Adventure Travel Ecuador: Beyond the Thunderdome
February 1, 2001 - Quito, Ecuador
My host in Quito is a wonderfully wild-eyed, energetic director of an authentic eco-tour and volunteer program in Ecuador. Maximiliano is a bit crazy in a very positive way, hence my name for him, Mad Max. Max and his family have made me feel quite at home in the apartment that they rent out to volunteers of the eco-program. He also set me up with a private office that will be my basecamp for a few trips around the country.
One evening I came home at about 12:30 to find Max and two volunteers in the living room. “Let’s go take pictures of the church! The lights are beautiful at night. It’s just a few minutes away!” So began our two-hour trek through the streets of Quito! A guided tour including a 566 step staircase down to the church, colonial architecture and a cool little cafe.
I came home even later on another night to be enlisted in yet another adventure! The office manager Dave, a long term volunteer from England was departing in the wee hours of the morning for his homeland. Max and some other volunteers figured, “Why go to bed?” Over wine and rum and cokes, a lengthy cross-cultural exchange continued until we woke up the departing guest of honor for his ride to the airport.
The lively goodbye at the airport was followed by a sunrise hike through Ecuadors’ equivalent of New Yorks Central Park. Max insisted we remove our shoes as we walked and he talked.
He told us about the medicinal properties of many of the plants and guided us to a variety sculptures as the day broke. To our amazement, Max went directly to the office for the day.
You can read about a third MadMax adventure in a subsequent entry entitled “Teargas, a New Experience!”
Max is a rare individual. He is just crazy enough to believe that his work with indigenous people and the environment can actually make a difference. The world could use a few more Mad Maxes.
