I just got back from a night walk along a trail called Numa. I spotted a big tree frog, saw a scorpion spider, and more conga ants than I wanted to. We went up in a canopy tower and found a few tarantulas living in the hand railings. On the way down I saw a conga ant trying to reach my shirt- not cool. It was very misty at the top of the tower, but when we turned off our lights our eyes adjusted.
On the jungle floor we switched off our lights also, and it was about as dark as it is inside a cave. Up above some light was filtering through the canopy, making it look like there were big dull stars overhead. The sky is overcast though, but hopefully we can go sleep in a tower soon and watch the sun set and rise!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Deep in Amazonian Ecuador
I am in the Amazon Rainforest! and have been for 16 some days? The internet here is by satellite and this has been the first time I have been able to access this site to post anything. The generator is off for the night, so my computer battery is about to go, if the internet doesn't first. It is so nice here, and it is amazing to actually be somewhere that civilization noise cannot reach. The only sounds here besides those of the jungle crickets, frogs, birds and monkeys is the oil drilling company which is 2 hours away by boat, and then an hour by an open-top bus. But I can only hear the operation sometimes, and mostly at night. It is much quieter here than I expected, kind of like summer time at home, except when the monkeys start making racket. At least I think it was monkeys...
It took about 10 hours to get here, we took an airplane, a bus, a long ride down the Napo River to Bloc 16 where the oil operation is, then a boat down the Tiputini River to where I am now, the Tiputini Biodiversity station. The boats are very long and metal with two 75 hp motors. We got stuck once, but not too badly.
My day here starts at 6am, breakfast at 6:30 and then the generator comes on at about 10am until about 1pm. Lunch is at 12, and the generator comes back on at about 6pm to 9:30pm, and dinner is at 7. The water here is filtered directly from the river, so there are no hot showers, so bathing in the river is awesome! I only take a shower every few days since the river is more fun, but I took one tonight that was pretty cold and unpleasant! They provide biodegradable soap here for us since the water goes back to the river.
The problems with swimming in the river though are the sting rays (so we have been told not to touch the bottom), the current (which we tested out by swimming to the other dock and I almost missed it and got carried off), the cayman that likes to hang around the dock and eat leftovers the cooks throw out, the stinging/candiru catfish, and the piranhas (my teacher says they won't bite us but I'm not so sure!) Other than that the river is great!
The humidity here stays at about 100 percent and its usually about 90 degrees here in the day, mid 80's at night. The only place that has air conditioning is the lab/library where we keep our computers and where the books are kept. I'll put up pictures when I get a chance.
Since the humidity is so high, my backpacks have grown mold in them. Pretty gross. I have been waiting for it to stop raining (it has been pretty constantly since Friday) so I can put them in the sun and hopefully dry them out a bit. It is more into the dry season, so the weather is pretty nice.
I get to see monkeys pretty often, and I hear way more birds than I actually see. The toucans sounds like puppies out in the forest! Right now I hear bugs singing, and something thats barking/hooting off in the forest. Oh- and there are fireflies here too!
My battery is almost gone, so I will post more when I get a chance!
It took about 10 hours to get here, we took an airplane, a bus, a long ride down the Napo River to Bloc 16 where the oil operation is, then a boat down the Tiputini River to where I am now, the Tiputini Biodiversity station. The boats are very long and metal with two 75 hp motors. We got stuck once, but not too badly.
My day here starts at 6am, breakfast at 6:30 and then the generator comes on at about 10am until about 1pm. Lunch is at 12, and the generator comes back on at about 6pm to 9:30pm, and dinner is at 7. The water here is filtered directly from the river, so there are no hot showers, so bathing in the river is awesome! I only take a shower every few days since the river is more fun, but I took one tonight that was pretty cold and unpleasant! They provide biodegradable soap here for us since the water goes back to the river.
The problems with swimming in the river though are the sting rays (so we have been told not to touch the bottom), the current (which we tested out by swimming to the other dock and I almost missed it and got carried off), the cayman that likes to hang around the dock and eat leftovers the cooks throw out, the stinging/candiru catfish, and the piranhas (my teacher says they won't bite us but I'm not so sure!) Other than that the river is great!
The humidity here stays at about 100 percent and its usually about 90 degrees here in the day, mid 80's at night. The only place that has air conditioning is the lab/library where we keep our computers and where the books are kept. I'll put up pictures when I get a chance.
Since the humidity is so high, my backpacks have grown mold in them. Pretty gross. I have been waiting for it to stop raining (it has been pretty constantly since Friday) so I can put them in the sun and hopefully dry them out a bit. It is more into the dry season, so the weather is pretty nice.
I get to see monkeys pretty often, and I hear way more birds than I actually see. The toucans sounds like puppies out in the forest! Right now I hear bugs singing, and something thats barking/hooting off in the forest. Oh- and there are fireflies here too!
My battery is almost gone, so I will post more when I get a chance!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
The Galapagos Islands
The week I spent in the Galapagos Islands was one of the most enjoyable weeks of my life. It is so beautiful there, and it amazes me how people can discover a place like that and be able to keep it as pristine as it is today.
We took an airplane from Quito to Guayaquil, sat at the terminal for about 35 minutes and then we were off the the Galapagos! After about an hour and a half plane ride, we arrived at the island of Baltra where we unloaded our luggage and took a bus to the bay where our yacht- the Daphne was waiting. The crew took over our luggage and we took a little zodiac- called a panga- to the yacht. The yacht was not huge, like a cruise ship or anything, but pretty big. It could hold 16 people, besides the crew. We picked our rooms and got situated while we traveled to the first stop- a beach on Santa Cruz (Playa las Bachas). The beach on Santa Cruz was wonderful, the sand was organic and brushed right off without sticking. It was made up of coral pieces chewed up by parrot fish. After our walk we got our first chance to swim off the Galapagos! I went in slower than most everyone else- they are from Boston and think the water is warm. ha! The water was very clear- a beautiful turquoise. and sparkled like I have never seen. That night we had a welcome cocktail and the crew were all introduced. The boat captain looked exactly how I would imagine one to look. He was very dark skinned, shaved head, with an octopus tattoo on his right shoulder, a tribal band around his arm, a tribal sea turtle on his had and lettering on his fingers. There were three chefs that made the most amazing food. Their kitchen was very small- I don't know how the managed it. The food was very healthy, we go fresh fruit juice every morning with toast, eggs, sausage, French toast, granola with yogurt, and fruits. For lunch we had differing foods, always followed by dessert, as was dinner. Every time we got done with snorkeling, they made us a snack, or hot chocolate. Our guide was named Rafa and had the funniest laugh I have ever heard. Its hard to describe, kinda like a hiah hiah hiah! if you can imagine it. His grandparents were one of the first to the Galapagos, and he grew up there. He has been all over the world and has worked for National Geographic as an underwater photographer. Very cool.
The next day, we went to the islands of South Plazas and then to Santa Fe. I got to see bunches of marine iguanas, sea lions and swallow tail gulls (one of my new favorite birds- gery, black and white plumage with red feet and red rings around its eyes)Rafa also pointed out a rare cross between a marine and land iguana. It had brownish and yellow stripes. We snorkeled around off the panga- the water was cold! Our professor, who hates the cold, was wearing a wet suit! Wet suits were available to rent for 20 dollars. I decided I could so without one. I wasn't expecting coldness that close to the equator! But the ocean current on the south side of the equator is the Humbolt Current and brings cold waters up along the coast of Peru.
The third day we went to Española. In the morning we went ashore at Punta Suárez, and then in the afternoon to Bahia Gardner (Gardner Bay). The sand on Bahia Gardner was like flour, and blindingly white.
On the fourth, we visited Floreana and went to Bahía del Correo and in the afternoon to Punta Cormorant. There we got to see the first blue footed boobie (my other new favorite bird) The chicks are soooo fuzzy. The males make a funny whistling sound- very much like the toy straw thing you twirl over your head. The females made a honking noise. They were constantly dancing (stepping slowly and skypointing- a movement where the male points his tail, beak, and wings towards the sky.) They nest on the ground and take turns incubating and caring for the chick. The day was ended with a beautiful sunset over distant islands and dolphins playing in the bow wave of the ship. That night we went into town for a few hours, and saw a high school band playing Blink 182- pretty surreal. Also to see the lights of the town after the natural darkness of the islands and sea was a bit strange.
The next day we went to the Charles Darwin Station where they incubate tortoise and iguana eggs. We were lucky enough to see lonesome George, the last of his kind. The researchers there think though that he has bred with the two females in his pin- they have found two nests of eggs and are waiting to see if they match George's DNA! Later that day we went into the highlands to see the tortoises in their natural habitat. It looked like Jurassic Park! We went into a lava tunnel, and then to an old farm where the tortuses were wandering about. They are so huge. They almost don't look real- like someone put them there to watch people's reactions who saw them. The were very easy to see, and you could tell where they had been by the flattened grass trail they left behind. That night we traveled eight hours, and I slept on the sun deck of the yacht, waking up at about 3 am when the sea got rough and my deck chair started sliding back and forth! I moved onto a more stable bench on the deck and got some sleep, then woke up at about 6 and went down to my room because I wasn't supposed to be sleeping there (the blankets supposedly would get wet and start smelling funny- or thats what the crew said- mine didn't though) A few others and I had gotten away with sleeping up top a few nights before this because we were feeling a bit seasick. I had been watching an Asian movie with subtitles as we were traveling- and that made me pretty queasy- my first ever sea sickness). Not fun. That night we crossed the equator, our guide jokingly said that we should get up at about 3am to watch the crew lift the equator so the ship could go under it, and that up until then we would be going pretty slow, but after that it would be fast since it would all be downhill from there.
Next we went to Genovesa (a half sunken volcanic crater) - visited Escaleras del Pricipe Felipe and Playa Darwin. There are so many things names after Darwin! I guess since we had traveled so far that night, I got used to the motion of the boat. Land didn't move properly after that until about yesterday! Land sickness is so strange feeling. Climbing the steps up the cliff that morning was a real struggle, as was walking around on the island. Once I got back on the boat though, I was ok. I wasn't the only one affected this way. Standing still on land I could see the others in my group swaying slightly as they tried to keep their balance. We saw frigate birds, Nazca boobies, (the tectonic place that moves the Galapagos Islands is called the Nazca Plate), and waved albatrosses. We also went to the Post Office Barrel (where people lave letters and post cards for the next groups to look though- if you or they find a letter addressed to a place near where they will be traveling, or live, they take it and hand deliver it to the people), and got to see flamingos who got there as they were blown off course by winds.
Next we moved (during the day this time- our captain and guide took pity on our lack of sleep from the night before) to Santiago and to Puerto Egas. We saw many more birds of all types, nesting, dancing, sleeping, and soaring around.
Bartolome was next. It looked as if part of Mars had come to Earth. It was covered in volcanic ash and cliffs made of hardened lava structures. One was called Pinnacle Rock, a tuff structure formed by the hardening of lava inside a volcanic peak and subsequent erosion of the surrounding soil, leaving the lava spike. One the way back to the yacht, we saw Galapagos penguins! Seeing penguins and cactus together in the same place is so incredibly contradictory! We got to snorkel near Pinnacle Rock with the penguins.
Leaving the next day was so sad. I wish I could have stayed there for a month or more. To work there as a tour guide would be the most amazing job. We took a walk before we left, everyone was quiet.
Some of the most amazing experiences there were snorkeling with the penguins, while blue footed boobies were diving for fish all around us, seeing huge Galapagos sharks, watching parrot fish chew on coral, getting stung on the face by a Portuguese man-o-war variant, seeing the bow wave glow from phosphorescents at night while dolphins played and jumped in the waves- their bodies glowing, being so close to animals without them having any fear, walking barefoot without worry, not seeing city lights for days, sleeping on the top deck under a sky filled with so many stars it was almost unreal - watching a few shoot across, and playing cards late at night with Rafa, Jame and some friends. As Rafa said at the good-bye cocktail, "You may leave the Galapagos, but the Galapagos will never leave you."
We took an airplane from Quito to Guayaquil, sat at the terminal for about 35 minutes and then we were off the the Galapagos! After about an hour and a half plane ride, we arrived at the island of Baltra where we unloaded our luggage and took a bus to the bay where our yacht- the Daphne was waiting. The crew took over our luggage and we took a little zodiac- called a panga- to the yacht. The yacht was not huge, like a cruise ship or anything, but pretty big. It could hold 16 people, besides the crew. We picked our rooms and got situated while we traveled to the first stop- a beach on Santa Cruz (Playa las Bachas). The beach on Santa Cruz was wonderful, the sand was organic and brushed right off without sticking. It was made up of coral pieces chewed up by parrot fish. After our walk we got our first chance to swim off the Galapagos! I went in slower than most everyone else- they are from Boston and think the water is warm. ha! The water was very clear- a beautiful turquoise. and sparkled like I have never seen. That night we had a welcome cocktail and the crew were all introduced. The boat captain looked exactly how I would imagine one to look. He was very dark skinned, shaved head, with an octopus tattoo on his right shoulder, a tribal band around his arm, a tribal sea turtle on his had and lettering on his fingers. There were three chefs that made the most amazing food. Their kitchen was very small- I don't know how the managed it. The food was very healthy, we go fresh fruit juice every morning with toast, eggs, sausage, French toast, granola with yogurt, and fruits. For lunch we had differing foods, always followed by dessert, as was dinner. Every time we got done with snorkeling, they made us a snack, or hot chocolate. Our guide was named Rafa and had the funniest laugh I have ever heard. Its hard to describe, kinda like a hiah hiah hiah! if you can imagine it. His grandparents were one of the first to the Galapagos, and he grew up there. He has been all over the world and has worked for National Geographic as an underwater photographer. Very cool.
The next day, we went to the islands of South Plazas and then to Santa Fe. I got to see bunches of marine iguanas, sea lions and swallow tail gulls (one of my new favorite birds- gery, black and white plumage with red feet and red rings around its eyes)Rafa also pointed out a rare cross between a marine and land iguana. It had brownish and yellow stripes. We snorkeled around off the panga- the water was cold! Our professor, who hates the cold, was wearing a wet suit! Wet suits were available to rent for 20 dollars. I decided I could so without one. I wasn't expecting coldness that close to the equator! But the ocean current on the south side of the equator is the Humbolt Current and brings cold waters up along the coast of Peru.
The third day we went to Española. In the morning we went ashore at Punta Suárez, and then in the afternoon to Bahia Gardner (Gardner Bay). The sand on Bahia Gardner was like flour, and blindingly white.
On the fourth, we visited Floreana and went to Bahía del Correo and in the afternoon to Punta Cormorant. There we got to see the first blue footed boobie (my other new favorite bird) The chicks are soooo fuzzy. The males make a funny whistling sound- very much like the toy straw thing you twirl over your head. The females made a honking noise. They were constantly dancing (stepping slowly and skypointing- a movement where the male points his tail, beak, and wings towards the sky.) They nest on the ground and take turns incubating and caring for the chick. The day was ended with a beautiful sunset over distant islands and dolphins playing in the bow wave of the ship. That night we went into town for a few hours, and saw a high school band playing Blink 182- pretty surreal. Also to see the lights of the town after the natural darkness of the islands and sea was a bit strange.
The next day we went to the Charles Darwin Station where they incubate tortoise and iguana eggs. We were lucky enough to see lonesome George, the last of his kind. The researchers there think though that he has bred with the two females in his pin- they have found two nests of eggs and are waiting to see if they match George's DNA! Later that day we went into the highlands to see the tortoises in their natural habitat. It looked like Jurassic Park! We went into a lava tunnel, and then to an old farm where the tortuses were wandering about. They are so huge. They almost don't look real- like someone put them there to watch people's reactions who saw them. The were very easy to see, and you could tell where they had been by the flattened grass trail they left behind. That night we traveled eight hours, and I slept on the sun deck of the yacht, waking up at about 3 am when the sea got rough and my deck chair started sliding back and forth! I moved onto a more stable bench on the deck and got some sleep, then woke up at about 6 and went down to my room because I wasn't supposed to be sleeping there (the blankets supposedly would get wet and start smelling funny- or thats what the crew said- mine didn't though) A few others and I had gotten away with sleeping up top a few nights before this because we were feeling a bit seasick. I had been watching an Asian movie with subtitles as we were traveling- and that made me pretty queasy- my first ever sea sickness). Not fun. That night we crossed the equator, our guide jokingly said that we should get up at about 3am to watch the crew lift the equator so the ship could go under it, and that up until then we would be going pretty slow, but after that it would be fast since it would all be downhill from there.
Next we went to Genovesa (a half sunken volcanic crater) - visited Escaleras del Pricipe Felipe and Playa Darwin. There are so many things names after Darwin! I guess since we had traveled so far that night, I got used to the motion of the boat. Land didn't move properly after that until about yesterday! Land sickness is so strange feeling. Climbing the steps up the cliff that morning was a real struggle, as was walking around on the island. Once I got back on the boat though, I was ok. I wasn't the only one affected this way. Standing still on land I could see the others in my group swaying slightly as they tried to keep their balance. We saw frigate birds, Nazca boobies, (the tectonic place that moves the Galapagos Islands is called the Nazca Plate), and waved albatrosses. We also went to the Post Office Barrel (where people lave letters and post cards for the next groups to look though- if you or they find a letter addressed to a place near where they will be traveling, or live, they take it and hand deliver it to the people), and got to see flamingos who got there as they were blown off course by winds.
Next we moved (during the day this time- our captain and guide took pity on our lack of sleep from the night before) to Santiago and to Puerto Egas. We saw many more birds of all types, nesting, dancing, sleeping, and soaring around.
Bartolome was next. It looked as if part of Mars had come to Earth. It was covered in volcanic ash and cliffs made of hardened lava structures. One was called Pinnacle Rock, a tuff structure formed by the hardening of lava inside a volcanic peak and subsequent erosion of the surrounding soil, leaving the lava spike. One the way back to the yacht, we saw Galapagos penguins! Seeing penguins and cactus together in the same place is so incredibly contradictory! We got to snorkel near Pinnacle Rock with the penguins.
Leaving the next day was so sad. I wish I could have stayed there for a month or more. To work there as a tour guide would be the most amazing job. We took a walk before we left, everyone was quiet.
Some of the most amazing experiences there were snorkeling with the penguins, while blue footed boobies were diving for fish all around us, seeing huge Galapagos sharks, watching parrot fish chew on coral, getting stung on the face by a Portuguese man-o-war variant, seeing the bow wave glow from phosphorescents at night while dolphins played and jumped in the waves- their bodies glowing, being so close to animals without them having any fear, walking barefoot without worry, not seeing city lights for days, sleeping on the top deck under a sky filled with so many stars it was almost unreal - watching a few shoot across, and playing cards late at night with Rafa, Jame and some friends. As Rafa said at the good-bye cocktail, "You may leave the Galapagos, but the Galapagos will never leave you."
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Trip to the Galapagos
So tomorrow I will get to the airport at 8 am, get all my luggage inspected to make sure I'm not taking anything to the Galapagos that could cause problems- like fruit or seeds. Then its off to the islands! I will be staying on a mid-range yacht called the Daphne for the week. We will take hikes on some of the islands and snorkel from the boat. Hopefully we will get to see plenty of tortoises and all types of birds. I am not expecting very good weather, our teacher says to bring pants and jackets, and a researcher their said to bring wet suits if we have them.... But just being there will be awesome- no matter the weather.
Monday, October 6, 2008
The Coast
I got back from the coast a few hours ago. It was nice to be out of Quito, and I didn't want to return today.
I made it to the airport on time, the flight was only 30 minutes long. From there we took a taxi to the bus station, and then about a 2 hour bus ride to Los Piqueros. I roomed with 3 other girls in my group in a room right on the beach. It was about a 20 second walk to the water. Our room had one large and 3 single beds in it. I was luck and got the large bed for the first 5 days. The windows had glass in them, unlike many at La Hesperia. The door liked to lock itself, so we came and went through the window! We ate out meals in an open air shelter type place. Mostly they fixed us fried seafood, though as one girl described it, it was the Discovery Channel on our plates- even the professor couldn't identify some of the meats. We had fried chicken a few times, though one girl found a large cockroach under her food, so I lost all appetite that night. For breakfast I usually had fruit and yogurt with granola. We ate lunch at local restaurants 3 times, so the preparation of the food in general was not very sanitary I'm sure, one of the restaurant's kitchen resembled a dirty mechanical shop. But I had the best lunch there so far, and have not gotten sick yet!
The first mini trip we took was to a "dry forest." The entire forest was scrubby and without leaves- it pretty much just looked dead. Most of the area there was covered in this type forest. We saw some lizards, a snake that was related to the rattle snake, tree snails, some termites, and a few birds.
We also went to Puerto Cayo, Montinita (a hippy town), and Los Friles. At each place we looked at rocky outcrops and compared what was living on them to each other. Our teacher (Kelly) warned us when we went to Montinita to watch out for people offering to sell us drugs, because if you get associated with them and the police think you are involved with drugs, you will go to jail and theres not much anyone can do to get you out. Here you are guilty until proven innocent, and proving your innocence can take a long time. None of us were offered any drugs, so we avoided jail.
The weather at the coast this time of year consists of mist mixed with some drizzle. It was overcast the entire time except for about 30 minutes at about 7:30 one morning. The average temperature was about 70 degrees, and a bit colder at night- not very tropical. Every thing there was damp, so all our clothes there got damp within a few hours and stayed that way. Nothing would dry unless you wore it and stayed out of the rain.
Most mornings me and 2 other girls in the group got up at about 6 and went to the local fish market to measure sharks for a project we are working on. We will compare our measurements to the average size of how big the shark is supposed to get and see if they are on average smaller, which may mean that they are being over fished. Regulations stay that fisherman cannot target sharks, but if they are caught and brought in in nets, its ok. But its really easy for them to lie about things like that, and hard to regulate unless a government official is on the boat. There was one in the market, but we think she was being payed off.
Our teacher said that our rooms were secure and that we could leave our things there safely, but I had 10 dollars stolen and another girl lost her ipod.
Even though I am 10 dollars less now, it doesn't really bother me. The poverty level here is eye opening. People here live on a fraction of what we pass up every day in the States. People here play soccer on fields of dirt clods, with a ratty soccer ball, have few clothes, live in houses that have no running water (unless you count the water in a large bin on the roof running down through a hose), make a living by selling sweets on street corners while some live by what they catch in fish that day. I am sure there are poorer places in this world. In comparing the poorer places in Ecuador with what I have seen in the US, Jamaica and Mexico, I would think that Jamaica is the poorest, with Ecuador close to it with Mexico next. Some people and places in the US are pretty badly off, but they are not on the level in the other countries I have seen. Though Jamaica seems the poorest, the people there have the best attitude towards life of anywhere I have been. They don't complain, they laugh, joke and appreciate just being alive. If I could go back or stay longer in any place, it would definitely be Mandeville, Jamaica.
I made it to the airport on time, the flight was only 30 minutes long. From there we took a taxi to the bus station, and then about a 2 hour bus ride to Los Piqueros. I roomed with 3 other girls in my group in a room right on the beach. It was about a 20 second walk to the water. Our room had one large and 3 single beds in it. I was luck and got the large bed for the first 5 days. The windows had glass in them, unlike many at La Hesperia. The door liked to lock itself, so we came and went through the window! We ate out meals in an open air shelter type place. Mostly they fixed us fried seafood, though as one girl described it, it was the Discovery Channel on our plates- even the professor couldn't identify some of the meats. We had fried chicken a few times, though one girl found a large cockroach under her food, so I lost all appetite that night. For breakfast I usually had fruit and yogurt with granola. We ate lunch at local restaurants 3 times, so the preparation of the food in general was not very sanitary I'm sure, one of the restaurant's kitchen resembled a dirty mechanical shop. But I had the best lunch there so far, and have not gotten sick yet!
The first mini trip we took was to a "dry forest." The entire forest was scrubby and without leaves- it pretty much just looked dead. Most of the area there was covered in this type forest. We saw some lizards, a snake that was related to the rattle snake, tree snails, some termites, and a few birds.
We also went to Puerto Cayo, Montinita (a hippy town), and Los Friles. At each place we looked at rocky outcrops and compared what was living on them to each other. Our teacher (Kelly) warned us when we went to Montinita to watch out for people offering to sell us drugs, because if you get associated with them and the police think you are involved with drugs, you will go to jail and theres not much anyone can do to get you out. Here you are guilty until proven innocent, and proving your innocence can take a long time. None of us were offered any drugs, so we avoided jail.
The weather at the coast this time of year consists of mist mixed with some drizzle. It was overcast the entire time except for about 30 minutes at about 7:30 one morning. The average temperature was about 70 degrees, and a bit colder at night- not very tropical. Every thing there was damp, so all our clothes there got damp within a few hours and stayed that way. Nothing would dry unless you wore it and stayed out of the rain.
Most mornings me and 2 other girls in the group got up at about 6 and went to the local fish market to measure sharks for a project we are working on. We will compare our measurements to the average size of how big the shark is supposed to get and see if they are on average smaller, which may mean that they are being over fished. Regulations stay that fisherman cannot target sharks, but if they are caught and brought in in nets, its ok. But its really easy for them to lie about things like that, and hard to regulate unless a government official is on the boat. There was one in the market, but we think she was being payed off.
Our teacher said that our rooms were secure and that we could leave our things there safely, but I had 10 dollars stolen and another girl lost her ipod.
Even though I am 10 dollars less now, it doesn't really bother me. The poverty level here is eye opening. People here live on a fraction of what we pass up every day in the States. People here play soccer on fields of dirt clods, with a ratty soccer ball, have few clothes, live in houses that have no running water (unless you count the water in a large bin on the roof running down through a hose), make a living by selling sweets on street corners while some live by what they catch in fish that day. I am sure there are poorer places in this world. In comparing the poorer places in Ecuador with what I have seen in the US, Jamaica and Mexico, I would think that Jamaica is the poorest, with Ecuador close to it with Mexico next. Some people and places in the US are pretty badly off, but they are not on the level in the other countries I have seen. Though Jamaica seems the poorest, the people there have the best attitude towards life of anywhere I have been. They don't complain, they laugh, joke and appreciate just being alive. If I could go back or stay longer in any place, it would definitely be Mandeville, Jamaica.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Big trip coming up!
Tomorrow I will be leaving for the coast at 7am! Which means that I have to be at the airport at 5:50 am... which means leaving the apartment at 5:20... hmmm. I`m so excited!!! I will be there until next Monday without any internet access so I will update this when I get back! I will be staying in a hostel right on the beach in a place called Los Piqueros.
The people of Ecuador are voting on passing or rejecting their new constitution on the 28th (everyone who is of age is required by law to vote, except those in the military), so I am kinda glad that I will not be in Quito for that time. Things usually do not get violent with governmental issues, but still I am happy that I will be in a small fishing town for the duration. Judging by the amount of graffiti in favor of the new constitution on the walls around the city, it looks like it will be approved.
The people of Ecuador are voting on passing or rejecting their new constitution on the 28th (everyone who is of age is required by law to vote, except those in the military), so I am kinda glad that I will not be in Quito for that time. Things usually do not get violent with governmental issues, but still I am happy that I will be in a small fishing town for the duration. Judging by the amount of graffiti in favor of the new constitution on the walls around the city, it looks like it will be approved.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Mitad del Mundial (The Middle of the World)
Today was the non-calender equinox and a great place to be was at the center of the earth! We took 2 buses to get there, payed the park fee and got an English speaking tour guide. She showed us model representations of the indigenous peoples houses, kitchens and burial grounds. Usually 3 people live in one type of house, the mom, dad and the kid. They all sleep in the same bed until the kid is 13, then he moves upstairs to his own room. The kitchen is a separate building as is the bathroom. The parents eat out of the same bowl, and the kid gets a smaller one. They serve with huge spoons. One of the main dishes is cuy (guinea pig!) I haven't tried any yet...
After touring the houses, we went to the equator to try some experiments- the water, egg, balance and muscle test. There was a tub of water on the equator line, and when the guide pulled the plug, the water went straight down! No vortex. We then moved it about 5 feet to the north and drained the water again- this time there was spin! We moved it to the south side- spin in the other direction! I have been taught that this was not supposed to happen, so maybe there was some trick involved? I didn't see any... The next was the classic balance the egg, which we all did no problem- so I don't think this really had anything to do with the equator. The balance test involved standing on the equator, holding out your arms, closing your eyes and walking along it one foot directly in front of the other. I think this was just the power of suggestion that made people unable to walk straight, some unable to even stand! Looked as though they were drunk. First of all its kinda hard to walk like that, and when the suggestion is thrown in, all just goes to squat. I tried it and didn't feel anything, the rest in my group were surprised. I kinda walked to the side, and was a little tippy, but nothing compared to the rest with the exception of one other girl. So I think that test is kinda out there too.
The strangest one we did was to test our strength on and off the equator. The guide had us stand in a line in pairs facing each other. One side held their hands out ahead of them clasped together, and their partner tried to pull their hands down. We then moved to the equator and tried it again- everyone was much weaker on the equator, even me! We did the same by making an "OK" sign and having the partner try to pull the fingers apart. Again, when tried on the equator, everyone was weaker with no exceptions. Power of suggestion, muscle fatigue?? I don't know- but it was weird. I don't think that the distances we moved from the equator was enough to change the actions if they were really real, and was that line even the real equator? Could it have been a few feet or more off? I would like to go back and try more controlled experiments. The explanation the guide gave us was that the powers from the poles came towards the equator, colliding and causing all sorts of abnormalities. I don't believe this!
Later, we went to the site where the Spanish had thought the equator to be. We should have re-tried some experiments there, but didn't think about it. We watched indigenous dances for a while got some food and took the the first bus halfway. One the walk to the second (called the Ecovia) we looked at some paintings set up along the street- they were really good- I would like to get one, but they are about 100 or more, and I don't know how I would get it home. We took the second bus back, and when I got back to the apartment, I had my first real American food- KFC yayy!
After touring the houses, we went to the equator to try some experiments- the water, egg, balance and muscle test. There was a tub of water on the equator line, and when the guide pulled the plug, the water went straight down! No vortex. We then moved it about 5 feet to the north and drained the water again- this time there was spin! We moved it to the south side- spin in the other direction! I have been taught that this was not supposed to happen, so maybe there was some trick involved? I didn't see any... The next was the classic balance the egg, which we all did no problem- so I don't think this really had anything to do with the equator. The balance test involved standing on the equator, holding out your arms, closing your eyes and walking along it one foot directly in front of the other. I think this was just the power of suggestion that made people unable to walk straight, some unable to even stand! Looked as though they were drunk. First of all its kinda hard to walk like that, and when the suggestion is thrown in, all just goes to squat. I tried it and didn't feel anything, the rest in my group were surprised. I kinda walked to the side, and was a little tippy, but nothing compared to the rest with the exception of one other girl. So I think that test is kinda out there too.
The strangest one we did was to test our strength on and off the equator. The guide had us stand in a line in pairs facing each other. One side held their hands out ahead of them clasped together, and their partner tried to pull their hands down. We then moved to the equator and tried it again- everyone was much weaker on the equator, even me! We did the same by making an "OK" sign and having the partner try to pull the fingers apart. Again, when tried on the equator, everyone was weaker with no exceptions. Power of suggestion, muscle fatigue?? I don't know- but it was weird. I don't think that the distances we moved from the equator was enough to change the actions if they were really real, and was that line even the real equator? Could it have been a few feet or more off? I would like to go back and try more controlled experiments. The explanation the guide gave us was that the powers from the poles came towards the equator, colliding and causing all sorts of abnormalities. I don't believe this!
Later, we went to the site where the Spanish had thought the equator to be. We should have re-tried some experiments there, but didn't think about it. We watched indigenous dances for a while got some food and took the the first bus halfway. One the walk to the second (called the Ecovia) we looked at some paintings set up along the street- they were really good- I would like to get one, but they are about 100 or more, and I don't know how I would get it home. We took the second bus back, and when I got back to the apartment, I had my first real American food- KFC yayy!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
La Hesperia
The trip to the dairy farm was very enjoyable. It started with taking a taxi to the terminal terrestre (a really big bus station) where I met up with the rest of the group. From there we took a 2 hour bus ride to the dairy farm through the mountains. The bus let us off at the bottom of the road that we had to take up to the dairy farm. It was a pretty steep rock road, only 4 wheel drives could make it up. A jeep was supposed to come down and take our stuff up to the farm for us... but it didn't. So we had to walk. We had been told to pack light, and I had, but I wasn't expecting the trek we had in front of us. It was all pretty much steep uphill, which wouldn't have been too bad if it wasn't for the stuff we were carrying. This wasn't just a hill, it was a mountain! You would have to walk it to realize what it was like. It took probably about 45 minutes to get up, which we finally did, and then the jeep drove up just as we got to the top. Grr. We picked our rooms, the house we were staying at had about 6 rooms each with 4-6 beds in each. There was an upstairs and downstairs, with a fire place. It was really nice. I roomed with Renee, Winston, and Stephanie in a downstairs room, which turned out to be a really good idea because when we built a fire that night turns out the chimney was blocked. So all the smoke went upstairs. We rested, unpacked, and had lunch.
The meals there were really good. For the first lunch we had salad with home-made vinaigrette, cheesy potatoes, fruit juice, and bread. For the other meals we had milk (from the farm), plantain, fresh juice, spaghetti, eggs and bacon, and nice bread.
We had a lesson on plant species after an hour siesta and then played uno, sat by the fire and then went to bed at about 9. The next morning some people got up at 7:30 to go milk cows, but I decided to sleep. We had breakfast at 8:30 and then went on a 5 hour hike through the cloud forest.
All along the way, we stopped and our teacher (Kelly is his last name) told us plant family names and pointed out interesting things about each, like one family (Piperaceae) is related to black pepper and if you broke the inflorescence of it under your nose, it smelled slightly peppery. We saw lots of huge leaved plants, climbing plants, wild begonias, and a toucan! It wasn't all brightly colored- just green, but it was still really neat. There were also lots of butterflies, spiders, and bugs in general. We ate lunch in a clearing about halfway through the hike.
The next part of the hike was through a stream, well pretty much in the stream for a good 10 minutes or more. He told us to bring water shoes, but pretty much everyone didn't really listen, and either brought flip-flops or no water shoes at all. A bit of a problem, since their shoes didn't really dry out the next day. I felt like I was in the movies of Rambo or Indiana Jones. Most everyone took a shower when we got back, but the showers were cold and by the time it was my turn the day had cooled off so I decided that I liked being one with the rain forest. Showers aren't really that necessary anyway.
That evening we set up bat nets, but caught one bird twice, and only one bat. The bat was pretty big and very noisy. We also played about a 2 hour game of uno. Then was fire place sitting time, then bed. I felt like some bug was biting me as I was falling asleep, but I didn't think much of it. I woke up in the morning with about 30 bug bites all over my stomach. Not cool. They still itch.
I took a cold shower the next day to see if that would help the itching, it did for a bit. We walked back down the hill at about 1:30 and took a bus back to Quito. I didn't want to leave the farm, but in about a week and a half we go to the beach!
The meals there were really good. For the first lunch we had salad with home-made vinaigrette, cheesy potatoes, fruit juice, and bread. For the other meals we had milk (from the farm), plantain, fresh juice, spaghetti, eggs and bacon, and nice bread.
We had a lesson on plant species after an hour siesta and then played uno, sat by the fire and then went to bed at about 9. The next morning some people got up at 7:30 to go milk cows, but I decided to sleep. We had breakfast at 8:30 and then went on a 5 hour hike through the cloud forest.
All along the way, we stopped and our teacher (Kelly is his last name) told us plant family names and pointed out interesting things about each, like one family (Piperaceae) is related to black pepper and if you broke the inflorescence of it under your nose, it smelled slightly peppery. We saw lots of huge leaved plants, climbing plants, wild begonias, and a toucan! It wasn't all brightly colored- just green, but it was still really neat. There were also lots of butterflies, spiders, and bugs in general. We ate lunch in a clearing about halfway through the hike.
The next part of the hike was through a stream, well pretty much in the stream for a good 10 minutes or more. He told us to bring water shoes, but pretty much everyone didn't really listen, and either brought flip-flops or no water shoes at all. A bit of a problem, since their shoes didn't really dry out the next day. I felt like I was in the movies of Rambo or Indiana Jones. Most everyone took a shower when we got back, but the showers were cold and by the time it was my turn the day had cooled off so I decided that I liked being one with the rain forest. Showers aren't really that necessary anyway.
That evening we set up bat nets, but caught one bird twice, and only one bat. The bat was pretty big and very noisy. We also played about a 2 hour game of uno. Then was fire place sitting time, then bed. I felt like some bug was biting me as I was falling asleep, but I didn't think much of it. I woke up in the morning with about 30 bug bites all over my stomach. Not cool. They still itch.
I took a cold shower the next day to see if that would help the itching, it did for a bit. We walked back down the hill at about 1:30 and took a bus back to Quito. I didn't want to leave the farm, but in about a week and a half we go to the beach!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
First Trip!
Tomorrow I go on my first real trip! It is to a working dairy farm at the base of a cloud forest. The owners have nicely preserved the forest on their lands for people like us to study. I am taking a taxi to the major bus station here with some people in my group and leaving from there at 9:30! It will take about 2 hours to get there, just as long as everything goes according to plan. Saturday we will be going on a 6 hour hike through the forest and then coming back to Quito on Sunday at about midday. Pretty exciting!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Cotopaxi
Today we went by bus the the volcano Cotopaxi. It is active and the last time it erupted I think was in 2004. It is snowcapped so the main problem with an eruption is the quick melting of the snow (causing a massive mudslide), which can reach Quito in about 30 minuets - Quito is about 50 miles away... making it one of the most dangerous volcanoes- not because of the primary eruption, but because people have built houses in the river basins where the mud flows through. It is monitored, but random fast heating can happen. I don't think I am in any danger though since I'm not in any valley.
We measured transects of 10 by 1 meters, counting the number of plant species and recording the tallest plant in each of the transects. We did this about 6 times all the way up the side of the volcano to about 4,500 meters (14,700 feet). At that altitude, there were only about 4 plant species and none were very tall. The base camp was at about 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) and we could see it from where we were, and the glaciers were a bit beyond that. It was snowing/ sleeting where we were- or maybe it was just ice particles blowing off the snow cap. The crater of the volcano was much higher, and we didn't get to see it because it was cloud covered.
We measured transects of 10 by 1 meters, counting the number of plant species and recording the tallest plant in each of the transects. We did this about 6 times all the way up the side of the volcano to about 4,500 meters (14,700 feet). At that altitude, there were only about 4 plant species and none were very tall. The base camp was at about 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) and we could see it from where we were, and the glaciers were a bit beyond that. It was snowing/ sleeting where we were- or maybe it was just ice particles blowing off the snow cap. The crater of the volcano was much higher, and we didn't get to see it because it was cloud covered.
Ecuador vs. Bolivia
I went to my first real soccer match today! It was Ecuador vs. Bolivia, I guess to see who gets to go to the World Cup. There were sooo many people. We got there 4 hours ahead of time, bought jerseys and got our faces painted. I supported Ecuador, wouldn't have been very smart to support Bolivia there surrounded be Ecuadorians. It was pretty exciting. There were food vendors and huge cups of beer for 1.80. Ecuador won the game 3:1 and everyone was crazzzyyyy!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Elfin Forest
Today we went on our first real day trip out to look at the plants found in Ecuador. Our first stop was at the river that runs through the valley below Quito. The waters are a brown color and foam builds up on the rocks. Thinking of the Yadkin River, I assumed that it was runoff of some type from fields further up the river. I was wrong. Turns out that the river is used as a natural sewage system, and that most of Quito's waste goes directly into it. I was disgusted. There are no native species found in the river, but some native plants grow along its banks. From where I was standing I could see a few pipes running directly from some houses on the cliffs surrounding it.
The next stop was at a cleaner river, still not suitable for any type of drinking though...
Next we stopped at a forest of native trees (there are few forests of them left since they have been used for building). Eucalyptus trees have taken over most places, but in a way this is ok because they grow much quicker, allowing them to be used rather than native trees. We got out of the bus and looked for a way down into the forest. We found a gap, and climbed down. It looked exactly where I would picture elves and dwarfs to live and looked a bit like the forest in The Princess Bride where ROUS's live. The trees cut off the sound from the road, and there was a large stream running through the bottom of it. Very beautiful. The trees there were over 100 years old, though they weren't very big. The ground was saturated with water and there were little pools everywhere with mosses and ferns. If it weren't so chilly and damp there it would be an awesome place to have a tiny house. I felt like exploring on my own, so I split from the group and walked along the steam for a bit. I climbed out of the forest over what looked like a rock slide through the undergrowth. It was pretty steep. With the elevation being what it is (about 9,200 feet above sea level), it is easy to get out of breath. Everyone emerged from different parts of the forest, all a bit muddied and leaf marked.
We continued on to higher elevations and studied plants along the way.
The other best part of the day trip was at the end when we went to thermal springs, heated by the volcano! The water ran directly into paved pools, some hotter than others, and a few icy cold. A big stream ran close to the pools, so I ran and dipped in that (icy!!!) and jumped back into the hot water. It was amazing, we stayed there for about 2.5 hours. The buildings there had plants growing on the roofs, and we say a humming bird with a crazy long beak darting around red tubed shaped flowers. I didn't want to leave!
The next stop was at a cleaner river, still not suitable for any type of drinking though...
Next we stopped at a forest of native trees (there are few forests of them left since they have been used for building). Eucalyptus trees have taken over most places, but in a way this is ok because they grow much quicker, allowing them to be used rather than native trees. We got out of the bus and looked for a way down into the forest. We found a gap, and climbed down. It looked exactly where I would picture elves and dwarfs to live and looked a bit like the forest in The Princess Bride where ROUS's live. The trees cut off the sound from the road, and there was a large stream running through the bottom of it. Very beautiful. The trees there were over 100 years old, though they weren't very big. The ground was saturated with water and there were little pools everywhere with mosses and ferns. If it weren't so chilly and damp there it would be an awesome place to have a tiny house. I felt like exploring on my own, so I split from the group and walked along the steam for a bit. I climbed out of the forest over what looked like a rock slide through the undergrowth. It was pretty steep. With the elevation being what it is (about 9,200 feet above sea level), it is easy to get out of breath. Everyone emerged from different parts of the forest, all a bit muddied and leaf marked.
We continued on to higher elevations and studied plants along the way.
The other best part of the day trip was at the end when we went to thermal springs, heated by the volcano! The water ran directly into paved pools, some hotter than others, and a few icy cold. A big stream ran close to the pools, so I ran and dipped in that (icy!!!) and jumped back into the hot water. It was amazing, we stayed there for about 2.5 hours. The buildings there had plants growing on the roofs, and we say a humming bird with a crazy long beak darting around red tubed shaped flowers. I didn't want to leave!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Volcano!
Today I went to my first volcano! I'm not sure what its name was, but inside had sunk, forming a crator in the middle. Is was filled with crystal clear rainwater. We took a small motor boat out and went around an island in the middle. At one point we could see little bubbles coming up from the bottom! It looked like something out of Jurassic Park. Next time I will take my camera with me because there is no use in having it if I don't use it. I didn't bring it this time because we went to the Otavalo Indian market after the volcano. It was a very large market, selling all sorts of stuff- alpaca scarves, jade, guitars, necklaces, jackets, rugs, blankets... there was so much to see.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Bus Problems
So today was my second day of classes, and getting to the university was a bit difficult. Most of the bus drivers in Quito decided that 25 cents is not enough to ride the bus, and went on strike. Soo there were very few buses to ride, causing the few that were running to be crammed. Luckily the woman I am staying with knew about the strike, and decided to drive me to the university. The other people in my group managed to find some buses that were going, and made it to class on time. Only one person had to take a taxi, and was about 20 minutes late. The strike only lasted from 5am to 9am. I don't know how successful it was since not all the drivers participated. I road the buses back to the apartment alone for the first time, the times before a friend of Jannett's or her maid would go with me. I almost didn't make it off the bus at my stop because it was so crowded. I almost had to push people off who were standing in front of me. One of the girls in the group had her cell phone stolen this morning on the ride to the university. She was holding her backpack in front of her like we have been told to do, but since it was very crowded, she didn't notice someone stealing it. She realized it was gone once she got off the bus and saw that the zipper on the side pocket had been opened.
This is a picture of the area near the park. Don't judge all of Quito by this picture, it is in one of the nicer locations in the city. Not all Quito is pretty, just like any other city.
Its weird to have a maid here, I come back to my room and things have been rearranged. Same for the bathroom. Other people in my group have maids at their houses too; some maids have been in the family for 20 years.
The fruit here is pretty good, I had the courage to try one that is orange on the outside, has a layer of white fluffy stuff and then what looks almost exactly like frog eggs on the inside- the seeds looking like tadpoles. It is actually pretty good, the clear stuff is sweet, and the seeds are kinda sour and crunchy. I just try not to think about frogs while I eat it... There is another fruit called guayabana (I think thats how its spelled) that they make juice and ice cream out of. I haven't tried this yet, but will soon.
I will put pictures up of the things I am describing soon, but I dunno if I can get bus ride pictures since I don't want it stolen.
I went to the park near where I live, and walked around in the botanical garden there- it was beautiful!
This is a picture of the area near the park. Don't judge all of Quito by this picture, it is in one of the nicer locations in the city. Not all Quito is pretty, just like any other city.
Its weird to have a maid here, I come back to my room and things have been rearranged. Same for the bathroom. Other people in my group have maids at their houses too; some maids have been in the family for 20 years.
The fruit here is pretty good, I had the courage to try one that is orange on the outside, has a layer of white fluffy stuff and then what looks almost exactly like frog eggs on the inside- the seeds looking like tadpoles. It is actually pretty good, the clear stuff is sweet, and the seeds are kinda sour and crunchy. I just try not to think about frogs while I eat it... There is another fruit called guayabana (I think thats how its spelled) that they make juice and ice cream out of. I haven't tried this yet, but will soon.
I will put pictures up of the things I am describing soon, but I dunno if I can get bus ride pictures since I don't want it stolen.
I went to the park near where I live, and walked around in the botanical garden there- it was beautiful!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Classes start!
Today was my first day of classes, though I only have two. The first starts at 9 and is about mountain ecology, which will switch into coastal and tropical ecology in turn. The teacher is from Greensboro, North Carolina and interestingly enough, also studied at UNC-W, becoming a specialist in ichthyology and majoring in marine biology.
We had about a 3 hour lunch break, but couldn't really go back to our houses because the bus takes about 45 minutes to get from Quito to the university. Soo we ate lunch, got some ice cream, sat around and got sunburnt. The sun is very intense here because there is much less atmosphere shielding us from the radiation. The next class was a Spanish class, which lasted for 2 hours! The teacher is Cuban, and very hard to understand.
Yesterday I went to a park close by and got a break from the cityness. There are beautiful plants there, and a botanical garden complete with a greenhouse with tons of different orchids, ferns, mosses, bromeliads and even a waterfall in it. Later that night we went as a group to watch Batman, which had Spanish sub-titles.
We had about a 3 hour lunch break, but couldn't really go back to our houses because the bus takes about 45 minutes to get from Quito to the university. Soo we ate lunch, got some ice cream, sat around and got sunburnt. The sun is very intense here because there is much less atmosphere shielding us from the radiation. The next class was a Spanish class, which lasted for 2 hours! The teacher is Cuban, and very hard to understand.
Yesterday I went to a park close by and got a break from the cityness. There are beautiful plants there, and a botanical garden complete with a greenhouse with tons of different orchids, ferns, mosses, bromeliads and even a waterfall in it. Later that night we went as a group to watch Batman, which had Spanish sub-titles.
Monday, August 25, 2008
To the University
Today I got up at 7, got ready and left at about 8:10 to catch the first of two buses to get to the university. A friend of Jannette's came with me to show me what buses to get on. The first is a red bus, about 5 minutes walk from where I stay. I had to cross several streets, feeling like frogger in the game dodging cars, taxis and buses. We got off the red bus, which cost 25 cents to ride, and crossed over to a green bus to take down to the valley and the university. The buses are very crowded and stinky, and you have to be very careful of anything you carry, because it is easy for things to get stolen in the crowd. The ride was about 35-40 minutes long. I met up with my group at the college by the central pond. The campus is very pretty, if all of Quito looked as it does, it would be a very nice city. We attended speeches on safety, health, Ecuadorian politics and ecology. I found the politics and ecology very interesting. Over about the last decade, Ecuador has gone through many presidents. One of the most umm, interesting president Lucio Gutierrez (officially calling himself "the Crazy One in Love") danced and sang to the Electric Slide with female strippers. Not only was it on one channel, he aired it on all channels. He was dismissed from office based on the decision that he was mentally unstable... Another decided that the Congress was in need of reform, so he fired all of them and installed
his family and friends instead. Some members had to be removed by the police because they refused to leave. Another escaped by Jeep to the Brazilian Embassy, using a helicopter that flew to the airport as a decoy to distract the protesters calling for his resignation. The president now, Rafael Correa, was a teacher at the university I will be going to, and the mentor of our program went to school with him. She says that power has gone to his head, and that he is no better than any other president. He is heading a group currently re-writing the constitution now.
After the long bus ride back, I walked around this part of the city with two friends whose host families live close to me. We attempted to find our way around, and did a huge loop. I got completely turned around, realized that I really dislike big cities, and got my friend to help me find my apartment again. The good thing though is that if I do happen to get lost and don't have anyone around, I can just flag a taxi, show them my address, and be taken back for only about 3 dollars. The taxis are very safe and are the recommended mode of travel at night.
his family and friends instead. Some members had to be removed by the police because they refused to leave. Another escaped by Jeep to the Brazilian Embassy, using a helicopter that flew to the airport as a decoy to distract the protesters calling for his resignation. The president now, Rafael Correa, was a teacher at the university I will be going to, and the mentor of our program went to school with him. She says that power has gone to his head, and that he is no better than any other president. He is heading a group currently re-writing the constitution now.
After the long bus ride back, I walked around this part of the city with two friends whose host families live close to me. We attempted to find our way around, and did a huge loop. I got completely turned around, realized that I really dislike big cities, and got my friend to help me find my apartment again. The good thing though is that if I do happen to get lost and don't have anyone around, I can just flag a taxi, show them my address, and be taken back for only about 3 dollars. The taxis are very safe and are the recommended mode of travel at night.
The next few days
The next few days I will summarize. On the first full day I was here, I slept until about 11, got up, ate Frosted Flakes, and went with Jannett driving around the city. My first impressions being made by the older and more run-down part of Quito, I was not impressed. The buildings were shabby, roads badly paved, and generally un-kept looking. Since I had arrived at night, I assumed all of Quito looked like this. The rain didn't help. We got back to the apartment and I attempted to connect my computer, but the outlets were only 2 prong, so I had to get an adapter. Internet here is spotty, I am lucky enough to get it at one part of the apartment, in the living room by the window. Jannette fixed me lunch, which at that time I knew that Ecuadorian meals are very different from ours. Their breakfasts are about the same as ours, but lunches take the place of dinner and usually have more than one course. Soup comes first, then chicken/ rice/ pork or something other substantial, then is dessert. Dinner is usually only some bread, or white corn mixed with cheese or chicken and coffee or tea to drink. I am slowly getting used to this reverse of dinner and lunch.
The next day, me, Jannette and her friend went driving out to the mountains and had lunch there at a restaurant that made its own cheese from the cows out back. I had no idea what to order, so they ordered for me. I had pea soup, chicken, rice, orange and onion mixed together and a drink that had fruit only grown in Ecuador.
Saturday, the whole group met at the apartment of our trip advisor, and we took a bus all around Quito. We saw the virgin of Quito, a military point, the house of the president, and 2 amazing churches. The house of the president is white, like ours, but much less security. The people walk around it just like it is any other building. One church we went to was under renovation, but the part that we could see was beautiful. The walls are coated in leaf gold, and there are many old paintings on the walls. The other church we couldn't go inside, but the outside was interesting enough. It is very ornate, and instead of the regular gargoyles, there are animals found around Quito, the rain forest and the Galapagos Islands. It is very strange to see cement ant eaters, turtles and iguanas sticking out from the roof of a church!
Sunday, me and a girl in the group took a taxi (my first taxi ever) near to where the president's house is. We visited a museum, watched a street painter paint amazing pictures using only spray paint, stencles and pieces of paper.
The next day, me, Jannette and her friend went driving out to the mountains and had lunch there at a restaurant that made its own cheese from the cows out back. I had no idea what to order, so they ordered for me. I had pea soup, chicken, rice, orange and onion mixed together and a drink that had fruit only grown in Ecuador.
Saturday, the whole group met at the apartment of our trip advisor, and we took a bus all around Quito. We saw the virgin of Quito, a military point, the house of the president, and 2 amazing churches. The house of the president is white, like ours, but much less security. The people walk around it just like it is any other building. One church we went to was under renovation, but the part that we could see was beautiful. The walls are coated in leaf gold, and there are many old paintings on the walls. The other church we couldn't go inside, but the outside was interesting enough. It is very ornate, and instead of the regular gargoyles, there are animals found around Quito, the rain forest and the Galapagos Islands. It is very strange to see cement ant eaters, turtles and iguanas sticking out from the roof of a church!
Sunday, me and a girl in the group took a taxi (my first taxi ever) near to where the president's house is. We visited a museum, watched a street painter paint amazing pictures using only spray paint, stencles and pieces of paper.
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Beginning
This is the beginning of my writing on my life in Quito. The flights here went ok, except for the holding pattern we were put in about 100 miles out from Miami. I guess they grounded the planes for the tropical storm? When we got there the clouds were pretty dark but the sun was out. It didn't look all that threatening. I sat at the terminal for a while, met up with others in the group and finally left for Quito. I was pretty tired by that point and slept through the take-off, waking back up once we had reached altitude. We got some tasty airplane dinners, mine was chicken and noodles. I fell asleep again and woke up as we were nearing Quito. It was dark by that point and I could imagine the mountains around us. We landed, and I got through customs with no difficulty. I found my host family (a lady name Jannett) holding a sign with my name on it. She helped me with my luggage out to her car. Then I got to experience Ecuadorian style driving. There are 2 rules, (1) You break, You lose, and (2) The bigger your car, The more influence you have on the other drivers. Green light means go, yellow - go faster! and red is only a suggestion. Seriously. Pedestrians have no right-of-way what so ever.
She attempted some Spanish, but I was too tired to do much besides "si" and smile. We got to her apartment, which is a tall 15 floor brick building. She lives on the 14th floor, and a guard controls the lobby. I have a room to myself, and my own bathroom. She also has a maid who makes my bed, orders my room and generally cleans the apartment. I kinda like my room a bit un-ordered, but oh well. I put some of my stuff away, put pjs on and fell asleep quickly.
She attempted some Spanish, but I was too tired to do much besides "si" and smile. We got to her apartment, which is a tall 15 floor brick building. She lives on the 14th floor, and a guard controls the lobby. I have a room to myself, and my own bathroom. She also has a maid who makes my bed, orders my room and generally cleans the apartment. I kinda like my room a bit un-ordered, but oh well. I put some of my stuff away, put pjs on and fell asleep quickly.
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