Just Keep Heading West: The First Dead Body on the Trip - And You Get High and You Stay High

Cuenca was a beautiful city, but our time there was short.

Moving along quickly now, with major miles covered since leaving Peru

We are well into our trip through South America and have gained some serious mileage in the last few days. At this point in time, we have switched over from driving ourselves to bus trips across borders and through the mountains.

There have been a number of what we call "one-night-stands" where we drive and push hard to get to one town, only to spend a single night there and keep moving, repeating the same pattern the next day.

The last few days including many "one night stands" and we need to re-think this strategy. This kind of travel can be draining. You never get to unpack your bags, and it often does not allow a more in-depth visit to many places. It's important to find a balance.

We left Piura Peru and crossed over into Loja Ecuador on Tuesday February 14th. That's of course Valentines Day, and we were surprised to find out that Loja celebrates in a big way! There were parties everywhere, including our hotel, and the streets were filled with people.

Everybody was dressed up and lively and we certainly did not expect that. I would have to say that this was the most enthusiastic expression of Saint Valentines Day that I have ever seen.

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Traveling by bus is enjoyable for two reasons:

One - we aren't driving, which had become rather exhausting and frequently tense with the treacherous mountain roads.

Two - the scenery has turned a beautiful green after weeks of dry hot landscape. As a passenger, I could sit and gaze out the window at the scenery. In comparison, the Peruvian coastline was maybe not the most fun place to drive.

We covered over 1,750 miles in Peru. We enjoyed the country, especially places like the Nazca Lines, Arequipa, and Cajamarca. But much of the drive was on poor, cliff-hugging roads or desert sand.

I did see my first dead body (so far on this trip) in Piura Peru, our last day there

For many years, as long as I can remember, I start out everyday by going jogging. This trip has been no exception. It's a great way to stay in shape and you get to see the town and get oriented.

On that morning, I was running along the river in Piura, which is quite a nice town. The river is pretty full from recent heavy rains in the Andes. As I made my way down the riverbank, I saw a crowd of people up ahead. "What's going on?" I thought to myself.

As I grew closer to the cluster of people, I could see they were milling around, quiet and somber. When I got up to the crowd I slowed down to make my way through, and that's when I noticed the body laying on the sidewalk, covered in a sheet. It was obviously a dead body.

I tried not to stare. It was not a pleasant site. My only conclusion was that it was pulled from the river below. Like I said, there were some very heavy rains that had wreaked havoc further up in the Andes, and there were a few fatalities reported. I presume this was a casualty of that?

Out of respect, I walked for a couple blocks before I resumed running. It seemed like the right thing to do. I couldn't just trot off like nothing happened.

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The terrain is different now in Ecuador

We have made the transition from the rugged rocky mountains of northern Chile and Peru, into the verdant, green mountains of Ecuador. This place is like an explosion of green compared to the sand scape we've been passing through. However, the majestic mountains were no less impressive.

The altitude in Loja (pronounced Low-Hah) is around 7,500 feet above sea level, and once you get up that high in Ecuador, you stay there. It seems like the whole country is a big giant mountain range. Part of the time, you're driving in the clouds. And, amazingly, they farm the mountain sides.

We took the bus to Cuenca (altitude 8,500 ft), and rode across the top of the mountains all the way.

It was a spectacular drive.

Tonight, as I write this, we have arrived in Quito (pronounced KEY-Toe) - the capital of Ecuador, with an altitude of nearly 10,000 feet. It's raining hard. Places don't get this green without a lot of rain.

Quito is right smack dab on the equator. It's a very historic town and we look forward to exploring this area. We will soon pass into the Northern Hemisphere.

Although you wouldn't describe it as such, Ecuador is the smallest country we've been to, compared to the other places we've been. But it's really beautiful. And the people are friendly and very interesting. It's a surprisingly well-developed place.

Our time here will be relatively short, with a pressing time schedule still ahead to get back to Oregon. You have to make trade-offs when traveling; you simply can't do everything. I already regret that we can't spend more time here. But we have to keep moving.

Another point of view

The folks here have a distinctive way of dress, especially the women. They all wear colorful clothes and hats, usually with a long braided ponytail. I was able to capture this picture below from the bus window, while she was talking on her cell phone!