One thing that I love about being in Quito is waking up every morning to the mountains and nearly perfect weather. But of course, there’s the occasional shortness of breath when doing simple things such as climbing stairs or walking up a hill that can be frustrating at times. Thank you, high altitude. Some of the guys have hiked the Pichincha Mountain and told us how exhausting it was. I haven’t had the chance to do this yet, but I’m actually really looking forward to the view of the city that one gets to see once at the top.

When we arrived in Quito it was very late — almost 12 midnight on May 28th. I was warmly welcomed by my host mom in the airport and the first thing that took my attention was how closely she spoke to me when conversing and kissed me on the cheek as soon as I told her, “Soy tu hijo.”(I’m your son). This is something that is perfectly acceptable in their culture but on the other hand it’s not every day in the US that you meet someone for the first time and get a strong hug and a kiss. Intimacy is taken to an entirely different level … at least based on my experience.

Moreover, my first weekend in Ecuador was spent traveling to a city named Otavalo which offers a large variety of touristic activities which I had the pleasure of experiencing. Ironically, according to people of Ecuador, Otavalo is supposed to be the where the true indigenous people and customs of Ecuador are but I could hardly notice the difference. Otavalo was modernized in many ways.

SPANISH, SPANISH, SPANISH. I knew that we would speak Spanish throughout the trip, but hearing it during lectures, on the bus, at home, in restaurants, everywhere, for hours on end definitely tests how much of the language I know. So far, my confidence in speaking has increased tremendously, which I am extremely proud of.

Our module, of course, this year is the Afro Ecuadorian culture, and I’ve learned a lot about the history, traditions, and music of Afro Ecuadorians. The dance moves were pretty challenging! With these steps, I’ll have something to impress people with whenever I return to the United States. Now that our time studying in the University is coming to a close, we will be spending the remainder of our immersion trip traveling along the coast of Ecuador. I’m expecting to learn a great deal of information along the way. I’ll be sure to keep you guys updated about my experiences in Ecuador!

Patrick Stroud ’14

Patrick Stroud ’14 – After an hour-and-a-half van ride dotted with road construction, bizcocho stops, a radio selection consisting of hair metal and the theme from Charlie´s Angels, and beautiful vistas of the Andes, we arrives on the outskirts of Otavalo.

Our small band detoured from the city´s main attraction, its outdoor market, by visiting La Cascada de Peguche, a protected forest complete with its own waterfall, and a volcanic crater-turned-lake known as Laguna Luicocha.  Amid the beautiful scenery, boat tours, lunch, and gringos paying money to take pictures with Andean children and their livestock, we ended up with quite a collection of experiences before even arriving at the main course.

Otavalo´s market is massive, spanning multiple blocks and streets complete with smoke-filled, noisy, cramped aisles of andinos and mestizos selling shirts, hats, rugs, leather goods, figurines, incense holders, instruments, and many other wares.  Like most cultures that aren´t used to big-box capitalism, haggling is accepted and encouraged in this environment, with particularly shrewd buyers often halving the original price of a given product.  As the afternoon came to a close, my bargaining ways won me a patterned backpack, a cloth bracelet, a knitted wool hat, and a pair of striped linen pants—all for around $17.  My hobby as an actor contributed to my ability to make deals, and I became the honorary haggler for the more timid members of our posse.

As the sun reared up once more towards its burial ground, and as we slowly nodded off to the van´s radio playing more 80s hits on the ride back to Quito, we shared a general sentiment of a Saturday well spent and spent well.  Sheer profit margins guarantee Otavalo´s continued existence barring some tectonic disaster. In the end, we know that stands, food carts, buyers, sellers, and tourists will continue wandering within view of the broken-hearted volcano for years to come.

Corbin Richards, Herrera, and Adam Barnes at breakfast

I’ve known my host family for only a few days but the comfort level was the same with them as with any one of my actual relatives. The driver respects the mountain, driving cautiously around its never ending spine of a road. A wrong move could turn the picturesque mystical mountain range into a hungry green monster, swallowing our car into the deep valley below. There is a period of silence as we drive down the winding road – it would be wrong to speak in the presence of the aggressively towering geographical formations filled with the diverse plants that cover its face.

We reach our destination: a zipline stretching from one side of a massive crevice to the other with a raging river below. Attached to this zipline is a metal basket which people use to witness the vertical polarity of peaks and valleys. I get in and fly across one thousand feet of air, getting an eagle’s view of the unsettled Andean mountain range to the west and the patient Amazon to my east. Seconds (days) pass by and I reach the other side of the canyon. I then take the basket back for a second look at the face of the Andean range, get in the car, and get lost in the misty mountainside.

Austin Broadwater, Larry Savoy and Bradley Wise.

Other than the language, the cultures and customs in Quito are, of course, so much different than in the US.  Of particular interest to me has been the food.  Nearly every meal has been delicious and almost all has come from completely natural ingredients.  I’ve developed many new tastes ranging from a specialty called guatita which has the main ingredient of cow stomach to many different kinds of soup during dinner.  They also tend to use rice in every meal along with natural fruit juices as the main beverage of choice.

Lastly, the awesome views of the landscape of the area never seem to get old.  Coming from a small town in Indiana, seeing something other than wide-ranging fields of corn is a great sight to see.  Getting to view the mountains every day along with the layout of the city of which the houses extend for miles and miles is breathtaking.  I am even lucky enough to have this great view from my bedroom window.

As my trip continues, I look forward to encountering many different ways of life and visiting more amazing places..  Adios for now.

Today, a group of Afroecuadorean teenagers and adults performed several types of song and dance right before my eyes.  They had guitars, drums, maracas, a marimba, and other types of shaking instrument; the music and sounds created were genuine and not enhanced by fancy studio computers or other technology.  It was pure, it was mythology, and it was uncensored.  The soul rhythm of these people came to life in the form of their song and dance.  It was unlike anything I had ever seen before.  The men pounded at the drums as an upbeat tempo came forth to stir the movements of the women.  They wore elaborately decorated dresses and hats which reminded them of more traditional and ancient times in their culture.  The colors of their instruments and clothing represented the bright, sunny, wonderful days the people spent living along the beautiful coast of Ecuador.

Then came the kicker to the whole situation, they asked us to stand and dance along with them.  I was shocked.  I mean, I know how to square dance, do the limbo, two-step, and a little of the Soulja boy, but I quickly assumed these dances would not help me here.  My mind and pride told me no, but my body told me yes.  I just could not hold it in.  The beat and rhythm of the music had me moving the best I could with the proper steps right along with the dancers.  I admit, it was hard and I was terrible, but it was a blast.  This was the cultural immersion I had been looking for.  Something so different from my times on the farm and around the corn fields of Brownsburg, and this truly did it.  It was tremendous experience to lose myself in the song and dance and forget about every care in the world.  I just wanted to dance!  It was refreshing and invigorating at the same time.  It could not have been better.

Although every morning I am reminded by the sounds of dogs, cars, sirens, and people that I am “not in Kansas anymore” this has been a great thing for me personally.  This trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity given to me by Wabash College and I am truly grateful for it.  I cannot wait for what the rest of the trip holds.

Besides the picturesque views and feeling of accomplishment, I learned something much more influential in my life … to pursue my ambitions at any cost.

Richard, 31, is an avid snowboarder and adventure enthusiast.  At the beginning of this year he quit his computer marketing job in London and bought a World-flight pass and has been traveling ever since.  His past and future destinations include Rio de Janeiro, the furthest point south in Argentina, coffee farms in Columbia, Panama beaches, Sydney, New Zealand, and Bangkok among others.  He travels from hostel to hostel, conquering summits, enjoying rainforests, swimming in pristine lakes, and meeting people from all over the world. Unlike many people in this world Richard is chasing his dreams, despite only learning Spanish upon his arrival to South America.

Thus, I suppose from my first week in Ecuador I have realized that settling is for quitters and those who are not confident in themselves.  Settling should not be an excuse for when the time isn’t right, to avoid change, or most importantly because you are scared.  From Richard, I understand that pursuing what makes you happy even at the expense of disappointing those around you or demolishing what you previously thought was set in stone is an admirable journey through life.

He helped me find my way and told me how to get to school on a daily basis. Furthermore, that night he was suppose to meet me at 5:00pm. Unfortunately, my class was let out 45 minutes late and I had a questionable idea of how to get home and how to travel in a city that was completely foreign to me. I started down a long street where there were maybe 4 people and no cars. After 15 minutes I felt that someone was following me. I told myself to stay calm and be ready for the worst. I moved to the opposite side of the street and the individual behind me did the same. Then, I began to speed up and he did the same. Finally, I turned the corner and began another fast walk when I looked back and the hooded figure was reaching for my shoulder. I through my fists up ready to knock this Ecuadorian man to the ground and realized that it was only my host dad playing a prank on me. I was extremely embarassed when I found out it was him. I am so glad that I did not punch him because it would have most likely ended my trip and time at Wabash College.

That night at dinner, he told the family what had happened and we all shared a laugh. Although, I still look over my shoulder and stay extremely suspicious every day here in Quito, Ecuador. Pushing on!

So far I have spent a whole week in Quito, and I am not going to lie, this city is buzzing with life. Coming from a small quiet town in Georgia, this was definitely a big jump from my norm. But I like it. The buses are crowded, and the laws of traffic are insignificant here. One time I was getting off the bus as it stopped. I had one foot out, and it seriously booked it about 20 mph before I could get off completely. I narrowly avoided hitting the concrete!

It has been quite a ride to say the least (pun intended haha). We have visited many museums in Quito and sites including El Panecillo and La Mitad Del Mundo (the center of the world – smack dab on the Equator). We have also talked to many teachers and natives about culture of Ecuador, including a native Quichua from a famous area north of Quito called Otavalo. Otavalo is one of the biggest markets in South America. Tomorrow, I will be travelling there with Patrick, Larry and Dr. Hardy. It´s going to be awesome!

Suffice it to say that right now, Ecuador has been quite a challenge in terms of learning Spanish, but it has been awesome learning about how the country works. Ecuador is only one of two official plurinational states in the world (Bolivia is the second one), so I can´t wait to explore more of the cultures!

The group stopped for a photo before the final hike to the summit.

Media Services Specialist Adam Bowen is along on the trip this week and video taped the group’s ascent up the mountain. Check out his video and Anton Crepinsek’s description of the climb.

Then, all seven of us 20-something guys (and Dr. Hardy as well) slid down a slide to Quito. We were purified, and then took a series of tunnels (McDonald’s play place type haha) and slides to reach the houses of Quito.
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After our journey as water from el  volcán Cotopaxi to las casa de Quito, we went through several rooms where we learned about the properties of water. This is where my most memorable part of the day happened. Our guide started talking about the surface tension property of water. He asked who could explain it. Jimmy and I are the only two chemistry majors on the trip, and somehow everyone seemed to look at me, and they told me to explain it. It truly was humbling as I struggled to find the Spanish vocabulary to explain it. This one event reminded me how much work I still have as I seek to master the Spanish language.
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The rest of the tour was really fun. I don’t want to speak for everyone, but i think we all enjoyed our time at the museum for as grown-up as we think we are! We made and touched clouds; we stood in the middle of a hurricane; and we used giant paint brushes to paint designs on a wall! All in all, nos divertimos mucho (we had so much fun) at Yaku museo del agua!