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CLIMB ECUADOR NEWSLETTER
BOLIVIA: JUNE 10 – 26, 2007
Greetings once again from CLIMB ECUADOR. How’s your summer going?
Reaching new and loftier heights in far-off and exotic lands? Hope so.
Latest from Climb Ecuador is as follows: CE (www.climbecuador.com)
returned to Bolivia again this summer after a 2-year hiatus, and once
again, our group was treated to exceptional mountaineering, stunning
scenery, memorable adventures, and 5-star comfort (courtesy of the Hotel
Europa in La Paz). We had a modest-sized group this time – 3 clients –
Paul Hickman, 41, from Arkansas, Mary Chayka-Crawford, 51, from Michigan
and Alex Ruprecht, 31, from South Africa. CE was last in Bolivia in May
of 2005, smack in the middle of one of the worst civil upheavals in
recent memory. It was during this time in 2005 that the entire nation
went on strike (known locally as a “paro”) which resulted, among other
things, with the resignation of the President (Carlos Mesa), and the
rise to power of Evo Morales – Bolivia’s first indigenous President
ever. Running a climbing trip in a South American country, where all the
roads are blocked with protesters, and violent demonstrations occur day
and night in the streets, is neither fun nor easy. At least one American
climbing outfit (that will remain unnamed) canceled their trip in 2005
and left their clients stuck in La Paz, holding the bag, so to speak. To
our credit, Climb Ecuador hung in there and completed each of our four
climbs (Chacaltaya, Pequeño Alpamayo, Huayna Potosi and Illimani) under
some very trying circumstances. It was refreshing to return this year to
a peaceful, vibrant, “business as usual” Bolivia – a far cry from what
we encountered in 2005. And WHAT a relief it was to be able to drive to
the various mountains and tourist sites on our itinerary without
wondering if a crowd of people was about to puncture our tires or throw
rocks at our vehicle. The Bolivian people seemed more satisfied with the
current political and economic conditions in the country, largely due to
the work of President Morales, although Bolivia still remains the
poorest country in South America. Interestingly enough, the Boliviano –
the local currency – was stronger in relation to the dollar than last
time, coming in at just under 8 Bolivianos to the dollar. Bolivia’s
tourism obviously took a major hit as a result of what happened in 2005,
but it pleases me to announce that the country has solved SOME of its
problems and is a safe, exciting and beautiful mountaineering and travel
destination.
UPCOMING TRIPS
Before with get started with the Newsletter portion, here’s a quick
preview of upcoming Climb Ecuador trips. Quick note: our Ecuador trip is
ON. December 28 to January 12. This is the 5th year in a row we have run
this popular itinerary on these exact same dates. The group, at the
moment, is small (only 4 climbers) so if you are interested in climbing
in Ecuador over the Christmas holiday, let us know! Other trips are
pending:
MEXICO: November 24 to Dec. 7, 2007. 14 days/$2300. Exact same itinerary
as we ran successfully in November of 2006. Climbs of La Malinche
(14,640 feet), Izta (17,126 feet), and Pico de Orizaba (18,405 feet),
Mexico’s highest peak, with tours of Mexico City, the canals of
Xochimilco, the pyramids at Teotihuacan, and the colonial city of
Puebla. The CE itinerary is a MAJOR improvement over many of the
commercial climbing tours to Mexico offered by “our competitors” for
more money where you are run up, run down, and run out of the country in
9 or 10 short days. There is simply too much to see in Mexico for such a
short trip. Our trip dates allow group members to enjoy both the
Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays at home. Check out the day-by-day
itinerary at our website.
ECUADOR: December 28, 2007 to January 12, 2008. THIS TRIP IS CONFIRMED!!
16 days/4 mountains/$2300. Climb Ecuador’s most popular itinerary.
Climbs of Rucu Pichincha (15,700 feet), Iliniza Norte (16,818 feet),
Cotopaxi (19,348 feet) and Chimborazo (20,703 feet), Ecuador’s highest
mountain. In addition to the climbs, we enjoy such side trips as a city
tour of Quito, tour of Mitad del Mundo (equator), shopping trip to the
Indian market towns of Otavalo, Cotachachi and San Antonio, and a tour
of the waterfalls near Banos. Experience Ecuador in a way you will never
forget. Read some client references (www.climbecuador.com under
“References”) for some client perspectives on this trip.
ACONCAGUA: January 14 to February 5, 2008. 23 days/$3200. Aconcagua is
the highest mountain outside of Asia and is one of the most coveted
peaks in the world. Climb Ecuador’s expedition follows the Normal Route
and is fully supported from start to finish. Four- star hotel in
Mendoza, Argentina before and after the climb, private transportation
round trip from Mendoza to trail head, experienced Argentinean mountain
guides, mules to carry all our gear round trip to Plaza de Melas base
camp, 3 fully catered meals, per day, while on the mountain, extra
steaks (Argentinean beef, baby) and group wine at base camp, personal
porters available (extra charge) to carry your personal gear to higher
camps, tour of local winery near Mendoza, and lavish Farewell Dinner.
Itinerary includes acclimatization climbs to Aconcagua’s famous 10,000
foot South Face, and of the side peak, Bonete (16,000 feet).
Recently, I was doing some web searches to see what other U.S.-based
climbing outfits are charging for similar climbing trips as offered by
Climb Ecuador and I thought I’d share this information with you in a new
section we’ve entitled:
AROUND TOWN
Savvy world travelers know that trip price does not tell the whole
story, but it’s certainly an important consideration. Here at Climb
Ecuador, we pride ourselves in offering an exceptional package of
services at WELL-below market prices. All CE clients get:
1) Bilingual American trip leader (moi) available 24/7
2) Good hotels (3, 4 or 5-star, centrally located), SINGLE occupancy
3) Local, licensed, experienced mountain guides with GUARANTEED 2:1
client-to-guide ratio
4) Interesting nonclimbing side trips with local tour guide
5) Private vans and 4x4 transportation
6) Fully catered meals in the mountains
7) All group climbing, camping and cooking gear
8) Cooks, porters, mules, muleteers, etc.
9) Group wine
10) Farewell Dinner
Compare this with trips offered by “our competitors,” and you will see
that other outfits tend to charge MORE and offer LESS. Client-to-guide
ratio is usually 3, 4, or more clients for every guide. Hotels rooms are
almost always double occupancy. Groups tend to be larger and not as
flexible. Food is usually not as good as on a CE trip. Side trips are
often LOW priority. Group wine? Forget about it!! Farewell Dinner?
Sometimes, but not always. American trip leaders, granted, have very
impressive mountaineering credentials, but often (of course, not always)
have limited knowledge of the Spanish language and the local people and
culture.
Here are trip costs, duration, and per day cost, from a sampling of U.S.
climbing companies based on the current information on their websites
(keep in mind that itineraries vary):
AA = Alpine Ascents International
AAI = American Alpine Institute
IME = International Mountain Equipment (in NH)
IMG = International Mountain Guides
ML = Mountain Link
MM = Mountain Madness
RMI = Rainier Mountaineering, Inc.
CE = Climb Ecuador
ECUADOR COST PER DAY
ML – $3585 (14 days) $256
IME – $3300 (17 days) $194
MM – $3275 (15 days) $218
AAI – $3260 (15 days) $217
AA – $3100 (16 days) $193
RMI – $2795 (11 days) $254
CE – $2300 (16 days) $143
MEXICO
RMI – $2695 (9 days) $300
IMG – $2500 (9 days) $277
ML – $2450 (10 days) $245
AA – $2400 (10 days) $240
MM – $2275 (9 days) $252
CE – $2300 (14 days) $164
ACONCAGUA
RMI – $4295 (22 days) $195
AAI – $4200 (23 days) $182
IMG – $4100 (22 days) $186
MM – $3975 (21 days) $189
ML – $3950 (22 days) $179
CE – $3200 (23 days) $139
BOLIVIA
IMG – $3900 (19 days) $229
ML – $3845 (17 days) $226
IME – $3700 (18 days) $205
MM – $3675 (18 days) $204
AAI – $3320 (15 days) $221
CE – $2700 (17 days) $158
PERU
AAI – $4900 (17 days) $288
IME – $3750 (18 days) $208
ML – $3550 (13 days) $273
MM – $3300 (16 days) $206
CE – $2900 (21 days) $138
You get the idea. It would be different if you are paying an extra $800,
$1000 or $1200 for a BETTER trip, with more services for YOU, and not to
cover general business expenses, but this, quite simply, is not the
case. Final bit of advice: before booking any trip, ASK QUESTIONS (such
as):
1) What hotels will we be staying at?
2) How many people in a hotel room?
3) How many clients per guide on the climbs?
4) How many people in a tent?
5) Why are you charging $200 to $300 PER DAY if we spend most nights in
a tent?
6) Any nonclimbing side trips?
7) Who leads the side trips, the American tour leader or a native,
experienced tour guide?
8) How many previous times has the American tour leader run this
particular trip?
9) How much weight will I be carrying?
10) Typical menu at the campsite?
11) Any hidden expenses? Any perks?
Etc. Find out what you’re paying for BEFORE you book a trip. Anyway,
enough “kvetching” – onto the newsletter:
BOLIVIA: June 10 – 26, 2007
June 6: Mary arrives in La Paz.
June 7: Paul arrives in La Paz.
June 9: Alex and Roger arrive in La Paz. Each person gets a private room
at the 5-star Hotel Europa in central La Paz. Amenities include full
buffet breakfast each morning, a hotel health club with swimming pool,
steam room, sauna, jacuzzi, weight room and massage parlor, and free
24-hour internet access.
June 10: Mary, Paul and Roger drive out to an area outside of La Paz
called “La Cumbre,” located on the road to Coroico in Las Yungas for a
4-hour acclimatization hike. (This road eventually becomes what is
described in many tour books as “The Most Dangerous Road in the World”
because of its narrow width, sharp curves and huge, sheer drop-offs.) We
hike up to about 16,000 feet. Later that night the entire group meets
for the first time and goes out to dinner.
June 11: Guided city tour of La Paz. Our ever faithful and fun-loving
driver, Edwin, picks us up at the Europa at 9 AM, with Wilson, our tour
guide for the day. Edwin has been our driver and traveling companion for
the past 4 years and is practically family now. Among his many skills is
that he can chug a bottle of local Paceña beer faster than anyone on the
planet (after the driving is over, of course). Among the points of
interest we visit are Valley of the Moon, Zona Sur (high rent
district!), Sopocachi (the Greenwich Village – i.e., in NY -- of La
Paz), Plaza Murillo, Presidential Palace, Plaza San Francisco, Witches
Market, and Sagarnaga (the street where many climbing, biking and travel
agencies are. After lunch we have the afternoon free.
June 12: Guided day trip to Lake Titicaca and the Island of Suriqui.
Edwin drives us out to the town of Huatajata on the shores of Lake
Titicaca. The highway runs parallel to the Cordillera Real (“Royal
Range”), Bolivia’s main mountain range with many spectacular 18,000 to
21,000 foot snow-covered peaks. We take a small motorboat to the islands
of Kalahuta (for a 1-hour hike) and Suriqui (where reed boats – remember
the “Kon Tiki?” – are still made). After a seafood lunch (trout or
pejerrey from the lake) and a tall, icy Paceña beer, we return to La
Paz.
June 13: Drive to Chacaltaya. Hike to summit (17,530 feet). Trek down to
transport. Paul sits this one out as he is the first to fall victim to a
24-hour intestinal problem. Edwin drives Mary, Alex and I up the road
which leads to Chacaltaya – a 17,530 foot mountain in the “foothills” of
the Cordillera Real – for our first “official” acclimatization hike. The
highest ski resort in the world is located just below the highest point
of Chacaltaya and uses a rapidly receding glacier as it’s main and only
ski run (see page 58 of the June 2007 issue of National Geographic,
entitled “The Big Thaw,” for an article with photos of the disappearing
Chacaltaya glacier.) Mary, Alex and I hike up the ridge to the summit of
Chacaltaya where we enjoy views of Huayna Potosi (19,974 feet), Illimani
(21,125 feet) and the rest of the Cordillera Real. We descend via the
backside of the mountain passing tin mines on the way down. We all bring
our headlamps for a rather unique CE experience – to enter the dark
tunnel of one of the biggest tin mines in that area. The tunnel
supposedly goes clear under the mountain to the other side. You want to
talk “dark??” We follow this tunnel for about 20 minutes before, well,
we get scared and turn around. Our driver meets us on the road at the
end of the hike and drives us back to the Europa in La Paz.
Oh, by the way, guess what June 13th is? My birthday! And the big 5-0 no
less. I’ve gotten used to celebrating my birthday in Bolivia because our
Bolivia trips are always scheduled from late May into June. Edwin, our
driver, is kind enough to invite us to his house for one of the most
memorable birthday parties I’ve ever had. The highlight of the event was
that am persuaded – more like coerced – into drinking a “ferrocarril”
(“railroad” in English). As we learn that evening, doing a “ferrocarril”
is a popular way to kick off a party in Bolivia. It consists of a series
of different drinks (about 6 or 7), lined up on the table, like railroad
cars, which you drink in rapid succession one after the other. Among the
many rules to this rite of passage is that if you stop at any point,
they set up another fresh line of drinks for you to do. So best not to
stop. Luckily this rule is waived for this first time gringo. I manage
to finish the line-up of drinks but take a sizeable break halfway
through. Perhaps this is not ideal “tour leader” behavior, but after
all, it’s my birthday. The next morning, well, let’s put it this way,
I’ve felt better.
June 14: Trek to Condoriri Base Camp. Prepare for climb of Tarija and
Pequeño Alpamayo. Today we sever the umbilical cord to the Hotel Europa
for the first time as we embark on a 3-day trip to climb the mountains
Tarija (17,272 feet) and Pequeno Alpamayo (17,618 feet). Head guide,
Elio, (Elio has worked with CE for several years now and is one of the
best and most experienced mountain guides in Bolivia) arrive with his
4x4 vehicle at the Hotel Europa at 9:30 AM. He is accompanied by
assistant guide, Ruben, also his cousin, and his wife, Lidia, and his
sister, Mery. Talk about nepotism!! Lidia and Mery will be running the
kitchen and preparing all of our meals for each of our climbs. Alex,
Paul, Mary and I load our gear onto the top of the vehicle, hop inside
and set out for the 2-hour scenic drive to the rural village of
Rinconada in the shadow of the peaks near the mountain Condorir (18,530
feet) also known as the “Bolivian Matterhorn.” Upon arriving in
Rinconada, first thing’s first – out come lunch and the frisbees. We
then load up the mules and hike 2 hours into Condoriri Base Camp. This
hike is one of the most scenic treks in Bolivia as it approaches and
passes under Condoriri and other nearby snowy peaks. We set up camp at
around 15,000 feet directly in front of the main glacier and icy walls
of the towering Condoriri, and near a glacial runoff lake. Each client
has his or her own tent (as will be the case for all climbs).
June 15: Climb to the summits of Tarija (17,272 feet) and Pequeño
Alpamayo (17,618 feet). We get up at 4 AM, have breakfast and start
hiking up along a sand and scree trail to Tarija’s main glacier. Upon
arriving at the glacier, we put on our crampons, rope up (Alec and Mary
with Elio, and Paul and I with Ruben) and begin ascending. About 4 hours
later we stand on the summit of Tarija with views all around. Pequeño
Alpamayo is directly behind Tarija and is one of the most impressive
looking mountains in Bolivia. “Little” Alpamayo bears the same name as
the mountain “Alpamayo” (19,511 feet) in Peru which is often referred to
in climbing brochures as “the world’s most beautiful mountain.” Both
“Alpamayo” are steep on all sides and striking in appearance. The
easiest way up Pequeño Alpamayo follows a ridge that approaches 60
degrees at its steepest section. By the way, this mountain is “optional”
for CE clients, but Alex, Mary and Paul all decide to go for it. Paul,
Alec, Elio and Ruben all reach the summit about 2 hours minutes after
setting out from the summit of Tarija. Everyone descends to base camp
where Lidia and Mery are waiting with a fine soup and delicious dinner.
June 16: Spend the morning in Base Camp. Trek back to transport. Return
to La Paz. After a breakfast of eggs, sausages, bread & butter, coffee
and juice, we strike camp, play some last minute frisbee and hike out.
We arrive back in Rinconada about 2 hours later, load up the vehicle and
return to our hotel in La Paz for a steam and a massage. Why can’t life
always be like this?
June 17: Visit 7th century Indian ruins at Tihuanaco. "La Paz by Night"
tour, dinner, show. Mary, Paul and Alex set out with our driver, Edwin,
and tour guide, Wilson, to visit the 7th century ruins and museum at
Tihuanaco. The Aymara-speaking native people who lived in this area
pre-date the Incas by almost a thousand years and left huge stone
statues, walls and figurines for future generations to study and enjoy.
I’ve taken this tour several times in the past so I decide to stay in La
Paz to shop for food for our next climbing expedition, and to get things
ready for our night out on the town. Later that evening, we all meet in
the lobby of the Hotel Europa and go to the “Peña Huari” in central La
Paz for dinner and a show. “Peña” is a Spanish word that refers a
restaurant and/or bar with live music and entertainment. At this
particular peña we are seated front row, center, and are treated to a
rousing evening of fine food and drink, along with 3 different musical
acts with folkloric dance.
June 18: Drive to Refugio Huayna Potosi (15,000 feet). Two-hour glacier
travel seminar. We follow the same morning routine that we followed for
our trip to Tarija (and which we will follow for Illimani): get up,
enjoy buffet breakfast, make lunches, check out of our rooms, bring our
climbing gear to the lobby, meet Elio who loads up the 4x4, drive to a
local, open air market, buy perishable food for our 3-day trip (to
Huayna Potosi) and drive out of La Paz. This time, Elio’s older brother,
Agustin, will be our other guide. Agustin is equally as experienced and
strong in the mountains as Elio. Ruben, Elio’s cousin, also joins us to
lend a hand as needed. And of course, Lidia and Mery, our cooks
extraordinaire!! We arrive at the base camp area for Huayna Potosi, set
up the dining tent and our personal tents, have lunch and chill out.
Elio, Paul and Alex go to practice ice climbing on the bottom part of
Huayna Potosi’s main glacier. I follow to take pictures. Mary stays in
base camp to keep company with Lidia and Mery.
June 19: Climb (with porters) to High Camp ("Campamento Argentino") on
glacier. From base camp we climb up a steep rock and scree trail to
about 16,500 feet. We decide NOT to push on another 1000 vertical feet
to “Campamento Argentino,” a popular high camp area on the open glacier,
because we hear that conditions there are not good: there is drifting
snow and many hidden crevasses. We opt to stay a little lower down in a
new stone hut that is partly owned and operated by none other than our
two guides, Elio and Agustin. This proves to be an excellent decision
because the hut is empty and very comfortable. After a leisurely lunch
and a few games of “ Crazy Eights” we get our gear ready for tomorrow’s
summit attempt.
June 20: Climb to the summit of Huayna Potosi (19,974 feet/6088 meters).
Descend to High Camp, then to hut. Load gear into van. Return to La Paz.
We all arise at 1 AM, have a quick breakfast and set out at 2 AM. We put
on our crampons immediately as the glacier is right outside the front
door. Paul and Alex climb with Elio, Mary has Agustin all to herself,
and I tag along with Ruben in the back (HEY! I just turned 50!!). Mary
reaches the 19,974 foot summit first. Way to go Mary!! Paul and Alex
follow shortly thereafter. I make it to the bottom of the final 50
degree/500 vertical feet section and decide to turn around as I am not
feeling that great. It turns out to be a clear sunny day and a highly
successful one for the clients. We all descend back to the hut, pack up
our gear, continue down to the van, and drive back to La Paz.
June 21: Rest day in La Paz. Visit museums, shops, plazas, churches,
Black Market, etc. Full day of good ol R&R.
June 22: Drive from La Paz to the village of Pinaya. Hike to Base Camp
of Illimani. After our usual morning routine (see June 18) we set out
for our four-day expedition to climb Illimani (21,125 feet), Bolivia’s
second highest mountain. After a four-hour drive over some rough but
endlessly scenic road, we arrive at the small village of Pinaya, in the
shadow of the huge mountain mass of Illimani. The people of this poor,
rural community are friendly, humble and VERY hard working. They provide
the mules to transport our gear up to base camp (15,300 feet), and then
work as porters the next day to carry it from base camp to high camp
(18,200 feet). After securing our backpacks, food, stoves, tents, ropes,
etc., onto the mules we all set out for a 3-hour hike up to base camp.
Base Camp/Illimani is my favorite place in the world to camp. It’s
perfect. Large, flat, with soft alpine grass, a glacier river running
right down the middle of the area, and stunning views of the 3 main
summits of Illimani high above and the lower valleys spread out in all
directions below. At night, you can see a sea of lights off in the
distance which is La Paz. After setting up all of our tents, including
our large dining tent, we break out the frisbees to take advantage of
the sunshine and open space. The local people of Pinaya LOVE to play
frisbee. They are endlessly fascinated by this strange toy and will play
it all day and night. And believe me, with their stamina and
acclimatization, they COULD play frisbee all day and night. Some can
actually throw the thing, but most send it off to god knows where,
giggling with joy and a tad of self-consciousness. After a dinner of
vegetable soup, fried trout, “choclo” (Andean corn-on-the-cob), and
steamed broccoli, we eventually head to our tents to sleep.
June 23: Climb (with porters) from Base Camp to High Camp ("Nido de
Cóndores" or "Condor's Nest")(18,200 feet) on Illimani. Mary and I
decide we are not going to attempt Illimani, so that leaves Paul and
Alex with their own private guide – Paul with Elio and Alex with
Agustin. This fearsome foursome set out for high camp at around 10 AM
accompanied by 5 porters doing the heavy lifting, and Lidia to do the
cooking. High camp is called “Nido de Cóndores” or “Condor’s Nest” and
it is a stunning and precarious perch high up on the massive shoulder of
Illimani at 18,200 feet. From here you can see much of the Cordillera
Real, Lake Titicaca, even Sajama – Bolivia’s highest mountain – way off
in the distance near the border with Chile. The porters drop their
loads, help set up the tents and quickly scurry back down to base camp,
then back down to their homes in Pinaya. Paul, Alex, Elio and Agustin
have dinner, ready their gear for summit day and go to sleep. At Base
Camp, Mary and I take shorter hikes in different directions, have dinner
with Mery and the porters (who had by now descended from high camp) and
spend a relaxing evening taking pictures, playing frisbee and drinking
tea.
June 24: Climb to the summit of Illimani (21,125 feet/6439 meters).
Descend to Base Camp. Paul, Alex, Elio and Agustin get up at around 12
midnight and begin the arduous 8-hour climb to Illimani’s South summit,
its highest. They all make it and celebrate heartily at the top, take
plenty of summit photos and breath in the rarefied air. They descend to
high camp, have some soup, help the porters take down tents and pack
gear, then hike back to base camp. At base camp, we have a “final day in
the mountains” dinner party. Some gutsy frisbee competition is followed
by a lavish FEAST, and this is no exaggeration. As is customary with CE
trips, for our final dinner on Illimani, I arrange to have the
townspeople bring up on mules a couple of burlap bags filled with large
Paceña beers, a variety of cooked potatoes (“tubers” for those in the
know) and an entire lamb, slaughtered and cleaned that very day. The
beers go immediately into the glacier runoff stream to get cold, while
the wives of a couple of the porters, and Mery begin cooking the lamb,
first in a large pressure cooker, then in a large frying pan.
Eventually, Paul, Alex, Elio and Agustin arrive (at around 4 PM) and the
festivities begin. Icy cold beers are passed out to one and all,
frisbees start flying in all directions, all stove burners are blazing
away – the campsite hums with activity. With Lidia and Mery at the helm,
we have perhaps the best base camp dinner in CE history. Anyone who’s
been on a CE trip knows that I tend to buy far more food than we end up
needing. Well Lidia and Mery decided to cook it all, empty the cupboard
so to speak, it being the final night of the trip: fresh lamb, about 6
different kinds of locally grown potatoes, a huge pot of soup, corn,
string beans, carrots, spinach, broccoli, lima beans, cauliflower,
bread, chocolate pudding, cold beer, canned peaches – you name it, it
was somewhere in that dining tent. Everyone sits down and has a hugely
filling and satisfying meal together, including the clients, guides, the
5 porters and their families, the muleteers, and even a stray dog who
can recognize tasty grub when he smells it. The party goes well into the
night and turns out to be a very memorable affair.
June 25: Spend the morning in Base Camp. Return to La Paz. Farewell
Dinner. I get up this morning with a purpose – to teach Lidia and Mery
how to make the ultimate gringo breakfast: pancakes!! I have all the
fixings: Aunt Jemima pancake mix, eggs, margarine, maple syrup, mixing
bowl, frying pan and spatula. Last time we tried to make pancakes at
Illimani’s base camp (a few years ago), we ended up with something that
looked more like mashed potatoes than pancakes. This time we are
successful. The pancakes come out perfectly and Lidia catches on
immediately, producing one perfect pancake after another. After
breakfast, we strike camp, hike down to Pinaya, load the vehicle, say
goodbye to our many friends, and begin the drive back to La Paz. We take
a different route going home – following a dry river bed for much of the
journey and passing through some dry, dusty villages. In four hours we
are back in La Paz and in 5-star comfort once again. We quickly scramble
around to make last minute purchases, and preparations for our Farewell
Dinner and impending departures. The Farewell Dinner is held at the
Vienna Restaurant, considered by some to be one of the best restaurants
in La Paz. Another fun and filling affair is had by all.
June 26: Fly home. Buen viaje !! The inevitable is upon us – the end of
our trip. Paul and Alex fly home early in the morning. Mary and I wait a
day for our flights. Another chapter in CE history comes to a close.
That’s it. For those of you who made it this far: THANKS! Remember,
Ecuador in December. Be safe. Stay cool. And keep in touch.
Roger Kovary
CLIMB ECUADOR
147 West 79th Street, #1D
New York, NY 10024
(212) 362-4721
www.climbecuador.com
rkovary@aol.com
rkovary@gmail.com
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