Machu Picchu - Part Two

It’s been a busy week but I really wanted to make sure I kept working my blog! So here is the second installment of the Machu Picchu adventure! 

After resting at our high point for a bit we caught our breath and got ready for the descent. We were heading down 600m  along a steep path – a mix of trail, cobblestone, and steps. The first 30min were very steep and hard on our quads. Sarah and I ran ahead a bit because we found it easier to bound down the steps. By the time we reached the bottom our legs were shaking like crazy, even just standing still! But the view, again, was incredible as giant waterfalls came into view and the mist began to thin for a while. 

The view from the top on the way down

It felt amazing to sit down and take off our boots and socks. Our feet and legs were definitely sore and we were ready to eat! We bundled up and headed into the tent for some ‘happy hour’ snacks and to play some Uno before dinner. After a delicious dinner we were ready for bed. Everyone was tired and we had to be up at 5:30am the next morning! However, we couldn’t sleep without peering up at the stars for a few moments. The sky was wonderfully clear and the stars went down to the horizon. Incredible.

 It was very chilly that night and even bundled in several layers and a hat I was still chilly. I woke up several times trying to get warm/comfortable. At one point I thought I saw flashing. I unzipped the tent and peered out towards the mountains. In the distance I could see lightening flashing (no thunder though). It was so dark and quiet it verged on a little freaky so I zipped up the tent and went back to sleep.

The next morning we were again woken up with coca tea and we worked on packing up our stuff. When I told Percy about how I woke up in the night he asked if I got out of the tent or saw anything. I told him I'd be crazy to get up - it was freezing! - and that all I saw was the lighting. Percy explained we asked because apparently the campsite we stayed at is haunted. Back in the early 90s before there were guided tours a woman was found dead in the bathroom. I guess those who stay near the bathroom often see figures walking around at night.... 

Today we were prepared for 2 hours up, 1 hour down, and 25 min flat before lunch. After another wonderful breakfast we were off and hiking. We wished each other a merry Christmas Eve and keep a slow steady pace up to our first set of ruins for the day. After an hour we arrived at Runkuracay which is a symmetrical set of circular stones. This may have been a lookout point and the view is certainly impressive. 

Looking out to where we had come from. You can see the waterfall running down the mountain right into our campsite

After a brief rest here we continued up past some beautiful alpine lakes to another high point. From here we climbed around the area, had some snacks, and took lots more pictures. The sky cleared (first time Percy had seen blue sky here in 3months) and we weren’t complaining! It was so nice to not be in the rain and we all felt much better then the day before even though we were still at a fairly high altitude.

Soon it was time for the hour down which was again fairly steep. However, we were rewarded with our second ruins of the day: Sayacmarca. These ruins are built on the edges of cliffs and were pretty fantastic to look at. Here the mist did start rolling in. You’d look off the edge and be able to see everything and a moment later the whole area would be shrouded in cloud.

After we had some time to explore we headed off for a much-anticipated lunch! An easy 30min walk lead us to a great lunch spot were we enjoyed self-serve veggies and quinoa! We even had some time to sit outside and relax in the sun for a bit. It was warm and the heat felt incredible. 

Eating lunch under the red glow of the tent

Yet all to soon it was time for the afternoon hike. We had one hour up and three hours down before we reached our next campsite. I briefly thought I lost my camera but after some scrambling I managed to get it together and be ready to go. The hike up felt relatively easy, especially after all the hiking we’d done at altitude. Part way up we stopped at a little rest site where Shelby noticed by scalp was burning. I had left my hair in braids for 48 hours and my part was so badly burnt. I didn’t know it then but I’d be dealing with that burn for over two weeks. Ouch. We continued on, often spotting Cuzco’s highest snow covered peaks off in the distance. Finally we hit our highest point for the day and great views of Aguas Calientes – the town just a 20min but ride from Machu Picchu. In fact, we could see Machu Picchu mountain too and we knew we just had to make it around the other side of the mountain! It was definitely encouraging.

Unfortunately, as we took our break, the skies started to turn dark and lighting appeared in the distance. We figured we better start down asap since there was quite a ways to go! Before we got too far we soon reached our third set of ruins for the day. The ruins are known as Phuyupatamarca or ‘town in the clouds’ and it truly feels that way. The ruins were the best we’d ever seen. There were even running water ‘baths’ or ‘foundations’. We stuck our hands in for the change to rinse off in the ‘ritual water’. Here we also got to see much of the impressive Incan architecture. The Inca actually built all their houses, temples, and other buildings at a 12-degree angle (tilting inward) to protect against earthquake damage. Very impressive.

The sacred fountain

Part of the city sitting out on the cliffside

Although we wanted to keep looking rain started sprinkling and we started on down. We were some of the last trekkers on the trail and we headed off at a quick pace. Although the rain sprinkled down intermittently and it got a bit chilly we were rewarded with fabulous views of a rainbow pouring from the sky and right into Aguas Calientes. It was really gorgeous despite the threatening black clouds. We took a brief break about half way down but then the rain really started to pick up. We began to jog down trying to stay warm and dry. It was steep and the last half hour involved lots of steep steps and sharp switchbacks. 

The first rainbow we saw

Impending doom...

The second rainbow we saw from near our campsite

We finally arrived to Wiñay Wayna, our final campsite. It was absolutely pouring and we piled into tents to ditch our wet clothes and get warm! It was dinner time by this point and we all piled into the tent to play cards and wait for the meal to finish cooking. We enjoyed a delicious last meal including rice and breaded eggplant for the vegetarians! We knew that tonight there would be a ceremony to thank the porters for all their work. They don’t continue on to Machu Picchu with us but instead head back via an early morning train. We learned this was also the time we needed to tip the porters. We had expected this but getting all our money together took significantly longer then any of us expected (especially because we had to explain to the other man and his son what we were planning on paying because they wanted to follow suit). After some confusion we managed to get everything together and properly thanked all the porters for all their hard work.

To end the night everyone (including Percy) gathered around my tent (this time Shelby and I were together!) and I read “Twas the Night Before Christmas” – a tradition in my family. It was really nice to share the tradition with everyone and we were in bed by 10pm which was the earliest Christmas Eve I’ve had in years!

The last day/Machu Picchu and the conclusion of our journey home coming VERY soon! 

Machu Picchu - Part One

So I realized my Machu Picchu posts are going to take a couple entries. I want to finish them so my blog is complete but it might take a couple days.... So, without further ado, part one:

On Thursday morning we were up at 5:15am. We jumped into the shower but unfortunately the water was freezing! Rough way (but not unexpected) to begin! We were ready to go and met up with our guide, Percy, at 6:30am sharp at the entrance to the hostel. The first part of the journey was a trip in what was basically a 12-passenger van with no heat (brrrrr!). We picked up our porters (there would be 5 porters for the four of us!) as well as a Spanish-speaking Dad and his 16 yr old son who would be sleeping and eating with us but hiking with a separate Spanish-speaking guide. The journey was absolutely gorgeous with mountains on every side and mist everywhere. I was SO excited to actually be starting!! We made a short stop in a nearby town called Urubamba for breakfast where we also enjoyed hot coca tea (helps vastly with altitude!!). Then we continued for another 1hr to “kilometer 82” which is the traditional starting point for the 4-day classic Inca Trail. We unloaded and got ready to go along with many other people who were also gearing up to start.

The "official" starting moment picture! Clean, dry, and feeling ready to go!

We were each carrying a backpack with our clothes, lots of yummy snacks, water for the first two days, headlamps, and other essentials. We also learned that we had to carry our sleeping bags, (a surprise for us!), but luckily there are local women who are ready to sell you anything you forgot including straps to hold extra gear. After a bit of adjusting we were set to go. (Little known to us those straps would break several times throughout the journey but luckily, with a bit of tweaking, we were able to make them work til the end).

We were really pumped to start hiking but after just a couple of minutes we had to stop at the first check in point. Here we got our passports stamped, our names checked off, and then we were off! Percy was a great guide. He told us that if we are breathing so hard we can’t talk then we are “running” and we were “not allowed to run” on Machu Picchu. That was definitely fine by us as we wanted to take our time and enjoy the scenery!

Looking across the river at the train that takes those who aren't the hiking type up to Machu Picchu in mere hours...

We only walked a short way in the morning stopping to talk a bit about the Incan people and the trail we’d be following. The Incan empire existed in the early 13^th century and included a vast part of western South American including Peru and much of Ecuador, Bolivia, NW Argentina, northern Child, and Southern Columbia. Their official language was Quechua and the civilization was based in Cusco. The Inca trail to Machu Picchu was in fact only for royalty in the society. Common people were not allowed to go to Machu Picchu. Additionally, even though it only takes about 7 hours to hike from our starting place to Machu Picchu, (by traveling along the river), the Inca’s instead used this trail. The exact reason is unknown since no written records have ever been found but it may have been a spiritual or ritual journey for the Incas.

Soon we arrived at lunch which was SO incredible! The porters carried all of our food as well as a tent with small stools and a rollaway table to eat on. Each day we received breakfast, lunch, tea/happy hour, and dinner. Lunch and dinner were usually three courses: a small appetizer, a bowl of soup or vegetables, and then a main course. Happy hour was an hour or two before dinner and included popcorn, crackers, and tea and cocoa. As a vegetarian I felt really good about almost everything I ate which was awesome!

Standard squat toilet - this was the last clean one we saw.....

After lunch we had our first “test” – a steep (but very short) climb up to our first view point. Apparently those who struggle with this climb often have a lot of trouble on the second day of the trek. Luckily we all passed with flying colors! The views along the way had been incredible and here they only began to get more amazing. We constantly were reminding each other (and ourselves) that we were actually here, actually hiking, actually on the Inca trail! It was unreal feeling…. Our first viewpoint was of “Patallacta” which was used to grow crops, host religious ceremonies, and house soldiers and messengers. It was a pretty fantastic site to see! 

At Patallacta

After that we  had another couple hours to reach our first campsite called Wayllabamba. Although we slept in tents here it was less like an actual campsite. There are actually several dozen families that live in the area and we stayed on land that belonged to one. We even had a little one room cement space where we could eat and play some cards. Percy and the guide of the other two people that were with us taught us a new game called “Shithead” which we played several rounds of that night and every night after.

Campsite for night #1

We had two tents with two people per tent. It didn’t take long after dinner for us to head to bed. We knew that the next day was going to be hard. Percy, (and several others), explained that day one was the warm-up, day two was the hard day, day three was the pretty one, and day four the prize. We’d be up at 5:00am the next morning and needing to hike uphill for 5-6 hours before lunch and downhill another two hours. No one needed to tell us twice to go to bed!

Happy hour! The green leaves in the middle of the tray are coca leaves!

Holding a baby chick that was wandering around the yard looking cold

At 5am we were awakened by the porters who brought us hot coca tea as we packed up our stuff. We tried to eat a good breakfast since we knew we about to start the hardest hiking any of us had dowe. We would be ascending from 11,000ft up to 14,000 feet on stone steps and dirt paths. Our goal was to reach the top in about 5-6hours and we were ready to go!

Gorgeous morning view

The first few minutes started off well but it quickly began to drizzle around the same time the walking got steep. Percy explained that it's not uncommon for people to turn around early into day two. Altitude sickness is a main reason as well as just generally being too out of shape. While the trail is depicted as moderate I'd say it's more challenging then most people realized and the altitude definitely doesn't make things easier.

READY! Our "day 2" start picture!

About 10min later when I realized it was going to get WARM in gortex!

Both Jacquie and Shelby weren't feeling too well and even Sarah and I (who felt fine) struggled with the steep steps and incline. We soon reached the steepest area known as "grino killer one". Rest breaks for pictures, to chat, and just to try and catch our breath were common. Our lungs often felt like they were burning and it made it challenging to talk. The drizzle soon turned to outright rain and we struggled with keeping our body temps comfortable, drinking enough water, and maintaining a steady pace.

High up on the trail and happy to be there despite the challenges!

Even though we weren't going very fast we reached our main rest break along with many other hikers. Here we had about 20min to use the toilet, catch our breath, add layers, and grab a snack. But all too quickly we had to start again up "gringo killer two". This part is less steep but the altitude makes each steep challenging. There are no switch backs and at times I would walk up a step on the right hand side, walk along the length of the step, and then step up to the next step on the left hand side making mini switch backs. The view, however, made everything worthwhile. Seriously. Snow covered peaks, sweeping green mountains, mist and fog... unbeleivable. 

Eventually the top came into view and we celebrated. We knew we were going to make it!! The feeling of reaching the pass (known as Dead Woman's Pass) was incredible! The rain stopped and the view from the top was the most gorgeous area I've ever seen. Snow covered peaks in every direction! Amazing! We celebrated, took pictures, caught our breath, and grabbed some well deserved chocolate to celebrate! We still had two hours of steep downhill hiking to go but we knew we'd be fine!

The view looking back from where we had just come 

The view looking out towards where we were going!

Friends at the top celebrating!!

Part two to be continued soon....

New Adventure Begins!

WOW. The past two weeks have been some of the most amazing of my entire trip. I’m going to split the time into two blog posts: one on the journey to the Inca Trail and a second about the actually trip to Machu Picchu itself.

The last post left off with just a couple days left before taking off for the mainland. It was a good last few days on the island for sure. Everyone spent lots of time together as well as time with Galapaganian friends and our host families. One of the things that we did as a group was help with the annual town Christmas party. GAIAS students used recycled cardboard to cut out over 40 Christmas decorations to hang around town (along with other decorations created by other families/groups). Long story short, we had to use regular house painting paint which of course made the upstairs of the school smell pretty terrible. Also, that meant when we spilled we had to use turpentine to clean it up which made everyone feel a little queasy.

Painting the cardboard

Finished! 45 decorations to be hung up!

Regardless, we hung the decorations up on Wednesday and it made the whole town feel Christmasy. On our last night we marched in a parade with the kids around the town singing Christmas songs and looking at the lights around town. It was a fantastic last evening!

Hanging the decorations!

The nativity scene in the big church in town

I took a few last pictures around town and of the places I went to most, just to help remember some of my everyday life here on the island.

Laundry drying on the roof

Picture with my Mom (Luisa) and my Dad (Diogenes)

Oregon friends! Parting shot in the airport!

On Friday we headed back to Quito which felt HUGE, crowded, and dirty compared to the Galapagos. We had one last fun night out on the town on Friday night at the mariscol district and got up to enjoy our last day Saturday. Several of my friends hadn’t been up to Teleferico and since it was the first thing I did in Ecuador I decided to go back up with them. Unfortunately it was wicked cloudy and we couldn’t see a whole lot of Quito but it was still a blast and we could see some of the mountains nearby.  At the bottom of Teleferico there is a great little amusement park. We decided to give it a go and all went on a roller coaster. Slightly terrifying since it went upside down and our lap belts were pretty loose but definitely awesome. We also went on this upside down ride which lasted FOREVER. We had not adjusted to the altitude so our screaming and laughing definitely made us very dizzy!

The before

The middle

The after

We then headed to the market to do some last minute souvenir shopping and ended the night at a fancy dinner sponsored by the university. I also tried to go back visit my host family but only their son was home (which was still awesome and we hung out for about an hour chatting!). Sunday it was up early for everyone and the morning was spent in goodbyes and tear.

However, for Sarah, Amy, Shelby, Jacquie, and I our adventure was just beginning. As I mentioned we were just bringing carry on bags so we headed to the Secret Garden to leave our other bags and raced to the airport. The check-in process went great for Sarah, Shelby, Jacquie, and I but Amy wasn’t so lucky. Somehow her ticket payment had never gone through. Ticketing in South America can be strange. You often ‘reserve’ a ticket and then have to go back to the site and pay. Additionally, with the terrible internet on the Galapagos it was to know if anything ever went through. Even with a confirmation email she still didn’t have a ticket and had to run around the airport and rebook to get a seat on the plane with us. Thank goodness we were at the airport early!

But finally we were off and after a quick 35min flight we arrived in Guayaquil which was HOT! We knew we’d be back in a few days so we decided just to chill at the hostel for most of the afternoon. We did go shopping for snacks, lunch food, and tried to eat out at a Chinese restaurant. As has happened over and over in Ecuador, Jacquie and I were assured our meal had no meat but when it arrived there was chicken and beef. Of course no refund so that was annoying. Other than that all was good and we spent the night watching Harry Potter and getting to bed early.

Thankfully our flight to Lima the next day went with no hitches! It was exciting to be in a new country and we were all feeling great! We only had the afternoon to explore but we tried to make the most of it. We headed downtown to see the San Francisco Church where we got to explore the neat old church which had one of the COOLEST libraries I’ve ever seen. It also has amazing catacombs below the church which we got to tour. There is evidence of 25,000+ bodies being buried there and they still use it today to bury the monks. Very cool. Very creepy. We also wandered along the malecon and enjoyed the view of the ocean sprawled out below us. We were all really bummed we didn’t have more time in Lima.

The outside of the church with the catacombs. Incredible - unfortunately no pictures were allowed inside.

In a main square of Lima, Peru

On Tuesday we had our final flight south and arrived in Cusco in the early afternoon. The flight in reminded me of Quito as we came into a valley surrounded by towering mountains. It’s both much smaller and a bit higher than Quito. We had 36hrs to readjust to the altitude in preparation for our hike and we needed every second of it.

Our plane!

Hugo, the owner of Kapatchi Peru (our tour agency) picked us up from the airport and told us we had a briefing that evening. We chilled out in the hostel until then and then headed into town to meet with our guide. We went over some financials with Hugo and then he introduced us to Percy who would be helping us get through our four day hike.

We liked Percy immediately. He walked us through the hike, answered all of our questions, was very funny, and spoke great English! Even though there were only four of us we would have five porters to carry our tents, food, and sleeping pads. We would carry our clothes, water for the first two days, and snacks. He gave us a map and told us to be ready at 6:15am on Thursday morning. We left feeling really excited and a tiny bit nervous! We spent the rest of the night relaxing in the hostel, watching the first half of Bridesmaids on Amy’s computer and eating popcorn before we got so sleepy we had to go to bed at 10pm! 

Playing pool at the hostel

Our last day before the hike we spent exploring Cusco. It’s definitely a jumping off point for Machu Picchu filled with tourists either preparing to climb or waiting to take the train (which is what Amy was doing). We went to a shop where she could buy her entrance ticket to Machu Picchu and did a little souvenir shopping. We also tried to see some nearby ruins but they were WAY too expensive for the five of us! We also visited the chocolate museum (everyone told us we needed to eat chocolate to help with the altitude and we were happy to follow that instruction to the best of our abilities!).

One of the main squares of Cusco

Drinking chocolate tea and the coca museum!

Chicha Morada - a typical Peruvian drink

Rainbow over Cusco!

That evening we watched the rest of Bridesmaids (with more popcorn) and packed up our bags. We were taking just a couple outfits each (one to hike in and one to sleep in) plus some rain gear, an extra shirt, and a few other odds and ends like snacks, water, headlamps, and the like. Jacquie showered that night while Shelby, Sarah, and I decided to shower in the morning. We went to bed excited for what the next four days might bring and ready to go!

Adventure Awaits....

I have under 24 hours left here on this incredible island before I head back to Quito! It’s been such a whirlwind – I can’t believe it’s already mid-December! I suspect the rest of my two weeks is going to go so fast. My schedule is both laid back and crazy and look a little something like this:

December 16: Travel from San Cristobal to Quito

December 17: Going away dinner in Cumbaya and final sightseeing in Quito

December 18: Fly from Quito to Guayaquil (another city in Ecuador)

December 19: Fly from Guayaquil to Lima

December 20: Fly from Lima to Cuzco (Closest city/town to Machu Picchu)

December 21: Rest!

December 22-24: Hike Machu Picchu!!! Thousands of stairs here we come!!

December 25: Reach the top of Machu Picchu, celebrate Christmas, and return to Cuzco in the afternoon

December 26: Fly from Cusco to Lima, cross our fingers we can switch airlines and get our boarding passes in our 45min layover, and then fly from Lima to Guayaquil

December 27: Fly from Guayaquil to Quito. Take in our last night in Ecuador…..

December 28: Fly from Quito to Houston, 3.5 hr layover, and fly home to Portland landing at 6:13pm!!!

PHEW! Should be amazing! Keep your fingers crossed all those flights work out! Also that my camera doesn’t break or get stolen until I get to the states J Thanks!

To make things more exciting I will only be taking a carry on bag for my time in Peru. Since we have that ridiculously fast plane switch in Lima on the way back we can’t afford to check bags. Therefore, each of us will be carrying only our backpacks and a purse for 10 days. We’ll also have a small duffel bag to share between us to keep a change of clothes for after the hike. I’ll essentially only have 2 pairs of pants, a handful of shirts, 1 pair of sweatpants, rain gear, and lots of underwear to last me for 11 days.  You are not going to want to stand near me on the 26^th J Luckily, a warm (hopefully) shower and the rest of our things will be waiting for us when we return to the Secret Garden hostel (where we all started!) on the 27^th.

I will not have my computer with me so blog posts will be scarce (if at all) until possibly my return to Portland. I will probably hit a couple internet cafes on the way to let everyone know I’m still alive but that will probably be it.

It’s going to be strange to leave. I already know I’m going to miss the amazing fruit juice, friendly people, the sea lions(!), warm climate, and yummy panaderia here. I think I may not miss the one temperature (cold) showers, white rice, lack of privacy, and slower than dial-up internet. Also, I can’t lie, I can’t wait to hit the Houston airport for a HUGE salad and maybe some really terrible for you, greasy, over priced pizza. It’s the little things J

It’s been an amazing adventure thus far and I’m really excited it’s continuing a little longer. I’m sad to say goodbye to so many new friends on Saturday but feel very lucky to be able to continue the journey with old friends.

Hasta luego, chao, paz!!

Some parting shots:

Lobo love

I want to rub her tummy SO bad!!

Me and the crazy statue of Darwin 

Up on the viewing platform on one of the last days here

Looking out towards town

How the town watches an important soccer game (there is a TV in the little tienda)

My last dinner at my host family's house: Cheese/spinach/potato soup and tuna with onions, rice, and green bean salad! This is the most veggies I've had at any meal at home! *Amazing!!*

I'm going to need to do some shopping in PDX......

The beginning of the end

I can’t believe how time flies. It’s the beginning of the end now -- I’m in my last week in the Galapagos and just 18 days before I arrive back home to Portland! We are all trying to make the most of our last few days here balancing beach time, adventure time, and homework time.

On the adventure side I spent last Thursday and Friday camping! It’s something I’ve wanted to do for several weeks but just hadn’t gotten put together. Finally we realized we were out of time and a group of seven of us agreed to make it happen. We decided to head to Puerto Chino, a favorite camping spot of other GAIAS students and one of our favorite beaches. We got a permit from the park and headed out late on Thursday afternoon piling all seven of us, one surfboard, one two person tent, and lots of food into Jacquie’s Dad’s taxi.

Arrival at Puerto Chino!

Upon arrival we immediately we set up our two person tent where Shelby and Dainelle would be sleeping and the rest of us spread a sheet on the sand where we would spend the night under the stars. Then we ran down to the water and went swimming, spending quite a while playing in the waves until the light started growing dark. We were the only people on the beach, completely isolated with no one else around for several miles.

Our campsite as seen from a lookout point above

We enjoyed a delicious dinner of avocado, beans, chips, salsa, and fresh pineapple. After dinner it got “dark” but the full moon made the beach really bright despite a lot of clouds. We stayed up chatting, playing cards, and having wine until we got sleepy. A few of us even took a quick moonlit swim before bed (being very careful to stay in the shallows for safety).

Comfy and (mostly) warm camped out on the beach

In the morning we woke up with the sun. It had been a cloudy night (no stars) but not too cold. We spent the morning wandering around observing blue footed boobies, hermit crabs, and sea lions. We were supposed to have pan de dulce for breakfast but unfortunately the fat little finches and curious mockingbirds had broken into the bag and ate 3 ½ of our 7 rolls! No matter….

Blue footed boobie on the rocks

Little hermit crab!

After relaxing we jumped into the water to play in the waves and try to surf (with varying degrees of success). At 11:30am we finally had to head back. It was a fantastic trip with great friends and lots of fun!

However, that was just the beginning of the day! At 1:15pm (after a brief lunch) we met on the fishermen’s pier to get ready for some fishing! As part of our class we had the chance to head out in groups of 5-6 with a local fisherman to learn a little about this important part of Galapaganian life. We headed out with our fisherman, Carlos, and his sister, Linda, to see what we could catch.

Getting ready to get on the boat! That's Carlos, our fisherman, in blue!

It was a small boat with three serious rods but little other fishing gear. We trolled around for a while with no luck but enjoying the beautiful day. We even spotted dolphins playing just a few feet from us! The dolphins brought us some good luck because moments later Elysse got a bite! We joked that she had caught a dolphin but in fact she had caught a yellow finned tuna However, unfortunately, he was a good fighter and the line tangled in the motor and snapped.

Dolphins!

We continued on and saw two sea turtles mating on top the water with a third nearby. It was a really cool sight and we circled closer to see. As we pulled away Sarah got a bite! We were so excited and also teased her about catching one of the turtles. But soon our joking turned to horror as we realized her hook had indeed snagged the third turtle’s shell. Our guide took over and worked on reeling him in, intending to figure out how to get the hook out and save him. Thankfully, just as he brought the turtle to the surface the hook wiggled free and the turtle escaped. 

Turtles mating

We didn’t catch anything else but we did enjoy the reminder of the boat ride. That night we were treated to dinner at Carlos’s friends house. It included fish that the other group caught as well as rice, salad, patacones (fried bananas), and watermelon for dessert! Yum!

Delicious dinner!

It was a really exciting day and a good way to kick off the weekend. I think I’ll be taking it easy for the next couple days as I’ve come down with a bit of a stomach bug but I can’t complain since my recovery involves relaxing on the beach and enjoying the last few days of warm weather!! 

Health care on the island (or why I really don't want to get sick here)

It’s been just over a week since I got back from the trip to Santa Cruz. I’ve started my final class and everything is going well. I’ve been swimming a lot and trying to enjoy my last couple of weeks on the beach. Yesterday, I went snorkeling at La Loberia and saw three HUGE sea turtles!!

Anyway, I wanted to write a little about the health care system on the island and some of the experiences I’ve had or have heard of.

The issues with health here are vast. The biggest one, as I’ve mentioned before, is that potable water is nonexistent here. Drinkable water is obtained only by boiling water or using bottled water. Furthermore, despite many residents citing this as the number one concern on the island, the government here really isn’t interested in fixing this issue (despite having the money and ability to do so). Instead, excess money is poured into the boardwalk, the tourist industry, and the travel agencies to draw additional tourists.

Further issues come with the availability of health care. The hospital here is small, understaffed, and very under supplied. Here are just three examples of major issues that have happened while I’ve been here:

1 - There is a huge lack of specialists here including no orthopedic care, no cardiologist, and currently no anesthesiologist. When we first arrived there was one anesthesiologist but in Oct he went on a one-month vacation. During this time a patient came into the hospital needing immediate surgery for appendicitis. Shelby, who volunteers at the hospital was there and this is how she explained what happened: A nurse or assistant was present when the man came in and mentioned that he had seen the anesthesiologist work before and might have even helped him once. He said he could give anesthesia to the man who needed the surgery. A great debate went up between other nurses, who supported him, and the head surgeon, who said he was too inexperienced. The surgeon ended up winning and the man was transported by boat to Santa Cruz where there is slightly more advanced care (and an anesthesiologist).

2- About six weeks ago the marine class had the opportunity to head to Leon Dormido to do some diving as part of their class. They were with a couple guides including one young man around 21. While the group went down to dive the young man stayed on the surface snorkeling to assist if needed. What followed is slightly unclear but it appears the man had a heart attack. He was pulled onto the boat and given oxygen and CPR as they rushed the boat back to land (another boat would be waiting to meet the divers when they surfaced).

When they arrived at the hospital they had no oxygen to give the man. (Rumor is that there had been oxygen at the hospital, given just recently by a donation from USFQ, but it was sold on the black market for a lot of money). The hospital essentially pronounced him dead (it’s a 25min boat ride from Leon Dormido to the dock here). However, the family was irate. There is a belief here that heart attack victims have 72hours to come back to life. I’m not sure exactly where this thought comes from but they were mad that the hospital wasn’t going to do anything else to help him. They took him from the hospital and brought him elsewhere looking for other care. Sadly, the man did not spontaneously recover but the family would not allow an autopsy so no cause of death was ever confirmed.

3- Recently a friend of mine (another GAIAS student) was riding on a moped type motorcycle (extremely common here). Her brother was driving and it was nighttime. Neither of them were drinking and she was wearing a helmet. However, he went around a turn a little too fast and caught some loose gravel in the road. The bike tipped and my friend flew off the bike. She landed face down with her arms, face, and toe taking quite a beating. She knew she needed to get to the emergency room because she was bleeding heavily and she had hit her head. So she walked several blocks over to the emergency room which they opened up for her. They looked her over briefly, poured some bottled water on her cuts, gave her some Ibuprofen (the strongest pain killer they had), and sent her home. They told her to stop back the next day since she might have a concussion. Luckily she was fine and the next day she was able to have them properly clean out her wounds. They gave her sufficient gauze for everything and explained that she had to shower with bottled water since the water here isn’t clean enough to keep away infection from large open wounds.

The list could continue on and on…. Pregnant women do everything they can to get to Quito or Guayaquil to have their babies because of poor neo-natal care.  You purchase your own antibiotics, injection shots, and vaccines at the pharmacy and bring them to a doctor to administer. Two people recently died of asthma attacks because of lack of proper care to help them.

Yet, the government just replaced the benches on the boardwalk and installed nice new wood lampposts. They are building a new hospital now and hoping to draw in more specialists from the mainland. Yet the construction is going slow (like most construction here) and no one knows exactly when the building will be done or if it will even do any good. It’s as terrifying as it is depressing to see this.