Quilotoa, Ecuador The stretch of Quito continues on for half an hour or more as I head south by bus to Latacunga, diesel fumes slowly painting the small tiendas and casas gray. Rough concrete block is the dominant theme.

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

Once in Latacunga, I am suddenly the only gringo in town, as I settle down for some lasagna swimming in a tray of bubbling cheese in a small restaurant alongside the beautiful central park. It´s Friday night and the place is buzzing with teens cruising, couples making out, reggaeton, and some sort of political car parade, horns blasting. Cops are everywhere, stopping cars and searching them.

Up early the next morning to catch the bus to Zumbahua, and after a couple hours climbing into the picture-perfect Andean mountainside, I am once again suddenly in another world. This is el campo, the country, rural, remote, home of the Quichua-speaking idigenous folk. This Saturday market is not for tourists (I´m the only one), rather it is a trading center for the campesinos who have come miles from small villages and home-plots to buy and sell the things they need to live.

Bread, vegetables, herbs, clothes, hardware, beans, music, llamas, pigs, chickens, piles of guts on open tables warming up close to the sun. All for sale. The bronze-skinned, wrinkled, tough, stalky, rooted women look beautiful in their felt hats, very long coal-black braided hair wrapped tightly in multi-colored woven bands. The solid red, or green, or blue shawls covering elaborate embroidered blouses or T-shirts. Black skirts. Knee-high socks of various shades and patterns pulled up tight. Simple thin black shoes, some appear plastic, offering no support and little defense. The oldest of the women are barefoot. The men in slacks, button-down shirts, and light jackets. Continue reading →

Well folks, I wasted no time in getting stupid sick here in lovely Baños, Ecuador´s favorite resort town nestled alongside the very active volcano Tungurahua. After a completely enchanting time of several days in the rural Andes (subject of my next post), I landed in Baños with feverish chills, a persistent cough, and gut-busting diarrhea. A very active volcano indeed. I´ve basically been doing nothing but sleeping and squirting for the last three days. Feeling a bit better today, else I wouldn´t be here at the keys.

In honor of this traveling milestone, I am posting the first ever plerosis.com video, with hopefully more (and brighter) to come.

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

Time for a nap.

Quito, Ecuador- A brief moment of panic on the plane as I made the final descent into Quito and four months on my own in South America. But it passed quickly. Two days now in another world and I feel great, very calm and totally ready for the ride. I am in adventure mode, which is my element. The transition is a rush. New York City in the morning, Quito in the evening. Like being dropped into a dream.

The people of Quito are kind and helpful, smiling amiably as I stumble along with my crippled Spanish. Very little English is spoken here. I plan to spend a couple weeks studying in Baños or Cuenca before traveling any further. Quito is basically divided into the Old City, pictured here with El Panecillo (an angel on a hilltop) watching over, and the New City, which is gringo central with many hostels and clubs. I have been staying at The Secret Garden, a great hostel with a terrace overlooking the Old City. An evening scene with El Panecillo in the background is shown below.

In two days I’ve met loads of travelers from all over the world. Instant friends are made amongst the backpacking set. It’s a brilliant time, with story after hilarious story being passed around over Pilsener beers next to an open fire in a wheelbarrow on the terrace. It’s a fascinating community, and backpacker hostels are generally cheap, safe, and clean. It’s easy to see how one could get stuck on the gringo trail, speaking mostly English, and never get a real taste of immersion in another culture. It´s not a bad way to go, really, hanging out with interesting people in fascinating places. I’m curious to see how much I break out of it. Continue reading →