Dr. Atkin’s Worst Nightmare

Saturday was the first free day I’ve had since I got here and it was gorgeous out. I took a walk around the barrio to take some pictures of the graffiti and public art. I’ve been keeping a mini-journal of the graffiti I see driving around to use for my independent study project here. A lot of murals that I think were done by elementary school kids. It’s really interesting way to get to know a country. So is getting grabbed twice while walking – a random guy grabbed my arm passing me on the street to accompany his “Hola, muñequita” (literally, “Hey, little doll”) and later, someone leaned out of a passing car and grabbed me around the waist. I felt momentarily superior since he failed to properly goose me but unfortunately, I broke the “no responding” rule and …um… “expressed my irritation and frustration.” The whistling I can handle but I’m all too prepared to pop the next guy that comes within 10 feet of me. Gotta work on that. Silly machismo. On the flip side, I’m still thrilled to pieces about my pictures though.

Anywho, in the afternoon, Jenna and her parents, my parents and I went to the Feria de Dulces (Fair of Sweets) in Quito Antiguo. Basically for a grand total of about $10 tops, six people got to eat a ridiculous amount of Ecuadorian/South American food plus the traditional ice creams, candy, etc. Buñelos, pristiños, tamales, empanadas de arroz, empanadas de viento (with cheese), humitas… What inspired the title of this entry one might ask? The fact that every one of the foods I just listed essentially consists of flour or corn prepared in different shapes and consistencies and submerged in vats of bubbling oil. Absolutely delicious (and it beats Boston’s fried dough hands down) but I think my arteries were about to break out of my body and strangle me.

Later, we went back to Jenna’s family’s apartment for “coffee” which was not coffee but leftover tamales, humitas, etc. etc. with coffee. The great part was that our four parents are very close friends and laugh constantly when they’re together so to be apart of that (even if I really had to focus to catch what the heck was going on) felt really fantastic. I’m think I’m finally starting to feel like an extra daughter rather than a gringa that lives in their house and eats their food.

I'm Fired Up! Are You Fired Up?

For all my dear BC folk, that phrase, first heard at Freshmen Orientation, tends to haunt us in our sleep and lurk in out darkest nightmares. It came to me once again last Thursday and Friday: USFQ (Universidad San Francisco de Quito) orientation. Picture a teeny little courtyard about half the size of the St. Mary's rose garden at BC. Now picture it filled with about 200 gringos all yapping excitedly in English and all hailing from those nooks and crannies of America where everyone has to be friends because they have no contact with the rest of the world (Willamette, Kalamazoo, a bunch of mid-western schools and oh yeah, BU). Picture me running away. USFQ had the right intentions but since the BCers are all Ecua-experts (to steal Mary Kate's term and employ it rather sarcastically) we were kinda ready to run. So after a Spanish placement test, small group talks and free food, we became rebellious and ducked out before the culture talk. ("Ecuadorians are often late." "Ecuadorians kiss on one cheek, not two." "Gringas often attract attention.") Friday, we were greeted with a health and safety talk on how we will all get diarrhea and must avoid getting raped in beaches, busses, parks, streets and everywhere else in Ecuador. Buenas dias to you too. Class registration began with an announcement that the computer system would be down for the next 1-4 hours so we went out to lunch instead. Flexibility is rather key around here.

Friday night was another adventure. I'm well aware that no one knows these people from BC but just to show how complicated going out can be here, I'm using names. Jenna (my very good friend who lives in my barrio) and I got a ride with her host sister to Lindsay's house where Lindsay and Megan were waiting. Then we had to wait for the other Christina to get there so we could all take a taxi together to Kelly's friend, Merayca's house to meet the rest of the group (10 BC folk and 4 or 5 Ecuadorian friends of Kelly's). Unfortunately, Christina's taxi driver got lost and drove here around the city for 40 minutes picking up and dropping off other passengers so Lindsay's mom, Consuelo, freaked out, called half the city and ran up and down a few streets in her bathrobe looking for her. When Christina finally got there, Consuelo and Christina's dad, Carlos, (who had arrived in the meantime) started a screaming fight with the driver in the middle of the street. After that we all got a lecture on going everywhere in herds and proper communication with taxi drivers, got hugs and kisses for being not lost or dead and were sent on our merry way. Sat around Merayca's for an hour watching everyone se emborrachan and all of us went to a discoteca downtown. I've never been to a club at home but the whole process of getting in seemed much more complicated than necessary. The music was más o menos bien - more latino than techno thank goodness - but Jenna and I saw some sides of people we didn't really care to see. C'est la vie. Better to find out now what I do and don't like about the city. Next time, I'm making a big push for live Cuban music and good coffee.

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The Quichua family we visited

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and yes, we did see monkeys. Tons and tons of monkeys!

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On Tuesday, we learned to harvest yucca and clear land (with machetes!) with a Quichua (indigenous tribe) family in the rainforest. Adrian, Bruce and I narrowly missed the chickens a good many times.

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...but this view made it all worth it.

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On a 4 1/2 hour hike through the rainforest, a little woozy on altitude, malaria pills and bug spray, we were all more than a little psyched to play on the Tarzan vine.

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Otavalo - an Indian market. Much bargaining (in Spanish!)was done, many gifts were bought. Good times were had by all!

¡Que rico!

And by the way, that subject heading is a phrase everyone here uses for everything that is good in any way, shape or form.

The last few days have been absolutely incredible. Saturday, we went to Otavalo, an Indian market, for some power shopping and bargaining Ecuadorian style. Afterwards, we bummed around Cotocachi, an active volcano crater, took a boat tour and so on. I can´t tell you how much I love being in a program that has an explicit rule stating "No playing around active volcanos without prior approval."

Sunday we left for the jungle. For the record, malaria pills are bad news bears in a big big way. I was so ill in the car ride until we got to our surprise rest stop: Papallacta Hot Springs thermal baths. Basically, the 12 of us went swimming on a chilly, drizzly day in steaming, hot pools. VERY nice. After that headed up and down mountains for a good five hours until we hit a teeny little town, got on a big ol´canoe for another hour and finally arrived at a jungle lodge in the middle of the Oriente (rainforest). A bunch of us went swimming up river a ways and amid tales of anacondas and pihranas (of which there were none) had a grand time. Sunday night we did a short night hike and found all kinds of creepy crawlies, poisonous toads, etc. to give us nightmares.

Monday, we hit the road at 9 for a four and a half hour hike complete with an obscene amount of bug spray, more creepy crawlies, blinding bees, unbelievably steep muddy paths and so on. We stank to high heaven but it was the most fantastic hike I have ever been on. As a reward, we built a log raft and floated/went swimming for a few hours.

Tuesday, however, was the highlight of the last two weeks. We took the canoe to visit an indigenous Quichua family. They showed us their home (high on pilings, straw roof, area for smoking meat, etc.) and taught us how to harvest yucca (a potato type plant), coffee and chocolate and how to clear land for planting. The boys and I got to use machetes to clear the bush...muy MUY chevere! Then, they made us a fantastic meal of yucca, chestnuts, plantain, heart of palm and chicha ( a ceremonial drink). I´m still not sure how I felt about descending on a family like that but they were extremely kind and it opened a window into an entirely different culture.

We left on Wednesday which was quite an ordeal. The heavy rains the night before literally washed entire trees downstream...of course, we were headed upstream in a motorized canoe. A sometimes scary little adventure. On the way we stopped at an animal reserve for injured animals and those confiscated from illegal trade. Monkeys, capybaras, birds, snakes and more monkeys! The drive back to Quito took hours upon hours but there was much Spanish to be studied, sleep to be had and cookies to be bought at every road block.

Today and tomorrow is orientation, registration and so on...then, finally, classes!

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Yeah, imagine trying to pay attention in class here!

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The University

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With Ximena, mi madre ecuatoriana

Make it stop!

So it´s official. Two days of intensive Spanish is survivable. Just barely. At least we´re all in it together...brain burps for everyone! I´m still loving this country though. No idea how I´m going to concentrate on classes and such. Which by the way are as follows (I think): Temas de America Latina (Themes of Latin America), El Boom Latinoamericano (a literature period), Literatura Feminina, Quichua (an indigenous language), Lecto-escritura (an education course) and the Independent Study with the BC group. Plus, teaching English in a really poor public school in the area...no idea what to expect there. We leave Sunday for five days in the jungle. Tomorrow, we´ll be at an Indian market where all of your Christmas presents will be bought. Life is good, miss you all...pray I don´t get eaten by a monkey as I´m predicted ever so many times! Amor y paz.

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Lunch with Amanda in Cumbaya Valley (a few minutes from the University)

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Turistos! Outside the President´s Residence in the Plaza de Independencia

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The view from my room in the apartment

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The garden in the convent of the Church of San Francisco

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The Gran Catedral in la Plaza de la Independencia, Colonial Quito

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An inlaid wood floor map of old Quito

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La Virgen de Quito on top of el Panecillo (a hill called "the little bread loaf")

¡Venga acá!

Welcome to my Ecuador blog. Little change in website plans since computers can be less than reliable here but no matter. The last few days have been hectic, harrowing, packed and amazing. The family I´m living with has a beautiful apartment and all the sisters (4) and their husbands seem very cool. We arrived Saturday night. I spent Sunday at the family´s "casa de campo" (a shore house minus the shore) with the WHOLE family. They grow their own amazing fruit there so no need to worry about those pesky parasites. (What everyone wanted to know, I´m sure.) Spent the evening with Anita and her husband at their apartment. Monday was a day at the University - a compact but beautiful place in a valley about 20 or 30 minutes away - getting some basics down with our coordinator, Amanda, who, for those of you familiar with my advisor at BC, rivals him for connections and hook-ups. Yesterday was a day of marathon touring: all of the major churches in Colonial Quito plus the Museum of the City. The history of Quito is really interesting becuase of the mix of indigenistas (Indians) and Spanish conquistadores. It´s similar to the States but the remnants of the conflicts and such are still really present. The history of Catholics here is strange too...Fransiscan and Jesuit churches completely encrusted in gold. Not quite the story I´m familiar with. Today was the opposite: a tour of the museum of indigenous history. We´ve been wandering around on our own all afternoon getting hideously lost but having a good time. Intense Spanish class awaits in the next few days, then a few days roughing it in the jungle, then orientation, then (shock, horror!) school! So that´s that. Hopefully, you all will be able to find the photos I´ll be posting. Anywho, miss you and love you all!