otavalo pictures!

Otavalo

mindo pictures... finally!

Mindo

i finally got around to posting pictures of our trip to mindo!

the story of otavalo.

have you ever had one of those weekends that seemed like everything was straight out of a movie? the past 24 hours have been exactly that. 

yesterday, 6:15 couldn't come fast enough. it had been a long week and we were more than ready for our weekend getaway. when we (finally) got out of class, we headed straight to the supermaxi (that is the name of the grocery store here, not to be confused with a feminine product) to get some snacks before our departure. there were five of us - leah, danielle, sydney, juilan, and me. if you're a regular reader, julian is a new character. he is a bloke from sussix, as i like to say, and he takes classes at the same place we do. he definitely wins the best accent award. 

anyway, after we stocked up on goodies for the trip, the five of us piled into the cab, which took us to the estacion ofelia, the one at the north of the city where we were told to catch the bus to otavalo. friday night traffic, plus six deep in a cab, plus ecuadorian drivers do not mix well. our relief to be out of the cab was stumped when several different sources at the station told us we were not in the right place... we had needed to go to the other station to catch the bus to otavalo. hmmm. that would mean another 30 minute cab ride back south. we decided to take our chances, and somewhat randomly got on a bus that was heading north, in the general direction we needed to go. 

after about 45 minutes, we start chatting with the people next to us. they look at us like we're crazy when we tell them we're trying to get to otavalo, and tell us that we need to get off where the road Ys, walk to the left, and get on a different bus. perfect. clear as mud. we hop off the bus in the nick of time. 

as we're getting off the bus, i just start laughing... the thought that we are in the small-town ecuador in a somewhat deserted town in the middle of the night, trying to catch a bus that we know nothing about, was just funny to me. that, and the fact that the first thing i saw when i stepped off the bus was a man peeing. just out in the open. 

so we walk about 100 meters down the road, to the left. 

hmmm. we were not seeing any buses. after a while, i just start waving down any vehicle that looks tall enough to be a bus. i figured they wouldn't stop if they weren't interested in giving us a ride. luckily, after about 15 minutes we see the bus! we were gonna make it. 

we made it! we are in otavalo and all we have to do now is get to our hostal. we grab another cab and direct him to drive to "la casa luna," our hostal. 

we knew our hostal was off the beaten path, but after ten minutes in the car and our one-off cabby, carlos washington, driving into what seemed to be oblivion, i was sure we were done for. we've made it pretty far guys, but this is the end of the road, i thought. 

to my surprise and delight, carlos washington came through! we really did make it! we settled into our two bedroom suite, built a fire and soon called it a night. 

the next morning came early. otavalo is known for its extensive markets, and we had heard that early morning was the best time to shop. we woke up around 7am, took a few minutes to enjoy the gorgeous view from our hostal and then headed to town. 

the market was incredible. after five hours of wandering through a maze of stands, i don't think we even scratched the surface of what was there. we picked up some great finds including jewelry, clothing, art and other home decor. 

we were exhausted by 12:30, so we decided to call it quits on the market. after grabbing lunch at the hostal, we called a cab to take us to the bus station. brace yourself, this is when the story turns tragic. 

as i've mentioned before, ecuadorian drivers are all bats-outta-hell, and yield to nothing. up until this point, however, i've been surprised by the lack of serious collisions. so, we're driving to the station. suddendly, we see a puppy run out in the road... the driver doesn't slow down, but this is normal. hurry up, puppy, i'm thinking, hoping it will make it across before we come close. before i know it, i can no longer see the puppy... oh no, i hope it got across... wait. what is that noise... oh no... this can't be happening... oh no! oh no oh no oh no!!!!! 

oh my gosh, we all gasped in disbelief. our heartless cabby just ran over a puppy! and we were in the car! i wanted to cry. then i wanted to punch the driver when he started laughing about the whole thing. it was one of the saddest things that has ever happened to me. 

i hate to end on a downer, but there is nowhere to go after the puppy. stupid cab driver. 

"in view of the fact that god limited the intelligence of man, it seems unfair that he did not also limit his stupidity." --konrad adenauer

speak to me.

for those of you who don't already have these, my ichat name is laura.l.brittain@mac.com and my skype name is lauralynnbrittain. add me, please and give me your info!  i also have a cell phone that you can call me on, but i'm not going to post that number on the b-log. muchas gracias. 

nuances and charm.

transportation:

1. ecuadorian drivers honk every 4 minutes. reason or not. most of the time, not, it seems to me. 
2. there is no rhythm, rhyme, or reason to the bus system. you just wave it down from wherever you're standing and hop on. 
3. my host mom averages 7-near-fender-benders on any given 12-minute drive... generally followed up by her saying, "mi manejando es muy mal. muy, muy mal." comforting. 

food & weather: 

1. potatoes and rice are acceptable for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. ecuadorians love their carbs. 
2. i might have a parasite. cool. 
3. although there are only two real season (dry and wet), four seasons are generally experienced throughout the course of one day. cool, misty morning, sunny and warm midday, afternoon shower, chilly night. 

money: 

1. people get in a huffy is you hand them anything over a ten. 
2. the other day, i had to get $300 out in cash from the ATM... came out entirely in tens. had this money not been intended to pay rent (actually, deposit and rent), it would have been helpful, in light of #1. 
3. speaking of rent, mine is $167 per month, all bills included. and i have my own bathroom. 

miscellaneous: 

1. have you ever bought animal crackers from a woman who was breastfeeding? oh. i have. 

to be continued... 

prayer for a friend.

i came home early from class today because i wasn't feeling well. i've been laying in bed since about 1:00, falling in and out of sleep and listening to my ipod. the pain in my body is made worse by the heavy heart that i have for a friend at home, as her mother is struggling to fight a deep, deep cancer. a song comes on that is as true today as it ever was: 

we love you, jesus

for so many reasons

for death and life and freedom

EVEN NOW, we love you

we love you, jesus

in and out of seasons

in valleys and on top of mountains

even now can we sing

what manner of love is this that you would say

your sin is mine - i'll take it to the grave (then rising)

death, o death, where is your sting today? 

death is swallowed up in victory. 

 

comic relief.

this is a really important video to consider when planning your trip to ecuador.



just kidding!

mindo: a bangin little town.

sorry for the lack of updates... life has gotten busy! we started our TESOL course last week and it is pretty intense. full days and homework on top of that... i feel braindead at the end of each day and usually too tired to do much of anything. it is a lot of work, but definitely enjoyable. 

this past weekend we went to Mindo, a little town about two hours west of Quito. it is a super chill town and although it is literally one road, there is lots to do there. we got there saturday around 10am and immediately went to "the canopy" for ziplinig. the views were amazing...a mix of mountains and jungle and we did tricks such as la mariposa and the superman. i will post pictures soon, but check out this site for pictures of what we did. 

after lunch, danielle, sydney and i walked to the butterfly garden and on the way back to the hostal, we stopped at a bakery for coffee and treats. as we were sitting there, i happened  to look up and see zac coventry (a guy i knew from college) just walking down the street. i knew he was doing peace corps in ecuador, but i had no idea where... such a small world! it was fun to see a familiar face. 

the next morning we went on a hike up a mountain to this waterfall where several of us jumped off a considerably high cliff. it was bangin.  i didn't have my camera, but here is a video of exactly what we did. 

although i felt exhausted and sore today, Mindo was a great discovery... a perfect weekend retreat from the city. 

"life is either a great adventure, or nothing." -- helen keller

pictures from the equator.

equator

pictures!

first saturday in quito

run #1: comical.

this morning, i went for my first run here in quito. let's just say that 9,3oo feet is a major detail. after five minutes of continuous running, my lungs felt like they were about to pop. like a balloon that you just keep blowing up until it bursts. after five minutes. i somehow managed to run/walk for another 25 minutes. 

i am supposed to run in a 10K in august... this could definitely get interesting. i'll keep you updated. 

i am, however, committed to keep up the habit for two reasons. first, it is a great way to see the city. this morning, i came across this big park in the middle of the city with lots of trails running through countless playgrounds and jungle gyms. i also discovered that there is some sort of market in that park on saturdays - along one of the pathways, i saw rows of green tents with people setting out their crafts. 

and, as if i needed another reason, they say that one of the ways to deal with culture shock is to incorporate the old and new. meaning, you should incorporate things that you loved in your previous lifestyle/culture into your new one. running has always been a release for me, and i don't see why it should be any different here. 

the main thing is, i'm finding out that while so many things are entirely different, the things that are important remain... or at least can be maintained with some dedication and maybe a little creativity. 

"ask yourself: can i give more? the answer is usually yes." -- paul tergat

praise him.

this morning, i took my first hot shower. not my first shower, just the first hot one. 

yesterday, i got home all by myself without getting mugged. 

everyday, there is nutella on the breakfast table. 

praise him. 

journal entry #2: linguistic imperialism

again, this assignment is for class. these are simply my thoughts and reflections on language/linguistic imperialism. i have not studied the topic and this is by no means a thesis. 

the idea of language imperialism, at it's core, could mean two things: 

1. that one language (and subsequently culture) is superior to the other and therefore threatening. 

2. on the other hand, the spread of the hegemonic language could be extremely fruitful for the less affluent country. 

as a future TESOL teacher and a culture-lover, i could argue, to a degree, either point. bringing english to a developing country, for example, is generally a very positive thing and a step in the right direction toward economic development. the ability to speak english often means more business opportunities, access to greater technology and the option to communicate with countless more people groups. it is well-established and functional all over the world, and essential for working in many industries. 

on the contrary, the transfer of dominance of a certain language can easily become a transfer of power and culture. this is obviously threatening to any valued culture, whether it has a strong global presence or otherwise. 

in the context of what i am doing here, i hope to teach english as a means to equip people for a better lifestyle - simply furthering their education and widening their span of communication. while doing so, i think it is important to be respectful of their culture and embrace it, being careful not to press my own norms on them in a demeaning way. in my goals journal, i said i wanted to embrace the culture. this means letting go of some of the things i am used to and accepting that my life now is here. 

"when in rome, do as the romans do."   --st. ambrose