Galapagos!

The Galapagos Islands are one of the collest places I've ever been to. The little time that I spent there was amazing. I saw so little of what the islands have to offer, and they are beautiful! I saw only 2 of the 13 main islands. I got to snorkle, hike, jump from rocks and just have an awesome time with another 30 some exchange students.
I met everyone at the airport. Like always, the air was buzzing with the excitement of all of us exchange students waiting to go to Galapagos! We were immediatly assaulted by people wearing face masks. Swine Flu was on the rise and people at the airport were taking it seriously. Going to the Galapagos is like going to another country. Just to get in as an Ecuadorian you need a passport. We wen't through a special food and animal security check. (Which was minimal, since someone made it through with honey and limes...) Once on the airplane we saw the magnificent Ecuadorian mountains rising above the clouds. We landed in Guayaquil and waited for 30 minutes, all flights to Galapagos go through Guyaquil. The plane ride was just millions of conversations with everyone! They sprayed Raid in the whole airplane Landing in Galapags was like landing in a desert, it was dry and hot. I remember a girl from arizona saying "Hey, this is like Arizona in the summer." It was hot, we made our way through costoms. which was a pain becuase they wanted us to pay the full fee $100, not $25 which is what Ecuadorians and residents pay. We all made it through and were told to wait. I of course took this opportunity to explore the galapagos terrain. I went running off into the scrub and chased Lava Lizards around for about 20 minuts until the bus came to pick us up. I remember the whole time on our way to the hotel I was so stoked. We took a boat through a small channel and then we continued on in bus. I was so happy there! Everyone was excited and the energy was great.
We made it to Porto Ayora, from there we had a date with Solitary George. The last of a species of Galapagos tortoises, he is kept in the Charles Darwin Research center where they are trying to get him to bread with some other tortioses from another Island that have a relatively close genetic make up. Anyways, we got to see tons of tortioses and land iguanas. It was anticlimatic because I just wanted to see things wild, and it was just like being in a zoo. On the way back to the hotel we all stopped to swim at a beach. It was beautiful. Like being in a pool. The water was clear, and warm. I swam around a bunch and decided to look out on the other side of thwe rocks that protected the beach from the surf. I swam over there with Lea a girl from France. On the other side were people surfing! THe Galapagos has some great surf. We were about to head back when I thought I saw the form of an iguana. I did a double take and was like lets go and see. There was a colony of marine iguanas. We walked around and they let us get really close. They sneezed a bunch expelling the water from their noses. I was tripping out. I couldn't believe that I was starring face to face with probably 30 iguanas! I was to see hundreds in my time in galapagos, but this first sight of them made me feel like an explorer! I was amazed. We swam back to the beach passing mangroves on the way.

Here I go!

I'm going to be going to the Galapagos tomorrow! I'm super excited, here are some photos from when I was working on the school. There are two of me, and then the photo of my friends from class. I'll get more photos up and then there won't be much to explain. We started with very little and in 2 weeks we built a building that will serve as a school. I had so much fun! I just worked all day every day. I suffered a couple of injuries, I stepped on a nailm,and cut myself. But I kept on working. It was an adventure. On the second day I saw a Basilisk lizard, they really do run on water!
When I was on the coast, I worked away my problems and what was left was my wholesome naked self, unscarred and happy. I worked and had so much fun doing it. This was such a rewarding experience. I got to know my classmates so much better. I just felt happy the whole time I was on the coast. I remember thinking half asleep on the two hour ride back to Esmereldas that I was just happy. I hadn't felt this happy in such a long time. I was working about 9 hours a day, and I did that for 11 days. It felt good, I was really using that time to the fullest. I was helping people that really needed it. I was able to let myself go, after working I would wrestle with the little kids. Me running around fending of five kids who were determined to tackle "mi gringito." I recieved this name by the community, "my gringo," I even promised to one of the women there that I would be back in 2 or 3 years. But when I come back there will be at least 50 kids studying in our school.
I also got to do the finishing touches. I got to put the last piece of roofing on because we didn't have a ladder and the worker didn't want to jump down.
All in all, it was one of the best things I did in my time here.
I don't know how to get the pictures off their sides.. sorry.

Let's get real...

So as all of you who have been keeping up with my blog have noticed, it has fallen into a sad state of very little being written. The reasons for me not writing basically all fall on one thing. A lack of inspiration to write. These is largely becuase my experience here has become slowly more difficult and to express myself over the internet without being cynical has become hard. I've gone through some drastic changes and events this last month. I've done so much in Ecuador my expirience can only be described as amazing. But along with these amazing experiences have been some moments where the last thing I want to do is write.
I'm going to start over again, I'll keep everyone posted and we'll see if I can keep up my part of the bargain. I only ask that if you read this to please comment in some way. I would really appreciate hearing about what your reactions are.
I'm going to be leaving for the Galapagos in 3 days, as you can imagine I'm excited beyond belief. The Galapagos has always been one of those childhood dreams, to go to the land where the animals look at you like you are nothing more than a bothersome nuisance. To be totally honest, I feel like the shock of going there hasn't actually completely hit me. At least I know that I'll be in for an amazing adventure.
I got back last friday from a 12 day trip to a rural population in the north coast of Ecuador. I built a school, no seriously, my whole class of 20 kids just completed a school. Really, a building, it doesn't have lights, desks teaching materials or anything. But it is a building that we built. This expirience was beyond amazing for me. I worked like it was my job. My friend even told me that the only difference between me and the professionals that we hired to do the hardest stuff was that I wasn't getting paid. I didn't need to, working in the hot Ecuadorian sun building a school for a poor population that needs one was such a gift. I felt so happy to be there. I had such an awesome time, I felt free and careless, my thoughts always drifting from the next meal and working hard enough to finish the school in time. This was one of the most beautiful moments on my exchange.
More to come... I'll be sure to post soon!

Whats New? Santana!

I just had an Amazing Weekend. Fausto finally made it up to Quito. He has been taking in college something that pretty much translates into diplomacy and international relations. We spent the weekend waiting in the rain for a Santana concert and then exploring the historic district.
Saturday was a very interesting day... we spent it huddled in the rain as the first people in one of the 3 doors to get into the concert. We got there at about 2 P.M. literally just before the pooring rain. If anyone can imagine the crazy summer rainstorms that randomly show up... well it was like that except a lot colder. We were literally in inches of water. We managed to buy an umbrella and ponchos from some vendors which partially covered us. Adam showed up with the tickets at about 4. We waited and slowly watched the lines fill up... We were super lucky to have gotten right in front. At 6 they opened the doors. I sprinted into the next line to enter the colesseum. We wait for a few minutes and we are in! We sprint into the colluseum and pick out some great seats off to one side but much closer than if we had sat directly in line with the stage. The stadium slowly filled up, we amused ourselves by making paper airplanes from the free posters. At 8 a band called Prime Ministers played... they weren't that great but we still enjoyed it by dancing and scaring everyone around us. At about 8:30 or 8:45 Santana showed! He walked out with a green poncho and one of his classic white hats. The rest of the concert was an epic blur... all the members of the band were great. The drummers were amazing, they had a trap set and a couple of guys playing congo drums. Santana of course threw down some solos and a couple of great improve songs. The concert was a total success, we had a blast! Everyone that I know who went were just as stoked! That was the biggest concert I've ever been in. The energy was amazing, it was a mix of young people and adults. Adam and I danced like there was no tomorrow... we definatly recieved our fair share of funny looks! I now have such an appreciation for Santana, the guitarist and the band, they trew it down and made an amazing show!

The Amazon! Part 1

From January 31st till the 4th of February I was in The Amazon! It was a Rotary trip to a jungle lodge called Yachana. The lodge is located in the Ecuadorian Amazon which is relatively at the start of the Amazon basin... it is crazy to think about how Ecuador has rivers which eventually flow into bigger and bigger rivers until they reach the Amazon River, which has the largest volume of any river in the world... And the rivers here seem huge!? Yachana has won a National Geografic award for ecoturism and geoturism. Essentially there is a touristy lodge that is completely set up for tourists, english speaking guides, really nice cabins, etc. Just down river is a population that is probably about 20 families. And a little farther down is a high school that has its focus on stewardship of the land and specific education for the Amazon. Essentailly completely epic. Yachana is along the banks of Napo River, which at this point is about... well 2 football fields seems right.
I met up with the other 19 exchange students in the airport on saturday morning. It was great seeing everyone again and we had a fun moment to talk about all that has happened since many of us have seen each other. Spanish, English, French, and German were all spoken, we boarded the plane and were informed of our long 30 minute flight to Coca, a city in the Amazon. We were off the plane before we knew it. One thing that stands out clearly was watching the Amazon jungle change. When we first saw it it was just a sea of green... Slowly it began to change, there were little roads leading to and from clearcuts... and then the red earth, which seemed just like wounds, and finally houses. Fields and the city of Coca finally filled my view. There was a wound around this town. Slowly the people were taking their influence farther and farther into the heart of the Amazon.
The humidity assailed us the second that we stepped off the plane, we met one of our guides, a man who by the looks of him didn't seem much older than us. We collected our bags and got into a chiva... which is pure ecuadorian travel. It is a converted truck to carry a bunch of people, I rode one during the fiestas de Quito. I asked if we could sit up top and we got a yes. We drove to the river and got out of the chiva to find ourselves at a hotel with monkeys, parrots and turtles running around...

Quilotoa photos!

Here are some photos from our adventure! There is a photo of my family on the rim of the volcano, starting our descent. My sister and on the edge of the trail. And us in our kayak.

Hey All... back from my long respite...

Hey so as anyone who at one time was a regular reader has noticed that my posts have stopped their long steady flow. I'm not that sure why but that is just how it is going. Lots of stuff has happened recently and as I haven't been thinking about putting any of it down I'll just write for a little bit and hopefully I'll be back on track with all of my adventures.
Adam and I were robbed, well kind of, it wasn't too exciting but it definatly is worth writing about. We were walking through a dangerous part of the city, the historical district, we were there to buy school clothes for Adam. My mom is always telling me to minimize my time there and it is for a very good reason. We were walking up a hill and two teenagers came walking down the sidewalk towards us. When they got close they did a weird 'what's up man' and one guy gave his hand like he wanted to shake hands with me. Quickly, his hand passed my outstreched hand and went straight for my pocket. I pushed him away and then like lightning as he passed by adam he pulled his money pouch out of his pocket. Adam wasn't in a position to react because he had a plastic bag full of clothes. Adams first reaction was: Hey, I've got a hard time getting things out of my pocket sometimes. We decided it wasn't worth pursueing so we just let it be and laughed it off. Two weeks ago my family went to Quilotoa together. My sisters boyfriend is studying tourism, and he had been to this lake before, it is a crater lake nestled in the top of a volcano. There is the local story about how this volcano was jealous with another volcano and they fought leaving the other as the victor. This lake is really high up, we enter the páramo, which is the highest type of ecosystem that still has plants here, essentially it is a grassland. But with big clump grasses. The people who live here are hearders and farmers. THe houses are subterrranian with grass roofs. The house is dug into the ground for insulation and then over it is the grass. These houses are like 12 foot rectangles. We passed donkeys, sheep, llamas, horses and the people tending them. Finally we made it to the ake, we had to pay $1 to enter the town, which is situated along the rim, apart from the clumps of houses there are a couple of restaurants and hostels. We reached the rim and saw the green tinted lake. It is different than Crater Lake in Oregon because the sides are jagged, it seems like a giant maw lifting up out of the ground. We took some photos and then began the walk down to the lake shore. I was quite sick for this adventure, I had a headache, and just felt really low energy but I just ha to walk down to the shore. We began the descent on the trail which has been completely degraded by the horses that walk up and down the trail everyday. It costs $5 dollars to get a horse to take you back up to the top. I walked down the slowest and my dad and I went to a little point overlooking the beach where there were boats and horses hanging out on the beach waiting for the tourists. We saw mainly Germans, they seem to be the most adventurous travelers with the Gringos following close behind. At the lake shore my older sister and boyfriend rented a kayak and so did my younger sister and I. We headed out onto the still water, I couldn't help but imagine some dark monster rising up from the depths of the water. We found a place where there was water bubbling up from the shore, the water was hot. This volcano still is active, it was cool to put your hand into the water and find it pleasently warm. After we had our kayak adventure which left us wet... the kayaks weren't quite water tight. My sister and I went to a family that had brought food down with them for a picnic. We sat around their cooking fire as they boiled potatoes, and cooked steak and sasages over the fire. We didn't completely dry off but we learned that our family had left and started to hike back up the mountain. I ended up following the trail and my sister took another smaller trail following my older sister and her boyfriend. I ended up passing everyone and waited for them all. About mid-way my mom and sister had a fiasco of trying to get them bothon one of the tiny little mountain horses. I felt really bad, they fell off twice before giving up and waiting for someone to bring another horse, $5 dollars for both of them. So they ttook horses the rest of the way up. WE got in the car and headed directly home. It was about 5 when we got back to the car and we got back to my house at 9 at night. I was sick and so I didn't enjoy this trip as much as I could have but it was really cool to see a part of Ecuador that I still hadn't seen, the outlinging high plains.
Today... I had a great musical expirience. Today when I was in the bus two guys boarded the bus. One with an andean flute and a guitar, and another with a ukelale type of string instrument. They played and sung for about 15 minutes as I was on the bus. I was really happy, honestly, there are many people who do tons of street preformances... but live music is quite hard to come by on the street corners. I had about $.75 and so I gave them 50 cents. It was a great preformance, it seemed like some people were bothered by it, but the majority really liked it. It was a great way to head to my house!