My brief 5-day course in travel writing is complete and I feel I will
be walking away with some really helpful advice and knowledge about the
profession. I will have to wait a while and think some more about
whether this is really a job I could see myself having, for it’s not
the kind of thing that will earn me money. It’s a lifestyle job, as
most of the jobs that truly appeal to me are.

A lot of good came
out of being a part of this workshop. I toured Quito’s Old City and got
a feel for the place, ultimately discovering that I have a strong
dislike for dirty South American cities. I also visited two very quaint
cities north of Quito: Cotacachi and Otavalo. While these sites were
well-worth a day trip, I have developed a rather grim impression of
Ecuador as a country. There are supposedly some really fantastic treks
in the Andes (ie: Cotopaxi) that I am not quite motivated to do. There
are three coastal towns that offer surfing, but I am told these places
are either extremely remote/difficult to get to or overcrowded with
tourists. If I were to venture to the coast, I would want to make sure
it was worth the haul there. And, since I’m from Hawaii, it’s hard to
justify spending my final two weeks of travel doing something that I do
every day back home. The other possibility is going to the Amazon, but
having done that in Bolivia I don’t really expect to see anything
shockingly new. Unfortunately, the only destination I really hoped to
visit, the Galapagos, is out of my budget, so will have to wait ‘til I
return with a bit more cash and a lot more enthusiasm for this nation.

Last
night inaugurated what is Quito’s week-long “Festiva,” essentially a
city-wide celebration of “Viva Quito!” By day, the locals hoard La
Plaza del Toros to drink 50 cent beer and watch matadors kill bulls. By
night, they spread out through the city, concentrating in La Mariscal,
to party, dance, and drink the night away. My hostel was right in the
thick of the festivities. Tiffany, a friend from the workshop, and I
spent the evening walking around La Mariscal and celebrating with the
locals. We purchased and drank a bottle of special, spiked hot cider
for $1 off the street and watched curious open bus parties circle the
neighborhood (think a double decker ice cream truck without walls,
playing party music, and people dangling off the sides dancing and
screaming). I finished the evening eating shwarma at a cafe and smoking
from an apple-flavored huka. It was a very enjoyable fiesta.

However,
after much consideration, I’ve decided to leave Ecuador (and the
Galapagos) for another better-planned visit, when I am more motivated
and prepared for the terrain and activities. I’ll be catching a plane
to Cartagena, on the north shore of Colombia, tomorrow morning and from
there will try to find a quaint little town that is absent of tourists,
where I can write, relax, and soak up the Colombian way of life
(preferably not the drug cartel or government part of it). I hear it is
a very safe place to travel and the people are lovely and friendly. I
look forward to debunking this country so steeped in stereotypes.