The latest editorial from my column...

Blogger is finally allowing me to post articles from the Ecuador Reporter directly to the blog.

The latest edition of my ranting and raving from the paper:

When I first arrived in Ecuador, I was immediately smitten with Pilsner. It’s cold, cheap, fresh from the factory, and they serve it by the glass-boot-full in the Ghoz Bar. Within weeks I had bought my own haba, a crate of 12 empty, liter-sized bottles, and I was recharging them for less than I’d pay for two pints back in beer-snob-Boulder. Then a friend offered me a Budweiser, and I uttered words I thought would never exit my mouth: wow, now, this is some good beer!

You see, as cheap and cold as Pilsner is, it really isn’t anywhere near being classified as good beer. And drinking too much of it may have you forgetting that fact. What’s more, Pilsner and its close cousins, Club and Brahma, are our only options in Ecuador. I recently counted 13 different flavors, sizes, and types of marshmallows in a small corner-store near my house. But the beer selection? Well, let’s just say I didn’t need a calculator to add up the offering.

The problem, of course, is import laws. Ecuador, with good reason, wants to protect its local industries, and certainly Pilsner has some political capital to keep it that way. El Griego and El Espanol both have a small selection of European import beers; but the real gold mine is at Santa Espuma. This Ecuadorian enterprise has ripped the carpet from underneath Pilsner and Club. The owner, Andres, learned his craft in Australia, and his methods are meticulous. His brewery is spotlessly clean, and his ingredients are imported from Europe. His selection always involves a Scottish Strong, a Golden Ale, and a Porter. Additionally, he rotates in seasonal specialties such as an Oktoberfest or a Stout for St. Patty’s Day. So far, the only method to get his beers out of the door is in a pony-keg, but after recently purchasing a six pack of Ukranian beer as my only alternative to Pilsner, I think it might be time to start pricing kegerators.

In truth, I’m not sure if I really dislike Pilsner, or am just tired of having it as my only option. But there is one thing I know for sure: Ecuadorian wine is truly horrible. It sells for around $1.50 to $2.00 a bottle, and I’m not quite sure who buys it. Every guidebook spends at least three sentences trashing it, and so it was with great reluctance that I accepted the idea that the Ecuador Reporter should go tour a vineyard last weekend. First of all, I wasn’t sure if we could all get up early enough to catch the bus (I was right.) However, by 11AM we were happily cruising along in the back of a pick-up, drinking Pilsner of course, heading towards Chaupi Estancia Vineyards. The owner wasn’t available for our tour, but his long-time assistant vintner, Jorge, graciously opened the 6 hectares of grapes to our motley crew. Jorge led us through fields of grapes, explaining the varieties, and their methods of harvesting. The grapes are extremely sensitive, and must be harvested during precise times of sun, water, and temperature. They are then brought to a fermentation room, where the bottles are meticulously produced—six at a time. The winery has been producing commercially since 2002, and has won an award for its distinctive Palomino Fino.

All of this was great information, but honestly, Jorge had us at the word wine. We were eager to crack a bottle and get to the real test of any good wine: how many bottles could we drink before someone started rolling down the freshly mowed hill outside the wine cellar? Our new writer, Yancey, won that game, and as we laughed at his antics, we all came to the conclusion that a day spent at a Chapui Estancia was a day well invested. Next time though, I think we’ll bring some cheese…then again, maybe we shouldn’t get me started on Queso Fresco.

The Blue Footed Booby is soliciting care packages of Colorado Micro-Brews at www.esteecuador.blogspot.com

The Blue Footed Booby’s Alcohol Gift Guide:

• Chaupi Estancia Wine can be found at Mega Maxi
  
• Santa Espuma will sell you a pony keg for about $100, Whymper and Orellana
  
• Chicha, fermented jungle root spit is widely available in The Oriente
  
• Punta, fermented sugar cane liquor is under the counter at every Banos sugar cane stand
  
• Zhumir, widely available, comes in lovely flavors like Peach and Chocolate
  
• Finally, The Spirit of Ecuador, which tastes like it is straight out of Willy Wonka’s factory, can be found in overpriced commemorative Mitad Del Mundo bottles as you leave the country

Ecuador takes a cue from the U.S.

Hmmm, it seems as if Ecuador has decided to take a cue from U.S. homeowners and stop paying the interest on its loans.

What happens when you foreclose on a country? This can´t be good.

Ecuador defaults on its loans here.

Costa Rica, How, well...Rica!

The rich coast really did apply to me last month when Colegio Americano treated me to a week-long conference in San Jose, Costa Rica. Teachers where I come from in Colorado aren't really used to this kind of treatment; it kind of seemed more like something fancy suit-types would go to rather than geeky teachers, but why not!

We arrived in San Jose after a short flight from Quito, and were greeted with a room at the very fancy Intercontinental Hotel. Here's something I never knew growing up sleeping in sleeping bags and the dirty floors of camping tents--an amazing bed filled with down above and below you and with soft-soft-soft sheets REALLY does help you sleep! I hit that bed at night and didn't roll, toss, or turn until my alarm woke me up with whatever songs from my i-pod I had synced it with the previous night!

The conference was an annual gathering of international schools from Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. We attended a pre-conference on a new online assessment we are administering this year in Quito; mostly I was excited that this fact allowed me to milk the lap of luxury for three extra nights! Our Director General generously treated us to steak and lobster dinners, sushi-bars, and the breakfast every morning, which was, well, a bit ridiculous. That plate in the lower corner is all salmon, yes, all of it. My breakfast special was a bottom layer of gallo pinto and Lizano (rice and beans and Costa Rican salsa), with two friend eggs, and salsa ranchero, cheese, and sausage on top. Maybe with a waffle and some fresh fruit as well. Yes, Costa Rica is quite appropriate.


Breakfast was only the beginning, the whole facility embraced this kind of opulence. The pools had this great design, where the water cascaded over the top of the pool, only to fall into a crack a foot back from the stone-work. Just the kind of thing for some kid to get his foot stuck in and sue in the states, but in Costa Rica it was just good architecture. The exercise gym was filled with full circuit machines, and a waiter who brought you a ginger towel and cucumber/lime water while you ran on the treadmills (equipped with personal TV's, which would accept your i-pod if nothing good was on TV). Speaking of TV, I was watching my flat-screen TV one morning, drinking Britt coffee when I realized I was watching Channel 9 Denver News. Funny, the local U.S. TV station in Costa Rica is Denver--looked like they had some black ice on Kippling that morning, I hope Glen's commute to work was okay.

But, really, there were two highlights of the trip. One, was the great people I met at the conference. International educators are my kind of people--and we had a great time, working hard during the day, and playing (read--drinking) hard in the evenings. One night--mid conference--several us from Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Ecuador ended up at a World-Cup Haiti V.S. Costa Rica soccer match. The game was awkward, they don't serve beer in the stadium, and Costa Rica is embarrassingly critical of their own team, but as we wandered the bars late at night after the game, I realized this was my zone. My friend Ray actually did a workshop one year on how to balance working out V.S. working at these kinds of events. All I know is the gym was full every morning at 5 AM with teachers that I had been partying with mere hours before.

The second highlight was pretty simple. Across the street from the hotel was a grocery store; stocked with Guiness and Red Seal (California) beers. As I've bemoaned before on this blog, Ecuador is bereft of good beer, and so this was a god-send. The Ben and Jerry's and Quizno's subs were just icing on the cake....

LLamas are funny

These are some wild llamas Erin and I hung out with a couple of weeks ago up on Cotachachi. Funny-lookin' ain't they?

Quilindaña--the other side of Cotopaxi

Finally, a new post. Last weekend my friend Jeff invited me to join a trip to Quilindaña which was being organized by Mark Thurbur. Mark is pretty well known around town; he´s been climbing around Ecuador long enough to still own a Chouinard ice-axe, be kidnapped by Achuar Indians and held for a 2 million dollar ransom, and write the climbing guidebook to Ecuador. So, minus the whole kidnapping thing, he seemed like a good/safe guy to hit the mountains with. In addition, Jeff is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Marines and a DEA agent, so I generally feel pretty good about his presence on any expedition that takes us far off the beaten path (the bullet-proof windows in his jeep helps).

And Quilindaña is way way way off the path.

My local guide friend, Pepinico, says that the mountain probably gets climbed once a year. Hearing our plans for this rarely climbed jewel, three new friends also decided to join us.

Mario--A strong climber who attended the same university as I did, ASU, and knew my father-in-law as his mechanic in Boone!
Patricia--A Fort Collins girl who works with Mario, and loves O´dells brewery almost as much as we do.
and
Caroline--Mario´s girlfriend and an amazing photographer. (The pictures on this post are...well, they ain´t mine that´s for sure)


Upon entering the gates to Cotopaxi National Park, it´s still two hours of four wheeling and five hours of hard backpacking to get to the basecamp. The mountain itself is not that hard, but it is a royal bitch-in-the-ass to get there. Several river crossings and a locked gate that required Mark´s promise to not kill any cows to facilitate its opening landed us at the remote and beautiful Hacienda El Tambo. From this Hacienda we trekked over two passes, and through several wet sections of Andean Paramo grassland before arriving at a small alpine lake nestled at the base of the mountain. Our weather was the typical mix of Scottish/Ecuadorian mush that we have become accustomed to. Luckily, our evening was dry, and the morning dawned clear and relatively warm for 4600 meters. Within the first hour of climbing we discovered what the clouds of the previous day were hiding on the mountain--lots of snow. We needed crampons. Unfortunately, the last time Mark was on the mountain he climbed it in rubber galoshes--jungle boots, and he just couldn´t fathom the thought that we would encounter lots of hard snow. We putzed around for a bit, looking for a way around the hard packed snow, but it soon became obvious that we would need to turn around.


The hike out was much quicker than the way in, though again, we were soaked by the constant rain. Arriving back in Quito in enough time for sushi night with my wife, I was pleased with the new friends made. Mario and I spent the trip trading NC climbing stories. Patricia and I tortured each other with thoughts of Colorado beer. Jeff and I swapped analysis of the latest tent designs. Caroline and I traded journalism stories, and Mark and I spoke about the remodel of his bosses house in Boulder that my best friend Glen worked on. What a small world the climbing community is, and what a pleasure it is to be a member of it.


If you would like to see all of Caroline's gorgeous photos from the trip, they are here. When I first looked at these, I wondered if she was on the same trip as me...I don't remember these kinds of views...I just remember clouds and rain! Also, her website is at www.carolinebennett.com

Happy Birthday, Ecuador Reporter

The newest issue of the Ecuador Reporter has hit the stands, and it's the one year anniversary issue. I've really enjoyed writing for the paper; mostly because the editor allows me to write about whatever I want! It's been a good place to reflect more deeply on the experiences here, and my latest entry has some serious reflection. After finding ourselves this summer in many instances of negotiations, I finally had to write an editorial on the art of arguing in Latin America. Enjoy, it's a pretty funny one.

Overseas Voting Questions and Answers

I just got this email from OVF:

Be Prepared: Read the Answers to these Top 5 Ballot Questions

What if my ballot is late? How can I get my ballot back in time? Is my ballot on the way to me now? Can I still request my ballot? Where can I get more information? Ballot Question #1: What if my ballot is late? If you don’t have your ballot by mid-October, OVF can provide you with one. OVF’s new Vote-Print-Mail Ballot system automates the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) process. Dynamically-generated candidate lists allow you to point, click, vote, and then PRINT your ballot and send it to your election office. Watch the Video: take 3 minutes to learn about the new Vote-Print-Mail Ballot system from OVF and you’ll have your back-up ballot plan in place. Note: The following states: AZ, IA, MT, ND, NE, OR, SC, and WA will accept the FWAB as a simultaneous voter registration application and voted ballot; or have no voter registration requirement. Ballot Question #2: How can I get my ballot back in time? Express Your Vote – OVF’s new ballot delivery solution supported by FedEx® Express will get your ballot back in time to be counted. Highly-discounted rates or even free shipping for overseas and military ballots - brought to you by Overseas Vote Foundation. Express delivery service, low rates, ballot tracking and automatic confirmation of ballot delivery are key benefits of this special program. Available now. Visit: www.overseasvotefoundation.org/expressyourvote. Ballot Question #3: Is my ballot on the way to me now? Your election office sends your ballots. To confirm the status of your ballot request, please look up your election official in the OVF Election Official Directory. Contact them directly to confirm that you are on the voting rolls and when your ballot will be sent. If your ballot is still not with you by mid-October, refer to Questions #1 and #2. Ballot Question #4: Can I still send in a ballot request? Check the OVFState-specific Voter Information Directory for the filing deadlines in your state and get going! Remember you must PRINT and send in the Registration/Ballot Request Form that you generate from the site. Ballot Question #5: Where can I get more information? The OVF Voter Help Desk provides instant answers to your questions. Check out the updated Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot section today.

Time to look for your ballot!

Hey, you, American overseas voter. Remember that country you're from? Well, you should be receiving your absentee ballot very soon; and you should turn that baby around quick! Can't get it counted if it doesn't get there in time! Check with your embassy, will they send you ballot home via the much more reliable embassy mail? Do you live in a country where Fed-ex will send (AND TRACK) it back home for free? Is the ballot not showing up and you need to use the emergency Federal Write in Ballot?

Check on all of these things, plus, find the phone number of your local polling station to call and ask questions at the Overseas Vote Foundation.

Quito Fest

Last weekend we made our way out to Quito Fest in Parque Ichimbia. The concert is exceptionally well run, safe, good volume, tent full of CD's and t-shirts, and great bands. It happens every year, so keep your eyes peeled next year. Friday night was thrash metal, Saturday was rock, and Sunday, my favorite, funk, and hip hop. Que chevre!

Osprey Packs

Look for us in an Osprey catalog or add coming soon to a gear store near you.