Tags
bad weather, Cotopaxi, Ecuador, equator, hiking, Quilotoa, Quito, SOUTH AMERICA, vacations on a theme, Weekly Photo Challenge
Weather can be a cruel travel companion. Sometimes its best version comes along on a trip and makes everything better and brighter. Most times, it simply hovers in the background, a wallflower friend, neither making nor breaking the voyage. But on rare occasions, it becomes the escort from hell, a negative force that colors every aspect of a trip.
For much of our recent trip to Ecuador, we were accompanied by a physical and proverbial black cloud, making this country – a place that others have celebrated and which well-traveled friends had recently described as “a place everyone should see” – a bit of a disappointment to us. While almost all of our frustrations were directly or indirectly caused by variations on the theme of bad weather, there were other disenchantments as well, and it took our powers of positive thinking to salvage our week.
Quito
In Quito, my sister and I imagined we’d find a vibrant capital city with flowery colonial balconies, lively indigenous markets, and sunny plazas bordered by churches of every variety, all surrounded by Andean peaks. What we found was a smudged outline of that picture: a somewhat tired city, smothered in low-hanging clouds and choked with the black exhaust from dyspeptic buses and private vehicles. The historic part of the city had some of the requisite charm in the most popular tourist patches, but the rest of the hugely sprawling metropolis felt nondescript and lifeless to us. I like straying off the tourist paths, but this time the quieter streets and areas held little interest and even gave us a sense of uneasiness at times. We first stayed in La Mariscal, a neighborhood recommended for its energetic nightlife and restaurant options, but what we saw were some weary-looking prostitutes, a smattering of good places to eat, and bars and cafes seemingly meant to attract 20-somethings on a men’s outing.
Our optimistic natures saw beauty in the colorful houses tumbling down the steep hills surrounding the valley in which the city lay. Laughing at ourselves, we tried to make artsy photos out of the mist cloaking the skyline. We managed to find two tasty dinners even though the first restaurant “ran out” of all white wine and the second said the entrée brought to us was different from what we ordered because they recently revised the ingredients but hadn’t bothered to change the description. Oh, okay. And some of the suggestions mentioned by friends and online sources were simply rendered useless by the weather; why pay to take the teleférico for a bird’s eye view of the city when the city is covered by a big, gray flannel blanket? When we returned to the capital at the end of our week, we moved slightly north, closer to La Carolina Park and a more vibrant barrio and that small shift, along with a few hours of sun one day, was helpful in redeeming the city a bit in our eyes. Would we have felt differently overall about Quito in the sun? Hard to say, but probably.
Cotopaxi
After seeing everything we wanted to see in the capital, we eagerly anticipated what was to be the highlight of our hiking menu for the week. We had arranged a driver and guide to take us to Cotopaxi Mountain, an active volcano that we intended to hike up to 16,000 feet or higher if we felt good and the weather permitted. Friends who had been here a week before basked in the sun at the refuge and took stunning photos of the summit, and we were primed for more of the same. (Maybe we should have adjusted our expectations based on this couple’s attempt to take wedding photos with Cotopaxi as the backdrop …)
On our Cotopaxi morning, however, we woke to very cold temperatures, some 20 degrees below normal, as well as the extremely dense clouds and rain that we had apparently dragged along to Ecuador with us. We put on or packed all of our cold and wet weather gear, and went downstairs to meet the guide … who was a no-show. Several increasingly impatient and irritated phone calls later, we secured a replacement, who arrived 90 minutes late, a big deal because the weather worsens on Cotopaxi Mountain as the day progresses, even on a good day.
The late start, followed by a halting uphill slog on unpaved roads now running with mud, led to a miserable ascent on the cinder paths up the side of the volcano. We (hilariously and optimistically) chose the path that afforded great views of five surrounding peaks, but all we saw when we could lift our altitude-challenged heads was a haunting, blackish-gray slant of ash punctuated by squawking seagulls, whose eerie cawing as they wheeled above our heads just reinforced the gloomy doom of our surroundings.
We made it to the refuge at 15,900+ feet (see it? … squint hard; it’s there, below), but after resting and warming ourselves briefly, we took one look at the now snow-covered trail leading up to the lip of the glacier and decided we’d had enough.
Smart move. Seconds into our descent, we were lashed by small hail pellets that stung our faces and pinged off our rain jackets. A crack of thunder sounded as we rounded the first switchback, and our guide – slow and careful coming up with the high elevation – began to walk at a pace that required us to almost jog down the slippery ash to keep up.
As we dropped lower, the icy pills turned to wet snow and then to cold rain, soaking us to the skin anywhere we were not totally waterproofed. Back in the 4×4, we skidded down the mud tracks to leave the national park, learning that our guide was even more nervous than we were about being on the side of a mountain in an electrical storm.
Chugchilán
We left Quito quite happily, hoping that crossing the mountains into another province might lead us into a different weather system. It did – a worse one! Our first day in the mountains at a rustic lodge surrounded by dozens of hiking trails was a rain-fest. We hiked anyway because, well, we are hard-core and stubborn. Our jackets were sopping, our hiking shoes sodden and muddy, and our spirits as dampened as our clothing. But we (sort of) got our hikes in.
Even though we were surrounded by a smorgasbord of trails, all of the hike descriptions given out by the lodge were inadequate or incorrect, and none of the trails was marked in any way. Throw in the feral dogs that we were supposed to beat off with the sticks we got at the lodge, and it’s understandable that we might have aborted a few hikes before their natural ends.
After a surprisingly great night’s sleep in our little woodstove-heated room, we rose to a hallelujah moment – SUN peeking out from the clouds and revealing a deep and verdant canyon in full view from our window. We wolfed down our breakfasts, loaded our backpacks, and took off.
We got in a solid five hours of hiking before the deluge began. The elevation changes in this part of Ecuador are extreme; starting at 10,500 feet made it even more challenging, but we were euphoric over a short ridge hike to start the day. We clambered a steep half mile up to the top and then completed a big loop with fantastic views. At the end we inched down through farmland that looked like it was built on the side of an Aztec temple or an Egyptian pyramid. The crops planted at 45-degree angles were a vision of geometric landscape art. We were happy girls this morning.
After a quick snack and water refill, we were back out for a hike down, down, down into a canyon and then up, up, up onto a plateau. We met the scariest snarling dog of the trip, baring his teeth and hungrily staring us down from a perch four feet above us. We waved our sticks and carried on, but we ultimately found the plateau hike boring, and the maps made so sense at all, so after a while we ate a snack and then did the reverse down, down, down and back up, up, up.
Undaunted, we decided to take one more short hike because we knew mid-to late afternoon would bring rain. We pushed it a little too far, racing back under black clouds and, at the very end, buckets of rain dumped all over us after we had finally dried out all our gear the night before. Sigh.
Quilotoa
Quilotoa morning dawned just like Cotopaxi day: completely socked in with dense fog. By some miracle granted by the gods of travel (or maybe Instagram), the clouds retreated just as we arrived at the rim after a thirty-minute drive to the crater.
We took full advantage, snapping away with our cameras before we took off on a three-hour trek across a portion of the rim and, as the clouds inevitably returned, down into the town of Guayama, getting sprinkled upon for much of the walk.
Here we needed to make a decision: continue walking the whole way back to Chugchilán, which was another three to four hours, or get a ride back with the driver who awaited us there.
We had plenty of energy, but the rains persisted lightly, and our guide’s description of the route was unnerving. We would descend for about two hours on a very narrow path that started out as a cat’s spine walk with steep precipices on both sides and then turned into an even thinner path that snaked down the face of the canyon to the river. After that, we would need to climb back out of the gorge and walk back to our little village. Having seen the washed out roads and mudslides that littered our route in the car that morning, we could hardly imagine what a rain-soaked trail would look like and what danger it would present to us if the showers were as torrential as they had been the previous two days.
Seeing both our worry and disappointment, the guide and driver conferred and decided to take us to an alternate route so we could at least hike the bottom of the gorge and make the climb out of the canyon. While certainly quicker, we soon saw that the rain-damaged road down was just as scary as the trek would have been, and we squeezed our eyes shut, then took fleeting peeks at the drop-offs that beckoned inches away from the car doors. We couldn’t wait to get out of the car and start walking again, no matter how steep or frightening!
Do I even need to say it started to rain on us as we staggered out of the steep canyon walls that afternoon and wound our way back to our muddy, tree-dripping, bone-chilling, bugs-in-the-shower, eco-lodge room? Or that a 300-pound pig began snorting and squealing and trying to nose its way into our room as we hung up our drenched clothing? We slugged back a glass of box wine and a huge local beer in the main lodge at dinner, struggled to make conversation with the motley crew of backpackers there for the evening, and crashed into our rock-hard beds for one last night.
Back to Quito and the Equator
Back in Quito after our stay in Chugchilán, we spent one final day thawing our bones under a few hours of high-altitude sun and turning our previous six days of rain, questionable lodging, and bizarre acquaintances into funny stories and the beginnings of good memories. We overpaid for a ride north to the equator sites (there are several, one of which was semi-interesting and, fortunately, the one recognized as the most accurate location).
We agreed that Ecuador is a physically beautiful country that was just not able to show itself properly during our time there, but that even in great weather it may not have delighted us the way many other destinations have. I couldn’t help but compare Quito to buoyant Bogotá or historic Cusco or rocking Mexico City – all high-altitude Latin American cities that have charmed me to death, and Quito just couldn’t stand in the ring with those places, at least this time. Rural beauty is there in spades, but the infrastructure and information were sadly lacking throughout our time away from the capital, and we didn’t connect as well with the local people as we would have liked either. Because our experience seems different from that of many other travelers, we’ll just have to give Ecuador the benefit of the doubt and try again someday when we go back to the Galapagos or the Amazon!
Imogen said:
I love the photos, especially the one of Quito and the crater! Great post for the WPC!
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lexklein said:
Thanks! Sometimes heavy clouds make for interesting photos even though they can be annoying in person!
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Angeline M said:
Kudos for sticking with this trip! Sounds pretty daunting. The photos are beautiful.
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lexklein said:
When we got really down or cranky, one of us always came around and was able to perk the other one up!
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Liesbet @ Roaming About said:
Oh Lexie, I’m so sorry that (most of) your trip fell into the water! I can see why you both hiked as much as possible on that one promising day. When I read about your bad weather on this short trip earlier on, I mentioned to Mark how fortunate we are to have traveled long-term with our own means. We had the luxury to put off excursions when the weather was awful – unless we actually had to leave by boat and miss everything because of that same awful weather.
What I did learn during my sailing years is that one can NOT have any expectations. Experiences just turn out better that way, because I hate disappointments. Not always easy, especially when others have raved about those places. To that, I have to say that the silver lining is that people like you and us have been “spoiled” with past experiences, destinations and adventures. Being able to compare and have favorites, means disliking certain areas that come highly recommended by others.
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lexklein said:
I know that all too well about expectations, but after my friends’ trip just a week or so before ours, I let myself believe that the weather forecast was not for real. (They said they saw lots of rain predicted also, but never really got any.) Alas, we were not so lucky, but as the days went by, we did adapt and just assumed every day would be perfectly awful. When we did see a bit of sun, it was like a small miracle. 🙂 (And yes, we are tremendously lucky and spoiled to even have all these places to compare!)
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Elaine Bryan said:
Plucky travelers..probably happy after all that they did it!
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lexklein said:
Always happy to have seen a new place, no matter what the circumstances! And I wonder where we got all that pluck?!
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shoreacres said:
If I had known you were contemplating Ecuador, I would have put you in touch with Lisa Brunetti, an artist who lives there. You can find her blog here. She’s quite a naturalist as well as a great artist. She was living in Jama, west of Quito, but just has moved. I’m not sure exactly where she is now, but I think she’s still in Manta.
She’s quite active with various nature groups, and has connections all over the area. I think some of her work is in a museum in Quito. Several members of my Native Plant Society chapter who also are birders met her on a trip to Ecuador — for a time she was living in the cloud forest, and has real depth of knowledge about the area.
If you think about going back, feel free to get in touch with her. She can provide a lot of guidance, and probably some wonderful experiences, too. The best thing about visiting Lisa is that if the weather’s crappy, she’ll just put a brush in your hand and teach you to paint!
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lexklein said:
What an interesting life she must have there! We were not in the cloud forest or any of the big bird areas, but I know that is a draw for visitors, and nature in general is a priority in Ecuador (outside the smoggy capital!). We really went to hike, so we headed west into the mountains for almost the whole trip. It would have been fun to look her up, though, as we spent some time in Quito at the beginning and end, both times visiting some small galleries and other little shops where local artists sold their things.
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CompassAndCamera said:
I love your narrative — you had me laughing at the relentless cruelty of the weather while also feeling your disappointment. Weather is such a wildcard sometimes and can really make or break a trip. We had similar luck on the first part of our trip to Portugal. I was just in disbelief that it wasn’t 70 degrees and sunny every day (we had gale force winds instead). Weather feels so personal sometimes, like you’re out of step with the universe. Interesting thoughts about Quito. I’ve heard the same from other people — underwhelming. Regardless, I’m sure I’ll get to Ecuador someday. Thanks, Lex!
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lexklein said:
I loved your comment that weather can feel so personal sometimes … yes! Sometimes I actually feel that it or someone in charge of it is out to get me for some reason! Like I personally deserved this crappy week. In my brain, I know this is not the case, but the longer it goes on, the more I question my own status in the universe, as you said. Luckily my sister was with me to share the blame – haha!
You should go to Ecuador someday, and who knows? You might find it massively appealing just like I loved, for example, filthy crazy Kathmandu! Every trip has its charms and its drawbacks, and this one just suffered a bit more than it should have with the incessant rain. Even now, we are semi-fondly remembering some of the things that drove us nuts a mere week ago!
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CompassAndCamera said:
So true! Sometimes what seems like the worst trip in the moment ends up being a favorite after some time has passed. I was just noting this yesterday, in an upcoming post — ironically it was Nepal, just like you’ve mentioned too! Of course, my soul sister in travel. 🙂
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Dave Ply said:
That’s pretty hardcore. I can hear the local guides, “Esta es las turistas loco!” for going out in the downpours and mud for “fun”. At least you got those amazing vistas at Quilotoa – it reminds me a bit of Crater Lake up here.
The good news is, now you’re due for good weather…
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lexklein said:
Haha – we did occasionally get some strange looks while walking around in the rain, but I was sure it was because of our brightly-colored jackets and not the rain itself! I imagine they spend a lot of time walking in that muck themselves. We are due for better climes for sure – already talking about the next sister trip and where we might be able to (maybe) guarantee better weather.
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J.D. Riso said:
Sorry to hear about the uncooperative weather and other disappointments. Hiking in the rain sucks. And the more you travel and accumulate places to compare to one another, the harder it gets to be impressed. That’s the downside of so much travel. Trips like this do make good stories, though. Travel is not always glamorous. You got some amazing photos despite the grim skies.
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lexklein said:
The funny thing is that I have a friend who was there about a week and a half before us and she said, and I quote “I’ve traveled so much and I’m kind of jaded, but Ecuador is a place everyone should see. It was amazing.” So there I was with the wrong expectations … we never really know where someone else is coming from and what they will find. Maybe she had never been to Peru or Colombia, and maybe her perfect string of sunny days cast a rosy glow over everything. Anyway, you are exactly right; it is both a blessing and a curse to have seen much of the world. At bottom, Ecuador WAS a beautiful place – just not an ideal place for us that week!
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Bama said:
Lex, what you experienced in Ecuador reminds me of my first trip to Hong Kong. The weather was unbelievably bad I couldn’t even see clearly the things in front of me. Here’s a proof: https://harindabama.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/hk2-06.jpg
But then on my second trip, the weather was completely the opposite: https://harindabama.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/nl01.jpg
I went in winter on both trips. So, hopefully this shows that maybe sometimes it’s worth going back to a place you’ve been to, regardless how underwhelming it might have been.
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lexklein said:
Wow – that’s quite a contrast! I had a similar experience in Lima – totally fogged over and dismal the first time, and then sunny and perky the next. I do think I’ll return to Ecuador at some point because I want to visit the Galapagos, so I will give Quito, at least, a second chance!
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Georgia Unkovic said:
Nice write up, sister! Now I don’t have to try to explain the trip to friends. I can share this with them-only one of the many perks of traveling with you! And the great photos. You captured all the scenes, the weather, the laughs!
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lexklein said:
I think I actually forgot to give you attribution on a few of those photos – certainly the awesome one of me looking out over the Quilotoa crater! I’m not sure who else in my circle of friends and family would have found humor and fun in our week, so I am especially glad you were along. Next January trip will have perfect weather, soft beds, marked trails, no pigs, no mud, and no mayonnaise … we deserve it!
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Georgia Unkovic said:
The mayo might have been the worst part as we weathered the Shepard’s Pie without too much difficulty!
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lexklein said:
Yep, those pitiful buns slathered with condiments might win for the low point! And that puts it all in perspective, I suppose!
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The Snow Melts Somewhere said:
Such a shame that your trip was a disappointment! And yes, weather can really affect perceptions. Loved your writing and the photos of landscape art ❤ Is that you in one of the pics? I agree with some of the earlier comments that the more you travel, the harder it is to be impressed, and you always find your mind wandering off to compare what you're seeing to previous experiences. I was disappointed in the locals the last time I was in Italy, though I've been there several times and always before had gotten such warmhearted treatment. I made friends with the locals and their families and one person's dad even wrote me years afterwards that I was a ray of sunshine, they had enjoyed meeting me so much! But last time I got nothing but rude service and felt judged somehow for being obviously a foreigner. It really does leave a memory trace and next time, I'll maybe choose Greece instead. As for weather, I did 2-3 weekend trips to Paris to visit old friends from when I lived there, and it was pouring rain each time, and a weekend trip to London where it rained too (less of a surprise!). I had packed light and everything was soaked. We couldn't do the things I had planned because they all involved walking and being outdoors. So I completely understand how annoying that is! (Then the last time I was in Paris, there were the terror attacks… I'm not planning on going back anytime soon!) Lucky to hear though that you would still be willing to give Quito another chance! 🙂 Great post, Lex!
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lexklein said:
If you are seeing a blonde in a blue raincoat (or sitting on the lip of the crater), that’s me! I do tend to obscure myself in my blog; at this point, I don’t know why exactly, but at the beginning, no one I knew even had a clue about my blog!
Anyway, weather … It affects me deeply, even at home, so when it’s particularly bad on a trip, it’s tough for me. Somehow Paris or London in the rain are OK because A. I expect it! And B. There’s still so much to do. I also erroneously think all places south of me are going to be sunny and warm 100% of the time (ha) in spite of this never actually happening. The fun part about blogging and relating to other travelers is everyone gets me and offers such fun feedback even after a hellishly rainy trip! 🙂
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The Snow Melts Somewhere said:
😀
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Aussa Lorens said:
I was in Ecuador…. Septemberish 2016? And it was just as overcast as you described. I was definitely not prepared, in the clothing department. I’m also an idiot and got DEATHLY ILL for two days after drinking a juice from the market. Super savvy traveler, here.
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lexklein said:
I was actually kind of prepared. And I STILL got disappointed by the colder and rainier weather – like I thought the forecast would change just for me – special me – being there that week. Ha! At least we can laugh about it now. Yeah, drinking juice from the market … not your best decision (but I see from your blog that you specialize in these 🙂 )! I also always think I – special I – am not going to get sick on local water and fruits, etc., and I take risks I should not, especially these days. But I outsavvied you this time – no deathly illness added onto the rain-fest!
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carolinehelbig said:
Oh wow, how disappointing! I am impressed though that you made the best of things, and also managed to get up the motivation to write a really great post on experiences that were less than ideal. I do think you’ll have to return and see Ecuador in the sun. I was there a million years ago and just loved it (though still get a little anxiety thinking about the waves kicking around our “budget” boat in the Galapagos).
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lexklein said:
Now here I go again on the unreasonable and unsupported expectations, but … I just know I’ll have good weather if I go back with the goal of seeing the Galapagos someday! (Hope springs eternal …)
We did sort of tell ourselves to buck up and enjoy the hiking regardless of what the heavens threw at us, and it largely worked. We had a very fun time. It helps that we travel very well together and neither of us completely flipped out about our bad luck (I came close). This was our 5th sister trip together, and even though we are ranking it #5 at the moment, it had lots of great moments and we are pleased to have stayed outdoors no matter what!
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carolinehelbig said:
I think I’m going to have to do a sister trip…it has been too long. Nice that you two have done a lot of traveling together.
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Curt Mekemson said:
Sounds like Alaska, Lexie. It can be absolutely gorgeous. Most of it is. But the weather can be nasty. I sometimes found myself out on 7-9 day backpacking trips in the summer with it raining every day. You learn to cope, but I had been spoiled rotten by the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the summer, where clear, beautiful days are the rule rather than the exception. I certainly admire you and your sister for getting out there regardless of the weather. Kudos. –Curt
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lexklein said:
I have heard the high and low stories about weather in Alaska. Some people I know have had gray skies and rain, and others have seen snow-covered peaks dazzling in the sun. I can’t wait to go there some day and will keep my fingers crossed for the latter weather! (As a side note, this sister I was traveling with got her own outdoorsy start on a NOLS trip to Alaska in her teens; we were always the two who liked camp and the outdoors more than the others, and it was so fun to be back out in nature with her regardless of the conditions!)
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Curt Mekemson said:
I’ll bet, Lexi. I suspect that you shared some fun stories. And it can be beautiful! Peggy and I had some great views of Denali when we took the train from Anchorage to Fairbanks a couple of years ago. I do remember, however, how my staff would mysteriously get sick on sunny days in Alaska, however. 🙂 –Curt
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Green Global Trek said:
You girls are SUCH troopers!! Am impressed by your persistence, determination and sheer grit in the face of all those odds. I probably would have pulled up the covers and stayed in bed with a book 🙂
It is interesting though how travel is so influenced by so many factors such as timing, mood, weather, relative to where we have been before and where we are going, our state of mind etc….
I saw and loved the photo at the top of the rim, which you posted on instagram and was looking forward to the behind the scenes story.. which you did such a great job writing about. So at the very least, you did get a GREAT story. That said, it is really hard when we have expectations about a place and then, for whatever reason, the place falls short. One of the reasons I love going places that no one I know has been… haha. That way I start with no expectations.
We were in Ecuador for bamboo reasons primarily and it was pivotal for us in terms of the bamboo people we met there, one of whom lived in the shadows of cotopaxi. Quito was not one of my favorite cities although we did really enjoy the large indoor market there which had a good selection of interesting fruits.
Ok another positive is that you must have been thrilled to get home 🙂
Peta
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lexklein said:
Thanks for the compliment, Peta, but I feel quite sure you would never shrink from a challenge yourself! In some ways, it was good that our accommodations were nothing fantastic; that way, the hikes each day were really the best alternative no matter the weather. We would have been bored to tears just staying put. We did cut a few outings short and come back and drink tea and check email in the main building, but for the most part we were happier to be out exploring.
As for the stories and photos, I agree that sometimes an honest reaction and some moody pictures overhung with clouds can be just as interesting as a blue-sky and rosy retelling. I had only read glowing things about Quito before I went, but now that I’ve written that it was only so-so to us, others have chimed in and said the same. I think sometimes we all try to be super positive (largely a good thing), but sometimes it’s OK to say something kind of sucked! Especially if the overall feeling is that we are still very glad we went.
Best thing of all: we both missed worse and unseasonably cold weather at home. My sister’s home in PA was absolutely freezing and here in Houston, they closed things down for a freak ice storm!
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Manja Mexi Movie said:
Hihihi, thanks for the chuckle when the pig rolled in. 😀 😀 Great to be reading this in my warm Tuscany home where nobody even walks much, especially in the drizzle, including my dog. Some excellent images though!
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lexklein said:
Oh, that pig … it was like icing on the cake. We were so cold and wet, rummaging around in our room trying to dry things out and get warm, and we hear a very loud snorting and squealing and see a pig snout pushing at our door. Like teenagers, we kept videotaping that beast as if we’d never seen a pig before! It was good for a laugh on our last day!
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awtytravels said:
I have to say, the weather might’ve been miserable but some of the views and landscapes have a sort of an appeal under the cover of clouds… A Wuthering Heights kind of character.
As many others, I love the pig photobombing the last pic.
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lexklein said:
In the first few days, we had fun taking photos with those moody clouds hovering over things. Then when they continued to drop their contents on our heads day after day, we grew a little less charmed. The more distance I gain from being soaked, the more I am remembering the trip with some level of fondness; we did get to do some amazing hikes, and in retrospect, the weather makes the trip more memorable!
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thirdeyemom said:
Great story Lexi! I know that weather plays a huge part in travel especially when you are spending a lot of your trip outside. What a pity you had such awful weather. Is it normally so rainy that time of year? I felt similar about La Paz, Bolivia. It was almost impossible to find good food and just had a strange feel to it. As for Cotapoxi, did you have to experience any of the ice fissures? My dad was supposed to climb it but turned around after he had to cross a 100 foot deep ice bridge with only a rope holding on to him and his guide. He said it was extremely dangerous. I am wondering if he went at a different time of year when there is more ice and snow? He had to wear crampons too. On another note, I’d love to go to Equator but not sure where yet. Hopefully when I do go there will be better weather! I think your photos are beautiful despite the fog.
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lexklein said:
It does frequently rain during this time in Ecuador, but it’s generally limited to late afternoon and it’s for a short time each day. Our friends and other locals said mornings are almost always sunny, and the temperatures were MUCH below normal (often 20 degrees). So we did have some super bad luck.
We never planned to try and summit because we didn’t want to deal with heavy ice and crampons. We did want to get above the refuge and up to the glacier, but it was so heavily fogged in, there was no way. After the thunder and lightning started, we were very pleased with our decision! It’s not a really technical climb, but it’s still hard with the fissures and ice, and they had just reopened the route to the top last fall after quite a while (following an eruption). Anyway, we did almost all of what we wanted, and we’re still alive – success!
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thirdeyemom said:
Wow so will you go Back Lexi? What’s next?
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lexklein said:
If I go back to Ecuador, it will be to see the Galapagos islands. Next up is probably Italy – an intergenerational family trip! How about you?
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thirdeyemom said:
Oh exciting Lexi! Who will all go to Italy and where/when? Sounds exiting! I’m going skiing for Presidents Day with my dad, daughter and son in Flagstaff, Arizona. Excited about that and then two days home before I go on the Lifestraw trip to Kenya for ten days. It will be busy in February which is good! I’m tired of winter weather! (except of course for skiing!)
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lexklein said:
My parents, my youngest son, and I – should be an interesting mix! 🙂
You’ve got some good ones coming up – have fun!
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thirdeyemom said:
Wow how old are your parents? I’d love mine to continue traveling. Unfortunately I didn’t have my first until I was almost 33 whereas my mom started ten years earlier! They are still young (72 and 75) but I will be much older when my kids are the same age. So exciting Lexi to share this trip with three generations to Italy!
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lexklein said:
Nahh, you’ll be about my age, and my parents are “only” 10 years older. I had all mine in my 30s. Age is just a number … my parents are healthy and active (as I know yours are), and perhaps the most amazing trip of my kids’ lives (Greece) was when they were teenagers and my parents were 72 and 74!
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thirdeyemom said:
That is good to hear! I agree!
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Jeff Bell said:
Oh man, that is too bad about the weather and I’m a little surprised to hear you didn’t like Quito since it is so popular. I’ve not been to Bogata, but Cusco and Mexico City are pretty great so maybe by comparison it didn’t live up. You are a jaded traveler! Congratulations! 🙂
I’ve certainly had some days marred by bad weather, volcanic eruptions or other acts of nature, but I can’t remember a week this bad! Weather and the people you meet along the way are the two wildcards we can’t control. That and sickness!
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lexklein said:
I swear I am not terribly jaded! I almost always find something I like even in places that leave travelers unimpressed. This time, I think the weather – a real wildcard as you said – simply cast a terrible pall and for too long. We could have handled a day or two (or even four!) of unpleasant weather, but every single day just wore me down and colored my enjoyment. Then again, I think parts of Ecuador (Quito and some of the local people and establishments) just might not have caught my fancy anyway in some ways. The topography is gorgeous and I am 100% glad to have hiked there, but nothing else is calling me back as so many places do.
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Alison and Don said:
Oh this sounds so disappointing! We didn’t like Quito much either. We fared better on Cotapaxi – making it to the refuge and back in fog that shrouded the view, but at least we didn’t get hailed, snowed, or rained on. And on the drive back down we saw an Andean wolf right by the side of the road. Your story is a cautionary tale about never underestimating the part the weather plays in our enjoyment of a place. I imagine if you could have done all that hiking in fine and sunny weather your spirits would have been lifted enormously. We had some other good experiences in Ecuador but it’s certainly not on our list of placed to return to.
Alison
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lexklein said:
Interesting to read here about your and numerous others’ less-than-charmed view of Quito. Sorry you also had that cursed fog on Cotopaxi. If I could have slowed down a little and even “enjoyed” the ashy climb, that would have have improved it a bit, but we were racing up and down in that terrible precipitation, making the whole thing even less fun! We also had plans to go higher, which were obviously thwarted.
The wolf! That would have been amazing! I’m going to go back and see what else you guys did in Ecuador. Other than a splurge on the Galapagos someday, I’m not sure I need to go back either.
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lisadorenfest said:
OMG, I so feel your pain! I hope you won’t be too upset to know that I roared with laughter through most of this post. You have captured the darker side of travel perfectly. The side that we in the cruising community sarcastically sum up as ‘living the dream’. Actually, your challenges resulted in one of the most entertaining posts on mainland Ecuador that I have ever read. The incessant rain, hail, extreme temps and never-ending cloud cover have brought out your inner ‘Bill Bryson’. And really, your photos are still magnificent. Not a bad one in the batch (although maybe not the ones you were hoping to get). My favorites were the beautiful color of the water and magical horse (or was that a unicorn) in Quilotoa, the bride in Cotopaxi (let’s hope that it is all sunshine from here for her) and the elusive blue skies in Chugchilán. Love from Penang.
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lexklein said:
It is great that we can laugh at all this after the fact (and make others laugh, too! 🙂 ). The two photos you liked may be my faves, too. I have to admit the surly clouds added something mystical to the photos, so even though they annoyed the hell out of me as they dumped their contents on us for over a week, they did have some redeeming qualities!
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Sue Slaght said:
Oh Lex what a disappointment. It sounds like the two of you persevered despite it all and are seeing the humour in spite of it all. I think a trip to the Galapagos is in order. We went in June and dare I say we had brilliant weather? No comfort to you I’m certain.
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lexklein said:
I’ve heard almost nothing but good weather news from people who’ve traveled to the Galapagos, so someday I will test that out myself (and no doubt add one outlier experience to the list given my atrocious climate luck in general!). In spite of the mess, we had a fun time exploring together, and that was the main goal!
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restlessjo said:
Can’t win em all, hon, and you gave it a good try 🙂 🙂 I love that first, through the window of the cathedral shot and some of your peaks look really beautiful. No good if you don’t feel it though. 😦 I’ve wanted for years to go to the Azores and I live in dread of getting there at the ‘wrong time’. At least you missed rough weather at home.
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lexklein said:
Thanks, Jo! It was a trial but as you note, nobody said life was going to be perfect! At least it was just a vacation! 🙂
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twobrownfeet said:
Looks like you had quite an adventure! Barking dogs, squealing pigs, hail from the sky, and foggy mountains don’t sound inviting in a new country. Basil would have loved a trip like this! I know it must have been disappointing though. Weather can make or break a trip and it’s hard to predict it with accuracy. I try to be a pessimist and hope for the worst! With low expectations, everything seems a little better. 🙂 On the bright side, you’ve got yourself another fantastic travel tale for dinner table conversations.
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lexklein said:
Sometimes even as I am in the midst of a bad experience, I am thinking about its story value! The climb up Cotopaxi was certainly an example, and my sister and I both took mental notes on the otherworldly sights and sounds we were hearing that day just so we could recount them. Looking back, yes, the whole trip was disappointing, but I still can’t say the weather completely ruined the trip for us; it added a large dose of frustration, but at least we still did the things we planned to do – just without the expected payoffs (views)!
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James said:
Lex, I just hope the weather is more cooperative on your next hiking trip – I too would have been hugely disappointed to have made the trek up Cotopaxi in such conditions. Reading that part reminds me of a volcano climb Bama and I did in Indonesia’s Banda Islands; we got to the summit although it was lost in a thick layer of low clouds. But we had a lucky break just before making the descent, when the clouds lifted for all of two minutes – enough to admire the view and take some reasonably good shots! I’m not entirely surprised to hear that Quito didn’t live up to the hype – Mexico City and Cuzco have always stood out more when it comes to architecture, street life, and local cuisine.
Humor is often the best way out of a luckless situation, and it’s great that you and your sister could still retain your optimism through the entire trip. I had to smile at that young couple doing a pre-wedding shoot in the gloom with no mountain in sight… I imagine the final result will require something of a photoshop job or at least a re-shoot!
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lexklein said:
I thought … I really thought … that the clouds were going to part at any second up there on Cotopaxi and we’d get that lucky break you guys did. But no.
It was good that my sister is game for walking around in the rain, getting dirty, sleeping in a cold room, etc. Some people would whine and moan (and I might have myself if I weren’t with someone positive), so together we were able to get the most out of our week despite the yucky weather.
Now, if I had been that bride, I might have whined a little more!
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Bespoke Traveler said:
Weather is such a huge challenge when traveling! But I loved the positivity of you and your sister, it was so heart-warming to discover the two of you making the most of your explorations. And those photos…the weather may have been disappointing but it did not prevent the two of you from capturing some spectacular (and very moody) photos of Ecuador. Quite different from everyone else’s sunny stock pictures. My favorite is the second: a crisp peek through the porthole into Quito.
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lexklein said:
Thanks for the photo compliments – when dealt dark skies and clouds, one has to adjust, right? I feel lucky to see beauty in lots of less-than-perfect conditions, even while feeling (very, very!) bummed out about them!
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Bespoke Traveler said:
🙂 Lucky and bummed, that sums up my travel emotions pretty well when things don’t go according to plan.
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Tina Schell said:
Well Lex, unfortunately your story made for great reading and I must admit some serious chuckles. Each time I thought you’d escaped the dismal weather it struck again. There is NOTHING worse than weather stealing your chance to see a place you’re only going to get to once. But I loved that you pushed through and kept trying. My favorite moment was when the guide didn’t show up – or was it the snarling dogs…either way it made for great reading.
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lexklein said:
Haha – I have to say the scary dogs and our need to carry huge dog-whacking sticks were the “high”lights of our low times! It just added a little frisson of fear to the already dismal surroundings!
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Shelley @Travel-Stained said:
Wowwww!! this is quite the tale. I had to laugh though when I got to the part about the 300 pound pig. This really sounds like a made-up story. Haha. I had a few friends that lived in Quito as expats (he was trying to set up Valrhona’s chocolate business there, and she was a yoga teacher), and they had many of the same things to say about infrastructure etc… they really could not wait to leave!
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lexklein said:
I swear the whole story is true! Even the pig (see photographic evidence). It was a rough week, but we really did have pockets of more upbeat times, and even the bad parts became so constant that they started to be amusing! 🙂
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Forestwood said:
Wow! I loved all your photos. Such varying vistas. I had no real idea of the landscape there so thank you for increasing my knowledge! I would love you to share one of the photos from your travels in Ecuador for my Monday mystery Photo Challenge. I have never had a photo from Ecuador before!!
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lexklein said:
You are very welcome to use a photo for your contest (I’m sure you will acknowledge the source – thank you for asking and not just using it)! And yes, the landscape there is beautiful and varied. The biodiversity makes for a great visit – from rainforests to mountains to volcanoes to jungles to beaches. etc. – all in one small country. Thanks for visiting my blog!
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tperders said:
You said it yourself – you are HARDCORE!
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lexklein said:
Haha – I suppose I am hardcore in many respects, but I can also be a quivering baby mushball about some things. I think I’ll focus on the former and make all you readers think I’m super tough! 🙂
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PeKi said:
Wow, you really rolled with the punches with the weather! Anybody can take a great sunny day picture, but you made the cloudy pictures work.
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lexklein said:
Thanks! There was a lot of making lemonade out of lemons on that trip! It really is a pretty country with some great hiking, and we are not the types to sit around most of the time. I actually loved the photos, which I often find come out better in inclement weather than in strong, bright sun.
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Carmen said:
Beautiful photos I love the dark clouds
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lexklein said:
Thanks, at least they made for good photos! 🙂
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Madhu said:
I remember following a bit of your Ecuador travels on Instagram. Pity about the weather. I’m beginning to think my luck with the weather is running out too. It rained through our four days in the azores last September and the famed lake views we’d gone for were completely obscured by fog.
Impressed that you still managed some great photos. That framed view of Quito is a stunner. Also the view from the crater rim.
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lexklein said:
Maybe, like me, you will someday get back in spades all the sunshine and clear air that has eluded you! Our Italy trip was almost a miracle of weather – two solid weeks of perfect temperatures and sun. When I add up all the crummy luck I’d had in recent years, I think I might have deserved that!
I ended up kind of liking all the cloudy shots in Ecudaor; in fact, all my sunny Italy photos are not as good as I’d hoped. Shadows and a little less bright clarity helps at least with the photography!
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