Due partly to my tendency to procrastinate and partly to technical difficulties with Fuzzy Travel, it has been an especially long time since my last post to you all and I’m really very sorry. A lot has happened in the past month and I´m happy to report that life in Ecuador is just as awesome and full of surprises as it was 7 months ago. My Spanish has gotten SO much better and I am finally getting compliments from taxi drivers, people on the bus, and people I work and play with. Although I occasionally still have to plan out what I want to say ahead of time, it is a real relief to be able to talk about whatever, whenever.
Since my last post, I have finally made the move from my host family’s house and began renting a place of my own just up the road. As you will notice from the photos, my new home is great. Perfect for one person, it is really just a single room with an attached kitchen and bathroom that are only accessible from other doors on the outside. The house is really safe with a huge gate, bars on the windows, and neighbors who are always watching out for me. It´s actually pretty funny… since Santa Ana is plopped right in the middle of the mountains, I have neighbors who literally have a birds eye view of my house and although I may not be able to see them, they can see my every move and later tell me they were watching me wash my clothes or sweeping the patio. I hosted a cookout with some other volunteers a couple weeks ago and it they tell me they feel like polar bears in a zoo at my house. This is pretty accurate since we are sizable, white creatures that people passing by can’t help but to stare at. I don’t mind, though… I love it there. Other bonus features of the house include pots, pans, and an oven already in the kitchen, chickens that lay fresh eggs for me daily, my own gravel soccer/volleyball court, completely fenced in property, gas heated water (which means really hot showers!) and a super nice landlord. All of this is mine for the low price of $70.00 per month. I told myself that once I had a place of my own I would teach myself to cook, but I have to admit that I am totally slacking on that. I have been making a lot of pasta… occasionally topped with mushrooms and peppers, lots of popcorn, and the lunch staple of apples with peanut butter (thanks to all my peanut butter donors!). Fruit here is great and relatively cheap. A medium-sized pineapple costs only 50 cents and I can get seven small apples or oranges for a dollar. Rice has finally been removed from my diet and I don’t care if I never see the stuff again until I get home and go to House of Hunan!
Before leaving my host family, we had a long chat about Enrique (the dog). They reluctantly told me that they felt that having spent 2 months with them, Enrique would be happier staying there and it would be too traumatic for him to move with me. I pretended to agree, knowing he would definitely be happier living with me. They told me that on Wednesdays they sell puppies in the Feria Libre in Cuenca. The Feria Libre is a HUGE open-air market where they sell everything from carrots to fake Nikes to wall mounting cow heads to cell phones. I went the next Wednesday with low expectations of finding another dog like Enrique. Under the same tent, one could buy a poodle, a turkey, a guinea pig, or a box of baby chicks. It was overwhelming… there were mangy mutts, a couple Boxer pups, a 3-month-old Saint Bernard, a German Shepherd, and more mangy mutts. I decided to make one more lap before deciding on the Shepherd puppy when I saw him… the puppy that fate sent to me. He was so little… only 6 weeks old and too cute for words. He is (assumingly) a pure bred Husky with blue eyes just like his owner (this is pointed out by everyone who sees us). I gave him the name Oso, which is the Spanish word for “Bear”. For those of you who know Adam’s dog, Layla… Oso is her Ecuadorian equal. His first week with me was a rough one. He had giardia and had to stay in the vet clinic for a weekend. This just proves how lucky we were to find each other… typical Ecuadorians rarely vaccinate their dogs let alone take them to a clinic if they are ill. I got him back from the vet a healthy and happy puppy and he has been fine ever since. He is growing super fast and my biggest goal is to keep things friendly between him and the free-roaming chickens at my house. There are tales of another volunteer who had to get rid of his dog because he couldn’t afford to keep buying people new chickens when his dog killed them. Again, check out the new pictures I posted.
Things with my women´s group are moving along. We have built our first incubator and are currently “cooking” our first batch of 20 eggs. We´ll see next Sunday how things work out… that should be hatching day!
Kids went back to school yesterday and we are wasting no time getting started on our gardens. I am starting out only working with three of the seven schools as to not lose my mind. It is going to be a lot of work but I´m ready to get things moving.
Quick interjection: I´m having a hard time concentrating on what I am typing because out of the corner of my eye I can see that the woman next to me is watching a video on her computer of a baby being born… ugh.
I had a really fun final week of summer vacation. John came to visit me and we spent the week bouncing around the country. He flew into the costal city of Guayaquil. We were both anxious to get out of the heat and get into the mountains. The bus ride from Guayaquil to Cuenca is incredible. As we started our assent into the Andes we were both disappointed about the number of clouds that were blocking what was sure to be an amazing view. Later in the ride we realized that it was so cloudy because we were actually traveling THROUGH the clouds and once we got above them we could see it all. The tips of all the mountains were peaking out from what seemed to be a sea of clouds that we had just gone through. (Check out the pictures) We spent the next 3 days in Santa Ana and Cuenca. John got to go with me on Monday to teach my English class and we ended up spending most of the day playing with the kids. The rest of the time we hung out in the city and generally were being “touristy”. We (along with Oso) took the Wednesday night bus up to Quito where we spent the next 3 days. It happened to be the Swear-In weekend for Omnibus 100 so there were plenty of English speaking friends to hang out with. From Quito, we flew back to Guayaquil where we walked along the waterfront of the Rio Guayas up to the lighthouse and watched people perform songs and dances. I am still distracted by the ladies computer next to me so if John´s trip didn´t sound overly awesome in text, trust me- it was… and you should visit too.
John brought with him a video that Steph made at Victory Gallop and it almost brought me to tears! Jack Jack looks great… Sam and Casino look amazing together… Caleb has grown a ton… Sue, Kim, and Mr. Rots are looking good… and I like the new pony! Steph, you never turned the camera around so I can see your pretty face!
I also have a few thank-you´s to send out because I finally received packages!
Gallucci family- Thank you a million times over for all the goodies and a special thanks to Sam´s Club for selling peanut butter crackers in such great quantities!
Steph, Bo, Morgan A., and Morgan P.- Thank you guys for an awesome birthday package. I can´t tell you how confused I was to get a duct taped shoe box from a name I didn´t recognize (You will always be Morgan Egan to me) from Lyndhurst, OH. I honestly thought for a minute that I got a package from a random blog reader.
Adam and Whitney- Carmel Apple Pops and mini guitar hero… what more could a girl ask for?
Alright well I think you are mostly caught up on my life… anything else will be explained in photo captions.
For any of you who are curious… the lady next to me finally finished the birth movie and whoever had the baby is now the proud mother of what appears to be a healthy (although gross and alien-like) baby boy. The lady has moved on to watch Latin music videos.
Hugs from Cuenca,
Kelly
We loved reading about you. I love your new puppy and promise not to tell Jack. Everything here at VG is great. We had an awesome summer, but missed you. Steph was wonderful. Affter much stress we have decided to retire Walker. We have 2 new horses in, Mango and Wally and feel it is time to let him have a break.
Sam is now in the fourth great and has a great teacher. Caleb has started at OTS and loves eating in the dinning room.
Hannah is also in school full time. She loves riding the bus and her nap.
Kim and I feel very old.
The biggest news is that Vincent was suppose to start back at JCU today and over the weekend fall over of a 60 ft clliff. He was life flighted to Metro and is pretty messed up. He has nine broken bones in his face, no teeth left, a injuriued shoulder, screwed up wrist, numerous cuts and brusies. WHAT A MESS. He is home with me awaiting face surgey tomorrow. It is going to be a long painful few months but at least he can walk and has no head injuries.
We think of you all the time. I promise to call soon. Miss you Sue, Sam and Caleb