I was lacking in the update department this week so I guess I'll just have 3 today.
One thing I realized this week which is really interesting to me is the fact that a large amount of people here probably can't read or write. Such a strange concept since most of the people I interact with are able to. The busses here are different colors to let people know the routes and then there are men who yell out the front where the bus is going in case people can't read the signs on the front. Some of them have stripes and stuff too to distinguish them. It's just such a foreign concept because everyone I know is able to read by the age of 5. Just a different way of living since I'm in a third world country.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Bull fighting
Yesterday I went with my host uncle to a festival where there was flamenco dancing and bull fighting! I almost didn't go as I felt so sick from this week, but I realized I would have been home alone all day if I didn't so it was good I went. He's a crazy guy but was so fun to talk to. I learned a lot about Ecuador and culture from him so it was so interesting.
The bull fighting was an interesting experience. They raise specific breeds of cows just for it, the females are for smaller events like this one and the males are for bigger celebrations like the independence day (December 6) celebration. They start off releasing the bulls into the ring, then they trick them by having lots of guys wave their pink capes at them. Then one guy is the main fighter so he takes a red cape and tries to get the bull to make circles around him, to which the crowd says "Ole." If he's doing a good job, music starts to play. If not, no music. I felt like I was in Spain. I'm glad they didn't kill these ones after fighting them. They're females so they're raised to produce more potential bulls.
Then I went with Fabian to a family member's hacienda which was up a mountain a ways and they had cows and dogs. It was beautiful. I think my favorite part was still driving through the little, broken down towns. I love them and have since going to Guatemala. I think they're so beautiful and cute even though the houses are falling apart and they're not what the majority of people would call beautiful.
The bull fighting was an interesting experience. They raise specific breeds of cows just for it, the females are for smaller events like this one and the males are for bigger celebrations like the independence day (December 6) celebration. They start off releasing the bulls into the ring, then they trick them by having lots of guys wave their pink capes at them. Then one guy is the main fighter so he takes a red cape and tries to get the bull to make circles around him, to which the crowd says "Ole." If he's doing a good job, music starts to play. If not, no music. I felt like I was in Spain. I'm glad they didn't kill these ones after fighting them. They're females so they're raised to produce more potential bulls.
Then I went with Fabian to a family member's hacienda which was up a mountain a ways and they had cows and dogs. It was beautiful. I think my favorite part was still driving through the little, broken down towns. I love them and have since going to Guatemala. I think they're so beautiful and cute even though the houses are falling apart and they're not what the majority of people would call beautiful.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Atacames
This weekend was really fun. We went to Atacames, a beach in the northern coast of Ecuador. It was beautiful and so nice to be at the beach again. I missed large bodies of water. The bus ride there was nice but I felt motion sick the whole way. We started out in the mountains which were absolutely beautiful and majestic. Love the Andes. Slept most of the way to try to deter the sickness and then we got to Atacames around 11pm. We found our hotel, in which we were the only guests but I guess we had 17 people and 3 cabanas to stay in. We got ready and went out to the beach. Ran straight for the water to stick our toes in the ocean. Wouldn't be the last time we did this that night. We did what college kids do at bars and eventually, but probably not the best idea, went swimming in the ocean around 1am. Liberating. Then we just went to bed around 3.
The next day everyone woke up by 8 which was a terrible idea but we couldn't sleep anymore. I would have slept longer but I heard the word "panaderia" and wanted food immediately. We eventually ate at the hotel a breakfast of eggs, ham and bread. Delish. We later headed for the beach and swam, although the water didn't feel as warm as it did the night before. We went to explore some cool rocks and caves that had a ton of little crabs and critters to observe. Haha later we buried Jeff and Thomas in mud, making them mud men. We eventually covered Jeff's face and everything in mud, and that sand does not come off when you try to wash it off. Then we went into town to try to find food, ate at this seafood restaurant which was pretty good. Everyone was getting tired so we went down the beach a bit, saw a few other gringos, and I took a nap. Others made a sand castle which eventually was washed away in an epic manner by the tide. We swam a lot; the waves were fantastic and perfect for riding. Some of them pulled me into the shore, like up on the sand. So fun! After that, we went back to the hotel, showered, rested, and headed out for another night. Ate shish kabobs of meat for dinner. That night I had lots of good conversations with Ben, Jeff, and others about life so that was fun. It was just a good, fun night.
Next day we got up and found out Jeff had had a little mishap while sleeping. He got up in the middle of the night to get water/go to the bathroom and his bed collapsed! He was on the top bunk and it just pivoted wrong and he fell. Got an epic mark on his foot from something, so that was funny. Luckily he was mostly okay. Ate another delicious breakfast and then went out to explore the rocks again. They were absolutely fantastic. Lots of caves and rocks to explore. Me, Ricardo, Thomas, Jeff and Jessie swam out to this island which I later learned had lots of sharks swimming around. The island had lots of sharp rocks and shells before it so it was a bit of a challenge to get to, but we did eventually. Then the tide came in so we had to get back to the hotel, shower, pack, and head for the bus station. Ate at this nasty place that had zero sanitation so that was nice. Slept on the bus ride home but didn't get motion sick- score!
I got really sick after this trip. Like I've been sick for a week now with an intestinal infection. I went to the doctor Tuesday to get everything checked out and they did a poop sample and I have amoebas, parasites and bacteria that are causing problems in me. Didn't go to school for 3 days and probably shouldn't have the other days this week. It was bad, and it's really hard to be sick in another country with another family taking care of you. I was craving my mom's chicken noodle soup all week. I think I'm starting to get better so that's good!
The next day everyone woke up by 8 which was a terrible idea but we couldn't sleep anymore. I would have slept longer but I heard the word "panaderia" and wanted food immediately. We eventually ate at the hotel a breakfast of eggs, ham and bread. Delish. We later headed for the beach and swam, although the water didn't feel as warm as it did the night before. We went to explore some cool rocks and caves that had a ton of little crabs and critters to observe. Haha later we buried Jeff and Thomas in mud, making them mud men. We eventually covered Jeff's face and everything in mud, and that sand does not come off when you try to wash it off. Then we went into town to try to find food, ate at this seafood restaurant which was pretty good. Everyone was getting tired so we went down the beach a bit, saw a few other gringos, and I took a nap. Others made a sand castle which eventually was washed away in an epic manner by the tide. We swam a lot; the waves were fantastic and perfect for riding. Some of them pulled me into the shore, like up on the sand. So fun! After that, we went back to the hotel, showered, rested, and headed out for another night. Ate shish kabobs of meat for dinner. That night I had lots of good conversations with Ben, Jeff, and others about life so that was fun. It was just a good, fun night.
Next day we got up and found out Jeff had had a little mishap while sleeping. He got up in the middle of the night to get water/go to the bathroom and his bed collapsed! He was on the top bunk and it just pivoted wrong and he fell. Got an epic mark on his foot from something, so that was funny. Luckily he was mostly okay. Ate another delicious breakfast and then went out to explore the rocks again. They were absolutely fantastic. Lots of caves and rocks to explore. Me, Ricardo, Thomas, Jeff and Jessie swam out to this island which I later learned had lots of sharks swimming around. The island had lots of sharp rocks and shells before it so it was a bit of a challenge to get to, but we did eventually. Then the tide came in so we had to get back to the hotel, shower, pack, and head for the bus station. Ate at this nasty place that had zero sanitation so that was nice. Slept on the bus ride home but didn't get motion sick- score!
I got really sick after this trip. Like I've been sick for a week now with an intestinal infection. I went to the doctor Tuesday to get everything checked out and they did a poop sample and I have amoebas, parasites and bacteria that are causing problems in me. Didn't go to school for 3 days and probably shouldn't have the other days this week. It was bad, and it's really hard to be sick in another country with another family taking care of you. I was craving my mom's chicken noodle soup all week. I think I'm starting to get better so that's good!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
There are so many random jobs that people have here that don't exist in the States, or at least aren't as prevalent. A lot of houses have maids that either come once or twice a week or live with the family during the week, like mine. I can see already the lack of police here. I mean, I see the policemen a lot but they never seem to do much. There are always guards outside people's houses and buildings who do no more than open doors. Lately near my house, these guys direct traffic at the intersections where there are already functioning lights. They blow their really annoying whistles a lot. Oh well.
They're really weird about feet here. Feet are apparently the dirtiest thing ever. Cannot leave the ground. Good thing I can never handle when my feet touch the ground when I'm sitting down...
The pollution is really bad here. Like I'll be walking down the street and a huge cloud of black smoke comes at my face. I also just ate something that makes me never want to eat again. This is pleasant.
BEACH TOMORROW!!! Should be quite the adventure. We'll see how it goes.
They're really weird about feet here. Feet are apparently the dirtiest thing ever. Cannot leave the ground. Good thing I can never handle when my feet touch the ground when I'm sitting down...
The pollution is really bad here. Like I'll be walking down the street and a huge cloud of black smoke comes at my face. I also just ate something that makes me never want to eat again. This is pleasant.
BEACH TOMORROW!!! Should be quite the adventure. We'll see how it goes.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Basilica
As to be expected, I haven't been super great at updating this lately.
Sunday was really fun. Me, Ben and Jeff went downtown to the Basilica for mass and then we climbed up the towers. It was terrifying. We climbed up these little stairs, then spiral staircases, ladders, and across the wooden bridge of death. I was more than a little scared at times but it was so worth it for all of the views of the city we got to see. Check out my facebook pictures for the views.
Other than that I've just been trying to do homework, which is really difficult since everything is in Spanish. I keep trying to tell myself to just use Spanish during the days but that's also difficult. My internet in my room doesn't work so I've been either using it at school (where I am now) or I awkwardly sit with my computer at the kitchen table and go on the computer.
Okay well I should probably be heading home now. I'm going to the beach this weekend so need to finish lots of homework before I head out! I hope it's fun. We're going to Atacames which should be great.
Sunday was really fun. Me, Ben and Jeff went downtown to the Basilica for mass and then we climbed up the towers. It was terrifying. We climbed up these little stairs, then spiral staircases, ladders, and across the wooden bridge of death. I was more than a little scared at times but it was so worth it for all of the views of the city we got to see. Check out my facebook pictures for the views.
Other than that I've just been trying to do homework, which is really difficult since everything is in Spanish. I keep trying to tell myself to just use Spanish during the days but that's also difficult. My internet in my room doesn't work so I've been either using it at school (where I am now) or I awkwardly sit with my computer at the kitchen table and go on the computer.
Okay well I should probably be heading home now. I'm going to the beach this weekend so need to finish lots of homework before I head out! I hope it's fun. We're going to Atacames which should be great.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Nono
Yesterday Ben and I walked around Cumbaya, which is the town where my university is, about a 20 minute bus ride away from Quito. It was nice to be in a small town again, I missed the "country" and the small town atmosphere. Then we came home, rested and then went out again. We rode the bus to the mall to meet a few other people. So it was Ben, Jeff and I about to board the bus. We saw it was pretty full but Ben got on anyway. He squished himself on there so there was no room for Jeff and I. Probably the funniest moment of the day, watching Ben leave while completely smashed into the bus. The next bus came, also very crowded. Jeff and I got on and didn't even need to use the bars or railings because there were so many other people around that we just stood there, not moving. Talk about lack of personal space. So funny. We eventually got to the mall, found everyone, and then they all went out but I was tired so came home.
This morning I woke up at good ol' 6am and went to go to a hacienda in a town called Nono, about an hour's bus ride away. Rode the windy mountain roads that reminded me a lot of riding around in Guatemala, only I was in a bus which made me car sick instead of standing in the back of a pick-up truck. We got to this small town and walked in a pasture to this house. The view from there was spectacular, rolling hills and mountains everywhere with cows, horses, pigs, etc. Let's just say we were provided with some beverages and games where the winners/losers had to drink said beverages in amount. Everyone had to drink them. But it was fun, nonetheless. We played "traditional Ecuadorian games" aka sack race, wheel barrow race, spin around on a pole and try to run, climbing stuff- although 2 members of each team had to climb this pole that was covered in lard so it was slippery and had to try to make it as high as possible. It was really entertaining. Then lunch, then we just hung out amongst the clouds. Like the clouds began coming down and then just stayed for the rest of the time we were there. So cool but then it also got freezing! I think I got sunburnt today. Dang equator sun.
The ride home was very windy and mountainous and I still feel a bit dizzy and car sick after it. I shall go rest and go to bed early tonight after this long day of fun.
This morning I woke up at good ol' 6am and went to go to a hacienda in a town called Nono, about an hour's bus ride away. Rode the windy mountain roads that reminded me a lot of riding around in Guatemala, only I was in a bus which made me car sick instead of standing in the back of a pick-up truck. We got to this small town and walked in a pasture to this house. The view from there was spectacular, rolling hills and mountains everywhere with cows, horses, pigs, etc. Let's just say we were provided with some beverages and games where the winners/losers had to drink said beverages in amount. Everyone had to drink them. But it was fun, nonetheless. We played "traditional Ecuadorian games" aka sack race, wheel barrow race, spin around on a pole and try to run, climbing stuff- although 2 members of each team had to climb this pole that was covered in lard so it was slippery and had to try to make it as high as possible. It was really entertaining. Then lunch, then we just hung out amongst the clouds. Like the clouds began coming down and then just stayed for the rest of the time we were there. So cool but then it also got freezing! I think I got sunburnt today. Dang equator sun.
The ride home was very windy and mountainous and I still feel a bit dizzy and car sick after it. I shall go rest and go to bed early tonight after this long day of fun.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Yesterday, Ben, Jeff, Meaghan and I went to try to climb to the top of the Basilica downtown but we got there too late. I hear you climb up this spiral staircase with no railing and then can see really far from the top. We'll have to go another time. Then we went to a cafe to get out of the rain and it was very gringo-friendly. Our waiter was a gem. Hot chocolate and mozzarella cheese cubes hit the spot- still don't know why they gave us cheese. I've been trying to get my Censo, like the Ecuadorian ID card, everyday for the past few days but they either take too long or are closed or something ridiculous. I now know how difficult is to enter a country, can't imagine doing it without these clear instructions from the University and if you didn't know the language. The whole process is annoying but I guess is necessary to not have too many illegal people come in. I hear Ecuador lets almost anyone into the country, though. That's both good and bad and is what I discussed in my conversations class yesterday.
I got my schedule (finally) figured out today. What a stressful process!
Areas Protegidas (talking about protected areas in Ecuador/the world)
Gender and Society
History of Latin America
Intermediate Spanish Conversation
I'm finally getting homework so I should probably go work on that. I feel like I need to do extra since everything is in Spanish and is kind of confusing.
Comment on my blog so I know people read it! I guess it's good for me to also be able to remember everything that happens this semester, but comments are appreciated :)
I got my schedule (finally) figured out today. What a stressful process!
Areas Protegidas (talking about protected areas in Ecuador/the world)
Gender and Society
History of Latin America
Intermediate Spanish Conversation
I'm finally getting homework so I should probably go work on that. I feel like I need to do extra since everything is in Spanish and is kind of confusing.
Comment on my blog so I know people read it! I guess it's good for me to also be able to remember everything that happens this semester, but comments are appreciated :)
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