Just to clarify: the spider is a tarantula and the thing that's killing it is a "matacaballo," which more or less means "horse killer." Hmm...
Friday, April 26, 2013
Tarantula vs. "Horse Killer"
I found these adorable little fellas in the lawn outside of my classroom today. Nothing like a bit of blood-lust to make your afternoon cheerier. Can I just say I'm glad these two are far, faar away from my house. I'm pretty sure my heart would have stopped beating if I encountered these guys in my bedroom.
Just to clarify: the spider is a tarantula and the thing that's killing it is a "matacaballo," which more or less means "horse killer." Hmm...
Just to clarify: the spider is a tarantula and the thing that's killing it is a "matacaballo," which more or less means "horse killer." Hmm...
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Oh, Ecuador! Oh, Ecuador...
Now that I've lived in Ecuador for two months, I feel that I'm finally moving pass that initial "Ecuador is SO amazing/ohmigoodness someone please take me home!" phase and am starting to realize what I truly like about Ecuador and what drives me just a little crazy. It can be quite easy to start focusing on the negative the longer you stay in another country, but it's both the awesomeness and the craziness that come together to make living abroad an experience unlike any other. So, for your reading enjoyment, here are a few things that make me smile and say "Oh, Ecuador!" and a few that make me slap my forehead and say "Oh, Ecuador..."
"Oh, Ecuador..."
(Let's start with the not-so-great things first so we can end on a high note.)
- The graffiti that covers every inch of available wall space in the city. Some of it is art-worthy...most of it is not.
- You're out late partying and your bladder is bursting and you can't find a public restroom? By all means use the street. It's not late and you haven't been out partying but the sidewalk is just so convenient? Go right ahead, buddy.
- I don't live on the coast with swarms of mosquitoes, but if you go for a hike rest assured you will return with a generous helping of insect bites. And, no, wearing long pants will not save you. These suckers went right through the material!
- When you ask a kind stranger for directions and end up on the other side of the city in the complete opposite direction of your intended destination because "the kind stranger" simply told you what you wanted to hear even though they had no clue where you were headed.
- The incessant barking from the neighborhood's dogs at all hours of the day and night. Oh, and the neighborhood rooster who likes to join in the melee (and who, by the way, crows waaay before the sun in rising).
- The dog poop that litters all of the sidewalks courtesy of the huge population of street dogs.
- Which leads me to another thing--the huge population of street dogs. Most of these dogs are so lovely and deserve a good home and it's awful to see so many of them scrounging for food on the streets.
- The concept of refrigeration is apparently not widely accepted. When we finish lunch (or any sort of meal), everything that we didn't eat sits on the stove in a pot (or on a plate on the counter) for the rest of the day...or days. Ants and cockroaches love us.
- The towel that you use to dry your hands in the kitchen is also the towel you use to wipe your mouth, mop up the coffee spill, dry the dishes, and cover the leftover cake sitting out on the counter. I think it gets washed once a week. I think?
"Oh, Ecuador!"
- So, this is what REAL fruit tastes like. Any fruit you can imagine and any juice from any fruit you can imagine is readily available and dirt cheap here.
- The amazing climate. Ibarra is located in a valley and thanks to it location has beautiful weather year round. We only have two seasons--wet and dry--and the wet is barely wet at all.
- I know everyone says this about South America, but everyone says it because it's true. The people here are amazing! It doesn't matter who you are, you're bound to be shown some authentic Ecua-love.
- I love the Ecua-greeting -- hug and air kiss on the cheek. After all, seven hugs a day keeps the doctor away!
- Family is so important here. Ecuadorians are very family-oriented and I love how often they spend time with both their immediate and extended family.
- Being called "mi hijita" by my host mom.
- People can actually dance here!
- I'm finally learning Spanish. It's a process for sure, but I think it's starting to sink in and become usable.
- I have students who actually want to learn. Sure, I've got some slackers, but on the whole my students make an effort to improve their English. It's a refreshing change from most American students.
So there you have it. My initial two-month impressions of Ecuador. I have no doubt that by the end of my year here both of these lists will have grown much longer and changed significantly. But that's all the more reason to write down these things now. I want to be able to look back on these lists in December or January and see just how much my perspective has changed from the beginning.
"Oh, Ecuador..."
(Let's start with the not-so-great things first so we can end on a high note.)
- The graffiti that covers every inch of available wall space in the city. Some of it is art-worthy...most of it is not.
- You're out late partying and your bladder is bursting and you can't find a public restroom? By all means use the street. It's not late and you haven't been out partying but the sidewalk is just so convenient? Go right ahead, buddy.
- I don't live on the coast with swarms of mosquitoes, but if you go for a hike rest assured you will return with a generous helping of insect bites. And, no, wearing long pants will not save you. These suckers went right through the material!
- When you ask a kind stranger for directions and end up on the other side of the city in the complete opposite direction of your intended destination because "the kind stranger" simply told you what you wanted to hear even though they had no clue where you were headed.
- The incessant barking from the neighborhood's dogs at all hours of the day and night. Oh, and the neighborhood rooster who likes to join in the melee (and who, by the way, crows waaay before the sun in rising).
- The dog poop that litters all of the sidewalks courtesy of the huge population of street dogs.
- Which leads me to another thing--the huge population of street dogs. Most of these dogs are so lovely and deserve a good home and it's awful to see so many of them scrounging for food on the streets.
- The concept of refrigeration is apparently not widely accepted. When we finish lunch (or any sort of meal), everything that we didn't eat sits on the stove in a pot (or on a plate on the counter) for the rest of the day...or days. Ants and cockroaches love us.
- The towel that you use to dry your hands in the kitchen is also the towel you use to wipe your mouth, mop up the coffee spill, dry the dishes, and cover the leftover cake sitting out on the counter. I think it gets washed once a week. I think?
"Oh, Ecuador!"
- So, this is what REAL fruit tastes like. Any fruit you can imagine and any juice from any fruit you can imagine is readily available and dirt cheap here.
- The amazing climate. Ibarra is located in a valley and thanks to it location has beautiful weather year round. We only have two seasons--wet and dry--and the wet is barely wet at all.
- I know everyone says this about South America, but everyone says it because it's true. The people here are amazing! It doesn't matter who you are, you're bound to be shown some authentic Ecua-love.
- I love the Ecua-greeting -- hug and air kiss on the cheek. After all, seven hugs a day keeps the doctor away!
- Family is so important here. Ecuadorians are very family-oriented and I love how often they spend time with both their immediate and extended family.
- Being called "mi hijita" by my host mom.
- People can actually dance here!
- I'm finally learning Spanish. It's a process for sure, but I think it's starting to sink in and become usable.
- I have students who actually want to learn. Sure, I've got some slackers, but on the whole my students make an effort to improve their English. It's a refreshing change from most American students.
So there you have it. My initial two-month impressions of Ecuador. I have no doubt that by the end of my year here both of these lists will have grown much longer and changed significantly. But that's all the more reason to write down these things now. I want to be able to look back on these lists in December or January and see just how much my perspective has changed from the beginning.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
1 Month, 2 Month: Vlog Entry
Here it is, folks! First vlog entry from Ecuador. Enjoy and don't forget to comment!
Friday, April 12, 2013
Happy Teacher's Day!
Tomorrow (Saturday) is Teacher's Day here in Ecuador. Teacher's Day is exactly what it sounds like--a day to celebrate your teachers and, if you're a really awesome student, bring them something to show them just how much you appreciate them.
Since I'm a brand new teacher here in Ecuador and since I teach at a community school and not in a traditional school setting, I wasn't expecting any displays of "teacher love" this week. But this morning, much to my surprise, my class brought me a cake to mark the occasion! (It's a good thing I waited to give them back their midterms on Monday, otherwise the affectionate feelings may have dissipated.)
So Happy Teacher's Day to all of you teachers out there, whether you're in Ecuador or not! Know that your students really do appreciate you, even if they don't always show it.
Chau!
Since I'm a brand new teacher here in Ecuador and since I teach at a community school and not in a traditional school setting, I wasn't expecting any displays of "teacher love" this week. But this morning, much to my surprise, my class brought me a cake to mark the occasion! (It's a good thing I waited to give them back their midterms on Monday, otherwise the affectionate feelings may have dissipated.)
So Happy Teacher's Day to all of you teachers out there, whether you're in Ecuador or not! Know that your students really do appreciate you, even if they don't always show it.
Chau!
 |
| A photo of me and my class after we had cake. They insisted on taking a picture! |
Sunday, April 7, 2013
The lake of guinea pigs
When you're surrounded by so many amazing mountains (and volcanoes!) you can't help but throw on your hiking shoes and grab your camera every time the sun is shining and you don't have class. This Saturday our wanderings took us to Cuicocha, a huge crater lake located on the outskirts of Cotocachi about 30ish minutes away from Ibarra. (Cuicocha is a Quechua word which literally means "guinea pig lake." Apparently it got its name because of the large guinea pig population which used to live in the area.)
My older sister Fernanda suggested that we get an early start to avoid getting caught out in the blazing Ecuadorian sun in the middle of the day. So at 7:30 Saturday morning, bleary-eyed and caffeine-deprived, me, Fernanda, Annie, and Belen all met at the bus terminal to begin our little adventure. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and I had remembered to put on insect repellent. It was bound to be a good day.
We arrived in Cotocachi a little after 8 and after securing snacks and taking a bathroom break, we were ready to tackle Cuicocha. A short taxi drive later found us standing on a gravel road in the middle of farmland at the beginning of an narrow, unmarked dirt path. To the unsuspecting eye, it would've been quite easy to miss. I actually didn't see it myself until Fernanda (our unofficial guide) pointed it out to me.
The trail itself was easy enough to navigate in that we were walking around a lake and had little chance of getting lost. Also, since we had started on the left side of the lake instead of the right, our climb was much flatter and had fewer uphill hauls. However, the wind was strong and the sun was stronger and I could never quite decide if I was too hot or freezing. My jacket kept coming off and going back on as the sun moved in and out of the clouds.
The view of the lake was breathtaking as we were high enough above it for the entire duration of the hike to have a bird's eye view. I couldn't seem to stop taking pictures as the crest of every hill provided yet another spectacular vista.
And it wasn't just the lake stealing the show. There were several varieties of mountain flowers along the trail that caused me to lag behind more than once so I could snap a quick photo.
We met quite a few other hikers along the trail (almost all of them fellow gringos, though mainly from the UK) and stopped a few times to make good use of our snacks (coconut cookies...so addicting). By about noon we were nearly to the end of the trail.
The latter half of the hike proved to be a bit more challenging than the beginning. We were going downhill but between the gravel and the stairs we were either catching ourselves from slipping down the mountainside or praying that our knees would hold out just a bit longer.
We did, however, make it safely to the bottom of the trail and after a quick detour to the museum (solely to use their bathrooms of course) went looking for transportation back to Cotocachi. We had gotten the phone number of the taxi driver who had brought us so we could ring him to come pick us up, but Fernanda had a better idea. Why not hitch a ride in the back of some kind lady's flatbed and save ourselves the $5 we'd spend on a taxi? So, sure enough, we waved down a truck headed back to town and enjoyed our (illegal) 10 minute ride with the wind in our hair and an amazing view of the surrounding countryside. A perfectly fitting end to our lakeside jaunt!
Click the video below to see footage of our ride and some shots of Cuicocha.
Also, for those of you not on Facebook, click here to see the entire album of photos I took during our hike.
Chau!
My older sister Fernanda suggested that we get an early start to avoid getting caught out in the blazing Ecuadorian sun in the middle of the day. So at 7:30 Saturday morning, bleary-eyed and caffeine-deprived, me, Fernanda, Annie, and Belen all met at the bus terminal to begin our little adventure. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and I had remembered to put on insect repellent. It was bound to be a good day.
We arrived in Cotocachi a little after 8 and after securing snacks and taking a bathroom break, we were ready to tackle Cuicocha. A short taxi drive later found us standing on a gravel road in the middle of farmland at the beginning of an narrow, unmarked dirt path. To the unsuspecting eye, it would've been quite easy to miss. I actually didn't see it myself until Fernanda (our unofficial guide) pointed it out to me.
The trail itself was easy enough to navigate in that we were walking around a lake and had little chance of getting lost. Also, since we had started on the left side of the lake instead of the right, our climb was much flatter and had fewer uphill hauls. However, the wind was strong and the sun was stronger and I could never quite decide if I was too hot or freezing. My jacket kept coming off and going back on as the sun moved in and out of the clouds.
The view of the lake was breathtaking as we were high enough above it for the entire duration of the hike to have a bird's eye view. I couldn't seem to stop taking pictures as the crest of every hill provided yet another spectacular vista.
And it wasn't just the lake stealing the show. There were several varieties of mountain flowers along the trail that caused me to lag behind more than once so I could snap a quick photo.
We met quite a few other hikers along the trail (almost all of them fellow gringos, though mainly from the UK) and stopped a few times to make good use of our snacks (coconut cookies...so addicting). By about noon we were nearly to the end of the trail.
The latter half of the hike proved to be a bit more challenging than the beginning. We were going downhill but between the gravel and the stairs we were either catching ourselves from slipping down the mountainside or praying that our knees would hold out just a bit longer.
We did, however, make it safely to the bottom of the trail and after a quick detour to the museum (solely to use their bathrooms of course) went looking for transportation back to Cotocachi. We had gotten the phone number of the taxi driver who had brought us so we could ring him to come pick us up, but Fernanda had a better idea. Why not hitch a ride in the back of some kind lady's flatbed and save ourselves the $5 we'd spend on a taxi? So, sure enough, we waved down a truck headed back to town and enjoyed our (illegal) 10 minute ride with the wind in our hair and an amazing view of the surrounding countryside. A perfectly fitting end to our lakeside jaunt!
Click the video below to see footage of our ride and some shots of Cuicocha.
Also, for those of you not on Facebook, click here to see the entire album of photos I took during our hike.
Chau!
Friday, April 5, 2013
My address in Ibarra
I've had a few people ask me where they can send things here in Ibarra and I finally have an address for you. All letters and packages can be sent to my school: CECAMI, Jose Domingo Albuja 102 y El Alpargate, Ibarra, Ecuador 062641751.
Miss you all!
Miss you all!
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