How I tried to attend UNL in Ecuador

Freezing blog

2009-08-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

My adventures in Ecuador are over. I won't be making any more posts in this blog.

La Ruta Austral Templada (The Temperate Southern Route)

2009-08-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

From what I've seen, the majority of tourists who fly into Ecuador start their Ecuadorian adventure in Quito, and then they work their way south along the Andes, exposing themselves to cold temperatures every night. My first adventure in Ecuador was like that, but in time I learned of more temperate and less hectic destinations. Ecuador already has a "Ruta del Sol", which is cloudy during the second half of the year along the coast, so I had to come up with another name for my recommended route.

I call it "La Ruta Austral Templada", or The Temperate Southern Route. This route takes one through temperate cities of the provinces of Loja, El Oro, and Zamora-Chichipe. It gives you the chance to see some of Amazonia, the Andes (wet and dry), and the Coast. Expect to pay no more than $25 per day per person for bus transportation, lodging, and food.

While the high Andes are too cold for me at night, and the coast is too cloudy for me, La Ruta Austral Templada was sunny enough for me (with only occasional rain), and it was moderately cold but bearable at night. I've travelled this route during the second-halves of years. Perhaps this route does not experience good weather during the first half of the year.

Remember to bring a knife and spoon to eat fruits from the market everyday.

Here is the route explained:

The cities (and their provinces) of overnight lodging on the route are the following: Vilcabamba, Loja; Zumba, Zamora-Chinchipe; Balsas, El Oro; Catacocha, Loja; Alamor, Loja; and Zaruma, El Oro.

All hostales mentioned below have hot water and TV unless otherwise mentioned.

Laundry service is available in Vilcabamba, Balsas, Catamayo (at Gran Hotel Marcjohn's or maybe at a dry cleaner, should you stay there for the airport), Zaruma, and Loja city.

Let me recommend the following for someone starting their journey from the Catamayo airport (often referred to as the ¨Loja¨ airport):

Make a reservation for Vilcabamba; at times, all the rooms are booked full. I recommend Jardín Escondido for lodging in Vilcabamba, although it does not come with TV.

From the Catamayo airport, travel to Loja city and then to Vilcabamba. (Catamayo flunked as a place to stay because of biting insects.) Spend at least 3 nights in Vilcabamba. Things to do: hike Cerro Mandango, go horseback riding. Places to visit from there: Loja city (at least two days worth of sites).

Travel to Zumba. This is a long 5-hour bus trip, which can be 6+ hours when the road is being worked on (very common). Women should think about how they will urinate (consider bringing toilet paper and a zip-lock bag for waste, and maybe a urination funnel or skirt for the roadside, if the bus's toilet is not usable). Spend at least 2 nights in Zumba. Things to do: wade in the Río Simanche, and sit in the cold but strong-currented river in La Balsa. I recommend the Residencial Chinchipe for lodging (has electric showers).

Return to Vilcabamba. Spend night there. Get laundry washed.

Travel to Loja city and then to Catacocha, Loja. Spend 1 night in Catacocha. I recommend a room with a balcony at Ejecutivo Hotel, within sight and walking distance of the Loja Internacional bus office. Vegetarians may find vegetarian menestra plates with salad from an outdoor vendor at night.

Continue on to Alamor. Spend at least 2 nights in Alamor. From Alamor, take day trips to Pindal (mosquitos at night), Zapotillo, and Bosque Petrificado de Puyango.

Return to Catacocha for 1 night.

From Catacocha, go to Velacruz, and there wait to catch a bus to Balsas.

Spend 1 to 2 nights in Balsas. Get laundry washed. Visit Marcabelí's swimming hole or the coast (travel to Saracay and then change buses in La Avanzada to visit Huaquillas or Machala). For lodging, I recommend Hostería Casa Grande (phone 07-2-517-410) for $16 per night including delicious breakfast + additional $2 round-trip taxi fare. The hostal Express only has cold water at $6/night. I got locked in and locked out of (very scary!) the Hostal Gran Arly in Balsas, although it does have rooms with hot water for a low price.

With luggage, travel to Saracay, and change buses to go to Zaruma directly on TAC, or travel to Zaruma directly or indirectly on Piñas Interprovincial. Spend a few days in Zaruma. From Zaruma, you can take day trips to Moromoro, Huertas, Jambelí (Mosquitoes!!!), Sabadel, Salatí, Cerro Azul, and Machala. A lavandería for ropa exists in Zaruma, near the Piñas Interprovincial bus station.
http://cerrodeoro.galeon.com/cerrodeoro_eng.html

The city of Piñas did not make the list as a place to stay because of water outages during some months of the year, when water is only available during certain hours of the day (not hygienic when you cannot wash your hands after using a toilet).

For people using the Guayaquil airport, The Ruta Austral Templada can be reached after an overnight stay in Machala. I used to say bad things about Machala, but now I don't think it's such an ugly or depressing place....Plus, you only need to stay there one night at a time.

Left Ecuador; crossed into USA at Otay Mesa.

2009-08-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

I flew from Guayaquil to Lima and was fed a sandwich on the plane. Prices were ridiculously high at Lima's airport too, and all food prices were quoted in dollars. A 500-600 mL bottle of water cost US $2.50. A similarly sized orange juice cost $3.50.

The flight from Lima to Mexico City was miserable. The seats on AeroMexico were cramped. We were awoken around 2:10 a.m. to be served breakfast (at least it was delicious). On the flight from Mexico City to Tijuana, we were only served one small strawberry breakfast bar each.

Upon landing in Tijuana, I decided to call my parents. However, when turning on my phone, it only lit up for a few seconds; it did not turn on. So it was useless. The battery was dead.

"Meterse en la cola" (taking cuts in line) is a big nuisance in Latin America, and it was a big problem in Tijuana's airport where we stand in line to get our bags x-rayed. When an airport worker didn't allow one man to cut in line, the man made a big loud fuss talking back, commenting on how so many other people were taking cuts.

I had to wait for about 45 minutes to cross at Otay Mesa. I must have gotten into line around 11:40 a.m. There were a few narrow places that were hard to navigate with my luggage, like the turnstile door. When I finally crossed to the USA, I looked for my parents, but no one was to be seen. I was then told by a police officer that loitering was prohibited, so I had to keep walking. No public telephones were available. I walked towards some nearby shops, and amazingly, about two blocks away, my dad saw me.

I had flown into Tijuana instead of LAX to save $100. However, I do not recommend it.

El Guabo and Machala, El Oro

2009-08-14T17:16:00.000-07:00

I decided to spend my last night in Ecuador in Machala after all. Machala was not as ugly as I had remembered it. In some ways it looked nice, and the pedestrian lights were working (in contrast to Loja city). I took a bus to Pasaje, and then from Pasaje I took a short bus trip to El Guabo. The clouds parted to allow sun through. El Guabo seemed pretty nice. This is a photo from El Guabo.

The following day I caught a bus with CIFA bus company to Guayaquil. At the Guayaquil bus terminal, the cab drivers wanted to charge $3 for a ride to the airport, which is within walking distance. I got the price down to $1.50.

At the Guayaquil airport, a restaurant was charging $8 for a continental breakfast, more than 4 times the normal price!

In Balsas

2009-08-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that Balsas now has a lavandería for ropa (on the road that exits to Machala, for 80 cents per kilogramo) and more than one Internet cafe.

August 10--lousy weather

2009-08-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

The weather in Loja city has been miserable. I can´t wait to leave.

Back in Loja

2009-08-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

I am back in Loja city. Guess how the weather is?...yep, cloudy and dark.

This morning I had the pleasure of waking up to the sound of the Sunday market in the streets of Catacocha (shown in photo).

I´ll head to Balsas on Tuesday, and later in the week I´ll make it to Guayaquil.

Worked out in Pindal (got lucky!)

2009-08-08T14:55:00.000-07:00

I didn´t have to sleep in Pindal after all. A sympathetic man in Pindal felt sorry for me being in my situation without a bus to take me back to Alamor, so he and his friend dropped me off in Pindal at the exit to Alamor. Then the nice man spoke to a yellow taxi cab driver and negotiated for me to return to Alamor for $1 (bus fare), since the taxi driver had to return to his home in Alamor anyways.

My feet were really stinking when I got to my hotel. Alamor was cold as I waited for my dinner (a vegetarian continental breakfast) to be prepared after 9 p.m.

Alamor was sunny and beautiful today; it was hard to leave. Now I am back in Catacocha. Businesses are shuttered up already this afternoon, as today is Saturday. There is a technology institute or something here with fast Internet for only 50 cents per hour. Notice the ¨@¨ sign for Internet in the photos.

Spending the night in Pindal?

2009-08-07T16:51:00.000-07:00

Well, like I said in my previous post, our taxi truck got a flat tire as we were nearing Pindal. A woman named Lesbia (the wife of the taxi driver) invited me to stay at her house for free because Pindal is having festivities with music and dancing tonight. I stayed with her on the road until a nice cop rescued us by motorcycle, and then I accompanied her to her shop, where her family sells various food items. I hung out there, with Lesbia´s two sons, and with their 1-month-old pet goat that eats everything.

I broke away to use the Internet, and she and her husband drove up. They said that they would come back for me in half an hour. I told them, no, that I was going to go to Alamor instead. However, when I finished my Internet, I saw no buses in the plaza leaving for Alamor. A man in the plaza told me that the last bus from Pindal to Alamor leaves at 5 p.m. It is now 6:55 p.m. Ugh, and I had gotten back to Pindal before 5 p.m.

Returned to Alamor

2009-08-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

I did not go to Pasaje after all. I was feeling sick in Arenillas, where it was drizzling, and I didn´t want to have to make two bus trips to get to Pasaje, which probably would have been just as drizzly.

I returned to my last place of good health, which was Alamor. Alamor has had great weather during my stay.

Yeah, I know I could have gone to the Bosque Petrificado today. However, I had already taken 2 bus trips past this forest, so I decided to visit Pindal instead. The trip to Pindal was sunny and warm, with the bus windows open. In Pindal, I figured out how to catch a shared pickup-truck taxi to Zapotillo, for $2. These taxi pickup trucks are not marked, but the driver usually drives around Pindal shouting ¨Zapotillo!¨

Our taxi truck got a flat tire on the way to Zapotillo, but the driver changed the tire by himself.

I´m glad that I visited Zapotillo. There is a dry forest (bosque seco) there that is endangered, especially on the Peruvian side of the border. The trees have black bark but green leaves. The dirt in Zapotillo is naturally black. With blackness of the tree bark and ground, the brownness of the dust, a little bit of green from the leaves, and grey clouds looming in, I was reminded of Halloween. Yeah, I was sweating as I walked in the sunlight, but the heat was dry and bearable.

On the way back, the other taxi truck also got a flat tire. I stayed on the road with a woman named Lesbia, who called a policeman friend to pick both of us up on his motorcycle.

Arenillas

2009-08-06T08:32:00.000-07:00

I´ve been in Arenillas since yesterday afternoon, and I don´t feel so well. At first I thought it was the clouds and rain that were bringing me down.

The bus journey from Alamor to Arenillas was lovely, although overcast.

I am staying at the Hotel Imperial in Arenillas, for $10/night with air conditioning. Phone: 2-908-795.

Arrived in Alamor today

2009-08-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

After leaving Catacocha we entered some hot and dry land; it made me think of Mexico. Things become more and more DRY. We were passing through land that only receives rain some of the year, which maintains the trees, which were barren during this time of year. We saw some of those Dr. Seuss trees with the green trunks in this dry land.

As we neared Celica, things started to become greener. Celica is a city that seems on the verge of falling down a hill.

Between Celica and Alamor, the landscape became greener and lusher. I´m glad that I chose to stay in Alamor instead of Celica. I´m staying at the Hotel Rey Plaza on the plaza in Alamor, phone 2680256, or 2680168, for $10/night with hot water.

Damn, today the sun seemed really bright, starting somewhere after Catacocha. The sunlight seemed very bright in Alamor. At least we have had a breeze.

night in Catacocha

2009-08-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

I splurged on food in Vilcabamba, treating myself to a vegetarian meal in the restaurant of my hostal, Jardín Escondido. This restaurant served an excellent ravioli plate to me, but prices were very high. I spent $7.55 on my ravioli and hot chocolate!, including tax. I would have purchased a batido or carrot juice, but the restaurant charged $2 for a batido or carrot juice, plus 12% tax. In Loja, carrot juice or a batido only costs $1-$1.25. In Vilcabamba, a batido is typically $1.50.

Yesterday I caught a bus from Loja to Celica. My guidebook had recommended Celica over Alamor. However, people had been asking me why I was going to Celica. They said that Celica was cold this time of year. One man said that it was colder than Loja (very hard to believe). People were recommending Alamor instead.

Anyways, our bus to Celica entered Catacocha, which looked lovely, as light rain has just finished falling there. When the bus stopped around 2:30 p.m., people started pouring in. Every empty seat was taken, and people filled the aisles. As I stepped out of my seat to get some fresh air, a woman quickly took my seat.

When I came back to get my seat, I realized that I had been sitting in the wrong seat the whole journey so far; perhaps my true seat had been occupied, which was why I sat in the wrong seat. Anyways, I felt like I couldn´t reclaim my old seat because my ticket had a different seat number on it--4. When I asked the woman in seat 4 for my seat, she wouldn´t give it up.

I asked the bus personnel if I could stay in Catacocha and get a refund for the remainder of my ticket. They said ¨No,¨ that I had to sell my ticket to someone instead. My ticket was worth $2.50, but a woman offered me $2. She was intent on getting a real seat to sit in. The transaction was carried out. I don´t know how the seating issue was resolved.

Catacocha has many buildings that are freshly painted. I am staying at the Ejecutivo Hotel, which can be really attractive, if only it were better cleaned. My room has a balcony. I paid $8 for one night, with hot water, TV, and a private bathroom.

I caught a cold in Zumba. It immobilized me yesterday evening, until I purchased some descongestants.

Catacocha is no place for vegetarians.

last whole day spent in Zumba

2009-08-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take the 2:30 p.m. ranchera to La Balsa, because I had left my flip-flops next to the river. However, the ranchera was jam-packed with people (no one is allowed to sit on the roof anymore), so I stayed behind. To make up for my littering of the river in La Balsa, I picked up trash in Zumba. There was a lot of trash, which I had not noticed before.

Tomorrow I will go to Vilcabamba. I was finally able to make a reservation today for a room there.

Killing time in Zumba

2009-07-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

Since I was killing time until the next ranchera to Jimbura, which does not leave until Saturday morning, I took a trip to the town of La Balsa yesterday, on the Peruvian border.

During the ride to La Balsa, our ranchera came to a stop and then backed up. A few seconds later, I heard, ¨Culebra!¨, followed by ¨Mátalo!¨ A man got off the ranchera; with two large stones, he stoned the snake to death. Horrific.

In La Balsa, I walked to the river. There was another live culebra near a log, this time only about one fourth the size of the first, but still able to kill a person. I watched as a man killed the small snake with sticks.

The river was very cold, even colder than Simanche. It was also very strong. All I could do was submerge myself and hold onto the rocks on the bottom of the river. Other people were swimming across the river and washing their clothes in the river.

When we returned at 2:30, I hopped onto another ranchera, bound to Salto de Inca. Salto de Inca is a narrow part of a river, with two rocks on each side. A bridge is being built there. I was dismayed that people were crossing the bridge with such a great risk of falling, with no harness at the beginning of the cross. Even a woman with a baby on her back crossed. This is how it´s done in Ecuador.

In the Zumba area I´ve seen a royal blue butterfly, a red bird, yellow-breasted bird, and other interesting butterflies, birds, and insects.

This morning I felt listless, perhaps from taking too many antihistamines at once (so I hope). I managed to take a two hour ride to Sungas at 2 p.m., which I do not recommend. The journey was very rocky. A kid in the front row threw up, and the ride wasn´t that bad then. The vomit splattered over the front row of the ranchera. On the return journey, the ranchera was packed uncomfortably tight with people. It was the return journey, which took 2.5 hours, that got me carsick. Near Sungas, we could see the Río Canchis, which separates Ecuador from Peru.

I hadn´t seen much deforestation in Zumba, but on the way to Sungas, there was deforestation that had occurred, and deforestation in progress. I don´t think the forests that were burned are recoverable.

I am soooo ready to leave Zumba. Instead of heading to Jimbura and Amaluza, I will return to Vilcabamba, and then travel from the city of Loja.

Zumba--you´ve got to check this place out

2009-07-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

I decided to go to Zumba because a man named René who had sat next to me on my bus ride to Yangana had invited me, and he had even given me his phone number.

I barely caught the 10:45 a.m. bus from Loja to Zumba with the Yantzaza bus company. I showed up at 10:30 and there was a line of about 7 people. There was some confusion in that people would have to board the bus in a different location. After I passed through the turnstile, I looked for my bus but did not find it. I asked an employee of Yantzaza bus line about where my bus was. He pointed towards the hill. I had to walk through two parking lots to find my bus. For some reason it had not been allowed to dock. I think a lot of people missed the bus because of its odd location outside the docking area; the bus left mostly empty. The man who had tried to cut in front of me in line, who wanted a ticket to Zumba, was not on the bus.

Since I had been running late that morning, I had considered taking a taxi to Vilcabamba and catching the bus to Zumba in Vilcabamba. However, our Yantzaza bus blew right through Vilcabamba without stopping. The ride up to this point had been hot, and I was a bit carsick. I was only able to find one unoccupied window seat with a window that I could actually muscle open.

The women requested a pee break in Valladolid, and we ate lunch in Palanda. We were on the Amazon side of the Andes, and the mountains were as tall as the mountains betweeen Vilcabamba and Yangana, only now covered thick by trees and vegetation.

Between Palanda and Zumba, the bus´s engine broke down. We were rescued by Nambija bus line, which leaves Loja at 12:30 p.m. daily. Yantzaza paid Nambija for the rest of our journey.

The rest of the journey to Zumba was fabulous. I felt very relaxed and at peace. I had my face in the open window, looking up at the greenery. The road was somewhat narrow, so the trees were RIGHT THERE. Finally I took my face away, and I noticed my friend René sitting across from me on the bus. What a coincidence! He had recognized my backpack and chosen to sit to me; apparently he had been sitting there for a while without me noticing.

When we arrived in Zumba, René helped me carry my stuff to the Hotel Emperador, and then he showed me around the small village, and then took me over to his sister´s and parents´ house. His niece and nephew were very friendly. I was fed fruit.

Although René said that he was going to stop at my hotel at 10 a.m. this morning to show me around some more, he never came. I was staying at the Hotel El Emperador, which seemed attractive, but it had no curtains, not even in the bathroom, and it did not have a shower curtain, or hot water. So this morning, after waiting for René, I moved to the Residencial Chinchipe, which has electric showers. The morning was very hot, and it was the hottest time of the day. The rest of the day was cooler and more pleasant.

Eventually I got bored. I wanted to go SOMEWHERE. René had mentioned a river. I asked a cab drive how much it would cost to go to the river, and he said $5 one-way. I didn´t want to go alone, so I invited some women near the bus terminal to go. They agreed. The two women, their 2 children, and myself went to the river in a taxi pickup truck. The ride in the pickup truck was like something you would see in an adventure movie. I took the longest to adapt to the cold water of the river, screaming a bit when one woman splashed me. Nearby, some miners and family were extracting gold from the river, not far downstream. The river is called Río Simanche (my map says Río Isimanchi). Eventually it felt great to have the river up to neck.

Upon coming back, one woman took me on a walk southbound, on the road that goes to La Balsa.

Zumba is at the western and southern edge of the Zamora-Chinchipe province. It is considered part of Ecuador´s Oriente.

Sauces Norte; leaving Loja city

2009-07-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

Here´s a photo of from the neighborhood Sauces Norte, which is at the north end of Loja´s main bus route, a bit to the west.

Tomorrow I will leave (hopefully) Loja city to explore other parts of the Loja province and the El Oro province. I plan to go to Zumba, then Alamor, Arenillas, Cerro Azul, Chilla (maybe), Guanazán (maybe), and Santa Isabel (maybe). I will then return to Loja to get the rest of my luggage, and then head to Guayaquil, where I will fly out on August 13 at 5:30 p.m.

The Hotel Paris will store my suitcase for free while I travel with my duffel bag.

Yangana, Loja

2009-07-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

Again I am wondering why I am staying in Loja city. The mornings are sunny and warm, but then things cool down and turn gloomy as the day progresses.

On Saturday, to escape the gloom, I took a 2 p.m. bus to Yangana, which is south of Vilcabamba. The mountains in the area are tall, but they also are often crumbling down, onto the roads. Vilcabamba has natural vegetation, but to the south of it, the terrain is drier. Here´s a photo of the road from Vilcabamba to Yangana, near the fork that goes to Quinara.

In Yangana, trees grow on the hills. The town has an altitude of 1900 metros sobre el nivel del mar.

The bus to take me back north never came, so at 6 p.m. I shared a taxi back to Vilcabamba.

tourist inundation in Loja

2009-07-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

Loja has become inundated with tourists in the past 48 hours. Some are foreign, some are Ecuadorian. It is somewhat annoying for me, since my favorite computer for accessing the Internet is now often occupied by someone else. I plan to take a trip to Valladolid this afternoon (south of Vilcabamba); we will leave at 2 p.m. and probably get to Valladolid at 5 p.m.

Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL)

2009-07-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Thursday, I walked from the Villanaco bus stop (Guaranda street where fruits are sold) up a hill to la Universidad Tècnica Particular de Loja (and I got altitude sickness). I really should have started at the Puente Bolívar bus stop to get to UTPL quicker. The campus was BEAUTIFUL and in much better shape than UNL. Here are UTPL photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9025705@N07/sets/72157621676165553/

UTPL is a private Catholic university. It has attractive buildings, a beautiful campus on a hill, and a smart-looking gift shop. Many students can be seen using laptops outside the cafeteria.

Ironically, Universidad Nacional de Loja looks more ¨Christian,¨ looking humble and sacrificing, whereas la Técnica (UTPL) is quite opulent amidst Loja´s poverty. I would rather be on UTPL´s campus, even though the ¨Christianness¨ of the university´s website is a bit nauseating for me. La Técnica is open-minded, teaching students about Karl Marx and evolution.

I had a bad case of grouchy colon. Now I am eating lots of fiber, and having new issues from that.

A no-go at UNL

2009-07-22T05:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, after much traveling around, I found out that UNL won´t be accepting any foreign students in its medical program this year. I am happy that I was told this fairly early on. I´ve known that there was a risk that the Ecuadorian government could drop foreign students in the middle of their medical program, so at least this has been prevented.

So now I´m looking for other medical schools. I think a private medical school would be the least risky, as long as it is approved by the state of California. All public medical schools are approved by California.

I can also stay in Ecuador and take classes to brush up on my biology, chemistry, physics, and Spanish. I could volunteer in a hospital/clinic on top of that.

update on UNL

2009-07-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

The weather yesterday was dry and fabulous in Loja. I took a trip to the zoo on the city bus, but the zoo was closed.

Today, the facultad de medicina de UNL finally told me the dates of inscription and for the exam. I also found a place that makes passport photos near the 50-cent/hour Internet place that I frequent.

There is a lot of competition to get in. I don´t know if I should help anyone else get in.

2009-07-20T10:46:00.001-07:00

The weather in Loja yesterday (Sunday) was terrible with dark, ominous skies and cold temperatures, so in the afternoon I put on a scarf, wool hat, and jacket, and I ran away to Vilcabamba. There was more blue sky showing in southern Loja, south of UNL, than in northern Loja. Passing through, I saw that Malacatos was very sunny. The weather in Vilcabamba was FABULOUS--dry with clear skies; I could have been on a beach in Orange County, California.

Here´s a photo of Malacatos:

I wonder why I am living in Loja city when I could be living more happily in Vilcabamba for the same price, or cheaper.

Finally we are having sunny afternoon-weather in Loja.

There are old pedestrian signals in Loja, which do not work. One near my hotel has its enclosure broken, which causes more sunshine to hit the walk signal than the ¨don´t walk¨ signal. Therefore, the walk signal looks brighter, as if it´s on; it looks like pedestrians have the right to cross, when really the signal is not working. I am tempted to throw a bag over that pedestrian signal to prevent an accident.

Escaping the dreary blues of Loja´s weather

2009-07-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

I´ve decided to spend this weekend´s nights in Loja city after all, so that I can go dancing tonight. This morning at 8 a.m. there was bright sun shining into my room, but when I left Loja for Catamayo at noon, the sky was completely filled with dark clouds.

I am happy to report that Catamayo seems to be doing well economically, as it deserves. It even has functional pedestrian lights, unlike the city of Loja.

Last night, my American friend hosted a party for students in her English class. Most of them work for Universidad Nacional de Loja, many of them in health-related fields. I gained some very valuable information from the about getting into the med school at UNL this year.

A gnat or something bit me on three of my knuckles, while I was typing here.

Lousy weather

2009-07-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

The weather in Loja has been lousy--dark drizzly clouds during the day, wind blowing crud into my eyes, cold nights. I don´t know if I can take it anymore. About 60% of nights have been tolerable, and 40% of nights have been unpleasant. I´m thinking of escaping Loja city--leaving one large suitcase at the hotel and then taking a trip west.

Two employees in my hotel told me that July and August are the months with the worst weather in Loja city.

I should be studying up on the Dominican Republic, but I just don´t have interest in doing the research. It took my so long to become educated on Ecuador.

Practicing our dance steps; El Valle

2009-07-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

After last night´s dance class, some of us students talked about how we should practice sometime before our next class. So tonight we are going to meet at a student´s house next the Reina del Cisne stadium, on Azuay street. I enjoy the touching that comes along with the dance class.

I did some sightseeing yesterday. I finally figured out where ¨El Valle¨ is. It is the neighborhood where Hipervalle and the church of El Valle are located, off of calle Guayaquil. El Valle does not have the crazy car and pedestrian traffic that the center of Loja has. The streets are dustier than I remember them being in 2007.

I also saw Don Quixote next to the Door to the City.

Latest news from la facultad de medicina de UNL

2009-07-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

I visited la facultad de medicina de UNL this morning. I knocked on the door (as was suggested by someone else there) of the secretaria, waited, and then asked about admissions. I was told that there wasn´t a quota for foreign students at this time. The costs for incoming foreign students is unknown. There WILL be a test for people who are applying to medical school. I was told to visit UNL´s web page el 27 de July.

I must say that UNL, like other public universities (including some in the USA) does not seem to have much of a culture of customer service.

Since I have almost 2 weeks until July 27, I may do some travelling in the Loja and El Oro provinces. I should also study up on universities in the Dominican Republic, which seems to have a more stable government.

¡Que casualidad! (What a coincidence!)

2009-07-14T18:11:00.000-07:00

I took my dirty clothes through the drizzle to a lavandería. While talking to the very friendly man who works there, named Diego, I told him that I was taking dance lessons at Alianza Francesa to make friends. It turns out that my dance instructor is Diego´s brother. It was hard to believe. Diego even called his brother and had me talk to him, and yes, it was true.

Then there was another coincidence. A British man named James came in, and Diego introduced me to him. The British man pointed at me as if I looked familiar. I then asked him if he was the James that I had been e-mailing; we had been planning to get together, along with his girlfriend, in Loja. Yep, he was the same James! So that is how I met James for the first time.

I had a great time talking for an extensive length of time with Diego, James, and a Cuban man named Jorge, who is a medical doctor from Cuba.

I REALLY need to study my Spanish.

First class in Ecuador is a dance class

2009-07-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

I guess I´ll be staying in Loja for at least another month. Last night I signed up for a 1-month dance class for $45. I didn´t have anything else to do. Plus, I made friends with other students in the class. The class is being taught Monday and Wednesday nights in castellano on one of the upper floors of Alliance Française, only a few blocks from my hotel, on Aguirre street.

I did pretty well in my first class. We are starting with salsa, but we will try some other dances later.

Loja is a cold place, but after dancing, we can imagine that we are in warm Cuba. I am beginning to appreciate what the city has to offer.

photos from Loja

2009-07-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Here´s a photo from the restaurant on the top floor of the Hotel Paris, where breakfast is served. The photo does not do justice to the view. We can see the two white towers of the church of Santo Domingo to the southeast. The restaurant looks eastward, where we see clouds rolling in from Amazonia.

Here´s one of the many pictures of Ché that are so common in Loja, like at the public university or in nightclubs:

I always feel happier when I see his face....What woman wouldn´t enjoy seeing his face? (By the way, I am not a socialist revolutionary, and I do not condone what Ché did in Bolivia; I just like looking at his face.) There´s something strong, wild, and virulent about his image, which contributes to the sexual allure of Latin America.

looking for maps

2009-07-13T11:58:00.004-07:00

I am using an Internet cafe near Alliance Francaise in Loja, along Avenida Manual Agustín Aguirre (formerly called Avenida Iberoamérica). It only charges 50 cents per hour. The connection speed varies.

I went to the Libería San Sebastian, but they do not sell street maps of Loja. There were 2 other bookstores on the Plaza de Independencia, but both were closed at 12:30.

This morning I picked up an OK map from the municipio of Loja. It does not have a street index. It has lots of streets on it though.

Loja´s center is CRAZY with people and cars all over the place. Sometimes it makes me laugh. I found that I can avoid the heavy air pollution of 10 de Agosto by walking on 18 de Noviembre, which runs parallel and to the east of 10 de Agosto.

Found a bookstore in Loja

2009-07-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

Today, Sunday, I did not find any bookstore Libreria Española at Calle Bolívar 07-13 y José Antonio Eguiguren in Loja, Ecuador.

No encontré ninguna Libería Española en Calle Bolívar 07-13 y José Antonio Eguiguren in Loja, Ecuador.

However, I did find a Libería San Sebastian in the Plaza de Independencia, east of San Sabastian church. It was open earlier this afternoon, but it closed by late afternoon.

tour of Loja from friend

2009-07-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

An American friend that I had met online gave me a free tour of Loja today. So now I know where some practical things are. I also got to see parts of the city that I have never seen before, including the church of San Sebastian. There was an outdoor market today with people selling fruits in the street. My opinion of Loja has improved greatly.

Universidad Nacional de Loja

2009-07-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

Loja isn´t as beautiful as I remember it. The streets seem to be falling apart. The air pollution from the buses is very bad. I will have my bus window open and think to myself, ¨Where is that horrible exhaust smell coming from?¨ After a while I realize that my own bus is the guilty party.

About the Universidad Nacional de Loja:
On their website, there is a guestbook. People have been posting questions on the guestbook, because often no one from the school responds to e-mail. I have taken it upon myself to try to find answers to some of those people´s questions.

As for myself, I am interested in studying medicine at UNL. The medical school is not part of the UNL campus. Instead, it is located directly above, on a hill, the hospital Isidro Ayora in Loja.

I am glad that the medical school has its own location, because the UNL campus seems to be falling apart in places. I don´t know if the older buildings can withstand an earthquake.

It was interesting to see SO MANY pictures of socialists all over campus. You would think that a public university would be more neutral politically. See my flickr album of all the socialist pictures on campus:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9025705@N07/sets/72157621119100801/detail/

I met my friend Xavier from hi5.com Thursday night. His English is pretty good, and he has traveled around the world. We caught the later part of a futbol/soccer game on TV that night; the Quito team won.

Loja is cloudy and rainy a lot. It made me feel a bit depressed yesterday, to the point that tears actually welled up in my eyes. To cheer myself up, I took a bus to the Catamayo airport, which was cloudy too at first. I missed the point where I was supposed to get off for the airport, and spent 20 minutes on the bus as we passed through interesting terrain, on the way to Cariamange. I finally confessed my mistake to the personnel operating the bus, and they let me out. While waiting for a bus to take me back to Catamayo, I talked to a man whose brother studied medicine in Cuba. He says that UNL´s medical school is good. Xavier said the same. The man also said that Cuba produces some of the best doctors in the world.

My travels from Los Angeles to Loja

2009-07-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

So much to say!

The 2:10 a.m. flight to Panama was packed with American missionaries.

In Panama City's Tocumen airport, there was a distinctive blondish tall guy who looked German. He sat 2 seats from me on the plane to Quito. When I commented on all the gringos behind us (and the British guy between us), "Everyone's asleep," he nodded but didn't reply, as if he didn't understand. I asked him if he spoke English. No he didn't. He was a Cuban tourist.

The very attractive young woman across the aisle from me looked like a rich Ecuatoriana. She was a Cuban tourist too. I was surprised that Cubans had money to travel as tourists; shows how much I know.

The older British man next to me stuck to reading his newspaper on the whole flight to Quito; he didn't speak Spanish. He put up with me and the Cuban man talking in Spanish across him. I had trouble understanding the 2 Cubans!

Upon landing in Quito, there was barely enough time to switch from the plane from Panama to catching a domestic flight to Loja. I could have pushed my way around a man in the aisle of the plane, but I restrained myself. There was a long line to get our passports stamped. The Cuban man offered to let me cut in line in front of him (tempting!), but I didn't want to piss anybody off.

I hauled my luggage to the domestic terminal. The TAME office told me that the flight to Loja was full, and that I should wait in line in aisle 7. In Aisle 8 (Aisle 7 was for another destino), I was told to go to the back of a line against the wall. It was 3:35 p.m. The flight was to be at 4:30 p.m. At 4 p.m., the line hadn't moved, and I was sure that I wouldn't be able to board the plane to Loja. A man cut in front of me, but since I thought that I didn't have a chance anyways, I wasn't bothered. Then around 4:05 p.m. the line started moving, and amazingly I was accepted. Everyone in line was accepted. On the plane, there were even a few seats open. The woman next to me had graduated from UNL with a doctorate 6 years ago.

The flight was only about 50 minutes. Catamayo was pleasantly sunny and warm as usual. The airport was the smallest I have ever seen--arriving passengers merely waited in one room with a round conveyor belt. I found a man to split the $20 taxi fare to Loja. However, he was acting suspiciously impatient. Another man with a small suitcase asked to join our taxi, but the first man turned him down abruptly, even though there was plenty of room for the other man and his suitcase. As our taxi took off, I was worried that the first man was a robber. Adding to my fright, the taxi ride was hair-raisingly fast around the curves. The setting sun of Catamayo shined brightly in my eyes, but Loja was drizzly. I arrived safely at the Hotel París. Fortunately there were rooms available. My cellular phone was out of service in Catamayo.

At night, a man selling me a bottle of water from a corner told me that I need to be cautious regarding crime in Loja. He said that he has friends who were victimized by taxi drivers. He said that crime in Loja is less than in Cuenca and Quito, at least. A 500 mL bottle of Dasani water cost me 35 cents, which is 10 cents more than I am used to paying in Ecuador.

I remember, from 2007, Loja being very green and beautiful. However, after sunset, it was a yellowish gray, and there seemed to be dust all over the street. In the morning, the street seemed more cracked than before. I am happy everytime that I cross the street without getting hit. One of the stoplights for cars in town does not work for red; green works. Pedestrian signals are almost non-existent (but much needed), and the signals that I saw were not functioning.

I visited the UNL facultad de medicina this morning. I will have to visit them again Wednesday, July 15, to get the info I need.

I arrived in Loja, Loja, Ecuador

2009-07-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

Wow. I´m tired. Maybe I´ll write stuff out on paper and type it up tomorrow. This Cyber will close at 9 p.m.

Pretty weird

2009-07-07T16:06:00.001-07:00

It's pretty weird to think that tomorrow at this time I will be in a different country. It's weirder knowing that tonight I will begin the journey.

Rentals, July 2, 2009

2009-07-03T03:41:00.000-07:00

It's 3:45 a.m. I have insomnia.

http://loja.olx.com.ec/piso-en-alquiler-cat-363

sick from nerves

2009-06-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

I'm so nervous that it's making me feel sick.

health insurance in Ecuador

2009-06-29T23:30:00.001-07:00

http://www.goecuador.com/living-ecuador/hospitals-health-care4.html#privhealth

Locations of Migración en Ecuador

2009-06-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

From
http://www.migracion.gov.ec/mi2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=32

Jefatura Provincial de Migración Macará
Puente Internacional Macará
072694-301 jefatura.macara@migracion.gov.ec

Sub-Jefatura Provincial de Migración de Loja
Loja: Perú y Venezuela (Peñón del Oeste)
072573-600 jefatura.loja@migracion.gov.ec

La Ley:
http://www.migracion.gov.ec/mi2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=111

Dónde se realizárá el registro de visas para extranjeros?
En la Dirección General de Extranjería. Av. San Ignacio y San Javier (sector norte de Quito)
http://www.migracion.gov.ec/mi2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=52

"You have to take the visa to Direccion General de Extranjeria Ministerio de Gobierno San Ignacio 210 y San Javier (Esquina) Quito. I know that you can not register it in Ibarra, so I think Quito is the office where it has to be registered. The office is in a somewhat inconvenient location, and there are some additional items you need to bring. The $10 has to be deposited into a Banco International account #0200104432; you can use any Banco International branch. You also have to bring in a file folder a copy of your passport, a copy of the visa in your passport, a copy of the entrance stamp where you first entered into the country on the visa, and an envelope. If you don't bring these items with you, you will be forced to come back and wait in line a second time. I always make two copies of everything just in case. It is wise to make color copies just in case."

Ecuadorian consulates in Colombia

2009-06-28T01:15:00.001-07:00

CONSULADO DE ECUADOR EN CALI
Cl 19 # 2N-29 Edif Torre De Cali
Colombia - Valle del Cauca, Cali
Phones : (57) (2) 6604085

CONSULADO DE ECUADOR- MEDELLÍN
Cl 47 # 80-27
Colombia - Antioquia, Medellín
Phones : (57) (4) 2508656

Visas from Ecuadorian consulate in Peru

2009-06-28T01:13:00.001-07:00

Student visa from Ecuadorian consulate in Peru
http://www.mecuadorperu.org.pe/visadeestudiante.htm

Tourism visa from Ecuadorian consulate in Peru:
http://www.mecuadorperu.org.pe/visadeTurismo.htm

If you have to go back to Peru, you may be able to get a visa from an Ecuadorian consulate in Peru. However, I definitely cannot guarantee that. I found their page at http://www.mecuadorperu.org.pe/
They have visa info under Informacion Consular -> Servicios Consulares -> Visas.

There is an Ecuadorian consulate in Tumbes:
Sra. María del Pilar Pineda
Dirección: Jr. Bolivar 129, 3er Piso Plaza Mayor - Tumbes
E-mail: consultum@speedy.com.pe
Teléfax: (51) 072 525-949

The is another Ecuadorian consulate in Piura:
Sr. Juan Quezada Quezada
Dirección: Av. Chirichigño 505 y Federico Elguero
E.mail: consulado_de_ecuador@speedy.com.pe
Telefax: (51) 073 308-027

I also found this info: http://www.mmrree.gov.ec/mre/documentos/servicios/visas/visa12_X.htm
and this: http://www.ecuador.org/nuevosite/serviciosconsulares_visas_turismo.php
and what looks like your 10-day visa: http://www.migracion.gov.ec/mi2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=56

"For anyone who doesn't want to risk NOT getting an extension at the border, or paying the $$ in Quito: I just returned from Piura, Peru where at the Ecuador consulate there they will give you a ?6 month? extension for $60, copy of your credit card and passport, proof of travel out of the country (airfare itinerary) and about a one hour wait. Ecuador consulates in other countries may also offer this service but I can only speak for Piura. I had to find out all of this the hard way so I hope this helps anyone in a similar predicament.
The law now says that tourists get 90 days a year and they can and will enforce it. Border officials may have mercy on you if they're in a good mood or uninformed."

Loja emergency phone numbers

2009-06-28T01:10:00.000-07:00

Policía
101

Cruz Roja (ambulance)
911

Bomberos
102

Hospital
2560159 – 2570540 - 2573282

Guayaquil consulate 24-hour emergency number:
For American Citizen Emergencies call (04) 2321-152 (24 hours)

ATM fees in Ecuador

2009-06-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

Citibank charges me 3% of the ATM transaction, no matter the size of the transaction. With Citibank, I have to remember that I have a savings account with them, not a checking account.

Bank of America charges a flat fee of $5, even for small withdrawals. Therefore B of A's account should only be used for withdrawals of $170 or more; otherwise I should use Citibank.
"In addition, an International Transaction Fee will be charged for ATM card and check card transactions made for foreign purchases or ATM cash withdrawals in currency other than U.S. Dollars, regardless of whether or not the transaction occurred at an ATM in a country covered in the Global ATM Alliance. The International Transaction Fee will be 3% of the U.S. Dollar amount for each converted purchase or 1% of the U.S. Dollar amount for each converted ATM cash withdrawal. This International Transaction Fee will appear as a separate item on your banking statement for each international transaction."

My blood pressure and pulse in June, 2009

2009-06-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

From measurings on June 3 and June 21, at rest:

systolic pressure:
106-107

diastolic pressure:
69-68

pulse:
74-75

The June 3rd reading occurred at 5 p.m. The June 21 reading occurred at 10:20 a.m.

How to call Ecuadorian phone numbers

2009-06-19T22:55:00.000-07:00

Calling land lines (convencional)
Every land line (which they call 'convencional') in Ecuador begins with the number 2, followed by 6 numbers. And frequently, they only write 6 numbers, eg 885-555, assuming you KNOW to add a 2 in front.

Calling cell phones
Cell phone numbers are 9 numbers long and they seem to prefer to run the numbers all together: eg 088135555. You also see them frequently written like this: 088-13-55-55.

Calling conventional from a cellular phone
When dialing a conventional line from a cell phone, you have to add the city code plus a 0 in front. This can be confusing when they have only provided 6 numbers. So if you saw the number 885-555 for a place in Cuenca, from a cellular, you would need to dial 07-288-5555. Cuenca's city code is 7; Quito is 2 and Guayaquil is 4. Loja's is 7. Zaruma's is 7. Machala's is 7.

Calling from the USA:
Omit the 0 for the area code
e.g. 011-593-7-2-677-631

Calling from one region in Ecuador to another, conventional to conventional:
Put a 0 before the area code
e.g. 07-2-677-631
The city code with leading zero applies to calls from conventional to conventional. For example, within Cuenca, dial the 7 digit phone number; from Cuenca to Guayaquil dial 04 then the 7 digit phone number.

Good Loja websites

2009-06-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

First at foremost:
http://www.vivaloja.com

This website has a lot of info on Loja, but prices are higher now:
http://www.thebestofecuador.com/loja.htm

Also
http://realestateloja.com/main_files/FAQ.htm

Here's a webpage that I wrote on Loja:
http://www.tripadvisor.in/Travel-g644406-s2/Loja:Ecuador:Background.html

The fight against parasites

2009-06-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

Using the drug mebendazol

http://cronica.com.ec/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5829:desparasitaran-a-150-mil-ninos-y-adolescentes&catid=34:locales&Itemid=56