A Year in Ecuador ...

Baños

Baños, Ecuador is a small town located on the foothill of the volcano Tungurahua. It is the gateway to the amazon for which it is located on the Pastaza River in the Amazon River basin. It is a huge tourist attraction with it's beautiful architecture as well as things to do such as canopying, canyoning, puenting, mountain biking, hot baths, go-carts, hikes, and much more!

My good friend came to visit from the United States and it also was my best friend in Manta's- Birthday! What better way to celebrate but to do it so in Baños.


Friday: 70 minute, $25  massages & facials. Nice Swiss dinner and a night out on the town.

Saturday: Puenting & Canyoning. I have never felt an adrenaline rush but when I was about to jump off a bridge. Who does these sorts of things? Apparently my friends and I do. It was exhilarating and I will never regret this moment! It was filled with excitement. It was rainy and cold the entire day but never failed to stop us from exploring. Later on in the night, we celebrated our friends birthdays with flaming shots, meeting friends of a lifetime, and some dancing! A night I will never forget. 

Catching Up

The past  few months have consisted of traveling, shopping, meeting new friends, losing friends, practicing my Spanish, playing on the beach, getting sick, and everything in between!

I had traveled to Salinas with a friend of mine and then headed further South to Machala. Salinas was absolutely beautiful. The water was crystal clear. The nightlife was not a big hit but the feel of the town was a Miami Beach feel. We ate a lot of pan de yucca with yogurt and seafood! We did happen to meet a few people. A girl from Esmeraldas, Karina, who was nice enough to pay for a night out. She was a bit wild and talked a lot but she got to practice her English with us and we were able to practice some Spanish. The other people we met were either married, 18 years old, or wore speedos who tried to flaunt their parts to us on the beach. Was not our thing. With lots of fun in the sun and a good adventure it was time that we travel to Machala.

Machala is the banana capital of Ecuador and most parts of the South America. Not a bad bus ride from Salinas until I started to sweat and feel a little dizzy. It was not until I was on the bus I began to feel a bit sick. When we arrived in Machala at another volunteer’s apartment, I was throwing up for the next 6 hours with a fever. Food poisoning! I believe it was from a sketchy restaurant from Salinas. What do you do? This is just a part of life living in a third-world country. You wait it out, get what you need to get out and move on!

 

After a long weekend of traveling, it was time to go back to Manta. No money but just enough for a piece of pan and maybe a coffee, I was on the bus from Guayaquil to Manta. They always say…there’s no place like home. I highly believe this statement true. Every time I am out and about traveling, all I can think in my mind is “ I can’t wait to get back on the coast where it is warm and you have the friendly atmosphere.”

Some time was passing and I spent a few weeks in Manta to catch up. I had a friend from Quito visit for a week while we published the Ecua-Vista for our program. The Ecua-Vista is a worldwide magazine for people who may be interested in applying to the WorldTeach program. With losing the document three times, we finally were able to complete it.

During the few weeks in Manta, I met some new friends. As awesome as it sounds, it’s hard to keep friends in a foreign culture. They usually are passing by while traveling or they may be of the opposite sex and want to marry you. It is important to choose your friends wisely! And that is good advice for wherever you are in the world.

Travelers of Machala

WorldTeach’s End of Service conference was peaking. I packed my bags once again and traveled to Quito. 

Parasites, Infections, Oh No!

Living in a third world country, you can't expect that your body is going to remain in the same perfect, healthy shape. New foods and a whole new diet is what you will experience. With that being said, not everything is as disinfected as it is in the states. For starters, you cannot drink the tap water here in Ecuador. The tap water is not filtered and is filled with bacteria that can make you very sick. You must buy water to drink or boil your water (which sometimes can tasty funky). There will be times where you will get sick and have diarrhea or vomiting close to twenty times a day. You know you have a bug! You may never know what causes the bug (it can be anything) but it is important to get treated before the situation gets worse. 


Other than gaining a little weight here in Ecuador I have remained pretty healthy! This is until last week. I began having sharp pains (knife stabbing, strong pains) in my upper abdomen. I was using the bathroom from 4-5 times every 2 hours. Oh no! I have a parasite, a worm, Hepatitis A, all of these thoughts were crossing my mind. I decided to take a trip to Clinica del Sol. Now, here in Ecuador they apparently like to inject you with all sorts of things through shots and Iv's before even telling what type of bug you have. I was injected with 3 different Iv's in the clinic. I was freaking out, I am not used to all these needles going into my arm when I don't even know what is wrong with me! Anyways, I immediately felt better. Whatever it was they gave me must have been a miracle. I am currently now taking medication for 7 days to detox my body in case I did have some type of parasite or infection. Phew! 


So the point of this short story is, you will get sick when you travel but it is not as bad as it seems! It is just another cultural experience living in a foreign county that you learn from (at least that is the way you need to think about it)!

Mom Takes on Ecuador

I know it has been a while since a good and thoughtful blog so here it goes!

The week finally came; Mom was on her way to Ecuador! She did not know I was picking her up in Quito at the airport. It was a big surprise. Our adventures began in Quito. I booked a nice hotel near the Mariscal called Hotel Fuente de Piedra. It was fantastic. First real moment my mom had in Ecuador was trying to book tickets back to Manta. I had forgotten it was Semana Santa here in Ecuador and therefore we could not get a flight back to Manta for 2 days. No worries! I knew Quito well enough to keep us busy. We began by taking the tram to the Teleferico where you get the amazing view of Quito as well as volcanoes. We drank Canalazos and walked around for a bit. It was misty 

and cold so we headed back to town. 

We then made our way to Centro Historico. We toured churches and mom really got to know the culture and architecture. We had a light snack (fruit & whipped ice-cream) and then experienced a local bus ride back to the Mariscal. Mom was amazed by the people who got on and off and by the people who would stand over your shoulder and play their guitars expecting money. We stopped at the Jorge Washington market. This market has about 9-10 aisles of the SAME stuff. But mom didn’t think so. We went through each and every aisle as I helped mom shop. It was her first market experience, so I didn’t mind. We grabbed lunch at my favorite restaurant, Aladdin’s. I introduced mom to Sharwarma and Falafel. We drank a few beers and headed back to the hotel. Mom began to feel the altitude and got very sick. So we stayed in for the night and relaxed.

                 

            \ 

We woke up early to explore Mitad del Mundo, (Half of the World) which is the equator line.  We were able to stand in two different hemispheres! Took many pictures and again, shopped in the markets. We ate a well-known Ecuadorian lunch: locro de queso (a type of soup) along with trout! Delicious!

                          

                    

We were now ready for the coast. We arrived in Manta pretty late night so we decided to unpack and hang out. Mom was not too thrilled about my new apartment but she definitely warmed up to the point she did not want to leave. We spent a few days in Manta going to the beach, meeting my friends, my family, and doing various things. My head began to spin talking Spanish and English every second!

   

I took mom to Montecristi, a nearby town very popular for it’s Panama hats. I like Montecrisiti. Everything is handmade and it’s a nice area to walk around and explire a little. You get to experience the different people as well.

Our next adventure was to Puerto Lopez, a small beach town near Manta. We took the bus. It was close to 3 hours on a bus but it was fun, being Mom’s first bus travel. We stayed at Nantu Hosteria on the beach. Ate at the Whale Café and simmered ourselves down on the sand to watch the gorgeous sunset. We held each other’s hand and in the other were a Mango Beach and a Mojito! No one else I would rather be with to watch a sunset like the one we saw but with, mom!

                              

The next morning we woke up early and jumped on a boat to Isla de la Plata also known as the “poor” man’s Galapagos. The boat ride was about an hour long to this silver island. We were served fresh fruit on the boat and we chatted with new friends from all over the world. When we arrived we sun blocked our skin and hiked up the mountain. It was a difficult but well worth hike. The views of the island were amazing and let’s not forget the extraordinary blue-footed boobies. These birds are tropical and rare and only found in various locations. They have blue beaks and blue feet! The interesting thing is they are not born with blue feet. They are born all white and as they grow older their feet turn blue. Cool to think about, huh? After the hike and hundreds of photos we hopped back on the boat and ate lunch. They served tuna sandwiches along with more fresh fruit. We stopped at a nearby location on the island to have an opportunity to snorkel. Mom’s first time snorkeling, you can only imagine. It was a blast!

                                                                         

               

   

Mom taking on Ecuador was coming to an end. We traveled back to Manta and said our goodbyes to the city, people, and the beach. I believe mom did well being her first time in a foreign country. I am sure she loved it as much as I love it here now!

Ama la Vida!

Independent in a Third World Country

Becoming independent in a foreign country takes bravery and a lot of courage. You need to know safety and how to handle things when other people are not around. I have currently taken the next step in becoming independent here in Ecuador. I moved out of my host family into an apartment. I am still close with my host family, which is fantastic. If I need anything, I have people I am able to call. 

My new apartment is not the fanciest place, but it is perfect for me. It needed a lot of dirty work. Fixing things, cleaning, spider killing, appliances, and much more under those categories. I didn't care. I was ready for the task. It took a good 2 days moving in, but once all settled...I had the view to the pacific and my own place to relax in. 

Some people search for beautiful places, in my case, I made a place beautiful! 

Take a Look!

  http://www.worldteach.org/site/c.buLRIbNOIbJ2G/b.6540953/k.7919/Day_in_the_Life.htm

Carnival & February

Carnival is the most well known holiday not only in Ecuador but most parts of South America. Carnival comes from a latin word "carnaval" meaning the absence of meat. It is a Catholic tradition following the 40 days of lent.Various festivities take place throughout the different provinces in Ecuador. I stayed close to the coast during Carnival. Carnival is very popular in the Sierra such as Ambato and Guaranda. I celebrated at a near by beach called Canoa. Canoa is a small village with great food, a beautiful beach, and filled with people from all over Ecuador and even stretching down to Chile! One of the traditions of Carnival is the throwing of eggs, super soakers filled with soap, and of course water! You will be walking down the street and out of nowhere get pegged with something. It's something you cannot get offended at for it is just a "game" of Carnival!

Eggs, Soap, Water...

                         

Brett, Monica & I in Tena

February was a short month for me. It was also a month for readjusting. Two of our teachers (also my really good friends) finished their term with WorldTeach and headed back to the states. I spent a lot of time with them and so it has taken the entire month to get use to the fact of them not being here! So, to keep my mind off of it I kept myself busy this past month. I had a lot of vacation time where I spent time at the pool, hanging out with friends, grilling out, and of course...the beach! As I began teaching this week, I was ready to see my students and I believe my students were ready to learn some English!


February was a great yet rainy month. February is the "rainy, summer" season here in Ecuador, and especially the coast. It rains almost everyday but the sun still shines and of course it is about 85 degrees. I have to say my time here in Manta, Ecuador is flying by way too fast. March is now right around the corner, my students are finishing up their third level of English, and before you know it...July will be here and I will have to make decisions on whats next. I am not looking ahead for I am living each day here moment by moment because the time is like a streak of light. If I do not live my life here to its fullest everyday, my experience will be gone before you know it! 

La Playa during Carnaval

          


Adiós Febrero, hola Marzo!

One good thing about Ecuador is...

I live on the coast, but Ecuador is a tiny country and you can travel to just about anywhere less than 24 hours on a bus! You can see the jungle, explore volcanoes, experience beach after beach, hike through the sierra, work on various warms, and so much more! It is so amazing that you can get a taste of each type of world out there in one small country.

I would like to share a short example with you. Yesterday, I adventured off to a farm nearby (1-2 hours). This farm is the fathers of a good friend of mine. It is close to 400 acres of land-phew! The farm consisted of 
rice, mangos, plantains, bananas, cacao, livestock, coffee, pineapple, etc. I had the chance to ride a mule and do a little of discovering myself. There were amazing birds and the land was absolutely beautiful with trees that have been standing for hundreds of years. After riding horses, we ate a fresh lunch that consisted of soup, rice, a mix of beans, and fresh pineapple. The people were great and so nice.

                                              I only feel the the need to share this short experience with you because it is a day like this day to imagine how many types of cultural people that live here in Ecuador. The worlds are close together but miles apart. And yet, those worlds are the only thing people know of and therefore those people are nothing but happy!

Mindo, Ecuador

It is hard to believe that I am mid-way through my service here. WorldTeach held their MidTerm conference this past weekend in the cloud rainforest, Mindo, about two hours outside of Quito. As other teachers and I gathered around our hotel, Gallo de la Pena, we discussed our teaching experiences with each other, shared ideas for the classroom, and spoke about life in Ecuador in general. It was interesting to hear stories from other parts of the countries and a lot of fun to share my own. Other than having sessions on teaching, WorldTeach is putting together what is called the EcuaVista. This is a revista of the September 2011 volunteers. It will consist of stories, ideas, and a lot about life in Ecuador. Two other volunteers and I are taking on the responsibility to organize and edit. It is exciting to take on a task where I am able to get creative!

Other than the conference, we had a lot of time to explore Mindo. Mindo is a small town but who knew there was so much to do! We spent the day with Mindo Ropes & Canopy! Canopying is the same as zip lining. There were 13 cables that I zip lined through the rainforest. It was lightly misting and absolutely gorgeous. While canopying, you had the choice of doing the "mariposa" or  the "superman." Take a look at the pictures below to get an idea what I am talking about. After zip lining, I did what was called the Tarzan Swing. This swing is built about 40 meters off land. You walk to the edge and fall-it turns into a swing. Pretty intense but worth it!

The chocolate factory was another excursion we were able to explore. Minus the thousands of bug bites we all got, it was really interesting to learn how chocolate is made. We were able to eat fresh cacao beans and eventually a homemade brownie.

Let's not forget the food in Mindo. Street almuerzos, pizza, and lots of trucha (trout)!

Although Ecuador is small, every part has a different culture. The people, food, activities, and climate all range from anything you can imagine. It is great to be able to explore parts of the country and see how other people live everyday. It is much different than the coast!

Only the beginning...2012!

Every country has their own traditions when celebrating holidays. I had the chance to experience celebrating the New Year here in Manta, Ecuador. It was a bit different but great. New Years is a time where the entire family gathers together, eats a big meal, and burns paper dolls. Yes, burn paper dolls. What is the purpose? The purpose is to burn/kill the old year and begin ringing the new one! Ecuadorians take paper mache figures and build huge pyres on the beach and watch them burn. The figures are burned in the streets as well. The dolls symbolize what has happened in the past year (famous figures, people in the family, symbols of television, etc.). After the dolls are burned, family and friends have a huge feast and then head out to celebrate! It's a great way to start the New Year.



Now that the New Year has passed, I have to readjust back to my old routines such as teaching! I have to say, first day back in the classroom was a bit difficult-but was expected. My students have 2 weeks left of cycle 2 and then they will hopefully move onto cycle 3! I have yet to fully acquire my old habits since I have been back in Ecuador. I only have taught 2 days and the rest of the time I have spent on the beach soaking up the sun. But it has been nice to take some time off and get back into the swing of things. I have reconnected with my friends here as well as my students, and have been spending time with my family. I can feel myself slowly moving back into the life I began before Christmas!

There is much to look forward to within the next couple of weeks. A travel to Mindo for WorldTeach Mid-Service Conference is one out of the few. Although I will be working, it will be great to see the other volunteers and be able to share our experiences with each other. Mindo is known as one of the most beautiful places to bird watch and see butterflies.

Another exciting yet sad vacation coming up is a despedida in Montañita. Yes, I am heading back to Montañita but with a different group of friends. There are two really good friends of mine in Manta who depart in February, so what better way to say goodbye then to say it in the world of it's own beach, Montañita! 

And lastly, let's not forget one of the most memorable holidays coming up, Carnival!