“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us."

The last 24 hours in Quito were definitely ones to remember. Mel and I got up, filled my backpack for the day and got a cab to the TeleferiQo, a cable car that took us up a good distance, but decently shy of the summit of Rucu Pichincha (like many in Ecuador, an active volcano). We originally thought we’d hike at and around this junction with zero intention of making an attempt at the summit. I’ve mentioned altitude already, at the end of the ride on TeleferiQo it puts us just shy of 13k above sea level. Way more than where we were at in downtown Quito. So we walked around a bit. Tried a few uphill climbs. Felt genuinely great - thought “what the hell!” - and started taking the trail to the summit with the strict caveat that we’d check in regularly and turn around when one, or both of us needed to head back down. When we reached our “ok that’s enough” point - the Cueva del Oso (there was no bear there, no worries) - we were both ecstatic to find that we’d hiked up to 14510 feet ASL (roughly, since I was using the Compass app on my iPhone), a little over 1000 feet from the summit.

It was the highest elevation Mel and I had ever hiked at and the views were just unbelievable. Seriously, these pictures do the view we had of Quito and everything around it so little justice.

It was an amazing day to say the least. We got down the mountain and into Quito to find the city ransacked with, apparently, the normal Saturday crowds (it was INSANE). When we made it back to our AirBnB we looked in the mirror and saw the only downside of the day. While we both wore pants and long sleeves, we failed to put sunscreen on or wear our hiking hats. We got completely lobsterized. It was all good though, we made dinner in that night and fell asleep to all of Quito’s church bells ringing, celebrating 40 years since the declaration of Quito’s historical center being named a world heritage city. It was calamitous, but also lovely.

The next morning we moved slow because of the hike the day before, but were also energized to pack up and move onto the city of Otavolo. That trip necessitated a 2 hour bus ride from new town Quito (which we hadn’t seen since spending all of our time old town) affording us new views of the country side and our first bus experience in Ecuador. One quick aside, Ecuadorians are just the kindest people. Even when they are frustrated (which rarely happened) with our lack of knowledge of their language, they try so hard to help us out. Mel and I often refer to our grasp of Spanish as “it’s broken, but still working” and that hasn’t been pressed home as much as it has on this trip. We try, they try harder, and we always get to some form of both of our initial objectives. It kinda gets me misty thinking about it. Humans… we can be lovely when we want to be. Regardless of where we come from. We just have to give a damn and try.

We got to Otavolo in the early afternoon to find that, if we aren’t the only people at this rather large lodge, we gotta be one couple of two. Max. The La Casa Sol Andean Lodge is everything the listing said and more. Utterly charming with incredibly friendly and accommodating staff. We are staying here through our anniversary day so we hoped it would be a special place and it’s delivered in spades. In the room, there is a fireplace, so we naturally had a fire the first night. It was magical, and needed, as it get’s pretty chilly at night.

That night we slept like babies and got up early and checked out the sacred Cascada Peguche, a waterfall that is an easy walk from where we are staying. It was really beautiful and clearly loved by the locals and tourists alike, judging by the sacred offerings of food around the waterfall and the wear and tear of the trails leading up to it. We both took off our socks and shoes and waded into the fall’s cold and sacred waters. It reminded me of when Mel and I bathed in the Ganges in Rishikesh, India. You don’t have to be religious to feel something when you come in touch with bodies of water that are revered by many, for hundreds of years.

After that, we made our way into town for our first walk through downtown Otavolo. We walked it’s streets, had a great lunch, hit its very well known central open market, and then made our way back to our humble abode. It was a long day with 10 miles logged. After I finish writing this we going to grab a bite to eat before crawling into bed and fueling up for whatever tomorrow brings.

I’ll think I’ll end this here. More on another day!

I tried posting something yesterday and the internet was so slow that it not only didn’t post here on this site, but it also lost my words and the pictures that were attached. Such is life. I’m giving it another shot here though and writing this in an external editor. Something I should’ve done to begin with (sigh).

The trip down here couldn’t have gone better. Everything went smoothly and each leg of travel arrived 15 to 20 minutes earlier than scheduled! Yes! Because we lost an hour, we arrived after sundown but even under the veil of darkness, we could tell the AirBnB we got (and the grounds it was on) were special. Great uses of space inside, very cozy, very us.

After a good night’s sleep, we woke and got to take everything in. This villa is such a beautiful location, you can tell the owners and caretakers love what they’ve created here. We even have our own little porch to sit out on and enjoy a morning coffee or an evening cerveza. Our view of the city built into the landscape was just the tip of the iceberg - over 2.5 million people live here - but it gave us motivation to head out and experience it all for ourselves!

The first full day we took it easy and did everything slooooooowly. Quito is 9500 feet above sea level, a fact the both Mel and I felt almost immediately. Shortness of breath, onset headaches… but that didn’t stop us from walking up the city’s hilly roads (think San Francisco steep) and even to the top of one of Quito’s tallest cathedrals, the Basílica Voto Nacional. I was shocked we made it up to the top (especially me, with my fear of heights - Tad talking here) as the ladders / stairs were quite rickety. But it was all worth it, as the views of the city up there were just epic! There is definitely a Northern Spain feel to Quito, but, all the same, it’s got its own unique feel as well. Which is nice considering its history.

Later that night we treated ourselves to some authentic Ecuadorian cuisine which, if you are a “meat and potatoes” type of person, would be right in your wheelhouse. It was simple, but tasty. I am still on the hunt for roasted guinea pig but haven’t struck pay-dirt yet. Not sure why I even want to but, it’s a delicacy here so, when in Rome.

Day 3 had us hitting more corners of the Old Town that we missed yesterday, including El Panecillo, which is the gigantic Virgin Mary statue you may have noticed in the background of one or more of the pics posted. The city is extremely walkable so it’s been, for the most part, easy to navigate with little map use. We had a delicious bowl of fish soup with shrimp and capped the afternoon with a coffee near one of the many beautiful squares around the city.

Oh yeah, the coffee here does NOT disappoint. Dear lord are they strong cups!

One bummer we ran into was the museums we wanted to take in, one was not what I was expecting (my bad) and the other had no English speaking guides present, which we didn’t care about, but apparently they insisted upon. So we’ll make another attempt tomorrow.

Early afternoon hit and Mel felt a blister coming on, so we hightailed it back to our lovely home-away-from-home to plan tomorrow and get started on rounding up transportation from Quito to Otavalo on Sunday.

That’s it for now! We are having a blast!

Hey guys,

Sorry for the lack of updates. Internet connectivity has been so poor that it just isn't feasible to keep the updates going on this trip. Tomorrow we head into Glacier Park and that'll play us out, connectivity-wise, until we get to Billings, MT where we fly out and come home.

Before then, some highlights from the last few days.

We had 2 days to specifically to view Mount Rushmore and we didn't get to see it because of dense cloud cover and pea soup weather. (honestly hilarious, and I wasn't all that let down)

Devil's Tower was truly something behold.

Battle of Little Bighorn national park was odd, more than a little sad,  kind of a let down. Though the ranger who gave the presentation we watched was insane! LOL

Good people are everywhere and we were lucky to have one of them take us into her home. It was a great night.

The hot springs at the North entrance of Yellow Stone are vast and impressive!

The afternoon storms in Wyoming and Montana is have been INSANE!!

Tonight we went to a tiki bar that was retrofitted into an old casino motor lodge that had an old lady singing covers of old tunes whilst playing an organ and, if that wasn’t enough, there was a water tank behind said bar that had swimming mermaids in it. Yep. That’s right. Young ladies in mermaid costumes were swimming in a super large tank waving and making fun of folks drinking at the bar. Bizarre and wonderful!

We woke at the crack of dawn and left Keystone for the Badlands to get off the road and put some miles under out boots in the park itself. Luckily the officially maintained trail that the park has a more than adequate over six mile lollipop loop that took us miles away from the main roads. Interesting side note, you can hike anywhere in the park, if you felt so inclined. And you had a compass. And plenty of water. And a rattlesnake kit.

We almost became numb from all the beauty, wildlife, and wild flowers that we saw. The weather was absolutely perfect too.

After that amazing hike, we got to the car and hightailed back down to the Pine Ridge reservation in the hopes of catching a pow wow that a local university was hosting in honor of the recent graduates. We were kinda-sorta invited by two locals the day before at the chamber of commerce, but the trick was finding the event. There are 3 large Native American schools in the area so the list was small. We hit first two schools that were closest to each other and got the right place with the second stop.

Out of respect for the ceremony, I didn't take any pictures to share. But to witness the chants, the ceremonial garb, the affection amongst tribal families and communities, the pride in the continuation of these traditions... it was a true gift. My heart was SO full when we left! Justin and I both noticed how time passed whilst witnessing it all. It felt like we were only there for an hour and I am pretty sure we were there for three!

After that, we made another quick stop at the burial ground at Wounded Knee before heading back to Keystone where I was treated to my first BUFFALO siting!!! Oh and we also saved a really sweet puppy we found running down the middle of the road.

When we got back to our room, we decompressed with a whisky outside and watched tomorrow's storms slowly roll in.

A long day for sure. But a perfect one.

After eating the complimentary breakfast at the Best Western we stayed at in Wall (seriously, not a typo, the town is literally called "Wall") we headed South into the Badlands National Park.

Immediately we were hit with an incredible landscape the likes of which I had never seen. The pictures here won't do it justice but I can say that, landscape-wise, I often felt like I was on another planet. The park was teeming with wildlife and, of course, there were plenty of turn-offs to park and take in the park's splendor.

After taking a ton pictures and a wee bit of exploring (we had already resolved ourselves to come back tomorrow to actually hike in the park) we hopped in the car and headed south to the Pine Ridge reservation and pay our respects at Wounded Knee. As you could imagine, there was a distinct heaviness to Wounded Knee with its history and the massacre that occurred there. We visited the monument and the shallow mass grave up the hill from where the event took place. There really are no words - and, out of respect, no pictures - for what we saw and felt there.

After Wounded Knee, we went headed northwest to Keystone but not before hitting "The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School" along the way to take in the art and craftwork of the local tribes. Such talented folks! And what a gift it was to see the world through their eyes via their art.

Today started early, mostly because of jetlag but also because we were psyched to get on the road, but before that? Breakfast.

We were shocked to find the hotel we stayed at didn't include even a rudimentary continental breakfast, so we went local in the hopes of finding somewhere that we could hear the locals chat and we could ask questions about what and where to explore.

We decided on Rosie's Cafe and man, did that payoff! A literal home-cooked meal, lots of retired locals talking about their days, wonderful and kind wait staff, an uber chatty younger lady extolling all the good things about Sioux Falls, and unfortunately bad coffee (there always has to be balance folks). We ate, made a loose plan on where to head out afterwards, and then headed out the door to the car... but not before stumbling upon this gem of a place:

Yep. It was time to hit the road!

And hit the road we did! We almost immediately decided on ditching the highway for backroads and that decision quickly paid dividends in wildlife views, miles and miles of fields that undulated in the intense winds (it went from 72 degrees to 98 by days end - crazy), and overall quality of life for our 5 hours on the road.

We saw the "Corn Palace" in Mitchell, the bizarre splendor that is "Wall Drug" in Wall, and a bunch of birds, hawks, prairie dogs, horses, and my first ever Pronghorn siting (what a grand and beautiful beast that was! It ran away before we could get a decent picture) though! In between all of that, we stopped a lot to take pictures. It was wonderful!

Before we reached Wall, we got a more than decent look at the Badlands, which we plan to attack tomorrow.

Having never been to the Dakotas, I didn't know what to expect. I guess a part of me anticipated dry and arid plains, filled with dusty whirling dervishes and the occasional tumbleweed. What we found was quite the opposite. Everything is SO green here and while it's clearly a community surrounded by agriculture (It's been a while since I've been in a town where the smell of manure permeates the air. It reminded me of our first apartment outside of Keene.) it didn't feel like an ag-based town.

What it did end up being, unfortunately, was strip-mall central, providing me with one of the most intense Walmart experiences I've ever encountered. It was probably travel fatigue, but man, I couldn't get out of there quick enough.

Justin and I used that time to stock up lunch stuff and road snacks before getting dinner at a local brew pub where I had an excellent burger and a local beer that ended up being one of the best pilsners I've ever had.

Another sunrise, and I’ve yet to share the sea swallowing sunset of our arrival in Finisterre. I suspect other stories will wind their way out in their own time - although as the flow of our feet has slowed, the words have increased their pace.

We were up before the sun again, this time for the first transport other than our feet in 6 weeks. We sat on the wrong side of the bus for the view, but the right side to look out at just the moment a friend passed by on the sidewalk, of course - these connections, these threads, these moments, there have been so many, such beautiful examples of how connected we are.

'It is the fact that, at a certain moment, when we are so far from our own country… We are seized by a rogue fear, and an instinctive desire to go back to the protection of old habits…

//This is why we should not say that we travel for pleasure. There is no pleasure in traveling, and I look upon it more as an occasion for spiritual testing… Pleasure takes us away from ourselves in the same way as distraction, in Pascal’s use of the word, takes us away from God. Travel, which is like a greater and a graver science, brings us back to ourselves.//

At that moment, we are feverish but also porous, so that the slightest touch makes us quiver to the depths of our being. We come across a cascade of light, and there is eternity.’”

~Albert Camus, via Parker Palmer (The Courage to Teach), and himself (//Notebooks, 1935-1951//)

Made it to Santiago de Compostela! (And are currently on our way to Fisterra)

We made it to the end of the way of St. James (Frances route) two days ago.

It’s extremely hard to describe how it felt to watch so many pilgrims, much like us, finishing their respective journeys. We’ve all been through our own pilgrimage - physically and mentally - so of course there was much laughter and tears for many, including our dear friends Chris and her daughter Haley, who we’ve spent a lot of time with. To celebrate, we ended up splitting an AirBnB apartment with them, so that we could all spend their last night in Santiago together. It was a wonderfully cozy space for reflection, laughter, and sharing. Saying goodbye to them was rough, but inevitable. We love them both a lot.

Beyond that, what’s been odd for Melinda and I, has been the fact that we always felt that the end to our Camino lied on the coast in Fisterra. So to see so many folks (some of them now dear friends) finish and congratulate us for “finishing” ourselves, felt… I don’t know… incomplete.

No doubt, we travelled over 500 miles to see Santiago and attend the pilgrim service, but the end of our journey was just a bit further. So early this morning, when we put our packs on for the first time in a day in a half, it felt good to lace up our shoes and hit the road again to make our way to Negreira (where I am currently typing this).