One day of vacation

Today was a work day, so we went tubing in Mindo. or maybe it was rafting. Actually I have no idea how one would accurately define what we did.




And then I ate pizza. and it was good.

4100 meters + cabinas + walkin' shoes

Today 6 of us girls took a ride on the Teleférico, a flying cabina on a cable that carries eager tourists and nationals alike up to 4100 meters toward the Volcán Pichincha. At the top there are refreshment stations, new hostals, and kilometers of trails, which split in all directions.

At an altitude higher than 14,000ft, two steps uphill and we were all sucking wind. We hiked for probably 3 hours. Two of the girls were being stubborn and practically running towards the nearest cumbre, an unrealistic goal in our time frame. Looking down into the valley, we could see the vaaaaaast expanse of Quito. Some of the barrios creep up the surrounding hills, but most of the city is concentrated in the valley, spreading over 30 kilometers from north to south.

Around Quito

Escuela de Union Nacional de Periodistas

Yesterday, I had the wonderful experience of going to an Ecuadorian elementary school to give a brief and simple lesson about ecological footprints. The project is not something I would have taken on by myself, but it was a group endeavor as part of our "sustainability" project. It has been a long time since I have dreaded something so much, but the kids were great and enthusiastic and responsive to our questions. I would definitely go again if the opportunity presented itself. Maybe 9 and 11-year-olds are my true calling. but probably not.

A very Ecuadorian birthday!

Today I got 3 different cakes from 3 different people. I think that's a record.

Sunrise over the canopy and other wonderful things

After a 5 minute taxi ride, a 20 minute plane ride, a two hour motorized canoe ride, an hour and a half bus ride, and another 3 hour boat ride, our group arrived at the Tiputini Biological Station, just on the perimeter of the Yasuní National Park in the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest.

The past week was spent climbing canopy towers, floating in the Río Tiputini (both in the canoe and out), learning the trails, taking candle-lit showers, sweating, running from ants and other scary insects, chasing monkeys, fishing, eating, sweating, catching bats in a mist net, finding frogs that look like leaves, sweating, learning new bird species, bug-catching, did I mention sweating?

5:00am came early every morning. The days were long and hot and packed with various activities to learn as much as possible about such a diverse ecosystem. My favorite morning was probably the 5:30am hike with Mayer, our amazing guide. This particular morning, we were able to see 5 species of monkeys (out of 10 found in this particular area of the forest) in a matter of 45 minutes! Mayer made it seem so simple to find the monkeys, but I was never as successful without a guide - they truly know the forest. In all honesty, it is impossible to choose an absolute favorite part of the excursion as the experience as a whole was incredible.

True heaven on earth (or at least heaven at TBS) was floating with a life jacket in a large, swirly, recirculating eddy every day after lunch in order to cool off. (I should also mention that thanks to the cooks at the station, I have found the Ecuadorian version of Ovaltine, and I plan on finding it in the supermarket ASAP).


(photos take FOREVER to upload, so they are trickling into the slideshow 2 at a time)

Public Transportation

Having never lived in a big city, I am a complete novice when it comes to public transportation. I would say that taking the bus to and from school is a wonderful thing and also the worst thing about Quito. Depending on the day, I either get to stand up, with my pack on my front, hanging by my arms from the bars or worse, I am smashed in the doorway like a sardine, wondering if it is better to save my computer from ladrones or keep myself upright; I never get a seat in the morning except for maybe the last 5 minutes. On a good ride, the bus driver does not drive like a maniac - he understands that there is such thing as slowing down before stopping. Normally, even sitting down is a full body workout.

When I first got here, I thought I would never understand the blue buses - where they go, when to pay, how to get off. But now, I have 2 routes figured out (mostly) - to and from class and the other to the park/mall/movie theatre and sometimes back :) Getting on the bus is always a gamble.