Thursday, June 5, 2008

world travels.

alright alright, i've been home for over a week now, and have been dreading writing a blog about Ecuador (because i know it'll take longer than most) but my mom has been harassing me about it since i got home.... so mom, here it goes.

May 19th 2008
day one- the flights werent as bad as i thought they were going to be, my daddy took good care of my and got me first class tickets. makes traveling easy. my first flight was to Atlanta, it was a three hour flight, they fed me breakfast (with real silverware, and in glass dishes. classy) and i got to watch Across the Universe. my layover in atlanta was just long enough to walk from one gate to the next, and hit up the restrooms. that airport is big, and i got lost. ended up walking all the way out of the terminals, and having to re-check through security. (this is why i should never travel alone) luckily, timing still worked out just great, i was just a little stressed. the flight from Atlanta to Quito was a five and a half hour flight, still first class. i was sitting next to a bigger Ecuadorian man, who never stopped pounding glasses of wine, stinking up our shared area. he was happily watching The Bucket List, everytime he laughed he would look at me, or nudge me ("did you see that!!" is what i would imagine him saying) but... i wasnt even watching the movie. made the flight seem way longer. not to mention by this time i could have been jumping up and down i was so excited to land, see alyssa, start the adventure. i landed around 8:45 Quito time (7:45 Utah time) customs was fast, baggage claim was fast. walked around the corner, LYSSSSSS!!

when we got to the house, i met some girls, got a quick tour, called home to tell my mom i was safe, and got settled.

day two- lys had a morning shift, so we got up early, around six (i think...) and headed to the orphanage. the kids were all awake, all standing in their cribs waiting for their baths. these kids were some of the cutest i've ever seen, all dark hair, all big dark eyes, most of them smiling. i was more than impressed at this point by alyssa, she stripped kids, and bathed them like a pro. poop or no poop, she didnt care (however, i was gagging in the background) once all the kids were cleaned and redressed they were put into a separate room to play, and watch movies. thats when the fun started for me, one by one lys would take the kids down the hallway, where i was waiting- scissors in hand. three and a half hours later.... twenty four hair cuts down. my back is still killing me.
our shift was over at noon. we got back to the house, and ate a delicious home made meal (the cooks name is betty, she knows what shes doing) and layed down for a nap (next shift was at two thirty) lys ended up feeling really sick, with a really horrible headache, so we missed out on the second shift, and got some more rest. that night most of the girls from the house went to a really fancy italian place for dinner (it was one of the girls birthday) the food was delicious, and i payed $5 dollars for the huge portion they served me. cant beat that. i also had my first ecuadorian coke at dinner..... wow. wow. wow. coke is so good down there, its not fair.

day three- we had another morning shift, but this time it was with the special ed boys, there were four of them, plus six girls from the house. it was field trip day. we took them swimming, the pool was freezing, but it was a blast. i've never wanted to understand or speak spanish more.
we had the afternoon off, so we took a field trip of our own, lys and hiedi took me to the Basilica Cathedral it was the most beautiful thing, like a castle in a disney movie. we payed a dollar, and took the stairs to the top, and when the stairs stopped, we took the little latters, until we couldnt go any higher. we were really high.... scary high. (i'll post pictures later, i keep forgetting to bring my camera cords down) after we got back to solid ground, they took me to "oldtown" to shop for a bit. more than anything, i appreciate being able to see how the culture works, its so crazy people live the way they do. makes me appriciate home, more than ever. we had to be out of oldtown by five (its the dangerous part of town, and even more dangerous after five)
that night the house had their banquet (every five weeks, a group of girls leave, and a new group comes) this was the banquet for lys' group. the dinner was wonderful, lys and lindsay sang a beautiful song, and lys did an awesome slideshow.
later that night, we had a night shift. we got to the orphange around ten thirty, at night shift your taking care of the babies. we stayed up really late, and after i fell asleep lys and lindsay took turns every hour. feeding babies, burping babies, changing babies. we were back home at seven.

day four- we didnt have shift again til noon so we ate breakfast, and got ready. second shift was at casa's with lys three kids. esteban, daisy, and pablo. three of the cutest kids there. (casa's are with the older kids, and this was lys' last day with them. harder than the kids, because they actually understand goodbye's) i was impressed with how lys handled it, i'd have been a wreck, but she carried herself well. knowing the next group of girls are going to love and care for them as much as she did, i'm sure makes it easier.
right after casa's was back to the younger kids at the orphanage, we fed them lunch, and played with them til the next group of girls came to take shift over. i was so glad i wasnt emotionally attatched to these kids.... every single one of the girls broke down. one of the most touching things i have ever seen. i had been there only two three days and didnt want to leave... lys was there three months, i cant even imagine.
we were home by six thirty, and by eight Lys, Lindsay, Liza and I were all eating dinner at Red Hot Chile Pepper. the best mexican food on the planet. weekends start on thursdays down there, and i'd never seen a town so alive, or streets so crowded with people.

day five- up early to leave for the amazon!!!! we took a twenty minute bus ride to the airport, a half hour plane ride to another part of ecuador, another bus ride to the dock, and a two and a half hour boat ride to our lodge. the Yachana lodge, by far the most amazing, most beautiful place in the world, right in the Amazon jungle, on the napo river. we got settled in our rooms and were off for our first hike. it was muddy, and wet. but still wonderful. it wasnt a long hike either, just gave us a taste for what else was coming. the lodge fed us all homemade all homegrown, three course meals for breakfast lunch and dinner. i'd never eaten so much or so healthy in my entire life. the humidity of the jungle is crazy, take a clean shirt off of a hanger, and its wet before you put it on your body.

day six- headed to the market, not a market for tourists a market for locals. familys selling their goods, axes, fruit, veggies, batteries, flash lights, anything necessary, hardly anything for pleasure. except of course i found myself a coke.
we stayed for an hour or so, walking around the market and the village near by. (once again, pictures needed.)
we went straight from the market to a hike, on our way to see the high school the lodge has built for the local kids. we saw monkeys on our way... little cute monkeys! this was the hottest day there, 90 degrees plus humidity. i felt like i was melting.
after the hike, and after lunch. Lys, Lindsay, Cady and I decided to play in the river, and swim a bit. on such a hot day, the water felt amazing, not too hot not too cold. perfect.
we took a boat ride a few miles up stream to see an older couple pan for gold (which you've heard about, but would never fully understand until you see it.) such hard work, such a long process, all for an extra $20 a month.
after that everyone just jumped in the river, with lifejackets of course, and floated with the current back to the lodge. this was by far the most amazing part of our entire adventure, the sun was shining it was so hot, the water was perfect, we were in the jungle, the amazon, in the napo river, and a black rain cloud crept to the center of the river, and started raining on us. rainbows, sun, rain, jungle. the perfect day.
we got back to the lodge just in time to shower and change before basket weaving and dinner, after dinner our guide took us on a night hike. (i dont think you even understand how big bugs in the jungle are... most of which ONLY come out at night) it was terrifying, and awesome.

day seven- big hike day.... we got up at six, and were on our way by seven. the hike was a six hour long walk, through the ups and downs of the primary jungle. chances are the sun was shining, and it was hot, but with the jungle so thick , no sun hit the ground around us, and all the trees and leaves held the cool moisture in. the elevation really started getting to me on the hike, and by the time we were finished i felt like i was going to throw up. i held it together for awhile.
once the death hike was finished we were able to shower and put some clean wet clothes on, and went to a cooking class. where most of us ate weevil larva. (you'll freak when you see THOSE pictures)
after that, my stomache freaked and i was in bed the rest of the day. the group went to go visit the medicine man of the village, and learned to throw a spear and shoot a blow gun. i missed out.

day eight- up early again, to head back to quito. two hour boat ride to the dock, twenty minute bus ride to the airport, two hour wait for our plane, half hour plane ride, twenty minute bus ride, Home. we were back by noon, so we got cleaned up, and had a shopping day. we ate lunch at McDonalds (way better there than here) and i payed $3.50 for my grande big mac meal. (k-k-killin it.) and went to the shops. i bought all my goodies, it was a good day.
that night was so crazy trying to pack up, and get everything ready to leave, stress levels were flyin. but we did manage to go out for one last dinner at crepes&waffles. attempts to get to bed early failed miserably. we maybe got settled at two. up and out by four....

day nine- Lys and i were able to sit next to each other on the flight from Quito to Houston. made it that much better. we tried to sleep. but lys was so excited to be home, she was bouncin off the walls. once in houston, (also a huge airport) i managed to get lost again. i was on the flight to salt lake by myself, with only a hour and a half layover (lys' ended up being like eight hours) so i was rushin like crazy. i made it just in time. the flight seems forever long, and finally i was home.

i had the time of my life alyssa, and i'm so glad we got to share such an amazing experience. i'm so proud of all the work you were doing, such a selfless way to live. your a wonderful example. i love you. lets never stop the adventures.