Ecuador: Shake, Rattle, and Roll

"Traveling tends to magnify all human emotions.” — Peter Hoeg

Traveling solo is a much different experience than traveling with a partner. It makes you put yourself out there in order to get the most out it. In two weeks, I've met some really cool people. By not being my typical "Type-A" traveling self and thus allowing myself to go with the flow, I've allowed myself to take in more authentic experiences and that's what I longed for when thinking about this trip. Yes, I've done the touristy things, but I've also been just me by going out into the wide-world and wandering to see what's around the next corner.

Yesterday's wandering was at Carolina Park. Parque La Carolina is officially my all-time favorite park. I imagined that if I lived close to this park all that I could do, and my face beamed. People were everywhere on a simple Tuesday afternoon. The 135 green acres in the middle of the city was perfect. The park was full of varying levels of playgrounds, basketball courts, tennis courts, soccer fields, a bmx track, skateboard area, paddle boats, and so much more. There were also ecua-volley courts. This game, which was created here in Ecuador, is played in most parks I've walked near and is a variant of volleyball, but it's played 3-on-3 with a soccer ball and a higher net.

Here in Quito,I also experienced my first D-Box Technology movie for only $6. D-Box is a motion generating chair that vibrates, shakes and rattles according to action sequences in the movie. Pair this tech with 3D and it made for an incredible Spider-Man movie. My favorite sequence was when they were fighting in the school buses and the bus hit laid out on its side. When the bus went sliding, you felt every bump in the D-Box seat. Yes, the movie was fantastic but I think considering I was watching the English version, with Spanish subtitles, in a theater full of Ecuadorians, on a random Tuesday night, made it more memorable. 

Today, I lucked out on a walking tour because I was the only participant. So it was me, Emerson, the guide, and Juan Pablo aka "HTM," a prominent street artist venturing down the streets of historic La Floresta. This area is a chic, hippy, cultural haven where you can find all things art. We visited artists, carpenters, and other crafts people. I learned about the history of the area and how it's evolved through time. All along the walk, we passed tons of street art that Emerson and Juan shared stories about. It was really interesting to hear from the artist himself throughout the tour. I could feel his pain, love and passion through his work.