Embassy summer camp and the greatest place in Ecuador

 “Todd, you look like such a Gringo right now.” These were the parting words from my host friend when I left two weeks ago to embark on a work/pleasure trip in the northern part of Ecuador. I was wearing my very large backpacking backpack that weighed 60 lbs and rose at least a foot over my head. I had on shorts, sunglasses and a ball cap. I must say I was looking pretty stereotypical as I made my way to the bus station. I got more stares that usual that morning but I could not have cared less, I was going on yet another adventure.



My first stop would be Quito where I would await transportation to a US embassy-funded summer camp. This camp was located south of Quito. We reserved a very large and beautiful campground for our camp. 6 Peace Corps Volunteers and 10 Ecuadorian volunteers comprised our staff. We hosted about 40 Ecuadorian high school students from the northern portion of Ecuador that had received scholarships due to their academic success.

Explaining S'mores was more difficult than I thought... But the kids loved them.

We planned the camp about a month ago during a training session that the US embassy held in Tumbaco. From the planning session I felt as if the Ecuadorian volunteers were firmly in-charge and we as PCVs would be merely assisting. It turns out that the Ecuadorians had the exact opposite idea. After some initial confusion we, PCVs, went into action. We started planning activities and executing them on the spot. A fellow volunteer and I had just finished our own camp so we had several good ideas that we quickly implemented.



Of course we had to do the Cupid Shuffle

During the day we tried to wear the kids out with games, races, obstacle courses, and arts and crafts. In the evenings we had bonfires, ate s’mores, and sang English songs. Much to the dismay of fellow PCVs, my inner-Texan came out during the campfires as we sang “The stars at night”. The Ecuadorian counselors wanted the students to only speak English the entire camp. I felt this was a bit harsh so with my group of boys I made a rule that they could only speak Spanish when they were in the cabin. Not one of them objected to this.

Ecuadorians like the "thumbs up" look. Integrating!

I mentioned earlier that the campground was beautiful. What I failed to mention is that though the campground was magnificent, our “cabins” reminded me of large jail cells that would only be suitable for prisoners who committed particularly heinous crimes. The bunk beds were stacked three high and the entire room was about 20 ft x 8 ft. 15 of us were packed into that room and we got to know one another quite well.



Ronnie and Bryon

The camp, though poorly planned, turned out to be quite a success. The kids had a wonderful time and seemed to have no idea that we were had just planned each activity fifteen minutes before we started them. It was a great learning experience for all of us and for the kids.

Group Shot

Before I move on I have one quick story about one of my favorite students from that camp. His name was Ronnie and he was from la Valle de Chota. This part of Ecuador is largely Afro-Ecuadorian and economically disadvantaged. Ronnie tried very hard to only speak English with me even though his vocabulary and grammar were rather poor. The thing that cracked me up was his accent. He sounded 100% Jamaican when he spoke English. In Spanish his accent sounded similar to everyone else but his English was a different story. I felt as if I was talking to a character from “Cool Runnings” every time we conversed. Ronnie wanted to learn English so he could talk to American girls on Facebook. He told me that he had 22 American girls as his friends on Facebook and he always tried to chat with them. When I asked him how he found them he told me that he simply searched “American” names such as Sasha and Anastasia. I suppose motivation to learn can come from many places.



At the conclusion of the summer camp we all piled into an Embassy van and headed to Quito for a conference with all the other PCVs from our group. The conference, Reconnect, is an opportunity for each of us to present our analysis from surveys that we have completed during the first months in site. It was nice to see all of my friends from my Omnibus that I had not been in contact with since April.



One of these guys is Natural Resources Conservation volunteer, can you spot him?

Throughout the week we watched one another’s presentations and planned with our Ecuadorian counterparts for the upcoming year. The conference was a good chance to let some of the dust settle from the first months and get a good idea about where to go from there. The conference lasted a week and once it was over I was ready for some adventure.

I and eleven other volunteers packed our bags Friday morning and headed to the city of Mindo which is located about 2 ½ hours northwest of Quito. This city is now my favorite city in Ecuador. It is situated in a cloud forest at nearly five thousand feet of elevation. Mindo’s economy is based almost solely on tourism and fittingly so. This city was remarkably beautiful. I had never been to a “cloud forest” before and very quickly you can tell why it has that name. The place has a rainforest feel to it but the weather was mild and almost chilly. In the afternoon the clouds would roll in and hide us from the sun.



As a group we took advantage of many of the touristic attractions. Late Friday afternoon all the guys in the group went whitewater tubing. We bought our 6 dollar tickets and hopped in the back of a truck. We went by a small building and picked up the “boat” (six inner tubes that were all tied together), lifejackets, and helmets. We drove up a dirt road several kilometers and then were told to get out and carry the “boat” to the river. We did so and the guide told us to sit in specific spots so the weight would be divided evenly. We took off and had a blast as we went over large rocks and were tossed around like ragdolls through the white water.



Sorry, this is the best waterfall shot I have. Didn't want to get the camera wet.

The next morning we went to a “Waterfall Sanctuary”. This was a nature preserve that had 6 large waterfalls that you could hike to. Entrance to the park was free but you had to pay 5 dollars to ride the cable car that went to the other side of the valley to gain access to the falls. We went to the three of the six and they were awesome. We swam in a pool of one of the larger waterfalls. We even found a place that we could climb up to and then jump into the pool. I cannot describe how beautiful that park was. You will just have to come see it for yourself.

Cable Car ride! Devin doesn't look scared at all.



I stole someone else’s video from YouTube so you could get an idea of what the cable car was like:

Cable Car

In the afternoon we decided to go whitewater tubing again. This time however, we were going to up the ante. We went on the second tier rapids that afternoon. It was similar to the first trip but much more exhilarating. It poured down rain the entire time we were in the truck and during the entirety of our “boat” trip.  A little rain didn’t dampen our fun though.  Several times I thought we were about to change from whitewater tubing to whitewater swimming but luckily we were able to hang on. On this second trip we had two guides for our one boat. Maybe it would be better said; we had a one guide and his friend who was brought along for the ride to weigh down our “boat”. Apparently we did not weigh enough and the guide asked his friend to jump on our boat and hop around in his tighty-whiteys like a mad man right before we would go over a small waterfall. Regardless of the oddity of the situation we all had a blast.



That evening we played a three hour game of Risk on the patio of our hostel that had a bubbling creek nearby. Passing the time in Ecuador never seemed so easy. Reflecting on all the events of that day and the days that preceded it allowed me to once again realize how blessed I am to have this opportunity to serve in the Peace Corps. Some days are rough and lonely but times like that serve to give more value to times when I am surrounded by the magnificent nature of Ecuador and Government-Issued friends. I am thankful for all of the experiences that I am having here, both good and bad.

Zipping

On our final day in Mindo someone suggested we go zip lining before our four o’clock bus left the station. I figured what the hay. The company we went through had 10 cables ranging from short and fast to long and really fast. I had zip lined before but was not accustomed to their system. They gave us gloves that had large leather strips pasted across the fingers. This was your brake… At the end of each cable they had a rubber stopper thingy to slow you down but you were instructed to begin stopping yourself about two thirds of the way down the cable. At times I felt that I was going much too fast and would brake extra hard. This served to put new grooves in the leather strap and significantly warm my hand as the friction took its toll. We all survived the zip lining and got back into town just in time to catch the bus. I lugged my huge backpack to the station and hopped on. In a short five hours I made it back to my house and promptly passed out exhausted from the last two weeks. After a solid twelve hours of sleep I am ready to head back to Mindo… wait, I meant head back to work!

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.

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!