I know it's been a while, but here I am, alive and very well! These past weeks have been a whirlwind, as always. We've made two trips so far- to see the Andes on one and the Amazon on the other, and each have been spectacular.
Our first trip began with a bus ride to Riobamba, an interesting city that I would like more time to get to know. On our way we had some interesting stops concerning environmental considerations in the area. Pine tree reforestation, a huge volcanic boulder moved many kilometers by lahar (a slushy mixture of glacial melt, mud, and debris), a lake in a volcanic crater with no apparent bottom, and rows of rose greenhouses guarded by barbed wire were a few. And so much agriculture! The hills were a patchwork of crops, potatoes growing on steep slopes and people collecting them.
We continued on to Riobamba, a city with a small town feel that I would like more time to explore. And it had great statues, too, like all the towns of the area. It was dark and cold when we arrived at Achikñan, a Kichwa community run hostel near Chimborazo. It was cozy and nice, and the food was soo good- all grown locally. It reminded me of my farmer market meals at home, so fresh and delicious! We talked a bit to the community members running the place- they began the hostel because in recent years the land had been overused from fertilizers to increase productivity. In addition, they accepted assistance from a Protestant American run development group, World Vision, to start up a milk and cheese business that has helped the community tremendously. The community has its own grade school also, taught in a combination of Kichwa and Spanish. Later in my cabin I talked with the head of the community by the fire about the community, language, culture, agriculture, how he got to be. Poor guy, he runs it all! I cannot imagine the responsibility.
The next day we headed up to Chimborazo for a long hike and for me, to enjoy the swirling clouds and jumping around on the rocks. We ended for a late lunch at a nice restaurant (as usual) in an unbelievably beautiful valley, where some of my peers proceeded to accost the poor alpacas. That night they surprised me with a birthday cake- finally I am out of those awful teenage years. I know everything will be easier now. ;)
The next day we spent mostly on a bus searching for the cloud forest, but I did not mind too much for the beautiful view from the window, and it was worth it. The paramo, the Andean forest, and the cloud forest were all so beautiful. The next day was devoted to Cotopaxi, and tired as we all were from travel, we trekked up the steep path to the refuge on a volcano long overdue to blow its top. From there it was back to Quito for a week of classes until we left for our next journey to Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the northeast rainforest of Ecuador.
The trip there was again long- first plane to Coca, a strange town, then boat on the Napo river to a Petroleum Security Station. We took a chiva (two story open air bus) to our next boat ride on the Tiputini river, arriving at the station after about 8 hours of travel. The facilities were beautiful and rustic, and the area was so quiet and wild. I fell in love with the rainforest- the sounds, the smells, the humidity, the unknown. As I learn more, I am more and more by it. At the station we hiked, wildlife watched, chatted with the researchers about their endeavors, and swam in the latte-like waters. Tiputini has the smallest monkey, the pygmy marmoset, which I got to see, and so many other things. Our guide, Ramiro, shared with us some of the indigenous uses of plants, stories of the forest (the ghost forest people that take children, called sachiruna), the wildlife. Again, I saw so many beautiful and interesting things. One night I decided to lop my hair off, (just a little, no worries), so I had some friends help outside of my cabin and finished it up on our night boat ride with a pocketknife. Just one of those things you have to do, you know...now my hair is somewhere in the Amazon, floating along, or is nesting material for some bird. Hey, I do my best to give back.
And then we returned to Coca to catch our plane out, but of course the rain started coming down in buckets and our flight had to wait for the morning. We explored the town a little- a strange place of shanty shops, peluquerias (haircut places), and lonely bars lit with dim green lights, containing a few men beckoning us in. It is the capital of the province, mainly because it is the gateway to the oil blocs of the Oriente, the rainforest. You could not tell though- there is a weird, uncomfortable vibe about the town. Our hotel, Hotel La Mision, was equally unsettling. Monkeys ran around, using people (including me for a good part of the time) for additional ambulatory perches, and other wild animals were stuck in small cages, pacing. It was especially depressing after seeing the same in the jungle, wild. My friend Eileen and I spent a good hour or two trying to console a young night creature, holding it in our laps as it tested our fingers for its mother's milk. Workers at the hotel passed, saying, "isn't it cute?" We didn't respond.
Now we are back in Quito, back to classes for a few days, and we made it in time for the big game today (soccer, of course) against Colombia- I just learned we tied! I still have a hard time understanding the soccer system here, as well as the enthusiasm for it.
Saturday we go to a condor refuge near Otavalo, a town known for its handicrafts. Here I come to bargain! I love it, I am comfortable in that market setting. And Sunday we go to the Galapagos for our 3 week long study- it is passing so quickly!
And the last bit of news- pictures! I am in the process of posting them as I type this.
Well, I hope everyone is well as always, ciao for now!
Te vayas bien,
allison
P.S. I was in a commercial here that was recorded at my house, eating dinner, and they made me spread mustard on my salad ( I still don't understand why, exactly...) My dreams of fame have finally been acheived- I am the famous gringa of Quito!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
First Impressions
¡Hola todos!
I love that here you don´t have to search the internet to use spanish characters.
Sorry for the delayed update; it´s been go go go since I´ve arrived, and a series of small misfortunes have preoccupied me.
First, I arrived at the Mariscal airport in Quito on time, without any problems, having talked with some kind and cool people. All seemed smooth sailing, and then upon arrival...no luggage. I was tired and my Spanish wasn´t so good, so after some difficulty, I filed a report including the pickles and barbeque sauce I had. :(
My family met me at the airport, and were extremely warm and welcoming right from the start. Carmen, my mom, said that her house was my house with actual sincerity, and I talk to her about everything. My father, Marcel, works for the airlines, my 16 year old sister Gabby is constantly working on her homework and is very cool, and I´m in love with my little brother Juan Sebastian. He may only be 9, but he´s adorable. We play games, dance, and joke around together; my childishness finally has an opportunity to show itself, and I learn so much from him.
Orientation began bright and early the next day, and continued for the next two non stop. We also got an awesome insiders´ tour of La Iglesia Santa Domingo. We toured the restricted access convent library, musty and mysterious from the smell of old books, many that the Library of Congress only have copies of. It all seemed unreal and as though out of a page of one of the ancient books. Afterwards we climbed to the top of the Mosaic, two high towers, got to open two golden doors behind the statue of La Virgen to a mysterious back room, and go down into a dark and dank cellar that bordered on creepy. We walked the streets of the old town, saw the president´s place of residence (more on him later) and ate at an unfortunately American restaurant. All in all though, it was a very satisfying tourist experience.
Orientation continued, and we received another tour from the University we are attending, La Universidad San Fransisco de Quito. An hour´s drive to the fringe of the city, and then up to Pululagua, one of the only volcanic craters in the world that contains a town. From there we headed to La Mitad del Mundo, the middle of the earth. Actually, there are two; one for real and one that hoped to be. We tried out our skills with a blowgun (I hit the cactus dead on!), see a shrunken head, traditional houses, and do some activities to prove that we were indeed on the real equator. Contrary to contradictions, water really doesn´t spin to go down a drain on the equator, and it´s so much harder to balance! From La Mitad we headed through old town to El Panecillo/ La Virgen de Quito, a huge statue on one of the 7 sacred hills of Quito. The view was amazing, as well as the statue, which was made by the same artist of the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower. Then back to Old Town, where a huge parade of culture and a concert prohibited us from seeing La Compañia, a church with an inside entirely of gold. Also, a tricky man "selling water" stole my newly bought cell phone from my zipped pocket. Hey, I have to give him props for being so good at his job, even if I have to buy another.
The night life here is good, even if you have to be cautious; I actually had fun dancing! I also watched a film last night on the problems of conservation in the Galapagos in concern to sharks made by a local group that I´d like to get involved with.
As far as alcohol goes- the drinking age is indeed 18, but honestly a 13 year old could go to the store and buy a bottle without any problem whatsoever. The local beer, Pilsener, is comparable to my favorite Fireman´s Four; I don´t think I could be any luckier. Everything is so inexpensive; meals for $2, a huge beer for $1, mixed drinks for about $2, and everything else you can imagine.
Yesterday I attended mass with my family, which was a bit long but interesting, and afterwards we drove about an hour to La Valle Los Chillos, where traditional highland culture still lives on. Cuy, guinea pigs, roasted on huge sticks in the street- Juan Sebastian loved to point out their teeth and claws to me- there was a huge open air market with all kinds of bananas and potatoes that I have to go back and visit, and our meal was traditional- potatoes, platano frito, arroz, mote (a type of corn), and yes, I even broke my 6 years of vegetarianism to try un pocotito of cuy, the only meat I´ve decided to try to experience the local culture. As was expected, I still have a bit of a stomach ache, and my appetite is pretty dimished.
Classes have now started at USFQ now- two a day, ecology and spanish, each 4 hours long. Right now I have just finished Spanish class, and my brain is como un huevo revuelto. On Wednesday we go to Riobamba in the paramo, then to Volcan Cotopaxi, and an unplanned side trip to the cloud forest. I have learned so much- about the culture, people, myself, the language, and the landscape; it´s hard to take it all in. It is a beautiful, diverse place with so much to do and see, there will never be enough time.
To clarify, I do not mean to paint a picture of paradise; there are definitely many problems within the country, of which I continue to learn through different perspectives (my mom, my professors, and any Ecuadorians I talk to) and also many more of other countries, including the US. But to me this is a crucial part of the experience, and I try to view the problems I see as challenges with solutions instead of a hopeless reality, so it is not so bad.
And I promise, pictures soon! I love you all, miss you, and will try to keep this updated whenever I can! Now I am off to the Megamaxi to buy some clothes and a cell phone; still no luggage.
Espero que les vaya bien, abrazos, miss you all!
aly
I love that here you don´t have to search the internet to use spanish characters.
Sorry for the delayed update; it´s been go go go since I´ve arrived, and a series of small misfortunes have preoccupied me.
First, I arrived at the Mariscal airport in Quito on time, without any problems, having talked with some kind and cool people. All seemed smooth sailing, and then upon arrival...no luggage. I was tired and my Spanish wasn´t so good, so after some difficulty, I filed a report including the pickles and barbeque sauce I had. :(
My family met me at the airport, and were extremely warm and welcoming right from the start. Carmen, my mom, said that her house was my house with actual sincerity, and I talk to her about everything. My father, Marcel, works for the airlines, my 16 year old sister Gabby is constantly working on her homework and is very cool, and I´m in love with my little brother Juan Sebastian. He may only be 9, but he´s adorable. We play games, dance, and joke around together; my childishness finally has an opportunity to show itself, and I learn so much from him.
Orientation began bright and early the next day, and continued for the next two non stop. We also got an awesome insiders´ tour of La Iglesia Santa Domingo. We toured the restricted access convent library, musty and mysterious from the smell of old books, many that the Library of Congress only have copies of. It all seemed unreal and as though out of a page of one of the ancient books. Afterwards we climbed to the top of the Mosaic, two high towers, got to open two golden doors behind the statue of La Virgen to a mysterious back room, and go down into a dark and dank cellar that bordered on creepy. We walked the streets of the old town, saw the president´s place of residence (more on him later) and ate at an unfortunately American restaurant. All in all though, it was a very satisfying tourist experience.
Orientation continued, and we received another tour from the University we are attending, La Universidad San Fransisco de Quito. An hour´s drive to the fringe of the city, and then up to Pululagua, one of the only volcanic craters in the world that contains a town. From there we headed to La Mitad del Mundo, the middle of the earth. Actually, there are two; one for real and one that hoped to be. We tried out our skills with a blowgun (I hit the cactus dead on!), see a shrunken head, traditional houses, and do some activities to prove that we were indeed on the real equator. Contrary to contradictions, water really doesn´t spin to go down a drain on the equator, and it´s so much harder to balance! From La Mitad we headed through old town to El Panecillo/ La Virgen de Quito, a huge statue on one of the 7 sacred hills of Quito. The view was amazing, as well as the statue, which was made by the same artist of the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower. Then back to Old Town, where a huge parade of culture and a concert prohibited us from seeing La Compañia, a church with an inside entirely of gold. Also, a tricky man "selling water" stole my newly bought cell phone from my zipped pocket. Hey, I have to give him props for being so good at his job, even if I have to buy another.
The night life here is good, even if you have to be cautious; I actually had fun dancing! I also watched a film last night on the problems of conservation in the Galapagos in concern to sharks made by a local group that I´d like to get involved with.
As far as alcohol goes- the drinking age is indeed 18, but honestly a 13 year old could go to the store and buy a bottle without any problem whatsoever. The local beer, Pilsener, is comparable to my favorite Fireman´s Four; I don´t think I could be any luckier. Everything is so inexpensive; meals for $2, a huge beer for $1, mixed drinks for about $2, and everything else you can imagine.
Yesterday I attended mass with my family, which was a bit long but interesting, and afterwards we drove about an hour to La Valle Los Chillos, where traditional highland culture still lives on. Cuy, guinea pigs, roasted on huge sticks in the street- Juan Sebastian loved to point out their teeth and claws to me- there was a huge open air market with all kinds of bananas and potatoes that I have to go back and visit, and our meal was traditional- potatoes, platano frito, arroz, mote (a type of corn), and yes, I even broke my 6 years of vegetarianism to try un pocotito of cuy, the only meat I´ve decided to try to experience the local culture. As was expected, I still have a bit of a stomach ache, and my appetite is pretty dimished.
Classes have now started at USFQ now- two a day, ecology and spanish, each 4 hours long. Right now I have just finished Spanish class, and my brain is como un huevo revuelto. On Wednesday we go to Riobamba in the paramo, then to Volcan Cotopaxi, and an unplanned side trip to the cloud forest. I have learned so much- about the culture, people, myself, the language, and the landscape; it´s hard to take it all in. It is a beautiful, diverse place with so much to do and see, there will never be enough time.
To clarify, I do not mean to paint a picture of paradise; there are definitely many problems within the country, of which I continue to learn through different perspectives (my mom, my professors, and any Ecuadorians I talk to) and also many more of other countries, including the US. But to me this is a crucial part of the experience, and I try to view the problems I see as challenges with solutions instead of a hopeless reality, so it is not so bad.
And I promise, pictures soon! I love you all, miss you, and will try to keep this updated whenever I can! Now I am off to the Megamaxi to buy some clothes and a cell phone; still no luggage.
Espero que les vaya bien, abrazos, miss you all!
aly
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
