A Trip to Quito
We were looking forward to this trip for a couple of weeks. Actually, Ellyn was going to go with one of the other ladies from the MAF base. When Trish had to go the States unexpectedly, we decided to go to Quito has a family.

Our bike boxes had just arrived from a long stay in the Customs building in Quito. Even though I would have loved to spend the long weekend in Shell with my bike, a weekend in Quito didn't sound too bad. After all, we'd been in the sticks for six weeks, and a trip to the city would be good.

As soon as the bell rang Thursday afternoon we loaded a couple small bags into the MAF van and drove over to pick up the Burks. They were taking the van up for the weekend and we were going along for the ride. The Burks have a son who attends the Alliance Academy and lives in the HCJB dorm. Once a semester they run the dorm for the weekend so the dorm parents get a break.

John hadn't been feeling well all day, so I volunteered to drive. I knew the road was an adventure, but I didn't know what I was getting myself into. This would be the first time behind the wheel since I arrived in the country.

Before I go on, I should tell you that I do actually posess a Ecuadorian drivers license. I don't speak spanish, much less read it, so it was really amazing how easily I got my license. I won't write all the details here, but if you'd like to hear the story, just ask sometime.

By 4:30 we were driving out of Shell. The Burks have two kids, both older than Dustin and Taylor, and they all played together well on the long drive. The road out to Shell is paved for about 10 miles and then it becomes a bumpy dirt road which limits speed to about 40 miles per hour. We drove through Mera, then Rio Negro and Rio Verde. Shortly after Rio Verde things got interesting.

The road was slightly muddy from an earlier rain, so I was driving cautiously. The edge of the road isn't as solid as roads I'm used to, so I had to make sure I didn't get too close to the edge. Meanwhile, we were climbing steadily. The road grew narrow, and off to the left loomed a gorge which contained the rushing Pastaza river hundreds of feet below.

Now, you have to understand there are no guardrails on this part of the road. In many places the road is so narrow two cars can't pass each other. More than a couple times we had to stop and back up to let a car or truck get by. As I was creeping toward one of the blind corners I was surprised to see a white pickup truck come around the corner. I think he was just as surprised to see us as he fishtailed a couple times before he gained control again.

A little more than an hour later we arrived in Baños, a small town at the base of the volcano Tungurahua. After a quick stop at a gas station, we continued on. Most roads in Ecuador are two lanes. However, when people drive here, they only see the line dividing the road as a suggestion. So in reality the road can be three lanes, or even more. People are not at all hesitant to pass on blind corners. The crazy thing is that the oncoming drivers expect it, so everybody reacts appropriately and nobody gets mad. It wasn't long before I too was passing on corners and driving down the imaginary 'third' lane. Remember, this all happens at speeds of between thirty and fifty miles per hour, so things aren't happening quite as fast as on a US freeway.

Driving at night in this situation only compounds things. At one point we came upon a truck with no rear lights at all. Reflectors are absent on the roads and the white dividing line appears only faintly. Finally, after about four hours of driving, I had enough. John drove the rest of the way into Quito. Of course, since he's lived here for six years, when he got behind the wheel he drove at least ten miles per hour faster than I could. I think at this point, Ellyn had to close her eyes!

After five and a half hours of driving we arrived in Quito. The Burks dropped us off at the Ross's house, where we would spend the weekend.

We spent two and a half days traveling around town by taxi, slowly checking off things from our to-do list. Ellyn had been wanting to pick up a few things for the house, and we needed to do some grocery shopping at a 'real' grocery store. We enjoyed shopping at the malls and eating at places like Duncan Donuts, Burger King, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Even though the names are the same, the food doesn't quite taste the same. Something else a little different is walking by the guards with machine guns in the malls. Saturday night Ellyn and I went to see a movie while the boys stayed with the Burks. When we were in the theater it was easy to imagine we were in a large theater in Fresno. Well, that is except for the spanish subtitles.

We arrived back in Shell Sunday night to the pounding rain. It felt good to be home again in Shell.

You might enjoy reading this article as it gives an idea as to what's going on here now. If you ever want to look at news about Ecuador on the web, try this URL: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/full_coverage/world/ecuador/.

Friday I went into a toy store to buy something for Taylor. All I had was a $100. They had no change for that. Before I knew it, one of the guys left the store with my bill to go out into the mall and get some change. I was really worried that he wouldn't come back! After about ten minutes he did come back with the change. Saturday I was at Radio Shack and bought a nine-volt battery. They hardly had change for a $5. They clerks were scraping change out of their pockets. In the end I got back money both in dollars and in sucres. When this happens, deciding if you got the correct change is sometimes difficult.

Just as bad is how confused the Ecuadorian people are trying to figure out the US coins. I bought the boys donuts this morning, and the lady was giving me back change in US coins. I gave her $1 bill and a quarter for a $1.22 total. She thought I still should give her more, so I explained in my poor spanish numbers that I gave her more than enough. It was strange to have someone other than me be confused for once! On a little different note, I found a 1942 dime in my change on Sunday!

You can pray for the country during this time of transition. By September 16 the whole country is supposed to be using the US dollar. It is going to get hairy for a while. There were some calling for a strike on Monday that would probably shut much of the country down, as the roads will be blocked. Also, US dollars, especially change will be scarce. That will make purchases very difficult, because a lot of things cost much less than a dollar. The poor people of this country will be hit very hard.