For those who are interested in the details of the trip, well, here you go (I’ll get into the touchy feely stuff of reflection part later): Our first day, we took a tour of the city of Quito. We saw everything from cathedrals to government buildings to fountains. Then later on the day we were able to visit the equator. That was pretty cool. Apparently, before the existence of the GPS, a “fake” equator was made and there was a monument built on it. Now, one can visit that “fake” equator and buy t-shirts that say “I straddled the equator today. What did you do?” That monument is now surrounded with touristy restaurants and shops where you can buy hand bags and bracelets with Ecuador on it that look very similar to ones that you can buy in another Latin American country with a different country printed on it. We then went to the real equator according the GPS. There we were able to see the touristy demonstrations of trying to balance an egg, walk in a straight line and watch which way the water goes down a hole. For a moment, I thought that I was going to feel this cosmo power through my veins as I straddled the equator, but I just felt dumb because of the forces (some science thing) I could not walk on a straight line. I would have failed the drunken driving test. After a full day of being tourists, we had a late Ecuadorian dinner at a local restaurant where many of us where first faced with different foods.
The next touristy day we went to Otavalo, where we spent most of the day sightseeing and shopping. Many students had their first experience of bartering. Some walked away with a great deal, others were ripped off…although I didn’t have the heart to tell them. Throughout the day we were able to see how the textiles were made, learned about the different volcanoes, and embraced different aspects of Ecuadorian culture. I felt that my head was going to explode from culture and allergies. Quito gave me the give of allergies, which till this day I am still fighting. Thank you, pollution and pressure. On the way back from Otavalo and once we arrived in Quito, things started to pick up. We had a Ecuadorian traditional ballet to attend that night and we were pressured for time. With traffic and miscommunication, we were getting deeper and deeper in our time crunch. To top things off, our bus broke down. Great. We were about a 10 minute ride to our hotel. So what did we do? We grabbed taxis, which took forever. We had to find taxis that were willing to drive into downtown and then divide our students up. The students were great. Actually, I think they were excited for this little adventure. All in all, we ended up at the hotel, grabbed a quick pizza and changed for the ballet. Again, we had another taxi adventure and ended up at the ballet 5 minutes late. Right on time. The traditional dance was great. Probably a little overwhelming for some of the students, but they enjoyed it. Again, culture hit all of us that ended the night was exhaustion.
Thursday we made the 10 hour bus ride to Cuenca. Yup. Despite my head about to explode with snot, the scenery was beautiful. About 75% of the bus ride, I watched Ecuador’s beautiful mountains and people ride by. With my headphones on, I was able to see the beauty of Ecuador and embrace more of the uniqueness of the country. My students were also amazed of the Ecuador’s beauty and also able to catch up on their sleep. On the way to Cuenc
a, we stopped at Ingapirca to see some ruins. I was given the privilege to translate. Let’s just say I was a little rocky at first due to the guide’s accent and my lack of translation practice. We took some fun pictures with dusty rocks and make some jokes. It was a good time. That night we meet our host families. Students were anxious and nervous about meeting them. I was more excited to meet mine. Right off the bat, my family was so warm and accepting.Friday morning was spent with students telling stories of their first night with their families. There was a lot of laughter while stories being exchanged. That is the key to traveling. You have to be willing to laugh at situations and at yourself. We had three hours of culture classes and then the students were tested on their Spanish. The day ended with us chilling in downtown and grabbing some ice cream.
Saturday we went to Gualaceo, which is known for cheap jewelry. We spent the day exploring the little city and looking at the beautiful creations. Yes, I did a little shopping. I was embracing the culture.
Sunday was church day. It felt great worshipping in Spanish again. The church here is very similar to my church in Houston, which made me feel right at home. It was great.
Now the touchy feely reflection part: I am thankful for this opportunity. My students are great. Yes, they ask a billion questions a day and most of the time I say “I don’t know”. Yet, they are willing to learn and laugh at themselves. They are honest and open about certain things. They also are eager to embrace what Ecuador has to offer to them. I’m already being quoted and made fun of, which means that we are bonding well. Oh and they like to call me Pacha Mama…which means Mother Earth in Ecuador. Yup, that’s how it is.
My host family is great. My host dad loves, probably a little too much, about how I will find my guy here. I keep reassuring him that I don’t have good luck with guys, yet he doesn’t believe me. He also likes to listen to Kei$ha, reggaeton and dances around the house. He also likes to pride himself of having Facebook and a Twitter account. My host dad is nuts and I love it. My host mom is just as great. She is willing to listen. She is easy to talk to and very encouraging. She also likes to share her amount of jokes as well. I have two younger sisters, 16 and 9 years old. Gabi, my 16 year old sister, is just as crazy as I am. She loves to talk and loves to dance. Amelia, my other sister, can talk all day without getting tired, which means I pretend to listen half of the time. I could not ask for a better host family. We have already had some bonding moments and our share of jokes. Of course, we have danced in the living room and shared our food. Yup, it’s going to be a good month with them.
It’s been a week and I’m already feeling at home. Funny, I feel more comfortable here than I do in Indiana. Things are starting to slow down here and we are starting to develop our relationships with our families. I am beginning to see the other side of the study abroad experience. Memories from my study abroad experience fills my mind. I remember when one of my professors would always say parte de la experiencia, which means “part of the experience”. I would always cringe when he would say that. Now I completely understand. I appreciate him more.
Funny, now I’m the one saying that to my students….parte de la experiencia.
Taylor, one of my students, looking out the bus window at one of Ecuador's volcanoes
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