Ecuador Adventures

Riobamba

nance_kell — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 05:16:00 GMT

On the road again! I am starting to feel very exhausted. I feel lucky though because some people are starting to feel sick because of the altitude but I feel pretty good. On our way to Riobamba we stopped at a Hosteria. Here I had the most amazing hot chocolate I have ever had!! I loved seeing this beautiful old mansion and all the beautiful architecture and landscaping. I had so much fun listening to the music and drinking hot chocolate and hanging out with everyone in the group. I’m really starting to make friends here and feel comfortable with everyone.

We were also able to meet an indigenous group called the Salasacas. They gave us a traditional Ecuadorian lunch and taught us a traditional dance. I loved the food and I loved how fresh everything was. We were also lucky enough to watch one of the men work on some of his weaving. The blanket he was making was beautiful and it was so interesting to see him remember the pattern of this blanket without looking at a sheet of paper or anything.

The best part was watching them dance and then watching some of the students dance. The dance in general was beautiful and different than anything I had ever seen.

Once we arrived we had a welcome dinner, which was fun because we continued to get to know the other people in the group. The dinner was DELICIOUS! I was so happy with the meal (especially the desert). I wasn’t able to explore Riobamba that much but all in all it was a pretty eventful day with a lot of learning and appreciating.

Quito

nance_kell — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 04:23:00 GMT

Another day, another adventure. It was a pretty impactful day. We first went to the middle of the world (the Equator). It was insane to hear about all of these misconceptions people have about the Earth and our relation to the universe. For example, none of us knew the correct way the Earth rotated which is insane considering we are all college students!

After we went to the Quitsato Museum viewing paintings of the famous Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guyasamin. His paintings gave me a feeling of sadness. He depicted a lot of social injustice and struggle in his paintings. His paintings also didn’t just focus of injustices in Latin America but around the world. For example, some painting depicted how African Americans were treated in the United States.

We were fortunate enough to get a city tour upon arriving in Quito. The city has beautiful and had the most amazing architecture. We were able to see so many different buildings and historical landmarks while in Quito. I loved hearing about all these buildings and the history behind them.

Well I haven’t spoken to my parents yet and I’m not missing home so…so far so good!

Otavalo

nance_kell — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 04:21:00 GMT

Finally arrived in Ecuador last night! I was so excited to get off the plane and see where I would be staying the next 3 weeks! We were all exhausted by the time we arrived that once we got to the hotel we all went to our rooms and crashed. Today (our first real day in Ecuaodr) we went to the Otavalo market. It was the craziest thing I had ever seen. I have been to markets in the U.S. but nothing like this. All the shops were lined up on the streets and there were so many people walking around. The scarves and sweaters were absolutely beautiful. It was amazing to see these handmade pieces of art. It was an interesting experience though for the first day. I came into this trip not knowing any Spanish so it was a challenge to walk around the market while not understanding the language.

One of the first observations I made thought while in the market was how close everything and everyone is. When your walking people will walk right into you and keep going. Also, as you walk people walk so close to you. In the U.S. our personal space is so important to us. Here, people walk right up behind you and when you talk to people they speak very close to your face. It was definitely something to get used to because I am so used to having my little “bubble” back at home.

We were able to have lunch but then it was on the road again. This time we went to Cuicocha. When we arrived we saw this insanely beautiful lake! We were able to decide whether we wanted to do a boat tour or a hike. A small group of us decided to be brave and do the hike. It was insane! Not only was I exhausted and definitely affected by the altitude but also the view was nothing I had ever seen. People always talk about having this special moment when you realize how beautiful and large the world is and realizing there has to be something bigger then us to have created it and this was my moment. I really came to terms with where I was and how lucky I am.

When we went to the weaving and music workshops it really showed me how important traditions are here. These people have been making sweaters, scarves, or musical instruments the same way for years! You can tell these people really care about keeping traditions alive and respecting those traditions.

So far I am absolutely loving it here. I feel so lucky and privileged to be here and do all these amazing things!! LETS THE ADVENTURES BEGIN!

The Final Countdown

nance_kell — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 09:26:00 GMT

I prepare to be immersed in a culture I know little about I reflected on a few things. Culture by definition is beliefs, art and customs shared by a society or group of people. Culture is who we are and often how we connect to people. My culture is Irish dancing, shamrocks, Irish music, prayer, and the south side Irish parade. As you can tell my Irish heritage is important not only to me but my family and the people around me. I come from a large Irish community where people take pride pride in being Irish. It simply has become all I really know. So what does my strong Irish background expect from Ecuadorian culture? To be honest I HAVE NO IDEA!! The more I think about it the more unsure I am but I think that's the exciting part, the unknown. I'm expecting bright colors, great food, and friendly people. I decided to do a little research about Ecuador and the most important thing; food. Ecuador food varies on the region but the first thing I noticed was guinea pig. Beef, chicken and pork can also be found in Ecuador usually accompanied with either a potato, rice and corn. I also read about hornado I which is a street food consisting of potatoes served with roasted pig. I am definitely excited to try all these new foods!