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
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