All of the volunteers are back in Quito. Most of them came in last night and a few today. Went to an outdoor concert in the parque last night. Carrie´s host father is in the band, Pueblo Nuevo, and they are really famous here in Ecuador. This whole week is some cultural music festival. The band has been to the states a number of times. They were very good. It was worth the wait for them as we sat there and froze our butts off. Pancho drove us to the Mariscal afterwards and we had dinner at midnight at Coffee Toffee.
Up early today to get ready for Mindo. We have our mid-service meetings in a Cloud Forest in the jungle. It is about a 2.5-3hr bus ride from Quito and we are leaving at 12:45 today and staying until Saturday noon and then we can do whatever we want the rest of the weekend. Not sure where we will go at this point. Looking forward to the butterfly and orchid farms, and zip-lining through the jungle.
Chao!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Random thoughts after 5 weeks...
I´ve been here just over 5 weeks now and have gotten used to many new things living in this country but there are a few that I will never overcome:
-- Walking down the street and not looking anyone in the eye. No one smiles, no one says hello, nothing. Just get the heck out of their way or they run you over.
-- Traffic...absolutely crazy. You can go pay $40 for a driver´s license and anyone can drive. The only rule they obey are traffic lights (for the most part). Stop signs are optional, pedestrians are potential road kill, cars and buses speed up when they see you, motorcycles drive and park on the sidewalks, random cars will be parked on sidewalks, little kids (4-5yrs) riding on the front of motorcycles and in the back of pickup trucks. Safety first!
-- Random dogs sleeping in the middle of the sidewalks. Almost tripped on one yesterday. No fail, though, between 9-9:30 at night there is a dog fight right outside my window.
-- People with their vending carts, sitting on the corner or sidewalks everyday, all day long. I see the SAME woman with her young daughter just sitting there. Does she even make $5 a day? I doubt it. I see the same man with his hand out begging for money, same place everyday.
-- Milk in bags and boxes, sitting on the shelf in stores, not refrigerated. This, I will never get used to. I´ve been longing for some ice cold, good o´l Wisconsin milk!!!
-- Eggs sitting on the shelves as well. Those of you who don´t eat eggs after expiration date...get over it. You´ll survive!
-- Having to bring toilet paper wherever you go. Like American Express, never leave home without it!!
-- Finding some the cheapest things (beer $1.00 per big bottle, .02 per copy, $.05 per min to call US, $1.50-2.00 lunch, bus rides to anywhere in the country - $1.00 per hour) and some of the most expensive things (shoes, jeans, electronics, golf--there´s only 1 golf course in all of Quito!)
-- Riding the Trole and being the only gringa on the bus. You learn to look down, look out, or close your eyes and hold on to your bag as if it were gold.
-- Carbohydrates, carbohydrates, carbohydrates. If I eat another potato, I think I´ll gag! For lunch, in soups, for dinner. Blah! Bread and rice galore!! UGH!
-- People who are out to get the foreigners. Their tactics are quite sneaky but have been rather unsuccessful with my WorldTeach group. Besides being mustard´d, another volunteer, George, had his backpack cut while riding on a bus. The worst part about it was that this guy used his wife and 4yr old to distract him. Best part about it was that the dude only got a thing of deoderant. Was it really worth it?? Carrie got her front pocket picked on the bus. Lost $3. These people won´t hurt you, they just want your stuff. Give it up and you´ll be fine.
-- You realize how much you have at home and don´t really need...the material things, that is. Clothes especially. With one pair of jeans, a few shirts, and not the 50 pairs of shoes I have at home, one can survive. Ok, so I am wearing the same clothes in all of my pictures. Oh well!!
-- The beauty of the ponytail. The world´s most convenient hairstyle.
-- How wonderful my students are. They are lovely people who really care about you. They are so excited to see you and give you a kiss on the cheek everyday, even the kids. It´s part of their culture.
-- How much you miss your family and friends. This has been a great experience thus far but I just wished all of you could be here.
-- How absolutely BEAUTIFUL this country is. I´m in awe every day of the geography and variety that Ecuador has to offer. I doubt there is any other place quite like it.
-- How much more there is to do here. Time is running out and there is still so much more I want to do and see. I may have to come back some day...just to VISIT and not work. :o)
-- Walking down the street and not looking anyone in the eye. No one smiles, no one says hello, nothing. Just get the heck out of their way or they run you over.
-- Traffic...absolutely crazy. You can go pay $40 for a driver´s license and anyone can drive. The only rule they obey are traffic lights (for the most part). Stop signs are optional, pedestrians are potential road kill, cars and buses speed up when they see you, motorcycles drive and park on the sidewalks, random cars will be parked on sidewalks, little kids (4-5yrs) riding on the front of motorcycles and in the back of pickup trucks. Safety first!
-- Random dogs sleeping in the middle of the sidewalks. Almost tripped on one yesterday. No fail, though, between 9-9:30 at night there is a dog fight right outside my window.
-- People with their vending carts, sitting on the corner or sidewalks everyday, all day long. I see the SAME woman with her young daughter just sitting there. Does she even make $5 a day? I doubt it. I see the same man with his hand out begging for money, same place everyday.
-- Milk in bags and boxes, sitting on the shelf in stores, not refrigerated. This, I will never get used to. I´ve been longing for some ice cold, good o´l Wisconsin milk!!!
-- Eggs sitting on the shelves as well. Those of you who don´t eat eggs after expiration date...get over it. You´ll survive!
-- Having to bring toilet paper wherever you go. Like American Express, never leave home without it!!
-- Finding some the cheapest things (beer $1.00 per big bottle, .02 per copy, $.05 per min to call US, $1.50-2.00 lunch, bus rides to anywhere in the country - $1.00 per hour) and some of the most expensive things (shoes, jeans, electronics, golf--there´s only 1 golf course in all of Quito!)
-- Riding the Trole and being the only gringa on the bus. You learn to look down, look out, or close your eyes and hold on to your bag as if it were gold.
-- Carbohydrates, carbohydrates, carbohydrates. If I eat another potato, I think I´ll gag! For lunch, in soups, for dinner. Blah! Bread and rice galore!! UGH!
-- People who are out to get the foreigners. Their tactics are quite sneaky but have been rather unsuccessful with my WorldTeach group. Besides being mustard´d, another volunteer, George, had his backpack cut while riding on a bus. The worst part about it was that this guy used his wife and 4yr old to distract him. Best part about it was that the dude only got a thing of deoderant. Was it really worth it?? Carrie got her front pocket picked on the bus. Lost $3. These people won´t hurt you, they just want your stuff. Give it up and you´ll be fine.
-- You realize how much you have at home and don´t really need...the material things, that is. Clothes especially. With one pair of jeans, a few shirts, and not the 50 pairs of shoes I have at home, one can survive. Ok, so I am wearing the same clothes in all of my pictures. Oh well!!
-- The beauty of the ponytail. The world´s most convenient hairstyle.
-- How wonderful my students are. They are lovely people who really care about you. They are so excited to see you and give you a kiss on the cheek everyday, even the kids. It´s part of their culture.
-- How much you miss your family and friends. This has been a great experience thus far but I just wished all of you could be here.
-- How absolutely BEAUTIFUL this country is. I´m in awe every day of the geography and variety that Ecuador has to offer. I doubt there is any other place quite like it.
-- How much more there is to do here. Time is running out and there is still so much more I want to do and see. I may have to come back some day...just to VISIT and not work. :o)
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice....
and I get really mad!! The week has been great with the exception of this morning. Once again, I was mustarded. This time the nice brown stuff. Claire and I were walking to the gym and I saw a guy out of the corner of my eye, but of course, the damage had been done. He was so generously offering us a napkin to wipe off what he just squirted on us. After I realized what had happened, I felt it running down the back of my pant leg. Brown mustard on khakis....NICE!!!! I´m not sure why I didn´t yell at him then and there, but I still have venom oozing from my mouth, ready to spit in his face. In hind sight, the guy was really pathetic in thinking that we would actually take our backpacks off. Clearly, he needed a new approach.
Ran my first 10k since the marathon yesterday. Felt really good but gringa gasping for air on the treadmill is NOT a pretty sight.
Had another salsa lesson yesterday as well. After running 6.2 miles, walking 3 miles for errands, and non-stop dancing for an hour, I was exhausted.
More later, time for class!
Ran my first 10k since the marathon yesterday. Felt really good but gringa gasping for air on the treadmill is NOT a pretty sight.
Had another salsa lesson yesterday as well. After running 6.2 miles, walking 3 miles for errands, and non-stop dancing for an hour, I was exhausted.
More later, time for class!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Weekend 7/10-7/12
notice the arches
notice the arches NOW 
walking the plank btween towers
this was not a guided tour, you´re on your own!
If you click on the picture, you can see a person in red standing outside the left steeple. That was me!
Holding on for dear life
look mom, no hands! At the highest point you could go, sitting OUTSIDE!
Jenny, Carrie, ClaireFriday -- Carrie, Claire and I climbed the Basillica. Again, dislike heights? The pictures might even be too much. (I will post tomorrow) I still can´t believe that we did this. Met a woman, Jennifer, from Seattle who was traveling by herself. She was meeting an REI group the next day and heading to the Galapagos for a hiking/climbing tour. You go girl! Very nice lady. Met a girl from SHEBOYGAN in one of the towers. Small world!
Friday night -- The three of us met in the Mariscal after class. Shared a bottle of wine at Azuca Bar and ate wet chocolate cake. Talked with 5 guys from the US. They were only to be in Ecuador for 16 hours but they were going on their 4th day. Long story short...one of them was trying to show me video on his camera from the night before and how Ecuadorians celebrate during/after a soccer game. However, flipping through his photos to get to the video, there was a picture of him with a few "weapons" of sort. Needless to say, he put his camera away. They were military and very top secret. It was very interesting talking to them. It was a beautiful night to sit outside and people watch....especially the famous dancer dude doing a tv promotion.
Saturday -- Van picked me up at 0800 for Papallacta. 1.5 hr ride through the mountains with spectacular views of the Andes, Cotopaxi, and Antisana. I haven´t seen many mountains in my life so I was in awe. Just the ride was worth the $$. Pictures to come. Papallacta is a small town with LOTS of HOT water. This resort/spa sits smack dab in the middle of the mountains.
I went alone and this was by far the best part of the summer so far. It´s not fair to describe my stay there. Photos don´t do it justice.
A few highlights so I remember:
POOLS -- everywhere. Must have been 20 of them. Mostly warm, some HOT and a few cold. I think I made it to almost every one of them. Public access to an area so that part was busier with families. Found the more private and FUN pools at the spa. After a treatment of jacuzzi, Andean Mud Wrap and massage, I dipped in them for hours. Had dinner and headed to room 15 thinking that I could read or watch a movie on my laptop but NO.......It was such a beautiful night. An even more private option was the pool right outside my door. The stars were out in full force and after almost two hours in the water, I finally headed to bed. The best part of the pools was that they were fresh water and no chlorine. Crystal clear water, warm and you never wanted to get out. I was in the water for 5.5 hours on Saturday and another 4 hours on Sunday. Kid you not! At 10,660ft, it was cool but the thermal baths and hot springs were perfect. Amazing!
Saw a CONDOR fly right over my head and into the mountains. Hummingbirds everywhere. Blue and green ones. Tried to go horseback riding ($6 per hr) but they were too busy.
Took an hour walk in the mountains, not a soul in sight. To look around, turn around and see nothing but mountains was very cool. I felt like I was in a hole but was being kept very safe. I felt protected there.
Sunday, woke up to a beautiful sunrise (you can only see it coming over the mountains). Had the breakfast buffet that was to die for and then headed back to the spa for a chocolate wrap. Yup, you got it. It´s a good antioxidant! Sat in the pools and headed back at 4pm. We drove through the clouds on the way back. Had dinner with Ana and Blake and headed to bed.
Just what the doctor ordered. It was perfect timing being the middle of my time here. I think I can make it the rest of the way.
Friday, July 10, 2009
TGIF
One more week down. 5 more to go! This week flew by. School is going really well and my free time (yeah, I find time to fit it all in somehow) this week was spent at the gym on Tues-Thurs. It´s great....go to school without showering, head to the gym (the equipment is better than ours, especially the treadmills and stationary bikes), walk home for lunch, go to the lavendaria where the nice gals actually DO my laundry and fold it nicely, then hit the internet cafe. Today was a treat. Instead of working out, the three of us headed to Old Towne to tour the Basillica, which is a church. Ok, our group went there last year but we only went inside for a few minutes. For $2.00, we CLIMBED the VERY steep stairs all the way to the TOP of the towers. I have pictures but will have to wait til Monday to download. If you go back and look at your pictures and see the clock, well, yeah, we were higher than that. I have something with heights that I just love.
Also, just an hour ago, I had a salsa dance lesson with Pato. This was the same place that our group went to during orientation. Wow!! I´m trying to work off all the food that I´m eating and this is definitely one great way to do it. Claire, Carrie and I are going out tonight after class and maybe I´ll get to dance!
Tomorrow I´m heading to Papallacta. A van is coming to pick Carrie and me up right at my apartment.
Have a great weekend!
Miss you all!
Also, just an hour ago, I had a salsa dance lesson with Pato. This was the same place that our group went to during orientation. Wow!! I´m trying to work off all the food that I´m eating and this is definitely one great way to do it. Claire, Carrie and I are going out tonight after class and maybe I´ll get to dance!
Tomorrow I´m heading to Papallacta. A van is coming to pick Carrie and me up right at my apartment.
Have a great weekend!
Miss you all!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
If I ever see or smell mustard again...
it will be too soon. This week started off with a bang. I got my wake-up call on Monday reminding me that I am a foreigner in this country. It was a great morning until the walk home. Carrie and I parted ways. She went to the Trole and I continued my walk home until I decided to stop at Payless Shoes. UGH!! First of all, it should be called "PayMORE". The same pair of shoes that I bought in GB for $4 cost....$50 here!!! No joke! Donna, they are the brown wedges that we both have!! So, I´m minding my own business, backpack on my back. A guy scoots by me pretty close and all of a sudden another guy points to my backpack and yup, I got MUSTARD´d. I´m assuming the first guy did the squirting. If you can imagine the stinky yellow stuff all over my backpack, running down my leg, etc. LOVELY!!!! The second guy just conveniently had napkins in his hands and offered to help. He took my backpack and starting wiping it up. Reminder, this was IN the store. There was a guard who came up so I wasn´t too worried. What these guys do are squirt and then offer to help and then take off with your stuff. I didn´t get robbed, just messed upon. Needless to say, I grabbed my backpack and got the heck out of there. And for what??? Because I wanted to look at a stupid pair of SHOES!!! Who needs them anyways? I´ve only worn one pair down here and then my running shoes.
Funny thing is that we were warned about this in orientation. You never think that it will happen to you. I told my students about it and no one in either of the classes ever heard of this happening. It´s common. No worries, it´s all good!
Big futbol game for Quito tonight. Their team, LIGA is playing Brazil in town. You think Packer games are big?? And this isn´t even the national team. These people are CRAZY!! I´m sitting in Mariscal Foch (Gringoland) and at noon today the bars were already blowing up balloons, setting up a HUGE outdoor screen, and people are going to be drinking way too much. It cost $15 for a ticket but they are really hard to come by. I may have to end my class early tonight so folks can go watch.
Hola todas personas!
Abrazos y besos,
Chao!
Funny thing is that we were warned about this in orientation. You never think that it will happen to you. I told my students about it and no one in either of the classes ever heard of this happening. It´s common. No worries, it´s all good!
Big futbol game for Quito tonight. Their team, LIGA is playing Brazil in town. You think Packer games are big?? And this isn´t even the national team. These people are CRAZY!! I´m sitting in Mariscal Foch (Gringoland) and at noon today the bars were already blowing up balloons, setting up a HUGE outdoor screen, and people are going to be drinking way too much. It cost $15 for a ticket but they are really hard to come by. I may have to end my class early tonight so folks can go watch.
Hola todas personas!
Abrazos y besos,
Chao!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
4th of July weekend
Hostel life is awesome! We stayed here in Quito. $8 per person.
Eddie, Dorita, Claire
Mohammadu, Katie, MichelleKatie's despedida (going away party for field director who, after 2.5yrs in Ecuador, is returning to the states). We ate at La Bodeguita de Cuba. An amazing cuban dinner with mojitos ta boot! This is also where the salsa dancing NEVER stops. It was one looong song for 2 hours!!! Talk about sore hips!!
Taught students a bit about our country's independence. Mr. America is an English teacher at the same schools we are at. His birthday is July 4. Go figure! He's insane!!
Carrie & Mr. AmericaRoss dressed for the occasion
This was a listening activity w/students (will post video tomorrow)
Parque Metropolitano
Claire and Michelle 
George, Katie, Lauren, Jeremy, Kate, Katie, Michelle, Sara, me, ClaireThis past weekend was not a big deal for Ecuadorians, but to us Americans it was a great day. We started out Saturday by having several other volunteers make the undesirable, long bus ride back to Quito for a BBQ in Parque Metropolitano. We were joined by several year-long volunteers, two of my students, and the family of two of the directors of WorldTeach. Some were decked out in RW& B. The burgers, hot dogs, watermelon, beer (I found Busch at a tiny little bodega in the market, $.90 per can! Ouch, but well worth it!) were awesome. A big group serenaded us with the Star Spangled Banner as they walked down the hilThe park is the biggest one in Quito. Check out the random alpaca just hangin' out.
random Ecuadorian kids
view from picnic area
2 of my students 
Katie, her mom, Whitney
random Ecuadorian kids
view from picnic area
2 of my students 
Katie, her mom, Whitney
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