Same - Life

Our trip to Same could not have been more different from that of Mindo!  Nevertheless I saw some amazing things and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful beaches and expansive skies that only a South American town can deliver in that manner.

Thursday afternoon after my saxophone lesson with Francisco, all of us MSU kids piled into a coach bus to begin our 6-7 hour trip to the eastern coast of Ecuador.  Same, a small town in the province of Esmereldas, is a definite tourist destination and most of the town that we saw was geared for either the weekend traveling Ecuatoriano/a or gringo/a.

On our way to Same I was struck suddenly every few hours by the drastic changes in climate.  In Quito it's a very dry climate due to the altitude of 9.200 feet or 2.800 meters and so it can get very cold (9 deg. C in the mornings).  As we began our descent, we first had to pass through the clouds.  This was about as cool as it sounds.  Literally it would become incredibly foggy for a few minutes and then suddenly out the other side we were and looking back I  could see the cloud we had just passed through - just this massive pillow - covering the lands.  We passed through a pine forest (not North American pines) and some of the most glorious mountains I have ever seen.  It was stunning to drive through winding roads along the sides of mountains that were so luciously green with trees, ferns, vines and palm trees.  It started raining as the sun went down over the horizon and the air started to get HUMID.

Around 8pm, as people were starting to get a little crazy with cabin fever, we pulled into the Arashá Resort to eat dinner.  The pizza we had was okay and, of course, it was served with a fresh juice that I believe was maracuya.  The real incredible part of this stop was the nature!!  As we got off the bus the humid air signaled more than just rain.  Everything was damp about this place from the ground to the giant fern leaves and other trees who's names escape me.  It felt like we had stepped in to a rain forest and the insects and calls (probably more insects) were so loud.  It was right out of a movie, but even more than that it reminded me of visiting family friends outside of the main towns in Puerto Rico where the coqui would chirp so loudly you'd swear they were sitting on your shoulder...

The bus was super slow and every 2-5 minutes there would be giant speed bumps on the road which now took us through rolling hills of sandy/deserty surroundings.  However slow it was though, we arrived at Same and unpacked ready to hit the beaches in the morning.

After a lovely breakfast of toast and banana jam-stuff, we all loaded up on sunscreen, put on our bathing suits and were ready for la playa!  Everyone was all excited to jump in the water and swim their hearts away.  Unfortunately we were unaware just how strong the waves would be!  I'm sure it was a sight to see about 5 or 6 gringos at a time running into the water, getting plowed by waves, and then returning to the sands with bodies limp from fighting the strong waters.  Don't worry though, by the end of it we were all well-accustomed to determining which waves we needed to dive under for and which we could just allow to pass by.

After the first swim we found out that our chaperones had rented this "banana" and a "bestia" and a few kayaks for us to use for the day.  The banana was like water skiing but on a giant inflatable banana-like tube. The guy driving the boat that pulled the banana would swerve back and forth unexpectedly trying to knock us off and of course he was successful.  Later that day one of my MSU friends, Andy, and I took the kayaks and just went.  At first it was easy, we paddled with the waves and were getting gently pushed along...until we realized just how far we were being carried away :P  It was hard work getting back, but fun - the struggle when there isn't a safety net is thrilling. I definitely want to kayak more before the end of the summer because that was so much fun.

After watching the sunset on the beach, we cleaned up for some dinner before the bonfire party on the beach that night.  We were such a large group that they lowered drink prices for us.  Again I had a fantastic piña colada.  I am a little worried what they're going to be like in the States because I doubt they will be this cheap nor this fresh.  (If I see one piña colada mix going into my drink in the States and no piñas in sight, I will be disillusioned.) Same goes with mojitos.  Anyway, back to the beach.  The beach during the day is definitely a sight to behold but the beach at night...terrifyingly eerily peaceful.  Those words will only make sense if you don't try to reason with them but instead just let them slip in to your subconscious.  An expanse of black and the only thing to that assured me of the fact that the earth didn't end right there was the sound of the waves breaking as they neared the shore.

The next morning I got up early and listened to Fleet Foxes before going to the beach before breakfast.  I sat on the sand with the sun coming over the mountains behind me, warming my back, watching the waves coming in and contemplating.  It's the same cleansing feeling I get when I am faced with a mountain range.

Later that day we went to the Playa Escondida which was probably one of my favorite parts of this trip.  We walked along the "beach" which was pretty much a series of flat rock shelves.  We climbed through rock crevices and climbed on top of  strange rock structures carved out by the water.  Crabs were squished left and right (Ptasnik saying, "You took life this morning, Maria, I hope you're happy." when I stepped on a spider by accident comes to mind :P ).  We were truly at the mercy of the tide on this trip because even as we were walking along the caves, there were already places where it was difficult to cross and the longer we were out, the higher the tide would get.  There were so many beautiful rocks though.  It was like the ones you see for sale in the Museum of Science or in jewelry but just lying on the ground... I picked up a few and a pretty sweet bone too.  This was some really tasty food by the way.  Ginger, raisins, broccoli, fish and rice :)

After another night of dancing on the beach it was ready to head home back to Quito.  I'm so glad I brought my headphones on this trip because I lived for listening to some of my favorite artists while driving through the mountains and sitting on the porch at night after a long day at the beach.  PS I also played flute on the beach (I couldn't bring my alto with me as it is just too big).  That is also something I'll never forget because I've always wanted to bring my music with me into nature.  So often they must be seperate because it isn't practical to bring instruments and start playing in the middle of a hike (some day yes) but for once they could be completely together.  I remember feeling the wet sand beneath my feet and the far reaching hand of the waves  just brushing my feet as I played.

Music and nature.  Inseperable yet often seperated loves of my life.

Finished this blog just in time, because tomorrow I am off to Otavalo for some more hiking and fun :)
Love to all back home in all my homes.  Thanks so much for reading my blog.




Con cariño,
María Elena