I think this will be my final post! I don´t expect too much excitement in the next 3 days before boarding a plane home. Although... I do have 8+ hrs in the Guayaquil airport during which I might try to create some type of adventure. I can only sit and read on a metal bench for so long!
Friday night was a new experience in that a group of us celebrated one of our professora´s b-days with dinner at a Chinese restaurant and a danceclub afterward. The dinnertable was very interesting - part Swiss, part N American and part Ecuadorian. It was quite festive, and the discotec was a very different piece of Ecuadorian culture. Loud techno mixed with American rap and packed with people who barely had room to move, let alone dance! It was very fun, but it was followed by an early morning for our next excursion to another hike.
This time we drove about an hour from Cuenca to a small town that showcased both modern architecture and the more traditional adobe style buildings. We wandered the town, then drove to a random gravel road where we proceeded to hike straight upward to a pinnacle where a cement marker stood. This is one of the few markers the Incan used to determine where the center of the world was. It provided a great view fo the surroundgin mountains as well as a heart-stopping moment when I realized a nice hairy tarantual was an inch from my foot. But then my heart twittered again when the guide told us it was to each person´s own as far as getting off the hill. Looking down I felt like I needed rock climbing gear, but I went ahead and ran-walked-skipped-tumbled-slid down. From there we went to another mountain/hill that again was almost straight up. But when we were almost to the top, we came into a little sancutary with a tiny lake and 3 other ´doorways´ out of this sanctuary. It´s hard to explain but this lake was considered sacred to the Incans and very important for trade because this spot was the crossroad in essence to the N, S, E and W of the valley. In each of the corners was a tip of this mountain and it´s said that there are caves underneath where royalty are burried. Surrounding the lake are several mounds of rocks which serve as tombs for other high ranking people. We sat under the lone tree by the lake and had one of the most serene moments of my time here in Ecuador. We hiked back down observing the terraces the Incans created to farm the hillside land and brick-makers who were preparing to build a new home.
Sunday I visited the church a friend mentioned before I left. It is close to the house where I´m living and it was a beautiful morning for a walk. When I found it I was surprised to discover a church that could have easily been in the US. The building looked the same, they had the same structure of service, the same 20 min sermon, and the same songs only in English. It was nice to worship there, but I guess I was hoping for something a little more Ecuadorian, not American. I rested and studied the rest of the day and Monday brought new professoras and students. I´m still with Stephanie, who has introduced me to the other Swiss in the school and we´ve had a good time together. I love the variety of people I´ve met here. Teachers, therapists, stock brokers, Physics PhDs, medical students, nurses and college kids to name a few.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Social dialogue and Futbol
A couple things I forgot to write last week. On Friday night a few of us went to a futbol game at the local stadium. Cuenca´s team isn´t doing very well this season but that night they won 1-0! It was fun to be in the crowd watching a good match. It´s very dramatic, but the crowd was definitely as charged as the ones in Cote dÍvoire. We saw the police in riot gear around the stadium and the fences everywhere to keep people out, but the crowd was relatively well behaved and didn´t seem to need the precautions. And I learned a few new words from the guys sitting behind us as well!
I finally got around to trying the 'agua de pitimas' which is the drink made by the cloistered nuns in Cuenca. It is the one quoted in Don Quixote when he needed something to ease his broken heart. Well, I was feeling well that day - no health issues and my heart wasn´t aching, but the drink was refreshing. I didn´t notice the easing of my nerves either, but perhaps this place is effecting me. Things are beautiful here and the charm seems to spread everywhere. From the tranquility of the pace of life to the colonial architecture and mild climate. In class, I even learned that I´m no longer a dirty-dishwater blond with blue eyes, but a woman with chestnut hair and 'heavenly' colored eyes. I need to keep learning this language!
This week I have a new classmate from Switzerland who is a 26 year old teacher for kids with special needs. She´s already on a sabbatical and is going to volunteer in Quito for 3 months after her time in Cuenca with kids with similar needs. We´re the only 2 in class and it´s been good for me because we can only communicate in Spanish as she doesn´t speak much English. One thing that has been very different being in Ecuador from my other big adventure in W Africa is that I am very aware I´m only seeing the best parts of this culture and country. Today in conversation class we had a very frank discussion about the social climate in Ecuador and the global relationship between the 3 countries represented in the room. It started with a question about what do you have in your life that makes it full? It then moved to what do people in your country need for a full life? We had a great discussion about immigration, the state of unemployment in each of our countries and the way many 'American/progressive values' are changing the cultures of other countries. By values I mean our stereotypical drive to work and make money, to accumulate things, to be concerned about only ourselves, etc. Stephanie and I listed several things to be happy in our life like family, friends, our work, health, faith, being content, etc. In Ecuador our professor said three things are valued most here: family, friends and work (being productive). We had a discussion about how each country looks to the outside world, but in reality we all have culturally unique issues that are not being dealt with well. When we put one country above another, the landscape of our own culture changes and not always for the better. It´s conversations like this that travel brings to the forefront of my mind and I´m grateful for the glimpse into these two other cultures.
I finally got around to trying the 'agua de pitimas' which is the drink made by the cloistered nuns in Cuenca. It is the one quoted in Don Quixote when he needed something to ease his broken heart. Well, I was feeling well that day - no health issues and my heart wasn´t aching, but the drink was refreshing. I didn´t notice the easing of my nerves either, but perhaps this place is effecting me. Things are beautiful here and the charm seems to spread everywhere. From the tranquility of the pace of life to the colonial architecture and mild climate. In class, I even learned that I´m no longer a dirty-dishwater blond with blue eyes, but a woman with chestnut hair and 'heavenly' colored eyes. I need to keep learning this language!
This week I have a new classmate from Switzerland who is a 26 year old teacher for kids with special needs. She´s already on a sabbatical and is going to volunteer in Quito for 3 months after her time in Cuenca with kids with similar needs. We´re the only 2 in class and it´s been good for me because we can only communicate in Spanish as she doesn´t speak much English. One thing that has been very different being in Ecuador from my other big adventure in W Africa is that I am very aware I´m only seeing the best parts of this culture and country. Today in conversation class we had a very frank discussion about the social climate in Ecuador and the global relationship between the 3 countries represented in the room. It started with a question about what do you have in your life that makes it full? It then moved to what do people in your country need for a full life? We had a great discussion about immigration, the state of unemployment in each of our countries and the way many 'American/progressive values' are changing the cultures of other countries. By values I mean our stereotypical drive to work and make money, to accumulate things, to be concerned about only ourselves, etc. Stephanie and I listed several things to be happy in our life like family, friends, our work, health, faith, being content, etc. In Ecuador our professor said three things are valued most here: family, friends and work (being productive). We had a discussion about how each country looks to the outside world, but in reality we all have culturally unique issues that are not being dealt with well. When we put one country above another, the landscape of our own culture changes and not always for the better. It´s conversations like this that travel brings to the forefront of my mind and I´m grateful for the glimpse into these two other cultures.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Devil´s Nose and the ruins
Saturday was relaxing and it was good to have a bit of a rest. I wandered into town mid-morning to visit the museums of modern and popular art, which were interesting. Both had displays that weren´t really my taste, but the architecture of the buildings were fascinating. The modern art museum was housed in a former convent and each room that I assume once belonged to a nun had a single sculpture in it. There were beautiful gardens in the courtyards and my favorite place was the auditorium which was once the sanctuary. It had very high ceilings with a painted ceiling and old paintings on the walls depicting Bible scenes. It is still a very peaceful place to just sit and enjoy being. After a fun lunch with my friend Lundon we went to a couple art galleries and basically wandered. She was heading to see the new Harry Potter movie and I was going to bed early for our excursion the next morning.
It´s great wandering with Lundon. First, she´s fluent in Spanish and I´m grateful when she can speak for me. Second she´s a spanish/history teacher in N Carolina so she can offer useful insight into some of the things we´re seeing. Third, she has a sweet tooth similar to mine! So we´ve scouted out a few heladarias (ice cream shops) including one that has primarily sherbet in the flavor of every exotic fruit in ecuador. And lastly, she too is a Christian single searching/waiting for Mr. Right and we discuss this topic regularly. Earlier in the week we signed up for a tour of the ruins at Ingapirca and the Devil´s nose train and on Sunday morning when we met for the tour we saw that the group of 11 included primarily classmates of ours. In this group were 3 med students from LA including one who hopes to become a missionary MD probably in W Africa so we´ve had great discussions about it. It was a day of fun conversation and exploring. The ruins were originally built by the Incans, then re-done a bit by the Carnari people, then dismantled by the conquering Spaniards. What remains is a skeleton of the temple of the sun and some of the housing that once existed. The train ride that followed was not what we expected. In the brochures and tour guides it speakes of an antique train that you can sit on top of and ride the switchbacks down a mountain with a view of one called The Devil´s Nose. It´s named not for the shape, but because it was a huge obstacle in the building of the railroad inland to the Pacific. Many slaves died, including 4000 Jamaicans. (Lundon was not convinced this part is true and has told me she´ll look it up when she goes home next week.) We had been told by the tour agency that as of 4 months ago people weren´t allowed to sit on top due to some passengers not following rules and ending up decapitated. Oops! So the train has been de-railed for repairs/remodeling and our train ride was essentially in an old school bus on tracks that went back and forth down train tracks to the bottom of the river. Not too dangerous, not very exciting. Over all, the 3 hour drive to and fro was by far the best part of the day. Mountain after mountain covered like a patchwork quilt of fields of various produce. Spèctacular vistas of grand canyons and valleys, along with several towns where people were primarily dressed in traditional dress and still living in adobe-style homes. I hope my pictures can do it some justice!
Today my class was very lonely. I was the only student and I wonder if it will be this way all week. There didn´t appear to be an influx of new students today. In a way it was good because we covered much more material than usual. The downside is that I´m about ready for a test! So now I need to get home and study.
It´s great wandering with Lundon. First, she´s fluent in Spanish and I´m grateful when she can speak for me. Second she´s a spanish/history teacher in N Carolina so she can offer useful insight into some of the things we´re seeing. Third, she has a sweet tooth similar to mine! So we´ve scouted out a few heladarias (ice cream shops) including one that has primarily sherbet in the flavor of every exotic fruit in ecuador. And lastly, she too is a Christian single searching/waiting for Mr. Right and we discuss this topic regularly. Earlier in the week we signed up for a tour of the ruins at Ingapirca and the Devil´s nose train and on Sunday morning when we met for the tour we saw that the group of 11 included primarily classmates of ours. In this group were 3 med students from LA including one who hopes to become a missionary MD probably in W Africa so we´ve had great discussions about it. It was a day of fun conversation and exploring. The ruins were originally built by the Incans, then re-done a bit by the Carnari people, then dismantled by the conquering Spaniards. What remains is a skeleton of the temple of the sun and some of the housing that once existed. The train ride that followed was not what we expected. In the brochures and tour guides it speakes of an antique train that you can sit on top of and ride the switchbacks down a mountain with a view of one called The Devil´s Nose. It´s named not for the shape, but because it was a huge obstacle in the building of the railroad inland to the Pacific. Many slaves died, including 4000 Jamaicans. (Lundon was not convinced this part is true and has told me she´ll look it up when she goes home next week.) We had been told by the tour agency that as of 4 months ago people weren´t allowed to sit on top due to some passengers not following rules and ending up decapitated. Oops! So the train has been de-railed for repairs/remodeling and our train ride was essentially in an old school bus on tracks that went back and forth down train tracks to the bottom of the river. Not too dangerous, not very exciting. Over all, the 3 hour drive to and fro was by far the best part of the day. Mountain after mountain covered like a patchwork quilt of fields of various produce. Spèctacular vistas of grand canyons and valleys, along with several towns where people were primarily dressed in traditional dress and still living in adobe-style homes. I hope my pictures can do it some justice!
Today my class was very lonely. I was the only student and I wonder if it will be this way all week. There didn´t appear to be an influx of new students today. In a way it was good because we covered much more material than usual. The downside is that I´m about ready for a test! So now I need to get home and study.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Farewells and the Orchestra
Aaahhh, Friday. Another week of class done and I feel like this was the week of verbs. Today was the last class with the Floridians (there were 3 of us in my class) so next week I'll have all new classmates. I have 2 classes Mon-Fri - 90 min in grammar and 90 min in conversation. Today for conversation we played a fun board game that had us asking questions and using our conversation skills in a fun relaxing way.
On Wednesday after class 3 of us took a cab to a couple nearby towns where we saw jewelry made by artists who have learned the trade from family members who have learned from generations before them. We learned that they have been discovered and some of the artists were swept away to New York and LA for the jewelry design. It's primarily silver with filigree designs that are really pretty. We stopped at a weaving display where we saw how they spin the wool from the llamas, alpacas and sheep, dye it from natural elements (walnuts, berries and soot) and then weave it into clothing. One shawl takes 3 days at the loom. That night was dance class where we learned the Bachata, which we fondly re-named the Ecuadorian Line Dance. I have come to believe that I am a 3-step dancer. When we learn steps 4-5-6 I'm lost, but before then I'm doing just great!
Last night was maybe the best night here. The city of Cuenca was hosting the Quito Orchestra and they put on a free show in one of the city plazas. There were people from all walks of life in the audience - the woman who sold fried plantanes on the street next to the university professor or bank manager. They played a tribute to Michael Jackson, La Bamba, a mambo and other traditional as well as classical pieces. For the last 4 songs or so, there was a professional singer there who had a beautiful voice to add to the orchestra. During the last song the man we believe was the mayor of Cuenca got up and danced. It was a great evening capped off with a meal on a veranda overlooking the city with the Floridians. The city takes on a different air when night falls and everything lights up - it's beautiful in a different way. During the day it's colonial buildings with ironwork and great details on the buildings. People walking who look modern in their dress with people wearing the traditional Andean clothing. I hope to sneak more pictures of people in the traditional dress becuase it's so much brighter and festive than the modern clothes.
Side note: I've been hearing a lot of Michael Jackson here - from cars, from Pablo's stereo, in the streets. Pablo went a party last weekend where they had a tribute party and dance contest. The president of the local university was even entered in the dance contest!
On Wednesday after class 3 of us took a cab to a couple nearby towns where we saw jewelry made by artists who have learned the trade from family members who have learned from generations before them. We learned that they have been discovered and some of the artists were swept away to New York and LA for the jewelry design. It's primarily silver with filigree designs that are really pretty. We stopped at a weaving display where we saw how they spin the wool from the llamas, alpacas and sheep, dye it from natural elements (walnuts, berries and soot) and then weave it into clothing. One shawl takes 3 days at the loom. That night was dance class where we learned the Bachata, which we fondly re-named the Ecuadorian Line Dance. I have come to believe that I am a 3-step dancer. When we learn steps 4-5-6 I'm lost, but before then I'm doing just great!
Last night was maybe the best night here. The city of Cuenca was hosting the Quito Orchestra and they put on a free show in one of the city plazas. There were people from all walks of life in the audience - the woman who sold fried plantanes on the street next to the university professor or bank manager. They played a tribute to Michael Jackson, La Bamba, a mambo and other traditional as well as classical pieces. For the last 4 songs or so, there was a professional singer there who had a beautiful voice to add to the orchestra. During the last song the man we believe was the mayor of Cuenca got up and danced. It was a great evening capped off with a meal on a veranda overlooking the city with the Floridians. The city takes on a different air when night falls and everything lights up - it's beautiful in a different way. During the day it's colonial buildings with ironwork and great details on the buildings. People walking who look modern in their dress with people wearing the traditional Andean clothing. I hope to sneak more pictures of people in the traditional dress becuase it's so much brighter and festive than the modern clothes.
Side note: I've been hearing a lot of Michael Jackson here - from cars, from Pablo's stereo, in the streets. Pablo went a party last weekend where they had a tribute party and dance contest. The president of the local university was even entered in the dance contest!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Checking in
Just wanted to post. The most exciting thing that´s happened since the hike Saturday was 2 days of conjugating verbs, including the ever-elusive gustar. I vaguely remember not getting it in HS and college, but today I think it clicked. Third time´s a charm, right?
Sunday I was going to check out a church that a friend recommended not far from where I live, but I was exhausted and not ready to find the place and listen to a sermon in a foreign language. I still hope to visit, but my weekends are filling up! That afternoon after lunch, which serves as a main meal, mi familia asked if I´d like to go shopping with them. I think Sunday´s are big shopping days as most of the markets are open and everywhere we went the traffic was heavy. The town we went to is known for it´s shoes. Apparently they get the patterns from Italy and then make high quality replicas. I asked my host-sister why women wear heels everywhere here when they´re so uncomfortable and she laughed a little and said, "we´re used to torturing our feet." They were beautiful shoes, though. On the way home, we stopped at an orchid store, which was the highlight of the day for me. It was a store full of every color and type of orchid imaginable, including one that hung from a planter and had blossoms that looked exactly like humminbirds. By the way, the hummingbirds here are huge! They´re at least double the size of our dainties in Oregon, and much more rugged looking - not as pretty. On this trip I discovered my host-brother speaks pretty good English. Perhaps he was in his tour-guide mode as he told me about a mud-slide that killed 500+ people in the 1990´s and changed the landscape significantly. He´s quite a history buff and I wish he´d speak more English to me!
I´m learning that each town is known for one thing or another. Tomorrow after class some of the Floridians and I are going to the town where intricate jewerly is made. Then we´ll visit a town where they prepare woven materials, then to the shoe town so they can see the orchid store.
The school doesn´t have any sponsored excursions this weekend, so my friend Lundon and I are going to explore some ruins and go for a train ride called The Devil´s Nose. The more I consider the name, the more I wonder at what I´m getting myself into, but no matter what, adventure awaits!
-Shannoncita
Sunday I was going to check out a church that a friend recommended not far from where I live, but I was exhausted and not ready to find the place and listen to a sermon in a foreign language. I still hope to visit, but my weekends are filling up! That afternoon after lunch, which serves as a main meal, mi familia asked if I´d like to go shopping with them. I think Sunday´s are big shopping days as most of the markets are open and everywhere we went the traffic was heavy. The town we went to is known for it´s shoes. Apparently they get the patterns from Italy and then make high quality replicas. I asked my host-sister why women wear heels everywhere here when they´re so uncomfortable and she laughed a little and said, "we´re used to torturing our feet." They were beautiful shoes, though. On the way home, we stopped at an orchid store, which was the highlight of the day for me. It was a store full of every color and type of orchid imaginable, including one that hung from a planter and had blossoms that looked exactly like humminbirds. By the way, the hummingbirds here are huge! They´re at least double the size of our dainties in Oregon, and much more rugged looking - not as pretty. On this trip I discovered my host-brother speaks pretty good English. Perhaps he was in his tour-guide mode as he told me about a mud-slide that killed 500+ people in the 1990´s and changed the landscape significantly. He´s quite a history buff and I wish he´d speak more English to me!
I´m learning that each town is known for one thing or another. Tomorrow after class some of the Floridians and I are going to the town where intricate jewerly is made. Then we´ll visit a town where they prepare woven materials, then to the shoe town so they can see the orchid store.
The school doesn´t have any sponsored excursions this weekend, so my friend Lundon and I are going to explore some ruins and go for a train ride called The Devil´s Nose. The more I consider the name, the more I wonder at what I´m getting myself into, but no matter what, adventure awaits!
-Shannoncita
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Cuy and Hiking the Andes
Week 1 is officially done! It´s hard to believe, but I´m having such a great time. It truly feels like a vacation, which is such a blessing.
Thursday night was the last night for some of the Floridians and so we had a special meal that might turn some of you off completely. It´s a dish reserved for birthday and other special occasions, called Cuy. I so wish I could post some pictures! Cuy is a delicacy and is commonly known to Americans as guinea pig. Now, I couldn´t quite picture them, which was helpful during the meal, but when I found the wiki page to post as a link here, I was a little sick when I saw their cute faces staring at me. But I figured it was a once in a lifetime meal and we were all game to try it. It was interesting, to say the least. A lot of crispy skin and bones and not much meat and what was there was a dark oily meat a little like rabbit or duck. But the little claws attached to the pieces we ate and the skulls with the little teeth still in place in the serving dish were a little difficult to deal with. A classmate had it with her host family recently and they talked her into eating the claw, which is supposdly quite a treat.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_pig - after viewing their cute faces, scroll to the bottom and it talks about their history as a food.
And today we spent the day hiking the Andes in el Cajas national park. We hiked through enchanted forests and around beautiful lakes. Cuenca is at 8200 ft, and the park is at 12,000 ft so it was a slow hike. I´m gratefuly I only felt a little pressure on my brain as an effect of the altitude. The continental divide is in this park, and there are rivers that lead to the Pacific and Atlantic there. We saw a lot of plants found only in this park or at this altitude and each had a story behind them. It was freezing cold, so I had 4 shirts and a rain jacket on. I´m glad a friend and I went shopping for gloves and scarves made of alpaca fur and wool, which kept us amazingly warm. It rained and was windy, but it didn´t dampen the majesty of the scenery. We saw lots of signs of animals, but they never made an appearance. It´s known for llamas, alpacas, bears and several species of birds including the tucan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cajas - for park info
http://www.ecuador-travel.net/biodiversity.parks.elcajas.htm - for a few great pictures
So now I´m ready for a day of rest!
Thursday night was the last night for some of the Floridians and so we had a special meal that might turn some of you off completely. It´s a dish reserved for birthday and other special occasions, called Cuy. I so wish I could post some pictures! Cuy is a delicacy and is commonly known to Americans as guinea pig. Now, I couldn´t quite picture them, which was helpful during the meal, but when I found the wiki page to post as a link here, I was a little sick when I saw their cute faces staring at me. But I figured it was a once in a lifetime meal and we were all game to try it. It was interesting, to say the least. A lot of crispy skin and bones and not much meat and what was there was a dark oily meat a little like rabbit or duck. But the little claws attached to the pieces we ate and the skulls with the little teeth still in place in the serving dish were a little difficult to deal with. A classmate had it with her host family recently and they talked her into eating the claw, which is supposdly quite a treat.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_pig - after viewing their cute faces, scroll to the bottom and it talks about their history as a food.
And today we spent the day hiking the Andes in el Cajas national park. We hiked through enchanted forests and around beautiful lakes. Cuenca is at 8200 ft, and the park is at 12,000 ft so it was a slow hike. I´m gratefuly I only felt a little pressure on my brain as an effect of the altitude. The continental divide is in this park, and there are rivers that lead to the Pacific and Atlantic there. We saw a lot of plants found only in this park or at this altitude and each had a story behind them. It was freezing cold, so I had 4 shirts and a rain jacket on. I´m glad a friend and I went shopping for gloves and scarves made of alpaca fur and wool, which kept us amazingly warm. It rained and was windy, but it didn´t dampen the majesty of the scenery. We saw lots of signs of animals, but they never made an appearance. It´s known for llamas, alpacas, bears and several species of birds including the tucan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cajas - for park info
http://www.ecuador-travel.net/biodiversity.parks.elcajas.htm - for a few great pictures
So now I´m ready for a day of rest!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Pictures
Unfortunately I´m having a lot of trouble posting pictures to this blog. I´ve made them small, even super small and they still won´t upload. I have relatively good internet speed - if anyone has ideas, please let me know!
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