Yesterday, I returned from the most intense field trip of my life (so far). My Techniques of Marine Research class took an 8-day trip along the coast of Ecuador. Every day was full of field work on a beach, but the trip also included countless moments collected on bus rides, group meals, hostel nights, town explorations, and scuba diving. I'm still processing it all. While you wait for those stories - and to avoid leaving my blog in total limbo for too long - here's a visual summary of our trip to Baños a couple of weeks ago.
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If this trip is teaching me anything so far, it’s to have patience and flexibility.
I’m not used to having free time in my schedule. I’m used to being busy from the morning I wake up until I go to sleep with school and work and cramming everything I want to do into the minutes between. I like having organization in my life and I’m very plan-oriented. For at least the last year, I was scheduling most of my day-to-day life down to the half hour or even into 15 minute segments. Now, I finish class at noon and have almost nothing else on my plate. I’m not saying class is easy. After one week, we had an exam on an array of material that usually would’ve taken at least a month to cover. We also had presentations and readings assigned. There was plenty of hard work. But we still would have multiple afternoon hours open, and it just felt wrong to me at first that we weren’t taking every opportunity to go do something in and around Quito. I’d get antsy and aggravated and annoyed. I felt like I wasn’t getting to enjoy my time here because we weren’t taking advantage of exploring the world around us while we are still on the mainland. Of course, relaxing IS a form of enjoying the place you’re in. I wasn’t letting myself see that hanging out at a café to chat for hours or taking a siesta at home is just as valid a way to spend time. True, I wish I’d gotten to see more of Quito this week because our time here is so limited, but I definitely would’ve enjoyed this week more if I’d been ok with just letting the afternoons go without plans. This weekend was the perfect collection of incidences to force me to just enjoy the moment. A group of students and I wanted to explore Mindo – a beautiful and tiny town a couple hours north of Quito in the cloud forest region. We had set plans to meet early and make a morning bus on time to get there before 11 and go exploring. I and another girl made specific plans to take a certain bus back so we could have a day trip but still be back to have our Sundays full in Quito (I had plans to go up the Teleferico and go hiking). When we arrived at the bus station, they were out of tickets. The next bus we could get on didn't leave until 11 am. Plan shift number 1. We found a huge market of locals selling produce, meat, fish, meals, clothing, accessories, cell phones, etc, so we had no problem spending the time until the next bus. I had been annoyed that our day in Mindo was already shortened, but the market was one of the coolest accidental finds and made the wait totally worth it. When arriving in Mindo, we found that the evening bus was full as well. Plan shift number 2. We could either abandon all Sunday plans and stay two days or we could limit our day to two and a half hours in Mindo. Stubborn to our Sunday plans, we chose the latter. An hour later we were already falling in love with Mindo. We changed our plans (shift #3) to call off our Sundays, lose the afternoon bus tickets we already bought, and spend the night. We had no change of clothes, no toiletries or deodorant or extra food or water, we were low on cash, and I was already hurting badly for a shower. Recipe for disaster for my typical method of functioning. It was one of the best choices I’ve made during this trip. Between exploring the beauty of the place, the deliciousness of the locally made chocolate, and the locals’ love to dance, the weekend turned into an incredibly fun experience. It happened to be during some fiesta days in Mindo. As it got later, the music got louder, the beers became more numerous, our Spanish and our dancing feet became more confident, and we had an extremely memorable night. I returned this afternoon coated with a sticky crust of sweat, dirt, spilled beer, bug spray, sunscreen, and a huge smile. It’s still going to be a challenge for me to adjust to a slower pace and the need for flexibility in planning, but I feel a lot more positive about handling those moments. I also am determined to work on valuing the time and place of a moment rather than worry about the next one. 1. Lunch (Almuerzos) is a super big deal for most.
It consists of soup (usually potato or broth based with some sort of meat), followed by a heaping plate of rice, a huge chunk of meat, and a "salad" (likely of the slathered in mayonnaise-like-dressing variety), and then a nice piece of cake. All with some bread and juice and coffee, if you can handle it without bursting. It's the main time during the day to socialize and, apparently, eat 90% of your daily calorie intake. Students are often given a full two hours for it. Weekend lunches with family can take upwards of four hours. Many people don't even eat anything other than some bread and maybe fruit and coffee for breakfast and dinner because lunch is just so huge. 2. Ecuadorians add "-ito" and "-ita"to the end of a lot of words. In Spanish, the diminutive term for perro (dog), for example, is perrito (puppy). Ecuadorians do this to nearly every noun at some point. It's like their world is permanently small and adorable. I've been called "Julita" after introducing myself multiple times already. 3. The terms gringo and gringa are not considered racist in any way. Instead, they are endearing. It can refer to anyone not of Ecuadorian descent, and it's really quite friendly and even familial to be referred to as "mi gringita"- "my little white girl." The same actually goes for those with African heritage - "mi negrita" is equally as friendly. I don't know how I feel about this. 4. Bread here is great. The end. 5. Time here is a suggestion. When making plans, punctuality is not vital. Things might happen anywhere from 15 minutes before to an hour and a half after the agreed time. It's a serious test of my patience, but probably good for me. I call it ecua-time. 6. Sun rays on the equator are no joke. Especially at about 9000ft in Quito. Sunscreen, y'all. 7. Quito is insanely polluted. I'm hesitant to even try to run here for the health of my lungs. 8. Bus drivers are the most insane people on earth. For drivers in general, speed limits and lines of any color seem to be more of gentle suggestions rather than actual rules. Delayed warning honks of horns are preferred over turn signals, pedestrians have the right away in the law but not in practice, and I'm pretty sure there's no quality control for bus brakes. Bus drivers take these habits to the extreme and seem to believe their vehicles are only the size of a small minivan. I'm now convinced that if anything happens to me here, it's most likely a bus accident. Just today, my bus home broke down and we had to flag another in the middle of the highway and transfer right there. Some stats to consider: Automobile accidents are the second leading cause of death in Quito. The first? Respiratory illness. Just to put #7 and #8 into perspective. 9. If you are a woman, you will get whistled and hollered at. Especially if you are white. And blond. Cat calls followed by "holá, linda, mi angelita!" or some comment about your hair are not uncommon. The best response? Ignore it and consider it flattery. If you respond negatively, you're flirting. 10. The people here (especially those I met in Baños) are incredibly friendly. Everyone is up for a "Buenos días" and friendly chat, and meeting people will usually include a brief hug and kiss on the cheek. On the flip side of #9, people here will often treat you even better if you are a gringita - the bus will actually stop to let you off rather than expect a running dismount. 11. Ecuador is a beautiful country, I don't get to go to the Amazon, and I haven't yet been to the coast, but what little I've seen so far of the mountains has taken my breath away on more than one occasion. 12. Guinea Pig (Cuy) is surprisingly tasty. We spent last weekend in Baños. It was incredible. At some point I'll post a little bit about it with some pictures, but for now I have a massive homework load for this week to attend to. Buenas tardes, amigos. The last few days flew by in a whirlwind of information and activity. Monday and Tuesday began with info-overload sessions at the university campus for orientation. Between the two days, we were pretty much informed of all information having to do with our stay, and all the tips to make it awesome. However, I’m pretty sure we all just retained two things:
- we are destined to have violent intestinal issues, especially if we happen to be adventurous about local food (apparently you “haven’t really lived in Ecuador until you have become a double-spouted fountain of intestinal fury”). - we are probably going to lose all of our valuables and disappear via “express kidnapping” or some other terrifying but very real crime in the city. In reality, the threat of diarrhea and dangerous criminals is entirely preventable and therefore unlikely (so don’t worry Mom and Dad). I will say, though, the talk was effective in making the health and safety tips actually stick. Along with some wacky dreams. Nevertheless, we students were all extremely eager to get out and explore the city. One orientation day ended with a tour through Old Quito – mostly its churches. While not adhering strictly to any religion myself, I can certainly appreciate a church whose history and intricate gold-plated interior literally make my jaw drop. Google Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesus and you’ll see what I mean. We weren't allowed to take pictures. On Wednesday we checked out a bit of New Quito by registering our visas downtown and wandering from there to La Mariscal, an artisanal market of every handmade Ecuadorian item you can think of. For precisely this reason, it’s become such a tourist filled spot that it is actually nicknamed Gringolandia. We played right in to the name and shopped like crazy. Bartering in Spanish to a point where you get a beautiful handmade alpaca poncho for $13 out of its original $22 is entirely too fun. That night a few girls and I decided to check out the night life near campus. We found some other students and a couple of promising places, but Wednesdays seem quiet unless you venture into the actual city for a discotheque. During our wanderings, we ran into a couple of locals who speak English. One was very interested in practicing his English while we practiced Spanish in return, and we found out that he actually studied at OSU for a few years! He and I chatted it up about Corvallis and Newport, specifically Moe’s clam chowder. As if that wasn't enough, he spent a few other years in Washington at the same university as another student in our group – talk about a small world! Unfortunately, the promising beginnings of adventure were interrupted for me this morning by an unsavory combination of altitude, sudden diet change, dehydration, and a late night. My body rebelled and I was too sick to meet up with the students going to El Terefrico cable car. Trish – Patricia – was amazing and stuck around to wait until I could stand without a sudden onset of motion sickness, and then we marched out to the bus, determined to find our way to the equator, El Mitad del Mundo. We never made it. The bus route seemed simple enough, with one transfer in the city and one transfer at the end of the line. We had it all planned. And yet, we managed to catch the wrong one. Classic bus fail. We felt like such lost tourists. After over two hours of bus-riding (have I mentioned that bus drivers here are INSANE??), Trish and I finally got back home. From there we were content to sit at a café with books to read for the rest of the afternoon. We’ll try again another day. There are so many places to explore. I’m more eager to venture to places away from the city. I have two class trips coming up that will spend multiple days on the coast whale watching and scuba diving. Unfortunately, I won’t have the opportunity to delve into the Amazon, and probably not into the cloud forests, either. I’m just viewing that as another excuse to return to South America in the future. This weekend, I’m joining a large group of students in renting a bus to visit Baños for a few days. Waterfalls, hiking, horseback riding, and hot springs? Count me in! The trip is actually threatened by a currently VERY active volcano, Tungurahua, which looms directly over the town. Honestly, I’m more concerned by the fact that a couple other girls are extremely adamant about taking the opportunity to bungee jump while there. Classes begin tomorrow. More entries next week. Chao! I am here. I am in Ecuador. Let me say that one more time - I. Am. In. Ecuador. I actually had to repeat that to myself a couple of times today as my host mom, Ana Lucia, drove us through Cumbayá, Quito to show us around a bit. It's not that I never really previously thought of the reality of this trip. I think it's more of that I had just become so accustomed to thinking of it as something in the slightly-less-than-distant future. Now it's happening, and I'm still marveling at the fact that I actually made this happen for me. And that I'm here. I've been here less than a full day. So far, I love it. A flight delay and a long line at customs put our arrival to home after 1:00 am (booooo 19 hour travel day), but even that couldn't mar the first impressions of my wonderful host family and beautiful location. Ana Lucia picked up me and Patricia at the airport. Patricia is another American student with whom we are sharing a home - my American sister in an Ecuadorian family. Ana Lucia is so incredibly sweet. She doesn't really speak much English, but Patricia and I have both pleasantly surprised ourselves at our abilities to dig into what we learned in past Spanish classes and hold conversation. Our home for this month is beautiful. It's small, quaint, and overall perfect. It sits in a small neighborhood called Miravalle - looks at the valley - and that's exactly what it does. The home has a view over much of the valley that holds Cumbayá and Tumbaco. Today, we were all treated to a late morning to sleep off the late airport night. We met one of Lucia's grandchildren, a darling 6-year old girl, and tagged along to drop her off at a day care/preschool so Lucia could show us around a bit - like which bus stops to use, where the university is, good places to eat, etc. Later, her husband - our host papa Carlos - joined us and we were whisked away to lunch. An entertaining drive through barrios ranging from shiny new malls to cows meandering in front of open shacks brought us another home. As it turns out, today's lunch was a large family occasion. That is, It was hosted by one of Lucia's sisters and included at least a dozen family members, mostly cousins and their families, all of whom greeted us with un abrazo y beso - a hug and a kiss on the cheek. You might think that it would've been entirely overwhelming, but everyone here is so warm and welcoming and interested in sharing stories (no matter where your Spanish skills lie) that it was really quite fun. It didn't hurt that we were immediately each supplied with a glass of sangria. The food was absolutely delicious, and the time spent chatting afterwards led to a session of one cousin playing traditional songs on the piano, and we didn't return until around 5 in the afternoon. Nevertheless, the late night, altitude, and large amount of Spanish got to us and Patricia and I each immediately excused ourselves for a siesta. Tomorrow and Tuesday we have orientation sessions bright and early at the Universidad de San Francisco. My adventure here is just beginning! Well, it's happening. I've spent months planning, filling out applications and paperwork, and gathering my packing list. After an absolutely insane week of packing and last minute prep (including a few near-breakdowns because studying internationally seems to require SO MUCH to keep track of), after a handful of (surprisingly emotional) goodbyes, and an extremely early wake-up, I'm sitting at my gate ready to board. I'll fly from San Francisco to Minneapolis to Atlanta and finally to Quito, landing in roughly 15 hours from now. I'll be there for four months. And yet, this morning at the airport feels surprisingly calm. Maybe it just hasn't hit me yet that I'm going to be gone so far away for so long. Maybe I've just been desensitized to airports and flying through a dozen international trips and more domestic flights than I can count. Whatever it is, I feel just fine. I can't wait to be in Ecuador and the Galapagos! Right now, though, I could really use some coffee. Time to board.
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