourists except if you're into Kite Surfing.

The town of about 1000 people rely a mostly on fishing and the other inhabitants are a few expats that have retired here.

I set my tent up next to a Hostel up in a hill over looking the beach called Cabaña Punta La Barca. The Hostel itself is made of bamboo and the owners a Belgian woman her Ecuadorian husband and 1 and a half year old Logan are very nice.

I spent most the days here walKing the empty beach, swimming, and hanging out at another hostel where my Swedish friend was staying along with some other backpackers.

It's incredibly relaxing here and a nice break after the cold rainy Quito.Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore South America
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- 12 dic 2016
- ☀️ 28 °C
- Altitudine: 1 m
- Ecuador Provincia de Manabí Puerto López Punta Mirador -1.563696, -80.8171771°33’49” S 80°49’2” W
Giorno 17
Puerto Lopez, Ecuador
12 dicembre 2016, Ecuador ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
In an effort to not fall too far behind I thought I'd catch up on a few of my stops. I took the bus from Santa Marianita with a couple others from the hostel to Puerto Lopez, the blasting of reggae tone serenaded us all the was down the Ruta Del Sol. We had to go inland a bit and change buses to our surprise in a town called Jipijapa (Pronounced: Hippy-Hoppa). The bus just kicked us off and we waited for another. Thats were I tired my first street empanada.

We eventually made it to Puerto Lopez hopped in a tuk-tuk and made it to our hostel.
When we arrived the owner told us that there was a snake in on of the rooms and she wasn't going in there until someone got it out. A man without a machete and a large shirt.... Wait without a shirt and a large machete came and killed the snake we then continued out to the side lot where the snake was burnt ceremoniously to warn other snakes from coming back.

Puerto Lopez is a smaller fishing town that attracts mostly tourists in their winter for the humpback whales and also for people wanting to so to Isla de la plata ( aka the poor mans Galapagos). I originally didn't plan to go but peer pressure presided and the next day we went.

In the early morning both days I was there I got up to see the fisherman bring in their catch the the market. It was quite the show of various fish, shark, and people crowding on the beach. Behind them were little stalls that cooked fresh dishes of fish and rice and plantains all with a cup of coffee for $3 and thats what I had for breakfast.

Isla De La Plata is an hours boat ride from Puerto Lopez and contains many of the bird species found on Galapagos including the infamous Finches, Blue Footed Boobies, Albatross and Fragatas. What the island does have that Galapagos doesn't is the worlds smallest species of Hummingbird. We hiked the island and learned a lot from the guide about the animals the boobies and their mating habits which we got to saw, afterwards we were able to see sea turtles, Rays and go snorkeling off the island in the reefs it was really nice with lots of colorful fish.

I spent the next day just walking around town it was a bit rainy and perfect for just exploring town and spending sometime catching up on my writing and reading.Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore South America
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- 14 dic 2016
- ⛅ 25 °C
- Altitudine: 1 m
- Ecuador Provincia del Guayas Ayangue Punta Brava -1.976404, -80.7530461°58’35” S 80°45’11” W
Giorno 19
Ayangue, Ecuador
14 dicembre 2016, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Sometimes you just look at a map and pick a destination. That's more or less how I ended up in Ayangue a very small fishing village with relatively know attraction of the tourist type. After researching online I found that there was an Eco Lodge I could camp at for $3 a day and if I was an artist for free. I sent them an email, but never heard back so I went anyways.

I hitched a bus and got of where the road leading to the village starts. There I walked the 3km with my backpacks into town and eventually found the Eco-lodge. Somehow arriving into town by foot is much more rewarding.

The "Eco-lodge" was more or less a couple of bamboo lodged and some outdoor cooking area / tent space. When I arrived there was no one on site and all the doors of the buildings were padlocked shut. Next to the lodge was a small house where a local man was netting his fishing net. His name was Kleber about 50 or so years old with 5 kids though only one 10 year old at home at the moment. Kleber told me the owners of the place left days ago and he didn't know where.

I decided to set my tent up anyway. I sent them another email and text and turns out they were in the US, I was more than welcome to use the area for free as an artist, but they hadn't ordered any water and it may run out (it did).

I spent two days there camping, talking to Kleber about life there and exploring the village slash nearly deserted beaches in the surrounding area. It was very relaxing and nice to were really camp and cook over a fire everyday.

I learned one important lesson here. Most restaurants have lunch specials that include soup an entire and a drink for about $2.50 a fraction of the price of a seafood dish during any other time of the day, so if you're going to eat out do it at lunch time.Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore South America
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- 16 dic 2016
- ☁️ 23 °C
- Altitudine: 5 m
- Ecuador Provincia de Santa Elena Salinas -2.221153, -80.9569782°13’16” S 80°57’25” W
Giorno 21
Salinas, Ecuador
16 dicembre 2016, Ecuador ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
I spent three nights in Salinas a sort of Miami like town (only by the beach) that sits on a Peninsula that reaches the farthest west on the country.

I was lucky to get to stay with a family through couchsurfing. Skarleth and her mother, sister and brother took good care of me.

After finally arriving to their place by bus ( I rode the bus the entire route and back because the drive forgot to tell me when to get off) I was welcomed with some good Chinese food and told that that evening the family and friends of theirs would come over to song Christmas songs. I immediately got excited!

The family came over and they taught the kids the nativity story and sang songs like my favorite Ecuadorian Christmas Song : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wrc6Q7acME

The next couple days were very relaxing with a walk to La Chocolatera the most western point in Ecuador, visits to her Abuela (grandma), cooking with her friends on rooftops and one late night in the party beach town Montanita.

I was also lucky as Skarleth only spoke Spanish with me per my request which helped a lot in learning more!Leggi altro
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