Hello everyone, it is 1:45pm on a hot and rainy afternoon in Mancora, Peru. We arrived here two days ago after an overnight bus and 3am border crossing from Ecuador. Before we discuss Mancora and our stay in Peru so far, we would like to briefly reflect on our month in Ecuador.

We both really enjoyed our time in Ecuador. The landscapes and ecosystems that we saw throughout were very beautiful. In general, we found children and 50 year plus Ecuadorians to be very friendly, kind, and helpful. While we did not have any problems with Ecuadorian teenagers and young adults, we found that from this age group, gringos were viewed as outsiders, largely ignored (except when we were asked to buy something), or stared at with a look of indifference (struggling to find the right word here). (Perhaps we have this view from our lack of Spanish and ability to communicate effectively - of course there are many exceptions to this generalization, in particular our friend Danny from the Galapagos, and our friends Patolin and Oscar in Banos.) Because of the declining American dollar (which has been the Ecuadorian currency since the rapid inflation in 2000), we were able to travel cheaply. On average, we spent 50 dollars a day in total. Food was nothing special but not bad (except from Maya´s sickness from the empanadas), lots of eggs, potatos, corn, beans and of course, meat. Everything is fried. There is a traditional Ecuadorian food called Quimbolito (like sweet corn bread) - we both loved it (as it tastes like pancakes), but unfortunately we only discovered it just before we left Ecuador. There is a strong American influence for fast food. In Quito, Kentucky Fried Chicken is on every other block, and their is also the occasional Dominos Pizza. Popular music is extremely generic - every song has the same beat done on a synthesizer. From what we can tell, there is only a limited justice system. In city and rural alike, windows are barred and doors are covered and locked with metal gates at night. In cities, there are many security guards, most carrying guns ranging from hand pistols to assault rifles. There is little consistency in the cleanliness and charm of towns. One will be beautiful and clean, while the next, only an hour or two away, dirty and poorer. From our talks with Arturo (our Spanish teacher in Quito), we have learned that Ecuador is well aware of their strengths and weaknesses (socially, politically, and environmentally), and is doing the best to remedy its problems. (As a brief example, more areas are being protected by conservation laws.) We should finish this very brief summary of our stay in Ecuador by acknowledging that many Ecuadorians are kept at lower income levels by the nature of the international market system. Oil, flowers, fruit (in particular bananas), and shrimp are their main exports. Oil is the number one, but unfortunately, Ecuadorians only see 30 percent of the revenue from the sale of their oil - the rest is funneled into the bank accounts of European and American owners. It is the same problem with the flower and fruit export industry. The farms are owned by 10 or 20 Ecuadorian families - who in turn receive almost all of the profit while subjecting their workers to low wages and harmful pesticides. For the sake of length, we must countinue with the blog. Overall, we had a wonderful time and met wonderful people, and would encourage others to visit the country.

We left Vilcabamba for Loja (where we caught an overnight bus to Piura, Peru) two days ago. Before leaving Vilcabamba, we were both pummeled by small children with water ballons. Maya was also doused with a bucket of water from a group of young men driving around on the top of a van. These water fights are commen, and are done in preparation for carnival (Feb. 2nd to 13th - depending on the city... Carnaval is celebrated as a chance to indulge before having to give something up for Lent). As we were about to leave Vilcabamba, Braden (typical to his nature) realized he had forgotten a pair of pants and some socks drying on the line at the hostel... he had to hire a truck to go retrive them... and thus missed the bus.

Made it to Loja bus terminal with time to spare, so Braden went and found a seventy year old man to play chess with (Braden had met him a few days before on the way down, lost a game, and had to redeem himself). The bus left at 10:30. We hoped to get some sleep before the border crossing 5 hours away, but were disrupted by the loud music of the bus driver and by a military check in the middle of nowhere. We arrived at the border two hours ahead of schedule (the driver was going fast), and crossed without problem. As a side note, this part of South America at this time of year in the night is covered with flying beetles, they are everywhere: in your hair, dead on the road, banging against a light, etc... On the bus, we met an Aussie guy and two Danish girls who decided to join us in our travel to Mancora and who we are now sharing a hostel room with.

Mancora is very hot and very muggy. It is a tourist town, and its whole economy is based around gringos (or so it appears). Restaurants, hotels, internet cafes, bars, and clothing stores line the main street. A hundred or so vendors also line this street, selling handmade jewelry, clothing, art, and souveniers. There are also a hundred pedicabs (3 wheel motorcycles with two seats in the back). Run by young men, these cabs charge 30 cents per person for a ride. Unfortunately for this industry, the town is small so they are really not that necessary, and furthermore, there appears to be no restrictions on how many are allowed, so there is competition between drivers for customers. The beach is beautiful, and there are good waves for surfing (which we have yet to try). The best meal so far here is a brownie sundae, which is essentially a delicious brownie put in a cup covered with soft ice cream and chocolate sauce. The bugs here are bad, and thus we are starting our malaria medication. Maya really reacts to the bites, so we have bought some cream, and have hung the mosquito net in our room.

Tomorrow, we are going to catch a morning bus to Chiclayo which is six or seven hours south. We are not yet sure if we will stay here, or continue on another two or three hours to the town of Trujillo and from there to the small coastal town (not sure on the name). We will let you know of our decision when we leave tomorrow.

We should get going, as again, our blog is very long. Hope all is well back home. Miss you and love you all.

Braden and Maya

xxxooo