Notas de Ecuador

Dearest reader: hi. Thanks for keeping up with me and my Ecuadorian adventure. Strange to think this will be my final entry, and even stranger that in precisely three days I will be home again.

Though I have tried to document what I have done in a very general sense throughout my stay in this here blog, I am not sure I could every really do the experience justice in just these few brief snippets. All I can really say is wow; I am thoroughly happy with my decision (which was kind of on a whim) to spend a semester here. Ecuador is like a hidden gem, really...it´s one of those really special places in the world that not many people know much about, but gee, there is so much to see here. So many unexpected surprises to do and explore and learn about.

Hm. It is hard to pinpoint just how the land and the people here have impacted me, or in what exact ways living in South America has given me a fresh view of things, but I think the most valuable parts of an experience tend to come to you in retrospect anyhow. Maybe in a passing thought or a totally random moment in which you are reminded of an impression you hadn´t deeply pondered during the moment it hit you. I don´t know when I will finish processing Ecuador, but I hope I don´t for a long time from now. I hope that, despite everything I am looking forward to in the future - and I happen to be a very future-oriented thinker - that it does not overwhelm and take over what I appreciate about right now. Nor that it will wrap me up and make me forget certain things I have felt and observed and learned over the past four months. Just living simply, speaking Spanish (or Spanglish moreso), being challenged every day, all the people who have reached out to help me, how exciting and sweet a piece of fresh fruit can taste.

Well, all´s well that ends well. I just returned from a luxurious stay at a resort in Ibarra, a picturesque town about 2 hours from Quito, where we all presented our projects and had some serious spa relaxation time. Also got a chance to check out Otavalo, Ecuador´s most famous indigenous market town, for some awesome shopping. These next few days will be spent wrapping things up here in Quito, and on Saturday evening I´ll say goodbye to my beloved Andes and hello to Miami by night. And the next morning on Mother´s Day I´ll get to see my mom, and maybe even you. It´s really just moments away. Until then, cuidense.

It´s 5:00 pm in Cuenca, and that means it´s peak time for the daily afternoon rainfall. So here I sit at my Internet Cafe refuge, after daring an afternoon vuelta to do a little shopping and see a really cool exhibition at el Museo del Arte Moderno. These last few days I have been feverishly working on my ISP write-up, and this morning I turned in my rough copy to Narcisa, my academic advisor, for review and revision. Other than editting my paper and running around to get it printed and bound, this last week in Cuenca should be pretty chill.

This past weekend, I got a chance to immerse myself in the random existent Cuencan emo scene by going to an uber experimental theater production Friday night. It was pretty modern and kind of unintelligible, but an impressive display of physical corporeal expression if I do say so myself. I spent most of Saturday and Sunday writing my life away, with well-earned sustenance breaks that included lots and lots of bakery bread which rocks here, a nightime venture to eat crepes at a fancy shmancy restaurant and one of the most exquisite homemade meals I have had here to date - Maria Dolores´ceviche, choclos, tostado and fresh squeezed lemonade...a few of my favorite things

Today I spent a total of $3.50 on two CDs and one DVD -- did I mention that ever other street corner on Ecuador has a video shop? -- some of the most impressive collections of good quality burned music and movies I have encountered (apparently, copyright laws are nonexistent here). If anyone wants me to get them something, let me know and I´ll keep my eye out! Speaking of, I am working on picking out some good souvenirs for everyone, but if you are interested in anything in particular, shoot me an email and let me know.

In other news, I am counting the days until I come home...which are 13, to be exact. Last night I probaby had about 5 different dreams that I was home already. Not that I´m eager to leave, but I have lots to look forward to when I get back. Like turning 21, Misa´s wedding & all the festivittes that go along with it, my internship that I am super psyched about, seeing fam and friends, meeting my new baby cousin Lola, going to the beach, and being HOME to relax and sleep in my own bed again for one last (gasp) carefree summer as a STUDENT.

Thats about all I´ve got for now.

Yep, I´m alive and well. As of late, I have been nonstop on the go with my project and seeing all there is to see in this wonderful city. Before I proceed to update, I would first like to say welcome to the world, new baby cousin Lola! I send muchas felicidades and love from Ecuador and can´t wait to meet the beautiful new bundle of joy

My host family here is awesome, and I feel more spoiled than ever. The parents will wake up without fail at whatever hour I need to rise in order to physically serve me breakfast, which is always fresh, warm bread from the bakery with cafe con leche. Maria Dolores, the mother, takes it upon herself to do my laundry...and I truly believe that I receive my clothes (always freshly pressed in a perfect pile) in better condition than when I bought them. The family has introduced me on various occasions to all of their relatives and have taken me on a few paseos since my arrival...I had the chance to visit some of their property in the tranquilo outskirts of Cuenca, a really pretty ranch by a river with ample farm space; yesterday, we spent the day at Chordeleg & Gualaceo, two quaint towns about thirty minutes out of the city that are known for their markets. They have also taken me out to nice restaurants for lunch (which is the main meal, like our dinner, in Ecuador) twice, and have injected me with sweets at every opportunity. The mother really derives pleasure watching me eat, and when I say I am full, she really gets sad. Needless to say I am well fed here, though I must say I really really really miss chicken (I am always served pork or red meat), food that is not fried, juice that is not one part fruit to two parts sugar, and good coffee as always (In Ecuador, people either drink coffee completely black, or completely latte. So what I´ve essentially been drinking here is instant coffee-flavored milk.)

This past weekend I also went to another futbol game, Cuenca vs. Barcelona (team from Guayaquil), in the estadio which is a 5-10 minute walk from my house. On Saturday, Laurie, Rosana, Abby, Elizabeth and Alex, who are all currently doing their ISPs elsewhere, came up to visit the Cuenca kids. It was good to see them again and take them out on the town!

My project fieldwork has been varied and extensive. I have hung around a few more times with the Gobierno Provincial del Azuay, working with their department of education on literacy & public school book distribution programs. I have also been doing other kinds of investigations, like interviewing school teachers and representatives of the Ministerio Nacional de Educacion, observing some language and literature classes, observing library systems and bookstores. This week I get to attend a book launch social and town history seminar.

My project explores the role of literature in the larger context of developing Ecuador. My point of departure was the question of underrepresentation of Ecuador in letters - why Ecuadorian literature has not really reached worldwide recognition, why we don´t read Ecuadorian authors in classes of Latin American literature. I decided to approach the question by beginning at a possible root of the problem, the issue of literacy itself; continuing up the stem - literacy in practice and the role of literature in the educational system; and finally, a look at the branches - the flourishment, publication and diffusion of literature here. (I was kinda proud of my corny tree metaphor.) My project advisor is a published author and part time professor at the University of Azuay. She´s very cool, very cariñosa and knows a lot of people.

In any case, chuta madre I´m busy. I´m currently on my way home to work on some notes and hopefully begin my write up. It´s hard to think that in three weeks, this reality will be completely gone and I´ll be home again. All the same, I´m excited to return. ¡Hasta pronto!

happens to be my favorite city in Ecuador. Charming narrow cobblestone streets, gardens, rivers, markets and old Spanish rooftops abound...and it remains small enough to amble through on a pleasant afternoon. Cuencanos are notorious for their singsong accents, too, which I have definitely began to pick up on. It´s a riot.

I am currently living with the Velez family: parents, Maria Dolores
and Fausto, and, for the first time ever, two brothers, Juan Sebastian (19) and Pedro (13). Overall, the family is super nice and
accomodating, the house is pristinely clean, food is pretty good. No
complaints here.

The past week has been one of the busiest yet. Easter weekend was amazing - the trip to Riobamba was quite unexpectedly one of the highlights of my stay. While there, we had the opportunity to climb Chimborazo, Ecuador´s highest mountain and technically the "highest" point on earth/point closest to outer space (taking into account the central equatorial bulge). Well, though we didn´t reach the very peak, we did get to the first refugio where it was cold enough to have a snowball fight on the Equator. Awesome. Later on that day, we dined at an amazing restaurant and went to Riobamba´s town festival, complete with a carnival and folkloric dance shows. It was hilarious to see some of the pyrotechnic spectacles, like the guy who charted around a flaming donkey, or the enormous, random metal structure with a whole bunch of colorful gadgets that emitted sparks and fireworks with little to no safety regulations. Oh, Ecuador.

Easter Sunday was mainly a travel day, though we did madrugar quite early to take the Devil´s Nose train ride in Alausi. It was pretty cool to ride on the roof again in true Ecuadorian fashion on one of the world´s most notably spectacular railroad adventures...including a switchback section that scaled a steep cliff! The bus ride to Cuenca was the most beautiful one thus far in my opinion - the southern sierra region kind of reminds of what I would envision Tuscany would be like, with rolling hills and really blue skies and lots of green grass and amber grains and red rooftops. We arrived in Cuenca that night and met our families after settling in and grabbing one last dinner together.

Since then I´ve been in constant motion. Monday I met with my
independent study project advisor, Narcisa, who arranged for me to
volunteer with a literacy organization while here. Later on that same
day, I visited the organization´s office and was invited to attend a
graduation of a group of 21 adults who had recently completed the
literacy program. Wowzer, it was a pretty intense experience to begin with...a three hour bumpy drive (one way) into a very remote mountain
village, a long ceremony and celebration followed by a thank-you
dinner given by the students (which obviously included cuy asado, a
campo specialty). I didn´t get home until 9:30 pm, my poor mom had
been worried sick (I didn´t have the chance to call her, having no
access to phone reception). But all´s well that ends well, and it was
a pretty sweet experience to say the least.

I went in to the office Tuesday and Wednesday, and Thursday had the
day off because Cuenca was virtually put on hold for the Fundacion de
la Ciudad festival, celebrating it´s 450th birthday. I had a lot of
fun and got to reunite with Emily, Danielle and Matt. We hung out at
the parade in the morning (and got to see President Correa there!),
walked around the center of town in the afternoon, went out for coffee
and ice cream (amazing ice cream shoppe called Tutto Freddo), at
watched fireworks and a salsa concert at night.

Yesterday I attended another graduation in the evening, and today I
spent the day hiking El Cajas National Park con mis
compañeros (matt, emily, danielle). It´s cool to have them around to
meet up with every now and again.

Anywho, I´m a busy gal on the go...about to go meet up with peeps for dinner. Chao amigos.

A quick news breif and final hello from Quito. Last night we had our Quito host family despedida party, and today was the last day of class...took the final exam, handed in papers, ISP proposal, ISP forms galore. Tomorrow, after going to see the famous Good Friday procesiones in the Old Town, I will be on the road yet again. This time, I will be bussing it with Matt, Laura, Danielle and Amalia for a weekend roadtrip enroute to my Independent Study Project location, a small city in the southern Sierra region called Cuenca. We plan on stopping at Riobamba, which will serve as a nice midway point to break up the trip. While there, we are planning on riding a train to what is known as the "Devil"s Nose" - a super steep mountain peak. We will thereforth continue and arrive to Cuenca on Sunday.

I will be living with a family there for the most of the rest of my stay in Ecuador. Cuenca is known for its history, colonial architecture, nearby Inca ruins, and artsy-university scene. I am excited to explore it while working on my ISP, which I will include more details about later. Until then, I"ll be sure to eat lots of fanesca (traditional Easter soup in Ecuador with everything in it but the kitchen sink) and keep taking tons of fotos. ¡Hasta luego!