Peru vs. Ecuador

No, I’m not writing about an upcoming soccer match, or any other type of competition between the two countries.  Following my recent trip to Peru, I’ve been thinking a lot about a trip I took to Ecuador exactly two years earlier, and the experiences I had as a woman traveling alone in these two South American countries.  My trip to Ecuador was the first time I had done this type of traveling by myself, so I was nervous about what the experience would be like.  When I went to Peru I was less worried about my ability to handle a trip by myself, but was concerned about other factors, including if I would be affected by altitude and if everything would go smoothly with the tour company that had arranged all my transportation, hotels and tours.

What I learned, first and foremost, is that I am an independent traveler.  I found that when I went to Peru, I missed the planning that goes into such a trip.  Even though it was easy having everything arranged for me, I wish that I had been able to research and book my own hotels, and decide how I was going to spend each day.  I missed the sponteneity of being able to decide what to do as I went along.  I had these hesitations before booking the trip, but it seemed like I was getting such a good deal on the package, that it made the most sense to do it this way.  Overall, I had a good experience with both Southfares.com in the US as well as their local counterpart, Rainbow Trail Tours in Peru.  It’s just not my style to have everything planned out for me.  I’m too much of a control freak for that.

I also learned that I like to move at a more leisurely pace than I imagine most organized tour packages allow.  I love having the time to really get to know a city, sit in a café or park, or stroll around without feeling rushed.  I was able to do this in Quito, and planned my trip to Ecuador with Quito as a base, doing some day trips from there as well as a 2 night excursion to Baños, and then back to Quito.  In Peru I constantly felt that I was rushing from city to city without sufficient time to explore any of them.

Peru is a fascinating country with a very well-developed tourism infrastructure.  Ecuador is a beautiful country with a lot to see and do, but it seems to me that their tourism industry is not yet developed  beyond its earliest stages.  In some ways that is a bonus.  It means that it’s cheaper, less crowded, and the experience of traveling can feel more authentic.  I loved taking local buses around Ecuador, talking to locals and seeing a glimpse of normal, everyday life.  In Peru, to get from place to place, I was either on a plane, a tourist bus or a tourist train.  Of course, this is also partly a function of the size of Peru and the amount of distance that I covered in a fairly short amount of time.  My opportunity to meet and interact with local people was limited.

In terms of the countries themselves and what they have to offer, I loved both of them.  In Peru, the highlight was definitely Machu Picchu, although I loved Lake Titicaca, Cusco and Lima as well.  Ecuador has spectacular natural beauty, a beautiful and well-preserved colonial city in Quito, an amazing market in Otovalo, and the charming small town of Baños.

I also lucked out in Ecuador by meeting wonderful travel companions.  When I first arrived at my hotel in Quito, I met Antonio, an Ecuadorian-American who was traveling around the country visiting family.  He left Quito the day after I arrived, but I had told him about my plans to go to Baños later in my trip, and to my surprise, when I checked in at my hotel in Baños , the owner informed me that “your friend is already here.”  I didn’t know what he was talking about at first, and it took me a few minutes to remember the conversation I had had a few days earlier with Antonio about my travel plans.  Also staying at the same hotel was Manuela, an Italian woman who lives in New York, and the three of us had a lot of fun exploring Baños together for a few days.  There was also an Ecuadorian guy that I met on the bus from Quito to Baños who I went out to lunch with, and an Irish tourist that I spent one evening with.  Meeting interesting people while traveling makes the entire experience a richer one.  It’s also nice to have company for meals, and that was something that I missing in Peru.  I did meet a few people, mostly on tours, but then never saw them again.  I had a great time going out for a drink in Lima with 3 other travelers I had met on an evening tour, but unfortunately they all left the following day.  My hotels in Peru were more upscale than in Ecuador, and ironically enough, I think that made it more difficult to meet people.  I have found that in budget or backpacker-type hotels, it is much easier to meet fellow travelers than in higher priced hotels.

So, to recap, I loved both Ecuador and Peru and both countries are well worth visiting.  But for the reasons I described above, I enjoyed my trip to Ecuador just a little bit more.  Sorry, Peru!

Thoughts on Cruising

I just came back from a 5 day cruise, and it was quite an enlightening experience.  Let me start out by saying that I had a good time and there’s a lot to recommend about cruising.  The food, service and activities were all excellent, I met some nice people and was thrilled to be in the Caribbean instead of New York in January.  Having said that, to be honest, I also find cruising somewhat bizarre.

More than any other type of travel, it can almost feel like a cult.  Invariably, the first question that people ask each other is how many cruises they’ve been on, which cruise lines, etc.  This was my second cruise in the past 6 years and this feels like a pretty good frequency.  I like to mix up the kinds of travel that I do, but clearly for some people this is the be all and end all.  Just looking at the message boards on cruisecritic.com will give you an idea of the passion that so many have for cruising.  I definitely understand the appeal; it’s an affordable and easy way to visit several destinations in one trip without packing and unpacking or having to worry about a thing.

My cruise had port stops at Cozumel. Mexico and Belize City, Mexico.  Ricardo and I had decided that in Cozumel we would go to the beach and in Belize we would go snorkeling.  That didn’t quite work out as planned.  In Cozumel it was cloudy and chilly, so we abandoned that plan, instead just  doing some shopping around the port area, hopping into an internet café, and returning to the boat early.  In Belize we were able to go snorkeling, despite some clouds and rough seas.  Other passengers went to visit Mayan ruins at both ports or did jungle tours, cave tubing, or other excursions.  However, quite a few just went shopping at both places.  Basically every cruise ship port has souvenir shops readily accessible for passengers exiting the boats.  At these shops you can find t-shirts, magnets, shot glasses, etc. which are most likely made in China.  If you are lucky, you might also find some locally made crafts as well.  Many of the ports also offer duty-free shopping, where it is possible to buy high-end jewelery, watches, and cosmetics, along with liquor and cigarettes at discount prices.  Now, I love shopping as much as the next girl.  What I am against, however, is getting off a ship, walking around a port, buying some trinkets, and believing that you have visited that country.  What I’m getting at is that the experience can feel kind of artificial.  I chose not to do sightseeing excursions, but I also don’t feel that I have seen Belize or Cozumel.  I think that cruising is a great way to learn which countries are worth returning to for a closer look, however I don’t know how many other cruisers see it that way.  In fact, I overheard a woman on the ship telling her friends about another cruise she had taken.  One of the ports she visited was that island where half is St. John and the other half is Martinique.  Excuse me?  You went where?  I think that if you visit a place, you should at least have some idea of where you are.  Or I guess you can just invent your own country and hope that nobody will notice.

One of my favorite parts of traveling is meeting interesting people from all over the world.  Something that struck me on the cruise is the contrast between the multicultural nature of the crew and the homogeneity of the passengers.  On this trip, our waiter was from Bulgaria, the assistant waiter was from Turkey, and the head waiter was from India.   The cruise director was from Wales and some of his staff were from Canada, England, Mexico and Sweden.  I love talking to the crew about what life is like on the ship.  They generally work for 6 to 7 months without a day off–I really cannot imagine that–and then have a 2 month break to go to their home countries in between stints on the ship.  The passengers are, for the most part, American.  We shared a table for dinner with Steve and Jackie from England, and Terry, Jeff and Allison from Ohio.  They were lovely dining companions and  Ricardo and I both enjoyed our meals with them.  We also had lunch one day with a wonderful couple from Florida, Marion and Teddy, who were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary this year.  They were adorable and so sweet.  But just looking around the boat, I was struck by the lack of diversity of my fellow passengers.  We met a couple playing trivia one day who couldn’t understand how it was possible that my boyfriend is both Jewish AND from Venezuela.  I kid you not.

Something that made a strong impression on me was just how overweight so many people on the cruise were.   I am the first to admit that I constantly struggle with my weight and could stand to use a few pounds.  But I am talking about people who are dangerously obese and who just ate and drank all day long.  Living in New York, where many of us go to the gym, walk everywhere, and try to be somewhat health conscious, I was reminded that New Yorkers are not representative of most of the United States.

Despite these observations, I did have fun on my cruise and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again at some point in the future.  It’s fun to get dressed up for dinner and feel a little bit pampered by the attentive service.  It’s a great way to visit a few destinations on one trip, and to escape your normal life and routine.   I just don’t see it as a substitute for really getting to know a country and its culture, which is the type of travel that is the most interesting to me.