The
last few weeks have been finishing up with final projects and exams, but also
packed with adventures and fun somehow.
Projects and tests tend to be a lot more fun and relaxed here, which
actually encourages me to do better, and helps the information stick
better. It’s refreshing. Our biodiversity final was a
presentation and party at the zoo.
We made each created posters about the different ecosystems in
Ecuador…general info, species, interactions, threats, conservation, indigenous
people living in the ecosystems, and more, with awesome pictures that we took
while visiting all the ecosystems… they were pretty bomb, and will stay posted
in the zoo…5 posters for each 6 ecosystems: Tropical Rainforest, dry forest, mountain forest, cloud
forest, the páramo, and the Galapagos.
So we each presented our ecosystems, and then had a little party with
wine and crabcakes and cookies and such.
The next day we had our final Spanish project presentations. Ours was about Carnaval. First we presented, and then we did
plays on the roof our school involving foam and water balloons, masks and
pigtails… lots of fun. And then we
ate the delicious soup of carnaval Mote Pata (prepared by yours truly) and
Carnelazo (zhumir, oranges, and vanilla) also prepared by me.
Two
weekends ago was a pretty grand weekend.
Saturday night we had a barbeque/adventure night at our professors
house/at the zoo (our professor is like a kid than a professor by the way, and
is currently building a house at the zoo). We grilled, and drank turvo vielos, beers, and zhumir, and
then wandered around the zoo drunkingly visiting our favorite animals…the
squirrel monkeys, bears, crocodiles, turtles, puma, and more. We bought chickens and made a kind of
lever chicken piñata for the lions and lowered and raised until they pounced
and devoured. The next day Katy
and I adventured to Guirón, and fell in love with the magical world there. It is a small town an hour or so away
from Cuenca surrounded by beautiful rolling hills, waterfalls, lush forests,
birds, awesome moss, crazy plants, and a few llamas and crazy dogs. We climbed around the rocks and
forests, had a picnic in the sun and napped and wove bracelets out of grasses,
and got soaked by the powerful waterfalls. It was seriously a peaceful magical world out of a fairy
tail, and im pretty convinced gnomes, trolls, and fire nymphs live there.
Last
Thursday Claire and I took off Baños, right bye Ambato close to Quito right
after class. We planned to head
straight baños, but arrived in Ambato to discover that the roads were closed
because of an all night Semana Santa march. So, on Thursday holy night (the night that many Ecuadorians
visit seven churches, with processions and music), we hit up some Chinese food,
bought beers, and explored the city, making friends with a crew of chatty
corner guys who were also celebrating Semana Santa with beers and zhumir. The next morning we headed to Baños
early, and it quick became one of my favorite places in Ecuador. It is a small tourist town surrounded
by mountains, volcanoes, forests, waterfalls, and Sangay National Park. It is full of activities such as hang
gliding, bungy jumping, mountain biking, rafting, canyoneering, jungle trips,
etc. We went on a long hike in the
mountains, climbing a pretty incredible altitude, and overlooking the city and
surroundings. It was windy, sunny,
rainy, stormy, calm, and beautiful haha.
Near the top, we stopped for a coffee, and the volcano came out for us
as we drank our coffee in hammocks.
Maybe 6 hours later we finally found our way back down to the city, and
met up with Alexa, Goldanne, and Katy who joined us that day. We went out for dinner and stray dog
beer, and headed out for a midnight volcano adventure, having no idea what we
were in for. On our way we of
course stumbled upon an awesome park with kids spinning and rolling around in
hamster ball bubble things…As it turns out, volcano adventure was a party bus
with blasting music and flashy lights.
It took us and about 300 others to the volcano (which you couldn’t see),
and then everyone hung out there drinking beer and eating grill food, and then
we party bussed back. Pretty
funny. I heard rumor of a
leprichan bar, and knew it what had to be done for the night. We hunted it down, and it had a huge
awesome bonfire, and bartenders dressed like leprichans...I need nothing else
in life. Saturday, we got up early
to try to stuff in a full day of adventures. We rented bikes, and went on a waterfall route bike ride…so
neat! We stopped at a number of
waterfalls, and climbed around, and waded in the fresh streams. Katy and I ended up hiking up the
slippery rocks to the top of one waterfall, and I almost peed my pants and
burst into tears when I realized I had to climb down…very precarious. I froze for a while, but made it down
in the end. When we got down, we
ran into a group of people with full on equipment, suits, and ropes,
canyoneering, about to climb the same waterfall with trained guides…oops. Another waterfall had caves, and you
could climb along the sides and underneath the waterfall, also awesome. Oh, and we stopped to fly across
another waterfall…(hangliding?) It
was a beautiful hot and windy day, and there is just so much incredible nature
surrounding baños…We returned to sign up for cheap massages. This was also pretty funny, and
probably the most wasted $20 I have spent on this trip. Apparently, I am still
uncontrollable tickleish, so a full body massage didn’t work out so well for
me. I spent the whole time
jerking, clenching my teeth, and trying my hardest not to squeal and burst into
laughter. Not the most relaxing
experience of my life hah, and Im pretty sure my masseuse thought I had serious
problems…The next morning we left at 5 to study all day for exams, and to beat
the crowds returning. We met quite
an interesting friend in the morning that felt that it was his mission/meant to
be for him to join us. He escorted
us to the bus stop, running through the streets, jumping up and down, playing
his guitar and singing songs about his friend who killed his true long….we also
stopped at a bread store because he felt it was right for him to buy $20 of
bread (bread is like 10 cents a bun here…so do the math….) and then passed it
out to everyone he saw and gave us the rest of the heaping bags…we sat in a
circle at the bus stop with him while he played the guitar and chattered about
destiny and money and travels and space and the universe and forces and
such.
We
had a really tough essay exam Monday, like 15 pages of writing for 4 hours…but
Tuesday was the biodiversity exam…not too hard because our main focus was our
projects. So a few friends came
over to study, but when my sister came home just having finished her thesis for
good and a new student joined us from Washington, it turned into a bit of party
in the basement, and turned into an electronic after party with my brother and
I. The next day was buckle down
day for Spanish which went well…and now…as of today...I am done and free. We celebrated with drinks in the sun on
the roof of our school of course.
And then, we had a really fancy dinner with all of the school, and our
teachers, and our families, followed by an open bar and dancing…lots of fun
(got to dance with my kick ass dancer Spanish teachers, and make a grand fool
of myself).
The
next few days and weeks I have a lot to look forward to!! Tomorrow is the foundation of Cuenca
festival of arts and music and dancing and food and such. Later is the graduation of my sister,
and she is giving the speech because she is so awesome…and then we will go out
with the whole family. Friday she
is having the grad party with a full double decker party bus, followed by clubs
and what now! Also Friday is another
futból game, and Cuenca is currently ranked 2nd! Also Friday is a Shuar festival at our
zoo, and the Shuar community we stayed with is making the long journey! Then
Saturday, maybe recovering a bit, or hitting up Saturday electronic night for
the first time, and then off to the coast with friends!
