Phuket

Phuket

This past week Dan and I ventured out of Chiang Mai for the first time in three months, to Phuket, a city a bit more well-known. When imagining Thailand, I (like most people) had always pictured picturesque beaches with transparent turquoise water, white sand and long wooden boats. Phuket is definitely the place to see this. However, you have to venture to the nearby islands to see the really beautiful beaches (and endure an hour of a potentially vomit-inducing boat ride to get there).

There is much more to Phuket than just the beaches. There are many different parts of Phuket Island. Dan and I chose to stay in Patong to be in the center of the action. Patong is by far the most touristy place I have ever visited. Most of the tourists seemed to hail from Russia, Australia and other parts of Europe. In fact, the only Thai people I spotted in the city were the ones working in the tourism industry.

In the center of Patong lies Bangla Road. Bangla Road is home to the nightlife that Thailand is famous for. Imagine a road closed off to cars after dark, littered with drunken tourists, bars, nightclubs, half-naked pole dancers, and ladyboys (some flamboyant, and some in disguise). Now, throw in some Thai people trying to sell you pictures with giant, heavily-sedated reptiles and miniature monkeys, and more Thai people pushing signs into your face advertising ping-pong and "sexy lady" shows. 

"What is a ping-pong show?" you might ask. Or perhaps I was the only one completely oblivious to the existence of ping-pong shows before visiting Phuket. Apparently if you've seen the movie Hangover II, you know what this is (I haven't seen this movie). If you're not sure what a ping-pong show is, switch on your dirtiest mind and let it wander…and wander some more…and yeah, keep going…I still don't know if you're there yet. If you're curious, google it. Although I am usually enticed by new experiences, Dan and I opted against the ping-pong show because of some of the horror stories we had heard about the sex trade and treatment of the women performing the shows.

These are some of the options of shows we could choose from:

As would be expected from any tourist destination the price of things was quadruple the price in Chiang Mai. Okay, I'll admit $5-8 for a meal is still a good price, but Dan and I took it upon ourselves to try to avoid the tourist trap and venture around until we found a restaurant where Thai people were eating. That restaurant happened to be in the parking garage at the local mall, so most of our lunches were spent alongside mall employees.

Alongside Bangla Road are tons of markets selling your typical clothing, souvenirs, and accessories. One afternoon I thought that it might be a good idea to search for sundresses in the local market. The moment I walked into the market, the vendors immediately latched onto me and began pestering. As I browsed their shops, and they followed just inches behind me, the dialogue went something like this:

Vendor: "Hello. Where you from?"

Me: "Sawadeeka." My eyes scan the sundresses.

Vendor: "You like dress. I get for you."

I wonder what dress they are talking about because I have not yet expressed interest in any of the dresses.

Me: "Mai, kop khun ka." (No, thank you.)

The vendor reaches for a dress and takes it off the rack to show to me.

Me: "Mai, kop khun ka." (No, thank you.) "I can look by myself."

Vendor: "No like? Try this one." Vendor proceeds to grab a different dress off the wall and put directly in front of me.

Me: "Mai, kop khun ka.." (No, thank you.) "I will look alone"

Vendor: "I know! This one for you. I give you. 700 baht. Here you go…" The vendor goes to the corner to grab a plastic bag.

Me: "Mai, kop khun ka." (No, thank you.)

The dialogue continues like that until I eventually manage to maneuver my way out of the shop or I decide to make a purchase (after bargaining them down to about ⅓ of their initial ludicrous price).

Once I asked the woman if I could try the dress on over my clothes, and she replied yes. Before the dress was fully on my body, the women was complimenting it. "Perfect! You beautiful. You buy dress." When I tried to tell her that I didn't like it (for a good reason: it was obviously too big even on top of my jean shorts and t-shirt), she proceeded to yell at me. "One size for all. You try, you buy." I couldn't help but laugh as I walked away…

Visa run
Dan and I knew when planning our trip to Phuket that we would have to squeeze in a visa run. We were approaching our 90 day mark, and our 3 time re-entry tourist visa requires us to leave the country after 90 days for a 60 day extension (We can get a 30 day extension from inside Thailand). The fastest visa run from Phuket is a 4 hour drive and a 30 minute boat ride across the border into Burma. The van service informed us that we'd be picked up at 5:40am, driven to Burma, fed both breakfast and lunch, and be back to our hostel by 6pm. Our driver was an hour late to pick us up, but by being outside at 5:40am I was given the chance to satisfy my extreme desire of people watching, as ladyboys and drunken men stumbled towards their hostels to end their night.

If I disregard the fact that our driver didn't speak a word of English, insisted upon holding onto our passports for a large portion of the journey, and drove as if it were tryouts for the Olympic race car team, I guess I can say that the visa run went smoothly. Luckily, we're only planning to stay in Thailand until early March, so we won't have to do it again!

Some things I learned:

All my life I have looked at young people covered in tattoos and body piercings and wondered what might happen to them when they became older and…well, saggier. I now know the answer. They go to Phuket.

Thai beaches really are as beautiful as the pictures.

Beware of sea urchins. And don't itch microscopic jellyfish bites.

Ladyboys can easily pass as beautiful Thai women. I was unable to tell the difference when I was sober, so I can imagine how easy it might be to make this mistake when drunk.

More streets should be closed off to cars at night. It's pretty great to be able to walk down the center of the street and not have to worry about a car zooming by.

Thai performers struggle with lip-syncing American songs.

All restaurants should have menus like the restaurant below:

Celebrating Loi Krathong

I was lucky enough to be in Chiang Mai during the famous Loi Krathong festival.  Loi Krathong is a festival celebrated annually on the full moon of the twelfth month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar.

"Loi" means to float, and "krathong" means a leaf cup.  On the night of the full moon, Thai people gather near the river to release small, decorated, floating banana-leaf structures.  The Thai people say that this symbolizes the washing away of last year's misfortunes.

Often coinciding with this, or at a very close date is "Yi Peng," another festival where thousands of sky lanterns are released into the sky.  This year, the two events fell at the same time.  During this festival, thousands of Thai people gather at temples, private homes or open fields and release giant lanterns into the night sky.  On the lanterns, many Thai people write their hopes for the future.  

Watching the lanterns float off into the sky is one of the most amazing sights I have ever witnessed...

Some other things I learned: 

Be weary of crowded festivals when you have a slight case of claustrophobia. (I guess I already knew this, but I often forget...)

In the the United States, events are a lot better planned and structured than in Thailand.  When trying to exit the festival and make our way back to our transportation, there were no signs directing people as to which way to walk to get to the exit.  This resulted in complete chaos as people pushed one another, walking in opposite directions, but all attempting to get to the same place.

It's difficult to sit through a 30-minute Buddhist ceremony on your knees, while not understanding one word of what was being said.

Cost of Living in Chiang Mai

It's hard to believe that I've been in Thailand for three months now.

When speaking to people back home, I am often asked the question, "How can you afford to travel so much?"

Here's the answer...

A breakdown of my monthly expenses:

Rent: $400 or $200 per person (We are splurging for a one-bedroom apartment in the nicest part of the city to keep our sanity since Dan doesn't really want to listen to me teaching English for 4 hours a day.  Many travelers spend about $150 a month on a studio.)

Food: $230 per person  (About $7 per person per day-- Breakfast (oatmeal or granola & milk) $1-2 per day, Lunch $1-2 per day, Dinner $2-3 per day, Late night snacks $1-2 per day, occasional splurges $20)

Our favorite local Thai restaurant also happens to be the cheapest!  Lunch usually consists of either Pad Thai or Khao Soi (Chicken and curry noodle soup), my two favorite dishes totaling in at a whopping $1 a piece.

Cell phone: $10 or $5 per person (Including initial fee-- We don't have too many friends, and often resort to email when making plans)

Internet: $34 or $17 per person (Including one-time initial set-up and router fee)

Electricity and Water: $50 or $25 per person

Drinking Water: $1 or 50 cents per person (3 cents every time we fill up 2 huge bottles)

Transportation:  approx. $20 or $10 per person  (occasional taxi and tuktuk rides, motorbike rental)

CrossFit: $70 per person

Back in the US, I was opposed to CrossFit merely because I could not convince myself that any exercise was worth the hefty fee bordering on $250 a month (especially with limited equipment).  But, in Ecuador, at about 15% of the price, I couldn't resist giving it a try.  And, it grew on me...a little too much...So, when Dan and I found a CrossFit in Chiang Mai for $70 a month, I couldn't resist.

Bridge Club: $6 ($1.25 per week + initial club fee)

Extras: $20 (Occasional massages $6 an hour, small purchases (shampoo, soap, etc...), movie tickets $4...)

Visa fees: $40 (Initial visa fee $100, 30-day visa extension fee $60, visa run to Burma $60)

US Health Insurance: $170 (Thanks to Obamacare)

TOTAL: approx. $795 a month

If I add in Travel and Entertainment: $250 (RT flight to Thailand- $400 (Thanks to my awesome flight benefits!), trip to Phuket $500, trip to Hong Kong $600, trips to nearby destinations $40), I am still spending only about $1000 a month!


On another note, did you know that elephants can be taught to paint?

New experiences

My first time driving a motorbike:

Chiang Mai is one of the few cities I've ever visited without a public transportation system, and with a limited number of sidewalks. As a result, motorbikes are the common mode of transportation.

Some might think it's odd that I have gone skydiving and bungee jumping without so much as thinking twice, but that I would be afraid to ride a motorbike. I, however, think it's completely logical.

According to the Public Health Ministry, motorcycle accidents claim the lives of 27 Thais and injure 438 every day. And from observing the motorbikes zig-zagging through traffic, cars changing lanes without signaling, and the complete oblivion to traffic rules, I'm honestly shocked it's not more than that. Also, Thais drive on the left side of the road, which can get a bit confusing at times when crossing the street, let alone driving.

Luckily, after a few friends taught me the basics of the motorbike (such as how to turn it on) I built up enough confidence (and Dan, enough trust in me) to try renting an actual bike for a day. Yesterday we drove around Chiang Mai for a few hours, and to be honest, it was quite exhilarating. We made it back alive, and although I don't think we'll be buying a motorbike for the remainder of our time here, I'm sure we'll rent again in the future!

Frozen in time:

I have read that every day at 8am and 6pm the Thai National Anthem plays and everyone stops what they are doing and stands with their hands to the side. I had yet to actually see this happen until this past weekend when I was in the market. At 6pm on the dot, everyone froze in place. Food vendors stopped selling foods, street performers stopped performing, everything came to a complete stop. It was quite a strange feeling being frozen in time...especially in the middle of a market.


Some other things I learned:

Thailand has reverse osmosis water vending machines which release filtered water for as cheap as 1 cent to fill 2 water bottles. They are pretty great.

Sushi is cheap in Thailand. I can actually eat enough sushi to make me feel full for less than $4!

Thai food is ridiculously delicious (I guess I knew this already).  I don't know how I'm going to return to eating regular food ever again.

Thai massage

In just two weeks in Thailand, I have walk passed more massage shops than I have in all my life. Getting a Thai massage was one of the things about Thailand, I was most looking forward to, but once I arrived, I felt overwhelmed by the countless number of massage shops, and unsure of which place to choose.

I finally opted for a Thai massage shop close to my apartment because it seemed to always be full of Thai people, but also had some signs with English words. As I hesitantly walked through the door, I was faced with an overflow of signs advertising the different packages ranging from 1 hour to 4 hours. I decided to go with the one-hour traditional Thai massage for $6.

Unsure what to expect, I followed the woman into a room where she gave me what seemed to be an extra-large pair of scrubs to change into. Once in my hospital attire, she led me to a bed and gestured for me to lie down. She rinsed my feet off with a warm cloth and went to work.

From that point on, what I experienced was a mix of extreme pain and pleasure, as she positioned me in a variety of yoga-like poses and went to work jabbing her elbow, forearm, feet and hands into every part of my body.

I learned that anything goes in Thai massage, from cracking my toe knuckles, massaging the top of my head, to straight up walking on my back.

I learned that parts of my quads are ticklish, that I have "computer shoulders," and that a tiny little Thai woman can use her entire body weight to give a surprisingly strong massage.

My first time in a Buddhist temple

There are temples scattered all throughout Chiang Mai. But, before Dan and I ventured into our first temple, I decided to do a bit of research about proper temple etiquette. Good thing I did, because I learned a lot.

Of course we learned the somewhat obvious-- shoes and hats should be removed before entering a temple; women should cover up both their shoulders and knees (which is difficult since it's still quite hot here). This was not surprising. But in addition, we learned that you should never turn your back to the Buddha statues, but rather back away slowly. And women may never touch a monk or his robes (even brushing up against a monk by accident requires the monk to perform a lengthy cleansing process).

We decided to visit Wat Chiang Man, the oldest temple in Chiang Mai. Buddhist temples in Thailand are located in temple compounds (otherwise known as 'wat') and consists of a number of buildings with different architecture, function and importance.

Almost immediately upon entering the temple, you see the main Buddha statue, front and center, painted in gold. Smaller Buddha statues surround you, along with extremely bright, intricate, showy artwork and sculptures.

To be honest, if I weren't actually in Thailand, I might have described the temple as "gaudy" or even, "fake looking" since most of the gold-painted sculptures were chipping away, and most of the decorations seemed like knick-knacks one might buy at a garage sale. But, at the same time, there was something decidedly beautiful and serene about it.

Thai people believe that Buddha spent 7 days following his enlightenment thinking of all the suffering of living creatures, and these seven days are represented in the temple with images of Buddha in different poses.

Thai people believe that the day of the week in which you were born is very important in shaping your personality. I don't exactly agree with my Wednesday morning description, but here goes:

Sunday: respectable, wise, loved by friends and family

Monday: serious with a good memory and a love of travel

Tuesday: serious, brave and active most probably in the services

Wednesday morning: polite, artistic and emotional

Wednesday evening: hard working and honest

Thursday: peaceful, calm and honest –likely to be a teacher or in the legal profession

Friday: fun loving, friendly and ambitious, probably an entertainer or public figure

Saturday: calm, logical and a bit of a recluse; very likely engaged in manual work of a skilled nature

I'm excited to continue to visit temples and learn more...

Learning a little more each day...

Images of the Thai King and Queen are everywhere.  Thai people have a deep admiration for the King and Queen and adhere to very strict laws that prohibit speaking badly about them.  Those unfortunate enough to be found guilty of such a crime can be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison!

In many parts of the world light skin equates with wealth and class.  The same holds true in Thailand.  Thai women don't want to be confused with laborers or street food sellers.  These groups work outside all day, and are often poor.  So Thai women often go to extremes in the way they dress and behave to avoid getting dark.

While browsing the drugstore for sunscreen, I noticed that all of the sunscreens have a whitening agent in them.  So, don't be surprised if I return from Thailand whiter than when I came!

Some noticeable differences...

An interesting breakfast
A few days ago I ordered a bowl of granola with milk and fruit for breakfast.  I was quite surprised when my bowl of granola arrived with random fruits floating around in the milk.  I guess I have seen people put bananas in cereal, but mangos and watermelon?  I was surprised, but it was better than expected.

Shower time
The bathrooms in Thailand are a little different than what I am used to.  First, the shower IS the bathroom, meaning the entire bathroom is one giant shower.  The shower head is mounted to the wall, which by default means that the sink and the toilet bowl are in the shower.  You can go to the bathroom while taking a shower-- talk about multi-tasking!

The bathroom experience
Next to every toilet bowl there is something that Dan and I call, "the butt sprayer."  Basically, it is a hand-held water sprayer that is used after you go to the bathroom to clean up.  At first I was surprised by this set-up, but after doing some research (perhaps I should delete my google search history) I've learned that this is used in many other countries as well (the Arab world, the Philippines and parts of Asia), and might in fact be a better method of cleaning up than toilet paper.

Sometimes there isn't a butt sprayer, but rather a bucket of water that will do the trick.

And oh yeah, this is a picture of a squat toilet.  According to research, humans are naturally designed to squat when going to the bathroom.

First impressions

First impressions can often be deceiving, but here is my first impression of Thailand...

One thing that I have learned about Dan from over four years of dating is that he is a man of extremes.  His friend once described him with the quote, "When I'm cold, I set myself on fire," and this could not have been more accurate.    When he doesn't like something, he not only fixes it, but he changes it completely.  Perhaps we have both subconsciously done this on our trip...

In Ecuador, both Dan and I thought the majority of food was bland and lacking on spices.  Here in Thailand, the food has yet to disappoint us.

On the other hand, the weather in Cuenca was beautiful-- 65 to 70 degrees every day with a bout of rain here and there (but not enough to put a damper on the day).  Here in Thailand it is rainy season with temperatures near 90s and humidity at about the same numbers.  Rainy season should be over soon, and according to online sources the temperature and humidity should slowly decrease.

Cuenca was a walking city.  Chiang Mai barely has any sidewalks.

Cuenca was easy to get around with good maps and readable street names.  Chiang Mai doesn't have a public transport system, and the streets have Thai names, or no names at all.  A lot of the streets are called "soi" which we have come to learn means, "a side street branching off a major street."

Most of the people drive around on motorbikes. Dan and I find these quite intimidating (although Thai woman seem perfectly comfortable riding around on them with their children on their laps).  But, I'm going to give one a try soon!

There are these red trucks here that basically act as multi-person taxis-- you tell the driver where you are going, and hop in if by chance, the people already in the truck are headed in that same direction.  The only problem, the drivers speak barely any English.

Cuencanos communicated in Spanish, a language that was easy to get by in.  Thai is quite the opposite.


Some other things I've learned:

Once again I am taller than almost every person in the city (males included).  While I had expected this, it is still strange to view an apartment with two Thai women who ask me to lie down in a bed to see if I can fit.

Almost every large house and business has a "spirit house" placed in an auspicious spot, most often in the front corner of the property.  A "spirit house" is basically a miniature model of a house that is mounted on a pillar.  The purpose is to provide shelter to the spirits who could cause problems if they are not happy.

Sa-was-de (Hello) Thailand!

A lot has happened since the last time I wrote.  Let's see, I returned from Ecuador, spent some time in the US, and now here I am in Thailand.

Dan and I left New York on Wednesday at 2pm, and after 3 flights, long layovers, and numerous failed attempts at sleeping, we arrived in Chiang Mai at 11am (local time) on Friday.  

In case you're wondering, yes, we managed to get some sushi on our layover in Tokyo...

Our goal was to find a hostel, check-in and relax for a bit while forcing ourselves to stay awake until a reasonable bedtime hour. However, an attempt at a one-hour nap quickly turned into five hours.  So much for beating the jet lag...It's Monday now, and I think I have finally adjusted to the time difference, but Dan is still struggling quite a bit.

So, we could live anywhere in the world (with good Internet), so why did we choose Chiang Mai?  Well, for one thing, neither of us had ever been to Asia, so now seemed like a good time. For another, who can deny the deliciousness of Thai food?  Not to mention the cheap cost of living, elephant rides and Thai massages...

Chiang Mai is the third biggest city in Thailand, and I think that for some odd reason, I like "third biggest" cities...They are big enough that the people speak English, but small enough to easily get around and not feel completely like a "farong" (Thai word for gringo).

This is the first time I have ever arrived in a place not knowing even one word.   I've had to remind myself at least twenty times already how to say "thank you," "yes" and "no."  Next week I'll try to master "hello" and "goodbye."  The Thai language is so foreign to my brain, and unfortunately nothing sticks (I wish the random song lyrics would move aside and make space for Thai words).  So, Dan and I have resorted to pointing at things and smiling, and for some odd reason, sometimes communicating in Spanish. 

It's quite surreal to be walking past temples that I had seen in images online and in books.  I don't think my brain has fully comprehended that I am actually here.  I feel as if I am still in the US, paying a visit to "Thai-town" (the Thai equivalent of Chinatown).

So far the food has lived up to expectations.  Dan and I went to a restaurant near our hostel last night for dinner-- I didn't have my camera with me, so I'll do my best to describe it.  Imagine a live band playing music in the corner, tables overlooking the river, lights hanging from the trees, Dan eating a pad thai dish with water and me a pork noodle soup with lemonade.  All for $8.  Is this real life?

I was looking for a place that was different than what I was used to; a place where I could learn something new every day; a place where traveling would once again become an adventure...and I'm pretty sure that I found it.

Learning "poco a poco"

So, we've been in Cuenca over two months now, and have established quite the routine.  I try so hard to rebel against establishing routines, but for some reason, it's the first thing I want to do when I get to a new place.

To be honest, my life isn't too much different than normal, aside from the fact that every day is sunny here and most things are 1/4th of the price in the US.  And oh yeah, I have a kitten named *Perrito, meaning "puppy" in Spanish (well, a temporary kitten-- we're cat-sitting for 3 months)!

*Just so you know, I did not choose that name.

Some other differences that I have noticed: 

- When on the bus in Ecuador, the window seat is often left open, while Ecuadorians sit in the aisle.  This might be considered rude in the United States, but here it's apparently normal.

- Restaurants advertise food using pictures outside of the restaurant.  However, the picture is not of a meal they have created in their restaurant, but rather, a completely random picture.  Once Dan ordered an ice cream sundae that was shown in the picture to have nuts, chocolate, and crumbled cookie toppings.  When it arrived, it was a plain cup with sprinkles.

- Lighter skin is admired in Ecuador.  It probably doesn't make sense to them why Americans would go tanning.

- Ecuadorians often interrupt bus rides to try to sell items to you.  First, they will walk down the aisle and give everyone an item, which those unfamiliar with this trend might assume to be free.  Then they will advertise.  After they finish their advertising spiel, they walk around to either collect back the item or to collect your cash in exchange for the item.  This forces you to directly reject their item, rather than just politely look away in an attempt to avoid eye contact (my usual technique).  The odd thing is, at least 25% of the bus always buys the item for sale!


Some Interesting Facts about Ecuador:
- Ecuador exports more bananas than any other country in the world.  That's probably why you can buy 16 bananas here for $1.

- Ecuador is a little smaller than the state of Nevada.  That puts things into perspective a bit.  And now it makes a little more sense why Ecuador has won only one Olympic gold medal (the Men's 20km walk in 1996).

- Panama hats are of Ecuadorian origin.  Not sure why they are called "Panama" hats.

- Ecuador is home to the highest active volcano in the world, Cotapaxi Volcano.  I hope to visit there before I leave!

Cuenca, Ecuador

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been over a month already since I last updated. I am currently in Cuenca, Ecuador as I write this, and have been here for the past two weeks.

We decided to move away from Canoa; the major reason being the lack of reliable Internet. There were several times where the entire town of Canoa lost electricity for hours for no apparent reason. During these times, no one seemed to be the least bit affected as they continued about their normal lives knowing that the electricity would come back…eventually.

My online business has been growing more quickly than anticipated and the random electricity outages were putting quite a damper on it.  In our three weeks on the coast, we learned that the coast of a third world country in a town of 600 people might not be the best place for me to work on my business.

So, here we are in Cuenca, the third largest city in Ecuador and one of the cheapest cities in the world. If you google Cuenca, you will come across a ton of websites with advice on how to retire here. There are tons of over-65 year old ex-pats roaming the city (and tons of businesses that cater directly to them!)







Just to put things in perspective a bit: we are living in a 1 BR apartment in the center of the city, within walking distance from everything we could possibly need for $350 a month ($175 each).

A typical lunch or “almuerzo” costs about $2 and consists of a small appetizer (typically a bowl of popcorn or roasted maize kernels), a hearty soup, a meal of rice and meat, fruit juice (my favorite!) and sometimes a small dessert. Dinner is not much more expensive. At the market I can buy 18 bananas for $1 (I have become obsessed with plantains), or 4 mangos or avocados for the same price. And did I mention that the market is right across the street? Dan and I have even joined a Cross-fit gym for $35 a month (the same gym would cost $200 a month in the US!)



Luckily, Ecuador uses the US dollar, but nobody ever seems to have change for anything larger than a $10. It’s almost impossible to buy something with a $20 bill that costs less than $18.

The bus costs 25 cents, so collecting change has become a hobby of ours. However, I have noticed that it is common for passengers to pay with 50 cent coins and then stand in the front of the bus awaiting the next passenger who will give their 25 cent coin directly to them. Quite a system. 

The weather here is the same every day: about 60-65 degrees in the morning, and 65-75 degrees at noon. We came during rainy season so it usually rains for about an hour from 3pm-4pm. Not the best weather for the wardrobe I packed (which consists of bathing suits and sundresses), but I’ve made due. 

Cuenca is a very colonial-esque town, with cobblestone streets and tons of cathedrals. Apparently there are 52 churches in Cuenca, one for each Sunday of the week. We happen to live directly across from the largest Cathedral in the city, which provides for gorgeous views and terrible 6am Sunday church bell alarm clocks. For some odd reason the church enjoys playing the Titanic theme song, and for some even odder reason, I can never seem to stop humming it.

The city is surrounded on all sides by mountains, which make hiking pretty convenient. El Cajas National Park, a national park in the highlands full of mountains, lagoons and hovering clouds is just 40 minutes away by bus.



Other things I’ve learned:

In Ecuador the soap used as laundry detergent and the soap used for bathing look almost identical. Yep, we’ve been washing ourselves with laundry detergent...