catching up

I enjoyed the slower pace spent in Mancora this past week and was able to do some catching up including going through some photos and realizing all the things I wanted to remember but that I had never written down. The following is a collection of some of these thoughts. It is incredibly long. I got carried away.


Looking back at Ecuador...

Though it seemed daunting at first, I came to look forward to the walk up the hill to school each day, though it never seemed to get any easier like I thought it should. (It reminded me of when I decided to take the stairs up to the fourth floor Bunt office for a year, that never got easier either).

Though such a trivial event, the walk before and after school provided, in addition to the following highlights, an opportunity to reflect on days past and plan for the days ahead…

Clear mornings, with the clouds high above both Volcan Imbabura and Volcan Cotocachi, were a special treat providing great views from the school yard which, in a strange way, seemed to bring such a positive energy to start the day…..

The ‘flower girls’, as we came to call them, would meet us each morning heading down the hill as we were going up and heading up the hill each afternoon as we were coming down, and though they were very shy, would always giggle and be excited to shake our hands, ask us our names, and hand us big, bridesmaid caliber bouquets of flowers they had collected…

The woman plowing the steep hillside, breaking new ground for a crop with nothing but a hoe, wearing her skirt and of course her rubber boots (often chatting with a man sitting nearby, watching) inspired us and I think reminded us to push ourselves a little faster…

These two trusty mules, patiently waiting to be collected by their owners at the end of the day, would greet us at the bus stop at the bottom of the hill every afternoon…

The only thing I won’t miss about the walk is the dead animal sightings. The most horrific being a donkey...being eaten by a dog. Don’t worry, no photo.

The volunteers I had the pleasure of working with at Larcacunga were dedicated to the project, to working hard, and most of all dedicated to having fun! The number of volunteers at Larcacunga varied throughout my time there. We were four when I started, peaked at about 9 somewhere in the middle, and were down to being only myself and one other (Eryn) by the time I left. Eryn was the only one there for the duration of my entire stay, having arrived a few weeks before me and having left one week after. I will sure miss her!

The volunteers specific to each of the four schools all seemed to bond well and at one point, we instituted a Larcacunga dress code… Note the matching scarves below :). Yeah, that’s right, all women. Troy’s school was the only school with male volunteers during our stay, and you guessed it, they did not have cool matching scarves… When our Larcacunga numbers were many, the weekly Tuesday ride in the back of the pickup truck with the groceries was…cozy. On pickup truck days, the kids would wait to hear the truck come roaring towards the school yard and then from out of nowhere would jump on the back for a ride. Always nice to be greeted with such style!

The kids actually really loved to jump on any moving vehicle with something they could grab on to, the gas truck, the bakery truck, the garbage truck... It always scared the crap out of me when they would go running down the hill behind a truck to try to jump on as it left the yard. I often had to stop myself from shouting out any warnings or cautionary words, as the teachers themselves didn‘t seem to mind.

Because some of the things that seem perfectly acceptable here would not be allowed at home, I came to question everything before acting on an impulse. For example, one day I came to school to find the kids had started a small fire in one corner of the school yard. It was a cool morning so although my initial reaction was that fires and small children are a bad combination, I actually considered the possibility that this was allowed and even consulted the teacher before learning that, in fact, it was not. Chasing cars, yes. Starting fires, no. Got it.

The kids were kids though, often doing things I would have done as a kid, like eating kool-aid type juice crystals until their palms and tongues turned red…..

…like swinging in the playground…

…or just kicking around a soccer ball (much to their delight we brought them this shiny new one on my last day). And then they would turn around and surprise me with things I never would have done, like collecting giant bugs to allegedly take home and fry up for a snack… Boys will be boys though and there was a phase where they brought these giant bugs to school every day. I don’t know what they were called but their feet were like velcro so when they weren’t pretending to eat them raw, they were sticking them to our clothes. Squealing only encouraged them so I actually grew to accept the little velcro buggers as long as they just clung to me and didn’t try to move… The novelty of squealing volunteers would eventually wear off and their limbs and wings would be removed (the bugs’ not the volunteers’) and they would be deposited into backpacks to be fried up and consumed after school.








Though I can’t attest to the flavor of the bugs, I did get to enjoy another yummy favorite, Fanesca! The preparation of this traditional easter meal was a joint effort prepared at the school. Each family contributed. From eggs and beans, to potatoes and milk and everything in between that went into this delicious soup. Everyone had something to share.

Fanesca is basically a big soup with twelve grains, one to represent each disciple. What a feast it was. Everyone got their hands in the pot, literally. From shucking beans and removing curnels of corn from the cob, to frying bread balls and keeping watch over the giant pot.

It was truly a group effort. Definitely the hardiest of all meals I consumed in Ecuador, I never knew ‘soup’ could be so filling. And while I couldn’t have imagined eating another bite, even the littlest tummies went back for seconds. Enjoying the fruits of their labour to the fullest :). As teachers, our creativity was tested daily as we strived to come up with activities to entertain. Physical activities ranging from the lime and spoon race to the now famed ‘chair game’ were a big hit.

While crafts including people art, bracelet beading and paper mache masks tested their craftiness.












And crafty they were, at both the expected and the unexpected. When the intern (aka me) locked the keys inside the school on a no-teacher day, we found ourselves in a bit of a pickle. But not for long as the resourceful little minds needed only a chair, a broom, and a flexible child to, well, break in. It was sad to say goodbye to these kids and it was a strange feeling to acknowledge that I had spent so much time in a place to which I will sadly not likely return. I really enjoyed the time spent at Larcacunga as it was both positive and challenging. It won’t soon be forgotten.

Outside the classroom, over and above our mountain climbing trips, our weekends in Ecuador afforded us the opportunity for various other side trips. There was the trip to Mindo for tubing and zip-lining in the cloud forest canopy….. …horseback riding to a waterfall on these trusty steeds…

…and I learned all about SATs, american colleges, and boys from these freshmen-to-be, Eryn and Katie, while hiking the five hours around Cuicocha Lake (this, incidentally, was the day before the Imbabura saga).

These gals were great stand-ins for my sisters for a little while (It was fun to be the big sister for a change) and they even humored me and my need to take charlie’s angels photos at almost every opportunity. Except they made me be in the front. I hate being in the front.

I leave you with one last photo as it seems a fitting photo to signify ‘THE END’ of our adventures in Ecuador :).

Chillin´

Hey There,
I know it has been a while but we have been on a bit of a wirlwind tour here and sitting down to write has not been easy. I know, I know, you all feel terrible for me and share in my pain and for that I thank you. Nic and I are currently in Mancora, Peru. We are enjoying the beautiful weather and beaches and having a great time surfing and relaxing with Josh and Tanis, two friends from back home. It sure is great to see a couple familiar faces and we have been having a great time. It has also been great to get off our feet for a couple days and just relax with nothing to worry about.

Surfing is a blast, it is as hard as hell but man is it ever a good time. I haven't quite reached the level of pro yet but having a great time learning nonetheless. It is stinking hot here and we have had to get used to it as it was freezing most days in Ecuador. An adjustment both Nic and I are willing to make. We are staying at Pilar's Laguna Surf Camp and it is amazing here. Pilar is super fun and really quite amazing. Besides owning the surf camp, she was once the female world surf champ, owned a bakery for four years (had her mango cheese cake today, wow) and still manages to raise her two children and get in a surf or two almost everyday. So yeah, she is pretty much the coolest chick ever (next to nic...ofcourse).

As of now we are just flying by the seat of our pants as we have no schedule until we have to be in Pisco on the 16th of May to start our volunteering. So our next stop is as much of a mystery to us as it is to you. I am leaning towards mountain biking and hiking in the Andes but everyone here keeps on talking about this place called "Machu Pichu" that we should visit but I am pretty sure you can't mountain bike there.

As we have had time to relax here we have also had time to reflect on our time in Ecuador. I've been thinking long and hard about what to write about, I've been wondering how I can explain to you my experience or what these kids mean to me. And then I realized that I can't and it wouldn't be fair to try. I can tell you this though, I sure am going to miss those little bears. I have never seen such joy, I have never heard so much laughter and I have never enjoyed myself more. I know it is cliche and I have probably said it before myself but honestly, these kids taught me more than I could ever teach them. So I leave you with a few photos and the names of the kids from the school. And I leave them with a thank-you. Thank-you, you little bears, I had an amazing time and I will miss you all very much but something tells me, this won't be the last time we will meet....

Grade 1: Kuri Carlos, Nusta, Rosita, Monica and Jose Luis

Grade 2: Tupac, Sisa, Brian, Luis and Alex

Grade 3: Arillo, Jefferson, Byron, Norma, Miriam, Irma, Nancy and Raimy

Grade 4: Cesar

Grade 5: Inti and Henry

Grade 6: Nancy, Norma, Blanca, Veronica and Christian

Grade 7: Freddy, Edgar, Sisa, Sisa and Lucila

Simply Amazing!

15 hours, no. 18 hours, no. How about 24?!

We arrived at the bus terminal only to find out the bus would leave three hours late. After one bus change, two subtitled movies, three bouts of extremely loud music (including singalongs by the rowdies), one foreign film with spanish subtitles, three pit stops, two inspection stations, one border crossing, two attempts to rip us off (one successful), a half dozen banana chocolate chip muffins, three bags of peanuts, four apples, and one cold pizza, we arrived at Mancora Peru.

One rickshaw ride later we heard the sounds of the ocean, arrived at the Laguna Surf Camp, and met up with Josh and Tanis (who had arrived the previous day) a little tired but no worse for ware, and only six or seven hours late ......

So what´s a measly 79m anyway??

Do not be alarmed. Though we set out a week ago to climb Cotopaxi, we are not, in fact, still on the mountain.

We spent the night in Ecuador's capital City, Quito, on Wednesday night and met the first of our two guides Thursday morning. We packed up all of the supplied gear into our packs along with our personal belongings (beleclava-check, head lamp-check, five upper body layers-check, two lower body layers-check, waterproof jacket-check, waterproof pants-check, glacier goggles-check, gaiters-check, two pairs of socks-check, plastic boots-check, crampons-check, ice axe-check, harness-check,...). Ready to roll!

We stopped off for lunch and picked up our second guide about half way to Cotopaxi National Park. It was at this point that we had to repack our packs under the supervision of Guide #2. Since we had to carry everything up, including food and sleeping bags, from the parking lot to the 'refuge' from where we would begin the actual climb, we were only to bring the necessities. Pyjamas, alternate shoes, and underwear were among the items that did not make the cut.

We arrived at the parking lot (4500m elev.) at about 2:30pm and though we could not make out the refuge through the rain and fog, we got our first glimpse of snow and began our hike toward the mountain's snow-line where shelter awaited.










The hike to the refuge (4800m elev.) took about an hour at a snail's pace and though we all giggled as we followed our guide up the hill at what we thought was a ridiculously slow pace, he obviously knew what he was doing as we were spared any ill effcts from the altitude.

The refuge reminded me a lot of a ski lodge...only without central heating and modern comforts. What we did find though was bunk beds and kitchen facilities. Perfect. We claimed bunks and then headed outside for 'glacier training'. This was basically an opportunity to practice walking in crampons, learn the various ways to ascend and descend on the ice, and practice falling down and using the ice axe to stop from sliding down the mountain.









The plan for the climb itself was this: Get up at midnight, have a light breakfast/snack, get geared up and head out and up at 1am. The climb is done at night for optimum snow conditions, as when the sun heats up the snow during the daytime it gets too soft. We were given a summit time limit of 8am. At this time, if we hadn´t made it, we would have to descend due to snow conditions. Pretty much what I had expected.

What hadn't ever crossed my mind however was the fact that apparently reaching the summit was not a given. It had never even occurred to me that we had come this far and would not necessarily reach the top of the mountain! Why had I not considered this until now? I mean it made sense that a successful climb would depend on snow conditions, the will of the weather gods, our fitness, etc. but I had never really thought about it. That is until the guides laid it out for us so that we would be prepared for anything. Shortly thereafter, two of the three other groups at the refuge decided to turn back as their climbers were already suffering severely from altitude sickness.

We ate supper and crawled into our sleeping bags at around 7pm to get some 'rest' before getting rolling again at midnight. Sleeping at 7pm is easier said than done and though I did fall in and out of sleep praying for clear conditions, Troy laid awake and made trips to and from the bathroom (outside) to pass the time.

At midnight, we jumped out of bed, ate our wheaties (but not before putting on our headlamps apparently), and headed outside where we were welcomed by a clear sky and a full moon (good signs). And so we began...
Though this was not a technical climb, we roped up to each other for safety's sake upon reaching the glacier. The conditions were clear and beautiful and though it was dark out, the moon provided the perfect amount of light to create 'ambience' for the climb. We made steady progress and though some sections were more difficult than others, we all felt great. The conditions were good and to our delight the guides declared that today would be a summit day!


We all felt great that is until we got to the top of a ridge at 4800m elevation, give or take about 79m of elevation from the summit (isn't GPS wonderful), looked over the edge, saw the looks on the guides' faces and then heard their verbal exchange (spoken just fast enough so that we couldn't understand). Leading up to the ridge, the snow was getting a bit soft and 'fragile' and big chunks were breaking away with each step. These conditions made the remaining ascent too dangerous as provoking an avalanche was obviously not worth the risk.

Now one would have thought that this would have been a great disappointment and I think even I was surprised by how Okay I was with not reaching the summit. But I mean really, what's 79m? About 15 minutes under ideal conditions, we were told. After having climbed for nearly six hours, is 15 minutes from the summit really a big deal? I decided it was not far enough away from the summit for me to declare the climb a bust. So, let's be clear, summit or no summit - We climbed Cotopaxi!

And here is the faux summit shot to prove it along with a shot of us descending with the summit visible in the top left of the photo.









Summit or no summit, as is evidenced in this following photo, Troy´s feelings of mountain-man prowess were clearly undamaged. The descent was significantly shorter and it was interesting to see all that we had passed in the night and hadn't even realized (even if sometimes that meant seeing the ridges that our footsteps had followed and/or the drop-offs that our footsteps had narrowly missed).
























While the climb was fun in a satisfying-sense-of-accomplishment kind of way, the last part of the descent was definately the most fun in a unadultered-laugh-out-loud kind of way. It was the last part that we got to descend on our butts. No need for toboggans or crazy carpets or cafeteria trays, we slid down (or rather flew down) on the seats of our pants and it was the perfect way to end the day :)

P.S. In case you are curious, here is a picture of Cotopaxi on a clear day (relatively speaking).

Cotopaxi or Bust.

On a clear day, this is the view of Volcan Imbabura from my walk to school.
Though Troy shared our experience climbing this beauty previously, I thought I would post some pictures. (Unfortunately I do not have any pictures of the guide crawling down backwards, though the image is forever engrained in my mind.)

At the beginning, it was nice enough outside, t-shirt weather even. But it wasn´t long before the clouds moved in and the snowy peak (yes that is snow) became more difficult to discern.

The view from the summit was that of a cloudy white-out (whch perhaps should have been one of our first clues that the descent would be....tricky?).

When the clouds briefly cleared, we could make out the general direction of the City below. We did not yet know at this point that we would be required to descend all the way to that City. Had we known, we probably would have given a little more thought to orienteering...

You can barely make out Troy in this next shot descending through the forest in a muddy, slippery stream (though I am sure he is smiling). Every time my feet slipped out from under me and I slid down on my butt, or better yet, every time I had the pleasure of witnessing the same thing happening to Troy or Erin, it reminded me of that scene from Jewel of the Nile, or was it Romancing the Stone (??) when they slide down the river through the jungle...Remember?

Celebrating our victory when we emerged to level ground just before dark. Only another 45 minute walk to go....

This evening we are heading to Quito to climb the glacier that is atop Cotopaxi. We will set out from the base refuge (at about 4600m) at midnight on Thursday and, if all goes according to the well laid plans of our qualified guides (we did better research this time), we will reach the summit at almost 5,900m sometime Friday morning. We have been fitted with all our gear from beleclavas to crampons and are excited to reach a glacier peak!

Futbol anyone?

At Larcacunga, with Fridays come language classes in the morning and physical education (Cultura Fisica) after lunch. The kids all come dressed in their grey sweatpants and sweatshirts, worn over their grey sweatshorts and white t-shirts. An array of footwear is worn and I am constantly amazed at what physical feats a person can accomplish in rubber boots.

As we often find ourselves with no teachers on Fridays due to them being away on 'courses', we, the volunteers, have had to be creative in thinking of fun and interesting activities to entertain 40 kids ranging in age from about five to twelve. Especially since every morning they come in with futbol (soccer) on the brain.

Thinking that playing soccer couldn't possibly involve everyone, as there are varying sizes and abilities of students, and as the girls have never shown an interest in soccer, we try to instead do activities that we think can include and incorporate everyone. These activities have included pretty much every relay, game, or race any of us had ever done at camp, in gym class or that we just plain made up. Ranging from Mini olympics to Rock-tree-bridge, from Knots to Duck duck goose, from Clothes relays to Beanbag tossing, from Sharks and minnows to Freeze tag, and on and on (am open to ideas if you have any...!). Now, picture us trying to get/keep the attention of all of these kids, half of whom have futbol on the brain, explain the rules to a new game (in spanish ofcourse) and execute a 'fun' time for all, all the while controlling the spontaneous dog piles that erupt and often trying to get everyone to keep their hands to themselves as they line up without touching/hitting/bugging each other.

Let me help you with the visualization, I would liken it to herding cats. Although there are usually at least four of us, these days often prove to be challenging and we find ourselves explaining that we could have a lot of fun together, if everyone could just listen... I shudder just a little every time I find myself saying something my teachers used to say, kind of like when you use an expression that only your mom would say. Anyways, we have managed a lot of fun on these days but also ofcourse some frustration and yes, there have been some bandaids and tears too.

So this past Friday, the teachers were not away on course and I was anxious to see how the chaos was organized when the teachers ran the show. I had heard about the orderly way in which the director arranged the children in two rows, boys and girls, shortest to tallest. I had heard about the way that the kids ran in an orderly fashion in patterns around the tarmac, executing drills at her commands, and the way they practiced marching in tedium without so much as poking each other. I had heard about it but I didn't believe it.

And so, on Friday after lunch, in her softspoken fashion, the director asked the children for two rows and rows were formed. There was no hair pulling, no poking, no hitting each other in 'the junk' (why do boys do that?). Two rows formed in front of us, boys and girls, from shortest to tallest, arms length apart measured by touching the person's shoulders in front of you. The older kids helped the younger kids get positioned and they stood, and they waited for the next command. A truly impressive display of discipline!

To their delight, they were told that they would play... soccer! Cheering erupted and they were split into six teams without so much as a whine or complaint about being split up from their friends. Who were these children and what had they done with my students?! haha.

Two teams of older boys,
two teams of little boys,
and two teams of girls.

And yes, that is a basketball.

They rotated in and out playing ten minute games. The girls, who had fooled us into thinking they didn't play soccer, came alive and showed their competitive spirits. We were all impressed by the display of everyone's ball handling skills, obviously learned from a young age. (Well except for the very littlest ones who I thought would most certainly get bowled over as they either chased after the crowd or stood still in the line of fire, but, to my relief, did not).

Those who weren't playing occupied themselves with...whatever they wanted! No organized activity or task required. Period. This is a concept I am working at grasping as I have realized that my OCD personality often thinks that every minute needs to be accounted for in some way.

Some watched from the sidelines,

some showed off the school 'mascot' and some took in the rays,













while others just monkeyed around.











Fun was had by all. While I don't know that we will ever command the respect and discipline that the school director (who incidentally has been in the community for 17 years!) does , I think we learned a valuable lesson. Next time the teachers are away on course...we will play soccer.

Birthday Suit!

Happy Birthday to Me,
Happy Birthday to Me,
The Water was really cold,
Happy Birthday to Me.