So I have been back in the States for a little over a month now and have gotten to spend some time with my family as well as see some friends from high school and college. I am slowly but surely starting to readjust and I decided it was about time to write my last Blog entry for this adventure.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't happy to be back in the States and I would also be lying if I said I didn't miss the people of El Retiro and all of my youth and kids in Ecuador. It really is a very unique situation that I decided to put myself in. I put myself into an environment, where I knew I would never truly belong, and then I forced myself to make a life there. But man have I ever gained a lot from doing that.
First things first - Readjustment. It certainly isn't easy, that is for sure. And let me be the first to tell you that they are some things that you think you might have missed, but haven't! For example:
1 - The television and technology: Half of the stuff you watch on TV you kick yourself for being silly enough to waste time watching but then you continue to watch it because it is addicting for some odd reason. And as for technology, I get that it all can be very useful...but I am just not there yet. Don't tweet me, just call me for crying out loud!
2 - All of the different foods: Sometimes not having so many options is actually a good thing...the cereal aisle really is kind of scary! And of course almost everything costs more.
3 - Warm water: As enjoyable it is for showers, I often find myself forgetting to turn the knob from hot to cold or visa-versa as I'm just used to turning the faucet on and getting what you get.
4 - Cars: Driving can be scary sometimes and I have to admit I miss being able to have some drinks and then just all hoping on a bus and getting safely home. Not to mention...traffic can be a major downer and sometimes it is just nice not to have to drive and waste the gas money!
5 - Full length mirrors and air-conditioning: Sometimes you really don't want to see yourself full figured! It is easier/better to see a small portion. And as nice as air-conditioning can be, darn do I ever get cold sitting in church or at the grocery store because they have it cranked up!
And then of course there are those things which you really have missed:
1 - Family and friends: There is nothing that can come close to having people around you who really do understand you and know you.
2 - Being clean: Don't miss the dirt and heat or the fact that I never really felt clean while in Ecuador.
3 - Washer and drying: I can't say that I miss my concrete slab and having to hand wash my clothes at least once or twice a week just so it wouldn't become too overwhelming to do all at once.
4 - Blending in: There are other tall white girls around me and I LOVE it. I really don't like having all the attention on me.
5 - Microwave popcorn: What can I say? I know what I like and I have missed having a microwave for a lot of different things.
I am sure that there is plenty more that I could add to both of the lists. But the bottom line and the point I guess I am making is that I like and dislike things about both the U.S. and Ecuador.
My trip back to Nashville went pretty well with only a few bumps along the way. I had to go through some extra steps because I brought Tito (my cat) back with me, but she is definitely worth it. Although I might not have said that when I had to take her though security with me. In case you might ever need to know, when you take a pet through airport security you have to actually take the pet out of the cage and walk through the metal detector with the pet to the other side as the cage gets sent through the x-ray machine. Tito was not to fond of that and ended up hissing at a security guard as she clawed me up a little. However, I held on tight and made sure we got her back into that cage ASAP.
Otherwise I have just been here in Nashville living with my parents which is helping a lot. And thankfully my mom, who is allergic to cats, is not having any problems with having Tito in the house (Tito is living in my bathroom and bedroom). We are all very happy about that to say the least as I love them both very much :)
I am not sure that I can really articulate what this experience has meant to me. But I can definitely say that without a doubt it has helped shape who I am. It is almost like you do a detox for two years from everything in your life; your friends, your family, your culture, you language...everything. Once you take all of the distractions out of your life, you are left with just yourself. Sometimes that can be a good thing and other times it can be a very hard thing.
Over these past two years I have learned about another culture which has in turn helped me learn more about myself in ways I never thought were possible. El Retiro will always be "mi pueblo" in Ecuador and a part of my heart will always be with those kids and youth. This experience has pushed me both mentally and physically to points which I never thought I would reach. However, sometimes you have to reach those limits to truly know and understand who you are.
Peace Corps is not an easy thing to do at all. But if you are able to stick it out, what you learn from it truly is priceless and it is something that you will take with you for the rest of your life; at least I know I will.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
One week from today!
So it is official...I am no longer a PCV but a RPCV! Turned in all of the paperwork, got all of the correct signatures, and I am once again just another U.S. citizen instead of a government employee living in Ecuador...although still having the government passport is rather nice :)
Unfortunately, the office has decided not to send a PCV to replace me at my site as they have decided that my site has too many challenges and issues for anyone in this new Omnibus group to handle. I guess that says something about myself and being able to be successful in my site over the past two years, but it also makes me really sad because the PC development program is supposed to be over 6 years split between three volunteers. I was just the first volunteer which makes me sad for my youth who won't be getting a replacement...but there isn't anything I can do about it so as Forrest Gump would say...that's all I have to say about that.
Otherwise I think I have gone into a sort of numb stage where I can't decide whether I am excited, nervous, scared, sad, happy, or anything at all really! I think this is just because you really feel all of it at once which is such a contradiction for the most part. Overall, I would have to say this is probably the most bipolar I have felt in all of my service with wanting to leave and at the same time not really feeling ready to leave as my life is here at the moment! All apart of the experience I guess.
So tonight I am headed back to my site on my last twelve hour bus ride!!! Can't say that I am going to miss those...but it is bitter sweet to be in Quito one last time.
Once back to site I am going to have about six days to pack all of my stuff up, sell the things I am selling, and give away all of the rest. It will be a fun and exciting time I am sure as emotional at the same time. But I definitely feel ready to get back to my site and start the packing.
This weekend I have my despedida, going away party, with my friends in Machala on Saturday. Then next week Monday I have my despedida with the school where I am currently teaching at and Tuesday and Wednesday I will be at my local school saying goodbye to everyone there. I am sure it will be emotional and there will be a lot of "no te vayas" (don't go), which I have already heard a lot of over this past month, but they will have a lot more meaning this next week I think.
It has been an incredible past two years in so many ways. Another chapter in my book of life as one might say. And I can honestly say that I have learned so much with this experience and I know that I will carry that information and knowledge with me for the rest of my life.
Life is all about change and everything that you do in life will have a lasting effect on who you are. Peace Corps is just another chapter in my life which is, has, and will shape who I am today. Learning to look at life from a different cultures view point is truly amazing and something I will carry with me forever.
Unfortunately, the office has decided not to send a PCV to replace me at my site as they have decided that my site has too many challenges and issues for anyone in this new Omnibus group to handle. I guess that says something about myself and being able to be successful in my site over the past two years, but it also makes me really sad because the PC development program is supposed to be over 6 years split between three volunteers. I was just the first volunteer which makes me sad for my youth who won't be getting a replacement...but there isn't anything I can do about it so as Forrest Gump would say...that's all I have to say about that.
Otherwise I think I have gone into a sort of numb stage where I can't decide whether I am excited, nervous, scared, sad, happy, or anything at all really! I think this is just because you really feel all of it at once which is such a contradiction for the most part. Overall, I would have to say this is probably the most bipolar I have felt in all of my service with wanting to leave and at the same time not really feeling ready to leave as my life is here at the moment! All apart of the experience I guess.
So tonight I am headed back to my site on my last twelve hour bus ride!!! Can't say that I am going to miss those...but it is bitter sweet to be in Quito one last time.
Once back to site I am going to have about six days to pack all of my stuff up, sell the things I am selling, and give away all of the rest. It will be a fun and exciting time I am sure as emotional at the same time. But I definitely feel ready to get back to my site and start the packing.
This weekend I have my despedida, going away party, with my friends in Machala on Saturday. Then next week Monday I have my despedida with the school where I am currently teaching at and Tuesday and Wednesday I will be at my local school saying goodbye to everyone there. I am sure it will be emotional and there will be a lot of "no te vayas" (don't go), which I have already heard a lot of over this past month, but they will have a lot more meaning this next week I think.
It has been an incredible past two years in so many ways. Another chapter in my book of life as one might say. And I can honestly say that I have learned so much with this experience and I know that I will carry that information and knowledge with me for the rest of my life.
Life is all about change and everything that you do in life will have a lasting effect on who you are. Peace Corps is just another chapter in my life which is, has, and will shape who I am today. Learning to look at life from a different cultures view point is truly amazing and something I will carry with me forever.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Two weeks from today
In exactly one week from today I will no longer be an official PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer) but a RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) and exactly two weeks from today I will be in Nashville TN along with my family and my cat from Ecuador, Tito. And to be honest, I don't even know how to let that really sink in!
My life has been here in El Retiro Ecuador for the past TWO years now. For a girl that tends to move around a lot, staying in one place for two years definitely counts for something! It has for sure been a time period that has helped me figure out what I want to do with my life and have a better understanding of others in general.
This past month my work has been coming to a close with me giving my last classes of English as well as my last English review sessions. I also ran another half marathon in Guayaquil which I ran quicker than my last time, but it wasn't near as pleasant.
I have some type of parasite that is for sure. And because of that parasite I can only run for about an hour before I literally get the runs. With this in mind, I managed to run the half marathon in 1:54:12...but it wasn't easy. For the last hour I was in a lot of pain as my parasites were not in the mood to be running. So although I managed to beat my time from the last time I ran...it wasn't nearly as pleasant. The next half marathon I am going to run is in Nashville on September 24th and I am will hopefully not have parasites then and it won't be nearly as unpleasant.
After the race we carried on for a day at the beach in Ecuador to drink rum and coke along with beers and seafood. We decided to go to a more unknown beach area called Ayangue, which was pleasant for the day. Then we went back to Guayaquil to celebrate the 4th with some other PCVs there. All in all, it was pretty nice.
That is really about all that I have been up to. The last month of service is a very unique one where you feel like there is so much to do and at the same time there is so much time just waiting around to head back to the States.
Next week I will head up to Quito to finish with the Peace Corps and then come back to El Retiro for one last week to say my goodbyes. All in all, it is a very emotional time with a lot of things to finish up and get ready to go back to the States.
My life has been here in El Retiro Ecuador for the past TWO years now. For a girl that tends to move around a lot, staying in one place for two years definitely counts for something! It has for sure been a time period that has helped me figure out what I want to do with my life and have a better understanding of others in general.
This past month my work has been coming to a close with me giving my last classes of English as well as my last English review sessions. I also ran another half marathon in Guayaquil which I ran quicker than my last time, but it wasn't near as pleasant.
I have some type of parasite that is for sure. And because of that parasite I can only run for about an hour before I literally get the runs. With this in mind, I managed to run the half marathon in 1:54:12...but it wasn't easy. For the last hour I was in a lot of pain as my parasites were not in the mood to be running. So although I managed to beat my time from the last time I ran...it wasn't nearly as pleasant. The next half marathon I am going to run is in Nashville on September 24th and I am will hopefully not have parasites then and it won't be nearly as unpleasant.
After the race we carried on for a day at the beach in Ecuador to drink rum and coke along with beers and seafood. We decided to go to a more unknown beach area called Ayangue, which was pleasant for the day. Then we went back to Guayaquil to celebrate the 4th with some other PCVs there. All in all, it was pretty nice.
That is really about all that I have been up to. The last month of service is a very unique one where you feel like there is so much to do and at the same time there is so much time just waiting around to head back to the States.
Next week I will head up to Quito to finish with the Peace Corps and then come back to El Retiro for one last week to say my goodbyes. All in all, it is a very emotional time with a lot of things to finish up and get ready to go back to the States.
Monday, June 20, 2011
41 Days and Counting
6-17-11
It is really hard for me to truly understand, much less believe, that I only have 41 more days left here in Ecuador. Time never ceases to amaze me with the mind tricks that is can play.
This past month I have been busy doing a lot of paperwork for the PC and working on tying up loose ends here and there. My work has fallen into a nice schedule where I teach English twice a week in a neighboring town, have my after school review sessions in my town three times a week, and a community bank meeting every other Monday. Those are my main projects at the moment.
I have tried to keep these projects pretty simple and laid-back as I will be leaving in a month. However, I am still working with the teachers that I have made relationships with trying to help them out with whatever I can. This past month especially I worked with the school psychologist to help plan and implement some workshops that she can do with the youth. As it is towards the end of my service, it is nice to have these relationships where I can still do some work and not have to start a new project of my own.
So all in all, I have managed to keep myself busy between my couple of classes and workshops along with working with the teachers. Then in my spare time of course there is the PC paperwork that I have to do before I can leave…and let me tell you, the government LOVES their paperwork.
Amongst surveys on pretty much every aspect of your service we have to write a one page summary of our PC service for the Country Director to sign verifying that we were in the PC, a four to five page report on your community where you live and aspects that could be useful to future volunteers at that site, and a six to ten page report summarizing you two years of service in your community and recommendations of what they need to continuing doing to keep developing…in Spanish. And those are just the main reports that we have to do before we can leave!
We have a Close of Service (COS) check list that we have to complete before we can leave the PC and I think the packet in total is about 10 pages. Three pages are the actual checklist of things you need to do or complete before you leave, such as the reports, closing your bank account, extra. The other seven or so are forms that you have to sign before you leave giving PC the right to do x, y, or z and saying that you won’t hold them responsible for x, y, or z. As you can see…I have read these forms very carefully…
Other than the work aspect I have also been busy saying my social goodbyes. I went up to Bucay one weekend for my friend’s belated birthday surprise party. More recently the El Oro cluster went to Jambeli Island one more time for a night together on the beach. All but two of the PCVs of El Oro made it out to Jambeli as well as three World Teach Volunteers from Machala. It was a really relaxing weekend on the beach one last time together which was nice.
We also went on one more day hike to Chilla El Oro where the highest point was 3,900 meters or 12,795 feet. It started to rain for the last 20 minutes of our hike give or take as well. And although the views were beautiful and amazing once again, I have to say that I am over the altitude and rain with hikes. I think the INCA trail was my high point and from there I feel pretty set on my need to hike the Andes…at least for now.
Random points to mention would be that one night when I stayed over at Sarah’s place we found a scorpion in her bed…yes that is right folks, a full grown black scorpion that must have been about 3 to 4 inches when you included the tail thing. Sarah killed it with her shoe as she screamed out die die die over and over again. Needless to say, we didn’t sleep that much that night.
I am also now included in the having amoebas club. They were asymptomatic and living happily inside of me for who knows how long really. The medicine I have to take to get ride of them was not pleasant to say the less. I had to take two horse pills a day for three days and couldn’t drink for two days after completion of the pills. Side affects of this medicine include and are not limited to upset stomach, bloating, constipation, fever, diarrhea, a lack of energy, feeling lethargic, and a metallic taste in your month. All in all, the medicine just resulted in upsetting my amoebas and now I am no longer asymptomatic but definitely still have amoebas. I plan on taking care of them when I go home as it is too much of a hassle to try and get ride of them now knowing that I will probably just get them once again before I am back in the States.
Now it is finally hitting me that I have a little more than a month left here in Ecuador….and I have to be the first to admit that I have mixed feelings. Ecuador has become my home for better or worse, and it will be weird at first to leave it to return back to the States. And yet I know that I am ready to head back to what I know and start to make a life for myself in Nashville. It is a weird mixture of feelings that I don’t even think I can put into words.
Over this next month, besides finishing my paperwork and selling or giving away most of my stuff, I am going to go to Cuenca one more time and we have a half marathon planned for July 3rd in Guayaquil with a trip to the beach attached to that weekend for the 4th of July. It will be one nice last hurrah with some of my PCV friends before we all say our final goodbyes for now.
Starting July 11th we have exams here followed by a week of vacation. Therefore, my last three weeks in country more or less I don’t really have any work as my classes stop. It will be good to have that time to wrap up all of the loose ends as well as start to apply to some jobs back home, and yet I am a little nervous to have that much time sitting around with just all of my thoughts! I am sure it will be a good thing though once it is all said and done as I am sure that I will be busier than I think for sure.
They tell you that the PC experience is the toughest job that you will ever love, which couldn’t be truer in many ways. I have learned so much about myself which I will carry with me for the rest of my life and I know that my youth will carry some of my lessons and memories with them for the rest of their lives.
However, they don’t explain to you how difficult it will be to adjust to your new life when you first arrive and how difficult it will be to leave it when the time comes. The reason they don’t explain this to you, is because they can’t explain it to you; you have to live it.
Over the past two years I have been able to truly see things for a different view point and I have made memories and experiences that will last a lifetime. As a former volunteer once said, my problem is that I am 25 years old and I have already had the experience of a lifetime.
It is really hard for me to truly understand, much less believe, that I only have 41 more days left here in Ecuador. Time never ceases to amaze me with the mind tricks that is can play.
This past month I have been busy doing a lot of paperwork for the PC and working on tying up loose ends here and there. My work has fallen into a nice schedule where I teach English twice a week in a neighboring town, have my after school review sessions in my town three times a week, and a community bank meeting every other Monday. Those are my main projects at the moment.
I have tried to keep these projects pretty simple and laid-back as I will be leaving in a month. However, I am still working with the teachers that I have made relationships with trying to help them out with whatever I can. This past month especially I worked with the school psychologist to help plan and implement some workshops that she can do with the youth. As it is towards the end of my service, it is nice to have these relationships where I can still do some work and not have to start a new project of my own.
So all in all, I have managed to keep myself busy between my couple of classes and workshops along with working with the teachers. Then in my spare time of course there is the PC paperwork that I have to do before I can leave…and let me tell you, the government LOVES their paperwork.
Amongst surveys on pretty much every aspect of your service we have to write a one page summary of our PC service for the Country Director to sign verifying that we were in the PC, a four to five page report on your community where you live and aspects that could be useful to future volunteers at that site, and a six to ten page report summarizing you two years of service in your community and recommendations of what they need to continuing doing to keep developing…in Spanish. And those are just the main reports that we have to do before we can leave!
We have a Close of Service (COS) check list that we have to complete before we can leave the PC and I think the packet in total is about 10 pages. Three pages are the actual checklist of things you need to do or complete before you leave, such as the reports, closing your bank account, extra. The other seven or so are forms that you have to sign before you leave giving PC the right to do x, y, or z and saying that you won’t hold them responsible for x, y, or z. As you can see…I have read these forms very carefully…
Other than the work aspect I have also been busy saying my social goodbyes. I went up to Bucay one weekend for my friend’s belated birthday surprise party. More recently the El Oro cluster went to Jambeli Island one more time for a night together on the beach. All but two of the PCVs of El Oro made it out to Jambeli as well as three World Teach Volunteers from Machala. It was a really relaxing weekend on the beach one last time together which was nice.
We also went on one more day hike to Chilla El Oro where the highest point was 3,900 meters or 12,795 feet. It started to rain for the last 20 minutes of our hike give or take as well. And although the views were beautiful and amazing once again, I have to say that I am over the altitude and rain with hikes. I think the INCA trail was my high point and from there I feel pretty set on my need to hike the Andes…at least for now.
Random points to mention would be that one night when I stayed over at Sarah’s place we found a scorpion in her bed…yes that is right folks, a full grown black scorpion that must have been about 3 to 4 inches when you included the tail thing. Sarah killed it with her shoe as she screamed out die die die over and over again. Needless to say, we didn’t sleep that much that night.
I am also now included in the having amoebas club. They were asymptomatic and living happily inside of me for who knows how long really. The medicine I have to take to get ride of them was not pleasant to say the less. I had to take two horse pills a day for three days and couldn’t drink for two days after completion of the pills. Side affects of this medicine include and are not limited to upset stomach, bloating, constipation, fever, diarrhea, a lack of energy, feeling lethargic, and a metallic taste in your month. All in all, the medicine just resulted in upsetting my amoebas and now I am no longer asymptomatic but definitely still have amoebas. I plan on taking care of them when I go home as it is too much of a hassle to try and get ride of them now knowing that I will probably just get them once again before I am back in the States.
Now it is finally hitting me that I have a little more than a month left here in Ecuador….and I have to be the first to admit that I have mixed feelings. Ecuador has become my home for better or worse, and it will be weird at first to leave it to return back to the States. And yet I know that I am ready to head back to what I know and start to make a life for myself in Nashville. It is a weird mixture of feelings that I don’t even think I can put into words.
Over this next month, besides finishing my paperwork and selling or giving away most of my stuff, I am going to go to Cuenca one more time and we have a half marathon planned for July 3rd in Guayaquil with a trip to the beach attached to that weekend for the 4th of July. It will be one nice last hurrah with some of my PCV friends before we all say our final goodbyes for now.
Starting July 11th we have exams here followed by a week of vacation. Therefore, my last three weeks in country more or less I don’t really have any work as my classes stop. It will be good to have that time to wrap up all of the loose ends as well as start to apply to some jobs back home, and yet I am a little nervous to have that much time sitting around with just all of my thoughts! I am sure it will be a good thing though once it is all said and done as I am sure that I will be busier than I think for sure.
They tell you that the PC experience is the toughest job that you will ever love, which couldn’t be truer in many ways. I have learned so much about myself which I will carry with me for the rest of my life and I know that my youth will carry some of my lessons and memories with them for the rest of their lives.
However, they don’t explain to you how difficult it will be to adjust to your new life when you first arrive and how difficult it will be to leave it when the time comes. The reason they don’t explain this to you, is because they can’t explain it to you; you have to live it.
Over the past two years I have been able to truly see things for a different view point and I have made memories and experiences that will last a lifetime. As a former volunteer once said, my problem is that I am 25 years old and I have already had the experience of a lifetime.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Where to even start...
So needless to say I have been rather busy these past couple of months. With trips here and there along with work starting up again with school, I have found myself busy with little things here and there.
However, I have realized that I need to take the time to update my blog as I do have a lot to say! April was a busy month of school starting again, hikes to Zaruma, Cuneca, and Paccha, a 15km race, as well as the long awaited Machu Picchu trip. All in all, it was a pretty good month.
Towards the start of April I made a couple of little hikes around El Oro and one trip up to Cuenca doing some shopping as well as visiting the Cajas National Park in that area. I started the month with a simple hike around Zaruma to a waterfall area and exploring the city some more. I went with another PCV to visit the PCV that lives in Zaruma and he showed us around the area. The hiking was not very long, but a nice start to a month full of hikes.
After that trip I made a little longer trip with another PCV up to Cuenca Ecuador with the intent of hiking around Cajas National Park for a day as well as having a second day full of shopping in the markets or Cuenca and a couple of towns close by.
The hike around Cajas National Park was incredible. We followed the "pink" hike which went around about five different lakes, through a little forest and of course up and down some mountains. Now besides the fact that the hike is beautiful in itself, you are also up at about 3915 meters, or about 12,845 feet, above sea level. In case you don't know, let me tell you; altitude changes things. Not only does it make the hike harder, but it also makes you feel like you are literally in the clouds.
It was a great hike though which took us about three or four hours in total to make it around the loop. Thankfully as well, the rain put off until we were at the end of the hike and could get the bus back to Cuenca.
The next day we went shopping around two towns outside of Cuenca which are both about an hour away from Cuenca and about 5 minutes from each other. It was nice to go and see these other towns and look around at the shops. The one town is known for their jewelry and even I have to say that there was too much jewelry there to look at! After a while it all started to seem the same and yet you hadn't even visited half of the stores in the town. So needless to say, I spent some money in that town and now have some very nice jewelry to bring back with me to States that I bought at pretty good prices.
All in all, I would have to say it is very hard to go wrong with a trip to Cuenca and the surrounding areas. A great second hike for the month but I much harder one than the first.
Then I got talked into...literally he came to my town and talked me into getting into his car and going on this hike with them...to a hike around Paccha El Oro. At this point, I was pretty sore from all of the hiking I had done over the past couple of weeks as well as preparing for a 15 km race. But I decided last minute to go along with the group to Paccha for a day hike.
However, this day hike turned into something else. We didn't end up starting the hike until around 2pm and the objective was to try to make it to some kind of ruins in the Paccha area. And yet, we never did find ruins. It got to be about 4 or 5pm and we realized that if we didn't turn back soon that it would be dark before we made it back to the car. And of course how could I forget to mention...this hike, is really more like climbing through little streams and mud, or I guess I should say up the mountain side.
With our luck, as we decided to give up on finding the ruins and turn back down the mountain it decided to DOWNPOUR. And I mean buckets here people. To the point where the little streams turned into landslides that we had to walk down and through to get back to the car. After two hours of that...I think it would be fair to say that I was re-thinking my decision to come in the first place!
However, we all made it back to the car safely but completely drenched. Thankful to be back in the dry car we went to stop in at the PCV's house that lives in Paccha to get some dry clothes before heading back...and let me tell you that I look good in men's long-johns and a men's white undershirt!
To add to the fun, the car then would not restart as the electronic key had gotten wet and decided not to start the car. After about 30 minutes of messing around with the key, we finally got the car to start and headed back home to get pizza for dinner. It was quite the adventure that I had never planned to say the least!
Now to the fun part of April which I like to call the hardest thing I have ever done in my life...or at least one of them for sure. We ran a 15 km race in Cuenca Ecuador...this is at 2,560 meters or about 8,399 ft. I live at sea level in the heat of El Oro. So needless to say, I struggled a little with the altitude and never plan on running in altitude EVER again in my life. Been there done that, happy I survived.
All in all, I ran the 15 km in Cuenca at 1:29:41 and was happy to be alive. There were two inclines along the race and I use the world inclines loosely as Cuenca is in the Andes. It was really hard to keep running and breathing and I am happy that I never had to do it again. I guess by the end of it all my lips turned a little blue from the lack of oxygen and the cold weather as it rained on and off during the race. A proud moment for me that I will never repeat again in my life :)
Once we realized that we could run 15 km at 2,560 meters it was time to rest for a week before our trip off to Machu Picchu. Sarah and I traveled by plane from Guayaquil Ecuador to Lima Peru to get a bus from there to Cusco Peru. All in all, it took a good solid two days to travel there as the bus ride took 21 hours.
Then we had one day in Cusco to shop and adjust to the altitude before we started our four day three night hike through the Andes on the INCA trail to Machu Picchu. Cusco was a really nice town with a lot of travelers which was nice for us for a change. It was nice to be able to talk to random people in English and see what brought them to South America.
The hike was absolutely incredible and I don't know how to say it besides that. The INCA trail is really amazing, not an easy thing to do at all, but truly worth every bit of pain. I managed to lose two more toe nails along the trail (for a total of three lost at the moment) and bruise up one of my big toe nails as well as two blisters on the bottom of my shoe - Moral of the story, hiking shoes really are worth it.
But the hike was amazing. The first day was an easy day with some up and down parts and getting to see our first ruins towards the end of the day. The ruins along the trail really are something as there is nothing around them besides the mountains. It was a great weather day as well to start the trail off.
The second day was the hardest day and we knew that it would be. We had the full day to hike up about 1,000 meters or about 3280 feet to the highest point on the trail, called Dead Woman's Pass, at 4215 meters...just about 13,828 feet. Needless to say, it was a long day and very difficult. There were women along the way that sold water and snacks as well. But after Dead Woman's Pass there weren't anymore.
The second day we didn't see any ruins, but it was something just to know that we had made it through the hardest day with our 20lb packs on our backs as well. We were proud of ourselves and ready for the third day.
The third day was the longest distance day of around 17km or walking. It was also the day with the most ruins as we got to see three different ones. I can not even begin to tell you how beautiful all of this was. The ruins are just so high up there hidden in the mountains which in themselves are absolutely amazing. It did start to rain a little which was a bummer in some ways, but then again we felt like we were already up in the clouds so it seemed fitting in some ways too.
The four day was the Machu Picchu day arriving through the Sun Gate. We started about 3:40 in the morning to wait at the gate until it opened at 5am. From there we hiked another two hours to the Sun Gate and got to watch the sunrise over Machu Picchu.
After that we walked down to Machu Picchu where we actually had to leave the ruins to drop off our packs and enter again without them. It was really quite the site and I am very thankful that I have had the opportunity to see it. We spent the remainder of day four walking around Machu Picchu until around 2pm where we headed down to Agua Calientes to go to the hot springs...and let me tell you, those were really nice after four days of hiking!
Then we got the train back to Km 82 where a bus picked us up and brought us back into Cusco for the night. The next day we took the 21 hour bus back to Lima and then flew out of Lima the next day to Guayaquil and a bus back to our sites.
It was an amazing trip which I recommend to anyone and everyone. However, it is not easy and they really aren’t joking around when they say you should train some.
So that was my month of April. I have also started back up with working at the schools where I have resorted to teaching English because I simply don't want to fight against it anymore. I am still doing my after school English classes in town as well and the community bank is functioning at the moment.
We also just had our COS conference up in Quito to go over all of the paperwork that we have to do to leave the PC and let me tell you it is just about as much if not more than what we had to do to get in! Got to love the government.
Amazing to think that I have been here for two years and yet incredible to think about how much I have learned as well. I have bought my ticket to return back to the States and will be back in Nashville TN on July 29th 2011.
I am ready to be heading home and yet I know that these memories from the past two years will live in my heart forever and I am very grateful for that.
However, I have realized that I need to take the time to update my blog as I do have a lot to say! April was a busy month of school starting again, hikes to Zaruma, Cuneca, and Paccha, a 15km race, as well as the long awaited Machu Picchu trip. All in all, it was a pretty good month.
Towards the start of April I made a couple of little hikes around El Oro and one trip up to Cuenca doing some shopping as well as visiting the Cajas National Park in that area. I started the month with a simple hike around Zaruma to a waterfall area and exploring the city some more. I went with another PCV to visit the PCV that lives in Zaruma and he showed us around the area. The hiking was not very long, but a nice start to a month full of hikes.
After that trip I made a little longer trip with another PCV up to Cuenca Ecuador with the intent of hiking around Cajas National Park for a day as well as having a second day full of shopping in the markets or Cuenca and a couple of towns close by.
The hike around Cajas National Park was incredible. We followed the "pink" hike which went around about five different lakes, through a little forest and of course up and down some mountains. Now besides the fact that the hike is beautiful in itself, you are also up at about 3915 meters, or about 12,845 feet, above sea level. In case you don't know, let me tell you; altitude changes things. Not only does it make the hike harder, but it also makes you feel like you are literally in the clouds.
It was a great hike though which took us about three or four hours in total to make it around the loop. Thankfully as well, the rain put off until we were at the end of the hike and could get the bus back to Cuenca.
The next day we went shopping around two towns outside of Cuenca which are both about an hour away from Cuenca and about 5 minutes from each other. It was nice to go and see these other towns and look around at the shops. The one town is known for their jewelry and even I have to say that there was too much jewelry there to look at! After a while it all started to seem the same and yet you hadn't even visited half of the stores in the town. So needless to say, I spent some money in that town and now have some very nice jewelry to bring back with me to States that I bought at pretty good prices.
All in all, I would have to say it is very hard to go wrong with a trip to Cuenca and the surrounding areas. A great second hike for the month but I much harder one than the first.
Then I got talked into...literally he came to my town and talked me into getting into his car and going on this hike with them...to a hike around Paccha El Oro. At this point, I was pretty sore from all of the hiking I had done over the past couple of weeks as well as preparing for a 15 km race. But I decided last minute to go along with the group to Paccha for a day hike.
However, this day hike turned into something else. We didn't end up starting the hike until around 2pm and the objective was to try to make it to some kind of ruins in the Paccha area. And yet, we never did find ruins. It got to be about 4 or 5pm and we realized that if we didn't turn back soon that it would be dark before we made it back to the car. And of course how could I forget to mention...this hike, is really more like climbing through little streams and mud, or I guess I should say up the mountain side.
With our luck, as we decided to give up on finding the ruins and turn back down the mountain it decided to DOWNPOUR. And I mean buckets here people. To the point where the little streams turned into landslides that we had to walk down and through to get back to the car. After two hours of that...I think it would be fair to say that I was re-thinking my decision to come in the first place!
However, we all made it back to the car safely but completely drenched. Thankful to be back in the dry car we went to stop in at the PCV's house that lives in Paccha to get some dry clothes before heading back...and let me tell you that I look good in men's long-johns and a men's white undershirt!
To add to the fun, the car then would not restart as the electronic key had gotten wet and decided not to start the car. After about 30 minutes of messing around with the key, we finally got the car to start and headed back home to get pizza for dinner. It was quite the adventure that I had never planned to say the least!
Now to the fun part of April which I like to call the hardest thing I have ever done in my life...or at least one of them for sure. We ran a 15 km race in Cuenca Ecuador...this is at 2,560 meters or about 8,399 ft. I live at sea level in the heat of El Oro. So needless to say, I struggled a little with the altitude and never plan on running in altitude EVER again in my life. Been there done that, happy I survived.
All in all, I ran the 15 km in Cuenca at 1:29:41 and was happy to be alive. There were two inclines along the race and I use the world inclines loosely as Cuenca is in the Andes. It was really hard to keep running and breathing and I am happy that I never had to do it again. I guess by the end of it all my lips turned a little blue from the lack of oxygen and the cold weather as it rained on and off during the race. A proud moment for me that I will never repeat again in my life :)
Once we realized that we could run 15 km at 2,560 meters it was time to rest for a week before our trip off to Machu Picchu. Sarah and I traveled by plane from Guayaquil Ecuador to Lima Peru to get a bus from there to Cusco Peru. All in all, it took a good solid two days to travel there as the bus ride took 21 hours.
Then we had one day in Cusco to shop and adjust to the altitude before we started our four day three night hike through the Andes on the INCA trail to Machu Picchu. Cusco was a really nice town with a lot of travelers which was nice for us for a change. It was nice to be able to talk to random people in English and see what brought them to South America.
The hike was absolutely incredible and I don't know how to say it besides that. The INCA trail is really amazing, not an easy thing to do at all, but truly worth every bit of pain. I managed to lose two more toe nails along the trail (for a total of three lost at the moment) and bruise up one of my big toe nails as well as two blisters on the bottom of my shoe - Moral of the story, hiking shoes really are worth it.
But the hike was amazing. The first day was an easy day with some up and down parts and getting to see our first ruins towards the end of the day. The ruins along the trail really are something as there is nothing around them besides the mountains. It was a great weather day as well to start the trail off.
The second day was the hardest day and we knew that it would be. We had the full day to hike up about 1,000 meters or about 3280 feet to the highest point on the trail, called Dead Woman's Pass, at 4215 meters...just about 13,828 feet. Needless to say, it was a long day and very difficult. There were women along the way that sold water and snacks as well. But after Dead Woman's Pass there weren't anymore.
The second day we didn't see any ruins, but it was something just to know that we had made it through the hardest day with our 20lb packs on our backs as well. We were proud of ourselves and ready for the third day.
The third day was the longest distance day of around 17km or walking. It was also the day with the most ruins as we got to see three different ones. I can not even begin to tell you how beautiful all of this was. The ruins are just so high up there hidden in the mountains which in themselves are absolutely amazing. It did start to rain a little which was a bummer in some ways, but then again we felt like we were already up in the clouds so it seemed fitting in some ways too.
The four day was the Machu Picchu day arriving through the Sun Gate. We started about 3:40 in the morning to wait at the gate until it opened at 5am. From there we hiked another two hours to the Sun Gate and got to watch the sunrise over Machu Picchu.
After that we walked down to Machu Picchu where we actually had to leave the ruins to drop off our packs and enter again without them. It was really quite the site and I am very thankful that I have had the opportunity to see it. We spent the remainder of day four walking around Machu Picchu until around 2pm where we headed down to Agua Calientes to go to the hot springs...and let me tell you, those were really nice after four days of hiking!
Then we got the train back to Km 82 where a bus picked us up and brought us back into Cusco for the night. The next day we took the 21 hour bus back to Lima and then flew out of Lima the next day to Guayaquil and a bus back to our sites.
It was an amazing trip which I recommend to anyone and everyone. However, it is not easy and they really aren’t joking around when they say you should train some.
So that was my month of April. I have also started back up with working at the schools where I have resorted to teaching English because I simply don't want to fight against it anymore. I am still doing my after school English classes in town as well and the community bank is functioning at the moment.
We also just had our COS conference up in Quito to go over all of the paperwork that we have to do to leave the PC and let me tell you it is just about as much if not more than what we had to do to get in! Got to love the government.
Amazing to think that I have been here for two years and yet incredible to think about how much I have learned as well. I have bought my ticket to return back to the States and will be back in Nashville TN on July 29th 2011.
I am ready to be heading home and yet I know that these memories from the past two years will live in my heart forever and I am very grateful for that.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Flour, water, foam, eggs, beer, and cake
March 23, 2011
One might ask what do these things all have in common. To which I reply, covering me from head to toe and basically just all over this past month. The reason for this is pretty simple as well; it was March, meaning Carnival and my 25th birthday.
For those of you who have been to New Orleans and think you have really experienced the true meaning of Carnival I have just one thing to say to you; you haven’t. The South American countries know the true meaning of Carnival which entails at least a full week of all play and no work as well as an “optional” month of work leading up to that full week.
So what do you do for a month of no real work? That’s easy. You go to beaches, play in any body of water that is close to where you live, have constant water wars even if the people involved in the water war don’t want to take part, shoot foam at any kid that looks at you the wrong way or even slightly looks like he or she might be causing trouble, and put flour all over people’s faces and heads at every party. But above all else, stay up until at least the sun comes up or you pass out from the constant consumption of Pilsner, box wine, or homemade liquor. Or at least that is what everyone did in my little town here in Ecuador.
As for me, I decided to take part in Carnival this year and went to Guaranda in the Sierra, which is known for their Carnival activities and parades. Here in Ecuador it is common for people from the Sierra to come to the Coast and vice-a-versa for Carnival. However, Guaranda is one of the main cities known for the overall Carnival experience. And it just so happens that one of the PCVs from my omnibus lives in Guaranda as well as some World Teach volunteers, so it just made logical sense.
All in all Guaranda was a really fun experience but not one that I will rush back to once again. Between World Teach and Peace Corps there were about 35 or so gringos coming and going from all of the Carnival Activities. Where I stayed we had 12 people between two rooms one night and then 16 people between three rooms the next night with one shared bathroom for all. We became very close really quickly.
In all honestly, it was a lot of fun which included a lot of water wars, foam wars, water balloons, flour, group meals, parades, concerts, and of course Pilsner. Not liking beer made it a little harder for me to enjoy as it was everywhere but little else was found for consumption. I made it work somehow though. And I should mention as well, that buses really do make prime targets for water in the hopes that maybe someone has a window open.
A basic Carnival day consisted of waking up, at the grand hour of nine or ten, and having a group breakfast of eggs, cheese, and tomatoes with bread. Then we would all head off to the daily parade (I swear there was a different parade everyday). The parade would last for at least three hours which would consists of consistent consumption of Pilsner, with water wars and foam wars mixed in between with the random flour being thrown. Once you’ve had your fill of that you continue on to your late lunch or dinner depending on the time and then head out to one of the many concerts that took place around the town. The concerts would go on throughout the night which would be mixed with more foam wars and the water being sprayed turning into beer being sprayed.
Now if you were one of the lucky ones who had someone who really liked you at Carnival you also got an egg smashed on your head at some point throughout the day. Lucky for me, I did not. Then you would retire once the sun came up or you decided that you couldn’t take anymore for that day and needed to go to bed so you could get up and do it all over again the following day.
Like I said, it was a lot of fun but I am glad that experience in my life is over as well. I definitely got my share of water poured down my back as well as foam sprayed all over my body and flour in my hair. And I have got to say, water balloons from more than three stories high should just not be allowed because that feels like a rock being thrown at you. Not to mention that it doesn’t even break on the person that it hits because of the velocity!
All there is left to say for Carnival is the simply Carnival song which you will hear at least fifty times each day: Chicha quiero chichi quiero, trago no trago no. Guapos quiero guapos quiero viejos no viejos no. Que bonito es Canaval!
After the activities of Carnival my 25th birthday was right around the corner. And thankfully for me, the only present I got from Ecuador this year was to not have electricity in the morning on my birthday. But I will take that over Dengue any year!
For my birthday I went out to Chilies with my closest PCV for Happy Hour. Yes that is right ladies and gentlemen, there is an actual Chilies in Machala Ecuador! I am still not really sure why they opened up one here or how successful it will be, as it only opened that week of my birthday, but I guess time will tell on that one.
So we had two for one margaritas and enjoyed some free tortilla chips. A couple of my friends came and joined, Ecuadorean and American, and we had pizza afterwards as the food in Chilies was above our budgets. From there we went over to my Ecuadorean friend’s house in Machala where she had gathered our other friends and there were all there waiting to surprise me. They had completely decorated her apartment with Saint Patrick Day’s and birthday stuff. It was really nice.
Now the tradition in Ecuador for birthdays is to get your face shoved in the cake after you blow out the candles and before the cake is divided up. And sadly for me, I could not escape the tradition. This would be where cake ended up all over my face and maybe even a little up the nose. Thank you Ecuador!
It was a really fun night and ended up with us going out to a dance bar for a little while before returning back to my friend’s apartment and having one more drink as well as some micro waved popcorn and some good conversation before bed. I have to say that my 25th birthday was definitely much more fun than my 24th. Crazy to think that I am now 25! It’s like I should have my life figured out by now or something…ha!
Other than being covered in baking goods and water, I have actually done some work this past month as well. We finished up our summer camps with English and self-esteem. They were both really big hits with the kids and even if they didn’t managed to really learn any of the material I know that those classes will stick with them just because they enjoyed them. They also really loved the album that they each ended up with at the end of the camp. It was more work than I thought it would be, but definitely worth it to see how appreciative they were for all of it.
Now I am in a little lull with camps having ended and waiting for school to start on April 4th. Once school starts up again I will be teaching self-esteem classes as well as after school English help classes with 7th, 8th, and 9th once a week respectively. Not to mention INFA after school Math and Language will start up again as well. Basically I am just going to continue with all of my projects from last school year as they were all successful and I had a relatively full schedule with them all.
Working with my INFA counterpart we have also started up a community bank…or maybe I should really say are in the process of. We have had a couple of meetings but are struggling on really getting people committed as is the way with pretty much everything here in Ecuador. And with a community bank the people need to be committed completely before we start. I really do have faith though that it will work out and it will be a great project to finish with so to say.
So in the next couple of weeks I plan on visiting the Sierra El Oro of Zaruma, where there is a PCV, and doing some hikes while relaxing some in the cool Sierra climate escaping this thing called heat which we have a lot of. Hopefully I will also make my way to Cuenca at some point to shop at some of the artesian shops and maybe get in some hiking. Unfortunately, the PCV that wants to go with me to Cuenca works pretty much every day I don’t and vice-a-versa. So those plans are still up in the air for now. Either way, these next couple of weeks I plan on making some small two or three day trips here and there.
On the 17th of April I have a 15k that I am going to run in Cuenca which I hope will not kill me…I mean, 15k itself is a lot…then add 2530 meters to it! Shortly thereafter Sarah and I have our Manchu Picchu trip the last week of April into the first couple of days in May which is all paid for and set besides hostels. And then we have our COS (close of service) conference that first full week in May up in Quito. Crazy to think that time is so close and yet not hard to believe is some ways as well!
My daily life at the moment consists of running every morning followed by studying GRE words. I am pretty sure that I want to go into teaching when I get back to the States which means that I need to take some tests, apply to some programs, and all that fun jazz to get ready to be teaching by 2012 or 2013. Wow…that is crazy to think about!
All in all, it is really hard to sum up everything that has happened over the past two years or the ways that this experience will stick with me for life. I guess all I really can say is that I am and always will be very grateful for what the Peace Corps has given me and yet I will be content to leave the Peace Corps as well when the time comes. The hardest thing of this experience really has nothing to do with the experience itself, a third world country, a first world country, the time period or anything like that. It is simply change which would have happened if I had joined the PC or not. However, the difference is that change in Peace Corps is magnified with the experience.
One might ask what do these things all have in common. To which I reply, covering me from head to toe and basically just all over this past month. The reason for this is pretty simple as well; it was March, meaning Carnival and my 25th birthday.
For those of you who have been to New Orleans and think you have really experienced the true meaning of Carnival I have just one thing to say to you; you haven’t. The South American countries know the true meaning of Carnival which entails at least a full week of all play and no work as well as an “optional” month of work leading up to that full week.
So what do you do for a month of no real work? That’s easy. You go to beaches, play in any body of water that is close to where you live, have constant water wars even if the people involved in the water war don’t want to take part, shoot foam at any kid that looks at you the wrong way or even slightly looks like he or she might be causing trouble, and put flour all over people’s faces and heads at every party. But above all else, stay up until at least the sun comes up or you pass out from the constant consumption of Pilsner, box wine, or homemade liquor. Or at least that is what everyone did in my little town here in Ecuador.
As for me, I decided to take part in Carnival this year and went to Guaranda in the Sierra, which is known for their Carnival activities and parades. Here in Ecuador it is common for people from the Sierra to come to the Coast and vice-a-versa for Carnival. However, Guaranda is one of the main cities known for the overall Carnival experience. And it just so happens that one of the PCVs from my omnibus lives in Guaranda as well as some World Teach volunteers, so it just made logical sense.
All in all Guaranda was a really fun experience but not one that I will rush back to once again. Between World Teach and Peace Corps there were about 35 or so gringos coming and going from all of the Carnival Activities. Where I stayed we had 12 people between two rooms one night and then 16 people between three rooms the next night with one shared bathroom for all. We became very close really quickly.
In all honestly, it was a lot of fun which included a lot of water wars, foam wars, water balloons, flour, group meals, parades, concerts, and of course Pilsner. Not liking beer made it a little harder for me to enjoy as it was everywhere but little else was found for consumption. I made it work somehow though. And I should mention as well, that buses really do make prime targets for water in the hopes that maybe someone has a window open.
A basic Carnival day consisted of waking up, at the grand hour of nine or ten, and having a group breakfast of eggs, cheese, and tomatoes with bread. Then we would all head off to the daily parade (I swear there was a different parade everyday). The parade would last for at least three hours which would consists of consistent consumption of Pilsner, with water wars and foam wars mixed in between with the random flour being thrown. Once you’ve had your fill of that you continue on to your late lunch or dinner depending on the time and then head out to one of the many concerts that took place around the town. The concerts would go on throughout the night which would be mixed with more foam wars and the water being sprayed turning into beer being sprayed.
Now if you were one of the lucky ones who had someone who really liked you at Carnival you also got an egg smashed on your head at some point throughout the day. Lucky for me, I did not. Then you would retire once the sun came up or you decided that you couldn’t take anymore for that day and needed to go to bed so you could get up and do it all over again the following day.
Like I said, it was a lot of fun but I am glad that experience in my life is over as well. I definitely got my share of water poured down my back as well as foam sprayed all over my body and flour in my hair. And I have got to say, water balloons from more than three stories high should just not be allowed because that feels like a rock being thrown at you. Not to mention that it doesn’t even break on the person that it hits because of the velocity!
All there is left to say for Carnival is the simply Carnival song which you will hear at least fifty times each day: Chicha quiero chichi quiero, trago no trago no. Guapos quiero guapos quiero viejos no viejos no. Que bonito es Canaval!
After the activities of Carnival my 25th birthday was right around the corner. And thankfully for me, the only present I got from Ecuador this year was to not have electricity in the morning on my birthday. But I will take that over Dengue any year!
For my birthday I went out to Chilies with my closest PCV for Happy Hour. Yes that is right ladies and gentlemen, there is an actual Chilies in Machala Ecuador! I am still not really sure why they opened up one here or how successful it will be, as it only opened that week of my birthday, but I guess time will tell on that one.
So we had two for one margaritas and enjoyed some free tortilla chips. A couple of my friends came and joined, Ecuadorean and American, and we had pizza afterwards as the food in Chilies was above our budgets. From there we went over to my Ecuadorean friend’s house in Machala where she had gathered our other friends and there were all there waiting to surprise me. They had completely decorated her apartment with Saint Patrick Day’s and birthday stuff. It was really nice.
Now the tradition in Ecuador for birthdays is to get your face shoved in the cake after you blow out the candles and before the cake is divided up. And sadly for me, I could not escape the tradition. This would be where cake ended up all over my face and maybe even a little up the nose. Thank you Ecuador!
It was a really fun night and ended up with us going out to a dance bar for a little while before returning back to my friend’s apartment and having one more drink as well as some micro waved popcorn and some good conversation before bed. I have to say that my 25th birthday was definitely much more fun than my 24th. Crazy to think that I am now 25! It’s like I should have my life figured out by now or something…ha!
Other than being covered in baking goods and water, I have actually done some work this past month as well. We finished up our summer camps with English and self-esteem. They were both really big hits with the kids and even if they didn’t managed to really learn any of the material I know that those classes will stick with them just because they enjoyed them. They also really loved the album that they each ended up with at the end of the camp. It was more work than I thought it would be, but definitely worth it to see how appreciative they were for all of it.
Now I am in a little lull with camps having ended and waiting for school to start on April 4th. Once school starts up again I will be teaching self-esteem classes as well as after school English help classes with 7th, 8th, and 9th once a week respectively. Not to mention INFA after school Math and Language will start up again as well. Basically I am just going to continue with all of my projects from last school year as they were all successful and I had a relatively full schedule with them all.
Working with my INFA counterpart we have also started up a community bank…or maybe I should really say are in the process of. We have had a couple of meetings but are struggling on really getting people committed as is the way with pretty much everything here in Ecuador. And with a community bank the people need to be committed completely before we start. I really do have faith though that it will work out and it will be a great project to finish with so to say.
So in the next couple of weeks I plan on visiting the Sierra El Oro of Zaruma, where there is a PCV, and doing some hikes while relaxing some in the cool Sierra climate escaping this thing called heat which we have a lot of. Hopefully I will also make my way to Cuenca at some point to shop at some of the artesian shops and maybe get in some hiking. Unfortunately, the PCV that wants to go with me to Cuenca works pretty much every day I don’t and vice-a-versa. So those plans are still up in the air for now. Either way, these next couple of weeks I plan on making some small two or three day trips here and there.
On the 17th of April I have a 15k that I am going to run in Cuenca which I hope will not kill me…I mean, 15k itself is a lot…then add 2530 meters to it! Shortly thereafter Sarah and I have our Manchu Picchu trip the last week of April into the first couple of days in May which is all paid for and set besides hostels. And then we have our COS (close of service) conference that first full week in May up in Quito. Crazy to think that time is so close and yet not hard to believe is some ways as well!
My daily life at the moment consists of running every morning followed by studying GRE words. I am pretty sure that I want to go into teaching when I get back to the States which means that I need to take some tests, apply to some programs, and all that fun jazz to get ready to be teaching by 2012 or 2013. Wow…that is crazy to think about!
All in all, it is really hard to sum up everything that has happened over the past two years or the ways that this experience will stick with me for life. I guess all I really can say is that I am and always will be very grateful for what the Peace Corps has given me and yet I will be content to leave the Peace Corps as well when the time comes. The hardest thing of this experience really has nothing to do with the experience itself, a third world country, a first world country, the time period or anything like that. It is simply change which would have happened if I had joined the PC or not. However, the difference is that change in Peace Corps is magnified with the experience.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
550 Days
550 days was the total amount of consecutive days that I spent outside of the United States. Or more simply put a year and a half. However, for some reason it sounds more impressive when you state the amount in days which I realized as I was filling out my custom form when we landed in Miami. It is hard to believe that much time has passed since I started this adventure of mine.
My trip home to the States was really enjoyable and just about the right amount of time. The actual travel to get from El Retiro Ecuador to Nashville TN was about 36 hours once it was all said and done with a twelve hour bus ride and an eight hour layover in Miami. The actual time on an airplane though was only about seven hours spread between two different flights. Not too shabby.
I got into Nashville very late at night three days before Christmas which gave me one day to go out and explore the American culture once again as I refused to go out anywhere near the malls on Christmas Eve. Christmas was spent with my family in Nashville with my mom, dad, and brother. It was a lot of fun as always when we get together.
Then the day after Boxing Day I left Nashville to head up North. Over a period of five days I drove from Nashville TN to Cleveland OH, Midland MI, Lima OH, and Sydney OH back down to Nashville just in time to see the ball…or in Nashville’s case the guitar…drop for New Years Eve. In an odd way I really enjoyed all of the driving which was give or take 1500 miles and took about 24 hours. It reminded me of all the driving that I used to do and after not having driven for a year and half it was rather enjoyable to just turn on the radio and sing out loud to songs that were new to me at least. It was also really great to see my friends from back home and worth the drive. However, with this said I was ready to be back in Nashville once it was all said and done.
From there my trip back to the States really entailed two main things – Stupid TV programs and a lot of food with wine and cider to go along with it. I guess you could put some shopping into that mix as well. While I was home I managed to gain ten pounds which was worth every single pound. Plus I managed to lose all of it when I got back to Ecuador so it was a win-win for sure.
I can’t really say that much surprised me when I went back to the States. I mean, the culture between the States and Ecuador is very different and there are different aspects to both cultures which are positive and negative. The one thing I will say is that it really made me realize that for better or worse my life is here in Ecuador at the moment. I have accepted the Ecuadorean culture and embraced it as a part of my life even if there are certain aspects of it which drives me crazy sometimes. So when I went out to a bar I thought it is very odd that people weren’t constantly dancing all of the time or that buying a drink for $5 is normal because you won’t be able to find any drink for under $2 like here in Ecuador.
Once it was time to head back to Ecuador I was ready to get back to my South American home and get back into my daily routine of life. The actual trip back to El Retiro was just about as painful as the one to the States. But this time instead of being greeted by my family I came home to my cat.
My house was pretty much how I had left it with a couple more spiders and cockroaches having moved in. The other new aspect to my house was that a couple of roosters decided to make their new home the three foot space between my house and my neighbor’s walls. And it just so happens that my bed is literally placed on the other side of this wall. Now after careful consideration, I fully believe that I am capable of killing a rooster or a chicken for that matter. A pig, lamb, or cow I am not so sure that I could. But give me a rooster or a chicken and I have enough hatred in me that I really believe I could kill it with no guilt.
You see these roosters, or any rooster for that matter, have no concept of time. That wonderful old saying of having a rooster for an alarm clock is a load of crap. A rooster will crow all day and all night at any time they feel like it. These particular roosters decided it was best to do most of their noise making between the hours of 4 and 7 a.m. I was not very enthusiastic about this at all as one might guess. I have grown used to the noises of living in the Ecuadorean country where there is no such thing as a noise violation, but these roosters were something else.
So for a little over a week I woke up around the hours of 4 or 5 a.m., went up to my roof, and promptly dumped a bucket of water on these roosters to get them to move out of the area between the two walls so I could attempt to go back to sleep. Now the kicker is that my water doesn’t restart in the morning until about 5 a.m. So it got to the point where I filled up the bucket the night before so that I would be sure to have a full bucket to dump on them in the morning hours. Moral to the story, if you have problems with roosters, just dump water on them and they will eventually get the point that they are not wanted there.
Speaking of animals, my cat Tito went into heat while I was back in the States meaning it was time to get her neutered when I got back to Ecuador. This process was more complex than I thought it would be as I thought the hardest part would be getting her calm enough to do the surgery in Machala. The difficult part however was taking care of her the week following the surgery. Never having a dog or cat before, this was definitely another experience for me to caulk up. I am just glad that it is done now though and I don’t have to worry about having kittens or the wrath of her in heat ever again.
Other fun random things that I have seen since I have been back in Ecuador include a monkey tied to a window swing back and forth with a leash around its waist and a dog in a rice bag with only its head showing on a bus. With the monkey I thought it was a mechanical monkey on a string that swayed back and forth. But with a closer look I realized it was an actual live monkey on a six foot string tied to a window. The dog in the rice bag just made me chuckle as he tried to get out of the bag and the owner had to shove him back in and re-tie the string so only his head was out of the bag and he couldn’t run away. Almost as good as a cage I suppose.
Now I am back into the swing of life once again which is really rather slow paced at the moment since it is the “summer” months until April. I am teaching a Basic English summer camp class twice a week as well as a self-esteem class once a week with local youth. Other than that, most of my time is spent running, studying GRE words, going to the markets, cooking, hand-washing clothes, watching movies, and taking naps. I also managed to lose my toe nail again because of running although this time it has decided not to grow back quite right for the time being.
Upcoming events include Carnival at the start of March which basically means that people throw water, eggs, flour, and whatever else they can find at random people walking in the streets. They also take daily trips to which ever river or beach is closest. So this year I think I am going to go to Guaranda which is known from their Carnival activities instead of just getting randomly soaked in the streets. I also have my birthday in March where I am planning on going to Cuenca for a couple of days as long as I don’t get Dengue as a birthday present again.
A definition of Carnival from the PC office: Carnival is a fun time in Ecuador but security risks do increase during this holiday period. Local tradition may include excessive alcohol consumption and water balloon games that can be dangerous and can cause you to be annoyed, so please be patient and avoid confrontation if water or foam is sprayed on your person.
Gotta love it because it is so true.
We are currently in the hot/rainy season which means VERY hot humid weather with more mosquitoes and landslides. I am going to post some pictures on Facebook of the effects of the rain as well. I have decided that Ecuador has two seasons that should be called the hot season and the very hot season because that is all there is where I live.
However, the humidity and heat makes taking afternoon naps apart of your daily schedule as you can’t help but become tired with the excessive heat and sun. And as much as I hate to admit it, I have definitely adapted the concept of “asi es la vida”, “no pasa nada”, and “ya mismo”. Basically it all means, sit back, relax, don’t worry, and I’ll get around to it when I get around to it. It’s a hard life, but someone has to do it.
My trip home to the States was really enjoyable and just about the right amount of time. The actual travel to get from El Retiro Ecuador to Nashville TN was about 36 hours once it was all said and done with a twelve hour bus ride and an eight hour layover in Miami. The actual time on an airplane though was only about seven hours spread between two different flights. Not too shabby.
I got into Nashville very late at night three days before Christmas which gave me one day to go out and explore the American culture once again as I refused to go out anywhere near the malls on Christmas Eve. Christmas was spent with my family in Nashville with my mom, dad, and brother. It was a lot of fun as always when we get together.
Then the day after Boxing Day I left Nashville to head up North. Over a period of five days I drove from Nashville TN to Cleveland OH, Midland MI, Lima OH, and Sydney OH back down to Nashville just in time to see the ball…or in Nashville’s case the guitar…drop for New Years Eve. In an odd way I really enjoyed all of the driving which was give or take 1500 miles and took about 24 hours. It reminded me of all the driving that I used to do and after not having driven for a year and half it was rather enjoyable to just turn on the radio and sing out loud to songs that were new to me at least. It was also really great to see my friends from back home and worth the drive. However, with this said I was ready to be back in Nashville once it was all said and done.
From there my trip back to the States really entailed two main things – Stupid TV programs and a lot of food with wine and cider to go along with it. I guess you could put some shopping into that mix as well. While I was home I managed to gain ten pounds which was worth every single pound. Plus I managed to lose all of it when I got back to Ecuador so it was a win-win for sure.
I can’t really say that much surprised me when I went back to the States. I mean, the culture between the States and Ecuador is very different and there are different aspects to both cultures which are positive and negative. The one thing I will say is that it really made me realize that for better or worse my life is here in Ecuador at the moment. I have accepted the Ecuadorean culture and embraced it as a part of my life even if there are certain aspects of it which drives me crazy sometimes. So when I went out to a bar I thought it is very odd that people weren’t constantly dancing all of the time or that buying a drink for $5 is normal because you won’t be able to find any drink for under $2 like here in Ecuador.
Once it was time to head back to Ecuador I was ready to get back to my South American home and get back into my daily routine of life. The actual trip back to El Retiro was just about as painful as the one to the States. But this time instead of being greeted by my family I came home to my cat.
My house was pretty much how I had left it with a couple more spiders and cockroaches having moved in. The other new aspect to my house was that a couple of roosters decided to make their new home the three foot space between my house and my neighbor’s walls. And it just so happens that my bed is literally placed on the other side of this wall. Now after careful consideration, I fully believe that I am capable of killing a rooster or a chicken for that matter. A pig, lamb, or cow I am not so sure that I could. But give me a rooster or a chicken and I have enough hatred in me that I really believe I could kill it with no guilt.
You see these roosters, or any rooster for that matter, have no concept of time. That wonderful old saying of having a rooster for an alarm clock is a load of crap. A rooster will crow all day and all night at any time they feel like it. These particular roosters decided it was best to do most of their noise making between the hours of 4 and 7 a.m. I was not very enthusiastic about this at all as one might guess. I have grown used to the noises of living in the Ecuadorean country where there is no such thing as a noise violation, but these roosters were something else.
So for a little over a week I woke up around the hours of 4 or 5 a.m., went up to my roof, and promptly dumped a bucket of water on these roosters to get them to move out of the area between the two walls so I could attempt to go back to sleep. Now the kicker is that my water doesn’t restart in the morning until about 5 a.m. So it got to the point where I filled up the bucket the night before so that I would be sure to have a full bucket to dump on them in the morning hours. Moral to the story, if you have problems with roosters, just dump water on them and they will eventually get the point that they are not wanted there.
Speaking of animals, my cat Tito went into heat while I was back in the States meaning it was time to get her neutered when I got back to Ecuador. This process was more complex than I thought it would be as I thought the hardest part would be getting her calm enough to do the surgery in Machala. The difficult part however was taking care of her the week following the surgery. Never having a dog or cat before, this was definitely another experience for me to caulk up. I am just glad that it is done now though and I don’t have to worry about having kittens or the wrath of her in heat ever again.
Other fun random things that I have seen since I have been back in Ecuador include a monkey tied to a window swing back and forth with a leash around its waist and a dog in a rice bag with only its head showing on a bus. With the monkey I thought it was a mechanical monkey on a string that swayed back and forth. But with a closer look I realized it was an actual live monkey on a six foot string tied to a window. The dog in the rice bag just made me chuckle as he tried to get out of the bag and the owner had to shove him back in and re-tie the string so only his head was out of the bag and he couldn’t run away. Almost as good as a cage I suppose.
Now I am back into the swing of life once again which is really rather slow paced at the moment since it is the “summer” months until April. I am teaching a Basic English summer camp class twice a week as well as a self-esteem class once a week with local youth. Other than that, most of my time is spent running, studying GRE words, going to the markets, cooking, hand-washing clothes, watching movies, and taking naps. I also managed to lose my toe nail again because of running although this time it has decided not to grow back quite right for the time being.
Upcoming events include Carnival at the start of March which basically means that people throw water, eggs, flour, and whatever else they can find at random people walking in the streets. They also take daily trips to which ever river or beach is closest. So this year I think I am going to go to Guaranda which is known from their Carnival activities instead of just getting randomly soaked in the streets. I also have my birthday in March where I am planning on going to Cuenca for a couple of days as long as I don’t get Dengue as a birthday present again.
A definition of Carnival from the PC office: Carnival is a fun time in Ecuador but security risks do increase during this holiday period. Local tradition may include excessive alcohol consumption and water balloon games that can be dangerous and can cause you to be annoyed, so please be patient and avoid confrontation if water or foam is sprayed on your person.
Gotta love it because it is so true.
We are currently in the hot/rainy season which means VERY hot humid weather with more mosquitoes and landslides. I am going to post some pictures on Facebook of the effects of the rain as well. I have decided that Ecuador has two seasons that should be called the hot season and the very hot season because that is all there is where I live.
However, the humidity and heat makes taking afternoon naps apart of your daily schedule as you can’t help but become tired with the excessive heat and sun. And as much as I hate to admit it, I have definitely adapted the concept of “asi es la vida”, “no pasa nada”, and “ya mismo”. Basically it all means, sit back, relax, don’t worry, and I’ll get around to it when I get around to it. It’s a hard life, but someone has to do it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
