tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402462514442390534.post7208665126707934812..comments2023-11-05T02:04:11.624-08:00Comments on Our Ecuador Adventure: Indigenas and ExercisePaul and Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03799440484343060898noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402462514442390534.post-89522066428386676702009-01-12T15:35:00.000-08:002009-01-12T15:35:00.000-08:00I recall that one of the neat things about Otavalo...I recall that one of the neat things about Otavalo was how well the indigenous folks are part of / running the local economy. I don't recall that being the same farther south in the country, where the poverty starts to seem more south-Asia-esque and you rarely see a kid without a runny nose and a protruding belly. I wonder how the Otavalo scene came to be, since it seems to be the exception, not the rule.<BR/><BR/>Exercise: when we lived in the outskirts of Quito, we found a running route that quickly headed out into the campo. I would run by kids squatting in the gutter and tiny women carrying my weight in firewood. After about a week, I just couldn't do it anymore - I felt so bloody disrespectful. Fortunately, we had an abundance of exercise on the volcanoes on the weekend, but I never figured out the regular exercise scene. Sue suited up and headed to the public pools, which worked in the short term, but she eventually became so sick it triggered her celiac. Yikes. The local track oval sounds ideal!VeggieFarmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12589426204775661275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402462514442390534.post-64413049430609048642009-01-09T08:08:00.000-08:002009-01-09T08:08:00.000-08:00In line with the earlier shout out (thanks, Kriste...In line with the earlier shout out (thanks, Kristen) re: your email struggles, I'd like to hear more about the technology. I remember being shocked, during a trip to Brazil in 1999, upon walking into a youth hostel to see a) an internet connected computer and b) a note board covered with notes that said, "Bob – sorry I missed you in Rio. I’m headed to Salvador on 12/16. Email me when you get there." Or "R – text me when you get to town." Needless to say, I had one of those, 'when I was a kid, we walked 5 miles each way to school, uphill' moments. I mean, half of the experience of backpacking/eurailing/gap-yearing around the world was that scary/exhilarating experience of being off the grid. We were heading off into the wild blue yonder, and it was definitely 'don’t call me – because you won’t be able to – I’ll call you!'<BR/><BR/>About as advanced as it got for me was having an Amex card (that our boy Geoff got for me on his account) that allowed me to cash personal checks at Amex offices and pick up mail if I could plan things out well enough to get the letters to the right city. I feel like the experience is fundamentally different these days.<BR/><BR/>So to hear that you're – from my perspective – close to the other end of the earth and yet you’re able to be so wired is very interesting to me. Was one of your criteria in choosing a town that it have enough infrastructure to provide internet and/or wireless access? Or am I out of touch and in fact there is no such thing any more as a place without those options? Do tell.<BR/><BR/>DBrother Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10223197072009359000noreply@blogger.com