Gone Fishin - Ecuador Styles

Mark speaking:

Left the house at 5 am to meet the fellers down the road and then piled into the back of the double cab. Chad and I had visions that we were going to a lake that we would hike into and then stay there to camp and fish. We thought that it would take us maybe an hour to an hour and a half - hah! Dreamers!

After being dropped off at an altitude of 13,000 feet we started walking up hill for an hour and a half. The ground was wet and spongy. Over the top of the hill the lake was in sight and we thought - yay we have made it but it was not to to be. We tramped right past the lake - apparently they fish in streams. Remember we still had our heavy back packs on. Evertime we

came to a place that looked ok to us for a campsite - we kept on moving and we had to hide our disappointment.

By about 1 pm we finally hit the right spot under a rock-much to our relief! Time for lunch - NOT. They just dumped the gear and were off again for another hours fishing.

Finally we were allowed to set a fire and have something to eat. It was a little difficult findind dry firewood and we had to start the fire with parafin wax but soon we were cooking up a feast of eggs, rice tomatoes onions and steak (notice no fish was yet on the menu)

The local fellers went tussock picking and then spread them out over about 6 sq metres by 300mm deep. Polythene was put over that and bedding on top then polythene was to go over them. Meanwhil Chad and I put our tents up - gringos not used to the rough stuff!

Everyone were off fishing for the rest of the day - by the way - I have now learnt how to thread a worm on to a hook - a skill not worth knowing back home.

It gets really dark fast up in the whopps so I headed back to camp before I lost sight of everything. The others followed about an hour later by flashlight. Had to dry our sock and shoes off while we contemplated the awesomeness of Jehovahs creations and by the way the big dipper is upside down here!

We bedded down and before we knew it 6 am came around again. Breakfast was potatoes drenched in butter and onions. Then if was packup and more tramping and fishing for the rest of the morning. Time to come home finally when the call of ¨vamos¨was made by Gonzales (yep thats his name)

I reckon we walked the equivilent of walking aroung Mount Ruapehu in less than 2 days including all the cracks and crevaces and as you can see by the photos - all for the tiniest fish! We did catch about 65 of them though!

We were able to catch a bus home - the one that comes up from Guayquil - it was and hour and half trip - boy was I gald to finally hit the shower! We made it to the meeting but to be honest were´nt able to really concentrate. Beth was in the same boat having walked for miles doing the fishing for men job -!