Living Simply – Page 3 – HurricaneMaine

Road trip to Baños de Agua Santa

This weekend of the celebration of the battle of Pichincha that happened on May 24, 1822. It is the Latin American War of Independence. This battle, led by Antonio José de Sucre, allowed the South American rebels to defeat the Spanish royalists. They were able to take control of Quito the following day. The battle occurred on one of the slopes of the Pichincha volcano.

For the 3 day weekend, Susan and I drove to Baños which is about 3 hours south of Quito. On the way is a city called Ambato. We stopped to stretch our legs and look at the city from a high point. We visited the Parque Provincial de la Familia. It is a beautiful park with community sports areas, a farm, lagoons, and spaces to relax.

From there we headed to the Airbnb and found that the owner knew a guide for the waterfalls. We were also able to practice our Spanish. Ed

Agotan Waterfall

This waterfall (cascadas) is formed from the Pastaza river.

Rio Blanca Mega Adventure Park

Of course there are commercial enterprises including zip lining even in the superman position. They also have a glass suspension bridge to walk to the other side over the Pastaza river below. Since I have done this in China, I wanted to do it again here. They have a few glass panels that stimulate cracking of the glass with the actual sound effects. Much different from China where the sound came from above.

Cascada Manto de la Novia

The mantle of the bride waterfall is named for the whiteness of the water which resembles a wedding veil and dress. It flows into the Pastaza river. At this waterfall we took the Tarabita ride over the river and by the falls.

Cascada el Pailón del Diablo

This waterfall is named for the stair of the rocks under the waterfall. If you look closely, the rocks look like the devil’s face. There are two sides to see. One side has a small amount of hiking with a rickety wood bridge.

The other side of the devil’s waterfall is much more scenic and a longer walk. Getting to the waterfall is a long slope downwards with some steps as well and then a climb along the side of the waterfall. You can also duck into the caves and emerge right beside the waterfall.

Much of this longer walk is through the first which is a beautiful walk. This squirrel seemed unperturbed.

There are two sections of caves to get through. This is the entrance to the second cave. My knees did not like having to squat down so far to get through but the views were obviously worth it in the end.

Dinner at Mozafiato was very good. Pricey but a really nice meal with a corner on the third floor overlooking the nightlife below.

I love watching the dogs that have free roam of the rooftops. This one was watching dogs on the street.

View of the mountain from the restaurant.

Celebrations

I am grateful for celebrations that bring people together.

Salsa night with Melanie, center, and Natalia from Brazil.

Who could not celebrate the first time ever Reese’s is sold in Ecuador?

A group of us also gets together regularly at Susan’s house fire figure and wine.

Teacher prom is put on by my school. What fun. Dinner, drinks, she’s so much dancing. We danced for over three hours. It was exciting being at a dance where almost everyone dances and no one stops.

Not a celebration, but a friend and I going tutoring in Tumbaco.

And of course, the best celebrations are fire others and events in their life. Monica had her bridal shower and it was so much fun. Lots of games and merriment on a Friday night.

Just for fun, on many street corners people will offer entertainment for tips.

Mother’s day

For mother’s day, I ride my bike on the ciclo paseo. As I was ready to enter the Centro histórico, I heard the sound of Elvis music. An Ecuadorian Elvis street musician (in the past I have seen the Asian Elvis in Hong Kong).

It was a beautiful day.

Later I went with my friend Monica to the Botanical garden and the Vivarium (snakes and frogs). Through WhatsApp, I talked for a little bit with Becca and Ryan and Ryan

The botanical garden was peaceful.

And the orchid garden.

The vegetable garden

We visited the carnivorous plants section where they have many varieties of pitcher plants and Venus fly traps.

No pictures can be taken at the vivarium which is a pity as they had so many different frogs, boas, pit vipers, and especially an axolotl. Afterwards we walked to the Gusanita which is a kiddie train that circles the park on the roads. It was pretty fun and especially to have a friend to spend the day with.

Amarante and the Douro Valley

We headed to the Douro valley. The first stop was in a town called Amarante.

Amarante is a charming town in northern Portugal, known for its rich history, picturesque setting, and cultural heritage. It is on the banks of the Tâmega River and very picturesque. One of most iconic landmarks is the São Gonçalo Church, dedicated to the town’s patron saint, which overlooks the river and features a stunning baroque facade.

The town is also known for its pastries.

Afterwards we went wine tasting at Aveleda, the local winery. Such long family history and beautiful gardens. The wines were fantastic.

We then headed to the Douro valley where we would be staying and also bought some food for the evening.

Yes I did go in the pool and it was very cold.

Meeting of the waters in Manaus

The Meeting of the Waters in Manaus is a natural phenomenon where the dark colored waters of the Rio Negro (looks like tea or coca cola without suspended particles) meets the lighter, sandy-colored waters of the Solimões River (which flows to the Amazon), flowing side by side without immediately mixing for several kilometers, creating a stunning visual contrast. This occurs due to differences in temperature, speed, and density between the two rivers.

Even though we could see it, it helped when a big boat cut through across it. The waters moved in relation to each other but still didn’t mix.

Up close where the boat passed through. Even though the water moved in relation to each other, it still didn’t mix.

A video of the two different waters that don’t mix together.

Other pictures from the Amazon

We did go piranha fishing but alas, as with other fishing, you never know whether you catch anything. We didn’t….

The fish the cook made for me when there was meat on the menu. That was actually very nice, as the rest of the meals were rice, pasta, beans, and watermelon.

Fresh grilled fish and meat. The fish they cook is Tambaqui, a local fish.

On the last day we saw another small village that had a nice stream to relax in.

This mama just had a large number of puppies.

No water near here but soon near the end of the rainy season they will need it to get around.

And in the pool at the resort, a different frog was there the last morning

And of course, this praying mantis loved to be held. I have held him most days. And he loved my phone. When I picked him up, his head turned wherever the phone was. Maybe he is an Instagram influencer? And with that, my time in the Amazon is almost done

Now to have a tour of the meeting of the waters in Manaus where two rivers of different densities meet.

Paricatuba

Paricatuba is a small village located in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, along the Amazon River. It has historical significance as the site of the Paricatuba Cemetery, which was built in the late 19th century during the rubber boom era. The cemetery was designed to accommodate the large number of deaths caused by diseases like malaria and yellow fever among rubber tappers and workers.

The building we visited was originally a hotel for immigrants working during the rubber boom. There is evidence of the thick Italian tile.

Also the system of bricks that are alternated and very strong design came from Marseille France.

When petroleum was replaced in making rubber, that economy fell and the building was used as a jail. Only a couple doors have bars on them still.

Later it was used as an insane asylum and then as a hospital for those who are stricken with diseases as a form of isolation.

Now it is abandoned and the jungle (as all of nature) wins in the end. This reminds me of Angkor Wat but not as old obviously. It is only 120 years old.

View from the garden in the inside courtyard.

Indigenous village

After the nature hike we went by canoe to another island inhabited by an indigenous tribe. The tribe I believe receives money to maintain the rituals for tourism.

We stopped to try foods including Brazil nuts, rambutan (which I have not had since I left China), and a tapioca pan.

On the left are larvae and on the right are dried ants. Yes, I tried both of them.

These Brazil nuts are actually found in a giant pod. I did not know that.

They use the office of the eucalyptus tree to start a fire to begin the ceremony.

These people were such fun buddies for several days.

Nature walk

We stopped to walk in a different jungle and pick up some survival tips. I think there would be a lot of things to worry about.

Our guide used the machete to scrape against the tree and these gigantic ants came running out from the ground. These are bullet ants. They contain a neurotoxin in their sting that last for some time.

This tree (*Costus igneous*) is actually a medicine for diabetes.

This is a species of eucalyptus that when cut has a resin that is used to start fires even if the wood is wet. We actually used some of this tree bark to start our campfire on the overnight hike.

A fun hike, glad we did not get close to the bullet ants.

Pink nosed dolphins, crocodiles, and other critters

I know many wildlife conservationists know that swimming with dolphins is not good for their well being. I still wanted to see them. I had seen them at times in the wild from the canoe while moving around during my Amazon stay, but I wanted to experience them closer.

The pink dolphins in the Amazon are known as Amazon river dolphins or boto. They are freshwater dolphins native to the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in South America. They have a pink color, which is more prominent in males and becomes brighter during the mating season.

We also went spotting for crocodiles. There were a few large ones that we saw and I had the chance to hold a baby for a few seconds. He was let back into the same location on the thick grass near the edge.

Of course there are toads. This is the most common one we saw.

One loved my room. He was eating insects I am sure.

This guy was happy to hang out in the dining room.

The Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) is prominent in the Rio Negro region of Brazil. It is one of the largest and most powerful eagles in the world, known for its impressive size, strength, and distinctive appearance. It is found in the tropical lowlands along the Rio Negro.

If you look at the shoreline you can see the tea color of the water of the Rio Negro. It is caused by decomposition of the vegetation here and the acidic compounds make it that color. It also is not a good breeding ground for mosquitoes so though there are some mosquitoes it is not a lot. It is also a very clear water.

Plants here are adapted to the rising waters.

This is probably a Cuban tree frog or a white lipped tree frog. Either way it is invasive and not native.

We also took some canoe trips to look around the area and look for animals.

We also took a canoe to look at some structures that were left behind when they could not finish constructing a hotel. It was a relaxing canoe ride but on the way back a few of us fell asleep and arrived back to the lodge a bit pink like the dolphins.

You can see the structures from a distance.

We were not able to get out of the canoe to get closer as the grass was thick in the area to take the canoe through and there were crocodiles in the area. Instead we stopped at another resort to get in the water and get some snacks.