Quito: Weddings, Llamas, and Coca
Back in January 2023 my girlfriend told me we were invited to her cousin's wedding in Ecuador and that after the wedding the bride and groom had invited the entire family to join them in September for a week in the Galápagos. Having just shelled out some serious dough to go back to Kenya, I was unsure if I was going to be able to afford another international trip. After some deep contemplation and coming to terms with being in debt for years to come, I booked my flights and hotels. Let's take a minute to be honest here, I would do anything to go to the Galápagos. And I get the added benefit of meeting my girlfriend’s extended family while I’m down there… If my girlfriend is reading this, reverse that.
I learned about the islands in school at a young age and then through hundreds of hours of watching Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, and reading about it in National Geographic. The Galápagos, the origin of the origin of species, the place where evolution was documented. A place full of history; cultural history, evolutionary history, geologic history. Charles Darwin. Giant tortoises, finches, swimming iguanas, tropical seas, coral reefs, volcanoes, continental drift, erosion, life and death. This is the photographer's paradise. Time to get packing.
I did a bit of research regarding lens selection. Most of what I read stated that all that was really needed was a 70-200mm and that big lenses weren’t worth the weight of bringing as you can get closer to the wildlife than in other parts of the world. Well seeing as this is my one shot at getting the most bang for my buck I brought it all.
Nikon D750
Nikon D7200
Sigma 70-200mm
Sigma- 18-300mm that goes macro at 300
Nikon- 200-500mm
17-50mm
Along with various accessories.
Battery grips
Peak design straps
Sd cards galore
Cotton carrier chest piece and the Velcro belt holder (courtesy of Ed)
The big purchase for the trip was a DiCAPac waterproof camera case. $100. A real underwater housing costs over $1,000 and to rent was $500…. I couldn't justify either of those.
Ok, ok, on to the trip.
We left JFK Thursday on the red eye to Quito. Landed at Mariscal Sucre Quito International Airport around 6am Friday morning. Got a cab over to the San Jose Puembo Hotel and met up with my girlfriend's family. Said our hellos, grabbed her brother and then set off for a day of exploring the city and surrounding area. First stop: Teleférico (gondola lift) on the other side of the city. Quito sits at over 9,000ft, the second highest capital city in the world. My home sits at just 30ft above sea level. The twisting, winding, nauseating drive through the switchback roads of the city up to the Teleférico quickly kicked in the altitude sickness, hard. A wicked headache and shortness of breath, combined with motion sickness, was a rough way to start the trip. And what did I do to help cure my altitude sickness? Get on a gondola and go higher.
The Teleférico takes visitors from just above the city at 10,000ft to the top of Pichincha Volcano at almost 13,000ft. At the top were sweeping views of the city and the volcanic mountains that surround it. I enjoyed it as much as I could. The headache was beginning to blur my vision and walking was a laborious task only a few feet at a time and at a snail's pace. Genesis went to the cafe to get me something to drink. I sat and listened to a local artisan play his flute in front of a table full of trinkets and handmade gifts. She brought me back a cup of tea that would supposedly help with my altitude sickness. The tea is called té de coca. Basically coca tea. Coca leaf, being the main ingredient in…. you guessed it… cocaine. After coming back down from the Teleférico and drinking tea my headache was gone and I was feeling better. Now off to Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World City) an educational town that sits directly on the equator. With several museums and cultural displays as well as shops for the tourists it was a cool experience at the center of the world.
Lunch was a big bowl of encebollado (fish stew). Delicious, but as I learned over the next day and a half it is not wise for Americans to eat fish in Quito, as it gave me wicked stomach aches. Spent the rest of the day meeting family and hanging around the hotel grounds, watching hummingbirds and the llamas that live on the property.
Sprakkling violetear
The next morning we had an early breakfast and took a cab to Mercado Artesanal la Mariscal (La Mariscal Artisan Market). You can’t go on vacation and not pick up gifts for the family. Thankfully Genesis was able to assist me in negotiating prices and discounts for buying in bulk.
The wedding was in the afternoon. A beautiful and elegant wedding. The reception was far from anything I’ve seen or been to in the US. It lasted 8 hours, 4pm-12am. A 7 course meal, custom cocktails and gold flaked desserts. Then the after party went until 5am. We called it a night at 2am so we could be functional for our flight at noon on Sunday. Breakfast with the extended family, some group pictures, then off to the airport to head to the islands.