Hello all.

It has been awhile, but we thought some of you might want to see our pics from Alaska.

Here they are.....

Part I: Work

These were taken during the first work portion of the trip out to the Y-K Delta. Jet from Anchorage to Bethel, bush plane to the isolated Yup'ik village of Chevak, then a cold-windy-wet 4 hour boat ride out to our field site in the middle of nowhere. Once there we established camp (a two day process), waited for the weather to clear (lots of rain, winds up to 50mph, and cold), and then finally spent some time hunting for shorebird and waterfowl nests. This is what it looked like....

Part II: Play

On our own. Three weeks hitchhiking, camping, backpacking, canoeing, and enjoying.

Part III: Work, again

Round two on the Y-K Delta. Why? How about Yup'ik kids, thousands of flightless geese, and 5 errant polar bears.

That's it.

As you may have noticed, we didn't include too much in the way of narrative. If you have any questions feel free to email, comment, or call.

Happy Holidays!

ps- yes, Mary did suffer through her morning sickness while living in a tent on the tundra.

Hello again.

As many of you know we leave for Alaska today. For those of you who did not know here are the details:

We have been hired by the USGS to work as Avian Field Biologists as part of a remote field team studying the effects of climate change on the behavior of migratory shorebird populations in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge of Alaska. (click on any of the hypertext if you want more details)

Below is our itinerary which details our major movements for the duration of the trip. To get to the field site we will need to take two different bush planes to finally arrive in the small Yupik community of Chevak. From there we will load all of our gear onto a boat and head out onto the Bering Sea for a chilly four hour ride before reaching our site on the penninsula at the northwestern edge of Hazen Bay.

Itinerary:

Thursday, June 3rd

Fly from NYC to Anchorage

Monday, June 7th

Fly from Anchorage to Bethel (1 hour, 400 miles)

Fly from Bethel to Chevak (1 hour, 136 miles)

Take boat on the Bering Sea to remote field site (4 hours)

Sometime in late June:

Take boat back to Chevak

Fly from Chevak to Bethel

Fly from Bethel to Anchorage

Make contact with family (probably by email) to let you all know that we are alive and well.

Wednesday, July 21st

Fly from Anchorage to NYC (arrive 9:45pm at JFK), then shortly thereafter we will be moving to York County, Maine.

Our work assignment should be complete by the end of June which will leave us three full weeks to explore other areas of Alaska. As of right now we plan on spending 5 days on the Swan Lake Canoe Trail in Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, 4 days hiking the Resurrection Pass Trail, 4 days camping and hiking near the Harding Ice Fields in Kenai Fjords National Park, and anything else that we may have the time and energy for.

Have a great summer!

June 1, 2010

Tuesday,7:54pm

Bayville, NY

Post-Thunderstorm

Well after 27 months in Ecuador Peace Corps has officially come to a close. We have spent the last month job hunting and visiting family and are now back in New York getting ready for our upcoming work in the Yukon Delta this summer (more details in a future post) before moving to Maine in the Fall. This will be the last Ecuador post and it will be a collection of events that took place during our last few months of service (somewhat of a potpourri).

We hope you enjoyed seeing, perhaps a bit too much of, our lives in Sayausi during the past two years! (and thanks for all of the comments, we have loved reading them)

Iliniza Norte: February 3

In combination with one of many trips that we had to take to the Peace Corps office in Quito we decided to try our luck at hiking up yet another Ecuadorian Volcano, Iliniza Norte. Surprise, we didn't make it to the top (see earlier posts regarding Volcan Cotopaxi, and Volcan Chimborazo). Once again we remembered from our training as Wilderness EMTs that preventing an emergency is always the preferred option, and given the strong winds that were blowing I had no interest in experiencing the part of the mountain known as "Paso de la Muerte". We had planned to spend the night at 4,800 meters above sea level, but after a delayed departure from Quito, two buses, and 6hrs of hiking uphill we realized that we were not going to find the shelter before dark. (for those of you who have never experienced it, searching for a hut in the dark on the side of an Andean volcano is not fun) So shortly before sunset, and in the middle of a vertical scree field with swarming clouds and menacing weather, we decided to turn around and head back to the hostal in the nearest town even though we had enough food to last us two full days on the mountain. The decision was a good one as we both survived, enjoyed the sunsetting on the nearby glaciers of Cotopaxi, and the hot showers and warm tea felt great even though it was after midnight by the time we reached the hostal and were able to enjoy them.

Carnaval: February 6

What is February without Carnaval...check out last year's post for in-depth coverage on Carnaval Festivities. This year we were up at Maribel's house again and "played carnaval" with all sorts of food, ice cold water, corn starch, and foam. We also "played carnaval" the day before with my soccer team but didn't bring the camera as the festivities took place along the shore of the rived that runs through town. Imagine what you see in the pictures below but instead of a kitchen full of Maribel's family, visualize my soccer team, the mens' counterpart to my soccer team, lots of soot from the meat that was grilled, mayonnaise, mustard, and lots of dunking people in the river.

"Playing Carnaval" with syrupy fig juice for "la foto"

"Playing Carnaval" with whatever was within reach

Banana?

Good Fanesca Friday: April 2

Our landlady Dona Carmen invited us to her house for Good Friday. It is tradition to make a HUGE meal for Good Friday and invite as many people as you can afford to feed. Dona Carmen prepared an eight course meal (she said she used to make eleven but nobody would eat the last few courses) including the ever famous fanesca. Fanesca is a soup made with at least nine different grains and reconstituted salted fish a.k.a. bacalao. One spoonful of this soup is enough to satiate the hungriest of stomaches. We were served a giant bowl as the fourth course in the Good Friday feast. It was all I could do to stir the fanesca around in the bowl a few times, take a bite, and politely say, "ya."

During the meal there was a HUGE hail storm to go along with the HUGE meal, so of course I took some video.

Semana Santa procession

more proceeding

Good Friday Hail storm

When it hails it hails

Have you ever seen hail bounce off of an Andean Papaya?

Happy Birthday Mary and Norma: April 3

Norma and I share the same birthday, so the family was planning a big bash for the fifth. When we told them we were leaving the fourth they rescheduled and had us up for a cuy-eatin', cake smashin'time. The party was great, the food was delicious, and I learned one more Ecuadorian tradition on the way out.

The birthday person is invited to take a bite out of the cake after they blow out the candles. I had seen this before and noticed that someone comes up from behind and pushes the birthday person's face into the cake. Now, when I have seen this on previous occasions the push only results in a small amount of cake on the nose of said birthday person. So, when my turn came to take a bite out of the cake I was expecting a small, gentle push from behind. Long story short, the only reason it looks like a gentle nudge from behind is because the birthday person uses all their might to keep from getting their face completely shoved into the lovely cake in front of them. I, not being prepared to brace myself for what I thought would be a little push, got my face smashed into the cake! I am quite sure there was more cake on my face than was left on the table.

So, one more lesson learned, one more birthday celebrated, and one last cuy eaten before our departure from Sayausi. Not bad for one day.

Saying Goodbye: April 4

We had originally been scheduled to depart Ecuador on April 23rd, but for medical reasons (happy side note, the amoebas are finally gone!!!) we left a few weeks early. This came as a huge surprise to us and our friends in Sayausi. For the past year they had been talking about our goodbye party, and they were all disappointed that we were going to be leaving in such a hurry. Even though they didn't have any time to plan, that did not stop them from giving us an incredibly sweet send-off that we will never forget.

Needless to say there is no way to describe what it is like to leave a place you have come to know as home and people that have become your family. Viva Sayausi!

Wine for everyone (so what if we are in a moving van)

Tu eres mi gran amigo

van entering bus terminal

March 8, 2010

Monday, 1:24pm

55, Cloudy

Sayausi

Por fin! Here is the long-awaited (or at least long in coming) Peru trip post. Though months have past the memories are as fresh as ever, thanks to tons and tons of photos. In fact, with the help of Dona Ana (i.e. my mom) we set ourselves a new record for number of pictures taken. Between the three of us we took so many photos that it would quite literally be impossible to post all of them. So, below you will find only the “best of” photos which still include a whopping three hundred images for your viewing pleasure (I promise I tired really hard to post only a few but I liked so many of them). For those of you who are interested in seeing all of the Peru pics (over 3,000 images) we can show you them in person as we will be back in the states in April!

Enjoy and disculpara for the delay.

The Great Peru Itinerary:

Day 1: Meet Mom in Guayaquil

Day 2: Tour Guayaquil and fly to Lima

Day 3: Fly to Cusco and Walking Tour

Day 4: Rafting

Day 5: Train to Aguascalientes

Day 6: Machupicchu and train back to Cusco

Day 7: Sacred Valley Tour

Day 8: Last minute shopping and fly to Lima

Day 9: Fly to Ecuador (see previous post for Ecuador with Mom stories and photos)

Day 1: Meet Mom in Guayaquil

Our grand adventure began with meeting my mom at the Guayaquil airport and then whisking away to the oh-so-fancy Dreamkapture hostal where my mom was quite amused by the electroducha (electrified shower: electricity heats the water as it passes through and only occasionally shoots out sparks …exhilarating!).

Day 2: Tour Guayaquil and fly to Lima

The next morning we toured the Malecon (the riverside park), visited a very special park with very special inhabitants (see pictures for details), and ate a delicious seafood lunch followed by tasty batidos (milk and fruit drinks). Then we were off to the airport for our flight to Lima.

We arrived in Lima around 8:00pm and stayed at El Patio, a charming hotel located in the middle of the Miraflores section of Lima. We then had a late dinner and went to an art exhibit featuring all sorts of sculptured nativity scenes.

Day 3: Fly to Cusco an Walking Tour

Early in the morning we were off to the airport yet again to catch a flight to Cusco. After checking in to El Balcon, a lovely hotel close to the center of all things Cusco, we were off to see the sights and the stores. We spent the entire day roaming up and down cobblestone streets, taking pictures, and generally enjoying ourselves. We also ate some grilled alpaca and quinoa soup…as they say, “when in Rome’…or in this case, Cusco!

Day 4: Rafting

Awesome!!! There are no other words to describe it. Rafting was fabulous and my mom was a natural paddler. Though truth be told, I’m pretty sure our raft guide could have gotten us down the river without any help from us. In any event, the surrounding area was gorgeous, the rafting was beyond fun, no one had to make use of the rescue kayakers, and the hot lunch afterwards tasted oh-so-good.

Day 5: Train to Aguascalientes

Finally, we were on our way to Machupicchu. However, in order to get there one needs to a) hike the four day section of the Inca Trail or b) take a train. We opted for the latter and set off early in the morning to catch the first train to the town of Aguascalientes. The scenery along the way was spectacular and the town of Aguascalientes offered everything a tourist could want (though apparently only for a few days, as just several weeks after our visit there were huge mudslides that washed out the train tracks and tourists stranded in Aguascalientes found themselves without some creature comforts). We spent the day browsing the shops and strolling along the river before calling it an early night so that we would be well rested for our 5:00am departure to Machupicchu the next morning.

Day 6: Machupicchu and train to Cusco

Before the sun even hinted at peeping over the surrounding mountaintops, we were up, ate breakfast, and standing in line to catch the first round of busses headed up to Machupicchu. Not an hour later we arrived at the ruins. There was a light rain when we arrived which added quite the ethereal quality to the experience. It’s hard to describe what a remarkable place it is or how it looked (hopefully the pictures will help with that) but it certainly makes one reflect upon the past, present, and future in a different way.

Not too soon after arriving Mike and I went for a small hike up Huayna Picchu (the mountain you always see in the background of pictures of Machupicchu) where we took a few misty pictures of the ruins from up high and had some great views of the glacier covered mountains that define the valley. We then found my mom, thanks to the walky-talkies my mom had brought with her (yes we were those tourists, but they did come in handy and were fun to use) and met our tour guide who took us on an informative, and interesting tour of the ruins. When the tour finished we still had a little time to wander around and that is what we did until the last possible minute. Then we headed back down to Aguascalientes to catch the train back to Cusco.

It was certainly an incredible day.

Day 7: Sacred Valley Tour

The Sacred Valley Tour wasn’t something we had originally planned on doing but once in the vacation mode momentum builds and all of the sudden you’re on a bus visiting several of the surrounding ruins and towns that surround Cusco.

The tour was great and we got to see a lot more than we would have otherwise. It’s hard to believe just how many ruins are around Cusco. It’s truly impressive.

On a funny note, our tour guide was a woman from Cusco who was wonderful the whole day and then as we were headed back to town, shortly after the sun had set, she shared with the entire bus her thoughts on aliens and UFOs. Yup, we got the 4-1-1 on alien and UFO activity in and around Cusco…who knew? So it makes you wonder, was it really the Incas (better put, the Quechuas) or was there some extraterrestrial force at work carving and moving all of this rock? I guess we’ll have to sign up for another tour to get the answers…maybe next time.

Day 8: Last minute shopping and fly to Lima

Our last day in Cusco we took another small tour to nearby ruins with ridiculously big carved stones, and then did some last minute shopping before heading back to Lima.

In Lima, we toured the Miraflores district, did some more shopping, enjoyed Christmas carols (yes, this post is very late) in the central park while enjoying hot chocolate and an incredible rice pudding with cherry preserves desert, and then called it a night and slept soundly with images of rapids, ruins, shops, and cobblestones floating through our sleeping heads.

Day 9: Fly to Ecuador (see previous post for Ecuador with Mom stories and photos)

The next day we flew to Ecuador where out whirlwind adventure slowed down to Sayausi speed and we spent a week with my Mom relaxing in our site and touring the streets of Cuenca (again, see our previous post).

It was quite the trip and certainly one I will remember forever. We would of course like to thank Dona Ana for such a wonderful trip and for all the wonderful memories; eating grilled alpaca and roasted cuy feet, braving the rapids of the Urubamba, drinking coca leaf tea, exploring ruins of yore, bathing with electrified shower heads, and learning all about aliens and UFOs…what a world, what a trip!

(Our service here in Ecuador is winding to a close and after two years we will be flying back to the US on April 23rd! We will try to post again sometime soon to describe what we have been up to for the last few months (highlights include Carnaval celebrations and hiking up yet another active volcano). For the meantime, feel free to scroll through the archives to revisit all that we have reported on for the last couple of years…. on the top right of this page you can see all of our old posts filed by date. Enjoy!)

January 5, 2010

Tuesday

Sayausi

Cloudy, 60

Feliz Año Nuevo and a Hug

(Check out the new link called "Volunteer Feature" located under the picture on the right-side of the screen! You may recognize the featured volunteers.)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! This holiday season has been packed with travel, parades, family and friends. My mom was here for two weeks (December 14-28) during which time we took over 2,000 photos! Therefore, we will be spreading the holiday joy over two installments: 1. Holiday Extravaganza and 2. Peruvian Adventures. Even though the Peru portion of my mom’s trip came before the holiday part we thought we would post all holiday related photos, videos, etc… before the holiday season is officially over. So, get ready for lots of costumes, cuy, candy, dancing, and of course, more parades! (and then, in a week or so, we will post the Peru portion of the visit)

December 23rd: School Christmas Party and Museo Banco Central de Cuenca

Our first day in Sayausi started off with a bang…or at least with a lot of Christmas carols. I was invited to be a Christmas carol judge for the annual Christmas party up in Bellavista.

At nine o’clock sharp the caroling began with me seated at the judge’s table and my mom and Mike in seats of honor (i.e. they were given chairs instead of having to sit on the cement bleachers with the kiddies). The competition was steep and it was only by one point that first grade beat out the sixth grade. It was then time to judge the nativity scenes that each grade had constructed in their respective classrooms.

I’ll give a little background into the nativity scenes so that later when I explain how they were judged it will make more sense. It is tradition for every family to have a baby Jesus doll that in the weeks leading up to Christmas is paraded from house to house within the family. For example, for one week it will be at your aunt’s house and then there will be a procession with music and flowers and food to get it to your grandfather’s house where it will spend a week before continuing the journey (those of you residing in Bayville should remember this from last year when we brought some of Ecuador home in the form of a ceramic baby Jesus and made you all parade him around). In preparation for the arrival of Baby Jesus each house constructs a nacimiento or nativity scene. The scene of course is incomplete: all figures are facing towards an empty space which is reserved for the arrival of Baby Jesus. Historically, these nativity scenes (which every household makes during advent) were made from local mosses, bromeliads, and orchids. Not surprisingly, this was less than good for the surrounding forests. Therefore, in the last five or so years there has been a push to use recycled materials or anything reusable and environmentally friendly so as to maintain both the tradition of the nativity scenes and the natural environment. So, now people get really creative and make beautiful nativity scenes using old newspapers, potted plants, fallen branches, etc…

Back to the school…the nativity scenes were judged based on two categories: creativity and use of recycled materials. Again the competition was steep but it was again the first graders with their corn cob three kings and gourd stable that took home first prize.

It was then on to the sack races and other general festivities. The ice cream was served early as the electricity was cut at ten o’clock (there have been daily power cuts across the country for the last three months due to the year long drought) which worked out well for us! We each got giant scoops of homemade coconut ice cream. We were then given at least five small panes de pascua (Christmas bread, aka panetone) before we left.

We spent the afternoon in Cuenca and even checked out some of the Incan ruins near Cuenca’s biggest museo, Banco Central. However, after our Peruvian adventure it was clear that the Incan Empire didn’t quite have as strong a hold on Ecuador as it did in Peru. The museum was fun though and we only set off the alarm three times as we walked around (there was a small motion detector that would go off if you stepped too close to any of the exhibits). We ate lunch at Moliendo Café (the only place Mike and I eat at in Cuenca: cheap, good, and owned by a really sweet Colombian couple). My mom agreed the food was delicious including the bunuelo (cheese flavored doughnut). Then we toured the markets, both food and craft, before heading back to Sayausi where we dined on coal roasted chicken at David’s (Mike’s teammate’s restaurant).

December 24th: Parades Galore

The entirety of Christmas Eve or Nochebuena was spent either watching or participating in parades. These parades feature kids dressed up as religious figures, gypsies, traditional dress, or as superheroes and they go on for hours! We went into the center of Cuenca to check out the largest parade and had a nice spot right on the central park. For several hours we watched countless horses, cars, kids, babies, dogs, sheep, and everything else parade by decked out in everything from the most extravagant costume to the most basic. Sun baked (again, we still haven’t gotten any rain) we went for lunch at a tourist friendly restaurant that specializes in Ecuadorian fare and overlooked the parade in the central park. Needless to say between the location, the company, and the food lunch was delightful.

Then we headed back up to Sayausi to participate in a different parade. At this point the Christmas spirit had really gotten into me and I agreed (after several weeks of being persuaded by our neighbors) to get dressed up with a few other women from my town. What did we dress up as? Cholitas Cuencanas of course! A neighbor gave me a pollera, blusa, and chalina, Jenny (our landlady’s daughter) braided my hair, and poof I was ready. My mom and Mike were not poofed into anything but they did walk in the parade being sure to catch any particularly photo worthy moments. However, since I was the only one in costume I was the only one to receive the bag of candy, pan de pascua (panetone), and banana (which everyone in the parade who was dressed up got).

The parade started up at Dona Rita’s house (the same house where we would be the next night for my mom’s first ever cuy roast) and winded through town where it eventually ended up in the church for a Christmas evening mass.

After mass it was back home and time for sleep…well, we may have had a few candies first!

We also tried out the envios service here in Sayausi over the holidays. Turns out it works! We (with the help of Doña Carmen and family and the Rusts) sent a cuy to the states (sorry AZ family but they don´t deliver to the Southwest) for Christmas Eve.

December 25th: Feliz Navidad!

Merry Christmas to All! Christmas morning of course started with stockings (Chuspi enjoyed the stocking itself as much as the contents) and then it was breakfast, presents, and then, you guessed it, on to more parades!

This time we were just observers and photographers. The parade started in San Martin (a barrio of Sayausi) and ended up in the plaza right outside our front door, which is where all parades seem to end. Once the parade reached the plaza there was an outdoor mass followed by dancing, music, and more dancing.

Then it was off to Bellavista for cuy, more dancing, cake making (aside from the baby Jesus it was also Juan Diego’s birthday too), and general merrymaking. We were up at Dona Rita’s house from two o’clock until ten o’clock during which time my mom and Juan Diego helped each other with English/Spanish, we supervised while Juan Diego made and decorated his own birthday cake, played frisbee (my mom’s birthday present to Juan Diego which was wildly popular), chatted, ecua-danced, ate, chatted some more, bathed baby Matias (Melida’s month old baby), dressed up baby Matias (my mom also brought down a few jumpers for Matias…also wildly popular), ate cuy (yup, that’s right my mom chowed down on cuy and liked it…at least a little bit), and ecua-danced some more before eating birthday cake.

After the festivities we walked home along the river (which also happens to be the road) listening to the sounds of frogs. A very nice Navidad indeed.

Opening Stockings

Sayausi Parade

Christmas Mass

Christmas Dancing

Christmas Kids

Christmas Dinner

December 26th: Ver Deporte

Saturday was a day to recoup after over a week and a half of nonstop travel and activity. So, in classic Sayausi style we spent most of the day down by the estadio watching countless soccer games and chatting with our neighbors and friends.

December 27th: Hacer Deporte

Sunday was a lot like Saturday except Mike and I were playing in all the games. The first game of the day was futbol in the estadio de Sayausi at 10:30am. The second game was basketball (me) at 11:30am, then Mike played basketball at 12:30pm which we weren’t able to stay and see because I had another game at 1:00pm in San Jose (another barrio of Sayausi that is further away and where we don’t really know many people). So my mom and I zipped off in a cab with Maira to go my one o’clock game while Mike stayed to play three-on-three with his basketball team as the team they were supposed to play against didn’t show up.

My game in San Jose was called short after a fight broke out in the second half. Yup, after two years of playing in countless games here in town this was the very first fight and my Mom was there to see it! Long story short we were winning and the other team was upset because up until then they had been undefeated and BAM, fighting. No one was hurt and only one girl on my team was involved. It was essentially five girls from the other team pulling the hair of one girl on my team. Either way the game was called, and we aren’t going to play at that field anymore (voluntary decision on our part as the organizers weren’t going to kick anyone out so my team just decided we didn’t want to play in a tournament where teams fight). Then we were delayed at the field for an hour as a giant storm rolled in and dumped buckets of water and hail. Fortunately, there was a small covered area where everyone could huddle until the rain passed and the cab came and picked us up.

By the time we got back to the apartment it was almost 3:30pm and our van back to Guayaquil was leaving at 4:00pm. Having been in Ecuador for almost two years we decided that was plenty of time to shower, go grab lunch(slow roasted pork and potato pancakes) and bring it back, eat it, clean up, and then get a cab to the van office.

We pulled into the van office at 4:06pm (the van service said they could wait to 4:05pm at the latest) to see the van waiting for us. And so we made our grand exit from Sayausi, up the hill, through Cajas, over the continental divide at 14,000ft, back down the hill, through the clouds, across the rice paddies and banana plantations, and into Guayaquil.

December 28th: Se Va

My mom’s flight left at 10:30am the morning of the 28th which gave us plenty of time to have a nice breakfast at the hostel and reflect most positively on a wonderful trip.

After my mom went through the door to customs Mike and I headed back up the hill, and four hours later were in Sayausi where upon arrival we took a long nap.

In the next post all Peruvian related photos and stories will be shared. A few highlights include white water rafting with my mom in the Urubamba Valley, eating roasted alpaca on several different occasions, watching the mist pass through the ruins at Machu Picchu, and alien sightings among the snow capped mountains near Chincheros!

Año Viejo (Old Year)

For New Year’s Eve, and for several days leading up to it, Cuenca, Sayausi, and Ecuador are covered with life size dolls dressed in old clothes, stuffed with newspaper, and donning a mask (be it a Barney, Michael Jackson, famous politicians, or a generic old man face). These dolls called Año Viejos in Sayausi are tethered to the fronts of cars and busses, seated outside shops, and hanging from window ledges until the clock strikes twelve….more on that later.

Not surprisingly New Year’s Eve brought with it many more parades, the Año Viejos (the dolls described above), and viudas (widows). At this point you should have a pretty good idea about what a holiday parade in Ecuador would look like so I won’t go into details. The Año Viejos I have described above and the pictures below should complete the picture, literally. However, the viudas or widows are new. On the afternoon of New Year’s Eve the streets become crowded with young men dressed up as women begging (more like jokingly asking) for change. These groups (they tend to travel in groups of three to five) often set up camp on a street and string a rope up to stop passing traffic. Once the car has stopped the driver and passengers are asked to give some change to the viudas. This interaction generally involves a lot of laughter on both sides and occasionally ends up with extra change in the purses of the viudas.

You may ask, as we did, why? Why do young men dress up as women, call themselves viudas (widows), and ask the occasional passersby for change? Good question. If you find out let us know because no one in our town had the faintest idea as to why people do it, they just do. As for the Año Viejos we did get a little bit more information on them, but nothing too definitive. To some it represents the good of the past year, to others the bad. Some create a doll that has the likeness of a person they respect while others chose to dress their doll as someone they despise. There are dolls that look like cartoon characters (Sponge Bob is popular). What binds them all though is their common fate (see below).

To start of the New Year’s Eve festivities there was an Ecua-volley game and a women’s indoor game (soccer on a small field with a small ball). I was asked to play in the game as at this point I am friends with all the soccer moms (unlike in the states, soccer mom here quite literally means the moms that play soccer) and their daughters. So, myself, Maira, Leo (Maira’s sister), the Carbo sisters (daughters of the President of the Parroquia of Sayausi), and Diana (a good friend of the Carbo sisters) played a game against Nacha (wife of David, Mike’s basketball teammate), Jota (Nachas sister), and several other Nacha relatives. The game was tied at the end of standard play and went into extra time (two five minute halves). After a stunning goal by myself and another by Majo (one of the Carbo sisters) our team became the winners and as such the proud owners of a crockpot. Yup, a crockpot. Upon seeing the crockpot everyone on my team asked, “What’s that?” The crockpot has since been sitting in our living room, still in its box, since it is unheard of to cook with electricity due to cost (and the ongoing nationwide daily power outages due to drought).

After the thrilling sports events many people went to the church for mass while others went home for dinner, but all came back shortly after for the “chancho encevado”. What, may you ask, is a chancho encevado? Well, think to yourself what is the most appropriate thing to do after a New Years Eve mass? Well, if you answered “to chase around a greased pig in the plaza”, then you are well attuned to Ecuadorian culture. After the chancho encevado was captured everyone under age twelve lined up for the “ollas encantadas” a.k.a the enchanted pots.

The ollas encantadas are the Ecuadorian equivalent of pinatas except that every kid gets their own and even though you’re technically only allowed three hits you get to hit until to smash an enchanted pot and all the goodies fall out. It looks like this: a long line of kids waiting for their turn, a string twenty yards long from which twenty cantalope sized ceramic pots are hanging, two adults directing the children, and a crowd of onlookers. Inside each of the enchanted pots are a doll, a bag of candy, and an orange. And I’m pretty sure I figured out what makes the pots enchanted. Whenever the last pot is broken but there is still a line of kids, after a five minute break twenty new pots are dangling from the string…pretty magical huh?

Following the ollas encantadas the race to the top of the “palo encevado” began. This race did not end until well after midnight and was really a sort of endlessly entertaining sideshow while the rest of the festivities continued. Can you guess what a palo encevado might be? How about a thirty foot high greased eucalyptus trunk with soda, chips, soccer balls, and clothes dangling from the top? Yup, a greased stick with at most ten dollars of prizes tied to the top and a pack of anxious teenage boys at the bottom. Now that’s good fun.

In the hours leading up to midnight we were treated to several singing performances and the announcement of whom Sayausi’s Año Viejo was supposed to resemble. Turns out our vecino (neighbor) was the lucky guy, and as is custom a mock will was read in which he had a chance to say something funny about all of his family members, neighbors, and friends.

So, now the clock is striking midnight. What do you think happens to all those Año Viejos that spent the day tied to a car, sitting in front of a store, or hanging out a window? A giant bonfire greets them at the tolling of the New Year. Every man, woman, and child tosses their “Old Year” into the fire then proceeds to give everyone a hug while wishing a Feliz Año to one and all. The hugging then continues for several days (or weeks) as you must say Happy New Year and give a hug to everyone you know even though it might be awhile before you bump into them.

Chancho Encevado

Ollas Encantadas

Well, that sums up our holiday season here in Ecuador. Lots of parades, a wonderful time spent with my mom, plenty of good food, and to send the old year off in style a greasy pig and a giant fire.

Happy New Year (and a hug)! May it bring you health, happiness, and maybe if you’re lucky, a roasted guinea pig and an effigy made in your likeness!

December 11, 2009

Friday, 9:22am

Cuenca

Sunny, 60

This blog is sort of a grab bag of things that happened in the last month. There is no overriding theme nor is there any real flow from one topic to the next. With that in mind we wish you all Happy Holidays and hope you enjoy the random collection of pictures and words below!

(Also, I apologize in advance for all the typos you will surely find. I typed the blog in Cuenca and the version of Word I was using kept making bizarre autocorrections as the default language was Spanish and I was writing in English. So put the red pens away and enjoy the omition of many words and creative spellings of others.)

Baby Matias, Construction, and another Niño

Doña Rita´s daughter Melida gave birth to Matias a few weeks ago. Her sister Maribel asked us to take some pictures of him,the work they had done on their house, and the Niño (it´s a big tradition here to have a Niño that travels from house to house leading up to Christmas. The same weekend Matias was born the Niño arrived at Doña Rita´s house) so she could send photos to her brother who lives in Canada.

Cubanos, Semifinals, Finals, and a Fire

We had a couple of fundraisers for one of the soccer teams I am on to raise money for uniforms. The fundraiser, which took place on several occasions, consisted of making sandwhiches (in our house) then selling them with a vaso of cola for a dollar at the nearby estadio. Unfortunately, on the first day the cubanos (Ham and cheese on white) were locked in a tienda (store) at lunch time and we couldn´t get them out again until dark . This meant we had to sell everything at half price which severely cut into our already narrow profit margin. The second time, however, everything went according to plan and all sandwhiches were sold at $1.

Another campeonato (small, soccer tournament) came to a close this month. My team came in second place after a loss in penalty kicks in the finals where three people (including myself) hit the post. That´s right, tres palazos! Unbelievable. We still had a big cookout later that night at Zoila´s house and ate lots of fried rice and watched Michael Jackson videos.

It is also worth mentioning, as we have pictures of a fire off in the distance, that Ecuador has been without rain for far too long. Up until a few weeks ago the rivers were empty and there were fires on every hillside. Since then we have gotten a little bit of rain so most of the fires are out and you can no longer walk across the rivers. However, they are still rationing electricity (over 90% of Ecuador´s electricity is hydroelectric which doesn´t work very well if there is no wáter) which means for several hours every day we are without electricity.

Makin´cubanos

Fake Bill

We got our first counterfeit bill two weeks ago from an ATM of one of the biggest most respected Banks in all of Ecuador. The bank won´t reimburse us and we had to return the bill anyway but it was neat to see it even if it means we lost $20. See if you can tell which is the fake.

Zukes and Eggs

My garden is chock full of zukes this month which means zucchini crust pizza, zucchini muffins, zucchini fritta, zucchini salad, minestrone soup made with zucchini, and so on. As a novice gardener I have to say zukes are a most gratifying crop.

Also there´s a picture of an egg from a farm raised chicken and one from a factory raised chicken. Can you tell which is which?

Christmas is coming!!

Enjoy some pics of our apartment all dressed up for Christmas (and some of Chuspi enjoying all the holiday decorations).

Envios

It´s super common in Sayausi (and all of the province of Azuay) to send all sorts of food, stuff, and more stuff to the States where most people here have family. The most common item is, of course, the ever so delicious cuy i.e. guinea pig. We are not quite sure how it works but it looks like you drop of your cuy here in Sayausi and it ends up in some similar looking storefront somewhere in the U.S. Pretty remarkable considering a shipment goes every Thursday and Tuesday and arrives two days later in the U.S.

Work Photos

A fellow volunteer is putting together a website with a profile about what volunteers in Ecuador are doing. So these are the pictures we sent him for the website. We will post a link to the site once we have it. Enjoy!

Chuspi, Chuspi, Chuspi

This blog was originally going to be an Adopt-a-Chuspi post as Mike has an allergy to her. However instead we are going to leave Cuspi with our lovely, landlady Doña Carmen, proabably in January. So here´s a bon voyage to Chuspi tribute with a special guest...a deer leg!

A fun tail

Yum, deer leg

Brush-tastic

Brush-a-me, mama

Flight instead of fight

The beetle gets it

Relaxed Attack

Pathetic

Peticure

Whatta good Chuspi cat

Yum, sardines

November 2, 2009

Monday

5:46am

Cloudy, 60

For the last ten days we have had the pleasure of being in Venezuela with my dad. During this trip we explored the breathtaking islands of Los Roques National Park, the zoos and hot springs of Valencia, and the culinary delights of Caracas. We also discovered that my dad and Chevy Chase have much in common when it comes to planning and enjoying a vacation i.e. simple events always have the potential to become a comedy of errors.

Below is a brief itinerary (for those of you pressed for time) followed by a detailed account (for those who can spare an hour or so) of what we have dubbed National Lampoon’s Venezuelan Vacation.

Day 1: Arrive in Caracas and Flight to Los Roques

Day 2: Nordesky, Krasky, and Aquaman’s Debut

Day 3: Franciskys

Day 4: Boca de Medio, Madrizqui, Scuba, and some British Commentary

Day 5: Cayo de Agua, Biological Station, Espenky, Multi-purpose Tevas, and Bravo!

Day 6: Boca de Cote, Lobster Shack, Estrellas Marinas (Esparky), Pelona de Rabusky and Umbrella Trouble

Day 7: Cayo (Isla) Muerto and The Hitchhiker, to Valencia and Hot Springs

Day 8: Arepas, Zoo, Arepa Mansion, Meetings, and To Caracas

Day 9: Meetings, Teleferico, Gualipan, and Jeep to Macuto

Day 10: To the Airport, Duty Free Extravaganza, Bogota Layover, Van to Sayausi

Day 1: Arrive in Caracas and Flight to Los Roques

We arrived in Caracas just before 11:00am on Thursday morning. After going through customs and skipping baggage claim since we had none, we met my dad who had arrived about a half an hour earlier. It turns out he had spent a majority of this half hour trying to shake a black-market money changer who spoke broken English.

In Venezuelan currency there is what is called a parallel market. In 2008 the Bolivar Fuerte was introduced to replace the Bolivar and remove three zeroes from all currency and prices (for example a 1000 bolivar coin would now be 1 bolivar fuerte). The parallel market exists because there is a fixed official rate for the Bolivar Fuerte. The fixed rate which is 2.15 bolivar fuertes to the dollar is supposed to help with inflation. However, it also means that everything would be too expensive for people buy things. So, there is a parallel market (not legal but not really illegal in terms of enforcement) where you can get around 5 boliver fuertes to the dollar. This system, while making Venezuela a potentially very affordable place to visit, makes changing money a little bit more complicated and a little bit risky for tourists and Venezuelans alike.

So my dad, a rather obvious tourist which is associated with dollars or euros, was quite a target for the dozens of parallel or black market money changers who also serve as porters (why not earn a little extra money while carrying bags). Luckily, my dad wasn’t persuaded to change his money with these porters at the rate of 3.5 Bf to the dollar and so our first order of business upon our arrival (after many hugs and hellos) was to find Roquemar, a “tourism” storefront recommended to us by the owner of the hotel we would be staying at in Los Roques (we ended up changing our dollars at the rate of 4.7 Bf to the dollar).

After a rather bizarre, semi private money exchange we had our first taste of delicious Venezuelan food during lunch at the workers cafeteria in the basement of the airport (TGI Friday should be avoided in all countries) then headed over to the Auxiliar Airport to catch our flight to Los Roques.

I need to take a minute here and explain that is was virtually impossible to find a flight to Los Roques as there is no website you can go to and no number you can call to make a reservation (trust me, we tried). All flights to Los Roques, it seems to me, are booked through the posada where you are staying. So first you have to find and decide on a posada before you have any idea what the flight options are. Then, to make things a little more complicated, no one accepts credit cards. We were beyond fortunate that Ana, the Italian owner of Ranchito Power (the posada where we stayed) paid for our tickets in advance out of her own pocket. After paying for the tickets she forwarded us a copy of the electronic tickets that had been sent to her. We printed these out and crossed our fingers as we arrived at the Auxiliar Airport.

The Auxiliar Airport shares the same runway space as the international airport, it’s just located about a half a mile closer to the end of the runway and instead of normal sized planes there are tiny, tiny planes. Also unlike many international and domestic flights, if our plane was delayed past sunset the flight would have been cancelled as there are no runway lights in Los Roques and therefore no flights landing or taking off after dark.

Our plane was the aeronautical equivalent of Mike’s 87 Nissan. The “Sundance” as it was un-aptly named sat 15 and the pilots were in arm’s length of the first row and while there were seat belts the likelihood of the seats staying attached to the plane in any emergency situation were so low as to make the presence of seat belts negligible. The emergency life jackets however were easily accessible.

After a slight delay of almost an hour, the “Sundance” took off into the sunset with nary a shutter and the 35 minute flight saw only slight turbulence and a few unnerving dips. And, it seemed, that the landing was smooth and uneventful until a loud boom, followed by the smell of burning rubber, unusually abrupt braking, and the repeated “thwap, thawp, thwap” of rubber on asphalt filled the cabin that was now sloped down to the left.

So, we disembarked mid-runway while the crew unloaded the luggage and walked it over to the receiving “gate” i.e. the other side of the rope. It was sunset, and we left the “Sundance” at a slight tilt and with its busted tire behind us.

Chicho, one of the three employees of the posada we were staying at, met us at the other side of the rope with a “baggage cart” i.e. a handcart and escorted us down the sand street to Ranchito Power.

At Ranchito Power we were greeted by Ana, the posada owner, and shown to our room (one of five in the posada). After putting our bags in the room we went out in search of dinner. This it turns out would be harder than expected.

We first went to the string of restaurants on the beach only to discover that no one had any food. Yup, no food. Apparently, the supply boat didn’t come in.

Los Roques is an archipelago located 100 miles off the north coast of Venezuela. It is made up of over 200 small islands only 42 of which have names. Gran Roque, the only inhabited island in Los Roques National Park, has 1,500 fulltime residents, 60 posadas, 2 vehicles (one for garbage and the other a tractor), 1 school, and two sources of food: the ocean and the boat. So, you can imagine that getting food and other supplies for all the residents plus the 400 or so tourists on the island is slightly more difficult and more dependent upon outside sources than most other places.

After being turned down at every restaurant we could find along the beach we found our way to the plaza where there was a small restaurant serving hamburgers, pasta, and a few other dishes to desperate tourists with no other food options.

And so ended Day 1 of our Venezuelan vacation: tire blow out upon landing in Los Roques where there was “no food” because the boat hadn’t come in.

Left prop

Up, up, and away

Coral reef sighted

First sight of Gran Roque

Bumpy landing

Day 2: Nordesky, Krasky, and Aquaman’s Debut

First I should give a basic overview of what a typical day in Los Roques was like. They each followed the same basic pattern with the major differences being the islands visited during the day.

Breakfast was served at 8:00am in the small common area of Ranchito Power. Ana made the breakfast each day which included the Venezuelan staple of corn arepas plus pancakes, bread, several jams, fresh fruit juice, cookies, cereal, eggs, a fruit plate, and coffee (coffee in Venezuela was delicious, on every street corner there was someone with a thermos of steaming hot coffee and a stack of small plastic cups selling for 10 cents a piece).

After breakfast everyone gets changed and ready for the beach and puts in lunch orders (most of the islands have no services and so the posadas pack a cooler full of sodas, snacks, and in our case, delicious salads and pastas for lunch each day). At 9:30am every morning about a dozen small motor boats leave from the dock of Gran Roque carrying 4-10 tourists to one of the over 200 islands within the Los Roques archipelago. During the day we would normally visit 2 to 4 different beaches with the day ending back in Gran Roque around 5:00pm. Once back on Gran Roque you make a dinner reservation (the posadas need to know by 5:30pm how many dinners they need to make) and then dinner is served around 7:00pm. After dinner there would usually be some planning for the next day (more planning in our case as we were also juggling meeting times back in Caracas, calling different people, sending emails, etc..) and then off to bed where sleep came quickly until the rising sun peeked in through the window the next morning.

But it was our second day in Los Roques and our first day going to the beaches that we got our first glimpse of what we would later call “Aquaman.”

Planning our trip to Los Roques required a lot of time and email exchanges with various people on Gran Roque and we did a lot of internet searches on Los Roques and read the Lonely Planet (our guidebook on Venezuela) section of Los Roques a minimum of ten times. Below are a few snippets from said section:

1. “Gorgeous white-sand beaches, clear turquoise waters, amazing snorkeling and diving…”

2. “This idyllic collection of small coral islands harbors rich coral reefs comes virtually unspoiled.”

3. “…scorching sun and dazzlingly blue skies…”

4. “…250 unnamed islets, sandbars and cays scattered around a crystal-clear, glittering lagoon brimming with marine life.”

5. “…these attractions all await hedonistic sunseekers in the stunningly beautiful tropical archipelago known as Los Roques.”

So, with all this in mind, guess which phrase stuck out to my dad in terms of planning his beach attire which would be worn at all times in and out of the water?....”scorching sun”. Fearing any contact with the sun (reminder, he lives in Arizona) his “swimming suit” consisted of the following:

1. Wide brimmed hat pulled down and tied off under his chin

2. Extra dark and wide sunglasses

3. Long sleeved shirt buttoned up and tucked into and tied to his pants

4. Long pants tucked into his adventure socks

5. Socks with Tevas (or snorkel fins when appropriate)

Now picture everyone else in the boat: bikini clad, speedo sporting Italians, bikini clad, speedo sporting Venezuelans, and bikini clad, speedo sporting travelers from around the world. Granted Mike and I were somewhere in between Aquaman and the magazine models but we did draw the line at socks.

So dressed for a safari in the savannas of Africa we set out for our first day of beaches and snorkeling in the Caribbean.

We boarded the small motor boat on the shores of Gran Roque and set out for Nordesky amid a sea of aquamarine, crystalline waters and beneath of sky of pure blue: it was in all honesty beyond words.

Nordesky was our first snorkeling stop and our first time stepping foot into the warm, clear waters of Los Roques. We saw a dozen sea turtles, some coral heads, angel fish, and untold numbers of other sea creatures. Aquaman proved that socks and snorkeling are not completely incompatible but did not have as much luck with the wide brimmed hat which proved to be a significant visual impediment not to mention choking hazard (that did not stop him from wearing it though). After an hour or so of snorkeling in Nordesky we got back on the boat and headed off to Krasky where we would spend the rest of the day.

When we first pulled up to Krasky it was one of those rare moments where you really think you must be dreaming. It was gorgeous: an empty white sand beach, blue waters, and a warm breeze.

The captain’s helper set up our umbrellas and chairs then left saying they would be back at 4:30pm. Full disclosure: Aquaman originally described this idyllic set-up as being part of Dante’s inferno. Fortunately, he eventually became a convert and geared up for a second round of snorkeling before lunch.

Krasky is one of the few islands that has a restaurant so we ate fish that was caught that morning in the shade of the covered patio then set out for some afternoon snorkeling before some serious floating a.k.a. lounging. Then at 4:30pm our boat reappeared, we packed up, and were magically whisked back to Gran Roque where we heard the supply boat had finally arrived and so made reservations at Bora la Mar, a restaurant right on the beach where we would end up eating most of our dinners.

Dinners on Los Roques always included fresh fish and some delicious side dish prepared by the posada owner. Marta, the owner of Bora la Mar, is from Spain but has lived on Gran Roque for 16 years. Apparently, she was the ninth posada to open on the island and as a result has one of the best locations, which is why we ended up eating there so often.

Tired and sunburnt I slept like a gran roque that night. Mike tired but not so sun burnt also slept well, though relatively cramped as he didn’t fit on the bed, and Aquaman pale as the day he was made slept soundly having outwitted the sun with his amazing Aquaman powers.

Day 3: Franciskys

Early the next morning Mike and I walked up to the lighthouse to take in our surroundings on what was one of the highest points on Gran Roque while Aquaman slept on out of reach of the sun’s first rays.

Breakfast was served at eight and by nine thirty we were back on the boat headed to Franciskys, one of the closest islands to Gran Roque with some of the best snorkeling in Los Roques. The open water was a little rough that day so all of the boats were staying close to the main island, but luckily Franciskys has a protected harbor with a fantastic reef inside of it. Ideal snorkeling for a windy day.

With umbrellas and chairs set up we set off for some more snorkeling. Full disclosure: Mike and I were both wearing pants this day after getting the backs of our legs relatively scorched from all of the snorkeling the day before. Aquaman was of course fully clad in his superhuman attire.

The rest of the day went as follows: snorkel, lunch, float, snorkel, float, float. Vacation’s tough but somebody has to do it.

Day 4: Boca de Medio, Madrizqui, Scuba, and some British Commentary

Our fourth day started with a hike up to the lighthouse on Gran Roque. From the lighthouse we could see several of the islands we had gone to already and a few that we would go to in the following days.

After breakfast Aquaman and I walked Mike down to the dock where his scuba-diving boat was waiting. Mike started fiddling with the gear immediately as the Colombian dive master double checked Mike’s scuba knowledge. Apparently, passing the scuba knowledge test Mike and a honeymooning couple from Switzerland set out for a day of scuba-ing i.e. two, hour long dives in what was later described as “absolutely amazing” diving conditions.

Aquaman and I set out for a slightly less adventurous adventure with an older English couple that happened to be the only two other people on the boat with us that day. Our day trip included four stops: Estrellas marinas, boca del medio, snorkel time, and finally Madrizqui. We didn’t bring the camera with us because of an earlier sand scare but you can by this time imagine the blue water and white sand without visual assistance.

The snorkeling on this trip was slightly different than our previous snorkeling engagements as we jumped off the boat into open water as opposed to arriving at a beach and snorkeling from there. While the getting off the boat posed no significant problems for myself nor Aquaman (thank you gravity) getting back on the boat was a slightly different story (thanks to gravity).

I had the advantage of being relatively slight and therefore was pulled back on board by the English man and the captain’s helper. My dad however was left to his own devices and was further hindered by a lot of drag from his superhero outfit. To his credit he was back onboard relatively quickly at which point the English woman commented, “what you lacked in elegance you made up for in efficiency.” At this point I assume you can also imagine what Aquaman’s embarkation looked like without visual assistance, although video footage would have been quite comical.

We met Mike (who was sleeping in the hammock when we arrived back in Gran Roque) exchanged stories (Mikes included a fifteen minute dance with a gang of social squid) and headed off for dinner and mojitos. Again, vacation is really tough.

Bocce in the street

Day 5: Cayo de Agua, Biological Station, Espenky, Multi-purpose Tevas, and Bravo!

Back together again we headed off for another full day of snorkeling and general Caribbean enjoyment, this time under the tutelage of Friedman, a Jamaican-Polish resident of Los Roques.

First stop Cayo de Agua, a gorgeous string of white sand connected by a sand spit to another gorgeous string of white sand. We started off with another new type of snorkeling: the drift snorkel. A drift snorkel means, in this case, you walk up the beach past some mangroves to an entry point. Then you let the current take you back to your umbrella and chairs while admiring the beautiful coral reef beneath you, all without the need to kick even a little. Unfortunately, we were advised of the drift nature of the snorkel a little late in the walk and so Mike and I left a few things in the trail that we would come back for after the snorkel. My dad realized even later the nature of the snorkel and so ended up at the entry point with his Tevas.

Never fear for Aquaman has an aquatic solution for everything. And so that is how my dad became the first person ever to snorkel with socks on under the fins, long pants, a long sleeved shirt tied to the pants and buttoned up to the neck, a wide brimmed hat with chin string, goggles, a snorkel, and Tevas attached to his hands as paddles. Needless to say Friedman decided not to take us snorkeling near the sharks on the other side of the island as had been earlier planned; apparently the sight of Aquaman strikes fear (or perhaps signals easy prey) to sharks.

Next stop: Biological Station! At the Biological Station we got to see dozens of sea turtles that are being raised for later release into the wild. Since only 1 in a 1000 sea turtles makes it to adulthood and humans think turtle eggs are aphrodisiacs, sea turtles are in a tight spot. So, this station gathers up baby sea turtles, cares for them for a year, and then releases them back into the wild hopefully with a higher chance of survival. We tried to buy a shirt for Mike while we were there but Mike is still quite tall for Venezuela and so we left with nothing but our memories and some fresh coconut to remind us of the sea turtles of Los Roques.

Our last stop for the day was Espenky where Aquaman and Mike set off for another snorkel while I floated happily in the oh-so-warm waters of the Caribe.

I would like to say that nothing else noteworthy happened that day and that your last image for our fifth day would be that of me dozing in the gentle waves of the sea. However, Aquaman had one last surprise in store for us…and everyone else on the boat…and for that matter everyone back on the dock at Gran Roque as well.

The boat ride from Espenky back to Gran Roque probably took about 20 minutes. Mike and I were seated on one side of the boat toward the back and several bikini clad, speedo sporting Italian tourists further up the boat was my dad.

About ten minutes into the ride my dad stood up and did what can best be described as a little dance: several quick steps in place. He then sat down without looking back at any of the other passengers. Everyone on the boat, including Mike and myself, was a little confused but not too surprised by Aquaman’s display due to his recent history of erratic and unpredictable behaviors. Five minutes later he gets up again and does the same thing. Again, no real surprise coming from Aquaman but still a little perplexing.

Then it seems that all would end well. The dock was in view, the boat had slowed down and in less than a minute we would be safely docked back on Gran Roque. Little did we know Aquaman had a gran finale in store.

About twenty feet from the dock, with the boat still motoring at a decent velocity, my dad stood up, stepped onto the ledge of the boat, and launched himself into the blue waters of the Caribbean.

This did in fact surprise everyone on the boat…for about two full seconds (Friedman almost successfully caught him mid leap). Then, the entire boat (mostly Italian) broke into simultaneous applause and shouts of “Bravo! Bravo!”

When we reached the dock the comments ranged from “Tu suegro esta loco” (Your father-in-law is crazy) from the Venezuelan tour organizer to “Your father is fantastic” in English from the Chilean biking model.

I wish I could share with you the visual of my dad jumping overboard that I will have imprinted in my brain forever as well as the tears of laughter that didn’t stop for a good fifteen minutes but alas the camera was stowed safely away and so your imagination will have to suffice to piece together Aquaman’s grand disembarkation. We did however manage to capture a few shots of him swimming back to shore afterwards.

Any guesses to the motives behind Aquaman’s jump? Perhaps he wanted to live carelessly? Perhaps he saw a sunken treasure? Maybe, he just wanted to know what it felt like to jump off a moving vehicle with a crowd of onlookers? Or, maybe it was just nature calling a little too strongly at the most convenient moment that would present itself within very narrow time restrictions.

So, that was how day five ended: my dad jumping overboard. Well, at least I wasn’t in middle school otherwise the trauma inflicted from such a public display of bizarre dad behavior would have been incurable.

Stay seated

Gotta go...but the boat´s still moving too fast

Day 6: Boca de Cote, Lobster Shack, Estrellas Marinas (Esparky), Pelona de Rabusky and Umbrella Trouble

Our sixth day in paradise took us on our biggest snorkel adventure. We set out for Boca de Cote, an area where Los Roques opens up into the sea. This was both a drift snorkel and an open water snorkel. For over an hour we floated along with the current above a virtual garden of coral and aquarium of sea life that started at about 5 feet below the surface and then quickly dropped down into the deep, deep blue.

After boarding the boat (this time slightly more gracefully than the last time) we made a stop at the Lobster Shack. The Lobster Shack is barely a building, constructed in the middle of the water (shallow though it may be) where six months out of the year fishermen live and fish. What do they fish you ask, well lobster of course! However, the lobster season doesn’t begin until mid-November so we just got to hang around and take a dip in the surrounding waters.

The third stop of the day was Esparky where thousands of giant starfish hang out in the shallows. The captain’s helper found a live conch and then made it into a snack for everyone floating around i.e. us. For the seafood to be any fresher you would literally have to eat it underwater as we were up to our shoulders in the water where the conch was caught, killed, prepared, and served. Yummy!

Our last stop brought us to Pelona de Rabusky the smallest island we had yet to step foot on. The island had been recommended to us as great snorkeling spot because the it is actually surrounded by a continuous coral ring, and as it turns out was also inhabited by a group of flamencos. Due to its tiny size (your driveway is probably bigger than this island) the three of us circumnavigated the Pelona de Rabusky almost without incident.

This time however it was Mike not Aquaman who was the perpetrator. Mike, being the ever inquisitive individual that he is, noticed a small pile of cartilaginous skeletons about ten feet down resting next to a bed of coral. And Mike, being the apt swimmer and diver that he is, decided to dive down and get a closer look. Upon arrival at the pile of carcasses, I mean cartilaginous skeletons; Mike thought to himself, “Hmmm, I wonder what did this?” He then turned his gaze away from the coral and out to the deep blue sea trying to imagine what carnivorous beast, I mean predator, could have done this. It was at that moment when he turned his head full of inquisitive thoughts that he saw a giant baracuda grinning directly at him while he was holding the remains of its former meals!

Mike of course ditched the carcasses and began to swim away only to see that the baracuda was chasing him! Luckily Mike was close to shallow water and the baracuda wasn’t actually interested in attacking, I mean persuing, Mike as he was only defending his territory. Note for the non-snorkeler/diver: Baracudas are big and have an ominous dentition to put it lightly. They usually linger near divers and are known to startle, but not to pursue. I guess this time was an exception.

Needless to say we didn’t snorkel any more that day.

However, back on shore Aquaman was up to his own mischief. Having arrived back at the beach before Mike and I, he noticed that the sun had shifted and decided to shift the umbrella accordingly without taking into consideration the prevailing wind. After considerable fidgeting with the umbrella the top half snapped off. Under normal circumstances not a big deal. However, we have to remember that on a National Lampoon Venezuelan Vacation with Aquaman, circumstances are never normal. On this particular day there was quite a bit of wind and so the umbrella went flying off at considerable speed stopping only after crashing into the bikini clad, speedo sporting couple that was set up twenty yards from us. Luckily, no harm was done and the speedo sporting Brazilian kindly returned the stray umbrella to Aquaman.

The boat ride home saw no men, or Aquamen overboard, and we ended the day at Bora la Mar with another mojito, plenty of good cheer, and swordfish that was caught that morning.

Off to snorkel

Don´t look back

Flamencos

Day 7: Cayo (Isla) Muerto and The Hitchhiker, to Valencia and Hot Springs

Our last day in Los Roques we went to Cayo Muerto, a little sand bar surrounded by crystalline waters in what was really an idyllic setting.

Though I haven’t yet mentioned it, another comment in the Los Roques section of the Lonely Planet guidebook mentions the presence of sand flies on the islands. My dad had been taking special care to avoid being victim to these menacing foes, and to his credit left Los Roques without one sand fly bite. Whether that was due to over-use of Deet, or a diminished and/or less active sand fly population is still up for debate. However, on our last day walking to the boat that would take us to Cayo Muerto, our last island, Aquaman starting complaining about a light stinging sensation on his leg. He didn’t seem particularly alarmed and not in that much discomfort so we continued to the dock.

We arrived on Cayo Muerto about ten minutes later, had or umbrellas and chairs set up, took lots of pictures, admired the waves breaking out on the distant reef, and were settling in for some big time floating when my dad complained again of stinging on his leg. At this point he un-tucked his pants from his socks (yes, the outfit was virtually impenetrable by bugs and sun alike), gave his leg a little shake, and out fell a scorpion! A scorpion had been in his pant leg for just over an hour at this point biting and stinging my dad’s leg. Fortunately, it was a large scorpion (less venomous and less prone to sting) and Aquaman was fine, if not a little stung up…but hey, at least it wasn’t those pesky sand flies 

Several hours of snorkeling and floating later our boat came to pick us up and take us back to Gran Roque for the last time.

Our flight left at 5:00pm (the Sundance was back in commission by that time) so we spent the last few hours in a frenzy trying to get more money on a tiny island in the middle of the Caribbean. Luckily, we were not the first to run into this predicament and a nice lady showed up with a credit card swiping machine and a boxful of cash to help us out. Her name was Carolina, but we like to think of her as a walking ATM.

Our flight was late in arriving, and we were rushed onto the plane by 5:30 (lucky thing because had the flight been delayed more it would have been cancelled as, mentioned earlier, there are no lights on the runway and so no flights arrive or depart after sunset).

In Caracas we were met by our driver who whisked us off to Valencia where upon arrival we went straight to the thermal pools outside our hotel room door to de-stress after six days of relaxation. The theme of National Lampoons Venezuelan Vacation continued even on the mainland as instead of going into the geothermal hot springs we instead immersed ourselves in a pool that was undergoing a chemical maintenance causing the night staff to come out and help protect us from ourselves by ushering us out of the chlorine dip and into the hot springs. WalleyWorld here we come!

Yin and yang

Into the deep

Grace and Elegance

Day 8: Arepas, Zoo, Arepa Mansion, Meetings, and To Caracas

Breakfast in Valencia was perhaps the most delicious breakfast we had on our trip (see pictures) partly because it was authentic Venezuelan fare rather than a delicious breakfast that we would be likely to serve ourselves at home. Arepas, corn flour patties, are served at almost every meal and are absolutely tasty. Breakfast consisted of two arepas, scrambled eggs, spicy shredded beef, black beans, cheese, fresh fruit juice, and good coffee. Yum and yum!

That morning we went to the zoo where we were given a personal tour of all sorts of neat Venezuelan critters, all of whom had been rescued and as such could not return to the wild. The river dolphin show however was closed since one of the stars had just recently given birth. Also the snake exhibit was closed because you have to pass the dolphins to reach the serpents. That was all fine with us though since introducing Chevy Chase to venomous snakes seemed like it would be testing our luck a little bit too much. Luckily the Orinoco crocodile cage and the piranha tank were also well out of our reach.

Lunch was…you guessed it, more arepas at the Mansion de Arepas where the arepas come stuffed with whatever your heart desired served with fresh fruit juice. Then it was off to some meetings and then back to Caracas.

Day 9: Meetings, Teleferico, Gualipan, and Jeep to Macuto

Caracas was filled with lots of delicious food (including freshly made donuts on every corner and mango served with salt, vinager, and curry), extremely nice people, and lots and lots of traffic.

In the afternoon we took the teleferico (an elevated cable car) over a giant hill that separates Caracas from the coast. We then took a short jeep ride to Gualipan where we snacked on fruit served with cream and bollitos (kind of like a tamale) until another jeep came to drive us down to Macuto.

Macuto is the nearest nice town to the airport and lucky for us out hotel was located right next door to a delicious tasca. I know it sounds like we already had a lot to eat today but that was nothing compared to dinner: garlic bread, lobster bisque, prosciutto with cheese and olives, wine, and to top it off enough asopada de mariscos to feed at least a dozen people (though the menu said it served only two). In fact, it was so much asopada that Mike couldn’t finish it. So, we took it home. Yep, I carried it through customs in Venezuela, Colombia (where we had a seven hour layover), and Ecuador. Boy, was it tasty!

Day 10: To the Airport, Duty Free Extravaganza, Bogota Layover, Van to Sayausi

Our last day started almost as early as it could have with a wakeup call at 2:30am and a cab waiting for us at 3:00am.

Our flight left at 6:15am for Bogota and my dad’s flight left at 6:25am for the EEUU (although, not surprisingly, American Airlines was boarding passengers well before Avianca was). However, after all the money changing madness we still had Bolivars to spare and no where to change them….at a decent rate at least. So, we had a last minute shopping spree in the duty free store at the airport that opened up just in time. I am pleased to say that several pounds of Venezuelan chocolate and coffee were acquired as a result.

Then of course it was time to bid farewell to Aquaman. It was a wonderful trip, certainly unforgettable, and loads of fun! Thanks to Aquaman and the resulting National Lampoon’s Venezuelan Vacation!

The Yapa

Mike and I ended up with seven hours to kill in Bogota so instead of waiting in the airport we changed some Bolivar fuertes to Colombian pesos, got a cab to the center of town, and hit the streets and the market. We spent the morning walking around the Centro Historico, admiring balconies and doorways, picking up a few souvenirs in the nearby market, watching a military parade, and getting a great lunch to complement the other Colombian snacks we were enjoying. Not a bad little extra.

After lunch it was back to the airport for the return flight to Guayaquil and then a four hour van ride up and over the 14,000 foot continental divide to get us back to Sayausi. A vacation well spent!

October 18, 2009

Sunday, 8:00am

Mostly cloudy, 62

Campeones y Campeonas

The past month has been one filled with sports-reel worthy highlights starring, of course, me, Mike, and I guess our teammates. Below is a play-by-play of how Mike got a giant trophy and how I got a second, though slightly smaller, trophy as well. Not that trophies matter because as Doña Delia (captain of my indor team) said during the trophy presentation "el deporte es para unir".

Basket

As you already know Mike has been playing in the Liga Deportiva de Sayausi basketball league with Darwin (the husband of Maira my futbol captain), David (the owner of the local asador where we buy delicious roasted chicken and Mike gets lunch with his coworkers), and Enrique (David’s cousin), Juan Pablo and Miguel (Enrique’s brothers and therefore also David’s cousins), Lucho (who used to be a ref in Sayausi), and Dani (their tall friend who has a three old son named Koby…yes, he is named after Koby Bryant).

This dynamic octet make up the Sayausi Huracanes; almost undefeated in league play except for two losses for just not showing up and a third against their nemesis (ok, they’re not really a nemesis but another really good team in the league…but it’s so much more dramatic if they are referred to as “nemesis”) where they had to play a man short for half the game. The second time the Huracanes faced off against their age-old nemesis Ciudadela Alvarez the Huracanes one by two points made by none other than the one, the only, Miguelito Carbone. Yes, it was quite the showing: fouled in the last second on a lay-up in a tied the game, sent to the foul line Miguelito sank both shots to win the game!

So, the Huracanes were off to the semifinals where they would face off against Anthrax. Anthrax had invited Mike to play with them before the season started (they are all from the family we spent Carnaval with and the same family of Gladys whose wedding we went to where her sixty-plus father Don Manuel dragged me out of the bathroom line to dance to “Moscow” a fifteen minute dance mix that is what you think Russian Disco music would sound like…yes, there was lots of kicking legs and crossed arms). The only member of Team Anthrax that is not related to Don Manuel and company is a man referred to as Rambo. Rambo is 5 foot 3 inches tall with giant muscled arms and legs (yes, he looks like a mini-Rambo) and is rumored to have killed a man in Brazil using a headlock. Whether or not there is any truth to this or not, he definitely has anger management issues.

However, not even Rambo could stop the Huracanes. The defeat of Anthrax was absolute with a point differential higher than their total score. And so it was that the Huracanes made it to the finals where they would tip-off against none other than their age old rival, their arch-nemesis Ciudadela Alavarez!

The Huracanes took an early lead in the first quarter only to give it away completely in the second. In the third quarter the Huracanes made a slow recovery that left them within several points of Alvarez going into the fourth and final quarter. In the fourth the score vacillated between tied and one team or the other with a one point advantage. Then, it was as if father time had turned back the date to the Huracanes previous meeting with Alvarez. Time was out, the score was tied, Miguelito went for a lay-up, was fouled, and sent to the line. At this point, however, I think father time lost interest. There he was at the line the game in his hands; all he had to do was make one of the two foul shots. Bounce, bounce, shot…brick!! The crowd groans. Bounce, bounce, shot…nothing but rim!! The ref blows the whistle and regular time is out. The score is tied and overtime looms.

I don’t remember all of the details of overtime (I was rather worked up and closed my eyes for a large portion of it). However, I do remember that Miguelito partially redeemed himself with two blocked shots and seven points. And when the five minutes were over the Huracanes were the champions of Sayausi! And truth be told, Miguelito may have more than partially redeemed himself as he was given the team trophy at the prize ceremony and encouraged to take it back to the US with us when we leave.

So, all ended well in Sayausi for the Huracanes and they spent the night toasting their victory and eating tasty roasted chicken at (where else?) David’s Restaurant where Miguelito insisted the trophy stay so that all could bask in its plastic-gold light.

Nice Rebound, Migi

Nice Layup, Migi

El Himno Nacional

And the trophy goes to...

Indor

The campeonato in Ingapirca, a tiny barrio about 30 minutes up the hill from our apartment, came to an end this past weekend. What started in April, had a two month break in July and August due to fallen trees on the field, concluded with the finals this Saturday. And who you may ask won? Well, Buenos Aires Jr. of course in a stunning 2-1 victory against Galaxia during which I scored no goals but did get a yellow card and then less than a minute later an awesome strawberry on my belly…the result of a foul against me that resulted in a yellow card for the other team (though it should have been a red as I was tripped from behind on a breakaway).

And what may you ask, are the prizes given to the champions of such a prestigious tournament: a trophy, medals, and $300 in cash! And what does a team do with that much cash….buy new uniforms and pay the registration fees for the next tournament! In fact, today (the day after winning) I am marching in the inauguration for the Liga Deportiva de Sayausi wearing the new uniforms for the next tournament which is the same tournament that we came in first two years ago and third last year. The trophy (my second in as many years), which I was given for acompanando the team, is not as big as Mike’s but it does have lots of ribbons.

The Finals

Ra, Ra, Ra, Buenos Aires!

El Deporte es para unir

Show me the money

Goodnight, Chickens

The Trophy Shelf

The Inaugauracion

Procession not related to the Inaugauracion

Judging the Madrinas

La Seleccion

The World Cup qualifiers have come to end and so has Ecuador’s chance to participate in it. Ecuador qualified for the last two World Cups but these were also then only times they had ever qualified for it.

For the last few months they have been in a tight race to finish fourth or fifth in South America and for each game they played in pursuit of a spot in the 2010 World Cup everyone (and many pets) in Ecuador donned yellow jerseys and hung flags from their windows in support of their team.

Dressed to Impress...

However, their journey to South Africa was significantly hindered when they lost to Uruguay last Saturday in Quito. When they then lost in Chile on Wednesday their chance officially ended.

Maybe next time 

On a related note, Miguelito is pretty excited about Honduras qualifying for the second time ever in their history! (although he can’t find a Honduras jersey anywhere in Cuenca)

Entrenando

A few months ago I was invited to join a soccer team that would practice, something unheard of in women’s soccer in Sayausi. So, we have been practicing Saturday mornings on a small, mostly grass field down by the river for a tournament that starts in November. The team is made up of girls from Sayausi, most of who are from the team that beat us in the semifinals this past year…go figure.

Mudville

I also had two games this weekend on what was the first official day of the rainy season. All things considered I got off easy...

Flowers

The hydrangeas in our window boxes are starting to bloom. They all but died when we went to Peru for 10 days back in July and so it is quite exciting to have them doing well, so well in fact that they are flowering!

Don Jimmy

My dad is coming to visit! For a sneak preview of where we will be heading try doing a Google Image search for “Los Roques, Venezuela” 

September 21, 2009

Monday

8:41am, Cloudy 60

Sayausi

Project Update

Our last two posts have focused on travel (Peru and Conejo), but believe it or not sometimes we actually get some work done as well. Here is a little taste of some of the projects (at least the ones with pictures) we’ve been working on for the last few months:

Me

World Map

Over summer vacation I led a group of six or so students (age 5-12) in a World Map Project. Making a World Map is a sort of rite of passage in Peace Corps as many volunteers end up making one at some point in their service. They are usually made on giant surfaces and show all of the countries in the world. However, due to limited wall space (we were given the area above the bathroom sinks to work with) at the school, the world map we ended up making was a slightly modified version. Below is a brief overview of the three week endeavor that was the World Map of Bella Vista de Sayausi.

1.) Attempt to make a square (our first square turned out to be not quite a square).

2.) Paint the entire surface blue (thereby covering up the not-so-square square).

3.) Make another square that was actually square (a level turned out to be key).

4.) Make a grid (56 little squares by 24 little squares, it was nice to just be supervising for all of this).

5.) Number squares and divide big grid into 18 smaller grids.

6.) Practice drawing by grid with several worksheets (to figure out who could draw by grid and who would have more of an assisting role).

7.) Start drawing the continents on the grid (we ended up doing continents plus Ecuador instead of all the countries as our space was limited).

8.) Keep drawing the continents on the grid.

9.) Finish drawing continents on the grid.

10.) Mix paint for each of the continents.

11.) Paint the continents.

12.) Let paint dry.

13.) Touch up paint and let dry again.

14.) Outline continents with permanent marker.

15.) Touch up paint on continents, again.

16.) Decide what to do with the area surrounding the map.

17.) Divide area surrounding the map into seven sections and paint each section according to the color of each of the seven continents.

18.) Draw endangered animals from each continent in the color coded sections surrounding the map.

19.) Mix the paint for the 20+ animals.

20.) Paint the 20+ animals.

21.) Outline the 20+ animals with permanent marker.

22.) Touch up paint for the 20+ animals.

23.) Put labels on continents and animals.

24.) Re-paint the oceans on the map.

25.) Take lots of pictures of the finished product.

So, that was basically what happened in the course of the three weeks of the World Map. During this time there were countless cookie breaks and singing of Michael Jackson songs. Oh, I also left out that before any of this happened, Jairo (a seven year old who was an eager participant every single day of the project) offered to clean out the sink so that the kids could stand in it to reach the wall that we would be working on. There must have been some sort of pampamesa party a couple of weeks beforehand as there was all sorts of soggy, rotting food in the sink. I would also like to point out that Jairo volunteered to help and not once made any complaint about the smell (which was bad) or the texture (which was gross, as you can imagine). So with two tops from cut up coke bottles we scooped up all the filth; me holding my breath and Jairo attempting to sing “Beat It.” Throughout the making of the World Map Jairo liked to mention just how dirty the sink was before we started and what a good job we did cleaning it up.

Lastly, I would love to take credit for how great the map looks, but I was merely the supervisor and my tangible contributions to the map only included a second coat of paint on Antarctica and a second coat of paint on the orange section surrounding the map. Lady, Bryan, Marcelo, Justin, Jairo, and Anita did the grand majority of the work with help from half a dozen other students who showed up for a couple of days during the project. I barely touched it!

The Director of the school has asked me and my crew to do another mural once the school year starts (this one of Ecuador and its provinces) and CEDI (the preschool nearby) also asked if we could do a mural for them sometime this year. Who knew murals would be such a hit?

The Making of a Mapa Mundial

PL-480

Another rite of passage for the Peace Corps Volunteers seems to be the writing of a PL-480 grant. I have started working with a group in Bellavista de Sayausi called the Sistema de Riego de Minas, a group that is trying to encourage people with livestock in the nearby watershed to adopt other forms of agriculturally related income thereby protecting the town’s water source and providing a more sustainable source of income. In June we started working on a PL-480 grant to solicit funding to build a community greenhouse that would serve as a working model for the residents of Bellavista, provide additional fruits and vegetables to the local school for the kiddies lunches, and a small income to the Padres de Familia that would maintain the greenhouse in collaboration with the Sistema de Riego. Needless to say the process is long and trying to schedule meetings with members of the Sistema de Riego is more challenging than you might think. However, we are almost done with the first draft and hopefully in the next week or so we will be able to submit the proposal for initial review.

Garden

I have also started a garden at our neighbors house (apartment living has its drawbacks) and have successfully grown turnip greens, romaine lettuce, and arugula. Our neighbors were of course very interested in these strange looking vegetables as the turnip greens didn’t look like the turnip greens that they grow (and so they called it nabo extranno i.e. foreign or strange turnip greens), the lettuce they decided was the fifth type of lettuce (apparently there are six though there used to be only two), and the arugula was likened to spinach just much more bitter and therefore deemed to be good for the liver. While this garden has some selfish motives behind it (Mike and I love fresh greens), our neighbors have taken interest in what we are up to, they are trying new vegetables, and they even took some of the harvest to the market to sell!

I just cleaned out the remains of the first cosecha (harvest) and replanted with more arugula (yum!), more strange lettuce (a mesculin mix), sugar snap peas, greens beans, squash, chives, and kohlrabi. We’ll see how the neighbors react to those (assuming they grow)!

The Fruits(or Veggies) of My Labor

Mike

Busy as always at Parque Nacional Cajas, these past few months have been more critter filled than previous ones.

Baby Deer

A month or so ago a dead baby deer was found in a well. Recently dead, dead by drowning, and preserved in the icy waters of Cajas, Mike and the other Biologist Pancho decided to try out their taxidermy and butchering skills (Mike observed how to stuff a fox at the local university a few months ago).

Mike and Pancho skinned, cleaned, and upon Mike’s suggestion grilled a baby deer (Mike also brought home two bags of baby deer meat and has since made venison stew, roasted ribs, and has plans to roast the baby deer leg that is still in our freezer). An amusing side note: the park staff reacted to eating deer the same way most gringos react to eating cuy for the first time, “Gross! I can’t believe people actually eat this. I really can’t believe that I’m eating this.”

The stuffed deer will eventually be displayed in the museo that Mike and Pancho are working on.

Dead Condor

A nearby resident of Cajas called in to say he had spotted a recently dead Andean condor and so Mike and Pancho made plans to hike out into the middle of the park to find out which of the six individuals that inhabit the park it might be, and to get this lovely specimen for display in the up and coming museo.

However, the caller was vague about the location (we think he may have wanted a condor specimen of his own) and so the trek to find the dead condor was eventually abandoned…I guess that means no condor stew, too bad.

Sapos

The Park recently approved the construction of a frog hatchery to counter the rapid decline of the park’s amphibian population. So, Mike went out along with the park guards to learn how to capture the frogs and what happens to them in the nursery once they are captured.

Aves

In June there was a group of ornithologists from the University of Stonybrook working on a dissertation project in Cajas. They were setting up mistnets to catch and tag birds for four full days as part of a four year study (coming down once a year for four years). Mike, being the skilled biologist that he is, was invited to help out with the study which meant for four days Mike and this group of ornithologists (two Ecuadorians, one Colombian, and one gringa) sat around tagging cute little humming birds, a mochuelo (an Andean pygmy owl), and all sorts of other pretty little birds that fell into their nets while enjoying the beautiful (and exclusive) area of Mazan, an area that is off limits to tourists as it is a place for scientific studies and, I guess, Peace Corps Volunteers (I have been luck enough to visit Mazan and it really is quite beautiful).

Some Sort of Survey and a Map

Mike’s major project for the past few months and in all likelihood for next several months is the making of a reporting system for the parkguards to fill out while they are patrolling the the park. The information gathered from this system will serve as a tool to monitor park flora and fauna as well as aide in park management and direct future studies to be done in Cajas. Part of this project involves meeting with a bunch of computer programmers in Cuenca, so it’s a pretty fancy.

Additionally, Mike is working to redesign the park map to make it more tourist friendly i.e. to make the map useful as its current state is rather pathetic and doesn’t do any good for any tourist. This also involves some sort of fancy computer program and a really nice printer that died last week.

Let’s Go for a Walk

Just so everyone knows, on a nice day (i.e. small to no chance of hail storms) it is not unusual for Mike and Pancho (the other biologist) to decide to go for a hike: yup, just a hike. It’s a work day, but it’s nice out, so let’s go for a walk. Last time this happened, the two of them ended up finding a dozen horses in the park and had to heard them out of the park, on foot, for 3 miles of mountainous terrain. So, don’t worry it’s not all work and no play (if you count grilling deer and playing with birds work).

Life in Ecuador Update

And of course, there are still a lot of other little things going on that don’t fall specifically under the “work” category but more in the “general goings-on” category. Enjoy…we certainly did!

Zamora

Last week we and three other volunteers took a trip south and east to check out Parque Nacional Podocarpus. The park entrance is located 8km up a washed out dirt road, outside of Zamora (the first automobile reached this “city” in 1962), a city two hours southeast of Loja which is 5 hours south of Cuenca. So, if you followed that at all, we traveled the farthest South we have yet to be in Ecuador i.e. seven hours south of Cuenca, and dropped down into the Amazon basin.

We left early Monday morning, and after descending more than 6,000 vertical feet, were in the park by four o’clock in the afternoon. Upon our arrival in the park (which required a half hour hike uphill in the warm, humid climate) we immediately changed into swimsuits and headed to the nearby swimming hole i.e. a beautiful, yet cold, river surrounded by jungle on all sides. The lower part of Podocarpus (where we were) is made up of the last few hills that the icy Andean water has to wind through before reaching the Amazon.

Since Mike and I didn’t have a tent we stayed in the “main” office in the room where the park guard on duty usually sleeps. Remember, to get here you have to walk a half hour into the jungle after taking the landslide covered dirt road for an hour from a city that is still waiting for a paved road to connect it to the outside. Luckily, the parkguard wasn’t staying that night, or the next one, so we would have the office to ourselves….kind of. The park office, or more aptly put small rickety cabin in the middle of a tropical forest, was literally crawling with all sorts of critters as soon as the sun went down. We were very appreciative that the parkguard left us his mosquito net and we made sure to tuck it in really tight!

The next day we went for a hike in the morning up to the Mirador (and when I say we hiked up, I mean we hiked up, and up, and up). Being sufficiently soaked with sweat, we headed back to the river after the hike. Then, being sufficiently cooled down we went for another hike that followed the river farther into the surround forest.

Zamora is known as “The City of Birds and Waterfalls.” This second hike we went on certainly proved the aforementioned slogan. We saw tons and tons of birds and almost as many waterfalls. Needless to say it was a gorgeous hike.

Not surprisingly we were again soaking wet from the hike and headed off to a different swimming hole with notably warmer water. This swimming hole was small but included a waterfall that you could dunk your head into to get pounded clean. After basking in the waterfall and drip drying in a patch of sun, we snacked, ate dinner, made smores, and then went to bed, trying not to think about (or listen to) all the critters that were scavenging for our fallen crumbs.

Our last morning in the park Mike and I hiked back up to the Mirador, returned soaking wet, and headed straight for the river.

When we got back to the cabin a couple of Ecuadorians from the Ministerio de Turismo had arrived and were thrilled to see a group of gringos lounging about. As such we were invited to star in their government sponsored video promoting tourism in Southern Ecuador and Northern Peru. The project (Peace Tourism) is in collaboration with the government of Peru to make up for the fact that the two countries, until quite recently, were at war over a small piece of forest not too far from where we were camped. It took a little over an hour for them to get all the shots they wanted of us posing with orchids, taking pictures, and hiking with our big gringo backpacks. They promised to mail us a copy of the finished product, and even better, they gave us a free lift back into Zamora.

Back in Zamora we grabbed lunch with another volunteer who lives there (we were going to get the local specialty: frog legs, but upon seeing the cost opted for hamburgers instead) and then hopped on a bus heading back to the cool mountain breezes of the sierra.

Waterfalls, Birds, and Mucho Màs

Leafcutter Ants I

Leafcutter Ants II

Leafcutter Ants III

Leafcutter Ants IV

Yungapamba

This past weekend I was invited to play in a soccer tournament in Yungapamba. The captain of the pink team that I play on in San Miguel de Sayausi knows the son of a guy who wanted to sponsor a women’s team in this tournament and so that’s how Mike and I ended up in Yungapamba i.e. a hillside in the middle of nowhere.

So my teammates, their cute little kids, myself and Mike left early Saturday morning in a pickup truck taxi that took us to a market in Cuenca where this sponsor bought us shoes and where we got on a private school bus to take us the rest of the way.

When we arrived in Yungapamba we were given our uniforms (pants, jersey with our name printed on the back, warm up jacket, hat, and socks) which we were told to immediately change into (on the bus of course) before we headed to the actual site of the fiestas of Yungapamba.

An hour or so after our arrival there was a procession, followed by dancing, followed by the Sport Inauguration. The Inauguration, as we have seen before, involved each of the teams marching accompanied by their madrina (cute girl all dressed up) and then standing in rows while the judges picked best uniform (which we won and were therefore given twelve beers as a prize) and the best madrina (our madrina did not win). Shortly thereafter the games started.

We won our first and only game on Saturday 2-1. Then we sat around and watched the men’s soccer team that was also sponsored by the same man who sponsored our team (a supposed multimillionaire of Yungapamba origin but who now lives in Guayaquil). By then it was close to four in the afternoon so we piled into a pickup truck for the two hour sunset ride back to Sayausi.

Sunday morning we were back in Yungapamba by nine o’clock in the morning for the first of what would be two games. We won the first game 5-0 and the second game 1-0 to come in first place and win $70. We then piled back into the pickup truck to make it back to Sayausi to play in yet another game (the red team in Ingapirca de Buenos Aires de Sayausi). Then, after scoring three goals in my third game of the day, I pretty much collapsed from exhaustion.

Soccer-mania...In the Middle of Nowhere

Chuspi

Chsupi has also been working on a few things over these past months and we thought we would share her accomplishments with all of you. Behold, the amazing Chuspi!

Catch

Catch II

Intercept

Intercept II

Kick

Kick II

Kick III

Attack

Hunt, Catch, and Eat

Dàme la mano

Dàme la mano II

Read

Read, Chuspi, Read

Write

It`s Hard to Train a Cat

August 29, 2009

Saturday

8:34am

Sayausi

Cloudy, 60

(Note to our loyal followers: For some unknown reason the email alert for our blog is not behaving in as reliable of a manner as it should. Please spread the word amongst yourselves that a new post is up. Thanks.)

Jim in Ecuador

My brother came to visit last week, during which time he was awarded the nickname “Conejo” or “Rabbit” (explanation to follow). Of course we did many things, met many people, and had an absolutely fantastic time. Below is a day-by-day account of the Conejo’s visit in Ecuador!

The Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Guayaquil and bus to Sayausi

Day 2: Cuenca

Day 3: Cajas

Day 4: Cuenca again

Day 5: The art of paseando and futbol

Day 6: Cuy lunch and more futbol

Day 7: Ingapirca and Cuenca

Day 8: To the coast!

Day 9: Isla de la Plata and bus to Guayaquil

Day 10: Depart Guayaquil and back to Michigan

Arrival: 18-August 2009

Jim’s plane was scheduled to arrive at 8:30pm on Tuesday night. Mike and I left Sayausi around two o’clock in the afternoon on a bus that for trip entertainment featured several Jackie Chan movies. Many flying kicks and poorly translated one-liners later we arrived in the Guayaquil bus terminal where we took a taxi to the Guayaquil airport (in the daytime it is safe to walk the one block from the bus terminal to the airport but once the sunsets all moving about is done in taxi).

The airport was packed! Granted this isn’t anything unusual as entire families go to the airport to meet arriving family members or see off departing family. No joke, for every arriving passenger in Ecuador there are at least five to twenty people waiting for them in the airport, which makes for a very festive atmosphere. Even though we were only two strong we did our best to make a contribution…and we had a lot of time to do so as Jim’s flight was delayed two hours.

At 10:00pm we, at least a hundred other people, and a surprising number of live chickens tucked away in what appeared to be luggage gathered around the arrival area for the Miami-Guayaquil flight. Necks craned and everyone on tip-toes trying to peer through the sliding glass doors to see who the next passenger out would be we waited for the Conejo to make his appearance.

Of course, the rest of the story is pretty much how you would imagine it. Jim arrived, I jumped up and down, Mike waved, and then was that, literally as we had to run and catch the last bus for Cuenca that was leaving twenty or so minutes later.

So we climbed into another taxi and headed back to the terminal to catch a bus back up to Cuenca with the Conejo in tow.

In the terminal we bought our bus tickets, waited for about ten minutes and then got on the bus where the entertainment for the evening was The Mechanik II starring the Russian superstar Dolf, most famous for his role as The Russian in Rocky vs The Russian. After four hours on a winding road, which included several hours of masterful cinematography we got off the bus in Sayausi at 3:30am.

Upon arrival in our humble abode Jim met the acquaintance of Chuspi who took an immediate liking to the Conejo (whether that was because of the many cat toys he had brought with him or his rabbit-like aura we will never know). Needless to say, we went to bed en seguido.

Cuenca-19 August 2009

I would like to say we all slept in but let’s be honest we are not good at sleeping in. At seven o’clock we were all up. We spent a good part of the morning chatting (my brother was here!!) before heading into Cuenca for the day.

We walked around Cuenca for the better part of the morning, visiting artisan shops, the market, and eventually buying Jim an Ecuadorian hat (wide brimmed, probably something that will never be worn outside of Ecuador). We ate lunch at El Paraiso in Parque San Blas. San Blas is one of the 52 churches in Cuenca, Parque San Blas is one of the hundreds of little parks in Cuenca, and El Paraiso is one of at least twenty vegatarian restaurants in Cuenca.

After lunch we continued the walking tour of Cuenca, heading down to the Banco Central to see if there were any concerts or theatre performances going on but as it is August and everyone in all of Latin America is on vacation for some part, if not all, of August there were no scheduled events in the near future. So we continued our walk past some Incan Ruins that run along the river, continued on the river path that led back into the Centro Historico of Cuenca, and then checked out some DVD/CD/MP3 stores.

By mid-afternoon we were all beat and decided to buy some food then head back to Sayausi to make dinner and generally relax after about 3 hours of sleep from the night before.

Back at home in Sayausi we made a quick stop at my garden to pick some fresh salad greens for dinner that night then home to make some pizza and watch a movie. As I write this I am certainly aware of how wonderful it was to have Jim here with us, just being able to spend time with him and hang out together was fantastic, especially with pizza and candy!

Pics of Cuenca I

Cajas: 20-August 2009

Early Thursday morning we hitchhiked up to Cajas for what would turn out to be a really great hike. We crammed into the bed of a small pickup truck and started the hour drive up to and through Cajas.

At Cucheros we got dropped off and started the hike: a steep, prolonged uphill. This hike always leaves me gasping for air and with a heart rate that exceeds normal ranges of comfort, and I live at altitude. As such we were a little concerned about how Jim would do. Turns out there was no cause for concern as Jim did great even though he had come up from sea level only the day before. With the hardest part of the hike behind us we continued on…for another seven hours!!

During the hike we saw a pair of foxes (rare to see, I have been hiking pretty regularly in Cajas for over a year and had only seen glimpse of one fox once), a pair of endangered Andean condors (super, super rare), and of course traipsed through super muddy trails leaving us with what is known as “Cajas Foot” i.e. a foot, ankle, and lower calf that is covered in wet, cold, sloppy mud. Fortunately, it is the dry season here so as muddy as the trails were it could’ve been much, much muddier. We passed lakes, quinoa forest, made our way through paramo, passed waterfalls, crossed log bridges, saw more Incan ruins, and chased alpacas. Yes, you read correctly, we chased some alpacas (though if you watch the video you won’t feel bad for the alpacas…our threat to them was minimal to non-existent).

A daring display

Not-so-daring Return

The Amazing Alpaca Chase

By the end of the hike, the Conejo was beat (eight hours of heavy hiking at altitude will tucker anyone) and the better part of my energy reserves were also spent. Fortunately, we were able to catch a ride with some fishermen at the guard station in Llaviuco which saved us another two miles of walking before we would have gotten to the highway where we would have had to hitchhike on a downhill curve (not an ideal set up for getting cars to stop for you).

All in all a pretty great day that left us all tired and ready for some good food and some great sleep!

Hiking in Cajas

Cuenca: 21-August 2009

Friday morning we walked in to Cuenca from Sayausi along the Rio Tomebamba, arriving in Cuenca just before lunchtime. Still quite tired from the hike the day before, we stopped in at Café Lojana to get some freshly roasted and brewed coffee along with a few humitas (corn tamales). Sufficiently caffeinated we spent some time planning our coastal trip i.e. finding hotels, tour agencies, bus schedules, and loads of incorrect phone numbers. Before hitting the artesania markets we grabbed a light lunch at Govindas, another vegatarian restaurante.

After lunch we scouted the stalls in the Mercado San Francisco and then the indoor market located on the San Francisco Plaza. About an hour or two into the shopping Mike had to go to a meeting at the Cajas office so Jim and I were left to finish souvenir shopping on our own. We also managed to squeeze in an ice cream cone and do some people watching in Parque Calderon (the central park where the giant cathedrals are) and do some t-shirt surveillance before Mike caught up with us again (don’t worry Mike gets plenty of ice cream). From there we walked down through Parque de la Madre to check out the infamous statue of speedwalking superstar Jefferson Perez. We also walked over to the soccer stadium and then back along the river before going to Moliendo Café (the best food in Cuenca is Colombian) where we were planning on having dinner with Chris and Kelly (two other volunteers).

We had gotten to the restaurant a little early and so ordered a few drinks and some delicious empandas to enjoy as we waited. Several minutes later Bridget walked in (another volunteer) who we did not know was coming who was shortly followed by Kelly and Sarah, who were followed shortly by Katie and her sister Megan (who was visiting from the States) who were followed by an unknown male wearing a PeaceCorps Peru shirt who upon questioning turned out to be a PCV from Paraguay and was meeting Gloria (another Ecuador volunteer) for dinner. Shortly thereafter Gloria arrived who was followed several minutes later by Andy and Jason (two more volunteers). Chris, ironically, was last person to show up that evening as his bus had to take an eight hour detour due to a landslide. So, the dinner expanded substantially from four to many within an hour, a very PeaceCorps-Ecua-experience and a great time all in all.

Pics of Cuenca II

Sayausi: 22-August 2009

Saturday morning we planned to do the grand walking tour of Sayausi heading up through Bellavista, down through Buenos Aires, and then eventually ending up back in Sayausi-Centro. We had warned Jim that this loop could take anywhere from one hour, if we did the walk straight through, or four hours depending on how many people we ran into. Any guesses on how long the proposed loop took??

Trick question! We didn’t get past Bellavista. At Dona Rita’s house we stopped to talk to Sandra, Melida, Elvis, Juan Diego, and Tatiana. They were trying to plan a cuy dinner for Jim but upon hearing that he was a vegetarian and after some explanation as to what that meant they decided they would have to do something else for him…today. So, we talked about making pizza among many other things before deciding to make him banana empanadas. It was during this time that Jim got his apodo, or nickname, “Conejo”. Part of the explanation of Jim being a vegetarian involved a lot of comparisons to rabbits. Subsequently Jim was named “Conejo”.

After naming the Conejo, Sandra left to go get the ingredients and we stayed at the house with Melida to make the dough. Four hours later we were eating banana empanadas with café con leche that one hour earlier was still in the cow.

Upon downing at least four banana empanadas each and planning to come back the next day to go see the cows with Maribel, we made our farewells and headed back to Sayausi…to go see Dona Melchora (our host mom for our first few months in Sayausi).

At Dona Melchora’s house the Conejo met Dona Melchora, Norma, Norma’s daughters Jenny and Diana, and Don Nestor. We were invited upstairs for tea and pineapple while Norma’s daughters gave us a detailed account of their recent trip to the beach and gave each of us a seashell. Before leaving we stopped at my garden again and gathered some nabo (turnip greens) for dinner.

Then we were off to my soccer game in San Miguel (another barrio of Sayausi). We arrived at the field a little early and watched the game before us. Then Jim and Mike hacer-ed the barra (made the fan section) for my team as we played and won our game! We won 5-0. I scored one goal and had one assist while the other superstar made a whopping three goals, did I mention she’s awesome?

The three of us then got a ride back from the game with Maira (the captain), her husband (Darwin), and their three children (Jessica, Churros, and Daku) in a two door, very small Suzuki.

Paseando in Sayausi

Sayausi: 23-August 2009

Early Sunday morning we walked up to Dona Rita’s house to “go see the cows” (ver las vacas) with Maribel. We were told they were really close so not to worry about the Conejo (Jim) and altitude problems. However, when we got there at 7:00am Maribel was concerned to find out we had to be back by 11:00am to go to a lunch at our land lady’s house.

“Bueno. Vamos rapido pues.”

The three of us went tearing up the road for about ten minutes before making a sharp uphill turn. We proceeded to walk uphill (45 degree upward slant) for no less then forty five minutes (with very occasional breaks to catch what little breath we had) before arriving at the cow pasture. Once at the pasture we took a short snack and rest break before Maribel started digging a hole for the cows to drink from (we continued resting while she dug). Then it was time to sacar leche i.e. milk the cows.

Maribel started, and of course made it look easy. Jim after a minute of carefully studying Maribel’s masterful milking hand took a go at it. As it turns out milking cows is not quite as easy as it looks. Somehow moving your hand in what looks like the exact same way as Maribel is somehow not exactly how she does it. I, having tried once in the past to milk cows with Maribel’s sister Norma, passed on a second opportunity to try milking cows. Instead we laughed as Jim tried and watched admirably as Maribel milked several cows within twenty minutes.

Milkin´

Still Milkin´

La Maestra

After the cows were milked, each one had to be walked over to the little hole that Maribel had dug while we were still resting from the climb up and listening to the parrots flying around just above us on the hillside. This took a little under an hour and then we started the walk down. Maribel asked me to “cargar” the milk bucket so she could run ahead and give water to the two remaining cows that were further downhill. The twenty pound bucket tied to my back with a blanket definitely made the slick, steep downhill path a little more exhilarating than it should have been. Fortunately, no milk was spilled and Maribel took the bucket from me after she had seen to the other cows.

The downhill certainly went much quicker than the uphill climb but also required much more mental exertion as very quick small, but still carefully planned, steps were needed to prevent slipping and sliding down the trail. We were back at Maribel’s house by 10:30am where we were served morocho (a milk and corn flour drink that is normally served hot but as we were in a rush it was served cold – not as tasty) and a cheese sandwich. We then bid our farewells and headed back to Sayausi to shower before going to the cuy roast at our land lady’s house.

Unfortunately, weekends in Sayausi generally come with a 2-12 hour stretch of no water. When we got back to our apartment we were without water and so had to set off for lunch without showering and probably smelling faintly of cow and grass.

Our land lady, Dona Carmen, lives in Gulag, another barrio of Sayausi. Usually there are busses that go the one and half mile stretch of road but as there is major construction on said road, we had to walk.

We arrived at Dona Carmen’s house a half hour after we said we would be there but in Ecuador a half hour late is at least a half hour early, so we hadn’t missed much. Dona Carmen was still roasting the cuyes in the living room fireplace (yes, in the living room) when we got there.

About an hour later we were eating a lunch for which all of the ingredients had been harvested that same morning from the garden behind the house.

Lunch Menu for Non-Vegetarians: Half a cuy, five potatoes, rice, lettuce, a boiled broccoli-carrot-pea-cilantro salad with coke.

Lunch Menu for Vegetarians: Lettuce and a boiled broccoli-carrot-pea-cilantro salad with coke.

Dinner Later that Night for Chuspi: Cuy

Cuy Dinner

Cuy Dinner Take II

I’m not sure why rice and potatoes weren’t included on the vegetarian plate (further evidence of the utter confusion the term vegetarian caused in Sayausi) but Jim a.k.a El Conejo was served a gigantic plate of lettuce leaves and boiled vegetables. As for the non-vegetartian plate the cuy was delicious, definitely the best cuy in Sayausi, and the rice and potatoes were exactly how you would imagine them.

After eating, a tour of the cuy hut (not sure Jim liked that), and some chatting we headed back to Sayausi for Mike’s basketball game.

Turns out the game was cancelled because the opposing team withdrew from the league so we stopped by Carmita’s (she owns a tienda next to the soccer field). She served us berry ice cream and candy as we watched one of the vacation league games and introduced Jim to all the regular soccer fans that frequent Carmita’s i.e. sit on the benches she has outside of her house.

When the game ended it was pretty late in the afternoon so we stopped by the Sunday market to get some fresh veggies and fruit and headed back home for some much needed rest and some serious hangout time.

Paseando in Sayausi Continued

Ingapirca: 24-August 2009

Monday morning we got an early start to catch a bus to Ingapirca. Ingapirca is a site two hours north of Cuenca with the largest Incan ruins in all of Ecuador. The two hours turned into two and half hours on the way there due to more serious road construction but the drive is beautiful and the weather was lovely so it passed quickly.

The ruins are in the province of Canar (we live in the province of Azuay) which has a large indigenous population. Ingapirca, the ruins, are most known for the mortar-less stone work and the fact that the majority of what remain is not only from the Incas but from the Canari who were there before the Incans arrived.

The site is gorgeous and located in a beautiful valley with views of the nearby towns and, on the day we were there, views of many mountain ranges off in the distance. We spent the better part of two hours walking around the ruins and generally enjoying the pleasant weather, lovely surroundings, and of course the impressive mortar-less stone work.

After touring the ruins we had lunch (the quinoa-cheese soup was particularly delicious) at a nearby restaurant that overlooked the ruins of Ingapirca, browsed for souvenirs, and then got back on the bus for the ride back to Cuenca.

Back in Cuenca we did some last minute errands for our trip the next day and had dinner at El Paraiso to watch the sunset over the San Blas church.

The rest of the night was spent packing and getting ready for the coastal leg of the trip that would start at 5:30am the next morning.

The Ruins

To Puerto Lopez: 25-August 2009

This day passed in a blur as we were on a bus for most of the day. We left Sayausi at 6:30am and arrived in Guayaquil at just before 11:00am. Incredibly lucky with the timing, we then got on an 11:15am bus for Puerto Lopez. We were on this bus for three hours before it stopped in the wonderful, truck/bus stop town of Jipijapa where we waited for an hour before continuing on to Puerto Lopez. Fortunately, aside from the coastal landscape and agriculture out he window, throughout the ride there were high quality movies to entertain us: Chuck Norris and Mark Walhberg at their best. We arrived in Puerto Lopez just before five o’clock ready to put our bags down, walk around, and eat some fresh seafood (expect for Conejo, of course).

We stayed a really cute hostel called Itapoa. It’s run by a Brazilian women whose Spanish can, without warning, turn to Portuguese and then just as quickly back to Spanish. Our room was actually a two story cabin with a small balcony overlooking the courtyard gardens, and each bed was outfitted with its own mosquito net (I wonder why?).

After dropping our bags at the hostel we walked around town stretching out our mildly cramped legs (even my legs were sore as the bus seats were kind of small). We walked up and down the malecon (beachfront walkway) and along the beach checking out the local fishing boats and other beach activity i.e. ecuaboley.

We hung out on the malecon for the rest of the evening, had a great dinner, then retired to our humble abode after finalizing the details for our whale watching and island tour the next day.

To the Coast!

Whales and Isla de la Plata: 26- August 2009

To say this day was totally and completely awesome would be an understatement! After a complimentary breakfast overlooking the beach we boarded a small motorboat with our guide Cherry and a group of about ten other random tourists. We then headed out into the ocean in search of humpback whales, which come here every year to mate and give birth during the months of July, August, and September.

It takes about an hour and half to cover the 25 miles of Pacific Ocean and get out to where the whales are but the ride is great. The wind whips at your hair and the sea spray at your face, not to mention the many sea birds flying along side the boat making occasional dives into the ocean below. And then, as if all that weren’t enough, the captain cuts the motor and suddenly you are in the center of a group of nine humpback whales!

Whales

The whales are indescribable, larger than our boat, and they are everywhere. I don’t know how much time we spent following them around as everyone is sort of in a trance like state watching them swim, dive, spin, and listening to them making their whale noises. Eventually however we had to continue on to the island.

On the island we went on a 6km hike through colonies of blue footed boobies, masked boobies, frigates, and red footed boobies. The sheer quantities of birds is astounding, and then add the baby birds, the nests in the middle of footpaths, and the birds’ general apathy toward the group of humans walking through their nesting grounds and you’ve got yourself one incredible experience.

Take his phone!

Boobie Talk

After the hike we got back on the boat and headed to a cove for some snorkeling!! You could see the fish just by looking over the side of the boat but that was nothing compared to what you saw once in the water. There were lots of fish in all different colors and tons of coral as well. The water was also really nice which made it hard to get out. But all good things must come to an end so eventually we got back on the boat and started the return trip back to land.

Once back in Puerto Lopez (around 5:30pm) we changed into dry clothes and then with some great timing, immediately got on a bus for that wonderful truck/ bus stop town of Jipijapa. In Jipijapa, again with perfect timing, we switched busses to get a bus for Guayaquil at which point I fell asleep and didn’t wake up again until we were in Guayaquil. I’ve been told I missed some killer Jean Claude van Dam movies, and delicious fish stuffed bread.

By the time we were in Guayaquil it was almost midnight so we just caught a cab to our hostel and passed the night hanging out with the caged jungle animals by the small pool in the courtyard of the hostel. A perfect ending to an absolutely wonderful, wonderful day.

Watching Whales and Isla de la Plata

Homeward Bound: 27-August 2009

So here we are at the last day of Jim’s trip. His flight left at 10:00am so we loitered at the airport as long as possible before an American Airlines employee told Jim, and at least fifty other travelers, that they had to start the boarding process as there were more lines ahead for immigration and customs.

Then Jim walked through a different set of sliding glass doors and started his 14 hour trip home and Mike and I headed back to the bus terminal for the bus to Sayausi.

I guess that brings us to the end of the Conejo’s trip to Ecuador. Simply put, it was awesome!! We miss you Jim and hope we haven’t left anything out!

In Guayaquil

Mary and Mike in Peru

August 14, 2009

Sayausi

2:45pm

65F, partly cloudy

A few weeks ago Mike and I went to Peru and though we only had twelve days we did our best to pack in as much as we could. Below is a rough outline of what we did each day. For those wanting all the colorful details a more expanded account follows.

The Itinerary

Day 1: Fly from Guayaquil to Lima, night bus to Huaraz

Day 2: Hike to Pre-Incan ruins in Wilcahuain and Monterrey Hot Springs

Day 3: Cordillera Blanca Trek

Day 4: Cordillera Blanca Trek

Day 5: Cordillera Blanca Trek

Day 6: Cordillera Blanca Trek

Day 7: Happy Birthday Migi, night bus to Lima

Day 8: Bus to Huacachina, Dune buggy tour and sandboarding

Day 9: Bus to Paracas, Mountain biking in Paracas National Reserve

Day 10: Boat tour of Islas Ballestas, Bus to Lima

Day 11: Lima

Day 12: Fly from Lima to Guayaquil, then home to Sayausi

Day 1: Traveling to Lima

We left our humble abode in Sayausi around 10:00am to catch our five o’clock flight to Lima. The drive goes right through Cajas National Park (my Dad will remember the curvy road with precipitous drop offs well) then drops over 4,000 vertical meters to reach the industrial coastal city of Guayaquil. Even though Guayaquil is an international airport, compared to any international airport in the States it is quite small. As such we were checked in and waiting for our flight exceptionally early.

Our plane arrived on time (LAN Airlines - which we now love), we boarded, and then we were off to Lima enjoying all the movies, games, and nonsense that each passenger is provided on their personal digital console (Mike and I played each other in chess and though neither of us play regularly it was clear I possessed a knack for, if not chess itself, then at least beating Mike at it).

We arrived in Lima about two hours after taking off (if we had taken a direct bus from Guayaquil to Lima it would’ve taken 26 hours), went through customs, changed some money (Peru uses Soles), and got a cab to the MovilTours bus station.

Our original bus was scheduled to leave at 10:50pm but was running about 15 minutes late so the woman at the counter bumped us up to the 11:00pm bus which was the Super Cama 180 bus (cama meaning bed and 180 meaning your chair reclines to 180 degrees). However, it was only 8:00 o’clock when we got to the bus station and so decided to go get some dinner. Dinner that night was our first insight into how much better Peruvian food is than Ecuadorian food. I mean motecito (the big, watery, flavorless corn that rules Cuenca cuisine) is edible but Peruvians have so much more! First, there were vegetables in something approaching a normal serving size (as opposed to the essentially nonexistent portions given north of the Peruvian border) and there were spices other than culantro! After filling up on the first of what would be many tasty meals we went back to the bus station to await our chariot, I mean bus.

I will say here once, and maybe one or two times later, that the buses in Peru are incredible. Granted we were traveling on the fancy bus line but they have a fancy bus line, which is huge in and of itself. The busses are two stories, you have the option to have a seat that really reclines, the TVs work, they play decent movies, they give you a real meal, there are fleece blankets and pillows with every seat, the bathroom is nice, there are two bus drivers that switch off every four hours during the route, the drivers are given a breathalizer test before leaving and upon arriving in their destination, they video tape your face and seat number (prevents crime, I guess), and they actually have direct routes which means no stopping a thousand times to pick up random people on the side of the road in the middle of the night! To put it mildly bussing in Peru was a treat. We slept like babies on the bus and arrived in Huaraz at 6:30am ready to go.

See pics of Lima dinner and the Super Cama 180 in Day 2 Slideshow of Lima and Huaraz.

Day 2: Huaraz, Pre-Incan Ruins, and Thermal Springs

First impression of Huaraz: Holy cow, can you see all those mountains?!! Huaraz is located northeast of Lima smack dab in the middle of the highest tropical mountain range in the world. To the north and east of Huaraz is the Cordillera Blanca and to the west is the Cordillera Negra (the blanca being snow capped and the negra being un-capped). To the south is the Cordillera Huayhuash (a mix snowcapped and un-snowcapped mountains). Huaraz is a hub for mountain climbers and trekkers alike and although Mike kept suggesting that we climb a mountain, his reason won over and we continued with our plans for a nice trek instead as my body refuses to act normally above 5,000 meters and all of the mountains peak at much, much, much higher than 5,000 meters. In the Cordillera Blanca within Parque Nacional Huascaran there are 27 peaks over 5,400 meters, which is 17,716 feet (in Colorado the highest peaks are just above 14,000 feet). In Ecuador there are four peaks that are that high and we have attempted to climb two with zero success on my part and only mild success on Mike’s (he made it to around 6,000m on Volcan Chimborazo). All the mountains and snow make for a gorgeous location however they are also the cause of a type of major natural disaster called an aluvion. In 1941, and then again in 1970, an aluvion essentially destroyed the city of Huaraz. They are caused by earthquakes, or rapid melting, which dislodges glaciers (there are 663 glaciers in the Cordillera Blanca) which in turn creates a terrible combination of avalanche, waterfall, and landslide. In 2003 there was a warning for a potential aluvion that would hit Huaraz in under 15 minutes, however the warning was based on a satellite image from 2001 (there was no warning in 2001). Since then the crack in the glacier has supposedly frozen over. I tried very hard not to think about any of this during our trip.

Our guide met us at the bus station and took us to the nearby hotel. Our room had huge windows that looked out onto at least seven surrounding nevados (snow capped peaks), cable TV, hot water, a lazy boy, clean towels, and did I mention the view?

Later that morning we met up with our guide at the agency to go over all of the details, schedule the next morning’s pickup, and of course pay. Paying in Peru can be a somewhat complicated affair as they are extremely picky about the condition the bills are in, especially if you are paying in dollars. Luckily, most of our bills were in good condition but he wouldn’t accept one ten dollar bill which looked like it may have been chewed on by a dog after going through a washing machine too many times (that is how all of the bills look here in Ecuador where they use the US dollar).

With all of the details worked out we headed off for Wilkawain, some nearby Pre-Incan ruins that you can hike to. Fortunately, we had planned to hike as there were scheduled transit strikes for that day (and the several days prior) which meant lots of rocks in the road to prevent any traffic from passing and some rock throwing and whistling at the cars that did try to pass. We really lucked out in that we were not delayed coming from Lima to Huaraz all because we had taken the night bus and apparently they don’t block the roads at night. The Peace Corps office in Ecuador had contacted the Peace Corps office in Peru and apparently several Peru PCVs were stuck in Huaraz for a couple of days due to the strikes.

It took about two hours to hike to the ruins which, as Joe Carbone would say, were “underwhelming”. But then again they are two thousand years old and it was only a mausoleum so I guess I shouldn’t judge too harshly. The hike was pretty and the stones used for the construction were quite large and it did survive the aluvions which destroyed the rest of Huaraz on two previous occasions. I guess they just don’t build ‘em like they used to.

While we were at the ruins we enjoyed a nice snack of chochos (an Andean bean served with lime juice and a type of roasted popcorn) and an Inca Kola (the pride of the Peruvian soda industry). It was quite the melding of old and new as chochos have been around for thousands of years and is a complete protein while Inca Kola is neon yellow and quite literally lacking in any nutrition value; we’ve come so far.

Later that afternoon we went to Monterrey where there are healing hot springs. I don’t know about the “healing” claim but the “hot” claim is definitely over exaggerated. While the murky, brown waters were warm they were far from hot. That in combination with the chilly ambient temperature, an altitude of 2,800 meters, and slight winds made for quite a cold event. But who knows we may have healed many unknown, or known, ailments that would have impeded the rest of our trip (like Mike’s recently sprained ankle).

During the day Mike was able to practice his Kichwa a little as it turns out Kichwa and Quechua share quite a few similarities but are still very different. It was fun to try out some words and the locals were thrilled that a gringo would know anything in Kichwa/Quechua and they were very interested to hear how the Ecuadorian Kichwa compared to their own language as none of them had ever been to the sierra of Ecuador and very few indigenous Ecuadorians make it down to Peru.

Other Huaraz highlights included:

- Observing the Peruvian Chola who dons every color under the sun between her pollera and chalina and sports a wicked witch of the west styled hat adorned with a decorative side fan of satin.

- Getting my picture taken with a llama in the central park, taunting it, and the llama getting its revenge by attempting to spit on me.

- The food vendors in the park which included a small cart with an old fashioned hand operated popcorn popper and a woman walking around with a tray a fruit salads with honey, each treat selling for the equivalent of $0.30.

- The large “S” signs that were posted in all buildings which indicated zonas de seguridad in case of earthquakes

- Lunch in the market where we ate cuy that actually tasted good.

- Papa rellenas (a fried potato filled with cheese, olives, and veggies)

- Churros (deep fried dough that is then sprinkled with powdered sugar)

- Quinoa drink (a breakfast drink that is kind of like a thin oatmeal but made with quinoa instead of oats).

- Breakfast sandwiches for $0.15 each that come with your choice of fried egg, sweet potato, tortilla (mini spinach omelet), fish, cheese, or plain old potato.

To finish off our fun-filled day in Huaraz, we feasted on Chinese food (there is a large Chinese population in Peru), sampled some local cookie desserts, and then packed our bags for the next day’s trek.

Lima and Huaraz Pictures

Day 3: Cashapampa, Quebrada Santa Cruz, Campamento Lllamacoral

Special Note: We have included maps of the area so when we mention the names of towns, lakes, rivers, or mountains you can find them on the attached photos and follow along with us!

Maps

At 7:00am our guide showed up at our hotel to take us to the “terminal”. The terminal consisted of a dusty lot by the river packed with registered vans. There are no city busses in Huaraz, nor are there busses that serve the surrounding area. Instead there is a complex system of what are called combis (white vans with signs in the front windshield that indicate their destination). These vans, much like busses in Ecuador, have a limitless capacity i.e. people just keep piling in regardless of the absolute lack of space within the van. So, we strapped our gear to the already overflowing roof rack and sat like sardines in what was an extremely full van for a two hour ride to Caraz where we then got a taxi (shared between other trekkers and mountain climbers headed to the Cordillera Blanca) to Cashapampa which translates roughly to “frozen land”.

Cashapampa is the entry point to Parque Nacional Huascaran. However, the villagers have cleverly adopted a system where in addition to the park entrance fee that you pay at the end of the trek you also pay them a fee to enter the park (fair enough considering the number of gringos that traipse through their town on a daily basis during the dry season). In Cashapampa we met up with the arriero (mule driver) who would bring two mules to carry all of our bags plus the tents, gas tank, and all of the food. Although we hired a guide and the whole package deal, you can do the trek on your own and rent gear in town (which is what Eoin and Grainne, a very nice Irish couple we met who were doing the trek solo click here to see their website describing their trip around the world). However, it worked out well that we didn’t do that option as Mike’s ankle wouldn’t have held up under extra weight burdens. So, instead we were totally spoiled as the package we paid for was supposed to have six people in the group. But no one else signed up so it was just me, Mike, Florencio (the arriero), Roosevelt (our guide), and two donkeys.

Before starting into the canyon valley that was the starting point of the trek, I asked our guide if there was a bathroom I could use in Cashapampa. Imagine a large smile spreading across Roosevelt’s face as he tells me, “no hay.” In this town of 800 people there was not a single bathroom. As it turns out there was not a single usable bathroom for the next four days. Ick!

With a full bladder but high spirits we set out following Quebrada Santa Cruz through a steep valley with a landscape that reminded us of Sabino Canyon outside of Tucson; there were even cacti that closely resembled saguaro. The day was gorgeous; no clouds, light breeze, and tips of snow capped mountains peeking over the edge of the valley on all sides of us. After five hours of a mostly uphill hike we arrived at our first camp: Poo Camp I. We lovingly call it Poo Camp I as the only latrines in the area were so far beyond usable (overflowing) and had been for so long, that between the people, horses, mules, cattle, and dogs the entire camp was covered with excrement. That aside, it was a lovely campsite. It was right on the edge of a stream and had an incredible view of Taulliraju, a nevado looming off in the distance.

This first campsite is the most heavily used of the three sites we would be visiting as all of the climbers attempting to summit Alpamayo stop here as well. Alpamayo (Alpa “Earth” and Mayo “River”) has been rated by some German group as being the #1 Most Beautiful Mountain in the World. I’m not sure how you quantify mountain beauty, but it was quite beautiful. Anyway, tons and tons of people come from all over the world to climb Alpamayo (a six day expedition) and to get to the base camp for Alpamayo you have to pass through this first campsite. Needless to say there were a lot of people with a lot of really nice gear that first night.

After arriving we took a walk around the area while Roosevelt and Florencia set up camp and made cafecito (afternoon snack). Around 4 o’clock we were invited into the food tent, which is also where Roosevelt and Florencio slept, for popcorn and our choice of tea or coffee. We then went on another walk until we were called in for dinner (I mentioned we were totally spoiled during the trip, right?). Dinner each night consisted of a giant bowl of piping hot soup, a huge main dish, and unlimited hot drinks. Roosevelt also heated up hot water to fill our water bottles each night to put in our sleeping bags.

Yes, hot water bottles for our sleeping bags, in addition to mountain tights, long johns, sweat pants, three longsleeved shirts, a fleece, two pairs of heavy socks, gloves, and an alpaca hat. To say it was cold at 3,760 meters, or 12,336 feet, would be a giant understatement. As soon as the sun goes down which in a steep valley in July in the Southern hemisphere at 9’S latitude is around 5 o’clock, it gets really, really cold.

Day One of the Cordillera Blanca

Day 4: Laguna Jatuncocha, Laguna Arhuaycocha, Alpamayo Basecamp, and Taullipampa

Each day of our trek started at 6am when we would wake up, pack up everything inside our tent (which was everything including our packs as we were advised not to leave anything outside because once someone’s boots were stolen), get dressed, use the nonexistent facilities, and then wait until 7 o’clock when Roosevelt would call us in for breakfast. Oh, breakfast. It was so delicious everyday. We were served a giant bowl of some breakfast soup i.e. hot chocolate quinoa oatmeal, creamy rice pudding, or sweet oatmeal, a plate of eggs, two rolls, jam, butter, and of course unlimited coffee and tea.

After being extraordinarily well fed we would set off for the day.

On Day 2 we were headed to Alpamayo Basecamp, passing Laguna Jatuncocha (“Big Lake”) along the way. Upon reaching the base camp, after half a day of hiking, we continued on for another half hour uphill to get to the glacial lake of Arhuaycocha. To say this hike was beautiful is a larger understatement than calling the nights cold. The pictures don’t do it justice but you can at least get the idea of the glacier sliding into the turquoise lake surrounded by snowcapped peaks a full two days hike away from the nearest dirt road.

At the lake Roosevelt made us a tuna salad to go with our Oreos, oranges, and rolls which we enjoyed on the shore of the lake beneath crisp blue skies to the sounds of crevasses opening on the glacier.

That night we camped at Taullipampa (4250meters/13,944feet) where from our tent we had 360’ views of the surrounding snowcapped peaks. One of those peaks was Artesonraju, which is the mountain shown at the start of every Paramount Pictures movie and won the title of being the 3rd Most Beautiful Mountain in the World (if you believe that such a thing can be ranked). Upon arrival in Poo Camp II, which wasn’t quite as nitrogen heavy as Poo Camp I, we attempted to wash off a little in the nearby stream. Pop quiz: Where did this stream originate? Yes, that’s right; it originated from the glacier on Taulliraju a mere 400 meters away. Needless to say our attempts at bathing were short lived. Fortunately, we had tea and coffee waiting so we were able to regain some of our lost body heat.

Day Two in the Cordillera Blanca

Day 5: Punta Union, Quebrada Paria, Campamento de Paria

On this, our last full day of hiking, we would cross the highest “on foot” point of our trek. Punta Union, which we passed after two and a half hours, has an altitude of 4,750 meters (15,584 feet) and, as to be expected, breathtaking views of the surrounding area.

From here we descended through an area which reminded me alternately of Middle Earth and the opening scene of The Sound of Music. Mike was of course treated to both renditions of the soundtrack to Lord of the Rings (just that one part da na naa, na-na-na-na-na) and every song from the Sound of Music. This was at about the same time that his ankle started bothering him again; I choose to believe they are unrelated events.

Our third and final camp (elevation 3,870 meters) placed us at the mouth of the Cordillera Blanca. So looking back our view consisted of (can you guess?) more, spectacular snowcapped peaks.

Third Day in the Cordillera Blanca

Day 6: Quebrada Paria, Vaqueria

Our last day we hiked out through a nearby village where the local children have learned several very important words in Spanish (Quechua is the first and only language of these secluded villages): galleta i.e. cookie and caramelo i.e. candy.

We eventually got to the real park entrance where we paid the entrance fee and Mike asked the park employee where all the money ($20 per person) went considering there were cattle in most of the park, no facilities, and no obvious trail maintenance. The answer: not to the park. Unfortunately, most of the money brought in goes to and stays in Lima, most likely filling the pockets of a few and leaving the park to be grazed, poo-ed on, and generally neglected. Fortunately, the park is still amazing and hopefully will remain as such so others can come and enjoy what really was a gorgeous area unlike anything we had seen before (the Irish couple kept referring to it as being more impressive than the trek they did in Patagonia).

The next part of our day consisted of waiting for one of these combis to arrive. When two hours later a combi finally showed up it was headed to a town an hour up the road in the opposite direction we wanted to go. We got on it anyway as there was a chance it would fill up and when it passed by again there wouldn’t be space for us. So, we got to go to Yanama, hang out there for a little over an hour, then head back to where we were originally picked up before actually starting on the way home.

On the way home is where we passed the highest point of our trip, 4,767 meters/15,640 feet. That is the highest we have ever been in a car. The pictures we have of the road should explain to all why roads usually aren’t made at this altitude and why when they are they usually don’t last very long. During the somewhat harrowing descent there were more spectacular views of mountains, glacial lakes, and rockslides.

We arrived back in Huaraz around 6 o’clock where we immediately showered and then went out for dinner. After walking over forty miles, over half of which were uphill at over 4,000 meters in essentially three and half days, we were ready for a big meal and a warm bed.

Day Four in the Cordillera Blanca

Day 7: Happy Birthday to Mike, Huaraz, Night-bus to Lima

Happy Birthday to Migi,

Happy Birthday to Migi,

Happy Birthday Viejito,

Happy Birthday to You!!

To celebrate Mike’s birthday we slept in then spent the day eating every delicious food we could find as well as doing some souvenir shopping.

That night we got on a bus headed back to Lima. This time we only had semi-cama seats but we were still given dinner and treated to a ten o’clock showing of The Day After Tomorrow in Spanish with English Subtitles and a baby who cried all night long.

See pics of Birthday Dinner in the Day 2 Slideshow of Lima and Huaraz.

Day 8: Huacahina, Dune Buggies, and Sandboarding

We arrived in Lima at 5:30 am, got some breakfast sandwiches and quinoa drink at the cart that had set up shop across the street from the bus terminal, and then got on a 7 o’clock bus to Ica.

The trip to Ica was four hours, most of which looked like a scene from the Sahara desert. Peru in general doesn’t get much rain and southern coastal Peru gets no rain. The view from our window showed unending sand dunes to the east and occasional glimpses of the waves crashing on the beach in the Pacific to the west. The weather was slightly warmer than Huaraz but instead of crystal clear skies a blanket of clouds covered the sky as far as you could see.

Several hours later we arrived in Ica where we took a five minute cab ride to Huacachina. Huacachina is a tiny town located around the perimeter of a small spring surrounded by endless, towering sand dunes. The sand dunes are the major attraction here and every hotel offers dune buggy tours with sand boarding each afternoon. So upon arrival in Huacachina we booked the four o’clock sunset tour with our hotel, grabbed lunch, enjoyed the warm weather, and then headed back to our hotel for some sand-themed adventures.

The dune buggy sat eight and the driver had been driving dune buggies for the last fifteen years (he was half Italian). The other passengers along for fun and sand were a couple from Denmark, a couple from Argentina, and a couple from England. All buckled up we went tearing off into the dunes.

After ten minutes of a rollercoaster-like ride where everyone understood the purpose of the tubulares (rollbar), we stopped for a photo op. Mike and I, having permanently damaged our last camera on sand dunes in Colorado, were cautious throughout and so took our photos quickly and, in our opinion, sparingly. Pictures taken we tore off for another ten minutes of climbing up and rocketing down dunes before starting the sand boarding segment of the tour.

In the back of the dune buggy were seven sand boards that were handed out to each of the passengers at the top of some very steep dunes. We were then instructed how to sand board while standing, which only Mike and one other guy attempted to do, and how to sand board as if the sand board were a sled i.e. sand-sledding. Sand-sledding turned out to be much easier and much more fun than the standing up version and eventually the entire group was flying down the dune bellies down, arms tucked, and legs sprawled.

The tour ended with a stop on top of dune to enjoy the sunset where we did risk taking some more pictures. However, once the sun went down it got pretty chilly (14’ South Latitude) so we piled pack into the dune buggy and headed back to the hotel.

Huacachina

Day 9: Paracas National Reserve and Fresh, fresh Seafood

We spent the next morning in Huacahina taking in the sun and generally relaxing before getting back on a bus and heading an hour north to Paracas.

Paracas is a small, almost nonexistent, coastal town that two years ago was not more than a fishing village, but even so it was flattened by an earthquake that measured 8-point-something on the Richter scale with the epicenter being just 10km off its coastline. Fortunately, it has been mostly rebuilt and whereas before it was a minor tourist hub (people used to come for the boat ride but stay the night in Pisco, a quaint colonial town twenty minutes up the coast that is still recovering from the earthquake and does not have any hopes of regaining its tourist market since all of its colonial architecture is in rubble heaps) it is now the tourist hub for all coming to see Paracas National Reserve and the Islas Ballestas. We, of course, were coming to do both of those activities starting with a bike tour of the National Reserve.

Paracas National Reserve boasts a large flamingo colony, sea lions, and of course miles and miles of rolling sand dunes that come right up to the coast (and, as we would later find out, intense afternoon winds).

To explore the reserve we decided to rent bikes and make our own tour instead of paying a taxi driver forty dollars to drive us around. We easily found a place to rent the bikes and by three o’clock we were on the road.

The bikes were great and the scenery was striking (sand dunes and ocean) but the wind made the leisurely bike ride a test of strength and endurance which I failed miserably. I made it with minimal grief to the flamingo colony, which was huge and amazing, but from there the road went up hill while the quality of my disposition went downhill fast. I ended up walking the big uphill and alternately walking and riding the rest of the three miles to a beach. We had intended to try and see the sea lions but those were another two miles into the wind and so we enjoyed Lagunillas, the super tiny fishing village where we were after two hours of what I thought was a pretty intense ride though Mike thought otherwise (the most arduous part of the ride for him being dealing with my huffing and puffing and less than charming mood), and then turned around and biked back to Paracas. In my defense I did much better on the way back and only had to walk the bike once, also the wind was at our backs. I think that afternoon gave me an honest appreciation for the terms headwind and tailwind that I will carry with me for quite some time.

After returning the bikes, we walked along the malecon (beachfront area) then had the first of what would be two incredible seafood dinners. I will admit that before this trip I was not the hugest fan of seafood. Paracas changed me. I want to say right here, right now that I love seafood. It may have taken twenty-seven years but I have finally arrived: seafood (when it is fresh) is delicious.

At seven o’clock our taxi showed up at the restaurant (as early planned with a travel agency in Huacachina) to take us to Pisco, the town where people used to stay before the giant earthquakes whose epicenter was 2km from the center of Pisco. We tried to stay in Paracas but being the new tourist hub that it is there were no available rooms. So we traveled up the road for about twenty minutes before we arrived in what was formerly the tourist hub that boasted colonial architecture and cobblestone streets.

Unfortunately, Pisco had not made the same successful rebound as Paracas and was still half built and half rubble. While there are still a few nice hotels the overall feel of Pisco did not suggest a return to its former state. However, it was nice to stay in a place where you know, small though it may be, you are contributing to an economy that could use all the help it can get. Our taxi driver, who was from Pisco, told us that six days a week he works fifteen hours. On Sundays he works all day trying to reconstruct his house which was destroyed over two years ago.

So, we stayed the night it a really cute hotel that had been rebuilt since the earthquake run by a really cute family in a town that used to be the “it” place to stay.

Day 10: Islas Ballestas and Back to Lima

Early the next morning we were picked up at our hotel in Pisco and driven back to Paracas for a boat tour of the Ballesta Islands. The Ballesta Islands are a series of small islands located about a half an hour of the coast of Paracas. The islands host millions of birds, thousands of penguins, and hundreds of sea lions. So, as you can imagine, every morning hoards of gringos line the docks of Paracas to take a boat out to the islands and that Friday morning in mid-July we were a part of the hoard.

The boats seat anywhere from 15 to 30 people and everyone is given a life jacket with strict instructions to make sure not to take it with you when you leave. On our boat we had an almost bilingual guide, a boat driver, and about 15 passengers. We left the dock a little after eight and arrived at the first point of interest on the tour: the Candelabra.

The Candelabra is a formation in the side of sand dune ten minutes from shore. No one knows how it got there or how long it has been there. However, our guide shared with us several theories one of which included aliens. Other theories included pirates and conquistadors but after deep contemplation and reflection I say aliens.

Next stop: Islas Ballestas. We spent the next hour and half circling several islands surrounded by strange rock formations and teeming with sealife. When people first visited the islands there were two meters of guana (bird poop that is excellent for fertilizer) which of course was then sold, and is still sold, for use in fertilizer. On our tour we saw untold numbers of bird, penguins, sea lions (we even saw a baby sea lion), and of course lots of guana.

I wish I could explain or the pictures could show just how many birds there were but you’ll just have to take our word for it when we say, “lots and lots.”

When the tour was over we stayed and had another fantastic seafood lunch right on the beach in Paracas then headed to the nearby bus station to make our may back to Lima.

I know I already explained just how nice the busses we were taking were but in case you forgot, they were really, really, nice. However, as we learned that day in Paracas, it doesn’t matter how nice the bus is if the roads are bad.

The roads surrounding Paracas are sandy and the bus station was located on one of these roads. Shortly after boarding the bus (passport check and face filming complete) we had to disembark as a pipe had broken, wet the road, and our bus was stuck in the subsequent mudfest. Fortunately it only took a two by four, a shovel, and all available manpower to shove the bus the necessary two feet to free it from its earthen prison.

With that minor delay we were on our way to Lima.

Pics of Paracas y Pisco

Day 11: Lima

Our last full day in Peru we spent in the Miraflores section of Lima, this is where most the markets are and is generally considered safer than Central Lima, another neighborhood we considered staying in. The Miraflores section of Lima was nice, very, very nice. Our hostel was located in a residential area on the outskirts of Miraflores in a super, super nice neighborhood. The hostel itself was an old house with beautiful hardwood floors, wrought iron fixtures and an all and all lovely layout.

To get to the markets from our hostel required walking along the beachside park that stretches several mile along the coast of Lima and is slated for construction to cover the entire coast (Kind of like what Bloomberg is doing with the waterfront land in the city). This park was not only beautiful but also had clay tennis courts, playgrounds, dog parks, and parapenting (which Mike wanted to do but didn’t due to my incessant, though perhaps unwarranted, worries)!

We spent the day browsing the markets, tasting more delicious Peruvian treats, and generally relaxing.

Lima and Flight Home

Day 12: To Sayausi!

Our flight left at ten o’clock the next morning marking the official end to our Peruvian adventure. We arrived in Guayaquil at noon and were on van headed back to Sayausi at one.

On a final note, as no blog post would be complete without it, some news about Chuspi, Our old host sister Norma agreed to come over once a day while we were gone to clean the litter box (totally new concept) and feed Chuspi. When we got home Chuspi was alive and well so I guess everything went according to plan. However, an interesting surprise included the piece of half eaten bread, random bones, and bag of rice with a long string tied to one end all of which we found on the floor of our apartment near the front windows. After a moment’s confusion we figured out why there was a veritable cat buffet on our floor. The walls of our apartment don’t actually meet up with the windows, therefore there is a several inch space between the wall and the windows. Recently a family moved upstairs: mom, dad, and two girls. It appears the two girls had been lowering food down to Chuspi while we were gone! So, Chuspi was more than well taken care of (Norma later told me most of the family had come over each day to play with Chuspi as well). To this day whenever I see Heidi (the niece of Norma) she asks me to, “saluda a la Chuspi” translating to, “say hi to Chuspi!”

July 22, 2009

Wednesday

8:00am

Partly Cloudy, 60F

Sayausi

San Pedro De Sayausi

One of the downsides to being in our site for over a year is repeat events. While still fun for us, perhaps you have already seen enough of the Fiestas de San Pedro de Sayausi. Or maybe you’re feeling that you could stand to see a few more folklorico dances and fireworks. If the latter is true this post is for you.

One of the upsides of being in our site for over a year is that we know EVERYONE in all the events. We were also treated to much more food and everywhere we went we were with people we knew. It was quite a nice feeling.

The fiestas were a week later this year which is mildly confusing as to the best of my understanding Saint’s Days are supposed to be fixed. The weather was also more rainy than usual and turnout a little low, so the people of Sayausi were convinced that San Pedro was upset about the date change and so put a slight damper on the fiestas. Although apparently San Pedro, according to some, brings the rain so maybe the new date was pleasing to him. However, according to others, he stops the rain so I guess we just don’t really know how San Pedro felt about the change of dates. Either way there were still tons of homemade fireworks, hours upon hours of blasting music, dozens upon dozens of dances, and many fires lit to either bring the rain or stop the rain.

Enjoy the photos and videos, please feel free to compare and contrast this year’s fiestas to last years. Perhaps someone who has viewed them both can decide if San Pedro was happier this year or last year based on the fireworks, dances, and music included in each.

Click here for last year`s fiestas

(Or, you can use the index on the righthand side of this page to access any previous posts)

This Year`s Fiestas

Remember to double-click to enlarge the images in the slideshows and to click the underlined links to see the videos. Enjoy!

Setting up for the Fiestas!

Live Music

Dancing

Women Intro Dance

Men Intro Dance

More Men Dancing

Everybody Dance

Parade

Pet Contest and More Dancing

Caraguay, Caraguay

Las Nenas Fresh I(one of my students is in the group)

Las Nenas Fresh II

Crazy Dance that lasts for hours (yes, drag is encouraged)

Cholita Competition

Little Cholitas

Saturday de San Pedro

Saturday 6:00am

Tio Oscar cleans up the plaza

Shooting for Candy

Setting the scene

Ecuaboley

Reina Competition and Castillos

Castillo I

Castillo II

Castillo III: Watch Out!

Paper mache Soldiers with Fireworks

Smoking Soldier

Failed Launch

Artillery Boat I

Artillery Boat II

Flame broiled Cuchi

Vaca Loca

Vaca Loca en Vivo

Burning the Barba of San Pedro

Globos, up, up, and away!

Sunday de San Pedro

The Band

Band and Onlookers

Horse Race Participants, to the plaza!!

Other goings on in-and-around Sayausi

Closura

The end of the school year officially came and went, and as such there were many ceremonies; the biggest of which being the closura of the school. For several hours over a hundred elementary aged students were asked to stand in formation while many speeches were made and thanks given (I was singled out a few times, for thanks, which was quite exciting). During the ceremony, which took place during the first days of San Pedro, a parade started up in the same plaza and so for some time we had competing sounds of ceremony: the director’s speech versus a ten man brass band with drums. Needless to say the director did not pause, he raised his already amplified voice and continued with what he had to say.

Himno Nacional

P.E. Performance: Jumping through Hoops

P.E. Performance: Attempting to Jump Through Hoops

During the P.E. Performance

Agua Vida

Another closura was that of Agua Vida, the environmental education group I have been working with for the past several months. Again hundreds of elementary aged students were asked to sit in formation for at least two hours as speeches were made. Eventually there were dances and puppet shows so I guess that makes up for some of it.

Basketball Ankle

If you have not already heard, Mike’s basketball team made an incredible comeback in the last five minutes of the last quarter of their game several weeks ago. It was quite impressive and Mike was fuel in the fire so to speak. However, the fuel suffered a minor setback in the last minute when Mike went one way and his ankle the other.

After several doctor’s visits, x-rays, many ibuprofen along with some rest (I don’t know if there is anything more difficult than trying to get Mike to sit still with his foot elevated) he has made an almost complete recovery. There is still mild swelling, that hiking for several days through mountainous terrain probably didn’t help, and still a little tenderness when turned in certain ways. Luckily, the next game isn’t for another two weeks by which time Mike’s ankle will be ready to go (though had there been a game this week I’m not sure Mike would’ve sat out). So no worries, Peace Corps medical is great, the doctors were fantastic, and everything was taken care of. Really don’t worry.

Gringos in the News

Here is a fun interactive activity for all of you following our blog. In a separate window, open up Google and type in the following two words: Mary Ecuador

It is not the first hit, but scroll down to the seventh hit and you should see a link with a couple of familiar names. Enjoy.

Chuspi and the Gastronomy of the Fiestas of San Pedro

Along with any party, fair, or festival comes food vendors. For San Pedro the plaza was lined with people selling all the ups and downs of Ecuadorian gastronomy. Aside from the usual fried and candied treats, Mike tried the following over San Pedro weekend: roasted pig skin, grilled intestines, fish soup, cow foot soup, cuy face, and blood sausage. I tried some but not all of the above and as such we felt that Chuspi should not be left out (i.e. we didn’t want to finish some of these culinary delights and thought that Chuspi may enjoy them more than we did).

So, the first ever San Pedro de Sayausi Taste Test was arranged. The food: Blood Sausage vs Cuy Face. The judge: Chuspi.

the testing..

Where`s the face?

Taste Test I

Taste Test II

Taste Test III

Taste Test IV

The Results:Chuspi eats whatever she is closest to. In the eyes of Chuspi, I guess blood sausage and cuy face are just too tasty to pick a winner.

Apu does the Penguin

Peru

We just got back from Peru on Sunday, July 19th. It was amazing, and the blog post describing it will be posted sometime in the near future. Until then you will have to imagine the glaciers, penguins, flamencos, and sandboarding.

June 26, 2009

Friday

9:38am

Sayausi

Cloudy, 50

This post takes place Around Town, In Cajas, In Cuenca, and last but not least, At Home. There are of course lots of pictures and videos which will undoubtedly enhance your blog experience. Enjoy!

Around Town

Missing Minga

The second or third weekend in May (the weekend after the bautizo party detailed in our previous post), Mike and I were invited to participate in a minga. Mingas are organized work days where various people from the community get together to volunteer on a common project e.g. fix a broken water tube, or fill the pot holes in a street. The word “minga” is Kichwa and is a custom that is really only carried on in the Sierra at this point.

In any event, every weekend there is a minga of some sort. In the past we have participated in a few mingas nearby. So, when we were invited to a minga by Rodrigo (my new counterpart mas o menos) we gladly accepted as mingas involve hard work but also the opportunity to get to know different people, feel like part of the community, and get to eat cold cuy from a plastic bag.

We were told to meet at Mama Rita’s house at 7:00am from which point we would walk for one or two hours with the group to the captacion (place high up in the paramo where the capture for the water for Sayausi is located) and help build a fence to keep horses and cattle away from the water source. Having arrived at the bautizo on time and then waiting four hours for the party to start we figured if we got to Mama Rita’s house by 7:15am we would still be ridiculously early but would at least be able to sleep past 5:00am. We left our apartment at 7:00am and began walking up to Mama Rita’s. About half way there we ran into Don Nestor and Dona Melchora (old host parents and sister/brother in law to Mama Rita). They informed us that the group for the minga had just left and that we could catch up with them easily. Don Nestor then gave us directions for how to get to the minga site which roughly translated to, “Go through this field, then past the other field, then past the cows, then continue up and you will be there.” These directions were to guide us through a series of low mountains with no trails and no overtly distinctive landmarks for the untrained eye. Feeling rather adventurous and up for a walk we replied, “Great, off we go.”

Within five minutes, before even arriving at the mountain i.e. still in town and traipsing through cow pasture, we were lost and had to ask for more directions. Again we got vague indications and a general wave of the hand in the directions we were supposed to go; up. This time however, we ended up on a trail: a very, very, very muddy trail. A trail so muddy, in fact, I nearly lost my giant rubber boot in its depths. Surprisingly, we have some video footage to demonstrate.

Muddy Trail

I`m Stuck

Chainsaw and Birdsong

About one hundred yards after this trail ends we lost all sign of anything resembling a trail. Luckily we ran into Yula (Mari’s cousin/Mama Rita’s neice) and her two daughters hidden in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere, on their way to sacar leche from their cows. So Yula became out guide for the next 45 minutes until we arrived at the place were hers cows were (Please keep in mind that these are not lovely rolling hills of pastureland, we are walking on an extraordinarily steep hillside that for now is more forest than grazing land demonstrated by the parrots flying overhead). From here we got another general wave of the hand along with the following, “go up until the carreterra then up some more until the carreterra.” Carreterra translates to highway but is used here in any situation where there is something resembling a trail. So up we went until dense mountain vegetation blocked our path at which point we went down and up again until we did eventually arrive at the ridgeline i.e. carreterra number one.

At this point we could see some new fencing and thought we must be close as the minga we were looking for was putting up new fencing. However, after looking around for thirty or so minutes without seeing anyone we decided we must not be there yet. So following Yula’s directions and Mike’s deductions about where the captacion must be, we continued along the ridgeline, upwards.

Another thirty minutes later we arrived at a road (a wide dirt trail that at some point cars may have been able to drive on) and turned up. An hour later, leaving the treeline behind us and now surrounded by nothing but Andean paramo and clouds, we came across a motorcycle and some horses, a clue in the mysterious hunt for the minga. Figuring we must be close at this point, we followed what looked kind of like a trail down a valley and up to another ridgeline. At the top of this ridgeline we found some signs telling us we were in Minas, which is the area of captar-ing water. So I shouted for Mari a few times and hoped one of the fifty people on this minga would hear me and answer. Well, windy mountain conditions aren’t really ideal for yelling so not surprisingly no one answered.

Wind and Wave

We walked around the lakes in the area for about an hour looking for clues that might point us in the right direction but decided, as some dense fog rolled in, it was better at this point to admit defeat and start the climb back down to Sayausi.

After walking three hours up and two back down we arrived back at out apartment, tired, blistered (we were walking in rubber boots instead of hiking boots because of the mud), and confused about how fifty people who started walking just a little bit before us had been so impossible to find.

As it turns out (we later learned) the minga left Mama Rita’s house at 5:30am! Supposedly, someone had waited for us until 7:00am (which I think rather unlikely) and then left on their moto when we didn’t show up. Not only that, but the minga was another three hours hiking past the lakes where we had ultimately given up our search.

Rodrigo invited us to another minga last weekend in the same spot. As luck would have it, we had other plans.

Looking for a Minga

Madre Fiesta

The day after the minga search, my school was having a Mother party. They were celebrating Mothers, the Virgin Mother, and Mother Earth (Pachamama). Each grade had prepared a dance as had some of the parents, and all of the dances required costumes. During the dances drinks were handed out and snacks were sold. However, all of this was only a taste of what lay ahead: the Pampamesa.

After several hours of dancing, hopping, singing, and celebrating, the stage (the cement soccer court in the center of the school) was cleared and a long, narrow tarp was laid out. The tarp was about one meter wide but stretched at least 50 feet long. Once it was laid out women with giant pots of rice, mote, and potatoes approached the tarp and started spreading the contents onto the makeshift runway crossing the length of the cement court. Then came the roasted chickens, dumped onto the tarp. Then the roasted cuyes, dumped onto the tarp. Then a scattering of hard boiled eggs and lima beans followed promptly by a swarm of parents and students amid a hum of “buen provecho.”

From there it is really a blur of fistfuls of food and a light spray of rice. There were no utensils other than hands for this Sierran potluck and kids were free to plant themselves directly on the tarp and feed voraciously on the surrounding mounds of food. It was one of, if not the most incredible thing I have seen this past year. It was right out of a dream, when I was four or five years old. No parents saying to sit up straight, keep your elbows of the table, or hold your fork correctly. No, no this was about as far from Americanized table eating as you can get. I was encouraged to plop down and dig in. It was fabulous, although eating rice with your hands involved more mouth to hand contact then the CDC would probably recommend during a swine flu pandemic (yes, this happened in the height of the swine flu scare).

Then to wash down the pampamesa, several cups of juice, soda, or chocolate milk were passed around (yes, several cups were shared between over two hundred people). Again, it was fabulous and the stomach ache that persisted for the rest of the day was well worth it.

Dancing and Eating

Frog Dance

Crazy Dance I

Crazy Dance II

Pacha Mama Dance

Pampa Mesa

Buen Provecho

Who Needs Forks?

Mediano Photo Shoot

Last week I was at a meeting at Mama Rita’s house. We were there to discuss the possibility of a greenhouse and a few other proposals the group is working on. However, unbeknownst to me we were also there to take a picture for some upcoming fiestas: Las Fiestas del Mediano.

Rodrigo filled me in on the details. Apparently, when couples used to get married in Sayausi they would have a huge feast (with tables). All the women would bring medianos (a ceraminc platter) filled with cuy, papas, mote, and aji and the men would bring gallons of trago (moonshine). From there a nice meal would take place with everyone seated around a long table. Now, as times are always changing no matter where you are, this doesn’t happen anymore and many people don’t know that it ever happened. So, this group that I work with started Las Fiestas del Mediano three years ago to maintain some parts of their culture.

That night, the night of the unrelated meeting, Mama Rita and Mari were cooking up some cuyes, papas, mote, and aji for a picture for the poster for the Las Fiestas del Mediano. In the middle of the meeting we took a break and took pictures of Mama Rita, Tio Oscar, and all of the prepared food (see pictures below, one of them will end up on the poster).

Lucky for us after the meeting ended at 9:00pm, we were each given a gigantic plate of food. I managed to pick at mine politely without actually having to eat all five potatoes, half a cuy, a plate of rice, and mote. Mike, however, ate it all! Sometime gender stereotypes do work out in my favor, the only other person at the meal not to eat everything was the other woman.

Unfortunately, we won’t be in town for Las Fiestas but we will certainly get a copy of the poster!

Mama Rita, Tio Oscar y El Mediano

Indoor

Last weekend Mike brought the camera up to the indoor field to capture the indoor experience. It was raining, which is normal. There was livestock around the field, also normal. And kids walked into the game several times, also very normal.

We won 10-0 which is not normal. The ref actually called the game early because of a mercy rule. You see, last week Margarita came up to play with us, and she is the other local superstar. I am the foreign superstar and Doris, another teammate, was on fire. As such we were pretty much unstoppable, what with the passing and everything there was nothing for the other team to do.

As a funny aside, before the game started we were standing around talking and it somehow came up that we were all senoras. Doris intervened and said that I was not a senora (Doris just turned twenty last month). My other teammates said I was married and so I was a senora. Doris countered by saying I don’t have kids which makes me a senorita. My other teammates agreed at this point and decided that I am in fact the only senorita on the team. So despite being older than most everyone on my team, I am the senorita. Go figure.

Jugando

Niko wants to play

Goal Kick

Nice Left

Mary and a little lamb

Almost

In Cajas

Rescate

Cajas National Park is quite the tourist destination and as such Cuenca has many guide agencies selling package tours of the park. However, in order to guide in Cajas you have to pass a course that is offered by the park and consequently is pretty expensive. The course last two weeks and requires the guides to be in class ten hours a day. Each day a different topic is addressed. For example, birds on one day, plants of Cajas on another.

Mike was approached by the park staff to see if he would be willing to teach the Mountain Rescue portion of the class. Mike of course accepted and we began to plan a ten hour course on back country first aid. The class was held at 13,000 feet above sea level in the park at Toreadora, the most popular tourist destination in Cajas. We modeled the class after the Wilderness Medicine Institute EMT class we had taken in the states. That means there was a lot of hands on practice and the focus was on a small number of practical things the guides could do en caso de emergencia.

Activity based learning is not common in Ecuadorian culture, so the guides were both surprised by the format and, fortunately for us, completely taken with it. One participant said Mike was the only instructor during the two weeks who got an applause at every break. I guess that Masters is paying off after all.

Guias, Patients, and Llamas

Cajas Run and Photo Contest

Last year Mike and I both participated in the Cajas Run for Conservation. We came in virtually last place but still got a medal and snacks, so of course that made it worth it. Year two, however, required a more active role and we both ended up working at the race instead of participating in it. I was on the team in charge of making and then distributing the gift bags and Mike was manning a table of Cajas posters, fliers, bird guides, and the like. The latter was completely Mike’s idea as he thought if the race is titled Running for the Conservation of Cajas there should be something dedicated to promoting the park and conservation instead of just having the race and handing out snacks and prizes. After a lot of persuasion the park eventually allowed Mike to have the table, but really it took a lot of convincing on Mike’s part.

As part of the Cajas Run, which is held to celebrate its status as a protected area, there was also a photo contest. Mike was begged to enter by his co-workers at the park and at one point was in second place (the photos were judged by the same people who asked him to enter) but was eventually bumped to a lower spot. Apparently, there was some concern in the office about a member of the staff winning a prize. Either way, Mike’s photo was on display for an entire week outside one of the main ETAPA buildings in Cuenca.

The Racers y Una Foto

Cajas

A few nice pictures of Cajas, posted just because they are pretty. Enjoy.

In Cuenca

Cuenca Bus Station

For my birthday Mike and I went to soccer game in Cuenca. It was really fun and had a really nice family atmosphere, which Mike tells me is very different then the atmosphere at soccer games in Tegucigalpa.

Cuenkita

For my birthday Mike and I went to soccer game in Cuenca. It was really fun and had a really nice family atmosphere, which Mike tells me is very different then the atmosphere at soccer games in Tegucigalpa.

Cuenca

For those of you who have forgotten how pretty Cuenca is.

At Home

Below is a collection of events gathered from the steps or window of our apartment: our neighbors tending their lawn, market vendors from Canar, the local butcher, “payments” I have received for tutoring, flowers, and of course Chuspi playing with beatles and eating cuy.

Sayausi Market

Dirty Meat

Battle Axe

Butcher y Chola

Lawn Care

BBQ or Lawn Upkeep?

Fruit and Flowers

Wormy Mora

Chuspi and the Beatle

Searching the Funda

Beatle Stomp

Beatle Chase

Almost got away

Chewing on beatle

Eating Beatle

Chuspi eats Cuy

Dinner is served

Purring for cuy

Purring for the foot

Scapulicious

Chewing cuy

May 21, 2009

Thursday

10:00am

Sayausi

Cloudy, 55F

WARNING: The multimedia component of this post is beyond excessive. There are twenty-six videos and hundreds of photos. We`re not sure why there is so much, perhaps we have become digital camera crazy, but we hope you enjoy at least a portion of it.

Bautizo

Several weeks ago we were invited to Juan Diego’s baptism (Juan Diego is Maribel’s son, Maribel is Dona Rita’s daughter, Dona Rita is the sister of our old host mom, Dona Melchora). Juan Diego just turned eight years old but it is not uncommon for children to be baptized at that age or older here. The reason for the “later” baptism is because the family is supposed to throw a huge party after the ceremony where they invite at least a hundred people, feed them tons of food, tons of drink, and provide a DJ to play music all night long: it takes several years to save up enough money to host such a large party.

This year, however, there was enough money saved and so Jaun Diego was getting baptized.

Maribel and Juan Diego came by our apartment at least a month before the date of the baptism to give us our invitation. On the first Saturday of May the mass would be held at 4:00pm followed by dinner and dancing at 7:00pm. We gladly accepted the invitation and the request that we serve as the official photographers for the event.

We spent the next several weeks asking everyone we knew what type of present would be appropriate for a baptism (we had heard from other volunteers that only religious gifts were acceptable). It turns out anything is fine for a baptism present and so we bought a Spiderman pencil box, a Kung Fu Panda board game, and the Kung Fu Panda movie.

When the big day finally arrived we found out that Mike had his first basketball game at three o’clock the same day as the baptism!! Figuring that the game would take just under an hour and that both the basketball court and the church were a three minute walk to our apartment, we thought we would have just enough time to go to the game, change, and get to the church in time for the ceremony. So at three o’clock the game began and at three fifty it ended. We made a mad dash for home, changed out of our respective uniforms (I had had an indoor game at 2:30 that afternoon), cleaned up as best we could without showering (not enough time, and the water was out anyway), and we were out the door by four o’clock and in the church by 4:02pm.

Thinking it was horribly rude for us to arrive even a minute late I was both surprised and not surprised to realize we were some of the first people in the church. Not only that, none of Juan Diego’s family was there yet. I started to worry that maybe we were at the wrong church or perhaps we had read the time wrong. So, I stepped outside to call Norma, Maribel’s sister and Juan Diego’s aunt, to confirm the time and place of the ceremony.

-Norma?

-Yes??

-The ceremony is at four, right?

-Yes, are there a lot of people there already?

-Yeah, there’s a few people but I don’t see Maribel, or Dona Melchora, or anyone. Are we at the right place?

-Yes.

-Are you coming?

-Yeah, we’ll be there soon.

Twenty minutes later just before Jaun Diego was actually baptized his family and the rest of the crowd showed up. We should’ve learned our lesson from this and the last entire year of living in Ecuador but later that night we made the same mistake; showing up on time.

After the ceremony we went home and waited until seven o’clock to leave for the party that started at seven o’clock (thinking that the half hour walk up to the house would put us there at an appropriate time). When we arrived at Maribel’s house eveyone was in their work clothes, there was a bucket of seventeen yet uncooked chickens, giant pots of boiling water, and zero guests. Yes, we were the very first ones there. Not only that we remained the only ones there, other than immediate family, for the next three hours. No joke, we were the only ones there for three entire hours before other people started to show up. During those three whole hours we saw the sound system arrive and get set up, the roasted pig arrived, the fruit for the fruit display arrived, was washed, and finally assembled, the cake stands were set up, the cakes arrived, the cakes were arranged and rearranged, the decorations were hung up, the electricity went off and on several times slowly things down even more, and Mike and I took a lot of pictures.

When other people finally showed up there was an hour and a half of dancing, candy snacks, trago (sweet,warm alcohol), and more dancing. I feel as though I should take a minute here and try to explain what dancing consists of here (and by here I mean family parties in the mountains not dancing at disotecas or anything hip/modern or coastal). Close your eyes. Imagine you are walking down a lovely road. The sun is out, birds are chirping, and every few minutes you see a good neighbor walk by. You’re happy. Your gait is jovial. Your arms swing gaily at your sides. In fact, you’re feeling so merry, so happy in this day that your arms form right angles, and your hands are in little happy fists swinging as you walk, gently bouncing down the street. Now, take away the road but continue walking in place just as before; arms swinging, a slight bounce in your step. This how you dance in the sierra of Ecuador. Of course there are few other details: no eye contact with your partner, very little smiling, and an occasional round of clapping to the music. Not so bad, especially for the rhythmically challenged like myself.

After a few rounds of bouncy dancing, dinner was served…at eleven thirty pm! For those of you who know me there are very few things I do at eleven thirty. In fact there is only one thing I do at eleven thirty: sleep. So, eating soup, a giant chunk pork, an even bigger chunk of chicken, several potatoes, a mountain of rice mixed with hot dog pieces, and a giant cup of the most sugary tea you can imagine was quite the feat for eleven thirty. This was followed by more dancing and eventually cake at two o’ clock in morning, so we hear. We ended up bowing out of the festivities around twelve thirty. Not so bad considering we showed up at seven.

The Ceremony and the Fiesta (double-click to enlarge the image)

Stop playing with your tie

Repeat after me...

Hola, Don Jimmy!

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is celebrated the same day here as it is in the U.S. and many of the customs are the same: cakes, flowers, candies, stuffed animals carrying big, red hearts that say, “I love you.” However, there are a couple customs that we don’t have in the States. One, there is no school the Friday before nor the Monday after Mother’s Day (this may be Sayausi specific). This seems to me like more work for moms who otherwise wouldn’t have kids to look after but that is my norteamericana perspective. Two, Saturday night the streets are filled with trucks carrying speakers and about a half dozen jovenes (young adults). The trucks stop in front of houses, where they have been told to go, and “serenade” the mother who lives in the house. This “serenading” consists of kids screaming at the top of their lungs for at least forty-five minutes at each house. Also, this all takes place between 2:00 in the morning and 5:00 in the morning. Again, it might just be my norteamericana-ness but this seems like it might not be that enjoyable for a mom who works all day. The moms here love it, so there you go. Enjoy the serenading.

Serenading at 2:00am (the video is really dark because it’s 2am)

Out our bedroom window at 2:15am

Basqet

Mike has finally entered the wonderful world of the Liga Deportiva de Sayausi. And following in my golden footsteps, he is quite the star. The last game his team was winning 51-2 at the half. Ouch!!! Mike being nobler than I, and the other members of his team, let up a little during the second half to end with a 73-16 victory. Who knows, we may have to make room for another trophy in the house, not that it could be as big as my trophy as that would be defying at least one law of physics.

Last year there was no men’s basketball league, for no apparent reason as there has been in the past, so this year everyone was out to get Migi (nothing to do with his ridiculous height advantage). He had at least three different offers from different teams which, I would say, puts him pretty high up in the draft pick (again, nothing to do with the fact that he is at least a foot and a half taller than anyone). But he really had no choice as the men’s counterpart of my soccer team was forming a basketball team i.e. the husband of one of my good friends (and teammate) down here asked Mike to play on his team. Anyway, stay tuned for more “Quisiera ser como Migi” b.ball highlights.

Mike “the baller who’s taller” Carbone (double-click to enlarge the image)

Agua Vida

This week I helped lead a field trip with the group of students I have been working with at the school. There is a branch of ETAPA (a local government agency in charge of water and phones) called Agua Vida. Agua Vida gives environmental education lessons in 36 schools. They visit each school once a month and for one of their last activities they organize a field trip. I was invited by a teacher to accompany the students on the trip, and I gladly accepted (with the idea to worm my way into Agua Vida lessons next year).

The students were so excited you would’ve thought they were going to an amusement park instead of a water treatment plant; again it’s all a matter of perspective. Although I was reminded of my students in Harlem who couldn’t imagine anything more humiliating than to be seen on a yellow school bus, when my students here were shaking in their seats with excitement when the very same yellow school bus pulled into the yard.

After an overly excited rush to the bus to claim the best seats, the ones in the back of course, we were off to our first stop: Cajas National Park. At the park we met up with Ramiro, a parkguard that was in my English classes for several months, led the tour around the lake. During the tour we were on the lookout for birds, of which we saw many, and cool plants, of which we saw many. When we returned back to the guard station we had lunch.

I remember field trips when I was kid. I also remember the cafeteria putting together a sack lunch for each kid. Nothing spectacular just a PB&J, juice, maybe some fruit, definitely no guinea pig. Lunch on this field trip was much more communal, though each student did bring their own pot with lid carrying some rice and meat. Several students brought entire roasted guinea pigs which were divided among all the students and adults. Other students brought liters of Coke which, with the help of 2-3 plastic cups, was eventually divided among all the students and adults. I was given a piece of cuy, a plate of rice, a choclo (corn on the cob), a cup of Coke, and several candies for after lunch. I was offered some chicken and a hard boiled egg but couldn’t manage all of it and so had to decline.

In the bus on the way to our next stop, the water treatment plant, I was offered juice in a different but well used plastic cup, a menthol candy, a coconut lollipop, and some chips. Again, I was forced to decline due to rumblings of cuy in my stomach.

We were only at the water treatment plant for ten or fifteen minutes before heading off to our next stop, the sewage treatment plant. And although we were only at the sewage treatment plant for 30 minutes it was informative and didn’t smell all that bad. Then it was homeward bound, at which point I was offered some cut up fruit and more candy (and they wonder why women gain weight in PeaceCorps). All and all the day was fun and the kids were fantastic.

Field Trippin (double-click to enlarge the image)

Blasts from Blogs Past

Below are new pictures that were missing from previous posts. Enjoy!

The school garden (double-click to enlarge images)

Hi-ho, hi-ho! It`s off to work we go.

Turnip Toss

The Señalizacion de los Senderos de Cajas

Articles about the group that got lost in Cajas and Mike helped find

Indoor game at the Fiestas de Buenos Aires

When it rains...

...it hails.

Our ceilng when it rains, also the floor of the apartment upstairs

Semana Santa in Cuenca

The 15km Jefferson Perez Race, yes we did meet Jef

Excessive Chuspi-ness

All posts will most likely end with a portrait of Chuspi. Since you last saw Chuspi she has gone to the vet, been on a bus, and met several new life forms. Here is this month´s addition to the Chuspi archives.

Meeting New Friends..or Snacks

Apu laughs at Chuspi

A box and a ball

No, get in! Get in!

Camera Crash

Chuspi does nothing

Meet the Beatle

First Contact

They`re Friends

How she`s uses her paw!

Sting like a Bee

Round 2

Velcro Beatle

Scaredy Cat I

Scaredy Cat II

Hiding

Domestic Dispute

April 25, 2009

Saturday

1:30pm

Cloudy and breezy, 60F

Cuenca

A Year in Review

For those of you keeping track of time, or those of you that occasionally peruse this blog outside conventional time constructs, we have just reached our one year mark in site. That means Sayausi has been our home for one entire year. Times such as these call for deep reflection and self-analysis. What have I really done this past year? What will the future bring? Why does the gas truck come so late on Fridays? I suppose more time in site may shed light on these probing questions, or I may still have no idea why buying five papayas costs more per papaya than buying only three. Only Father Time knows and so we will await his omniscient reason and in the meantime patiently pass the time until seven thirty for the gas truck on Fridays and gladly buy papayas in threes instead of fives.

Easter Pascua (not Navidad Pascua)

Pascuas Past

Last Easter we were in La Esperanza located about forty five minutes West of Cayambe, which in turn is located about an hour North of Quito. We went several masses, ate fanesca, were troubled by the scary people in purple robes, and ate tons of homemade humitas (tamales for those of you more familiar with Mexican gastronomy). To refresh your memory and stroll down the pleasant roads of yesteryear check out our Easter Post from last year by clicking here.

Pascuas Present

This Easter we saw many processions, heard the warning bells for many masses, were overwhelmed by the smell of rosemary on Palm Sunday, and we observed the final station of the Via de la Cruz from the comfort and safety of our apartment (my favorite “tradition” is that after the last station the plaza was raided by ice cream vendors and I’m pretty sure the entire town of Sayausi partook in a rico helado, I later asked about this “tradition” as I saw it to be and was told that it was not a tradition at all, people were just cooling down after the long walk that is the Via de la Cruz…but if it happens every year, and only once a year at the exact same time than what is it?). We would have participated more fully in the goings on had I not been with gripe (a cold, flu-like, non-specific illness).

As it was we were busy cooking up a storm. No, we were not attempting our own version of fanesca (see last year’s post) we were busy creating our own version of some Carbone family classics. Now of course, with the exception of Easter Salad which was still made by a Carbone, the remaining dishes were made with the blood, sweat, and tears of a Driscoll-MacEachron. So, below is the menu for our Ecua-Easter Sunday:

Breakfast:

Easter Salad

Googala

Easter Bread (Of which I made tons and gave out to several families that we are close with in town. They all loved it and were completely amazed, as was I, that the egg cooks in the oven with the bread. Also, everyone thought it was a lot like guas-guas de pan (babies of bread) which are made in abundance for the Dia de los Difuntos, see our November post for more information)

Lunch:

Repeat of Breakfast

Dinner:

Lasagna with homemade spinach noodles

Salad (hecho by fellow PCV Kelly)

Dessert (Special Note: We were going to make a wheat pie but I had tuckered myself out and so called upon a more tried and true dessert)

Sugar Cookies (hecho by Me and Kelly)

On a scale of a-very-Eastery Easter to a-not-so-very-Eastery Easter, I think we hit it out of the ballpark with a super-Eastery Easter. Of course there were no dyed eggs as all of the eggs here are shades of brown and more often than not soiled (see pictures) and Easter egg dye is essentially nonexistent, so there were some lacking elements but the spirit was there and that’s what counts! So, Happy Easter to one and all!!!!

Easter in Ecuador (double-click to enlarge)

Pascua Future

Like I know what’s going to happen next Easter! You’ll just have to check back then and find out. Or next year, I can post a link to this year’s blog and it will be like I wrote about next year’s blog this year…who’s with me?

Es Lindo Hacer Deporte

Once again we had a month filled with athletic events and we were told many a time by many an Ecua, “es lindo hacer deporte.” Which roughly translates to, “It’s nice to do sports.” Everyone from the woman who works at the lavanderia to the man who sells pinapples in the street would tell us, “Si, es lindo hacer deporte” especially when I was walking around town in my very red uniform (see the parade of uniforms post).

Indoor

This month I was invited to join another soccer team. The team is made up of some of the same women on the soccer team that I am already on but the games are played on a different field and it’s not called “futbol” it’s called “indoor”. The origins from this name are based on the size of the field. The field is small like the size of the fields used for indoor soccer in the States. However, unlike in the states “indoor” is not played indoors. The field is in someone’s backyard and since it is bordered by corn and sheep it is most definitely outdoors. To help me get ready for this new sport we went to our local tienda and bought a brand new “indoor” ball so that I can practice. We were quite surprised to find out that the ball for “indoor” does not bounce….here is the proof….

Click here to see the video!

Last Sunday I played my third “indoor” game outdoors on the muddiest field I have ever seen during a mild downpour. My very red uniform was completely black with mud after the game and I only finished cleaning it yesterday after several days of soaking and scrubbing. In any event, “indoor” is fun and it means that I now have a game every weekend and two games every other weekend, as my “futbol” team only plays once every fifteen days but “indoor” plays outdoors every week.

Basket

We have known for quite sometime that there is a women’s basketball league in Sayausi. In fact I have been invited to play several times but have declined since my basketball skills are far below my futbol ones. However, we have recently discovered that a men’s basketball league is starting up. We learned this by the many solicitations Mike has received to play on different teams. Being 6’2’’ is something that is not easily overlooked here in Sayausi where at 5’4’’ I am taller than the average man.

Next week the season starts and it looks like Mike will be playing on the Buenos Aires Men’s Basket (they just say, “basket” not “basketball”) Team. We selected that team for him since it is made up entirely of the husbands of the women on my futbol team. Now we just have to find shoes…if only that were as easy as it sounds. Shoe sizes are EU here and Mike needs a forty-six. In Cuenca, a city with half a million inhabitants, the largest shoe size that can be found is a forty-one. Wish us luck and check back later for basket highlights!

Fesitval Atletica de Cuenca

Every year Jefferson Perez (see Olympic post) organizes a giant 15km race to raise money for various causes. The cost to register is $1 and you get a t-shirt, a medal, a water bottle, a little bag, and about a thousand promotional coupons for various local businesses. Needless to say they had us at t-shirt. Here is a link to the official event website.

Last Saturday we and five thousand others gathered at the mall to collect our number, running chip, and t-shirt. After three hours of waiting in a line that actually wasn’t that long (probably about thirty yards) Jefferson Perez himself handed us our bag of goodies and we were ready to race!

Last Sunday at 10:00am we and five thousand others gathered at that start line for the annual Jefferson Perez 15km. Considering I had had a pretty serious cold for two weeks at this point, I was feeling a little nervous about the following nine miles. Not to mention that in the three previous races we had participated in here in the Cuenca area we both finished close to last. It seems that there are very few casual runners in Cuenca and as such I am almost always one of the last ones to cross the finish line. So imagine my surprise when there were lots, and I mean lots, of slow runners participating in the 15km. I looked average, and average was a welcome change from far below it.

Running with kleenex in hand on the cobbled streets of historic Cuenca, through rain and sun, I arrived at the finish line about ten minutes after Mike after completing the mandatory lap around the stadium track to a crowd of cheering onlookers. However, we had little time to relish our respectful finishing times as I had an “indoor” game that started in an hour. So, off we went to ‘hacer mas deporte’ because it is really nice to do sports.

Work

Although Peace Corps work is really about being here, living here, and all that that entails we realize that sometimes our stateside readers need a fix about our so called “actual” work, so here it is; some of the things we have been doing for the past few months at “actual” work….

Me

I am still working primarily a local elementary school where I collaborate with the kindergarten teacher several times a week to help with English instruction as well as basic literacy skills in Spanish. (Follow this link to see pics of the school taken during the kiss the flag ceremony). I have also been working with ETAPA, the local municipal water provider, to run a plant nursery and school vegetable garden where we bring a class of fifth graders to assist in the upkeep of the plants at both the nursery and the garden (Follow this link to see pics of the parade and museum I organized last June with this same organization). I am trying to implement a larger educational component for the fifth graders while they are at the nursery and garden but it looks like I will have to keep working on that for a while as the mindset of both the students and teachers is that outside time is not learning time.

Que mas…I’m helping a local teacher with a field trip for mid-May where we will visit several nearby lakes and learn about the water cycle, water treatment, and of course cuidaring (taking care of) our water resources. I continue to do cooking lessons with a few women who have taken a strong interest in things like tortillas, pizza, and carrot soup. (Click here to see a previous post of me cooking with the ladies)

So work is good and it looks like things are popping up more and more and I am still finding new things to do and ways to help out despite not working directly with an established counterpart.

Mike

Mike has spent the last month working on a trail marking project. About a month ago a Polish guy showed up at the park saying he wanted to pay for and execute a trail project. Cajas of course agreed to the free money and free service and Mike jumped at the opportunity to be working in the park (not the office) on a daily basis participating in a project that would have real results without any signatures required. Not to mention the fact that two months ago a group of six fishermen got lost in the park, Mike had to organize search teams (made up of park guards, fireman, police and army) to go find them, and that none of that would have happened had the trails been properly marked.

At this point almost all of the trails have been marked and Matt (the Polish guy) and Mike have spent countless hours walking the trails with a GPS, a paintbrush, paint, and map marking key spots on each of the eight trails (a total of about 40 miles in length most of it at least 12,000 feet above sea level). Next week they are putting in wooden signs at each of the places where the trails meet indicating the names of the trails that are converging, how long each of the trails is from that point, and the difficulty level of each trail. (Follow this link to see pictures of Cajas National Park)

As a side project Mike has been going to a Neotropical Fauna class at the University of Azuay to help preserve and stuff a wolf (really just an Andean fox, but they call it a wolf) that a co-worker found in the park. Last week they took off the skin and threw away the insides. Next week, they are degreasing the skin with gasoline and beginning the preservation and stuffing process. Keep checking back to see how the wolf gets back to the park. (Follow this link to see a picture of a live wolf-fox)

Politico

It’s election time again! That means lots of little cars with big megaphones on their roof, parades, late night rallies in the plaza, posters with faces and numbers everywhere, political jingles on the radio and TV, and no sale or public consumption of alcohol from Friday at noon until Monday. Also it means we can’t leave our site, give interviews, be on TV, visit polling sites (see link to Constitution post when we did visit a polling site), or anything else that could be considered in any way, shape, or form, political. As such I have nothing more to say about the upcoming election where Correa is expected to win by all credible news sources.

Can you find the election posters??? (double-click image to enlarge)

Gratuitous Chuspi videos

And for your viewing pleasure…Chuspi playing with random objects!!!!

These were all taken this morning as I was writing the blog. That means Mike had nothing to do...hence, all of the videos. Enjoy!!!

Click here to see Chuspi play with paper

Click here to see Chuspi play with a bottle cap

Click here to see Chuspi play with a plastic bag

Click here to see Chuspi play with tagua

Click here to see Chuspi watching and running away from tagua

Click here to see Chuspi watching tagua and the camera

Click here to see Chuspi play with tagua and plastic bag

Click here to see Chuspi play with tagua and plastic bag, again

March 20, 2009

Friday

7:10am

Cloudy and Rainy, 55F

Sayausi

Carnaval

In our last blog we briefly explained what Carnaval is and the nationwide water, flour, and silly string fight that last from Friday through Tuesday of Carnaval. However, when we posted our last blog we had yet to actually participate in said water fight and were relatively clueless as to the finer details of this nationwide water fight. Now, we are seasoned Carnaval participants and can report on what it is like to be in Ecuador for their week long equivalent of Fat Tuesday.

We left off on the Friday of Carnaval when we were headed back from Riobamba after attempting a climb of Volcan Chimborazo. The drive out of Riobamba took place amidst a monster parade followed by an all out war zone of water fighting, flour throwing, and silly string dousing. When we arrived in Cuenca our bus was assaulted by water balloons soaking the first several rows of people on the bus. In Sayausi we made it to the safety of our apartment dodging buckets of water and water balloons which were being thrown from the roofs of surrounding buildings.

Saturday and Sunday began at just before dawn with an onslaught of homemade fireworks exploding every five to ten seconds until mass began around nine. Each mass was preceded and proceeded by a parade accompanied by another massive round of these homemade fireworks that release no show of lights when they explode, only an earth shattering “CRACK” that sounds exactly like gun fire (which makes sense since aside from bamboo and newspaper, they are made of gunpowder). Additionally, every time one of these firecrackers goes off it causes every car alarm within a half mile radius to go off as well. The result is more or less captured in the footage below.

The water fighting continued all through Saturday and Sunday. We saw a lot of the action from the safety of our apartment. The usually peaceful Sunday market was punctuated by occasional squeals and shouts from people soaking others, getting soaked themselves, or in somewhere in between one of those two stages. Even the Padre got out the hose and participated in the water festival.

Monday it was out turn.

Our host mom’s sister, Dona Rita, invited us up to her house for a carnaval feast. Having some idea that this feast may also include a little fight (in the form of throwing water) we dressed down for the occasion wearing clothes we not very attached to, or at least had no use for in the following week. Also, we made sure not to take our camera since we knew it would get wet….that means no pictures, but I’m sure you can imagine what it was like.

We arrived at Dona Rita’s house around ten o‘clock in the morning and were immediately put to work. I was a deliverer of various goods between the kitchen in the house and the smoke house where Mike was put to work roasting one of five cuyes (for pictures of the cuy roast check out our post from September when Don Jimmy visited us…same smoke house, same fire, same cholitas, same cuy sticks). Other meat prepared for that day include: several chickens and a roasted rabbit. Mike was told that he has a “muy linda mano” (a very pretty hand) for roasting cuy as his cuy turned out perfectly i.e. super red and crispy. He also got to eat a roasted rabbits foot as a snack since it was burning and needed to be removed. During the roasting, which took the better part of four hours, the family that wasn’t directly involved in the cooking i.e. the children, one Rita’s daughters who works six 14 hour days a week, and some of the older male cousins were of course engaged in an extreme water fight.

Please remember that it is cloudy with zero sun with the ambient temperature hovering in the low to mid 50sF and the water temperature closer to freezing than not and of course there is no sort of heat in the houses which are primarily made of concrete. Needless to say participating in a water fight in these conditions leaves the participants very wet and very, very cold.

Our luck held on, however, as we made through the roasting and other feast preparations without getting soaked. We did get espuma-ed (covered in a silly string like substance that comes in a can and is called “espuma”, it smells like a mixture between soap and shaving creams and dissolves pretty rapidly).

Around three o’clock the food was ready and everyone sat down to enjoy the fruits of their labor….

First Course: Chicken soup with mote and aji (a salsa made from tree tomato)

Second Course: Rice fried with noodles and hot dog, boiled chicken, roasted rabbit, roasted cuy, potatoes, and a glass of Coke

Third Course: Canned peaches and canalasso (warm, cinnamon rum drink)

At around four or four thirty after roasting for four hours and eating for one or two hours, we started making our excuses for having to leave. This started the second round of the Carnaval feast day celebrations. Apparently, one of the reasons for the feast and all the edible goodies is so that the guests can’t complain when they are attacked afterwards (although the people who host are also subjected to the chaos which ensued)!

Out came the boxes of flour and suddenly the living room and all of the people in it were covered in flour (yes, the water, flour, and espuma fighting is not limited to outdoors)! The flour was then covered by espuma and then people were carried outdoors (myself included) where they were doused with several buckets of near freezing water. Thinking about it sets my teeth chattering de nuevo. Mike, though he was not carried, was then also soaked with several buckets of the same near freezing water. After we were both floured, espuma-ed, and drenched to the bone we were allowed to say our goodbyes and start the long walk home.

I don’t think I mentioned that Dona Rita’s house is in the neighborhood where I teach and as such I know a large number of children in the area, and more importantly for this walk during Carnaval, a large number of children know me. I guess we left Rita’s at about the same time that all the other families had finished with their feasting and had smoothly transitioned into the water fighting portion of the day because the streets were lined with kids armed with bottles, buckets, hoses, and water balloons. Our twenty minute walk was pointedly marked every fifty yards by kids yelling, “Senorita!” and then some sort of water attack. On the way home we were soaked by at least seven kids with buckets of water and one very determined kid with a hose. By the time we got to our apartment I’m pretty sure my core body temperature had dropped by several degrees. Fortunately, we have a water heater and at least seven boxes of tea so we were warmed up quickly. (we did take a couple pictures of what we looked like upon returning home, but by then most of the flour and all of the espuma had been washed away, and there is no way the picture can capture how cold we were!)

Tuesday we had planned to go visit our friend Carmita for a little bit in the morning and then spend the rest of the day recuperating from Monday. However, at Carmita’s we ran into Ruth (a friend of ours from soccer) who invited us over to her family’s house which is two houses down from Carmita’s. And so by ten o’clock Tuesday morning we were back in the Carnaval swing of things.

Ruth lives in a house with her daughter, mom, dad, sister, and her sister’s daughter. This makes up about one twentieth of the people, all family, who were at her house that Carnaval Tuesday. Unlike Dona Rita’s where they filled up buckets from the faucet and then soaked people with the buckets, Ruth’s family had several inflatable swimming pools set up the largest of which was over two meters (seven feet) in length and at least one meter (three feet) wide (this did not stop people from making jokes about Mike’s size and whether or not he would fit in the pool, the best of which include; “We’ll have to fold him up”, “Who has a chainsaw so we can fit him in the pool”, and “ We’ll have to soak him part by part”). Needless to say we did not make it long without getting thrown into one of these pools. Fortunately, there was some sun in the morning so we dried out a little in between soakings.

The feast at Ruth’s included the following:

First course: Crackers with a sweet coconut, vanilla spread and canalasso drink

Second Course: Chicken soup with mote, aji, and canalasso

Third Course: Grilled Sausage, Potatoes, Chicken, Rice, Mote, Agua de Remedios, and canalasso

Fourth Course: A roll, pineapple marmalade, cheese, and canalasso

Being seasoned Carnavalers by this time we knew the party was not over after the food was served and eaten. Sure enough about ten minutes after everybody had finished eating the soaking resumed (not that it ever really stopped as buckets were thrown during the meal and the hose wasn’t turned off at any point during the day). However, I did think that since we had been such good sports earlier we might be sparred another trip to the pool….wrong, wrong, wrong. We were both ceremoniously (or unceremoniously) carried and dunked into the pool again, which by now was filled with mud and all sorts of yard debris. We were also each individually called upon to be participants in the Reina y Rey of Carnaval competition, which meant not only did we get soaked again we first had to parade around the pool as people cheered. I came in second place and was given a fake rose (the winner was thrown in the pool yet again after having eggs cracked on her head). Mike also got second place and was awarded a crown (the winner was covered with mud and then thrown into the pool). I’m sure that we each would have won, but they didn’t want to subject us to the eggs and mud…..we were thankful.

Then everyone gathered around the bonfire and were served coffee with bread and a piece of candy, which if you are counting is course number five for the day. After an hour or so of hanging out by the fire we said our “thank yous” and “goodbyes” and headed home for hot water and tea this time avoiding the street lined with kids and buckets of water.

Water fighting and more!

Padre leading the Procession while singing

The Band plays on...

What Carnaval sounds like...

Juramento de la Bandera

The Friday after Carnaval is a big day for seventh graders in Ecuador. On this day every seventh grader across the country swears to the flag. This means several things: they have to wear their fancy uniform with their white gloves, they have to practice the national anthem a lot so they can sing along during the ceremony, everyone gets out of classes for the day, and they are sworn to protect their country and their flag. I think it’s kind of like saying the Pledge of Allegiance in the States except they only have to do it once instead of everyday from first grade through twelfth like we do (or did) back home.

The day started with an hour and a half of recess during which time the kids played soccer and tag and stuffed themselves with hot dogs, french fries, and candy (a very normal recess here in Ecuador). Then around nine o’clock all of the kids, from second to fourth grade, lined up and got ready to march.

The entire ceremony took about an hour and a half during which time the students marched in, sang the national anthem, listened to a speech about the battle of Tarqui, another speech about being loyal to the flag, sang the hymn of Cuenca which sounds exactly the same as the national anthem, and finally swore to the flag.

To swear to the flag each child marches up to the flag, takes a knee, says “Te prometo” (I promise you), kisses the flag, then stands up and marches away. Then the ceremony is essentially over and all the kids line up to take pictures with their parents and the director of the school. I was the informal photographer of the day and so the event is pretty well documented, enojy!

My School

Recreo

Directing the Students

Marching

Sumakguaguapumachuspisapa

On the last day of February 2009 we went to the Feria Libre (the big market here in Cuenca) to look at kittens. And looking of course turned into buying and that is how Chuspi came into our lives.

We had looked at a few stalls that had kittens but the stall Chuspi was at was filled with chickens, ducks, turkeys, cuyes, dogs, geese, and who knows what else. As such it was a pretty noisy stall and we ended up stopped there for a few minutes just to take in the chaos of a ten foot by ten foot tent stacked high with countless cages each stuffed with various animalitos. It didn’t take long to spot the lone cage with several kittens crouched into the corner looking just about as pathetic as you can without looking ill.

Chuspi was the first one we pulled out and I guess once you hold a kitten there’s no putting it back so we played with here for a little bit at the stall. During this time a duck escaped and Mike was asked to grab the escapee. Having never caught a duck before, and not being able to stand up straight because of the low blue tarps and various ropes stringing them together, Mike was at a severe disadvantage and I’m pretty sure the duck got away as they still hadn’t found it by the time we left about ten minutes later.

So after a few minutes of playing with Chuspi and duck hunting we gave the lady at the stall three dollars and left with Chuspi in hand to find a basket to carry her home in.

Later that day we gave her her full name which translates roughly to “pretty little puma that’s a lot like a fly” a.k.a Sumakguaguapumachuspisapa or for those who know her well or don’t speak Kichwa simply Chuspi, which means fly.

We have now had Chuspi for three weeks during which time she has learned to use a litter box, doubled in size which makes her about 2 lbs and eight inches long, and has learned to jump to the amazing height of six inches.

Chuspi!!

Chuspi climbs up

St. Joseph’s Day

As most of you already know, March 19th is St. Joseph’s Day. You may or may not know that St. Joseph is the patron saint of Sicily. A long, long time ago there was a severe drought raging through Sicily and the people prayed to St. Joseph for rain. They promised that if the rains came they would have a feast to honor him. And very soon the rains came so the people of Sicily did not starve. In fact the rains allowed them to harvest their fava crops and so they survived on favas, or maybe they survived on favas during the drought. It happened some time ago so the details are a little fuzzy. Either way, St. Joseph’s Day is celebrated by creating an altar to St. Joseph and preparing a feast that includes the fava bean.

Luckily for us the fava (or haba bean en espanol) is super popular up here in the highlands of Ecuador and in preparation for the feast we bought three pounds of fava beans and told our friends to make fava-licious recipes for the feast of St. Joseph.

After cooking for several hours and constructing a worthy altar to St. Joseph everyone arrived (four other Peace Corps Volunteers from the Cuenca area) and the feasting began!

The Feast

Spicy pickled favas

Roasted curried favas

Roasted honey mustard favas

Sauteed favas with garlic and oregano

Roasted peppers with red wine vinegar

Assorted fruits

Bean dip with fava chips

Rosemary foccacia with herbed butter

Potato Rolls

Minestrone soup

Fava shepard’s pie

Biscotti

Pound Cake

Spinge cookies with ricotta filling

The Altar

Three tiered

St. Joseph card

Candles

Balsam wood incense

Bread Crumbs (symbolize the fact the Joseph was a carpenter)

Fava beans

Wine

Flowers

Fruit

Sprinkles

Fresh pasta

Fresh herbs

Anything we had with a face on it (Pez dispensor, Al Gore St. Patrick’s Day card, piggy bank, owl key chain)

Anything shiny or pretty (medals from races, bracelets, ribbons, hand stitched heart from Valentine’s day, hand woven change basket, pine cones from Long Island)

The musical entertainment consisted of a customized playlist of Italian artists, Italian-American artists, songs that were or sounded like they could be from the Mediterranean, and a DVD of a performance of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. hosted by Johnny Carson. Nothing but the best for St. Joseph’s Day.

Feasting

Wedding

This past Saturday Mike and I were invited to a wedding in Cuenca. The wedding was for a friend of ours in his third year of service with the Peace Corps who has been dating Gaby, an ecuadorian, for the past two years. We used this muy formal event to justify getting a suit made for Mike, as suits in the States never fit his unique build ( i.e. tall and thin). There were nine other volunteers at the wedding and about 90 Ecuadorians all ready to eat, drink, and dance. The ceremony started at five and we weren’t back in Sayausi until midnight (a late night for us). Enjoy the pictures and keep an eye out for the “dama de amor” (this is a woman who traditionally dresses in red and is supposed to distract all the single young men from the bride).

Pics from the Wedding

February 21, 2009

Saturday

8:07am

Sayausi

Partly Cloudy, 55F

Atletismo

This past week we decided to test our aerobic capabilities in two arenas: running a 10k at 9,000ft and attempting a hike up Chimborazo a volcano whose summit is over 20,700ft above sea level; the closest point to the sun on the entire planet (thanks to equatorial bulge).

Reference points: We will be talking a lot about altitude in this post so here’s a few points of reference from the states:

Highest mountain east of the Mississippi River is just over 6,000 feet above sea level.

Highest peak in the lower 48 is just over 14,000 feet above sea level.

Combine the two of those and you get Volcan Chimborazo at 20,700 feet above sea level.

146th and 184th

The 10k race was last Sunday and the course wove through the streets of Cuenca. Like all the other races we have participated in or observed in Ecuador there were no casual runners. Everyone showed up in their fancy running shorts and tank tops doing star jumps and other ridiculous looking warm up activities. They also all brought their racing attitude i.e. I am going to give it my all and if I am not vomiting at the end of this race I did not try hard enough. Needless to say that is not the attitude I showed up with. Nor have I spent my life running at 9,000ft above sea level like every other participant (excluding Mike and the other volunteer who were also running in the race). As such I began the race towards the back of the 250 person pack and finished in the back as well. My place being 184th out of 250. Mike did slightly better coming in at 146th place. I guess this should have been an indication of our preparedness to climb Chimbo which again peaks out at over 20,000ft above sea level and is the highest place on the planet.

The Chimbo Trek

Since arriving back in Ecuador Mike and another volunteer, Garrett, have been planning their attempt to climb Chimborazo. The climb to the summit is supposed to take between 8-10 hours and the descent an additional 2-4 hours, depending of course on the speed at which you are walking which is dictated by fitness level, snow level, and level of acclimatization, and of course level of craziness (which according to me has to be set higher than average). The climb itself, we were told, is not technical and only requires that a person be in good shape. By the end of the trip our definition of good shape and even altitude acclimatization had completely changed.

Entrenemiento

To prepare for this climb Mike was of course hiking in Cajas on a regular basis (I too was going on these hikes but as I have a more average level of craziness I never intended to attempt a summit on Chimbo and instead planned on staying at the refuge while the other made their climb; as such these were not training hikes for me, they were just normal hikes).

These hikes usually peaked out at around 13,000 ft above sea level and we went out hiking for 4-6 hours once or twice a week in the month leading up to Chimbo. The highest we hiked up to during our training was Paraguillas which reaches 14,500ft above sea level.

In addition to these hikes, Mike had started a weight-lifting regime which included going into our dojo with the gas tank, a brick, several big bottles of water, and a few big rocks. I am not sure what the regime consisted of but it took about an hour and he came out tired and sweaty…boys. On my part, I was going for 40-50 minute runs several times a week, in preparation for my stay at the refuge. After my last Andean mountain refuge stay three years ago at Cotopaxi where we had to come down due to my mild altitude sickness I was trying not to take any chances.

So, after a full four weeks of this intense training schedule, Garrett and Gina (two volunteers that started their service in Bolivia but were relocated to Ecuador after Bolivia was forced to kick out the US Ambassador and PeaceCorps Bolivia was shut down) arrived in Sayausi to make the trip up to Riobamba the nearest city to Volcan Chimborazo.

Gearing Up

On Tuesday morning, the day we were planning to leave for Riobamba the city closest to Chimbo, while walking towards the bus terminal in Cuenca with our backpacks we got a call from the mountain guide agency. They were calling to see if we still wanted to go up even though it wasn’t a full moon. Apparently, since global climate change started messing with normal weather patterns they have found that the weather on Chimbo is better around the full moon and our chances for a summit would be greater if we postponed two weeks and attempted our climb with a full moon shining down. They also wanted to let us know that the recent weather on the mountain had been fairly bad (lots of snow) and that they can never guarantee what the climbing conditions will be like, but that they “confiar en la luna”.

Now, none of us were earth science majors but even with our biology degrees we were pretty confident that the moon has very little influence on mountain weather patterns. So despite what the guide shop was advising us, we decided to go ahead and leave as originally planned as the historically best times for climbing Chimbo are June-August and December-February and if we waited two more weeks we would be climbing during the historically worst time to climb. “Worst” times to climb and “best” times to climb being based on the weather and snow level during these times. Surprisingly when there is a lot of snow it makes the climb a lot harder and the chances of reaching the summit before utter exhaustion are low.

So, at 11:00am on Tuesday morning we set off for Riobamba. After six hours of slow curvy Andean highland semi-paved highway we arrived. A half an hour after that we got a phone call from PeaceCorps telling us that the road between Cuenca and Riobamba (the same that we just took) was off limits to volunteers due to landslides and subsequent road closures. Talk about timing! If we had left any later PeaceCorps wouldn’t have let us go, we would’ve lost our deposit money and our chance to climb Chimbo (Parents of the world, please do not worry too much, had it been really bad we would’ve cut our financial losses in favor of our safety…or at least I would have and then Mike would’ve had to as well).

After talking with PeaceCorps and letting them know we were in fact safe, it was time to eat, and eat, and eat. We met up with another volunteer who lives in Riobamba and she took us to a little pizza place where I think Mike may have eaten his weight in food, all in preparation for the climb of course.

Wednesday morning we walked around Riobamba until one o’clock when we went to the mountain guide agency to get all of our gear and then head up to the refuge. We were supposed to go the agency earlier but a group of Germans who were up on Chimbo the night before got really sick on the mountain and the guides were busy all morning getting them off the mountain and back to safer altitudes.

At the guide shop the climbers, Mike, Garrett, and Gina, were given boots, crampons, an ice ax, water resistant pants, a fleece, a water-resistant jacket, giant gloves, a harness, a headlamp, and gators (things that cover your shoe up to your knee so snow doesn’t fall into your boots). I was given the warm clothing, a sleeping bag, and none of the climbing gear.

After picking up some roasted chicken and the rest of our food for the next 20 hours we got in the car and started the drive up to the first refuge located about an hour and half from Riobamba with an altitude of 15,748 ft above sea level (the same altitude as the refuge on Cotopaxi where I got sick from the altitude three years earlier). The ride up was half on a paved road and half on a windy, cinder road with visibility of about ten feet due to heavy fog (at this altitude they are clouds, but it still seems like fog). The only things that would occasionally break the white blanket of fog were giant volcanic rocks strewn across the barren landscape and several prancing vicuna (a relative of the alpaca with extraordinarily fine fibers and a very small population).

When we arrived at the first refuge there was a blanket of snow with a depth of at least 3-4 inches. We were told that it is a rare thing to have snow that low on the mountain….retrospectively a warning that there would be huge quantities of snow higher up the mountain. At the first refuge we were given a snack of tea and popcorn followed an hour later by dinner. It was sometime between the snack and dinner when my head started to hurt…totally psychological right, that I would get the same symptom of altitude sickness at the exact same altitude I got sick last time?

Once we had finished dinner we donned all our gear and headed up to the second refuge on a cinder trail lined with giant volcanic boulders (both red ones and black ones), covered with snow, and a visibility range of 20 feet at best.

Drive North, Gear Up, and the First Refuge

16,404 ft – 19,???ft

The hike to the second refuge took about 30 minutes and all the physical and aerobic strength I had, made painfully obvious by the persistence of my headache and the onset of mild nausea. We were now at 16,404ft above sea level, the highest any of us had ever been.

At this altitude I was not the only with a headache, but everyone else maintained their positivity and hoped that a couple of hours of sleep before the climb would help. So, at 7:00pm we got into our sleeping bags and attempted to doze off for a few hours before the 11:30pm wake up call.

I can only speak for myself and Mike but those few hours were anything but restful. My heart rate never dropped below 90 beats per minute, my headache just got worse, and the sleeping bag was not keeping me warm. In fact, I was probably shivering for the entire time, my shivers ranging from mild to severe jerking spasms. During these restless hours I was considering my bailout option: hiking down to the first refuge and paying the guide there any sum of money to drive me back to Riobamba. Luckily, I was about to inherit three additional sleeping bags once everyone left on their hike so I decided to wait it out and see if warmth would make things better (spoiler alert: the extra sleeping bags did in fact make all the difference and I slept like a rock from 12:30 onward).

At 11:30 pm the guides came to wake everyone from their restless sleep. Mike, Garrett, and Gina got up and began gearing up by the light of their headlamps and shuffling down to the first floor where “breakfast” by candlelight was waiting (there is no electricity at this altitude). I too got up and went downstairs to enjoy the small fire (the wood comes up on donkey) and stretch out my now cramped muscles from tossing, turning, and shivering the past four hours. As Mike was being strapped into a harness that he would later be using to repel down an icy rock face, I sipped some hot chocolate, warmed my hands by the fire, and started to feel a little better.

When 12:30am rolled around it was time for the hike to start. The hike has to start in the middle of the night so that you can reach the summit and head back down before the sun has time to melt the snow causing avalanches and other mountain dangers. The equatorial sun is strong even at altitude. So, in the pitch black of midnight Mike, Garret, Gina and their two Kichwa and Spanish speaking guides set out from the second refuge headed up, and up, and up. I turned around, went, back upstairs, grabbed all of the sleeping bags, constructed a serious cocoon, and quite literally passed out into a lovely deep sleep.

Meanwhile…

…the hike began. Though I only saw the headlamps creeping up the first 10 meters of the path, and the reflective patches on their jackets shining back, I have been told Mike and the gangs’ accounts of what happened and have been given permission to relay that information here. The trail was steep. Very steep. Steeper than expected and relentless in its incline. There were no places where the trail leveled off. In fact, it actually got steeper as you went further along. At its easiest point the incline was most like a staircase but it would be more appropriate to compare the majority of the trail to a ladder. The trail was also surrounded by steep, sloping drop offs that dropped off for thousands of feet into a sea of darkness. The term “trail” is also slightly inappropriate as there were several feet of fresh snow on the mountain hence covering any “trail” that may exist below it. In the few places where the snow was thin, because of the steep slope, the “trail” was solid rock covered by a crust of ice.

“Crampon, crampon, ice ax,” were the words that continued to float through Mike’s head as he advanced slowly up the trail. This translates in layman’s terms to, “Left foot, right foot, cane,” but with the added physical challenge of kicking your feet into icy snow with each short stride and plunging the spiked end of the ice ax down several feet to provide an anchor in case the snow under your feet gives out and you start to slip downhill. (Notes for the non-climber: The ice-ax is attached to your safety harness by a short rope, so if your footing gives way and you slip and fall your ice-ax should catch you and support your weight. Also, each climbers harness is attached to their guides harness by a 20ft rope incase of fall, of which we did have one but thanks to the rope and harness system no one went sliding thousands of feet down the mountain. Crampons are the spiky metal things that look like mini bear traps that you strap to the bottom of your plastic mountain boots and use to kick into the snow and ice for traction.)

And of course, during all of this your body is severely deprived of oxygen. So, after two hours of ascent they arrived at the top of an inverted V shaped ridge, and despite the steep sides, this ridge was the one and only level part of the hike. This is where Mike took the only pictures we have of the hike as it was unbelievably cold and otherwise dangerous to take out the camera and let go of your anchor i.e. your ice ax which is what stands between you and slipping downhill into that unending dark slope to oblivion. But I’ve been told you could see both the Southern Cross and the Big Dipper so maybe it was worth it.

Another hour of “crampon, crampon, ice ax” and Mike started asking the guide some questions about how much longer there was to go and how hard the descent was. Three hours of constant hiking and there was still another five to go plus the descent which is faster but more energy demanding than the ascent. Considering this information plus the fact that the slope was getting even steeper causing more slipping and less upward movement, and that it was impossible to take more than four consecutive steps in row without stopping to rest, and that you couldn’t rest without getting really, really, cold, and you needed to rest more because the trail was getting harder, and that with every step you go there is less oxygen available, and that Mike is no longer single and twenty-one, he decided it was time to turn around and head back.

So, at nineteen thousand and some number of feet above sea level after three and a half hours of hiking up Mike and one of the guides turned around and started descending back toward the refuge located just over three thousand vertical feet below them. Gina, Garrett, and the second guide continued uphill for another hour or so before later coming to the same decision.

The hike down was faster as it included more slipping, sliding, and a free form of sledding (without a sled) down a particularly steep section that involved Mike in a seated position using his ice ax as a handbrake with the guide he was still roped to behind him doing the same thing for about 300 yards. In addition to this free form sledding Mike had to repel down a 20 foot rock face covered with snow and ice. Repelling meaning the guide was holding all of Mike’s weight using a rope that they were each tied into by the harnesses they were wearing. As Mike slowly kicked to find footing with the toe part of each crampon and hammer in with the pick end of his ice ax he made his way down…as for the guide, he did the same thing without the additional safety of someone supporting his weight (I guess that’s why you pay for the guide).

Aside from the bitter cold, the steep drop offs into mountain crevices, the lack of oxygen, and the psychological challenge of forcing your body to its physical limits, the hike I was told, was absolutely gorgeous. The sky was clear allowing thousands of stars to decorate the otherwise black sky and a crescent moon eventually peaked over the mountain top turning the snow into a blanket of iridescent blue. So, despite numb fingers and toes, burning lungs, and extreme fatigue, the brain still seemed able to process the beauty of the mountain against the backdrop of night…or maybe it was all an illusion created by lack of oxygen, I guess we’ll never know.

Back in the refuge…

After five full hours of toasty warm, dreamless sleep I heard the unmistakable sounds of giant snow boots on the metal ladder staircase that leads up to the rooms where generally hikers sleep before the big hike, or in this case, where those who opt out of the extreme high altitude activities with high discomfort levels accompanied by the risk of falling off mountain ridges into an infinite blackness, sleep.

I crawled out of the four layers of sleeping bags under which I had been hibernating to see a large dark figure duck in through the doorway and then blind me with a giant headlamp. It took several seconds to realize this relative of the abominable snowman was in fact Mike back from his attempt to climb Chimborazo. Moving as quickly as he could in what was an exhausted, semi-frozen state, Mike took off the giant snow boots, the harness, the water resistant pants, the water resistant jacket, two fleeces, glacier gloves, hat, headlamp, and few other random pieces of climbing equipment and collapsed into the nearest bunk bed.

I did get a few details out of him before he fell asleep (yes, I did give up some sleeping bags). However, he didn’t get to sleep long before the sounds of snow boots on metal yet again broke the otherwise perfect silence of the refuge of Chimborazo. At around seven o’clock Gina and Garrett were back at the refuge having had to turn back from their climb about an hour after Mike turned back. Again, a few details were shared and many layers of equipment were shed before they too collapsed into the nearest available bunk. Being back down to one sleeping bag and since the sun was starting to crest over the mountain, I decided to get up and take a look around the refuge as it was after seven o’clock in the morning and my cocoon had been dismantled.

The morning at the refuge was beautiful. There were no clouds and the fog (clouds) that had enshrouded the area when we had arrived the day before had lifted revealing stunning views of the Volcan Chimborazo. I was later told that the weather during the hike was also beautiful, though cold, and that had it not been for the several snowy days preceding the climb that they would have had a better chance at the summit. In any event, the morning was certainly breathtaking and for a brief, fleeting, almost non-existent moment I could understand the urge to climb to the top of the gentle looking mountain before me. However, after a few careful minutes of studying the mountain side, the sharp edges stood out more clearly as well as the steep rock faces that cut through the snow covered ridges, and seeing the fresh tracks where the hikers had ascended the urge to even walk up the trail a little bit left as quickly as it came.

Several hours later, Mike, Garrett, and Gina awoke and we began the hike, which for them compared to the night before was more like a stroll in a park on a spring day, back down to the first refuge. At the first refuge we gathered up all the rented gear, turned it over to the guides, then piled into the van that would take us back to Riobamba leaving Chimborazo behind (and above) us in the clouds.

Chimborazo Climb

Carnaval

Back in Riobamba we were greeted with the official start of Carnaval. Carnaval is the Ecuadorian equivalent of Mardi Gras except that it lasts five days and instead of drunken madness, the entire country participates in what is essentially a giant, friendly water fight. Everyone is fair game, although the younger population seems more into it than the older population, and nobody gets mad.

This is how it works. You buy water balloons, water guns, and flour. You then walk the streets or perch on a balcony and try to soak as many people as your can. After soaking people with water you also try to cover them in flour or carioca (an Ecuadorian version of silly string). This continues all day for five days until Ash Wednesday. We’ve been told it stops on Wednesday but we were also told that it wasn’t supposed to start until this past Thursday, despite the fact that on February first Mike and I were walking in Cuenca when someone dumped an entire bucket of water on our heads. Luckily, aside from some minor water gun attacks, that’s been our only real soaking since Carnaval began but technically it started three days ago so we’ll see what happens.

We stayed the night in Riobamba and then headed back to Cuenca on Friday morning. Apparently, there had been several mudslides on the road between Riobamba and Cuenca but they were cleared up well enough to allow at least one lane of traffic to pass again. So, six hours later we were back home and ready to celebrate Carnaval…or at least ready to watch it from the safety of our apartment! (The soakings have reportedly been drier than normal since the water in Sayausi has been off for three days now. Don’t worry though; the kids are going down to the river to fill up their water guns and buckets.)

Riobamba Carnaval and Drive South

Carnaval in Riobamba

Special Note: When we arrived in Riobamba it was Day One of Carnaval. Saturday, Sunday, and especially Monday and Tuesday were still to come which means another blog is soon to come with loads of Carnaval goodness...check back soon!

February 12, 2009

Thursday, 8:54am

Cloudy, 55F

Sayausi, Cuenca

Kugel, Floods, and Slugs, Oh my!

Kugel

We’d like to take this opportunity to give you all a sneak peak into the daily events, trials, and tribulations of life in our apartment here in Sayausi. None of the following events are that extraordinary individually but looked at together paint a pretty accurate picture of what goes on in a typical week.

First, our apartment is pretty swanky for Peace Corps. It’s big, there’s furniture, and we even have appliances (which supplied the boxes that make up a significant percentage of our furniture). One of those uber swanky appliances is our stove. A real stove. Though after coming back from the states I realized our super fancy stove is actually super small as well. My mom gave me a really nice baking sheet over Christmas as they are difficult to find down here and the ones you can find are coated in tephlon, which with my tendency to burn things is not a good idea. I was so absolutely excited about this cooking sheet that it did not occur to me until I was back in Sayausi, in my apartment, looking at our stove, that the sheet might not fit in the stove.

I slowly approached the stove, pulled open the door, and tried to slide in the baking sheet. No luck. The baking sheet which would easily fit in any stove in the states with room to spare did not fit. I clanked and pushed and grunted, tilted, pulled, and gave up. The sheet did not fit. It was time for more drastic measures: Mike, a tool box, and a brick.

I sat down to watch as the lovely William and Sonoma baking sheet brought all the way from Arizona to the southern sierras of Ecuador was bent, banged, and sculpted to fit the dimensions of my mini-stove.

After several minutes of “reshaping” the baking sheet slid, with only minimal resistance, into the grooves within the oven meant to hold the oven racks. However, it works perfectly and aside from the small puncture wound received during some brick and nail maneuver it’s like the sheet was built for our oven…which I guess in a sense it was.

Anyway, so we have an oven small though it may be. And this allows for all sorts of tasty cookies and tasty experiments. One such experiment took place a few weeks ago when we and a friend from the coast decided to make kugel. Kugel: the food that somehow could be both dinner and dessert. Thanks to our tiny oven that could we made the noodley, cinnamony, cheesy, sugary dish and feasted until our hearts content…which with kugel comes after a relatively small portion.

Floods

During the same week our oven gave us kugel, the weather gave us something else: a flood in our very own 2nd floor apartment.

Since our arrival from the states Sayausi has been getting fairly regular thunder storms accompanied by huge downpours almost every afternoon. It’s actually rather impressive and I enjoyed watching the torrential letting of water from the clouds above, even though it meant a relatively large pool of water gathering in our laundry room (not a problem as that room is tiled and has a drain). In fact it was one afternoon when Mike didn’t go up to Cajas and we were both enjoying the weather spectacle from the safety of our apartment when somebody knocked on our door.

Our upstairs neighbors had come down to ask us if our apartment was taking on water.

We told them about the water in the back of our apartment and they said, “You’re going to get more. Come upstairs and look.”

We followed them up two flights of stairs to their apartment where it looked like someone had come in with a fire hose and soaked everything. There were buckets overflowing with water everywhere and a standing two inches of water covering the majority of their apartment. The only way out for the water was down, to our apartment. We raced back down the stairs to check the back of our apartment where the pool of water had doubled in size and we realized that water was also coming down and leaking through the ceiling in our bedroom.

We immediately started moving everything from our bedroom to the front of the apartment. Additionally, we began plotting with our neighbors about how to get the water from their apartment, and the vacant apartment right above us, out before it all leaked through. After a few minutes of intense brainstorming the answer came: brooms. Yes, brooms.

After gathering all the collective broom in the building everyone started sweeping the water out of the apartments and down the stairs to the front door of the building. We shut the door to our apartment, stuffed several towels in the space between the door and the floor, and listened as the indoor waterfall passed by our apartment and out on to the streets below. After about thirty minutes of an indoor water park most of the water had been moved out and we moved into the drying stage. For us, this meant moving all of the possibly damp clothes and furniture into drier places. For our neighbors it meant turning on all of the lights in the building, and leaving them on, for weeks. Yes, the lights in the upstairs apartment have been on for three weeks. We know that because in the hallway and in the laundry room the ceiling is made of clear glass tiles. So at night when it should be dark it is not (the tiles also gave us an interesting view on the water sweeping that took place earlier).

So our apartment has dried out and things have returned to normal except for the perpetual light all day and all night that emanates from the apartment of above.

Sweeping the flood away...

Slugs

There are no biting, malaria ridden mosquitoes in Sayausi. There are no poisonous snakes lurking in dark corners. There are no flesh eating parasites or dangerous predators. No, what we have do deal with are slow moving insects, slow moving spiders, and the slowest of the slow moving; slugs.

After every rain (which is every day) some slimy slug wiggles his way into our apartment. I am not sure why or what they have in mind but the come in nonetheless (maybe it’s the smell of kugel and other baked treat that draws them in). Mike was initially in charge of slug control as I dealt more with the slow moving spiders. However, one morning that all changed and I took over as slug buster. The events of that morning were captured on film.

This film may not be appropriate for slugs or other slimy creatures.

Recreation, First Aid Education, and Ecochallenger Biathlon-ation

Hike

Not surprisingly we went for another hike in Cajas. We’ve been doing some high altitude training…more on that in the next blog post.

Featuring the flowers of Cajas... (double click to enlarge the image)

...and Mike walking in the almohadilla...

...and Mary walking in the almohadilla

Back Country First Aid

Every month the park guards at Cajas have a day long meeting. During this day there is an informational meeting and then some sort of activity (like picking trash out of one of the many lakes in Cajas) or some sort of class.

For the January meeting Mike and I were going to be in charge of planning a backcountry first aid class for the park guards (in case anyone forgot we are both Wilderness EMTs and as such are qualified to give such a course…at least in Ecuador). And it looked like we were going to give the class until the day before we were supposed to give the class. Mike got extremely last minute confirmation from the Cruz Azul (a kind volunteer mountain rescue group in Cuenca) that they could come up to give the class. As such our class was postponed and we were assigned to be facilitators for the Cruz Azul class.

The class took place after the extremely boring meeting during which I read, a perk of not actually having a formal relationship with the park, and Mike had to pay attention or at least look like he was. After the two and a half hour meeting Cruz Azul took over.

Their presentation was interesting, the park guards seemed to enjoy it (especially the parts with ropes and harnesses), and other than the fact they got some medical information completely wrong and demonstrated a maneuver for a spinal injury that made my stomach flip and in real life would likely inflict serious damage to the patient, it went really well. We’ll definitely have to re-address a few details in the class that we will give to the guards but we got a really tasty free lunch at the end of it all and that makes almost anything worth it.

A glimpse of the class in action...

The Ecochallenger

Every year Cajas, in partnership with an organization in Cuenca, has an extreme biathlon through the park. It is called the Inganan, which roughly translated means the Trail of the Inca, since some of the course goes along the Inca Trail (although less this year since Mike had the route changed for conservation reasons).

The course begins with an hour and a half straight uphill bike ride and ends with a 20k run through the hills of Cajas. I don’t think there is any way to describe the extremeness of the hills in Cajas nor the extremeness of doing either of those two activities on their own at up to 14,000ft above sea level (think Pikes Peak without the snowcap). Thankfully, we were not competing in the race. We were a backcountry checkpoint on the trail and medical assistance should anything go wrong on the running part of the race.

However, to get to the checkpoint we had to hike in an hour and a half (at a pace I did not think I was, or should be, capable of) and hike out three hours crisscrossing the hillsides for lost racers (of which there would have been many more if we hadn’t been at our checkpoint waving my giant yellow raincoat in an attempt to lead the racers in the right direction up the valley). Needless to say even though we were not in the race we were tired at the end of it and gobbled up the sanduches they were handing out at the finish line, followed by a fried trout lunch complements of the race organizers.

Here is the website for the event: www.ecochallenger.blogspot.com

Valentine´s Day

In case you didn´t already know Valentine´s Day, even though it falls on a Saturday this year, is a perfectly valid excuse for not going to work or school today (Thursday) or tomorrow (Friday). Here, in Ecudaor the Dia de Amor y Amistad is more of a several day celebration. So, enjoy the ¨festival¨ of San Valentin and eat some candy hearts for us!

February 2, 2009

Monday

1:27PM

Cloudy and about 60F

Sayausi

Since the last post we have traveled over 15 hours in a bus, over 20 hours on a plane, have covered over thousands of miles, and have ended up back in Sayausi!

Before we left, Sayausi was in full-swing Christmas mode with parades everyday and masses every few hours. The kids were dressed up as anything that required a costume and the cars were decorated with fruits, bottles of pepsi and coke, and any kind of bright fabric that came in quantities large enough to cover a car. Mike and I were busy getting ready for our big trip home and last minute Christmas shopping (as well as a little shopping for ourselves)!

December in Ecuador

Making a Cholita

For the sake of future Halloweens and other events requiring a costume, Mike and I decided to buy all the necessary clothing and accessories to dress as cholos and cholitas de verdad.

First thing first: the pollera. The pollera is the traditional skirt that the women of Cuenca wear, or used to wear. Though the pollera is worn daily by the older women of the surrounding area, the younger women only wear the pollera for special events (like Christmas parades) or when they want to dress up a gringa (me) and then just can’t resist dressing up themselves.

There are various qualities of polleras and as such the prices range from a reasonable $20 to the ultimate red-carpet worthy pollera that costs up to $300. They are sold all over Cuenca and we spent a full day checking out polleras before settling on buying a lovely velvet, burgundy pollera with good swishing action and an expandable waist so it will fit for the ages.

With the pollera in hand we only needed a blouse, a chalina (a fancy scarf/blanket use for carrying grass for cuyes and dancing), an apron (for going to the market), and a hat (I think this is just satisfying the fashion diva hidden inside all cholitas). Thankfully, we live in the land of the chola and as such we had no difficulty find all of the remaining items…except for the hat.

As it turns out, I have an absolutely gigantic head. Yes, that’s right a cranial circumference that casts shadows throughout the land. So big that when we went to hat store they did not have a single pre-made hat that could hold the contents of my planet sized skull. Fortunately, the hat maker was a resourceful man and agreed to custom make a hat for me and my uniquely large bobble head. To make this special hat he essentially stretched the largest hat he had over the largest mold he had and then continued as per usual.

Per usual hat making in Cuenca involves hammering the woven straw hat over the ancient wooden mold and then dipping the hat in white glue (plaster might be more accurate than glue). It is the dipping in this glue, plaster goop that makes then final product extremely sensitive to rain. Yes, in a land where it rains more often than it does not the hat of choice would literally disintegrate in an afternoon shower. To combat this mortal flaw inherent in every cholita’s hat, everyone carries around a plastic grocery bag. When it begins to rain the cunning cholita takes off her hat, wraps it in the plastic bag, puts the hat wrapped in a bag back on her head, and continues as she was with what looks like a bag shaped like a hat balanced on her head.

With hat in hand and a bag in the other we had all the clothes, accessories, and plastic needed to make a cholita at any point in the future. Now all we needed was the cholo.

Making A Cholo

I am sure no one will be surprised to learn that it is much easier to make a cholo than a cholita.

To make a cholo you need two things: a poncho and a hat. We were lucky enough to find both of these items in the mecca of Ecuadorian souvenir shopping, Otavalo. Before we left for the States we spent several days in Otavalo buying many things including a bright red alpaca poncho and a black felt hat sporting a few brightly colored feathers. Although Mike also has a gigantic skull, Otavalo is accustomed to providing for the giant gringo tourists that pass daily by their stalls in the market. So, while my hat had to be specially stretched and formed, Mike was able to buy his size at the first hat vendor that we saw.

Check out the pictures in the New York section to see the final products aka La Cholita Mari y El Cholo Migi.

The Advent in Azuay

Though we were not in Sayausi for Christmas we saw a fair share of interesting noel customs. If it has not already been made clear, Cuencanos are always ready for a parade. At a moments notice the street goes from empty to packed with hundreds of children in dressed as cholitas, cholos, superman, batman, santa, angels, kings, queens, gypsies, shepards, animals, or trees. You name it and someone is dressed as it. In addition the hordes of children there are countless numbers of farm animals draped in giant blankets with tiger prints and leopard portraits usually carrying at least one child in full parade costume attire. The advent is no exception to the ardent love of parades the Cuenca nourishes in all of its children and adults alike.

The week before we left there was a parade every afternoon complete with children, farm animals, marching bands, and floats. Lucky for us most of the parades begin or end at the church and so we have an excellent view from our apartment window of all of the festivities. Here are some of the advent highlights:

- Trucks full of children dressed as nativity attendees

- Herds of little Santas

- Cars covered in fruit, soda bottles, bags of chips, and bags of cookies (these are offerings made to ensure good luck in the coming year)

- A roasted chicken with its head still attached propped up in a bed of roasted potatoes, mounted to the hood of a car with a twenty dollar bill stuck in its mouth (also an offering made to ensure good luck in the year to come)

We can imagine that the parades and costumes continued through Christmas as when we returned to Sayausi January 14th, 2009 there were still parades and as of today February 2, 2009 there are still these same types of parades. We have been told that they last until Ash Wednesday. In addition to the parades leading up to Ash Wednesday, February 1st marked the unofficial start of Carnaval here in Cuenca. This essentially means that from now until Ash Wednesday the city of Cuenca is engaged in a giant water balloon fight. Mike, myself, and a friend got our first taste of this on Sunday as we were walking home and were doused with a bucket of water. Only two more weeks to go, here’s hoping for sunny weather!

Ecua-December (Double click to enlarge the image)

The Trip Home

Getting to New York from Sayausi

We left Sayausi on December 13th, 2008 headed for Otavalo. In a midst of parades and floats we departed on an 8:00am bus from Cuenca with back packs full of snacks and presents…

…thirteen hours later we arrived in Otavalo where we stayed for several days before continuing on to New York!

We left Quito at 7:00am Friday morning and arrived at Mike’s Grandma’s at midnight. Thanks to a six hour delay while sitting on the runway in Miami because of heavy snow in the Northeast it took us 15 hours to get from Quito, Ecuador to the delicious cheese, olives, and desserts that were waiting for us in Bayville, New York. However, waiting on a plane that has water, several bathrooms, and built-in movie screens in the back of every chair was not nearly as bad as it had seemed before I had had to ride a bus for 12 hours straight on a regular basis in Ecuador where not only is there no water but there is, if you are lucky, an absolutely foul bathroom that requires extreme amounts of balance to use and an unbelievable tolerance for bad smells to remain in said bathroom for more than three seconds.

A Bicoastal Christmas

As our families live just about as far apart as is possible in the lower 48, Mike and I spent Christmas on substantially different longitudes. However, we both had a wonderful time and are very thankful to both our families for such a wonderful Christmas!

New York, New York! (Double click to enlarge the pictures)

AZ, AZ! (Double click the to enlarge the picures)

January in Vermont

The last few days we were in the States we took a small trip to Vermont with my mom and Mikes’ dad to check the possibility of living in Vermont once the days of Peace Corps have passed and we return to the real world of life in the States.

We stayed in Burlington for four full days, eating in delicious restaurants, visiting at least 10 schools, talking with three principals, touring the Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, studying up on quilt making in 19th century Middlebury, and generally traveling around seeing what we could see.

Snow and more snow! (Double click to enlarge the image)

Quilting in Middlebury

Back to Ecuador

You’ll never guess what was going on in the plaza of Sayausi when we got back…that’s right, another parade! It’s good to be back.

More Parades! (Double click to enlarge the image)

And dancing...

And dancing with parading...

December 12, 2008

Friday

1:23pm

Weather: Overcast, 60F

Sayausi

The Season Begins

Last Sunday marked the official start of the new soccer season here in Sayuasi. And like any beginning, end, or relatively special event in Ecuador it was accompanied by a parade. Each team, of which there are twenty, marches in their brand new uniforms each led by a flag bearing the team name, a mascota (a dog dressed up in the team uniform), and a madrina ( a local 15-20 year old woman in a fancy dress with heels and her hair done).

The parade began at ecua-ten o’clock in the morning and as such Migi and I arrived at my team’s captain’s house at ten fifteen (our gringo attempt to arrive on ecua-time). We were the first ones there, excluding the madrina and the several girls who live in the same house, and spent the next hour and a half in a small room with too much furniture and a ton a Christmas decorations chatting with Churritos (the daughter of the captain who has curly hair and therefore is known only as churritos which means curls) and watching as Darwin (the son of the captain who is three) repeatedly threw a Christmas wreath in an attempt to break the light bulb hanging from the ceiling.

By eleven thirty the entire team had arrived and the rest of the teams were lined up down the center street of Sayausi. And although we had been there for an hour and a half we had to run to make it to our spot in the parade. An Ecuadorian custom seems to be that no matter how early you get there and no matter how late the event starts there will be a period of panic where all of the sudden everyone is running.

With all twenty teams, mascotas, madrinas, and flags lined up we made our way through the adoring crowds to the stadium (the open dirt field with flood lights and goal posts where all the soccer games of the league are held). Upon arriving at the stadium each team’s name was called along with the name of the bella madrina. Each team would then slowly walk to midfield, turn down the center line, and then make a final turn headed toward one of the goal posts where the “mesa principal” was set up and all the Liga Deportiva de Sayausi bigwigs were seated. This procession probably took about forty-five minutes, highlights of which include a madrina riding in on horseback and the Ecuadorian equivalent of pomp and cirmcumstance played about forty-five times on a loop. The procession was followed by the Ecuador national anthem which was then followed by the Cuenca anthem which sounds exactly like the national anthem.

Marching down the Street

Still Marching in the Street

Entering the Stadium

Still Entering the Stadium

The Crowd

After the welcoming statements, each madrina was asked to step forward for the judging of the madrinas. This part most resembles a beauty pagent in the states except the contestants do not speak nor exhibit any sort of talent. They just stand there smiling and the judges walk back and forth a few times then huddle in a group for an excessive period of time before crowning the Senorita of the Liga Deportiva de Sayausi. During the judges huddle REMs “Losing My Religion” was played on a loop and my teammates joked about how I was the only one who could actually understand the words of the song. It’s worth noting here that the speakers and events of the inauguration do not have the crowd’s complete attention. I would even go so far as to say that they do not have half of the crowd’s attention. It has the feel of a high school assembly but without a principal telling everyone to quiet down.

Once the winning madrina had been picked and the other madrinas had time to dry their eyes it was time for the uniform judging. A representative from each was asked to step forward and again the judges walked back and forth a few times before huddling together to have a deep discussion about the quality of the uniforms. After another rendition of “Losing My Religion” the winning uniforms were announced….drum-roll please…BUENOS AIRES JR!! (for those of you who are totally out of the loop that is my team and we won the championship this past August). I guess tight red pants are classier than I thought…that and the Buenos Aires Jr. Men’s team had totally sweet red and black Adidas warm-ups…but I still think it was the red lycra that did it.

A Madrina on a Horse

The Olympic lap came after the madrina and best uniform selection and consisted of a member form each team running around the field behind one runner carrying a flaming paint can on a stick. The fixed torch that was lit was also an old paint can but served very well as an Olympic torch. The ceremonial lighting of the torch was followed by the swearing in of all the players and then by several lengthy speeches by the bigwigs at the front table.

The Olympic Lap

Lighting the Torch

Addressing the Masses, look for excessive use of hand gestures

At the end of all of this the teams were asked to file out as they had come in. It goes without saying that this did not happen and instead there was massive mingling and loud music instead of an organized exit march.

Double click the image below to enlarge the photos and see the captions

Cuy-coima

A few weeks ago Mike had the honor of being treated to a lovely lunch in Cajas. All of the technicos were invited and none of them had to pay. For the six technicos and Migi there were six cuyes, motecito (giant watery corn), mountains of rice, ensalada, ajicito (kind of like salsa), potatoes in cuy juice, and rounds of good cheer. And who was to thank for all of this free Ecuadorian culinary goodness?

…a trucking company that uses the highway that runs through Cajas. Keep in mind there are substances that are prohibited from being carried as cargo in the park and this highway is the quickest way to get to the metropolis of Guayaquil and the many ports on its shores. The whole thing smelled fishy and it didn’t help that the park boss was calling the whole lunch a cuy-coima which translates loosely to guinea pig-bribe.

But who’s asking questions when there’s juicy cuycito for lunch?

Remember there’s still time if anyone wants us to bring them back a roasted rodent for Christmas!!

She broke her what?

Yesterday Migi was at the office diligently working on a First Aid presentation that he will be giving to the park guards in January right before they have to patrol the route for the 30K Eco-challenge that Cajas is hosting (Migi got them to change the route for conservation and safety reasons so now the race will not go through pristine forests and pre-Colombian Incan trails). As he was quietly working at his computer reviewing the differences between strains and sprains he overheard two of the tecnicos in a panic.

Upon listening more closely it turned out that a tourist had fallen in the park and broken a bone. At this point Migi approached the tecnicos, reminded them that he is an EMT, and at the same time told them that instead of staying at the park office talking about what to do they needed to go up to the park and help the other park guards take care of this woman.

At this point a police car pulled up to the control station and a park guard got out to relay the entire message as the electricity had gone out in the middle of the original call about the tourist (the park radios don’t work when the power is out). When Migi asked the park guard which bone the tourist had broken, the guard signaled to his femur and made a frowny face.

Now if there was one thing they taught us when we were getting our EMT certification it was the absolute horror of breaking a femur. The pain, the blood loss, and immediate need for urgent care from well qualified professionals are some of the reasons why Migi urged the group to get in the car and get up to the park, which was 15K and 25 minutes from where they were and another 30K and 45 minutes in the opposite direction to the nearest hospital.

After they had all piled into the car Migi started trying to work on his broken femur related vocabulary and ask all the questions we were taught to ask about an emergency situation. From these questions Migi learned that it was a woman in her forties who fell while hiking by the Lagunas Unidas (a point located two hours from the road on a muddy, rocky, slippery trail).

“Really, this woman fell while walking and broke her femur?”

“Yes.”

“It takes a lot of force to break a femur. Was she rock climbing?”

“No.”

“Is she really old?”

“No.”

“Is she really overweight?”

“No.”

“Huh. I don’t think she broke her femur.”

After being assured that it was in fact her femur that was broken, Migi began to ask if the ambulance that was coming would have a traction splint (try that in Spanish). A traction splint is standard in US ambulances but it sole and only purpose is to apply traction to a broken femur. The tecnicos and park guard had no idea what a traction splint was but they were sure the ambulance would not have it (having volunteered at the Red Cross here in Cuenca I can vouch for the fact that there is nothing in the ambulances with the exception of a cot and a few poorly trained high school kids trying to get service hours).

This concerned Migi for several reasons. One, the only way to make a person with a broken femur feel anything except for excruciating pain and simultaneously prevent the bone from piercing an artery which could very quickly lead to heavy blood loss and possible death is to apply traction and maintain traction. Two, even though we were taught how to construct a makeshift traction splint for situations like these, they take a long time to make and despite the simplicity of making a traction splint with a canoe paddle, several bandanas, a lot of rope, weird knots, and a water bottle, once you put someone in a traction splint they become next to impossible to transport unless you have a smooth surface, a professional quality stretcher, and a dozen people. Three….no the first two should be enough to convey the gravity of the situation.

So, as the truck was winding its way closer and closer to the trailhead down which was the tourist with her broken femur with several untrained park guards and no radio contact because the electricity was still out, Migi was thinking about the lack of a Good Samaritan law in Ecuador and his relative inexperience in applying traction to a broken femur despite having practiced many times applying what he was told was appropriate traction on unbroken femurs.

Finally, they arrived at the parking lot.

In the parking the lot there was already an ambulance surrounded by park guards with the sixty year old woman with a broken tibia inside. Yes, in the parking lot, and yes, a 60 year old, and yes, a broken tibia. No, she was not 40, and no, she was not 2 hours down the trail, and no, she did not have a broken femur. As it turns out it is really hard to break a femur while walking. Who knew?

The park guards had a stretcher and had hiked in then hiked out with the woman and as such were soaking wet as it had been rainy and hailing for the past several hours. And again, she did not have a broken femur. Needless to say, Migi was relieved beyond description.

Home Alone with Friends, Christmas Cookies, Pan de Pascua, and Presents for Profe

Last week we also had Kelly and Lisa over (PCVs) to watch Christmas movies and make unreasonable amounts of Christmas cookies.

Aside from watching the Grinch and Home Alone we also spent a large portion of the evening sorting the multi-colored sprinkle package into individual colors to facilitate cookie decorating later in the evening. The cream cheese and powdered sugar frosting was dyed “red” by the addition of red Jell-o powder as food coloring was not available.

You really have to be innovative to get by in Peace Corps!

Other Christmas related tidbits include pan de pascua and regalos for the profe, aka me.

Pan de Pascua

On his way back from the femur incident Migi stopped at our local tienda to get some eggs for dinner and he overheard a woman asking for pan de pascua. Being inquisitive by nature, Migi then asked Lupe, the tienda owner, what pan de pascua is. She told him to come back in two hours and she would have some ready, hot out of the oven.

Two hours later Migi went back to the tienda where he was shown a pan de pascua. Pan de pascua is in fact the Ecuadorian version of panetone. She then refused to let Migi pay and wished us a Feliz Navidad.

Double click the image below to enlarge the photo and see the captions

Regalos para mi

Today, after teaching a class to the park guards in Cajas, I went up to the school in Bellavista to drop of the grades for the trimester and hand back the exams. As I was handing everything back the director of the school asked me if I could stay for a few minutes when I was done.

So, once I had finished handing everything back I went to the director’s office where I was met by all the teachers at the school (seven in total). We all sat down and the director then proceeded to thank me for all of my help at the school. And boy do Ecuadorians know how to thank people. I’m pretty sure my face was several shades of red by the end of it all. In addition, to the flowery speeches of which there were several I was presented with two giant Christmas bags filled with gifts! Needless to say that in English I would have been at a loss for words so in Spanish I was barely able to speak but I did manage to thank them all in return and say that I wish I could thank them more.

Though I refrained from rummaging through the bags in front of the entire staff, it was the first thing I did once I got home.

The gifts include:

An Ecuador shoulder bag

Two hand embroidered white linen shirts

A leather handbag

A Colorful wool sweater

Two pairs of linen pants

A hand knit scarf

Lots of friendship bracelets

A nice send off for Christmas vacation!

Watch the present opening extravaganza!

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

November 30, 2008

Sunday

7:47am

Weather: Cloudy and cold

Sayausi

The Niño

A few weeks ago I was dropping off the lavasas (all of our food scraps that are used for pig food) at our old host family’s house and I noticed about halfway there that the ground was covered in rose petals. Not just one or two petals here and there but an actual trail of rose petals that led up to the kitchen door of our host family’s house. I thought they were there because a daughter-in-law had recently moved in because her house in under construction and that the rose petals were some sort of ceremonial house switching ritual. Boy was I wrong. Although my host family thinks it’s hilarious that I thought that, as if they don’t do anything similar to that on a regular basis (For example, they carry burning coals with incense around the house once a week to quitar (remove) the evil spirits).

It turns out the rose petal trail was in honor of the Niño (the baby Jesus). Each extended family in Sayausi has a Niño that stays in each family member’s house for one week starting in September. Before the Niño arrives the family has to construct a nacimiento (nativity scene). Once the nacimiento has been constructed the Niño arrives. The rose petals were from when the Niño had left Dona Melchora’s house the past Sunday (the Niño only moves on Sundays and if the family is late moving the Niño they have to pay a dollar fine).

After having been explained the tradition of the Niño, Dona Melchora invited us to the next procession. This time the Niño was leaving an Uncle’s house and going up to Mari’s house in Bellavista (the same house where we roasted cuyes with my Dad). Of course we accepted the invitation and I spent the week leading up to the big procession at Mari’s house helping with the construction of the nacimiento (it involved de-threading plastic sacks for the roof and spray painting wood chips for the grass).

On Sunday evening at seven o’clock we met Norma (Mari’s sister) and Dona Rita (Mari’s mother and Dona Melchora’s sister) in the plazoleta of Sayausi then walked down to the Uncle’s house (Rita and Melchora’s brother’s house). We entered the house through a long dark hallway that opened up into a large sitting room that was lined with couches and chairs and was already seating about twenty family members all centered around the nacimiento and the Niño. After walking around and shaking everyone’s hand and kissing everyone’s cheek (Ecuadorian custom) we took our seats. From our seats we could take a good look at the nacimiento.

The nacimiento was essentially a series of tiered bookshelves covered in a white cloth. Each tier was covered with rose petals and candles and featured figurines of shepards, kings, animals, Joseph, Mary, and of course, the Niño. The typical Niño here is on average ten times larger than any other figure in the scene, wears an embroidered brightly colored dress, and rests in a custom built wooden cradle.

After everyone had arrived, which was about another fifteen people making a total of about thirty Albaracins (their last name), we were served a hot cinnamon flavored rum drink followed by a prayer and then coffee and homemade banana empanadas. Once everyone had finished their snack the procession began. We all filed outside, led first by the children carrying large bags of rose petals, then Norma carrying the Niño flanked by several adults with candles and incense, then finally the rest of the family including me and Mike.

The procession lasted almost an hour and followed the major street of Sayausi meaning that in order to arrive at Mari’s house we definitely stopped traffic.

Once we arrived at Mari’s house we all filed into another large sitting room lined with about thirty chairs centered around another nacimiento. After everyone was seated the patriarch of the family (Tio Oscar who happens to be our next door neighbor) stood up with the Niño and moved to the center of the room. At this point a line was formed leading up to the Niño and each family member, children included, was blessed by kneeling beneath the cradle of the Niño while Tio Oscar said a prayer and made the sign of the cross with the Niño above their head. Mike and I weren’t sure if we should go up and so remained in our seats until Dona Melchora took us by the arm and said we needed to be blessed for the health of our families. So, with everyone watching (we were the last ones) we each individually took a knee in front of Tio Oscar while the Niño in cradle was passed over our heads and some sort of blessing was murmured.

This was followed by a longer prayer, another hot cinnamon rum drink, a toffee candy, agua de remedios (pink herbal sugar drink), rice, potatoes, and stewed meat.

All and all the procession plus prayers, blessings, and snacks, took about three hours. Additionally, each Sunday during the dinner portion of the procession a bag is passed around and each family is expected to give three dollars. This money is used to buy bread and bananas for Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve all of the children dress up as members of the Bethlehem crowd and parade through town ending up in the main plaza of Sayausi where they are given bread and bananas. Mari told me that her family buys about 400 breads every Christmas Eve to hand out. Her son, Juan Diego, dressed up as San Jose last year and may dress up the same this year but is still deciding between that and Papa Noel (not a Bethlehem original but still a popular holiday figure).

Just for comparison’s sake I want to briefly explain what Mike has told me about the Honduran version of the Niño’s role in holiday festivities. In Honduras, each house has its own Niño and their own nacimiento. However, there is no sharing of the Niño. In fact it is quite the opposite. Each house has to guard their Niño from being stolen. Yes, in Honduras your neighbors try to steal the Niño instead of sharing him. And if your Niño is stolen you have to throw a party for the family who stole your Niño, if you want to get it back.

So, I guess each country has its own way of celebrating the holiday season. We’re looking forward to being back home with family with or without Niño processions or Niño stealing. However, if any of you would like to start either one of these traditions there are stores here that sell only Niños and dresses for the Niño and we would be happy to pick one up for you.

Click to watch niños throw rose petals in Procession of the Niño

Click to watch Mike in the Procession of the Niño

Click to watch Tio Oscar bless people with the Niño

Thanksgiving

Wednesday morning I began to cook for Turkey Day. And for an extra Peace Corps challenge, Sayausi was without running water ALL day. Yes, from sunup to sundown there was not a drop of water to be gathered in Sayausi (before sunup the water had a brown sludge consistency due to heavy rainfall the previous day). All cooking was done without the ability to easily wash, rinse, or soap a single dish or ingredient. With this in mind, cookies, cornbread, and tortillas were strategically prepared first followed by roasted vegetables and from scratch-stuffing so that even if the veggies tasted like anise the cookies would not taste like onion. Mike was there to help with dicing and general moral support as there was no electricity at the Cajas office so he couldn’t get anything done on his computer and came home after being at work for just less than an hour.

We finally turned off the oven around 5pm that evening and treated ourselves to dinner at the chicken place in town as there was not an available pot or pan in the house that wasn’t filled with savory treats for the next day.

Watch Mary fetch water from the giant bucket we store for times when there is no water

Thursday morning our apartment in Sayausi became the staging ground for what would become the first ever Cajas National Park Thanksgiving extravaganza. Volunteers arrived from far and wide to celebrate el Dia de Accion de Gracias in the pristine valley of Llaviucu. By ten o’clock we had loaded our neighbors buseta (big van or little bus) with two horses of firewood (conversion: Mike learned that a horse is equal to two mules, and each mule is two cargas of wood), ten pounds of charcoal, a propane gas tank with hose and regulator, 14 Peace Corps Volunteers, 14 backpacks with sleeping bags, pots, pans, silverware, a jaba of beer (12 big bottles of beer), several boxes of ecua-wine, 10 gallons of drinking water, toilet paper, untold pounds of food and snacks, a portable stereo, dish soap, binoculars, and a fishing pole. Needles to say we were a large load for a relatively small van and as a result our max speed uphill to the park was around 5mph.

Nevertheless, we arrived at the cabin by eleven o’clock and were snacking on bocaditos by eleven thirty. After some heavy snacking, there was hiking, fire building, and holiday arts and crafting until late in the afternoon when we started heating up all the Turkey Day goodies for the big meal. The served-on-the-porch-overlooking-the-lake-in-a spectacular-valley menu included the following:

Charcoal Roasted Chicken (Thanks to a pollo place in Sayausi that opened at 6am for us)

Stuffing de Sayausi (Me and Mike)

Mac and Cheese (Margaret a PCV in Honduras 69-71)

Mashed Potatoes (Amy and Jacob)

Roasted Roots with Rosemary and Garlic (Me)

Veggie Gravy (Amy)

Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows (Brad)

Lucy’s Cornbread (made by me)

Veggie Crudite (Me and Migi aka Mike)

Mrs. B’s Spinach Dip and Crackers (Kelly B.)

Made by the Swiss in Ecuador Cheese and Crackers (Linea)

Bruchetta and Herbed Tomatoes (Me after being married to an Italian for a year)

Herbed Butter (Almost Italian Mary)

Bread and Cheeses (Jungle Lauren)

Wine and Cheese (Margaret)

Fruit Salad with Yogurt (Lucy and Craig)

Fruit (Lauren, Mike, and Me)

Guava Machete Fruit (Garrick)

Tennessee Apple Pie (Amy)

Riobamba Chocolate Chip Cookies (Erin and William)

Secret Recipe Oatmeal Cookies (Linea)

Oreo Brownie Fusion (Kelly)

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting and Walnuts (Lucy)

Grandma Carbone’s Anise Biscotti (Me)

There was so much food that the four burner stove wasn’t sufficient to heat everything up so Mike turned the fire that Amy had so skillfully built into a makeshift oven to heat up the two chickens and four pots of stuffing (we didn’t heat up the third chicken as there was an abundance of food and treats). I’m sure I have forgotten to list some foods not that they weren’t also delicious but the food coma has impaired my memory.

The evening was spent star gazing, planet watching, constellation creating, owl listening, card playing, night hiking, catch phrasing (a game sort of like Taboo but easier), and being thankful for good food, good company, good lodging, and everything else good in the world. Before going off to bed we loaded up to wood burning stove with charcoal and even though we were at 10,000 feet above sea level the cabin stayed toasty warm all night long in the upstairs carpeted rooms with fluffy beds, pillows, and comforters.

The next morning Mike and I got up around five o’clock and went for a sunrise tour of the Llaviucu valley. When we got back around eight we sat down to a breakfast of leftovers and homemade tortillas with eggs and coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and milk. Not bad for the middle of nowhere in an Ecuadorian national park. The morning was then filled with checkers playing, day hiking, fishing, and general park activities like bird watching and llama chasing. We were also lucky to have an Andean toucan visit us while we were fishing (the cabin is actually called La Casa de los Tucanes) and to have two endangered condors fly up the valley while we were river hopping in search of trout. We tried to lure them in with the chicken carcass we were using for fish bait but it proved just as ineffective in attracting the condors as it was for the trout.

At three o’clock the busetta arrived to take us back to Sayausi and although we had fewer things than before it was still crammed and the wire holding the back of the van closed did not endure the cobblestone road up to the highway so Mike had to backtrack on foot to pick up involuntarily jettisoned items. We’re still not sure if we lost anything to the river as we crossed the small wooden bridge but so far no one has noticed anything as missing.

When we got back home on Friday afternoon our apartment served as a very comfortable waiting room for those who were headed back home on a bus later that day/night. We ate more leftovers and watched Lord of the Rings noting the similarities between Cajas and the landscapes in the movie. And although it had been several days we still did not have enough water pressure to ignite the calefon (water heater) and so we took ice cold showers at 9,000 feet above sea level where ice cold is really ice cold and the ambient temperature is slightly above ice cold. Don’t worry we did not get sick but we haven’t showered since as there is still (on Sunday) not enough water pressure.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of delicious food, good company, and hot showers. We look forward to seeing many of you in a few weeks and to taking a hot shower.

Double click on the image below to enlarge the photos and see the captions

PS…It is now 11am on Sunday, we have finished typing, are about to go into Cuenca to post, and the water in our apartment is now completely shut off. I guess we will have to continue looking forward to that hot shower.

November 15, 2008

Saturday

8:30am

Weather: Partly cloudy

Temperature: 60’ish

Sayausi

The original theme for this post was going to be a photo-documentary of a single day here in Ecuador. However, we ended up not taking as many pictures as anticipated and several other days turned out to have actual things to write about. As such, this post is just like any other; a random collection of thoughts, events, and photos.

Dia de los Difuntos

Also known as Day of the Dead in Mexico, closely associated with Halloween in Los Estados Unidos, and part of the Fiestas of Cuenca in the province of Azuay, Ecuador.

During the first week of November Cuenca celebrates itself and Dia de los Difuntos. This weekend is probably the biggest weekend of the year after Christmas, Semana Santa (Easter), Carnaval (Mardi Gras). For the fiestas there are bailes (dances), concerts, artesanias (crafts), misas (masses), games, Volkswagon bug races, burro races, a Miss Cuenca competition (La Reina de Cuenca), and a Chola Cuencana competition (no literal translation just Chola of Cuenca). Since most of the free events are held outside and it was raining buckets for the entire weekend we didn’t get to see much of the fiestas. Fortunately, we saw many of these things during the fiestas of Sayausi back in June and so we can just imagine that they were more grandiose and the venues were larger.

For Dia de los Difuntos, which was the Sunday of this party weekend, there was a giant mass that is held in a cemetery here in Sayausi. During this mass people bring flowers for their loved ones that are buried in the cemetery and the priest reads a complete list of these loved ones. Outside of the cemetery vendors sell colada morada (a warm, purple colored, cinnamon, pineapple, blackberry drink) and gua-guas de pan (breads in the form of babies). These are specialty items that are only sold for Dia de los Difuntos (although I have heard that some families throw caution to wind and make the colada morada for Christmas). The mass in Sayausi (which traditionally was held at 2:00 in the afternoon) was held at 5:00 (the people were a little put off by this as it traditionally held at 2:00 and that’s when it should be) and is supposed to last several hours but was cut short due to a torrential downpour (which people were saying wouldn’t have happened if it had been held at the normal time and what was Padre Oscar thinking to change it). So we hid out in Carmita’s tienda for the evening hoping for the rain to stop. When several hours had passed and it was still raining we accepted the offer of plastic garbage bags fashioned into a poncho type garment and made our way home through the continued rainfall.

On a Norteamericano note, on Dia de Halloween, I made pancakes with…CANDY CORN! Looked great…tasted like candy corn with pancakes.

Pictures of Dia de los Difuntos (double click the image to enlarge the image)

Sunday (yes, just Sunday)

From time to time there are processions in Sayausi (i.e. every week give or take a few days). On this particular Sunday (which was going to be the inspiration for our Day in the Life post) the local elementary school was having a soccer tournament. So, all of the teams paraded through the plaza and the market that is there every Sunday. Each team was in uniform, carried a sign with the name of their team, and was led by a madrina (Mari’s sister Sandra’s daughter Heidi was one of the madrinas and Juan Diego, Mari’s son, was on one of the teams). A madrina is kind of like a team matron but she wears a gown, a tiara, makeup, and carries a bouquet of flowers. More often than not the madrina is selected for the team based on her visual appeal. And so twelve or so teams of elementary school kids were led by elementary school madrinas into the plaza where the madrinas are voted on and a queen is elected. Keep in mind that none of the madrinas actually had to say anything, they were just voted on. A lovely tradition that certainly encourages young girls to care about more than what they look like, they learn to care about what others think they look like. Good thing we don’t have anything like that in the States.

After stumbling across this procession, we continued on our way to Cuenca where we were meeting up with a few volunteers to do some grocery shopping before heading out to Kelly’s house in Santa Ana for a BBQ. Before heading to the grocery store where we were going to do said shopping we stopped by the ATM. Who can find something unusual about this ATM encounter after looking at the pictures?

On the way from the ATM to the store we passed through one of Cuenca’s many parks. Parque de la Madre (Mother’s Park) is a hotbed of speedwalking activity. At any time of day you can find the next “Jeff” training at the Escuela de Marcha (Speedwalking School) that is located in the park. Other common sights in Parque de la Madre include; kids playing, soccer games, Ecua-volley games, teenagers “cuddling” on benches, hot dog vendors, a planetarium, and of course the giant statue of Ecuador’s pride and joy, Olympic gold and silver medalist, three-time World Champion, the one and only, speed walking legend: Jefferson Perez.

In this next paragraph I am going to reveal something to you. I do not in any way want what I am about to say to spoil your vision of Peace Corps and what your son/grandson/nephew/son-in-law/friend/former teacher or daughter/niece/daughter-in-law/friend/former teacher is going through here in Ecuador. Let me remind you that we have an unreliable supply of hot water (yes, we do normally have water it’s just sometimes we don’t have hot water) and we are only given $10 worth of minutes on our PC issued cell phones each month. We are truly roughing it here and so when I tell you about out grocery store, Supermaxi, I expect that you will remember the hardship we face in our daily lives (our TV only gets like 5 channels and our freezer needs to be defrosted frequently) and see Supermaxi as a well deserved luxury. I will not attempt to describe what Supermaxi is. I will simply allow you to look at the few pictures we were permitted to take of its interior (I think Ecuador wants to keep its guilty pleasure a secret as well) and remind you that there are only three Supermaxis in Cuenca and that there also exists a Megamaxi, which I will allow your imagination to visualize after seeing pictures of its more humble beginnings.

After buying the necessary foods for a totally Norteamericano BBQ we hopped on a bus, waited for an hour in the market parking lot (see life here really is tough), and then we were off to the hills of Santa Ana where our dear friend Kelly lives and where Cuenca trucks all of its dear trash. Yes, Santa Ana is both Kelly’s home and Cuenca’s landfill; a perfect location for a Sunday cookout.

The Guest-List:

Me (aspiring Cholita of Sayausi)

Mike (recently discovered model and author)

Kelly (hostess and Santa Ana’s resident polar bear)

Sarah (Lojana who agrees Cuenca is better)

Garret (recently imported from Bolivia since PC Bolivia was shut down)

Matt (have you checked out his website for Puyo’s Orchid Garden?)

Kenji (knows how to pack light for a hike)

Wilcox (does not have a Supermaxi in his site)

The Menu:

Cheese Burgers with mushrooms and onions

Grilled Asparagus

Mrs. B’s Spinach Dip

Doritos

Ruffles

Carrot sticks

Ecua-Beer

Coke

Diet Coke

Cookies

Yes, life here in Ecuador is a daily challenge. That’s why it’s nice that every once and a while with a little effort (we had to walk up to the nearby tienda to get the beer and only half of them were cold) we can really enjoy ourselves and know we can make it through our hard knock lives as Peace Corp volunteers.

A Day in Life(double-click to enlarge the image)

Las Fiestas de Cajas

This past week marked the twelfth year of Cajas’ status as a national park. To celebrate this milestone Cajas and Mike (not necessarily in that order) have been working on nine books: a mammal guide, a bird guide, a plant guide, an amphibian, reptile, and fish guide, a route guide, an environmental education workbook for teachers, a workbook for kids, a storybook filled with pictures and stories by kids, and a tourist brochure.

During these past few months as the park and Mike (again not necessarily in that order) realized that there was still a lot of work to be done on these books, Mike and the park (in that order) having been working really hard and really long hours to make sure everything would be ready for the fiestas. And because of all of this hard work almost everything was ready for the fiestas. As a co-worker of Mike’s said, “You can prepare here but that doesn’t actually mean anything will happen.” Not that Mike really took that advice to heart as he was at the office until 8:00pm the night before the fiestas trying to make sure all of the books were going to be ready (2 print shops and a design shop to coordinate) and that all the appropriate banners, flags, and other parade paraphernalia was organized for the next morning. We left the house at 6:30am the following day to go “prepare” for the parade.

So yesterday was the big day and for the celebration Cajas organized a parade, a concert, and a Session Solemne (A Solemn Session). The parade began at 8:30am on a Friday morning and over 40 groups with a total of around 900 people participated. And even though the Park was only given permission to have the parade the night before (yes, they had known for months about the parade) everything turned out great. Mike was in charge of getting the groups in order for the parade at the start and then once all of them were parading he was making sure the high school band marching behind him and the park guards didn’t run them over. I’m not sure what the other park employees were doing during this time but I’m sure it was important.

Watch Mike Walk!

Watch Mike Wave!

The parade ended in Parque Calderon (the central park of Cuenca) where there were snacks for everybody and a concert in the plazoleta (which also wasn’t approved until the night before but hey how can you plan for something with only a few months notice?). At this point Mike was told today was his day off because all of the books were ready and now he could just enjoy the fiestas….except that they still needed to find a projector for the Session Solemne that started at five and prepare the auditorium for the many VIPs that would be attending. So, really Mike spent that afternoon making last minute touches to the slideshow, setting up the projector and the screen, making sure all banners and flags were appropriately displayed, and oh did I forget to mention he had to gather facts for several of the speeches that were to be given that night?

At 5:00pm the Session Solemne began in the Salon de la Ciudad of the Municipal Building that borders the central park. A Session Solemne is kind of like the Oscars without any funny skits or suspense but with the fancy clothes, flowers, awards, and ushers. Basically, it is an opportunity for really important people to get together, dress up, and congratulate each other for all of their excellent work. Normally, I don’t think I would have been at all entertained by lengthy speeches in a language I am still learning but several words did stand out among the overly ornate orations: Cuerpo de Paz and Miguel Carbone. The regional representative of the Secretary of the Environment, a man who has the ear of the President should he need it, personally thanked Mike during his speech in front of all the big wigs and the 500 people in the audience for Mike’s contribution to the completion of the nine books and the conservation of Cajas National Park. Not bad for seven months in site. Mike tells me PC Honduras was not like this.

After the Session Solemne (or maybe it was still part of it) they served cocktails and continued thanking each other while looking at pretty posters of Cajas, one of which is a picture Mike took of a fox when we were here three years ago. Not being big on self-congratulations and having been up since five o’clock in the morning, we skipped out on the cocktails. Probably a social no-no in Ecua-culture but since we have no current plans to settle in Cuenca, were undressed, had been in Cuenca for over twelve hours, and had already been congratulated enough for our Norteamericano standards, we went home.

Below is a link to a page that has pdfs of all of the books. Since they are new releases with limited print numbers hard copies are in high demand. If you have any specific requests I can see what I can do.

ETAPA website with pdfs

Highlights of the books include: my name on the credits for translation in the Mammal Guide, Mike’s name on many credits for the Mammal Guide, Route Guide, and Amphibian Guide, and is featured as a guapo tourist in nine pictures in the Route Guide as well as haven written the Backcountry First Aid section.

Las Fiestas del Cajas (double click to enlarge the image)

P.S. Happy Birthday Grandma!

November 1, 2008

Saturday

7:00am

Sayausi

It seems that after six months of being in our site we have started to fall into a routine of some sorts which has distracted us from attending to our blog. Furthermore, due to the said established routine this blog may seem to lack the usual flare that I am sure you have all noticed and appreciated about our previous posts. Apparently, you can take the gringo out of the U.S. but you can’t take the task oriented nature out of the gringo.

Mary’s “Work”

In the past four weeks I think I have officially crossed the line into to being Peace Corps busy. Granted this is a relative term both within Peace Corps and certainly in comparison to what “busy” may mean to someone working in the great U.S. of A. As of right now from 7:30am until 12:00pm Tuesday through Friday I am working. Yes, that’s right for a total of eighteen hours per week (including the many break-citos within those hours to tomar a pan-cito y platicar i.e. chat with my “colleagues” while work is supposed to be happening…just for clarification this chatting and snacking is not because of me, it is actually built in to the typical Ecuadorian work day)

So, what may you ask am I doing besides snacking, engordaring, and gossiping during these self-described work-hours? Well, on Wednesdays and Thursdays I walk up the road from the plaza to Bellavista Elementary School (it actually has a more official name, or names rather, but I can’t remember all eight of them so I just call it la escuela de Bellavista despite being corrected a number of times about its actual litany of names). At this school I am currently giving English classes, trying to start up a school garden, and eventually trying to elbow in some environmental education classes and possibly a world map in the future. But for now some Enlglish and a school garden, which the near constant rainfall in our town makes it a nearly impossible task, will suffice. Below is outline of what my work days consist of:

Wednesdays at La Escuela de Bellavista

Jardin: A class of twenty four-to-five year olds all wearing aprons (to keep their uniforms clean) and dripping noses shouting back at me the few words I have managed to teach them. Usually this class also includes a bathroom break where I have to dole out sheets of toilet paper and help about half of the class unbutton and re-button their pants. On occasion there is also a random crying student who needs to be sent home because they miss their mom.

Segundo de Basico: More shouting, no aprons, no bathroom assistance, less crying, and a surprisingly increased ability to retain information (then again when you’re coming from buttoning pants and wiping noses the mere ability to maintain some sort of physical upkeep is impressive).

Recreo: Also known as recess in the States, is a time where the kids run around like crazy (nothing new here) but the teachers, instead of watching over the madness, retreat to the kitchen, shut and lock the door, and sit down to eat bread, drink coffee, and talk about whatever gossip is making the rounds on that particular day (last weeks’ topic was the realization that there was a student who only had his father’s last name. “Jamas en mi vida” i.e. “Never in my life” was the resounding chorus upon hearing this piece of information, as it is the custom for every child to have a total of four names: first, middle, mother’s last name, and father’s last name. I always thought I was strange for having all those names but here it is unheard of for someone to be lacking one. I really think the teachers believed he was some sort of aberration that actually did not have a mother and just appeared on this earth by some unseemly manner).

Tercero de Basico: This is the first class I have where I can actually write something on the board and there is the slight possibility that they will be able to copy it in some form into a notebook. However, the writing of more than five words on the board takes up the entire 45 minutes as they attempt to copy it, erase it, ask me if it is OK, I say it is, they say it is not, they erase it again, and the cycle repeats.

Cuarto de Basico: This class has forty (yes forty), energetic, eager to participate, but hard to focus students that can write reasonably quickly and retain information from one week to the next. This class is obsessed with what color pen they should be using to take down the notes I put on the board and so a large portion of each day is spent discussing red pen, blue pen, pencil, should we skip a line, what do I do if I don’t have enough space on the page (well, continue on the next page I say as though I were some sort of mensa member), is that a “g” or a “y” (y’s here have to be made by the joining of two perfectly straight lines whereas only g’s and j’ have a curvy tail), and is that an “n” or a “h” (the proportion of stem to hump with the letter ‘h’ is about 10 to 1 and anything else is indistinguishable as a letter).

Thursdays at La Escuela de Bellavista

Quinto de Basico: The teacher of this class is the Director of the school and as such feels he is quite the outstanding instructor. Each time I write something on the board or explain something he will erase and re-write or excuse himself for the proceeding interjection and basically try to stage some sort of coup where he ends up teaching some other mildly related topic instead of whatever it was I had been teaching. Also, his preferred form of communication is most similar to that of a dog defending a fire hydrant; a series of barks punctuated by displays of macho-ness.

Sexto de Basico: By far my favorite class, there are only 16 students and every single one is super excited about everything. I think this is the equivalent of fifth grade in the States and so the universality of fifth graders being in a developmentally awesome stage holds true. As an added bonus, they can write quickly and the teacher just sits quietly at his desk.

Recreo: Pretty much the same as Wednesday’s recreo though the topic of the gossip usually changes.

Septimo de Basico: I usually end up teaching this class for about fifteen minutes instead of 45 as after recreo on Thursday’s the entire school formars (stands in lines according to their grade and pratices a few pseudo-militaristic exercises) and the director barks some announcements at them before calling out the names of around 60 individuals to collect some small piece of paper he has that they need to deliver to their parents. Why this task can’t be given to the teachers of the classes still confuses me. In any event, the students in this final class can learn about the same amount of material as the previous class in less than half the time but with the enthusiasm of tweens that are no longer unabashedly excited by school and are more interested in making sure their social status is maintained.

So that’s my work up in Bellavista and now I can’t leave the house without being bombarded with “Hola Senorita” by the wandering masses of the students that are finished with school at 12:00pm and have never had one of their teachers live in their neighborhood. It’s actually quite cute and does my ego wonders.

The other two days of the week I go up to Cajas National Park with Mike to give Tourism/English classes to the parkguards. Technically the classes start at eight and finish at ten but by the time the class actually starts and by the time I get a ride back down to Sayausi it is usually noon, so I count the entire time as work though in reality there’s only about an hour and half of actual work but when in Ecuador do as the Ecuadorian park employees do i.e. work equals the total amount of time it takes to do something including travel time and break-citos.

Mike’s Work

After many months of being stuck behind a desk (something Mike probably never envisioned himself doing especially while in Peace Corps) the several books he has been working on (i.e. re-writing though he will only be given credit for ‘technical revision, photographer, and translation’) are supposed to go to print this coming Tuesday! Which has been no easy task as most of the edits he has done have required access to AdobeReader which ETAPA has still not given Mike access to at his work computer and so can only use the program for a minute before it kicks him off and shuts down. This means that a majority of the work he has done was first with paper and pen and then transferred to digital format when he had access to a computer with the appropriate program; all and all tripling the time it would have taken if he had just been given the ability to use AdobeReader at his own computer (Internet access would have also made the job much easier; oh well). In any event, he finished and now, as mentioned earlier, the books are supposed to go to print. And although “supposed to” in Ecuador is the equivalent of saying “will not” it may present a possible end to desk work for the near future.

However, Mike has done such a good job with the books (he was complimented on his methodical approach to editing and his attention to detail in front of all the major jefes at the last park meeting) that he may get pinned to the desk for another round of books that didn’t make this deadline. As the newly appointed park biologist (the old one is doing a Masters in Quito and as such will be gone for the following ten months), in addition to more book editing he has been given the responsibility of designing and implementing a survey for the park guards to fill out on a regular basis that would track the number and movement of different animals in the park so that Cajas could monitor the health of its fauna (or the maybe more accurately so that is can measure the extent of the effect of cattle and horses that are in the park and should not be). It’s almost like Mike left a real job in the States only to get a more “real” job in Ecuador.

Fortunately, every now and again the park does let him out from behind the desk and one of those rare moments occurred a few weeks ago when he accompanied a team of biologists to assist with site selection for an upcoming condor study (see pictures below). The study aims to monitor the small population of Andean condors that frequent the park by luring them to particular peaks using recently slaughtered cows. The biologists will set up nearby observation points where they will sit in a relatively dry place with binoculars and wait for the condors to appear. Before cozying up in there observation points the biologists will delegate the slaughtering of cows, and all the blood and foulness that that action entails, to the park guards demonstrating the food chain that exists in the work place as well as in nature.

Another out-of-desk experience included taking a camera and park guard on a point-and-shoot tour of specific sites in the park. One of the books Mike has been working so hard on in the most recent past is a guide to all of the trails in Cajas. In this book, each trail is broken down in to several different points of interest where some specific information is given about the surrounding area. There is also supposed to be pictures from each of these points of interest. Keep the word “supposed” to be in mind. So, obviously several of these pictures were missing i.e. did not exist and so needed to be taken. So Mike, a park guard, and camera spent the day visiting these points of interest and taking pictures for the book. As a result Mike can now add to his resume part-time model and photographer. Not bad for a day’s work.

Mike also took it upon himself to break free of his desk shackles one day last week to go check up on another study going on in the park. This other study is monitoring the population of deer by measuring the amount of fecal matter found within several transects throughout Cajas. I was lucky enough to accompany Mike on this lovely, rainy, wet, cold day and trudge through the Andean paramo looking for small red strings that identified each transect. Fortunately, we were not there to count the quantity of fecal matter (though I wouldn’t be surprised if that was included in an upcoming hike). The task of finding the transects ended up being a mission of luck rather than map reading ability as these biologists had incorrectly placed the transects and so they were also incorrectly placed on the map. We did end up stumbling across one of them and despite its location everything else about was set up correctly.

Despite the likelihood of working behind a desk each day Mike continues to pack his backpack with all his hiking gear (pancho, waterproof pants, first aid kit, thermos with tea, compass, maps, binoculars, gloves, hat, emergency blanket) just for the possibility that he may find some excuse to leave his office, computer, chair, and desk behind for the day and pretend to be a real Peace Corps volunteer doing things outside the confines of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat.

Home on the Range…or more accurately the Plazoleta

Pasta

Though we are both working stiffs we still find time (somewhere outside those 18 hours per week) to enjoy the campo life. After leaving it sitting on our kitchen shelf for three months, we finally took out the pasta maker and made pasta. It was not nearly as time consuming as I originally thought it would be and I now appreciate the need for a giant wooden board (whether it be for googala or other doughs that require a well of flour for eggs to be placed within). The tile counter top is OK but the grout can be quite annoying while kneading. But it’s all worth it to use the play dough machine…I mean pasta machine that is amazingly reminiscent of a play dough machine with the added advantage that you are actually supposed to eat what comes out of it as opposed to just wanting to eat what comes out of it.

The next day we feasted on fresh pasta with tomato sauce and though the noodles are longer than I have become accustomed to, the taste was unsurpassed (at least in the land of Ecua-noodles).

Watch Mary make pasta!

Watch Mary eat pasta!

Veggies and Kichwa

Obviously we pay rent every month. Not so obviously, our landlady comes to our house each month to collect it. Even less obviously, when she comes she brings with her a giant crate filled with vegetables from her garden that she presents to us just after we give her the money for the rent. I would like to emphasize the word “crate” in the previous sentence. It is not just a mere lettuce head or bunch of carrots; it is an entire crate of vegetables (see pictures in slideshow and make sure to notice the new “window” Mike made for our kitchen). Also, keep in mind that our land lady is a fully fledged chola. That means everyday she wears a pollera, the flashy blusa, a cardigan, braids, and a chalina (a blanket worn for extra warmth when it is cold and balanced on the head when sunny, to block the sun of course).

This past month when she, her daughter, and her grandson came over with the overflowing crate of vegetables she also brought one of her other daughter’s homework for Mike to help her with. The homework was kichwa. Our chola (i.e. almost indigenous land lady) brought Mike (total gringo) her daughter’s kichwa homework. I mean we probably have the only Kichwa-Spanish dictionary in all of Sayausi and Mike has probably received more formal Kichwa instruction than anyone in Sayausi but the entire situation was still highly amusing.

Boy, you’ve gotten fat…and beautiful

This is a difficult story for me to write. But I figure for the sake of cultural exchange and humor factor it is worth putting down in a public space for the entire world to read and comment upon.

If you will recall from earlier in the post Mike and I went for a hike in Cajas on a cold, rainy day. Again, it was a cold, rainy day and as such I was wearing a long sleeve shirt, a fleece, a windbreaker, a scarf, a raincoat, jeans, and waterproof pants over my jeans. The hike took around five hours, of which four of them included large amounts of rain and wind. We had just gotten out of the back of pick up truck (which was our ride back to Sayausi form the park which means more rain and more wind) and were walking through the main street of Sayausi back our apartment when we ran into Luz Mil.

Luz Mil is also a chola, like our land lady, but a more eccentric chola with the final effect being more similar to a rodeo clown than cute and indigenous. The majority of people in our town also believe that she is a witch. In any event, she has taken quite the liking to me and is always thrilled to see me. Whenever, Mike runs into her (which is fairly often as he walks by her house on the way to work) she always asks, “Y la nina Mari? Donde esta? Como esta la nina Mari? Porque no viene aqui para visitarme. Yo hice motecito, porque no viene?” Guilt, as it turns out, is a universal tactic in trying to get people to come visit.

On this particular occasion, a month or so had passed since the last time I had seen her and so she was particularly enthused to see me on the street. We crossed over to greet her in the traditional Ecua-fashion which includes a kiss, a hug, and several exchanges of “How are you”, “How have you been”, and “How has it been going”. However, after the kisses and hugs there was no “How are you” there was no “How have you been” there was no “How has it been going”, there was only, “Oh, how fat you’ve gotten, you look so beautiful! What have you been eating to get so fat and beautiful! I can’t believe how beautiful and fat you have become!” I tried to go on the defensive with some comment about the number of layers I had on because it was so cold and so on but she countered expertly by pointing out the my face had also gotten much more beautiful and fat.

Now, I realize there are some cultural differences between here and there and for the most part I think I have adjusted well to these differences and usually do not take offense to where these differences collide. But my brain honestly and truly had no idea how to respond to someone telling me how incredibly fat I have gotten and at the same time saying how absolutely beautiful I looked. In any event, I want to hear no comments on the truth or untruth of my fatness, nor the accompanied beauty of this fatness. I will just point out that if someone here in town is sick everyone automatically says that this person has lost a lot weight and how terrible it is to lose weight. Following this logic I will assume her meaning was more along the lines of how healthy and glowing I looked and I will now monitor my ability to button my jeans.

Moving on to other less personally scrutinizing topics...

Don’t Forget to Vote

That’s it really, don’t forget to vote. We did and we are both registered in states where our votes quite literally don’t matter and we had to pay $6.00 to do it. That’s like ten ice cream cones, five full lunches, or sixty pieces of bread, quite the sacrifice (no comments about fatness here please). So, go vote…for Obama.

Don´t forget to double click to enlarge the slideshow and see the captions.

October 1, 2008

Wednesday

11:20AM

Sayausi

Medical Brigade

About a week ago Mike and I volunteered to be translators for a group of Air Force doctors from the States. The group was going to be in Ecuador for two weeks giving free medical treatment in several small communities around Cuenca (not Sayausi though). All and all there were about twenty doctors, nurses, medical technicians, and dentists from bases all over the US. However, only two of them spoke Spanish. What they lacked in Spanish they more than made up for in fire power! Driving to and from the town we were led by a truck filled with armed Ecuadorian soldiers and followed by another truck with more armed Ecuadorian soldiers. It was much more armed corps than Peace Corps.

There have been few moments in my service so far where I have felt like my Spanish is good; while we were with the doctors was definitely one of those moments. We spent the entire day translating for the patients, whose Spanish was heavily accented with Kichwa and spoken at an almost imperceptible volume, and then the doctors, who want us to translate things like orthostatic …. And for the most part we were able to express both the patient’s concerns and the doctor’s advice (though let’s be honest Mike could do that on day one in Ecuador whereas this has been six months in the making for me!)

So, we spent the day helping translate which were later affectionately termed as the “macarena pains”. You see every patient that came in, and everyone I have met in our community of Sayausi, suffers from the same set of symptoms and they go as follows:

Doctor: What is the problem?

Patient: My back hurts.

Doctor: When did that start?

Patient: My legs hurt?

Doctor: Is that related to the back pain?

Patient: My stomach hurts and my arms are sore and my heart hurts, and my back hurts, too.

Doctor: silence

Patient: My back hurts, my legs, arms, stomach, and heart, they all hurt.

The more time the patient is given to speak the more times they repeat the above sequence. Now, this is not meant to be insensitive and these people have led hard lives with minimal medical care but the doctor’s see each patient for 10-15 minutes and the patient’s have probably never seen a doctor before and don’t believe in things like dehydration and germs. So, as you can imagine trying to diagnose each patient with the above list of complaints with zero medical history was challenging to say the least and usually resulted in twenty tablets of 400mg of Motrin for the patient and some confusion for the doctors.

In any event, it was a lot of fun helping out and all of the medical staff was really nice and it was interesting to talk to them about their experiences at home, abroad, and in Ecuador. It was also interesting to compare notes with another group of Norteamericanos under the supervision of the State Department here in Ecuador. For one, they were under the impression that Cuenca was super dangerous. In fact, it seems like they thought the whole world was extremely dangerous, which given where they have been and who they work for, makes a certain amount of sense. However, it was strange to have people telling us how they weren’t allowed to ride on buses and how shocked they were to learn the only mode of transportation we took was the bus. They were also concerned about whether or not we felt safe in our site and if the people shunned us because we were from the U.S. Obviously, they have not been reading our blog and don’t know about the chola cuencana dances, the soccer games, the cuy dinners, and the general out pouring of kindness that we have received since our arrival in Sayausi.

I guess it’s safe to say that the State Department adjusts its policies based on the organization it’s supervising.

Reconnect: Quito

Unfortunately, we could only help translate for one day even though the brigade was going to be there for two full weeks because we had to go up to Quito the next day for Reconnect. Reconnect is a three day meeting held in the Peace Corps office in Quito four to five months after a group has been in their sites. The purpose of this giant meeting is to bring the counterparts that volunteers have been working with and help each pair outline their project ideas for the next eighteen months. However, many volunteers cannot bring their counterpart for varying reasons and so end up trying to plan projects on their own. Either way it’s great to see everyone, talk to the nurses, and empathize with one another about common, or uncommon, PeaceCorps experiences.

Originally, Mike and I had planned to continue traveling north after Reconnect to go hiking for a few days before returning to our site however, two days after Reconnect the country of Ecuador was having elections. For the past several months an assembly (that was elected last year) has been writing a new Constitution for Ecuador and the Sunday after we concluded Reconnect was when the entire country was going to vote on it. So, just as the group of doctor’s had told us that they were not even allowed to leave their hotel on the Sunday of the election, our bosses told us that we were going to be on Standfast from the Saturday after Reconnect until we were told otherwise.

Standfast is the first stage in Peace Corps’ plan to protect us in the event of anything bad happening (Evacuation is the final stage). Although Standfast is really the stage before anything actually happens. It just means go to your site, stay there, and wait until we tell you what to do next. That way if anything bad does happen they know where we are and can move through the appropriate protocol (not to mention that the community where you live is always by far the safest place for you to be). In this case it seemed a little silly as 75% of the country was in favor of the Constitution so the likelihood of anything, like chaos in the streets, happening was low. Nevertheless, the U.S. government probably knows more about these situations than we do (as they have a reputation for constantly meddling and/or interfering in world politics, especially here in Latin America…by the way we heard this and it does not in any way, shape, or form represent our beliefs. We should also add that as Peace Corps volunteers we are not allowed to publicly state our political positions so anything you read that you think represents our opinion does not, it is just something we heard and are repeating here for your benefit) so we cancelled our hiking trip and returned immediately to Sayausi as soon as Reconnect ended on Friday afternoon.

The Elections

Here seems like a good time to discuss the political goings on of the region to round out anything you have heard or not heard from the major news networks which sometimes keep facts from getting in the way of their reporting.

Over the past few years things in Latin America have been changing to a more liberal, some may say socialist, position. Many Latin American presidents, that have been democratically elected, have been nationalizing foreign companies in their lands so that the money made from these companies stays in their country for their people. As you can imagine, the U.S. government is not entirely fond of this behavior or the anti-capitalist value system it represents.

The current president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, has been engaging in some similar activities although not to the same degree as his neighbors in Bolivia and Venezuela who recently kicked out their U.S. Ambassadors. Venezuela kicked out its ambassador in support of Bolivia who kicked out their U.S. Ambassador for supporting a separatist group in Bolivia that wanted to cede from the nation and take the majority of the country’s oil producing lands with it (as a result, Peace Corps was also pulled out of Bolivia and some of those volunteers are coming to Ecuador to finish their service). While President Correa has not done anything that extreme he does not want to renew the lease that Ecuador has with the U.S. allowing the U.S. to have a military base in Ecuador (the lease expires this year). His reason is that Ecuador is a country of peace and as such does not want foreign military bases on its soil. He feels so strongly about this that the idea was included in the new Constitution and if it passes foreign military presence will not be allowed in Ecuador. This really confused the Air Force doctors who were here. Some of them were thinking that if anything happened in Ecuador wouldn’t it be great that the U.S. military was here to step in…which I guess is great unless you are the local government who may not agree with the U.S. government and its military.

There are some other cool things in the new Constitution as well like recognizing indigenous belief systems, protecting the natural resources of Ecuador, and providing all Ecuadorians with a free high school education. Also, this is the first time Ecuadorians have been allowed to vote on a new constitution as in the past (they have had several new constitutions in the last several decades) the President has just enacted the new constitution without consulting the people of the country. This time there was a nationwide election for the delegates to write the constitution, and then a year later a nationwide referendum to ratify the constitution.

Other cool things in general about elections here in Ecuador are that they are held on Sundays so everyone can go (as opposed to Tuesday when there is work and school), there is no campaigning allowed during the 3 days prior to the election (instead of a frenzy of fliers on election day), everyone is automatically registered to vote (instead of making it a hassle/impossibility), and everyone has to go to the polling site and cast a ballot whether it be filled out or left blank (instead of less than half of the populous voting). So that means everyone from 18-63 is required to vote and proud of it. After 63 it is optional but after watching the polls for a while on election day it seemed like a lot of 63+ people still opted for voting as opposed to not.

After voting everyone gets a voting card which they need to present whenever filing official paperwork at the city, state, or national level and if they don’t have their voting card showing that they voted there are fines and getting any sort of paper work done or enrolling your child in school becomes a much harder process.

So, when Election Sunday rolled around we were excited to see how it was organized. We woke up to an unusual amount of hustle and bustle surrounding the normal hustle and bustle of the Sunday market. However, the day seemed to have a festive feel to it and the extra hustle and bustle was for the election. I think the ice cream trucks (i.e. a soft serve machine on a gas generator roped down to the back of a pickup truck) added to the general giddiness of the people.

There were two voting sites within view from our apartment and they were both at the local schools nearby. As you walked up to the voting sites they were surrounded by vendors with laminating machines for the voting cards after people cast their ballot. The rooms of the school were divided according to gender and last names so that within each school there were about twenty different rooms and no one ever had to wait to cast their votes; you just walked in, found your room, filled out your very clear and easy to understand ballot, drop it in the box, sign your name, get your voting card, and leave.

The voting began at seven in the morning and ended at five in the afternoon at which point they began counting the ballots (see videos below) and by six o’clock there were nationwide tentative results. “Si” or “Yes” ended up winning with 65% of the nationwide vote and therefore approving the new constitution. The other 35% was made up of the “No”, “null”, and “blank” votes that were cast.

As you watch the video pay attention to how many ballots are going to the “Si” pile as opposed to the “no” pile. The campaign slogan was “Si, mil veces si!”, and watching the votes being counted it definitely looked that way.

Counting Ballots

Dinner with Kelly’s Parents

The Tuesday after the elections we were invited out to dinner with Kelly (our nearest neighbor) and her parents, who were visiting from Ohio. Of course we went to Colombian (a Cuenca cluster tradition) and it was delicious and Kelly and her parents are fabulous and it sounds like her mother follows our blog from time to time (Hi, Mr. and Mrs. B.! Thanks again for dinner and ice cream!).

After dinner we went out for ice cream where we ran into the entire medical brigade that we had translated for before we left for Quito! Small world indeed. So, Kelly’s dad treated the entire brigade to ice cream and we sat around and chatted while enjoying the most delicious ice cream in Cuenca.

Conclusion

So, this last week or two was filled with all sorts of fun and interesting things as I am sure the next few weeks will be. And even though pineapple and citrus season are coming to an end here in Ecuador mango and watermelon season is just starting up, so things are looking good around the equator.

As always double-click on the image above to see a larger image and the captions.

September 16, 2008

Tuesday

11:30AM

Sayausi

We are back in Sayausi after having spent the last week traveling around Ecuador with my dad a.k.a. Don Jimmy. Don Jimmy arrived in Quito, Ecuador on Monday September 8, 2008. During the week that followed we traveled down to the coast, hung out in Sayausi, hiked in Cajas, strolled through Cuenca, and shopped in Otavalo. Below is a closer look at what happens when you bring an Arizona Yankee to South America. And by closer look I mean the longest post we have ever made with the most pictures we have ever posted. In other words, pull up a chair and prepare to settle in for the long haul…or read a little now and a little later, whatever gets you through. And remember, Don Jimmy was our first visitor but not our last, so the next post could be about you!

Note: This page is going to take a while to load because there are lots of video clips and slideshows (remember to double-click on the slideshows to see the captions).

Sunday September 7, 2008

Sayausi is a ten hour bus ride away from Quito. Therefore, Mike and I had originally planned to take an early morning bus on the day of my dad’s arrival, putting us in Quito around 7:00pm and leaving a little over two hours before my dad’s scheduled arrival at 9:45pm. However, on Sunday the day before my dad was going to arrive ‘a little over two hours’ of leeway did not seem sufficient considering the bus ride could easily be delayed by traffic, landslides, or other unforeseeable yet fairly common events on the Pan Americana of Ecuador. So, we packed our bags that morning and set out for Riobamba, a small city located 7 hours north of Sayausi and only 3 hours away from the Quito airport.

Before we left however we needed to let Dona Melchora, Norma, Rita, and Maribel know that our plans had changed. Visiting several Ecuadorian families is no small task and hence our departure time was postponed three hours on account of having to visit each family to organize Tuesday’s dinner (much more on this later) and to do some despida-ing (saying goodbye) before we left for two days (people don’t really travel too much here so it is a relatively big deal when some leaves, even if it is only for several days).

We ended up on a 2:30pm bus and for our viewing pleasure we were shown two movies: a Steven Segal thriller and a movie produced by WWF (yes, the wrestling federation). We arrived in Riobamba around 10:30pm as we were delayed some on the way for a still unknown reason that required the bus to turn around and back track for 45 minutes before turning around again, heading back in the right direction. Not a huge delay but it definitely reassured me in the decision to leave a day earlier than we had originally planned.

Monday September 8

Mike and I left Riobamba around 11:00am after a breakfast of two eggs, bread, jam, cheese, coffee, and juice for the low, low price of $1.50 (Cuenca prices are a lot higher than most in Ecuador due to the high number of emigrants that are sending money back to families in and around Cuenca. One egg, bread, and coffee is $1.50 in Sayausi).

After a pleasant four-hour bus ride we arrived in Quito and immediately checked into the hotel we had reserved for that night. The hotel was lovely with a panoramic view of New Town and the Panecillo (a giant stone angel on a hillside that overlooks Old Town) and we spent the remainder of the afternoon vegged out on cable TV with a small break for dinner at a nearby Indian restaurant where we splurged on a $5.00 dinner complete with naan (yummy!) and several Indian dipping sauces.

During the day I had talked briefly with my Dad about hurricane Ike and the possible implications for his flight out of Miami but the pilot took them around the storm and he arrived in Quito at 10:45pm.

Now, if you don’t know my dad this next piece of information may not sound that amazing but trust me, it is. My dad arrived prepared to spend eight days in a foreign country, hiking in the cold of the Andes, strolling down the sunny streets of Cuenca, and passing through the hot coastal city of Guayquil. When my dad has previously visited me for a weekend during spring in New York he has packed two large suitcases along with a carryon that he has been unable to zip closed due to the enormity of things that have been crammed in (things like gloves and scarves…and we all know how cold New York City is in May). So imagine our surprise when my dad shows up with only two small backpacks and one suitcase. And get this, the suitcase which was by far the largest of the three bags was filled only with things for Mike and me! (It should be mentioned that we provided my Dad with a pretty thorough packing list with lots of do’s and don’ts. This a service we are happy to provide to anyone else coming down to visit)

So, after seven months of phone calls, emails, and packages a real live family member was in our midst!! Off we went to the hotel where we chatted until we got a call from the front desk asking us to be quieter as they had received a phone call from our neighbors. Definitely an indication that we were in a pretty nice hotel as normal Ecuadorian culture permits all decibels of noise at any hour.

Tuesday September 9

Our first full day of Ecuadorian sights and sounds began with breakfast at the Magic Bean located in the Mariscal of Quito (the Mariscal is the tourist neighborhood filled with restaurants and hotels). This breakfast differed significantly from the $1.50 breakfast we had in Riobamba that day before. To start with there were more choices. Instead of choosing between fried and scrambled eggs, we could have anything you could possibly imagine in any combination; crepes, omelettes, bagels, smoothies, granola, etc... Of course this “choice” comes at a price but when your dad is visiting and paying the price is well worth it! So, we had a lovely breakfast with wonderful company and set the tone for the rest of our trip; relaxing and fun.

After breakfast we had to pack up our bags and head to the airport again for a flight to Guayaquil. Guayaquil is located in the southwestern part of the country right on the coast. It is also conveiniently located a short 3 hour car ride from Cuenca and Sayausi. We should mention here that we had originally planned to fly in and out of Cuenca during my dad’s trip but the week before he arrived we found out that the Cuenca airport was closed. Yes, the entire airport was closed for two weeks; September 1 - September 15. And the only way we found out was when we went to buy tickets. There was no mass media outreach (at least not in Sayausi) to inform the people of the impending closure. There was nothing at all to warn potential travelers of airport construction that would shut it down completely for two full weeks. So, we improvised. Instead of leaving Quito around noon on Tuesday heading directly for Cuenca, we left at nine o’clock heading for Guayquil where we would get a car to take us to Cuenca.

Headed south on an airplane leaving from Quito can be quite remarkable as the city is more or less surrounded by volcanic peaks. These volcanic peaks are usually shrouded in low-lying clouds. However, in airplane cruising at high altitudes these low-lying clouds form a lovely sheet of white that accentuates the jagged peaks breaking through and providing a rather priceless vista of some glacier covered Andean Mountain peaks (Cotopaxi and Chimborazo).

After forty minutes of peak watching we made out descent into Guayaquil where the high temperature in combination with intense humidity made us thankful for our Sierran Mountain site. We then piled into an air-conditioned van (thank goodness) and headed for Sayausi.

As it turns out the drive from Guayaquil to our site is quite nice. You start off traveling through lush cocoa, sugarcane, and banana fields and then begin a steady climb up a windy road that passes through Cajas National Park (Mike’s counterpart). It’s also worth noting that the road begins at sea level in Guayaquil then reaches 4,000 meters (12,000 ft) within an hour and a half. Therefore the drive is beautiful but steep with signs (and stone rubble) every hundred meters cautioning landslides and accidents. As you can imagine the views are incredible, and as my dad can attest to, the drive passes close enough to the edge of the road to provide a truly panoramic, and nauseating, experience.

After three hours of twists and turns, drop-offs, and waterfalls we arrived in Sayausi. My dad, after saying how beautiful everything was and how nice the apartment is, took a nice long nap…until we had to leave to go up to Maribel’s house for a traditional Ecuadorian dinner.

We arrived at Maribel’s house at four o’clock after taking a ten-minute bus ride up the road from our apartment (this was the only time we were on a bus during my dad’s entire trip). Upon our arrival we were immediately swept into a small wood hut where they had already picked out four plump, live cuy (reminder: cuy are guinea pigs). My dad was given the prime seat in front of the fire with the best view of the cooking that was going to take place. And boy did stuff take place.

Dona Rita, the mother of Maribel, Norma, Sandra, and Meli, took each cuy one at a time and pressed its nose against the floor applying increasing pressure until a soft ‘crack’ was heard. The ‘crack’ indicated that the cranium had been broken. Once the cranium was broken she gouged out each eye with her fingernail then held it upside down over what looked like a frying pan. Each cuy was hung upside down for a few minutes allowing the blood to drip out. After each cuy had its cranium broken, its eyes gouged out, and its blood drained, it was dipped in boiling water. The boiling water caused the pores to open, which allows the fur to be ripped out more easily. This entire process from cranium crushing to de-furring takes about thirty minutes.

The next part is to take out the unwanted organs. The unwanted organs include everything except the liver, which is a delicacy. After the organs are taken out its mouth is cut open so that it looks like each cuy is dressed up like the Joker from Batman. At this point the cuy is ready to be seasoned then wedged onto a large stick and roasted over an open fire.

I would like to point out that my dad handled all of this very well especially considering his semi-vegetarian status. Before the cuy were killed he made a special effort to thank each cuy (see picture in slideshow below).

While the cuy were roasting we took my dad on a tour of the garden where I have been helping Maribel plant broccoli and other goodies over the past few weeks. On the way we stopped at the pig pen where my dad again talked to the animals and the animals apparently responded positively to what he was saying.

After the tour of the garden we were ushered back into the wood hut to watch the capture and beheading of two chickens. The chickens are sparred the crushing of the cranium but are subjected to a partial beheading with an extraordinarily dull kitchen knife. Again, the blood is let out, the feathers are pulled out, the organs are removed (although more of the organs remain in the chicken than the cuy), the flavor is added, and then it is cut into pieces and added to the caldo de pollo (chicken soup).

During the entire meal preparation my Dad was introduced to about seven adults and at least as many children. To my dad’s credit he remembered most of the names and was given the title Don Jimmy by Norma (she asked if Jim was like Jimmy and then proceeded to call him Don Jimmy which caught on with everyone else as well). During all the meets and greets my Dad gave each person a little recuerdo (souvenir) of Arizona which were well received and are now displayed around several different houses in Sayausi. Keep your eye open for a picture of Norma with a basket of roasted cuy and an Arizona flag pinned to her jacket. My Dad also introduced the idea of ‘thumb wars’ to the children and with Mike’s help translated it to the following:

Uno, dos, tres, cuarto

Yo declaro la Guerra de dedos!

Needless to say it was a smashing success and I expect I will have to play this game for the next two years.

After four hours of butchering and seasoning it was time to eat. Juan Diego, Maribel’s son, made clear that his favorite parts of the cuy were the head, liver, and feet. As such, he grabbed the four livers before anyone else could claim them (I can’t speak for the Ecuadorian contingent but from our side he didn’t have any competition). My Dad was served and ate chicken neck (this is the local favorite part of the chicken) soup, cuy paws, cuy meat, motecito (watery corn), rice, aji (a local type of hot sauce made from tomate de arbol), potatoes, and agua de remedios (the pink, sugary tea that is very popular here). Tired but happy we returned to our apartment, watched an episode of West Wing, then fell fast asleep.

Wednesday September 10

Wednesday morning we had a nice breakfast in our apartment then set out on a tour of Sayausi. The tour included the soccer field, the Laundromat, our favorite tienda, a river view, the internet café, and three cafecitos (we took my dad to meet a few of our closest friends here in Sayausi and at each house we were served essentially the equivalent of another breakfast). After visiting several families back to back to back it made the importance of remittances in the lives of people in Sayausi very obvious. You only need to see the house (or the furniture) to know whether or not the people living in it have family in the States sending back money. Nevertheless, the tea and crackers were great at every house and full though we were it was time for lunch and we had just the place in mind for Don Jimmy.

There is a restaurant located in between Sayausi and Cuenca called “El Paraiso de Eva”. However, everyone knows the restaurant as “El Che”. “El Che” is plastered with photos and parafenelia all about Che. Not only that but the owner is always dressed in full Che reagalia. Yes, everyday he wears fatigues, a hat, combat boots, and of course a loaded gun. But this is no act, no gimic, no ‘come and eat at Che’s’ sales pitch. This man is an honest to god revolutionary…with a restaurant. In any event we talked to him for a few moments after a lunch of roasted pig, llapingauchos (balls of mashed potatoes with cheese in the middle), motecito, caldo de pollo, with lemonade and he was gracious enough to take a few pictures with us and discuss how the revolution was progressing. Needless to say he is in favor of the new constitution that is being voted on in two weeks. Because of this upcoming election there is graffiti everywhere that says “Si” or “No”. In fact there is even a “Si a la constitucion” rap that is played frequently on the radio. My Dad took great joy in the political environment that has taken over Ecuador and the activeness of the people. From our balcony in Cuenca the next night he yelled to the gente, “Vota si!” but as currently serving Peace Corps volunteers we can’t tell you what we think about the constitution or the ambassador would have our heads (figuratively of course). That being said, we didn’t stop my dad from yelling, not that anyone could.

After lunch we returned to Sayausi for a quick afternoon siesta then up to Dona Melchora’s house for a fourth cafecito and little surprise. Though Mike and I had forgotten entirely about a previous promoise, Melchora and Norma had not. No more than five mintues after our arrival they whisked me upstairs to dress me up as a chola cuencana, again. So, for the third time in a month I was wearing a pollera, a blusa, and a chalina, dancing in the upstairs living room to the blasting tunes of traditional Ecuadorian music this time with my dad and get this…even Mike was made to dance (see pictures in the slideshow).

Dancing the Chola Cuencana, Again

We finished off the day with dinner in Cuenca overlooking the river Tomebamba. Not bad for Peace Corps.

Thursday September 11

Before heading into Cuenca to stay at a luxurious hotel and eat lots of delicious food, we decided to head into Cajas National Park for a few hours of hiking and alpaca hunting. Luckily, our neighbor owns his own taxi and agreed to take us to lake Llaviucu (a lake in the park) and wait for us while we hiked around. So, we packed a bag full of snacks, a few extra layers in case of rain or other weather changes that Cajas is known for, and set out.

Fortunately, the weather agreed and we spent the morning checking out Incan ruins (a stone wall about three feet high that runs about fifty yards), chatting with fishermen looking for trout, and searching for alpacas and llamas (which we did end up finding along with a few baby llamas, too). We ate nuts (hand delivered from the states since they are hard to get down here) and apples while sitting near a beautiful lake and only got kind of muddy traipsing around.

When we had finished with our hike we headed into Cuenca to begin acting like the tourists we haven’t been able to be. We stayed at a great hotel with a balcony, ate dinner with Kelly and Lesley (our nearest Peace Corps buddies), went out for ice cream, and stumbled across two live concerts; one of which was a series of high school choirs singing Beatles medleys in the old cathedral and the other a traditional Ecuadorian group that was playing in a rotunda in the central park (Parque Calderon). During the concert in Parque Calderon we were really waiting for them to play one song; Chola Cuencana. Fortunately, lady luck was on our side (or maybe it’s just that there are a really limited number of popular traditional songs) and they played Chola Cuencana just before we were about to throw in the chalina.

Friday September 12

Our first and last morning in Cuenca began with a complimentary buffet breakfast at the hotel (with unlimited coffee refills!!!). Then we went to the nearby hat museum where they make all sorts of hats including the famous Panama Hat which is actually made in Ecuador.

How to Make a Panama Hat

After hat shopping we went to a local guitar shop that is owned by an Ecuadorian family that makes guitars by hand on the second floor of the shop. We got a tour of the workshop and I left the proud owner of a handmade guitar! Technically, I still have to learn how to play the guitar before I can truly appreciate it but I also have an instructional book and a lot of free time to remedy that slight drawback. (Thanks for the guitar Dad!)

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at Nueve de Octubre, a market that sells really great cheap, wooden furniture, pots, pans, knickknacks, and everything elase you could imagine needing. Also, on Tuesdays and Fridays there are several stands set up where local curaderas (people who cure) offer limpiezas. A limpieza supposedly gets rid of whatever bad spirit is ailing you. After some convincing, my Dad agreed to get a limpieza. During the limpieza the curadera hits the patient with a bushel of herbs repeatedly while making a ¨schhhk¨ sound. After beating the patient with the hearbs she then rubs several eggs over the patient´s face, stomach, and lower back. Before getting spit on with spirit water, the patient has to rub scented oils through his or her hair. Though my Dad did not agree to get spit on during the limpieza but he handled it in stride as well as the beating with the herbs and the egg rub.

Videos of the Limpieza

By this point it was just about 11:30am and we needed to eat lunch and catch our ride back to Guayaquil to get our plane for Quito to get our car to Otavalo, so we grabbed lunch at the hotel (yummy pizza) and checked out.

The car ride was great, though again I think my Dad would emphasize the lack of guardrails and passing lanes, and we arrived at the airport with an hour to spare. I should mention here that there are a few pictures of a small town alongside a highway in the slideshow below. The small town is El Mango and one of our Peace Corps friends is living there…slightly different than the pampered life we are living in the suburbs of Cuenca. My Dad said the rice paddies surrounding the small town reminded him of his service in Vietnam.

Again we got great views of volcanic peaks (Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Illinizas) during the plane ride and arrived in Quito where a private car from the hacienda we were going to be staying at in Otavalo was waiting. It was quite the celebrity experience.

The ride up to Otavalo was highlighted by the full moon casting its glow on the mountains that bordered the road. We arrived at the hacienda (Casa Mojanda) just after eight o’clock where we were met by the four other guests and the hostess. We were then served a delicious three-course meal followed by freshly made tea with herbs cut from the garden. All and all things were going pretty well and they were only going to get better.

Saturday September 13

Saturday morning we woke up to spectacular views of several surrounding volcanoes (Cotacachi, Imbabura, Fuya Fuya) and piled into the hacienda’s SUV with the other guests and headed off toward the animal market. The animal market takes place during the early morning hours every Saturday just outside of Otavalo. At this market people from the nearby areas bring their cows, horses, llamas, pigs, guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens, fighting roosters, and every other type of animal you could possibly imagine. Though we were tempted by a few cute baby pigs, in the end we decided it would be better to go back to the hacienda for breakfast before making any big decisions.

Back at the hacienda we were treated to a breakfast of pancakes, granola, yogurt, fresh fruit salad, and unlimited coffee! Then, with full stomachs and a sunny day ahead of us we loaded into the SUV again and headed off for the Saturday market. Otavalo is famous for its Saturday crafts market and tourists (and some locals, too) crowd the streets on a weekly basis shopping for anything from leather hats to knickknacks to woven textiles. And my Dad, who is by no means a shopper, spent five hours perusing the stands of Otavalo and bargaining with the vendors in his limited (yet impressive) Spanish, and Mike who is also by no means a shopper got to practice his limited (yet also impressive) Kichwa. During our shopping extravaganza we did take time out to enjoy a live Andean folk band that was playing for the lunch crowd in a popular restaurant. In fact, my Dad went back two more times throughout the day the take in the reedy tunes of the Andes.

Some prize acquirements made during the spree include two very nice wool ponchos (essentially blankets that people are socially permitted to walk around in) and an Indiana Jones hat for Mike (exactly how it sounds) to keep off the sun and rain while hiking through Cajas.

To celebrate a good day of shopping we went to a nearby pie shop and ordered two slices of pie topped with vanilla ice cream. We had been to this pie shop two years ago when we were here as turistas and rumor has it that is was started by a Peace Corps volunteer a long time ago. The pie is great but the service is definitely at a Peace Corps pace; unhurried at best. Again, with full stomachs, we got into a taxi and returned to the hacienda for an afternoon of napping and strolling the impressive grounds and gardens.

In the evening, we were served rosemary chicken, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, tomate de arbol juice, and maracuya pie (passion fruit pie). Everything was delicious but I was particularly impressed with the rosemary chicken. The flavor was great but that paled in comparison to the quantity of meat that was on my piece of chicken. After seven months of campo chicken I had forgotten that chicken usually has quite a bit of meat on it and because of this can actually be served as a main course at dinner as opposed to a garnish in a soup!

Sunday September 14

For our last full day at the hacienda we decided to go on a hike at some nearby lakes (Lagunas de Mojanda). So, after a breakfast of eggs, homemade wheat bread, fruit salad, granola, yogurt, naranjilla juice, unlimited coffee, and a half hour of trying to convince the llamas in our front yard to let us pet them we drove up to the lakes with our private guide and Maki (a sweet dalmation that lives at Casa Mojanda).

The lakes are located a half hours drive from the hacienda up a cobblestone road with sweeping views of the surrounding valley. Once we arrived at the lakes we took an hour hike through the Andean paramo at over 12,000ft (good job dad!). During the hike Maki uncovered a few resting birds and we explored the edge of a quinoa forest (a highly endangered tree that grows at extreme altitudes and takes a long time to grow).

When we returned to our cabin at the hacienda we ate our sack lunches, which we were supposed to eat on the hike but ended up saving for home. Again, the cheese sandwich with roasted red peppers, the apple, chips, and cookies were delicious. The cheese sandwich even more so as the last time we had eaten any type of cheese other than the local queso fresco, which is essentially like solidified cottage cheese, was over seven months ago. Yummmmm, real cheese!!!!

After lunch my Dad took his meditation break, which on a good day turns into a nap, and Mike and I went to the kitchen for another cup of unlimited coffee. Here in Ecuador coffee means Nescafe Instant Coffee and there are absolutamente no free refills. Being at a place that serves real, roasted, fresh ground coffee with hot milk on the side was quite the treat.

Our last dinner at the hacienda was amazing. The entire dinner had an Indian theme starting with mulligatawny soup and ending with a cinnamon fruit custard. We chatted with the other guests after dinner then retired to the common room for our last viewing of West Wing (I have made several references to West Wing which may require some explanation. West Wing is a political series about the White House that we have been watching on and off since I was in high school. A few years ago we decided to start from the beginning and since then whenever we have time we watch an episode, or two. We are finally on the last of seven seasons after four years of diligent viewing).

Our last night at the hacienda there was a gorgeous full moon that drifted in and out of the clouds providing a cozy atmosphere for sound sleeping.

Monday September 15

My Dad’s last day in Ecuador! Like the previous two days this one began with a nice warm fire (thanks Mike) in our living room chimenea followed by a delicious breakfast and then trying to coax the llamas into letting us feed or pet them. Unlike the previous two days on this morning we had to pack.

Packing didn’t take too long though as my Dad was leaving with much fewer things than he came with and so at around 10:30am we loaded into a car and drove back to Quito. Fortunately me Dad’s flight was not until the early evening, which gave us time to have a wonderful lunch at an Italian restaurant. Mozzarella cheese never tasted so good! I’m pretty sure the lunch consisted of at least four courses, each one more delicious than the last (unfortunately there was no googala but we did get tiramisu and gelato for dessert).

To settle our stomachs, we took a walk around the surrounding neighborhood before getting a taxi to take us to the airport. We’ll skip over the teary goodbyes and get right to saying how great everything was.

All and all the trip was fantastic and we would like to thank my Dad for treating us to such a fun week and to his fabulous company! We miss you and had a wonderful time with Don Jimmy in Ecuador.

To everyone else we would like to invite you to come and visit us in Ecuador. And as my Dad would like to make clear to everyone thinking about coming South, Mike’s travel agent skills are exceptional so the more the merrier!

Special Note: If you say ´tomate´the next time you talk to us you will have proven your dedication to this blog as we will know that you read the entire entry and that is no small feat. Remember the code word is ´tomate´.

September 2, 2008

Tuesday

1:10 PM

Sayausi

Living Room

Campeonas

As you already know I am a member of a women’s soccer league here in Sayausi. What you do not know is the story of my rise to fame and glory within that league.

Two weeks ago my team played in the semifinals for the end of the year tournament. It was a tough team we played against; at least one of the players was taller than 5’0” and they wanted to win you could see it in their eyes and the eyes of their many children watching from the sidelines. The game began as all do 0-0 until a spectacular breakaway by yours truly and an absolutely perfectly placed kick into the net of the far post. The score 1-0 but an entire half remained and that team’s sweat wreaked of lust for gold and glory. With that sweat and a free kick from outside the penalty box the score was tied 1-1. Shortly thereafter the game ended, tied. Unlike regular tournament play there was no overtime, no sudden death victories, only penalty kicks.

Humble though I am I could not refuse my team’s request that I take one of the five penalty kicks in attempt to make our way to the finals. And not that I am one to brag, being modest and not keen of the spotlight, but I took the final and winning kick for our team. Yes we were on our way to gold and glory: the women’s soccer finals of Sayausi, Azuay, Ecuador. To celebrate my teammates bought two entire bottles of beer and divided it among the ten, yes ten, of us. However, they asked Mike to pour the beer because they didn’t know how to without making lots of little, tiny bubbles. My team is tough; really, really tough.

Two weeks passed but not one day where I didn’t think about running to get into shape for the upcoming game. Day after day of rigorous mental preparation and minimal actual preparation until finally the day arrived: August 30, 2008.

We took the field and stood proud as the national anthem played and the crowds cheered wildly. The team we were playing was scrappy and you could tell they wanted to draw blood or at least win (although not all of them showed up and they had to play a few people short so really I guess maybe they didn’t want it that badly). But their little elbows and big attitudes were no match for a team of women in tight red pants and a gringa….though really my role in this game was more of a psychological boost for them as I had a bit of stomach bug and really just hobbled (though it was a very athletic and graceful hobble) for the entire game. Nevertheless you cannot suppress the victory energy that I emit even on my sickest of days and as such we won 2-1 and became the campeonas of Sayausi.

Again we celebrated, this time with an entire 5 oz of a 20oz bottle of Zhumir (a locally made and mass marketed alcohol) mixed with agua de remedio (a pink super sugary tea that everyone drinks here at every meal). Nothing says champion like one tiny plastic cup of heavily diluted, sugary tea-alcohol passed among eleven sweaty women.

Later that night there was a medal ceremony during which we all received a medal and the team received a cash prize of $60.00 and a gigantic trophy. I don’t know what happened to the money but the trophy, at the behest of my fellow teammates and campeonas, was gifted to me. Yes the trophy that measures at least 2 feet in height but with a heart five times that size was given to me for being such a buena futbolista.

La gloria tiene otro nombre y es Mary.

Click below to see a video of our victory lap at the medal ceremony…I’m the one running with the giant trophy...

Inca Trail and Mike’s Mammal Guide

Several weeks ago Mike and I were supposed to go on a camping trip into Cajas to help with a mammal and bird study. However, it was cancelled and rescheduled for the following week because Cajas couldn’t find available horses nor an available park guard to accompany us and the other biologists (no one mentioned that it was because they tried getting these things the day before we were supposed to leave). In any event the trip was cancelled until the following week.

The following week we woke up at 5:00am and go wait with all of our things on the main street of Sayausi. We wait…and wait…and wait. After waiting four hours we made the mutual decision that they were not coming and returned to the apartment. We later learned that a few tourists had gotten lost in the park and all of the park guards were busy with that fiasco and so never came to pick us up.

Having given up (for now) on the idea of camping in Cajas we learned of another study that was going on that we could hike in and out from in one day. Mike planned it with another park guard that we would go out with him on Wednesday to help with the deer study and come back that same day. So, again we wake up at 5:00am and take a bus up to the park guard’s house where we were going to meet him to drive up into the park and then hike out.

After waiting ten minutes outside of the park guard’s house he finally emerged and said, “Habia un malcordinado.” He goes on to say that the study finished the day before and as such there was no reason to go out. We are now zero for three and so we decide to go for a hike by ourselves in Cajas as our packs are filled with snacks and all things hiking and our luck with park guards and biology studies seemed low to nonexistent.

We caught the next bus that passed and within 20 minutes we were in the middle of Cajas starting out on a nice little day hike. However, as seems to happen with Mike and myself our day hike turned into a day trek as we spent the next nine hours traipsing up and down hillsides, swinging from branches to avoid muddy pits, scooting down giant rocks, and generally enjoying ourselves on the Inca trail of Cajas where hundreds of years earlier the same trail was used for traveling to the coast.

My pants are still soaking to get the mud out.

On a somewhat unrelated yet geographically relevant note, Mike is still working on the Mammal Guide of Cajas. As of right now it is 150 pages, details the description and distribution of 43 species found in Cajas, features a picture of a wolf-fox taken by Mike, and has Mike’s name four times on the first page (he didn’t put it there but he did put my name in it once because I helped with some of the editing).

PeaceCorps is a little different the second time around.

(We included this Mike update because of the almost 200 pictures we have for this week he is not in one of them. Yes, this is partly my fault as he took almost all of the other pictures but he is also not one who jumps at the opportunity to have his picture taken. I specifically asked him if he wanted his picture taken with my trophy but for some reason he declined. Don’t worry he looks the same, better than ever. Unfortunately, for those of you who need visual confirmation the next post will probably also be lacking in Mike pictures as my dad will be here and Mike will most likely be taking pictures of me and my dad. I will try to drag him into a few so you can all see he still exists and that I just don’t make up random stories about him and what he is doing. We promise to dedicate the month of October to Mike and pictures of Mike.)

Huertas, Biscotti, Bufandas, and more…

PeaceCorps told us to try to avoid helping people fill out visa applications but when our old host mom’s sister had already received a visa to visit her son in Canada (who she hasn’t seen in five years) and wanted help filling out a transit visa so she could take a flight that stopped in the US, we figured it was OK to help. To fill out the transit visa (The visa that allows a person to take a flight with a layover in the US) her daughter Maribel came over to our apartment. After filling out the visa, I taught her how to make granola. A few days later she asked me how to make cookies (biscotti) because I had brought some over to her sister’s house and they were a smashing success. Unfortunately the visa application did not have as much success as the cookies. After a lot of money by Ecuadorian standards, a trip to Guayquil, and a lot of time, the transit visa was denied. Dona Rita is now looking for a direct flight to Canada, maybe for Christmas.

On a happier food related note, a week ago Sunday I taught Maribel (Rita’s daughter) how to make Biscotti Runa (Runa means people in Quichua). We called them biscotti runa because we used home hatched eggs which were much smaller than factory farmed eggs and as such we had to use four instead of three. Biscotti are now taking over the southern hemisphere.

While we were at her house making biscotti runa it came up that Maribel was going to be planting vegetables in their garden (huerta) this week. Mike then mentioned that I wanted to learn how to sembrar (plant) and cuidar (care for) a huerta. And so it came to be that four out of the next five days I was at Maribel’s house gardening in the morning and then giving cooking lessons for lunch.

I left out one cute part of this story. On Monday night after we made biscotti with Maribel and her family we were at home in our apartment when we heard a loud series of knocks on the door to our building. Our apartment doesn’t have a bell and we can’t see who’s outside the building door from our window so we usually just wait and see if the person goes away. The person did not go away so I went downstairs to see who it was.

It was Maribel.

Maribel was standing at the door with a bag full of yarn and a pair of knitting needles. I had mentioned on Sunday that I really wanted to learn how to knit and so she bought me yarn and needles when she went into Cuenca on Monday then came to our apartment to teach me how. So she stayed for close to two hours teaching me how to knit using the reverse stitch!

I have since brought the scarf (bufanda) that I am knitting up to her house several times when I go to garden and cook. The gardening and cooking are going well but the bufanda is definitely taking its time to grow to scarf length. However, Maribel can now successfully make cream of carrot soup, garlic knots, quinoa stew, biscotti runa, oatmeal cookies, pizza with sauce, and a white, cream sauce with vegetables all by herself…and her kids like most of it and being 5 years old on average that’s quite the victory.

Maribel has also showed me how to make a few Ecuadorian delicacies including aji and rompope. Aji is like mexican salsa but instead of using tomatoes (“tomate rinon” here in ecuador) you use “tomate de arbol” (“tree tomato” there in the states…if it existed there). You can see a few pictures of this native tree tomato fruit in our slide show. Look for it on the stove top next to the biscotti bar…something that has probable never happened in all of human history.

“Rompope” closely translates to “egg nog” which this is not. To make “rompope” you beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Then you beat in the yolks with a spoonful of sugar and two drops of wine (or Zhumir if that’s what is available). Then, you eat it with a spoon.

That pretty much sums up a few weeks in the lives of Mary and Mike in Sayausi; spreading cookie goodness and mammal madness the world over.

If you’re not already sold on coming to visit us in Ecuador, my dad is coming next week so our next post will be filled with specific examples of why you should come and what we could do while you were here…and if none of it appeals to you keep in mind that Ecuador has the Amazon Jungle and the Galapagos Islands as well, or we could meet you in the Caribbean somewhere as it’s halfway between here and the States.

As always, doulble-click to enlarge the image and see the slideshow and captions.

August 16, 2008

Saturday

9:30am

Sayausi

Our Apartment

Cholitas and Granola

Last Tuesday morning I left our apartment carrying a small yellow bucket filled with pineapple skins, apple cores, banana peels, onion scraps, and other discarded food items headed for our old host family’s house. Several times a week I bring over our organic waste (minus coffee grounds) and they use it to complement the diet of their several chanchos (pigs). In exchange for the lavasa (the food scraps used to feed the chanchos) they usually give me a pitcher of fresh cow milk. However, after a few bad experiences with said milk I have begun to intentionally forget the pitcher and leave without the fresh cow milk. On this morning, I brought the lavasa into the kitchen, chatted with my host family, told them we had just bought milk yesterday and so needed no milk, and sat down to pasear for a little while.

I had scarcely pulled the chair out from the table to sit down when Norma asked me if I wanted to see the polleras now. Polleras are part of the typical dress of the women of this area, more specifically they are skirts that almost every old woman wears. The pollera was worn by women of all ages on every day but now old-women wear them every day and younger women and children wear them on special occasions. And, when someone is dressed with the pollera, a blusa (a blouse), and a chalina ( a long scarf-like piece of fabric used for carrying small babies, corn, fruit, or any other random cosa) they are called a chola (which is just the name for women dressed traditionally).

Now, the reason why Norma asked me if I wanted to see the polleras is because for the past two months Mike has been telling people that when we go home for Christmas I am going to dress like a chola. This is obviously a joke (at least to me) but the idea has really caught on with my host family. So, Doña Melchora led me upstairs to see her pollera collection. Doña Melchora used to dress as a chola on a daily basis but no longer can because of some reason having to do with a surgery.

I was led to the corner of a back room on the second floor where there were no less than fifteen polleras of every color, quality (there are polleras that are muy formal and there are others that you wear when milking cows), and size. It did not take more than five seconds for Doña Melchora to take one down and tell me to put it on. It took no more that five seconds after that for her to run into another room and come back with a blusa and tell me to put it on.

I would say that within several minutes I went from gringita to cholita, just like that. From here things are a blur but eventually I, Doña Melchora, Norma, and Norma’s two daughters were all in polleras dancing to the Chola Cuencana (The Chola from Cuenca). During the dancing (which lasted close to an hour, if not more) they dressed me in several different polleras, a traditional apron, and took at least ten pictures of me as a cholita with their 35mm point and shoot camera.

Once the festivities had died down and I was back in my gringa get-up they began talking about what a great idea it would be to surprise Mike when he came back from work. I, of course, agreed and planned to return to their house later that afternoon with Mike.

At four o’clock Mike and I arrived at the house, I was swept upstairs, and Mike was instructed to remain downstairs until the transformation was complete.

While I was upstairs changing from gringita to cholita for the second time in eight hours, Norma’s six year old nephew went into the kitchen where Mike was waiting and said, “Mary taught my mom how to make something.” He said this because several days before his mom had been in our apartment and I was trying to explain what granola was and decided it would be easier just to show her; so we made granola, during which she took notes, and in the end she really liked it.

Mike, who was there when granola demonstration happened, replied, “What was it?”

“A food with stuff in it.”

Mike: “Oh, like what?”

“With oats and stuff like that.”

Mike: “Do you like it?”

“Oh, yeah we’ve had it like three times.”

This is kind of unrelated to the chola story but it did make me feel pretty good to hear that. Back to cholas.

Once I was fully chola Norma sent down her younger daughter to get Mike and lead him up with his eyes closed. This was all very exciting for our host family and they were unable to resist another opportunity to dress up and dance. So, Doña Melchora, Norma, and Norma’s two daughter’s put on their polleras, and joined me in another round of the Chola Cuencana while Mike documented the event and considered the pros and cons of being married to a gringa turned chola. I’m pretty sure they were all pros, I mean how could anyone find fault in polleras and happy, hopping, dancing?

Buhos

Also, on Tuesday morning but up the hill in Cajas, Mike had a fun and interesting day. He and the other biologist (Pancho) were paddling around a lake trying to take some GPS measurements to figure out the lake’s boundaries and therefore the quantity of a certain grass that grows on the inner edge of the lake when they saw a floating mass of feathers. Upon closer inspection the floating mass of feathers was determined to be a recently deceased owl. Both Mike and Pancho agreed that this was a fine specimen and should not be left in the lake. So, they picked it up, put it in the boat, carried it with the them back to the office, went to lunch, then went back to the office to begin the process of figuring out how to preserve this dead, but in great condition, owl.

The final solution was to send a park guard down to the pharmacy to buy a liter of formaldehyde (which you can buy over the counter here, like everything else), and then they proceeded to inject this dead, but in great condition, owl with this liter of formaldehyde. The last step in this process was to suspend the owl in a position of grandeur so that it would harden and be suitable for display. The position of grandeur ended up using a cord to suspend the wings from the office’s ethernet hub, wedging rocks into its claws, and standing it on a piece of cardboard resting on a several thousand dollar printer. But it does look cool.

Guitarras, Gorras, y Limpiezas

On Wednesday, a friend of ours came to visit from the coast and while she was here she wanted to buy a guitar and do all things Cuencana. Having already taken another friend on a guitar hunt we knew just the place to go for the guitar.

There is a small shop on the outskirts of old town where a family makes guitars. The guitars they make are beautiful and reasonably priced (from a State’s salary perspective). So, we hung out in the guitar shop for a while, got a tour of the upstairs where they make the guitars, and our friend ended up with a pretty awesome guitar.

Along with guitar hunting we went to a hat museum where they make Panama hats (which are actually Ecuador hats) and went to a market where you can get a limpieza. A limpieza is a whole body cleansing performed by old ladies with herbs, flowers, eggs, and other random things. During the limpieza which lasts close to ten minutes the patient is lightly hit with bushels of herbs, rubbed with an egg, painted with ashes, massaged with scented oil, and spit on with some unknown bottle of something.

Jefferson Perez: La Gloria tiene un nombre

As I am sure you all know, the Olympics in Bejing have begun and as such the medal race has also. This may come as a surprise to you but Ecuador does not have a very large Olympic team nor do they win many, if any, medals. Unless of course the competitor is Jeffereson Perez. I don’t know for sure but I think he may be the only Ecuadorian athlete to ever receive an Olympic medal let alone several, including a gold.

Yes, Jefferson Perez is the pride of Ecuador. He is their David in the David and the Goliath that is the world stage of the Olympics. He has received several medals in several Olympics, he has three consecutive World Champion titles, and he is from Cuenca. This is a very big deal for Cuenca. There is a statue of him in their most athletic focused park, their coliseum is named after him, and he is featured in nationwide commercials.

Last night we, several other volunteers, and several thousand Ecuadorians gathered in his coliseum to cheer him on as he competed in the 2008 Bejing Summer Olympics. There were two jumbo-tron screens, vendors with flags, posters, hats, and Jefferson Perez t-shirts. Mike had also received an email earlier in the week from ETAPA (The large government agency that he works for) informing all their employees about this event and Cuenca was papered with posters advertising this event for the entire week prior.

So, at 8:00pm Ecuadorian time and 9:00am Bejing time after two hours of live music and interesting dance performances, we and thousands of others were in the coliseum with our flags, t-shirts, and hats cheering and carrying on for the Mens 20km Walk.

Yes, that’s right the pride of Ecuador is a speedwalker.

Jefferson had earlier declared that after three World Championships and several Olympic medals, this Olympics would be his last so the crowd was on fire as the starting gun went off and the race began.

After many highs and lows during the hour and twenty minute speedwalking race, Jefferson Perez finished with the silver medal around his neck and the entire country of Ecuador cheering madly for him.

In honor of his victory they lit a castillo after his race (see our Fiestas of San Pedro post if you don´t remember what a castillo is).

It was actually quite a touching event and I’m pretty sure they were as proud of him for a silver as they would have been for a gold. Glory truly does have a name and that name belongs to a Mens 20km speedwalker named Jefferson Perez.

As always click on the photo to see the slideshow and captions.

Also, some of you may have already found the video footage located on the right hand side of this page that shows Mary dancing. If you are not able to click on that image and see her dance, try this link:

Bailando la Cholita Cuencana!

There are two seperate clips, each of 15 seconds. Sorry, no sound.

July 26, 2008

Saturday

5:25PM

Sayausi

Our Apartment

Last Saturday evening the gas tank for our calefon (gas water heater) se acabo (ran out). However, we were not worried because we had been told on countless occasions that a pickup truck loaded with gas tanks drives through the town’s streets each morning; once at 6:30am then again at 8:30am. Not only that but he comes through beeping his horn so as to alert those with tanks que han acabado can wait patiently in their houses or apartments and only when they hear the honking do they need to step outside and wave down the gas truck. Then it is only a matter of exchanging your empty tank with one of the many full tanks in the back of the truck. Of course you have to pay $2.00 for this full tank which will provide enough gas to heat piping hot showers for two people and scalding hot water for countless dishes and pans for just over a month.

So, worried we were not when our tank gave its last ounce of hot water halfway through a shower (luckily this happened to Mike and not me as having been raised in the Arizona suburban desert I lack a certain appreciation for all things surprisingly ice cold) on Saturday night.

That very next morning we were up at six and waiting inside our apartment for the sound of a honking horn that would signal the arrival of the gas truck. However, this waiting for the sound of a honking horn proved a very unreliable way of knowing whether or not the gas truck was passing by our apartment. You see in Ecuador the “honk” is not reserved solely for averting accidents and announcing the arrival of the gas truck. The “honk” or “beep-beep” or “beep-beep-beep” can mean any of the following things: the driver sees you, the driver is going to be passing by a person who is walking, the driver thinks someone on the street is cute, the driver sees another driver he/she knows, the driver will not be slowing down as he/she cruises through a pedestrian heavy area, the driver is saying ‘hello, good morning/afternoon/evening to the people in the streets/other cars/comedors along the street, the driver needs to scare some livestock out of the street, the driver is simply having fun driving and honking his/her horn, and lastly that the driver wants to avoid an accident, or possibly has tanks of gas to sell.

Therefore we spent last Sunday morning running to the window to see if the gas truck was passing by. We then spent Sunday afternoon sitting on our stoop (doorstep to the apartment building) waiting for the truck to pass by with the tanks of gas. We waited a good part of the day (expect when I was on the field with my soccer team) waiting for this truck to come….it never did despite the fact that people continued to tell us that he comes everyday…except maybe on Sundays, sometimes…it just depends but he definitely comes every other day of the week.

Ok, so he didn’t come on Sunday that’s no big deal, we’re living in a super Catholic community outside of a major city where absolutely nothing is open on Sundays. He’ll come on Monday.

The next morning we were up again at six. Mike took our empty tank down to the doorstep of our apartment building and waited. I stayed inside and started making breakfast. At 6:35am I heard the “beep-beep-beep”, the fast approach of a car/truck to our doorstep, then Mike’s voice asking for a tank of gas. Great! A few minutes later Mike came up the stairs with a full tank of gas. Not so bad for a small community in a developing country.

Mike proceeded to hook up the gas tank to the calefon after which I opened the hot water faucet….no hot water. Mike moved the tank to the kitchen and hooked it up to the stove…no flame.

After a few minutes of fiddling with the tank Mike figured out that if he pressed down on the regulator gas would leave from that tank and we could get a flame on the stove…without pressing down on the regulator nada de gas would leave the tank.

So, now we had a full tank of gas that didn’t work and another tank certainly on its last leg. The honking gas truck was of course by now long gone. Again, we were not too worried as we could just use the one working tank we had for both the hot water and the stove until the next morning when the gas truck would pass again and we could exchange the faulty tank for one that works. It’s a little bit of leg (and back) work moving the tank back and forth, but hey, this is Peace Corps.

Tuesday morning we were up at six, again. Mike took that faulty tank downstairs to wait for the gas truck to pass and I started to make breakfast. Six-thirty five rolled around and still no promising beeps. Seven o’clock rolled around and still no sign of the gas truck. We eat breakfast downstairs and wait until Mike needs to leave for work. No gas truck came.

Wednesday morning we waited downstairs even though Mike was supposed to go on a hike with the Biologist from Cajas to check out a backwoods creek that supposedly had some tadpoles in it belonging to an endangered endemic frog. He figured that while Andean paramo frogs are important so is our hot water (or lack of it). We sat outside from 6:00am until 11:00am and no gas truck! Everyone is still telling us that the gas guy passes by every morning and que mala suerte that we got a bad tank. Mala suerte indeed! Later that afternoon while we were in Cuenca looking into volunteering at the Cruz Roja we ran smack into a gas truck. Unfortunately we did not have our 100 pound tank with us to exchange with them but they did give us a cauchito (a rubber o-ring that fits in the valve of the tank and sometimes causes them not to work if it has dried out) for free and the hope that maybe we could get our tank to work if we just switched the cauchito. The first thing we did when we got home was swap the old cauchito for the new one and cross our fingers as we turned on the stove…nothing. Day four of our gas adventure closed with us sin gas, again. Our one depleted tank is quickly approaching empty as it has been doing the work of what two tanks had been doing previously. This double duty greatly increases the likelihood of cold showers or no showers in the days to come. And may I stress that cold showers here are not chilly or cool they are like liquid ice running all over you sucking every trace of warmth from your body until you turn off the water and you are left shivering, miserable, and very near some sort of diagnosable hypothermia. Muy mala suerte.

Thursday morning we waited again in the morning for several hours before Mike left for work and I for Cuenca for my first day at the Cruz Roja. Still no gas truck. However, as Mike was leaving the Cajas office in the afternoon, which is located several miles up the road from Sayausi, he saw the gas truck go zipping by headed for town. Unable to get his attention from the office, Mike left work early and returned to Sayausi where he proceeded to wait on the main street of Sayausi for an hour in hopes of catching the gas truck. And after an hour his hopes were answered. Mike began to wave his arms and call to the driver of the gas truck that was slowly driving down the road. The driver looked at Mike and held his gaze as he drove calmly by without pause. Needless to say this event was a tad frustrating and increased the feelings of mala suerte that we were already having about the entire situation.

Friday morning we wait again…no gas truck, though we do run to the window every time we hear a beep…a lot of beeps and running but still no gas truck.

This brings us to this morning a full week after we ran out of gas and five days of trying to find a truck that supposedly passes by our apartment every morning to replace a faulty tank we got from the guy the one day he actually came. So again we wait down stairs, this time from six until nine o’clock when we finally decided to go back upstairs and think of some other way to get a gas tank.

A few hours later Mike happens to be looking out the window when a pickup truck loaded up with gas tanks goes cruising by without a single beep! Needless to say, Mike went flying out the door in pursuit of this phantom truck.

A few minutes later he returned with the truck following shortly after. We exchanged both tanks, verified that they both worked, and asked the driver what days he passes through.

“We pass through every day in the mornings honking our horn.”

Mala suerte o mala informacion…tu decides.

Well, so we now have two full, functioning tanks of gas which means unlimited hot water for showers and dishes and plenty of gas for cooking delicious meals and hot tea. Buena suerte, right? However, for the past ten hours there hasn’t been a drop of water leaving the faucets of Sayausi, including those in our apartment. Not so bad for us, this sometimes happens on the weekends and we’re kind of used to it but tomorrow a trainee from the new group of Peace Corps volunteers is arriving and going to be staying with us for a few days…looks like mala suerte for him.

As always double-click to enlarge the photos and to see the captions!

July 19, 2008

Saturday

8:33am

Sayausi

Our Apartment

Warning: For those of you looking for more Ecuadorian culture, color, dancing, and fireworks please refer to our last post. This post documents the more mundane happenings in the last two weeks.

Over the past several weeks random events have taken place in Sayausí including a Fourth of July party, a soccer game, and Mike’s birthday. Below I will briefly explain each event and of course there are pictures as well. For those of you in a hurry please feel free to skip directly to the pictures. For those of you with time to spend, I’m glad you’re spending it reading our post.

Fourth of July

We hosted our first official gathering at our apartment on the Fourth of July. Two of our friends were making their way from Zapatillo (the southern most part of Ecuador on the border of Ecuador and Peru) to Quito and decided to stop in Cuenca for a few days to break up the 22 hour bus ride. They stayed with us despite the fact we have very little to offer in the way of sleeping accommodations. However, we compensate our lack of beds, pillows, blankets, and warm/cozy sleeping spaces with good coffee, hot water (most of the time), and unlimited hot tea. Not sure if it’s a good trade but they seemed happy enough.

Since we already had two people over it seemed logical to invite our nearby fellow PCVs to come over to celebrate the Fourth of July and make excessive amounts of food. So, for the Fourth of July the six of us made the following in honor of Lady Liberty: guacamole, tortillas, spinach dip, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, veggie plates, fruit salad, peppers and onions, and last but not least hot dogs (with a few chicken dogs as well for the sort-of meat eaters).

Sadly, there were no fireworks (although in reality I had had my fill of fireworks from the weekend before in the fiestas of San Pedro), no flags, no streamers, no parades (although again I think I had had my fill of parades during the San Pedro fiestas), and no cupcakes with flavorless red, white, and blue frosting. Despite the lack of so many Fourth of July goodies we still had a good time and look forward to the next Ecua-Fourth of July celebration especially considering that in between the Fourth of July and now I have learned how to make some pretty killer pigs in a blanket using the pretzel dough recipe from our Peace Corps cookbook and locally grown hot dogs!

Soccer Game

The Sunday after the Fourth of July the daughter of the daughter-in-law of our old host mom invited me to play on their women’s soccer team. So after ten years in soccer retirement, I laced up my tennis shoes, put on some tight red pants (all the uniforms here for the women consist of some sort of lycra pant or shorts and a tight shirt…go figure), found an old black t-shirt and ya, I was ready to play in the big leagues…actually the word big may be misleading here for two reasons. One, the women (and men, children, teens, preteens, and everybody in between)here are anything but big. Therefore, I am grandote and had to try really hard not to knock anybody over while playing. Two, the league is made up entirely of people from Sayausí. But for Sayausí this is a big as it gets, so I guess it depends on your perspective.

At three o’clock on Sunday afternoon I filled out my registration card and took the field with eight Ecuadorian women, teens, and preteens for my South American debut. We won 1-0 in the end and according to Mike I impressed everyone on the sidelines with my ability to pass.

Passing is something that is not really practiced much in the women’s league. The protocol for when the ball comes to you is to kick it as fast as you can and as hard as you can in the direction that you were facing when the ball came to you. So, despite my ten year absence from the soccer field the ability to pass was impressive enough to invite me back to play again (tomorrow I have my second game).

The Big Three Ohhhh!

As most of you know Mike celebrated his thirtieth birthday this past Monday. Thanks to you all for the wonderful gifts that you sent. You’ll see how much they helped in creating a birthday atmosphere in the pictures attached.

I think I can safely say that Mike is transitioning very well from young, carefree and in his twenties to older, wiser, and grayer in his thirties.

The Apartment, again

We’ve also included more up to date pictures of our apartment, including some hand-painted chairs (by Mike), hand painted bookshelves (one by Mike and the other by me…I did the one that you think looks nicer), the kitchen, and me with an apron (this was a necessary purchase as I only have one fleece and wear it all the time, even when cooking so it is so flour filled at the moment that I might actually have to wash it…brrr. Thanks in advance for the new fleece, Mom!).

Hope you enjoyed an insider’s look into some of the things that Mary and Mike do in a random couple of weeks in July. There of course were some work related activities as well but we didn’t have any pictures to go along with them… maybe next time?

I’m not sure what the next post will contain but there’s a rumor about a BBQ in nearby Santa Ana with another Peace Corps volunteer (Kelly) and maybe some pictures of me milking cows if I can manage to get up at five when it’s cold, wet, and dark to help my old host niece milk their cows. Better just say there will be pictures and stories of a BBQ and the cows might end up being a nice surprise…but don’t count on it.

As always, double-click to enlarge the photos and read the captions.

July 9, 2008

Wednesday

1:45PM

Internet Cafe

Cuenca

Two weeks ago our town celebrated the festivals of San Pedro their patron saint. That means for four days and four nights Sayausi was fiesta central with vendors, fireworks, masses, parades, fireworks, masses, donkey races, people races, masses, parades, music, costumes, fireworks, dancing, and masses.

We felt it would take too long to explain everything that happened so for this installment of Mary and Mike´s adventures in Ecuador we´re going to let the pictures do the talking..with a few captions for clarification.

The fiestas took place over four days so below you will find four slideshows, one for each day. Double-click on each slideshow to enlarge the image and read all the captions.

Enjoy!!

Day 1: Thursday

Day 2: Friday

Day 3: Saturday

Day 4: Sunday

Our next post will be all soccer and Fourth of July. I joined a team and we had people over for a very patriotic celebration. For a sneak peak at the festivities check out Kelly´s blog (there´s a link on the right side of this page).

June 20, 2008

Friday

4:30PM

Our New Apartment

Living Room

Though we are now comfortably situated in our new apartment, there was a time not too long ago when we were living with an Ecuadorian family. During this time we became familiar with some new and different traditions and habits from a culture other than our own. For example, home remedies for mal aire, cow foot soup, and listening to static on the radio at full volume because sometimes there is music. Our last week living with our family we were introduced to yet another tradition. This tradition is not unique to our family nor do I think it is unique to our town. Every Father’s Day across the great province of Azuay, families gather to send a special treat to their fathers that are working abroad in the United States.

The story begins at 6:00am last Thursday. I got up and left our room to use the bathroom and immediately something struck me as odd. The clothes wires that are normally filled with heaps upon heaps of clothes were empty, except for our clothes. Immediately after this realization, I noticed large plumes of smoke coming from right below our room.

First, I checked to make sure the house wasn’t burning down, it wasn’t. Then, I ran around collecting our clothes from the wires before the smoke made the five hours of washing the previous days pointless. Finally, I went downstairs to ask why they had set up a grill (an oil drum cut in half with a grille set on top) directly below our room at 6:00 in the morning.

The answer: To grill 4 cuy (guinea pig)

The reason: To send to her sons in the States for Father’s Day

Of course, why else would a grill be set up before the sun comes up! The reason for the early set up, I later learned, was to allow time for the cuy to cool before they wrap them up in tin foil, stuff them into a black funda (a plastic grocery bag), and drop them off at a mail service with the address taped to the outside for a Saturday arrival in Long Island (FedEx has nothing on this).

I went back up to our room to report to Mike on the unique nature of this morning but before I could fully explain I noticed that our room now smelled heavily of smoke.

My Problem: Having to wash ALL of our clothes, sleeping bags, pillows, etc…

Mike’s Solution: Stuff everything (clothes, sleeping bags, pillows, etc…) into the armoire

So, into the armoire went everything we could shove in there in hopes that the armoire would serve as some sort of protective barrier against the impending cuy smoke. After smoke-proofing our room, Mike went to work and I spent the rest of the morning learning the ins and outs of grilling cuy. Below is advice I pass on to anyone interested in grilling a cuy.

1. Get a big stick roughly four feet long with a two inch diameter.

2. Shove the cuy backside first onto the stick until you can see the stick through the cuy mouth (this may be difficult as the mouth is stuffed with all sorts of flavorful yummies

i.e. a marinade of twenty herbs)

3. Grease up your cuy to make sure at the end you have super crispy skin.

4. Start grilling.

5. You must continually rotate the cuy to ensure even browning (or reddening, continue reading for explanation).

6. If the backside is stretched passed its elasticity (i.e. it rips open and the back half is hanging off), simply tie the cuy back together and continue as instructed above.

7. If the organs are hanging out, continue as though nothing is wrong.

8. Coat the cuy with achote oil, to give it that appetizing red color and unusual smell.

9. Stab the cuy a few times to make sure the skin doesn’t blister too much.

10. You know your cuy is done when you can open its mouth to extremely unnatural angles and no blood drips out.

11. Before packing your cuy to send you must snap off each of its four paws. If you do not do this those cute little feet will rip open the packaging during its trip (Luckily, the feet are the tastiest part so you will probably not forget to do this because you will want to eat the feet while you are still grilling…they are just so irresistible!).

Around 8:30 when the grilling was done and the cuy were set in a pot to cool (see picture), I learned that one of the cuy was for our own personal enjoyment. I don’t know how I managed it but I turned down the tasty, gamey looking hind leg I was offered under the pretense that it was too early in the morning for cuy (Who ever heard of such a thing as it being too early for cuy, gringas really are strange). I had already turned down a crispy little paw while we were grilling so I guess they weren’t too surprised but I still got a few odd looks, such is the life of a gringa in Ecuador.

Mike got back long after the cuyes had been sent off for the fathers living in the States but I documented the process well for his enjoyment and yours! Buen provecho and Happy Belated Father’s Day, sorry we didn’t send out cuyes but maybe next year…

Also, at the end of the slideshow you will find pictures of our brand new apartment (we promise it won´t be this messy after a few weeks) and a bucket of cuy. The bucket of cuy belongs to the Padre, or more appropriately the church. Instead of a bake sale, the church asks its members to donate a cleaned and seasoned cuy that will then be grilled and sold with the profits going to the church (each cuy will sell for about $12.00 and trust us every single cuy will sell). Maybe St. Gerturude´s of Bayville can do this next year in place of a bake sale. We´ll be home for Christmas if you need some help following the above grilling instructions.

The fiestas of San Pedro begin tomorrow so our next post will be full of fun and interesting San Pedro stories. It will also probably have lost of grammatical and spelling errors as we probably will not have slept at all during the week because our apartment is right on the plaza where the all night fiestas will take place. But do not worry, our apartment has its advantages as well. For example, tonight we will be having vegetable dahl with coconut quinoa while we watch Seinfeld DVDs. As you may be able to infer from the slideshow that is not what we ate when we were living with the family....we will miss those tasty cuy feet.

As always double-click for enlarged pictures and captions.

June 11, 2008

7:30AM

Wednesday

Sayausi

Our Room

HerbalLife

Over the past few weeks we have gotten to know a significant portion of Sayausi’s population. Leon the hardware store owner, Gloria the bootmaker, Carmita the tienda owner, Jenni the hairdresser and daughter of the landlady of the apartament we want, Carmita the clothes store owner, Carmen our landlady and fruit vendor, William the Christian, Christian with the motorcycle, another Christian who we see everywhere, Noemi the girl who serves us coffee in the comedor, Jota the owner of the comedor and the only one in the comedor capable of calculating a total, Nellie her sister and member of the cooperative (still unsure of what that means), Christina the sister of Nellie, Don Manuel the accordianist, his wife Elvira who visited the Galapagos last year, their daughter’s Ruth and Gladys, Emily and Danielle (two of the ten grandkids of Don Manuel and Elvira, and coincidentally are US residents), Dona Mari and her two sons who are also US residents, Dona Anita another tienda owner, Marleni and Veronica the daughter-in-laws to our host mom, their kids Joel, Ronald, Xavier, Maira, and several sons in the States, Lola and Henri and their daughter Belen (she’s just learning to walk and no longer cries when see sees us), Don Jose (a.k.a. a chatty grandpa-like figure), Maira the sister of the hairdresser, Sandra and Marivel (the sisters of Norma our host big sister), their children Juan Diego and Elvis, Elvia and Jimena the ladies who make the best chuzos (chicken kebab) this side of Cajas, and of course the countless people we have met and talked with several times but we have yet to learn their names. Two of these nameless acquaintances run a small business here in Sayausi.

This small business that they run is out of an old restaurant that used to serve coastal food and the colorful sign still hangs over the door. The inside is all white and illuminated by harsh florescent lights. The majority of the space is empty with the exception of six or seven white chairs lined up along the side walls and two tables at the very back of the room, one with four white blenders and five gallon water jug on top of a white plastic water dispensor. Most of the day the store is empty with the exception of two ladies who work there every day.

For the first six weeks we would walk by this store as it is next to Jenni’s hair salon, where we have spent at least 20 hours trying to get this apartment (we will be going by Jenni’s when I finish writing this to talk more about apartment stuff), and every time we passed we would have a thirty second conversation about what they could possibly be selling out of a store that looks like its better suited for out patient surgeries but has four blenders and no operating table. Then one morning, while we were waiting in Jenni’s hair salon to find out if her mom (Dona Carmen) was coming down to meet us to show the apartment, one of these two ladies came in with a giant clear plastic cup filled with steaming, slightly off colored water. Jenni then told this lady to bring us a cup. I tried to refuse as all hot beverages here are served with an equal water to sugar ratio and it was just too early in the morning for such and extreme sugar high. But there’s no saying no sometimes and so we waited. About five minutes later she came back with a giant, steaming clear plastic cup of slightly off colored water and handed it to me. I thanked her and Jenni about five times each (one thank you here is the equivalent of not saying thank you) and asked what it was ( You would think it would work the other way around, a person asking what something is before it is in their hand and they are expected to drink it. Here people move deceptively quickly and more often then not something is on your plate or in your cup before you can politely decline. Then again it takes several minutes to politely decline something so maybe it’s not so amazing).

The lady, still nameless to us, replied that it was an energy drink and very healthy. Energy drink here usually means some creamy looking liquid with raw eggs mixed in. Luckily, this drink was clear and not at all viscous. Bottoms up! Pleasently surprised was I to discover that this mystery drink tasted like plain old herbal tea? So, I asked her (which looking back may have been the reason for the events to follow), “De que es esta bebida?”

“Oh, it’s a mix of different herbs that give you lots of energy and make you really healthy.”

“It tastes really good.”

“Oh it is really good and really good for you. I knew a friend you wasn’t feeling well and she started drinking this energy drink, and some others that I have, and now she’s completely better.”

I think at this point Mike coughed, as he has had a cold for the past two and a half weeks.

“Oh, if you drink this your cough will go away. This will make your cough better. Drink this.”

So, Mike drank the rest of the drink and we continued to talk to this lady for quite some time. During which I received a call from my mom and so stepped outside to talk with her. I talked with her for about ten minutes then went back into the hair salon where Mike was still talking to Maria, now we know her name. When I walked back in I noticed that Mike was holding a white, square envelope in his hand. As I sat down to join the conversation Mike told me that it was an invitation to a dinner that night. Maria, it turns out, had invited the two of us to a dinner at a hotel in Cuenca, formal dress. The invitation was pretty fancy looking, it was typed out on nice paper, and Jenni (with whom at this point we were pretty close with) said she was also going. What could be bad about this? So, we accepted and agreed to meet her at her tienda next door at 7:00pm.

At seven o’clock we arrived at her tienda where, for the first time ever, there were customers. And for the first time ever, we noticed at least ten giant white plastic containers each very clearly labeled as HerbalLife. The ladies welcomed us and handed us some pamphlets about HerbalLife all written in English (please keep in mind that nobody, and I mean nobody, in Sayausi or the surrounding areas can speak, let alone read, in English). After they made sure that we were settled the ladies, Maria and the other one, returned to preparing drinks for their customers. The drinks were made with water and one to two scoops of powder from these different containers. So the “tea” that we had tried earlier in the day was not actually tea but a powdered energy drink from the States. We took a seat opposite that of the customers that were already there and watched with a certain amount of interest the events that followed.

Each person had in hand a giant clear plastic up filled with steaming, slightly off-colored water. Now there are several amazing things about this. One is that nobody here drinks liquid without tons of sugar. Two is that nobody here drinks large quantities of liquid, ever! So to have a group of people sitting around with giant cups of liquid is absolutely noteworthy. Then, as we observed over the next few minutes, they have another two giant cups of liquid, this time the liquid varies in color from pink to white. The final amazing thing about all of this is that at the end when they were paying it turned out that each cup of powdered mix drink cost $2.00! Keep in mind that in Ecuador a lunch that comes with a soup, rice, meat, vegetables, and fresh juice costs one dollar. The family that was in the tienda consisted of three adults and three children. Each of the adults had three drinks and each child had two, making a grand total of $30.00. This is an absolutely outrageous sum of money for a family of Sayausi to be spending on drinks. Mike and I were shocked, and a little bit nervous as the owners had served us two drinks each while we waited for them in the store. Luckily, they never charged us as the total would have been more than what we are given for a full day’s worth of food!

Finally, at about eight o’clock the ladies closed up shop and we loaded into their truck and started toward the hotel in Cuenca for dinner. The drive lasted about 30 minutes during which time we heard about a friend of theirs who had had cancer and then started drinking these HerbalLife drinks and several monthes later the cancer was gone. We also heard about how each of them had weighed at least ten pounds more before they started drinking HerbalLife and that now they were much healthier. They asked if we had heard of HerbaLife, since we are from the States, and seemed surprised when we answered, no we had not ever heard of HerbalLife. So surprised, in fact, that they asked us at least three more times before we arrived at the hotel, and each time sounded genuinely disappointed in our lack of familiarity with HerbalLife and all of its curative wonders.

The hotel where the dinner was held smelled like old smoke and air freshener and was decorated in accordance with interior design styles of the early eighties. There was a broken slot machine, an out-of-service complimentary computer in the lobby, and all sorts of slightly, off colored mirrors greeting us in the lobby. The bell boy/security guard directed us to the second floor for the HerbalLife dinner.

Mike and I exchanged apprehensive looks as we followed Maria up the stairs to the HerbalLife dinner. I think we knew when we received the invitation that this was not going to be a normal dinner and we may have even thought that it was going to be terrible but we were long past the point of no return now and so continued up the stairs.

The stairs opened up into a dimly lit conference room. There were two tables near the door and eight tables arranged in a U-shape around a projection screen where a dubbed version of some inspirational video was playing to audience of about twenty subdued, dressed up Ecuadorians. We took our seats (the only ones left and the ones closest to the microphone, lucky us) and watched the end of the video. Once the captivating video ended and Mike and I were both utterly convinced that we too could be millionaires if only we were given a really savvy business idea, a short (and I mean short even by Ecuadorian standards) man was introduced and took the microphone at the front of the room. I wish I could describe with accuracy the nasal nature of his voice and capture just how poorly his nice suit fit him but unfortunately we left our camera at home and tape recording people without their knowledge is illegal (we still have to follow US laws here, lame right?).

He began to tell us about his childhood in the campo (rural area) and how poor he was and how little he always had. He went on to tell us how his wife married him even though he was a poor boy from the campo and how he always dreamed of making it big. Then he found this wonderful company and began to work with them and now he has nice clothes and has traveled extensively (around South America, and really only the countries surrounding Ecuador) and how if we want to take advantage of the opportunity we are being offered by this wonderful company we too could have nice suits and travel.

It´s now nine o´clock and still no dinner.

After Guy #1 finished telling us how much his life was changed by working for this company selling HerbalLife, Guy #2 comes up to the microphone and starts telling of his childhood in the campo and how people told him he would always be poor but how he always knew differently. He goes on about how now he travels extensively (again only in the countries surrounding Ecuador and it really wasn´t clear if he travels a lot or just went on one trip) and has nice clothes and makes lots of money. He then goes on to show powerpoint slides of the checks he has received from HerbalLife, each check increasing in quantity. Then he goes on to talk about how to make the most money working for HerbalLife you have to buy a lot of the product and convince some of your friends to work for you to sell the products that you bought. Furthermore, the more people you can convince to work for you to sell these products the more money you make...your friends working for you, well that´s another story.

He goes on like thie for and hour during which time he asked the audience questions and Maria (the lady who brought us) enthusiastically answered from her seat next to us as the rest of the crowd sat in polite silence.

It´s now ten o´clock and still no dinner.

Guy #2 finally finishes and I´m thinking finally it´s dinner, at least I get dinner out of this, when the testimonials begin. This part is kind of funny because about three-quarters of the twenty people there actually work for HerbalLife and each one of them gets up says their name, lists a number of health problems they had before they started drinking HerbalLife, how they no longer have said health problems, and how much money they make a month selling HerbalLife products. This was all very fascinating for the five of us that didn´t work for HerbalLife.

It´s now ten thirty, the video is done, Guy #1 and Guy #2 have given their speel, we heard all the gripping testimonials from the HerbalLife employees (including the two ladies that brought us from Sayausi), and finally dinner is served, cold and remarkably unappetizing considering the level of hunger induced by waiting until 10:30 to eat. Lucky for us, they played promotional videos during the entire meal...at least it distracted us from the tepid fish and cold soup.

It´s now 11:00, so far past bed time I´m surprised I can remember anything from this point on.

Maria and the other lady (we still don´t know her name) are a twitter with excitement. Wasn´t the food great? Aren´t those stories amazing? Is there anything in the world that could be better than selling HerbalLife? Are you sure you haven´t heard of HerbalLife in the States? I was barely awake in the back seat of the truck, nauseous from the food and the loud music that accompanied the video, my clothes wreaked from the smell of old smoke, and my neck hurt from having to stare sideways the whole night to appear interested, when I heard the lady (not Maria but the other one) ask Mike, “So, do you two want to work for our wonderful company?”

So, that was our first fancy dinner invite in Ecuador. A wheeling and dealing small business venture aimed at taking advantage of people with limited alternatives...and we still don´t know what HerbalLife drinks contain.

Other news in the world of Sayausi:

Mike and I participated in an 8km uphill race through Cajas National Park and finished last. Who knew an uphill race at 4,000 meters with a cold wouldn´t go all that well? But we still got a medal, a plastic water bottle, and a ham sandwhich, so how can you complain?

We might be moving into an apartment on Monday, June 16...extra points to anyone who can identify why that would be particularily sweet.

We were invited to have humitas with our hopefully soon to be landlady

First communion was this past Sunday, it was quite the spectacle (see pictures below)

Confirmation is next Sunday, sure to be quite the spectacle.

We were woken up this morning by the smell of our mother roasting cow feet in the front yard....yummm!

Pictures of Sayausi

(as always, double click to see the larger image and don´t forget to read the captions)

May 27, 2008

Tuesday

10:45AM

Our Room

Sayausi

We made it back from our four day, 4,000 vertical meter, horse trip!

For those of you interested in the details, here they are…

Friday

The first day of our four day horseback trip into the outer regions of the developing world.

We met at the church in Sayausi at 9:00am to discover that my padre, Padre Oscar, would not be coming with us on this trip (nor would Benito the ecua-poodle). Instead, Padre Constantino and two seminaristas would be coming with us. Now having returned from the trip I do have doubts about Padre Oscar’s motives for sending another priest in his place. He says the other Padre wanted an opportunity to get to know these caserillas because he hadn’t had a chance to visit them yet so he graciously allowed this new Padre to go in his and Benito’s place…my doubts about the altruistic nature of this great padre switch should be made clear by the end of this post.

So, the five of us (Padre Constantino de Colombia, Bernarnardo de Bolivia, Giovanni de Colombia, myself, and Mike) crammed into a small pick-up truck along with a driver to travel up to 4,200 meters above sea level (this is almost as high as the highest peaks in the continental United States….brrrrrr-chilly) to rendezvous at the trail head in Parque Nacional Cajas with 15 members from Leon Huaco (one of the caserillas), 18 horses, and dozens of sacks of rice, plantains, noodles, and who knows what else.

Needless to say the cabin of the small truck was a little cramped with myself, Mike, and the driver all in the front seat. Legs were everywhere but where they would naturally rest and by the time we arrived at the rendezvous point nerve endings were not functioning to their normal capacity. This is best exemplified by describing Mike’s exit from the truck. Please keep in mind that there are 15 people from these small caserillas watching our arrival anxiously and with all of their attention. Mike opens the door. Mike puts one leg down on the ground. All is well. Mike turns to step away from the car to let me out and puts the second leg down. Mike’s second leg collapses beneath him and his entire body follows suit tumbling several feet from the car. After seeing that Mike is OK, Mary bursts into fits of laughter and gracefully exits the truck. The 15 observers showed much more tact than I as they merely continued to watch with interest but without laughing (Turns out Mike’s entire leg (up to, and including, his hip) was fast asleep and it just didn’t hold his weight because he couldn’t feel anything. Please don’t worry, Mike is and was fine, just a little muddier than he started out….but not nearly as muddy as he would get).

Thus began our trip into the wilds of the caserillas that border Parque Nacional Cajas.

An hour later we were saddled up, me on the biggest horse and Mike on the smallest (go figure), and headed toward a caserilla named Baute. After about five minutes I was way ahead of Mike , reference my former statement about horse size, and holding on for dear life as my horse tripped, stumbled, teetered, scrambled, and tumbled down the slippery, rocky, narrow, steep, scary, wet, quasi-trail that we would be on for the next six hours. If only I had known then that this was the easiest trail we would be on for the next four days.

After 3 hours I arrived in Baute where we stopped to have some lunch. I dismounted, gracefully again, after watching Bernando tumble off his horse and roll around on the ground as he tried to dislodge his leg from the stirrup (he was fine too just not used to mounting, riding, and dismounting from horses). Mike arrived about 10 minutes later much muddier than when I had last seen him.

As we shared a lunch the townspeople had packed, in the middle of a field in the middle of nowhere, of guinea pig, mystery bird meat, corn, mote (another type of very watery corn), hard-boiled eggs, boiled bananas, and little bag of salt, Mike told me about his morning on horse back.

It begins with the fact that the other villagers kept referring to his runt horse as “pendejo” which translates to “fool” or “ass”. It continues with Mike’s knees being about level with his chest for the entire ride because the ecua-sized stirrups were not long enough for his legs. Then, somewhere in the middle as his horse was tripping, stumbling, and teetering down a muddy, slick, narrow, quasi-trail Mike threw himself from his horse because it seemed as though the tripping, stumbling horse was actually going to flip over and fall with him on top. It turns out the horse did not flip over but both its front legs were resting on its knees when Mike jumped off into the muddy paramo grass to the side of the trail. It ends with Mike being advised by the accompanying villagers that he should not have “botar”-ed himself from the horse. I side with Mike on the fact that the horse could’ve flipped and was much better for Mike to be off the horse than on it if that happened (Again, please don’t worry Mike is and was fine, just a little muddier than he was…..still not as muddy as he would get).

So, we ate lunch in what really looks like the shire from the Lord of the Rings laughing about the first half of the trail, the lunch of meats and corn, and the fact that we still had three to four more hours to go. Surprisingly, the rib cage of a guinea pig is rather delicious. We washed our hands in the stream, hid behind shrubs when needed, and then continued on our way.

Thankfully, the first half hour we got to walk through an absolutely beautiful field with streams running through it and a light mist blurring the surrounding hillsides. It might have been because the landscape was so beautiful, or that he was talking to one of the villagers, or that the “little muddy patch” was just inherently deceiving in nature, or that he was not really watching the terrain in front of him, but for whatever reason Mike went confidently walking through a patch of wet mud that the villager had just passed through (I was still several steps behind, thank goodness for short legs) and he sank immediately down to his thighs past the point where his farm boots protected him into thick, sloppy mud! I, again, broke into fits of laughter as I then jumped around the spot where he sank and crossed to the other side, completely mud free. Mike quickly dislodged himself from the muddy stream and continued through the field with no damage to his person (I feel I must warn all of you that this is still not the muddiest point in our four day adventure).

We then mounted our steeds, again me on the largest horse and Mike on Pendejo, and continued on for another four hours with little to impede our progress except rain, more muddy trails, thick fog, and sore legs.

When we arrived in Leon Huaco, we were greeted by very nice people that were very concerned with our well-being and immediately gave us café con leche and a light dinner of mountains of rice, sardines, beans, potatoes, and chicken stew. It was only after we had eaten, when it was dark, rainy, and oh-so-cold, that we realized we had no idea where our bag with all of our clean clothes, sleeping bags, and toiletries was located. Last we had seen it was packed in a used grain sack on horse several hours ago. We also knew that some of the horses were going on to another town several hours further down the “road”. “No preocupen!” was what we were told by the nice women who had made us dinner. “Estara aqui.” Don’t worry, it will be here. So, we went to mass (one of five in the next forty-eight hours) and no nos preocupamos.

Mass was held in a tiny chapel made out of adobe and tin, just like the eight other houses that made up the entire town of Leon Hauco. It was freezing inside and all twenty to twenty-five people from Leon Huaco attended, including ourselves and few local dogs as well.

After mass we were shown to our room, where luck would have it our bag was propped up in between an adobe wall and a saco of plantains. We stayed in the room where the teacher from the school used to sleep when the town had a teacher for its five to ten students. The teacher left last year and as far as we can tell the kids haven’t been in school since and there is no teacher planning to come back to Leon Hauco. In the room there was a small cot which they loaded up with all the blankets they could find, two small tables, a chair, and lots of random stuff which would take a long time to write about, and since this entry is already exceedingly long and we’re only on day one, it should suffice to say that there was a lot of random stuff in that room with us.

Despite the cold, cold, cold we actually slept surprisingly well all through the night until the next morning when some random villager came into the room (the door isn’t solid, it has a large opening so that you can put your hand through and unlatch it), said “Perdon,” continued to walk all the way into and across the room where she grabbed the sack of plantains that our bag had been resting against, then walked back across the room carrying the sack of plantains, out the door, stuck her hand back through the door, latched it, then left. At this point, we decided it was time to get up and out of bed.

Saturday

The second day of our four day horseback trip into the outer regions of the developing world.

The kitchen in Leon Hauco is a large room made of adobe with a pitched tin roof and many two-by-four beams spanning its length and width. Precariously balanced on top of the two-by-fours are various sacks filled with kitchen ingredients and slats of wood positioned to create shelves. In the corner farthest from the door, on the floor, is some smoldering firewood with an iron grate on top that serves as the cooking surface. Above this grate is a tin hood that is supposed to serve as the chimney but it has a closed top, thus all of the smoke from the firewood stays inside the kitchen. In another corner was a non-functioning sink and countertop that you couldn’t see because it was covered with tons of stuff (again we won’t go through the list but it was a ton of stuff). The final corner hosted a wooden table with benches that were only functional if people were sitting at both ends, if only one person were seated at one end the other end of the bench would pop up and the person seated would fall to the ground.

At each meal our little traveling party of five was served first and as we finished the rest of the town would trickle in until all twenty-five of us were huddled in the kitchen eating rice, rice, mote, various pieces of meat, rice, mote, fried eggs (only for us, don’t know why), and some slightly warm drink. Breakfast our first morning was good and hearty and settled in my stomach well enough to stomach the mid-morning activity.

Shortly after eating Mike and I were standing outside talking with the Padre, his seminaristas, and some local villagers when a few men went and untied a young bull that had been grazing beneath a nearby tree. Then, a forth man joined them with a piece of long rope which he started to lightly toss at the hind legs of the bull, trying to lasso the legs. This man was followed by a fifth who carried a five inch knife. This is when we were advised that they were in fact going to slaughter the bull for their festival (the festival is the reason why our trip was scheduled for this weekend). You can imagine the scene that followed. Mike and I watched the entire thing and it certainly made me think again about the consumption of meat. Once the bull was actually dead, and no longer groaning, I stopped feeling quite so queasy and began to watch with more interest than uneasiness (however, as different parts were removed and they all went into the kitchen, including the bucket full of blood, I did start to feel a little uneasy about lunch).

The men had obviously done this many, many times before and their attitude was jovial if anything. Throwing parts of the bull around was acceptable and hilarious. One man actually tried putting the testicles of the bull in another’s pocket…he was unsuccessful but it did elicit many laughs from the group. About half way through the process we thought to get out the camera to see if it was working. You’ll all be happy to know that is was and that the pictures from this morning are included in this post!

As the carcass diminished and the viscera remained, the men were replaced by the women of the village. The women were in charge of cleaning the viscera, locating and discarding the gallbladder, emptying the multiple stomachs, and of course cooking the actual meat. And nobody was thrown off their work when a soccer ball from the nearby field bounced through the viscera as they were sorting through it.

While lunch that day did consist of more beef than any one person should ever eat in one meal, there were no mystery parts to identify or digest (thank goodness!). We sat by the fire in the smoked filled kitchen for the entire afternoon. We sat there nice and warm until it was time for another mass. The two o’clock mass was held in the same chapel, as there is only one, the same people and dogs attended, and the exact same mass was given, sermon and all. We then returned to the kitchen fire until it was time for the next mass. The seven o’clock mass was also exactly the same the only difference being that it was also the first communion for two of the local children and that without any warning Mike was asked to speak on their behalf. Yes, Mike who everyone had met a day ago was asked to speak during the mass for a first communion and tie in how Peace Corps’ mission was related to their festival and the first communion of these two children. With some leading questions from the priest, and an impromptu St. Francis reference, Mike successfully managed to accomplish all of this within one or two minutes.

The mass was followed by dinner, more beef and some mystery mountain fish, and a baile (dance) which we only stopped by momentarily as I was still with the “gripe” (cold/flu) and wanted to get to bed early and get some rest. Well, getting to sleep early and getting rest while an Ecuadorian baile is going on do not go hand in hand. The music was blasting until at least three o’clock in the morning and followed by much jovial chatter until at least five o’clock in the morning. By five o’clock in the morning the roosters had long since begun their daily calls, followed by the sheep, the pigs, and the villagers of Leon Huaco starting their morning activities.

Sunday

The third day of our four day horseback trip into the outer regions of the developing world.

Before we went to bed on Friday night Padre Constantino informed us that he would be up at five o’clock if we wanted to come by to use the only bathroom that Leon Huaco has. At seven o’clock in the morning the chapel was still locked up tight with a Padre and two seminaristas sleeping soundly inside. At nine o’clock they emerged and were surprised that we hadn’t come by.

After a quick breakfast of beef, fried eggs, rice with rice, and tinto (warm water with instant coffee and an unimaginable amount of sugar) there was a procession from the top of Leon Huaco down to the bottom half of Leon Hauco. At the bottom of Leon Huaco is another small chapel. When we reached this chapel there was another mass and again the readings and the sermon were the same as the previous three masses.

After our fourth mass in less then thirty-six hours we left for the next caserilla, Chacanceo. Chancanceo was located four hours by horse back from Leon Hauco and was about 2,000 meters lower than Leon Huaco. The trail between Leon Huaco and Chacanceo was steeper, slicker, rockier, and by far scarier than the trail that led from the highway to Leon Huaco (where Mike jumped off his horse for fear that it might fall on him). And there was more rain on this day than there was on the previous day we had traveled by horse. So, I endured another day of tripping, sliding, stumbling, and clinging for dear life to the homemade saddle and reins. Mike opted for walking this trail instead of riding on horse. This worked out especially well because they actually didn’t have enough horses for all of us. I only wish there had been two too few horses so that I could have walked as well. The two seminaristas dismounted halfway through the trail to walk. This was not the reason they gave. They got off so that our two guides (local villagers) could have a chance to ride the horses through the steepest, slickest, scariest part. This meant I had to stay on the horse as there was no one to lead it if I got off. Thankfully, we all arrived safely to Chacanceo in time for an early dinner and another mass.

The dinner was good…it consisted of beef, fried egg, rice with rice, a chicken stew, and tinto. Our dinner company was also nice: a few older village members, two cats, a few chickens, and thirty-five guinea pigs that have free range of the kitchen….don’t worry though, they never leave the kitchen because if they did the dogs outside would eat them.

The mass was held in another small chapel at seven o’clock and consisted of the same readings and sermon as the previous four masses. Those forty years in the desert sure do sound awful.

The mass ended with a grand discussion about what time we should leave in the morning to make it to the next town that has one car that leaves at 7:00am each morning, so we could get to another small town to get a bus to yet another small town to get another bus that goes to Cuenca, so that the Padre could catch his afternoon international flight to Colombia. But people didn’t want to lend their horses to us because they needed them and they wouldn’t get back until late in the afternoon because the first small town was “two hours” away. This conversation went on for a good forty-five minutes and the strangest part was there wasn’t any real official end to it. When it ended we were still a few horses short and no one knew if the car actually left at 7, 8, 9, or 10 in the morning. When we left the Padre to go to bed he told us to meet him at the chapel at four-thirty. Now what I do next may sound odd but it really does make sense here to do what I did. I set my alarm for four-thirty five.

After mass and the cyclical discussion about the morning, Mike and I went right to sleep on a what looked like a mountain climber’s crash pad on the floor of the local school (maybe someone told all these villages that we used to be teachers and that we would be most comfortable sleeping in school related places). The school room was surprisingly nice especially when compared to the other seven adobe structures that made up the town. We slept relatively well considering at random intervals throughout the night people set off firecrackers that sound like gun fire (I guess it had something to do with the festivals).

Monday

The forth and final day of our four day horseback trip into the outer regions of the developing world.

At four thirty-five my alarm went off, we packed up, brushed our teeth, and met the Padre at five o’clock at the chapel where we waited for him, the horses, and for the local women to feed us a piece of bread with some tea until 5:40 when we actually left. I should note that Mike was thrown from a horse while he was trying to mount it. It was still very dark, so all I could hear was the horse moving and Mike hitting the ground. Startled at first, he seemed to be ok. He then tried to tell the owner that he would walk instead and the owner of the horse responded by saying Mike just didn’t know how to mount the horse. The owner then proceeded to mount the horse to show Mike how it was done. The horse then proceeded to throw the owner off as he tried to mount. Mike felt redeemed and was allowed to walk…at the beginning.

So, off we went, before sunrise, to get to this small town (Caimantal) with some car to take to some other small town (Manta Real)… I was tired at this point in the trip and was relieved that the villagers had told us that the trail between Chacanceo and this random small town was wide and flat. I feel like it’s worth saying here that all during training they had warned us that Ecuadorians don’t like making anyone upset and that because of this they often tell people what they want to here instead of the truth. The truth is that this trail was muddier, slicker, and if you can believe it scarier than all of the other trails we had previously been on. What’s funny here is that Mike was comfortably walking when the Padre told Mike he should “rest” and ride the horse for a little bit. Mike said he preferred walking to which the Padre insisted that Mike should “rest” and ride the horse. Mike responded, “I’m fine but if you want to walk I will ride the horse.” The Padre consented and got off to walk as Mike, knees to chest on such a small horse, stumbled and slipped down the trails on horseback.

I dismounted several times during this trip after my horse had nearly gone face first into the mud below only to be told that there weren’t any other steep muddy parts and I should get back on the horse. Silly me, I listened and got back on the horse each time until the time they made everyone get off because the mud was so deep the horse couldn’t walk with anyone on it.

The mud in this part was so deep my feet got stuck in several parts and the mud went past where my huge rubber farm boots covered and got into my socks! This is the muddiest part of the trip and Mike and I emerged looking like we had literally rolled around with the chanchos. When we made it out of the muddy part a guide and my horse were waiting at the bottom but the horse Mike had been on before the muddy part had been reclaimed by Padre Constantino as the rest of the trail (20 minutes max) was actually flat and wide.

We did finally arrive at the small town (with the car that was leaving at 7:00) at 8:30am, a full three hours since we left. Fortunately, everything seems to run a little late and the car was still there. Thirty rainy minutes in the back of the pickup truck got us to the local bus which, after an hour, got us to the first road we had seen in days. From there we got a real bus, and even though Mike had to stand for the first hour and a half, it was a nice ride back up into the mountains.

Everything else went well enough and we arrived back in Cuenca at 2:00 that afternoon, having had only a piece of bread (breakfast in Chancanceo) and a slice of watermelon (from a vendor on the bus) since eating dinner at 5pm the previous day. Being out of water, and incredibly hunger, we were really, really happy to see that vendor.

We were absolutely filthy when we got back home, not to mention tired, and hungry. Luckily there was water, a clean bed, and we had gummy candies, rice krispy treats, and granola waiting for us in our room in Sayausi when we got back (thanks mom, dad, and the store in Cuenca where we buy granola)!

Conclusion

We traveled from 4,400 meters above sea level (just below the snow line) to less than 200 meters above sea level, in 4 days, on a horse. While the people were great, and the scenery fantastic, we would be very surprised if we did it again.

Enjoy the pics....

as always, click to enlarge and to see the captions!

May 22, 2008

Thursday

11:15am

Computer Lab

Cuenca

We have lots to write this time but we are going to start with mailing instructions because we love getting packages and there are a few tricks to make sure they get here as quickly and inexpensively as possible. So, here we go.

Mailing Instructions

(1) The package must be under four pounds.

(2) Send contents in a padded manila envelope. Small boxes are OK but may end up costing us money and taking longer.

(3) Send as normal delivery by regular USPS (not UPS or FEDEX).

(4) Declare a $0 value. This sounds counterintuitive but do it, otherwise we have to pay money to get the package. We don´t have money.

(5)Declare contents as `stuff´, `papers´, `magazines´, or any other vague declaration you want to make.

(6)Also include a list inside the package that says everything you sent, that way we know if customs stole anything...which they have been known to do every now and then.

(7)Please feel free to include small bills and we will let you know exactly what we spent it on (ex: taxi ride, laundry when it´s raining all of the time and nothing will dry, extra snacks, more internet time to post blogs and email loved ones, books, movies, bottled water, fancy toilet paper, curtains, cat, house plants, the nice frying pan not the aluminium one, ingredients to make cookies and cakes, more fancy toilet paper, granola, other foods with fiber, etc..)

(8) Our address is:

Name of Volunteer (Mike Carbone or Mary Driscoll)

Cuerpo de Paz

Casilla 01-01-2001

Cuenca-Azuay

Ecuador

So, those are the mailing instructions as best as we can give them. Please follow them. They may sound silly but it´s a kinda crazy postal system. We have received several hassle free packages within two weeks of when they were sent at no cost to us. We have also received a package that had declared value of $2 that took us three days, four lines, a trip to the bank (to pay customs fees of $5), and several chats with a customs official with her armed assistant to receive. We did get the package and everything was in it (which we enjoyed greatly and still appreciated a lot) but it took a long time and cost us money. So, please follow the guidelines and everything will work out fine.

We really do love getting packages, so thank you so much to those of you who have sent something, whether it be gum, magazine articles, books, or a simple note...we love it!!

Living Situation

As most of you probably know we have had a few housing issues since we have arrived in Sayausi. Last week we implemented a new eating plan which has helped tremendously. We told our family that we were instructed by our bosses (this is not entirely true) to eat outside of the house during month two. We explained that by doing this we get to know the comedores in the area and get to know more people by being out of the house. We did not explain that we really just do not think it is quite good for our health to be eating in their kitchen everyday (ex: the glasses we drink out of at times have mold in them or have at times been used to collect urine samples from sick people in the house). While the family is still extremely nice we have successfully removed ourselves from eating there. And as a benefit, we have actually met a lot more people and received a discount on our laundry because the laundry owner is also the owner of the comedor where we have started eating breakfast each morning!! In light of the success we have had with this impromptu strategy we are thinking of relaying the idea to our bosses because, though unintentional, it does have legitimate merits.

Furthermore, it looks like we might be able to move into an apartment during the first or second week of June, assuming the apartment meets the stringent standards that Peace Corps requires for our housing. We will tell more apartment details if it is actually approved. For now it should suffice to know that we have spent a considerable amount of time in a hairdresser´s salon to work out some of the details (the hairdresser is the niece of the owner of the apartment that we are looking into). Don´t worry, no radical new haristyles have resulted from out time spent there, yet.

Work Stuff

As far as my work goes, things continue to pick up. I´ve had several meetings over the past week to plan for the festivals of San Pedro of Sayausi. In particular, The incorporation of ecological activities during the festival. For example, a trash pick-up in the surrounding barrios, a plantaccion in the nearby Sanctuary (a place very near the national park where the Virgen Mary was sighted some years ago. You can imagine this has attracted a lot of people to the area and thus damaged the environment), and a Museo de Agua which will display information about the water cycle, how water is used in daily activities, how we contaminate the water, how we can make it better, and how God created water for us as a gift as well as it´s symbolic role in the Bible. Yes, I am working with a priest lest anyone forgot.

I also met up with a volunteer who was giving health lessons to the catechism classes in Sayausi. She lives in Cuenca and is finishing her service in about two months. The grand plan is that I will take over these classes when the new class begins in September. This is very exciting as I kind of love teaching about the birds, the bees and STDs to adolescents...and the priest okayed teaching about condoms (don´t tell the Pope).

This weekend, we´re headed out to the small villages around Cajas that I will be working with over the next two years. We had a meeting with all the community leaders last week about the cost and feasibility of putting in bathrooms and it looks like it´s a go. So, this weekend we´ll get to check the places out and get to know the people a little bit better. We´ve heard that the area is supposed to be beautiful, freezing, and that Padre Oscar takes his poodle on the trip carrying him strapped to his back like a baby as we travel on horseback (we will try to get a picture but it depends on our unreliable camera). We´ll be back safely on Monday and we´ll fill you in on all the details in our next post.

On the house keeper side of things, the competition for free wire to hang drying clothes has picked up a notch this past week due to continued rains and absence of sun. I´ve started to leave my clothes up even though they are dry until I am ready to hang up new clothes...this is only mildly working as the family is OK with the layers of drying clothes which means our clothes get stuff piled on top of them...I´m currently brainstorming a list of new and more foolproof methods. Also, the wash bucket we use has moved with the cows a full 200 yards from the house through mud, grass, and poo. I´m not sure if this is a retaliation to my wire-hogging scheme but they have successfully deterred me from doing laundry this week. However, I do think the cow is on my side as I saw her eating their clothes off the line the other day (this may also be the reason for the yellow milk last week).

Now for Mike´s work updates. Mike is still going into the office, though apartment dealings have kept him in town more than once this past week. Apparently, there is is a gigantic mudslide in between Sayausi and the office where he works and for some reason the workers are digging it out from the bottom which only makes the top more precarious. The road was completely closed Friday and then again on Tuesday but no one was hurt during either slide. I try not to think about it but Mike keeps telling me all sorts of worrying details, I will not pass them on. The bright side is that by Tuesday when we get back the road should be cleared of the twenty vertical feet of mud and Mike does not have to go to work between now and then.

At the office Mike got a computer this week! But he can´t have internet at his desk because there is no available connection to the network at his desk. But he wouldn´t have been able to use email so it´s not really that big of a loss. In more useful news he did get an extra rain pancho from the office which we will be bringing with us this weekend (yes, it is still raining everyday in large quantities and getting very cold).

Random

Baby chickens hatched this week and, for some reason we have yet to extract form our family, the mother is tied by the foot under our staircase (see picture from last week) and the chicks just mingle around her.

There are a ton of Ecua-poddles in Sayausi and the people call them raza (race) frreynch (french). They are the dirtiest dogs you have ever seen because they have white fur but it rains all the time and the roads are dirt and they are outside all of the time. That being said it is quite the status symbol to have one. The Padre has the most famous raza frreynch named Benito who dons a sweater when it is chilly and attends all of the meetings held in the convent (he usually jumps up on the nearest chair to the Padre and remains there for the entire meeting). The Padre also has a kitty named Violeta-Gertrudis, not just Violeta, Violeta-Gertrudis. She wears a bell with a purple ribbon around her neck and spends her time batting Benito in the face as well as having her tail pulled by Benito. It seems like one of those love/hate relationships.

Last but not least, I had la gripe (a cold/flu) this week which means more home remedies. Not quite so many as the last but enjoyable all the same. Appartently, if you rub cocoa butter all over your neck and chest then cover it with a brown paper (very much like the kind lunch bags are made of) this will help the gripe. Also, it is good to eat a little cocoa butter with a little aguita de remedios (a homemade pink, sugar tea).

Today

Today we are in Cuenca to post this blog, go to the bank, check our mail, eat fresh vegetables, and enjoy the celebration of Corpus Christi, a.k.a. the best celebration in the entire world. As far as we can tell the next 12 days are celebrated by eating tons and tons of cookies, cakes, and candies, and watching tons of crazy fireworks at night!! How cool is that! We´ve already tried a coconut cookie, a peanut treat, a donut-like cookie, and some other cookie. The streets are literally lined with cookie and candy vendors and at night the streets fill with three-story high castillos (castle-like structures filled wtih fireworks) and vaca locas (crazy people with cow-like structures on their heads also filled with fireworks).

Hope all is well! We love you, and miss you all!!

May 13, 2008

Tuesday

1:45 PM

Our Room in Sayausi

First and foremost a belated Mother’s Day wish to all those mothers and mother-like figures who are reading this blog!

Flashback to Mother’s Day Eve when Mike and I were sleeping soundly…until 12:00am…

Beginning at midnight and continuing through until six o’clock in the morning we were treated to serenades, of the loud and prevent people from sleeping sort. Little did we know at the time, but it is the tradition here in Sayausi for a traveling band to serenade all the mothers in Sayausi all through the night. So we, along with everyone else in the town, were awake from midnight ‘til dawn listening to the sweet stylings of our local musicians singing to moms for Mother’s Day (those with less musical talent rent what is known as a dicsomobile and drive up to the house, open the doors, and let the bass do the rest).

Unfortunately for this predominately Catholic town, mass was still at 7:00am which means that at 6:30am (only a half an hour after the serenading stopped) the Padre began blaring music from the church speakers to ensure no one accidentally slept through the service (this happens every week but was particularly painful after a night of bass and ballads). Doing our best to integrate into the community here in Sayausi, we joined the throngs of sleep-deprived masses and headed to Sunday service (where last week we each had to address the congregation by microphone).

Like most masses it began with fewer people than it ended with. Unlike most masses (I think, although I haven’t been to too many) it ended with a “rifle-flasch” or flash raffle. And I’m pretty sure on this next point, that like no other mass the prizes included in the raffle were two plates of cooked guinea pig, one plate of cooked chancho (or pork), and two live guinea pigs that were just handed to the winners without any bag or box to hold them. By 8:00am we had celebrated Mother’s Day in a manner we never had and, after these next two years at least, probably never will again.

The rest of the day was spent mingling around town, perusing the small Sunday market that comes to Sayausi once a week, and watching the soccer games in the estadio (stadium if you translate directly or large dirt field if you go by what they are actually referring to). The games are really fun to watch and they take place all day Sunday and all Saturday afternoon. The coolest part is that there’s a women’s league (which Mike keeps telling everyone in town that I want to join) and an older person’s league, so everyone gets a chance to play. The strangest part is that throughout the games cars drive across and through the field AND play continues! All and all it´s a pretty neat way to spend the afternoon for both players and spectators.

Other interesting events that took place this week include the birth of a baby bull by our family’s cow. The bad news is we weren’t allowed to watch because apparently the cow doesn’t like to be watched when it is giving birth and something bad would happen if anyone saw the baby being born. The good news is there’s a cute baby cow in our yard now and tons of fresh milk, which tastes different yet better than store bought milk (for those of you who drink skim….well…sorry). And, I never knew this before but for the first few days after giving birth the cow’s milk is different than normal. Here they call it leche tierna, or young milk. It’s yellower than normal milk (in that it is yellow) and they serve it hot mixed with sugar and spices. It tastes good but the clumps are a little hard to swallow, for me, although Mike asked for seconds.

The more mundane events this week include me having my first one-on-one meeting in Spanish with an architect in Cuenca, finding the bank and post-office and vegetarian restaurant by myself, finishing my first book in Spanish (who knew ´La telerana de Carlota´ could take so long to read), and making strides in my laundry washing technique. Mike spent several days digging trash and unwanted plants out of a lake in Cajas while bonding with the six or seven park guards that were also sacando basura, he read a 104 page thesis (all in Spanish of course) from a student at the University of Azuay about park management in Cajas, he then proceded to ¨take the red pen to it¨ as it wasn´t quite ready for implementation, he found a really good street food stand close to our house with the best chuzos (chicken kebabs) and corn pancakes, and has almost finished reading ´El Hobbit´.

Hope this week found everyone with equally rewarding events, and please, for my sake and anyone else who has had to wash every single piece of clothing by hand every single time clothes get dirty, appreciate your washing machine! Side note: when the laundry bucket here is not being used for laundry, it doubles as the portable waterhole for the cattle in our front yard.

….and the good news…..our camera came back to life for half an hour on Sunday. It was a special Mother’s Day treat! Unfortunately our family was out celebrating with their mothers so they are not featured in any of the pictures. Neither is the kitchen, as it was locked. What you will see is our room, some of the house, and its immediate surroundings. The camera died, again, before we could leave our yard but in one of the pictures you can see the church. Enjoy…

As always, double click to enlarge AND to see captions on the pictures.

May 7, 2008

Wednesday

8:15 am

Our room in Sayausi

Tuesday last week I came down with my first in-country illness. In all honesty I guess it began in the seven days leading up to Tuesday but it was Tuesday morning that I finally called the Peace Corps nurses. (Spoiler Alert: I’m better and everything is fine now)

As you may or may not know the food in Ecuador is different from what we are used to and as you may also know the most common health problems here are usually gastrointestinal (that is another warning for those of you who may not want to know any more than that).

Our meals here usually consist of rice, plantains, and potatoes. Can anyone identify something missing from this triumvirate that might lead to gastrointestinal problems? That’s right, fiber. Well, I went seven days with something missing from a normal person’s daily routine which then led to pretty bad abdominal cramping if you can imagine. When the cramping turned into vomiting and began interfering with eating, drinking liquids, and sleeping I finally called the nurses. They were wholly unsurprised and instructed me to go to the pharmacy to buy some pastillas (pills) y gotas (drops) to help things along. After hanging up the phone I relayed the instructions to Mike who left to go to the pharmacy. However, seconds after Mike left I think our host family got wind that something was going on and start yelling my name, as they thought it was me who had just left. So, here I am laying in bed in pretty rough shape not wanting to move and all of the sudden I hear my name being yelled into the neighborhood (i.e. cow pasture) at 8:00 in the morning.

“Mari! Marita! Mari! Marita!”

“Estoy aqui!” was my weak and apparently inaudible reply.

“Mari! Marita! Mari! Marita!”

So, I willed myself to get up (without vomiting) and go find them to let them know I was just upstairs. I’m still not really sure why they flipped out at this moment in time. I finally got their attention at which point they told me I looked really sick. I said, “Si, estoy enferma and Miguel se fue a comprar algunas pastillas que las enfemeras me dijeron a tomar.” After seeing their nods of what seemed to be understanding, I went back to bed thinking we were all on the same page.

When Mike returned from the pharmacy (no prescriptions necessary in Ecuador) he told me that our host mom and her niece had told him not to give me the pills until they had prepared an aguita (an homemade tea) from four flowers of one plant, but not the roots, several stems of something else, and so on. Keep in mind they still didn’t know what was wrong with me other than that if I took a pill with just plain water it would do more harm than good. Not doubting their good intentions, Mike still came upstairs and gave me the laxative with plain old bottled water and all was well, or at least I was resting as comfortably as possible….for about five minutes. I guess that’s how long it takes to make an aguita.

So, they came in and gave me this tea (which like everything else at this point made me want to go head first into the nearest toilet) told me to drink it and then left. I immediately pawned the tea off on Mike and told him to drink it. He took a few sips then put it on the cement floor near the bed. It was just about a minute after this that the local nurses (our mom and her niece) came back into the room and asked if I had finished the tea and in the same sentence saw the tea on the floor. The look of utter dismay on their faces is hard to describe. What happened next is not. They parked themselves in the room until they saw me drink the entire cup of tea sip by little sip (and they still haven’t asked what’s wrong with me). So, I drank and returned to writhing in the bed…until the next cup of aquita.

This next part of the story was relayed by Mike as he was downstairs eating lunch during the preparation of the next treatment. Please remember that Mike’s Spanish is really good so the usual language stuff that can create confusion in situations like this is not relevant.

Mike was eating lunch (potatoes, rice, and a campo-chicken soup that was made especially for me) and they were asking him what was wrong with me to which he responded I was having stomach pain and that was why I couldn’t come down to eat lunch. Then they told Mike that what I had was gringo-diarrhea and they knew just what to do. At this point the niece left the kitchen immediately to go to the store to buy oregano for the next aguita and Mike remained in the kitchen stuck in some sort of weird cyclical conversation that went something like this:

“Gringos always get diarrhea, this tea will do the trick.”

“She doesn’t have diarrhea, she has the opposite.”

“Don’t worry this tea will fix the diarrhea, it always works.”

“She doesn’t have diarrhea, she can’t go to the bathroom (defecar) that’s why her

stomach hurts.”

“This tea will fix the diarrhea.”

………

So, now the niece returns from the store with the oregano for the diarrhea that I don’t have and they begin to make the tea while the above conversation continues. Mike is exhausting his bathroom vocabulary while still being polite which I have to imagine is a fine line until finally a friend of the family who had been in the kitchen the whole time spoke up. Now if you knew this woman, and I had met her before, it is amusing that she turns out to be the voice of reason in this situation. She will probably come up again in a later story because she is that much of a character.

“Well, if she doesn’t have diarrhea that tea will make it worse!”

“Exactly” or “Exactamente” in Mike’s best Spanish.

The oregano tea at this point was scraped and a discussion began about what tea would be best. The final decision was chamomile served with a spoonful of olive oil. Everyone, including Mike, thought this at the very least would cause no harm so the niece left again to go gather chamomile from the front lawn, where the cows also happen to graze and do other stuff. So, the preparation begins and I guess everyone was feeling pretty good about everything when there was a collective pause, a gasp, and then…

“But what if she has mal aire (bad air)?!?!”

This was followed by some discussion and finally the decision to go ahead and give me the tea but to also treat me with “the” cologne for mal aire. Keep in mind I have been upstairs kind of sleeping/writhing during this whole episode so when the crowd entered my room with a cup of tea in one hand, a spoon in the other, a bottle of olive oil cradled in the arm with the tea, and someone holding an old Tampico juice bottle filled with black liquid and a weird crust around the lid I was a little taken aback. But all of the sudden I was chugging tea and gulping olive oil as someone rubbed that black stuff all over my head and instructed me to breathe it in three times as deep as I can.

I guess it was all over in less than two minutes and it was supposed to help but I still felt pretty awful. And that yucky feeling was only exacerbated when I tried to go into Cuenca with Mike to mail off our Site Locator Form (it’s some incredibly long form that had to be in the Quito office by Friday) but just about lost “it” on the bus so we had to get off and take a taxi back home at which point the pills kicked in and I found myself glued to the toilet at the moment in our house when the water was shut off. Yup, we had water for the seven cramp filled days before this moment but in this moment and for the rest of the day and the following day not a drop of water found its way into the pipes in our house.

When the evening finally rolled around I was given another round of tea and olive oil (no black liquid treatment) with a piece of cake which actually tasted pretty good. I still didn’t fell great and honestly yesterday (an entire week later) was the first time I actually ate normal amounts of food. But whose to say I still wouldn’t be sick if weren’t for the tea (which I received everyday at every meal for the past week with the spoonful of olive oil) and mal aire cologne, or maybe it’s the fact that we now keep a bag of granola in our room, take the local version of Metamucil everyday, and try to snack on fruits whenever we are pasearing around town. I guess we’ll never know.

Other things happened this past week but those are the highlights, or lowlights. We were introduced to the entire mass on Sunday and had to speak in front of everyone with a microphone. It was probably the largest group I’ve ever had to address and it was in Spanish…still it went well and afterwards we were invited over for breakfast at several houses (the priest told everyone we were nice and that they should invite us over for food).

Hope all is well with eveyone back home and just a friendly piece of advice as we end this blog entry: eat lots of prunes, oats, apples, bran, vegetables, beans and chamomile with olive oil!

April 25, 2008

Friday

12:28 pm

Internet Cafe

Cuenca

We made it to our site! We arrived early Saturday morning and have successfully navigated our first week. Here´s a quick breakdown of what we were up to each day.

Saturday:

We arrived at 7:30am, after an ten hour bus ride, to the terminal in Cuenca where we were met by my counterpart, Padre Oscar and his apprentice Romel. We loaded our giant quantity of luggage into the Ecua equivalent of a Rav-4 and then made our way to Sayausi. In Sayausi we were taken to our new host family and served cafecito, coffee, bread and cheese. The house is over a hundred years old and you can tell. Our room is large with a cement floor and a low ceiling (Mike cannot stand up all the way!). The shower has hot water (but I have to duck to use the shower so I´m not sure how Mike does it), the kitchen is large and our mom serves about 15 diferent people a day (all different family members), and at night we can hear frogs, roosters (at all hours but between 2 and 5 am is when they are most active, and cats...but no worries we´re still sleeping soundly for most of the night.

After cafecito we unpacked our bags and then met with Padre Oscar and the convent for lunch. After lunch we attended a local meeting about the management of the local watershed...that´s pretty much all I understood during the entire three hours as I was completely exhausted from the bus ride the previous night. Nevertheless, Mike and I were invited to attend a later meeting made up of a few of the attendees to consolidate information they had on watershed use in the area.

We then returned and had dinner then went to bed around eight tired but happy.

Sunday

On Sunday we did laundry all morning. Then took a walk aroung SAyausi during the afternoon. When we returned from the walk we met seven of an unknown number of grandchildren and spent the afternoon/evening playing with them, watching ecua-volley, and pretty much just hanging out. During this time we were probably asked at least fifty times to name colors in English.

Monday

Mike and I went to the office at Parque Nacionl Cajas for their weekly adminstrative meeting during whcih we signed up to un 4 miles at about 4,000 meters in June...we´ll see how much of the run turns into a slow but steady walk. Everyone one in the office was really nice but the office itself is cold....for me, Mike seemed very comfortable, it must be that Ithaca upbringing. We were at the office until around 4:30 then returned to SAyausi in time for the afternoon cafecito (coffee and bread), played with the many grandchildren, ate dinner (met another grandchild), and hung out until bed time (again around eight o´clock).

Tuesday

We went back to Cajas for the day and drove around wtihthe secound in command all day traveling trhough the park and essentially down to the coast, which was hot beyond belief, to pay some sort of bill. It was a gorgeous ride and we got to see some amazing vistas they we were told nobody had seen for at least five years because because usually it is so cloudy.. We were then told several times that we must be good luck...not a bad perception to have to start off, we´ll try not to mess that up!

Wednesday

Mike went in to Cajas and spent the day fixing trails, hauling gravel, rowing boats, fishing a dead baby alpaca out of a lake, chatting with some exchange students from the states who were helping fix the same trail, and ate a piece of bread and 6 ounces of coke for lunch.

I spent the morning in a meeting with Padre Oscar during which we typed up a lot of information about the communities I´ll be working with and projects that need to be done and then he replaced the new updated file with the old one and the work from the morning disappeared...my first taste of how things here might be a little different that what I´m used to. AFter the meeting I did laundry again and finally took down the laudry we had down on Sunday because it was mostly dry...except for Mike´s pants which are still hanging today (Friday). I spent the rest of the day filling out the mountain of forms that we need to send back to Peace Corps and chatting with our host mom and here niece. Oh, I was served yogurt and apples for a mid-mornign snack at the Padre´s office, and squash soup, tuna, noodles, rice, and juice for lunch. When Mike got back and our family heard how little he ate during the day they immediately served him a big snack, coffee, and then pretty muched doubled his dinner portion that night...it seems that mothers and grandmother´s around the world make sure their children are fed well.

Thursday

Mike went into Cajas in the morning fro a meeting wtih all of the park guards in Cajas and I went with the Padre to visit a nearby school and the Sanctuary where he wants me to pretty much be in charge of planning the removal of the invasive pines in the area, replacing them with the natvie Quinoa tree (after improving the soil, of course), and many other things...and this is only one of the many projects that we´ve talked about, so it looks like I could end up being pretty bust pretty quickly, but we´ll see how everything goes as things have a tendency to change quickly and unexpectedly here.

In the afternoon, Mike and I went to the meeting about the local watershed again and spend the next 4 hours listening to the two other meeting attendees review a fifty-page document they plan the next phase of action. My brain just about exploded from the quanity and speed of Spanish that I was exposed to..I´m not joking when I say that I had a headache when I left.

Friday

So, that brings us to today which we are spending doing errands in Cuenca and enjoying a little bit more independence than is possible when living with a host family...though we very much enjoy our family here!

Hope everything with everyone is well and we promise we won´t bore you every week with what we did every day...but for now a while everything is new it is fun to share...unless of course we are inundated with requests for more minutae, then of course we will oblige.

Love to all!

..as we mentioned last post, our camera is broken. As such, we have stolen some images from some of our friends blogs. Sorry there aren´t more. We will work on it. enjoy....

April 17, 2008

Thursday

2:41

Quito

Peace Corps Office

We are officially volunteers! This morning we swore in at the ambassador's house and they served us BAGELS afterwards...not that bagels were more exciting than being sworn in but it was definitely a close second.

The house was beautiful and the morning was picture perfect....unfortunately we do not have any pictures...nor will we for a while. On Sunday, April 13 our camera took its last picture and then stopped working, permanently. So, for the indefinite future we will not be able to post any pictures of anything. Please check out the links to some of the other volunteer blogs for pictures from the past week.

Other than the lack of our digital camera everything continues to go well. We got our cell phones, which we've already sent out the numbers, and an address. Drum roll please:

Name of Volunteer (Mike Carbone or Mary Driscoll)

Cuerpo de Paz

Casilla 01-01-2001

Cuenca-Azuay

Ecuador

And please refer to our previous post about sending mail. All the previous rules apply, most importantly, no packages over 4 pounds and do not declare a value.

So, we've been in Quito since Tuesday morning after saying goodbye to Dona Fabiola and the family. We also had a party for all the families that hosted volunteers during training...during which Mike sang a Kichwa song to everybody with his Kichwa class and then danced!!

We leave for Cuenca tomorrow night and will arrive in our site sometime Saturday morning. Then two years of....I guess I'll finish that sentence over the course of two years.

Hope everyone is well. We love you and miss you all!

Monday

April 7, 2008

6:00pm

La Esperanza

Our Room

We’re back in La Esperanza after two weeks of traveling around the country. So now we have pictures to share and more stories to tell. Below is a slideshow of pictures from the first week when we were in and around Puerto Quito (a small, small city 5 hours west of Quito). Enjoy and if you have questions about any of the pictures there’s more info in our last post…if you still have questions post a comment and we can answer from there!

We spent the second week, last week, traveling around the southern sierra. First we traveled to Cuenca, which we’ve already said but doesn’t hurt to say again that it took twelve hours to get there from Quito. The first day we were in Cuenca we just relaxed, walked around the pretty city, and took a bus to Sayausi (our future site). Sayausi is only 25 minutes by bus from the center of Old Town Cuenca. Needless to say, it seems like we’ll be visiting Cuenca frequently. Our site seems nice, though we didn’t get a chance to walk around because it was raining. It’s located on a super green, super big hillside with a river running behind it and in front of it. After seeing it we’re really excited about getting there.

The next two days (Monday and Tuesday) we spent in Parque Nacional Cajas. This is the park that Mike is going to be working with for the next two years. It was beautiful! There are over 200 lakes and just as many waterfalls surrounded by steep green hills. The random picture of a house looking building with trucks in front of it is the office where Mike will be working.

Wednesday we went to an alpaca farm 3 hours, by dirt 4x4 road, outside of Azogues which is an hour north of Cuenca. The farm is run by Stuart White who is the person responsible for reintroducing alpacas to Ecuador in the 1980’s, and a former Peace Corps volunteer (Columbia, 71-73). During our visit we learned a lot about the paramo and paramo management and about how awesome alpacas are!! I love alpacas! They are just about the silliest creatures in the entire world. They’re totally skittish and make the strangest noises. We got to help cut their nails, sheer them, catch them, give them vaccines, and observe a castration. It was by far the best part of our training so far.

Thursday we traveled 3 hours back to Azogues then 6 hours north to Rio Bamba, where two years ago we rode on top of a train. So that was pretty much all of Thursday.

Friday we visited a small community that produces organic quinoa and Mike practiced his Kichwa with the local mujeres. Friday night we ate amazing hamburgers at a street stand with grilled pineapple, took super hot showers with reasonable water pressure, and watched some cable TV…in English! We’re totally roughin’ it.

Saturday we returned to La Esperanza after 7 more hours on a bus, did laundry, and went to bed super early!

Sunday we went to Otavalo a ir de compras and we ate some delicious pie.

Now here we are back in La Esperanza for our last week of training here before going to Quito to swear in as official volunteers. We hope all is well back home and that everyone is enjoying spring!!

(as always, click on the image to see a larger version/more options)

30/3/2008

Cuenca!!!!!!

Hello to all!

We are half way through our two weeks of techinical training and we thought we should send out a quick saludo...

Hola.

We have lots of pictures to share with you all, but we will not be able to post them for another week or so as we are away from our home computer (and camera cord). As such you will just have to form a mental picture (for now) and then compare that to the pics we post sometime within the next 7-10 days. For now, here is a quick summary as to what we have been up to since we left La Esperanza one week ago....

-bus ride down the western slope of the Andes to an educational farm/conference center(that resembled a tropical resort more than an educational center) located in the coastal/transitional region of the country.

-lots of sweating and scratching (it was hot, humid, and at times buggy)

-lots of bird watching

-classes on all sorts of things natural resource and agriculture related

-river swimming

-soccer playing

-playing Carcuson (a totally addictive game, that I´m not sure how to spell correctly, that someone should send us the home edition because as stated we are totally addicted...I guess that´s our first please send us line...but you can wait until we send you our new mailing address...)

-a day long hike in a nearby cloud forest (Maquipukuna Reserve) during which we were forunate enough to spot an endangered Andean Spectacled Bear (and also a ridiculous number of hummingbirds)

-a talent show (which was hilarious!)

- mary learned lot´s of ways to use the imperfect subjunctive while mike had a cold beer

-a tour of an organic chocolate proccessing plant(including free chocolate!!)

-awesome ceviche at a street vendor´s booth, don´t worry we were there with three other volunteers who have been in country for over two years and they all swear by it.

-a four hour bus ride back up into the Andes (Quito) followed by a ten hour bus ride to Cuenca that had an additional 2 hours added onto it due to a landslide that blocked the road...several miles ahead from where we were stopped...it was a good oppurtunity for a nap as it was from 4am-6am.

...and now we are finally in Cuenca. Everyone who reads this should try to come and visit us sometime during the next two years. The climate is perfect, the city is beautiful, the people are friendly, the food is delicious, and we will be living 16km outside of the city! This afternoon we will be taking a bus to Sayausi to walk around our site for the first time!

Check our last post to see the itinerary as to what we will be up to this week.

Happy Spring to all!

March 22, 2008

11:23 AM

Tabacundo

Internet Cafe

Since we are leaving for two weeks later this afternoon we figured we should post the rest of the photos that we had taken yesterday before we left.

So, in this post we have pictures of Good Friday. There were tons of people walking the stations of the cross during the day in Tabacundo. The stations were set up all around town and there was a procession of at least a thousand people led by the priest with a megaphone. It was quite an impressive sight.

During the day we went to a Kichwa festival but arrived early so we went on a hike to nearby waterfalls and then returned to the festival and ate some super yummy empanadas.

We have pictures of the traditional soup (fanesca)that everybody eats during Semana Santa, we described it in the last post if you want more details. We also ate delicious homemade humitas (there were sweet and salty varieties), which are really tamales if you´re more familiar with Mexican food. The humitas and fanesca were cooked in a super old lena (firewood) stove that they have, I think it made everything taste even more delicious. Check out the ´modern´ equipment used to grind everything up.

Finally, we have pictures of events in La Esperanza. First, there are pictures of the altar which yesterday was covered in branches but today will be replaced by thousands of white roses (we won´t have pictures of that). Then we have pictures of the procession after the final mass of the day yesterday (there was a total of 5 hours of mass). The people dressed in purple with hoods are called Cucuruchus. We were told their main jobs were to poke people with sticks if they are sleeping during mass and to carry the cross after the mass. I could´ve used them when we were teaching :)

That pretty much sums up Good Friday. Hope you enjoy!

Below is a brief overview of where we will be the remainder of training:

Saturday March 22 - Sunday March 30: Puerto Quito

Monday March 31 - Saturday April 5: Cuenca, Canar, and Rio Bamba

Sunday April 6 - Sunday April 13: La Esperanza

Monday April 14 - Friday April 18: Quito

Of course these may change a little and some days are spent traveling on a bus so we´ll really be in between places but that´s the general idea!

For more details, check out the post we put up yesterday titled ¨Semana Santa¨

Love to you all and Happy Easter, tomorrow.

March 20, 2008

3:00 PM (Ecuador Standard Time)

La Esperanza

Our Room

This Saturday we are finally departing from La Esperanza for two weeks of technical training. We will leave early Saturday afternoon for Puerto Quito, a small town four hours northwest of Quito. We are going to spend a week there with our entire group of aspirantes learning about conflict resolution, organizational behavior (hopefully I’ve already picked up some secondhand knowledge on this via being raised by two doctors of organizational behavior, afterwards we’ll compare notes), farming, natural resource conservation (including a visit to a cloud forest), and of course more spanish and kichwa.

After a week in Puerto Quito we’re going to split up into five different groups to begin a week of region specific training. Our group (6 of us from Natural Resources) will be heading to the southern Sierra area. It looks like we will be spending a few days in Cuenca and Parque Nacional Cajas (hopefully we will be able to stop in Sayausi and see our future home), followed by a visit to an alpaca farm, and then some time learning how to grow organic quinoa in the sierra (near Riobamba). Once our week of regional specific training is complete we will return to La Esperanza for one final week with Dona Fabiola and the kids and then it’s off to Quito for our final week of training and a swearing in ceremony at the ambassador’s house. Then of course we are off to our sites for a short 24 months.

As for the past week, we’ve done and seen a few interesting things because this week is Semana Santa, and in Ecuador Semana Santa is a major league holiday. On Palm Sunday there was a feria in La Esperanza that people from all over came to visit. A burro led a procession into the church carrying a statue of Jesus, everyone was carrying tons of rosemary (which we were told is saved for the year to come for “emergencies”…we don’t really know what that means either) and laurel with palm (the town smelled great), offerings of squash and eggs were made during the Sunday service, guinea pigs were roasted, we tried a strange fermented drink and a traditional soup with about 12 grains, 8 types of beans, hard boiled egg, and cheese, and Mike showed our family how to make crosses from the palm (which we hear is going extinct from overuse). On a somewhat unrelated note, there are flower plantations everywhere so we’ve included a few pictures of them, they look like big white tents and they are the reason why roses (in some places) and carnations are so cheap in Los Estados Unidos.

Tuesday we went on a beautiful hike around Lake Cuicocha (a volcanic crater), which coincidentally we had visited the last time we were in Ecuador (during which Mike’s horse bit Mary on the knee). The hike took about five hours and it only rained for the last fifteen minutes, so it was a pretty great day. On the bus ride home from the hike we saw two unique events and ate three really tasty emapanadas. Event one was that la gente de Tabacundo were sacando el alcalde (kicking out the mayor because he was “mala gente” a.k.a. a bad person and the people had had enough). Event two was the townspeople of La Esperanza were walking the stations of the cross with a megaphone around the community, through the Parque Central, and to the church (they did all 14 stations Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday sometimes walking over an hour and half).

Wednesday we had class, and today I made pizza with my Spanish class while Mike went to the market in Cayambe to practice speaking Kichwa with the vendadoras (sellers in the market)…don’t worry Mike was back in time to have the incredibly delicious pizza and nudos de ajo (garlic knots). At the church in La Esperanza 12 apostles were selected from the crowd and had their feet washed for them.

Tomorrow we are thinking about going to a Kichwa festival in the foothills of Cayambe called Mushuk Nina (New Fire) which is essentially a celebration of the solstice with “only a little distortion and imposition from Catholicism” (direct quote from the flier about the festival). There is also another procession in La Esperanza por la evening followed by a three hour mass but we’ll probably be packing our bags during that time.

Then, we’re off for our two-week trip, assuming there are no more weather problems. As always we will let you know if plans change, so don’t worry!

We hope everyone one has a Feliz Pascua…and don’t forget to eat lots of googala, chocolate bunnies, Easter salad, and Cadbury cream eggs for us!

P.S. We are not actually in Bayville, we posted a few pictures from last Easter just for fun and to demonstrate how quickly a year passes…Enjoy!

Also, the church bells have been ringing for the last five minutes…. sounds like yet another Semana Santa mass is about to begin.

March 15, 2008

2:41 PM

In our room

The big news for this week is that we will still be in La Esperanza next week. For those of you who have been following this blog closely know, we were supposed to leave for our site on Sunday for a week. However, because of the all the rain, flooding, and subsequent mudslides the Peace Corps thought it best that we remain where we are. So here we stay for another week to enjoy Semana Santa with our family here.

We are still tentatively going to be traveling the following two weeks but don’t be surprised if those plans change as well. We’ll let you know as soon as we do.

This past week we had language interviews again, I moved up a level and Mike didn’t…he also didn’t take the interview because his Spanish is already so good, but I’d rather focus on how great I am

I also gave an environmental education lesson at a school in town with a group of two other aspirantes. I’d say it went OK all things considered but certainly had room for improvement seeing as how we thought we were going to be teaching a class of ten year olds and they turned out to be four year olds. Needless to say they were a little young for what we had planned. But on a positive note we gave an entire lesson in Spanish and that’s still something.

We also received mail this week, from Mike’s grandma, which was very exciting. And our family absolutely adored the cards and little toy that she sent along for them (check out the photos of Christmas morning-like joy on Santiago’s face. Direct quote: La abuelita de Miguel me quiere mucho porque me ha mandado un jugete tan lindo. To which Dona Fabiola replied: Ahora tienes tres abuelas). A little Spanish homework for all you loyal subscribers.

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday and word on the street is that a burro with a statue of some sort attached to it is going to lead a procession through town ending by entering the church. During this procession all of the towns people carry palms and rosemary. However, we’ve been told that there might not be as much rosemary as usual because here people burn rosemary to keep rains away…and what with the floods and all people are burning a lot of rosemary.

So all in all it was a great week (pescado entero is delicious!) and we are looking forward to more great weeks to come. Oh, and it just started to hail like crazy here!

Happy Semana Santa to all, eat lots of chocolate bunnies for us!

(grandma, thank you for explaining how to look at the slideshow in spanish (see the comments section from last week´s post). We´re very proud of your technical skills.)

oh...based on the counter at the bottom of this page it looks like lots of you are looking at our blog which is great, however only a couple of you are leaving comments. We would love to hear from you all, even if it is only to say a quick hello. Try it out. Not only is is really easy, it is also kind of fun.

March 9, 2008

Sunday

La Esperanza

Nuestro Cuarto

Hello from Ecuador!

We just finished our fourth week of training, which leaves us with only six short weeks more. However, as we mentioned earlier this week, week five, will be our last in La Esperanza for un rato (a bit of time). After this week we will be traveling for three weeks. Thus, this may be one of our last posts for a while. But don’t worry we will return with lots of pictures and stories to tell.

For now we will tell you all about this past week and all the fun we had and all the things we did and learned.

The first and probably the most culturally interesting we found out about are the Fiestas of San Pedro during the months of June and July. Now just to be clear what I’m about to write about happens in June and July, we did not attend this fiesta we were only told about them and given some pictures to share with all of you.

The Fiestas of San Pedro originate from a Kichwa festival called Inti Raymi (Mike says that Inti means “sun” and Raymi is “fiesta” in Kichwa). During the fiestas one of the major events involves a baile. Before the baile begins some people purchase live roosters and hang them from the ceiling by their feet. During the baile, as people toma mucho cerveza, people dance with the roosters and swing them around as they do so. As the night goes on eventually the neck of the rooster breaks. The person who was dancing with the rooster when its neck broke is then responsible for bringing the owner of the rooster twelve live chickens in the year to come. When the person who broke the rooster’s neck brings the chickens to the owner of the rooster, the owner of the rooster must give that person a basket with four types of prepared meat: several cuyes (guinea pigs), conejos (rabbits), chancho (pork), and ironically pollo (chicken). After that exchange everyone is even and then gets excited for the festival again!

So we have a few pictures of our family all dressed up for the fiestas of San Pedro. These pictures are from a previous year and unfortunately do not include any photos of dangling roosters. Enjoy!

Now for the more mundane, yet still totally interesting and fun so keep reading, events of the past week.

Mike visited a yogurt factory in Cayambe (the largest city nearby, about 25 minutes from where we live and located directly on the equator). The yogurt factory is run by the military so don’t be alarmed by all the pictures of soldiers in the slideshow.

We took an afternoon trip to Cayambe after tutoring last Saturday and ate gigantic cookies in the park. The Parque Central in Cayambe, where we were eating said cookies, has tons of lilies not to mention lots of other really beautiful flowers!

Of course, we still had language classes and so we have a few pictures of those. For anyone that is interested in learning Kichwa you can get a few words off one of the pictures that we posted.

Then there are all of the random life moments we documented this week, including: more delicious food, me keeping warm both on the couch and before bed, vistas of Volcan Cotapaxi (where hace dos years I got altitude sickness at 16,000 feet), Santiago shining his shoes for school, Mike crouching on the bus because there were no seats and he’s really tall for Ecuador, me feeding the mama dog, me sharing photos with our family on the computer, laundry, Mike on the phone with his Grandma, Mike studying Kichwa, Mike standing next to a poster he won and then gave to our Ecuadorian family, waiting for the bus, riding the bus, Mike almost getting impaled by barbed wire while waiting for the bus, the clock the bus driver has to clock-in with at each bus stop to make sure the buses run on time, our classmates in Spanish class, a demo on how to make compost, and me and Dona Fabiola with a cake on El Dia de la Mujer (The Day of the Woman).

So that sums up this week. We’d love to hear you thoughts, inquietudes, and cualquier cosa that you have to say about any of it, so keep commenting! (Mike´s granmda loves to hear all of your comments!!)

Next week everyone finds out about there sites. There will be volunteers all over Ecuador near both borders North and South, right on the coast, in the mountains (like us) and in the jungle as far as the roads go, which isn’t very far. Some volunteers will be living with indigenous communities like the Tsachila, Awa, Huarani, Shuar, and of course Kichwa! This means a few (including us) may pick up a third language! (just click the name to see the link)

On a positive political note, Columbia has officially apologized and things have calmed down. All that is left to worry about now is the continual flooding on the coast. Hopefully the rains will stop sometime soon. (being at 9,000 feet above sea level, there is still no need to worry about us)

Hope all is well stateside and we still miss you all!

March 11, 2008

Tuesday

Tabacundo

Computer Place

After several days of technical difficulties, it looks like we can finally send some more photos your way! Enjoy!! Also, the skies today were unusually clear and we were able to see 13 different snow capped peaks from our front doorstep and the training center. It was quite a treat (although we don,t have any pictures of it)(check some of our fellow trainees pages to see if they were able to get any). Today was also the day when everyone else found out where they will be stationed for the next two years. Pretty exciting (even though the married couples have known for awhile).

Mary will be giving an environmental education presentation (El Lorax) in a primary school tomorrow, so send your positive thoughts this way....and any spanish vocabulary, too!

enjoy the pics!!

(and as always, click on the image to see a larger version or to save it to your computer)