Almuerzos

         In Ecuador, almuerzo (lunch) is the meal of the day.  People typically eat small breakfasts and small dinners (if any), and fit in an entire day of food at lunch.  The typical Ecuadorian lunch is huge.  It stars with a large, large bowl of soup, usually full of potatoes, corn, beans, yucca, or rice, etc., and a glass of typically freshly squeezed juice.  After this large, delicious bowl of soup, I am usually full…but the meal has just begun.  Next there is a heaping plate full or rice, potatoes, and some kind of meat.  Occasionally, there is a vegetable or two or a small salad hiding in the corner of the plate. On the side, there is a typically a huge plate of fried something…plaintains or fries or bananas.  And, of course dessert…typically some kind of cake, cookie, or mysterious sugary frothy thing.  Oh, and don’t forget the pan (bread) and galletas (sweet crackers) that accompany every meal.  Needless to say, lunch is pretty awesome.

         Besides the delicious food, lunch is an important gathering time during the day.  Above all else, I have come to love this part.  In most families, everyone returns home from their various jobs and schools to eat together (stores in the city close, except for lunch restaurants so that people can eat with their families).  Lunch lasts for an hour plus, and everyone eats, relaxes, chats and jokes.  No one rushes anywhere; people just chill at the table.  It’s great.  During lunch, there are no worries, and nothing else matters.  Lunch here is so different, and so much better than typical lunch times in the US…where people eat at their desks, or while studying, or in the car.  Lunch is usually rushed, or on the go, or solo, and mostly for the sake of shoving some food in your mouth.  Here, it is so fun and relaxing.  It is a perfect break in the middle of busy days.  I think we could learn a little something from Almuerzos here…and possibly from the ciestas (naps) after almuerzos.  It’s so good for us to take a break in the middle of the day to relax and recuperate.

         Thus far, my only problem with the large lunch…has been the lack of dinner.  I am also used to eating a big dinner.  Some families eat dinner, but others consider the big lunch to be sufficient.  For the girl who usually eats every two hours..not the case haha.  The first few days, I went with the flow, and ended up waking up during the night and stuffing myself with pan and going back to bed haha.  But, I have quickly learned that dinner is a meal that you eat if you want, and it’s totally fine to make yourself a big dinner.

Rivers

         There are four main rivers in Cuenca that I have fast fallen in love with.  They so nicely break up the busy city.  Although they run pretty near busy streets, and there is still a lot of traffic nearby, they are a really nice green space to chill or exercise.  I am here during the wet season, so the rivers have been rushing with plentiful water.  As I mentioned earlier, there is near my house that I run along pretty much every morning.  There are always a variety of interesting things happening along the rivers.  There are a number of parks and fields where people play volleyball and soccer.  There are a bunch of random ziplines, that I have yet to see people use.  There are playgrounds full of kids.  Lots of people do their exercises by the rivers in the mornings, walking with weights or doing all sorts of squats and jumps and what not.  I also often see families taking out their goats or cows.  Sometimes there are families doing their laundry, or bathing.  There are often drunkards sitting and drinking, or passed out next to the paths.  The other morning I had to doge around two men passed out on the path, their pants halfway down, and their butts out and proud.  I was curious, but didn’t stop to chat this time.

Cervezas

Cervezas

         Beers here are only sold in one size, a very large size it is.  They are twice the size of those in the United States, and about 1/3 the price.  Here it is about the same price for a water and a beer…as you can imagine this has become a pretty difficult decision in my everyday life.  We also quickly discovered that it is completely legal to walk around the city, or anywhere, drinking a beer.  In theory, I could walk to school with a beer, in theory.

         The drinking culture here is pretty big.  I recently read a blog…that seems to be pretty true…”people drink when they are happy, mad, sad, in celebration, in boredom, etc.”.  I have also been surprised (perhaps pleasantly surprised) by how early people start drinking.  Happy hours start around 4:00 or 5:00, and usually end by 8:00 or 9:00.  So, if you want to drink cheaply, you have to get drunk before 8:00 hah.  One of the first phrases I learned was “se derrama sangre pero no alcohol" which basically means you can shed blood, but you can’t shed water.

Running

Running

         As most of you probably know, over the last few years, running has become a pretty huge part of my life and identity.  As runners, every day we plan out when we will have time to run, where we will run, who we will run with, etc. For most of us, it is one of the best parts of our days.  It is a much needed break from our hectic lives and busy minds.  It is a time where all we need to think about is running.  While you are running, you can be in the moment, and nothing else matters.  It can be both social time with friends or solo time to think.  It is both meditative and exhilarating at the same time.  The world is so much more clear after a run, everything makes so much more sense.

         I have been so blessed with an amazing running community, and incredible places to run in the last few years.  At Lewis and Clark, I have an awesome team to run with everyday, and a coach that will do anything and everything for us.  People constantly check with me asking me how my runs are and how my body is doing, etc.  We have the endless trails of Tryon, along with Portland and the river to run along everyday.  At home, running is a bit more lonely, but I still have countless Minnesota parks and lakes to run around, and of course the Mississippi river.  My family and friends have slowly caught on to the importance of running in my life, and check in frequently.

         Needless to say, running has become an integral part of my everyday life.  Running in Cuenca has been an interesting experience and challenge to say the least.  I have started to adjust and enjoy running more.  First, the altitude has been quite the shock for me.  For the runners that know me, you know that I have never been the queen of pace…Thus far, every run here, I start out at a speedy pace that feels pretty.  Apparently though, my lungs can’t hold it, and I usually die halfway through my run, and struggle to make it back haha.  All of my runs are out-and-backs, and on every run, the way back takes me significantly longer than the way there.  I still haven’t learned.  I think I just get too excited. Second, traffic and smog are pretty big obstacles here.  My first few runs in the afternoon, I probably breathed in a full tank of gas, and had to stop ten times during my run.  Apparently you kind of have to run at dawn here.  It’s also apparently dangerous to run near the river later in the day, and my mom isn’t a happy camper when I do.  I’m a morning person…but not that much of a morning person, not a 6AM everyday morning person that is.  But apparently here I am.  I have learned to wake up and look forward to starting my days early with fresh air while it is there.  Plus, it means I have the rest of the day to enjoy with my friends and family, to study, adventure, etc.  Third, there is no running community here in Cuenca.  Running as a sport, is a foreign concept.  There are a few people who run occasionally, but usually only for weight loss.  When I try to explain that I am a runner, and I am on a team, and I compete in the sport of running, people simply look confused.  Therefore, running around Cuenca in my running shorts (people don’t wear shorts here), I stick out a bit.  Lets add the blonde hair, blue eyes, and height of 5’9’’...maybe I stick out a lot.  Every time I go out for a run, I know I am in for a host of everlasting stares, yells, honks, and people blatantly talking about me.  Calls of  “Mira la gringa”, “hey blondie” and “come here baby” follow me through out every run.  I have started to play games in my head to the various looks and calls, to find humor, and it doesn’t bother me all that much anymore.  Fourth, along with the lack of running community, there is a lack of places to run.  Since coming here, I have run the same route everyday.  Big green spaces are rear, as are spaces without endless human and automobile traffic.  Apparently Ecuador has the largest population per size of country in South America.  But, I have found a beautiful river with paths near my house, that I run everyday.  In the mornings, its’ fresh and peaceful.  Usually its me and a few others doing their morning exercises.  We are always joined by a number of dogs, sometimes cows, and occasionally a few people passed out on the paths.  I imagine by the end of the program, I will know every inch of the river, paths, parks, and playgrounds.  Its very repetitive, but I appreciate it as a consistent source of beauty in my life every morning.  I also enjoy the roasting pigs and guinea pigs I pass on my way running to the river everyday, along with a particularly talkative group of men that seem to know I will be running by each morning…

         It is also a big change to run alone everyday.  As I mentioned earlier, I have a pretty awesome team, and I am lucky enough to run with my friends everyday after classes.  Running was a built-in hangout with friends everyday in my schedule.  During our runs, we chat, joke, tell stories, and what not.  This is something I love most about running, the connection with my friends.  Here, running is a solo activity, alone time.  I have come to cherish it this way to.  I use it to reflect or brainstorm, or talk to myself in Spanish. During the day, I am usually always with my family or friends.  I never really choose to spend time alone here, so perhaps a little bit of alone time is good for me.

"Buena Gente"

         “Buene Gente” is the term my host family uses to describe genuinely good people.  For me, this term has had a lot of meaning since the moment I arrived.  Everywhere I spend my time, and everyone I encounter regularly truly seem to be “Buena Gente”.  My family, my extended family, my friends from the LC program, the new friends I have made here, my professors, tour guides, the people at restaurants, the list goes on.  So many people with good hearts.  People are so personable here.  They live in the moment with you, and focus on whatever conversations or activities you are sharing together.  They will always take the time, and go the extra length to help you with whatever you need, even if it is no where up their alley.  It’s pretty incredible.  Also, since I have arrived, so many people have done so much to ensure that I am comfortable, and feel included.  One of our organizers endearingly calls us her Waa-waas, which basically means her babies…and will do anything and everything to ensure we are happy.

Quito and Mindu

Quito and Mindu

         We started our Ecuador trip in Quito (named after the Quitu people) and Mindu, places which are only about an hour and a half apart, but are polar opposites.  We didn’t get to spend all that much time in Quito, but we visited a plethora of museums, churches and monuments, which Quito is full of.  We started off standing with the giant Virgin Mary on the top off a hill watching over Quito…and my goodness the city of Quito is huge and goes on forever. We then stood on the exact Equator line, which was a pretty funny experience…first they take you to take a picture at a monument of the equator line, and then they tell you that its not actually the real equator line…so you go to take another picture at the real equator line.  There were all sorts of funny activities…such as the egg balancing challenge, and the walking in a line challenge, and testing the strength…apparently it is ridiculously hard to balance on the exact equator line, and stepping to the side a bit makes all the difference.  There are strong forces pulling you both North and South at the same time.  Also, when draining water from a basin on the equator there is no whirlpool…but move the basis to the side a bit…and there is a current again…pretty cool.

         We also learned some about the indigenous tribes that have lived in Ecuador, and interesting traditions and ways of life.  The Waorani people still live in the jungles in Ecuador today, and maintained their culture and ways for the most part…sadly their jungles are under threat by the oil industry.  They live in the Yasuni jungles, where in one acre of land, there are more trees than in all of the North America…this provides a lot of the oxygen that keeps the world alive…wow.  We also learned how to shrink heads…there was a tradition where tribes would behead their prisoners and wear their heads as jewelry around their necks.  We also learned about some interesting death/burial rituals.  They used to bury loved ones in womb shaped tombs, with the idea that people should leave life in the same way that they enter life. 

         The city of Quito is huge and packed.  It’s the second largest city in Ecuador, with a population of 2 million.  There is impossible traffic all day everyday.  The streets are packed with people, cars, taxis, and busses, and everybody wants to get where they are going faster than everybody else.  It becomes a bit of a scary competition with endless honks and seemingly near accidents.  But somehow there are rarely accidents.  In the end, the bigger you are, the more right of way you have.  As a pedestrian, you have no right of way.  Busses take over.  They will drive where they want, when they want, cutting all other vehicles off and running lights like there’s no tomorrow.  On a side note, going for a running in Quito was a failure and a half.  Anyway, Quito, from the little we saw is a dynamic city full of culture.  I hope I will be able return to explore the city more.  Also, at pretty much all clubs and bars, it seems to be ladies night all night every night.

         After Quito, we traveled the “cloud city” of Mindu, up in the mountains near Quito.  It was incredible. Not only were we living in the clouds, we stayed at a hummingbird and butterfly reserve.  We were also surrounded by an array of brightly colored, aromatic, tropical flowers.  The only sounds were birdcalls, insects, and the rushings of the river.  It was so peaceful, so beautiful and pure.  Apart from the appreciating peace and serenity of Mindu, we got to go on a crazy, freezing tubing adventure that would most definitely be illegal in the United States.  So much fun, and I definitely almost peed my pants the whole time.  Next, we went ziplining through the forests, and one of my friends kicked her fear of heights in the ass.  I also went for a few incredible runs in the mountains of Mindu…welcome to both hills and altitude Illana…who is from flatland, zero altitude Minnesota.  But, no matter, I was running in the clouds and rainforest…and the way back from one run, I got stuck behind a herd of cows for a good 20 minutes which was pretty amusing.