Goodbye, Ecuador!

It's been a wonderful trip and we're sad to leave!  Adios, Ecuador!

Quito, Homestays & Friendship Camp

HOLA!! The past few days at our friendship camp have been action packed!!! Our crew is learning just how tiring yet fulfilling it can be to work with little kiddos...especially if there is a language barrier as well! These 11 students are up to the challenge! Yesterday campers enjoyed making nature art collages, playing games and singing songs in English, playing soccer and basketball...and the Music/Dance department even started choreographing a dance to "Thriller" that will be performed tomorrow for all the kids' parents! How fun! 

Everyday after camp we've been heading to the same restaurant for lunch and planning for the next day.  The meals have been great---fried chicken, lasagna, pork...always with some rice and a spicy sauce we've all come to love called "Aji".  Yesterday after lunch, the head chef at the restaurant gave us a cooking demonstration and we tried our hand at making empanadas!! Making them look pretty is harder than we thought, but it was fun to sample our creations fresh out of the oven!! We've also been playing some card games with our Ecuadorian friends in the afternoons...the card game "spoons" has been an especially big hit! Later that afternoon, everyone went their separate ways and headed to their homestays.  Last night at home, students reported to us that they enjoyed making pizza, playing scrabble, and even going to the movies with their various families! Students seem to really be enjoying this experience and are getting a lot out of seeing what life is like for an Ecuadorian family! 

Today at camp, Niall, Mickey and Isaac dominated the sports department and even set up an obstacle course for kids to race through---complete with sack races and egg on a spoon relays.  Clare, Julia, Faith, Emily and Emma found themselves in the Art department today, and helped dozens of little ones create their very own masks.  Rachel continued to dominate the English department ... she successfully taught all kids "Brother John" in both English and Spanish! Marlie is working hard to make sure all the kids have their steps down for the "Thriller" dance that we'll be performing tomorrow! Today, Alyssa filled up about 100 water balloons in preparation for our all-camp activity: water balloon toss!  The local kids had a blast today, and will certainly not be excited that tomorrow is our final day of Friendship camp! 

After lunch and more planning for our final camp day, we were treated to a visit and tour of a local rose plantation, partly run by the dad of one of our Liceo de Valle students.  Here, we learned that Ecuador is the largest exporter of roses in the world, and we could see why---they were beautiful!! At the end of the tour, we each got to take home a perfect, long stem red rose.  What a great end to any day! 

It's hard to believe we've got just a handful of days left in this amazing country we've called home for the past couple weeks! Ecuador has really been treating us well with it's delicious food, amazing bio-diversity, astounding landscapes and wonderfully kind people.  Tomorrow students will bid goodbye to their homestay families and we'll be all back together again to start the last part of our journey.  We'll be heading 2 hours north of Quito to explore Ibarra, Salinas and Otavalo! Students are especially looking forward to shopping in the largest handicraft market in all of South America---We have a feeling those backpacks will be hard to zip shut after that shopping expedition! 

Until next time---we all wish you well from Quito, and send our love and many hugs your way!! 

Ciao!

-Team Ecuador 2012

Greetings from Ecuador!! The group just completed a whirlwind tour of “El Oriente”…a
big loop from Quito - Baños - Puyo - Runa Huasi - Susie’s cabin and back to Quito!

Our group is exhausted yet happy after several early morning wake-ups to cram in all the
amazing activities we’ve been up to in the jungle! We’ve all got bug bites on our legs but
smiles on our faces after stepping outside our comfort zones and surviving the elements
during the most “rustic” portion of our journey!

First on the agenda was a summit (to the first refuge at least – 15,744 ft.) of Cotopaxi, a
19,347 foot tall active volcano! We really had to bundle up for this one…a few members
of our group saw snow for the first time (that’s you, Alyssa!) and it was definitely the
first time any of us experienced snow flurries on the fourth of July!!! We warmed up later
that night in the natural hot springs in the mineral pools in Baños. Any day where you
start in a winter hat, and end in a bathing suit is a memorable one indeed!!

Onward to the lush extreme sports capital of Ecuador, Banos, and the lure of a mysterious
activity: Canyoning! After being outfitted with wetsuits and harnesses, we were whisked
away to a nearby verdant canyon. With visions of waterfalls dancing in our heads, we
plodded our way up along a muddy path—remind me to never hike in a wetsuit again!
Suddenly we found ourselves in a Jurassic Park-ish enclosure, our ears filled with the
sound of rushing water, and our hearts pounding with anticipation. Only one way down
from here! Why yes, of course, it’s time to rappel down a few waterfalls. Everyone
ended this day completely soaked and with a huge sense of accomplishment.

After eating local meals the whole trip, upon arriving in Puyo the group was treated
to a delicious meal of….pizza! We spent the next morning catching up on our
basic “Maslow’s” needs (food, shelter) so we slept in and had a nice breakfast before
taking off to the Runa Huasi jungle lodges! Once we arrived in Tena, we packed all our
bags in a motorized canoe and headed down the Napo river to our new home, deep in the
jungle! There was no electricity (candles everywhere!) and very few comforts of home.
Our students especially had to get used to sharing their living space with a myriad of
friendly critters!

In the jungle, the mighty jungle we were up early to visit a local zoo/animal re-
habilitation center. Then we went to a local family’s plantation where we toured the
grounds and observed a Chicha-making demonstration. In the afternoon, we were tasked
with building a balsa raft and using it to float down the river! Our nights at Runa Huasi
were restful—after of course we made peace with all the creepy crawlies around.

And now for what we were all waiting for: whitewater rafting! We were greeted with a
cool, misty morning, and it was hard to believe we’d soon be running the rapids. After
an extensive safety talk, we were out on the water, gleefully anticipating the first rush of
adrenaline. We were not disappointed! Whitewater in Ecuador is no joke, and there was
soon not a dry person among us. The guides fed us an incredible lunch, and the heavens
finally opened up, giving us relief from the cold—it was a gloriously sunny day!

After a full day of rafting, we headed towards the cloud forests of Baeza, and were
thankful to be welcomed so kindly into beautiful cabins owned by friends of our in-
country contact, Sarah. Susanna and her family were amazing hosts---they fed us well
and gave us an informative lesson on Ecuadorian culture/customs and learned some
helpful Spanish phrases to prepare our students for their upcoming homestays!

Niall and Julia took turns on the guitar and we sang ourselves to sleep, eagerly
anticipating the transition to the friendship camp/homestay portion of our program. This
group has bonded especially well---what an open, inclusive bunch! It will be hard to be
separate for a few nights (what will we do without knowing everyone’s highs and lows of
the day!?!?) but all are excited to practice/learn some Spanish and immerse themselves in
the family dynamic in their homestays.

On Monday the group had one final planning session with the Liceo de Valle teenagers
we’ll be working with for our Friendship camp at the Inez Gonzotena Elementary
School! The four departments: art, sports, music/dance and languages worked feverishly
to finalize their lesson plans for the week! After a “mock-day” of sorts, both groups felt
comfortable with the plan for Day 1! Soon after, we split up into Homestay groups....and
the Windsor Mountain students got to know their new Ecuadorian brother or sister a
bit better before heading “home” to meet the rest of the family and settle in…students
are excited to be in the same place for four nights---quite a treat after moving around so
much during our epic jungle tour!!

Yesterday morning the Liceo de Valle and Windsor Mountain “counselors” arrived at
the school for our first day of camp! What a successful first day it was!! Local youth
enjoyed playing soccer, basketball, myachi, dancing, finger painting, making bracelets
and learning some new English words! We were incredibly impressesed with how the
group handled themselves. At lunch, all departments took time to plan the next day and
then spent the rest of the afternoon teaching eachother some Ecuadorian/US card games!!

Everyone is excited to call home this afternoon! Be expecting to here from your world
traveler between 2-5pm (EST) this very afternoon!

Amor y Paz,
Dave + 3 and Kate + 8

Student Updates!

Rachel is thoroughly enjoying her time in Ecuador, jumping at all opportunities to
practice her Spanish and engage with locals. Her lighthearted and team-centric attitude
has been an incredible asset, as we’ve all benefitted from her commitment to bonding our
group into an inclusive, cohesive unit!

Marlie is fully embracing the chance to explore the country that members of her family
come from! She was excited to interact with the Ecuadorian teenagers from the Liceo de
Valle school that we’ll be working with and went out of her way to make connections
with them during our hike up to the Pita waterfalls.

Mickey is having a wonderful time here in Ecaudor! He is amazing the locals with his
mad “Myachi” skills. In the group, Mickey has a calming presence—he is consistently
pleasant to be around, cracking us up with his dry wit, and always ready to engage in the
activity at hand.

Faith’s humor and enthusiam are infectious, and have helped make the first part of this
trip incredible! She has easily integrated with the rest of the group, and approaches
every activity with excitement and appreciation---she’s probably got the record for “most
pictures taken” so far as she tries to capture each precious memory on film!

Isaac’s attitude can be summed up with this quotation: “I’ll cook all the food, I’ll wash all
the dishes—I’ll do anything, just let me know!” Isaac is putting his all into this trip. He
is tackling opportunities with gusto: from learning more Spanish to dominating the hike
to Cotopaxi when he was feeling a little under the weather!

Emily really enjoyed her time at the Tarabitha waterfalls just past Banos where we gave
each student an opportunity to be solo and silently reflect on their journey thus far. In the
group, Emily has been a real help—she’s been busy helping to cook a few of our meals,
and never hesitates to lend a hand in the cleaning process! We’re thankful to have her
around!

Julia’s fast-talking, high energy personality translates well in Ecudador! Julia has some
natural leadership skills, and has led several games with our group. Julia also took turns
playing several songs for us at the campfire we had on Tuesday night, which was a real
treat! She’s excited to get to know her homestay family and teach arts at the friendship
camp next week!

Alyssa---this girl’s got tenacity! Although challenged by the Cotopaxi hike and the
canyoning, she powered through and conquered it all! Alyssa has chosen to be in the “Art
Department” for our friendship camp, and has some great ideas for how to make it
memorable for the Ecuadorian children we’ll be working with!

Emma’s insatiable hunger for adventure and sharp wit have brought joy to the group
during these formative first days. Her drive has helped set a tone for the rest of the
group, and a focus on spontaneity and humor! She has excelled at all activities so
far—be it hiking a volcano, rapelling down a 30 meter waterfall, or simply sharing her
thoughts in a group setting.

Niall’s thoughtful nature has been an essential factor in bringing the group together—he
helps us dig deeper into the world around us, turning us away from tourism and tuning us
into the true Ecuadorian culture.  His artistic talents are admired by all, as he displayed immediate
salsa dancing talent, and wowed us with mellifluous singing voice and guitar skills!

Clare has inspired us all with her determination in the face of fear! Rapelling down a 30
meter waterfall? No problem. In a beautiful example a group coming together, Team
Ecuador encouraged Clare to step up to the challenge, and she came through it all with
a triumphant smile. We were thrilled when she took the initiative to lead a group game
with our new Liceo de Valle friends, breaking barriers between two cultures!

A full moon is shining down on Quito tonight, and we are perched high above the city, watching the lights twinkle.  Team Ecuador 2012 finds itself in an exceptional spot tonight, staying as guests of our in country contact, Sarah Dettman!  A bonfire is crackling, s'mores are being rapidly consumed, and the laughter is infectious.  Our third full day here in Ecuador is coming to a close, and I'm happy to report it was a productive one!  

The first two days were an orientation extravaganza!  We began our journey with name games, ice-breakers and an Ecuador trivia game at a local park.  We then visited a glorious folkloric dance performance and visited some ornate churches in historic Quito, around Plaza Independencia and Plaza de San Francisco.  There was a lot going on in Quito on Sunday especially…the city was uber alive, with lots of folks enjoying the music and culture that surrounded us! We enjoyed our first “Almuerzo” (set, fixed price lunch) and did a scavenger hunt in a local plaza…which challenged our students to ask for directions and speak Spanish! We then climbed the Basilica, an incredible example of neo-gothic architecture offering sweeping views of the city and it’s surrounding mountain regions.  We cooked our first meal as a group Sunday night---delicious pasta and salad prepared by Isaac, Emma, Emily, Julia and Mickey! 

Monday was a busy one too! We visited the Pichincha volcano on the Teleferico gondola and hiked a bit around the top of the 14,000 foot peak! Here, we experienced more gorgeous views of the Ecuadorian landscape! It was breathtaking! On Monday we also visited……….

………THE MIDDLE OF THE WORLD! (La Mitad del mundo!)  We all took turns putting one foot on each hemisphere and did several experiments on the line that divides our fine planet (does water in a drain go straight down? can you balance an egg on a nail on the equator?) We’ll be happy to share what we learned when we return, just ask 

Today was the highly anticipated day of meeting up with our Liceo del Valle international school counterparts for a waterfall excursion and a friendship camp planning session!  Upon arriving at the school, we discovered a large group waiting for us--a bit larger than we expected, but we were up for the challenge.  After a few quick games, we were well on our way to integrating the two groups into a cohesive unit.  The hike to the waterfall (Cascadas de Pita) was substantial!  We passed through a verdant canyon, crossing a couple of streams, and keeping our eyes peeled for hummingbirds.  A massive waterfall greeted us, and our adventurous group wasted no time--gingerly sampling the icy cold waters.  Refreshing, to say the least.  Sarah and her lovely family had prepared a fantastic barbeque lunch for us, complete with grilled choclo (corn), hamburgers, hotdogs, and some mighty tasty veggie patties.  The planning session commenced, and the 30+ students joined forces, sharing ideas on how to make a stellar camp for Ecuadorian youngsters.  After much deliberation, we came away with a solid plan for the Friendship Camp, including elements of theater, art, dance, sports, and even some English instruction!   

Tomorrow we are off to El Oriente--------THE JUNGLE! We are looking forward to experiencing more of Ecuador’s bio-diversity and natural beauty before returning to Quito on Monday to begin our Homestays and friendship camp! 

 

It's been an eventful weekend in Ecuador!

Here's the group after ascending the Teleférico:

Happy (and sweaty!) after a great salsa class!

Here we are crossing the 0* latitude line at La Mitad del Mundo

And in front of the Basilica in Quito

Stay tuned for more!