Corpus Christi all over again

No this is not a post about the city in Texas but I hope the title garnered a few extra readers.

The small nearby town of Pujilí had their annual festival this weekend. It is honoring the Holy Communion and is celebrated with a large parade, music, dancing and drinking. It is a rather well known celebration and dance teams from other South American countries come to show their stuff.

Last week my friend asked me to dance in the parade with him and his high school. I was happy to accept the invitation and showed up at his house early Saturday morning. There we ate a giant breakfast to “give us the necessary strength” to make it through the day. We gorged ourselves on “jugo de carne con huevos tibios” or meat juice with soft-boiled eggs. It seemed like too much food but in hindsight I probably should have eaten even more.

Dance group from last year

We donned our ponchos, indigenous hats and pounds of sunscreen and we were out the door. We arrived at the starting point and I was introduced as a special guest to the crowd. Our specific group was comprised of the parents of the students of the school. They were to dance with large stalks of sugarcane. I don’t know how many times I got hit in the face by the long leaves.

Danzantes

My position was up front with my friend and 3 teachers of the school. I asked the women how I was supposed to dance. I had accepted the invitation to be in the parade and at the last minute I realized I had no idea what I was supposed to do. The instructions given to me were simple, dance the way the music makes you feel. Clearly the Gringo heard the music differently than the rest of the group. There was a lot of arm flailing and shuffling to the beat from this guy.

Throughout the parade my friend would dart around yelling to the crowds and leaving me alone out-front. At times it appeared like a Gringo was leading the high school in the parade. In those moments I would yell to the crowd “Viva Corpus Christi” to which the crowd responded “Viva!” It felt odd yelling, “Long live the corpse of Christ” but when in Pujilí, do as they Pujilense do...

Can you spot the Gringo?

Dancing under the strong equatorial sun for more than 2 hours really took its toll on us. We were exhausted. At the terminus of the parade we congratulated one another and made our way back to the where my friends were watching the ongoing parade. I finally was able to sit down my and was just about to eat lunch when friend informed me that the dance team from his high school would be passing by and we should support them by parading with them past our group of friends.

Sure, why not?

Once I saw how happy my friend was to start the parade over again I realized what I had gotten myself into. Our small gesture of support turned into another 2 hours of dancing. People immediately recognized the indigenously-clad Gringo and no doubt wondered why he was taking a second lap. This time the dance was a bit different. Every 10 minutes we had to stop and pick people out of the crowd to dance with. This was always awkward and I tried to only pick women who would be eligible for AARP.

At the end of the second lap I was beyond exhausted. We once again returned to our friends who were watching the last bit of the parade. Once the parade ended we all went indoors for dinner. A bowl of chicken soup and fried pork awaited us. Fritada has never tasted so good.

Over dinner my friend and I were able to reflect on the day and entertained our friends with our tales. As we spoke I realized that this is what integration feels like. Even though I didn't even live there I felt a part of the community and a part of the family.

It is hard to believe that this was my second Corpus Christi and I won’t be here for the next one. I don’t know where the time has gone. I suppose as long as it is spent making memories like this it really doesn't matter.  

The thrills derived from routine!

The past few days I have been pondering what to write about here on my little stage. I like to write about wild things that I am doing, eating, or experiencing here in South America. Since coming back from Belize I haven't really had anything interesting or out of the ordinary happen to me. Between co-teaching, co-planning, afternoon teacher classes, the university class and English club I haven't really gotten out of work mode. Things have gone relatively smoothly and nothing really new happened over the past 3 weeks. Just plain ole work. 

When thinking about this post and what I would write I got kind of bummed. Then it hit me. I am accustomed to working and living in Ecuador. The fact that things seem normal is in of itself something abnormal.

I have posted how I have become accustomed to living here with all the eccentricities of the culture and food but now I feel like even the job has become normal and routine. In the past this has been a problem. I like my life to be fun and interesting and when things get monotonous I like to change, even if the next option is uncertain. I guess you could say I am more comfortable when I am uncomfortable. Luckily, I realize how short my time here really is and this malady of the past should not present a problem in the present. Im’a be just fine living out my last ten months here.

Now, if you made me really dig I could tell you three cool things that have happened.

-A man who owns a small store near my house greets me every day but we had never spoken more than a few seconds. The other day I went into his store for some apples and after hearing my Spanish he made a comment that he knew I wasn’t from here. I admitted I was not. Being completely serious, he responded that he had never met a Cuban in real life.

-I took the GRE in Quito. I knew that I needed to take it and start at least THINKING about my future but kept putting it off. Then I came back from Belize and looked online for test dates. I assumed I would schedule it for a month or so away in order fully prepare myself. There was only one test date and it was in five days. I threw caution to the wind and dropped the two hundred bucks to register.

The test was challenging but I did well. It was excited to be mentally challenged again. Is that the best way to say that? Oh well, at least I had the fortune of speaking English as my first language. All the other test takers that day were Ecuadorian and were really sweating it during our break. A few were ready to throw in the towel during after the verbal reasoning section. I cannot imagine being in competition with native Spanish speakers on a logical reasoning exam in Spanish. No gracias…

-A local gymnasium sponsors inexpensive day trips to areas of natural beauty. The idea is to get the people of Latacugna moving and outdoors. This sounds strikingly similar to my nature club, wonder where I got the idea…

The mud from a certain rock was a natural bug repellent. Cute huh?

This weekend we went to the Amazon rainforest. We hiked for hours and ended up at two different waterfalls. They, along with the views of the rainforest, were spectacular. The second waterfall required that you swim upstream to it. The guide kindly shuttled our cameras for us so we could devote our hands to swimming. There was a felled tree that you could climb and jump from into the pool below the waterfall. I was just like a five year old again, hold the jokes please, climbing and diving over and over again, much more than most of the Ecuadorians.

Look out point

Not the Giving Tree....the Jumping Tree

That night at dinner a woman asked if my head and shoulders felt okay. I responded I was fine but was curious why she might think my head might hurt. She and her friend both said that after all that “falling” I did off the tree I was sure to be sore in the morning. I would like to think that my diving doesn’t look as if I am simply falling off things… At any rate I am a sophisticated faller.

The Amazon. ---

Natural decongestant. I snorted this stuff and cried my eyes out...

Hola Vida waterfall

First waterfall

Yeah waterfalls!

Belize: Welcome to the Jungle

I have just returned from a week long trip visiting my pops in Belize. My dad and stepmother are serving as missionaries for young men that attend their school, Belize Vo-Tech. The schools mission is to train the high school aged students in technical skill in a Christian environment. The 28 boys live on campus and visit their families once every three weeks. Essentially, my parents are raising, teaching, and leading the boys of Belize Vo-Tech.

Dad teaching

I told my dad that he should plan whatever he wanted for my trip. I would leave it completely in his hands. I had assumed that my trip would be filled with pristine beaches, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, and maybe a resort or two.

I was traveling with a Hemelstrand, I should have known better.

Ceviche! Yum!

I landed in Belize City after 24 hours of travel from Ecuador. Stepping off the plane and onto the tarmac felt like stepping into a Satan’s sauna. I live high in the Andes where the temperature never gets above 75 and Belize promised to be a bit of a change. After making it through customs I was reunited with my dad and stepmom. The first thing they said was how lucky I was that it was so cool that day. To me it felt about 120 degrees. I never truly cooled off until I got back on the plane the following week. I was starting to understand why so few volunteers travel from their post to another developing country.

We spent a few hours driving around Belize City where I ate the best ceviche of my life! For being a major tourism port I was surprised to see the level of poverty that exists there. Nothing in that city suggested that tourism was the major industry of the country. I had expected to arrive in a posh city that would not compare to Ecuador but I was surprised to see the opposite. Later that afternoon we drove a few hours into the jungle to the campus of Belize Vo-Tech where my parents work and live.

Saw this little guy in Belize City

The campus itself is beautiful. The surrounding jungle is full of life and very lush. My dad showed me around the school. We went to the wood shop where the boys and an instructor make very nice mahogany furniture that helps pay the bills of the school. Then we went to the mechanics shop where the boys learn how to work on cars. The boys also learn to work on different things that break around campus. For example the boys were re-roofing one of the dorms while I was there.

That night I took a cold shower hoping to cool off a bit and it helped to an extent. My parents do not have air conditioning in their house but have an absurd yet necessary amount of fans in the house. I slept with 3 going full blast and this allowed me to sleep in relative comfort. Around 4:30 in the morning the jungle comes alive with the call of birds, monkeys, and assorted other creatures. They are a rather pleasing alarm clock.

The next day I was able to meet the boys before breakfast. Though the national language is English in Belize, most of the boys spoke Spanish as their first language. This certainly helped me get through to the kids and get to know them quickly. Before breakfast is their daily devotional time and my dad asked me to lead it. I had a tough time deciding what to talk about but eventually decided to talk about my life in Ecuador. I wanted the boys to see that there are poor people all over the world and Christianity doesn’t just exist in the States and Belize. I think I got through to them. My PowerPoint over Ecuador helped too. I don’t know how many times the boys asked me through the week what guinea pig and worms taste like.

My dad took me on his daily errands to every hardware store in a 20 mile radius to buy tools and implements for the school. The first store we went into the people lit up and say “Hello Mr. Neil!” with a big smile. Dad would respond with their name and ask how they were doing. This did not just happen at one store, seemingly everyone my dad saw would know him and ask how “Mr. Neil” was doing. My dad has never met a stranger. It is funny seeing how my dad has adapted to Belize and made it just like home. In the States my dad would be on a first name basis with everyone and was liked by all. Though he is living in a developing country that doesn’t share his native language he still has made it just like home. To me, this means it is all about one’s personality and demeanor rather than location that determines happiness and comfort.

One interesting side story has to do with the Mennonites in Belize. In the 1950s they arrived in Belize from Mexico and now have lead quiet farming lives in the jungle of Belize. At large intersections in the jungle it is common to see a few Mennonites with their horse and buggy selling watermelons or other produce.  My father has befriended a few through the sale of a cow and I was able to meet them and see a bit of how they live. They were all very nice people and see their culture and language in contrast to that of Belize was very surreal. It takes all kinds…

In a Mennonite community, read closely

One afternoon I taught class on knot tying to the students. Seeing how the kids work with their hands, my pops thought it would be a good idea to teach a few basic knots. I think dad may also have wanted to learn a few himself and the boys were a good cover. By the end of the class we were having races and the boys consistently would beat me and Mr. Neil.

Knot class

That weekend the boys went home and dad and I were headed on a few adventures. The first was to go to Mayan cave that was used 1100 years ago for human sacrifices and bloodletting ceremonies. You are required to swim upstream through the cave with a helmet and headlamp. After driving an hour of bumpy dirt roads in the jungle we were made aware that we needed a guide as well. Dad thought we could save some money by just showing up at the gate and getting a guide there. We were turned around and told to come back the next day with a guide. The “Hemelstrand Shortcut”, as well called it as kids, still exists...

Friendly critter dad caught

We instead went to a Mayan ruin that was very impressive. We climbed up and down the ancient pyramids and read about the history. The following day we returned to the cave with a guide and hiked to the cave entrance. We went about 2 miles into the cave half swimming and half wading. It was a wild experience. At a set point we started climbing up one of the walls and arrived in a large chamber where the Mayan people had made human sacrifices. There are 14 skeletons in total in the chamber. One of the skeletons is covered in calcium deposits and in the light of the headlamps it looks crystalized. It was amazing.

Mayan Ruin

The last adventure we had came the next day. We hired another guide and drove to another cave system. There we were provided lifejackets, headlamps, and inner tubes. Before we started the float I jumped off a small cliff into the river which I eventually convinced dad to do too. Shortly thereafter we got in the cold water and started paddling downstream. Soon we entered a cave and turned on the headlamps. It was very dark, very quiet, and kind of eerie. Every half hour or so the river would emerge into the sunlight and then quickly go back into the cave. 

Jumping into the river

Cave Tubing

Inside the cave

The following day I had dad take me back to the airport and in true Hemelstrand style we showed up about an hour before my international flight. But I got on the plane just fine. My trip was full of fun but much too short. The boys and employees at Belize Vo-Tech told me I had to come back next year and stay for a longer period. I think I will but maybe not in the hot season…

Roadside Pupusas (El Salvadorian Food)

A short note to my dad and stepmom:

First, dad, I am impressed that your childlike humor has not matured a bit since you have been there. It was nice to still be able to roll my eyes at your moronic jokes. Also, I am glad you still want to be adventurous and have fun. You still have one good hip, keep living it up!

Family friends

On a serious note, I could not be more proud of what you guys are doing in Belize. To do what you are doing requires so much faith and perseverance. I knew we were going through similar experiences but didn't realize we share almost the exact same trials and tribulations. I hope I don’t burst your bubbles, but you two aren't spring chickens and to be willing to make such a change in your lives shows true devotion to the Lord’s work. A son getting to see his parents working in such a way was a blessing. I am in awe of you two and only hope that I can one day measure up to my pops and stepma. Dedicating one’s life to the Lord’s work may not be the easiest path but it is the path you were called to and I am proud to call you guys my parents.

See ya in a year!

Viva el Capitán!

This morning if you had told me that instead of a normal co-teaching and co-planning day at my high school I would be dancing on an Ecuadorian military base I would have thought you were crazy. I had already made plans with my teachers and planned to have a meeting in the afternoon with the English Area.

At 7 this morning a teacher called me frantically and directed me to get my "Mama Negra" military uniform and get to school as soon as possible. The avid reader of this blog, mom, will remember that "La Mama Negra" is the annual festival in Latacunga held in November. I was invited to take part in the parade last year and had a uniform made to fit my Gringo-sized body. I remembered the men saying that we should keep our uniforms handy throughout the next year in case we were asked to represent the high school at some city wide function. Apparently the authorities got the call this morning, cancelled school and assembled the ranks.

I was lucky enough to be one of the 12 selected by the authorities to march/dance at the military base outside of Latacunga today. I hurriedly packed my uniform and rushed to school. There we rehearsed the march that we had done for the parade. For the parade in November we practiced for almost 3 months beforehand. Today we practiced for less than half an hour. I was a little rusty but soon got back into the swing of things.

Chiva time!

We then loaded ourselves into the "Chiva" and drove the 20 minutes to the military base. When we arrived we were told why we had been asked to come. The women of the Ecuadorian military were at the base. There were about 150 women that were in the military and maybe 50 wives of the upper echelon of the Ecuadorian military. The women were taking a tour of the base and we were there special surprise at the end. We marched in with the military band and did a few laps around the gym where the women had ended their tour. Then we went into our dance routine. Soon our ranks broke and the women mobbed us with cameras. Not to be too modest, but the women really liked the Gringo in uniform.

Can you spot the Gringo?

After half an hour of photos and dancing we loaded back up into the open-air party-mobile and headed back to campus. The women of the school awaited us at the gate and rushed us into the school and told us all to get changed ASAP. Unbeknownst to me, the authorities didn't get permission to leave the school from the district. Our whereabouts had been found out and someone had made a police report that all the authorities had left the school and were dancing at the base. Apparently driving through the center of town wearing gaudy uniforms and shouting  is not the sneakiest way to get from one place to another.



Things blew over quickly once someone from the district arrived and observed that we were all in the school where we were supposed to be. Appearance is everything. The case was also made to the district that even if we weeerrrreee at the base, we were just being patriotic.

I think she is probably in Recruiting

It seems like every time I get into a routine and start to think I know what is going on here south of the equator something  like this happens to put me back into my blissfully ignorant place. And you know what, I wouldn't like it any other way.

Te Odio Mr. T!

"I hate you Mr. T! I will NOT be at the next meeting of Nature Club!"

These were the words of one of my students during the first ever meeting of Nature Club. Encouraging stuff...

Recently, a fellow volunteer finished her time here in Latacunga and has returned to the United States. I was lucky enough to work with Liz for a year. She taught me so much about being a volunteer and what it meant to be dedicated to one's school and community. Last year we created an English Club and have had a small dedicated group of boys that show up week after week.

In the absence of Liz, a Gringa with considerable draw for the boys, I decided to modify the club. We live in such a beautiful place and yet the students have rarely left their small community. I wanted to change that. I suggested to the students that we should start a Nature Club where we would explore the province of Cotopaxi. Once a month we will go on mini-excursions to beautiful places near Latacunga. The first scheduled place was Putzalahua. Don't worry Liz, we are continuing our weekly English meetings.

Before we left. Putzalahua in the background.

Putzalahua is a small mountain sitting at 11,558 feet just outside of Latacunga. When I mentioned we should hike it the students all were very excited. We planned the date and what each student would bring. The students were in mass until 11:00 am and I really hoped they would not flake on me. I was happy to see them show up to the specified meeting point. We hoped that the late start would not result in us getting rained on in the common afternoon showers. We hopped a bus and got on our way.

These kids, same as most Ecuadorians, are not accustomed to walking any considerable distances and this became apparent within the first 30 feet of the hike. Complaints flew throughout the 3 hour hike to the top. About an half way up a light rain started. The kids had no rain gear. I tried to motivate the kids to move faster so we could get to the top where there is a small refuge.

When we did finally get to the top the students were soaked through. Half of them collapsed on the floor and said little. I unpacked the food I had brought and the kids chugged coca-cola trying to rehydrate. Of the 3 liters of water that I brought for the group only one was finished... by me.

Once the kids ate and dried out a bit they began to enjoy themselves. They took in the views of Latacunga from a vantage point they had never seen before. The rain let up and thus afforded us a chance to walk around the top and digest our large lunch of fried pork and hominy.

Raining on Latacunga

We took pictures then packed up and got ready to go back down. On the way down I chose a different path that is steeper and would take less time. This turned out to be a mistake. In true Peace Corps luck, the rain started again just as we left the refuge. The trail essentially became a muddy, steep slip 'n slide. I was in the front and the kids would basically form a train and push and slide their way down. This led to me falling forward several times. I would tell the kids to space out and go down solo but nevertheless the "train" would form again resulting in all of us ending up in the mud.

I was pretty miserable for about an hour of the descent. Despite my rain gear, every article of clothing was soaked through and I was covered in mud. The trail had become a muddy stream and we were spending more time on our rear ends then we were upright. Things began looking up near the midpoint though. Yes, the kids were just as dirty and wet as I was but they were having the time of their lives. Every time someone fell the group would erupt in laughter and sometimes slip themselves. My mood lightened as I watched the kids enjoy such a crappy situation.

The face of the kid on the right says it all..

When we finally arrived at the bottom we huddled under an awning. We were cold, muddy, and wet. A small boy passing by said the bus should come anytime to take us on the 30 minute trip back to Latacunga. We waited and waited and waited. After an hour I asked another person and we were informed that the bus doesn't run on Sundays...

We were able to convince a passing truck to allow us to ride in the pickup bed to Latacunga. The rain never let up and we all huddled together soaking wet and cold. This is when one of the students told me, "Te odio Mr. T. Y no te voy a acompañar en la próxima reunión del Nature Club!" Basically he said he hated me and he would not be at the next meeting of the Nature Club. This is why I joined the Peace Corps! We made it back to Latacugna, opened the tailgate and essentially poured out of the back of the truck and onto the street.

Top!

Despite the ups and downs on the first meeting of Nature Club the kids are excited for our next adventure. This time we are scaling it back a bit and having a BBQ in Cotopaxi National Park. And don't worry, the kid that "hated" me has since denied his words will be joining us.  

Never thought I would sleep in a guinea pig house

Yes, you read that correctly. Now that I have you hooked, enjoy my latest installment of my crazy Peace Corps life.

I have two friends that I like traveling with and we try to make the most of our time here. We essentially had 6 days free plan a trip during the holiday season of Carnival here in Ecuador. We decided to point our noses south. Equipped with our backpacks, tents, and spirit of adventure we hopped the 12 hour bus to Loja, the first of many butt-numbing bus rides.

Loja is a city in the mountains of the extreme south of Ecuador. I really liked the city. The historic district is beautiful and the climate was very agreeable. I will explore the city more fully when I have more time. For this trip however, it was just a stopover as we journeyed into the jungle. In Loja we met up with the 3^rd amigo. We stayed in a flop house of a hostel but when you are volunteer 6 bucks for a bed is not bad.

The next morning we hopped a bus to go into the Amazon Rainforest. We arrived in Zamora, a small city in the jungle at midday. They are famous for having the largest clock in Ecuador. Fittingly, this Ecua-timepiece is 30 minutes behind. Zamora is a jungle city which equates to heat and humidity. It was HOT. I am talking like Louisiana summer on steroids. We met up with a volunteer that lives around there and he took us to the national park to hike.

Zamora

Quick aside: before we made it to the national park we were bombarded with balloons and a shaving cream type spray as people young and old were “playing” Carnival. It is apparently hilarious to hit unsuspecting people with water balloons from 3^rd floor balconies and throw flour after they are wet. Two weeks ago I was running in Latacunga when out of nowhere I got shot in the face with this shaving cream stuff. Getting the Gringo must be worth extra points. Throughout our trip Carnival was “played” on us more times than I would like to recall…

Back to Zamora. We hiked around in the park and eventually arrived at a large waterfall. The cool moist air coming of the falls was invigorating. We spent 15 minutes or so admiring the beautiful waterfall. Then for some reason we started throwing rocks at the waterfall and seeing who could make it the highest and talking trash about each other’s girly throws. Poster boys of maturity.

We hiked back out of the park and decided to take a dip in a fast running river. The water was not that cold but the difference in temperature from the air to the water was extreme. I watched as one Ecuadorian man jumped from a rock into the fast running river and swam downstream in the rapids for about 100 yards. I asked him to teach me and he was happy to give me a lesson. After some hesitation I launched out and swam as hard as I could in order to get to the middle of the river before I was swept down into the rapids. It was a little sketch but so much fun! Things like that make you feel alive! After our swim we hopped the bus back to Loja where we arrived late that evening.

The next morning we caught a bus even further south. We went to Vilcabamba which is a city of expats mainly from the US. We spent the day looking for a place to camp. We hiked out to different places only to find they were full or too exposed. Finally we gave up and pitched our tents in the city park. City officials told us it was completely legal and backpackers camp there on a regular basis. Not 10 minutes after we erected our tents a man with dollars signs in his eyes came to us and instructed us that we could not camp there if we did not pay him 10 dollars. We were exhausted and didn’t feel like arguing so we paid the impromptu fee and the man left satisfied with his efforts. 

Some high school aged boys came to the park with a basketball so we asked to play with them. We divided up and played. I need to take this chance to trash on my good friend. To protect his identity I will call him Devino. He is very competitive and gives 110% in everything. Unfortunately 110% of zero basketball skills still equates to zero. Devin probably took 30 shots and made one. On the play following his one victorious shot he proceeded to launch the ball over the backboard from about 6 feet out. Downright impressive.

The next morning we broke camp and lumbered toward the bus terminal. We caught a bus headed north to Devino’s site that is essentially in the middle of nowhere. He lives very high in the páramo, basically in the grassy highlands. The last bus we took that day was one of the wildest buses I have ever been on. We caught the bus further south and thus we had seats, others were not that lucky. The bus stopped on the Panamerican highway before turning onto a dirt road that would lead us high into the rural Andes.

The stop was well known and there was an enormous crowd of people waiting to jam onto the bus. The bus probably had 50 seats and I can conservatively guess that there were 120 people crammed into every open space. Whole families would share two seats. For a period of time Justino had a woman sitting in his lap. I called to my other friend across the aisle to ask how he was doing. I could not see him due to the three people squeezed in the aisle between us but he informed me, in English, that rather large woman’s bosom was inches from his face. Oh Ecuadorian transportation, you are a cruel mother.

The bus slowly crawled up the windy dirt road and later that afternoon we hopped off in Devino’s site. It is a chilly site but had the indigenous residents were very warm and welcoming. All the houses are made of mud and the government has been building small concrete houses next to each one and is asking everyone to move. In consequence, Devino lives in the concrete house and his host family continues to live in the mud house. Can’t rush progress I suppose.

We planned on going backpacking that afternoon but the rain would not stop. We waited and waited for the rain to subside but finally we just hoisted our backpacks and headed towards the family farm where we intended on camping. We trudged through newly created streams and through muddy fields as the rain continued to pour. My boots are waterproof but only to a point. My shoes would be wet until the end of the trip. When we made it to the farm we were completely soaked through. Pitching tents in the downpour was not a possibility. The only option we had was to make camp in the only available shelter on the farm, a guinea pig house.

View from Devino's site

Luckily there was a small fire to keep the guinea pigs from dying of cold. We used the available dry wood to cook our hobo dinners and to partially dry our clothing. Animal lovers don’t worry, we didn’t eat the guinea pigs… this time. The fire was nice but the mud house was not well ventilated and quickly filled with smoke. We sat low on the floor to stay out of the worst of it. The 30 or so guinea pigs didn’t mind our company one bit as they quietly squealed throughout the night.

I had to play with the chanchitos

Sleeping in the smoky house was not comfortable or peaceful but at least the roof didn’t leak. We got up at 5 am in order to be clean up camp and get ready to help the family milk the cows at 6. They had no idea that the crazy Gringos were going to sleep in the guinea pig house and we preferred to keep it that way. We stood at the door of the house and watch the rain continue to fall. The family was late that day so we used that as an excuse to hike back through the rain and duck out of milking duty.

Before the "playing" began

Back at Devino’s house we put on dry clothing and I put on every pair of socks I brought. We were served Devino’s typical breakfast, a bowl of rice and potatoes. For that matter, it is his typical lunch and dinner. Meat is rarely eaten there. In the afternoon the rain stopped and the host family suddenly realized that it was Carnival so the “playing” commenced. We reluctantly came out and played with them. I do not know the appeal of continually soaking one another after you are drenched but Ecuadorians derive such pleasure from it. The kids had the shaving cream stuff and through active participation, I observed that getting shot in the orifices of the head is the main objective. I called it quits when the kids started throwing each other into Devino’s bio-digester that converts manure into methane gas. Even though it is a weird way to celebrate a holiday it was actually a lot of fun.

That night there was a fiesta that started at 8 pm. We physically couldn’t do it so we politely declined. The fiesta was very close to the house so we were lucky enough to hear the obnoxiously loud music all night. I do mean all night. We got up at 3:45 in the morning to catch the early bus and the party was still going strong.

Playing spoons

Another very long day of bus rides and we arrived in Latacunga. All told we rode nearly 40 hours on buses during our trip. We slept on the ground most nights. Everything I took with me still wreaks of campfire. We hiked with our full backpacks most of the trip and we did not have ideal weather conditions for most part. There are not many people in this world that would consider that a fun vacation but luckily I found two dudes that feel the same as I do. Devino and Justino, I am happy to call you guys my friends even if you both suck at basketball. 



The 3 Amigos

New year, new house, same scary shower head!

I had the great fortune of finding a small back-house here in Latacunga that was available. The owner of the house was enthusiastic to have me move in. Over the Christmas break she and her daughter fixed the place up and Peace Corps came and did their mandatory housing check. I was given the green light and moved in last month. It is a small one bedroom back-house on the property of my landlady. Three generations of her family live in the main house, as is customary here in Ecuador. My landlady supplied the furniture which is decent shape. I am grateful that I did not have to start from scratch.

It is funny to see people’s reaction when I tell them that I live alone now. Most are shocked to hear that I lived alone in the US and feel more comfortable living that way. Moving out of your family’s house here before you are married is very odd. Many times you stay in the house even after you are married. I am really blowing some Ecuadorian minds here people.

I will say that it is very nice to come home to my own house after work and be able to fully relax. I can play my music without worrying about bothering my host family. I can walk around the house without my shoes on because no one will see me commit such a taboo. Actually, that habit is probably permanent by now.

I love my new house but just so everyone doesn't think that I am living in a “posh corps” house here are a few minor details:

-My sink faucet is a water spicket.

-My electric shower head shocks the bejeezus out of me if my head gets too close to it.

-My only cooking appliance is an industrial stove top.

-I still wash my clothes on a rock.

The "kitchen"

Embassy Summer Camp

I and two other volunteers were asked to take charge of a US Embassy summer camp for 17 kiddos that are Ecuadorian minorities (Afro-Ecuadorian and indigenous). The kids are part of an initiative by the US Embassy in Quito to prepare economically disadvantaged kids for the university. They had been in the program for nearly two years so their English level was decent which made our camp activities that much more fun.

 The camp was held on the beach in the province of Esmeraldas. The facility was great. All our meals were served on an outdoor patio with a great view of the ocean. We were served amazing seafood including my favorite, ceviche!! Ceviche, for those of you that do not know, is a dish of fresh raw seafood that has been marinated in citrus juices. So good!

Most of our activities at the camp were held on the beach because… WHY NOT!?

A few of our activities:

-Capture the Flag (difficult to explain to non-native English speakers…)

-Bonfire with s’mores

-Camp-wide treasure hunt complete with rhyming clues

-English classes focused on following your dreams

-Talent show

-Movie night

-A myriad of English games

Capture the Flag

Karaoke

Many of the students had never seen the ocean before. The first afternoon we let them swim and it quickly became apparent they did not understand the science behind waves. Several girls would all hold hands and walk into two feet of water and the first wave that came along would take all their legs out from under them. They spent more time on trying to get back up than on their feet.

On our movie night we showed “Remember the Titans”. The campers are ethnic minorities so it was interesting watching them as they identified with what the African Americans were going through in the movie. In Ecuador, people from the coast and Afro-Ecuadorians are called “monos” or monkeys and depending on the intonation it can have rather racial undertones. The most poignant part of the movie occurred when the rival coach calls Denzel Washington a monkey. Many of the kids immediately made the connection that they were in the same boat as African-Americans in the late 20^th century.

I love the Ecuadorian coast but let me tell you I was made to be in the mountains. I think I lost about 20 lbs of water weight that week. From the time we got off the bus on the coast to when we arrived back in mountains I did not stop sweating.  Also, the mosquitos must have a thing for Gringo blood because by the end of the week I was just a giant walking mosquito bite. I wore enough bug repellent to keep a herd of elephants mosquito-free but to no avail. I would be constantly swatting while the kids sat nearby with nary a bug bothering them. It started the first night when I was bitten on the eye lid and I proceeded to look like Popeye for the following two days. Enough of my whining, it was a great trip and I hope that the kids had half as much fun as we did.

This year has already been full of changes and great experiences. Looks my sophomore year here in Ecuador is shaping up to even better than last year. Hasta luego!

Oh and one more thing. A volcano near my house erupted while I was one the coast. Check it out!

Volcan Tungurahua Eruption Video 

BBC news story about volcano