QueenPuya

Hello everyone,

Well, today is my last day to acclimate, because tomorrow morning we are busing North to El Angel. But lets back the train up to yesterday. I spent most of the morning working in the herbarium, photographing dead Puya. Its not the most fun, but sometimes such things come in handy. Thank goodness I´m a ëspecialista, or I´d have to pay two dollars an hour to use the herbarium! This country is really into nickle and diming you, (really). I felt kind of crappy...sort of like a bad cold but might be the altitude, so I took a little nap and then someone gave me some sort of message supposedly from Edwin, and I interpretted it that I should go to the garden. But he wasn´t there and so I had to call him on his cell phone, which is like 5 times as expensive as a normal call. He told me to meet him at the mall and then we´d go down to meet the students. So luckily I had about an hour to chill in the garden some more. They really have done a very nice job with it. Found lots of Iochroma, and I can see why Stacey was drawn to them. Took lots of pictures of butterflies, though I can´t catch any of the giant hummingbirds I see yet...I´ll keep working on it.

So, I made my way to this mall, which is right in front of the Ecuadorian United Nations. Drank some nasty mango flavored water and waited for Edwin. Ecuadorians aren´t always the most puctual....just one more of my uptight American ways to let go of. He showed up, unmarried, and then we proceeded to take the Trole down way south, through the old town to Edwin´s girlfriend Monica´s house. I made the mistake of asking him, before we arrived, in perfect Spanish if he lived with his girlfriend. This was quite funny to other people in the vicinity. These people really are Catholic...they are not just faking it for old times sake. Anyhow, I was ushered in to the house of Monica and many of her relatives and fed tea, bread and cheese and had the undivided attention of several adorable 13 year old boys. I spoke very slowly to them in English, but i don´t think they understood any of it. I got them to tell me what was their favorite subject in English, which was a start. So, I spoke in S`panish and answered their questions, which were too cute as well. ¨Who is your role model as a female botanist?...I listed deceased Ecuadorian bromeliad hunter Amy Gilmartin and my dear Maggie Mae. I told them how adventurous you were in Africa, where things are harder than in Ecaudor. They wanted to know about my family, if I liked Ecuador, what are people like in the US, is the technology more advanced in the US, do we have volcanos in the US? The women in the family were very intererested in how young I was and how hard it must be for me to be away from my husband (and it is). Monica´s mother gave me this beautiful hand'made bread warming cloth, embroidered in red and green, which was just too sweet. So Monica, Edwin and Eric (maybe Monica´s son?) all headed in to the old town to see the cathedrals all lit up. I was just blown away...the old center of town is so ornate and beautiful, block after block of giant churches, colonial'style government buildings (including the presidental palace, where in the plaza two presidents were assassinated) and cute little apartments. Much better than la Paz, sorry to say. I can´t wait to come back during the day to take pictures (Edwin recommended that I leave my camera at his house, as it would get stolen at night. Never argue with a local). Had sort of a weird dinner at a pizza joint...I don´t know if they thought that is what I´d like being an American, but it was pretty tasty. I had mango, pineapple and peach on my pizza. The first and so far onlyr eally tasty thing I´ve had to eat here. I look forward to getting out of Quito and tuckiing in to small rural restaurants for guinea pig, pork and popcorn (Ecuadorian specialties). Came back to the herbarium adn had to show the guard how the shower´s hot water doesn´t work. He came promptly at 8 this morning to fix it, but couldn´t and thus I had to take another super fast ice cold shower. I am covered in gross fumes from all the diesel, so it is a must.

I´m pretty excited for things to begin tomorrow. We are bussing north, then renting a car and tooling around El Angel and a few of the drier valleys north of town. We´ll return to Quito perhaps Monday and go to the equator monument and local volcanos to collect. Then, I we head south, to Cuenca, Ambato, and Loja for about 10 days, again a combination of bussing and car rentals. Ill have several days in Quito before I return to the US. We are asked by Mr. Ecaudor Bromeliad Expert to collect any and all bromeliads, so I think it will be kind of crazy and my plant press will fill fast. I really don´t know if it will be at all possible to collect for Brian, though (please tell him). They are really nuts about permitting here and I´m not sure I want to risk it, as I didn´t write for Lamiaceae. I´ll try, though, and photograph localities.

Tonight, I am going to pack only what I need, because literally, we will have everything we have on our backs in the paramo with us. God willing the Puya are plentiful, close to the road and in bloom (though I doubt it). It sure is expensive...I´ll be lucky to get 3 species a day, but maybe if I collect well enough I could focus on population level stuff here?? Who knows...I can´t think about >DNA now. Edwin is an Espeletia specialist and will be able to tell me all about the weird, giant sunflowers we will see.

Hope to write again soon! Thanks for all the emails...they sure make me happy. I miss you all