Interim 2014 in Ecuador

Last blog- Guayaquil

emilyhanneman — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 16:42:00 GMT

Today is our last day in Ecuador. Kind of bitter sweet, but I am ready to be home. This morning I went for a run a long the boardwalk it was so humid and hot even at 7 am. We got to sleep in a little later today, but I am so in routine of being up at 6 am that it’s hard for me to sleep in at all. After breakfast we had a walking city tour. It was so hot and sunny today. I loved it! A lot of people in our group were complaining about the heat and sun, but they must have forgotten what we are going home to in 12 hours. Our tour wasn’t really much more than what we have seen already. It was fun to be out and walking though. After our tour Teresa, Nancy, and I went and got our last ice cream in Ecuador. I’m sure going to miss that part. We then sat and soaked in the sun for about an hour before we were all sweating.

After lunch break we had a tour at this historic park. None of us knew what exactly this park was, but it turned out to be pretty cool. The first part was like a zoo. They had lots of animals from the coast and it was neat to see. Then we went on to see some buildings and houses that were preserved. They were old and vintage and really fun to walk through. We then returned to the hotel and we have our farewell dinner in a bit. It was a nice and relaxing day for our final day in Ecuador. This concludes my blogging for the trip hope you have enjoyed them!

day 16/17 Guayaquil

emilyhanneman — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 10:25:00 GMT

We are down to our last day tomorrow. This trip has gone so fast but yet it seems like I’ve been here forever. We got to Guayaquil Monday night and didn’t do much because we were all pretty tired. Tuesday was the day we were going to help at the orphanage. I was so excited for this day to come. I love playing with kids and especially being in another country and at an orphanage. I was a little nervous at first that the language barrier was going to be tough to deal with. On our way to the orphanage our guide gave us a little background on the orphanage. She mentioned that it was a little run down and that it is struggle. This really brought me back to when I visited the mother Teresa orphanage in India last year. I guess I thought this orphanage was going to be in just as bad of shape and with hardly any help as the one in India. It’s just so hard for me to imagine these kids not having parents as they grow up. I got pretty emotional before going into the orphanage, but I sucked it up and knew I had to make these next three hours be as much fun for the kids as I could make it. We had brought lots of toys like puzzles, balls, blocks, coloring books etc. The minutes we walked in with bags a little boy was already looking in them and picking what he wanted to play with. As soon as we got there the kids all ran up to us and took us by the hands and led us to where they wanted to play. It was if we had been there multiple times before. They were the sweetest and kindest children. I wanted to take them all home with me. Before long I met an older group of boys around ten and they were interested in soccer. I was so happy that I could bond with them simple with a ball. We didn’t need to be able to communicate, but we were all able to enjoy the game together. We juggled, passed, played one on one. It was a great time. I’m convinced they had a lot of fun as well from the looks on their faces. Once the boys needed a break I colored, played Jenga and Connect four, and played on the playground equipment with other kids. These kids more than likely did not have a lot, but they were full of happiness and smiles. It really goes to show how little we need and how much being happy can do for us.

We only stayed in the big courtyard, which looked in pretty good condition. There was a school in the orphanage, which was good to see the children getting an education while being there. We didn’t see the bedrooms, bathrooms, or kitchen, which I would have liked to see but maybe it was for the better that I just have to wonder. This was such a neat experience and similar yet so different from my experiences in India. I will never forget how much of an impact these children have had on me. These experiences are what make me want to keep traveling and studying other cultures. Tuesday was definitely one of the most memorable and fun things about this trip.

After the orphanage we just walked along the boardwalk and ate dinner at this fun restaurant right on the water. It was a very good day.

This morning Emily, Teresa, and I went on a run along the boardwalk. It was nice to have a change of scenery and I felt as though I could breathe again! Finally at sea level. Today we visited a special needs school, which was interesting to see. They were very welcoming and the kids were all so kind. After the school we went to a public health clinic with many services ranging from counseling, to doctors appointments, and learning how to sew. It was a neat facility and very resourceful for lower class people. After that tour we came back for lunch and then visited the university here. The students were on break so there wasn’t much action, but we had a mini lecture on communications by one of the workers at the school. It was fun to see what a college is like here. It looked like it could be a college in the US, a very small and outdoorsy college. Today was pretty low key, but we are all becoming very tired and it is definitely time to come home.

day 15/16 Saraguro

emilyhanneman — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 10:32:00 GMT

This weekend we visited a small village called Saraguro. It was about 3 hours out of Cuenca. We arrived and checked in this cute little hostel. When I heard hostel I pictured 10 of us sleeping in one room and sharing one bathroom. However, it was very nice. There were 3 of us to a room. The only down side was that there was no indoor heating, but it actually wasn’t too bad. After we settled into the hostel, we left for another hike through the Andes. This hike was absolutely beautiful! The climb was pretty steep so you had to look where you were going or you might have tumbled off the mountain. Once we got to the top it was amazing; so peaceful and quiet and green everywhere. I could have sat up there all day. We returned from the hike after about 3 hours and had a little time to rest before dinner.

Before dinner we visited another textile factory, which was pretty big. It was interesting to see the differences in the textile factories we have seen across each of the indigenes groups. We then went across the way to a little restaurant for dinner. We had delicious potato soup and then a bowl of veggies with grilled chicken. It was very good. After dinner we listened to some music and did a little dancing. I was exhausted from the long day so we returned to the hostel and had a nice sleep on our hard hard beds.

Today we woke up and had breakfast at the hotel. We then left for a traditional ceremony to get rid of bad spirits and ask for good spirits. It was very interesting to see what the ceremony consisted of. There was an alter and a leader and we passed around a stick and said what we were thankful for or just handed it off in silence. Another woman had a piece of rope and would rub it across the back of our necks and down or bodies. I’m not exactly sure of the significance. After the ceremony we visited the market. It was full of beads and jewelry so I bought a couple gifts of course.

After the markets had come the time everyone had been waiting for… time to try cuy or guinea pig. I was very against trying it when everyone was talking about it. However, when today came I figured when in Ecuador would I ever get to say I had tried guinea pig before? I decided I would wait to see what it looked like and that would determine if I was going to try it. The bowl of chicken, cuy, potatoes, and cheese arrived. There it was the leg of the guinea pig. I had decided against it at that point. Everyone started trying it and saying oh it doesn’t taste that bad, kind of like chicken. As lunch continued on I decided to try the tiniest tiniest of bites. I peeled back the skin and tried not to think I was eating something most people had as pets. After lunch we got on the bus and returned back to Cuenca for our last night here. Tomorrow we are on our way to the coast where it is hot! So tonight will pretty much just be packing and organizing for tomorrow.

My Final Project- link to Youtube video.

emilyhanneman — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 05:12:00 GMT

http://youtu.be/fyf9VogwpVI

My final project for my intercultural communications class. Enjoy!

Day 13 El Cajas

emilyhanneman — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 09:53:00 GMT

I think today has been my overall favorite day so far. I woke up at 5:45 am went for my usual run then we left for school at 7:15 to arrive by 7:45. We were departing for El Cajas National Park. It was about thirty minutes out of the city and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I was basing all my judgments from Google images, but I was excited. We started our day with a smaller hike, about a mile around a little lake with the Andes surrounding it. It was very pretty. This hike was pretty flat and easy. It was hard to believe we were 10,000 some feet above sea level. Just to give you an idea of how high that is… the highest point in South Dakota (Harney Peak) is 7,242 feet. The elevation in Sioux Falls is 1,470 feet, just to put this into perspective… we were high.

After we made a loop around the little lake we were onto our next challenge of about a four-mile hike up and down and around the Andes Mountains. The elevation ranged from 9,000 to 13,000 feet above sea level. I was a little nervous about the elevation, but hoping our bodies had adjusted from the first days hike. It definitely had. I found this hike to be much less strenuous than the first one. It could be also that I have been running here, which is probably good for my breathing at higher elevations. Don’t get me wrong the hike was still exhausting. I’m not quite sure even where to begin because anything I describe in here will do no justice as to how beautiful this place is. Even the pictures I posted give a much less beautiful appearance. This hike was the most peaceful, scenic hike I have ever done. Even with all the slips and trips over the rocks and through the mud. My group even hiked through this forest where we had to climb over, under and around trees that were everywhere. I felt like I was in a scene from a movie. This whole experience did not seem real.

After about two hours of hiking we took a lunch break on this rock that overlooked lakes and the mountains. I wouldn’t mind eating lunch there everyday. It was so peaceful. There were no other people around and there was so much yet so little to look at. I don’t know what else I can say other than to go see for yourself. This blog post once again does not do El Cajas justice. I’m pretty exhausted from today. It was a very long, but awesome day! Hard to believe I will be on my home in a week from tomorrow.

day 12 Cuenca

emilyhanneman — Thu, 9 Jan 2014 10:53:00 GMT

This morning it was raining pretty hard so I unfortunately did not go running. I’ll just have to make up for it tomorrow I guess. Katie, Kelsey, and I took a cab to school this morning because we were babies about walking in the rain. We however did proceed to walk home to school and then back so we did get some exercise today. This morning we talked about migration and how many men are leaving their families in order to support them by working in other countries. We also learned how women then create this cooperation’s of sorts like weaving, embroidery etc… so they can have some sort of disposable income while waiting for the money to be sent. It was very interesting to hear how families stay or don’t stay connected while being away from each other. Also sad that it is mainly for money that they feel as though they don’t have a good enough opportunity here in Ecuador so they are forced to leave.

After class we visited a private CEDEI school for grades 1^st to 9^th. The school was much nicer than I imagined it would be. I am so curious to see how a public school would compare with the private. Our guide kept telling us how problem free and updated their school is in comparison with public schools. This school is a trilingual school with Spanish, English and French. They primarily focus on the English and Spanish but do offer French. All the kids will be bilingual in English and Spanish by the time they complete 9^th grade. The kids learn science, math, social studies, and I can’t remember exactly what other subjects, but they learn both subjects in English and Spanish. Not only is this good for their language skills, but they are learning most of the material twice. This school also has been special needs students which also makes sense because it is a smaller, private school therefore they have the resources to provide those students with therapist to help them with their education. I also taught it was interesting that when we got there the students didn’t get all hyper and crazy like “oh my gosh Americans.” The lady then said how many of the students are from the states and that they also are getting Americans in and out of the school for tours. It was a very good experience and definitely a worthwhile visit.

We then returned home for a HUGE lunch that consisted of delicious potato soup, rice, chicken with peppers, veggies, and a wonderful slice of strawberry cake. I’m definitely going to miss Elena’s cooking when I return home. She always loves seeing what we like and what we don’t like. I think she has caught on that we like the chicken and will eat it because it’s starting to appear more and more in our meals.

We went back to school for a lecture on medicine and cleansing. They brought in a natural healer and he was going to heal three people in our group. It was very hard for me to keep an open mind and believe that this could actually heal people. However, I applied what I have been learning in class that I cannot put this into a category I know but instead I needed to create a whole new schema. The healer rubbed an egg all over the persons body, put it in water, then waited to see what part of the egg formed differently and that was what was wrong with them. He then gave each of them some sort of greens that were used to make tea to help with their problems. Lastly he hit them all over the body with herbs and I’m not exactly sure for what reason. I about lost it and started laughing I tried to contain myself, but I had never seen something like that before. We then did some ceremonial things with the fire, and breathing, and hugging, and throwing things in the fire. Kind of an unusual, but interesting ceremony to be a part of. Tomorrow we finally get to go to el cajas. I’m so excited and I’m sure I will have some beautiful pictures!

day 11 Cuenca

emilyhanneman — Wed, 8 Jan 2014 09:37:00 GMT

Pretty normal morning today, ran, breakfast, and walked to school. Today in class we talked about health care. We talked about how health disparities exist all across the world. A lot depends on each individual’s socioeconomic status. We looked at the differences between clinical and public health. Public health deals with prevention and clinical deals with healing what is happening now. We then took a break and it was my groups’ turn to present about health care in Ecuador. We compared US and Ecuador and they are similar, but yet very different. Ecuador is going through a similar health care reform in that they are trying to make health care affordable for all. We had some good class discussion and overall was a very interesting class.

For lunch, we stayed at the school and had cooking lessons. We made some potato soup, which was delicious, then the main course was beef, tomato and onion salad, and an egg corn dish, and for dessert it was a fruit called babaca it tasted similar to apple cider. I of course only ate the soup and the dessert. It was interesting to see how natural everything is. All the dishes were similar to what our host mother cooks and it was a traditional Ecuadorian meal.

After lunch we were going to visit a public hospital in Cuenca. I was excited for this mainly because I am interested in health care and because we had just spent days researching this topic. We pulled up to the hospital and it looked a little run down in comparison to hospitals in the US. We were given a tour, which surprised me how many places we were allowed to walk through. In a US hospital there is no way we would see rooms, or pharmacy’s at least without signing 45 papers beforehand. The hospital wasn’t very busy, but we later found out that the government is changing the health care system so this particular hospital actually got rid of their surgical area. In comparison to the US the hospital was much less clean, I’m only comparing the appearance. As far as the actual health care provided I cannot say if it is better or worse. The general appearance was just different. It was an awesome experience and I think this will be important to reflect on especially in the future when I continue on to a health care career.

As we were driving back from the hospitals the sky looked very dark. The rain was obviously coming. As we were approaching school it of course began to rain. The three ducklings (Katie, Kelsey, and I) trekked it home in the rain with our backpacks under our jackets looking like hunchbacks. It was a good day. I’m starting to get into a routine and the days are going so fast. As for tonight, probably just work on my final project and get some sleep.

day 10 Cuenca

emilyhanneman — Mon, 6 Jan 2014 10:16:00 GMT

This morning I woke up at 6:30 am to go for a run along the trail again. Once more, it was filled with people. I probably passed 100 people and there was a group fitness dance class going on in the park with about 50 more people. Yesterday on our tour to the Incan ruins we learned that the Incans had three rules; don’t lie, don’t steal, and don’t be lazy. I think that is why the tradition of being active and participating in exercise is so important here. After I returned home, we had breakfast and walked to school.

In class today we had a very interesting lecture. We talked about how when we become annoyed, or unfamiliar with a particular culture we begin to judge and form opinions about that particular culture, and they are often negative. There are three steps in the way we attribute culture; selection, organize, and interpret. We first select a certain thing that is new for us or that we are shocked by. For example, what, when, and how much food we eat. We then organize this idea and try to fit it into our own culture, but we can’t because it’s different. So instead of putting a bad connotation with the Ecuadorian food culture, we must make a whole new category. We cannot try and force it to fit in with our own. We should instead say something is different rather than wrong. After we organize we then interpret. We try and understand why something is done. We then form judgments, opinions, and thoughts and feelings. It is important that we do not form negative interpretations.

After class, we visited a local TV station. It was interesting to see how similar it is to what a US TV station would be like. We actually got to be a part of a cooking show. We watched them film part of it and then they put us on TV, which of course was not live. This afternoon we have a presentation on media in Ecuador and how it is regulated and how strict the government is on what is presented on TV.

We then came home to a huge lunch as always. We had rice, broccoli soup, pineapple, shrimp (which I did not care to eat), and these banana chip like things that were actually very good, oh and of course strawberry juice, which was delicious! This is one thing I will really miss when we have to leave Cuenca… the wonderful hand made fruit juice… yummy. I feel like today was a turning point in my host family. I played with our host brother for about 45 minutes and even though I don’t know a whole lot of Spanish we still played and communicated a little. Our host mom is so sweet and kind and is really making us feel at home. I’m so grateful to have an accepting and loving host family.

After lunch we returned to school for a presentation on media. It was very interesting to look at the Ecuadorian newspaper and see how different it is from the US papers. However, there were similarities as well. They had more articles on religion and also contained some pop culture of the US, some story about Paris Hilton. After class we worked on our group presentation for about an hour then headed home. Now just going to work on our final video project. Overall, a good day in Cuenca, however I am starting to miss home a little bit. I can't believe we are already half way done with the trip. I can't decide if it has gone fast or slow... a little bit of both.

Day 9 Ingapira/Canar

emilyhanneman — Sun, 5 Jan 2014 09:27:00 GMT

Today was an early morning. We had to be at school by 7:45 am to depart for our trip to Ingapirca to visit the Incan ruins. We left for school at 7:15 am and the town was dead. There were hardly any cars or people out and about. Sunday’s must be slow for Cuenca. Today is also the day of the innocent so people may have been preparing for the festivities later on in the day. The trip was about two hours but on our way we stopped in a small town called, Canar. We visited the market and it was definitely a little different than the others. The first part of the market was live animals. There were chickens, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs you name it. The market was over crowded and I felt very uncomfortable while walking through the animal section, as I was nervous about stepping on a dog, being bumped into with a live chicken. Our guide told us these animals are not for pet purposes, but will all be put to use. Take that however you wish. The amount of people in the market was insane. Family after family gathered and I’m sure we accounted for the mess. We then walked through the fruits and veggies. They all looked so delicious I wish I could have bought some. That is one thing I have noticed here is how natural all the food is. It’s all grown and freshly sold. I wish the US had markets like this I would buy food all the time!

We got back on the bus and made our way to Ingapirca, the Incan Ruins. Of course as we pulled up to the ruins it began to rain. However, the tour was very interesting. Our guide mentioned how important soup was to the Incans and that they usually ate it many times a day and now living with our host families I understand the tradition of soup everyday. Another thing I thought was very interesting was that the Incans had three rules and Ecuadorian people still follow them today they are: don’t lie, don’t steal, and don’t be lazy. I love the last rule and I think it is so easy to see that the people really follow it. Especially seeing our host moms do it all. They cook, clean, work, and do everything around the house and more.

On our way back to Cuenca we stopped at this beautiful church on top of the mountain. It was many flights of stairs up, but was worth it once at the top. It was huge! The view from the top was also amazing.

We arrived back to school and headed home. It’s crazy how exhausted I get after a day of mostly riding in a bus. We do so much in a day that it feels good just to go home and sit for a while. I’m not sure what tonight will bring, but Kelsey doesn’t feel well so I’m not sure if our family has any plans for us for innocent day.

Day 8 Cuenca

emilyhanneman — Sat, 4 Jan 2014 07:53:00 GMT

Since I wrote my blog prior to last nights activities I’ll recap what we did. It was the first night I had gone out and everyone in our group went out as well which made it very fun. We started at a little brewery and then ended our night at a discoteca. It was quite an experience. We danced our little hearts out till about midnight then returned home. Our host mom was so cute and so unconcerned about what time we would be returning. She said something along the lines of oh you girls are smart and responsible you can be home whenever. She was very glad to hear we had a good time.

This morning I woke up around 7:45 am and went for a run. There is a path next to a river only a couple blocks from their house. The path was full of people running and walking. It was interesting to observe how many people were active at 8 am on a Saturday morning. I can tell my body is starting to adjust to the altitude, as the run today was not nearly as hard as the run in Quito, however we are closer to sea level here. After I finished running we had breakfast then headed back to school to depart for the Banos, the hot water springs. I met three others from our group at school and wouldn’t you know the only day it rains since we have been here was today. So we stopped at a little coffee shop and waited for the rain to pass. We then headed to the Banos. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I guess I was expecting a more luxuries, resort type of experience. It wasn’t exactly that. It was pretty cloudy and cold and didn’t buy the upgrade package so we weren’t even provided with towels. Everything was pretty run down and the water in the pools looked like they hadn’t been cleaned for a while. We didn’t last too awful long there, then returned to school. We got some delicious gelato before our walks home.

As far as tonight goes, we probably won’t do much as we have to be back to school tomorrow at 7:45 am to depart for the Incan ruins, which means we will be leaving at 7:15 to walk to school.

day 7 Cuenca

emilyhanneman — Fri, 3 Jan 2014 10:19:00 GMT

I made it a week! We started the day off with class again talking about identities and then jumped to the economic status of Ecuador. It was interesting to research more about the exports of fish and shrimp and how much money Ecuador makes from the US alone. Ecuador is the number two shrimp exported behind Thailand. After class we walked to our last museum. It was hard to understand the interpreter, but there were a lot of religious artifacts there.

After the museum, Thresa and I went to a frozen yogurt place. It reminded me a lot like a Cherry Berry. I got mora and mango mixed. Mora is a type of berry that is not found in the US. It is kind of like a mix between a strawberry and blackberry. It was delicious. We then headed back to school to work on our group presentation for a couple hours.

Next on the agenda was a lecture on immigration and education and how if negatively and positively affects families. It was very interesting. The lady spoke a lot about how children deal with their family members migrating to the US poorly and how it negatively affects them in school. She said that many many husbands will migrate to other countries for work and may never see their families again. I also thought it was interesting that she mentioned some towns in Ecuador become ghosts towns filled only with women because all the men have left to work in other countries. It’s too bad that the wages here are so poor that it forces people to leave their own country for the sole purpose to make money to help their families survive.

Our last activity for the day was dance lessons. We were going to learn how to meringue. This is a solo dance with a lot of arm movement and hip action. Our teacher kept telling us to “shake your hips and get your arms moving!” It was a good time and she was a fun teacher. Tonight we are planning on meeting up with the whole group and may make a stop at a discotecha and show off our new moves! We don’t have class tomorrow so six of us are going to a place called el banos, which are hot spring pools. I’m looking forward to a relaxing day.

day 6 Cuenca

emilyhanneman — Thu, 2 Jan 2014 12:24:00 GMT

Today was an exhausting day. We started our morning at 6:45 am to prepare for our first day of school. We had breakfast that included yogurt, fruit, and freshly squeezed orange juice it was delicious as always. We then started our walk to school. It was about a 25-minute walk and not too hard to find. We started the morning with a two-hour class covering intercultural communication. Intercultural communications is defined as two cultural groups coming together with different experiences and perceptions. This class directly relates to our stay in Ecuador with our host families as we are trying to view their culture in a different perspective, as they are more than likely doing the same as well. It is sometimes difficult to view their culture with the perspective that it isn’t wrong but rather different. It is easy for us to say, “oh that’s not how we do it, so it must be wrong.” This is considered ethnocentrism. We also talked a lot about identity. This plays a huge role in the Ecuadorian culture. In my previous journals I mentioned how women were in charge of all the cooking and cleaning and this goes a long with the identity that women were given in Ecuador. Most of the women have an ascribed identity meaning they were born into the title of the home keeper. It is important that we study identity and understand our individual identities and how they differ from person to person.

After our class lecture, we visited a museum called Museo de Culturas Aborigines. This museum had artifacts that dated back to the beginning of Ecuador. It was interesting to see the changes across the Ecuadorian lifespan. This also related to identity in that because of the artifacts found over time, it can help describe why Ecuadorian people do things the way they do.

After the museum we got to go home for an hour and half lunch break. We were so thankful that Katie’s dad picked us up so we didn’t have to walk back for our already short lunch break. We had a lunch full of fruits, vegetables, soup, and rice. We then returned to school by our 25-minute walk. We started our second session with a visit to the Banco Central archeological site. This again was a museum of colonial artifacts and also related to identity and what we were talking about in class. We ended the day with a city tour of Cuenca. Our guide showed us good spots to eat, shop, and hang out. We walked through a local market and we saw how the vendors prepared their meat and it was absolutely disgusting. There was raw meat hanging all over the place just out in the open air, definitely something you wouldn’t see in the US.

After our tour concluded we continued on our walk home. It’s nice to have three of us to walk together it makes the time pass faster. I just feel bad for the girls who have a forty-minute walk by themselves! We had dinner at 7:10 pm so it was not too late. I am exhausted from today and all the walking we did hopefully tomorrow will be more relaxed.

day 5 Cuenca

emilyhanneman — Thu, 2 Jan 2014 11:45:00 GMT

This morning was very relaxing. We didn’t have to be up till 10 and we didn’t have to travel for hours. At about 10:30 I went down and had a wonderful breakfast which included papaya, yogurt, and squeezed orange juice. The oranges are actually green here because they don’t use any chemicals everything is natural. After breakfast we went back over to their aunts house for lunch. It seems as though everyday is revolved around eating and family. For lunch they prepared a noodle soup and then a similar meal to the night before. I was so full from breakfast I didn’t eat a whole lot of the lunch. After we stayed at the aunt’s house for a while, we left to go to a small village. We rode with our new “host cousins.” It was three guys around our age and then Kelsey and I. they also knew no English so my contributions to the conversation were small. When we got to the village we met up with the rest of the family and had some tortilla like things, of course more food. Shortly after, they guys took us to this really pretty park. There were tons of people there and yes we got stared at everywhere we walked. Once again, the sense of activity was everywhere.; people playing sports, running around, and just being social with each other. There was a little stream and the Andes were in the background. The guys had so much fun taking pictures of us. They would take us to new spots and would take pictures like a photo shoot.

After the park, we went to another small village filled with little jewelry shops. We walked around for a while, but didn’t find anything worth buying. We then headed back home and got stuck in traffic so it ended up taking us about an hour and half to get home. Now we just have dinner left. I’m still full from all the food earlier today, and for the fact that they eat around 9 pm. It is nice not to have anything planned for the night since we start school in the morning and had a long night last night.

Photos: Day 5 Cuenca

emilyhanneman — Wed, 1 Jan 2014 11:46:00 GMT

Photos: day 4 Cuenca

emilyhanneman — Wed, 1 Jan 2014 01:27:00 GMT

day 4 12/31 Cuenca

emilyhanneman — Wed, 1 Jan 2014 01:26:00 GMT

Today we started our longggg bus ride to Cuenca where we were to meet our host families. I had all sorts of emotions. I was excited, nervous, and anxious. I wasn’t sure to expect, but had an open mind going into it. On our way we stopped at the oldest church in Ecuador. We didn’t stop long because we had about six more hours to go. And this isn’t like a six hour interstate ride, it was winding up and down through the mountains. On our way we happened to see a bus accident and it looked as if one of the tires fell off and the bus lost control. It was amazing to see how many people dropped what they were doing to help. This shows how strong of a community Ecuador is across the map. In the US maybe one of two cars would have stopped, but there could have easily been 30 people out there helping. This goes to show how American’s get so wrapped up in each individual life and feel as if we don’t have time to stop and help. It was incredible to see people running up and down the streets in order to help.

We FINALLY arrived in Cuenca. The city is very nice and it feels different than the other cities we have visited. It is a little more modern and maybe higher economic status as well. We pulled up to the CEDEI building, where we are to have class every morning, and were greeted by a couple Ecuadorian women. I have never given so many kisses in one day; I guess they aren’t really kisses, but a touch to the cheek. We walked in the building and lined up as our names were called out followed by our host family. Kelsey and I were shortly introduced to our host mother, Elena. She is very kind, but does not speak English. Good thing I have Kelsey as a roommate because she is almost fluent in Spanish. I would be so lost and not connected without her. So we left CEDEI and arrived at her house. Her house is gated off, like most houses here, and is in a nice neighborhood. Her house is much more modern than some of the hotel or other houses we have seen. She showed us to our rooms and gave us time to unpack and get settled in. We then met the sister and her child, Santi. He is so adorable and they as well know no English. She told us to get ready by 4 pm and that we were headed to her aunts house where the whole family would be. Before we headed to the aunts house we went to the grocery store with our house mom so we could tell her what foods we liked. She however already knew that I love fruits and vegetables and had a plate waiting upon our arrival. The grocery store was very similar to what you would find in the US. They even had most brands that you would find in the US. She bought us some cookies, chips, yogurt, and bread. I very nervous to see what kind of lunch she prepares because lunch is the biggest meal and contains a wide variety of food I guess.

After the grocery store, we headed to the aunts house. When we got there we greeted everyone with a kiss on the cheek. That is how Ecuadorians greet one another. The girls kiss on the cheeks and guy to guy shake hands. However, it happens whenever anyone comes or goes. We sat down and Kelsey introduced us and said where we were from. The aunt then served us some food and coffee. I of course was hesitant about the food and picked around some of it. After a couple hours, they set up karaoke. It must be a big tradition in their family to have karaoke on New Years Eve. They had quite the set up with speakers, a DJ, lights, and a TV. They made Kelsey and I go first with singing Hotel California. We were pretty terrible. They sang, and sang, and sang for about four hours total. When our teacher told us they eat late, they sure do. We started eating at about 9:30 pm. They served rice, potatoes, some sort of meat, and salad. I didn’t eat the meat, but the other food was very good. After dinner the dancing and singing didn’t stop. Kelsey and I were extremely tired from our long day of traveling, but the aunts and uncles and cousins didn’t stop. I don’t know where they found all their energy, but they were having fun. Ten minutes to midnight we all went outside for another traditional Ecuadorian ceremony. The family had several dolls that they burned. This was going on all over the streets along with fireworks. It was definitely a New Years Eve to remember; much different than one I am used to. Happy New Year!

Day 3 12/30/13

emilyhanneman — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 12:32:00 GMT

This morning I woke up at 5:45 am to go running with another girl on the trip. We weren’t super familiar with Quito so we just ran up and down three blocks three times. It was so surprising how much altitude can affect you. I was breathing heavily after about five minutes. We could only go for so long before we felt like we couldn’t inhale any more oxygen. However, it felt great to finally be able to sweat again. After our run we went and had a fabulous breakfast. You could tell that the hotel caters to American’s because the background music was top 100 from the US. I had delicious fruit and cereal. I made sure to eat plenty because I wasn’t sure what lunch was to bring. We then loaded the bus and drove for about two hours making our way to Riobamba. We stopped at a place called la Hosteria La Cienega. It was this 300-year-old mansion that had been renovated into a hosteria. It was so cute. Everything was vintage and old looking. I wish we got to spend a night there. We had coffee and hot chocolate and listened to an Ecuadorian band. They were a lot of fun.

After visiting the hosteria, we got back on the bus and drove for about another hour to visit a village named Salasaca. This did not seem like a real touristy place. None of the people spoke English and it seemed very indigenous. Our first demonstration was on how they make hand made textiles. We watched a man make a blanket like object by hand with a machine. He told us it would take him about three months to finish it if he worked on it everyday. He used sheep wool to make it. As we drove in I noticed a lady winding wool on a stick and this is what it is used for. It was interesting to see how natural and organic they were. He told us that they dyed the wool by using blood from a bug that lived on a cactus. That is something I have noticed all across Ecuador how natural and conservative they are. They really are concerned for the environment, unlike people in the US. The next demonstration was on traditional dress for men and women. The women wore skirts with shawls, jewelry, and a hat. The men wore ponchos with hats. They let a couple people in our group model the outfit for us. Next, it was lunchtime. I was very nervous as for what we were going to eat however I knew it was going to be vegetarian so I felt better there. They brought out plates full of vegetables that included potatoes, corn, lima beans, and a mix of broccoli and carrots. The vegetables were so fresh and it was obvious it was prepared five minutes before we were ready to eat. Luckily I really enjoy vegetables so I almost cleaned my plate. After lunch, we had a quick demonstration of some traditional dancing. This dancing occurs on New Years day so it was perfect timing. Three men performed a dance for us while one played the music. After they finished they invited us to join them. It wasn’t a hard dance by any means basically heel to toe and you would move in a circle and up and back. It was interesting to see how they celebrate and dance.

After our visit to Salasaca we loaded the bus for our last hour to arrive in Riobamba. We are staying in a cute hosteria for the night, but then leave in the morning for Cuenca. We get to meet our host families tomorrow and start another adventure there, which I am very excited about!

Photos: Day 2 Quito

emilyhanneman — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 13:58:00 GMT

Day 2 12/29 (Quito)

emilyhanneman — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 13:47:00 GMT

Today was a full day. We started our morning with breakfast and a short orientation session. Soon after we packed our bags and made our way towards Quito. About an hour out of Otavalo, we stopped at the equator, 0 degrees latitude and 0 degrees longitude. It was a definitely a once in a lifetime experience. How many people can say that they have stood on both sides of the equator at the same time? It was interesting to hear the guide talk about how teachers are teaching students incorrect information about the actual shape of the world. If you were to ask kids what way north is more than likely they would point upward. Which is incorrect. The main focus of the institute he works for is to revise maps and to help children learn the correct shape and directions of the world. He had a valid point and he showed us that the globe is represented incorrectly as in how it is faced and spun.

After that we hoped back on the bus for about an hour and half more and finally reached Quito. Our first stop was to an art museum called the Capilla del hombre. Oswaldo Guayasamín was the artist who made all the work in the museum. It was definitely different and unlike any other artwork I had seen before. It was full of symbolism and each painting had a different meaning and identity. There were multiple paintings that dealt with inequality and injustice that still surrounds our world today. He also had many that dealt with mothers and their willingness to care for a family. It was interesting learning about all the different paintings and what representations they carried with them. The guide for this tour only spoke Spanish so we didn’t catch everything that was said, but we got the main points from each of the paintings.

Our next stop was to the mall to grab some lunch. Some of the girls and I weren’t too awfully hungry so we settled for some delicious gelato. I am still a little hesitant of the street food because I really want to avoid becoming sick. I noticed that no matter what time of day it is food places always seem to be busy. It was about 2 pm and the food places were still filled with people.

The last activity for the day was a city tour of the colonial part of Quito or the northern part of the city. We started out by going to this HUGE cathedral. The guide told us that about 80% of Ecuadorians are Roman Catholic. It was amazing how much gold each of the cathedrals used inside. We only saw about five of the seven, but they were amazing. The fact that some of the churches had been standing for many many years says something about their structure and foundation. Some of them had even withstood earthquakes. As we walked the streets of Quito, I noted how many people were out and about and just being active and enjoying the environment. It was everywhere we went too. I really enjoyed seeing that. The people looked like they were having such a good time and not doing anything. It made me think back to when I was younger and loved being outside with friends and not having a care in the world. Next, we traveled to higher ground where we were able to see for miles and miles upon Quito. It was a beautiful view. The amount of houses that were stacked on top of each other was unbelievable. This was definitely one of the most amazing views I had ever seen.

We ended the day with a good American meal near our hotel. I finally tried meat here and it wasn’t too bad. The menu was in English, which helped me feel more comfortable. Ironically enough we turned around to see the Packers Bears football game being shown on the TV. It was nice to have some sort of American feel for the night. Overall, today was a very busy, but interesting and exciting day.

Day 1 12/28 (Otavalo)

emilyhanneman — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 12:23:00 GMT

Today was quite the start to this adventure. I was awakened with a nice cold shower but then headed down for a nice breakfast and orientation session to start our morning. After that, we were set free for about 4 hours to explore the market. Saturdays are market days in Otavalo so we were all excited to shop. We headed out in one group and then split off into smaller groups. The market was insane. Street after street after street filled with scarves, jewelry, blankets, bags, food, and on and on and on. The first connection I made with the market was Indian markets. They reminded me so much of each other. The streets of Ecuador could have been Indian streets. However, the major differences I noticed were the clean streets and the much less overwhelming crowds. I can’t believe how clean it is here, but I guess I am only comparing it to the Indian streets I walked last year. I could have spent all day there and just shopped, but after a while it became overwhelming. I noted that the Ecuadorian culture is not concerned with personal space. Everyone is just on top of each other trying to get to where they need to be and they do not care who they have to push to get there. I started staying out of the way and moving to the side as I felt like a big inconvenience. I found some goods while at the market. I purchased scarves, a blanket, and some bracelets. The vendors were very pleasant and were not pushy when you didn’t want to buy something.

After the market we were headed to the foothills of the Andes Mountains. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but the trip exceeded anything I had in mind. It was the most gorgeous scene I have ever experience. We decided to hike up part of the mountain and after about the second set of stairs I noticed how heavy I was breathing. I knew I was not that out of shape, but it was the significant change in altitude. I was so shocked that it had that much of an impact. However, the view was completely worth it.

The next stop was to a thread shop. A man showed us how he made scarves and blankets and textiles out of machinery. It was amazing to see how tedious of a process making textiles can be. He did a great job with his English and I definitely appreciate their work that goes into it. We then walked about five minutes to a musical introduction. We were shown all the different types of instruments that are used in Ecuador. The woman also made an instrument out of bamboo right in front of us. We then had a short performance by a man and a young girl, which was absolutely beautiful. They were so talented.

Lastly, we ended a great day with a dinner at a traditional Ecuadorian restaurant. I of course being the picky eater that I am did not find much on the menu. I was also nervous to get sick from eating the meat or things that I’m not accustomed to yet. I had some avocado soup, which was pretty good, but was very rich and creamy. I could hardly eat five bites. Overall, it was an awesome first day and I am so excited to experience all that Ecuador has to offer!