Year in Review

It is now December and I have been here almost a full year. In this post I want to reflect on my first year in Ecuador as a Peace Corps Volunteer. (Play soft piano music as you read this to set the mood)

I have lived without:

…reliable internet.

…reliable water.

…reliable electricity.

…American cuisine.

…speaking English on a regular basis.

…refrigerated eggs, milk, and ice in drinks.

…a functioning smartphone.

…a car.

…until recently, a washing machine.

…warm water in the kitchen and bathroom sink.

…the combination of hot water and pressure in the shower.

…people that understand why I do things the way I do.

…an active social life.

…double stuf oreos.

My shower head

Delicacy

I have lived with:

…a change in diet, including: whole guinea pigs, cow tongue, sheep’s blood, chicken feet, chicken necks, and cow intestines to name a few.

…a host family.

…boiling every drop of water I drink.

…the world’s smallest paycheck.

…people that are the most warm and accepting in the world.

…a job that is the toughest I have ever had but also the most rewarding.

…the same four pair of pants that are slowing returning to the threads from which they were made.

Host Family in Tumbaco

Host Dad in Tumbaco

First, I would like to say that I cannot believe that almost a year has passed since I boarded the plane in Amarillo. When the wheels went up I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Was it the right decision for me to leave Texas, the greatest state in the Union, and move to a developing country for the next 27 months? What was I doing? Should I quit right there and go back home? Most importantly, will Ecuador have double stuf Oreos?

When I think about the day I left the States to come to Ecuador it feels like decades ago and like yesterday all at the same time. I feel as if time stopped when I left home. Things that happened two years ago seem like they happened last year. In 2015 when I return I will still expect my niece to be four months old, the top song will be Flo Rida "Good Feeling" and the iPhone 4s is still the hot new thing. Also it will still be the thing which I will neither own nor understand.

Here in Ecua-land the days drag and the weeks fly. It is a very odd phenomenon. Some days seem as if they will never end but then I look at the calendar and realize the week is already over and I have zero idea what I did to get to that point.

As any avid reader of this blog already knows, I have been on many adventures here in Ecuador already. These excursions are my milestones. I plan an adventure and use it as something to really look forward to. Setting small goals and having things to look forward to are my keys to success here in Ecuador. As any Peace Corps Volunteer will tell you, there are many days that seem as if one is just spinning their wheels and the knowledge that there is something great on the horizon can really help you get through the day. That being said, I love my job. Working in the high school alongside Ecuadorian English teachers can be tough but is very rewarding when you see something that you taught being implemented in the classroom. I still believe that education is 95% crap, 5% gold and the when the latter occurs it outweighs the former 10 fold.

Also, as many of you know I do not post much about my primary project here in my blog other than to post fun photos or when something special happens. This is for two reasons. I have many friends here in Ecuador and anything I write here could easily be misconstrued and manipulated by the strong politics that exists within the schools here. Secondly, and more importantly, I would not read your blog if you wrote about teaching middle school Spanish. Booooring. When one of my secondary projects is being extra successful I will write about it here, but really I like to stick to more entertaining topics such as eating giant grub worms in the rain forest.

Though it has only been a year and I still have a majority of my service to go I can already tell that I view many things very differently. The changes I have undergone have been subtle and probably will not all come to the surface until I return to the 1^st world for good but they certainly are there. I hear from many volunteers that have gone home, even if just to visit, and tell stories of how much they had taken things for granted and didn’t realize how different their behavior had become. I feel that this will absolutely ring true with me. Also, I walk 5 miles a day to save 50 cents on the bus so who knows how I will react when a meal costs me more than $1.75…

Speaking of money, I make very little. They don’t call us volunteers for nothing. 2013 will go down as my least grossing year since I started working at age 16. Many people in the States make more in a day than I do a month and yet I am the happiest I have been in recent memory. Yes, I would like to be able to go to the movies or go for a night on the town without wondering if I will make next month’s rent on my measly living allowance but it is all a part of the game. We are to live as Ecuadorians live and that means living on a restricted budget. I will admit though that I have dipped into my American money from time to time when I really need something such as mountain climbing and beach days. It is the little things in life.

Now that my freshman year is drawing to a close I look on to my second year. I have specific goals that I want to accomplish and will draw on my past experiences to help me. I can say with certainty that I still have no idea what I am doing but I am doing it with confidence.

So if I could talk to the anxious Todd from a year ago as he boarded the plane I would tell him a few things. You are embarking on a life changing experience. This is going to be the best and toughest thing you have ever done. There will be times that you will have zero idea what is going on but go with the flow and keep smiling. Get up, dress up, and show up, EVERYDAY. You are making the right decision. And of course, why didn’t you bring double stuf Oreos with you?

                                                        (Some photos of the last year)

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.