Some Jungle Photos...more to come!

Jungle-Monday and Tuesday

Monday-I knew I shouldn’t have waited to write…now I’m forgetting all the rich details, but I’ll attempt to remember…

Early morning again, 6AM breakfast of granola, yogurt, homemade bread, mermelada and eggs. Lots of fuel for an 8km hike. I’m actually glad we got an early start, because it was oppressively hot and humid. The air felt so thick, even at that early morning hour. Our guide assured us that it would rain later that day (and it did!) On our hike we saw lots more wildlife and interesting plants. They say there’s a medicine for any ailment that can be found in the jungle and I believe it. Javier (guide) explained many many plants that his people have been using for thousands of years for illnesses. Also the leaf cutter ants were amazing, carrying their leaves on their backs many miles, some of the smaller ones get a ride on the backs of the bigger ones.  After the hike, we headed back to the lodge for a delicious lunch of shrimp, rice and tomato salad. Then it was resting up in the hammock and swimming in the lagoon. We did another 8KM hike later in the day and got caught in a huge rainstorm. But the amazing thing was that…we hardly felt a drop as the rainforest canopy was so thick. But even though it was just 4:30 pm, it got so dark I could barely see. We waited for the rain to subside and hiked out back to the lodge just before the real darkness set in at 6:30pm. One thing I really noticed on my Amazon trip was how the noises change according to the time of day. SO noisy! I’m realizing that Quito is kind of absent of noise. But in the jungle, the birds are up so early, then in the afternoon it’s the cicadas and the evening is the toads and frogs and bugs. Amazing.

Tuesday-Time to go! We departed in the rain in our huge motorized canoe. It actually got a little chilly because the rain was beating us from the sides as we zipped down the Napo River to Coca to catch the flight back to Quito. All in all, it was a trip of a lifetime. So much nature, so close. At times I felt as if I were inside a National Geographic Magazine on the Wonders of the Amazon. The lodge was so comfortable too. Great meals and accommodations. Check them out at Sanilodge.com

Jungle-Day 2

Day 2 was an early of a morning…5:15am breakfast in order to leave on our paddle canoe to see the illusive pink river dolphins (which we never did see). Our guide told us that the pink river dolphins ended up in the Amazon river during the last ice age, then when the Andes formed, the dolphins got trapped and adapted for their fresh water habitat. On our journey to the lagoon to see the dolphins, we did see at least one hundred parrots flying in pairs for morning feedings, giant caimans (river crocodiles) and lots and lots of other migratory birds who come down to the Amazon for their winter break.

Probably the highlight of this day was piranha fishing with homemade fishing lines. I wasn’t successful, but my companeros caught a bunch! Luckily the guides knew how to release their saw-like jaws from the hooks. (I actually went for a swim while everyone else was fishing…I was assured the piranhas weren’t interested in me-and they weren’t! Not one piranha bite J)

Next was a cultural visit to the Sani Isla community. Then women of the village are slowly but surely organizing themselves to sell beautiful jewelry made of jungle seeds. They also cooked a typical meal for us. (I’ve tried it all before as I’ve got friends from the jungle, but the rest of the guests might have been slightly horrified at the roasted tree larvae) But there was also roasted fish, roasted hearts of palm (wrapped in banana leaves and roasted over the fire) baked yucca and plantain. The women spread the food out on a giant banana leaf and we ate with our hands.

After the community visit, time for hammocks and reading back at the lodge. The day ended with a delicious shrimp dinner and cards.

Day 1-Welcome to the Jungle

Welcome to the Jungle…Part 1 (Slowly, but surely. I WILL catch you up on my jungle adventures. I plan to post one day at a time! (I was without a computer for 4 days, hence the drawn-out posts)

I’ve been in the Amazon, traveling for the founding of Quito holiday. (Lots of short little breaks are wonderful for recharging my batteries!)

I traveled to Sani Lodge, deep down the Napo River. a tributary of the Amazon. Just some background on Sani Lodge. This community of Kichwa indigenous people is called Sani Isla, hence the name Sani Lodge. It’s one of the only lodges in the province completely run by the community. EVERYONE, from the bar tender, to the house keeper to the chef to the excellent guides are indigenous. Sani Lodge was built about 12 years ago with lots and lots of funds from the oil company, in return for drilling there, or using their territory so the pipeline can pass through. Oil companies have so much money, that building a luxurious jungle lodge is just pennies for them. The community agreed and the lodge was built. However, it took much longer for them to get the lodge up and running, there are so many logistics. Many outside consultants from Quito and the US came to help them get their feet off the ground. Now they have a very smooth operation. I was impressed every step of the way. They have an impressive website, if you’d like to check it out-www.sanilodge.com

Saturday, my friend Heidi who teaches 4^th grade at Academia Cotopaxi and I boarded the plane in Quito for our 30 minute flight to Coca the provincial capital of the Amazon province, Orellana. I noticed on our flight that really the only people on there were tourists and men. Lots of folks work in the oil industry or as tour guides….two competing interests. We got to Coca, were met by a man from Sani and we then boarded a long canoe with a double motor on the back, sunshade and comfy seats for our 3 hour motorized canoe ride down the Napo River to the lodge. The Napo is so very wide at most points, kind of like a highway. On both sides of the river, the gigantic jungle just towers over. Although it was steamy and hot, going about 35 miles an hour created a nice (coolish) breeze. Our driver was amazing, he would go really fast and then slow down for some reason that none of us could see (probably a sand bar) and then navigate around it. I enjoyed seeing the trees, thatched roofs of different communities along the way.

After three hours on our big canoe, we disembarked at the entrance to Sani Community, walked about a mile through the jungle, then boarded a smaller canoe and were paddled down a very small river/lagoon/lake to the lodge. Along the way we saw turtles, scarlet macaws, parrots, squirrel monkeys and caimans. After such a long journey, we were finally to the land, and greeted by the bartender with passion fruit martinis. It was a bit bizarre but a nice effort to make us feel welcome! Heidi and I stayed in the camping area across the lagoon, but camping luxurious style with mattresses, running water and platform tents.

Saturday, day 1 they went a bit suave on us and only took us for a few miles hike through the jungle to the tall tall jungle tower built on the Ceiba tree. The ceiba tree itself is spectacular, kind of like the giant redwoods in California…the indigenous people believe that the ceiba tree is sacred-it connects the ground world to the spirit world and only shamans and other really strong people can come near it because it has so much power. Absolutely massive. We climbed up and up and up and up until finally reaching the tippy top of the platform, where we could view the entire rainforest. As you’re climbing you notice all the different layers of the forest. Once at the top, our guides set up a long viewing scope and we were able to see a troop of red howler monkeys. Babies on their mom’s backs, the big males, all just hanging in the trees. These monkeys get their names because they mark their territory by making a deafening howl. It can be heard several miles away, which we did from the camping area. It almost sounds like thunder.

Climbing down the tower, the light was noticeably changing, just because the layers of plants was so thick in each layers. By the time we got down it was almost dark at 5:00pm, not because of the sun but because of the thick tree canopy.

After a delicious dinner, we went on a night hike. I felt as if I were in one of those nature shows of the wonders of the Amazon at night. Armed with rubber boots and head lamps our guides showed us so many cool creepy crawlies at night. We saw the camouflaged walking sticks, and leaf bugs. Also the orb spider with its 4 foot web-I saw a fly get trapped in the web and then the orb spider went to work wrapping it up, probably for a snack later on. The bright green chameleon was also fascinating to see, just as still as could be with lots of knobs on its body. And then there were the teeny, tiny tree frogs, less than in inch long.

The sounds in the jungle at night are just an orchestra of nature, the tree frogs, toads, all the bugs even interrupted by the screaming red howler monkey. These sounds sung me to sleep my first day.

(Day 2 coming soon!)

Lots going on

I am staying busy as ever which is a good thing! One of the nice things about Academia Cotopaxi, is that Ecuadorian teachers really try and introduce the American/Foreign teachers to their country…lots of trips on the weekends. This Saturday, we journeyed up to Otavalo. Even though I’ve been there a million and ten times, it’s always fun to go again, especially with my colleagues, getting to know them outside of a school context. The woman I sat next to on the bus is an Ecuadorian, Spanish teacher at Academia Cotopaxi. She’s in her early 50’s and is a wonderful teacher! Patient, fun, energetic. And she has used a cane for awhile, I never knew why…

Well it turns out she used to be a tour guide (since she grew up in the US, she’s perfectly bilingual). She guided foreigners all over Ecuador. When she was 33, a young bride with 3 kids, the tour bus the she was guiding on crashed…17 people died and 13 were severely injured like her. She broke her back and is pretty much paralyzed on one side. She also had a life-saving heart surgery. She was bedridden for one year, absolutely immobile and suffered severe depression,. After the accident…she became a teacher and it saved her life. Now days, she swims every day and even though she walks with a visible limp using a cane, she gets around really well! She confided in me that recently her son had his first child (her granddaughter) and the baby was born with Down’s Syndrome. So, this lady, almost paralyzed on one side did a mile long charity walk for funding against Downs. Amazing.

So, it’s folks like this that make it really rewarding to teach where I do! On our way to Otavalo, we stopped in Cayambe (the town I lived in for my Peace Corps Training) for views of the snow covered volcano (which we passed many and it was a perfectly clear Andean day! Bright blue skies….I counted at least 5 snow covered peaks). Then we continued onto Parque Condor, a place founded by a Swiss couple to rescue large birds of prey. We saw condors, falcons, (even a bald eagle, donated by someone), plus a few really cute owls (one looked like Hedgewick in Harry Potter).

Then we made our way to the Saturday market in Otavalo. Always overwhelming with stall after stall of crafts (many looking the same!). We only spent a half hour there because…we had a boat ride/lunch waiting for us at Lago San Pablo, a beautiful lake. Lunch was a plato typico of Ecuadorian food…fritada which is marinated pork, empanadas, avocado, tomato and onion salad and fried potato pancakes. Yum! We arrived late to Quito because…

the annual pilgrimage to the Virgin of El Quinche was in full procession on the Pan American highway. Folks journey to the hamlet of El Quinche each year, mostly to repay the Virgin of El Quinch for a miracle she has granted them. They walk all through the night in order to arrive for the 6AM mass. Sometimes they go for healing as well. I saw women carrying sick babies, people limping (but this could have been because of blisters), even people with their pets. It’s about a 30 mile walk. Sometimes, along the sides of the roads, people give out free water, fruit, etc. But most times, the stalls on the side of the road are for business…the funniest stall I saw, next to the stalls selling water, food, ice cream, etc was the Band Aid/Orthopedic Shoe Insert stall. Also, there were random musicians trying to motivate the pilgrims along the side of the road. All in all, it was quite moving to see such a mass of people with such devotion. A fellow teacher on the bus said, Hey next year, let’s organize an Academia Cotopaxi group to walk with the pilgrims to El Quinche. While I think the physical challenge would be awesome, somehow I don’t think I’d do it…I have no devotion to the Virgin of El Quinche and would fell like a total imposter. We’ll see…

and speaking of embracing physical challenges, I had my first race at altitude this morning. The half marathon, mitad del mundo. I finished in 1:56 which I was really happy about, especially since it’s really hard to breathe so high up! The course was ok…lots of outs and backs, which can be a blessing and a curse. I did enjoy seeing the super fast runners booking it while I was going at my long run pace…but seeing them reminds me of how much further it is! The weather was perfect, chilly at the start, but warm enough to wear shorts and a tank top. All in all, I was impressed by the race organization, roads were shut down, there were plenty of water/Gatorade and food stops and it started and finished in Quito’s bull fighting ring…

bull fighting reminds me that Fiestas de Quito are coming up December 6. They actually start partying a few weeks before hand. These fiestas celebrate the founding of Quito with parades, dancing, drinking and bull fighting. The interesting thing is that recently the government decreed that bulls can no longer be killed in the bull fight (only afterwards). So the poor animals are tortured for sport then finally put out of their misery after the event. I’ve had several invitations to go to a bull fight. Despite how culturally appropriate it would be for me to go, I refuse. No way would I ever sit through the slow torture of an animal. It really, really makes me angry.

But just because I turn down the bull fight invitation, doesn’t mean there’s not other stuff I’ll participate in. One is a chiva which goes through Quito at night. Really a beautiful city, especially the historic district. The school rents a chiva, which is an open bus. You’re supposed to drink and dance while enjoying the night views. We’ll see! Also, Thanksgiving is coming up, and I’m not sure what I’ll make for our celebration. Last time I tried to make Ecua version of green bean casserole (frying the onions myself and substituting mushrooms for cream of mushroom soup) it was a disaster! Maybe I can make mashed potatoes…we sure have plenty of those!

Lots and lots going on! Happy Thanksgiving to you too! I am so thankful to have all of you supporting me from afar. I love you all.

Soccer Mania

I’m sure you all know because you’ve seen the TV shows and movies, but soccer is HUGE here! It’s almost hard to desribe the feeling in the city when the national team plays. I live just a block from the Estadio Olimpico where the Ecuadorian soccer team plays. Right now, they’re in the midst of World Cup play offs for Brazil in a few years. Every time there’s a game, the whole city dresses up in yellow jerseys, the color of the Ecuadorian soccer team. So far, the Ecuadorian National Team has played against some other S. American teams like Venezuela and yesterday, Peru. I had to leave right after school to get to the bank before they close at 4PM. Traffic was horrible! I’d have probably gotten there faster walking….fans had been at the stadium since at least 7:15AM when I went past the stadium on my way to school! So, I took care of business at the bank and was walking home. Just walking through a stream of yellow jerseys is an amazing experience….they say that team sports really bring people together and that is certainly true in Quito! (Sure, everyone has their LOCAL team which they support and this is often a source of conflict, but when the NATIONAL team plays, you’d better bet, everyone pulls together and puts on the yellow shirt). Ecuador scored TWO goals as I was walking. Each time, I heard it first from the stadium, next from the honking horns on cars and third, everyone ran to the nearest store to crowd around a TV and see it. Pretty cool. Even though I’m not at all into soccer (or any sport for that matter!) it gave me a nice feeling of being part of something big. Next time, maybe I’ll wear the yellow!

It's November...

Good Morning! School is going well-it was nice to have a long November holiday, but now it’s good to be back at work. Because I have such a small class (just 11) plus a full time aide, work is much less of a challenge than I’m used to! That’s not to say that my students don’t have things they’re working on! For example, most of them are second language learners so I’m using a ton of ESL strategies. Also, many of my students have been raised with loving parents and also with a loving nanny, maid and chofer. I’m having to use lots of patience when they leave stuff all over the place expecting someone to come behind them and clean it up. One of my new phrases here is, “We don’t have maids at school! Clean up your own mess!” I need to remind myself that they’re not being malicious, it’s just what they’re used to. That being said, it’s nice to be able to have a life outside of work! I’m feeling the need to get involved in the community…I’ll let you know how that goes! There’s a women’s shelter in Quito for single moms and their kids-I’m going to check out that place to see if I can help with after school activities or focus groups or something else like that! Also, perhaps Special Olympics, which is very active in Quito. I’ll keep you posted…and speaking of sports, I’ve got a half marathon coming up next weekend. Some girlfriends from school and I are running the race. The distance is no problem…it’s the altitude! I’m not expecting a PR, just a nice long run at over 10.000 feet. These days, I’m also just so grateful that I am able to run and mostly grateful for my health. It was scary last year thinking I was having a heart attack every day, horrible heart palpitations, sweating, feeling as though I had drunk 20 cups of coffee, insomnia.

Just being able to slow down and breathe is a blessing.

I’m trying to remind myself of that every day, not just on Thanksgiving…which, by the way, of course, is not celebrated in Ecuador, but rather at my school. We have a big Thanksgiving potluck, which will be nice. But I will miss the gathering in NY!

And then it’s Christmas! Where has the year gone? They’ve decorated the lobby of my apartment in Quito with nativities, Christmas tree, garlands with lights. The malls are playing Christmas music. I will need to adjust my thinking….because the weather is pretty much spring/fall like all year round, it just doesn’t seem like December is almost here! But I’m trying to get into the Spirit J

Love to you all, Rachel