so i am offically lame. last night we went out wht my new gay bff. my madre told me that it is ok that he is not perfect but i should be aware of gays becasue they can get jelous and fight me.i went home early since i felt not good. and i didnt goto the jungle today. but fuck it i need to see some tigers, and i am lucky enough to find a ride out there for tomorrow.
ecudor is beautiful. the longer i am here the more i appreciate it.
and hanky is wonderful and sat with me on skype as im sick. kinda gross. i cant wait to see him in 45 days.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
trip to the coast
Friday:
When the trip began, I felt sic, but after one or two bus stops, and Pepto, I feel better. I was so afraid that he had been sick during the trip, I was very afraid. But I was lucky, but many of the people I saw during the trip without access to health care, and this is not fair. Our guide, Andres, said that the situation of the people there are super different it is in Quito.
We had lunch with typical coastal fish, green soup, and rice. I like that most people in Ecuador local food rather than food that was imported from afar. The village where we ate is very different from Quito or Cumbaya. The town's social economic status was lower viably. for example, the condition of the road, shops, and cars are signs. Also, it appears that the farther we are from Quito, the population increases Afroecuatorianos.
When we arrived at the biology, my first thought was that this place looks like a movie. I've never seen a type of a rainforest and it was fantastic.
Then we went to the island for a demonstration Muisne Marimba and traditional dance. I liked the dance with all of its energy and life. also if the dancers were dancing Kalamazoo students. It was funny. Moreover, poverty is obvious Muisne.
Saturday:
Saturday, unfortunatly did not go to see the howler monkeys. We went by canoe to the mangroves. The trip on the river was super fun and interesting. I saw many types of different tropical birds, including pelicans. At the same time, our guides explained on one of the industries, production Charcol. But, the most important to me that all the land under sea level is public, so much people in Muisne, and the remaining area, house built in flood areas because it's free. A mangrove tour of the island had Congal: transitional ecosystems, upland forest, recovery areas, mangrove regeneration, organic gardens, pool aquaculture. We learn a lot about the island's fruit, including pineapple, papaya, mango, and coconut. we also learnedabout the importance of shrimp farming and how the shrimp bust effected the population. we got stuck int he mud in the mussel and clam fields in the mangroves. can not imagine a woman doing this work with their children nearby. after all were hot and tired at the end of the tour, the best thing that happened, refreshing coconut water.
We ate lunch on a beach in Muisne, was beautiful. It was almost nobody on the beach and sand forever. I enjoyed the time at the beach lot. by this time, I think Kalamazoo needed some time to relax.
We returned to the station to go to the bar. to watch the local football match Ecuador v. Uruguay. As I do not like football much but I like the atmosphere. I played the daughter of the other guide during the game. The owner of the bar gave us a fruit I've never seen before, guava. The guava is different than any kind of fruit I've seen in my whole life, but the flavor was so rich. Unfortunately, Ecuador lost the match and returned to the station for an incredible soup and popcorn
Sunday
before returning to Quito, we walked to the community of Bunche. A poor village, built by the land under the sea level. But this town is improving with a new mayor. The children played outside with us without thinking of a dangerous. The need to care for children reminded me of poor children on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Then we went to the beach resort of Atacames, a spectacular beaches, restaurants, artists and people. Atacames was similar and different Muisne beach. Atacama had more tourists, then more silver. But both are home to Afro-Ecuadorian people, a marginalized group in the country.
When the trip began, I felt sic, but after one or two bus stops, and Pepto, I feel better. I was so afraid that he had been sick during the trip, I was very afraid. But I was lucky, but many of the people I saw during the trip without access to health care, and this is not fair. Our guide, Andres, said that the situation of the people there are super different it is in Quito.
We had lunch with typical coastal fish, green soup, and rice. I like that most people in Ecuador local food rather than food that was imported from afar. The village where we ate is very different from Quito or Cumbaya. The town's social economic status was lower viably. for example, the condition of the road, shops, and cars are signs. Also, it appears that the farther we are from Quito, the population increases Afroecuatorianos.
When we arrived at the biology, my first thought was that this place looks like a movie. I've never seen a type of a rainforest and it was fantastic.
Then we went to the island for a demonstration Muisne Marimba and traditional dance. I liked the dance with all of its energy and life. also if the dancers were dancing Kalamazoo students. It was funny. Moreover, poverty is obvious Muisne.
Saturday:
Saturday, unfortunatly did not go to see the howler monkeys. We went by canoe to the mangroves. The trip on the river was super fun and interesting. I saw many types of different tropical birds, including pelicans. At the same time, our guides explained on one of the industries, production Charcol. But, the most important to me that all the land under sea level is public, so much people in Muisne, and the remaining area, house built in flood areas because it's free. A mangrove tour of the island had Congal: transitional ecosystems, upland forest, recovery areas, mangrove regeneration, organic gardens, pool aquaculture. We learn a lot about the island's fruit, including pineapple, papaya, mango, and coconut. we also learnedabout the importance of shrimp farming and how the shrimp bust effected the population. we got stuck int he mud in the mussel and clam fields in the mangroves. can not imagine a woman doing this work with their children nearby. after all were hot and tired at the end of the tour, the best thing that happened, refreshing coconut water.
We ate lunch on a beach in Muisne, was beautiful. It was almost nobody on the beach and sand forever. I enjoyed the time at the beach lot. by this time, I think Kalamazoo needed some time to relax.
We returned to the station to go to the bar. to watch the local football match Ecuador v. Uruguay. As I do not like football much but I like the atmosphere. I played the daughter of the other guide during the game. The owner of the bar gave us a fruit I've never seen before, guava. The guava is different than any kind of fruit I've seen in my whole life, but the flavor was so rich. Unfortunately, Ecuador lost the match and returned to the station for an incredible soup and popcorn
Sunday
before returning to Quito, we walked to the community of Bunche. A poor village, built by the land under the sea level. But this town is improving with a new mayor. The children played outside with us without thinking of a dangerous. The need to care for children reminded me of poor children on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Then we went to the beach resort of Atacames, a spectacular beaches, restaurants, artists and people. Atacames was similar and different Muisne beach. Atacama had more tourists, then more silver. But both are home to Afro-Ecuadorian people, a marginalized group in the country.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Ecuadorian Buses
Ok, so if you, as an Ecuadorian male, are going to hit on me on the crowded bus from Cumbaya to Quito, at least have the decency to offer me your seat. Machismo should work both ways.
Love, Laura
No but really, the bus system is quite incredible here. They are some municipally owned, and some cooperatively owned. It takes two, not one person to work each bus. One, of course is the driver, who is driving a manual bus, yes a huge bus is manually operated. the second is the money taker, guy who yells the stops of the bus, "Cumbaya Cumbaya Tumbaco suba suba."
The bus has a wide variety of riders, young old, indigenous women with huge baskets, crying babies, and the vendors. There is the "manderinas maderinas un dollar" lady, the "helados helados" lady, the "tameridos, diez for 25 centitivos" man, and my favorite.. the occasional man that sells dvds and music for a dollar.
But my favorite of all times is when a man lets me on the bus first, or gives me his seat. There are a lot of ladrones on buses
Love, Laura
No but really, the bus system is quite incredible here. They are some municipally owned, and some cooperatively owned. It takes two, not one person to work each bus. One, of course is the driver, who is driving a manual bus, yes a huge bus is manually operated. the second is the money taker, guy who yells the stops of the bus, "Cumbaya Cumbaya Tumbaco suba suba."
The bus has a wide variety of riders, young old, indigenous women with huge baskets, crying babies, and the vendors. There is the "manderinas maderinas un dollar" lady, the "helados helados" lady, the "tameridos, diez for 25 centitivos" man, and my favorite.. the occasional man that sells dvds and music for a dollar.
But my favorite of all times is when a man lets me on the bus first, or gives me his seat. There are a lot of ladrones on buses
Monday, September 21, 2009
While I was walking this morning, I looked into a national school, aka middle school, and all the children were marching, doing what looked like military drills. Huh. To say the least i was taken back by this...
... And last Friday was the BEST DAY EVER. I got internet in my casa. And Liz and I bought crunchy peanut butter. However, there is no such thing as Cheezits, among others, in Ecuador. If you would like to support my cause by sending cheezits, chapstick, or what not, let a sister know.
... And last Friday was the BEST DAY EVER. I got internet in my casa. And Liz and I bought crunchy peanut butter. However, there is no such thing as Cheezits, among others, in Ecuador. If you would like to support my cause by sending cheezits, chapstick, or what not, let a sister know.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
14/9/09
Kalamazoo footed the bill for last weekend to Otavalo. Leaving before the birds woke up on Saturday, we spent the day exploring markets, making friends with birds, and a curadara. Beginning the day with the animal market, where one can buy a cuy, conejo, gato, perro, vaca, cerdo, caballo, gallina, duck, gallino o llama, I was not the happiest camper. I really want to buy all the cuy (guinea pigs) and save them from becoming lunch. It is frustrating to say the least to parade 30 Kalamazoo students through the fruit market with people getting lost, and it is also frustrating to walk through the restaurant/deli area… imagine dirty pots of corn, rice, and meat with kids running everywhere and then a line of roosted, raw, and or bloody pig and cow heads with blood dripping onto the walking path.
Once again Liz and I adventured the Plaza de Ponchos, the large artisan market… and Momma, we are getting A. alpaca blankets (I got the price down to $10) and sweet hammock chairs that suspend form the season that go perfectly with Liz’s new candle holder.
We almuerzo’ed in Peguche, an indigenous weaving community, and later explored el Parque de Condor, a reserve for injured hawks, eagles, and condors. I saw Hedwig. It was sweet. She loves me.
After a fancy dinner, we went to a curadera. I want a wikipedia explanation of this. Essentially, otavalan medicine person similar to a shaman. Luz Otavalo, an older Otavalan, cured four K students of bad energy and spirits. She spat aguadiente, Ecua Moonshine, on various items that are rubbed on those being purified, fire, leaves, eggs, the students, to purify them... all while the people being cleaned are in their skivvies. I kind of want to be cleaned….
THEN WE SLEPT IN THE BEST PLACE EVER… sort of. Lizzy and I bunked in a room with the softest, cleanest, beds I have ever had the pleasure to sleep on in the country, along with a steaming hot shower… we were cleaned too.
Kalamazoo footed the bill for last weekend to Otavalo. Leaving before the birds woke up on Saturday, we spent the day exploring markets, making friends with birds, and a curadara. Beginning the day with the animal market, where one can buy a cuy, conejo, gato, perro, vaca, cerdo, caballo, gallina, duck, gallino o llama, I was not the happiest camper. I really want to buy all the cuy (guinea pigs) and save them from becoming lunch. It is frustrating to say the least to parade 30 Kalamazoo students through the fruit market with people getting lost, and it is also frustrating to walk through the restaurant/deli area… imagine dirty pots of corn, rice, and meat with kids running everywhere and then a line of roosted, raw, and or bloody pig and cow heads with blood dripping onto the walking path.
Once again Liz and I adventured the Plaza de Ponchos, the large artisan market… and Momma, we are getting A. alpaca blankets (I got the price down to $10) and sweet hammock chairs that suspend form the season that go perfectly with Liz’s new candle holder.
We almuerzo’ed in Peguche, an indigenous weaving community, and later explored el Parque de Condor, a reserve for injured hawks, eagles, and condors. I saw Hedwig. It was sweet. She loves me.
After a fancy dinner, we went to a curadera. I want a wikipedia explanation of this. Essentially, otavalan medicine person similar to a shaman. Luz Otavalo, an older Otavalan, cured four K students of bad energy and spirits. She spat aguadiente, Ecua Moonshine, on various items that are rubbed on those being purified, fire, leaves, eggs, the students, to purify them... all while the people being cleaned are in their skivvies. I kind of want to be cleaned….
THEN WE SLEPT IN THE BEST PLACE EVER… sort of. Lizzy and I bunked in a room with the softest, cleanest, beds I have ever had the pleasure to sleep on in the country, along with a steaming hot shower… we were cleaned too.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
5/9/09
Yesterday was crazy; by crazy, I mean I was able to spend the whole day trying to get my censo, national identification card. The 15-minute process turned into a five-hour event, as any bureaucratic event should. Trey, Liz, and I were initially turned away only to come back three hours later because of a lack of numbers. We arrived back at the Ecuadorian DMV a half hour early at 2:30, to be ensured three of thirty censo numbers. As the officer handed out tickets, four people joined their friends in line… and us one ticket short. After Liz sweet talked the officer, and almost cried, he printed a 31st ticket. Oh and the guy behind us in line was from Ecuador but lives in Maryland and told us that our US passports have a street value of $2000-$5000. We watched our fellow classmates be turned away with lack of ticket, jumped the line after two hours of waiting and 15 numbers yet to go, and may or may have not lied about having to cut because church was in an hour.
We dinned on typical cuisine, mama’s mac and cheese, hot dogs, green beans, and yellow cake for dinner. Nothing like good ol USA comfort food to end a stressful day.
6/9/09
Today, I spent the day with Liz and her madre, Marci, in the pueblos of Otavalo y Ibarra. The primary population of Otavalo is quichua, an indigenous population. We went to a market that had anything woven that one could ever want. I am eyeing some wool socks with llamas, but I wont pay more than 2X $5. For lunch, and to watch the big Ecuador vs. Colombia soccer game, we went to Ibarra, the big city north of Otavalo, bought the required $4 Ecuador jerseys, and went the Marci’s cousins. We ate lunch, watched the game, and later took a 3-hour bus home.
8/9/09
So, I have really good luck. I have not been able to make an appearance to a single class this week, but I did get the opportunity to return to Hospital Vonderez last night. Perhaps my body was made to host bacterial infections. The plus side is that I now have a working TV, so I am able to watch trashy US shows, like “The Girls Next Door” to aide my recovery.
I want to go home. I want to be able to do laundry, eat food with out visiting the hospital, and not risk “loosing” more than $140 in my room.
It is not all bad. I just really miss luxuries like drinking tap water and not fearing for my safety after 7 pm aka sunset. If I could be anywhere right now, I would be on the Rez, where life can be bat shit crazy, but at least I know what to expect.
Yesterday was crazy; by crazy, I mean I was able to spend the whole day trying to get my censo, national identification card. The 15-minute process turned into a five-hour event, as any bureaucratic event should. Trey, Liz, and I were initially turned away only to come back three hours later because of a lack of numbers. We arrived back at the Ecuadorian DMV a half hour early at 2:30, to be ensured three of thirty censo numbers. As the officer handed out tickets, four people joined their friends in line… and us one ticket short. After Liz sweet talked the officer, and almost cried, he printed a 31st ticket. Oh and the guy behind us in line was from Ecuador but lives in Maryland and told us that our US passports have a street value of $2000-$5000. We watched our fellow classmates be turned away with lack of ticket, jumped the line after two hours of waiting and 15 numbers yet to go, and may or may have not lied about having to cut because church was in an hour.
We dinned on typical cuisine, mama’s mac and cheese, hot dogs, green beans, and yellow cake for dinner. Nothing like good ol USA comfort food to end a stressful day.
6/9/09
Today, I spent the day with Liz and her madre, Marci, in the pueblos of Otavalo y Ibarra. The primary population of Otavalo is quichua, an indigenous population. We went to a market that had anything woven that one could ever want. I am eyeing some wool socks with llamas, but I wont pay more than 2X $5. For lunch, and to watch the big Ecuador vs. Colombia soccer game, we went to Ibarra, the big city north of Otavalo, bought the required $4 Ecuador jerseys, and went the Marci’s cousins. We ate lunch, watched the game, and later took a 3-hour bus home.
8/9/09
So, I have really good luck. I have not been able to make an appearance to a single class this week, but I did get the opportunity to return to Hospital Vonderez last night. Perhaps my body was made to host bacterial infections. The plus side is that I now have a working TV, so I am able to watch trashy US shows, like “The Girls Next Door” to aide my recovery.
I want to go home. I want to be able to do laundry, eat food with out visiting the hospital, and not risk “loosing” more than $140 in my room.
It is not all bad. I just really miss luxuries like drinking tap water and not fearing for my safety after 7 pm aka sunset. If I could be anywhere right now, I would be on the Rez, where life can be bat shit crazy, but at least I know what to expect.
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