Day 1: A Discourse on the Theory and Application of an Ecuadorian Experience

Abstract. 

Herein is described an experiential adventure which has commenced within the country of Ecuador. This work differs from previous projects of this author as a bicycle is not included in the methods. Instead, a novel means of travel will be studied, namely, the traversing of terrain by foot, and roads by auto-bus. Collaborators include two women-of-the-world travel friends, who have previously participated in adventures which included, but are not limited to: Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Southeast Asia. The goals of this work are to facilitate deeper cultural perspectives, broaden the understanding of the Andes, cultivate an experience of high altitude, deepen the appreciation of photosynthetic devices (e.g., leaves)--which are expected to be just dripping with rainforest lusciousness--and to richly move, feel, see, relish, and describe. To consume all my vacation days, whisk myself away from the claustrophobic endlessly-gray skies of the north, and have an adventure in the tropics.  

Introduction. 

(Why are you still reading this academic fluffer-nutter? Glad you're still here.) 

Ecuador comprises enormous diversity, demonstrated by the following which represent only a small fraction of the goodness: high-altitude cloud forests, the Amazon rainforest, the Andes mountain range, coastal humidity, an impressive oil industry, an enormous volume of banana production, countless indigenous groups still living in traditional ways as best they still can, blue-footed boobies, Spanish architecture, and grilled plantains stuffed with aged cheese. Did you know that the point farthest from the Earth's core is actually in Ecuador (not Mt Everest)? Mt Chimborazo due to the rotund bulge at the ecuator, actually bears this distinction. 

Materials and Methods. 

The duration of the trip will be 2 weeks and 2 days. The author and collaborators will travel by bus to some, all, or none of the following: Baños for hot springs, Puyo for rainforest, Quito for street art and lack of oxygen, and the Quilotoa Laguna for a multi-day trek. The author will apply utmost stoicism in the test of the hypothesis that going 2 weeks without a bicycle will be impossible. The designer of this study wishes her readers to know that travel without a bicycle is out of "the comfort zone". 

A properly-fitting hiking backpack was given to the author by a certain beloved wonderful man, which served as inspiration for this study, along with the inspiration from his ways to carry as little mass as possible in aforementioned backpack (i.e., simply "pack" as referred to in the primary literature). Thus I could be found cutting the handle off my razor, fitting 5 Tums in a doll's ziplock baggie, and choosing which SINGLE PAIR of shorts I would bring for the duration. Fitting my life support systems into a given space was like a puzzle, playful, resourceful. Mary Poppins' magical carpet bag. My most satisfying component was finding a $70-off sustainably-sourced down coat and mashing it into the space equivalent of a half sub sandwich. Upon freeing it from it's drawstring bag, the coat blooms into a wonder of warming floaty comfort. From what I've heard of the Andes at night, this half sub will initiate immense gratitude.  

Results. 

No preliminary data to report at this time. Please check in to learn the results of this study! 

Acknowledgements. 

Funding graciously provided in part by a flexible and rather seasonally unbalanced job in sustainable agriculture at Cornell. Inspiration and encouragement provided by a loving man in my life. Blessings granted from my family, and endless gratitude that my Mom is doing well. Every forthcoming tropical flower photo is in her honor. 

Appendix A. 

PS. What is amazing: I am tapping these words into a rectangular palm-top computer, using only two of my ten digits, at 32,995 feet, pummeling thru the atmosphere at 526 mph in an aluminum tube. I don't often enough stop to really digest how astonishing these activities are. Also, I just consumed 23 Cheese-its from a brightly colored package, and for those of you who know me and my eating preferences, that activity may seem equally as astonishing. 

P.P.S. Seven hours is a mighty long flight, a mighty long time for me to hold still, and a mighty flat butt has resulted. But to travel so far in this time is actually incomprehensible. I cannot ever truly grasp the distance my body has traveled through space to get here. 

From the Annals of Tracking Beautiful Things, Beautiful Thing for Day 1: 

From outside my airplane window, the glowing orb of full moon reflected on the broad shiny wing, as we parted our way thru wisps of clouds approaching landing. 

Flight, with moon, and sunset.