Celebrate good times, come on!

Hello again! As promised, I have a lot of updates from the month of February. Warning, this is a long one. As reported in my last blog, our first semester ended at the end of January. February was a month that contained some meetings and test writing, but mostly it contained VACATION!!! This February break had been long awaited, and we wanted to visit as many places on our list as possible.

Before starting our break, we went to our WorldTeach mid-service meeting on the coast in a town called Same, near Atacames. We stayed in cabins above the beach and had meetings throughout the weekend about teaching strategies and our experience in Ecuador so far. It was the first time all of us had been together since leaving Quito in September, so we were all very excited to be reunited. We took advantage of the delicious seafood available and spent time talking and laughing. When our meetings were over, most of us headed over to Atacames to spend the day lounging on the beach. That evening, we celebrated assistant director Tara’s 25th birthday. The group planner, Angelika, surprised her with balloons and a cake at a little bar on the beach. The night included Jenga and dancing. ☺ It was sad to say goodbye to everyone again, but we knew we would hopefully see each other soon, if not in June for our end of service meeting.

After returning to Ambato, we had a week of work. During that week, we finally were able to go to Baños (a touristy town an hour away) to have a spa day. Amanda, Amanda’s host cousin Keila, Ari and I all went to get massages and facials and to eat delicious food. It was a great way to end a stressful first semester of teaching English. That week, we also had to say goodbye to our friend Ari. After teaching in Ambato for 2 years, she decided to go to Brazil for at least 6 months to live with a friend and teach English. It was very sad to say goodbye to Ari, she had been a key part of the Ambato puzzle. Things are definitely going to be different around here this next semester, as another volunteer, James, also left, but we will adjust. They are missed for sure, but I’m excited for their new adventures in Brazil and in the U.S.!

After working and having despedidas (goodbye parties), we then kicked off the month of February by visiting Mindo, Ibarra, and Otavalo. Mindo is in more of a rainforest-y setting. It is also famous for chocolate. Being there reminded me of some of the places I visited in Costa Rica, especially the Monteverde region. During our time there, we visited a chocolate shop where we learned about the chocolate making process. At the end of the lesson, we were able to eat the chocolate we had helped to make, in the form of fruit fondue. Soooo delicious. We also went to a waterfall where we went down a slide into the river. It was fun, but the water was so cold. It wasn’t much warmer out of the water. Amanda and Eric jumped off a rock into the river, but I decided not to partake in that part of the adventure. ☺ The next day, we went ziplining. It was really neat to be flying through the forest. When I was in Costa Rica, we did “extreme ziplining” complete with a Tarzan swing, so any other ziplining doesn’t exactly compare, but it’s still a fun experience.

Next, Eric, Amanda, and I moved on to Ibarra toward the northern part of Ecuador to visit our friend Annie. We visited a cute coffee shop and got together for dinner. During our one full day in that area, we visited the market in Otavalo. This town is famous for the many indigenous goods you can buy. It had been on my list for a long time, so I was glad to finally be able to check it off. I may even have to make another trip there before I go back to the States to stock up on gifts for family and friends. After that, we went to Cotacachi, a town famous for leather goods. The leather is really good quality, and much cheaper than you might find in the U.S. All in all, it was a productive, adventurous first week of vacation.

Unfortunately, I got sick the day we left Ambato for Mindo. I wasn’t able to partake in the delicious food in both cities, but I didn’t want it to keep me from exploring. I’ve always said if I’m not drinking coffee, you know I’m really sick. Luckily, my friends were all really helpful and understanding. I had managed to stay mostly healthy all semester, and never missed a day of class for being sick, probably much to the dismay of my students. This was an actual conversation I had with a student: “Teacher, other levels don’t have class today, why do we?” “They don’t have class because the other teachers are sick.” “Teacher, I think you’re going to get sick.” “What?!” “Yes, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, the virus will come on Monday.” “You want me to be sick?!” “Not in a bad way, just a no class way.” Luckily, I was feeling better the day we got back to Ambato, just in time to celebrate carnaval. It was a strange feeling to have an appetite again after not having had one for 5 days.

We came back to Ambato to experience the famous Festival of Fruits and Flowers. Ambato is the other city of roses. ☺ About 10 volunteers from Quito, Riobamba, Ibarra, and Manta came to visit. We’d been hearing since we arrived in September that Ambato is the place to be during carnaval. It’s very cultural, and they don’t throw water, eggs, and flour at you on the streets...they just spray foam in your face. It was fun to be able to show friends around our city. We took them to the best restaurants, they got to experience a bit of the nightlife, and we saw the parade on Sunday morning. This was unlike any parade I’d been to. People from high schools and other organizations dance down the street, following floats made out of flowers and fruits. They are also dressed up in crazy costumes and there are people walking around on stilts. I watched the parade with my host sisters and their cousin and his friend from Guayaquil. After the parade, we walked around and of course, got sprayed with carioca, the foam I mentioned earlier. At first, it was kind of a shock, but after getting hit many times (I think they target the foreigners especially), I got used to it and just had to laugh. The only thing that isn’t fun is getting sprayed in the ears and eyes. The worst is getting sprayed in the eyes, trying to see again while fighting the dull burning sensation, and then getting sprayed all over again, while trying regain vision. After the parade, my WT friends got into some intense carioca wars with people on the streets. Transportation was crazy that weekend, but that evening, I was finally able to meet up with friends. There was a ton going on in the main street in the center of town, but it was also a dangerous area because you could get pelted by foam at any minute. We decided to go dance in the streets, armed of course, with our bottles of foam. At first, I couldn’t imagine spraying someone else, but after I got hit a couple of times, I had no problem retaliating. It was a lot of fun and unlike anything I’d experienced before.

 

Dancing in the streets with Angelika, armed with cans of foam

On Monday morning, we all headed over to Baños. Traffic was crazy, and it took 2 hours to get there instead of 1. When we got there, we dropped off our stuff and headed over to one of our favorite restaurants. After lunch, we watched some of our friends jump off the bridge (attached to a rope, of course). Then we rested for a little bit and headed over to a brewery, where they actually serve IPA and a couple of other beers. Ecuador has 2 main beer brands, so sometimes it’s nice to have a little more of a selection once in awhile (especially after having lived in the Portland area). ☺ After a delicious meal, we went to a restaurant’s happy hour and then headed out to go hang out and dance. The next morning, we met up for breakfast and said our goodbyes.

On Thursday, Amanda and I embarked on our journey to Colombia! We had been talking about going to Colombia during our vacation for a long time, and then finally pulled the trigger and bought plane tickets. On Valentine’s Day, we bussed to Quito, and then flew directly to Medellín. Even though the flight was only an hour and a half, we were still served a delicious snack. Who do I have to talk to get warm empanadas and free wine served on flights in the U.S.? It was much more appetizing than a bag of peanuts, and we had an empanada obsession during our trip from then on.

When we arrived in Medellín, we took a shuttle to the city and then arrived at our hostel. That evening, we walked around the area we were staying called El Poblado and splurged on dinner with dessert (after all, it was Valentine’s Day). We had been told that prices in Colombia were more expensive than in Ecuador, but it was still a little difficult paying $8-15 for a meal as opposed to $2-7. I’m going to have a hard time coming back and paying U.S. prices, I’ve become a bit of a cheapskate.

The next day in Medellín, we took the metro and a cable car up to a national park. It was really beautiful to see the city from that high up. Medellín is a really pretty, clean city surrounded by hills with many red brick buildings. In the national park, we rented bikes and were told we should ride them to a lake. It had been awhile since I’d ridden a bike, and riding over a rocky road was an interesting experience. There were some parts where I was a speed demon and had some close calls, but luckily, no falls. We had to drop off our bikes and walk part of the way to reach this lake. While walking up, we ended up talking to two guys from Bogotá about their country and the difference between Medellín and the capital city. When we arrived at the lake, we were a little disappointed, as it seemed like a small dried up pond. But it was all part of the adventure. After that, we went to have lunch in a plaza that is famous for the statues made by Fernando Botero (a famous Colombian artist). We had a traditional Colombia meal and walked around taking pictures. That evening, we went to dinner at a really good vegetarian restaurant. The décor made me feel like I was back in Portland. After that, we walked around exploring. That part of the city gets really busy during the weekend.

On Sunday, we got up pretty early to climb this rock we had been told about called La Piedra del Peñol. We took a 2-hour bus ride and then walked to the rock. I’m not sure if it was food poisoning, the windy/bumpy bus ride, or a parasite issue – when in doubt, blame parasites ☺, but I was definitely not feeling well that day. The rock had about 700 stairs to climb. After having to stop every so often (and getting sick about halfway up), we finally made it to the top. After arriving and resting for a few minutes, I saw a family come up the stairs and tell their 3-year-old child, “You did it all by yourself!” I thought, “Really?! Come on!” The views of the lake below were really beautiful at the top. After climbing down, we took a mototaxi to the nearby town of Guatapé. It’s a really cute town on the lake with buildings painted different bright colors. Sadly, after getting back to Medellín, I was too exhausted to do much that evening. We splurged on Campbell’s soup at the store and just relaxed.

The next morning, we packed our bags and flew to Cartagena. Sadly, no empanadas on this 50-minute flight. The airport in Cartagena is small, but nice. I couldn’t believe they had a Dyson hand dryer in the bathroom! The heat was kind of insane. I hadn’t been in that kind of heat for a while, so it took some getting used to. After getting to our hostel, Amanda and I walked around the city. We walked around the wall that goes around the old part of the city, taking pictures of the cannons. I had a Colombian arepa for dinner that night (a corn type thing with sauce and meat on it). On Tuesday, we switched hostels – to experience what it was like to stay in the old part of the city, and then we got ready to go to Playa Blanca. There are boat tours that take lots of tourists everyday. After some bartering, we picked a tour company and waited for the boat to leave. The beach was so beautiful – white sand beaches, clear light blue water, but full of tourists and people trying to sell stuff and give you massages. Sometimes they don’t give up. As soon as we got off the boat, ladies were coming up to us and rubbing our shoulders to show us what a massage could be like. We spent the day relaxing and we had a lunch of fish and rice. In the afternoon, our boat arrived to go back to the city. The water was rough, and we were one of the last ones to get on the boat, so we were in the back. We were soaked and so salty by the time we got back. All we wanted to do was take a shower, but we discovered the water had gone out at our hostel. Luckily, it came on about 5 hours later, so we were able to finally get clean. We bought large water bottles just in case it went out again. The next morning, after I got up to brush my teeth, the cleaning lady came in to get my sheets because the water was supposed to go out again. I woke Amanda up immediately, but unfortunately, the water was already gone. We heard a few days later that the water was out in the whole city for 2 days. Luckily that day, we were moving on to a new city.

 Playa Blanca

We took a “door-to-door” van type thing to the city of Santa Marta along the coast, about 5 hours away from Cartagena. I put that in quotes, because they actually pick you all up at your individual places, but drop you off wherever they feel like it. In Santa Marta, we took a taxi to our hostel in Rodadero, a smaller town about 20 minutes away. Upon arriving, we went to the beach, but it was sooooooo windy. They sand hurt when it hit, and after sitting on the beach for 5 minutes, we were covered in sand. We got out of there, showered, and then made it back to the beach to watch the sunset. The next day, we went to Tayrona National Park. We had been told that we would have a bit of a trek in the park to get to the beach, but we really had no idea. We walked for about 2 hours in the heat to finally arrive at the beach, which was like an oasis. It was really beautiful, but we were so exhausted once we got the beach, we put ourselves under some shade and passed out. After 2 hours, it was time to start walking back. Many people bring a backpack and stay the night in the national park to have some more time there. It was definitely worth the 4 hours of walking, but we were so tired that evening. After showering and eating, we went to Santa Marta that night with some people from our hostel. As it was Wednesday, it was a pretty relaxed evening spent talking about our travel experiences.

The next day, we left Rodadero to go back to Cartagena. Luckily, the water had returned. The next day, we went to the famous mud volcano. We had heard good and bad things about it, but we thought it would be an interesting experience that we probably wouldn’t have anywhere else. On the bus ride there, we met a British guy from our hostel and a girl from New Jersey. It was fun to share the weird experience of the mud volcano with them. After we walked up the stairs to the “volcano” aka anthill, we saw people in the mud, getting massaged by Colombian men. Upon seeing that, I was thinking, “What is this?!”, but just had to laugh at the strangeness. We gave our cameras to a guy who had about 20 hanging from his wrist. I got in the mud and couldn’t believe how much I floated. It was the weirdest feeling ever. A guy then puts some in your hair, saying it’s “Colombian shampoo.” He then pushes you over to another guy who massages you. I was laughing the whole time. After that, you get to hang out in the mud for a bit and then get out and go down to the lake where you wash off. At the lake, there are ladies who help you get clean. They won’t really take no for an answer. Just another part of the crazy experience. You then tip the camera guy, the masseur, and wash ladies at the end. We then went to have lunch on the beach and went back to our hostel for a bit before hanging out on the beach and watching the sunset with our new friends.

 Mud Volcano!

That night, Amanda and I had dinner on the street outside of our hostel. This could be dangerous because there are always performers coming around that you are then supposed to pay. Like I’ve said, I’ve gotten cheap, but I did give a little change to the guys who rapped about us. A guy in a wig came up and I had no idea what to expect. As he was getting ready, he took his shoes and his shirt off to reveal a belly shirt. He then started a CD of Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie” and sang along. After beginning his performance, he said “1, 2, 3, 4” and ripped his pants off, revealing a skirt underneath. I was laughing so hard, I was crying. After his performance, he was tipped very well by all watching. After dinner, we went out with some people from our hostel. We danced a bit, had some empanadas, and headed back to pack and sleep before our flight in the morning.

That morning, we were sad to leave Cartagena (it really is a beautiful city). We flew from Cartagena to Medellín, and then back to Quito. We had to get rid of all of our pesos, so we bought some Peanut Butter M & M’s (my favorite) and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Unfortunately after getting back to Quito, I realized I still had some pesos hidden in my purse. We arrived at the new airport in Quito and then took a shuttle to the old airport and then a taxi to our friends’ apartment. That night, we met up with some friends and the next morning we prepared to head to the coast. Amanda and I met Andy at the bus station, and we headed to Manta to meet up with our friends Angelika and Bridget. It was really fun to see their city, if only for a short amount of time. We met Bridget on the beach and Angelika showed us around her neighborhood. That afternoon, we went to Montecristi where they make panama hats. We then headed down to Puerto Lopez to finish off our vacation.

In Puerto Lopez, we met up with our friends Ryan and Shannon, who teach in Loja. It was a happy coincidence that we all planned to be there at the same time. While in Puerto Lopez, we visited Los Frailes, a beach in the national park (my second time), and the next day, we went to Isla de la Plata, and saw some blue-footed booby birds. Even though we were sad our vacation was coming to an end, it was a good way to end it – on the beach with good friends.

Blue-footed booby

On Thursday, we spent about 10 hours on buses, going back to Ambato. Even though I was sad to end my vacation, it was nice to feel like I was coming home. Two weeks of straight traveling can wear you out. The next evening, we had a meeting about our new class schedules and the changes going on at the university.

This past Monday, I started teaching classes again. My number of students has slowly increased as the week has gone on. Last semester, I taught level 8, but this semester I decided to try something different. I’m teaching level 7 and still working in the morning and afternoon. Fridays are now going to be planning days, so hopefully I’ll have a little less stress and a little more free time this semester. I’m still getting adjusted and trying to figure out what level 7 is all about. Hopefully I’ll get back in to the swing of teaching very soon.

I can’t believe how quickly time has flown. I’ve been in Ecuador for over 6 months, and have a little less than 5 months left. It’s crazy that I’m no longer a new teacher on campus and we’ll have 2 new volunteers coming to join us soon. We’re the veterans now that will give advice to the newbies. Even though we don’t have much vacation time from now until the end of the semester, hopefully I’ll be able to find a balance between work and play and will still have some adventures. ☺ Congratulations if you’ve managed to read all of this, it was quite a long post. Thanks for all your support and for keeping updated on my life in Ecuador. I miss you all! Until next time!

School's Out!!!

So, it’s been awhile since I’ve last written. Sorry that updates are so few and far between, but they’re always jam-packed! The last time I wrote was at then end of November and now it’s already the New Year! Yikes, how did that happen?! I’ll break down the last month and a half step by step... 

At the end of November, the U.S. ambassador to Ecuador came to visit our campus to discuss student exchange opportunities between our countries. Some other teachers and I got to meet him to discuss our experience. What we were told would be a 5-minute meeting ended up taking 40 minutes. I gave my class an assignment, but I ran back when the meeting was over to see what kind of mischief they’d been up to. Sure enough, paper and matches covered the floor for whatever reason. No matter what country you’re in, I’m pretty sure there’s a high chance if you leave high schoolers unattended, they won’t be doing work the whole time. ☺ My class could tell I was a little ticked. The next day I wrote them a letter about how I felt and they wrote a letter in response. I think I got my message across. Despite the chaos that went on in my classroom, it was a cool experience to meet the ambassador and we even made it into Ambato’s newspaper the next day!
 
At the beginning of December, we went to Quito for the weekend to meet up with fellow volunteers for a birthday dinner and to try to experience some of the Fiestas de Quito. Unfortunately, Quito’s independence day fell on a Thursday, so most of the festivities happened during the next week, but we did what we could. We attended a traditional Ecuadorian music concert and walked around looking at the handicrafts while trying to keep warm. 

Also at the beginning of December, I found out my friend Helen (a former roommate at Linfield) would come to visit! I was very excited, but realized how little time we all had to plan our Christmas vacation. It was a little stressful trying to plan out where we would go and where we would stay while trying to teach in December, knowing that finals were quickly approaching in January. It was also difficult because all the hostels were booking up fast. Apparently Ecuadorians wanted to spend their holidays at the beach as well. Everything worked out well in the end, though I wasn’t sure we would have places to stay for a while there. Two days before we were supposed to go on vacation, we found out that – SURPRISE! – the schedule had changed (as mandated by the president of Ecuador) and we would actually have to work the 26th, 27th, and 28th. In addition to needing to make up the hours we weren’t working on the 24th and 31st – only Christmas and New Years Day were freebies. Most volunteers had travel plans, so we opted to do make up work after the holidays for the hours we missed.

Before leaving for the holidays, my classes and I had a Christmas dinner and breakfast. Apparently I wear a lot of scarves in class, because both of my classes got me scarves. It was a fun way celebrate before going on vacation.

Also before leaving on vacation, I made sure to make my mom’s traditional Christmas cookies for my host family. With the help of my host sister Mary, I made peanut butter blossoms. Unfortunately, the store wasn’t carrying Hershey Kisses at the time I went shopping, so I had to substitute those and a few other ingredients. They turned out a little charred and a bit different than I’m used to, but they were quickly devoured by all.
On Sunday the 23rd, I traveled to Quito to pick up Helen from the airport. After mistaking an Ecuadorian for Helen and awkwardly waving and realizing it wasn’t her, she finally walked through the doors. I couldn’t believe I was actually hugging a friend from the U.S. in Ecuador! She came bearing gifts from my family and peanut butter M & M’s from herself. I didn’t realize how much I had missed those – and her of course. ☺ 

The next day we got on a bus to Esmeraldas province on the coast. I was so excited to finally visit the beach! After being here for almost 4 months, it was time for a relaxing vacation with sand and ocean. As we arrived at our adorable Treehouse lodging in Súa on Christmas Eve, we found three friends and fellow volunteers cooking up a feast with the owners. It was a delicious mix of food and good company. Even though I was far from home and thinking about family on Christmas, it was an experience I won’t forget, spent with some wonderful friends. On Christmas day, Helen and I visited the beach. Though it was a bit windy, it was what I had been imagining when I first knew I was coming to Ecuador for a year – Christmas on the beach! 

The next day we moved on to Canoa. A little more touristy, but so beautiful. I got some great sunset pictures the first evening. It was amazing to be able to relax on the beach, knowing that I hadn’t brought any work with me, so that was all I could do – relax and enjoy my time. One of the best things about vacations is the food. I had some delicious fish during our time on the coast. I love ceviche! Everyone loved pescado encocado – fish with coconut. I was also able to experience some great french press coffee. For anyone that knows me well, they know I can’t function well if I haven’t started my day off with some coffee. Helen understood that I would need to find some good coffee, preferably in the morning. I can thank my parents for that habit! ☺ While in Canoa, we were also able to celebrate a fellow volunteer’s birthday with some dancing on the beach. It was fun to be reunited with some volunteers we hadn’t seen in awhile. 

After Canoa, we moved on to Puerto Lopez. We stayed in a really cute Brazilian owned hostel with rustic cabins for rooms. The day after arriving, Helen and I headed to Parque Nacional Machalilla to explore the famed beaches there, including a beach called Los Frailes that we had heard was gorgeous. We started off on a hike to some of the more secluded beaches. 20 minutes into it, we were ready to get out of the hot sun and in the water! Helen was leaving me in the dust. In the end it was worth it. The beaches were beautiful and there were hardly any people there. Though we did get a little nervous when some children yielding fruit cutting machetes arrived, so we moved on after that. After relaxing and sunbathing for a while, the tide started to sneak up on us. After realizing the water was getting really close, I attempted to pick all of my things to save them from getting wet. My only thought should have been my iPod in my hand. I should have known better than to bring it to the beach, but to me there is nothing better than sand, sun, and music. Unfortunately, a bag of rice couldn’t save it. After the initial sadness, I’ve found ways to make do. 

 
The next day, we moved on to Montañita, a famed “hippy beach” filled with tons of travelers and surfers. Before leaving Puerto Lopez, we bought a monigote, or año viejo – a life size(ish) dummy that is burned in the streets on New Years Eve. This represents a year passing. Some people write wills for their dolls and read them at the burning. We bought a Lisa Simpson doll because she was cheap and small. More on the burning of Lisa later...

After getting to our hostel, we ate, walked around town to shop a bit, and went for a walk on the beach. I’m not sure what Montañita is like during the rest of the year, but during New Years, it’s crazy. There are tons of people everywhere. It was so hard to find a hostel that had space for 2 people here, let alone for 8. Luckily we found a place that was on the beach and a ways away from the crazy and loud town center. Sadly, Helen had to fly out on the 31st. We got up that morning, had breakfast, and then I put her on a bus to Guayaquil. From there she flew to Quito, and back to the States, to get back to teaching at a high school in Arkansas. I was very sad to see her go. That whole day I had the feeling that someone was missing and then realized it was Helen. I’m sure my students would have loved it if she had been able to travel back to Ambato with me to visit the class. ☺ 

On the night of the 31st, we went to the beach to burn Lisa. It was raining a bit, which wasn’t ideal for burning, but with the help of some matches and candles, she went up in flames. Sadly, I had run back to our hotel room to drop off my jacket and camera and as I was running back to find our group, realized that TONS of people had arrived on the beach in the 10 minutes I was gone. I missed her actual burning, but I heard that others began to throw their dolls on the pile and then midnight surfers began to circle the fire. It sounded like quite the spectacle. 

Another interesting Ecuadorian New Years tradition is the “vuidas” aka widows that are walking around. From what I understand, men dress up as women and their “husband” that has died is the year passing. They dance in the streets and get money from people. I hear there are tons of vuidas filling the streets of Ambato on New Year’s Eve, but there weren’t too many in Montañita. We saw some children dressed as women/devils walking up the beach trying to hassle people for money. When I saw them poking a woman with their handmade pitchforks, I got my money ready. I gave each a few cents and when my friend Ali did as well, she instructed them to attack me for a photo, so I was poked with the pitchforks anyway. New Years is quite the event in Ecuador. Lots of families get together, burn dolls, jump over said dolls, put on wigs, eat 12 grapes, run around the block with luggage, and dance until early in the morning the next day. It’s a lot of fun. 

 
On New Years Day, another Ambato volunteer and I took a taxi with a Quito volunteer to Guayaquil because all the bus tickets for the 1st had sold out a few days before. When we got to the bus station, it was madness. There were people everywhere and long lines to get tickets. We heard from one company that their Ambato tickets were sold out until 9 p.m. We found another company that was supposed to go to Ambato, but they only had limited Quito tickets available and it was leaving ASAP. We ran to catch the bus that ended leaving around 3 p.m. We knew it wasn’t an ideal situation, but we took what we could get in that craziness. The week had been filled with long, hot bus rides, so I wasn’t exactly excited to get on another long bus, but we had to get back to teach the next day. I was determined to get back because we only had a week and a half of teaching left before finals and I still had some things to fit in. The bus finally arrived in Quito around 12 a.m. and we got on a bus to Ambato at 1 a.m. After having been at the beach for over week, I was not used to the chilly sierra temperatures. We arrived in Ambato at around 3 a.m. After unpacking and doing a little bit of lesson planning, I slept for half an hour and then got ready to go teach. I felt like a zombie that morning, not even remembering students’ names when I called on them.
 The next week, I was having vacation withdrawals. Though I didn’t miss the bugs, I missed being able to relax without a care in the world, other than where we were headed next. 

We’ve just finished finals and final grades, and now I’m done! Kind of. We still have a bit of work to complete the next couple of weeks and then that’s it for the semester. I can’t believe I’ve almost finished my first semester here. It’s gone by so fast. It’s been hard saying goodbye to my crazy classes. It’s been an adventure for sure. I’ve learned a lot and I hope they have as well. I received various notes and gifts the last week of classes. The day we were giving oral exams, I was sitting outside doing one-on-one exams while my class sat and waited their turn in the classroom. I knew they were up to no good based on the noise level, but it seemed like they were working on some kind of project. After they had finished their orals and before they all left, they came out to surprise me with a flag they had stitched together and written notes on. Luckily I waited until I got home to read them all, because I started to tear up. Teaching is a tough career to go into. Long hours, work that’s never finished and often brought home, exhaustion after trying to get a classes attention. It’s not just a job, it’s a lifestyle. When things seem rough, it’s notes of appreciation like these that make it all worth it in the end. These notes make me realize why I decided to become a teacher in the first place. I always forget how hard it is to say goodbye to students and am then reminded at the end of each year or semester.

After the craziness of finishing grades on Friday, fellow volunteers and I headed to Tena, a town about 3ish hours away that is know for whitewater rafting and is on the edge of the Amazon region. We went with a girls’ host grandparents and stayed at their house. They were so nice and willing to house us, feed us, and be our wonderful tour guides. On Saturday, we ate some fried worms to start the day off. Two of the boys in my group ate them live, but I was only willing to try them dead. During my travels, I’ve become more of an adventurous eater. After seeing them crawling around in a bowl, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do it, but they weren’t too bad once they were skewered, cooked, and had a little sauce on them. After that adventure, we went trekking through some caves. I was a little nervous having my camera as we got soaked in some parts and had to wear headlamps to get around. It was a first time experience for me and I loved it! After the caves, we went to see some monkeys. I hadn’t seen monkeys since Costa Rica, and I still love them just as much as I did then. We took some pictures and made sure to keep a strong hold of our belongings so they wouldn’t steal them. Next up, we went to a river and attempted inner tubing (I opted out after seeing friends flip in the rapids) and a bit of rafting. Luckily my friend and I had a 12 year old in the boat directing us on how to properly paddle. ☺ The next day, we went to a beautiful secluded lagoon. The water was a little chilly, but the water was so clear and beautiful. Some of the people in my group were super adventurous and were jumping off every point they could find. After that, we got some lunch (after stopping on the side of the road to buy some fresh papaya and cacao), and then went to two rivers. It was the birthday of a host family member that was with us, so before leaving to head back to Ambato, we decorated the house, put on our party hats, and ate a cake. It was a weekend packed with adventure, laughs, and lots of Spanish speaking with our wonderful hosts and friends
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Today we are headed to Quito and then on to Same, near Atacames on the coast, where I was at the beginning of Christmas break. We are going for our WorldTeach mid service meeting. I can’t believe we’re almost halfway through! Soon, I’ll have to start thinking about my return date because our individual return tickets will have to be booked by the end of the month. I’m not ready to think about that just yet! Time is flying! I can’t believe I’ve already taught for a semester here. Since it’s the end of the semester, we have a little over a month off until the next semester starts, at the beginning of March. Another volunteer and I are planning to travel together. We are trying to get things figured out, but finals and grades have been the top priorities lately. This is one of the only long breaks we have, so I want to see and do lots! By the next time I write, I will probably have updates about where I went during February break, as well as a recap of Carnival! Until then, Happy New Year! I miss you all and wish you were here!

Time is flying - Happy Holidays?!

It’s been waaaaay too long since I’ve written a blog post. How have the last 2 months flown by so quickly?! A lot has been going on during my first two months in Ambato, with lots of work at the university included. I will try to quickly catch you up on the things I’ve been up to lately. 

Over the past two months, I’ve been working a lot and getting lots of English teaching experience. When I first arrived at the beginning of October and met my classes, I had no idea how I was going to learn the names of all sixty students. It’s been an adventure teaching both classes and I’m definitely enjoying myself and always have lots of funny moments and quotes to share with people back home. ☺ I never thought I’d be teaching high school or university students, but I’m learning day by day. Surprisingly, some of the behavior management techniques I use with little kids have served me well here also. It’s definitely a different environment and refreshing in some ways. I enjoy the discussions I can have with my advanced classes. One day we did a lesson on the conditional tense starting out with “If I were a man...” and “If I were a woman...” That elicited an interesting discussion. In the beginning, I also felt I had no idea what I was doing at times. I sometimes still feel that way, but the other day, I had the revelation that I feel so much more comfortable now and am feeling like I can experiment and try new things in the classroom. My teaching skills are developing, but at times I feel that my English skills are deteriorating. It may be that I am grading too many of my students’ essays and taking on their vocabulary, or because I’m speaking more Spanish...I’m hoping it’s the latter. Some days I can’t believe I’m here doing this, because I never would have envisioned it in the past, but I’m grateful for this unexpected adventure and all of the crazies in my classes. 

Even though I’ve been working some weekends to make up some hours that we missed during our orientation in September, I’ve also had some opportunities to travel a bit. In the middle of October, we were able to go to a soccer game in Quito to watch Ecuador play Chile. There’s nothing like watching a soccer game in a Latin American country – or probably any country other than the U.S., where soccer isn’t as popular as it should be. We bought some $5 bright yellow jerseys off the street right before the game in order to show our spirit and blend in a bit better (though that isn’t ever really possible for me, unless I can find a really good wig). We were not expecting the beer shower we would get every time Ecuador scored a goal. We ended up winning and there was a very exciting last minute goal scored at the end. It was fun to go back to Quito and see other volunteers. The next day, we decided to make an impromptu trip to Baños, a tourist attraction about an hour outside of Ambato. Of course since it was a holiday weekend, we all ended up running into students there. Two of my friends jumped off a bridge on Sunday morning. I will save that experience for later...maybe. ☺ 

 
At the beginning of November, a lot of us volunteers met up in Cuenca about 6 hours south of here, because it was their Independence Day weekend and another 3-day weekend for us. It was also finados weekend in Ecuador, which is like their Day of the Dead. A tradition here is to drink “colada morada” and eat “guaguas de pan”. Colada morada is a purple drink (not in any way related to Lil’ Wayne’s “purple drank”) with fruit in it. It is like a thick fruit juice mostly served warm, but also good cold. It is quite delicious, but I had my fair share in just a couple of days. Guaguas de pan are literally “bread babies.” It was a very fun cultural experience and I’m sure I’ll be craving colada morada when I’m back in the states (my host mom made a very delicious batch). 

Cuenca was a fun experience. I had heard a lot about beauty of the city and how it’s a haven for retirees. There were so many WorldTeach vols there and we were all spread out in various hostels that it was hard to get together and catch up, but it was great to see everyone and catch up even if it was brief. On Sunday, the Ambato crew went to Cajas National Park. This was really a beautiful, unreal place. I had hoped to see a llama, but sadly they evaded me. They were spotted by others in my group and I was a little envious. When we got there in the early afternoon, it was misty, but the views were still out of this world. We planned to do a hike for a few hours and attempt to get a bus back to Cuenca after that. I was freaking out a little bit, as my family and friends know I have a tendency to do, and was a little worried for various reasons – lack of daylight, no cell service, no food, not much water, large rain clouds, an inability to read maps, etc. I like to think I’m the realistic thinker each group must have. ☺ We got a little lost and ended up doing a full circle, which wasn’t planned, but we ended up getting back to the lodge after getting quite wet. We were wondering if we’d be able to find a bus coming down the road when we spotted one. We stared wildly running up the hill as it was raining and I couldn’t help but laugh at the complete ridiculousness of it. Luckily the bus stopped for us and we got on and were able to dry off a little on the way back to Cuenca. 

 
 The next weekend was also a three-day weekend as it was Ambato’s Independence Day. My friend Amanda and I went to a parade on Saturday morning in Latacunga, a town about an hour away. It was highly recommended to us by our Spanish tutor, who is from there. This parade was called “Mama Negra.” It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. There are many symbols represented (which I still don’t understand). One thing that I saw often in the parade was a man carrying a roasted pig on a stick on his back with baby pigs attached to it...along with mini bottles of alcohol. It was also common for people in the parade to carry shot glasses and alcohol bottles with them while marching. It was definitely an experience that I may never have again. I also got a pretty crazy tan from the flats I was wearing that day while sitting in the hot sun. 

That weekend there was also a fair going on in my neighborhood. The tiny area was packed with people from the town shopping, eating, and enjoying the rides that had been set up. Trying to get a bus or a taxi out of the area was quite the challenge. While attempting to meet friends for dinner and a movie, I was waiting with my host dad in the crowd of people to catch some transportation down the hill. A tiny truck pulled up and they said they were going to the center and people hopped in the back. My host dad told me it may be my only chance to get out of there, so I hopped in too and rode down to the center of town in the back of a truck. After a minute of getting in, I spotted a taxi, but decided to stick it out and enjoy the adventure, while thinking about how my insurance probably doesn’t cover such activities. The next day, Ambato had a parade where all the high schools marched. I discovered there are A LOT of high schools here. Bands marched, girls twirled batons, and chosen seniors marched. It wasn’t like parades I had seen back in the U.S., but it was fun to sit with my host sister and watch our other sister march with her high school and spot some of my students in the parade as well. 

The next week was midterm week and I had no idea what I was in for. I gave my test on Tuesday and the rest of the week consisted of oral exams, class and LOTS of grading. It was also one of those weeks. As I was getting off the bus one day, I somehow hit my head, slipped and lost my shoe, and then had to sit on the step of the bus and put my shoe back on before getting off the bus. Then the bus passed me and someone else after we had been waiting in the hot sun for a while. We shared a look of disbelief and exasperation. The next day, I was doing my laundry and it started to seriously pour. I had yet to see it rain like that here and some of the streets even started to flood. Every time it rains, my students say, “Teacher, let’s go home!” I don’t understand their reasoning, as they believe that it will be raining harder when we get out of class, though it’s usually stopped by then. Being from Oregon, I don’t love the rain, but I’m definitely not afraid of it. When I came home later that night with a mountain of grading to tackle, I discovered the power was out and I graded by candlelight for about half an hour until the power came back. Another first. I survived the craziness that was midterms and created part of an expertise exam all in one weekend.

The next week was Thanksgiving and it did feel strange not to be at home with family. I had my students make hand turkeys and discuss what they were thankful for. None have ever had the pleasure of having pumpkin pie. I facetimed with my family right after they had eaten and got to see all of the delicious food. That’s when I really was missing being home, especially when I heard about the pumpkin ice cream bars they were going to have for dessert. This last weekend, I finished the hours I had to make up with my class and then we headed over to Baños to meet up with some other volunteers. It was nice to have a quick getaway, but I had lots of work to do when I returned home the next evening. It was nice to sit by the river for a few hours chatting, just relaxing. Even though we didn’t have a Thanksgiving feast this year, it was still good to spend some time with friends. 

 
I cannot believe it is almost December. I told my host family my mind doesn’t believe it’s almost Christmastime because the weather isn’t cold. Some days it’s sunny and 60 or 70 degrees. Maybe if I listen to Christmas music constantly, I can finally convince myself it’s the holiday season. I’m sure it will be very strange being away from family this year. Three years ago, I spent Thanksgiving with friends in Panama (after being visited by family in Costa Rica), but this will be the first time I’ll be away from home at Christmas. We have a week off, so I’m hoping to finally visit the beach! If I don’t get a chance to write before then, hopefully I’ll be able to write about holiday adventures and New Year’s in Ecuador.

One month!

Trying to summarize a month in Quito in one blog post is quite the challenge, but I shall try. It has been a busy month filled with orientation, practice teaching, and exploring. I’ll start from the beginning...

We arrived on September 2nd late in the evening. We were at the back of the flight (in non-reclining seats next to the bathroom) and by the time we got on, there was no more overhead luggage space! It was interesting, but we didn’t mind because we were excited to chat and get to know everyone. I had some sunscreen explosions and hair product spillage (that is some important stuff!), but all of our luggage made it. That night we stayed the night in a hotel – trying to haul all of my stuff up and down flights of stairs was interesting, but I survived with only some minor muscle soreness for the next few days. The next evening we were greeted by our host families and whisked to our new homes. A year long Quito volunteer, Natalie and I lived with a great family. Our host mom was very caring and our host brother was always wanting to take us on adventures. We had some great dinner conversations and I was very sad to leave them at the end of the month.

The first week, our host brother took us the see the city center at night. It was beautiful to see it all lit up and almost deserted. He first took us to an area called La Ronda where we had a huge empanada de viento (like fried dough) and canelazo. A sugar cane drink that kind of tastes like apple cider. We then walked around and took lots of pictures. Later that week, some volunteers and I were on an insanely crowded bus during lunchtime. One guy was pickpocketed and three out of six had their bags slashed (my supposedly “slash proof” purse included). Luckily nothing was stolen. I sewed up the four layers that were cut and it’s holding up well again. It was definitely a learning experience for all of us. We had been through lots of security training that week, but having experienced something first hand has made us a little more aware and cautious. 

The first weekend, we went to a celebration called Fiestas de Guápulo with our host brother and met some fellow volunteers there. I was told it was a hipster/bohemian neighborhood and came to discover that yes, hipsters do exist in every part of the world. This fiesta was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. A ton of people gathered in the plaza near an old church to listen to music, dance, eat, and drink canelazo. There was also a thing called a vaca loca (crazy cow). It is huge device that sprays sparks and goes around and chases people. At one point we ended up down in the middle of the crowd. I was a bit terrified as it came at us and everyone was screaming, laughing, hanging on to each other and running. It was fun. Luckily my hair didn’t get singed (I don’t think). The next day, our program planned a barbeque for our host families at a huge park with some amazing views of the city. Apparently there are llamas in the park, but sadly, I didn’t see them.

The next week I finally was able to experience a trivia night! I had been hoping to do trivia in Portland all last year but it never happened. Who would have thought I would finally get to do it in Ecuador? Some volunteers and I met up at a pub with some current volunteers who arrived in February. Since I’m a Jeopardy fan, I’d hoped I would excel at trivia. The categories weren’t exactly my forte, but our group ended up winning first place! We all got to split $50 to the pub. It was a positive first trivia experience.

Later that week we took a salsa lesson and climbed an inactive volcano (another first). I wasn’t sure what to expect from the 5ish hour hike (4 up and 1+ down). I definitely did not expect to get as dirty as I did. I’m now kicking myself for wearing my favorite Hanson shirt that day. Even though it was dirty, tiring, and strenuous, it was worth it. We took the Teleferiqo (a cable car) up part of the way and then hiked the rest of the way to the top. My host brother is really into hiking and adventure, so he and his friend acted as our guides. Before embarking, he had us do some stretches (knee rolling included). Then we were off and I realized how many breaks we would need to take just to catch our breaths. Most of the way up there was a trail, but toward the end, we had to climb some rocks and hike up sand and then run/roll/fall down it on the descent. When we got to the top of Pichincha at about 15,000 feet, I was exhausted, but the views were amazing. I may have been sore for a few days after that, but it was so worth it.

The next couple of weeks were full of more orientation and practice teaching at a high school. My group and I taught a group of 13 and 14 year olds. As one fellow volunteer pointed out, teenagers are the same all over the world. It was a fun experience, but getting on a crowded bus at 6 a.m. to get to the high school by 7 was rough. Sometimes public buses are the definition of “packed in like sardines.” The kids were very sweet and gave us all presents when we left.

Speaking of transportation, we’ve had some interesting taxi experiences. I’ve tried to get better at bargaining, but it’s still a work in progress. Some taxi drivers are very nice and practice their English with us by talking about family in the United States and tell us to “dream with the angels.” Others get very angry when they are lost and we can’t give them directions. One taxi driver even hit a stray dog on the freeway and dented his door pretty badly. That was kind of a traumatic thing to witness. After one month of walking around parts of Quito, I finally felt I knew my way around a bit. Unfortunately, I confused the streets of 12 de Octubre and 9 de Octubre when trying to give our taxi driver directions. I will never make that mistake again!

In the last couple of weeks, we tried to pack in what we could. One Saturday, we went to the historic center to try to see the governmental palace. We had tried the previous week, but they were closed. The second time around, we were unable to buy tickets. We decided to check out the basilica instead and climb the towers. We had to walk up some slippery, sketchy steps, but when we got to the top, we were rewarded with amazing views of the city. The next day we went to the Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) monument. It’s not the actual center of the world, I’ve been told that was a little ways away from where we were, but it was still cool to straddle the line between northern and southern hemispheres. We also went to a bug museum, ate a huge lunch, and then had an amazing oreo sundae. It was a fun day, but I was sooooo full by the end.

Also that week, we had quite a few birthdays to celebrate, so we all rented a chiva bus one Saturday. I’ve been told a chiva is a bus that is typically used for transportation in the countryside. Ours had flashing lights and music. ☺ For two hours, we drove around the city. It was really fun to hang out with everyone outside of orientation. It was so random and something I’d never expected to experience, but it was a great way to spend a Saturday evening.

The final week was a bit sad and exciting at the same time. We were all excited to go to our teaching sites and see a new city, or to be done with orientation an actually start teaching or traveling, but I was sad knowing orientation was coming to an end and I wouldn’t see some people for awhile. Even though our host brother works a lot, he is always wanting to take us on adventures. He and Natalie went camping with some of his friends the day I left for Ambato. I really would have liked to go, but maybe next time. ☺ During the week, he took us rock climbing at the sports store where he works. It was like a big REI with a rock wall in it. I had never been rock climbing, so I was a bit terrified. It was tough, but so fun. Daniel even had Natalie and I hold the rope for each other when we went up and came back down – with his help and supervision, of course. Again I was sore for a few days after – I need to get a gym membership ASAP. Running (my occasional money saving exercise go-to) isn’t a great option here with early mornings, pollution, traffic, altitude, etc., but if I go on any more crazy strenuous adventures, I have to be prepared!

Our last evening in Quito, we all had dinner as a group at a really good Italian restaurant. I really didn’t like saying goodbye to everyone. Especially since after a month together, we were really starting to get to know each other. In Costa Rica three years ago, we all talked about how we were “fake friends” in the beginning and were definitely “real friends” by the end. I felt like we were moving from one to the other after a month, and then we all left for different parts of the country. Oh well, it just gives us all an excuse to travel at some point! Saying goodbye to my Quito family was also harder than I expected it to be. After a month, I was getting used to the city and didn’t realize it was starting to feel like home. Life is full of changes, so now it’s on to the next adventure.

I am now in Ambato with a very welcoming, kind family. It consists of a mom, a dad, and 4 sisters. Definitely different than anything I’ve experienced before. It seems that music is almost always playing in the house – I’ve heard “Call Me Maybe” twice in less than 24 hours. And I’m okay with that. ☺ Tomorrow I start teaching advanced English and I’m a little nervous. I need to think of some kind of plan before 6:45 a.m. tomorrow. Yikes! I’m sure it will seem less daunting when I get into a routine and meet my classes. I believe I will be teaching a class of university/professional students and a class of high schoolers. I’m really excited to get to know my students.

That’s all for now! I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to post and that this is so huge, but thanks for reading! Next time I’ll hopefully let you know about my adventures in teaching and exploring a new city.

Ready for takeoff...

It's hard to believe, but the time to depart for Ecuador has arrived. My bags are STUFFED and I'm ready...I think. Other than a few packing freak outs (and the occasional moments of what am I thinking?!), I'm feeling surprisingly calm for the most part. I'm definitely feeling less nervous than I have been for my previous travels. I hope my family and friends can attest to that. :) I feel as though all of my previous experiences have prepared me for this. I'm ready for a new adventure. I'm definitely a little terrified, but excited more than anything.

Whenever I think of the little things I will miss (driving and singing in my car, spending the holidays with my family, etc.) I can't overlook the new experiences I will have and the opportunities I will encounter. I love to collect quotes and I've found a few good ones when it comes to stepping outside of our comfort zone. One from Abraham Maslow I especially liked: "One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again." Whenever I doubt this big leap, I remind myself of all the reasons I decided to teach abroad this year. Ecuador hadn't been on my radar until just a few months ago. This past year allowed me the opportunity to take some time to figure out what I wanted to do next. I have the travel bug - does that ever go away? - so I thought teaching English in a Spanish speaking country sounded good to me. This year has also allowed me to get some great English as a Second Language experience. It's funny how things seem to fall into place and that's often only seen upon looking back.

Going into this, I have no idea what to expect and I'm okay with that. I'm just trying to go into it with an open mind, ready to embrace the new and different. Sometimes I catch myself trying to plan for the future or worrying about the what-ifs, but I know that it can be best to just take it one day at a time, one step at a time. This year will definitely be about going with the flow.

I will be in Quito for a month of training and then will be off to my placement site for the rest of the time. I will try to keep this updated every so often and will hopefully post pictures as well. I leave you with this quote that I found upon deciding to go to Ecuador that I thought was very appropriate at the time. Hasta luego amigos!

"Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience." - Paulo Coelho