Friday, October 14, 2011

Equator


Sorry for not updating this earlier, I don’t have very good time management skills. We’ve been in Ecuador for about a little bit over three weeks and it has been awesome. We arrived in Quito from Costa Rica, after having had the time of our lives getting to know each other and preparing for the year ahead. We spent about five days in Quito, taking Spanish classes everyday to prepare for the next month with Spanish speaking families. Luckily, because of the Mexican that I am and the Cuban that Karelle is, we got to skip classes all week and walk around town and run errands with Kayce. We had seminars and lots of reading to do about the environment, which is the topic we are focusing on here in Ecuador. One day we had an Ecuadorian professor come talk to us about the history of Ecuador, and we learned many interesting things about the government and the current situation here. In 2008 the current Ecuadorian President, Correa, drafted a new Constitution, which included rights for nature. It is the only country in the world that gives rights to nature, something that many other countries should contemplate, considering the fact that we were made for the earth, and not the other way around. A college student also came and talked to us about the environment in Ecuador, its diversity, and the current issues. One issue is that the Ecuadorian government is trying to get $100,000,000 from other countries to pay them not to destroy the Oriente, or much of the Amazon. So far they only have about 50 million, and I think the deal makes it or breaks it by the end of this year, which is terribly sad. Think of all that beauty, all those trees, plants, animals, all that life. Gone. Just because they need to get money from somewhere to not completely depend on other countries for support. We had some good times in Quito --- Going to the mall called Quicentro and getting delicious ice cream from a restaurant called Crepes and Waffles. Going on runs in the morning around the city, in the fresh air with Ecuadorian runners all around. Simply walking around the city and seeing places I had been to three years ago on my AdventuresCrossCountry trip, and becoming beautifully nostalgic. Having a splendid stuffed red pepper at a restaurant called The Magic Bean. Walking around the old city part of town.  Joining a dance class in the middle of the street and getting a free bracelet. Going to the huge church, which has been in construction for hundreds of years, and overlooking all of wonderful Quito. Doing yoga in the morning, led by the delightful Kayce. Playing games with the group. Looking at the graffiti on the walls by the Ecuadorian youth. Seeing a sexy chap with dreads at the top floor window of a five-story building, wishing I could talk to him. Walking on the mountain after having gone to a glass building that contained lovely modern artwork. Having delicious breakfasts and dinners at the Mision Carmelita on Abascal and Cochapata Street. --- Finally, waking up to the day we would come to Atahualpa, and meet the families we would be living with for the next month.

The town is small, under 1,900 and 2,000 meters above sea level, nestled in the mountains. Atahualpa is the Pichincha province and near five other towns in this area. The weather is sweet. Mostly cool, with some refreshingly warm days, and habitually either rain or drizzle. The views are amazing. It feels as if the clouds are only several hundred feet above us. The sunsets are outstanding. The mountains hold waterfalls and a small river, and on the other side there are huge lagoons. The town is set up along a main road, which goes all uphill at a relatively steep incline. The town cemetery is small but decorated beautifully with bushes of all shapes and sizes. There is a big soccer field, a school, a pretty church in the center of town along with the park, and a public swimming pool. Everyone knows each other, and there is no crime. One can walk on the streets at any time of day or night, and be completely safe. This is where I get to live until October 28th. My family is sweet, two daughters: one sixteen, one fourteen.  The house is a three-story cement house which like many others her looks unfinished. The only floor in use is the first, in which they generously gave me my own room. The second floor is separate, kind of like a duplex, and is used for making cheese, yogurt, jams, and arts and crafts. The third floor is basically the roof, with a washing machine and clotheslines for the laundry. I remember the first night I was here, after having just met my family, looking up at the clear nights sky and seeing all the twinkling constellations. After that, the nights have never been so clear. The mom has her own garden in the huge backyard with organically grown veggies and fruits. They also have about 50 guinea pigs, which is a meat they eat here. Bunnies, ducks, chickens, quail, geese, and a dog named Pinky also reside in the backyard. Not longer than a five minute walk away is a lot of land with their cows which they milk every single morning. Coming on this trip I thought I would be living in the most remote places, for example here in Ecuador I thought I’d be with a tribe in the Amazon. Not quite what I expected though, having a television in every room in the house. Although I had mentally prepared for way harder conditions than the one I am in, I have to admit, this is not the easiest thing in the world. Living with strangers of another culture, with different customs, habits, and general way of life can be significantly overwhelming. For example, I saw the slaughter of a guinea pig the other day. My host mom just took it by the neck, slit its throat, held it upside down for all the blood to drain out, dipped it in boiling water to take all the hair off, cut it open in half, and took all of the guts out. All with her bare hands. She told me to touch the muscle of the leg, and already cut open and completely dead, the muscle twitched and I jumped back with a scream. She left the heart and brain in though, and then cooked it in the oven with oil. I tried it and it was pretty good, it was really more just the thought of having seen the process of this once cute creature’s preparation for our enjoyment. My host sister Dayana loves to chew on the head and eat the brain and the eyes, and suck everything out until the only thing left is the bone. The subject is ecotourism here, so we started working on the service project and we went up to the mountain to fix the potholes in the rode that led to the top. Then we went down to another mountain to widen the walking trail for tourists to come and give the town some business.  We visited the waterfalls that were the destination of those trails and they were marvelous. I loved hiking up and down, oh and I got to swing on a vine! It was so much fun!!! Sometimes I feel like I belong in the jungle.  We had lots of fun getting wet and muddy, and it was a good workout too. On the weekend Karelle and I went to Quito for a dance performance in the town square and I was in it! My host sisters taught me all the moves the night before and got me all of the costumes I needed to preform with them. It was sick dancing in traditional Ecuadorian clothes in the middle of the square surrounded by so many people. We came back and kept working on the same project and having seminars everyday at 2:30pm after having lunch at home, which is the biggest meal of the day here. I helped my mom make bread from scratch and it was really good, considering the fact that I don’t usually eat bread that often. The food is good, not as many veggies and fruits as I would like, but still good. Some of my favorites have been fried plantains, and boiled corn called mote, which looks like popcorn but tastes like corn, and is absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, I ate a lettuce everyday, which I thought was disinfected but turn out only with lime.  Unfortunately, I got E.Coli, but thankfully I went to the hospital and got diagnosed in time before it got worse and my intestines were all fucked up. I just today finished the antibiotics and it feels good! Taught me the lesson to be extremely careful with everything I eat and not think I can take it. We went to Quito that same weekend for the Ecuador – Venezuela soccer game, and Ecuador won 2-0, despite the common thoughts that we would lose. I guess TBB is their lucky charm, because they just beat the U.S. 1-0 a couple of days ago as well. Karelle, Kayce, and I had to stay the night to work on getting our Chinese visas. It’s a long process, but it was fun because that night we went to La Ronda, which is an artsy part of town with different cafes and art shops. I spent around $40 buying insane string bracelets from some pretty cool people from Chile and Switzerland. I bet Roma would love them if she saw, I’ll probably send her an email with the pictures. So this week we started working on making a greenhouse for the local community to grow trees and plants in order to help reforest the mountains that have gotten deforested over the years. We cleared the weeds on the land, gathered wood to build the greenhouse, and so far have dug out seven long trenches for small trees to grow in. I really like manual labor.  I’m having fun, learning lots, and enjoying life. I have to admit I do miss home, but mostly I miss the delicious food my mom makes and all the yummy restaurants. No wait, JAMBA JUICE! That is what I miss the most. And of course all you people reading this know I miss you like crazy, so that goes unsaid. Something I have to work on is being more disciplined with my time and prioritizing correctly. Hopefully I will get better soon, in order to make the most of this experience.  I’m so lucky to be here and so thankful.  I love you all back home. Oh and thinking about all of the stiff we’re reading and everything we’re ding inspired me to write my first poem ever. Here it goes.










You and I.

My dear earth,
I have to say I’m sorry.
Ever since the start,
You’ve been nothing but good.
You let me come into being,
And let me live on your land,
Using whatever I needed.
But my brothers and I,
We have not been good in return.
If anything,
We have taken advantage of you.

My poor earth,
What have I done?
I feel as a young boy would,
After killing a spider that did him no harm.
I used to be able to lie in your ocean,
And feel your breath.
Now I only hear the sounds of machines I myself have created.
I used to be able to breathe in your air,
So clean and so pure.
Now I taste the smoke of those machines,
And it hurts my lungs.
I used to be able to walk your land,
And feel your heartbeat.
Now I only hear the sounds of my brothers and their machines,
Hurrying to make more of what they believe can buy them happiness.

Life was so sweet when you and I were one.
Now you say you don’t know what’s become of me.
Why have I only thought of myself,
When you are in the midst of all my doings?
I love you so much,
But I know I have not shown it.
In this relationship of ours,
All I have done is take,
When you know nothing but to give.
Sometimes I feel your pain,
And many of my brothers have dies because of your anger.
But with our past actions,
We deserve it.

Lately some of my brothers have felt your pain as well,
And many are trying to reverse what they have done to you.
But it’s not easy.
I know you’re about to break,
But please,
Give me a chance.
Give me more time.
I promise I will try to heal you.
But with all you have to give,
Many of my brothers still want to take.
They don’t understand how you’re feeling,
And that if they don’t stop,
Your heart might cease to beat.
I will spread the word of your illness.
I hope someone heeds my words.

My beautiful earth,
All I can say is I’m sorry,
And I’m trying.
But it’s hard,
And sometimes I want to give up.
But I can’t.
I owe it to you and I.
Every time I see the colors of your sky,
When I hear the whispers of your wind,
As I feel the softness of your land,
I know you’re still there.
You’re alive and your heart is beating.
Your love resonates within me,
And when I feel it in my soul,
I know you and I are still one. 



P.S. I'll put all the pictures up soon! 

1 comment:

  1. ahh again i'm so jealous of you. everything sounds amazing.
    i'm sorry to hear you got sick! please make sure to take a good round of probiotics because antibiotics kill good bacteria along with the bad if you aren't already!
    fried plantains are MY FAVORITE/ were my favorite part of costa rica. my mom would make these "tamales" with fried plantains as masa and black bean filling -soo good.
    i love your poem too!
    the day you get back i'm buying you jamba juice!
    and i will write you a letter soon!!
    xoxo lils

    ReplyDelete