In awe of owls

This evening I was enjoying a my routine in the pool when I spotted the largest bat I have ever seen. I was doing the elementary backstroke (one of 5 strokes included in my routine because I don't need to put my face in the water) when this bat with a three foot wingspan tried to dive bomb me. It wasn't until the creature was within a few feet of my face- and nearly pooped on me- that I realized this was no bat, but rather an owl. I raised a commotion and the owl decided not to try and snatch me from the water (though there is part of me that would have liked to see that happen). It flew to a poolside coconut tree and perched there.

We maintained eye contact for an unmeasured time cocking heads and checking one another out. I reluctantly returned to my "workout" but kept an eye on the owl- and good thing 'cause this guy tried to dive bomb me again. He/she repeated this twice more before finally retreating to the trees. I kept my eye on him for the remainder of my swim and tried to get a better look at his features while toweling off. In the evening light it was hard to decipher coloring and specific markings, but I am sure there were no ear tufts and upon using the "New Holland Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia" (which I'm borrowing from a fellow birder at SSIS) I've decided this owl was either a Barn or Grass Owl. Majestic. I was awestruck- and glad not to have actually come in contact with the bird. As I entered the dorm I heard him let out a loud screech.

In other news, Shel Silverstein was a huge hit with the kiddos! I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but they were so giggly that we read for about forty minutes. They specifically enjoyed "The Whatifs" which was a favorite poem of mine as a fifth grader. It's fun to see kids so enthralled with books.

Xin chao from Vietnam

Phu My Hung District: My new home









The view from my room










Vietnamese wraps










Saigon South International School- SSIS










Audrey and me with our new bikes


Xin chao (Hello) friends and family,

Well... my first week of school as a student teacher is coming to an end. I'm working in a third grade classroom at Saigon South International School in a new district of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. There were many complications this week as the building is new, the rooms haven't been furnished with white boards or cupboards, there is no cafeteria, and much of the curriculum is still lost in transit. But you know what? I don't think the kids have caught onto a lot of it. They are too busy being kids. School continues; teaching and learning still occur. To be honest I think a lot of the teachers are spoiled because they are so accustomed to being well supplied. It's a good time to experience the changes of a growing school.

This week I've been leading some class activities and I am always in charge of read-aloud. Today I read Dr. Seuss' "The Butter Battle Book" and tomorrow I'll be reading from Shel Silverstein's "A Light in the Attic." I read-aloud when the kids have returned from lunch and recess. They are incredibly attentive and well mannered, though they can be silly too. This is undoubtedly my favorite part of the day. (And while writing this I am reminded that I should choose a few poems and practice my read-aloud voice).

My biggest challenge has been learning to pronounce the names of my twenty students. With names such as Ying Ying, Ye Jin, Nhu, Nayli, Jung Keun, Moeno, Jeric, Gia Hue, Dinh Anh, and Hang I had my work cut out for me! The kids are really sweet though, and we have an Olympic themed classroom which lends well to the international makeup of the class. The majority of students are Chinese and Korean. A couple students are Malaysian and Vietnamese. There's one Swede and one Japanese student. I think only 3 were born in the US. They are really sweet kids. I am already learning a lot from them!

A big announcement- I just booked my tickets for a trip to Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Audrey (the other student teacher from Luther) didn't apply for a multiple entry visa, and so she and our other close friend Dyana decided to go on their own trip here in Vietnam. So... I'm solo trekking! I'm anxious, but really looking forward to having some time to myself. Should be an exciting journey- and perhaps the trip of a lifetime (Traveling alone is on my list of 100 things to do before I die)!

In other news I have taken up biking and swimming here in the 'burbs of Ho Chi Minh City. Audrey and I purchased our very own Vietnamese bikes to take us to and from school. For $53 you too could own your own one-speed cruiser with front basket and lock. It's been a nice means of getting around town. My room overlooks the dormitory pool and I have taken to swimming most nights. The only problem is that there are 7-10 bats who also enjoy the pool during the evenings. At first I was quite startled to have bats flying within a few feet of my face, but I'm trying to be like Bruce Wayne and face my fears. I've been thinking of Batman's need to face his fears to gain the courage and strength necessary to become who he is destined to be (can you tell I just watched the Batman movies?!). It's not the bats I'm afraid of, but rather coming in contact with one and needing to get rabies shots. Anyhow, I never liked swimming much as a kid but I'm coming to really enjoy the way my body feels in the water. I think the Olympics have also inspired this renewed desire for sport... did you know that every four years (coinciding with the Olympics) enrollment for kids' gymnastics classes nearly double in size?

All for now- I'm planning to enjoy a big bowl of cereal and watch the Olympics (though it's not nearly as fun when the commentary is in Mandarin or Vietnamese).

A Grand Adventure to Machu Picchu!

I am typing this entry from a Loki Backpackers Hostal in Cuzco, Peru. I am nearing the end of our journey to Machu Picchu and have lots to write about...

I am traveling with 3 friends from my program- Clay, Becca, and Tariq. Finals ended on Monday afternoon and by Monday night we were aboard a bus headed south to the Peruvian border. We learned early-on that counterfeited money is very common in Peru, and are finding that people are trying to take advantage of us (presuming we have lots of money) left and right. I wasn't used to this in Quito and am finding it hard to know who to trust.

Over 36 hours of bus travel finally brought us to Lima. I had considered studying abroad there and after a brief visit feel that Quito was a better fit for me. We stayed a great hostal where I enjoyed having 4 pet turtles.

From Lima we took various buses and taxis to Santa Maria, the nearest town to Aguas Calientes. We were all carsick and fearing for our lives when the rides were over and decided it would be better to be broke than broken and booked the Perurail for our return trip. Incredible views as we passed through the Andes yet again.

The journey from Santa Maria to Machu Picchu was adventuresome. Part hitchiking, part walking the train tracks. All in all a great way to stretch our legs and enjoy awesome scenery. We hiked to Aguas Calientes (3 hours) and the next morning to Machu Picchu entrance (1 hour of steep climbing). We arrived before the tour buses (at 5:55am) putting us in good postition to see the ruins before they were clobered with people.

Machu Picchu was beautiful. We had perfect weather which made the day that much more enjoyable (it's now the off season as it's the rainy season). However cliche it sounds it really was a dream come true to visit. I was surprised that there weren´t more tourists visiting- though again it was the rainy season. I especially enjoyed seeing the llamas or alpacas grazing the lands. It was fun to think about what life must have been like there over 500 years ago. There is still a lot of speculation about what Machu Picchu was actually used for- fortress, retreat for nobility, city, etc. I am inspired to do a lot of research to learn more. We also hiked to the Waynapicchu peak and had a great view of our walking path from the previous night as well as a great view of the city.

Despite problems with transportation and counterfeited money the trip was well worth it!

I found myself with a lot of time to reflect on this semester. There are many things I will miss about Ecuador including:

Fruits, fruit salads, fresh juices

Cheap fresh baked bread- easily accessible on every corner

Bus transport at $1 an hour

Patient and slow Spanish speakers

Convenience of using Metro Transit

The sun (in such close proximity)

The Mariscal- day or night

Sunny mornings lounging on the campus lawn at La Catolica

A very affordable lifestyle for a college student´s budget

Having time to read

Views of the Andes from the heart of Quito

I will also miss my family, friends, professors, and directors.

It is hard to believe this semester has come and gone... time flies when you´re having fun! I feel so blessed for this experience and doubly blessed to be so excited to return home to great friends and family in the States.

Hasta luego...

Perhaps the longest entry yet…

The streets of Cuenca

Markets stocked with fresh produce











Cajas National Park











Ingapirca















With friends in Canar


FAMILY

I am continuing to reflect on the visit from my family and I am so grateful that there were able to visit! I’m glad they were able to experience a bit of life in Ecuador I am sure this semester will continue to influence my life in the years to come. It was fun for me to travel to the coast with them and experience new things there while also sharing some of my favorite places in Quito with them.

When the Cross Mark team welcomed visitors in Malawi I was excited for the chance to see the country with fresh eyes. My family brought fresh eyes and perspectives with them to Ecuador.

My dad was surprised that Quito was so cosmopolitan. He also thought it was fairly dirty. Throughout my travels this has been a recurring theme: the sanitation of communities abroad. It’s all relative. Compared to Accra, Ghana, Quito is impeccably clean! Compared to most major U.S. cities... Quito is not so clean.

Mom mentioned how strange it was to assign tour guiding and itinerary planning to me.

I think Christa was surprised at how easily accessible Kinder Eggs (her favorite foreign chocolate with surprise inside) are here!

My family was, and I continue to be, surprised at how economic travel is within the country. Hostals, meals, and transportation are all reasonably priced for most travelers visiting from the U.S. Our dollar goes far here.

Again- a great visit and opportunity to share many aspects of my Ecuadorian life with my family.

CUENCA

This past weekend I traveled to the south-central highlands to visit Cuenca- a quaint colonial city (3^rd largest in Ecuador- and former capital). Cuenca is strikingly different from Quito as there are only a few buildings which stand taller than two stories and is easily manageable by foot. Cobblestone streets and an abundance of churches and parks make Cuenca a charming place to visit!

This was my last trip before traveling to Machu Picchu, Peru next week and was a good weekend to travel one last time in Ecuador with friends, Cammie and Hannah, from my program and FINALLY have a chance to travel with my Luther-friend Malory. Mal’s and my schedule have kept us from traveling on weekends together so we felt the trip was long overdue (last spring we had visions of traveling every weekend together)! It was great to spend time with her outside of Quito and also travel with her friends.

We were able to visit many local markets which boasted fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and even live rabbits and guinea pigs. There were many great opportunities for taking photographs and people watching. Other markets sold piggy banks, other ceramics, wooden kitchen utensils and woven rugs and baskets. It was a beautiful day and way to see the mix of local cultures.

Friday we hiked at Cajas National Park. We had great weather to trek through the thick paramo grasses and arrived at a rock ridge which provided us with a great view of the lakes in the valley below us. A beautiful park!

Malory loves dancing more than she loves life itself so we spent two nights at local bars dancing. We had a great time talking and dancing with the Cuencanos and listening to an incredible live salsa band.

I ate roasted cuy- or guinea pig in Cuenca for the first time. While traveling in Quilotoa I ate some fried cuy. I have to say I prefer it roasted. It really was great meat- and really well seasoned. We made a few friends at the restaurant that told us the crispy ears are the best part… I didn’t like the ears that much.

Sunday Malory and two of her friends and I traveled to Ingapirca- the largest Incan ruins in Ecuador. We enjoyed our adventure getting there as we were sidetracked in Canar by Quichua musicians and a beautiful market. A few local college students approached us and asked if we would like to tour their city with them. We spent a great afternoon chatting with them, visiting their town’s museum and walking through their market. The population of Canar is still 70% indigenous and it was incredible to see how the people are maintaining their culture in the face of globalization.

We arrived at Ingapirca to see the sunset and receive a free guided tour from a local man anxious to share his city with us (at this point it was obvious how proud these people are of where they come from and how generous they were too). The scene was beautiful. A fault of Ingapirca is that it was built in a valley and offered little protection for the Canaris/Incans while under attack, but logistics aside it was a beautiful location!

Yet another great trip! I am still surprised at how diverse this country is!

MUHAMMAD YUNUS

While traveling in Cuenca I was reading “Banker to the Poor,” Muhammad Yunus’ book about the history of the Grameen Bank and his work with micro financing. I was hoping to finish the book by Monday as Malory, some of our friends, and I went to see him speak here in Quito. It was inspiring to hear him recount his story in front of a crowd of thousands- he has a humble spirit about him and speaks with a gentle voice.

I have been involved with getting a group of Luther students to invest in entrepreneurs seeking micro-credit loans and was reenergized by Yunus’ speech and call to eliminate poverty. If you are interested in learning more about Yunus’ work the book is a great start. You can also log onto Kiva.org and learn more about lending to an entrepreneur yourself.

FIESTAS DE QUITO

This week those in Quito have been celebrating its foundation- or conquest and establishment by the Spanish in 1534. The week is celebrated with bullfights, chiva rides, and general partying.

Tuesday I went to the toros- or bullfight with my friend Aaron and his host sisters. I was excited for the experience though I wasn’t prepared. After the first of six bulls was killed I had tears welled up in my eyes and found myself questioning why I was there. I have a few friends who were conscientious objectors- stating the fights were too brutal to support with their time or money. After the first fight the bullfighter I came to see entered the ring- Sebastian Castella from France (most of the bullfighters are flown in from Spain). Castella is extremely attractive and made the fight seem like a dance. It seemed to me to be more respectful than the other fight. I also learned that all of the meat from the bulls is donated to those in need after the fights. That also made the fights easier to… stomach.

Yesterday I attended a soccer game between Liga and Nacional- two of the 6 teams in Quito. I went with my host family- my host sisters cheer for Liga, and Lorenita, Chama (the dog) and I cheer for Nacional (actually it is hotly debated where Chama’s allegiance actually lies). I opted to wear my Nacional jersey- even though we were playing at Liga’s field and Liga is ranked 1 and we are ranked 5. I am not exaggerating when I say that of the 10,000+ people at the game I saw only 6 other people wearing Nacional clothing. I was lucky not to be harassed. The game ended 2-0 Liga which meant that they are this year’s champion.

The tradition is for the team and their thousands of fans to travel to the University (where the team was founded) to bathe in the fountain to celebrate the championship. My family and I made our way there, though I was under strict instructions to wear a jacket over my Nacional jersey. This did not stop fans from pouring beer and wine over my head though… so in the end we all left wet- Liga and Nacional fans alike.

It has been a fun week and great way to end my time in Quito and Ecuador at large. However, I think I have a case of food poisoning and my body is telling me to slow down. It is obvious that my time here is almost up, and I will be sad to leave.

More photos

Family meets Family!

Stopping for lunch with my host mom and family

At the equator line

Host family and family united

Life's a beach in Puerto Lopez

Thanksgiving dinner and much to be thankful for!

Last week I was able to host Mom, Dad, and Christa as they visited Ecuador (and me) for Thanksgiving Break. It was so great to catch up with them- learning what everyone has been up to the last 3 months, and also being able to share a little bit of my Ecuadorian life with them.

My family arrived late last Saturday night. Sunday found us up early and traveling with my host mom to Otavalo, to visit the market. It was so fun to be there with my family and Lorenita as Lorenita was a great barterer and made the whole experience more fun. The whole day was quite an event- traveling to one of the marked equator lines, eating Biscochos in Cayambe and visiting Cuicocha- or Lake of the Gods. All in all is was a fun day for all of us to see new things.

Monday we ventured to the center of the world- Mitad del Mundo and we also visited the "unofficial" correct equator line and museum. We enjoyed seeing baby guinea pigs, a large boa, and shrunken heads here after seeing many displays of why this equator line was the "real deal". Christa spent the rest of the day in classes with me as Mom and Dad decided to trek the city, and specifically Old Town together. My family and my host mom and sisters shared a great meal together. It was weird for me to hear my host family speaking English for the first time.

Tuesday we departed early for Puerto Lopez where we set up camp in a beautiful Hostal dedicated to whale preservation. The gardens here were immaculate and the food was great. We spent most of Tuesday enjoying the beach-front hammock cabanas.

Wednesday we ventured to Isla de la Plata- or Silver Island. It was incredible to see Blue Footed Boobies and Frigate Birds. Each were nesting- providing us with opportunities to see birds nesting on eggs and hatchlings. Bird heaven again!

Thursday we spent a lot of time walking the town and beach (as we did everyday). We flew back to Quito to spend Thanksgiving dinner watching the sunset over Quito, eating too much food, and reflecting on our many reasons to be thankful.

Friday morning we visited the Botanical Garden and Parque de Carolina before doing some shopping and touring of the city. Christa and I hit the town Friday night before returning to my apartment to pack luggage.

All in all a great visit... check out photos here

Hiking to Ecuador's blue lagoon, eating guinea pig, and crashing weddings

This weekend I traveled to Quilotoa, a beautiful town perched atop a mountain that erupted in the late 1700s and has since been filled with water. The town is home to few- perhaps 150 people- with the central attraction being the lagoon filled crater. The members of my culture class and I were warmly welcomed- though that was the only warm thing about our stay. At 4,000 meters above sea level I was glad that I packed my long underwear, gloves, and winter hat. Our hostal was heated by a wood burning stove which kept us warm for most of the evening (until I woke up too late my shift of stoking the fire in the middle of the night).

Saturday was spent taking in the landscape, visiting a local market (if you want to purchase a cow head I know where to go...), enjoying a long walk with my friend Cammie, listening to community members speak of their efforts in developing tourism to the area, visiting with local artisans, staying warm near the fire, and dancing to the sounds of local musicians. We had a poor view of the lagoon as we arrived after the clouds had. A very peaceful setting for conversation and enjoying the setting.

Sunday we awoke in a chilly cabin to find that the sun was shining and we had a great view of the lagoon! Clad in long underwear, hat, and gloves I began my descent with friends to the center of the crater. I soon found that the long underwear, hat, and gloves weren't necessary and my friends and I ended up stripping along the way. This is a crazy aspect of weather in the sierras- you can often experience 3 "seasons" of weather everyday. So at 9 am I found I was getting sunburned and overheated when hours before I was shivering beneath my covers. The view on the hike was incredible- and though photos don't do it justice I will direct you there to get a better idea of the setting.

After a long, and slow ascent we left the crater, and then Quilotoa and began to make our way back to Quito. The voyage was long, with a stop in a very small town called Casa Quemada- or Burnt House. It was here that we met the family of our professor's godchild. We were welcomed to their home, and into their kitchen where the wife was preparing fried cuy- or guinea pig. I was surprised to see the kitchen filled with 25 or so live cuys onlooking the cooking of their relative. Guinea pig is a common food in the sierras, and I've been meaning to try it. The meat was good, though it was hard to hold onto the paw and eat it knowing so many friends keep them as pets.

There was also a wedding in Casa Quemada. In towns such as this it is common to invite the entire town to the wedding. We arrived just in time for the dance to the music of the local brass band. The bride was 16 years old and the groom 19- standard for Ecuadorian standards. In fact my professor told me that I 23 years of age I'd be considered a spinster! It was fun to observe the wedding festivities before returning to Quito.

Now the countdown begins to my family's visit this coming week (4 days!)... I'm looking forward to hosting their visit and sharing with them this country I have come to love!

The Amazon Amazes...

Halloween with Malory and Diana

Reuniting with Kelsey from Wapo!

Deep roots in the Amazon!

Conga Ants... watch out!

Toucan Sam at a riverside pool

Last week was full of reunions. Steve Parsons, a fellow member of Wooddale Lutheran Church, is in the area and stopped here in Quito before continuing onto the Galapagos. It was fun to share a meal of Indian food with him in the Mariscal and hear of his recent volunteering and work in Costa Rica as well as his last few months of South American travels. I spent a lot of time with Luther friend Malory out and about the town, and also had another chance to meet with friend and former Wapo co-worker Kelsey. It's a small world after all, and Ecuador seems to be the place to be.

For Halloween I met Paul and Malory and went out dancing. We had a great time and I was again reminded of how small the world can be as I saw a friend that Brooks and I made while canyoning in Banos and also two guys I had met last weekend in Mindo. I was dressed as Jefferson Perez, 3 time World champion race walker from Ecuador. Mal, who was dressed at Mexican TV sensation Chilindrina, and I carved a "pumpkin" that was really an unidentifiable green vegetable before going out for the night.

This weekend I went to the Amazon. I stayed at Tiputini Research Station- where my freshman roommate Jenna stayed for part of J-term last year. I was in birdwatching heaven here. We traveled in small groups through the forest and saw many birds, animals, and insects. Unfortunately at two points on one of our hikes I had two Conga Ants crawling on my back. These are very dangerous ants, about 1.5 inches long. Receiving a bite from one of these ants will send you to the hospital (which is over 6 hours of traveling via boats and bus away from the station)! I was freaking out once I became aware that the ants were by my neck- think screaming and wild thrashing in the middle of the rainforest. This was all involuntary- my guide told me I made the ants very mad, but I don't know how else I could have handled the situation. In the end- no bite, so I'm thankful. I sought my revenge later my eating a tongue of lemon ants.

I did incur many mosquito bites though (even using Ultrathon repellent that serves me so well in the Boundary Waters). I forgot until I watched an insect presentation the last night that these mosquitoes can transmit bot fly eggs into your skin which emerge 5 or so days later as large larva. If you don't easily get the creepy-crawlies I suggest watching the following video. If you do get the creepy-crawlies and perhaps irrational fear of getting bot flies while reading this in the Midwest you can thank me and Andrew Varney.

Our guide was so informed- he has lived and worked at the station for 13 years. He had an incredible eye for spotting wildlife and was able to explain how many plants have been used in medicinal remedies.

All in all this was in incredible trip! Again- bird watching heaven for me- especially watching Macaws from an observation tower. I saw a gaggle of 9 or so pairs of Scarlet Macaws flying together (they are incredibly faithful partners), also Blue- Green Macaws. In all I saw over 35 different bird varieties. Clay, Tariq, Becca and I shared our deck with a large tarantula (which thankfully never entered our cabin)! I observed Saki, Howler, Squirrel, Woolly, and Pgymy Marmoset monkeys. We also swam down the Tiputini River, amongst caymanes (small aligators), piranhas, anaconda snakes, and crabs. Luckily we only saw caymanes while we were in the boat... and the crab swimming beside us left us alone.

This is such a crazy life, and again I am grateful for these crazy opportunities!

New Photos!