Welcome to the Jungle

Well we have arrived in Timbara and holy cow this is a change... No more cold and no more Cuenca because this is the jungle! It is so lush and beautiful here on the edge of the Amazon and I am in love…the sounds of the birds & waterfalls, the smell of the flowers… everything!

Our drive to Timbara was long, but with waterfalls everywhere I was glued to the window. When we arrived here we were in awe of the landscape…every inch of everything is covered in green. I have to admit my favorite plants so far are the banana trees (see picture below) solely because I think it is sooo cool to see where the bananas I eat everyday come from.

My homestay family here is so kind. There are 7 people in the house including 5 girls, a father, and a 15 day old baby. One of the girls Nidia is 5 and we have become fast friends after I sang her Happy Birthday on our first night here. (it was in fact her birthday…) I’m sharing this house with a fellow intern, Annalise, which has helped us both adjust to our new family quickly. Our house is beautiful (I have to admit it is even better than my first house in Cuenca) and besides the mosquito net and lots of work, I feel as if I am on vacation.

The weather here is warm, 80s all the time, but because it is rainy season is rains dozens of times a day. The rain doesn’t bother me at all though (especially since I haven’t showered yet…and I think rain counts… right?). In fact the sound of the rain on the tin roofs puts me right to sleep at night. (I then am woken up immediately by all the wild chickens, but I am hoping I will get used to that).

I have been wearing all my bug repellent clothing to protect me from itching, but honestly I haven’t had any problems with bugs yet. Because it is raining constantly it has kept the bugs away (but don’t worry I still reapply bug spray multiple times a day). While we might be bug free, we are definitely not snake free… some of the Timbaran construction workers found an 8 foot boa constrictor and thought it would be a good idea to bring it to the main street to show everyone… I opted out of seeing that one… (Plus I think they are going to cook it, so I may see it on my plate soon anyways…)

Let’s see… nothing major has happened here yet, we are enjoying the scenery and have just been working on projects. We head out to different communities today, but our schedule keeps changing a little because of landslides here. I am learning that during rainy season landslides are incredibly common, and recently there was a major one on the main road so we are having to be flexible…

I’m just going to end this by saying how happy I am here. Timbara is paradise and I hope these next two weeks go as slow as possible so I can soak up every minute of it.

Lots of love from Ecuador,

Jen

Flying Over Cuenca

From day one of my stay here in Cuenca my view of the mountains been speckled by one little white church on top of everything. After dozens of recommendations that I visit, I decided to go check it out. Little did I know that this church was 4 miles and 575 stairs away… But, a two hour walk (and a lot of heavy breathing) later, I ended up at Turi. The Iglesia de Turi is a beautiful white church surrounded by lots of artisanal shops overlooking the city of Cuenca. The view was beautiful, and it got even better when we found Adventure Land!

For the expensive price of one dollar, five of my coworkers and I were able to zipline, trapeze fly, and then swing on the cliff that overlooked Cuenca. I have to admit this was a liability nightmare and probably one of the most dangerous things I have done in Ecuador so far… but wow it sure was exhilarating! And, for the 45 seconds that I was swinging over the city it was the perfect moment to put everything in perspective.

There is nothing like the view from the top to help you appreciate all that is below.

Lots of love from Ecuador,

Jen

Back to Normalcy

This last week has been as close to normal as it gets here in Ecuador. We are back in Cuenca where we began our trip and knowing my way around is incredibly comforting. After such crazy work hours in Pulingui our schedule here has been much lighter and we have been able to enjoy some more of the social pleasures Cuenca has to offer. From the World Cup to swings over the city (I’ll explain in my next blog) this has been a week of rejuvenation before we head back to el campo for the next two weeks.

Another luxury has been my new home here in Cuenca. My last family had a medical emergency, so I was moved to a new family and… oh my goodness do I feel spoiled. My new home is HUGE and so beautiful (I will try to sneak pictures when I come back in two weeks). We have a cook so the food is incredible, and my host family is the best! There are seven adults (all brothers and sisters) and the son of one of them who happens to be 15 year old rockstar. Meals are crazy with so many people, and the atmosphere is always so lively and fun (and I smell better too because there are actual hot showers…).

With my new family and the comfort of Cuenca, this week has been so enjoyable. My favorite moment by far was attending mass at Cuenca’s big cathedral this morning. I absolutely love being in a catholic country, it helps so much with the homesickness to know that I share something so deep with the people here. As I was sitting in mass with the hundreds of people who filled the cathedral around me there was an absolute, incredible peace. I have always adored going to mass in other countries, because no matter the country or the language it is fundamentally all the same. Each Sunday mass here in Ecuador has been so uplifting, and with the beauty of the cathedral and the incredible crowd of people, this morning was by far the most special. It’s a unity such as faith that makes you realize how small this world is and how similar we all really are.

So tomorrow I head down south to another tiny town (I think bathrooms are indoors down there), and after all of my adventures so far I have such a new love for this country and these people and I truly can’t wait to experience more.

Lots of love from Ecuador,

Jen

Yupaichani

While I never thought it was possible, leaving Pulingui was tough…  

Looking back on my first few days in the campo, I was sure that my return trip to KC would be much sooner than I had thought. I think they would call this “textbook culture shock”… Bucket showers, outhouses, dung, and fleas were not enjoyable in the least, but after all the obstacles and uncomfortableness what is left are some of the most genuine memories from my time in Pulingui.

My fondest memories were of my nightly conversations with Paula. My host mother was so proud of her community, culture, and language that every evening while cooking dinner she would give me Quetchua lessons and share stories of her people. While my Quetchua is subpar (I can really only say “good morning”, “thank you”, and “chicken”), it is incredible to have been given the opportunity to learn an indigenous language from a true, indigenous, Quetchua woman. (Don’t worry, even though I don’t remember it all, I wrote it down and I will be teaching Quetchua lesson upon my return… first lesson: Yupaichani = gracias = thank you)

On our final evening in Pulingui the entire community came together to celebrate us and wish us off...this was our final humbling encounter, as they each went around individually and thanked each of us for help. Next was our turn, and as we each thanked our families for such an amazing experience each of us gringos cried a few gringo tears.

From the bucket showers to the special moments I had learning Quetchua, our time in Pulingui was an emotional rollercoaster, and after all the culture shock wore off it was one of the most life changing experiences I have ever had.

I am forever changed after two weeks in the campo… washing off all the donkey dung I definitely scrubbed off a little of my diva-ness… Can’t wait to what my next adventure brings.

Lots of love from Ecuador,

Jen

Ice Man

Living at the foot of a volcano, it is necessary to climb the volcano at least once…Now before you think I have become some mountain woman that climbs the tallest volcano in Ecuador in my spare time… let me preface this post with the fact that this was the most physically humbling experience I have yet encountered.

The name of our volcano, Chimborazo, means “Ice Man” in Quitchua. The name stems from the majestic snow cap that tops the volcano and the healing powers that were believed to come from the ice. Looking back 50 years, this healing ice was an incredibly important part of the culture of the communities surrounding Chimborazo. The men that would harvest this ice were called hielederos and multiple times a week they would climb Chimborazo (barefoot I may add) with their donkeys to cut the ice and then bring it down to the people. Over time, the danger and difficulty of the profession have widdled the number of hielederos down to one, Baltazar. Just by chance, Balazar happens to live in Pulingui, and we were lucky enough to get to accompany him on one of his trips.

Starting at the foot of the volcano, we met Baltazar who was cutting grass before he began his hike and using it to make blankets and ropes to keep the ice cold on the journey back down the volcano. We then embarked on our 3 hour trek up the volcano. I think I should mention that Baltazar made us leave before him because it only takes this five foot, 62 year old man 1 hour to get up the volcano and it takes us gringos 3 times that…

Those 3 hours were brutal… unlike my last hike in Cajas, our path was straight up the entire time. Because of the altitude, our guides required us to stop every 20 minutes to acclimate to the lack of oxygen. We began our hike at 3000km and finally met Baltazar at 4800km. Besides my glutes burning and being out breath, the entire time we encountered heavy winds, rain, snow, and extreme cold… At one point the winds were so strong we had to tie ourselves to each other so we wouldn’t fall off the volcano (that is when I got a little nervous).

Once we met Baltazar at the glacier though, he showed us the technique of ice cutting and how he ties it all up on his donkeys to bring down to Riobamba. I had no idea that donkeys were that strong or courageous to climb a steep volcano (so I think we should all have a little more respect for donkeys… I know I do). We may not have been as quick as the donkeys at descending Chimborazo, but it sure was a lot faster and easier on the way down. By the end of our long day I was exhausted (and thankful for more oxygen in Pulingui).

It just takes meeting Baltazar to realize how weak you are… The man is on the top of a freezing volcano, chopping ice, and doesn’t even wear gloves… (he told us that he had given himself to Chimborazo and was no longer affected by the cold)… I on the other hand had layered on all the clothing I had, trying to retain some of my body heat and have padding in case I tumbled down. The saddest thing though, is that most people are like me and no one is left that is willing to endure the hardships of Baltazar’s job. Even his sons have realized that the job is too brutal and dangerous for them, leaving Baltazar as the last hieledero on Chimborazo…

So, if you are ever in Riobamba, I recommend hurrying to the little smoothie shop that makes drinks with the healing ice of the Chimborazo, because this cultural tradition will sadly die with Baltazar. (P.s. I tried a coconut smoothie and I think the healing powers worked because I feel incredibly healed).

Lots of love from Ecuador,

Jen

Bucket Showers

While my fellow interns and I are trying to stay as hygienic as possible, el campo does not make it easy for us. From mud to animal feces, my poor hiking boots trek through some unsightly things everyday here in Pulingui… but, while learning to deal with that dirt and stench I have also learned the art of the bucket shower (because the animals smell bad enough and I do not need to contribute to that).

As there is no indoor toilet, there is of course no hot water or shower, so every few days my host mother brings out her largest soup pot and boils me water. Now you may be thinking “every few days...?” or you may be asking “why is she never showering…?” well contrary to your judgments, I am currently the cleanest girl in Pulingui (meaning I have showered the most in the past two weeks). While this may be shocking news, it is only because most of the people that live in el campo shower at most once a week. Somehow though…no one smells bad…

This hygiene routine here in el campo has had me quite perplexed: how can they shower less than I do and I still smell worse after a few days…? Well, after some further investigation, this is either due to the 20 layers that each person wears to stay warm, or the cold which doesn’t even permit them to sweat. (I know this blog is a lot grosser than you expected, but after living here for a week and a half I have gotten extremely used to grossness…)

So back to bucket showers… In this 30 degree weather the 10 minutes that I can spread my shower out for are so heavenly (even though my first shower was in the pitch black and my last one I was surrounded by spiders). I also forgot my sandals in Cuenca, so to avoid further diseases I have created Ziploc bag shower shoes (I think this is my entrepreneurial side coming out). But besides all the things that have gone wrong, I have mastered the bucket shower, and am offering tips for anyone who needs them.

Now that I actually enjoy showers, let me tell you about something I don’t like… FLEAS! I guess being clean and hygienic does not exempt you from getting a bed full of fleas…because that is the wonderful way my bed greeted me on Tuesday night. Needing to get up at 3:30 am for work, I thought it would be responsible to go to bed early and get some sleep, but instead my night was filled with biting and scratching (the fleas were biting and I was scratching… just to clarify). Now before you judge me for the second time in this post, let me explain.

In Pulingui (and all of Ecuador) there are more stray dogs than there are people. While most people claim that the dogs are pets, none of the dogs are taken care of, and therefore have diseases and of course, fleas. After being warned about this during our first week in Ecuador, I was determined to avoid these dogs at all costs… but, while some of my fellow interns were enamored by the “cuteness” of the dogs and could not keep their hands off of the dogs the fleas decided to find refuge on their clothing and then later mine… So that is how you can be clean and careful and still end up miserable with fleas…

Oh the joys of living in el campo…

Lots of love from Ecuador,

Jen (who doesn’t have fleas anymore)

No Lights, No Restaurants, No Police

As I sit here writing this blog, the entire town of Pulingui is black. About two hours ago the electricity went out and we have been living by candle/my computer light ever since. I have learned though, that this is not a rare occurrence at all. According to my host mother, the power gets shut off about once a week and the people have no idea why, or how long each stint will last. The most common theory is that this is the government’s way of flexing its muscles and showing how much control they have over these areas… (I don’t find this very amusing since I am so afraid of the dark, so if the Ecuadorian government is reading this: I know you have power now please turn the lights back on). I am going to take this as a test of patience, because my being bothered by it seems so dramatic compared to how calm and patient the people of Pulingui are during the darkness.

So not only are there no lights right now, but there are no restaurants ever! In the whole 12 neighborhoods of Pulingui which stretch all the way up the volcano, there is not one single restaurant. The concept actually seems so silly to them—paying for someone to cook you food—because not only do most of the people love to cook, but they love to share. My host mother practically runs a restaurant by the number of people she has over for every meal, but never in her wildest dreams would she not share her food for free. Maybe it’s the fact that most people in this community are family, or maybe it’s just the warmth and generosity of the people, either way, do not expect to be dining out on your next trip to Pulingui.

While I was quite befuddled that you couldn’t buy food anywhere, I have been even more perplexed over the legal system here. In my 7 days here so far I have only seen one police car drive by. Again, according to my host mother (my source for all things Pulingui), there are no police stations, fire stations, court houses, or anything like that within 30 minutes of Pulingui. You could say that in theory there are laws in the town, but with no one to enforce them it becomes more of a community legal system. Because the community is so tight knit, it is merely expected that you don’t hurt or steal from any of your neighbors.

Last year, a few of my host mother’s guinea pigs were stolen, and though they never found the culprit, every person in Pulingui was convinced it must have been someone from another town, because no one in Pulingui would ever commit such a crime. In a town a few miles away, there are actually signs posted saying “Robbers will be burned”… Now I don’t know if that is what really happens, but I can expect that they don’t have many robberies there…

It really is so bizarre when you think of all this…these people have no lights at times and their lives aren´t bothered in the slightest… they have no restaurants, but no one is ever looking for food…and they have no police, but still it is the safest place I have ever been... Something is very backwards about our lives… Still pondering…

Lots of love from Ecuador,

Jen