Crazy Times in GUAYAQUIL

I warned you in advance to look out for this blog, because I was hoping Guayaquil would be a fun adventure…and was I right! Going from the highlands to the humid, boisterous, and downright fun coast was amazing. On Friday, Cinthya and I played hooky from work and caught the 8am flight for Guayaquil. It was a bit delayed, but we still got there by late morning and one of our friend Jackie’s friends, Jorge, picked us up and we headed straight to the beach. We didn’t really plan for that, so we the night before we made a cheesecake (shout out to Adam for the great recipe!) to bring to Jackie’s family for letting us stay with them. Well instead we drove the hour to Playas, the closest beach, and we had delicious shrimp for lunch and then between the 3 of us downed the cheesecake! Or at least almost all of it, we had about a quarter left over and so I thought it might be a good idea to just give it to one of the many beggars that kept coming up to us, but Jorge wanted to keep it. I said it would melt and all, but he insisted we didn’t give it away and instead that we would eat it after the beach. We spent the next 4 hours hanging out, playing cards, and taking a nap on the beach…and it was perfect for me as the sun wasn’t out so we didn’t get sunburned. I was the only gringa at this beach (or at least within sight) so a tv anchor came up to talk to us and tape us. I refused to be interviewed, so Cinthya did the talking and then just zoomed in on me afterwards to encourage tourisms! Oh Ecuador, how I will miss being so special. Around 5pm we decided to head back to the city, but before doing so we bought some water at the store and finished our semi-melted cheesecake J Jorge was in heaven! Friday night we went to Jackie’s house, the friend we met in Cuenca, and spent some time at her aunt’s house and then had some delicious beef (made on a grill with a hairdryer!) and rice at her cousin’s little restaurant. Then we went out to Las Peñas, which are these steps that are lined with bars and restaurants. It was so cool and beautiful. I was absolutely exhausted though, so we walked around for a while and then went dancing for about an hour before calling it a day around 12:30am.

Saturday was spent with Jackie’s family and preparing for her nine year old cousin’s birthday party. We got up and made patacones, AMAZING ‘fried’ plantains! Besides batidos (fresh fruit smoothies), patacones are the best thing about the coast! Then we walked to the supermarket and on the way stopped by the guys’ house of who went with Ja

ckie to Cuenca. One of the guys, Paul, ended up coming with us to the store, but we separated as we shopped. Then he came back to find us and gave me flowers! Oh wow, I was so shocked that I think I had a pretty bad reaction, but the girls at least thought I was pretty funny. These Ecua boys aren’t afraid to take risks. Thank goodness we didn’t meet up with him anymore during the weekend. Well after the store, we went home and cooked in the deadly hot little kitchen all afternoon for the party - little appetizers. Then we went to the party for a while and came ho

me to change to go out for the night. We went to a place called “La Terraza,” the terrace where there were bands playing live music, like oldies (but in Spanish, so I didn’t know them). It reminded in a lot of ways of the terrace at the Union in Madison…oh I miss it! I am sure it is gorgeous and so fun now at this time of year! We stayed out until 3:30am and again I was exhausted, which definitely helped in sleeping the 3 of us girls in a double bed in a room without windows and just one fan trying to create some airflow!

Sunday was Game Day! The main purpose of the trip was to go to the ‘dangerous,’ high energy and emotional Liga (Quito) versus Barcelona (Guayaquil) game. We went around noon to the stadium to see if we could get tickets from scalpers. We saw some guys a little ways away, so we asked our taxi driver to stop to talk to them. There were actually two guys so that helped us in bartering them down. We got the tickets to this huge game for only one dollar more than ticket price – thanks to Jackie! $11 for the game…what a steal. We were planning on spending about $20 or so to go. It was so easy that we just stuck with the same taxi driver, that Jackie even made friends with and was changing his radio! He took us to the mall, the pride and joy of Guayaquil, where we got ice cream sundaes and walked around for a bit. Then we went home and took a nap and waited for Jorge to come over to go to the stadium. He finally game around 4pm and we went about 1.5 hours early to the stadium, which was already pretty packed by the time we got there. Jackie really wanted to sit so we kept walking to look for space and we ended in the Liga fans area. Jackie and Jorge couldn’t believe they were actually going to sit with Liga fans, but we did. Now let me explain, people are pretty brutal when it comes to these soccer games and they will even fight, so to sit in the little area designated for Liga fans definitely put us even more at risk, but it was so worth it! There was so much energy from all the people who came, even without any goals; the game ended in a 0-0 tie. The only part that was really dangerous was during half time and after the game, Barcelona fans threw plastic bottles down into the Liga area. We had some guys help protect us though! Cinthya did get hit in the shoulder though and Jorge got a bit wet on his legs, but nothing big. Then we had to wait about an hour after the game was over to leave the stadium, so that people would disperse outside the stadium and not cause riots. Thank God we were safe and it was just a really fun event. Also funny thing was just outside the stadium is not a very good area so it is not safe to walk too far, but also there were no taxis. We decided to just try to flag down any truck to see if we could get in the trailer and get out of the area to get a taxi. We weren’t having very good luck, but eventually two recently off duty cops let us get in the back of their truck and we got to an area where we could get a taxi! We didn’t get home until about 10:30pm, but it was so much fun and definitely a crazy adventure.

Monday morning we just got up, packed, and went to a local restaurant where we ate a HUGE breakfast. Then we got on our flight and we were back in Quito by about noon. Guayaquil was a bit risky, a bit crazy, very humid, and I only understood about half of what was being said, but it was also was amazing and fun! Muchas Gracias Jackie y la familia Barrios para toda su muy buena hospitalidad!

Ice Skating and Tie Dying

Does that title make it sound like I'm actually still living in the US? Or maybe just sharing some of our culture with my friends down here in Ecuador! Last Saturday, Adam and I took four of our high school boys that we hang out with at night to go ice skating. Four boys, Manuel, David, Angel, and Ronnie, showed up and we had a blast! Being that boys work and all, they have a lot less volunteer interaction and subsequently get fewer opportunities to go on field trips like this one. They were so sweet and it was cute to see them out of their element. To start they were gripping the wall and barely moving. Then Medina (David) finally was the first to branch off, and did great! The others I had to take around the rink a couple times, holding them up. They got braver and braver and although falling multiple times, after the hour they were all attempting to skate on their own and experiencing success too. After skating, we all went to get hamburgers and french fries. I love teenage boys! They are so 'tough,' but also can be so soft and fun!

Then yesterday, Wednesday, I made tie dye shirts with Lauren and Sarah and all the tercer curso girls. It was definitely a first time experience for everyone and a bit unorganized, but still fun. From the Boys and Girls Club bake sales ("Project Ecuador") I went with kids to buy supplies and gifts for the kids here. Well after doing a little tie dye project for the Boys and Girls Club in the spring, I started thinking it would be fun to do here as well. So I let the kids pick out tie dye colors during our shopping trip at the end of the summer...well to my surprise just this week, the kids picked out all very similar colors: red, pink, light blue, and dark blue. AKA all of the girls' shirts are just going to be purple! I haven't untied them yet, but I am sure they will be great anyway!

Look for the next update next week sometime about GUAYAQUIL! Big LIGA game Sunday!

Yo te dare, te dare LIGA hermosa, te dare una cosa, una cosa que empieza con L...con I...con G...con A...LIGA CAMPEON! Yo te dare, te dare LIGA hermosa, te dare una cosa, una cosa que empieza con C...CAMPEON!

MiNdO

Two weekends ago I had my final high school girls’ field trip…although I switched it up a little: going to Mindo instead of Baños. Five girls came this time: Luisa, Monica, Karla, Jessica, and Paulina. Thank goodness it wasn’t quite as early this time, and we were able to leave from the bus station within walking distance. We got to Mindo late morning and immediately looked for a zipline tour and a truck to take us up to the ziplines. Watching the other people come in on the cable, the girls were a bit nervous but also excited.

The tour was a lot of fun. The girls loved the canopy and the thrill of doing the tricks – going upside down (‘the butterfly’) or in the ‘superman’ position! Also we were with three European women and it was hilarious as they kept calling them “voluntarios” - as basically all the ‘gringos’ they know/have ever met are all the volunteers at the Center. Also we were with this other fun couple, an Ecuadorian guy and an Italian girl, who were so talkative and cute. When we were eating lunch later in the little plaza, they came by to talk to us and even said they would have given us a ride home if they had room for all of us. It was really a great day with everyone! All bus tickets were sold out to get home to Quito, so we ended up buying tickets to sit in the very front of the bus on the “Tortuga” (engine area)…and this mother that got on for a while asked me to hold her adorable little baby for about 15 minutes, so she didn’t drop him. He ended up falling asleep in my arms J What a cutie! We got home relatively early and overall it was another success!

Funny Mother’s Day Story Addition: On Sunday morning, I went to the park to do aerobics, which I had been doing regularly, but have missed recently due to all my traveling. Well just before the second session started, a man came up to me and said something to me with a couple flowers in his hand. I was confused at what he was saying and just said “what,” in which he responded “te regalo flores” (I’m giving you flowers). All I could say was “gracias” and laugh. This guy (kind of old) and his friend ended up doing the work out class right next to my friends and me, but we didn’t speak anymore after that. My theory is that this guy wasn’t able to find his ‘madrecita’ (mother) so instead he just gave his flowers to a ‘mamacita’ (‘hot momma’)! haha I really don’t know what this man was thinking, but hey maybe God just works through people in mysterious ways to brighten our days! (Also the picture is of these two adorable 2 year olds (Samantha and Dennis) who were on a “date” in the office one night and I happened to have my camera)

May God do something awesome/semi-ridiculous in your day too!!

Love,
Taylor

A Baños, a Baños, a Baños

Where have I spent my last couple weekends?

Maybe you guessed Baños from the title and you would be right. I have written about Baños a couple times as it is an absolutely gorgeous place, relatively close to Quito, and has a ton of fun, outdoor activities to do in the majestic green mountains.

I love going to Baños, and I also wanted to share this beautiful place with my girls, my crazy, sometimes frustrating, but overall amazing high school students. So on April 18th and April 25th, I took two different group of girls for (a very long) day trip to experience a taste of Baños. What amazing, adventurous, and genuinely fun days!

April 18th at 6am (well I guess 5:15am my alarm went off) the first paseo (trip) to Baños began with Ximena, Tania, Katty, Gladys, and Mariana - my costura (sewing) ladies! Before the sun was even peeping out, I walked over to the Ofelia bus station and met my girls down in La Marin (the downtown center). When I got down there at 6:55am, 4 of the 5 girls were already there waiting....very UN Ecuadorian, but I guess they are getting the hang of us Americans ;) We met the last girl at her house and then headed down to Quitumbre, the bus station to get to Baños. Without problems we got on the bus and all my girls packed into the back 4 seats, sharing seats and just giggling away. So cute! They bought ice cream at 9am (and even one for me!) and just enjoyed singing along to my iPod. We finally arrived in Baños, in 3 hours exactly, and the first thing we do is run to the baños (bathrooms)! Of course my teenage girls thought this was SO hilarious, but hey anything to make them smile and laugh means my goals are being accomplished.

With the sun shining and breathing in the fresh air, we walked around town a bit, took some pictures and ate the picnic lunch I brought. The girls were beyond grateful and respectful...they didn't ask for anything and everything I offered to buy them they wanted to share! So we just ate the turkey and tuna fish sandwiches and everyone shared a liter sprite bottle, but we were all full and with energy for canyoning. Going to a tour agency for this 'extreme sport' was such an exciting experience for them, and I could tell they were nervous because as soon as we entered the agency they were silent and super shy. They got on their wetsuits (of course embarrassed to come out) and we headed out to the waterfall. All the girls were such troopers and extremely encouraging of their classmates. One of the highlights for me was hearing my shyest girl, Gladys Chaluisa, scream and laugh as she slid down the biggest waterfall! I've barely seen this girl smile much less ever heard her scream for joy. What a great moment!

Our tour ended up taking longer than expected, as we got to go to the bigger, more intense waterfall, so we changed quickly, ate a sandwich and headed on the last bus back to Quito. Getting back to Quito at night is a little 'adventuresome,' but praise God for keeping us safe, for these beautiful, caring girls, and for parents who were flexible and supportive!

April 25th - doing the same, but of course VERY different! I met again at the crack of dawn downtown with Blanca, Martha, and Gladys. We got on the bus, again had delicious ice cream at 8:30am, but unfortunately this time it was rainy and cloudy the entire bus ride. Oh no, what were we going to do in Baños before we would go to the waterfalls? Well, when we arrived, we went to the bathrooms first again, and then had a little team meeting to discuss what we could do in the rain. GRACIAS A DIOS! (Praise God) Honestly as we were discussing going out to lunch or something, the sun started peeking out a bit and it stopped raining! And the entire rest of the day, the sun was out (albeit a little cloudy) and it didn't rain one more drop! What a blessing.

These three are all 15 so a little less mature, but still so sweet and had so much fun running around and laughing. We had a picnic lunch again before beginning our canyoning trip. So I'm sure I've written about how Ecuadorians in general are smaller people, but Blanca, Martha, and Gladys are especially tiny! The guide had to search for children’s wetsuits as XS were too big for them! We then headed out to the Chamana waterfall, which is smaller and less intense with more open air. It was perfect! I enjoyed it a lot and was happy to do this one that took less time and also got to feel the warmth of the sun a bit! (Rio Blanco is sooo cold) Edison, our guide for the past 3 weeks, was so nice and helpful and it's great to see someone who truly just loves his job. A million pictures, a sandwich, and some sugar cane taffy for the road later, another successful day in Baños was complete. It was still after dark when we arrived back to Quito, but it was a much calmer ride home in which everyone got to their homes with their parents!

My Sundays in April were wonderful days with my girls, and I was so proud of them and the way they acted! I feel my goals were accomplished: they felt important, had great time to bond with their girlfriends, and they each got to experience something beyond their imaginations! I would do it all again in a heartbeat…..which is good because I've got one final trip left this Sunday. I am going to Mindo this time though and we are going to do the canopy (ziplines). The girls are excited, but of course nervous as well! I can't wait! Pray for safety, sun, and more ‘good girl bonding’ time!

Also please pray for Mom and Dad who are traveling Egypt and Israel right now, may they also be having a trip of a lifetime!

Love you all! Keep smiling and laughing!

Taylor