In Ecuador (as in Panama), it is the custom to make a
life-size rag doll which is generally seated on a bench in the garden
until New Year’s Eve when they burn it at midnight, to purge themselves
of the old year and bring in the new. Sometimes they give the doll a
mask, resembling the incumbent president or another unpopular
politician. True to tradition, the Rancho Carolina where we were
staying had its doll in the garden. Since we had to get up early on the
first day of the new year to fly to the Galapagos, we didn’t stay up
till midnight so we missed the burning ceremony, but we saw the ashes in
the drive the next morning. In fact, the taxi drove over them.
There were low clouds around as we drove to the small
airport just after 8 a.m., and we wondered if, ironically, we’d have to
delay our departure. But there was just a little hole at the right
place for a VFR climbout an hour later when we were ready for take-off.
After an hour and a half’s flight, most of it VFR on top, we landed at
Guayaquil (near the coast). Although Guayaquil is a large international
airport, it has a special terminal for general aviation. We therefore
got quick, efficient service and an hour later we were fueled up and
ready to leave for the Galapagos. In addition to filling up all four
wing tanks (88 US gallons), we filled up a 5 US gallon jerrycan we had
purchased in Panama City to improve our reserves for the round trip to
Baltra as no Avgas is available in Baltra. This was our longest flight
over the ocean since we had crossed the Atlantic, but there was no
weather to worry about this time and we landed at Baltra 4 and a half
hours later.
The airport was deserted in the late afternoon as all
the scheduled flights for the day had already departed some hours
before. Our main worry had been whether we would find anyone to drive
us to the capital, Puerto Ayora. Luckily there were still two airport
employees there and they drove us to the jetty, from where it was just a
short hop by boat to Santa Cruz Island. There, we had to wait for an
hour for our taxi to come all the way from Puerto Ayora, but no
worries... We no longer had to hurry. We had 8 days ahead of us to
enjoy the Galapagos islands. We sold the empty brand new jerrycan for 5
US$ while we were waiting for the taxi to Puerto Ayora.
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The New Year doll at Rancho Carolina before it was burnt
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