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.

If you are going to hike on a glacier wear pants.

I will start this post with some of the work I have been doing and end it with a few adventures that I have had over the past few weeks.

At my high school I am working on co-planning, co-teaching, and improving the methodology. I am doing all of this while trying to improve the overall English level of my teachers. These tasks have many complexities that I did not expect when I arrived here. The job seemed rather straightforward and the Peace Corps had given me ample training… I thought. However, there are things that cannot be taught in a classroom. Practical experience has taught me that the cultural aspect of my job is as important if not more important than my “expertise” in education. The best teacher in the world could come here to help but they would have no impact if they did not have a basic understanding and respect of the Ecuadorian culture. Trying to explain basically any of the culture and rituals in this blog would be futile as the culture is very intricate and complex but I will give one small example. If I bring some snack to work or to any public place it is expected that I will share all that I have. This is taken to an extreme here. Recently on a public bus a stranger offered me some of his chips that he had just bought from a vendor. I suppose I am integrating because I did not think anything of it and grabbed a handful of his chips. All of this is to say that the cultural aspect is a vital part of my living and working here.

I have taken on many “secondary projects” here in Latacunga. I am able to work just about anywhere that I want so long as there is a need and it is not for profit. I mentioned that I had worked with visually impaired people in the States and was told I could help at the Ministry if I wanted to. I work once a week at the Ministry of Education teaching blind students. I have 9 students and they range from 9 years old to mid 30s. We are working on very basic English. They had no background in English whatsoever before I arrived. This presents a difficult problem. I am used to drawing and using visual aids when I teach English. With these students it is impossible. I am constantly trying to think of alternative methods of teaching English to these guys.

I have also started working at a university. A contact of mine teaches an English mastery program at Instituto Técnologico Superior Aereonautico or ITSA for short. Her class consists of 15 students 12 of which are professors at a private university that want to gain a certificate in English. It is a night class and is 4 hours long. I teach the last hour and a half. I try to keep it fun and hold conversation groups or have debates. I am very content working in the university. The students have a strong desire to learn. Teaching is so much more enjoyable when you have a group that wants to be there. I might also begin working at the other university in town, Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi . I met several UTC students at a local café a few weeks back and they were very interested in having me come to visit their class. I told them to ask their professor and if he/she approved I would come check it out. I was enthusiastically given the green light and I am headed to observe the course this afternoon.

Now on to a few adventures.

Three weeks ago I went to Cotopaxi National Park with a few friends/volunteers. The national park sits about 30 minutes outside of Latacunga. The park is home to the world’s highest active volcano, Cotopaxi. We left about 7 in the morning and returned around 5 in the evening. We went with a local group of outdoor enthusiasts. I had been told that we would be hiking to a waterfall that was around the same elevation as Latacunga (9,000 ft). Turns out that we were headed up and up and up. I was ill prepared for cold weather. I was wearing shorts which are an Ecuadorian foul to start with. We parked at the base of Cotopaxi and began hiking up to the refugio that sits at about 15,000 feet. This is the place where people on a summit bid stay the evening before heading up to the summit at midnight. By the time the guide and I made it to the refugio it was sleeting and the driving winds did not help one bit. Someone asked if my legs hurt and I responded no. They did not need to know it was because I could not feel them. We rested at the refugio trying to catch our breath when the leader of the group declared we were going to the glacier.

It is very odd to think that there is a glacier on the Equator but like most things here, you never know what to expect. Despite my legs and hands being frozen I decided I needed to stand on the glacier. We continued the hike up. It was bitterly cold and the hike was very difficult. I plan on climbing this volcano later this year and this hike really showed me I need to get serious about training for my ascent. We hiked another 30 minutes and I finally saw the glacier. I stood on it, took photos, and asked the guide if I could go back down to the refugio. I was told no because we had to wait for everyone to make it up and we would all descend together. It was cold coming up but now that I was stationary I was freezing. After another 20 minutes everyone either made it up or had turned around so we descended. As we loaded the bus to go home a person was being brought down in a makeshift blanket stretcher that had apparently fallen ill due to the altitude. It was a very fun trip but made me realize the seriousness of the mountain.

Last weekend I went to the first communion of my host sister in Tumbaco. It was great to see all the family and friends that I had made during training. I spent the weekend in Tumbaco and ate more food that I care to remember. The catholic ceremony was very nice and the family was very happy. I was very glad that they invited me to come and share with the rest of the extended family. After the ceremony we went to the grandmother’s house and ate and ate and ate. I was so full but all the food looked fantastic and I could not stop myself. This comes partly because I now cook all my own food and I missed some Ecuadorian home-cookin’.  After I thought I could eat no more an entire Cuy, or guinea pig, was presented to me. Of course I gobbled it down too. Tasty as always.

While in training I had my own room at their house per the rules of Peace Corps and the three siblings slept in the other room. Now that I was gone things were back to normal and I bunked with the two boys. As it turns out my host brother talks in his sleep even more than I do. While I did not get much sleep it was fun trying to translate the slurred Spanish and imagine what he was dreaming about.

The school is winding down and we are all getting ready for vacation. The students leave on July 6^th and the teachers are out on the 26^th. Having things to look forward to is very important to keep a positive attitude here. I have something exciting happening next month. A great buddy of mine is coming to visit for ten days. I have not yet been to the beach but I am anxiously awaiting his arrival so we can bust out of the high sierra region and see some of the country. What kind of trouble can two Texans get into at the beach? Time will tell. See you soon Jordan!

Corpus Christi, World Map, and Ecuadorian "NBA Finals"

 The last two weeks have been just as eventful as any other period of time here. My work weeks have been filled with attending my teacher’s classes and trying to work with them on their methodology. My work schedule was changed recently and now I work three morning shifts and two afternoon shifts. The schedule is difficult for me because I prefer to have a set routine. I suppose it is time for me to live up to all the talk I spouted during the application process about being “flexible”. Change and progress here will certainly come slowly but I can be patient. I think.

Many times when I feel that I am not being productive or useful I have moments of clarity when I look out my window at the snowcapped mountains and rolling hills that surround me and I remember how lucky I am to be here. Life is good and I need to remind myself of that fact from time to time. Another thing seems to always happen when I am feeling listless. A man that is probably in his late sixties crosses in front of my house two times a day. He uses arm crutches and has a very difficult time crossing my street due to the uneven sidewalks and steep curbs. If I see him resting and preparing to cross I hustle down to help him. As we laboriously cross the road we have a set script. I ask him how he is doing and the response is always the same. “Well, my legs hurt, my knees really hurt, my back hurts, I am tired and I am going to eat lunch with my daughter”. I am not sure if he ever remembers who I am but that is of little importance to me. While I sympathize with this man and his troubles it makes me feel somewhat useful on days that I am bummed out.

Cotopaxi from my bedroom window

On to more entertaining stuff. After I climbed Pichincha two weeks ago I got pretty ill. I ate at Mexican restaurant that was delicious but it turns out the savory taste was not worth the effects. I spent three days in bed and in the bathroom. After speaking with the Medical Unit of the Peace Corps I was given some drugs and eventually I began to feel better. My body is adjusting to Ecuador slowly but there are times that I get a shock to the system as I did in Quito.

Last weekend I went to a parade in a largely indigenous community, Pujilí, that is situated about 10 miles from Latacunga. The celebration is called Corpus Christi, or Body of Christ. I was invited by my Ministry of Education Coordinator to sit with her and her family. As usual I was welcomed with open arms by everyone in her large family. By the end of the day I felt as if I had many new friends. One man that I had met once before came up to me and saw a healing cut on my face that I recently got while running with my hand in my jacket (foolish, I know). He was appalled that I had not called him right when it happened despite that fact that I did not have his contact information. He, along with everyone else here was distressed over something that really needed little attention. Ecuador is community oriented. This cannot be overstated.

Group from Columbia

The parade started at 9:00 am. I expected it to last a few hours and then go eat some good street food. As usual, my expectations were way off. We settled into our seats and watched as the many colorful dancers and entertainers shuffled down the street. The cultures and traditions were on full display during the parade. Many groups donned the enormous headdresses that have been worn year after year during this parade. I was told the original headdresses from many years ago weighed close to 200 pounds. Of course they are much lighter and more maneuverable now.



Traditional Headdresses

The parade went on and on and on. I asked someone how long the parade would last and was informed it would probably last until 2:00 pm. That was fine with me. I was enjoying the parade and the company I was with. 2:00 pm came and went and the parade continued. The last portion of the parade was filled with dancers and groups from Peru and Columbia. One of the last groups to meander by was dressed as if they were from Mexico. Of course they were not but it was funny seeing Ecuadorians dressed up as Mexicans. At 4:30 in the afternoon, with my butt completely numb from the wooden bench I had been sitting on, the parade drew to a close. The festival was a lot of fun and I was glad I was invited to attend.

"Mexidorian"

Corpus Christi parade clip

 

 

This past week has been filled with acrylic paint under my nails. A fellow volunteer that has lived here for a year asked if I would help her paint a World Map at another campus of my high school. While new volunteers are really supposed to focus on settling in and less on starting projects, I jumped at the opportunity to “get my hands dirty”, plus I really love maps. The World Map is a project that many volunteers do around the world. It is a great way to teach geography and the English names of countries. There are countless activities that schools can use with this giant map.



Nearly Finished

We started on Monday by projecting the map on a large interior wall of the school. Throughout the week many students helped us trace, paint and repaint the map. I spent a good portion of my week at that campus working on the map with my fellow volunteer. She was really the boss lady and I sort of assisted. This was more than fine with me. She did a great job of organizing the whole thing and it was really cool to see a project go from an idea to a finished product. Though many students and teachers helped us paint, a majority of the school just stared at us. The male professors at the school would constantly come up and jokingly harass me or poke me when I was “in the zone” painting. The male professors enjoy having me around to joke with. I think the whole idea of being a volunteer is not the manliest thing to them. This machismo society is an odd thing. Where exactly I fit in on their hierarchy is somewhat of a mystery to me and possibly to them as well. But for the most part we all have a good time and they have welcomed warmly.

English teachers working hard on the Ecuadorian Map

The map came along fine throughout the week. On Friday a parent of a student showed up to help. It turns out he had some real artistic ability. He finalized a lot of the map and helped us mix colors to match what we had already painted. We asked him to paint a small Ecuadorian flag above the map. I assumed it would be a basic rectangular flag. Nope, in about 15 minutes he created a sweet flag billowing in the wind. Impressive. The map turned out great. It is a tangible thing that my fellow volunteer and I can be proud of. I encourage any currently serving volunteer to try it. I am not artist and the map turned out alright.

Awesome Improvised Flag

On Friday of this week I was invited but the male professors from my high school to go watch a professional basketball game here in Latacunga. Considering it the Finals are on in the States I figured I could use a little b-ball action. Latacunga was in the playoffs and the men were excited to go watch the game. I paid my three dollars to get in and we sat in the best spot we could find. When the players took to the court I was surprised to see so many white guys. It was explained to me that the teams here hire American players to compete during the playoffs. The other players were large Afro-Ecuadorians. I was hoping to see a bunch of stereotypically short Ecuadorians battling it out but that was not the case.

The game was very entertaining for several reasons. There was a large television screen that was streaming the Venezuelan soccer game behind one of the goals just in case you were bored with the game right in front of you. Also, watching the Gringos that were playing try to communicate with their teammates and coaches was hilarious. Hand motions and frustrated broken Spanish came from the white guys. I watched the same tall Gringo get two technical fouls because he was trying to explain to the ref that he did not foul another player. The ref assumed the player was spouting English profanities at him rather than simply pleading his case. Gotta love miscommunications.

Latacunga ended up losing the game pretty badly. In the final three minutes I watched as two Americans on the opposing team did some crazy alley-oops to rub the loss in Latacunga’s face. Oddly enough, when the final buzzer sounded the entire crowd erupted in cheers. All the men slapped me on the back and told me how great the game was. I am not used to celebrating a loss but these guys were just happy to watch such an exposition.

As usual the last two weeks have been full of new experiences and adventures. I am learning more and more that I still have no idea what is going to happen next. It is kind of like the more you know, the more you know that you don’t know anything. I am on a journey into the unknown and I know that I like it.