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!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
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!
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