Another crazy month

February has been filled with, well, parties! Carnaval was the weekend of February 9th (blog post coming soon, my friend likes to wait a month before posting photos...) and it was so much fun and crazy! The weekend after that I went to an opera at my university which was streamed live from the MET and then hosted a half-birthday party for me and another friend. The party turned out to be much more wild than anticipated but was fun once again.

This weekend I went back to visit the Tunki family from Puyo. They are the Shuar family I stayed with in the Amazon (http://cuentosdeecuador.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-week-in-amazon.html). I am currently taking an Oral Literature class and so we have to find stories from people all around Ecuador. I convinced my group that Jorge had the best stories out there so my friend Mike and I traveled to Puyo to record a long story about Iirshim who is a famous character in the Shuar culture.

Jorge was very excited that we were writing down this story for the first time but I couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable extracting this piece of his culture. After all, I am a complete outsider coming into his community taking this story for my own use. We compensated him for his time and I left some small gifts for his daughters who I unfortunately didn't see. Overall it was a good trip and now I am left with the task of transcribing the 30 minute story and then translating it to English!!

Send me an email if you would like a finished copy of Jorge's story- he is very eager to share it with the world.

Home

I think I need to start updating my blog more often- I am starting to forget how lucky and privileged I am to have this opportunity. I have been here for over 7 months now and I finally feel at home. I know Quito (or at least my part of the city) like the back of my hand. I know my neighbors, I run into people when I go to the supermarket, I have lots of friends to join me in any activity I'm doing, and most of all, I love it. When I'm walking home on a sunny day (which is almost every day!) I am filled with this feeling of contentment. Even if every night doesn't go my way or I have bad days every now and then, I am at peace with myself. I have found balance in my life and I am thankful for this gift that Ecuador gave me.

Mommy!

Instead of going home for Christmas break, my mom came and visited me for two weeks! We had an amazing time and saw tons of places around Quito and Ecuador. Here are some highlights of what we did: 

This is my mom. On one of our first trips, we went to Otavalo and Cotacachi. This picture was taken in front of Lago Cuicocha which is a volcanic lake near the town of Cotacachi.

On Sunday we went "church hopping" to all the big cathedrals in Centro Historico. After mass at San Francisco Monastery, there was a huge parade for the last Sunday of the year. This included people with huge masks, devils, traditionally-dressed dancers, and many men dressed up like women. 

Another picture from Otavalo. We had a great time looking around the market and bought a few souvenirs for my mom to bring home. These included pants, purses, ponchos, artwork, and even fluffy llamas.  

We even visited Mitad del  Mundo (the equator line)! We saw the big monument in the picture and also went to the real equator line (not the yellow one) and saw that museum, too. 

A tradition on New Year's Eve is for guys to dress up like widows (ends up looking like hookers) and running around in the streets harassing cars and asking for small change. Most men wear plastic pieces on their chests to resemble enormous boobs. It's pretty hilarious and we got quite a show. 

Another tradition on New Year's Eve is to burn dolls in the street. These represent all the bad things that happened the year before. But watch out, sometimes they're stuffed with fireworks. 

We also went to Mindo, which is a clouded forest resembling the rainforest. We stayed in a great hotel with a beautiful pool. We went to a butterfly hatchery to watch butterflies being born and hummingbirds flying around. 

We also went on a waterfall hike in Mindo which involved crossing above the canopy of the rainforest in a  big metal basket, hiking for a few hours and swimming in 5 beautiful waterfalls. The water was a little chilly but since it's so humid it wasn't bad. 

We went up the Teleferico which is a cable car that takes you up to a high point to look at Quito. It is an amazing view and we were able to see where I lived and where I went to school. 

After an airline mix-up, we had a few extra days so we decided to go to the beach! We picked Canoa because I had been there before. We took a night bus, arrived at 6 am, found a great hostal right on the beach, and spent the next two days lounging on the beautiful beach. 

We rented one of these cabanas both days since the sun is so strong on the equator. We swam, read, and ate delicious ceviches and sea food. 

I also met a girl who taught surfing so the next day I took a yoga and surf lesson with her and actually rode a few waves!

My mom was our official photographer and we took the first photo in front of the "Betty Wave." Here's the site for her surf school: https://www.facebook.com/BettySurfandYoga?fref=ts 

Overall, it was a great trip for my mom and I think she really enjoyed it. It was so much fun to finally show my family how I live down here and why I love it so much. I just hope she'll now understand when I announce I might stay here forever...

A week in the Amazon

Dean, Medi, & Jorge

It’s been a while since I’ve written, mostly because December has been crazy so far. I had finals for the first two weeks and somehow I managed to receive As in all of my classes including Macroeconomics! The Saturday after finals, my friend Dean and I took off for the Oriente (Amazon rain forest).

After arriving in the south bus terminal, we hopped on a bus going to Puyo and enjoyed the 5 hour ride in the dark. Once in Puyo, we ate a huge chicken dinner, swatted away the mosquitoes, and went to bed in our hot, humid room. The next morning we waited at the terminal to meet Jorge but instead met his son, Silvio, who led us on to a bus going to Macas. Silvio was really friendly and was interested in who we were and what we were doing in Ecuador and after an hour and half we hopped off the bus in the middle of the highway. He led us up to a house (really, shack by most Western standards) where we met Jorge and his young daughter Medi. We rested for a bit and then started the hike.

The four hour hike led us deeper into the jungle through rivers and swamps, all covered in mud. We saw medicinal plants, fruits, insects, birds, and amazing views of the jungle. Dean and I slipped on almost every log and got stuck in every patch of mud while Jorge and his wife, Rut, glided smoothly over the mud. We finally arrived and saw his beautiful home. His house is completely traditional, made of wood, bamboo, and the floors are dirt. We rested on the porch of the volunteer house and Jorge pointed out a rock that he said used to be used to make hot sauce for eating human flesh. Lovely.

Dinner consisted of cooked bananas and plantains and afterwards Jorge played a traditional flute and we got into bed and immediately passed out by 9 pm.

The next morning we were greeted by armadillo soup for breakfast since Jorge’s nephew had shot an armadillo the night before. We spent the morning clearing out a patch of forest that had decaying logs everywhere. There we saw monstrous, venomous insects and I screamed when a big red any got inside my glove. Jorge just laughed and said I might go unconscious and swell up, but at least I wouldn’t die. Again, lovely. After about an hour it started to pour but we kept working, welcoming the cool rain. After the rain stopped we heard toucans in the trees and ate guava fruit. Lunch was cooked bananas. So was dinner.

The next day we ate more cooked bananas for breakfast and, surprise, also for lunch. After lunch we went to the river to swim around and wash our clothes. Jorge informed us that there were no dangerous animals like anacondas in the river. But watch out for the red ants and other poisonous snakes. That night there was an enormous thunder and lightning storm. It was immediately above us so the flash illuminated everything and immediately a huge BOOM would shake the whole house.

Cacao

On day 4 we constructed a bed made from logs we cut down and carried ourselves. I couldn’t help much because I wasn’t even strong enough to saw bamboo- I blame the banana diet. On day 5 we cleaned up a cacao field and then went on a hike through the jungle. We saw a ton of medicinal plants like the Sandi tree, dragon blood tree, and lots of others I can’t remember.

Papaya

After lunch we hiked to the village where the school and other families were. We met one family living in a small shack. The mother served us chichi (yucca leaves that the women chew and then let ferment- actually pretty tasty) while the father explained how he wanted to start a kind of zoo so that when illegal hunting leads to the endangerment of animals, he will have enough to breed and keep the species alive. He had a wild hog that made the ugliest sound I have ever heard in my life. On top of that, Dean picked him up and the hog bit a nice little hole in Dean’s shoulder. After that the man asked if we wanted to see his monkey. I went wide eyed when he brought out the three-week old nocturnal monkey. Its eyes took up half its head and it clung onto my fingers before it scrambled up to nest in my hair. Besides the fact that having a monkey as a pet, especially an endangered species, is very illegal, I thought the man’s intentions were good and that if anyone is going to keep these animals, this family who has lived in the middle of the jungle for generations is the most deserving.

Day 6, December 21. The world didn’t end, but it sure did rain a lot. We took a long hike today, seeing lots of butterflies, insects, birds, and beautiful plants. We swung across ravines on tree vines and after we returned we painted our faces with achiote and blew darts, threw spears, and fought each other in the traditional Shuar fashion.

This morning we woke up early to pouring rain but luckily it stopped around 6 am so we packed up quickly and started the hike with Doris and Lisa (Jorge’s daughters) as our guides. The hike back was all uphill and half an hour into the hike it started to rain so we continued the hike for four hours in pouring rain and deep, slippery mud as we tried climbing up rocks with streams falling over them. I was very anxious to get back to the city and after we arrived at the road, we waited for the bus to Puyo and nine hours later I was back at my apartment. I was home and safe, thankful for the opportunity but even more grateful for a warm shower.

For more information about the Iirshim Project, please visit:  http://iirshim.99k.org/index.php?/general-information/  or send me an email at louisa13@uw.edu.

Vamos a la playa!

One a Thursday night a few weeks ago, I was sick of Quito and wanted to go somewhere relaxing, so I rallied two of my girlfriends to go with me to the beach the next day. We picked Canoa as our destination since November is the slowest month of the season and all we wanted to do was lay on the beach and not be bothered. We showed up at the bus station at 10 pm and loaded the bus for a pretty uncomfortable 7 hour ride. When we arrived at 6am the town was still asleep so we found a good-looking hostal and slept in the hammocks until someone woke up. We got a room and immediately headed out to the beach. 

Although it was cloudy in the morning, it cleared up in the afternoon to show some sun and we lay on the beach and read books all day. In our room was a 35 year old high school teacher from Oklahoma who told us all about his sabbatical that he was taking: surf during the day, party at night. Oh and he was doing some sort of research in his free time. We watched him surf for a little bit and headed back to the hostal to hang out. We met an Aussie who has been traveling throughout South America and a middle-aged Brit who came here to escape a nasty divorce. He was extremely friendly and talked our ears off. 

Turns out my skin is extremely sensitive. Although I put 55spf on my body THREE times that day, I still got horribly burnt (picture below). So that evening everyone in the hostal ordered drinks and we were hanging out talking but I couldn't stop shaking from the cold. Everyone was in shorts and tank tops since it is a tropical beach but my burns were so bad that I was violently shaking and went to the room to sit down. I didn't quite make it to the bed before I vomited in the trash can and then fainted. I chugged a water and Gatorade and went to bed under three wool blankets (the woman at reception said they only had 3 for the entire hostal since it is so hot). 

The next day we rented an umbrella and sat under it and enjoyed the beach from the shade. We ate ceviche (traditional Ecuadorian could soup made from tomatoes and shrimp) and drank pina coladas. 

After we had our fill of the beach we went back to the hostal and found a puppy that could fit in the palm of your hand. One of the woman who works at the hostal said she had found it in a river bank almost dead so she took it to the vet and now it seems like it's going to live. She named it Rio and when I picked it up it instantly snuggled into my jacket. I fell in love. The woman told me I could take it home with me if I wanted and I seriously debated adopting it for the next few hours until I decided that it would have a much better life here on the beach than in an apartment in a city. 

That night at 10 pm we loaded the bus and I had a very uncomfortable ride back home with my burns all over my body. 

That's just the way it is

Two events happened today that made me understand (not necessarily appreciate) Ecuadorian culture more deeply. The first was in my History class when we started talking about racism. Our teacher asked the American students if we thought there was more racism here in Ecuador or back in the US. A girl said that even though there might be more in the US, it is much more obvious and open in Ecuador. I brought up the example of using words like negro/negrito, chino, or even longo. These three terms describe Afro-Ecuadorians, Asian-looking people, and Indigenous people. I said that using these words perpetuates the racism by making it "acceptable" to classify people by their race or what they look like. Before I finished my statement, some Ecuadorian students in the class protested loudly and said that it is in no way racist to use these terms because it is acceptable and not offensive. May I point out that these are white Ecuadorian students. The teacher then chimed in and said that if you are of a certain race, for example, Indigenous, it is acceptable to profile that person in Ecuador. I responded that even though it is acceptable and normal does not mean it is not racist and does not mean in any way that it is "correct." Needless to say, the teacher was offended by my comment and briskly ended class and was the first out the door.

The second event was extremely personal. I met a guy back in August who I am still very good friends with. We see each other two or three times a week but we don't usually go to each other's houses. Let me describe what he looks like: he is a tall, darker-skinned Ecuadorian with curly black hair and a goatee. I invited him to have Thanksgiving with my friends and I and so before dinner, he met me at my apartment. We went upstairs to get my stuff and we left for my friend's house. The next day, the woman I live with, Maritoni, said she needed to talk to me. She explained that one of the neighbor women upstairs had seen my friend and I come into the apartment and she didn't like how my friend looked. On that day he was wearing jeans and a nice jacket- just like any other Ecuadorian guy would wear. Maritoni had met my friend and defended him against the woman, but she couldn't get over how he had curly hair and a goatee. Now, I have brought a dozen friends home to my apartment. I'm sure this same woman has seen them all since she must sit at her window staring at the entrance to the building. Never once has she complained until I brought a lower-middle class Ecuadorian guy to my house. He is not allowed in the building because she judged him immediately on how he looked and didn't trust him with a small white girl like me. I am incredibly offended since it is so personal and I have never once met this woman. Maritoni explained that "that's how people are here" and how women here are extremely judgmental and racist.

Both these events happened on the same day and I have been angry at the woman upstairs and Ecuadorian culture in general for being so incredibly judgmental. Even going to my university, I feel like I have to dress very nicely and stylishly, otherwise the girls will give me dirty looks. I never gave a second thought about bringing my friend to my house. MY HOUSE. It is extremely humiliating when you have to explain to your friend why he can't come to your house anymore. Not because he was loud, not because he broke anything, not for any of the normal reasons to be banned from a building. He cannot come to my house simply because of the way he looks.

My understanding of Ecuadorian culture grew a lot today. And unfortunately it was not for the better.

Addicted to the Unknown

The most amazing thing about traveling isn't the new foods you try, the people you meet, or the mountains you climb. It's actually the risks you take to experience all of them. You become a different person, strap on your hiking boots, take rides from strangers, show up in an unknown city alone. Sometimes you will meet a middle-aged man from England trying to escape a nasty divorce during a tropical storm. Or sometimes you will hitch a ride on the back of a tractor. And after you settle in a place for a while, you will meet more people willing to drop everything to hear your story. Of course you can't remember every person, every conversation, but each one shapes you in a way you might never know. And then there are the people who change your life so deeply, so immediately, you can't quite remember how your mind worked before. Remember these people. Remember the Brit and the nine hour journey you took to arrive in that town. Remember the farmer who gave you a ride on his tractor and how you weren't quite sure how to get home. These are the memories you will think about in the middle of a cold, rainy day when you're back home. Somehow, being on your own in an unknown land puts a little risk into your life. This risk leads you to have an amazing, life-changing journey. But then again, this might not work for everyone. I am, afterall, addicted to the unknown.