Just when you thought you were done reading about octopuses in the news, a new species of octopus has been discovered in Antarctica. No, the cephalopods were not found clinging to any national flags. And no, they do not appear to have psychic abilities. However, they do have special venom. And, dare I say, they are kind of cute?
New species of octopus discovered in Antarctica. Photograph from: http://news.discovery.com/animals/octopus-venom-discovery.html
While collecting venom from octopuses captured in the waters of Antarctica, scientists accidentally discovered four new species of octopus. They also recently determined that venom from these creatures (octopuses, cuttlefish, and squid) might be a potential resource for drug development.
The venom of cephalopods living in the Arctic might have special properties because, unlike other venom, it is effective in sub-zero temperatures. Scientists plan to determine what kind of biological tricks they use to produce functioning venom in such cold temperatures, and will study the range of toxins that seem to exist in these unique, Antarctic creatures.
This discovery comes in the wake of many news stories regarding Paul the Psychic Octopus, who also produces venom. However, Paul is a common octopus, or an octopus vulgaris, who lives in a fish tank in Germany. He was most likely born in Weymouth, England or Elba, Italy, where water temperatures are not as frigid.
Frigid temperatures have been chilling South America over the last couple of weeks. Now the Peruvian government has declared a state of emergency in 16 of Peru’s 24 regions after temperatures dropped as low as -24 Celsius.
Lima, the nation’s capital, recorded the lowest temperature in 46 years at 8 degrees Celsius. Temperatures were as low at 9 degrees Celsius in Peru’s usually humid Amazon region.
Hundreds of people, including many young children, have already died from cold-related illnesses such as pneumonia. The mountainous south, including poor, rural populations living 3,000 m above sea level, have been the hardest hit by the cold.
The state of emergency in Peru comes in the wake of severe cold weather throughout Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Paraguay and Chile. If you are traveling to South America in the near future, be sure to bring extra layers for unusually cold weather.
Compiled by Jen O’Riordan, Eli Mangold and Libby Zay.
Every Friday, Viva Travel Guides combs the presses to round up the most relevant and recent Latin America news stories. Here are the Latin American news stories our office talked about during the week of July 11th to July 23rd. For more up-to-the minute news, follow us on Twitter!
News footage of the monkeys that were smuggled.
Man in Airport Found with 18 Endangered Monkeys Under His Clothes
[ Mexico / Peru ] A Mexican national was detained at Mexico City’s airport by customs officials after he was seen acting suspiciously in security. When officials pulled the 38-year-old aside they found 18 Titi monkeys hidden underneath his clothing in a girdle.
The man, who had arrived on a flight from Lima, Peru had previously kept the monkeys in his luggage but had later attached them to his person because he didn’t want the baggage x-ray machines to damage them. Two of the 18 monkeys had already died during the journey from Peru.
Titi monkeys, found in South and Central America, are regarded as an endangered species and protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The man had paid $30 per monkey in Peru and expected to sell them in Mexico for between $775 and $1,550 each. In Mexico, having a wild animal as a household pet is a deep-rooted tradition, and animals smuggled to the US from Central or South America often come through Mexico. [Huffington Post]
1,600-year-old Royal Tomb Discovered in Guatemala
[ Guatemala ] Last week, Scientists in Guatemala revealed the discovery of an ancient, Mayan tomb that could have been the final resting place of a Mayan king. The discovery was made on the 29th of May, under the El Diablo pyramid in the city of El Zotz.
The archaeological team thought that ‘something odd’ was happening during the dig and eventually discovered the 6 feet high, 12 feet long, and four feet wide tomb after they lowered a light bulb through a small hole. The tomb was filled with carvings, ceramics, textiles, and the bones of six children, who might have been sacrificed at the time of the king’s death.
Scientists say they have a lot more work to do before they can confirm their suspicions, but findings such as an elaborate headdress and a sacrificial blade with what appears to be blood on it indicate that it may be the tomb of a king, only previously mentioned in hieroglyphic texts. [National Geographic]
A shortage of resources in Argentina means only two of 15 prison guard towers could be staffed. Photo courtesy AP.
Two Argentine Inmates Bust Out of Jail Right Under a Mannequin’s Nose
[ Argentina ] Due to budget shortages in the Nequén Province of Argentina, the local jail has had to substitute mannequins made of a football and an officer’s hat for actual guards. Two prisoners, Walter Pozo and Cesar Andres, must have noticed the shortcoming and climbed over the fence unopposed. Officials are hoping that this embarrassment will bring much-needed resources to the province. [Independent]
Honduras Returns to OAS, SICA
[ Honduras ] At a summit in El Salvador, Central America leaders decided to allow Honduras to continue participating in two major regional groups. Honduras had been expelled from both the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Central American Integration System (SICA) after President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in June 2009. [PeopleDaily]
Penguins Mysteriously Washing Up Dead on Brazilian Shores
[ Brazil ] Over 500 penguins have washed up on the beaches of Brazil, and scientists are trying to figure out why. Autopsies strongly suggest starvation, but they are still unsure why there is such scarcity in fish and squid. Some hypotheses include changing ocean currents, overfishing and colder water, which affect the penguins’ primary sources of food. [CBS News]
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Courtesy AP
Hugo Chavez Opens Remains of Simon Bolivar, Announces it to the World on Twitter
[ Venezuela ] On Friday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez tweeted that he was opening his idol’s remains to look for proof of foul play in his death. The eccentric head-of-state believes that Bolivar was murdered, and did not die of tuberculosis as history claims. He briefly displayed the remains on national television and passionately orated, “that glorious skeleton has to be Bolivar, because his flame can be felt. My God…it’s not a skeleton. It’s the Great Bolivar, who has returned!” [ AP ]
Venezuela Cuts Diplomatic Ties with Colombia
[ Venezuela ] In a bold move, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez severed ties with Colombia on Thursday just before the Colombian Ambassador, Luis Alfonso Hoyos, presented evidence to the Organization of American States (OAS) that Venezuela is currently harboring about 1,500 leftist guerrillas behind their borders. Colombia’s accusations against Venezuela caused Chavez to force the closure of Colombia’s embassy in Bogotá within 72 hours. The OAS stated that it could not investigate the sites without Venezuela’s consent. [BBC]
Cold Front Causes Death Across South America
[ Argentina / Bolivia / Chile / Paraguay / Peru / Uruguay ] South America is having a particularly hard winter, with some parts reporting the lowest temperatures in 29 years. In several countries, the mercury has dropped below freezing. Fatalities due to the cold have been reported in Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. Livestock is threatened in all of these areas, as well as in Chile and Peru. [CNN.com].
Watch a news report on the Mexican gun battle.
Border Clashes Along the Mexican / U.S. Border
[ Mexico / U.S. ] A gun battle went down in the rural town of Madera, about 230 kilometers (145 miles) south of the U.S. border. As the story goes, gunmen reportedly opened fire on an army patrol and eight men were killed—however, the U.S. Defense Department is not offering any information. On Wednesday, late-night gun battles broke out in the border town of Nuevo Laredo, which could be heard across the border in the U.S. In Nuevo Laredo, a gang forced people from their cars and buses to use the vehicles as barricades along the roads. Witness reports said several gunmen were killed, but no official number has been tallied by Nuevo Laredo officials. [AP]
Seventeen Die in Birthday Party Massacre
[ Mexico ] The bodies of 12 males and 5 females were found in a bloodstained party hall, along with at least a dozen injured, after a tragic gun attack on a birthday party in Torreon, Northern Mexico. More than 200 bullets were fired indiscriminately into the bar full of young party goers enjoying some birthday celebrations.
The massacre is the third such attack this year on bars in Torreon, an industrial city in Coahuila state. Coahuila Attorney General, Jesus Torres says the perpetrators, a prominent drug cartel, have been identified but he refused to identify the group publicly.
Mexico’s northern border has been the worst hit by the recent drug wars that have seen almost 25,000 killed since President Felipe Calderon launched a military crackdown on organized crime three and a half years ago. [LA Times]
US to Send Troops to Mexican Border
[ Mexico / U.S. ] 1,200 troops will be sent to the border next month in an effort to tackle illegal immigration and drug-trafficking in the four border states. Arizona will receive 524 troops; Texas 250, California 224 and New Mexico 72, while 130 will be part of a national liaison office.
In May, President Obama announced that he wanted to assign $500m (£350m) to new funding for the initiative and deploy US troops to help secure the border.
The soldiers will be armed but only permitted to fire in self defense and their main task will be to observe suspicious movement along the border and report it to Border Patrol agents.
A controversial new state law is due to come into effect in Arizona on 29 July making it a crime to be in the state without immigration papers.
Several lawsuits, including one by the federal government, have been filed against the legislation. The US justice department is challenging the law, arguing that it undermines the federal administration’s authority to set immigration policy. [BBC]
The US Embassy in Honduras has issued a warning to residents and visitors to and from the country about dengue fever. Last month, Honduras declared the recent surge in cases of dengue a national emergency. It is believed that the disease has killed 21 Hondurans already this year. Another five fatalities are currently being investigated in order to ascertain if dengue fever was the cause of death.
The disease takes on two forms; classic and hemorrhagic. Symptoms include fever, headache (particularly strong behind the eyes), bone joint and muscle pain, bleeding through the nose and gums, and in many cases an increased susceptibility to bruising and a rash.
The disease cannot be transferred from one person to another but is contracted by a bite from an infected mosquito. Unfortunately there is no vaccine or cure for the disease yet. Last week, the total cases of classic dengue in Honduras since the start of the year stood at 17,620, with another 594 cases of the hemorrhagic type also diagnosed. The government reported that 85 percent of the hemorrhagic dengue cases occurred in the capital of Tegucigalpa.
However, cases this year have also been reported throughout Central and South America in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Peru, Puerto Rico and Mexico.
The fever usually lasts up to a week, and in a very small percentage of cases patients develop dengue shock syndrome (DSS), which can lead to death.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dengue infections are a worldwide occurrence and are commonly reported from most tropical countries in the South Pacific, Asia, the Caribbean, the Americas and Africa.
The Honduran government has launched fumigation efforts and a public education program in order to try and bring the recent outbreak under control.
Compiled by Jen O’Riordan, Eli Mangold and Libby Zay, with help from Lorraine Caputo.
Every Friday, Viva Travel Guides combs the presses to round up the most relevant and recent Latin America news stories. Here are the Latin American news stories our office talked about during the week of July 10th to July 16th. For more up-to-the minute news, follow us on Twitter!
Demonstrators wave a gay pride flag outside of the Argentine Congress, courtesy AP.
Argentina Becomes First Country in Latin America to Allow Gay Marriage
[Argentina] After a marathon debate, the Argentine Senate legalized gay marriage in a a 33-27 vote. The landmark victory gives same-sex couples the same legal rights and protections that heterosexuals gain when they tie the knot. The decision will likely draw a number of tourists to gay-friendly Buenos Aires, but non-resident foreigners are not allowed to marry in Argentina.
Guatemala Catches Cocaine-Filled Submarine in Pacific
[Guatemala] Last week Ecuadorian authorities snagged a drug-smuggling submarine, and this week a similar vessel was stopped off Guatemala’s Pacific coast. The Guatemalan makeshift submarine—bound for the United States—had five metric tons of the white stuff inside.
[Argentina] Salteños awoke to sight they haven’t seen in almost 10 years: huge clusters of flakes falling. Slowly the city is being covered with snow, which is expected to continue through Saturday. Tucumán, La Rioja, San Juan and other northern cities are also being blanketed. The Jama Pass to Chile is closed.
6.2 Quake Strikes Chile
[Chile] Last Sunday evening, a medium strength quake measuring 6.2 on the richter scale struck Chile’s Antofagasta region. The core of the quake was located 50 miles east-northeast of Calama in the Atacama desert, believed to be one of the driest places on earth. There were no fatalities or injuries, but phone lines were saturated during the quake. The extent of the damage is tiny compared with the $30 billion worth of damage caused during the country’s February earthquake, which measured a severe 8.8.
The Uruguay Futbol Team takes pictures of their adoring fans, courtesy of the BBC.
Uruguay Futbol Team Welcomed Home as Heroes
[Uruguay] Uruguay may have finished fourth in the World Cup, but the team was given a homecoming party fit for a hero when they arrived home to Montevideo. “Thank you, champions! You gave us our pride back!” read one of hundred of banners during the massive celebration.
[Venezuela] Venezuelan authorities handed over Colombian drug baron, Carlos Alberto Renteria, also known as Beto, to U.S. DEA officials this week. Renteria, who stands accused of heading the infamous Norte del Valle drug cartel, kept his head bowed, denying the media photos of his face during the exchange at Caracas airport. The hand over of Mr. Renteria and two other accused smugglers was shown live on state television. It is believed the Norte del Valle cartel was responsible for smuggling over 500 tonnes of cocaine into the U.S. during the 1990’s. Renteria has been on America’s most wanted list since 2004.
Watch a news clip on a Sea Monster fossil in Peru, Courtesy YouTube.com and BBC.co.uk.
Sea Monster Fossil Discovered in Peru
[Peru] A team of European and Peruvian palaeontologists have revealed their discovery of what could have been the biggest sea predator that ever lived. The fossil of a giant whale was discovered in South Peru’s Ocucaje desert back in 2008. Since then, scientists have been studying the remains of Leviathan (named after the biblical sea monster), which include a skull, its lower jaw bone and ten well-preserved teeth. With teeth measuring a huge 14 inches long, he had the largest teeth ever recorded. An ancestor of the modern day sperm whale, Leviathan is thought to have lived more than 12 million years ago.
Ecuadorian Eco-lodge Gets Five Stars for Being Green
[Ecuador] The Casa Ceibo Boutique and Spa has just been awarded the American Academy of Hospitality Services’ Five Star Green Award. Located in seaside Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador, the hotel has supported numerous local green initiatives, such as clean water programs for the local population and reforesting mangrove swamps around the area. It should be noted that this is not your typical eco-lodge; it offers all the luxurious amenities, including a spa, pool and wetland excursions.
[Jamaica] One of the most influential figures in Reggae has passed away this past Saturday in Kingston, Jamaica at the age of 54. The cause of his death has not been released, but the singer had cancelled concerts due to chest pains a few months ago. Minott’s career began as a member of the African Brothers Trio, and then in 1970 launched on his own solo career, putting out such hits as “Vanity” and a cover of the Jackson Five’s “You Got a Good Thing Going.” Aside from singing, Minott also helped younger acts make it big through his record label, Black Roots.
Clash in Mexican Border State Leaves Four Gunmen Killed, Bystanders Wounded
[Mexico] In the border state of Coahuila, more violence between the police and the drug cartels has erupted, leaving four gunmen slain and five bystanders wounded. While police where carrying out an investigation on a highway near Torreon, they were attacked by four gunmen brandishing assault weapons and pistols. The bystanders were traveling along the highway and got caught up in the violence. Two are in serious condition, and three are stable.
Yesterday, after a long debate and mounting tension between Argentina’s president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and the Catholic church, Argentina became the first country in Latin America to legalize gay marriage.
The discussion, which lasted until 4 a.m., concluded with 33 lawmakers in favor of the new bill and 27 against it. The bill grants homosexual couples the same legal rights, responsibilities, and protections as the law provides for heterosexual couples. For now, it is only available to citizens and residents of Argentina who can get married within the country.
This was a historic vote for Argentina. It shows how far the predominantly Catholic country has come, from dictatorship to true democracy. Gay activists in neighboring countries, as well as activists around the world, hope to follow Argentina’s lead in the fight for marital freedom and equality.
Today, the Argentine senate will vote on a gay marriage bill that would give same-sex couples equal marital rights to heterosexual couples, as well as the ability to adopt. The bill has already made it past the lower chamber of Congress.
The Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, is already known as being one of the most gay-friendly capitals in the world, but this bill could give it the broadest protection of gay marriage rights in Latin America.
The bill has increased tension between the Roman Catholic church and the government of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, which is pushing for it to get passed.
Protests organized by the Catholic and evangelical churches in Argentina convened in Buenos Aires under signs with messages such as, “Children have a right to a father and a mother” and “Familia = hombre + mujer.” The protests on Tuesday were accompanied by live music and balloons.
Catholics Protest Gay Marriage in Buenos Aires. Photo from: http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Same-Sex-Marriage-Issues/ss/events/wl/061003cagaymarriage#photoViewer=/100713/ids_photos_wl/r2447815010.jpg
A smaller group of counter-protesters in favor of the new bill was also present. They congregated in another part of the city.
According to the polls, 70 percent of Argentines are in favor of gays having the same marital rights as heterosexuals. However, some think the bill is an attempt by the Kirchners to gain popularity before the 2011 elections. Others see it as an attempt to make history; if this bill is passed today, Argentina will be the first country in Latin America to afford equal marital rights to gay couples.
Gay rights supporters in Buenos Aires. Photo from: http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Same-Sex-Marriage-Issues/ss/events/wl/061003cagaymarriage#photoViewer=/100709/480/urn_publicid_ap_org_edca35bfddf84a5bb528b1c2490bd0e6
While Argentina has become very socially liberal, the Catholic church still has a stronghold on political decisions. The Kirchners risk dividing their supporters, but this could help them win voters in the capital, where most people are unhappy with their governance.
Although skeptical, most Argentines hope this bill is about civil rights, not hidden political agendas. The verdict will be determined today.
Wouldn’t it be great to travel and earn money while you do it? Viva’s 5-day Travel Writing Boot Camps give people the skills and the know-how to write for guidebooks, and many former students are now pursuing careers in travel writing. Destinations set for future Boot Camps include Panama, Costa Rica and Argentina. If your writing is up to scratch, you could even end up staying on assignment as a Viva field writer, making money while you continue to explore! Former student George Nunes chatted with us about his experience at Viva’s Travel Writing Boot Camp…
George defining the guidebook audience at Viva Boot Camp.Photo provided by George Nunes
So George, where and when did you take part in Viva’s Travel Writing Boot Camp?
I took part in Viva’s Travel Writing Boot Camp in Cuernavaca, State of Morelos, Mexico in Summer 2009.
And what appealed to you about doing the Boot Camp?
The idea of learning what it takes to be a travel writer intrigued me. I hadn’t actively contemplated writing professionally about my journeys, but frankly, what traveler DOESN’T have this fantasy somewhere in the back of his mind? I have always enjoyed traveling and had written a lot of marketing copy for nonprofit arts organizations. I thought that doing the Boot Camp would show me if I was cut out for this profession.
Did you travel to Cuernavaca especially for the Boot Camp?
No, I was already in Cuernavaca studying Spanish for a month. In Spring 2009 I had noticed the Boot Camp announcement online while searching for volunteer and work opportunities in Mexico. Participating interested me, but I didn’t follow up (nor did I know in which Mexican city the Boot Camp would be held). In July 2009, I arrived in Cuernavaca to begin my intensive Spanish course. And, what did I see on the school’s bulletin board? A flyer saying that the Boot Camp would be held in Cuernavaca, the week after I finished my Spanish classes! Of course, I signed up immediately.
Would you say Cuernavaca was a good place to have the course?
Cuernavaca was an ideal location for many reasons. It is a manageable city, large enough to have many hotels, restaurants, and activities to investigate, but not so large as to overwhelm a first-time writer beating the pavement. In addition, Cuernavaca is a beautiful, historic city, with affordable accommodations, and near-perfect weather.
What did you enjoy most about the Boot Camp?
I most enjoyed the sample daily writing assignments, which required us to identify, visit, and review hotels, restaurants, tour operators and attractions. This gave me a real taste of what it would be like to quickly and efficiently gather information from vendors, and write reviews on deadline. Feedback from the teachers about my writing taught me how to capture the pertinent information, and comments from other students gave me a sense of how potential readers would react to my reviews.
Where have you been on assignment since the Boot Camp?
I’ve been on assignment in the southeastern Mexican states of Yucatan and Campeche, plus Mexico City and Acapulco.
What has been your most interesting assignment to date for Viva?
The city and state of Campeche. I had visited both before and knew them superficially. Being assigned to cover Campeche caused me to experience it in a deeper and more meaningful way. Viva also sent me to new places in the state that I probably wouldn’t have taken the time to visit but am now glad I did.
Would you recommend the Boot Camp to others?
I would recommend the Boot Camp without reservation! I learned how the travel guide business operates, and that is invaluable knowledge, whether you decide to work for Viva or not. After the Boot Camp, I feel ready to pursue a career as a freelance travel writer.
Do you see yourself using the skills you learned in Boot Camp in the future?
Absolutely. I learned how to pre-plan a visit to a city, organize my stay, and not waste time. Viva provides questionnaire templates that list all the information needed for restaurants, hotels, activities, and travel operators – and there are many details a novice writer wouldn’t think to ask but that readers would expect to know.
If you or someone you know might be interested in participating in one of Viva’s Travel Writing Boot Camps, the following is a list of upcoming Boot Camp destinations and dates. Sign up here, via the Viva Boot Camp website.
Every Friday, Viva Travel Guides combs the presses to round up the most relevant and recent Latin America news stories. Here are the Latin American news stories our office talked about during the week of July 3rd to July 9th.
Total Solar Eclipse to Occur on Sunday
[Chile, Argentina] A total solar eclipse will track across the South Pacific on Sunday, and will be visible in Chile and Argentina during sunset. The eclipse can be seen during the day on Easter Island, the Cook Islands, and Wellington Island, among others.
Watch a video of a harpy eagle attacking a film crew, Courtesy YouTube.com
Harpy Eagle Attacks BBC Film Crew
[Venezuela] When documentary filmmakers attempted to install a camera near a giant harpy eagle nest, a female bird repeatedly dive bombed the crew. Although the crew left unscathed saved for tears in their protective layers, they have now requested riot gear from local police for the rest of filming.
More than 150 Sought in Puerto Rico Drug Operation
[Puerto Rico] What is being described as the largest drug bust on American territory went down this morning on the west coast of Puerto Rico. According to AP, police “planned to arrest about 170 people and seize more than $1 million in property.”
Tungurahua Volcano in 2004, Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Tungurahua Volcano Continues to Erupt
[Ecuador] After two weeks of silence, Tungurahua Volcano is again spewing gas and ash. Activity began on Wednesday, and in the last 24 hours there have been eight emissions that have risen up to three miles high. The Geophysical Institute of the National Polytechnic School has classified the explosions as “moderate” in intensity.
52 Political Prisoners Freed, Dissident Ends Hunger Strike
[Cuba] After 135 days, a Cuban dissident named Guillermo Farinas agreed to end his hunger strike when Havana agreed to free 52 ill political prisoners. Farinas has conducted 23 hunger strikes as protests to different elements of the Cuban regime. The strike was mediated by the Catholic Church.
Ecuadorian Drug Submarine, Courtesy the DEA via Fox News
Drug Submarine Seized in Ecuador
[Ecuador] With help from the U.S. DEA, authorities in Ecuador seized a 30-foot submarine intended to carry multiple tons of cocaine. The submarine had been constructed in the remote jungle near the Ecuador-Columbia border.
[Panama] Four police officers are being held hostage by striking banana workers in Panama. Workers have been upset since the Panamanian President signed a law last month that lessens the power of unions and gives companies power to suspend the contracts of striking workers to hire replacements. On Friday, one man was killed and 102 people were treated for injuries after police fired tear gas and buckshot at strikers who had blocked roads with trees.
[Uruguay] A short-circuiting heater is believed to be the cause of a prison fire in Uruguay that left twelve inmates dead and eight hospitalized with serious burns. The overcrowded prison built for 60 houses twice as many inmates.
Paul (or Pablo?) the Octopus, Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Spaniards Wish to Rechristen Paul the Octopus as Pablo
After a psychic sea creature predicted Spain as the winner of the World Cup, the Spanish team declared their love for the octopus and wants to rechristen him “Pablo.” All the predictions Paul the Octopus has made in the World Cup have come true.
My name is Eli, and I’m here for the summer, working for Viva Travel guides. This is my third week in Quito, and I’m living in the Mariscal, the neighborhood plastered with promotional discoteca bills and at night, plastered with plastered gringos. Taking a slightly paranoid, drunken stroll (a psychological state that can only be achieved somewhere like the Mariscal) down the aortic Calle Foch on one of its frenzied, rain-slicked nights, you’ll never imagine that during the day it can be a ghost town, save for scraggly packs of gringos trying to hail a cab.
The Mariscal is a place of nocturnal booms and diurnal crashes; like most tourist towns it’s on a pendulum. Except the fluctuations are not seasonal; they occur daily, with larger oscillations on weekends. However, the unpredictable weather in Quito happens to suit the Mariscal’s dichotomous character. The average weather in Quito is a high in the mid-60’s and it consistently rains for nine months. However, on any given day, you can have a period of strong sun that can raise temperatures by ten degrees, or a torrential thunderstorm that can drop it down to the low 50´s. Likewise, the Mariscal is consistently saturated with tourists and partygoers, with slight influxes in the dry season or on holidays, and so the equatorial party ebbs and flows, day by day.
Plaza Foch, the main plaza in the Mariscal, during the day. Quito, Ecuador. Photo from: http://cache.virtualtourist.com/3774940-Plaza_Foch-Quito.jpg
Despite its bipolar personality, the Mariscal’s denizens – business owners, transient backpackers and petty criminals – all seem to exist (fairly) harmoniously. In fact, there is a symbiotic relationship between the former two, while the latter is a relatively benign parasite, something like an opportunistic rodent who wants your cheese and your Nikon Coolpix.
The business owners run the clubs and hostels, bringing in the backpackers happy to pay South American prices for drinks and beds. The petty criminals – the drug dealers and common thieves – feed off of some travelers’ appetite for street drugs and other travelers’ vulnerability and stupidity. (It’s important to note that as long as you’re careful – avoid empty streets, avoid suspicious strangers, travel in groups – you’re probably not going to run into many problems. But if you get sloshed on Pilsener and find yourself stumbling home in your Patagonia thermal and grubby khakis, you’re asking for it. For tips on how to avoid looking like a gringo, check out Rachel’s previous post: Undercover Travel: How to Blend In (When Your Really Stand Out).
Avoiding the melting-pot cliché, I’d liken the Mariscal’s demographics to a traditional Ecuadorian almuerzo; you have the watered-down soup (liquid, like the backpackers just passing through), the fortifying main course (the business owners, the backbone of the neighborhood) and then the nasty side salad with cabbage and onions that might give you a tapeworm. That would be the criminals, if you were confused.
However, the metaphor is not completely applicable. Almuerzos are notoriously bland (but cheap!), whereas the Mariscal surges with eclectic international flavors. Both Ecuadorian and expat business owners alike have found their niches here, whether it’s The Boot, an American-themed bar with beer pong, two different Beatles-themed bars (Strawberry Fields Forever and the Lennon Café), or one of the many Ecuadorian salsatecas (Viva recommends Seseribó for salsa and the El Aguijón for an alternative scene), there is no shortage of diversity in dining and drinking options.
The Mariscal at night. Quito, Ecuador. Photo from: http://www.hoy.com.ec/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/lamariscal210908.jpg
The most accelerated cultural exchange occurs in the common rooms and patios of the Mariscal’s hostels. If those walls could talk…they’d probably be trilingual. Perhaps the best way of meeting people is to stay in one of the livelier hostels, especially if you’re by yourself. The aptly-named El Centro del Mundo hostel is perhaps the cheapest and most social of the Mariscal’s hostels. When I lived there (briefly…it’s noisy), I found myself enjoying 12 free liters of rum and coke with travelers from Nepal, England, Israel, Germany and North America. It seems that Quito is a major stop on the backpacking circuit, which begins its Guevarian odyssey in either Brazil or Argentina, winds its way up the Andes and runs out of steam (or money) somewhere around the equator. Everyone is eager to chat, but whether that has to do with their actual personalities or the ample rum is debatable. Either way, it’s a great place to meet people, and well worth the lack of sleep.
