Here We Are

WOOHOO! We’re finally here! The flights to Miami and then on to Ecuador were super smooth. Thankfully fellow Luther friend Alison and I had seats next to each other which made traveling much less stressful. The highlight of flying had to be when an open Pepsi in the compartment above us came splashing down upon the man next to me. This would have been absolutely hilarious had the man not burst into a stream of profanity that I have not heard since my bus riding days. Hilarious quickly turned into fearing for my life and paying close attention whenever I had liquids in my hands. Unfortunately, this whole ordeal took place within the first five minutes of boarding, and the man was definitely Mr. Grumpy pants after that and attempted conversation was quickly shot down.

Oh goodness. So many things. This week has been a whirlwind! First off, I’ve experienced a significant amount of culture shock just from visiting with the other students on this trip. There are about 20 of us and we’re from every corner of the states. Anyway, while traveling around Quito and northern Ecuador…

•I straddled the EQUATOR, with one foot in the Southern hemisphere and the other in the Northern one… WAY cool!
•Got burned after spending half of an hour out in the fog and drizzle. Yes, Ecuador really IS that much closer to the sun.
•Fell in love with ANDEAN MUSIC after an indigenous family played their pipes for us. This totally reminded me think of Peter Pan and I got really excited. Only when I tried to blow into the pipe, I made no music and just became super light headed. Others were definitely more successful. Shoot. Maybe I can take lessons…
•Stood in a GUINEA PIG hut. They were so adorable and squeaky! The owner explained the importance of guinea pig to his income and how it is considered fine dining. A refusal to eat it would be an insult. On one particular menu it was $15! So yes, it’s inevitable, at some point, I will be trying it.
•Managed to get sick on Mexican food. No worries, the drugs quickly went to war in my stomach. Just makes me nervous for the rest of the stay…
•I’ve seen more DOGS than perhaps I’ve ever seen in my life. They are everywhere! They are super mangy and make it their business to mark their territory everywhere.
•Went on a SCAVENGER HUNT, which involved asking locals about their town (Otavalo). Here I discovered just how much Spanish I really don’t know. While that was frustrating, it was super fun (and intimidating) conversing with the locals. For the most part, citizens were really receptive of us and patient with our Spanish. They were more than willing to talk about their town, culture and politics! This really made me wonder how I would have responded to a minority in the US if I had been stopped on the streets of Manchester or Decorah to answer questions about the origin of my town’s name or what I thought about President Bush. Politics, income, weight (all topics that are pretty much taboo in the US except in one’s innermost circles)… Ecuadorians are pretty willing to speak about.
•Visited a ROSE plantation. Flowers are everywhere!
•Throwing TOILET PAPER into the trash instead of the toilet has almost become a routine.
•Stayed up late one night to watch an active VOLCANO belch out smoke and spew lava! This was definitely THE moment that I wanted to share with lots of people from back home. So whether you knew it or not, you were there in spirit, because I was thinking of you and how we probably would have camped out all night to watch this amazingness.

There’s my week in a nutshell. Sorry it's so smorgisboard. The Andes are absolutely majestic, especially when fog creeps in and around them. Maybe some day I'll be able to post some pics. Not that they will do the mountains justice. Alright, more later. Miss you! Paz.