No Creo

What the heck. Tomorrow is my last day in this country. Unreal. Today was another full day in Ecuador. It was very cold this morning when I arose beginning the day at around 40 degrees. After another good run, I showered and enjoyed talking to Melinda while eating breakfast. The other day I asked her what she does for a living and she told me she makes and sells scarves. She showed me what they looked like and I personally think that are not very attractive, however I kindly complimented them. I told her I would have to get one as a gift for a family member. Thrilled, she asked what color I would like and we decided on the same fushia color as the sweater I was wearing. For the past 2 days I have seen her knitting this scarf and now it will likely come home and hopefully be worn at some point by someone. Her thoughtfulness and work on this scarf is so meaningful to me and definitely feel we have gotten closer in the past few days through bonding over this scarf.

I walked into town and was the first customer at Café Austria where I spent the morning studying for my Spanish exam at 12, skyping with my mom, and uploading photos to facebook. I was joyful all morning and talking to my mom was such a tease because I just wanted to crawl through the computer screen. She asked what the next couple of days looked like and I was able to give her the play by play hourly until when I see her which was crazy. I am so excited to see my family.

I went to school at 12, took my Spanish exam which was reasonably easy and only took 45 minutes. I busted a move home for lunch and ate a quick meal. For my last lunch we had a tortilla soup, fresh french fries, rice, avocado, tomatoes, and a yummy desert of french toast with maple syrup. I met Marianna’s son Carlos for the first time today because he usually works through the night at a fabric factory and sleeps through the day but he is currently injured. It was weird to meet someone on my last day. I then returned to the city for an hour of organizational work where we finalized our project and watched an episode of Lost. I walked around town with Elizabeth afterwards and looked for a few more gifts.

Returning home I took a warmish shower and began packing. I am definitely leaving with more than I arrived with. Eventually I went downstairs for a dinner of what Marianna called a “tortilla” which was like a rice and egg patty. For desert I had a sweet tamale and coffee. I talked to Marianna’s daughter-in-law who has traveled to the US and truly understood almost every word she said. It was fantastic. After getting dressed I walked into the city once more to meet friends. I walked past the hippies and ended up talking to one who made me a free ring and then I bought some neat earrings. When I arrived at the Inca Lounge I was happy to find all my friends sitting around enjoying one another’s company. We eventually changed locations and at the end of the night Wick and I walked home. Holy moly. Tomorrow is my last day in Ecuador. I have no words.

Hasta Luego,

Cate

Cuenca!

Back in Cuenca. This morning I ran, took my first hot shower in weeks, and then ate my delicious breakfast of fruit, cereal, yogurt, and coffee. I walked to school with Wick and then finished catching up on all my journals. Our group relocated to La Cigale because the internet at Amauta (my school) was not working. We spent the morning planning our final presentation and allocating tasks. At one point we needed to consult Maria Luz so we got to go see the office and talk to her about how we are going to spend our $400 dollars. Our team is able to choose how they would like to use $400 as we function as a virtual NGO. I am loving our thoughts as we hope to stretch every dollar and truly have a sustainable impact. I walked home for lunch and enjoyed great conversation with Mariana and the 60 year old man, Juan, who is living in the house. At both lunch and dinner today I served as the mediator and was able to translate for both people from English to Spanish and vice versa. It was an incredible feeling to have the confidence to do this. After lunch I went back to La Cigale for more preparation. I am so frustrated to be spending my last hours in Cuenca working on this presentation but I hope it will be very fruitful and useful. After working all afternoon, Elizabeth and I walked around the market and caught up on life. It is such a joy to around her and I am SO thankful that she has been on this program for me. Eventually I returned home for a quick dinner where I truly felt a part of the family. I am so comfortable in the house and with everyone here. Of course this happens right as I am about to leave. After eating I met a few friends at Café Ecalyptus and then we migrated to La Cigale for the evening. The group has an overwhelming feeling of readiness to return to the US. We will fight to finish strong but we are homeward bound.

A Week of Blogs--The Beach

7.18.11

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have blogged. This will certainly be the longest journal post of all time because I have so many wonderful things to share. Right now I am sitting on a bus on the way back from Palmar and I have spent an entire week without spending any time communicating with anyone I am not with. I have only talked to the people I am around and sone the things that are readily available to me. I have not written on my computer journal for a week and really have not spent a ton of time reflecting on the day to day activities. This has been really interesting for me mostly because I have not spent as much time processing everything that has been happening. However, it has been a phenomenal week. Being in Ecuador is natural now and my relationships with the other interns just feel so natural and comfortable. However, I am ready to come home. I am ready for my family, ready for freedom to choose what I eat, when I eat, when I shower, freedom to dictate my schedule, the ability to sleep in a bed without a misquito net, etc. It will be so odd to be able to communicate with everyone around me and understand what is being said. I am overall having this incredible mixed bag of emotions about this experience coming to a close. I have changed, I am changed, and it feels good. I know I will continue to see the effects of this summer in my life as time goes on but I have learned SO much this summer and my personal development has been monumental. Enough about my thoughts—here is what has been happening in the past couple of weeks. I record all of this for those reading, but more than anything for my own benefit and ability to look back on this journal and savor the precious details of my summer spent in Ecuador. .

7.8.11

This morning I went to another Spin class and got our bottoms whipped by our Ecuadorian instructor. We were short of breathe quicly and certainly felt our muscles and hearts working. During breakfast we “iced” SJ for a little post birthday treat (“icing” someone is giving them a Smirnoff Ice drink after which this person is obligated to get on one knee and chug the entire drink until it is finished). In my broken Spanish I tried to explain to the man working in the kitchen that I needed him to bring out the Smirnoff Ice to SJ with her eggs. He acted like he understood but them Luz informed me he was severely confused and she cleared things up for me. This is yet another testament to my Spanish abilities. After breakfast I went to go print more surveys for our day in the field and had a typical Ecuadorian experience. The computers were slow, the printer ran out of ink, and I was doing another interns work in the first place so I went into the situation frustrated. What should have taken five minutes ended up taking an hour. I was consumed by my frustration and let this experience be the straw that broke the camels back. I had my first break down in Ecuador. I lost it crying out of a loss for any other reaction. While in the privacy of my room another intern walked in so my irrational reaction was cut short, I had to clean up my act and move on. I had hit a wall and I had to pick myself up and continue onward.

After a short bus ride SJ, Liz, Margaret, Emilia, and I arrived at a restaurant where we were able to help cook a traditional almuerzo. I was put in charge of frying the plantains which was incredibly easy and awesome to do because I will definitely be cooking these regularly in the future because they are delicious (get excited friends and family). I loved watching the women work in the kitchen and create a meal much like the ones I have enjoyed regularly. After cooking we ate and spent time talking with one another about our pasts, our lives, and engaging in other thought-provoking conversations. We ventured on to another indigenous community where we were all split up and able to spent time with local families. Liz and I were picked up by James and we went on a hike to his house that is at the top of a huge hill. Liz was really feeling the altitude so we had to make a lot of stops for time to catch our breath. Once at his house we went with all the children being 2 young girls under 6 years old, 2 older girls around 13 and James who was 11. We hiked up even higher with a young girl latched on to the hands of both Liz and I. After 20 minutes of climbing we reached a grassy patch on the side of the mountain where we waiting, singing songs and taking pictures with the two young girls while the older children gathered all the pigs and sheep and brought them down. As we headed down the hill the animals ran ahead and headed straight for their house, 20 minutes away. It was pretty remarkable that these animals knew exactly where to go. Also, while walking home the youngest girl had to go to the bathroom and so she just squatted right where she was, relieved herself, pulled up her pants, and continued on her merry way. Sanitation isn’t even a passing thought. When we returned back to the house we watched the mother pigs nurse their piglets while getting their fill. We then hiked straight down a huge pasture back into town with the whole family, included the mom with a mound of green leaves larger than she was on her back.

We then gave a Charla to the women artisans who weave goods such as scarves, blankets, hats, purses, vests, and ponchos (one on which I purchased). We were told that our charla was supposed to be on sales strategies and marketing but upon arriving we saw that they already had very impressive and detailed posters and bulletins. Therefore we resorted to plan B and ultimately just had then ask us questions and tell us their issues. They struggle with sales and reaching their target market of foreigners from their small rural community. We suggested that they have a woman doing the weaving at the market to demonstrate the quality of their goods along with creating a pamphlet about their organization in English. The time seemed to be very constructive and helpful for all people involved. I truly enjoy the cultural exchange this day allowed for.

We hopped on the bus, picked up our friends and had a blast eating dinner together at a restaurant with a fantastic environment called San Valentine.

7.9.11

During my run this morning I stumbled upon another Ecuadorian work out class in the park. This is always entertaining to see a huge group of Ecuadorians doing a mix between Step and Zumba. After breakfast the owners of our hostel drove us to Banos, a popular tourist town in the middle of the mountains, in their minivan. Having private transportation allowed us to ride on the roads that were being rebuilt after a volcanic eruption. Many of the gorgeous volcanoes serve as the backdrop for Banos. Unfortunately it was raining our entire weekend in Banos but that did not stop us from having a ton of fun. Walking around the artisans market I was overwhelmed by the amount of white people  and English speakers I saw. We ate lunch at a quaint little restaurant and filled up before heading to our travel agency that was taking us rafting. We geared up, got our wetsuits and shoes and piled in a van to head to the river in our rafts. I have not been rafting since 7^th grade so this was quite the experience and I adored being on a raft again and the thrill of the rapids. Our guide only spoke Spanish but he was full of energy, spunk, and life. Most of the rapids we encountered were 3+ rapids and we never had anyone fall out (we only jumped out willingly). Our whole group loved rafting and after drying off and trying to warm up our guides took us to a small place that served a complimentary dinner.

Returning to the hostel we all showered and put on the only presentable outfits we brought to the country. Our hostel had a gorgeous roof with an awesome view of the city where we enjoyed drinks together. At 9pm we headed into town where we got on a Chiva which is essentially an open bus that has benches and a back area playing music that is great for dancing while on the move. Our group along with 20 other people headed up the mountain to a beautiful view of the city. At the top of the mountain tons of Chivas are parked and hundreds of people are gathered around a huge bonfire. Naturally we found the karoke bar inside and began to sing some classics such as “My Girl” and “Brown-Eyed Girl”. Before we knew it, it was time to head back down the mountain. On the ride down I began to feel really sick and afterwards I headed back to the hostel. I was bummed that I didn’t feel well because I missed out on the rest of the evening activities but I was thankful to get some good sleep.

7.10.11

Waking up to rain when on vacation is never fun. We all woke up late and headed to a delicious breakfast place where we ate eggs, juice, coffee, bread, granola, fruit and other wonderful breakfast foods. Part of our group took naps, others caught a bus back to Riobamba, but I wanted more adventure. Matt, Daniel, Madison and I went to go figure out which were available to us even in the rain. We ultimately decided to rent a stick-shift, jeep wrangler type car. Daniel carried us up the mountain with his driving skills. There were certainly a couple of times when we were not sure we were going to make it but our little yellow car proved more durable and able than it appeared at first glance. At the top of the mountain we saw a sign for “Café Arboles” so we parked and went on a short hike to the coffee shop which ended up being an open air, covered area with 4 people sitting inside. They had a pot of beans on that my new friend, Charlie, clad in army gear let me try. Charlie also opened up the huge tree house door for us so we were able to climb up and sit inside a place that would undoubtedly have an unreal view if it weren’t raining and cloudy outside. Brave Daniel swung on the trie swing over the mountain while the woman in the “café” made us tea, coffee, and a grilled cheese. For my tea she brought me two leaves she had picked from the side garden and had me chose whether I wanted chamomile or mint—the freshest tea I have ever had. After warming up for a few minutes and running into 3 backpackers from Europe who had just hiked in the rain for over an hour to get to this café, we walked back to our super cool car. Matt or “Matteo” as we call him in Ecuador drove us down the mountain and we returned our sweet ride satisfied with our adventure. For the rest of the afternoon we packed up, shopped in the artisans market, and rode the bus home. When we got back to Riobamba, we were greeted by Luz and Liz who had cooked a traditional Italian meal for us and set up the kitchen in the hostel with candles and nice silverware. Although I was not at all hungry I still adored the pasta and bruschetta we ate.

7.11.11

A day on the road. After a long run around Riobamba I thought I was ready for the 8 hour drive ahead of us. I was sorely mistaken and quickly realized it when the small, 12 passenger van pulled up an hour late to carry 11 people and all of our luggage. We spent the next 30 minutes putting our things on top of the van and ultimately I ended up snuggled in the back with 6’4’’ Matteo, 2 water purification systems, and about 10 bags. It was a long ride, some serious bonding with Matt and a few quick escapes out the narrow back window for the bathroom. For lunch we stopped in Gauyaquil at a mall and it felt like America with plantains, less diet food products, and different banks. It was an odd feeling to see KFC, Subway, clothing, Nike, cell phone stores, etc. Subway was not as good as I remembered but I was able to have a coffee with milk and a half a splenda—yum. Today in the van we began a very very epic team Impacto activitu------we started season 1 of Lost. We are addicted. This is an action packed show about a group of individuals stranded on a “deserted” island after a plane crash. Six episodes in, we cannot get enough. We arrived in Palmar at 8:30 and the last 30 minutes of the drive was all along the coast with the smell of the beach, the sound of the ocean, and a beautiful sky filled with stars to our side. Once in Palmar we all walked each other to our home stays, all of which are within 7 minutes walking of each other and no more than 5 minutes from the ocean if not beach front. My family is absolutely hands down the best family. I know this because Rita, another girl in the program who stayed at their house two weeks ago, told me. Martha and Jorge are my host parents and Eliana and Jorge Jr. or Jorgito as he is called, are my two younger siblings at 11 and 5 respectively. Their house is modest at best made entirely of cinderblock with concrete floors, one common room including a kitchen, a bathroom, my room, and another room that all other members of the house sleep in. My room has a full bed, a misquito net which I sleep under like a queen, a dresser, and a mirror. My first dinner was fantastic—chicken, lettuce, and the biggest mound of rice I have been served in a while with a lime flavor. Each region of Ecuador has rice that is cooked a little differently but the rice in Palmar is undoubtedly my favorite. It is like sticky rice and has a wonderful consistency. My first impressions of my family are that they are so kind, full of life, and genuinely love one another. This should be a good week.

7.12.11

This morning began with a quick run on the beach and an exhilarating turbokick class in a parking lot on the sand. While punching, kicking, and twisting we were observed by passing locals and later by a group of foreigners who arrived in scrubs. While slightly embarrassed we continued to get our workout in. After a breakfast of hardboiled eggs, a grilled cheese, a yogurt drink, and coffee we all met together. Our common meeting space is a place called NeoJoventud which is the community center in Palmar. It is a place run by community members, especially the youth, that works to promote healthy living and support for members of the community. It has a common space, a panderia (bakery), an internet café, and a small work out space. It was developed by a peace corps volunteer and is professionally run from all appearances. In my opinion, this a beautiful example of community development and empowerment. After orientation with the city, the organization, and our time here we were informed that all of our consultations for the week had been canceled because this week was the festival of Palmar. This festival, as my family would explain, is an ode to the Saint of fish who is celebrated with a concert Wednesday night, soccer games between boat crews Thursday and Friday, and a night of fireworks and dancing Friday. Almost every man in the community fishes for a living, my father being one. Our week quickly changed from being light to having next to nothing formal we had to do. Therefore we talked some more, returned home for lunch, and then came back to the beach in our bathing suits to sit in the sand. I enjoyed the company of a few different people on some beach walks and we all were trying to allow ourselves to get out of work mode and into a state of relaxation.

Dinner tonight was more chicken (which is supposedly a delicacy in Palmar. I love my home stay family. I went to the beach for a fire which was so very fun. After talking by the fire I came home. I was going to read in my bed before sleeping but quickly realized that my flashlight being the only light in the house was attracting bugs despite the net on top of me. Reading at night was all of the sudden out. Last night I definitely had the sensation of bugs crawling on me in my sleep. As disgusting as this may seem, I decided to not let myself react because the reality is that this family lives with bugs all the time. They won’t hurt me and if they live in these conditions every night I can certainly live like this for a week. Their house is modest but it is full of love and that is certainly much more significant.

7.13.11

                Another morning of a beach run and turbokick provided the best start to the day. On the beach hundreds of fisherman were getting on their boats, bringing in fish, or somewhere in between. The city of Palmar always smells of fish and other seafood. After a cold shower, Martha fed me another grilled cheese with yogurt juice and coffee. I walked to Neojovetud where our team was meeting to discuss our general thoughts on the program and different aspect within. At this point we all have our criticisms and things we collectively and individually found frustrating, inefficient, or ineffective. However, the time we spent this morning in discussion was focused on turning all of our criticisms into recommendations and after our time spent together I feel we have some very valuable advice for Solutiones Comunitarias. When we finished our work we hit the beach, soaked up some sun, and continued talking about life. I returned home for lunch of a fresh calamari stir fry type dish. It was good but the calamari weirded me out a little bit with its tenticles still attached.

                At 1:30 we met and Miguel, the guy who runs NeoJoventud took us out to the Mangroves. We all piled in a boat and rode through gorgeous trees that grow in the water and serve as breeding grounds for fish. These Mangroves have been preserved for the ecosystem of the area and are one of two remaining Mnagroves in the country. While on this boat ride we also saw some Blue Footed Boobies, amazing birds that are famous in the Galapagos Islands.  We then rocked our way into the ocean where I jumped in, partially because I wanted to swim and partially because I was sea sick. Salty swimming was a blast but I promptly climbed back in the boat for fresh oysters which Miguel had literally just pulled up from the ocean, opened, and squirted lime on. I had two and thought of my mom who adores oysters and always makes sure we get oysters when at the beach. After all interested individuals had enjoyed their fresh seafood, we rode back to the beach and celebrated the birthday of another guy who works at NeoJoventud. I bought some oysters for my family (which are a rare treat) hoping for some ceviche in the coming days but much to my disappointment never happened. I returned home for another delicious meal with chicken and a huge mound of rice. Before dinner, my sister Eliana, Jorgito, and I played a game of Uno which I somehow managed to explain in Spanish. It is truly amazing how games can bring people together and I loved playing with Jorgito and Eliana. At 8pm, I met all the interns at NeoJovetud where we had a projector set up for us to enjoy 3 more episodes of lost. Tonight I was given a key to get back into my house because my entire family was going to enjoy the fiesta concert. However, when I returned home I could not manage to get the key to work. I kindly recruited a passing family to help me out and this confused man unlocked the door with much ease for me. I lay in my bed with only a sheet and had a restless night of sleep. My head is right next to the wall that leads outside and the roof is not closed off to the wall. Anything that happens outside essentially happens at full volume for me. As I lay awake, I heard a wild horse outside my window and I heard the concert continuing on until 5 am in the morning.

7.14.11

My 6:40am wake up call came early this morning as I went to run on the beach. I passed a few stumbling men who were clearly still intoxicated from the night before. We have been warned that alcoholism is a problem in this community and the festival would not bring out the best in the members of the community. After my work out I took a shower and ate breakfast. Martha was clearly very tired and told me they had stayed out until 5am the night before celebrating. I felt bad having her wake up to cook for me but she was sure to never make me feel like a burden in any way. Walking to NeoJoventud I passed three men sitting outside a Tienda. In general, I have felt so safe in Palmar. Our group is the only foreigners in this tiny community where everyone knows each other and everyone knows who we are and why we are there. I am quick to say hello to others first and I never feel threatened. This morning, once summoned by these men I realized they were very inebriated so I quickly tried to excuse myself from this interesting situation. As I said goodbye, each man moved in for the traditional greeting of the kiss but this men left big wet ones on my cheek. I couldn't help but smile as I walked away wiping of the slobber of their drunken stupor. This morning our group talked about our projects for a short while and then laid on the beach, walked on the beach, and just enjoyed the Palmar weather. Returning home for lunch, I forced down one of the least appealing meals I have had in Ecuador--a country fried steak. This is not really my cup of tea but I ate what was put in front of me. At lunch, I talked with Martha about the drinking culture in Palmar. The men are the  drinkers and the women rarely to never have anything because they have historically had to take care of the men. Jorge is a responsible father and rarely drinks I was not surprised to hear. He is clearly a loving and present father and husband whom I have come to admire and respect. My family in Cuenca does not have many strong male figures and is all under the strong matriarch of Marianna. It has been so refreshing, comforting, and familiar to be in a fully functioning family. Eliana has great manners, thanks her mother for every meal, and carries herself with confidence. I am sure to compliment both Eliana and Martha for Eliana's manners and Martha's parenting every day.

                In the afternoon we boarded a fishing truck and headed to a rural community to market for the upcoming campaign on Sunday. It was a hot afternoon and I found myself zapped of energy. Regardless, Matt, Katie, Liz and I walked from door to door in this community handing out fliers and telling people about the campaign on Sunday. This community was the most impoverished we have seen with few homes having more than two rooms and some lacking beds. After our marketing we returned to Palmar where I spent time hanging out with Eliana, asking about school, and seeing her incredibly organized notebook. She is clearly very bright and well-behaved. I was summoned into the back yard before dinner where the extended family was all sitting, talking, and cooking on the outside grill. I talked to Jorge's brother who was lounging in a hammock with a kid on his lap. I played clapping games with Victor, one of the cutest boys I have ever seen who has a grin that spans his entire 6 year old face and is easy to induce with any poke or funny noise. Jorge's mom was making grilled plantains and tuna and she is a joyful presence as well. Kids were running all over the place and I did my best to figure out who belonged to who but eventually gave up and just fell in love with the large family and the proximity in which they all live. I truly felt a part of the family with kids on my lap, dinner on the grill, and clothing on the lines. What an Ecuadorian experience. I then enjoyed my favorite dinner in Palmar of two fresh tunas on a bed of lettuce with rice and lentils. Afterwards, the interns made a fire on the beach and reflected on our time in Ecuador.

7.15.11

                After running on the beach this morning, I went up to a place called the "Santuario" which is essentially a church on top of a big hill. It has a gorgeous view of the city of Palmar, the city of Salinas, the ocean, and the surrounding area. After soaking it in, I returned for a cold shower and breakfast. I asked my mom if she would be willing to make a lunch to go for me and she kindly said she would. I headed to meet the interns with a backpack full of clothing, a lunch to go, and my bathing suit, ready for two days of adventure and exploration. We boarded a bus and headed to Montanita, a beach that is very popular for tourists where we were planning on surfing. When we arrived we were overwhelmed by the amount of foreigners there, restaurants with menus in English, and artisans that exercised their limited English vocabulary to induce you to buy their goods. Montanita is one big party and felt kind of like Panama City. We were disappointed to find that surfing lessons were expensive and had no gaurentee of actually catching a wave. Instead we enjoyed a day relaxing in the hot Ecuadorian sun and exploring this city. Around 4pm half the group returned to Palmar while Matt and I went to another beach, Puerto Lopez to join SJ and Margaret for a night spent in a fun hostel. We arrived just in time for a gorgeous sunset over the ocean which was enjoyed in good company, outside a cabana, surrounded by palm trees and hammocks. We all showered in our quaint hostel with a beachfront view and then went out for italian food. After we sat in a cabana on the beach where I ordered my favorite new snack of a grilled cheese and I also had a strawberry banana batido (basically juice made with milk which ends up being a mix between a smoothie and a milkshake). We talked about life and then called it an early night.

7.16.11

Running in a beach town proved interesting as I ran through 4 towns just to get a good run in. I then sat alone in the raised breakfast area looking out over the ocean and writing in my journal. The rest of my roommates arose and we enjoyed breakfast together. I then met a girl who was staying at the hostel who was about to be a junior at UNC---small world! She is from Charlotte and has been studying abroad in Quito for the summer. After talking to Anna for a bit, we ventured into town where we waited for the rest of the interns to arrive by bus. Once they came we were ushered onto a boat to begin our whale watching journey. In the next four hours I would sit on the back of the boat, on the top of the boat, and inside the boat while our fearless driver, Don Cherry tracked down humpback whales in the ocean. Despite my severe sesasickness, I was amazed by the whales that waves and jumped 20 feet away from out boat. I have never seen anything quite like it. We stopped near an island and I was able to snorkle for the first time as well. Upon our return to Puerto Lopez we devoured a huge Columbian meal which was delicious. Stephanie was again pleased which a taste of her home country. We lounged on the beach in hammocks and I had to get out of the strong Ecuadorian sun for fear of severe sunburn. Eventually we boarded a bus home but had to make a stop in Montanita so Daniel could get him henna tatoo of a wolf howling at the moon on his side. Once back in Palmar, I was warmly greeted by my sweet family who had prepared a wonderful chicken dinner with veggies and fried plantains. We were disappointed when we realized we couldn't watch more lost but we improvised with a game of hot seat.

7.17.11

Oh boy. The last day in Palmar, the last Sunday in the country, and being oh so close to returning to the US. This is insane and uncomfortable and weird. How should I be responding emotionally? This morning we met at NeoJoventud after I enjoyed fried eggs and plantains. We waited for our transportation which was late as always. Finally a fishing truck showed up and had 12 people in the back along with all our gear. We arrived in Bambil Cacoa after a 30 minute ride. We set up and SJ and I quickly took the job of walking around the town doing marketing. We walked door to door and told the local people all about the campaign, our products, and told them we hoped to see them there. The response was not super enthusiastic but some people ended up showing up. Many people requested medical services and I hated telling them that we could not help their health issues other than giving them a good reference. Today, I wanted to be a doctor and that desire within me was reignited. I want to be able to provide for these people because as I walk around I realize they cannot even begin to think about buying our products until they have their health. Most of the mothers were not even concerned about their own health but that of their children. It is easy for me to say that we will give them a reference for a doctor but how will they get there? Can they afford a doctor’s services? Can they afford medicine? How severe are their problems? It is just a never ending and complicated list of questions and issues. After we walked to most the houses we returned to the tent and talked to locals about one of the new products we are investigating called AgroDrip. The people were interested but they could were not willing to buy it without a trial in case it didn’t work. We did not sell any other products besides eye glasses and seeds for home gardens. By 11am we did not have any more customers which was really frustrating and disheartening. I went on an exploratory adventure with Daniel, Matt, and Katie around the city to fill the time gap and see if there were any other people we could tell about the campaign. We were all slightly annoyed with the Aesesores because they seemed lazy and did not seem to be phased by the fact that they were not having any business. We did not want to do the work for them and did not know how to encourage them to walk around the community or actively seek out customers in some other manner.

We returned for lunch in Palmar where I had a delicious plate of chicken, plantains and lettuce. I then walked to the beach and took a little siesta while my food digested. Afterwards Katie, Daniel, Matteo and I went on another adventure down the beach. We walked to an inlet where the river meets the ocean and we swam around this inlet with other locals in the area. Then the boys got on a kick where they were determined to catch a crab. We spent the next hour watching them, laughing at their boyish obsession, and aiding them in their pursuits. We eventually went up on a small rock peninsula with sticks and tried to capture crabs but to no avail.

I returned home for a quick shower and my last dinner with my family. It was a delicious dinner of chicken, warm beans, plantains, and tea or course. I was sad that it was my last dinner and I expressed this sentiment repeatedly to my family. After we finished the meal I was preparing to head to the beach for our last bonfire but I was surprised when a large, feminine male walked in the door and Martha showed me that he was here to do my nails. What a fun present! So I sat in the main room as this large 25ish year old man painted my toe nails and finger nails. He picked the colors and my toes are a shiny light pink with hot pink tips. My fingernails were carefully and artfully done with a shiny pink base and a pink flower on every single nail. Oh my! I was constantly complimenting him on his skill and multiple members of the extended family were coming in and out of the house watching me have my nails done. This gift was so kind and I am so thankful for the thoughtfulness of Martha. After my nails were done I played Uno with Eliana and Maria, her 5 year old cousin who is adorable. After losing two consecutive games I headed to the beach with a huge smile plastered on my face.

The whole crew was sitting on the beach with their faces aglow with the warm orange light of the fire and the rumbling of the crashing waves in the ocean behind them. Gahlee, I really have no words for how incredible every component of my past eight weeks have been. It is more or less a fairy tale experience mixed with a great adventure novel. My ideal situation. On the beach we passed the time reflecting on our favorite moments of the trips, what we have learned, how we have changed, and other such things. Eventually our beach fire got rained out so we returned to our houses for one more night under the misquito nets.

7.18.11

 I absolutely cannot believe that today is my last Monday in Ecuador for the foreseeable future. I love this country, the people, the climate, the terrain, the food, the culture, and the list goes on. But I am ready for home. I am ready for family, friends, and everything wonderful in between. I have grown so much as an individual in ways that are tangible and in ways that are not so tangible. I no longer feel the need to shower every night before I go to bed. I love rice. I wear necklaces. Bugs do not bother me at all. I am better at going with the flow. I have learned more about when it is time to step down and listen and when it is time to step up and take the reins. I like to get sleep and feel better when I have eight hours. I believe development work is best done over a long period of time with constant thoughtfulness and work combined with revolutionary patience. I will undoubtedly enter into relationships with people who are very different than me even more eagerly and with even less preconceived notions. I love adventures and random fun. People are people everywhere and a smile is a universal language. It is okay that I do not have a plan for the rest of my life. Being in the same space with someone, even without words, is building a relationship. Traveling is thrilling. I am crazy about my family. Poverty is real. Living in community is beautiful.

These are some random popcorn thoughts that are in my head. Today I arose and my entire family got up at 6:30am to say goodbye. I hugged a tired Eliana and Jorgito. I ran on the beach on final time and ran up to the Sanctuario for the gorgeous view of the city. After a shower, Martha fed me the biggest breakfast I have had in quite some time of sautéed beef, 2 fried eggs, fried plantains, coffee, fresh orange juice, and bread with jam. I was able to finish it all except for the bread, however the last few bites were a struggle. After breakfast cousins and the grandma came over for one last hug and Martha gave me a thoughtful gift. I had seen her up late the night before and she had hand made a tin decorated with butterflies and flowers cut out of foam and glittered. This labor intensive gift was created with such care and love it moves me to tears. She gave me a gift from the bottom of her heart that took time. Martha also wrote me a note saying that they would never forget me and hoping I would not forget them. She said she would “remember me in her heart”. This family truly embraced me and leaving was certainly difficult. Chances are good that I will never see this family again but I truly hope to remain in communication with them.

We waited outside NeoJoventud for over an hour for our late bus (of course) and when it finally arrived we loaded, each having two seats to ourselves in this spacious transportation.  I spent the day catching up on all my journals, listening to music, looking at pictures, and talking to friends. We ate lunch in Gauyaquil again and I enjoyed a delicious salad full of veggies followed by another real coffee. Yay. We arrived in Cuenca around 5:30 and I rode a taxi home. I was warmly greeted by multiple members of my family. I was very talkative and told them all about the adventures of my past two weeks. They told me how much my Spanish had improved and I was on cloud nine because I really noticed a HUGE difference tonight in my talking and comprehending abilities which changes the way I am able to relate to the family. After talking for over an hour I was informed that another man was living in the house. He is a 60 year old man from Canada who works with special needs kids as they work on carpentry projects and build houses all together. I have enjoyed the brief time spent with this man.

After a fast shower I walked quickly into town for dinner with friends at an Italian restaurant called La Vina. I was so excited to be reunited with many people, especially Elizabeth Smith whom I have missed tons. We spent the remainder of the evening catching each other up on stories from the past 2 weeks and our thoughts overall. I know these next 3 days will fly and I will be home before I know it. Until then…

Hasta Luego,

Cate 

A Kissing Llama

Potentially one of the best days in Ecuador so far. It began bright and early as SJ, Margaret, Luz, Liz and I ventured to the gym hoping to do a spinning class. Much to our dismay, step was the only class offered. We tried for about 10 minutes to step but the moves were too complicated and the language barrier didn’t help our cause. We returned to the hostel and had SJ (who turned 24 today) teach another turbokick class on the roof of the hostel. We finished up with some abs and then I ran around the city to look for birthday gifts and get learn my way around. I returned to a breakfast of eggs, manderines, coffee, tomato juice, and bread.

After showering I sat on the roof/terrace and enjoyed one of the most gorgeous days we have seen here so far. With crisp air, sun shining, and Chimborazo in the skyline, I enjoyed reading and journaling before heading out for our day in a small village doing cultural exchanges and giving a consultation presentation…or so we thought. Upon arriving we were told to wait for a bit while our lunch was prepared. During this time we took gorgeous pictures of the scenery, pigs, llamas and so on. A local woman, Paula, fixed us a bean soup with rice, vegetables, and a meatloaf like main dish. The woman who prepared our food then shower us her garden which was where all of our food came from. We then were able to pet her llama which proceeded to seemingly try to kiss us and then kicked at one of our friends. We witness Paula moving her sheep to a new plot of grass and then she ushered us up to her coops. We saw a rabbit coop and a cuy coop. Enthusiastically, we accepted her offer to sit on her donkey, which I was afraid would break with our weight on it. After our adventures on the land we sat inside until Manuel arrived and showed us around the community. He walked us through town and up a huge hill to a beautiful view of the countryside and the surrounding mountains. After returning we realized they were not prepared for our consultation presentation, yet another time this trip there was a miscommunication. Therefore, we just looked at one of the artisan’s goods of hand knitted scarves, hats, mittens, sweaters, and ponchos. Her stunning work took us a while to pick through but we all walked away happy with new purchases. It was hard to buy winter garb in July but with it being so cold outside it seemed like a wise purchase. We then waited inside for our bus to arrive and this wait turned into a two hour conversation around the fire as the other half of our group came to pick us up much later than expected. However, this time together was welcomed because it allowed for intriguing conversations about the future, money, development work, society, self, and our roles in the world. Returning to Riobamba, we ate our for SJ’s bday and now I am back at the hostel writing by the fire. What a full and fun day. It was such a treat to learn so much about this small community and have an even better taste of the culture here.

Hasta Luego,

Cate

Snow

I played with snow today. What the heck. On July 6^th I played with snow. This morning I arose bright and early for a spin class at the gym near our hotel. Maria Luz, Margaret, SJ and I represented America (and Italy in Luz’s case) as we did a cycling class with a handful of Ecuadorians. I was thankful that the Spanish was simple and I could just watch the people in front of me. It was certainly very challenging and my body is definitely hurting now. The altitude certainly affected our workout but it was a fantastic way to start the day. We then showered and enjoyed a delicious breakfast of eggs, papaya, granola, coffee, and fresh squeezed orange juice. Our group then proceeded to walk into town and catch our mini-van up to the top of Chimborazo. The summit of this volcano is the closest place on earth to the sun.

The drive up was slow and there were times I was worried our minivan was not going to make it. However, after chugging along for an hour, passing multiple llamas and alpacas and entering into a “no grow zone” with next to no vegetation we arrived at the first base camp. Half of our group stayed at the base camp and enjoyed coffee, tea, and their books. The other half bravely began hiking up the mountain. The climb was less than 1km but it took us almost an hour due to the extreme altitude and lack of oxygen in the air. We marked a rock with our team name “Impacto”, took photos with Ecuadorians, and played in the patches of snow around us. Finally, after multiple breaks we reached the second base camp at over 16,000 feet. We drank warm tea, told life stories, and celebrated our success. We ventured down for a much quicker 20 minute decent. My body felt sensations I have never experienced before with the slim oxygen. Our group then piled back in the van and drove down to Riobamba, stopping to take a gorgeous picture with the mountain in the background and other photos of alpacas.

When we reached the hotel we were wiped. Most people chose to nap and I worked on plans for the weekend and then explored the town. We all met up for dinner at a delicious place where I was able to eat a salad with grilled chicken. Once back at the hotel we planned for our consultation tomorrow, ate fruit, drank tea, and I was able to skype with Warner and Mom. It made me miss them as always but I know I will be seeing them again in a few short weeks.

Hasta Luego,

Cate

4th of July

How weird to be in a country that does not appreciate one of my favorite days of the year. It was slightly depressing to be in Ecuador while the rest of America takes the day off, enjoys parades, hot dogs, the pool, family, friends, fireworks, and wearing red, white, and blue. I wanted to tell every person we passed on the street that it was Independence Day in my country but I realized no one really cared. I was definitely missing home.

We were determined to make the 4^th of July as festive as possible. During our car ride we watched The Patriot to remind ourselves of the heroic efforts of our forefathers. Once in Riobamba we settled into our wonderful hotel and then went to the supermaxi. We purchased hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, watermelon, the makings for guacamole, and coke. We took over the kitchen, playing American music and began to make a feast of sorts. We cooked across from a couple from Switzerland and were sure to tell them all about our traditions. When the food was ready we sat on the floor in the hotel and enjoyed a taste of home while sharing our favorites 4^th of July memories and family rituals. Of course in Ecuador nothing can go as planned and during our meal we had a musician from the street come into the hotel and entertain us with 3 songs on his windpipe instrument. We thanked him by giving him a hot dog and watermelon. Post dinner we found it absolutely mandatory that we light the fire in the fireplace on the 4^th floor and roast marshmellows. One hour and 2 boxes of matches later, we enjoyed smores out of coconut tasting mellows, nestles chocolate, and benvita crackers. I must say, they were the best smores I have ever had. One highlight of the night was aiding the Swiss couple in making and consuming their first smores ever. I will never forget this day!

Today began at 4:30am when we had coffee and eggs before boarding a bus and then pick-up truck to Salinas. We arrived to this cold, mountain top town at 9am for more warm coffee before beginning our campaign. My morning was filled with walking around the town and handing out fliers, inviting individuals to take advantage of the free eye exam and telling them about our products. This campaign was the most organized I have seen so far and I liked walking around town although I was very cold. We had a traditional almuerzo and then bought delicious chocolates from this Salinas which is known for its chocolates and cheese.

The bus ride home was breathtaking as we were close to the peak of Chimbarasu, the mountain whose summit is the closest place to the sun in the world. After marveling at this site we decided to had to spend our free time tomorrow hiking this mountain. We went to the travel agency and are now hikinh from one base camp to another tomorrow morning. Hopefully it will be clear.

At 7:30pm, half of our group assembled on the top terrace of our hotel while SJ, one of the interns, led a turbokick class. We were looking out on the beautiful city, sparkling with night lights while kicking, punching, and bopping for an awesome workout. We finished with abs, glutes, and then went to a late dinner at the pizzeria. What an awesome evening in Riobamba. This is a great city and I could not imagine a better group to explore it with.

Stop Time

The days are FLYING by. Part of me wants someone to pump the brakes and part of me wants to press the accelerator. I do not want to leave this freedom but I am excited to see so many people and be back in my community both in Nashville and at UNC. So this post will certainly be long as I recount multiple days.

Friday our entire group met at Amauta and hashed through the APF’s (consultations) we had had in the past few weeks. We shared the information we had gathered with the other half of our groups and made recommendations for them for their APF’s with the same groups in the next two weeks. It was a very productive time and I loved it because now we have much more information to work with on our upcoming APF’s this week. Operating with more information definitely is helpful for me and I am thankful for the chance to talk with the groups in the days to come. I went home for another delicious lunch and then returned to the city. Six members of the large intern team volunteered to prepare an APF for a group outside of Cuenca on Saturday morning. Therefore, these brave six met and planned a consultation on sales and marketing, especially in regards to making a logo, slogan, and promotional materials. Planning went really well and this group of individuals was engaged and committed. There is something wonderful about self selection and having a group of people who chose to participate in this activity. After we finished our preparation we busted a move home to get ready for a night out together.

Our entire group met at a delicious dinner place called Teistos that was recommended to us by some Americans during our first week there. Boy, did it live up to its recommendation! The way the meal works is that a group of four people share a meat dish and several side items. My side of the table got a steak dish with blackberry sauce. Our sides were potatoes, couscous, rice, salad, and bread. This meal was the BEST meal I have had in Ecuador, full of flavor and perfectly filling. It was also just a blast to have everyone together celebrating a great 5 weeks together and all the work we have done. After dinner we explored multiple bars all over the city, making our presence known wherever we went because of our sheer volume and white skin. Bar owners would always welcome us enthusiastically and play whatever American pop music they had in their repertoire. We ended up at the apartment of Liz Thurber and Sarita, two of the overseers of our program and enjoyed one another’s company while looking at the gorgeous view of Cuenca they have from their back porch.

Saturday morning came very very early as half of our group met at 8am to go to Paute for this APF. Paute was a quaint little town that sat in a valley surrounded by towering mountains. We were ushered to a school building where we would deliver our APF to about 20 small business owners in the city. This APF was the most successful APF I have been a part of so far due to the combination of engaged and invested community members and motivated and caring interns. We helped them develop logos, bulletins, and marketing tactics. Afterwards we ate lunch at a pizzeria and then headed back to Cuenca in the late afternoon.

Elizabeth Smith and I were lucky enough to spend some quality time together talking about everything from UNC, to life goals, to this summer program. We went on a run/walk up to a church called Turi on the top of a massive hill with a breathtaking view of the entire city. After climbing up at least 300 stairs we were in awe of this city we have come to call home. We both agreed that we are so thankful that we have had each other this trip to process everything and have a taste of home and the comfort of being known. I really adore her and I am so grateful for her friendship.

After a quick shower we walked into the city to get what we had hoped would be a quick bite to eat at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants here. However, before we even got our food, two guys walked into this hole in the wall joint. Chaco wearing, blonde hairs, plaid shirt clad, I immediately told Elizabeth covertly that these guys were most certainly from the South. After sitting at the table diagonally behind ours, they asked us what was good. This led into two hours of story sharing about our time spent in Ecuador. These boys were from Texas, went to school at Oklahoma state, and have been volunteering with an agency in Quito that loves on, teachings, and cares for street kids. Now they are traveling around the country for their last few days in the country. It was so wonderful to share stories, laugh about experiences, and feel like I was back in the states catching up with old friends. After this epic dinner we went to a coffee shop for a bit and then met the boys at our favorite hostel/bar la cigale. It was a fun night.

The following day the majority of our group met at 8:15am to be picked up by a tourist agency to hike in Cajas national park. We went on a 1.5 hour hike around a lake and learned about the plant and wildlife from our English-speaking guide. We then went up to one of the highest points for a quick photo before embarking on another 2.5 hour hike. We saw some of the most gorgeous views I have ever seen and enjoyed the beautiful landscape. Afterwards we enjoyed fresh steamed trout at a lodge in the park. Perfectly timed, it began to rain outside as we got our fill of warm tasty food after a satisfying hike.

Returning to Cuenca we capped the afternoon off with my favorite frozen yogurt in the city with coconut and chocolate chips. I bought 4 roses for a dollar at the flower market and placed them on our kitchen table as a thank you when I returned home. After a quick shower I went back to the city for internet at a coffee shop. It was such a treat to begin to respond to the multiple emails that have been piling up in my inbox. I put new photos on facebook (check them out!) and drank a strong cup of coffee.

Being in Ecuador for Independence Day is almost as hard as not being home on Thanksgiving. To compensate, our group ate dinner at a restaurant that serves burgers and tacos. We took up the entire 2^nd floor and played our favorite music with a patriotic, “we miss America” theme. Singing and eating burgers, we felt at least a little bit like we were back in the states. Our 3^rd of July celebration will have to suffice for now. I then had to return to my house to pack up and get ready for an early departure to Riobamba tomorrow.

People

This morning was full of discussions about our products and intensely analyzing campaigns and marketing with our asesores. What a fruitful and satisfying morning expressing frustrations, concerns and just processing the craziness of the past 3 weeks. One of our fundamental questions was whether solutiones communitarias and the asesores involved should be focused on making money or providing resources to those who don’t have access to them. Some of our campaigns were truly going the last mile and in tiny communities that could only be reached by riding in the back of a pick-up truck for 4 hours while others were in the middle of a medium sized town on market day. These definitely have different feels, attract different customers, and require different marketing strategies. However, at the end of the day we decided that the primary goal of solutiones communitarias is to provide resources but a close second is having the asesores make money and selling a lot of products. That fundamental question is certainly one I will continue to roll around in my head.

It has been empowering to have our feedback be so valued. We have been challenged to turn our criticisms and frustrations into recommendations for improvement. I really believe and trust they are taking these recommendations to heart and it is pretty incredible to feel equipped enough to be able to provide an educated evaluation of this operation.

For lunch I went with a crew to an amazing Columbian restaurant that was recommended by both SEC and my favorite book (thanks to Hannah Carmen), Lonely Planet. When we arrived the owner greeted us by introducing himself, shaking our hands, and showing us to a table. After looking over the menu I ordered a traditional almuerzo, which has become what I crave when I am hungry and it is definitely the best bang for your buck. Columbian’s serve a banana with their soup which was a fun supplement to the first course. At the end of the meal, the owner thanked us for our business and made sure we all enjoyed our food. I was so impressed by how personal he was and the quality of customer service. I cannot help but analyze businesses now after giving multiple presentations on customer service, sale strategies, marketing, and organizational structure. I adored sharing this meal with my dear friend Steph who is originally from Columbia and has spent the majority of her life there. What a girl. She is my go to for information about culture, exotic foods, and just random fun facts in general. Her even temperament, unshakable nature, and fluent Spanish make her a joy to be around and an incredible asset to our team.

After lunch we had an unexpectedly fun afternoon when all the Spanish classes decided to go to the reptile zoo. I saw huge snakes, chicken-eating frogs, a crocodile, and one scary tarantula. For the last hour of class we painted a tree and described ourselves and our experiences here in Spanish. Oh how I miss 1^st grade.

Elizabeth Smith and I made our way to my favorite coffee shop called Café Austria in a torrential downpour. I was lucky enough to skype with my parents for over an hour and then skype with Laura and Scott Edwards, two Carolina friends who are both in Dallas. What a treat it was to see the faces of so many people I care about so much and hear a little bit about what is going on in their lives. But man, it was hard too. I really miss my family and friends. I have come to appreciate the people in my life more and more. There is a comfort in being known by others and there is a pain in the disconnect that time apart causes. My love for these individuals does not change, in fact it certainly grows. Skyping or spending time on facebook and email is honestly hard for me. It takes me away from where I am physically and also emotionally. But I just cannot help but want to know about the happenings in the lives of those I care about. At the end of the day, I am more excited than ever to have time at home with my family and then 9 more months at Carolina. I want to take advantage of every last moment at this school in the unbelievable community of people I have been blessed with. What a year it will be.

The end of the night was filled with exploring the city which was celebrating the end of Corpus Christi with tons of sweets, street food, thousands of people, laterns aloft in the sky, music, and fireworks. Surrounding by Ecuadorians, noises and smells it was sensory overload. The night was topped off by hanging out with some friends and returning home. Another full day in Ecuador!

PBack in Action

After a hard morning run I ate a delicious bowl of fruit and headed to school with Wick. At Amauta (our school) we discussed the different products we are working on introducing in the area. The main one my group focused on was a stove. This stove would be built by a local in a rural community and would allow women to cook using more pots, and installs a chimney with decreases health issues. It is a wonderful product and has been wildly successful in Gautemala but begin to sell it is incredibly complicated. We are working on finding men who could be trained and used to build the stoves in their region. Price is an issue and figuring out a feasible payment plan is necessary. While there are a lot of unknowns we are working hard to research through surveys, the internet, and community visits.

Lunch at home was one of my favorites today—lentil soup, rice, tomatoes, avocadoes, and meat that was like a crab cake but with tuna. Yummy. The afternoon was filled with Spanish and the evening with walking around town and enjoying dinner at a quaint restaurant that is popular for travelers and has fireplaces inside.

The weather in Cuenca is funny right now and the days start very chilly, around 40 degrees, and by mid afternoon it is sunny and hot, in the low 80s, returning to cold by sunset. It is hard to dress for. Tonight after class I found myself freezing and I have been wanting another jacket or sweatshirt. I walked around markets and shops for a good hour with Elizabeth trying to find the right item. Finally it was spotted, a beautiful cream colored, hand knitted large sweater---perfect. I met the woman who made it, tried it on and immediately felt warmer. I tried to bargain ever so slightly and made the price $20. The look on her face told me something had to be wrong, I asked again how much it cost and she said $18. No wonder she was so willing to sell it to me for $20 but seemed utterly confused when I suggested that price. We got a good laugh out of that one. I must be a little homesick because the sweater I chose is very much like one my mom wears all the time. This sweater of my mom’s is a go to and it is one of those articles of clothing I see when I picture my mom in my head. Wearing this new sweater tonight was a little taste of home.

This week is the festival of Corpus Christi and the main square is lined with at least 25 tents full of nothing but delicious sweets and treats. Everything from chocolate cover coconut balls to cookies to cakes to candies to bars to lollipops—literally more sweets than you know what to do with. I walk through just to see it but tonight I finally cracked and man was my sweet tooth satisfied. The square in the center of town was covered with people, vendors, food, entertainment, music and fireworks. Apparently the celebration ends tomorrow but I am adoring the colorful crowd.

Epic Hike- Podecarpus

Today was another day of adventure in Ecuador and man does it make me feel alive. After running along the only big road through Yantzaza with the mountains, fields, families, and wildlife all around me I showered and ate breakfast. Daniel, Matt, Margaret, SJ, and I all caught a taxi to the terminal where we were embarking on a journey to Podecarpus National Park. First, we had to catch a bus to Zamora. We were quickly ushered onto a large bus of which we were the only passengers. The bus attendants then began closing the curtains and asked us to go to the seats in the back. While we thought this was a little odd we were not too terribly concerned, especially with 6’5’’ 200 pound Matt with us. The bus made no stops on the way to Zamora and did not even take us all the way to the terminal. We found out later that we were likely illegally riding and these men were trying to make money off of us on their drive to another location. Oops. However, it worked out for both of us because they made money and we got there in half the time it usually takes.

Once in Zamora we caught a truck to the park and proceeded to hike the remaining 20 minutes to the administrative offices. At this point it is pouring outside and none of us decided to bring our raincoats. I cannot imagine a better group for these conditions. No one even thought about complaining about the conditions, instead we saw it as merely adding to the experience. We put our electronics in plastic bags and began our hikes after looking at the trail maps. Our first hike was about 20 minutes that led us to an unbelievable waterfall. By this time we are all SOAKED from head to two. It was as if I had just jumped into a pool and re-emerged to trek through the jungle without ringing my clothes. We found refuge under a rock at the waterfall, from which we were able to take a few pictures. Standing in the pouring rain, wet from head to two, in the jungle, surrounded by mountains and wildlife, underneath an enormous waterfall with five new friends in the middle of Ecuador was one of the most invigorating feelings I have had in a long while. We were rendered speechless and giddy with disbelief at our current predicament.

                Eventually we decided to keep hiking to warm ourselves up and we decided to try another trial that said 25 minutes to a view. This proved to be a very interesting decision and led us to a hike that ended up being over an hour of straight uphill climbing. Thankfully the rain had slowed to a drizzle which decreased our slipping but did nothing to helping our burning quads. We were grabbing hold of roots and vines as we ventured up the mountain to an unknown destination. While we were concerned and confused about how long this was taking us we were happily distracted by the diverse and gorgeous vegetation all around us. Plants, trees, flower, and vines were rich in color and things we had never before seen. One particularly pesky fern had prickly thorns on the bottom of it that we did our best to avoid after they attacked us a few times. Every time there was a clearing in the trees we had an amazing view of the mountains and clouds all around us. After over an hour of ascension we were muddy, exhausted, and the path was continually getting narrower and more treacherous. We decided to turn around and attempt to make our way down the incline we had just come up. While we had many muddy falls and clung to multiple branches, we finally made it back to the bottom, exhausted, humored, dirty, and thoroughly satisfied with our hiking adventure. We found the guide at the park and asked him where we had gone. He told us it was a hard hike and you should not go too far up because it gets dangerous. This news was no surprise to us. What a day we had. Tired and hungry we left the park and returned to be picked up by a truck and dropped off at the terminal in Zamora. We boarded the bus COVERED in mud, scratches and still soaked from head to toe. We have grown accustomed to being stated at wherever we go because we are gringos. However, today it reached a whole new level as literally every single person in Zamora would lock their eyes on us for an extended period of time trying to figure out why the heck these white skinned, blue eyed, blonde haired people were walking around wet and muddy. All we could do was laugh. After hours and hours spent on public transportation we have seen many ridiculous things. People boarding the bus with chickens, cats, produce, candy, food, children etc. Many people have a stench we like to call the “campo funk” (farm funk) and there is no such thing as personal space. Those who are standing will lean on your seat and it gets crowded and smelly fast. Today was a total reversal of roles. We were the sticky, weird, people standing in the bus, some enjoying street food and definitely slightly on top of the people around us. What an amusing and unforgettable day.

                After a freezing cold shower we all were clean and dry for the first time in six hours. We ventured to our favorite restaurant in Yantzaza where they serve delicious chicken, rice, plantains, and soap with popcorn. After hiking all day with very little food, this meal tasted delightful. Joined by the rest of our group had done a campaign that day, we all explored a local discoteca which we were the only patrons of that night. We had our own dance party and then retired to our rooms. What a completely exhilarating and liberating day.

Reflection

This morning we were charged with the task of processing all we have seen and done as a group. We sat around and talked about all the communities we have visited, products seen, charlas given, campaigns completed, and surveys finished. It was very beneficial to put down our throughs, observations, and give advice for the other interns who will be visiting all these communities in the following two weeks.

I then had a traditional almuerzo (lunch) at a new restaurant with Daniel and Steph. I am beginning to crave a big traditional meal of soup, rice, beans, and meat whenever I am hungry now. The whole group then ventured to a resort type place called Tierra Dorada. It is about 5 minutes from town and charges a $3 entry fee to use the pool, sauna, and bar/restaurant. The beautiful setting provided for an awesome afternoon of laying in the sun, playing uno when it rained, and just enjoying being together. I truly adore these people and am growing closer and closer with them every day. We returned to Yantzaza for dinner, ice cream, and hanging out in the central park area in town. What a solid and full day!

Artisan Goods

The morning began bright and early with a long run with Sarah Jean, Margaret, and Maria Luz. We wandered along the road out of town and ended up running and talking for over an hour in the misty rain. Afterwards we showered and ate our complimentary breakfast of juice, eggs, a grilled cheese and coffee. Yummy.

We rode a truck to the small community of Gautalupe where we visited the homes of four different artisans. All had similar goods of beaded necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and key chains. Most were gorgeous but some were slightly tacky. We all bought gifts for ourselves or goods to bring home to friends. One particular artisan, Mercedes, is mother to 11 children, expecting her 12th and grandmother of 3. Here house was filled with children of all ages running around and loving staring at the odd white skinned people inhabiting their home. It was a great to be in her home and felt rewarding to buy her products, however my heart aches for her. She is trying to support so many people and I know it cannot be easy. Earrings were between $1-2 and bracelets around $.50. I later found out that earrings take half a day to make and bracelets around 2 hours. I don’t know how to feel about paying so little for what took someone so long to make. I want to provide immediately for these women by giving them an income however there has to be a better long term solution.

The women cooked us traditional empanadas and tamales for lunch, followed by our product analysis and a consultation presentation we delivered on sales strategies. It was a nice to be able to give sales advice and hopefully information that will develop their businesses and increase their incomes. However, after spending a day with these women, it is difficult to leave them behind without following up on the progress of their business personally. The other SEC group will be visiting them in 3 weeks and they will forever have a relationship with SEC. I want to see the job to completion but unfortunately that is not in the job description this summer.

Delaying the ride home because of rain we played a rousing game of Celebrity. We eventually put on our raincoats and had a wet ride home. Dinner and great conversations filled the night time. Now I am headed to sleep and excited about a relaxing weekend ahead.

Hasta Luego,

Cate

Value

This may be the most beautiful country in the world. Although my travels are limited, it is hard to beat a country that is nestled in the Andes, has a coastal region, and includes the jungle. What an unbelievable span of natural terrains. Riding in the back of a pick-up truly allows us to appreciate Ecuador in all its glory. I usually sit down in the cab because I like being outside, getting sun, feeling the breeze, seeing the views, and spending time with my friends, however I want to play it safe. I am letting go and being free but the voice of reason inside of me keeps me inside the cab where I am less likely to fall out when the truck driver takes sharp turns or goes over the abundant potholes that plague the roads and dirt paths in this country. However, today I was the first one to the truck so I jumped in the back and had the first seat on the edge near the front (with a bar to hold on to—don’t worry too much mom). The ride back was at dusk, my favorite time of day, and the rush of the wind against my face while looking at the golden and pink lined clouds with the sun setting over the mountains was unreal. A few bugs pounded my face which could have been a nuisance but today they were the perfect addition to the whole experience. I felt alive, I felt free, and I felt far away from Chapel Hill, Nashville and everything that is familiar.

This car ride followed another full day here. At 7am our crew ventured to a restaurant for breakfast of fruit, eggs, three huge pieces of bread, sweet tomato juice, and coffee with milk. I woke up hungry and was satisfied. Before departing on our journey, we all received rubber boots up to our knees in preparation for the trek through the jungle mud we would shortly be going on. After an hour truck ride we ventured through the mud and muck to arrive at the indigenous community of the Shuar people. They are related to the Ashuar in the North, known for their rituals of shrinking skulls, fighting off the Spanish, and other impressive feats and cultish practices. They are also known for their alcohol drink that is the fermented spit of the women after chewing sugar cane. If offered this drink, we were told we could not refuse because it is considered the highest honor and would be rude to decline. This scenario was unlikely however, and luckily we were not faced with the task of consuming this unique beverage.

Once in the community we conducted a charla, or consultation on team work and organization in the morning and on sales strategies in the afternoon. This community is hoping to start a tourism initiative allowing tourists to come to their community, learn from the indigenous people and enjoy the gorgeous land. They want to include hikes to waterfalls, information about wildlife and the ecology of the land, delicious natural food, artisan goods, canoe adventures, and historical education. They need help combining their ideas and forming a tangible plan and timeline. I think the day was productive and constructive for them. In between Charla’s we learned about the medicinal plants they use, picked and ate clementines from a tree, played with a 17 year old pet turtle, and devoured a delicious traditional lunch. Doing our best to avoid losing a shoe in the mud which did happen a few times, we trekked back to civilization. We rode a boat back to Yantzaza while being amazed by the river and rainbow that spanned the sky at the time. Our day ended in the back of a truck riding home.

This organization feels kind of like a garage project where we are making posters and presenting information in simple and easy to understand terms. It is simple, through and through. Yet it is making a huge difference in the lives of those it reaches. And the most amazing part is that we strive to reach far. Today we had to take a truck, a boat, and then hike in rubber boots for 30 minutes to provide free advice to these indigenous people. How incredible. It is difficult at times to stay motivated and keep a good grasp on the vision. However, I have to constantly remember I am part of something that is much bigger than me and does not always produce immediate results. But if I am able to have a hand in changing the life of just one person in the most remote village in Ecuador what a privilege that is. I must continually hold onto the perspective that every person has intrinsic value and worth. They deserve love and care. For whatever reason I have been blessed with abundant access to resources and opportunity; education, loving parents, a supportive community, financial security, American citizenship, etc. So many of the circumstances that have allowed me to excel thus far were out of my control. However, unto whom much is given, much is required. I am striving to honor all those who have contributed to my well-being and provide access to some of the same resources for these equally valuable individuals in Ecuador be it love, compassion, a listening ear, business advice, or eye-glasses, I am here to do what I can with what I have and to learn along the way. Man am I learning.

Thanks for reading.

Hasta luego,

Cate

New friends are fun

Today was a fantastic day spent with interns. I arose to go on a morning run with Maria Luz which was such a joy. We reached the edge of town after only 5 minutes of running but continued on down the four lane highway. Breakfast in the hotel was a grilled cheese, scrambled eggs, fresh papaya juice, and coffee. We then found ourselves in the back of a truck once again.

We spent the morning marketing for our campaign in a small village that is happening on Saturday. Marketing consists of us literally going door to door, handing out fliers, brochures, and putting up posters in prime locations. We are broken records on repeat telling every single person in this community about the free eye exams, glasses, solar lamps, and water purification filters. Some people were cleaning, others on horseback, others teaching school, others working at their tienda. It was a fun and purposeful morning. I truly am excited to bring resources to the members of this community that could change their lifestyles. Some may be able to read now, do homework at night if electricity goes out, or drink healthy water. It is a blessing to play a small role in this big project.

After our marketing we rode back in rain which was a wet ride. Lunch was delicious and full of fun conversation. We function as a family, eating each other’s left-overs, and just passing time naturally together. The afternoon was spent planning our consultation tomorrow which required tweaking our sales strategies presentation. The group we are working with is hoping to start a tourism initiative in their small indigenous community. Essentially we are facilitating brainstorming session for them and helping them to streamline their ideas.

Tonight we bought avocados and tomatoes and made our own fresh and delicious salad to enjoy in the hotel. We have been flipping through old photos and sharing funny high school and college stories. I love these people.

Hasta luego,

Cate

Avocados and Tomatoes

Today was a fantastic day spent with interns. I arose to go on a morning run with Maria Luz which was such a joy. We reached the edge of town after only 5 minutes of running but continued on down the four lane highway. Breakfast in the hotel was a grilled cheese, scrambled eggs, fresh papaya juice, and coffee. We then found ourselves in the back of a truck once again.

We spent the morning marketing for our campaign in a small village that is happening on Saturday. Marketing consists of us literally going door to door, handing out fliers, brochures, and putting up posters in prime locations. We are broken records on repeat telling every single person in this community about the free eye exams, glasses, solar lamps, and water purification filters. Some people were cleaning, others on horseback, others teaching school, others working at their tienda. It was a fun and purposeful morning. I truly am excited to bring resources to the members of this community that could change their lifestyles. Some may be able to read now, do homework at night if electricity goes out, or drink healthy water. It is a blessing to play a small role in this big project.

After our marketing we rode back in rain which was a wet ride. Lunch was delicious and full of fun conversation. We function as a family, eating each other’s left-overs, and just passing time naturally together. The afternoon was spent planning our consultation tomorrow which required tweaking our sales strategies presentation. The group we are working with is hoping to start a tourism initiative in their small indigenous community. Essentially we are facilitating brainstorming session for them and helping them to streamline their ideas.

Tonight we bought avocados and tomatoes and made our own fresh and delicious salad to enjoy in the hotel. We have been flipping through old photos and sharing funny high school and college stories. I love these people.

Yantzaza

The days are beginning to pass more and more quickly and I want to stop time. Today I arose early and ran around Loja one last time. I packed up all my belongings and enjoyed a lingering complimentary breakfast with friends in the café next to the hotel. We took a cattle truck to the terminal with all our belongings and rode once more for over 3 hours to Yantzaza.

Our hotel in Yantzaza is called Oriental Hotel and it is a quirky little joint. It is three stories with rooms that smell a little funky, some damp, some mild-dewy, and others a more non-distinct odor. It has a common space on the second floor that has couches, green and white with a tacky floral design. The décor is fake plants, flowers, and two paintings (or prints?) of an ocean landscape. There is no air conditioning and I feel perpetually sticky. It certainly has its charm---the “oriental” hotel in the middle of Ecuador.

We all had a 3:30pm traditional lunch and had a simple orientation on the small town of Yantzaza. We then all walked around the city, if you can even call it that, which is about 12 blocks long and 4 blocks deep. I love it though. The streets are wide, clean, and filled with people. It a lively place and there are joyful children playing everywhere. Because there is not tons of development you can see the beautiful mountains surrounding this valley town. We were able to walk all over the town and poke our heads in most shops in the matter of a couple of hours. Wherever we walked we were certainly a spectacle. I have a feeling we are the most gringos this town has seen in a while. At dusk we sat at a small restaurant, enjoyed some drinks, and shared life stories. I am fairly confident this restaurant saw significantly more business tonight because people wanted to observe us. Oh my. At one point I ventured to the bathroom which required walking through the kitchen where the family was preparing the food, some sitting playing cards, and another woman doing laundry. There was a gorgeous golden retriever sitting in the garden. I had to restrain myself to not pet this friendly animal that reminded me of home.

I truly love this city and I am really looking forward to the time we will spend there. It is quite possible for us to eat at the majority of the good restaurants and for my morning run to easily cover the entire town. This week is much less hectic than the last, partially because we just have less time in transit to and from different locations and partially because we will be able to recycle consultation presentations. I am excited for a little slower pace and more time to explore and relax with one another.

Hast luego,

Cate

Market

What  a day it was. We met downstairs at 5:40am and headed to the terminal before the sun was up. We proceeded to ride in 3 different buses to arrive 4 hours away in a small town for a market. Two asesores were running a market, giving free eye exams, selling eye glasses, solar lamps, seeds, pure water filters, and energy efficient light bulbs. These asesores were two women living in poverty in Yanzatza and making commission on these sales is a significant income for these women and their families. They have already had to complete extensive training in business practices and become intimately acquainted with the products they are selling. As interns we are responsible for being extra hands, publicizing products, and conducting surveys about future products we may introduce. Today was insane. We had over seventy people receive eye exams between 10:30 and 2:30. Margaret and I were scrambling to make sales pitches in Spanish and promote our products while people waited for their eye exams. It was quite the challenge but we were so busy there was really no time to think. At one point I was giving an oral survey to a woman and I began to feel incredibly dizzy. I knew I needed to be close to the ground or I was going to fall down. I told the woman in English “I’m sorry, I need to sit down” and I collapsed on the ground. Immediately, someone yelled and before I knew it Maria Luz, our program director was supporting me and wiping water on my forehead. My head felt really hot and like it was exploding, my hands and legs were shaking, and I felt like I was going to go to the bathroom in my pants or throw up. I was being given water to drink and food to eat but I could not open my eyes. Finally, after a few minutes I was able to stand and move out of the center of the market. I laid on a bench in the shade and drank Gatorade until my legs stop shaking. Apparently I was green in the face. It was the oddest sensation as I have never fainted or done anything close to that. I felt completely out of control of my body and it was truly scary. However, after drinking a ton of fluids I was fully recovered. We enjoyed a big, late lunch and continued selling the products. By the end of the day, we had made over $500 and each of the asesores made $87. According to Maria Luz, this was the most successful campaign she had ever been a part of. It was so rewarding to see the look on the asesores’ faces and know how much impact this extra income will have for their family. They were empowered and I was lucky enough to play a small role in it.

At the end of the day we journeyed the 4 hours home. I slept most of the way but woke up to see the gorgeous stars and beautiful view. After a 16 hour work day, I am ready for a good night of sleep!

Hasta Luego,

Cate