Just arrived home this morning (thursday, july 15). our flight actually
came in early. Everyone is a bit jetlagged, but very happy to be home in
green, clean, orderly Minnesota. We do not have a phone currently as no one
seems to want to hook up landlines anymore and non of our ecudorian or
American cell phones seems to be working. I may make some progress after I
consult with my teenage neighbor.
Soooo the best way to communicate with us is by email or a drive-by. My
children's schedule is wide open for anyone interested in playing or taking
them away for several days.
beth and bruce
Friday, July 16, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Things I’ve Learned from Watching World Cup Football (soccer)
• Asia, Africa, and North America have some work to do.
• Just because you have cool uniforms (especially Dr. Suess socks) does not mean you are the most skilled. Paraguay with cool white and red stripes lost to Espana plain blue.
• All-orange uniforms are not in the color wheel of most Dutch players.
• Uruguay and Paraguay are South American countries
• Ecuadorians would rather have any team on earth win if they are playing Argentina. (especially with ex-World Cup player now coach Maradona on the field).
• Life is suspended when games are on in European cities. Example Holland beat Uruguay in the semifinals. The entire country of the Netherlands contains a population of 16 million. Of these 16 million, 12 million watched the match. (from what we have encountered the other 4 million are traveling in South America)
• Life is suspended when games are on in South American cities. The only thing comparable I have experienced is Sunday afternoon in Green Bay during a Packer game.
• You can tell who has scored a goal from any location in Quito by the crowd uproar.
• You can talk to just about anyone in the entire country of Ecuador about the World Cup. . . taxi drivers, people selling produce in the market, your neighbors and it is more interesting than the weather.
• Just because you are a world power in every other arena, does not mean you are a power on the playing field. Example Ghana a small, poor African nation beat the big, rich U.S.
• The tradition of very fit young men exchanging shirts at the end of a match is very pleasing to old ladies.
• As in many professional sports (NBA basketball) a foul is acceptable as long as the ref doesn’t see it. There is no instant replay yet in soccer.
• They need more than two refs on the soccer field. The refs run more than anyone else in the game including players. They can’t see everything. There are bad calls. There is no help from technology. The soccer field in long and there is continuous play for two 45 minute halves.
• There are many drama injuries toward the end of a match when the players are getting tired and there are no breaks. South American players are especially good at the theater of injury. The European players stoically shake off injuries and play a more straightforward, but much less entertaining game.
• The southern hemisphere of the world exports its raw materials cheaply to the northern hemisphere where they manufacture the raw materials into finished products and sell them back expensively. This includes soccer players. Most of the South American and African players have contracts with European soccer teams.
Many players play against their regular teammates during the World Cup much like hockey in the Olympics
• Holland has not been in World Cup finals since the 70’s. The Dutch teams all in orange nicknamed the Clockwork Orange, were juiced both times. They lost to Germany and Argentina.
• International football FIFA is very commercial and teams are all about making money. Players are considered investments and are still not paid much in relation to what the owners/administrators make from their talent on the field. Similar to the Walmart principal. Walmart, like soccer, is wildly popular and successful; however the people who do the frontline work i.e. cashiers, stockers, football players make a tiny fraction of the entire corporation’s profits.
• Brasil has qualified for every World Cup since 1930. They have won 4.
• Soccer in South America like football and basketball in the U.S. has provided opportunities for poor, black young men to rise above their “the life of crime to which they have been condemned by statistical average, and thus they become symbols of collective hope”. . (Eduardo Galeano, Soccer in Sun and Shadow).
• A recent survey in Brasil showed that two out three pro players never finished primary school. Many of these – half- have black or brown skin.
• Why is American football called football when the ball rarely touches a foot? Where did the term soccer come from?
• Commercials are shown one inch under the screen during a match because the 15 minute half time is not enough to get all the sponsorship airtime. It is annoying to me, but I guess like all commercials, you learn to tune them out.
• You can’t do as much during soccer matches as you can during American football games because there is only the 15 minute half time break otherwise the play is continuous except for the occasional injury performances.
• Just because players don’t wear pads and helmets does not mean they don’t get hit, or kicked hard. (I would still prefer that my own son would choose soccer over American football).
• What language are they speaking on the field during the World Cup when you have a Portuguese speaking team (Brazil) arguing a call with a ref from Asia and a player from Africa? They all seem to be understanding each other enough for the ref to give the Brazilian player a yellow (warning) card.
• Yellow cards are for fouls that are not heinous. If you receive two yellow cards in one game it equals a red card which means expulsion from the game. When a player us expelled, his team has to play with 10 instead of 11 players for the duration of the game. Red cards are for bad fouls like purposely kicking another player with your cleats or yelling at the ref (even if it is a language he doesn’t understand).
• I am thinking of incorporating the futbol card discipline system into my classroom and my home.
• I recognize most players swear words when they do close-ups after missing a goal or the ref missing a grave injustice being done to them. Maybe English swear words are international?
• Just because you have cool uniforms (especially Dr. Suess socks) does not mean you are the most skilled. Paraguay with cool white and red stripes lost to Espana plain blue.
• All-orange uniforms are not in the color wheel of most Dutch players.
• Uruguay and Paraguay are South American countries
• Ecuadorians would rather have any team on earth win if they are playing Argentina. (especially with ex-World Cup player now coach Maradona on the field).
• Life is suspended when games are on in European cities. Example Holland beat Uruguay in the semifinals. The entire country of the Netherlands contains a population of 16 million. Of these 16 million, 12 million watched the match. (from what we have encountered the other 4 million are traveling in South America)
• Life is suspended when games are on in South American cities. The only thing comparable I have experienced is Sunday afternoon in Green Bay during a Packer game.
• You can tell who has scored a goal from any location in Quito by the crowd uproar.
• You can talk to just about anyone in the entire country of Ecuador about the World Cup. . . taxi drivers, people selling produce in the market, your neighbors and it is more interesting than the weather.
• Just because you are a world power in every other arena, does not mean you are a power on the playing field. Example Ghana a small, poor African nation beat the big, rich U.S.
• The tradition of very fit young men exchanging shirts at the end of a match is very pleasing to old ladies.
• As in many professional sports (NBA basketball) a foul is acceptable as long as the ref doesn’t see it. There is no instant replay yet in soccer.
• They need more than two refs on the soccer field. The refs run more than anyone else in the game including players. They can’t see everything. There are bad calls. There is no help from technology. The soccer field in long and there is continuous play for two 45 minute halves.
• There are many drama injuries toward the end of a match when the players are getting tired and there are no breaks. South American players are especially good at the theater of injury. The European players stoically shake off injuries and play a more straightforward, but much less entertaining game.
• The southern hemisphere of the world exports its raw materials cheaply to the northern hemisphere where they manufacture the raw materials into finished products and sell them back expensively. This includes soccer players. Most of the South American and African players have contracts with European soccer teams.
Many players play against their regular teammates during the World Cup much like hockey in the Olympics
• Holland has not been in World Cup finals since the 70’s. The Dutch teams all in orange nicknamed the Clockwork Orange, were juiced both times. They lost to Germany and Argentina.
• International football FIFA is very commercial and teams are all about making money. Players are considered investments and are still not paid much in relation to what the owners/administrators make from their talent on the field. Similar to the Walmart principal. Walmart, like soccer, is wildly popular and successful; however the people who do the frontline work i.e. cashiers, stockers, football players make a tiny fraction of the entire corporation’s profits.
• Brasil has qualified for every World Cup since 1930. They have won 4.
• Soccer in South America like football and basketball in the U.S. has provided opportunities for poor, black young men to rise above their “the life of crime to which they have been condemned by statistical average, and thus they become symbols of collective hope”. . (Eduardo Galeano, Soccer in Sun and Shadow).
• A recent survey in Brasil showed that two out three pro players never finished primary school. Many of these – half- have black or brown skin.
• Why is American football called football when the ball rarely touches a foot? Where did the term soccer come from?
• Commercials are shown one inch under the screen during a match because the 15 minute half time is not enough to get all the sponsorship airtime. It is annoying to me, but I guess like all commercials, you learn to tune them out.
• You can’t do as much during soccer matches as you can during American football games because there is only the 15 minute half time break otherwise the play is continuous except for the occasional injury performances.
• Just because players don’t wear pads and helmets does not mean they don’t get hit, or kicked hard. (I would still prefer that my own son would choose soccer over American football).
• What language are they speaking on the field during the World Cup when you have a Portuguese speaking team (Brazil) arguing a call with a ref from Asia and a player from Africa? They all seem to be understanding each other enough for the ref to give the Brazilian player a yellow (warning) card.
• Yellow cards are for fouls that are not heinous. If you receive two yellow cards in one game it equals a red card which means expulsion from the game. When a player us expelled, his team has to play with 10 instead of 11 players for the duration of the game. Red cards are for bad fouls like purposely kicking another player with your cleats or yelling at the ref (even if it is a language he doesn’t understand).
• I am thinking of incorporating the futbol card discipline system into my classroom and my home.
• I recognize most players swear words when they do close-ups after missing a goal or the ref missing a grave injustice being done to them. Maybe English swear words are international?
Monday, July 5, 2010
Countdown To Departure
Today is July 4, the birthday of our beloved country, and I am missing our life there. We have had a wonderful time here, but the truth is I am Ecuadored out. I am excited for our trip to Cuenca tomorrow, but here are some of my reflections right now:
1) I’m tired of walking, taking taxis, and riding the bus everywhere. I convinced Beth that we should fly to Cuenca. The total cost for our entire family is $292. We went to the airline office to purchase tickets, and there was an additional $28 charge to buy them there. I didn’t care, but Beth was outraged. We left the office without tickets and a grumpy Bruce. Beth then bought the tickets on-line after going to a wi-fi spot near our apartment. She was gone for 2 hours and it was after dark when she returned. I was very worried and was getting Max and Jane ready to go look for her.
2) I’m tired of Ecuadorians constantly cutting in line. We wait patiently in lines for our turn, only to have the locals walk right up to the front of the line like others don’t exist and they are supremely important. This happens everywhere. I just want to shout at them and ask them if they have any idea of what manners are.
3) I’m tired of haggling over the prices of goods and services. The locals see our Gringo faces and think that they can overcharge us for everything. At first it was a fun game to play, but now it is just plain tiresome. At home, we might haggle over big purchases like a car or house, but here we have to haggle for a $2 taxi ride. The money is not the issue. It’s the idea of being overcharged.
4) I’m tired of musical beds at night. For a variety of reasons (Jane is scared, Max and Jane are fighting, I’m restless, we have visitors, we are traveling, etc.), we have had no bedtime routine. It has been difficult to sleep in so many different places. I miss the comfort and consistency of a permanent place to lay my head.
5) I’m tired of always being asked “no tiene sueltos?” when buying something. This phrase means “Don’t you have some change?” If I buy something for $4.15 and give a $5 bill, the vendor wants me to also give 15 cents so he/she doesn’t have to make change. This happens all the time. I used to comply, but now I just say no. The vendors are irritated, but happy to have my business. They ALWAYS have change!
6) I’m tired of being on guard all the time. After Beth had earrings snatched from her ears in broad daylight, thieves are always on my mind. We also have to watch for dog poop on the sidewalk constantly, and pedestrians do not have the right-of-way here. Max and Jane are not always so careful, so Beth and I have to protect and remind them to always look for cars, especially when we have a green light.
How spoiled am I? We have had this amazing opportunity to live and participate in a completely different culture and I am rattling off half a dozen aspects of our life here that I am tired of. The list serves two purposes. First, it gives me a chance to vent, it’s therapeutic for me. I’m trying very hard to stay positive as negativity is contagious. I want our last days here to be fun, so Max and Jane do not need to hear my feelings. I know that they, as well as Beth, can feel my desire to be home, so putting my feelings in writing gives me an opportunity to reflect quietly. Secondly, I feel it is important to let people know that our life here has not been easy and wonderful all of the time. I am a home body, and this experience has, at times, been difficult for me. Beth has done an amazing job of keeping me in check and holding the family together. We certainly have had a lot of time with each other.
As I sit and think about these past 5 months, I want to assure you that I will leave Ecuador with a new and different perspective on my life. The irritations I have felt in no way can tarnish the hundreds of awesome experiences we’ve had here. There is a satisfaction, an appreciation that I feel that I can not put into words. I am forever thankful for my family and all who have helped us and contributed to this learning adventure. I wouldn’t trade it for anything!
1) I’m tired of walking, taking taxis, and riding the bus everywhere. I convinced Beth that we should fly to Cuenca. The total cost for our entire family is $292. We went to the airline office to purchase tickets, and there was an additional $28 charge to buy them there. I didn’t care, but Beth was outraged. We left the office without tickets and a grumpy Bruce. Beth then bought the tickets on-line after going to a wi-fi spot near our apartment. She was gone for 2 hours and it was after dark when she returned. I was very worried and was getting Max and Jane ready to go look for her.
2) I’m tired of Ecuadorians constantly cutting in line. We wait patiently in lines for our turn, only to have the locals walk right up to the front of the line like others don’t exist and they are supremely important. This happens everywhere. I just want to shout at them and ask them if they have any idea of what manners are.
3) I’m tired of haggling over the prices of goods and services. The locals see our Gringo faces and think that they can overcharge us for everything. At first it was a fun game to play, but now it is just plain tiresome. At home, we might haggle over big purchases like a car or house, but here we have to haggle for a $2 taxi ride. The money is not the issue. It’s the idea of being overcharged.
4) I’m tired of musical beds at night. For a variety of reasons (Jane is scared, Max and Jane are fighting, I’m restless, we have visitors, we are traveling, etc.), we have had no bedtime routine. It has been difficult to sleep in so many different places. I miss the comfort and consistency of a permanent place to lay my head.
5) I’m tired of always being asked “no tiene sueltos?” when buying something. This phrase means “Don’t you have some change?” If I buy something for $4.15 and give a $5 bill, the vendor wants me to also give 15 cents so he/she doesn’t have to make change. This happens all the time. I used to comply, but now I just say no. The vendors are irritated, but happy to have my business. They ALWAYS have change!
6) I’m tired of being on guard all the time. After Beth had earrings snatched from her ears in broad daylight, thieves are always on my mind. We also have to watch for dog poop on the sidewalk constantly, and pedestrians do not have the right-of-way here. Max and Jane are not always so careful, so Beth and I have to protect and remind them to always look for cars, especially when we have a green light.
How spoiled am I? We have had this amazing opportunity to live and participate in a completely different culture and I am rattling off half a dozen aspects of our life here that I am tired of. The list serves two purposes. First, it gives me a chance to vent, it’s therapeutic for me. I’m trying very hard to stay positive as negativity is contagious. I want our last days here to be fun, so Max and Jane do not need to hear my feelings. I know that they, as well as Beth, can feel my desire to be home, so putting my feelings in writing gives me an opportunity to reflect quietly. Secondly, I feel it is important to let people know that our life here has not been easy and wonderful all of the time. I am a home body, and this experience has, at times, been difficult for me. Beth has done an amazing job of keeping me in check and holding the family together. We certainly have had a lot of time with each other.
As I sit and think about these past 5 months, I want to assure you that I will leave Ecuador with a new and different perspective on my life. The irritations I have felt in no way can tarnish the hundreds of awesome experiences we’ve had here. There is a satisfaction, an appreciation that I feel that I can not put into words. I am forever thankful for my family and all who have helped us and contributed to this learning adventure. I wouldn’t trade it for anything!
Monday, June 28, 2010
La Selva (The Jungle)
Max’s top 5 jungle favorites
1. night hike with lots of insects
2. zoo playing with rescued Amazon animals (leopard, wild peccary)
3. rafting down river on a handmade balsa raft
4. Dodo the pet female parrot
5. Monkeys stealing my popcorn in Misahaulli (a sleeping jungle town; our jumping off point for the Amazon)
6. seeing lizards
only dislike was giant cockroach sighting in sleeping quarters
Jamie’s (Bruce´s neice)top 5 jungle favorites
1. visiting a Quechua shaman
2. night hike
3. day version of the night hike
4. holding the leopard at the zoo
5. Hernan our guide and all his wisdom
Dislike: primitive sewage system and all the accompanying odors in sleeping quarters
Bruce’s top 5 jungle favorites
1. night hike
2. visiting the shaman who was sweet on my wife
3. riding in the motorized canoe 1 hour and a half down the Napo River (a river highway of the Amazon) and shorter rides to hikes and activities.
4. zoo
5. Our staff: Hernan, guide, Yahira, cook, David, boat navigator, and Miguel general care taker
6. Dingle the pet male parrot falling off the roof of the dining hut (apparently he can’t fly)
Dislike: trying to eat when Dingle was lurking.
Beth’s top 5 jungle favorites
1. cacophony of the night jungle and the absence of any human sounds
2. Visiting the shaman’s family and eating platino and palm hearts they prepared for us; hospitality of humble
3. the excellent meals that I did not have to prepare
4. Learning about the amazing amounts of plants and insects that have medicinal and everyday uses that the Amazon peoples have been using for centuries.
5. Hiking with our awesome guide Hernan
6. Going to the local market at the nearby town of 50 people and seeing a Huarani man and part of the daily life of the Amazon people
7. Yahira our beautiful, shy cook
Dislike: being repeatedly attacked by Dingle and pecked at on my foot.
Jane’s top 5 jungle favorites
Jane did not wish to enumerate her favorites. She said she liked everything about the jungle except hiking.
1. night hike with lots of insects
2. zoo playing with rescued Amazon animals (leopard, wild peccary)
3. rafting down river on a handmade balsa raft
4. Dodo the pet female parrot
5. Monkeys stealing my popcorn in Misahaulli (a sleeping jungle town; our jumping off point for the Amazon)
6. seeing lizards
only dislike was giant cockroach sighting in sleeping quarters
Jamie’s (Bruce´s neice)top 5 jungle favorites
1. visiting a Quechua shaman
2. night hike
3. day version of the night hike
4. holding the leopard at the zoo
5. Hernan our guide and all his wisdom
Dislike: primitive sewage system and all the accompanying odors in sleeping quarters
Bruce’s top 5 jungle favorites
1. night hike
2. visiting the shaman who was sweet on my wife
3. riding in the motorized canoe 1 hour and a half down the Napo River (a river highway of the Amazon) and shorter rides to hikes and activities.
4. zoo
5. Our staff: Hernan, guide, Yahira, cook, David, boat navigator, and Miguel general care taker
6. Dingle the pet male parrot falling off the roof of the dining hut (apparently he can’t fly)
Dislike: trying to eat when Dingle was lurking.
Beth’s top 5 jungle favorites
1. cacophony of the night jungle and the absence of any human sounds
2. Visiting the shaman’s family and eating platino and palm hearts they prepared for us; hospitality of humble
3. the excellent meals that I did not have to prepare
4. Learning about the amazing amounts of plants and insects that have medicinal and everyday uses that the Amazon peoples have been using for centuries.
5. Hiking with our awesome guide Hernan
6. Going to the local market at the nearby town of 50 people and seeing a Huarani man and part of the daily life of the Amazon people
7. Yahira our beautiful, shy cook
Dislike: being repeatedly attacked by Dingle and pecked at on my foot.
Jane’s top 5 jungle favorites
Jane did not wish to enumerate her favorites. She said she liked everything about the jungle except hiking.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Max and Jane with the wonderful apartment dog Lyka
Verano
Summer
It’s summer and we have been thinking about the change of seasons back home. In Ecuador you can change seasons by driving a couple of hours. We just left the town of Baños which is in winter and so it rains a good part of every day and is surprisingly chilly. It takes 2-3 days for clothes to air dry. (there are very few washing machines in Baños and even fewer dryers). Back in the Sierra (mountains) of Quito it is summer and there is very little rain, but cloudy days with intense spurts of high altitude sun. In a country the size of the state of Colorado the changes from the coast to the sierra to the jungle with the cloud forest in between are many with different temperatures and weather in each location.
In Spanish class our teacher asked what we do at home in the summer which got me to thinking the days are longer, the weather warmer and SCHOOL IS FINALLY OUT. The students in Quito go until the beginning of July. I just want to congratulate all the teachers and students for completing another school year. Especially Jamie who finished her first year of teaching and Athena and Jude who finished their first years of school. Thomas graduated from high school and is going to college at University of Dubuque.
Happy birthday to: Paul, Bridget, Ellie and John.
Happy summer camps and camping and going to cabins and summer homes. Happy vacationing.
Happy Summer Solstice (Larry and Linnea we missed having a cartwheel contest with you on the beach.
Happy Father’s day to all the papas
Happy baseball viewing outside (especially to the Minnesotans)
Congratulations to Sarah K for getting her reading license and a new job at Central H.S.
I know I forgot other important events please feel free to add any other congratulations/celebrations.
Viva el mundial (world cup soccer). We have a couple of brackets going with our new favorite teams including our favorite equipo del corazon (team of the heart) U.S.
We look forward to reuniting with the country of our heart in 3 short weeks!
chao
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Trekking around Chimborazo
My friend, Jeff Capella, and I decided to go for a little walk around Chimborazo, Ecuador’s highest peak at nearly 21,000 feet. Chimborazo is an extinct volcano with beautiful glacier at the top. Our goal was not to summit it, but rather, walk around it for four days taking in the beautiful vistas and viewing the different flora and fauna that live there. Our destination on day four would take us to nearly 18,000 feet.
Day 1 – I got on a bus in Banos at 8:45 in the morning in order to meet my companions at 10:00 in Ambato, a city about 1 hour from Banos. Our meeting point was simply “the entrance to Ambato.” I was told that it was by the “Mercado Mayorista.” I was a little anxious about the vagueness of the meeting point. But, like clockwork, I arrived at about 10:00 precisely as my friends arrived. I heard a car honking, and there they were. We drove about 45 minutes to an old train station, now a hostel, in the pueblo of Urbina. We were met by the owner and two young men named Julio and Luis. Also present was a friendly dog named Max. Diego, our guide, Jeff, and I left with our day packs while Julio and Luis loaded our gear onto horses in order to meet us at a refugio later in the day. We departed at about 11,000 feet and walked about 5 hours to the refugio at about 14,000 feet. The day was truly beautiful and I was not very tired when we reached our destination. Max had accompanied us all day. He was in heaven chasing, but never catching, rabbits. The refugio was rustic with a thatched roof, a fireplace, and a compost toilet. It was in a location where we had stunning views of volcanoes in all directions. Tungurahua was very active, and we could see fire shooting from its cone and hear tremendous eruptions. Luis and Julio cooked us one of the best meals I have had during our entire time in Ecuador. We played a card game called quarenta and then retired for the night.
Day 2 – After a restless night and an early breakfast of granola, yogurt, bread, fruit, and coffee, Diego, Jeff, and I departed at about 8:30 for a 6 hour trek that would take us to about 15,000 feet to the north side of Chimborazo. Max came with us again. Luis and Julio prepared the horses with our gear to meet us at the next refugio. Luis made this journey alone, and his brother returned home. The morning was perfect. Chimborazo loomed powerfully above us in all its glory. The temperature was cool and the sky was clear. We hiked for about an hour and we all got hot. We removed our jackets and continued on in only t-shirts. All the while we listened to Tungurahua belching and erupting in the background. Soon, our beautiful day disappeared. Hail began to fall from the sky while thunder and lightning replaced quiet sunshine. We put on our rain gear and continued on. The storm passed, but we trudged on in wet conditions for the remainder of the day. We descended into a lush green valley, and the refugio was within sight. We also encountered herds of vicunas, a wild relative of the llama. The dominant male would send out a bird like call to his group to alert them of our presence. The lush green valley was called “little pillow.” It was soft, but had little puddles of water everywhere. Diego made sure to tell us to follow in his footsteps as the little puddles were up to 8 feet deep. They would be hard to get out of, as well as cold, if we were to fall in. Max spent the day chasing rabbits, ducks, and vicunas. Alas, he never caught a thing. When we reached the refugio, Luis was already there and had hot coffee waiting for us. I was wet and a little tired, but ready for day three. We were visited by an indigenous woman and two of her children. She had walked from her home a good distance away to collect the fees for our stay. Luis left our gear with us and departed with the two horses and Max. Max somehow knew that he would not accompany us the next day. We ate a delicious dinner, played some quarenta, and retired for the evening at about 7:30. This refugio had no heat, so it was a chilly/cold night.
Day 3 – Another restless night was followed by another early breakfast. When we awoke, it was raining lightly. Diego pointed to where we were to trek for the day and told us it was snowing there. We discussed changing our plan, but decided that snow would be better than rain. Diego said we would ascend to about 16,000 feet and spend the rest of the day hiking at that altitude. Our maximum altitude would about 16,500 feet. I thought we would get to 16,000 feet and walk on a fairly flat trail around the volcano. I was so wrong! It took us about 1 hour to get to our trekking altitude, and indeed it was snowing. Instead of a fairly flat hiking trail, we spent the next 6 hours ascending and descending numerous ridges and valleys. The snow had accumulated to about 5 inches. The views, well, there were none. Visibility was very limited. We stopped for a snack and I was already pretty tired. I felt like we had been on the mountain for at least 4 hours, over half way to the next refugio. The actual time was only 11:00. We had 4 and one half hours left! As the snow accumulated, good footing became difficult. Descending was almost as hard as ascending. My heart and lungs were working hard. My legs began to feel tired and rubbery. Another rest for lunch, only 3 hours left. Another snack rest, only 2 hours left. I was trudging slowly, but still progressing. At times, Jeff and Diego were well ahead of me and out of sight. My heart and lungs settled down and I got into a slow walking rhythm, one foot in front of the other, following Jeff and Diego’s tracks. I stopped once and looked around. It was very beautiful, 16,000 feet high in snowy conditions on a mountain, but I asked myself what a farm boy from Iowa was doing on this volcano in South America. All I could do was slosh on. I caught up with Jeff and Diego, actually, they stopped and waited for me, and we only had 1 hour left. I told Jeff I certainly had an hour left in me and he responded, “Good, because I’m not carrying you.” At this point, my heart and lungs felt good, but my legs were very tired. Despite the altitude and snow, I was working so hard that I was sweating like a pig. Finally, the refugio was within sight. The last 20 minutes were across a plateau, and it was the only time I felt cold. The wind and snow were blowing hard across the open land. I reached the refugio and entered a warm abode with hot coffee waiting for me. I took my jacket off and steam came off my back. I put on dry clothes and drank my coffee. I felt tired, but proud of what I had just done. After some discussion, we decided to cancel day four. The weather didn’t look like it was changing, and we thought another day with no views in snow and wet would be brutal and little fun. I surprised my family by returning to Banos a day early. As I told them about my experience, I realized how fantastic it was. My friend, Paul Pena, put it this way, “Wow, sounds cool and awful at the same time.” The trek was unbelievable, with parts of day 3 being awful indeed.
Day 1 – I got on a bus in Banos at 8:45 in the morning in order to meet my companions at 10:00 in Ambato, a city about 1 hour from Banos. Our meeting point was simply “the entrance to Ambato.” I was told that it was by the “Mercado Mayorista.” I was a little anxious about the vagueness of the meeting point. But, like clockwork, I arrived at about 10:00 precisely as my friends arrived. I heard a car honking, and there they were. We drove about 45 minutes to an old train station, now a hostel, in the pueblo of Urbina. We were met by the owner and two young men named Julio and Luis. Also present was a friendly dog named Max. Diego, our guide, Jeff, and I left with our day packs while Julio and Luis loaded our gear onto horses in order to meet us at a refugio later in the day. We departed at about 11,000 feet and walked about 5 hours to the refugio at about 14,000 feet. The day was truly beautiful and I was not very tired when we reached our destination. Max had accompanied us all day. He was in heaven chasing, but never catching, rabbits. The refugio was rustic with a thatched roof, a fireplace, and a compost toilet. It was in a location where we had stunning views of volcanoes in all directions. Tungurahua was very active, and we could see fire shooting from its cone and hear tremendous eruptions. Luis and Julio cooked us one of the best meals I have had during our entire time in Ecuador. We played a card game called quarenta and then retired for the night.
Day 2 – After a restless night and an early breakfast of granola, yogurt, bread, fruit, and coffee, Diego, Jeff, and I departed at about 8:30 for a 6 hour trek that would take us to about 15,000 feet to the north side of Chimborazo. Max came with us again. Luis and Julio prepared the horses with our gear to meet us at the next refugio. Luis made this journey alone, and his brother returned home. The morning was perfect. Chimborazo loomed powerfully above us in all its glory. The temperature was cool and the sky was clear. We hiked for about an hour and we all got hot. We removed our jackets and continued on in only t-shirts. All the while we listened to Tungurahua belching and erupting in the background. Soon, our beautiful day disappeared. Hail began to fall from the sky while thunder and lightning replaced quiet sunshine. We put on our rain gear and continued on. The storm passed, but we trudged on in wet conditions for the remainder of the day. We descended into a lush green valley, and the refugio was within sight. We also encountered herds of vicunas, a wild relative of the llama. The dominant male would send out a bird like call to his group to alert them of our presence. The lush green valley was called “little pillow.” It was soft, but had little puddles of water everywhere. Diego made sure to tell us to follow in his footsteps as the little puddles were up to 8 feet deep. They would be hard to get out of, as well as cold, if we were to fall in. Max spent the day chasing rabbits, ducks, and vicunas. Alas, he never caught a thing. When we reached the refugio, Luis was already there and had hot coffee waiting for us. I was wet and a little tired, but ready for day three. We were visited by an indigenous woman and two of her children. She had walked from her home a good distance away to collect the fees for our stay. Luis left our gear with us and departed with the two horses and Max. Max somehow knew that he would not accompany us the next day. We ate a delicious dinner, played some quarenta, and retired for the evening at about 7:30. This refugio had no heat, so it was a chilly/cold night.
Day 3 – Another restless night was followed by another early breakfast. When we awoke, it was raining lightly. Diego pointed to where we were to trek for the day and told us it was snowing there. We discussed changing our plan, but decided that snow would be better than rain. Diego said we would ascend to about 16,000 feet and spend the rest of the day hiking at that altitude. Our maximum altitude would about 16,500 feet. I thought we would get to 16,000 feet and walk on a fairly flat trail around the volcano. I was so wrong! It took us about 1 hour to get to our trekking altitude, and indeed it was snowing. Instead of a fairly flat hiking trail, we spent the next 6 hours ascending and descending numerous ridges and valleys. The snow had accumulated to about 5 inches. The views, well, there were none. Visibility was very limited. We stopped for a snack and I was already pretty tired. I felt like we had been on the mountain for at least 4 hours, over half way to the next refugio. The actual time was only 11:00. We had 4 and one half hours left! As the snow accumulated, good footing became difficult. Descending was almost as hard as ascending. My heart and lungs were working hard. My legs began to feel tired and rubbery. Another rest for lunch, only 3 hours left. Another snack rest, only 2 hours left. I was trudging slowly, but still progressing. At times, Jeff and Diego were well ahead of me and out of sight. My heart and lungs settled down and I got into a slow walking rhythm, one foot in front of the other, following Jeff and Diego’s tracks. I stopped once and looked around. It was very beautiful, 16,000 feet high in snowy conditions on a mountain, but I asked myself what a farm boy from Iowa was doing on this volcano in South America. All I could do was slosh on. I caught up with Jeff and Diego, actually, they stopped and waited for me, and we only had 1 hour left. I told Jeff I certainly had an hour left in me and he responded, “Good, because I’m not carrying you.” At this point, my heart and lungs felt good, but my legs were very tired. Despite the altitude and snow, I was working so hard that I was sweating like a pig. Finally, the refugio was within sight. The last 20 minutes were across a plateau, and it was the only time I felt cold. The wind and snow were blowing hard across the open land. I reached the refugio and entered a warm abode with hot coffee waiting for me. I took my jacket off and steam came off my back. I put on dry clothes and drank my coffee. I felt tired, but proud of what I had just done. After some discussion, we decided to cancel day four. The weather didn’t look like it was changing, and we thought another day with no views in snow and wet would be brutal and little fun. I surprised my family by returning to Banos a day early. As I told them about my experience, I realized how fantastic it was. My friend, Paul Pena, put it this way, “Wow, sounds cool and awful at the same time.” The trek was unbelievable, with parts of day 3 being awful indeed.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Tungurahua is Quechua for " Throwing up Fire"
So our family is in one of those down moments when everyone is homesick and tired and missing hot showers and friends and loved ones and recognizable food. Everyone is tired of each other and the very way they breath seems to grate on nerves. . . when nature jolts you out of your self pity and into noticing its tremendous beauty and power.
Tungurahua is Quechua for “throwing up fire”, and that is exactly what Volcan Tungurahua (pronounced toongurwawa) is doing, throwing up fire, rock, smoke and ash. The town in which we are currently living, Banos is located directly below the volcano. We are not in any danger and have listo mochilas (ready bags) packed in case we have to evacuate. The people of Banos are very efficient and practiced at what to do if the volcano actually erupts and throws lava/magma (as it did in 2006) destroying people and property in its path. Our neighbors, teachers, and FUVIRESE (foundation for disabled people we have been volunteering with) people have all been taking care of us and making sure we know what to do if the evacuation alarm goes off. We are right next to the police station and our neighbors have a family compound they will take us to in a safe zone if the volcano erupts. They have also given us goggles and masks if an eruption emits a dangerous amount of ash into the air.
Right now the volcano is just grumbling. The noise is really loud though, like a gigantic thunder clap. Sometimes there is a big boom and then the volcano kind of chugs like it’s working up an explosive detonation. It reminds me of when a kid has a meltdown and they are crying so hard no sound comes out except a couple of inhalations of breathe and then a huge wail comes out. We have classified the thunderous reverberations into two groups. A boom can be a dog alarm which is loud enough to upset dogs and make them all bark simultaneously as well as a mild window shaking. The second group is a car alarm which is louder and stronger and vibrates enough to set off car alarms and shake the heavy wrought iron and plate glass windows of our apartment.
On Friday (5/28/10) we watched at night from the roof of the apartment and saw a fireworks show close to the photo I tried to upload here (if you google tungurahua mayo 28 2010 there are some great pics). The “Big T” as Max and Jane have named it, put on an amazing nocturnal performance. We could see red lines shooting from the cone into the night sky and then what looked like red rocks hurtling down the cone of the volcano in a blazing path. About 30 seconds later we could hear the booming sound. I think because of the distance there is a delay between what you see and hear similar to watching a storm and seeing the lightning then later hearing the thunder.
During the day you only get the booming sounds and vibrations and on the rare occasion it is clear (we’re in the rainy season here) you can see the smoke pluming up. Without the visuals during the day, the sound is a huge whooshhhhh, something like a giant blowtorch or the sound of shooting off fireworks before you see them. We have gotten some ash here in Banos. It was all over the cars after the first day, but apparently because of wind direction the smoke and ash is all blowing west toward the coast. The city of Guyaquil has literally had black clouds of ash hanging over it for days.
Sleep has been sporadic during the last couple of days. Every time I fall asleep, the volcano lets off a sonic boom and I am jolted awake. This goes on most of the night. Max, however, would like me to inform you his sleep is as sound as ever. Our Spanish teacher says the whole city of Banos and the surrounding area is tired because of Tungurahua. It is also bad for business because the tourists are staying away and tourism is the main industry in Banos.
Paying close attention to nature, Beth signing off Jane, Max, Bruce .
To see some amazing pics and video go to this website:
www.elcomercio.com/2010-05-29/Noticias/Pais/Noticia-Principal/actividad-del-Tungurahua-baja.aspx
Tungurahua is Quechua for “throwing up fire”, and that is exactly what Volcan Tungurahua (pronounced toongurwawa) is doing, throwing up fire, rock, smoke and ash. The town in which we are currently living, Banos is located directly below the volcano. We are not in any danger and have listo mochilas (ready bags) packed in case we have to evacuate. The people of Banos are very efficient and practiced at what to do if the volcano actually erupts and throws lava/magma (as it did in 2006) destroying people and property in its path. Our neighbors, teachers, and FUVIRESE (foundation for disabled people we have been volunteering with) people have all been taking care of us and making sure we know what to do if the evacuation alarm goes off. We are right next to the police station and our neighbors have a family compound they will take us to in a safe zone if the volcano erupts. They have also given us goggles and masks if an eruption emits a dangerous amount of ash into the air.
Right now the volcano is just grumbling. The noise is really loud though, like a gigantic thunder clap. Sometimes there is a big boom and then the volcano kind of chugs like it’s working up an explosive detonation. It reminds me of when a kid has a meltdown and they are crying so hard no sound comes out except a couple of inhalations of breathe and then a huge wail comes out. We have classified the thunderous reverberations into two groups. A boom can be a dog alarm which is loud enough to upset dogs and make them all bark simultaneously as well as a mild window shaking. The second group is a car alarm which is louder and stronger and vibrates enough to set off car alarms and shake the heavy wrought iron and plate glass windows of our apartment.
On Friday (5/28/10) we watched at night from the roof of the apartment and saw a fireworks show close to the photo I tried to upload here (if you google tungurahua mayo 28 2010 there are some great pics). The “Big T” as Max and Jane have named it, put on an amazing nocturnal performance. We could see red lines shooting from the cone into the night sky and then what looked like red rocks hurtling down the cone of the volcano in a blazing path. About 30 seconds later we could hear the booming sound. I think because of the distance there is a delay between what you see and hear similar to watching a storm and seeing the lightning then later hearing the thunder.
During the day you only get the booming sounds and vibrations and on the rare occasion it is clear (we’re in the rainy season here) you can see the smoke pluming up. Without the visuals during the day, the sound is a huge whooshhhhh, something like a giant blowtorch or the sound of shooting off fireworks before you see them. We have gotten some ash here in Banos. It was all over the cars after the first day, but apparently because of wind direction the smoke and ash is all blowing west toward the coast. The city of Guyaquil has literally had black clouds of ash hanging over it for days.
Sleep has been sporadic during the last couple of days. Every time I fall asleep, the volcano lets off a sonic boom and I am jolted awake. This goes on most of the night. Max, however, would like me to inform you his sleep is as sound as ever. Our Spanish teacher says the whole city of Banos and the surrounding area is tired because of Tungurahua. It is also bad for business because the tourists are staying away and tourism is the main industry in Banos.
Paying close attention to nature, Beth signing off Jane, Max, Bruce .
To see some amazing pics and video go to this website:
www.elcomercio.com/2010-05-29/Noticias/Pais/Noticia-Principal/actividad-del-Tungurahua-baja.aspx
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Boogerman
Our cat Horace died last week. He had been sick for awhile with some sort of virus that caused his to sneeze, but otherwise led a healthy, happy indoor/outdoor life. He had been our pet for about 15 years. It was sad not to be with him to say our goodbyes. We all made acrostic poems for our homeschool writing session. Jane also made an acrostic poem, but refused to let it be published on the blog. I also wrote one, but dedicated it to my mother who turned 70 May 23rd.
The Tube
By Bruce Iverson
H issing at Max and Jane when toddlers.
O vercome, eventually, by their love for him
R esting peacefully now.
A lways my great friend
C uddling with us often
Every cat lovers’ dream, my horsey boy
Boogerman
By Max Iverson
H e was the best cat in the world
One of a kind
Restful and relaxed
An awesome dude
Couldn’t stop shooting boogers
Everybody loved Horace
The Tube
By Bruce Iverson
H issing at Max and Jane when toddlers.
O vercome, eventually, by their love for him
R esting peacefully now.
A lways my great friend
C uddling with us often
Every cat lovers’ dream, my horsey boy
Boogerman
By Max Iverson
H e was the best cat in the world
One of a kind
Restful and relaxed
An awesome dude
Couldn’t stop shooting boogers
Everybody loved Horace
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Apartment by the Numbers
Apartment By the Numbers
A Bit of Whining
0 number of racks in our oven
6 number of slats that dislodge on the back of the couch when you sit on it.
2 number of resident dogs.
48 the number of degrees of the “hot” water in our shower.
6 o’clock the time we need to start dinner or we can no longer see well enough to cook(unless wearing a camping headlamp)
2 degrees F is the refrigerator that freezes all our food
5016 meters high is Volcan Tunguaraha we can see from the roof on a clear day (last eruption 2006).
2 the number of other families living in our “complex”. (all are related except for us; Sister Mary says Banos makes DePere look like Chicago)
3 the number of times we heat up water on the stove to do dishes (camping style)
1 number of slats broken on our bed so no more than 2 people can sit on it or it will collapse.
6-8 number of roosters that crow outside our window at all hours except dawn.
Many breezes that blow the fresh mountain air through the apartment.
3 dishes of food the neighbors brought over to share with us.
1000’s of people who live in Ecuador without any running water (hot or cold)
countless number of blessings our family has to experience such a great opportunity in Banos , Quito and all of Ecuador (although this is not the perspective of all members of the family)
A Bit of Whining
0 number of racks in our oven
6 number of slats that dislodge on the back of the couch when you sit on it.
2 number of resident dogs.
48 the number of degrees of the “hot” water in our shower.
6 o’clock the time we need to start dinner or we can no longer see well enough to cook(unless wearing a camping headlamp)
2 degrees F is the refrigerator that freezes all our food
5016 meters high is Volcan Tunguaraha we can see from the roof on a clear day (last eruption 2006).
2 the number of other families living in our “complex”. (all are related except for us; Sister Mary says Banos makes DePere look like Chicago)
3 the number of times we heat up water on the stove to do dishes (camping style)
1 number of slats broken on our bed so no more than 2 people can sit on it or it will collapse.
6-8 number of roosters that crow outside our window at all hours except dawn.
Many breezes that blow the fresh mountain air through the apartment.
3 dishes of food the neighbors brought over to share with us.
1000’s of people who live in Ecuador without any running water (hot or cold)
countless number of blessings our family has to experience such a great opportunity in Banos , Quito and all of Ecuador (although this is not the perspective of all members of the family)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
On the Move
We are off to Baños tomorrow a.m. until June 9th. We will be working with a foundation (FUVERESI)that helps disabled people (autistic children, rehab after an injury etc...). HOpefully the internet cafes there work better than in El Centro by our house. I still can´t seem to load pics from the Galapagos. We look forward to catching our breathe and starting a new routine of volunteering, homeschooling and Spanish lessons while in Baños and catching up on communications. Thanks for all the emails, snailmail and blog comments. Even if I have not replied recently; I will soon.
Beth
Beth
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Seduced by the Enchanted Islands
Just returned from 8 (7 nights and 6 days on a boat)days in the Galapagos and kind of have that post big event blues. Bruce will exude later how amazing the trip was, the following is Max s (unedited)top 5 list from the Galapagos.
1. snorkeling with all the fish, turtles, sharks and rays
2. lounging on the beach and playing with the waves
3. swimming and playing with the sea lions
4. the people on the boat. (the Sweeds the most)
5. hiking and seeing all the lizards, iguanas, birds, and crabs. Oh and the food on the boat was AMAZING
Worst things (1 and only 1)the heat
wishes I wanted to see the Northern islands
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Feliz Compleaños a Jane
Jane turns 9 in Ecuador with a birthday party at Pim's Restaurant overlooking Quito.
Maru, the head of our school in Quito and 2 of her children Victoria and Christina celebrated with us as well as Maria Elena and 3 of her children Julian, Valentina and Maria del Mar.
Although Jane misses her cats, she said it was a great birthday. How can it not be when you wake up early with a smile on your face and a gleam in your eyes?
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
ole ole quinto c (say) 5C
Max's 5th grade class 5C (pronounced say, so it rhymes in the chant) played an intra-class soccer match against 5A. Max's class won 7 - 0. Max scored two "goalassos" and was very excited. He still maintains he will NOT play soccer when we go back home. I am happy he is playing a less violent sport than American football even if it is temporary. We have also been following Ecuador futbol and have adopted our favorite Quito team, Liga. They are 2 points behind Barcelona (Guayquil, Ecuador not Esagna) vying for the national title. We are also preparing to watch World Cup Soccer starting in June. Most of the nation will stop to watch games. Even though Ecuador did not qualify this year, several South American teams did.
Girls are not just cheerleaders;they have their own tournament. Jane's class played Monday, but she was so unexcited she didn't tell us. Her team beat another 4th grade class 2-1. The only information I got from her was that she was on the field for the game.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
April Showers
¡We are definitely in the rainy season! It rains in Quito at least once a day and not just a light drizzle, but a torrential, soaking, street-to-rivers downpour. Everything is greening up after the dry first part of "the rainy season". They had power outages in Quito before we arrived because it hadn´t rained enough. Not sure if they have some sort of hydro electric power. . . I do know that in Mindo the power went out because they had too much rain. Go figure. There is a reason I never went into engineering.
We are finishing up our teaching/schooling stint at Colegio Letort in Quito. We will teach/attend school trhough the end of Aprili. While neither Max nor Jane are sad bout this, we can tell their espagnol has improved vastly as well as unexpected bonuses like Jane's beautiful cursive which is stressed here much more than her MN school. Max loves playing soccer at recess and is enoying being challenged by some difficult math. Bruce and I also are enjoying our classes and experiencin g a school in another culture/country. It is amazing how similar things are between our schools and the Quito school rather than diffferent. Students are pretty much students everywhere. Teachers too feel overworked and underpaid. A difference in the students here that surprised me was the lack of orderliness at lunchtime (no lines, just pushing to the food) and the sometimes complete dismissal of teacher redirecting. I think much of this is cultural as there is a general lack of lines in Ecuador and an impulsiveness that makes our American students seem fairly disciplined. A difference I do like is teachers and students both wear uniforms. I think it would be nice not to have to think about your clothes for the day.
We hear spring has been gorgeous in the heartland. Enjoy. We miss you all
Beth
We are finishing up our teaching/schooling stint at Colegio Letort in Quito. We will teach/attend school trhough the end of Aprili. While neither Max nor Jane are sad bout this, we can tell their espagnol has improved vastly as well as unexpected bonuses like Jane's beautiful cursive which is stressed here much more than her MN school. Max loves playing soccer at recess and is enoying being challenged by some difficult math. Bruce and I also are enjoying our classes and experiencin g a school in another culture/country. It is amazing how similar things are between our schools and the Quito school rather than diffferent. Students are pretty much students everywhere. Teachers too feel overworked and underpaid. A difference in the students here that surprised me was the lack of orderliness at lunchtime (no lines, just pushing to the food) and the sometimes complete dismissal of teacher redirecting. I think much of this is cultural as there is a general lack of lines in Ecuador and an impulsiveness that makes our American students seem fairly disciplined. A difference I do like is teachers and students both wear uniforms. I think it would be nice not to have to think about your clothes for the day.
We hear spring has been gorgeous in the heartland. Enjoy. We miss you all
Beth
Friday, April 9, 2010
Skim at Papallacta Baths
Our friends Scott and Kim (Skim) were our first Spring Break visitors. Here we are at Papallacta Hot Springs. The water comes out of the ground hot enough to boil an egg. They divert it into several tiled baths of varying temperatures. It is set in an incredibly beautiful mountain hamlet.
Bargainer/shopper extradinaire
Jane, with fierce bargaining, paid less than 20 dollars for both these beautiful items. The blanket is angora. Her Tia Annette could not pass by such a stylish sombrero. Many more hand crafted textiles were purchased in Otovalo by my sister Annette and her family on their all too brief visit over Easter.
Looking for our next visitors
THis is what we do when all our visitors have gone back home. Come to Ecuador so my children can be your guides/translators.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Tips for visitors virtual and real
Money: on the American dollar so no changing hassles. Bring small bills. hundreds are impossible to change. Cash cards are good, but usually a charge for getting money. Few places take credit cards except in Gringolandia.
Culture: many public diplays of affection, bare breast-feeding, spitting and nosepicking
Personal services: bring shoes that need to be shined; it costs 50 cents to get them to "shine like mirrors". also come scruffy; haircuts and shaves are 1-2 dollars for 45 minute salon treatment.
Pedestrian rights: are nonexistant. have almost been run over while crossing on a green and not looking to my left. One driver in English told me to "check out the light". yeah it´s green, but for cars turning left into crowds of pedestrians too. Don´t fight with the vehicles you won´t win. I´ve tried.
Mauricio es mas macho
Many stray dogs = many stray turds
Bring SPF and sunglasses. Those of us from cloudier climes forget about that big, warm sun in the winter.
Bring umbrellas. It is the rainy season although it has been dry here. Often it will rain for about half an hour and then clear up and be warm and sunny.
The sun rises everyday at 6:30 am and sets every day at 6:30 pm no variation. you don´t really even need a watch, unless you have somewhere to be in between those hours.
The temperature is between 50-70 degrees F. every day. bring pants and one or two shorts or sundresses, sturdy shoes. always have a long sleeve shirt to put on for when it clouds over and the temp drops. I have put on and taken off said long sleeves 5 times in an hour.
That´s all i can think of for now. Any veterans please jump in and contribut and or correct any misinformation.
Be prepared to enjoy amazing scenery, friendly people, a plethora of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Asta luego
Culture: many public diplays of affection, bare breast-feeding, spitting and nosepicking
Personal services: bring shoes that need to be shined; it costs 50 cents to get them to "shine like mirrors". also come scruffy; haircuts and shaves are 1-2 dollars for 45 minute salon treatment.
Pedestrian rights: are nonexistant. have almost been run over while crossing on a green and not looking to my left. One driver in English told me to "check out the light". yeah it´s green, but for cars turning left into crowds of pedestrians too. Don´t fight with the vehicles you won´t win. I´ve tried.
Mauricio es mas macho
Many stray dogs = many stray turds
Bring SPF and sunglasses. Those of us from cloudier climes forget about that big, warm sun in the winter.
Bring umbrellas. It is the rainy season although it has been dry here. Often it will rain for about half an hour and then clear up and be warm and sunny.
The sun rises everyday at 6:30 am and sets every day at 6:30 pm no variation. you don´t really even need a watch, unless you have somewhere to be in between those hours.
The temperature is between 50-70 degrees F. every day. bring pants and one or two shorts or sundresses, sturdy shoes. always have a long sleeve shirt to put on for when it clouds over and the temp drops. I have put on and taken off said long sleeves 5 times in an hour.
That´s all i can think of for now. Any veterans please jump in and contribut and or correct any misinformation.
Be prepared to enjoy amazing scenery, friendly people, a plethora of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Asta luego
Friday, March 12, 2010
mariposario
At the butterfly (mariposa) farm in Mindo.
This is what I took about 100 pics of and killed the battery on my camera so it wasn´t available for the water slide.
Teleferico to Pichincha
Some very enthusiastic hikers at the top hiking to Rocu Pichincha. We didn´t make it; the altitude got us.
Riding the Teleferico up to Pichincha. There are two peaks. One is an inactive volcano called Rocu Pichincha (old man) the other is active called Huahua Pichincha (child). The Teleferico is a cable car. It is in Quito and also has an amusement park which has the highest altitude rollercoaster.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
I have an ugly child and his name is Emelec
No, we have not adopted a child. THis is a cheer sung/shouted by the futbol (soccer) crowd in Quito. We attended a game between Liga Quito and Emelec of Guayquil. Guayquil is huge city on the western coast of Ecuador. The people of Quito and Guayquil seem to be rivals in more than sports. Who has a safer city, a more beautiful city, nicer people.... We sat in Pablo and Maria Elena´s box, but could see "the cage" where most of the people sit. THere is a base drum beating the whole time - like a battle march and many songs insulting the other team and proclaiming their own greatness. It was an exciting game with some minor fights and no expulsions. Soccer players are the superstars here. They are completely idolized like many of our sports heroes. (Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Pederson, Mia Hamm. . .)Please feel free to post your own examples.
The game was a blowout 5-0 with Liga winning. THis game seemed relatively calm for mob violence, but apparently during a past game angry fans started throwing chunks of cement at rival fans. The next day the front page as well as most of the sports section was devoted to the match. I guess it would be similar to the Green Bay Press Gazette the day after a Packer Game. I had to search the sports section 4 times before I found 1 sentence telling me the U.S. Olympic men´s hockey team lost in overtime against Canada.
The kids now have Liga jerseys for the next game we attend.
Miss you all
The game was a blowout 5-0 with Liga winning. THis game seemed relatively calm for mob violence, but apparently during a past game angry fans started throwing chunks of cement at rival fans. The next day the front page as well as most of the sports section was devoted to the match. I guess it would be similar to the Green Bay Press Gazette the day after a Packer Game. I had to search the sports section 4 times before I found 1 sentence telling me the U.S. Olympic men´s hockey team lost in overtime against Canada.
The kids now have Liga jerseys for the next game we attend.
Miss you all
Monday, March 8, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Bruce with paragraphs
March 2, 2010-03-03
We are finishing our sixth day at Colegio Letort. jSo far, Beth and I are just observing and planning some lessons. We will both be teaching about 12 classes each week. My clases are spread out evenly throughout the week, but Beth has only 1 class every other week on Mondays and Tuesdays. I am teaching English to 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders, while Beth teaches the same to 4th, 5th and 6th graders. We`re both ready to work, we´re getting a bit bored.
Max and Jane are enrolled in the school full time. Both complain, but I think that they are beinning to adjust. It`s harder for Max because he is fairly introverted and he doesn´t like making mistakes. He´s just going to have to suck it up, because we´re here now, and he has not choice. Beth and I can already tell that both of them are learning Spanish although they could not admit it.
I was interviewed by two sixth grade students today for an article in the school newspaper. Their English is good, and they giggled a lot during the interview. They are going to take a family picture tomorrow to go along with the article. Kids come up to Beth and me during recess just to speak English with us. They smile shyly and creep up to initiate conversation. It`s very cute. The students also follow Max and Jane around. Believe it or not, but the Scandos from Minnesota are quite exotic here at Letort. We`re a bit like rock stars
Everybody here has been kind and generous to us. I´ve been invited to join the 6th grade Spanish Lanaguage class so that I can learn and study Spanish here at school when I`m not teaching. Beth and I were judges in a Books I Read speech contest for 7th, 8th and 9th graders. The particdipants were great and the whole affair was quite impressive and formal. Parents of the winners thanked us again, and again, we were treated like rock stars. The schoool has provided busing for us each day so we don´t have to travel all the way across town to get here. Beth and I are also given a lunch each day. The people here have been going out of their way to make us feel comfortable. We are so lucky.
We are finishing our sixth day at Colegio Letort. jSo far, Beth and I are just observing and planning some lessons. We will both be teaching about 12 classes each week. My clases are spread out evenly throughout the week, but Beth has only 1 class every other week on Mondays and Tuesdays. I am teaching English to 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders, while Beth teaches the same to 4th, 5th and 6th graders. We`re both ready to work, we´re getting a bit bored.
Max and Jane are enrolled in the school full time. Both complain, but I think that they are beinning to adjust. It`s harder for Max because he is fairly introverted and he doesn´t like making mistakes. He´s just going to have to suck it up, because we´re here now, and he has not choice. Beth and I can already tell that both of them are learning Spanish although they could not admit it.
I was interviewed by two sixth grade students today for an article in the school newspaper. Their English is good, and they giggled a lot during the interview. They are going to take a family picture tomorrow to go along with the article. Kids come up to Beth and me during recess just to speak English with us. They smile shyly and creep up to initiate conversation. It`s very cute. The students also follow Max and Jane around. Believe it or not, but the Scandos from Minnesota are quite exotic here at Letort. We`re a bit like rock stars
Everybody here has been kind and generous to us. I´ve been invited to join the 6th grade Spanish Lanaguage class so that I can learn and study Spanish here at school when I`m not teaching. Beth and I were judges in a Books I Read speech contest for 7th, 8th and 9th graders. The particdipants were great and the whole affair was quite impressive and formal. Parents of the winners thanked us again, and again, we were treated like rock stars. The schoool has provided busing for us each day so we don´t have to travel all the way across town to get here. Beth and I are also given a lunch each day. The people here have been going out of their way to make us feel comfortable. We are so lucky.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Max and Jane waiting for the school bus
It is 6:45 a.m and Max and Jane and Bruce and I are all waiting for the school bus to take us to school. Max and Jane have on their gym day uniforms.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Janes in Ecuador
Jane Austen
Bruce and I judged a contest today at school called The Book I Have REad. Today was 9th and 10th graders. The 10th graders read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. They gave their speeches in English and had to answer one question that members of the jury (Bruce, me and two other English speakers) came up with. All of this in English. It was amazing!!!!! There were 8 contestants today. I learned things from the P &P speeches after having read and taught the book several times. Wow.
Jane Iverson (and Max) have been going to school all week. They now have uniforms and seem to be making a few friends. (or they are just such an oddity that the Ecuadorian kids following them around out of curiosity) 3 of their six classes are in English. School starts at 7:25 and is about 45 minutes from our apt. so we have been getting up 5:50am to catch a cab for an 8 minute ride to where the school bus picks up the whole family and takes us all to school. The kids have actually been working, Bruce and I start teaching English classes next week so we have been "preparing¨" all week in between being on the jury for the contests. The quotation marks mean we have mostly been hanging out in the teacher´s lounge using the free internet. More about school later and I promise to figure out the pics this weekend.
besos y abrazos (soon I will be the least bilingual in my family)
Bruce and I judged a contest today at school called The Book I Have REad. Today was 9th and 10th graders. The 10th graders read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. They gave their speeches in English and had to answer one question that members of the jury (Bruce, me and two other English speakers) came up with. All of this in English. It was amazing!!!!! There were 8 contestants today. I learned things from the P &P speeches after having read and taught the book several times. Wow.
Jane Iverson (and Max) have been going to school all week. They now have uniforms and seem to be making a few friends. (or they are just such an oddity that the Ecuadorian kids following them around out of curiosity) 3 of their six classes are in English. School starts at 7:25 and is about 45 minutes from our apt. so we have been getting up 5:50am to catch a cab for an 8 minute ride to where the school bus picks up the whole family and takes us all to school. The kids have actually been working, Bruce and I start teaching English classes next week so we have been "preparing¨" all week in between being on the jury for the contests. The quotation marks mean we have mostly been hanging out in the teacher´s lounge using the free internet. More about school later and I promise to figure out the pics this weekend.
besos y abrazos (soon I will be the least bilingual in my family)
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Mindo with paragraphs
A picture is worth a thousand words and since two cameras died; I think I wrote 2 thousand words to replace the pictuies we couldn’t take. Please forgive the long entry.
No camera! For the lunch at Mindo Gardens next to the rushing rio (river) then crossing the same rio in a little cage on a pulley called a Tarabita. On the other side there is a narrow winding trail through the jungle. We have been warned there are poisonous coral snakes that live in the jungle. Bruce is on high alert the whole time smoking a couple of Cubanos (his new preferred cigarette) to repel the snakes. There are occasionally small wooden signs that direct us toward the cascadas (waterfalls).
There are at least 10 waterfalls right in the area of the little town of Mindo. We hear some noise up at the canopy level of the trees and spot some monkeys. There are several forks with no more cascada arrows so we wing it. We keep climbing up and arrive at a sort of vague park entrance full of half build cement structures with wires sticking out and jagged rock piles, rusty wire, tires and general garbage all over. A man with some xyz (examine your zipper) jeans and very good English points to a sign and explains about the 7 waterfalls and the slide and the warm natural pool you can swim in. It is 9 dollars for all of us to enter which includes our guide Javier a young lad of 17 or 18.
We hike down to the falls for about 10 minutes straight down. Stop to do a rope swing and continue down to the falls. They are breath-taking and there is not a soul around. The aftermath of Carnival is all around and there is garbage, swimming suits and some more half built cement platforms with wires sticking out. Javier shows us a giant falls from a little tiny platform built out into the rio on 12 foot (strong I hope) metal stilts. We change in some dressing rooms that are completely wet and have giant insects guarding the outside. I’ve been hot and sweating all day in the cloud forest, but it’s not that warm next the river in swimsuits. Javier takes us up some stone steps and asks if anyone wants to jump off the 50 foot cliff into the narrow swift ribbon of a river. He is serious and demonstrates. Next he demonstrates the “slide” which is a cement trough that throws the momentum powered slider into the river from about 15 feet.
There is no one around to witness our demise besides Javier who assures us it is completely safe. There are ropes to hang onto to prevent my small children from being carried away by the strong current and dashed on the giant boulders below the falls. My family elects me to go first. I go saying “oh my gods quietly to myself”. I am still alive and swim to the side and bump my shins all along the submerged boulders. The pressure from the drop off the slide makes my fillings hurt, otherwise I am unscathed. Next is Max . As soon as he hits the water Javier dives in and brings him to the side. Jane hesitantly goes. Javier also expertly gathers up Jane and brings her safely to the shore. Bruce finishes up. Javier then goes down the slide stops himself, uses it as a platform and backflips into the rushing river. Unbelievable.
10 minutes later Jane is still recovering from her scary plunge. Max of course wants to do it 10 more times. Javier encourages him. I go one more time just to make it worth putting my swimsuit on and push my fillings up more.
No camera! For the lunch at Mindo Gardens next to the rushing rio (river) then crossing the same rio in a little cage on a pulley called a Tarabita. On the other side there is a narrow winding trail through the jungle. We have been warned there are poisonous coral snakes that live in the jungle. Bruce is on high alert the whole time smoking a couple of Cubanos (his new preferred cigarette) to repel the snakes. There are occasionally small wooden signs that direct us toward the cascadas (waterfalls).
There are at least 10 waterfalls right in the area of the little town of Mindo. We hear some noise up at the canopy level of the trees and spot some monkeys. There are several forks with no more cascada arrows so we wing it. We keep climbing up and arrive at a sort of vague park entrance full of half build cement structures with wires sticking out and jagged rock piles, rusty wire, tires and general garbage all over. A man with some xyz (examine your zipper) jeans and very good English points to a sign and explains about the 7 waterfalls and the slide and the warm natural pool you can swim in. It is 9 dollars for all of us to enter which includes our guide Javier a young lad of 17 or 18.
We hike down to the falls for about 10 minutes straight down. Stop to do a rope swing and continue down to the falls. They are breath-taking and there is not a soul around. The aftermath of Carnival is all around and there is garbage, swimming suits and some more half built cement platforms with wires sticking out. Javier shows us a giant falls from a little tiny platform built out into the rio on 12 foot (strong I hope) metal stilts. We change in some dressing rooms that are completely wet and have giant insects guarding the outside. I’ve been hot and sweating all day in the cloud forest, but it’s not that warm next the river in swimsuits. Javier takes us up some stone steps and asks if anyone wants to jump off the 50 foot cliff into the narrow swift ribbon of a river. He is serious and demonstrates. Next he demonstrates the “slide” which is a cement trough that throws the momentum powered slider into the river from about 15 feet.
There is no one around to witness our demise besides Javier who assures us it is completely safe. There are ropes to hang onto to prevent my small children from being carried away by the strong current and dashed on the giant boulders below the falls. My family elects me to go first. I go saying “oh my gods quietly to myself”. I am still alive and swim to the side and bump my shins all along the submerged boulders. The pressure from the drop off the slide makes my fillings hurt, otherwise I am unscathed. Next is Max . As soon as he hits the water Javier dives in and brings him to the side. Jane hesitantly goes. Javier also expertly gathers up Jane and brings her safely to the shore. Bruce finishes up. Javier then goes down the slide stops himself, uses it as a platform and backflips into the rushing river. Unbelievable.
10 minutes later Jane is still recovering from her scary plunge. Max of course wants to do it 10 more times. Javier encourages him. I go one more time just to make it worth putting my swimsuit on and push my fillings up more.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Bruce contributes
Wednesday February 17, 2010
We had to get up early today so that we could catch the bus to go to Mindo. Mindo is a little town in a cloud forest about 2 hours northwest of Quito that has an abundance of butterflies, birds, and wildflowers. Jane popped up immediately, but Max was a little slow to let go of his slumber. We could have taken a city bus to the main bus terminal for 75 cents, but we opted for the $6.50 extravagant taxi ride. We got to the bus terminal and met two retired, Canadian teachers who were also on their way to Mindo. The cost of the 2 hour trip was $7.50 FOR ALL OF US! We all slept a bit on the way to Mindo. We got to Mindo by exiting the main highway and descending into a plush, green valley. After some confusion, we arrived at our cabanas to be greeted by Leo, a very friendly man who runs the Cabanas Bambu. He showed us to our cabana which was a very lovely two bedroom, one bathroom abode with a porch which was where we had to leave our shoes before entering the cabana. The porch had a hammock that Max and Jane loved and fought over. At one point, I heard a loud crash on the porch and a dramatic Jane crying, and discovered that Max had poured Jane out of the hammock because he felt it was his turn in the always exciting “carnival like ride” of the apparatus. We unpacked and went to town to eat. Beth got fairly crusty about the restaurant that the rest of us picked, but when she ate the fresh trout that I’m certain was pulled from one of the nearby mountain streams she was very pleased. We then walked up a dirt road for about 30 minutes to Mindo Canopy Adventure, a series of 13 zip lines that zigzagged across the forest valleys of Mindo well above the canopy of the forest. Our guides were Alex and Diego, two kind and gentle young men who were very and patient with us. It was exhilarating to be zipping across the valleys on a cable so high above the trees. We were all a bit nervous or scared the first time, but it was so fun and safe that we hooted and screamed each time after that. We were always excited to see what the next ride would be. The last line was the fastest and longest, about 500 meters. It was too dangerous for the kids to go by themselves, so they went first with Alex. The clouds had begun to descend so we were now in them. I saw Max, Jane, and Alex zip and then disappear into a cloud. I could hear Max and Jane howling. I was next to go. When I zipped into the cloud, I had no idea how thick it would be. I was moving very fast and couldn’t see Alex and the kids at the end of the line. I felt like I was literally flying in the clouds which, I guess I was. I finally saw a faint image of what looked like some trees and my party waiting for me. When finally I could clearly see the end of the line, I was very close and applied the brake (a thick leather glove with which to wrap around and pull on the cable.) I came speeding into the landing and could see some padding attached to a tree at the end, but I stopped before hitting it. WOW!!! I waited in anticipation for Beth to come soaring out of the clouds, and she did not disappoint. She was flying and I was sure that she was going to crash into the padding, but she, too, finished with a strong landing. We spent two glorious hours traversing the treetops of the mountain valleys of Mindo. We all had an adrenaline rush. One last tidbit; Beth, Max and Jane did some tricks with our guides. They flew like superman/superwoman and zipped upside down with their legs and arms spread apart so that they looked like a butterfly. I opted for no tricks because I really loved flying solo. We went back to the cabana, went to town to eat, returned to the cabana and went to bed (with the usual Max and Jane bickering.) I wonder what adventure tomorrow will bring.
We had to get up early today so that we could catch the bus to go to Mindo. Mindo is a little town in a cloud forest about 2 hours northwest of Quito that has an abundance of butterflies, birds, and wildflowers. Jane popped up immediately, but Max was a little slow to let go of his slumber. We could have taken a city bus to the main bus terminal for 75 cents, but we opted for the $6.50 extravagant taxi ride. We got to the bus terminal and met two retired, Canadian teachers who were also on their way to Mindo. The cost of the 2 hour trip was $7.50 FOR ALL OF US! We all slept a bit on the way to Mindo. We got to Mindo by exiting the main highway and descending into a plush, green valley. After some confusion, we arrived at our cabanas to be greeted by Leo, a very friendly man who runs the Cabanas Bambu. He showed us to our cabana which was a very lovely two bedroom, one bathroom abode with a porch which was where we had to leave our shoes before entering the cabana. The porch had a hammock that Max and Jane loved and fought over. At one point, I heard a loud crash on the porch and a dramatic Jane crying, and discovered that Max had poured Jane out of the hammock because he felt it was his turn in the always exciting “carnival like ride” of the apparatus. We unpacked and went to town to eat. Beth got fairly crusty about the restaurant that the rest of us picked, but when she ate the fresh trout that I’m certain was pulled from one of the nearby mountain streams she was very pleased. We then walked up a dirt road for about 30 minutes to Mindo Canopy Adventure, a series of 13 zip lines that zigzagged across the forest valleys of Mindo well above the canopy of the forest. Our guides were Alex and Diego, two kind and gentle young men who were very and patient with us. It was exhilarating to be zipping across the valleys on a cable so high above the trees. We were all a bit nervous or scared the first time, but it was so fun and safe that we hooted and screamed each time after that. We were always excited to see what the next ride would be. The last line was the fastest and longest, about 500 meters. It was too dangerous for the kids to go by themselves, so they went first with Alex. The clouds had begun to descend so we were now in them. I saw Max, Jane, and Alex zip and then disappear into a cloud. I could hear Max and Jane howling. I was next to go. When I zipped into the cloud, I had no idea how thick it would be. I was moving very fast and couldn’t see Alex and the kids at the end of the line. I felt like I was literally flying in the clouds which, I guess I was. I finally saw a faint image of what looked like some trees and my party waiting for me. When finally I could clearly see the end of the line, I was very close and applied the brake (a thick leather glove with which to wrap around and pull on the cable.) I came speeding into the landing and could see some padding attached to a tree at the end, but I stopped before hitting it. WOW!!! I waited in anticipation for Beth to come soaring out of the clouds, and she did not disappoint. She was flying and I was sure that she was going to crash into the padding, but she, too, finished with a strong landing. We spent two glorious hours traversing the treetops of the mountain valleys of Mindo. We all had an adrenaline rush. One last tidbit; Beth, Max and Jane did some tricks with our guides. They flew like superman/superwoman and zipped upside down with their legs and arms spread apart so that they looked like a butterfly. I opted for no tricks because I really loved flying solo. We went back to the cabana, went to town to eat, returned to the cabana and went to bed (with the usual Max and Jane bickering.) I wonder what adventure tomorrow will bring.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Sleepless in Quito/Quiet in Quito
Friday night was the beginning of Carnival which is a huge celebration for Latin American predominately Catholic countries. This is a four day weekend when everyone leaves Quito to go to the coast or other smaller towns. It reminds me of being one of the only people left in town during the Fourth of July while everyone else is at their cabins (we called them cottages in Wisconsin). The only thing going on in the city is people spraying each other with this foamy spray stuff (espuma de carnival) that smells like Bazooka bubble gum and leaves an oily film on your clothes and hair. Max and Jane wanted NO part of that. They actually had a wonderful esumpa battle with everyone covered from head to toe in foam and smelling like stale bubble gum.
So where does the sleepless part come in?? Friday night the fancy hotel across the street from us had a party with live music. They (like most residents of densely populated cities) make full use of their roof space and have a beautiful garden/terrace area; perfect for parties. Our buildings are 30 yards apart door to door so when we went to bed with our French door/windows facing the party, we felt like we were there with the band kicking off our Carnival holiday except we were in our pajamas. There is also a sad dog that lives next to the party hotel and barks continuously. The poor animal has about a 4x4 area to live in and I have never seen it walked so of course it barks all night. There is also the continuous traffic down our little street. I cannot figure out where all the cars without mufflers, diesel fueled buses with air brakes, motorcycles, and other motorized vehicles are going in the wee hours. Mostly around our apartment in the historic district there are churches everywhere and small restaurants and shops along the cobble stone streets. Sooo I guess everyone is going to church? Because our beautiful French doors of our bedroom face the street we also have the privilege of feeling like there are cars next to our heads. The last cause on occasional sleeplessness is the kids are now sharing a bedroom which they have never done. Needless to say they sometimes have trouble settling down and going to sleep. They think it is like a slumber party; I have dubbed it the lunatic asylum (no offense to anyone connected to mental health issues). Every other night we have an hour long process of threats, consequences blah, blah, blah during the lunatic asylum until either the kids or the parents succumb to exhaustion. On Friday all four of these factors kicked in: party and barking dog across the street, lunatic asylum and loud motorized vehicles which led to a maniacally good laugh.
Wonderings: Was my brother able to purchase a snow shovel in snow-socked D.C., or is he still shoveling his walk with a hockey stick? Has the Birkebeiner happened and how did people do? What did people do over President’s Day weekend? Book Across the Bay? How are we doing in the Winter Olympics? (Ecuador has no participants so there is not much coverage here). Did we get any snow days out of all the snow I keep hearing about?
So where does the sleepless part come in?? Friday night the fancy hotel across the street from us had a party with live music. They (like most residents of densely populated cities) make full use of their roof space and have a beautiful garden/terrace area; perfect for parties. Our buildings are 30 yards apart door to door so when we went to bed with our French door/windows facing the party, we felt like we were there with the band kicking off our Carnival holiday except we were in our pajamas. There is also a sad dog that lives next to the party hotel and barks continuously. The poor animal has about a 4x4 area to live in and I have never seen it walked so of course it barks all night. There is also the continuous traffic down our little street. I cannot figure out where all the cars without mufflers, diesel fueled buses with air brakes, motorcycles, and other motorized vehicles are going in the wee hours. Mostly around our apartment in the historic district there are churches everywhere and small restaurants and shops along the cobble stone streets. Sooo I guess everyone is going to church? Because our beautiful French doors of our bedroom face the street we also have the privilege of feeling like there are cars next to our heads. The last cause on occasional sleeplessness is the kids are now sharing a bedroom which they have never done. Needless to say they sometimes have trouble settling down and going to sleep. They think it is like a slumber party; I have dubbed it the lunatic asylum (no offense to anyone connected to mental health issues). Every other night we have an hour long process of threats, consequences blah, blah, blah during the lunatic asylum until either the kids or the parents succumb to exhaustion. On Friday all four of these factors kicked in: party and barking dog across the street, lunatic asylum and loud motorized vehicles which led to a maniacally good laugh.
Wonderings: Was my brother able to purchase a snow shovel in snow-socked D.C., or is he still shoveling his walk with a hockey stick? Has the Birkebeiner happened and how did people do? What did people do over President’s Day weekend? Book Across the Bay? How are we doing in the Winter Olympics? (Ecuador has no participants so there is not much coverage here). Did we get any snow days out of all the snow I keep hearing about?
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Wednesday, Feb. 10
gotta make this short. bruce is having a math lesson at the apt. with the kids while i snuck away for some internet cafe time. still can´t figure out how to post pics, but have the camera on my possession at least. we took a cable car called the Teleferico up the side of a hill at the base of Pinchincha a volcano that borders Quito. Once up the hill there are a series of other hills to climb all the way to something called Rocu Pinchincha which is either the volcano itself or close to it. Needless to say we did not get all the way up, but did some very cool climbing in clouds and light rain to about halfway there. The altitude is still a factor and going walking uphill at all feels like someone is sqeezing your lungs. Bruce was very proud of his lung capacity and says it is the result of careful training by smoking just the right amount of cigarettes.
good things: I can understand Bruce speak Spanish, the family is together almost 24 hours a day, our gringo skin is acclimating to the sun by being a bright shade of red, i went running by myself by doing laps around a park this morning; it was very liberating
bad things¨: the family is together almost 24 hours a day, Bruce still hasn´t written a blog entry you just keep having to hear my voice, i can´t understand anyone but Bruce when they speak to me, very few people understand my franglish(spanish, french and english combination). i could barely run for 30 minutes before my lungs burst into flame.
gotta make this short. bruce is having a math lesson at the apt. with the kids while i snuck away for some internet cafe time. still can´t figure out how to post pics, but have the camera on my possession at least. we took a cable car called the Teleferico up the side of a hill at the base of Pinchincha a volcano that borders Quito. Once up the hill there are a series of other hills to climb all the way to something called Rocu Pinchincha which is either the volcano itself or close to it. Needless to say we did not get all the way up, but did some very cool climbing in clouds and light rain to about halfway there. The altitude is still a factor and going walking uphill at all feels like someone is sqeezing your lungs. Bruce was very proud of his lung capacity and says it is the result of careful training by smoking just the right amount of cigarettes.
good things: I can understand Bruce speak Spanish, the family is together almost 24 hours a day, our gringo skin is acclimating to the sun by being a bright shade of red, i went running by myself by doing laps around a park this morning; it was very liberating
bad things¨: the family is together almost 24 hours a day, Bruce still hasn´t written a blog entry you just keep having to hear my voice, i can´t understand anyone but Bruce when they speak to me, very few people understand my franglish(spanish, french and english combination). i could barely run for 30 minutes before my lungs burst into flame.
Monday, February 8, 2010
NO Saints went marching in. . . . .
February 8, Monday
new things: watched the Super Bowl on ESPN espagnol with no million dollar ads, no snow just 50-70 degrees every day, Bruce is READING and has almost finished a book he started when we got here!!!! Between Bruce reading and Max being forced to play futbol(soccer) the trip has already been a tremendous success. Putting sunblock on before we go out instead of boots and mittens.
things that are the same: I transformed from the Wicked Witch of the North to a sane human after my run yesterday!!!!!! Excited to start viewing some Winter Olympics, will have to find some gringo bar or something.
new things: watched the Super Bowl on ESPN espagnol with no million dollar ads, no snow just 50-70 degrees every day, Bruce is READING and has almost finished a book he started when we got here!!!! Between Bruce reading and Max being forced to play futbol(soccer) the trip has already been a tremendous success. Putting sunblock on before we go out instead of boots and mittens.
things that are the same: I transformed from the Wicked Witch of the North to a sane human after my run yesterday!!!!!! Excited to start viewing some Winter Olympics, will have to find some gringo bar or something.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Soccer may creep in
rainy Sat. in Quito. there are internet cafes everywhere in the city. This session is costing 40 cents for a half hour. The kids watched a bootleg copy of Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 today we picked up on the street for uno dollar. thank you for messages, it is an instant warm fuzzy to hear your cyber voices. having some issues with the cell phone, but will have actual voice contact soon. also will send some pics when i figure out how to do it at the cafe.
things that are new, max fell asleep last night with a soccer ball in his bed, things that are the same, I am desperate to run but have been forbidden to go solo. . . . . . .
things that are new, max fell asleep last night with a soccer ball in his bed, things that are the same, I am desperate to run but have been forbidden to go solo. . . . . . .
Friday, February 5, 2010
incountry
Hola,
We are in Quito! The trip was super smooth. Veronica, my sister-in-law´s family picked us up at the airport and brought us to their apartment so we could have some transition time. They are so kind!!!! We are now in our apartment and have a phone, but i don´t know the number yet. we are all getting used to the altitude and are tired. Things that are new, noisy city 24 hours. Things that are the same, kids still fighting with each other. adios for now.
beth
We are in Quito! The trip was super smooth. Veronica, my sister-in-law´s family picked us up at the airport and brought us to their apartment so we could have some transition time. They are so kind!!!! We are now in our apartment and have a phone, but i don´t know the number yet. we are all getting used to the altitude and are tired. Things that are new, noisy city 24 hours. Things that are the same, kids still fighting with each other. adios for now.
beth
Sunday, January 31, 2010
final testing
just added a few contacts for nonfacebookers. let me know if you get this. thanks. teeter-tottering between panic and excitement!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
testing
please write something on the blog if you receive an email so I will know if it is actually working. thanks
Monday, January 18, 2010
Guest Entry
Hi, it's Mary. I am actually just writing this blog entry so I can test if it is posting on Facebook properly. Beth, Bruce and the kids will be leaving for Ecuador on February 3, 2010.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
getting ready
the basement is half cleaned in preparation for the decluttering project. Mary L. is helping me set up this blog.
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