I cannot believe that over three months have past since I arrived in Ecuador! Tomorrow night I will be returning to the United States after an adventurous and intriguing three months in the beautiful country of Ecuador. I have learned so much about the people, the politics, the land, and the language here, but I have become more confused about how time passes. At times, like my first week or two here, the time crawls along. Then there are some weeks that fly by so fast that you can barely remember the days that made them up.
The past ten days have certainly flown by, but I have great memories and photos to remember them by. On the 13th, my parents and Garett arrived in the airport here in Quito around midnight. After waiting for hours in the airport for their arrival, I was quite excited when they showed up...they spotted me right away in the crowd of those awaiting the arrival of their guests. Although not the only gringo in the bunch, I was jumping the highest and waving the most. I smothered each of them in hugs...and thus began our adventure.
For seven days we traveled Ecuador. With the help of a member of my sponsor Rotary Club here in Quito (a German man who owns a travel agency), I selected a route and hired a guide to show us as much of the country as would be possible in 7 days without killing ourselves. The Galapagos was out of our budget and would not fit into our time frame and since SC has plenty of beaches of its own, I opted for a combination of city, mountains, and jungle. We stayed one night in Quito, and then bright and early met our guide...Edisson, or fast Edy as we jokingly called him, and head out.
Our first stop was the beautiful Papallacta fresh water thermal pools about an hour and half outside of Quito. The resort where we had reservations had 16 of its own pools, full of either cold water flowing from the mountains or hot water heated by the surrounding volcanoes. On clear days, like the following morning, you can see amazing views of the Antisana Volcanoe. Unfortunately, Garett and I had only a short time to soak in the pools before Edy had to bring us back to Quito because I had to be there the following morning to extend my Visa and avoiding paying a large fine. Bad news...we didn't get to hang out int he pools as long as we wanted. Good news...we got back in time to watch the Ecuador soccer game...a qualifier for the World Cup. More bad news...Ecuador lost. Good news...we had fun anyway.
From Papallacta, we had a 3 hour ride to a jungle border town called Misahualli. There, we visited a small town park full of tiny monkeys. After a quick stop, we headed about 30 minutes further into the jungle to our resort called Cotococha. There, we had our own cabins over looking a river and surrounded by tropical plants...luckily with hot showers, but without electricity. We spent two nights in the jungle lodge. On our second day, we took a long canoe ride, stopping again to visit the monkey park and then a little further down the river to an animal refuge. Here, volunteers work to rehabilitate injured or domesticated wild animals, and if they can, re-release them into the wild. Many of the animals were once captured and kept as pets and then abandoned, captured, or turned in but were unable to survive in the wild. We saw various types of monkeys, a jungle cat, toucans, parrots, the smallest monkey in the world, and the largest rodent in the world (the capybara). After an interesting tour there, we continued down the river a bit for a picnic lunch and chance to swim. After lunch, we traveled back up the river and visited an indigenous community. We were given a demonstration of how the indigenous women form and decorated ceramic pots using all natural materials, including minerals for paint. We also witnessed, and tried out our aim, at shooting a small dart waited down with a small piece of cotton through a long narrow tube. The instrument is a weapon used by indigenous cultures to hunt prey, or back in the day---enemies. The type of the dart or needle is rubbed on the back of a poisonous frog to give the weapon extra potency. Our target...a balsa wood parrot. I missed.
After a fun night in the jungle getting to know our fellow travelers from Australia, India, and the Netherlands, we headed out the next morning. Our first stop was the Paillon del Diable, or the Devils Caldron...an impressive waterfall on the route from the jungle to my favorite little town of Banos. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to do a hike or rent go carts, but I was at least hoping that my parents and Garett would give cuy, or roasted guinea pig, a try since it would be the best opportunity to do so along our trip (the best cuy comes from another city called Ambato). Unfortunately, they wimped out when they saw the poor little guys roasting away on sticks, with their little paws and teeth still clearly visible.
From Banos, we headed to the foot of Ecuador's largest mountain, Chimborazo. Once an active volcanoe, today it is snow-capped and quiet. To climb it, you need to be an expert with all the requirred picks and snow gear and required days of training and acclimitization. Instead, we checked into the Hacienda we were staying in and then had a nice dinner and went to bed. The next morning, we went for an easy hike through the surrounding farmland, learning about the plants, indigenous culture, and the mountains of Ecuador. We learned north of Chimborazo, there are no mountains taller and then if you measured from the center of the Earth to the top of Chimborazo, it would be the tallest mountain on the planet, due to the bulge of the Earth at the Equador (the Earth is not a perfect circle). From there, we had a long car ride to Cuenca, the cute colonial town in the south of the country.
Cuenca has many beautiful old churches, cobblestone roads, and interesting Spanish style architecture. In 1999, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Quito also has this title). It is also home to some of Ecuador's only Inca ruins, although they are just small remants of a few walls, and only two hours from the largest Inca ruins in the country (called Ingapirca), and a short distance from the Caja Nacional Park. There, we toured the city, visited the churches, witnessed the difference in the indigenous cultures (the women here dress completely different then the indigenous women in the rest of the country), and observed Inca artifacts in a small museum near our hotel. After two nights there, we took a short flight back to Quito.
In Quito, we visited my school and the historic center of the city. We picked a good day to visit the school because that day, they were preparing a delicious drink called colada morada. It is a drink prepared for the Day of the Dead, the 2nd of November, when the people visit the graves of deceased loved ones. They believe that on this day, the spirits of the dead can best return to visit so they bring the beverage, a bread called Guaguas (Babies in Quichua) de Pan, and sometimes the favorite dish of the dead person to eat in the cementaries. We got to try the bread and delicious drink (a hot drink made from slowly cooking pineapples and other tropical fruits then adding them to a slow cooked blackberry and sugar mixture). It was great. We tried to take a gondolah ride up to hike the mountains around the city and check out the views but it was closed for maintenance. Instead we visited the old city and the central plaza. We had lunch then a relaxing afternoon (naps for the men, shopping for the women) before having dinner with my host family.
After watching Liga, my favorite soccer team, play and tie in an important game, we got a few hours of sleep before my parents and Garett head to leave the hotel (at 4 am) to head the airport. They should be arriving in Charlotte any minute now! As for me, I had lunch with friends one last time today and tomorrow night, I myself will head to the airport to catch my 11:30 pm flight. By 9:30 am Friday morning, I will be back stateside. Amazing how the time flies!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
The Middle of the World
Who says you cannot be in two places at the same time?So as the title of my blog suggests...Ecuador is located in the Middle of the World! or at least it claims this title. This is becuase it is in Ecuador, and only Ecuador, that the 0 longitude line passes through the Ecuador on solid land...in the Galapagos Islands! Many years ago....when French expeditioners were measuring the equador and creating maps, building obersvatories to observe the heavens, and so on, they decided that of the South American and other countries located on the equator, Ecuador´s geography (mainly its impressive mountains) made it the best location to do their studies. Their original estimate of the center of the world is off by about 240 meters where they constructed a monument. In the correct location, today you can visit a museum with interesting facts about indigenous Ecuadorian culture, strange facts about the effects of Ecuador´s geographic location, and interesting experiments. Here is a link to my facebook picture album with descriptions of the museum and its experimens...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2371832&id=12603504&l=b1ec10b47f
Enjoy!
Thieves...guess my luck ran out
So usually I feel I have good news and interewsting experiences to tell you...today my post is not quite as cheerful. Well lets be optimists and see what good we can find in what happened today!
So like any city, Quito can be dangerous at times. I always try to be cautious and safe...never walk through scary looking parks or even safe looking parks at night or alone, stay away from dangerous parts of the city, never go out alone at night, I always keep my back pack in front of me in buses, and never carry large amounts of money or valuables. I knew that Quito could be dangerous, but my first month or two here...little happened except for the few times on long buse rides someone I know or spoke with was robbed, but in a manner that they did not realize until afterwards and not in a dangerous manner. Then, about two weeks ago, two new students arrived. These girls were walking through one of the most dangerous parks in the city, which is technically closed for renovations, and we robbed by some young guys using broken bottles. They lost a camera, about 30 bucks and almost a wallet, but some other nice people who witnessed the whole event chased down the thieves and retreived the wallet. Welcome to Quito, right? But I said we were going to be optimists....the good part of the story. One of the girls, Laura was wearing a necklace that was not expensive but was given to her by her grandmother. She tried to explain that it was not expensive but it meant a lot to her. The thieves ripped it off anyway...but when she got home and layed in her bed for a while crying, she was reminded once again that God exists. She got up from the bed and the charm from the necklace fell out of her hair! What luck!
Now for my story...since I no longer have internet in my house, I left my house early today to get to school and use internet here. My house is located in what I would call a safe area..perhaps a slightly wealthier area near a private high school (maybe this is why it was targeted). Well after a discussion of robbery in Quito, I left my house. I walked out the front down and out of the gate and locked the gate behind me. No more than a minute or 30 feet later, two men passed by me on a motorcycle and stopped on the corner. One got off the moto and stepped onto the sidewlak where i was walking. When the motorcycle that dropped him off did not leave but instead made a half circle and turned around, I knew it would be a bad idea to try and wlak by this man. Hoping I was wrong and observing what the motorcycle was doing, I stopped walking and put my keys in my bookbag to waste time, hoping that the man would continue walking down the hill in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, that was not my luck. The men bent down to tie his shoe and I stopped, put my keys in my backpack. He stood up and look directly aqt me and I knew I was in trouble. I tried to take a few steps back to my house and he practically ran at me, lifting his shirt to show me a large knife tucked into his belt. Before I knew it, I was backed up against a wall with this man yelling that I give him all of my things. The worst part of all of it was the look of rage on this mans face. His eyes were bright red and angry. Unlike most thieves here who are often teenageers or young adults, or of African descent, I would guess he is about 30 to 35 years old. I immediately dropped all of my things, my jacket, cell phone, and bookbag. Then, he noticed the earphones I had on which were hooked to my iPod which was hooked on to my belt...the cord running between my two layers of shirts I was wearing. He demanded the iPod. It took me a while to take out the head phones and removethe ipod and retrieve the cord from the layers of my clothes...the whole time the thief was becomming more and more nervous and agitated and yelling at me to hurry up hurry up (apurate, mas rapido, apurate)..he even showed me his knife a second or maybe third time. I finally gave it to him, then he reached to the ground and picked nup my cellphone, which was in three pieces, and then grabbed my book bag. And here comes the good part of the story...at the same time, out of no where, a young guy about my age or a bit younger grabbed the other strap of my bookbag and started yelling at the thief. By this time the motorcycle was right next to us and the thief was anxious to leave. He finally gave up on the backpack and took off. I started to cry of course and then gave this kid who had helped me a huge hug (I kinda think he thought I was crazy). He cursed a bit about the thief and I quickly ran home to my host mother, dropped my stuff, hugged her and cried some more. The cops showed up and I told them what happened and left for school...
At school today, we did, for a second time, my favorite activity...the gondolah ride to a mountain type and great views of the city. For the first half of the day I was angry and sad and kept thinking....if I would have done, this would not have happened, if I wouldnt have left early, or I should have said this or yelled or done this. But I realize now that I cannot change anything and that I really did have great luck. If I had not had my iPod or if it had not had been tucked in to my shirt as it was, I would have lost my North Face backpack my girlfirends bought for me, along the the $20, my Visa Card, mycamera, and the two movies I borrowed from a teacher. I am grateful to the boy who helped me...and I realized that in this incident I witnessed an example of both the worst type of person and the best...the one who robbed me and the one that put himself at risk to help me. My teachers, each of whom have been robbed before, felt sorry for me and told me their stories. My professor for the week was proud of me...I used complex sentence structures to explain that I was feeling angry becuase I should have done something and that if I would have done so so and then so so would not have happened. He said also that there are two signs that you are learning a language well...first, when you dream in the language....and second when you react in stressful sitauations such as this in another language. I was able to use the command form to tell the thief to take my iPod (toma, toma) and that there was nothing important in my backpack when he was playing tug of war with it with my hero (no hay nada en la mochila, no hay nada). I dont claim to be an optimist 100% of the time..but th is is my effort to see the best in a bad situation....I also hope that bad things like this can only happen to a person once, but I am going to knock on wood before I leave school to make sure I am not jinxing myself. The good news is that I am safe and sound and that I still have my b ack pack and most of my things....
So like any city, Quito can be dangerous at times. I always try to be cautious and safe...never walk through scary looking parks or even safe looking parks at night or alone, stay away from dangerous parts of the city, never go out alone at night, I always keep my back pack in front of me in buses, and never carry large amounts of money or valuables. I knew that Quito could be dangerous, but my first month or two here...little happened except for the few times on long buse rides someone I know or spoke with was robbed, but in a manner that they did not realize until afterwards and not in a dangerous manner. Then, about two weeks ago, two new students arrived. These girls were walking through one of the most dangerous parks in the city, which is technically closed for renovations, and we robbed by some young guys using broken bottles. They lost a camera, about 30 bucks and almost a wallet, but some other nice people who witnessed the whole event chased down the thieves and retreived the wallet. Welcome to Quito, right? But I said we were going to be optimists....the good part of the story. One of the girls, Laura was wearing a necklace that was not expensive but was given to her by her grandmother. She tried to explain that it was not expensive but it meant a lot to her. The thieves ripped it off anyway...but when she got home and layed in her bed for a while crying, she was reminded once again that God exists. She got up from the bed and the charm from the necklace fell out of her hair! What luck!
Now for my story...since I no longer have internet in my house, I left my house early today to get to school and use internet here. My house is located in what I would call a safe area..perhaps a slightly wealthier area near a private high school (maybe this is why it was targeted). Well after a discussion of robbery in Quito, I left my house. I walked out the front down and out of the gate and locked the gate behind me. No more than a minute or 30 feet later, two men passed by me on a motorcycle and stopped on the corner. One got off the moto and stepped onto the sidewlak where i was walking. When the motorcycle that dropped him off did not leave but instead made a half circle and turned around, I knew it would be a bad idea to try and wlak by this man. Hoping I was wrong and observing what the motorcycle was doing, I stopped walking and put my keys in my bookbag to waste time, hoping that the man would continue walking down the hill in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, that was not my luck. The men bent down to tie his shoe and I stopped, put my keys in my backpack. He stood up and look directly aqt me and I knew I was in trouble. I tried to take a few steps back to my house and he practically ran at me, lifting his shirt to show me a large knife tucked into his belt. Before I knew it, I was backed up against a wall with this man yelling that I give him all of my things. The worst part of all of it was the look of rage on this mans face. His eyes were bright red and angry. Unlike most thieves here who are often teenageers or young adults, or of African descent, I would guess he is about 30 to 35 years old. I immediately dropped all of my things, my jacket, cell phone, and bookbag. Then, he noticed the earphones I had on which were hooked to my iPod which was hooked on to my belt...the cord running between my two layers of shirts I was wearing. He demanded the iPod. It took me a while to take out the head phones and removethe ipod and retrieve the cord from the layers of my clothes...the whole time the thief was becomming more and more nervous and agitated and yelling at me to hurry up hurry up (apurate, mas rapido, apurate)..he even showed me his knife a second or maybe third time. I finally gave it to him, then he reached to the ground and picked nup my cellphone, which was in three pieces, and then grabbed my book bag. And here comes the good part of the story...at the same time, out of no where, a young guy about my age or a bit younger grabbed the other strap of my bookbag and started yelling at the thief. By this time the motorcycle was right next to us and the thief was anxious to leave. He finally gave up on the backpack and took off. I started to cry of course and then gave this kid who had helped me a huge hug (I kinda think he thought I was crazy). He cursed a bit about the thief and I quickly ran home to my host mother, dropped my stuff, hugged her and cried some more. The cops showed up and I told them what happened and left for school...
At school today, we did, for a second time, my favorite activity...the gondolah ride to a mountain type and great views of the city. For the first half of the day I was angry and sad and kept thinking....if I would have done, this would not have happened, if I wouldnt have left early, or I should have said this or yelled or done this. But I realize now that I cannot change anything and that I really did have great luck. If I had not had my iPod or if it had not had been tucked in to my shirt as it was, I would have lost my North Face backpack my girlfirends bought for me, along the the $20, my Visa Card, mycamera, and the two movies I borrowed from a teacher. I am grateful to the boy who helped me...and I realized that in this incident I witnessed an example of both the worst type of person and the best...the one who robbed me and the one that put himself at risk to help me. My teachers, each of whom have been robbed before, felt sorry for me and told me their stories. My professor for the week was proud of me...I used complex sentence structures to explain that I was feeling angry becuase I should have done something and that if I would have done so so and then so so would not have happened. He said also that there are two signs that you are learning a language well...first, when you dream in the language....and second when you react in stressful sitauations such as this in another language. I was able to use the command form to tell the thief to take my iPod (toma, toma) and that there was nothing important in my backpack when he was playing tug of war with it with my hero (no hay nada en la mochila, no hay nada). I dont claim to be an optimist 100% of the time..but th is is my effort to see the best in a bad situation....I also hope that bad things like this can only happen to a person once, but I am going to knock on wood before I leave school to make sure I am not jinxing myself. The good news is that I am safe and sound and that I still have my b ack pack and most of my things....
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
So some great news for you all....I am back from the jungle---malaria free! Although I had malaria pills, the elevation of the town we were in was high enough that I did not really need to take them. But although I did not contract malaria...I did get quite a few abnoxious bug bites, but really--they were totally worth it! I had a great time in the jungle!
We left for the small jungle-border city of Tena early Saturday morning. After a 5 and 1/2 bus ride, we made it to Tena...with only one attempted, but unsuccessful robbery attempt (I am seeing a theme develop here...buses and rbbery). Sometime before we made it to the bus to Tena...either in our 45 minute trolley commute or in the bus station, Lara, another student, was victim of an attempted slash and grab robbery. This is when some tries to slash your bookbag open, grab whatever they can reach or whatever falls out, and run away. She didnt realize it until we were on the bus, but fortunately she wasn´t missing anything. She sewed up her bag and we were on our way!
We arrived in Tena at the tour agency called Amarangochi. There we had a quick lunch and then climbed into the back of a pick up truck with our bags to head to the Shangrila Lodges about 30 or 45 minutes deeper in the jungle. The Shangrila Lodge was amazing! We put our luggage on a mini cable car and walked about 5 minutes downhill to the lodge which sits on the edge of a steep cliff overlooking the jungle and the river Napo. In the distance, you can see the mountain range (or corridor as it is referred to here) that divides Ecuador in two long ways. It was such a beautiful view (pictures coming soon of course). The lodge itself was somewhat rustic...a group of small cabins, some with private bathrooms surrounding a central lodge with a small kitchen, outdoor eating area, and two open air floors full of hammacks where we had our spanish classes. In the morning, just like in Quito, we had classes and in the afternoons we had activities.
Our activities were great...I think I have seen pretty much all of the museums, art exhibitions, and churches in Quito so I was excited for something more active. Since we arrived in the afternoon on Saturday, we did not have classes. Instead, we took a walk through the forest up to a look out point a few miles away. Along the way we learned about the various plants and animals and how the indigenous peoples make use of them in their daily lives. For example, we learned about the type of trees used to construct homes, the leaves used to cook fish, and how they burn termite homes (with termites in them) to ward off other insects when they are working outdoors to clear the land or harvest food, etc.
Our second day there we went canyoning...which sounds a bit more intense then it is. Basically we walked through the jungle until we reached some caves and narrow passage ways through rocks. In one part we have to climb up by placing our feet on one side of the rock and our pompis (pom pees or buttocks) on one side and slowly work our way up the rocks. It was even better since in this part and in another cave we ran into close to 100 bats! On the way to the caves, we learned about more plants and had a snack...Ormegas de Limon or lemon flavored ants. They were tiny tiny ants that had a strong favor of lemon...quite tasty actually! At dinner that night, we met a new friend named Jimmy. He was slightly hairy with 8 legs and many eyes....his larger friend Matilda wasnt around at dinner, but we saw her later. Jimmy crawled around on my hands a bit but I was not brave enough to let this torontula crawl on my face like another crazy tourist did.
Monday we visited an indigenous community further into the jungle. We crossed the river in a canoe made from a hallowed out tree and then hiked through the jungle for about an hour and a half. We learned about more plants and their uses...like one that is used to dye hair and paint faces (and yes the guide painted my face and yes I have embarrassing pictures) and another than is used to make the infamous panama hats. We ate palmitos (hearts of palm) straight from the plant and got to try the fruit of the cocoa plant...which tastes nothing like chocolate, more fruity and sometimes slightly sweet and sour at the same time. Our guide, Reñan or El Guagua (which is Quichua for baby because he is the youngest of the guides and looks even younger than his age) made us girls crowns out of a type of leaf used to make the roofs of the homes of indegnous families. In the community, we visited the home of Monica, an indigenous women who had 15 children and thus started her own small community currently known as Santa Monica. We took sips of a traditional indigenous beverage made from fermented corn. Not my drink of choice but not too bad either, I guess!
That night in the lodge, we joined in with a group of about 15 tourists from around the world (Zimbabwe, Canada, Ireland, Samoa, Australia, etc) in their jungle party. The lodge hosted a band that played traditional music, we dressed up like crazy people in outfits we made from leaves and plants found in the jungle, and danced salsa and merengue until midnight. It was great fun!
The next day we relaxed a bit and floated down the river in tubes hooked together by rope. We learned about the river, which flows from a small hill or mountain close by, but that eventually met up with a much much colder river that flows from the snow-covered volcanoe Cotopaxi. We could definitely feel a temperature change! We passed by a few men panning for gold and learned that it is fairly easy to find small traces of gold in the river and that some indigenous families did this to earn a living (not really a living...they live off the land, but to have something to sell to supplement what they take from the land, I guess is more accurate). that night, there was a HUGE rain storm unlike anything I have ever seen but it was beautiful and relaxing to listen to as we went to sleep!
The following day we left the Shangrila lodge and moved to our second home in the jungle...another string of small cabins, but in this location, called Amarongachi (which in Quichua means salt of the serpent because the river on which it is located was once full of anacondas that were attracted to the salt filled rocks in one part of the river), but as I was saying...in this location, there was no electricity and it was much simpler. Really, there a single family provides your meals and acts as guides. Dinner was by candlelight at communal tables in the center of the lodges near the home of the family. There was a loft full of hamacks there as well where we studied and watched a great rainstorm during lunch one day. In the afternoon of our first day there, we walked about 30 minutes to a natural pool or laguna where the other swam a bit...it was too cold for me! The next day, we did my favorite activity of the trip...cascading! Again, we hiked through the woods for about an hour and half, but this time up various small waterfalls, sometimes using a rope to help us scale the falls. The water was fairly warm, and near the end, we took a dip in a small pool formed by a small waterfall. It was a great day....we didn´t even mind that we only had cold showers to look forward to at the end!
We returned Friday night to Quito....quite tired! I was not really looking forward to returning to the city with its traffic, concrete buildings, and bus pollution nor to classes in a small classroom, but I guess all good things must come to an end! Which reminds me, I really only have about two and half weeks of classes left here! Then a bit of traveling and back to the US....wow time has flown!
We left for the small jungle-border city of Tena early Saturday morning. After a 5 and 1/2 bus ride, we made it to Tena...with only one attempted, but unsuccessful robbery attempt (I am seeing a theme develop here...buses and rbbery). Sometime before we made it to the bus to Tena...either in our 45 minute trolley commute or in the bus station, Lara, another student, was victim of an attempted slash and grab robbery. This is when some tries to slash your bookbag open, grab whatever they can reach or whatever falls out, and run away. She didnt realize it until we were on the bus, but fortunately she wasn´t missing anything. She sewed up her bag and we were on our way!
We arrived in Tena at the tour agency called Amarangochi. There we had a quick lunch and then climbed into the back of a pick up truck with our bags to head to the Shangrila Lodges about 30 or 45 minutes deeper in the jungle. The Shangrila Lodge was amazing! We put our luggage on a mini cable car and walked about 5 minutes downhill to the lodge which sits on the edge of a steep cliff overlooking the jungle and the river Napo. In the distance, you can see the mountain range (or corridor as it is referred to here) that divides Ecuador in two long ways. It was such a beautiful view (pictures coming soon of course). The lodge itself was somewhat rustic...a group of small cabins, some with private bathrooms surrounding a central lodge with a small kitchen, outdoor eating area, and two open air floors full of hammacks where we had our spanish classes. In the morning, just like in Quito, we had classes and in the afternoons we had activities.
Our activities were great...I think I have seen pretty much all of the museums, art exhibitions, and churches in Quito so I was excited for something more active. Since we arrived in the afternoon on Saturday, we did not have classes. Instead, we took a walk through the forest up to a look out point a few miles away. Along the way we learned about the various plants and animals and how the indigenous peoples make use of them in their daily lives. For example, we learned about the type of trees used to construct homes, the leaves used to cook fish, and how they burn termite homes (with termites in them) to ward off other insects when they are working outdoors to clear the land or harvest food, etc.
Our second day there we went canyoning...which sounds a bit more intense then it is. Basically we walked through the jungle until we reached some caves and narrow passage ways through rocks. In one part we have to climb up by placing our feet on one side of the rock and our pompis (pom pees or buttocks) on one side and slowly work our way up the rocks. It was even better since in this part and in another cave we ran into close to 100 bats! On the way to the caves, we learned about more plants and had a snack...Ormegas de Limon or lemon flavored ants. They were tiny tiny ants that had a strong favor of lemon...quite tasty actually! At dinner that night, we met a new friend named Jimmy. He was slightly hairy with 8 legs and many eyes....his larger friend Matilda wasnt around at dinner, but we saw her later. Jimmy crawled around on my hands a bit but I was not brave enough to let this torontula crawl on my face like another crazy tourist did.
Monday we visited an indigenous community further into the jungle. We crossed the river in a canoe made from a hallowed out tree and then hiked through the jungle for about an hour and a half. We learned about more plants and their uses...like one that is used to dye hair and paint faces (and yes the guide painted my face and yes I have embarrassing pictures) and another than is used to make the infamous panama hats. We ate palmitos (hearts of palm) straight from the plant and got to try the fruit of the cocoa plant...which tastes nothing like chocolate, more fruity and sometimes slightly sweet and sour at the same time. Our guide, Reñan or El Guagua (which is Quichua for baby because he is the youngest of the guides and looks even younger than his age) made us girls crowns out of a type of leaf used to make the roofs of the homes of indegnous families. In the community, we visited the home of Monica, an indigenous women who had 15 children and thus started her own small community currently known as Santa Monica. We took sips of a traditional indigenous beverage made from fermented corn. Not my drink of choice but not too bad either, I guess!
That night in the lodge, we joined in with a group of about 15 tourists from around the world (Zimbabwe, Canada, Ireland, Samoa, Australia, etc) in their jungle party. The lodge hosted a band that played traditional music, we dressed up like crazy people in outfits we made from leaves and plants found in the jungle, and danced salsa and merengue until midnight. It was great fun!
The next day we relaxed a bit and floated down the river in tubes hooked together by rope. We learned about the river, which flows from a small hill or mountain close by, but that eventually met up with a much much colder river that flows from the snow-covered volcanoe Cotopaxi. We could definitely feel a temperature change! We passed by a few men panning for gold and learned that it is fairly easy to find small traces of gold in the river and that some indigenous families did this to earn a living (not really a living...they live off the land, but to have something to sell to supplement what they take from the land, I guess is more accurate). that night, there was a HUGE rain storm unlike anything I have ever seen but it was beautiful and relaxing to listen to as we went to sleep!
The following day we left the Shangrila lodge and moved to our second home in the jungle...another string of small cabins, but in this location, called Amarongachi (which in Quichua means salt of the serpent because the river on which it is located was once full of anacondas that were attracted to the salt filled rocks in one part of the river), but as I was saying...in this location, there was no electricity and it was much simpler. Really, there a single family provides your meals and acts as guides. Dinner was by candlelight at communal tables in the center of the lodges near the home of the family. There was a loft full of hamacks there as well where we studied and watched a great rainstorm during lunch one day. In the afternoon of our first day there, we walked about 30 minutes to a natural pool or laguna where the other swam a bit...it was too cold for me! The next day, we did my favorite activity of the trip...cascading! Again, we hiked through the woods for about an hour and half, but this time up various small waterfalls, sometimes using a rope to help us scale the falls. The water was fairly warm, and near the end, we took a dip in a small pool formed by a small waterfall. It was a great day....we didn´t even mind that we only had cold showers to look forward to at the end!
We returned Friday night to Quito....quite tired! I was not really looking forward to returning to the city with its traffic, concrete buildings, and bus pollution nor to classes in a small classroom, but I guess all good things must come to an end! Which reminds me, I really only have about two and half weeks of classes left here! Then a bit of traveling and back to the US....wow time has flown!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Off to the Jungle!
I had a long but great day today! Easy day of classes followed by an afternoon trip to the museum of Oswaldo Guyasamin's artwork. Guayasamin is Ecuador's most famous artist. He was mestizo, meaning that he was of mixed Indigenous (his father) and European (mother) decent. He is known for his paintings reflecting themes such as discrimination, racism, slavery, poverty, political injustice/dictadors, the relationship between mother and child, and other human rights themes. His work was really impressive, as was the view of the city from the site of the museum and his former home. He died in 1991, if I remember correctly, in Baltimore and is buried beneath a tree in the yard of his home next to the museum. His body is in a large vase buried in the ground, reflecting his Indigenous roots...For a breath cultural lesson....it is common in indigenous culture to bury your dead in this manner. It forces the body into a fetal position. Along with the body, loved ones place food and other necesities in the vase/urn. This is because in Indigenous culture, death is not the end of life. Rather, it is just a portal into the next realm, the next life. The body is in a fetal position just as in the womb of its mother because the spirit will soon be reborn in the next life. The food and other necessities will help nourish the spirit on this stage of its never ending journey. Perhaps not how I would like to be buried, but interesting nonetheless and interesting that htis artist wanted to honor his Indigenous roots and be buried in this manner. I took pictures of the museum and of some of his works and will post them and pass them along later. One of my favorites is actually of a Chinese proverb translated into Spanish and posted on a wall in the museum. In Spanish it reads: Y
o llore porque no tenia zapatos hasta que vi un nino que no tenia pies. In English: I cried because I did not have soon until I saw a child that did not have feet. Guayasmin traveled throughout Latin America, passing through rural villages and painting pictures to reflect the suffering of Indigenous peoples. He also created art to reflect the hardships of WWII and of those suffering under military dictatorships in Latin America and from poverty in India.
After the museum, my busy day continued as I ran errands trying to make final purchases and preparations for my trip! Tomorrow morning, I am meeting my professor Fredy and two other students, Heather and Lara, at 7 am so we can head to the bus station and catch our bus to the jungle town of Tena! I am so excited! The 5 hour bus ride will bring us to this town just inside the jungle region (or Oriente pronounced O-ree-en-teh) of Ecuador. We will not be very deep in the jungle, but deep enough to admire the beauty of the jungle and observe the Indigenous cultures living there (and to be cut off from cell phone signals, internet, and many modern amenities). The first two nights we are there, we will be residing with an indigenous family and roughing it without any electricity or warm water. The next four nights we will be staying in more of a hostal (with electricty but no warm water). Each day we will continue to have our Spanish classes, but in the afternoons our activities will be a little different than the museums and tours we do in the city. Instead, we will learn about medicinal plants, spend a day in a rural indigenous community (I am bringing some of the books, crayons, and coloring books that many of you helped me purchase with your donations for the children there), and so on. Our activities will be more active as we plan to go canyoning (climbing up hills and descending down cliffs with ropes, etc), climb waterfalls, float down a river, and spend a day hiking around and swimming in a lake/lagoon of some sort. I cannot wait to share my pictures and experiences with you all! I return Friday afternoon and will fill you all in on the details as soon as I can! Until then, have a great week!
o llore porque no tenia zapatos hasta que vi un nino que no tenia pies. In English: I cried because I did not have soon until I saw a child that did not have feet. Guayasmin traveled throughout Latin America, passing through rural villages and painting pictures to reflect the suffering of Indigenous peoples. He also created art to reflect the hardships of WWII and of those suffering under military dictatorships in Latin America and from poverty in India.After the museum, my busy day continued as I ran errands trying to make final purchases and preparations for my trip! Tomorrow morning, I am meeting my professor Fredy and two other students, Heather and Lara, at 7 am so we can head to the bus station and catch our bus to the jungle town of Tena! I am so excited! The 5 hour bus ride will bring us to this town just inside the jungle region (or Oriente pronounced O-ree-en-teh) of Ecuador. We will not be very deep in the jungle, but deep enough to admire the beauty of the jungle and observe the Indigenous cultures living there (and to be cut off from cell phone signals, internet, and many modern amenities). The first two nights we are there, we will be residing with an indigenous family and roughing it without any electricity or warm water. The next four nights we will be staying in more of a hostal (with electricty but no warm water). Each day we will continue to have our Spanish classes, but in the afternoons our activities will be a little different than the museums and tours we do in the city. Instead, we will learn about medicinal plants, spend a day in a rural indigenous community (I am bringing some of the books, crayons, and coloring books that many of you helped me purchase with your donations for the children there), and so on. Our activities will be more active as we plan to go canyoning (climbing up hills and descending down cliffs with ropes, etc), climb waterfalls, float down a river, and spend a day hiking around and swimming in a lake/lagoon of some sort. I cannot wait to share my pictures and experiences with you all! I return Friday afternoon and will fill you all in on the details as soon as I can! Until then, have a great week!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Recent Travels and H1N1
Hola friends and family! I hope everyone is doing well and had a great weekend! Mine was fairly relaxing until Sunday when I learned a valuable lesson about what NOT to eat...or better yet, drink!
Recent Travels
Although it has been a few weeks since I traveled there…I have got to tell you all about Papallacta—I loved it and it is going to be the first place my parents, Garett, and I travel to when they come visit me, after I show them around Quito. A few weekends ago, my host family invited me, sort of last minute on a Saturday evening, to accompany them the following morning, at 5 am, to a place called Papallacta, about 1.5 hours outside of Quito. I agreed, and bright and early the following day, I woke up, through a bathing suit and towel in my backpack, wrapped myself in a blanket, and headed to the car to fall back asleep. About an hour later, we pulled off the side of the road to admire the beautiful view of the snow-capped volcano Santisana. It was the first time I saw it…even my host parents said they have rarely seen it on their trips there because of the clouds. It was around 7 am when we stopped...and there was frost on the ground as we sipped coffee and admired the few. I still can't get over how cold it sometimes is here!
We arrived at Papallacta about thirty minutes later and changed into our bathing suits. I know I told you all about the natural mineral water pools in Banos…but those were so packed and sort of boring…just like a concrete pool in a community center really…but really cloudy because of the mineral content (and because they were full of people by 8 am). In Banos, the water was luke warm in one pool, chilly in the others. In Papallacta, there are beautiful pools…About 12 in total, I think…full of fresh, clear water. The main four pools range in temperature…the first you come to is bath water. The second is a bit warmer. The third is like a sauna. In various places there are tiny falls where people massage their backs or legs. The fourth pool you come to is quite tiny. On each side there are steps. My host father, Cesar, dared me to try it out. I stepped into with one feet, and immediately…my foot went numb. It was literally ice cold. Every now and then, a brave soul would get up the courage to jump in or quickly descend the stairs on one side, dunk their heads, and run up the stairs on the opposite side. I thought they were all crazy…until I decided to join them. Although my host father would not try the cold pool (I think he was afraid it might give him a heart attack….which it definitely could), he continued to egg me on and dare me to try it out….for those of you who know me well, you know I am quite competitive! I gave in to my competitive edge, ran down the stairs, up to my shoulders (I simple could not stick my head in the ice water…I just imagined instant headache!)…and then ran up the stairs and the opposite side and then as fast as I could to the hot hot pool. I think all the natives in the pool were laughing at me…”look at the young gringa dip in the cold pool a
nd run…ja ja”! Haha…I don’t know if they did but I imagine so! Aside from the ice water, Papallacta is beautiful…nestled in the mountains. From my spot in the hot hot pool I had a perfect view of a the snow-capped Santisana . I was amazed!
When I really stopped to think about where I was at the moment, I was even more amazed. It was 7 o’clock or so in the morning, I was relaxing in a pool full of pleasantly hot water that had been heated naturally by surrounding volcanoes, looking up at a snow covered volcano…in a country that sits on the Ecuador. It was amazing! I can’t wait to bring the ‘rents and the bf there!
So that was a few weekends ago….this past weekend, I again had great views of a snow-capped volcano…but in a different place. This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to accompany my host Rotarian to visit the small city of Latacunga (which has been destroyed at least 3 times by volcanic eruptions in the past). In Latacunga, her daughter and her family live on a farm. The parents of her husband hav
e owned a farm and been quite successful in earning a living off the farm. Their home was right outside the city…not a hacienda, but certainly not the backwoods either. It was comfortable. To get there, we drove about 1.5 or 2 hours south of Quito but still in the mountains to Latacunga. Latacunga is in the Province of Cotopaxi, the volcano that I often see on clear mornings while I walk to school, and the same volcano that I plan on climbing part of before I leave. Saturday was a really clear day so we had great views.
Once we arrived at the farm, two of her grandchildren showed me around. They have over 100 cows (or “vacas” in Spanish), tons of pigs (“chonchos”), horses, and they grow tons of herbs and flowers (but most of them had been picked the day before because the large market is on Saturdays). Ecuador is one of the largest exporters of flowers (especially roses and orchids) in the world. Their flowers are sent to Europe, Russia, the US, and to Colombia (where they are often relabeled as “from Colombia” and sold again). There were tons of cute baby pigs, a calf that was only a few days old, and a cow that was due to have a baby that very night. Before returning to the house, we passed by where the cows were being milked using machinery, but the grandkids wanted to milk one the old fashioned way. I said I would watch and take pictures…but in the end I decided to give it a try too (hey…gotta try everything once right?). The whole time we were walking through the animal pins with the cows and pigs, I was secretly thinking…don’t worry, I am your frie
nd! I only eat chicken and fish so don’t worry about me! I guess the cows didn’t get the message…
The next morning (after we spent the afternoon and evening watching the 3 super important soccer games of the day and celebrating the birthday of one of the granddaughters with cake and piñatas), we had bread and cheese purchased in the town, and fresh milk from the farm. I didn’t think twice about the consequences of drinking unpasteurized milk…I even commented to the matron of the house, “oh how nice it is to have your own fresh milk.” Idiot! About two hours later began one of the most painful stomach aches of my entire life. At first, it was just slightly crampy and bloated feeling…but by the end of the day, I felt as though my stomach was a wet towel that someone had taken and started to twist to wring out all the water. Before the serious pain began, the family decided to show me the small city and two surrounding cities (well three but after the second I was in so much pain we decided to come back to Quito). The first city we visited is called Salcedo…and it is famous throughout Ecuador for its rich ice creams in every flavor…coconut, blackberry, pineapple, strawberry, chocolate, and even avocado. I was seriously tempted to try avocado, but instead selected fruit salad…which was a papaya like flavored ice cream full of banana, strawberry, watermelon, papaya, and melon…delicious! After that…not sure why after…we stopped at a restaurant boasting typical Ecuadorian food. It was one of the nicer restaurants I have been in here. With my stomach full of ice cream and in pain, I couldn’t force myself to order a full meal…but as I have promised you all, I did decide to try a bite of “Cuy” or roasted guinea pig!! Although I am not in a hurry to order a whole piece…definitely not a whole animal (they are bigger than you are imagining, promise)…it wasn’t bad. I hate to say this…but it kinda tasted like chicken! A bit more flavor than chicken really. They say guinea pig is rich in protein and low in fat and cholesterol. Maybe we should rethink them as pets? Haha..although some people here eat the whole thing…head and all…I was happy that when the father of the farm and my Counselor’s grandson order “quarters” of cuy, both received leg portions. I wasn’t brave enough to try the crispy skin, just the meat…but I hear the skin is great…no thanks!
The next town we visited is well known for its ceramic pots and vases and so on….as I wasn’t feel very well by this time, we just drove through and then headed back to Quito. In Quito, I went straight to bed…drank a few cups of a tea of Chamomile, Oregano, and a few other spices and had a cup of basically apple cider (less cinnamon, no sugar, and slightly thicker) called Colado de Manzana. I was in pain most of the night and part of the next day, but I am happy to say I feel great today and ate like a pig at the fancy Rotary Club luncheon I attended today with the District Governor! Good news!
H1N1 Swine Flu
No Worries...although I was sick...I do NOT have the swine flu......However, if you did not see on the news today (I saw it on CNN.com so maybe some of you did as well), the chief of the Ecuadorian President's security died today of H1N1. After the meeting of UNASUR last week, the President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe was also diagnosed with H1N1--I am convinced Chavez found some way to infect him! (if you aren't sure why I say this...you obviously did not read my last email about politics...shame on you!).
Coming soon....to a theater near you!I finally figured out how to get the videos off my camera and on to the computer! I am trying to attach them to facebook and email but they are uploading VERY slowly! I will send videos soon! Also coming soon...my trip to the jungle! It has been moved up a week so I leave Saturday and return Friday! Cant wait!
Recent Travels
Although it has been a few weeks since I traveled there…I have got to tell you all about Papallacta—I loved it and it is going to be the first place my parents, Garett, and I travel to when they come visit me, after I show them around Quito. A few weekends ago, my host family invited me, sort of last minute on a Saturday evening, to accompany them the following morning, at 5 am, to a place called Papallacta, about 1.5 hours outside of Quito. I agreed, and bright and early the following day, I woke up, through a bathing suit and towel in my backpack, wrapped myself in a blanket, and headed to the car to fall back asleep. About an hour later, we pulled off the side of the road to admire the beautiful view of the snow-capped volcano Santisana. It was the first time I saw it…even my host parents said they have rarely seen it on their trips there because of the clouds. It was around 7 am when we stopped...and there was frost on the ground as we sipped coffee and admired the few. I still can't get over how cold it sometimes is here!
We arrived at Papallacta about thirty minutes later and changed into our bathing suits. I know I told you all about the natural mineral water pools in Banos…but those were so packed and sort of boring…just like a concrete pool in a community center really…but really cloudy because of the mineral content (and because they were full of people by 8 am). In Banos, the water was luke warm in one pool, chilly in the others. In Papallacta, there are beautiful pools…About 12 in total, I think…full of fresh, clear water. The main four pools range in temperature…the first you come to is bath water. The second is a bit warmer. The third is like a sauna. In various places there are tiny falls where people massage their backs or legs. The fourth pool you come to is quite tiny. On each side there are steps. My host father, Cesar, dared me to try it out. I stepped into with one feet, and immediately…my foot went numb. It was literally ice cold. Every now and then, a brave soul would get up the courage to jump in or quickly descend the stairs on one side, dunk their heads, and run up the stairs on the opposite side. I thought they were all crazy…until I decided to join them. Although my host father would not try the cold pool (I think he was afraid it might give him a heart attack….which it definitely could), he continued to egg me on and dare me to try it out….for those of you who know me well, you know I am quite competitive! I gave in to my competitive edge, ran down the stairs, up to my shoulders (I simple could not stick my head in the ice water…I just imagined instant headache!)…and then ran up the stairs and the opposite side and then as fast as I could to the hot hot pool. I think all the natives in the pool were laughing at me…”look at the young gringa dip in the cold pool a
nd run…ja ja”! Haha…I don’t know if they did but I imagine so! Aside from the ice water, Papallacta is beautiful…nestled in the mountains. From my spot in the hot hot pool I had a perfect view of a the snow-capped Santisana . I was amazed!When I really stopped to think about where I was at the moment, I was even more amazed. It was 7 o’clock or so in the morning, I was relaxing in a pool full of pleasantly hot water that had been heated naturally by surrounding volcanoes, looking up at a snow covered volcano…in a country that sits on the Ecuador. It was amazing! I can’t wait to bring the ‘rents and the bf there!
So that was a few weekends ago….this past weekend, I again had great views of a snow-capped volcano…but in a different place. This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to accompany my host Rotarian to visit the small city of Latacunga (which has been destroyed at least 3 times by volcanic eruptions in the past). In Latacunga, her daughter and her family live on a farm. The parents of her husband hav
e owned a farm and been quite successful in earning a living off the farm. Their home was right outside the city…not a hacienda, but certainly not the backwoods either. It was comfortable. To get there, we drove about 1.5 or 2 hours south of Quito but still in the mountains to Latacunga. Latacunga is in the Province of Cotopaxi, the volcano that I often see on clear mornings while I walk to school, and the same volcano that I plan on climbing part of before I leave. Saturday was a really clear day so we had great views.
Once we arrived at the farm, two of her grandchildren showed me around. They have over 100 cows (or “vacas” in Spanish), tons of pigs (“chonchos”), horses, and they grow tons of herbs and flowers (but most of them had been picked the day before because the large market is on Saturdays). Ecuador is one of the largest exporters of flowers (especially roses and orchids) in the world. Their flowers are sent to Europe, Russia, the US, and to Colombia (where they are often relabeled as “from Colombia” and sold again). There were tons of cute baby pigs, a calf that was only a few days old, and a cow that was due to have a baby that very night. Before returning to the house, we passed by where the cows were being milked using machinery, but the grandkids wanted to milk one the old fashioned way. I said I would watch and take pictures…but in the end I decided to give it a try too (hey…gotta try everything once right?). The whole time we were walking through the animal pins with the cows and pigs, I was secretly thinking…don’t worry, I am your frie
nd! I only eat chicken and fish so don’t worry about me! I guess the cows didn’t get the message…The next morning (after we spent the afternoon and evening watching the 3 super important soccer games of the day and celebrating the birthday of one of the granddaughters with cake and piñatas), we had bread and cheese purchased in the town, and fresh milk from the farm. I didn’t think twice about the consequences of drinking unpasteurized milk…I even commented to the matron of the house, “oh how nice it is to have your own fresh milk.” Idiot! About two hours later began one of the most painful stomach aches of my entire life. At first, it was just slightly crampy and bloated feeling…but by the end of the day, I felt as though my stomach was a wet towel that someone had taken and started to twist to wring out all the water. Before the serious pain began, the family decided to show me the small city and two surrounding cities (well three but after the second I was in so much pain we decided to come back to Quito). The first city we visited is called Salcedo…and it is famous throughout Ecuador for its rich ice creams in every flavor…coconut, blackberry, pineapple, strawberry, chocolate, and even avocado. I was seriously tempted to try avocado, but instead selected fruit salad…which was a papaya like flavored ice cream full of banana, strawberry, watermelon, papaya, and melon…delicious! After that…not sure why after…we stopped at a restaurant boasting typical Ecuadorian food. It was one of the nicer restaurants I have been in here. With my stomach full of ice cream and in pain, I couldn’t force myself to order a full meal…but as I have promised you all, I did decide to try a bite of “Cuy” or roasted guinea pig!! Although I am not in a hurry to order a whole piece…definitely not a whole animal (they are bigger than you are imagining, promise)…it wasn’t bad. I hate to say this…but it kinda tasted like chicken! A bit more flavor than chicken really. They say guinea pig is rich in protein and low in fat and cholesterol. Maybe we should rethink them as pets? Haha..although some people here eat the whole thing…head and all…I was happy that when the father of the farm and my Counselor’s grandson order “quarters” of cuy, both received leg portions. I wasn’t brave enough to try the crispy skin, just the meat…but I hear the skin is great…no thanks!
The next town we visited is well known for its ceramic pots and vases and so on….as I wasn’t feel very well by this time, we just drove through and then headed back to Quito. In Quito, I went straight to bed…drank a few cups of a tea of Chamomile, Oregano, and a few other spices and had a cup of basically apple cider (less cinnamon, no sugar, and slightly thicker) called Colado de Manzana. I was in pain most of the night and part of the next day, but I am happy to say I feel great today and ate like a pig at the fancy Rotary Club luncheon I attended today with the District Governor! Good news!
H1N1 Swine Flu
No Worries...although I was sick...I do NOT have the swine flu......However, if you did not see on the news today (I saw it on CNN.com so maybe some of you did as well), the chief of the Ecuadorian President's security died today of H1N1. After the meeting of UNASUR last week, the President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe was also diagnosed with H1N1--I am convinced Chavez found some way to infect him! (if you aren't sure why I say this...you obviously did not read my last email about politics...shame on you!).
Coming soon....to a theater near you!I finally figured out how to get the videos off my camera and on to the computer! I am trying to attach them to facebook and email but they are uploading VERY slowly! I will send videos soon! Also coming soon...my trip to the jungle! It has been moved up a week so I leave Saturday and return Friday! Cant wait!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Travels and Culture in Ecuador's Largest City....Guayaquil
Last weekend, I traveled to Ecuador's largest city in the south of Ecuador to attend a Rotary Club meeting with the President of Rotary International (see previous post for me info!). Although my host Rotarian here returned to Quito immediately after the meeting, I stayed the whole weekend to get to know the city. A friend from my language school whose family is from Guayaquil traveled with me, and we had a great time. Our first night there we attended a packed soccer game of a team called Emelec...normally the rival of the team I support but I had to cheer them on (especially bc they were playing Venezuela!). Friday I went to the Rotary Meeting, then we went to the mall and watched a movie, and then met up with her cousins. We had a great dinner--a new favorite of mine served here in Middle Eastern Restaurants (like the Afghan restaurant that just opened next to my school)--called Shawarma. Love it! We walked around the Malecon 2000, a beautiful boardwalk along the huge Guayas river...walked through an antique neighborhood full of brightly colored houses and climbed up 444 stairs to visit a lighthouse. The next day we drove an hour and a half south to a beach that could have been just about anywhere in the US....ate some amazingly fresh and delicious seafood. We drank coconut water straight from the coconut and went for a ride on the banana boat. Unfortunately, it was a bit chilly (which I still don't understand....we are on the Equator afterall); its best to visit the beach here in December, January, and February. Sunday we wandered around the Malecon again to see it during the day and toured the Iguana Park in the center of the city. It was a nice relaxing weekend. I tried to keep this short because the pictures are better!
A few notes about the culture of Guayaquil----
First, it seems that in general, the population there is more wealth than Quito (of course both cities have their poor and their wealthy but overall). The mall we were in is one of the nicest malls I have ever been in in my life! Fancy fancy! The streets there are wider and cleaner than in Quito....and the weather is warm! Quito can be quite chilly some days because we are 9,300 feet above sea level, but Guayaquil is at sea level and near the coast so its much nicer! The city used to be much dirtier and more dangerous, but a few years back a former President of Ecuador who then became the Mayor of the city cleaned it up. It is nice! The people there speak completely different then in Quito so it took a day to get used to the dialect. On the coast here, the people speak really really fast and leave off the "s" and sometimes add "h" to words. For example, the common phrase "more or less" is Spanish is "mas o menos" but on the coast, it sounds more like "mah o mehno." The also use different words there...like instead of "chevere" for cool or great, they say "vacan." I had a great time staying with Cati's family once I got used to the dialect and they got used to speaking a little slower for me! That is another cultural note too....the people here are so generous when it comes to welcoming guests. They are so warm and open and would literally give you the shirt off of their backs. Cati's cousins were so generous! They took us all around the city, teaching us about their home town and its unique culture and food, paid for nearly everything, and forced us to sleep in their beds while they shared a thin matress on the floor in front of the open patio doors. On the coast, the people are more laid back. I am definitely adjusting to the culture....I am becoming more patient and getting used to not having personal space. The people are more intimate....giving a kiss on the cheek to say hello or goodbye...welcoming you into their homes and into their families. Both times I have spent a weekend with an Ecuadorian family I quickly just became the "gringa" cousin....I love it!
Guayaquil pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2364417&id=12603504&l=ebb308da06
Updated pictures of Banos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2360512&id=12603504&l=ab1214e5ba
A few notes about the culture of Guayaquil----
First, it seems that in general, the population there is more wealth than Quito (of course both cities have their poor and their wealthy but overall). The mall we were in is one of the nicest malls I have ever been in in my life! Fancy fancy! The streets there are wider and cleaner than in Quito....and the weather is warm! Quito can be quite chilly some days because we are 9,300 feet above sea level, but Guayaquil is at sea level and near the coast so its much nicer! The city used to be much dirtier and more dangerous, but a few years back a former President of Ecuador who then became the Mayor of the city cleaned it up. It is nice! The people there speak completely different then in Quito so it took a day to get used to the dialect. On the coast here, the people speak really really fast and leave off the "s" and sometimes add "h" to words. For example, the common phrase "more or less" is Spanish is "mas o menos" but on the coast, it sounds more like "mah o mehno." The also use different words there...like instead of "chevere" for cool or great, they say "vacan." I had a great time staying with Cati's family once I got used to the dialect and they got used to speaking a little slower for me! That is another cultural note too....the people here are so generous when it comes to welcoming guests. They are so warm and open and would literally give you the shirt off of their backs. Cati's cousins were so generous! They took us all around the city, teaching us about their home town and its unique culture and food, paid for nearly everything, and forced us to sleep in their beds while they shared a thin matress on the floor in front of the open patio doors. On the coast, the people are more laid back. I am definitely adjusting to the culture....I am becoming more patient and getting used to not having personal space. The people are more intimate....giving a kiss on the cheek to say hello or goodbye...welcoming you into their homes and into their families. Both times I have spent a weekend with an Ecuadorian family I quickly just became the "gringa" cousin....I love it!
Guayaquil pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2364417&id=12603504&l=ebb308da06
Updated pictures of Banos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2360512&id=12603504&l=ab1214e5ba
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Rotary Luncheon with the President of Rotary International
Although I have lots to fill you all in on, I wanted to post a quick note about the luncheon I attended last Friday with my Rotary Counselor here in Ecuador. The meeting was important because the President of Rotary International, a nice man from Scotland, was visiting the city of Guayaquil in the south of Ecuador. Although the meeting was far away (about 10 hours in bus), we thought it was worth the trip--but we decided to fly! Round trip tickets were only $84! And I got really lucky. My host counselor, Maria Ellena, flew down and returned the same afternoon, but I had recently met a new friend in my school who has family in Guayaquil. Her parents and family are all from Guayaquil, but her parents moved to New York City when she was a baby. In terms of population, Guayaquil is the largest city of Ecuadorians...followed by Quito...followed by Queens. Seriously! Queens is either the 3rd or 4th largest population of Ecuadorians in the world. Anyway, my new friend, Catirina is from NYC and is fluent in Spanish, but is studying Spanish in my same school to perfect her grammar and a few phrases that are used commonly in NYC as direct translations, but do not make sense here. She enlisted in the Army after 9/11 and is currently living in Texas. The Army sent her here to polish her Spanish so she can train Spanish speaking troops...then she received an email a week after she arrived here telling her that they are sending her to Afghanistan when she returns. Her two year old son and husband will miss her much!
Anyway, my friend and I flew to Guayaquil together and I was able to stay with her family for the entire weekend. Friday, I met my Host Counselor at the Hilton Colon in Guayaquil for the meeting with the RI President. There were around 300 Rotarians from all over Ecuador in attendence, including the Vice President of Ecuador, who is an active Rotarian in Quito. There were a few introductory speeches...I am not sure who gave the first, the second was given by the District Governor, and finally by the RI President. He encouraged Rotarians in Ecuador to continue working toward the main goals of Rotary: eliminate Polio from the face of the Earth, reduce poverty, provide clean water, promote peace and good will. He especially emphasized the importance of education as the key to overcoming all of the other problems in the world.
After the RI President spoke, Vice President Moreno spoke. By this point, everyone was getting very hungry and anxious...one man at my table missed his flight! No one paid much attention to his speech after he gave the RI President an award...named after the wife of an important indigenous independence leader, Manuela Espejo. He gave the award in honor of the hard work done on behalf of President Kenny, especially due to his efforts to help the handicapped. This is really important to the Vice President, who was paralyzed from the waist down when he was in a car accident as a young man.
Anyway, my friend and I flew to Guayaquil together and I was able to stay with her family for the entire weekend. Friday, I met my Host Counselor at the Hilton Colon in Guayaquil for the meeting with the RI President. There were around 300 Rotarians from all over Ecuador in attendence, including the Vice President of Ecuador, who is an active Rotarian in Quito. There were a few introductory speeches...I am not sure who gave the first, the second was given by the District Governor, and finally by the RI President. He encouraged Rotarians in Ecuador to continue working toward the main goals of Rotary: eliminate Polio from the face of the Earth, reduce poverty, provide clean water, promote peace and good will. He especially emphasized the importance of education as the key to overcoming all of the other problems in the world.
After the RI President spoke, Vice President Moreno spoke. By this point, everyone was getting very hungry and anxious...one man at my table missed his flight! No one paid much attention to his speech after he gave the RI President an award...named after the wife of an important indigenous independence leader, Manuela Espejo. He gave the award in honor of the hard work done on behalf of President Kenny, especially due to his efforts to help the handicapped. This is really important to the Vice President, who was paralyzed from the waist down when he was in a car accident as a young man.
All and all, the meeting was interesting. It was great to learn that the Rotarians here have the same goals and dedication as those who funded my scholarship to study here. In both countries, I have been inspired to give back to the communities in which I live because of the examples they have set for me. I will always remember their examples and the goals and mission of Rotary. Thank you to those Rotarians reading this blog!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Politics
I have wanted to post a blog for a few weeks now about some of the politics that are happening in Ecuador and its neighbors! Its really interesting to observe politics from another country...especially because the US is involved.
As I mentioned in the email where I said that Hugo Chavez was here...the President of Ecuador was recently inaugurated as the President of UNASUR...which is an attempt by the countires of South AMerica to form a union like the EU. Well...of course Chavez has to cause drama like always! My teachers...and afterwards a few newspaper articles...filled me in on what is happening...
first a side note: Chavez is nuts! He announced that he is the next Simon Bolivar a few years back...now when he makes public speeches, he welcomes Bolivar or makes comments to him all the time...Bolivar died in 1830.
So the drama here lately has to do with FARC, Colombia, the US, and Venezuela (only because Chavez is sticking his nose where it does not belong!) About ten years ago, the United States opened a military base in Manta, a city on coast of Ecuador to help control narcotrafficking. The US and Ecuador agreed on a ten year contract. Before opening the base, Manta was a fairly poor city without much going on. Today it is a modern, beautiful city popular with tourists. The base cleaned up the city, gave people jobs, and turned Manta into the most important port in the country. The drug trade, although still somewhat of a problem here, was greatly reduced.
Politics here are interested...not quite corrupt but lets say, easily manipulated. Kinda like in the US, if the President and Congress are of the same party, it is much easier for the President to pass laws and so on. Here, the President can create laws by writing them or signing them and passing them on to Congress. If Congress does not reject them in 30 days, they are automatically passed. This is what happened with the agreement allowing the US create the base in Manta. Well...a few years back....it was discovered that the US also had a few smaller bases, more or less, where they were storing weapons and supplies. These bases, I am not sure that that is what they should be called but I cant recall the name, were supposedly constructed as refugees for internally displaced people who were affected by natural disasters (like the last volcanoe eruptions, etc). Someone in Congress who was of a different political party (there are about 150 here) than the president realized that these bases or sites were not located close to any of the towns affected by disasters and started an investigation. Angered by what he found out, he joined with a few other Congressmen and called for the President to close the US base...saying it was not legitimately approved by the Congress. The President agreed to close the base and did not renew the contract...I think sometime in the past 6 months or so it closed.
When the base closed here, the Colombian governement invited the US to move its troops there. It did not invite the US to construct a base, which would be considered soverign US territory, rather, it gave permission to the US to access 6 existing Colombian bases.
Colombia and Ecuador already had tense relations before this. A large section of the border region between Ecuador and Colombia is jungle. It is well known that near the edge of the border, FARC has various camps. Since the border in this region is not well guarded, FARC set up a few camps in the jungle in Ecuador as well. The Colombian government discovered these camps and found out that the 3rd most important FARC leader was camped in one of them, and sent troops into Ecuador and bombed the camps from air....but without first asking permission of the Ecuadorian government. As you can imagine, the governemnt here was not happy.
This incident is the base of some rumos that some of you may have heard that the Ecuadorian President has ties to FARC. When he chastized Colombia for bombing FARC troops in his country, those who do not support him began rumos that he was a supporter of FARC. Hugo Chavez got involved because he is Hugo Chavez....he criticized Colombia for invading Ecuador and for allowing American imperialism to continue in South America by allowing US troops to access its bases.
A few weeks back, when Chavez was here to celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of Ecuadors first declaration of independence, he used the opportunity to provoke Colombia some more...going as far to say that if Colombia wants a war, he will give it a war.
While Chavez is provoking war, a few other presidents want to invite Barack Obama to attend a meeting with UNASUR to discuss the situation...we will see howw that goes if it comes to pass! I will keep you updated!
Well I guess that is enough of a lesson for today! I hope you found it as interesting as I do and I hope I remembered and interpreted all of the details correctly! As for me, I am flying to Guayaquil (Ecuadors largest city located in the south of the country) this afternoon to attend an important Rotary Club event tomorrow. The President of Rotary International will be there and my counselor invited me to attend. Fortunately, there is also a student at my school who is from NYC but whose family lives in Guayaquil, so we are flying there together this afternoon...attending a really imporant soccer game (Emelec from Ecuador against a team from Venezuela) and spending the weekend with her family. I will take lots of pictures to share...hopefully I will get my internet working soon to post them! Until then...take care!
As I mentioned in the email where I said that Hugo Chavez was here...the President of Ecuador was recently inaugurated as the President of UNASUR...which is an attempt by the countires of South AMerica to form a union like the EU. Well...of course Chavez has to cause drama like always! My teachers...and afterwards a few newspaper articles...filled me in on what is happening...
first a side note: Chavez is nuts! He announced that he is the next Simon Bolivar a few years back...now when he makes public speeches, he welcomes Bolivar or makes comments to him all the time...Bolivar died in 1830.
So the drama here lately has to do with FARC, Colombia, the US, and Venezuela (only because Chavez is sticking his nose where it does not belong!) About ten years ago, the United States opened a military base in Manta, a city on coast of Ecuador to help control narcotrafficking. The US and Ecuador agreed on a ten year contract. Before opening the base, Manta was a fairly poor city without much going on. Today it is a modern, beautiful city popular with tourists. The base cleaned up the city, gave people jobs, and turned Manta into the most important port in the country. The drug trade, although still somewhat of a problem here, was greatly reduced.
Politics here are interested...not quite corrupt but lets say, easily manipulated. Kinda like in the US, if the President and Congress are of the same party, it is much easier for the President to pass laws and so on. Here, the President can create laws by writing them or signing them and passing them on to Congress. If Congress does not reject them in 30 days, they are automatically passed. This is what happened with the agreement allowing the US create the base in Manta. Well...a few years back....it was discovered that the US also had a few smaller bases, more or less, where they were storing weapons and supplies. These bases, I am not sure that that is what they should be called but I cant recall the name, were supposedly constructed as refugees for internally displaced people who were affected by natural disasters (like the last volcanoe eruptions, etc). Someone in Congress who was of a different political party (there are about 150 here) than the president realized that these bases or sites were not located close to any of the towns affected by disasters and started an investigation. Angered by what he found out, he joined with a few other Congressmen and called for the President to close the US base...saying it was not legitimately approved by the Congress. The President agreed to close the base and did not renew the contract...I think sometime in the past 6 months or so it closed.
When the base closed here, the Colombian governement invited the US to move its troops there. It did not invite the US to construct a base, which would be considered soverign US territory, rather, it gave permission to the US to access 6 existing Colombian bases.
Colombia and Ecuador already had tense relations before this. A large section of the border region between Ecuador and Colombia is jungle. It is well known that near the edge of the border, FARC has various camps. Since the border in this region is not well guarded, FARC set up a few camps in the jungle in Ecuador as well. The Colombian government discovered these camps and found out that the 3rd most important FARC leader was camped in one of them, and sent troops into Ecuador and bombed the camps from air....but without first asking permission of the Ecuadorian government. As you can imagine, the governemnt here was not happy.
This incident is the base of some rumos that some of you may have heard that the Ecuadorian President has ties to FARC. When he chastized Colombia for bombing FARC troops in his country, those who do not support him began rumos that he was a supporter of FARC. Hugo Chavez got involved because he is Hugo Chavez....he criticized Colombia for invading Ecuador and for allowing American imperialism to continue in South America by allowing US troops to access its bases.
A few weeks back, when Chavez was here to celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of Ecuadors first declaration of independence, he used the opportunity to provoke Colombia some more...going as far to say that if Colombia wants a war, he will give it a war.
While Chavez is provoking war, a few other presidents want to invite Barack Obama to attend a meeting with UNASUR to discuss the situation...we will see howw that goes if it comes to pass! I will keep you updated!
Well I guess that is enough of a lesson for today! I hope you found it as interesting as I do and I hope I remembered and interpreted all of the details correctly! As for me, I am flying to Guayaquil (Ecuadors largest city located in the south of the country) this afternoon to attend an important Rotary Club event tomorrow. The President of Rotary International will be there and my counselor invited me to attend. Fortunately, there is also a student at my school who is from NYC but whose family lives in Guayaquil, so we are flying there together this afternoon...attending a really imporant soccer game (Emelec from Ecuador against a team from Venezuela) and spending the weekend with her family. I will take lots of pictures to share...hopefully I will get my internet working soon to post them! Until then...take care!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Banos and burglary!
Saludos,
I hope all is well with you all in the US! I am sorry I havent written in awhile...well actually I did write a nice long email that I was going to use as the base for this post about my adventures last weekend...then the internet froze up in the internet cafe where I was writing and I lost everything after about an hours worth of work...and still had to pay for it! Like I have said before...they charge for everything here!
So to recap...if I can remember!
Last weekend I traveled with another student, Mollie, to a small town called Banos, nestled in the mountains about 3.5 hours southeast of Quito. We took a trolley from our school to the brand new bus terminal about 45 minutes away in South Quito and then took a 3.5 hour bus ride to Banos. The town, whose name means "baths" (not just bathroom for those of you who recognize the word)...is known for its fresh water pools, full of mineral rich water that flows from the surrounding mountains and volcanoes. There is one hot (more like warm) water pool and various cold water pools. The town is full of tourists, Ecuadorian and foreign alike...and reminded me very much of the Asheville-Chimney Rock area.
After dinner Friday night (at an eclectic little restaurant that had some mediterrean dishes...I was missing humus and finally got some that sort of hit the spot!...the food here is good but there it is nice to have something to remind you of home from time to time), we were off to bed early--my first time staying in a hostal....and actually my first time traveling somewhere without a guide or travel companion that knew the area! The hostal was nice...private room with a hot shower....free internet and a fire pit in the lobby, all for only 9.50 for a night per person...I almost felt like a backpacker (the town was full of them).
Saturday morning we woke up early, scouted out some fresh bread and fruit for breakfast and then set out on our adventure--our goal was to ride the bikes we had rented for $5 all the way to Puyo, a town that sits on the border of the Amazon...61 kilometers (I think that is about 38 miles away). Along the journey, there are more waterfalls and beautiful sites than one can count. We set out, winding through the mountains until we arrived at the first waterfall. We took a cable car across a gorge and then hiked around a bit on the other side. After crossing a small bridge near the top of the waterfall...we paid a man 10 cents to let us use a trail that takes you closer to the water...I kinda snuck around the fence near the edge to capture a picture of the fall from the top when the man wasn't looking! We hiked around a bit more, admired the nature and the avocado, taxo, and plaintain plants and then ran into the Bodega de Los Contrabandistas del Aguardiente (The Cellar/Hideout of the Contrabands of Aguardiente)....a few kilometers up there once existed a sugar plantations. These contrabandistas would make Aguardiente--a sugar cane alcohol very typical in Ecuador--and transport and sell the moonshine when it was illegal.
We left this fall and continued on our journey..passing through the first tunnel--which was terrifying! It was a narrow tunnel carved into the mountain with no sidewalks...completely pitch black...full of bikers, buses, and large trucks. I felt really dumb when I realized I still had my sunglasses on and that perhaps taking them off would help the situation...which it did...but not by much!
The next fall we came to is more well known and also has a cable car. We took the cable car...which is 100 meters above the bottom of the gorge...over the top of the Manta de la Novia (Veil of the Novia) Cascade. It was beautiful! Here, we hiked around a bit until we found the casita (small house) where a mom and her son sell a few Ecuadorian specialities to passersby. We shared a grilled plaintain (delicious) and then paid her son a quarter to let us take pictures with Rafeal--his pet monkey. They had bought the monkey in the jungle and brought it back to their home in the mountains...although this is illegal it is the second mono (monkey) I have encountered.
We continued along on our bikes for quite some time until we reached the infamous Pailleon del Diable (Devil's Cauldron). After hiking downhill for about 10 minutes, we had a snack overlooking the beautiful river and admiring the forest...which I should mentioned was getting slightly more tropical as we biked further away from the mountains and towards the jungle. After paying a dollar, we were permitted to hike up a few minutes to actually see the cauldren. It was beautiful! This waterfall was huge! And so loud we could hardley hear one another. We viewed the amazing fall from the three balconies...trying to take pictures without soaking our cameras. We opted out of passing underneath the fall because everyone who did so was completely drenched. It was amazing! I got a decent picture of the face of the devil that appears naturally in the stone next to the fall...This place was truly beautiful.
We set off again on our bikes..winding through the mountains. Although my legs were burning and the seats of the bikes were anything but comfortable...we soldiered on! We passed by another spot where you can hike past 8 more waterfalls of various sizes, but we knew if we stopped we wouldn't make it to our destination.
As we got further away from Banos, the vegetation became greener and more tropical. I couldn't help but feel somewhat at peace and relaxed and also a bit sad. It amazed me how much the natural beauty I was witnessing made me think of those I loved and missed. There were parts of the day that made me think of many of you for different reasons, and I wished very much that you all could see what I was seeing through my eyes...or even better, experience it with me. It was bittersweet.
In the end, we made it nearly to our destination...but not quite! 55 km and about 8 hours after we set out on our journey...it was starting to get dark. We caught a bus back to banos...proud of what we accomplished!
After dinner and converstaion with some fellow travelers (three girls from Switzerland and a guy from LA...the majority of the foreigners I have met here are either from Germany, Switzerland, or the US) we went to bed hurting but happy! The next morning, we put on our bathing suits and set off for the mineral pools, but by 8:30 in the morning they were packed full! Luckily, we got our money back and instead wandered around town and tried a few of the towns specialities...candy!
We watched a man cut down stalks of sugarcane and then give them to his wife who fed them through a machine that compressed them and removed sugar water. It was so sweet I couldnt drink it and I don't understand how Ecuadorians enjoy it (it was like 95% sugar 5% water). We bought some hard taffy that the town is known for and a few other treats. A little note about the food culture here..while there are regional differences in food (more fish and plaintains in the coast, more potatoes and rice in the mountains)...any honest Ecuadorian will admit that the people here have a terrible sweet tooth like no other. I think because of this sweet tooth, they also love their salt because all the food is packed with one or the other. My new favorite, however, is Ahi. Ahi itself is a type of chili pepper, but the word also refers to the hot sauce made in a variety of manners from the pepper and served with every meal (right next to the sugar, of course). After trying a few sweets, we then spent an hour or two by the pool at a nearby hotel.
We caught the bus back, hoping for another 3.5 hour ride, but it ended up being much longer and more dramatic! First, it left a little late...then because Quito is higher in elevation moved a little slower....Two vendors entered the bus to sell candy (a normal practice here...vendors are allowed to get on the bus, try to sell their food or whatever they have and then usually get off a minute later), but usually vendors are women or children and they usually get off right away. These two black men, one in his late teens, early twenties, the other older--did not get off the bus. The older man stood in the back while the younger, standing in the front, gave some sad speech about how he is really hard working and does this on the side to help him get by...yadadada. I didnt trust the man in the back and kept an eye on him. I was especially suspicious when after about 10, 15 minutes they were still on the bus and he wasnt using the handrails but instead was standing with his hands above...in the overhead comparments about three rows behind us. I told Mollie to jump up quickly and see what he was doing...when she did, it turned out his hand was in her backpack...with all of the pockets opened. She asked him what he was doing well I told people in front the get the drivers assistant/ticket holder guy. They stopped the bus (luckily just as we were pulling up to a toll with police officers) and kicked them off. Luckily she didnt have anything important in her bag! To add to that drama, a bit later the bus was stopped because just moments before a car had flipped completely over in the road. I am assuming everyone inside was okay because when we finally passed by, a group of men were flipping it right side up.
In the end, I did not want to return home! My family here is sweet as can be, but nothing beats the beauty of the mountains and forests and waterfalls. I was not looking forward to classes or toward returning to a city, but return we did! Classes went well this week...I have much I want to write about my volunteer work with the kids and about the politics and culture I have been observing and studying...but this email is quite long so that will have to wait....for a preview----Hugo Chavez is starting drama and I was "cleaned" of bad energy by a medicine man who smoked, spit sugarcane alcohol, and blew fire at me and the other students....can't wait to tell you more!
Until next time, cuidate! Take Care!
I hope all is well with you all in the US! I am sorry I havent written in awhile...well actually I did write a nice long email that I was going to use as the base for this post about my adventures last weekend...then the internet froze up in the internet cafe where I was writing and I lost everything after about an hours worth of work...and still had to pay for it! Like I have said before...they charge for everything here!
So to recap...if I can remember!
Last weekend I traveled with another student, Mollie, to a small town called Banos, nestled in the mountains about 3.5 hours southeast of Quito. We took a trolley from our school to the brand new bus terminal about 45 minutes away in South Quito and then took a 3.5 hour bus ride to Banos. The town, whose name means "baths" (not just bathroom for those of you who recognize the word)...is known for its fresh water pools, full of mineral rich water that flows from the surrounding mountains and volcanoes. There is one hot (more like warm) water pool and various cold water pools. The town is full of tourists, Ecuadorian and foreign alike...and reminded me very much of the Asheville-Chimney Rock area.
After dinner Friday night (at an eclectic little restaurant that had some mediterrean dishes...I was missing humus and finally got some that sort of hit the spot!...the food here is good but there it is nice to have something to remind you of home from time to time), we were off to bed early--my first time staying in a hostal....and actually my first time traveling somewhere without a guide or travel companion that knew the area! The hostal was nice...private room with a hot shower....free internet and a fire pit in the lobby, all for only 9.50 for a night per person...I almost felt like a backpacker (the town was full of them).
Saturday morning we woke up early, scouted out some fresh bread and fruit for breakfast and then set out on our adventure--our goal was to ride the bikes we had rented for $5 all the way to Puyo, a town that sits on the border of the Amazon...61 kilometers (I think that is about 38 miles away). Along the journey, there are more waterfalls and beautiful sites than one can count. We set out, winding through the mountains until we arrived at the first waterfall. We took a cable car across a gorge and then hiked around a bit on the other side. After crossing a small bridge near the top of the waterfall...we paid a man 10 cents to let us use a trail that takes you closer to the water...I kinda snuck around the fence near the edge to capture a picture of the fall from the top when the man wasn't looking! We hiked around a bit more, admired the nature and the avocado, taxo, and plaintain plants and then ran into the Bodega de Los Contrabandistas del Aguardiente (The Cellar/Hideout of the Contrabands of Aguardiente)....a few kilometers up there once existed a sugar plantations. These contrabandistas would make Aguardiente--a sugar cane alcohol very typical in Ecuador--and transport and sell the moonshine when it was illegal.
We left this fall and continued on our journey..passing through the first tunnel--which was terrifying! It was a narrow tunnel carved into the mountain with no sidewalks...completely pitch black...full of bikers, buses, and large trucks. I felt really dumb when I realized I still had my sunglasses on and that perhaps taking them off would help the situation...which it did...but not by much!
The next fall we came to is more well known and also has a cable car. We took the cable car...which is 100 meters above the bottom of the gorge...over the top of the Manta de la Novia (Veil of the Novia) Cascade. It was beautiful! Here, we hiked around a bit until we found the casita (small house) where a mom and her son sell a few Ecuadorian specialities to passersby. We shared a grilled plaintain (delicious) and then paid her son a quarter to let us take pictures with Rafeal--his pet monkey. They had bought the monkey in the jungle and brought it back to their home in the mountains...although this is illegal it is the second mono (monkey) I have encountered.
We continued along on our bikes for quite some time until we reached the infamous Pailleon del Diable (Devil's Cauldron). After hiking downhill for about 10 minutes, we had a snack overlooking the beautiful river and admiring the forest...which I should mentioned was getting slightly more tropical as we biked further away from the mountains and towards the jungle. After paying a dollar, we were permitted to hike up a few minutes to actually see the cauldren. It was beautiful! This waterfall was huge! And so loud we could hardley hear one another. We viewed the amazing fall from the three balconies...trying to take pictures without soaking our cameras. We opted out of passing underneath the fall because everyone who did so was completely drenched. It was amazing! I got a decent picture of the face of the devil that appears naturally in the stone next to the fall...This place was truly beautiful.
We set off again on our bikes..winding through the mountains. Although my legs were burning and the seats of the bikes were anything but comfortable...we soldiered on! We passed by another spot where you can hike past 8 more waterfalls of various sizes, but we knew if we stopped we wouldn't make it to our destination.
As we got further away from Banos, the vegetation became greener and more tropical. I couldn't help but feel somewhat at peace and relaxed and also a bit sad. It amazed me how much the natural beauty I was witnessing made me think of those I loved and missed. There were parts of the day that made me think of many of you for different reasons, and I wished very much that you all could see what I was seeing through my eyes...or even better, experience it with me. It was bittersweet.
In the end, we made it nearly to our destination...but not quite! 55 km and about 8 hours after we set out on our journey...it was starting to get dark. We caught a bus back to banos...proud of what we accomplished!
After dinner and converstaion with some fellow travelers (three girls from Switzerland and a guy from LA...the majority of the foreigners I have met here are either from Germany, Switzerland, or the US) we went to bed hurting but happy! The next morning, we put on our bathing suits and set off for the mineral pools, but by 8:30 in the morning they were packed full! Luckily, we got our money back and instead wandered around town and tried a few of the towns specialities...candy!
We watched a man cut down stalks of sugarcane and then give them to his wife who fed them through a machine that compressed them and removed sugar water. It was so sweet I couldnt drink it and I don't understand how Ecuadorians enjoy it (it was like 95% sugar 5% water). We bought some hard taffy that the town is known for and a few other treats. A little note about the food culture here..while there are regional differences in food (more fish and plaintains in the coast, more potatoes and rice in the mountains)...any honest Ecuadorian will admit that the people here have a terrible sweet tooth like no other. I think because of this sweet tooth, they also love their salt because all the food is packed with one or the other. My new favorite, however, is Ahi. Ahi itself is a type of chili pepper, but the word also refers to the hot sauce made in a variety of manners from the pepper and served with every meal (right next to the sugar, of course). After trying a few sweets, we then spent an hour or two by the pool at a nearby hotel.
We caught the bus back, hoping for another 3.5 hour ride, but it ended up being much longer and more dramatic! First, it left a little late...then because Quito is higher in elevation moved a little slower....Two vendors entered the bus to sell candy (a normal practice here...vendors are allowed to get on the bus, try to sell their food or whatever they have and then usually get off a minute later), but usually vendors are women or children and they usually get off right away. These two black men, one in his late teens, early twenties, the other older--did not get off the bus. The older man stood in the back while the younger, standing in the front, gave some sad speech about how he is really hard working and does this on the side to help him get by...yadadada. I didnt trust the man in the back and kept an eye on him. I was especially suspicious when after about 10, 15 minutes they were still on the bus and he wasnt using the handrails but instead was standing with his hands above...in the overhead comparments about three rows behind us. I told Mollie to jump up quickly and see what he was doing...when she did, it turned out his hand was in her backpack...with all of the pockets opened. She asked him what he was doing well I told people in front the get the drivers assistant/ticket holder guy. They stopped the bus (luckily just as we were pulling up to a toll with police officers) and kicked them off. Luckily she didnt have anything important in her bag! To add to that drama, a bit later the bus was stopped because just moments before a car had flipped completely over in the road. I am assuming everyone inside was okay because when we finally passed by, a group of men were flipping it right side up.
In the end, I did not want to return home! My family here is sweet as can be, but nothing beats the beauty of the mountains and forests and waterfalls. I was not looking forward to classes or toward returning to a city, but return we did! Classes went well this week...I have much I want to write about my volunteer work with the kids and about the politics and culture I have been observing and studying...but this email is quite long so that will have to wait....for a preview----Hugo Chavez is starting drama and I was "cleaned" of bad energy by a medicine man who smoked, spit sugarcane alcohol, and blew fire at me and the other students....can't wait to tell you more!
Until next time, cuidate! Take Care!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Pictures
Click on the links to see all of my pictures so far!
Week 1:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2353003&id=12603504&l=da642c56af
Week 2:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2354871&id=12603504&l=b41410909b
Week 3:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2358676&id=12603504&l=0918640496
Week 1:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2353003&id=12603504&l=da642c56af
Week 2:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2354871&id=12603504&l=b41410909b
Week 3:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2358676&id=12603504&l=0918640496
Hola from Ecuador and a Lesson in Geography!
Hola and Saludos Friends and Family!
I hope all is well for you all in the good ole USA! Today is a holiday here in Ecuador so no work or school for anyone...jealous?
Last week was pretty full! I had my classes Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday as usual. Tuesday and Thursday I volunteered and worked with the kids in the afternoon, but really I don't feel like it is enough! Its only a few hours and we just work on basic reading and math skills and then play outside for a bit. I am going to focus this week on designing some city beautification projects and figuring out who I need to speak with in the city to make them happen. I am thinking murals and maybe some sort of contest to design an anti-litering campaign (like a contest for kids to design posters that can be used by the government). School starts back in September so I have a little time to work on this one!
Wednesday I visited the Museo Banco Central (nothing to do with a bank though). It was interesting because it was full of relics and models of tools and other artifacts used by the various indigenous cultures around the country prior to the arrival of the Spaniards...the art, jewelry, pots, statues, etc look different and are made from different materials depending on the region of the country...which brings us to today's geography lession (briefly)...
(sorry if this is boring to some of you...BUT I am here as a Cultural Ambassador, not just a tourist!). Ecuador is known for its 4 very diverse regions. First, there is the Galapagos Islands, which I am dying to visit, but to do so is quite expensive (although cheaper for Ecuadorians than foreigners). To visit, you have to fly out of Guayaquil (the largest city in the country, a good 10 hour drive from Quito, I would have to fly). Once you reach the islands, you can take small cruises (small boats, not cruise ships like Carnival) on trips lasting anywhere from 4 days to a few weeks.
Next, is the Coast. This region is known for its beaches, food, and agriculture. There are a few popular places to surf, and I would love to spend a weekend just lying on the beach. In this region, they grow plantains, rice, and tons of fruit, and you can eat some of the best seafood you can imagine. I was actually at the beach this weekend spending time with my Host Rotarian and her family and saw a boat of fishermen pull up and take a fresh load of fish into the restaurants lining the beach--I had the best shrimp of my life (which says a lot becuase I am really picky with shrimp). I am starting to get sort of tired of soups though...throughout the entire country, soup is really popular...often with fish or chicken but occasionally with beef, bull penis, lamb intestines, plantains...depends on where you are (and how brave you are!). Since pretty much everything they eat here is either beef, pork, or deep fried (and the fact that I am EXTREMELY picky) I have been eating tons of soup and ceviche and fruit (although I do love an empanada or some fried chifles/plaintains from time to time too). I was a little suprised though to find out that the Coastal Region is the driest of the four regions, and many of the cities we passed through were extremely dusty and dirty. I don't think I could live there. Manta, the popular touristy and more luxiurous city right on the coast (huge port city too, most of the imports come through Manta) was very clean and moden...I'd love to visit there (or the nearby surfer beach called Mantanita...or little Manta).
While near the coast this weekend, my Host Rotarian did me a huge favor. I had mentioned the beaches where you can whale watch to her before we left, and on Saturday, she accompanied me (along with her nephew, a great nephew, and great niece) to Porto Cayo, about an hour and a half from Portoviejo (the more inland city where we spent the weekend...not one I would recommend you visit). From there, the younger nephew and niece and I paid for a boat tour that lasted about 1.5 hours to go watch whales! It was kind of overcast and I had heard that this year there had not been many whales so I was worried that we would be disappointed, but it was amazing! Bad news is that when I tried to take a picture of the first whales we saw, my camara died. We ended following around a group of about 4 whales...three males fighting over one female (its mating season...). One lost fairly early in the battle and went off but two battled for quite a bit! At first, we just saw their backs as they arched near the top of the water and swam along but finally we saw a few tails rise out of the water. Then one of the whales raised the top half of his body out of the water, turned a bit, and crashed back into the water! It was breathtaking! Then, the two males began really going at it! They turn on their side, lift their fins and slap them back down into the water. Near the end of our tour, the two males popped their heads out of the water a few times...it was really cool!
The next region is called the Sierra. The drive from the city to the Sierra is really pretty...as you move inland, things become less dusty and much more green. Almost like driving through a forest in the US, but with tropical trees...not quite a forest, not quite jungle. The mountains of Ecuador are actually the top part of the Andean Mountain range. I won't talk much about the mountains here because I think I have done a lot of that already (Quito is located in the Sierra...9,300 feet up, wedged in a valley). Many of the mountains of Ecuador are in fact volcanoes...some of which remain active...and some of the mountains and volcanoes are snow capped (and beautiful). I think this coming weekend I will travel to Cotopaxi...a snow capped volcanoe fairly close to Quito.
The next region is called the Oriente...here you find La Selva (the jungle). I don't know much about this region yet, other than that it is beautiful...full of animals and beautiful plants...that I might get Malaria if I don't take my pills...and that there is a particular indigenous community that will kill you if you try to enter because they want to maintain their indigenous lifestyles. I also learned in school that many of the indigenous cultures in this region have been and are exploited terribly by oil companies. Today, oil is Ecuador's primary export..supposedly the government is trying to do more to protect the jungle and restrict where oil companies can drill, but we all know how that story ends.... I will write more about the Oriente after I visit it in September.
So like I said before, today is a national holiday. It makes the 200th anniversary of the first declaration/battle for independence. Quito is referred to as "La Luz de America" or the light of America because it was the first city to declare independence from Europe. In the end, it was one of the last places to actually achieve independence, but it led the way for later independence movements. Unfortunately, I missed most of the festivities which occurred yesterday because we were traveling from Portoviejo (an 8 hour drive...Ecuador is not a large country, but travel anywhere takes a long time because the roads wind and weave through the mountains and the trek is slow!). Apparantely, every park and plaza yesterday had some sort of free concert, performance, or art display...I did here some fireworks as I returned home around 10 last night.
Today, I headed to the Historic Center after doing some laundry (which I wanted to point out because I think this is interesting too...pretty much everyone has a washer, but they don't always use it. On the contrary, very few have driers..so i wash my clothes in the washer and then hang them outside to dry...which reminds me...I better get them now before it gets dark and cold!). A friend from school and I were hoping to see what was happening in the Historic Center and visit a few museums (because we were told this whole week/month everything is open and free)...it turned out however that pretty much everything was closed. We did have some good luck though! This weekened, Presidents from around Latin America visited Ecuador to celebrate the independence. Also, the President (Corea) was inducted this morning as the Secretary General of UNASUR (United Nations of South America....UNASUR is a political and economic group of South American countries, created in 2008 and modeled after the EU...the political headquarters is in Quito. Just as my friend and I were finishing lunch in the Plaza Grande (where the President's Palace is located) and heading out to see if a museum we wanted to visit was open, we noticed a lot of activity on the corner of the street we were trying to cross. After battling police and members of the military, we finally got across and asked what was going on. Our timing was perject...just as we got across...a motor cade pulled up. A few secret servicemen jumped out and open the car door and out stepped Raul Castro. A minute later, another motorcade followed by two large buses. Out of the first...more security guards and assistants...out of the second...the President of Peru, Costa Rica...a cute prince from Spain, and then Hugo Chavez! We were seriously only about ten feet away from him. It was crazy! I snapped a quick photo of Chavez....I will pass it along later. After asking around a bit, we found out that a lot of people like Chavez a lot....It seems to be about half and half here. A lot of conservatives think the current Ecuadorian President is too young and the reason why there is high unemployment...these same folks admire Chavez for his style of governing. Another Rotary Scholar who spent 6 months in Venezuela said it is about 50/50 there as well. After the crowd cleared...we wandered a bit and found all the museums and churches were closed.
This is getting long...but one more quick note. I passed along in a previous email some favorite phrases and words used frequently here...I have another. Ecuadorians are EXTREMELY proud of their country and their history. You would be amazed by how much these people know about eveything...every church, street, plant, town, city, fruit, etc. One thing I love that they say...and I am not sure if it means anything to them or just to me, and maybe other Spanish speaking countries also say this, i do not know...is the verb "conocer. " It means to get to know or be familiar with, and I learned it in school many years ago. I was taught that you use this verb when you refer to knowing a person (literally it translates as "to know") but not when you are saying to know information. I like it because we don't use such a verb in the US in the way they do here. When we speak of the places we have visited or give recommendations to tourists, we say "you have to see" or "I saw" or maybe "I have been there" or "I have visited." Here they tell you that you need to "conocer" or you need to get to know this place or that place. To me, it shows more respect and admiration--you are not just seeing something, you become familiar with it. It maybe nothing, but I kind of like it! Its like telling someone to make sure they stop and smell the roses while they are passing through a place.
Well this has gotten quite long! I hope you enjoyed! Have a great day! Thanks once again for emails and updates! Let me know if anyone wants to come visit and get to know Ecuador...flights should start getting a little cheaper in the next few months as the tourist season calms down!
Love you all!
I hope all is well for you all in the good ole USA! Today is a holiday here in Ecuador so no work or school for anyone...jealous?
Last week was pretty full! I had my classes Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday as usual. Tuesday and Thursday I volunteered and worked with the kids in the afternoon, but really I don't feel like it is enough! Its only a few hours and we just work on basic reading and math skills and then play outside for a bit. I am going to focus this week on designing some city beautification projects and figuring out who I need to speak with in the city to make them happen. I am thinking murals and maybe some sort of contest to design an anti-litering campaign (like a contest for kids to design posters that can be used by the government). School starts back in September so I have a little time to work on this one!
Wednesday I visited the Museo Banco Central (nothing to do with a bank though). It was interesting because it was full of relics and models of tools and other artifacts used by the various indigenous cultures around the country prior to the arrival of the Spaniards...the art, jewelry, pots, statues, etc look different and are made from different materials depending on the region of the country...which brings us to today's geography lession (briefly)...
(sorry if this is boring to some of you...BUT I am here as a Cultural Ambassador, not just a tourist!). Ecuador is known for its 4 very diverse regions. First, there is the Galapagos Islands, which I am dying to visit, but to do so is quite expensive (although cheaper for Ecuadorians than foreigners). To visit, you have to fly out of Guayaquil (the largest city in the country, a good 10 hour drive from Quito, I would have to fly). Once you reach the islands, you can take small cruises (small boats, not cruise ships like Carnival) on trips lasting anywhere from 4 days to a few weeks.
Next, is the Coast. This region is known for its beaches, food, and agriculture. There are a few popular places to surf, and I would love to spend a weekend just lying on the beach. In this region, they grow plantains, rice, and tons of fruit, and you can eat some of the best seafood you can imagine. I was actually at the beach this weekend spending time with my Host Rotarian and her family and saw a boat of fishermen pull up and take a fresh load of fish into the restaurants lining the beach--I had the best shrimp of my life (which says a lot becuase I am really picky with shrimp). I am starting to get sort of tired of soups though...throughout the entire country, soup is really popular...often with fish or chicken but occasionally with beef, bull penis, lamb intestines, plantains...depends on where you are (and how brave you are!). Since pretty much everything they eat here is either beef, pork, or deep fried (and the fact that I am EXTREMELY picky) I have been eating tons of soup and ceviche and fruit (although I do love an empanada or some fried chifles/plaintains from time to time too). I was a little suprised though to find out that the Coastal Region is the driest of the four regions, and many of the cities we passed through were extremely dusty and dirty. I don't think I could live there. Manta, the popular touristy and more luxiurous city right on the coast (huge port city too, most of the imports come through Manta) was very clean and moden...I'd love to visit there (or the nearby surfer beach called Mantanita...or little Manta).
While near the coast this weekend, my Host Rotarian did me a huge favor. I had mentioned the beaches where you can whale watch to her before we left, and on Saturday, she accompanied me (along with her nephew, a great nephew, and great niece) to Porto Cayo, about an hour and a half from Portoviejo (the more inland city where we spent the weekend...not one I would recommend you visit). From there, the younger nephew and niece and I paid for a boat tour that lasted about 1.5 hours to go watch whales! It was kind of overcast and I had heard that this year there had not been many whales so I was worried that we would be disappointed, but it was amazing! Bad news is that when I tried to take a picture of the first whales we saw, my camara died. We ended following around a group of about 4 whales...three males fighting over one female (its mating season...). One lost fairly early in the battle and went off but two battled for quite a bit! At first, we just saw their backs as they arched near the top of the water and swam along but finally we saw a few tails rise out of the water. Then one of the whales raised the top half of his body out of the water, turned a bit, and crashed back into the water! It was breathtaking! Then, the two males began really going at it! They turn on their side, lift their fins and slap them back down into the water. Near the end of our tour, the two males popped their heads out of the water a few times...it was really cool!
The next region is called the Sierra. The drive from the city to the Sierra is really pretty...as you move inland, things become less dusty and much more green. Almost like driving through a forest in the US, but with tropical trees...not quite a forest, not quite jungle. The mountains of Ecuador are actually the top part of the Andean Mountain range. I won't talk much about the mountains here because I think I have done a lot of that already (Quito is located in the Sierra...9,300 feet up, wedged in a valley). Many of the mountains of Ecuador are in fact volcanoes...some of which remain active...and some of the mountains and volcanoes are snow capped (and beautiful). I think this coming weekend I will travel to Cotopaxi...a snow capped volcanoe fairly close to Quito.
The next region is called the Oriente...here you find La Selva (the jungle). I don't know much about this region yet, other than that it is beautiful...full of animals and beautiful plants...that I might get Malaria if I don't take my pills...and that there is a particular indigenous community that will kill you if you try to enter because they want to maintain their indigenous lifestyles. I also learned in school that many of the indigenous cultures in this region have been and are exploited terribly by oil companies. Today, oil is Ecuador's primary export..supposedly the government is trying to do more to protect the jungle and restrict where oil companies can drill, but we all know how that story ends.... I will write more about the Oriente after I visit it in September.
So like I said before, today is a national holiday. It makes the 200th anniversary of the first declaration/battle for independence. Quito is referred to as "La Luz de America" or the light of America because it was the first city to declare independence from Europe. In the end, it was one of the last places to actually achieve independence, but it led the way for later independence movements. Unfortunately, I missed most of the festivities which occurred yesterday because we were traveling from Portoviejo (an 8 hour drive...Ecuador is not a large country, but travel anywhere takes a long time because the roads wind and weave through the mountains and the trek is slow!). Apparantely, every park and plaza yesterday had some sort of free concert, performance, or art display...I did here some fireworks as I returned home around 10 last night.
Today, I headed to the Historic Center after doing some laundry (which I wanted to point out because I think this is interesting too...pretty much everyone has a washer, but they don't always use it. On the contrary, very few have driers..so i wash my clothes in the washer and then hang them outside to dry...which reminds me...I better get them now before it gets dark and cold!). A friend from school and I were hoping to see what was happening in the Historic Center and visit a few museums (because we were told this whole week/month everything is open and free)...it turned out however that pretty much everything was closed. We did have some good luck though! This weekened, Presidents from around Latin America visited Ecuador to celebrate the independence. Also, the President (Corea) was inducted this morning as the Secretary General of UNASUR (United Nations of South America....UNASUR is a political and economic group of South American countries, created in 2008 and modeled after the EU...the political headquarters is in Quito. Just as my friend and I were finishing lunch in the Plaza Grande (where the President's Palace is located) and heading out to see if a museum we wanted to visit was open, we noticed a lot of activity on the corner of the street we were trying to cross. After battling police and members of the military, we finally got across and asked what was going on. Our timing was perject...just as we got across...a motor cade pulled up. A few secret servicemen jumped out and open the car door and out stepped Raul Castro. A minute later, another motorcade followed by two large buses. Out of the first...more security guards and assistants...out of the second...the President of Peru, Costa Rica...a cute prince from Spain, and then Hugo Chavez! We were seriously only about ten feet away from him. It was crazy! I snapped a quick photo of Chavez....I will pass it along later. After asking around a bit, we found out that a lot of people like Chavez a lot....It seems to be about half and half here. A lot of conservatives think the current Ecuadorian President is too young and the reason why there is high unemployment...these same folks admire Chavez for his style of governing. Another Rotary Scholar who spent 6 months in Venezuela said it is about 50/50 there as well. After the crowd cleared...we wandered a bit and found all the museums and churches were closed.
This is getting long...but one more quick note. I passed along in a previous email some favorite phrases and words used frequently here...I have another. Ecuadorians are EXTREMELY proud of their country and their history. You would be amazed by how much these people know about eveything...every church, street, plant, town, city, fruit, etc. One thing I love that they say...and I am not sure if it means anything to them or just to me, and maybe other Spanish speaking countries also say this, i do not know...is the verb "conocer. " It means to get to know or be familiar with, and I learned it in school many years ago. I was taught that you use this verb when you refer to knowing a person (literally it translates as "to know") but not when you are saying to know information. I like it because we don't use such a verb in the US in the way they do here. When we speak of the places we have visited or give recommendations to tourists, we say "you have to see" or "I saw" or maybe "I have been there" or "I have visited." Here they tell you that you need to "conocer" or you need to get to know this place or that place. To me, it shows more respect and admiration--you are not just seeing something, you become familiar with it. It maybe nothing, but I kind of like it! Its like telling someone to make sure they stop and smell the roses while they are passing through a place.
Well this has gotten quite long! I hope you enjoyed! Have a great day! Thanks once again for emails and updates! Let me know if anyone wants to come visit and get to know Ecuador...flights should start getting a little cheaper in the next few months as the tourist season calms down!
Love you all!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Hola Friends and Family!
Sorry it has been a bit since I have written! I hope everyone is doing well up there in the USA (or oosa as they say it often here...). I certainly miss you all! Thanks for the emails and well wishes! It is great to hear from you all! So the last time I wrote was Sunday evening (I think) and it is already Thursday so I have lots to fill you all in...but I will try not to make it a history book like my last email! haha!
As I am sure I have written before, the way my school works is classes in the mornings and little field trips around Quito and the surrounding areas in the afternoons....except for on Tuesdays and Thursday when I volunteer instead.
Monday, we went to visit El Panecillo--a large statue of a virgen that overlooks Quito. It is relatively new...finished in the 1970s. It has a variety of names and can be seen from many parts of the city--the best part, in my opinion was the beautiful views of the Old City and North Quito from the front and of South Quito, a mostly residencial sector, behind it.
Our trip Wednesday was AMAZING! We went in the morning to the Teleferiqo, which is a gondolah ride to the top of a mountain, 4,100 meters (I think thats around 12,300 feet or so?!). The view is absolutely breath taking! From there, we climbed another few hundred feet up to have an even better view of Quito in front of us and mountains and volcanoes all around us. It is a site that I wish you all could see for yourselves because neither words nor pictures do it justice! It was a little cloudy in the distance, so the views of Cotopaxi, the big snow capped volcano fairly close by, were not so great...but the "hiking" was a good preparation for when I visit it in the next few weeks! It takes a little time to get used to the altitude! When I do get to Cotopaxi finally...you take a bus or car up part of the way and then walk up part of it...til you reach the snow, then if you are hardcore, you can rent equipment to climb to the top--not recommended for beginners like me!
Tuesday I began my volunteer work with the Fundacion Salesiano por los Ninos de la Calle (Salesian Foundation for the Children of the Street). Currently, six children live in this project site, but others spend the day there playing games, getting tutored, bathing, eating, etc. The facility is very nice, and is mostly staffed by volunteers like myself. On Tuesday there were about 12 kids total, I worked with the two youngest boys playing a memory game to help them learn their letters...I taught them how to do a high five and the youngest one gave me a giant hug and smooch (which I am learning he loves to do). Then I watched kids play while the parents of some of the children (not all of them really have parents) met with the staff because the staff is taking them to the coast for a few days the week after next. For the most part, these children are all really sweet, but they are constantly getting in fights and punching and kicking each other. They worst culprit Tuesday was the only girl there! Yesterday at school, I had my teacher teach me phrases to use with them (like sit down, be quiet, behave or else..., wait your turn, etc). Today, I help two of the slightly older children (around 9ish) with multiplication and grammar. Then another volunteer, a girl from Spain, begain to teach them English. It was really interesting learning how others learn your language. I got up and helped her teach the boys a few phrases and the different forms of the verb "to be." Before I left, I gave them each some honey and sesame covered peanuts and a big hug...a few of them remembered "good bye" which was nice!
Wednesday I had a little drama at the post office...well kinda a lot of drama...like on the verge of tears and happy that the jerk working there didn't understand the names I was calling him under my breath in English. Before I left the States, I collected books and some school supplies like crayons and paper and pencils to donate to the other organization I am working with...I ended up paying 150 bucks to ship three boxes. In Ecuador, you have to pay huge taxes based on the declared value of the goods shipped and the weight of the package except for on books...books are essentially free. The young guy working at the post office, in charge of cutting open the boxes, rummaging through your belongings and filling out the form declaring what is in the boxes, was such a pain! One box was a few coloring books, scraps of paper, scissors, etc. Another was all books except for one package of used colored pencils (thanks Caroline!), and the other was half crayons and half coloring books...maybe with a few books stuck in too. This kid told us that coloring books are not real books (even though this coloring books actually have a story written in them too) so I had to pay for those. In the box with half crayons (not even half...like four or five little boxes) and some books and coloring books, he said the crayons weigh more than the books/coloring books so I had to pay for that. Then he called over his boss to see if I have to pay for the colored pencils that were in the box of books. We begged him to be more helpful or to let me put all the books into two boxes and the random stuff in other and he said no--even though we told him over and over it was a donation. Finally, we got to the counter to figure out how much to pay and asked the woman there for help since it was a donation for children and she said that the post office is a business just like any other. Tomorrow, I am going to have to pay $103 to get these boxes from the post office! What a pain!
Other than that...things are great! I am enjoying my school...a little sad that the two girls I have befriended are both leaving this weekend, but hopefully more students will arrive soon!
So, I know this is getting long, but just for fun...
Things You See and Hear everywhere in Quito (or at least, that I have seen)...
Bakeries...on every corner and half way in between with the most delicious looking desserts ever! so tempting...there is one I run by that smells just like my Grandma's rolls...oh yummy!
Furniture Stores...a few on every block
Bras! I guess it is the fashion...especially for older women...to wear see through shirts!
Litter...people don't think twice about it!
People greeting each other with hugs and kisses--which I love!
Men singing...which i love too
Little stores selling DVDs cheap!
Soccer fans (duh)
People selling weird things like batteries, CD cases, remote controls, cigarettes, candy, clothes pins, etc on the street corners
Street performers performing at stop lights (juggling balls or knives!)
Car horns....cars rarely stop at stop signs...they just honk! and if you are too slow crossing the street or hesitate too long at a light, they honk again
Tons of fresh fruit all over! which i love too!
Tshirts with English phrases....probably not understood by those wearing them
the 80s style (bright tshirts, tight jeans, faux hawks, etc)
Dogs...but not very well taken care of....
American things I have seen: McDonalds, Papa Johns, KFC (everywhere), Hilton, Sheraton, Marriott, Nestle (everywhere)
My favorite new words and phrases:
Que Chevere (kay chev-er-ay): How Great/Cool
Muy amable (moo-ee ah-ma-bleh): Literally, very nice...but when it is used, it means very kind of you...so whenever you buy something in a store or someone is of assistance to you...you hear Gracias, si muy amable, gracias.
Hasta la vista bebe: (no joke, my host parents have said it three times)
Hija/Hijo: literally means daughter/son but used frequently as a term of endearment
Things you never/rarely see:
Flip flops or casual sandals
Baby strollers (babies are just strapped to your back with a blanket)
Garbage cans on the street
Natural blondes
Starbucks (which I miss)
Diet Coca Cola (Coca Cola Light occasionally, Diet Pepsi never)
Turkey (I am dying for a turkey sandwich!)
Mimosas and good wine (occasionally something decent from Chile but kinda expensive)! and yes...I miss them both very much!
I guess thats its for now! Sorry it is so long! I miss you all and love you all very much! Send me updates on your lives too! Have a great day/night! Hugs and kisses!Courtney
Sorry it has been a bit since I have written! I hope everyone is doing well up there in the USA (or oosa as they say it often here...). I certainly miss you all! Thanks for the emails and well wishes! It is great to hear from you all! So the last time I wrote was Sunday evening (I think) and it is already Thursday so I have lots to fill you all in...but I will try not to make it a history book like my last email! haha!
As I am sure I have written before, the way my school works is classes in the mornings and little field trips around Quito and the surrounding areas in the afternoons....except for on Tuesdays and Thursday when I volunteer instead.
Monday, we went to visit El Panecillo--a large statue of a virgen that overlooks Quito. It is relatively new...finished in the 1970s. It has a variety of names and can be seen from many parts of the city--the best part, in my opinion was the beautiful views of the Old City and North Quito from the front and of South Quito, a mostly residencial sector, behind it.
Our trip Wednesday was AMAZING! We went in the morning to the Teleferiqo, which is a gondolah ride to the top of a mountain, 4,100 meters (I think thats around 12,300 feet or so?!). The view is absolutely breath taking! From there, we climbed another few hundred feet up to have an even better view of Quito in front of us and mountains and volcanoes all around us. It is a site that I wish you all could see for yourselves because neither words nor pictures do it justice! It was a little cloudy in the distance, so the views of Cotopaxi, the big snow capped volcano fairly close by, were not so great...but the "hiking" was a good preparation for when I visit it in the next few weeks! It takes a little time to get used to the altitude! When I do get to Cotopaxi finally...you take a bus or car up part of the way and then walk up part of it...til you reach the snow, then if you are hardcore, you can rent equipment to climb to the top--not recommended for beginners like me!
Tuesday I began my volunteer work with the Fundacion Salesiano por los Ninos de la Calle (Salesian Foundation for the Children of the Street). Currently, six children live in this project site, but others spend the day there playing games, getting tutored, bathing, eating, etc. The facility is very nice, and is mostly staffed by volunteers like myself. On Tuesday there were about 12 kids total, I worked with the two youngest boys playing a memory game to help them learn their letters...I taught them how to do a high five and the youngest one gave me a giant hug and smooch (which I am learning he loves to do). Then I watched kids play while the parents of some of the children (not all of them really have parents) met with the staff because the staff is taking them to the coast for a few days the week after next. For the most part, these children are all really sweet, but they are constantly getting in fights and punching and kicking each other. They worst culprit Tuesday was the only girl there! Yesterday at school, I had my teacher teach me phrases to use with them (like sit down, be quiet, behave or else..., wait your turn, etc). Today, I help two of the slightly older children (around 9ish) with multiplication and grammar. Then another volunteer, a girl from Spain, begain to teach them English. It was really interesting learning how others learn your language. I got up and helped her teach the boys a few phrases and the different forms of the verb "to be." Before I left, I gave them each some honey and sesame covered peanuts and a big hug...a few of them remembered "good bye" which was nice!
Wednesday I had a little drama at the post office...well kinda a lot of drama...like on the verge of tears and happy that the jerk working there didn't understand the names I was calling him under my breath in English. Before I left the States, I collected books and some school supplies like crayons and paper and pencils to donate to the other organization I am working with...I ended up paying 150 bucks to ship three boxes. In Ecuador, you have to pay huge taxes based on the declared value of the goods shipped and the weight of the package except for on books...books are essentially free. The young guy working at the post office, in charge of cutting open the boxes, rummaging through your belongings and filling out the form declaring what is in the boxes, was such a pain! One box was a few coloring books, scraps of paper, scissors, etc. Another was all books except for one package of used colored pencils (thanks Caroline!), and the other was half crayons and half coloring books...maybe with a few books stuck in too. This kid told us that coloring books are not real books (even though this coloring books actually have a story written in them too) so I had to pay for those. In the box with half crayons (not even half...like four or five little boxes) and some books and coloring books, he said the crayons weigh more than the books/coloring books so I had to pay for that. Then he called over his boss to see if I have to pay for the colored pencils that were in the box of books. We begged him to be more helpful or to let me put all the books into two boxes and the random stuff in other and he said no--even though we told him over and over it was a donation. Finally, we got to the counter to figure out how much to pay and asked the woman there for help since it was a donation for children and she said that the post office is a business just like any other. Tomorrow, I am going to have to pay $103 to get these boxes from the post office! What a pain!
Other than that...things are great! I am enjoying my school...a little sad that the two girls I have befriended are both leaving this weekend, but hopefully more students will arrive soon!
So, I know this is getting long, but just for fun...
Things You See and Hear everywhere in Quito (or at least, that I have seen)...
Bakeries...on every corner and half way in between with the most delicious looking desserts ever! so tempting...there is one I run by that smells just like my Grandma's rolls...oh yummy!
Furniture Stores...a few on every block
Bras! I guess it is the fashion...especially for older women...to wear see through shirts!
Litter...people don't think twice about it!
People greeting each other with hugs and kisses--which I love!
Men singing...which i love too
Little stores selling DVDs cheap!
Soccer fans (duh)
People selling weird things like batteries, CD cases, remote controls, cigarettes, candy, clothes pins, etc on the street corners
Street performers performing at stop lights (juggling balls or knives!)
Car horns....cars rarely stop at stop signs...they just honk! and if you are too slow crossing the street or hesitate too long at a light, they honk again
Tons of fresh fruit all over! which i love too!
Tshirts with English phrases....probably not understood by those wearing them
the 80s style (bright tshirts, tight jeans, faux hawks, etc)
Dogs...but not very well taken care of....
American things I have seen: McDonalds, Papa Johns, KFC (everywhere), Hilton, Sheraton, Marriott, Nestle (everywhere)
My favorite new words and phrases:
Que Chevere (kay chev-er-ay): How Great/Cool
Muy amable (moo-ee ah-ma-bleh): Literally, very nice...but when it is used, it means very kind of you...so whenever you buy something in a store or someone is of assistance to you...you hear Gracias, si muy amable, gracias.
Hasta la vista bebe: (no joke, my host parents have said it three times)
Hija/Hijo: literally means daughter/son but used frequently as a term of endearment
Things you never/rarely see:
Flip flops or casual sandals
Baby strollers (babies are just strapped to your back with a blanket)
Garbage cans on the street
Natural blondes
Starbucks (which I miss)
Diet Coca Cola (Coca Cola Light occasionally, Diet Pepsi never)
Turkey (I am dying for a turkey sandwich!)
Mimosas and good wine (occasionally something decent from Chile but kinda expensive)! and yes...I miss them both very much!
I guess thats its for now! Sorry it is so long! I miss you all and love you all very much! Send me updates on your lives too! Have a great day/night! Hugs and kisses!Courtney
Sunday, July 26, 2009
I hope everyone is doing well! I am certainly exhausted from a long weekend! I have lots to fill you all in on...and I tend to write way too much so feel free to skim!
Thursday
Thursday after classes in the morning, my teacher took me and two other students (one is another Rotary Scholar) to visit the home of Eduardo Kingman, one of the most famous artists of Ecuador who passed away in 1998. His home is located in the Valley of the Chillos, outside the city limits of Quito. He is known for his paintings about the suffering of the indigenous peoples of Ecuador in the hands of the Spaniards. Much of his art focuses on the use of color and the emphasis on hands...many paintings display the figure of a mother and child with little detail except on the oversized hands of the mother to emphasize the security of a child in his mothers arms. his art was beautiful (google his name to see examples), and his home....even more so! It is on the side of a cliff over looking a river and a rustic church in the distance. He won numerous prizes in the US, Ecuador, and throughout SA for his art. Today his home is a museum with an art school for children attached.
After visiting his home, we went to a nearby market in a town called San Guayil. It was so interesting...raw fish and chicken sitting in the hot sun all day....fresh fruit and vegetables....clothes (like jeans for $10) and a street where animals are sold. I almost died to see the puppies sitting in the hot sun without any water! There are tons of dogs here, and many people have them as pets...but they don't care for them the way we do...they are animals that hang out around your house, not really pets. I laughed at one cage though...it had a puppy, two small turtles, and two small chicks all in the same cage! how cute (or que lindo in Spanish). In a nearby cage, there were some huge rabbits and guinea pigs...but these were for sale to become dinner, not pets!
Friday, we spent the day in the school. After classes, we learned out to cook Encellobado (I hope I spelled that right)...a soup of fish, tomatoes, salt, onion, and potatoes, topped off with chifles (fried plantane) and conguil (pop corn). Our teachers said it is a very typical Ecuadorian dish...especially after a long night of drinking. however, it tasted extremely fishy..not something I would want to cure a hangover! They even refer to it as levanta los muertos (raise the dead)....no gracias!
Satuday, I spent the day travelling with another student, Alison. We hired a guide who picked us up bright and early to see a few sites outside of Quito. First we drove to Tabacunda...which was basically a ghost town around 9:30 am when we arrived. It was really interesting though....outside of Quito, it is still located high in the mountains. In this small town, you can really observe the mixture of indigenous and Christian culture and religion. The basic structure of the church there has been there for over 400 years. There is a baptismal fountain that dates back to the 1500s just a few meters away from the plaza del sol (sun) which reflects the indigenous peoples' worship of the sun. In the plaza, there is a pin that sticks up to mark the passing of the sun. On March 21, the first day of the new year for the indigenous people, the sun casts no shadow. Around the pin, there is a path in the shape of a circle that is laid with rocks. You remove your shoes and slowly walk the circle concentrating on where you feel pain. Then, on the wall there are two pictures of feet marked with numbers. The numbers correspond to a part of the body where you have pain or will have problems in the future. Alison and I both felt pain in our heals which corresponded to the ovaries...go figure! We had a guide at the church who also took us to his place of work...he cooks pigs and guinea pigs to sell. It was pretty gross...we walked in to a room whose walls were all stone. On the center table, there was a bucket of skinned yet uncooked guinea pigs next to a whole pig (luckily it had been cooked). Then we peered into his giant old fashioned oven (think brick oven pizza restaurant style oven). Inside, five more pigs were happily roasting away (this little piggy went to the market....)
After there, we went to Otovalo to do what women do best....shop. It is the largest indigenous market in South America. We practiced our regetear (bargaining) skills and purchased souvenirs and gifts for our families and friends...the market was full of food, jewlry, clothes, scarfs made from alpaca fur, and hand crafted knicknacks. THe women dress in traditional attire...long braids, frilly white shirts, long dark skirts, lots of necklaces, and either scarfs or panama hats to shade the sun. After this market, we went to a nearby town, Cotacachi, for lunch and to shop some more. This town is known for its leather goods...but I didn't buy anything. I can totally understand why leather is so popular though...during our three hour journey from Quito and between these locations, I saw about a million cows, often being paraded through town on a leash! There are also tons of pigs and sheep.
Finally, we arrived at the destination I was most looking for to...Laguna de Cuicocha...which is hands down one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. This lake was formed centuries ago when the existing volcanoe collapsed within itself. It continued to errupt and formed three dome-shaped islands in the center. If you pull up close to the islands, as we did in our boat tour, you can see little bubbles come up from the ground beneath the water as the volcanoe continues to be "active" today. The lake is nestled in the mountains over 2,000 feet high...behind it is the Volcano Cotocachi--the most obvious looking volcanoe I have seen yet. It stands tall with a rugged black top. the clouds around look like smoke. In the distance, the even more remarkable Volcano Cumbaya stands covered in snow. It was absolutely breath taking. The boat ride around the lake began in the nice warm sunshine and then passed into the shade where the temperature dropped dramatically.
Today, I traveled alone to Lumbisi to volunteer with FEVI, an organization that works in this rural, mostly indigenous town, to provide improve the literacy and education of children and to promote eco friendly farming techniques to adults. I took to buses to the main bus statino to wait for the bus that goes outside the city to outlying towns. After waiting 30 minutes, I asked about my bus. It doesn't run on Sundays...so I took a bus to a town called Cumbaya and waiting 10 more minutes for the bus to Lumbisi. I ended up a little lost (big surprise?!)because I was told FEVI was near the main church....but there were two. I got off on the stop in between the two and asked a nice couple who were walking home with their child for help. the man ended up walking with me to the first church, only to find out it was the wrong one, and then back to the second. finally I found FEVI! There, I met a group of 7 or 8 other volunteers, all of whom are members of a volunteer group of young professionals. We spent the day pulling up weeds and planting 19 trees in the hot sun! After, I went to lunch with my new friends in Cumbaya, where many wealthy people live (there is a nice mall and shopping center, lots of VW's, BMWs, and the like...). There restaurant was one of typical Ecaudorian fare...the small menu was mostly full of pork and sheep items (neither of which I eat...normally) so I orded a potato and cheese soup. Three of my new friends ordered a soup made from cooked sheep intestines and potatos, served with a side of onion, tomato, and fried sheeps blood. I actually was brave enough to try a bite of one of the girls's soup...I am happy to say I tried it, but I will never NEVER eat it again! the good news is, I found FEVI and made some new friends who are around my age (23-30) who have invited me to volunteer with them again next city at the main church in the center of the old city. I also plan on returning to FEVI soon and helping this group construct a library for the community. I am still awaiting the three boxes of books I shipped the day before I left...
now, I am back home relaxing a bit! I apologize that this email is so long, but hey--I warned you at the beginning. I am trying to put pictures up on facebook but it keeps freezing up! I will post some on my blog soon too! I miss you all!
Thursday
Thursday after classes in the morning, my teacher took me and two other students (one is another Rotary Scholar) to visit the home of Eduardo Kingman, one of the most famous artists of Ecuador who passed away in 1998. His home is located in the Valley of the Chillos, outside the city limits of Quito. He is known for his paintings about the suffering of the indigenous peoples of Ecuador in the hands of the Spaniards. Much of his art focuses on the use of color and the emphasis on hands...many paintings display the figure of a mother and child with little detail except on the oversized hands of the mother to emphasize the security of a child in his mothers arms. his art was beautiful (google his name to see examples), and his home....even more so! It is on the side of a cliff over looking a river and a rustic church in the distance. He won numerous prizes in the US, Ecuador, and throughout SA for his art. Today his home is a museum with an art school for children attached.
After visiting his home, we went to a nearby market in a town called San Guayil. It was so interesting...raw fish and chicken sitting in the hot sun all day....fresh fruit and vegetables....clothes (like jeans for $10) and a street where animals are sold. I almost died to see the puppies sitting in the hot sun without any water! There are tons of dogs here, and many people have them as pets...but they don't care for them the way we do...they are animals that hang out around your house, not really pets. I laughed at one cage though...it had a puppy, two small turtles, and two small chicks all in the same cage! how cute (or que lindo in Spanish). In a nearby cage, there were some huge rabbits and guinea pigs...but these were for sale to become dinner, not pets!
Friday, we spent the day in the school. After classes, we learned out to cook Encellobado (I hope I spelled that right)...a soup of fish, tomatoes, salt, onion, and potatoes, topped off with chifles (fried plantane) and conguil (pop corn). Our teachers said it is a very typical Ecuadorian dish...especially after a long night of drinking. however, it tasted extremely fishy..not something I would want to cure a hangover! They even refer to it as levanta los muertos (raise the dead)....no gracias!
Satuday, I spent the day travelling with another student, Alison. We hired a guide who picked us up bright and early to see a few sites outside of Quito. First we drove to Tabacunda...which was basically a ghost town around 9:30 am when we arrived. It was really interesting though....outside of Quito, it is still located high in the mountains. In this small town, you can really observe the mixture of indigenous and Christian culture and religion. The basic structure of the church there has been there for over 400 years. There is a baptismal fountain that dates back to the 1500s just a few meters away from the plaza del sol (sun) which reflects the indigenous peoples' worship of the sun. In the plaza, there is a pin that sticks up to mark the passing of the sun. On March 21, the first day of the new year for the indigenous people, the sun casts no shadow. Around the pin, there is a path in the shape of a circle that is laid with rocks. You remove your shoes and slowly walk the circle concentrating on where you feel pain. Then, on the wall there are two pictures of feet marked with numbers. The numbers correspond to a part of the body where you have pain or will have problems in the future. Alison and I both felt pain in our heals which corresponded to the ovaries...go figure! We had a guide at the church who also took us to his place of work...he cooks pigs and guinea pigs to sell. It was pretty gross...we walked in to a room whose walls were all stone. On the center table, there was a bucket of skinned yet uncooked guinea pigs next to a whole pig (luckily it had been cooked). Then we peered into his giant old fashioned oven (think brick oven pizza restaurant style oven). Inside, five more pigs were happily roasting away (this little piggy went to the market....)
After there, we went to Otovalo to do what women do best....shop. It is the largest indigenous market in South America. We practiced our regetear (bargaining) skills and purchased souvenirs and gifts for our families and friends...the market was full of food, jewlry, clothes, scarfs made from alpaca fur, and hand crafted knicknacks. THe women dress in traditional attire...long braids, frilly white shirts, long dark skirts, lots of necklaces, and either scarfs or panama hats to shade the sun. After this market, we went to a nearby town, Cotacachi, for lunch and to shop some more. This town is known for its leather goods...but I didn't buy anything. I can totally understand why leather is so popular though...during our three hour journey from Quito and between these locations, I saw about a million cows, often being paraded through town on a leash! There are also tons of pigs and sheep.
Finally, we arrived at the destination I was most looking for to...Laguna de Cuicocha...which is hands down one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. This lake was formed centuries ago when the existing volcanoe collapsed within itself. It continued to errupt and formed three dome-shaped islands in the center. If you pull up close to the islands, as we did in our boat tour, you can see little bubbles come up from the ground beneath the water as the volcanoe continues to be "active" today. The lake is nestled in the mountains over 2,000 feet high...behind it is the Volcano Cotocachi--the most obvious looking volcanoe I have seen yet. It stands tall with a rugged black top. the clouds around look like smoke. In the distance, the even more remarkable Volcano Cumbaya stands covered in snow. It was absolutely breath taking. The boat ride around the lake began in the nice warm sunshine and then passed into the shade where the temperature dropped dramatically.
Today, I traveled alone to Lumbisi to volunteer with FEVI, an organization that works in this rural, mostly indigenous town, to provide improve the literacy and education of children and to promote eco friendly farming techniques to adults. I took to buses to the main bus statino to wait for the bus that goes outside the city to outlying towns. After waiting 30 minutes, I asked about my bus. It doesn't run on Sundays...so I took a bus to a town called Cumbaya and waiting 10 more minutes for the bus to Lumbisi. I ended up a little lost (big surprise?!)because I was told FEVI was near the main church....but there were two. I got off on the stop in between the two and asked a nice couple who were walking home with their child for help. the man ended up walking with me to the first church, only to find out it was the wrong one, and then back to the second. finally I found FEVI! There, I met a group of 7 or 8 other volunteers, all of whom are members of a volunteer group of young professionals. We spent the day pulling up weeds and planting 19 trees in the hot sun! After, I went to lunch with my new friends in Cumbaya, where many wealthy people live (there is a nice mall and shopping center, lots of VW's, BMWs, and the like...). There restaurant was one of typical Ecaudorian fare...the small menu was mostly full of pork and sheep items (neither of which I eat...normally) so I orded a potato and cheese soup. Three of my new friends ordered a soup made from cooked sheep intestines and potatos, served with a side of onion, tomato, and fried sheeps blood. I actually was brave enough to try a bite of one of the girls's soup...I am happy to say I tried it, but I will never NEVER eat it again! the good news is, I found FEVI and made some new friends who are around my age (23-30) who have invited me to volunteer with them again next city at the main church in the center of the old city. I also plan on returning to FEVI soon and helping this group construct a library for the community. I am still awaiting the three boxes of books I shipped the day before I left...
now, I am back home relaxing a bit! I apologize that this email is so long, but hey--I warned you at the beginning. I am trying to put pictures up on facebook but it keeps freezing up! I will post some on my blog soon too! I miss you all!
I hope everyone is doing well! I am certainly exhausted from a long weekend! I have lots to fill you all in on...and I tend to write way too much so feel free to skim!
Thursday
Thursday after classes in the morning, my teacher took me and two other students (one is another Rotary Scholar) to visit the home of Eduardo Kingman, one of the most famous artists of Ecuador who passed away in 1998. His home is located in the Valley of the Chillos, outside the city limits of Quito. He is known for his paintings about the suffering of the indigenous peoples of Ecuador in the hands of the Spaniards. Much of his art focuses on the use of color and the emphasis on hands...many paintings display the figure of a mother and child with little detail except on the oversized hands of the mother to emphasize the security of a child in his mothers arms. his art was beautiful (google his name to see examples), and his home....even more so! It is on the side of a cliff over looking a river and a rustic church in the distance. He won numerous prizes in the US, Ecuador, and throughout SA for his art. Today his home is a museum with an art school for children attached.
After visiting his home, we went to a nearby market in a town called San Guayil. It was so interesting...raw fish and chicken sitting in the hot sun all day....fresh fruit and vegetables....clothes (like jeans for $10) and a street where animals are sold. I almost died to see the puppies sitting in the hot sun without any water! There are tons of dogs here, and many people have them as pets...but they don't care for them the way we do...they are animals that hang out around your house, not really pets. I laughed at one cage though...it had a puppy, two small turtles, and two small chicks all in the same cage! how cute (or que lindo in Spanish). In a nearby cage, there were some huge rabbits and guinea pigs...but these were for sale to become dinner, not pets!
Friday, we spent the day in the school. After classes, we learned out to cook Encellobado (I hope I spelled that right)...a soup of fish, tomatoes, salt, onion, and potatoes, topped off with chifles (fried plantane) and conguil (pop corn). Our teachers said it is a very typical Ecuadorian dish...especially after a long night of drinking. however, it tasted extremely fishy..not something I would want to cure a hangover! They even refer to it as levanta los muertos (raise the dead)....no gracias!
Satuday, I spent the day travelling with another student, Alison. We hired a guide who picked us up bright and early to see a few sites outside of Quito. First we drove to Tabacunda...which was basically a ghost town around 9:30 am when we arrived. It was really interesting though....outside of Quito, it is still located high in the mountains. In this small town, you can really observe the mixture of indigenous and Christian culture and religion. The basic structure of the church there has been there for over 400 years. There is a baptismal fountain that dates back to the 1500s just a few meters away from the plaza del sol (sun) which reflects the indigenous peoples' worship of the sun. In the plaza, there is a pin that sticks up to mark the passing of the sun. On March 21, the first day of the new year for the indigenous people, the sun casts no shadow. Around the pin, there is a path in the shape of a circle that is laid with rocks. You remove your shoes and slowly walk the circle concentrating on where you feel pain. Then, on the wall there are two pictures of feet marked with numbers. The numbers correspond to a part of the body where you have pain or will have problems in the future. Alison and I both felt pain in our heals which corresponded to the ovaries...go figure! We had a guide at the church who also took us to his place of work...he cooks pigs and guinea pigs to sell. It was pretty gross...we walked in to a room whose walls were all stone. On the center table, there was a bucket of skinned yet uncooked guinea pigs next to a whole pig (luckily it had been cooked). Then we peered into his giant old fashioned oven (think brick oven pizza restaurant style oven). Inside, five more pigs were happily roasting away (this little piggy went to the market....)
After there, we went to Otovalo to do what women do best....shop. It is the largest indigenous market in South America. We practiced our regetear (bargaining) skills and purchased souvenirs and gifts for our families and friends...the market was full of food, jewlry, clothes, scarfs made from alpaca fur, and hand crafted knicknacks. THe women dress in traditional attire...long braids, frilly white shirts, long dark skirts, lots of necklaces, and either scarfs or panama hats to shade the sun. After this market, we went to a nearby town, Cotacachi, for lunch and to shop some more. This town is known for its leather goods...but I didn't buy anything. I can totally understand why leather is so popular though...during our three hour journey from Quito and between these locations, I saw about a million cows, often being paraded through town on a leash! There are also tons of pigs and sheep.
Finally, we arrived at the destination I was most looking for to...Laguna de Cuicocha...which is hands down one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. This lake was formed centuries ago when the existing volcanoe collapsed within itself. It continued to errupt and formed three dome-shaped islands in the center. If you pull up close to the islands, as we did in our boat tour, you can see little bubbles come up from the ground beneath the water as the volcanoe continues to be "active" today. The lake is nestled in the mountains over 2,000 feet high...behind it is the Volcano Cotocachi--the most obvious looking volcanoe I have seen yet. It stands tall with a rugged black top. the clouds around look like smoke. In the distance, the even more remarkable Volcano Cumbaya stands covered in snow. It was absolutely breath taking. The boat ride around the lake began in the nice warm sunshine and then passed into the shade where the temperature dropped dramatically.
Today, I traveled alone to Lumbisi to volunteer with FEVI, an organization that works in this rural, mostly indigenous town, to provide improve the literacy and education of children and to promote eco friendly farming techniques to adults. I took to buses to the main bus statino to wait for the bus that goes outside the city to outlying towns. After waiting 30 minutes, I asked about my bus. It doesn't run on Sundays...so I took a bus to a town called Cumbaya and waiting 10 more minutes for the bus to Lumbisi. I ended up a little lost (big surprise?!)because I was told FEVI was near the main church....but there were two. I got off on the stop in between the two and asked a nice couple who were walking home with their child for help. the man ended up walking with me to the first church, only to find out it was the wrong one, and then back to the second. finally I found FEVI! There, I met a group of 7 or 8 other volunteers, all of whom are members of a volunteer group of young professionals. We spent the day pulling up weeds and planting 19 trees in the hot sun! After, I went to lunch with my new friends in Cumbaya, where many wealthy people live (there is a nice mall and shopping center, lots of VW's, BMWs, and the like...). There restaurant was one of typical Ecaudorian fare...the small menu was mostly full of pork and sheep items (neither of which I eat...normally) so I orded a potato and cheese soup. Three of my new friends ordered a soup made from cooked sheep intestines and potatos, served with a side of onion, tomato, and fried sheeps blood. I actually was brave enough to try a bite of one of the girls's soup...I am happy to say I tried it, but I will never NEVER eat it again! the good news is, I found FEVI and made some new friends who are around my age (23-30) who have invited me to volunteer with them again next city at the main church in the center of the old city. I also plan on returning to FEVI soon and helping this group construct a library for the community. I am still awaiting the three boxes of books I shipped the day before I left...
now, I am back home relaxing a bit! I apologize that this email is so long, but hey--I warned you at the beginning. I am trying to put pictures up on facebook but it keeps freezing up! I will post some on my blog soon too! I miss you all!
Thursday
Thursday after classes in the morning, my teacher took me and two other students (one is another Rotary Scholar) to visit the home of Eduardo Kingman, one of the most famous artists of Ecuador who passed away in 1998. His home is located in the Valley of the Chillos, outside the city limits of Quito. He is known for his paintings about the suffering of the indigenous peoples of Ecuador in the hands of the Spaniards. Much of his art focuses on the use of color and the emphasis on hands...many paintings display the figure of a mother and child with little detail except on the oversized hands of the mother to emphasize the security of a child in his mothers arms. his art was beautiful (google his name to see examples), and his home....even more so! It is on the side of a cliff over looking a river and a rustic church in the distance. He won numerous prizes in the US, Ecuador, and throughout SA for his art. Today his home is a museum with an art school for children attached.
After visiting his home, we went to a nearby market in a town called San Guayil. It was so interesting...raw fish and chicken sitting in the hot sun all day....fresh fruit and vegetables....clothes (like jeans for $10) and a street where animals are sold. I almost died to see the puppies sitting in the hot sun without any water! There are tons of dogs here, and many people have them as pets...but they don't care for them the way we do...they are animals that hang out around your house, not really pets. I laughed at one cage though...it had a puppy, two small turtles, and two small chicks all in the same cage! how cute (or que lindo in Spanish). In a nearby cage, there were some huge rabbits and guinea pigs...but these were for sale to become dinner, not pets!
Friday, we spent the day in the school. After classes, we learned out to cook Encellobado (I hope I spelled that right)...a soup of fish, tomatoes, salt, onion, and potatoes, topped off with chifles (fried plantane) and conguil (pop corn). Our teachers said it is a very typical Ecuadorian dish...especially after a long night of drinking. however, it tasted extremely fishy..not something I would want to cure a hangover! They even refer to it as levanta los muertos (raise the dead)....no gracias!
Satuday, I spent the day travelling with another student, Alison. We hired a guide who picked us up bright and early to see a few sites outside of Quito. First we drove to Tabacunda...which was basically a ghost town around 9:30 am when we arrived. It was really interesting though....outside of Quito, it is still located high in the mountains. In this small town, you can really observe the mixture of indigenous and Christian culture and religion. The basic structure of the church there has been there for over 400 years. There is a baptismal fountain that dates back to the 1500s just a few meters away from the plaza del sol (sun) which reflects the indigenous peoples' worship of the sun. In the plaza, there is a pin that sticks up to mark the passing of the sun. On March 21, the first day of the new year for the indigenous people, the sun casts no shadow. Around the pin, there is a path in the shape of a circle that is laid with rocks. You remove your shoes and slowly walk the circle concentrating on where you feel pain. Then, on the wall there are two pictures of feet marked with numbers. The numbers correspond to a part of the body where you have pain or will have problems in the future. Alison and I both felt pain in our heals which corresponded to the ovaries...go figure! We had a guide at the church who also took us to his place of work...he cooks pigs and guinea pigs to sell. It was pretty gross...we walked in to a room whose walls were all stone. On the center table, there was a bucket of skinned yet uncooked guinea pigs next to a whole pig (luckily it had been cooked). Then we peered into his giant old fashioned oven (think brick oven pizza restaurant style oven). Inside, five more pigs were happily roasting away (this little piggy went to the market....)
After there, we went to Otovalo to do what women do best....shop. It is the largest indigenous market in South America. We practiced our regetear (bargaining) skills and purchased souvenirs and gifts for our families and friends...the market was full of food, jewlry, clothes, scarfs made from alpaca fur, and hand crafted knicknacks. THe women dress in traditional attire...long braids, frilly white shirts, long dark skirts, lots of necklaces, and either scarfs or panama hats to shade the sun. After this market, we went to a nearby town, Cotacachi, for lunch and to shop some more. This town is known for its leather goods...but I didn't buy anything. I can totally understand why leather is so popular though...during our three hour journey from Quito and between these locations, I saw about a million cows, often being paraded through town on a leash! There are also tons of pigs and sheep.
Finally, we arrived at the destination I was most looking for to...Laguna de Cuicocha...which is hands down one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. This lake was formed centuries ago when the existing volcanoe collapsed within itself. It continued to errupt and formed three dome-shaped islands in the center. If you pull up close to the islands, as we did in our boat tour, you can see little bubbles come up from the ground beneath the water as the volcanoe continues to be "active" today. The lake is nestled in the mountains over 2,000 feet high...behind it is the Volcano Cotocachi--the most obvious looking volcanoe I have seen yet. It stands tall with a rugged black top. the clouds around look like smoke. In the distance, the even more remarkable Volcano Cumbaya stands covered in snow. It was absolutely breath taking. The boat ride around the lake began in the nice warm sunshine and then passed into the shade where the temperature dropped dramatically.
Today, I traveled alone to Lumbisi to volunteer with FEVI, an organization that works in this rural, mostly indigenous town, to provide improve the literacy and education of children and to promote eco friendly farming techniques to adults. I took to buses to the main bus statino to wait for the bus that goes outside the city to outlying towns. After waiting 30 minutes, I asked about my bus. It doesn't run on Sundays...so I took a bus to a town called Cumbaya and waiting 10 more minutes for the bus to Lumbisi. I ended up a little lost (big surprise?!)because I was told FEVI was near the main church....but there were two. I got off on the stop in between the two and asked a nice couple who were walking home with their child for help. the man ended up walking with me to the first church, only to find out it was the wrong one, and then back to the second. finally I found FEVI! There, I met a group of 7 or 8 other volunteers, all of whom are members of a volunteer group of young professionals. We spent the day pulling up weeds and planting 19 trees in the hot sun! After, I went to lunch with my new friends in Cumbaya, where many wealthy people live (there is a nice mall and shopping center, lots of VW's, BMWs, and the like...). There restaurant was one of typical Ecaudorian fare...the small menu was mostly full of pork and sheep items (neither of which I eat...normally) so I orded a potato and cheese soup. Three of my new friends ordered a soup made from cooked sheep intestines and potatos, served with a side of onion, tomato, and fried sheeps blood. I actually was brave enough to try a bite of one of the girls's soup...I am happy to say I tried it, but I will never NEVER eat it again! the good news is, I found FEVI and made some new friends who are around my age (23-30) who have invited me to volunteer with them again next city at the main church in the center of the old city. I also plan on returning to FEVI soon and helping this group construct a library for the community. I am still awaiting the three boxes of books I shipped the day before I left...
now, I am back home relaxing a bit! I apologize that this email is so long, but hey--I warned you at the beginning. I am trying to put pictures up on facebook but it keeps freezing up! I will post some on my blog soon too! I miss you all!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
