That’s Spanish for “there is no light (i.e. electricity)” . That was one of the first new phrases I picked up upon my return to mainland Ecuador. Currently in all of Ecuador there is a power shortage, apparently due to a lack of rain and resultant low river flows.

Gas Powered Internet:
So, here I sit in a wi-fi enabled internet cafe that has a 5.5 horsepower gas generator to provide electricity when the lights go out. Internet connectivity is pretty spotty and there aren’t any hotels in town that offer in-room wi-fi.

The Galapagos deserve a series of write-ups, but the challenges I must overcome to even manage to post a short update like this are too great to be able to do The Galapagos any justice. I did manage to post some pictures from my trip to The Galapagos. Have a look!

What I’ve been up to
I’m still in Montanita. I’ve been taking Spanish classes for four hours per day and spending most of the rest of my time drinking “cervezas grandes”. Beer is incredibly cheap here and shrimp (even coconut shrimp) is plentiful (though not cheap – WTF??)

What am I going to do next?
I’m not really sure. Today, I signed up for another week of Spanish classes and accommodation here in Montanita. After that, my thoughts are to work my way south and east to Iguazu Falls in Argentina and then back to the West Coast for a visit to Easter Island before heading back to the States to take my physical for my next Antarctic Deployment.

Don’t expect many updates until I leave Ecuador and find some place with a little better connectivity.

Touring Ecuador – November 2009
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Want to attract a lot of attention from Peruvian customs? Carry a big-ass expensive camera and have the misfortune of getting the “red light” when passing through customs. As I understood things, they just wanted some guarantee (I think monetary) that I wouldn’t sell the camera while in the country Y’know they want their piece of the action. I was SUPPOSED to be leaving very shortly after arriving, but unfortunately it was two separate flights as opposed to a connection so I had to go through the customs shuffle. I knew the connection was going to be tight and I did everything in my power to make it, but alas, the shakedown by customs delayed me by just enough to miss my flight. This particular route only goes once per day so I’m stuck. Lima is at least twice as smoggy as Santiago and for some reason I’m just not interested in doing much here, so, another night in an airport I suppose.

The LAN (South American Airline) customer service was exceptionally cordial, and even though it was by no means their fault that I missed my flight, they have upgraded me to business class and given me complimentary access to the VIP lounge (only 4 hours) all with no fees to change my ticket. Hear that U.S. based air carriers, it is possible to not treat your customers well and it makes them happy and they may be tempted to say nice things about you.

Anyone giving out travel awards for being the most likely to be shaken down by customs? I’m certain I’d win, as this has become the expectation rather than the exception.