The Incan Ruins in the Basement

Hello everyone!
Right now i'm in a little surf town called Montañita on the coast of Ecuador. The waves are big and the tourists are many. I found a loft of a hostel to crash in for 3 bucks a night. I am hoping to spend some decent time here in order to have more conversations about tourism. And maybe learn how to surf? We'll see how it goes...

Previously, I was in Riobamba staying with Amanda and her family. Amanda is a friend I worked with 2 summers ago in Colorado. She said i could visit her in Ecuador anytime, so i took her up on the offer. I didn't think I would stay as long as I did, but Riobamba was beautiful, Amanda's family was wonderful, and everytime i thought about leaving, it was always "mañana, mañana." Much happened in Riobabamba, far too much to write about, but here are some highlights...

First, Chimborazo! The 6310 m (over 20,000 ft) non-active volcanoe, Chimborazo, is the highest point in Ecuador. My first full day in town, Amanda, her friends from school, and I rented a truck and drove to the base of the mountain. The clouds were low, so we had a beautiful view. Summiting is somewhat technical, it takes snow and ice gear along with time for acclimitazation, so we only climbed up to about 16 or 17,ooo feet. It was enough to give me a good sun burn and put me in bed the rest of the day with alititude sickness. While hiking, the air was so thin my lungs would often forget to breath. Immediately after the few seconds of not breathing, I would frantically gasp for air. Despite my struggles, Amanda´s friends had no problem with the alititude.

Second, the Incan ruins in the basement. One night, Amanda and I were talking about the history of Ecuador. She mentioned that people often find Incan ruins when they dig foundations for new houses. If found, the government requires ruins to be sent to a musuem. However, people often keep them, especially when they find valuables such as gold. Then, Amanda mentioned that here grandfather had found some artifacts when building his house. She offered to show them to me. In the basement, there was a basket with old, Incan scupltures casually piled up. I was in awe. Here, the stereotypical Incan sculptures that many visualize as priceless artifacts in the States were simply thrown into a pile. Although i'm often hesitant to use my camera, i figured this was a good photo op. I layed out the sculptures on the floor and took some pictures. While I did, Amanda's sisters made fun of me, picking up other things in the basement like Christmas ornaments and asking me if I wanted to take pictures of those as well. Because of my interest, they offered for me to take one of the artifacts. By law, the artifacts are not allowed to leave the country, so we figured it wouldn't be worth the struggle with customs.

Finally, staying with Amanda's family was by far the highlight of Riobamba, for many reasons. It was a nice step off the "gringo trail" to spend a few days with locals versus the touristy scene I am often a part of in my travels. It was the most immersed in Ecuador I've felt since arriving, simply experiencing the norms of life in Riobamba through Amanda's family. While Amanda was at school, I spent much time with her sisters, Jennifer and Paula. I met their friends and did what there was to do in Riobamba with them. We went out climbing a couple of times with Paula's friends, who were also wonderful. Neither of the sisters spoke much English, so it was good language practicing. Also, I spent much time talking with Amanda's dad about life in Ecuador, which was valuabe to learn for me. What I loved most was the laughter. Every afternoon for lunch and in the evenings the family would all be around. We would sit, talk, eat, listen to music, and inevitably laugh, all together. The first constitutional right in Ecuador is the right to family. The community this right creates is ever present.

Well, this has been a long one. Thanks for reading. I'm thinking of everyone at home often!