A serendipitous journey
Making fortunate discoveries by accident
Maintaining sagacity or a keen perception
Wandering off the margins
Finding surprises when prospecting
Extending invisible antennas
Asking questions
Initiating conversations
Improvising
Getting lost
Finding the unexpected
All point you unknowingly
To what you are not seeking

Sitting on the beach
A daily pastime in Ayampe, Ecuador
Gazing at the sea
Each day the same
Each day different
The subtleties differentiate
The rotation of the tides
Swell of the surf

Shifting breezes
Formation of the pelicans
Shapes of shells and geometric stones
Crabs scurrying about creating new digs
Number of surfers

Largeness of the clouds
Blueness of the sky
Understated to an unobservant eye
Profound to awareness
Meditative gazing
La buena vida

Ecuador is the land of la hamaca, they come in many colors and fabrics, and they are everywhere – porches, balconies, living spaces, restaurants, hotels, in the jungle and on the beach.

Yes, the Ecuadorians have figured out the art of relaxing en la hamaca! I cant think of a better way to kick back, put your feet up, chill, listen to the waves, and enter a more tranquil space. In a hamaca one becomes beyond relaxed.

The simple hammock – a sling made of fabric, rope, or netting suspended between two points and used for swinging, resting, or sleeping. Hamacas were first developed by the native inhabitants of Central and South America. By suspending their beds above the ground they were able to avoid harmful snakes, biting insects, and perilous animals.

They were later used aboard ships by sailors for comfort and to maximize available space and more recently used in spacecraft. Today the beautiful hand-woven hammocks of Ecuador are crafted by the various indigenous Indians.

My secret is out – you know where I spend part of my day – communing with la hamaca.

Landed after dark in the small beach pueblo, Same (pronounced Sa me), located on the northern coast of Ecuador and our stay turned into an eight-day escape from the modern world.

Internet was sparse and slow, the locals an eclectic colorful tribe, the fish fresh, the Pilsner grande cold, wave cruising pelicans, and no gringos in sight except for Tex Mike who had a young Venezuelan wife, a place on the beach for eighteen years and more than a few stories of working the oil rigs.

We stumbled onto Same after dark when the bus dropped us off on the side of the road a mile past the dirt road leading to the town. We wondered back, schlepping our roller bags and backpacks, looking for the hostel, La Casa de Amigos, listed in Lonely Planet, which no longer existed. Several young local boys came to our rescue and took us to one of their father’s who is a caretaker for a house on the beach. We rented a room in the house, only we were the only occupants, thus had the entire house to ourselves. The house had an intriguing story – owned by a wealthy British woman who lived life big, played hard, and died of a heart attack at 54.

You never now what you are going to stumble onto next when you head down the road with no grand scheme.

Landed at Runa Huasi Lodge in Selva Viva in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We had the good fortune to meet a young teacher from Germany and a mother and son from Sweden on the bus to Tena – a jumping off point to the Amazonia.

We decided to join them at this small lodge – a 45min bus from Tena and water taxi to the lodge.

The native environment embraced us as we entered our thatched roof hut with no electricity – we did have running water.

Dinner was served by candlelight and consisted of Ecuadorian fare – Sopa verde, a main dish of rice, plantains, meat, and local vegetables, fruita fresca for desert.

The jungle hike and tour confirmed that life is large in the Amazonia. The fauna, flora, and forest grow gigantic with continual rain and humidity.

Coconut carts are common sights on the streets of Cuenca, Ecuador. After an afternoon of walking I decided to quench my thirst and try a glass of the clear liquid (not to be confused with coconut milk made from coconut meat). Poured right out of a slightly immature coconut, sliced open with a handy machete the nectar had a subtly sweet taste with a slight hint of salt. And for .50 cents it adequately satiated my thirst and boosted my blood sugar for the short walk back to my guesthouse.

Each nut contains about 200-1000ml of water and along with sugars, electrolytes and minerals to replenish dehydration in the body. Coconut water has been used with patients suffering with diarrhea in many tropic regions to reduce the need for IV therapy. Coconut water contains naturally occurring bioactive enzymes that aid in digestion and metabolism and is a source of B-complex vitamins. The water contains a good amount of potassium and some sodium and has been used by athletes post workout.

So is coconut water the trending elixir and touted as another of Mother Earth’s “natural waters” for a more healthful life worth the price or the hype?

In a recent article published in Time magazine 4 out of 5 nutritional experts said a resounding NO. Ranging in price between $1.99-2.99 for approximately a 10 oz. container, Nancy Clark, registered dietician and sport nutrition counselor and guru says, “I’d rather spend my money on natural food, and not an over-hyped fluid.” Yes it is a good source of potassium, but so are bananas, raisins, and potatoes. “

Coconut water has been famous for nutritional posturing,” states Todd Cooperman, MD and president of the independent tester of health products Consumer Lab.com. He found that most of the products tested failed to meet their mineral claims – specifically of the heralded electrolytes, magnesium and sodium. However, Kristin Kirkpatrick, registered dietician and manager of the nutrition services a Cleveland Clinics Wellness Institute defenses the liquid stating “it’s a much better choice than a sports dink loaded with excess sugar if you are looking for a break from regular water and you can use some potassium.

My recommendation: at .50 – $1.00 a glass on the street corner of Ecuador, poured straight from the coconut, it was a unique and refreshing beverage. At $2.59/container from your local natural foods outlet – I might just grab a banana, a handful or raisins, and my trusty water bottle after my workout.

I hit the pool for the first time after arriving in Cuenca, Ecuador, 3 days ago. At 8200ft. I felt like I was swimming though molasses. And here is why:

• Your resting heart rate at altitude can be 10% higher and maximum heart rate can be 10% lower in the first week in altitude. Not going to tolerate much high intensity starting out!

• Iron uptake can increase almost 100% in the first few days at altitude. Normal iron stores during this time are not sufficient to meet the demand for hemoglobin synthesis. A multiple vitamin as well as iron supplementation is important (200-300mg/day beginning 2-3 weeks prior to heading to the mountains) or as I like to say “Where’s the beef?”

• Fatigue also sets in quicker at altitude and requires longer rest intervals when training and between workouts. Rest periods should be extended 15-30% at altitude for adequate recovery. and oh yea take more daily naps!

• Dehydration can also be a problem at altitude. Plasma volume has been shown to decrease as much as 25% in the first 8-10 days at altitude. So drink lots of fluids and keep the diuretics (caffeine) to a minimum. Salt will help to retain fluids. So bring on the beer and salted plantain chips!

The good thing is that I know the pool workouts are going to get easier the longer I am here swimming at 8200ft. And when I return to Tucson I’ll be feeling like at dolphin slicing through the water!

Weaving shawl straw to make hats (also know as the Panama hat) and multiple crafts such as baskets, bags, decorations, and purses is a tradition in the Cuenca and Azuay regions of Ecuador. The fiber comes the palm of the carludovica palmate.

The manufacturing process of shrawl straw hats and crafts begins with the fibers taken from the palms and treated to become soft and clear. It is then sold to the artesians to be worked into various products.

The finest fibers will be used in the best hats. The weaving is performed by hand in a circular manner. A mold is used to form the different part of the hat, the inner lining, cup and skirt.

The Panama hat is know world wide for its high quality and has become synonymous with elegance and distinction. The hats are popular with both men and women, indigenous populations as well as gringos.

Vibrant mercados are found throughout Cuenca – mercados de flores, jewelry, fruitas y verduras, organic produce, carne, pollo y pescado, herbs y espacias.

I love going to el Mercado con mi Professora de Española, Maria Elena. She is health conscious and knows exactly where and how to buy the best produce, meets and herbs.

Today we toured the area with fresh herbs and spices and picked up Manzanita (chamomile for tea), lleve Louisa (lemon grass for tea) and some other greens that make tea for the health of the stomach.

She also pointed out the organic pollo (chicken) and how they cook and eat the entire chicken with all of the entrails and eggs. Nothing goes to waste.


We bought fresh verduras (vegetables) to make sopa de samba (squash soup) por cina (for dinner).

We enjoyed the delicious sopa de somba. Buen provechio!

We woke to a partly cloudy sky and knew we might have a window of weather to head up to 13,000 ft and Cajas National Park, 40 minutes outside of Cuenca, Ecuador. Our prior two trips through Cajas had been overcast, raining, windy and damn cold! Our packs loaded with our warmest clothes and rain gear, we boarded the local bus for the winding road arriba. We headed out for a three and one half hour hike on ruta 2, el ruta rojo. No map, said the park official, just follow the red markers.

Fortunately the trail was mostly abajo (down) con arriba pequeno (small ups). We were fairly well acclimated to the elevation as we had been living at 8200 ft for six weeks, but still had to take the up hills slowly.

The trail wandered through forests, wetlands, and wide open spaces. It traversed streams and meandered around small glacial lakes. And we sighted our first llama.

Fortunately we did not need our rain gear, but did wear our down jackets!

We were rewarded by a small 60 year old restaurant at trails end that served up wonderful trucha fresco (fresh trout) from the mountain rivers. As we were the only guests, our host and cook joined us for some local conversation.

Buen provecho!