Ecuador - Summer 2013
Flag Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Ecuador.svg
I, Stephanie, am traveling to Ecuador for five weeks through a UW-Madison study abroad program with ten other students in the health care field. The goal of the trip is to:
- think critically about connections between cultural variables, and human and animal health and disease
- gain firsthand experience with cultural and medical issues in a developing country setting
- develop cross-cultural skills that will ideally grow into personal and professional assets
- develop or improve Spanish language skills
- develop an understanding of the theoretical and empirical foundations of medical anthropology
I will receive 2 Population Health Sciences credits and 3 Spanish credits.
In this blog, I will attempt to update you all about my trip. :) Bare with me because I will not always have internet.
12:15am May 26th, 2013 -- Made it to my first hotel just outside of the airport safely. We are staying at Casa d'Campo Tababela hotel boutique -- just 5 minutes from the new airport "Mariscal Sucre" in Tababela. This is a brand new hotel. It is very nice! I will be here for one more day and fly to the Amazon early Monday morning (Yarina Lodge). We are only going to take things that are necessary with us to the Amazon and leave the rest of our stuff at this hotel in a locked room. We will be in the Amazon until the morning of May 31st. We won't have internet connection during that time. I'll update when I get back.
My room
Rooster that kept me up all night.
Not sure what kind of duck/goose this is...
Zuca (I think this is how you spell it). The hotel owners' 4 month old puppy.
4:30pm May 26th, 2013 -- We talked with the Spanish language instructor to decide what level we should be placed at.
At about 2pm, we all took a bus from our hotel to our El Quinche. They have a well known church that we visited. We also walked around the market.
At about 2pm, we all took a bus from our hotel to our El Quinche. They have a well known church that we visited. We also walked around the market.
Our amazing lunch at the hotel.
Walking from the hotel to the bus to go to El Quinche.
The church in El Quinche
Inside the church
Plaques on the side of the church thanking the Virgin Mary.
The front of our hotel.
10:19 pm May 26th, 2013 - We got all of bags ready to go to the Amazon. We are leaving our main bags at the hotel in a locked room. We were told to make sure to take our flashlights and headlamps because it is very dark at night. Good thing I bought a headlamp! It was a last minute decision before I left Madison. We are a taking a plane at about 9:30am tomorrow to head to an area close to where we will be staying. Then we will be taking a canoe trip to the Yarina Lodge (these are the rough details...I'll be able to explain more after I go through the process). (Here is the website for the lodge: www.yarinalodge.com) We were told that we will be constantly moist once we are in the Amazon. There will be no internet there, and I will be there until May 31st in the morning. It says we will be doing "activities in the rainforest"...including lectures regarding ethnopharmacology. Also, we will be starting our first Spanish class tomorrow (these will continue throughout the rest of the trip). It will be interesting to take Spanish classes while in the Amazon...not sure I will be able to focus. Supposedly we will be playing a lot of soccer in our free time. A few of us chipped in today to by a soccer ball at the market in El Quinche.
I'll try to update you all sometime after the 31st! I believe the next stop is Otavalo.
I'll try to update you all sometime after the 31st! I believe the next stop is Otavalo.
6:13PM June 2nd, 2013 - I have been in Otavalo since May 31st night. A lot has taken place since then. I was at the Yarina Lodge from the night of May 26th until the afternoon of May 31st. On May 26th, we arrived at the Yarina Lodge.
We took a large canoe (with a motor) from Coca to the Yarina Lodge on the Napo River (a tributary of the Amazon River).
Here is a picture from our canoe ride when we were on a smaller part close to the lodge.
Here is a picture from our canoe ride when we were on a smaller part close to the lodge.
Arriving at the Yarina Lodge.
The canoe we took from Coca to Yarina Lodge (we took the same one back to Coca when we were heading to Otavalo).
Eating our first dinner at the lodge.
My cabin (with Becky and Becca). We didn't have problems with tarantulas or cockroaches like other cabins...but we did have a few bugs and a bat. We had electricity from 6am to 10pm approximately each day. We had Spanish classes from 8-12pm each day (except Friday).
The outside of our cabin.
The lodge had a few pet parrots...they were very talkative...especially the one named Rico. I don't have a picture of him. He was a bit smaller than this one.
There were also some spider monkeys hanging around...
My hair...it was very curly because it was so humid. Not a very good picture of me...but I thought you would all enjoy to see my crazy hair.
We took at 1 hour hike at night on a path through the jungle the first night. I don't have any pictures from that hike, but is was awesome. We saw tarantulas, poison spiders, frogs and conga ants.
We took a 4 hour hike the next day (May 27th). We learned about the plants and animals in the jungle that are used for health reasons and for building hats, houses, and etc. It was very interesting.
Here is a picture of me during the hike holding a large snail.
We were led by a very knowledgeable guide named Winter (I think that it how you spell his name) for all of our hikes.
We also went looking for Camens (no luck) one night and visited a local Quichwa community.
We took a 4 hour hike the next day (May 27th). We learned about the plants and animals in the jungle that are used for health reasons and for building hats, houses, and etc. It was very interesting.
Here is a picture of me during the hike holding a large snail.
We were led by a very knowledgeable guide named Winter (I think that it how you spell his name) for all of our hikes.
We also went looking for Camens (no luck) one night and visited a local Quichwa community.
Paddling away. I stole this picture from Ellen.
Group picture next to a Ceiba tree with one of professors (David).
Note: I look like I'm riding a broom stick (like in Harry Potter). Not intended.
Note: I look like I'm riding a broom stick (like in Harry Potter). Not intended.
Group picture right before we left for Otavalo.
Flying out of Coca to Quito. We then took a bus from Quito to Otavalo and met our host families (May 31st).
We arrived in Otavalo May 31st (PM). It is beautiful city surround my mountains and active volcanoes. I will be here for two weeks with a host family (except I will have a free weekend June 7-9th). I will be taking Spanish during the weekdays.
Otavalo
During the afternoon of June 1st, we went to a the Parque Condor where they rehabilitate birds. They had a little demonstration with the birds.
During the demonstration
Me holding one of the birds after the demonstration.
The above picture is from our walk from the huge hill where the Parque Condor was.
On June 2nd, we went to a local community. I tried cuy (guinea pig) today. A lot more happened ...but I'll have to update more later because I have to leave to have dinner with my host family.
On June 2nd, we went to a local community. I tried cuy (guinea pig) today. A lot more happened ...but I'll have to update more later because I have to leave to have dinner with my host family.
12:50PM - June 3rd, 2013 --More updates about June 2nd (yesterday). We took a short bus ride to Pijal (20 minutes from Otavalo) to visit a local family linked to UW-Madison. We had to hike a bit to an area where we could play soccer. We played with each other and a few local boys. It was difficult because of the high altitude.
We learned about traditional medicine from a local curandero and patera, and we also ate a traditional lunch with the family.
We learned about traditional medicine from a local curandero and patera, and we also ate a traditional lunch with the family.
Hiking around
Hiking up the hill...later we went down. :)
More coming soon...I will be in Otavalo during this week taking Spanish and having lectures/activities in the afternoon. This weekend (June 8-10th) we have a free weekend. I'm not sure what I am going to do yet.
6:01pm - June 5th, 2013 - I took a few pictures of the view from the window of my room (in my host families house).
8:43am May 11th, 2013 - Last night at around 6:30pm we arrived back at the houses of our host families after visiting Baños. It was really fun. I went to a thermal bath and a discoteca Saturday night. On Sunday, some of us went canyoning down 6 waterfalls, got a massage/facial/foot massage, and watched a really strange movie. I also tried a fried banana with cheese.
Waterfall at night.
Thermal bath
(La Piscina de La Virgen) Notice all the shower caps. :)
(La Piscina de La Virgen) Notice all the shower caps. :)
A view of Baños (after hiking up a mountain for about 1 hours).
Some of the group halfway during our hike
Some street art
Bruise on my upper leg from canyoning.
3:25pm June 15th, 2013 - Sorry it has been a while since I updated everyone. I had a great birthday (the 12th). My fellow classmates got me a piñata and bottle of sparkling wine. We ate really good pie and pizza.
I finished my final day of Spanish classes on Wednesday with a written and oral exam. It went pretty well. After we had a demonstration from our teachers about the local fruits. We got to try them all and then we had a competition where we had to try to name the fruit when blindfolded. We then went to Jambi Huasi (local hospital that mixes western and traditional medicine) and planted a garden with plants with medical uses and painted a mural of Pancha Mama.
Thursday and Friday we stayed for two nights in a smaller nearby community, La Calera. We vaccinated/castrated cows, pigs, cats, and dogs. We also helped paint a church and daycare.
This morning me and four other students left at 4am from La Calera to climb Imbabura (an inactive volcano near Otavalo). It took us about 4.5-5 hours to up and down the volcano. It was pretty cloudy and windy. I could definitely feel the altitude (I was panting most of the time). I'm glad I did it though!
Here are some pictures:
I finished my final day of Spanish classes on Wednesday with a written and oral exam. It went pretty well. After we had a demonstration from our teachers about the local fruits. We got to try them all and then we had a competition where we had to try to name the fruit when blindfolded. We then went to Jambi Huasi (local hospital that mixes western and traditional medicine) and planted a garden with plants with medical uses and painted a mural of Pancha Mama.
Thursday and Friday we stayed for two nights in a smaller nearby community, La Calera. We vaccinated/castrated cows, pigs, cats, and dogs. We also helped paint a church and daycare.
This morning me and four other students left at 4am from La Calera to climb Imbabura (an inactive volcano near Otavalo). It took us about 4.5-5 hours to up and down the volcano. It was pretty cloudy and windy. I could definitely feel the altitude (I was panting most of the time). I'm glad I did it though!
Here are some pictures:
Jambi Huasi (before)
Jambi Huasi (after)
Birthday cake from my host family in Otavalo :)
It think it was guayaba.
It think it was guayaba.
Pies from the amazing pie shop here. Notice the candles for my birthday. Flavors: chocolate, raspberry and blueberry.
Piñata...they drink a lot of Pilsener here...but notice it does not say Pilsner.
About to do work in La Calera
La Calera
The group mid-climb
Top our climb today (Imbarura)
9:06pm June 20, 2013 - So much as happened ... I feel overwhelmed about trying to write it all down on this blog. I'll try to do it in chunks. I'm at Casa Mojanda (http://www.casamojanda.com/) right now (pretty close to Otavalo). We arrived here at around 2pm today. We will be here until Saturday morning. We are here to relax and reflex. It is very beautiful here.
Monday morning I left Otavalo and said goodbye to my host family there. It was sad to leave Otavalo because it was sort of our "homebase".
We split up into two groups Monday morning (one group to San Clemente and the other to Zuleta). I went to Zuleta and left this morning. It was a great time. I was feeling a little under the weather but I still enjoyed my time there. We stayed with a family that has a cheese factory. About 70 farmers deliver milk to the factory. The cheese is made and sold within the next day. We hiked, milked a cow by hand, made bread the traditional way with an adobe oven, talked to a high school class about cuy (guinea pig) husbandry (all in Spanish), talked to local farmers/cheese makers about mastitis and distributed mastitis testing kits and gloves. We also had a fiesta with our family -- dressed traditionally, drank wine, and danced while some family members played guitar and sang.
Monday morning I left Otavalo and said goodbye to my host family there. It was sad to leave Otavalo because it was sort of our "homebase".
We split up into two groups Monday morning (one group to San Clemente and the other to Zuleta). I went to Zuleta and left this morning. It was a great time. I was feeling a little under the weather but I still enjoyed my time there. We stayed with a family that has a cheese factory. About 70 farmers deliver milk to the factory. The cheese is made and sold within the next day. We hiked, milked a cow by hand, made bread the traditional way with an adobe oven, talked to a high school class about cuy (guinea pig) husbandry (all in Spanish), talked to local farmers/cheese makers about mastitis and distributed mastitis testing kits and gloves. We also had a fiesta with our family -- dressed traditionally, drank wine, and danced while some family members played guitar and sang.
We had a great dinner (crabs!) with our host family the day before we left Otavalo.
Later in the afternoon we visited Peguche Falls.
Later in the afternoon we visited Peguche Falls.
Good for cuts...among other things.
Final morning with my host family. Such as great host family!! I'm not dressed as nice as I would have liked because I was heading to Zuleta (I was wearing my work clothes...but still a good picture).
Lunch at Zuleta
Zuleta - during our hike
Zuleta - During our hike (my host mom is in the picture)
Making bread the traditional way in an adobe oven in Zuleta
"Tia" making bread in Zuleta
The horses we rode to La Magdalena (an old hacienda now owned by a group of indigenous families).
La Magdalena
A small town outside of Zuleta...probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been
Zuleta group
6:54pm June 21st, 2013 - We had a free day today at Casa Mojanda. We had a great breakfast and then a few of us hiked up Fuya Fuya (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mojanda). We hiked about a mile ...about up to 14,000 ft. My camera died right at the start of the trip so you'll have to wait until I get pictures from other people.
We leave for Quito tomorrow (for a day) and then we will be on the coast at the Ceiba Foundation for the rest of the week. I'm not sure about the internet situation the rest of my trip...so I might not be able to update you all. I fly back to Chicago midnight on June 30th. See you all soon!
We leave for Quito tomorrow (for a day) and then we will be on the coast at the Ceiba Foundation for the rest of the week. I'm not sure about the internet situation the rest of my trip...so I might not be able to update you all. I fly back to Chicago midnight on June 30th. See you all soon!
My room at Casa Mojanda.
Few minutes after the first 30 minutes of the hike up Fuya Fuya
Waterfall near Casa Mojanda
At Casa Mojanda...wearing the sweater I got here. :)
Cotacachi is in the background.
Cotacachi is in the background.
Sunset at Casa Mojanda
8:06am June 23rd, 2013 - Spent yesterday in Quito. Had a lot of fun. Definitely different than the rural areas we have been. I'll have to upload the pictures later. We are leaving for the Ceiba Foundation (6 hour bus ride) on the coast in a few minutes. I will unlikely have internet so I'll have to update you all when I get back.
Below is a picture of Cotopaxi on the bus ride to Quito...
Below is a picture of Cotopaxi on the bus ride to Quito...
Quito
Quito
Quito
Quito
Quito
9:31pm July 1st, 2013 - I made it back to Madison safely yesterday afternoon. I left Ecuador at 12:05am on Sunday morning (June 30th) and had a layover in Miami. Everything went smoothly.
June 23rd we left for the the Lalo Loor Dry Forest Reserve on the coast (Manabí) which is run through the Ceiba Foundation (http://www.ceiba.org/) in Madison, WI. We lived in a bamboo house without electricity and indoor plumbing. Even though it is a "dry forest" and we were there during the dry season, it was still really humid. My towel never dried. We took a few day hikes and a night hike around the reserve, a trip to the clinic in Jama, a trip to a local town named Tabuga, and tested the quality of the water in the Tasaste River. We also took four trips to four different beaches. :) Our last day, we visited Lalo's (the man who owns the reserve's land) farm/place where he makes his own yogurt and went to a beach to pick up trash and hang out.
June 29th we took a bus to Quito, picked up some of the luggage we left at the hotel in Quito, showered, ate and then headed to the airport. My flight left at 12:05am on June 30th out of Quito.
I can't believe the 5 weeks are over! It was a great experience!!
June 23rd we left for the the Lalo Loor Dry Forest Reserve on the coast (Manabí) which is run through the Ceiba Foundation (http://www.ceiba.org/) in Madison, WI. We lived in a bamboo house without electricity and indoor plumbing. Even though it is a "dry forest" and we were there during the dry season, it was still really humid. My towel never dried. We took a few day hikes and a night hike around the reserve, a trip to the clinic in Jama, a trip to a local town named Tabuga, and tested the quality of the water in the Tasaste River. We also took four trips to four different beaches. :) Our last day, we visited Lalo's (the man who owns the reserve's land) farm/place where he makes his own yogurt and went to a beach to pick up trash and hang out.
June 29th we took a bus to Quito, picked up some of the luggage we left at the hotel in Quito, showered, ate and then headed to the airport. My flight left at 12:05am on June 30th out of Quito.
I can't believe the 5 weeks are over! It was a great experience!!
The house we lived in...you could hear everything because it was made out of bamboo
Hammock-ing
Pacific Ocean :)
Arche de Amor
Some of the group
We cooked an amazing last meal. :)