Vacation Fear Factor: Ecuador

This post will probably do very little to bolster my image as a poor, deprived, lonely, in-a-developing-country, Peace Corps Volunteer. So be it. It was so much fun and I want to share a few of my experiences.

My good bud Jordan just came to visit and brought his friend and co-worker along with him. They stayed ten days and eight days respectively. Judging from their reactions throughout the entire trip I feel I can confidently say they did not know what they were in for. Between the hectic schedule I created, strenuous hiking, high altitude, not knowing the language, and all new food I think I thoroughly wore them out.

I will start this by saying that Jordan and Tyler spoke zero Spanish when they arrived. Translating basically everything was a challenge but it really boosted my confidence and we all know my level of confidence is very low. Ok maybe there was a hint of sarcasm there…

First 72 hours:

We started out in Quito after they arrived on Friday evening. The bus takes about an hour and a half to travel from the Quito airport to Quito. You may need to read that sentence again but trust me it is correct. The highly praised new airport is situated in Tababela, a small city outside of Quito. Due to traffic, bridges, and distance it takes a long time to get into Quito proper.

Pretty sure I saw him flinch one time

 We spent that night in Quito in a quaint hostel and then headed to the Centro Historico in the morning. We explored the area that is full of 500 year old churches and buildings. We even toured the presidential palace. The president allows all Ecuadorians and foreigners to tour his house and the center of his government when it is not in session. At one point we were able to walk up to the large table and chair where the president sits during governmental meetings.  I cannot imagine Obama or any American president allowing tourists to mosey around the oval office and sit his chair if they so felt like it.

That evening we traveled to my site and prepared for the next day of travel. My host friend, as he like to be called, volunteered to take us to the Amazon Rainforest. We all piled into his car and headed south. We stopped seemingly every twenty minutes as Fabian, my “host friend”, would show us something new. He was a great tour guide and was proud to show off his country.

One of our first stops was to eat cuy. Avid readers of this blog might remember that a cuy is a guinea pig. This meat is a delicacy here and I actually rather enjoy. Unfortunately my friends did not feel quite the same. They were able to stomach the cuy but they spoke little of it in the car as we wound our way through mountain passes that could easily induce motion sickness.

I always think of my old pet when I taste this juicy delicacy

The views were fantastic throughout the day. Fabian would stop off on the road many times to allow my friends to take pictures and ask questions. Traveling from the mountain region to the rainforest requires nothing more than two hours of travel. We left Latacunga wearing jackets and slightly shivering and within an hour we had shed clothes down to shorts and t-shirts. Like I said, this is a bio-diverse country.

The zip-line went right over the spot where they converged

Our second stop was to go zip-lining. We found a small roadside stop that advertised zip-lining and we decided to jump at the opportunity, pun intended. We had passed many zip-lining operations on the way to the Amazon but Fabian insisted on one further outside of the touristy areas. I was told that zip-lining has no regulations here in Ecuador and thus you have to be picky when deciding where to risk it. Within ten minutes of us stepping out of the car into the muggy, warm air we were harnessed up and ready to fly. My friends went first and I got some great photos of them. After I saw that they had not plunged to their death I assumed it would be safe for me. Thank guys!

Probably should have cropped this photo but I hate technology

We zipped across two enormous waterfalls that soaked us with their spray. We were quickly dried due to the speed at which we were traveling. Once on the other side we were told we could either take a cable car back across the expanse or zip back for an extra five dollars. The second zip, we were told, was much faster and longer. He had me at five dollars. This second trip was amazing as promised, truly an exhilarating experience.

Fabian and the dudes at the beginning of the Amazon

We were hustled back into the car by Fabian and were headed deeper into the jungle. We arrived in Puyo about an hour later and were greeted with heavy rain and crazy humidity. The rain would be in a full on downpour for five minutes and then stop. This was a cycle that was repeated over and over. We drove around aimlessly for about an hour and then finally found the animal habitat we were searching for.

Small crocodile at the habitat

The place we stopped at was a shelter for endangered species and wounded animals of the rainforest. In an hour period we saw the wildest array of jungle animals. We saw 5 different species of monkeys that included two that would fit in the palm of your hand. They had the smallest kind of monkey in the world. They only grow to 15 cm. At one monkey habitat a monkey reached out to Jordan’s hand and grabbed him. I of course had to repeat this task.

He wanted to go home with me

We saw a capybara, the world’s largest rodent. Heetland, being Heetland, entered the habitat in an effort to touch the thing. Luckily, the capybara knew what was best for him and walked away. I feel that this animal habitat would never exist in the US. Just as in most of Ecuador, the rules were relaxed. I do not feel like Americans would stumble upon a crocodile lounging in the walking path as we did. He also scooted along after seeing the group of gringos approaching. The habitat was a very neat place and it was great to be able to see so many different animals in such a small area.

Jordan getting to know the capybara

The day was quickly fading and we needed to head back to Latacunga. We were headed home when Fabian quickly pulled over on the side of the road and instructed us all to get out of the car. We went into a small open-air restaurant and saw a bowl of dirt. Fabian asked if I wanted to try one. I did not know what he was talking about so he shook the bowl. Four or five very large, very alive grub worms appeared on the surface of the dirt. In the name of new experiences I accepted the offer. The worms were quickly thrown on the grill and the woman explained that this was a delicacy of the Amazon. If I had not heard this from many other sources I would have assumed it was just a cruel joke that they play on unsuspecting gringos. We sat down and prepared our stomachs for what was about to take place. When they arrived Fabian instructed me to bite the worm at the base of the head and eat the body. The head is inedible and that was just fine with me. The taste can be described as a mix between crawdad and bacon. It really wasn’t that bad. Texture on the other hand was slimy and gooey just as you would imagine. Now that that memory was made we all piled back into the car and headed back to Latacunga.

Small volcano eruption

On the way back to Latacunga Tyler saw something that looked odd on the nighttime horizon. He asked what it was and we all looked. We were about 15 km from an active volcano and we all quickly realized that Tyler had spotted the beginning of an eruption. We pulled over on the Pan-American Highway and watched as lava flew over the edges of the volcano and smoke and ash billowed high above it. Soon many cars pulled over and were taking pictures just as we were. We stood in awe of the small eruption and said very little. This was a great cap to the day.

Buen Provecho!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was difficult seeing them squirm around before I ate one

Day three involved us going to Quilatoa, the giant crater volcano about two hours from my site. We caught bus in a small city outside of my sight and this was apparently a bad idea. The bus was already full and not taking passengers. I asked if we could board and just stand which the driver was happy to allow. We paid our fare and tried to get comfortable on the rather smelly bus. At one point Tyler accidently bumped a cardboard box on the floor and chickens began bawking and squawking from within the box. Tyler turned and looked at me as if to say “Really Todd..?” 3^rd goal of the Peace Corps: Share the culture and customs of the host country to citizens of the United States. Check.

We arrived at Quilatoa and took in the amazing scenery. After a few photos we descended into the crater volcano. It took about thrirty minutes for us to reach the bottom. The trail is rather steep and with each passing minute you realize it will take you double the time and considerably more breath to get back out. We reached the bottom of the cold vast crater and Heetland, being Heetland, suggests we swim. Of course I am right on his heels as he jumps into the cold water. As soon as we came to our senses we jumped back out and tried to find someone to rent us a kayak. We found an indigenous woman who told us we had to pay $2.50 a person and we had free reign of the lake. We paddled around for awhile and took in the magnificent 360 degree view.

Quilatoa with Tyler and Jordan

Upon returning to the shore we decided it was time to hike out. I had made up my mind I would see how fast I could make it out of the crater to the rim. It took me 43 minutes and I plan on breaking that each time I return. I waited on the rim for my friends to come out. They were not far behind but were visibly exhausted and somewhat agitated. I knew as soon as they caught their breath they would be happy they had made the trek. Catching their breath might have taken two days but eventually we were on speaking terms again. We returned to Latacunga late that evening and this concluded our initial 72 hours. It was jam packed with activities and I would not recommend doing all of this in such a short time. That being said, the experiences we had and in such a small amount of time were absolutely amazing.

The ladies that served us breakfast each day and fell in love with us. For real...

For the remainder of the trip we went to the beach, Atacames to be exact. We stayed at a nice hotel called Playa Hermosa, Frente Del Mar. It is a bit pricier than other hostels in the area but the location on the beach and the security more than make up for it. For three days we relaxed on the beach taking in the sun, sand, and surf. We ate so much fresh seafood I thought I might grow a fin. We spent the nights on the beach dancing and singing karaoke. I do not think I will ever forget seeing Jordan Heetland and Tyler Shin singing “Gangsters Paradise” at the top of their lungs as 10 Ecuadorian women watched with puzzled looks. Good stuff guys.

Many small fishing boats advertised whale watching for 10 dollars. We hopped on a boat around noon on our second day at the beach hoping to see some. We left and quickly realized that the size of the boat was no match for the waves. For an hour we drove around aimlessly as the lookout searched for whales. After an hour and fifteen minutes we decided to tell the boat driver we no longer cared about seeing whales, we just wanted off the boat before we all lost our lunch. Suddenly the thought of fresh seafood was revolting. We were lucky though because on the way back we got to see a mother whale swimming with her baby. The baby whale was playing and jumping out of the water and crashing down onto the waves. Everyone on the small boat was suddenly happy that we had been out on the ocean for such a long period of time. These animals were majestic and seeing them so close was breath taking.

Here is a link to a video I took:

Whale Watching

Our vacation was drawing to a close and we made our way back to Latacunga for our final night. I would like to say that we reminisced about all the things we saw and experienced over the past 10 days. However, we were simply too exhausted from the whole ordeal. Jordan flew out on Sunday and I went to sleep.

My vacation was such a great experience. I am happy that one of my best friends was able to come visit me and get to experience a little of what my life is like here. Heetland, you’re a good dude. Tyler, glad you made it down here bud. Fabian was happy to have another “Chino” in Latacunga for a short while.

 I am taken back when looking at all we did and all the ground we covered in such a short amount of time. I am even more amazed at how much more of Ecuador I have not even began to explore yet. Anxious to get back out there!

For now it is back to the grind. A fellow volunteer and I are hosting a summer camp for Ecuadorian children in her site. It is a lot of work but tons of fun. At the conclusion of this two week camp I will try and get another post up about the unexpected success and certain failures of our efforts.

Advice for life: Eat the worm, it tastes like bacon.

Todd, the Foreign Diplomat

So what is new in the life of this lowly Peace Corps Volunteer?

 

For starters, I am working on my community surveys and school authority interviews. The Peace Corps has all the new volunteers complete a mountain of interviews, surveys, and assessments so that we can better know what our community needs of us. I think many volunteers use these interviews and surveys to really determine what their secondary projects will be in the following two years. In my case I am almost certain that my job will primarily consist of one thing. Teaching English. Seemingly everyone I encounter wants to learn English or has kids who “want” to learn English. This is to be expected. I am a white guy in Ecuador that speaks English. Therefore my projects will mainly be comprised of me speaking in my native tongue. But these surveys are not as fun as they sound (and they sound boring). Many people have no idea why I am asking them questions and it takes awhile to calm fears that I, as a PCV, am not a part of the CIA like Ecuadorian government officials have hinted. I have to complete all of my surveys and interviews and then compile the data I received. I will then “analyze” the data and put my findings into a presentation that I will give at a conference in Quito in August. That all sounds very fancy and important but really I could probably just stand in front of my boss and say “I will teach English” and accomplish the same goal as a complex presentation would.

I do, however, have exciting news. I was recently invited to take part in a summer camp program from the US Embassy. The Embassy is trying to promote English learning through fun summer camps for high school aged Ecuadorians. The embassy held a three day training session for those interested. Seven Peace Corps volunteers and I went to Quito this week and received training on how to plan an English intensive summer camp. We worked with about twenty other Ecuadorian volunteers that will host the summer camp with us next month. We spent most of the session planning our camp. The activity that I came up with for the summer camp was an outdoor survival course with the students. I am excited to see how well all my planning turns out. The Embassy was very supportive of our plans and really let us have the reigns as we planned our camp. I could not have been more impressed with the training staff from the Embassy. They were great facilitators and I can see why they are so valued at the State Department. These “big-wigs” were not only professional but approachable. The “Senior English Fellow” from the Embassy actually came outside after training and played Ultimate Frisbee with us. 

"Embassy of the United States"

During  Peace Corps training I had encountered the Embassy a few times and was relatively impressed with them. However, after attending this most recent training and seeing how dedicated they were to helping Ecuador by supplying both trained individuals and the money to make it all possible, I am a believer in humanitarian aid on the part of the United States. I feel that this exemplifies American values and we need to show the world that we are not all greedy and self-absorbed. One of the three goals of Peace Corps is to share American culture and values with host country nationals. I feel that through this training and these camps we are doing just that. I don’t know that a goofy white guy like me is the best example of America but it will have to suffice for Ecuador. 

 At the end of the training they gave out English curriculum to each Ecuadorian volunteer and invited them to make copies for their co-workers. This sounded so strange to hear an American Diplomat say that they should reproduce the information but then I realized that this is about reaching as many people as possible rather than working within copyright laws. I think that these English camps will really have an impact on the youths that are able to attend. Even the Ecuadorian volunteers were ecstatic to work with the embassy. They all wanted to learn as much as possible and were so happy to receive the training and the teaching materials. I guess the thing that I would like to get across to the astute readers of this here blog is that the USA has reputation everywhere in the world.  We, in Ecuador, are working towards making that a good reputation.

Trained!

To close this post I would like to reminisce about the time when I met the American ambassador to Ecuador. We were told to stand when he entered the room and only sit after he instructed us to do so. We were also only to address him as “Mr. Ambassador”. I am now a proud “trained informal diplomat” of the United States of America. I would not go so far as to ask you to stand when I enter the room nor would I ask you to address me as “Mr. Trained Informal Diplomat”, that title is simply too long. I supposed you could just address me as something more humble like, “Mr. Diplomat”. Yes, I think that will suffice.

Schools out for summer!

The school year has drawn to a close here in the Andean region of Ecuador. Students were released this past Friday with only a small percentage staying for “supletorios”, or summer school. Similar to the United States, teachers are required to stay and “work” at the school until the end of July. I have heard that this period of time largely includes card playing. Maybe instead of methodology training I can teach Bridge to my English teachers. The faculty will have a little less than a month off before returning for a few more weeks of cards then we resume classes in September.

Not quite Ecuadorian children but a great photo nonetheless

I, as a volunteer, am expected to work through the vacation period. I plan on spending much of this “free time” working on Community Assessment Tools that I must present to the Peace Corps during a conference in August. These “tools”, no pun intended, are rather involved. I am to interview around 50 families in their homes, conduct surveys in my school community, and poll my counterparts about what exactly the needs are in my specific community. This process is supposed to guide me to new projects and to gain a better perspective of my community and what my role might be in community development. Personally I think CAT is for volunteers to meet their community and further help with integration. I am all about meeting new people.

In addition to CAT I plan on continuing to work at two local universities. UTC and ITSA have extended offers to me to work with a few of their English courses. I began working at each university three weeks ago. I really enjoy working in an academic setting with students who want to learn. Working in the university is fueling my professional dream of becoming a professor in the US. iYo sí puedo!

I have been working with visually impaired students at the Ministry of Education on a weekly basis. However, they also are now on vacation. This particular job requires a lot of creativity. Every week I try to think of new activities to aid me in teaching English to these students. As one can imagine there is not much material on the internet for this very specific task. Maybe I will make my first million by selling my lesson plans.

I went back to Cumbaya recently after a friend invited me to come to his son’s 15^th birthday party. Eager for cooked food and good company I accepted his invitation. Cumbaya is a well-off suburb of Quito that is home to the movers and shakers of Ecuador’s capital. I expected a warm greeting upon my arrival to the family’s house as I was given one month ago when I visited. Instead, the grandmother of the family scolded me for not calling or visiting the family sooner. It is strange being hugged and chastised at the same time. This was more or less repeated by every member of the family including those I had never met before.

I had bought a t-shirt to give to the birthday boy but absent mindedly left it on the bus. I had shown it to another member of the family the day before so at least it was known that I had tried. In hindsight, it was probably better the birthday boy didn’t see my gift. It was a knock-off Vans t-shirt. “Chimbra” or fake clothing is very popular in Ecuador but within the gated community of Cumbaya my gift might have been judged a bit harsher.

We all sat down for a 5 course lunch. I still do not know which spoon or fork to use with each course. I was excited because they told me we were eating Lasagna as the main dish. As with every meal here we started with soup. Salad followed shortly thereafter and then on to the main course. It looked absolutely delicious. I cut into my lasagna and to my surprise the meat was hot-dogs. I tried to hide my surprise and ate it happily. Ecuador, you never know what to expect.

Before lunch we all watched a “Toros del Pueblo” from the roof of my friend’s house that was being hosted in Cumbaya. This is basically a bull fight that anyone could participate in. BYO Cape. I was assured that the bullfight was safe and no one would be seriously injured. Those horns still looked pretty sharp.  

I did not bring my camera to the bull fight so this pirated photo from Google will have to suffice

The prize for the best bullfighter was a large pizza. I assumed I heard incorrectly but a man standing next to me reassured me that it was indeed the prize. Many of the men that jumped into the arena had obviously had a bit too much “liquid courage” in their quest to for a large ham and pepperoni. One heavy-set man in particular stood out. He did not bring a suitable bull-fighting cape but used his black and white poncho instead. He would stumble around the arena until he had the bull’s attention. Then as the bull prepared to charge the man would have a moment of clarity and run at a drunken full sprint to the fence. Twice he launched himself at the fence only to collide with it as the bull was in hot pursuit. He would climb the fence quickly and both times he did a front-flip over the top of the fence and landed square on his back. This brought great cheers from the audience and from me as well.

I had a great time watching this exposition and even had a very small desire to participate. However, I think the Gringo will stick to sheep-fighting for now.