No Hay Luz

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.