Calvin Synod Herald, 1998 (98. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1998-03-01 / 2. szám
COLVIN SYNOD HEROLD- 6 -AMERIKAI MAGYAR REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA A DISTINCT TOUR P®" As I had visited the home F country of some friends from Romania in May, I now decided to visit the ' home country of a friend from Ecuador in October. At my friend’s suggestion, I decided to include a cruise through the Galapagos Islands with a bus tour of the continent. Originally, I’d planned to just tour the mainland and to visit his hometown of Ambato, but he convinced me that the Galapagos was a “must see”, so I changed my plans. I flew to the capital city, Quito, which sits at 9,000 ft. elevation, the highest capital in the world I was told. My tour group visited the colonial section of Quito, called Old Quito, and saw the National Congress and Government Palace, as well as several ornate Catholic Cathedrals and other points of interest in the city. Another day we drove up the Panamerican Highway to the Equatorial Monument, which designates the physical location of the imaginary equator line. We also visited Calderon, where the renown bread dough figurines are made and sold. Following that we went to Otavalo, a city in northern Ecuador populated by indigenous Indians who sell farm produce and a variety of handicrafts and By Sharon Whitley (One of Our Loyal Readers) other items in open-air markets. The colorful wall hangings and scarves were beautiful, but I couldn’t help but be struck by the desperate poverty of the people everywhere evidenced. Leaving Quito, we flew to the Galapagos via Guayquil, a coastal city. As it turned out, I was glad that the cruise around the islands did not include sleeping on board the boat, as is the case with many island cruises. This was because I found out quickly that the Pacific Ocean is not particularly pacific, in fact, it is downright rough on the open ocean. In any event, I was certainly glad I’d had sufficient wisdom or misgivings (I’m not sure which) to take along some Dramamine! The islands marvelously lived up to their advanced billing. They were brimming with all kinds of strange and exotic wildlife: blue-footed boobies, marine and land iguanas, sea lions and fur seals (I never did learn to tell the difference), penguins, and of course, the giant land turtles, the galapagos, for whom the island archipelago is named, to mention a few. We were able to see these wild animals up close and personal, so close in fact, that often they were well within arm’s reach, and yet had little or no fear of us. For centuries there were no natural predators on the islands, but man has introduced some this century, namely dogs, cats, rats and goats which have been wreaking havoc on the indigenous fauna of the islands. As interesting as the fauna was the flora. I was amazed to see mangrove trees and cacti growing next to each other, since one grows in swamps and the other in deserts. In Galapagos they co-existed quite compatibly though. The landscape was as varied as the life it supported. Some beaches had red sand, some had green, and others white, and one beach I saw didn’t have sand at all, but instead large, round black lava stones. Our last stop on this tour was at the port city of Guayaquil, on the continent. After the cool, rainy temperatures of Quito and the sunny, mild climate of Galapagos (due to the ocean breezes), Guayaquil’s heat and humidity were oppressive. Sadly, the number of beggars who approached us in this teeming city of 3 million was greater than in any other place we’d been also. Small children, hardly more than toddlers, besieged us and grabbed at our legs, holding out their cups. It was heartbreaking. Our guide from Quito, who did not go with us to Galapagos, met us in Guayaquil and took us on a walking tour of the city, mainly along the harbor. The trip was a wonderful experience. The native food was delicious, the scenery beautiful, the people warm and friendly. Admittedly, the men, in particular, attracted my attention. While not exactly tall, dark and handsome (short, dark and handsome is more like it!), I figured that two out of three wasn’t bad. I hope to return there someday! The Christian Observer: Transylvanian Bishop Kalman Csiha’s The Light Through The Bars, recounts the incredible story of six-and-ahalf years in prison for the cause of Jesus. The Calvin Synod Herald most highly recommends this English-version of the 166-page long book with 30 immortal poems, written behind prison bars in the aftermath of the Debrecen World Alliance Meeting, with the motto: "BREAK THE CHAINS OF INJUSTICE!" The price of the book, including mailing, is only $11.24. Please make your check payable and mail to: “THE LIGHT” PUBLICATION PROJECT 415 Steven Boulevard Richmond Heights, Ohio 44143 The Hungarian-version, “Fény a rácsokon”, may be ordered through: KÁLVIN KIADÓ Bocskai-u. 35 Pf. 416 1519 - Budapest, Hungary A German-language version, based upon our English translation, is now under preparation. PAID ADVERTISEMENT !
