Livin' the life

Photo taken at Chimborazo.

After living with a host family about 3000 miles away from my own family and meeting plenty of people during my travels, I have learned and felt that love is universal. Happiness is everywhere, especially when you bring it with you wherever you go! It has always been a dream of mine to travel a lot, and this trip has showed my how easy it really is. Before I left Ohio, I realized that living for 2 and a half months in Ecuador will be my first extended period of time away from Berea! This experience of being away from home could not have went any smoother for me. It has showed me how easy going I really am, how much I love meeting people, love learning, and love making art. Although I am ready to go home, I am also sad to be leaving in just one week.
I will always have gratitude to the people I've meet along the way and to those who I will meet in the future. I look forward to, and plan on, coming back to Ecuador and traveling through the nearby countries like many of the people I have meet in the past few months.

Los Galapagos!

The Galapagos! Where to start? We spent eight days in paradise. The amount of life on these islands was abundant. I never would have imagined seeing so many iguanas, lizards, tortoises, or sea lions in one day!

Giant tortoise 

Land Iguana, a happy one at that.

Although the entire experience was fantastic, I was surprised by a few things about the Galapagos. First off, I was surprised by the amount of development on Santa Cruz, the island in which we stayed for most of the trip. I suppose I imagined staying in a rustic naturalistic environment; instead we stayed in a nice hotel which was near many shops. To escape the development near or hotel we had to walk at least a half hour away.  This was a little upsetting for me because one thing that I was most excited for was to see the stars with no light pollution. Unfortunately all this development meant quite a bit of light pollution!

Either way, the days and nights in the Galapagos were unforgettable. Every night I took that 30 minute walk to a spot that we could see the darkness of the sky, and waited until the moon came up and took the darkness away. 11/11/11 was a full moon. I can not think of any other way I would have wanted to spend this day! That night I met an islander who pointed out (in Spanish) that it was not a normal full moon. Usually with a full moon there is a strong tide, but this night the tide was calm. He said that because it was such a special date, the tides were abnormal.
 Hiking and snorkeling every day in one of the most unique places on Earth is something I will always appreciate and never forget.

newly born sea lion, the mother, and the placenta!

Cute baby!

A few things I just need to brag about quickly: I swam within feet of sting ray, spotted eagle ray, sea turtles, a manta-ray, sea lions, white tipped reef SHARKS (about 15 of them), and all the pretty colorful salt water fish that come to mind. I also went scuba diving for the first time! Needless to say, the entire week my mentality was I need to do and see as much as possible because I AM IN THE GALAPAGOS. Not many people get to see these famous islands in their lifetime, and I got to experience them at such a young age. I have a lot to be thankful for.

the famous Blue Footed Bobbie

male frigate bird

                             

Spotted Eagle Ray

                                                

Exported Goods: Alternatives to Mining

Cultivation of food and plants is outstanding in Ecuador for multiple reasons. Being located on the equator gives the country perfect growing conditions with 13 hours of sunlight per day. There is rich soil, plenty of rivers, and rainfall from the mountains. These natural conditions provide Ecuador with alternative sources of income from mining. Alternatives from mining are not only important for the citizens of Ecuador, but for everyone around the world because mining leads to deforestation of rainforests, and destroys habitats so vastly that it causes animal species to go extinct. Products that provide a large chunk of income for Ecuador are: banana, coffee, chocolate, and flowers. 

Through my travels of Ecuador, I have had the opportunity to visit some farms that ship world wide. Historically, Ecuador was once the #1 exporter of the cocoa bean. Later the economy shifted to it's current #1 exported good: the banana. Today, Ecuador is the largest banana exporter in the world. It was interesting to visit a few banana plantations here. In the cloud forest, banana plants grew everywhere along the sides of the mountains, but being in a banana plantation was like being in a gigantic forest of only 10 foot tall banana plants. Banana production is much more sustainable than mining. The harvested plants decompose and return nutrients to the soil, and the presence of these plantations are not directly or indirectly causing major health problems for humans or animals. . 

                                  

In Junin: organic banana, papaya and coffee farm

 

Dole Banana Farm

                 

We recognize this in the US!!

Often coffee and bananas are grown together, because good coffee is grown in the shade. While we were in Junin we visited the village's coffee, banana, and papaya farm. This farm was completely organic and was the community's main source of income, which is extremely important for them because they are constantly being threatened by copper mining completely destroying their land. The coffee from the farm we visited is actually the fair trade coffee that we have at BW! I thought it was awesome to see first hand this small community and the exact place we get our coffee from.

                                    

coffee plant (red beans are the product)

Another product of Ecuador we got to see being grown on a large scale was the chocolate bean!!! Chocolate is one of my favorite things in the world, so I was pretty happy to learn about the plant and the process of producing the chocolate bean.

The beans are grown on trees that are about 7 feet tall, in this "nut" pictured above. We got to taste the beans from this picture, as I remember, they were slightly sour, but had a good taste. 

After the beans are harvested from the trees, they are laid out to ferment and develop flavor. This stage did not have a pleasant odor! After fermenting, they are dried by heat and packaged for shipping in large bags. We got to taste the final product as well; it tasted like it needed sugar to me! 

Fermenting Coco Beans

                                                         

dried product ready to ship. 

Most recently, we visited a farm that exports baby's breath. This trip was interesting because in just about every bouquet there is some baby's breath, and I had never previously considered the amount of miles this filler flower has traveled. The company that we visited was known as Fresca in America, and Malima in Europe.

Globalization obviously has profound effects all around the world. Everyday we are consuming products that have traveled thousands of miles to get to us. Mass production of anything is bad for the environment, and when you consider the distance any one product has traveled to be conveniently available at your local supermarket, the effects that globalization has on the world are really unfathomable. Unfortunately, life could not possibly be as advanced as it is today without the products that we get around the world. Life without chocolate??? That would be a sad one! But seriously, although I do have to admit that petroleum and copper are a necessity to modern day life, I support green technology, and I study chemistry and biology in hopes to make the world a more sustainable one. Until we find alternative sources of energy, all we can do is be conscious of our consumption. Make an effort to buy local food, this fights against mass production, helps the local economy, and decreases petroleum intake. I hope that we can change our ways sooner than later. It was a real reality check to have been in Junin and the rain forest, knowing that in five years from now it is going to be much different, if not completely destroyed. 

Laws

Laws in Ecuador are something else! I'll focus on alcohol, and driving, and then voting laws.
Similar to many other countries, the official drinking age here is 18. I've been told by a local from Cuenca, that it is common for 14- or 15-year-olds to buy alcohol from the liquor store. You can buy liquor very cheep ($3-$5) from small street shops (tiendas) or from liquor stores. It is officially illegal to sell liquor after 10, besides in bars, but many times the tiendas just close the metal sliding door (similar to the stores in the mall), and people can still knock on the door and buy liquor from them. Drinking on the streets is also officially illegal, but extremely common. In Cuenca, Calle Larga and Remigio Crespo are the "it streets" where there are many bars and tiendas and people park their car on the street and commonly sit near their car and drink on the street. Drinking and driving is looked at the same way as it is in the US; most people don't do it. The driving limit here is 0.03, much lower than ours in the US. Which brings me to my next topic: Driving.
While driving through the city at night, people always honk at blind intersections. They do this for drunks, and for people who run red lights! I have come to realize that red-lights and especially stop-signs tend to be optional in this country! Pedestrians do NOT have the right-a-way. Lines on the highway are just decoration. Speed limits, are similar to red-lights. I've been told its common to go about 30 km over the speed limit (18 mph) which once again is bending the rules much more than we do in the states. Just about every street has round-abouts that dont seem to have any right of way! On top of there being basically no enforced driving laws other than drunk driving, the roads here are insane! Today my host mom told me that they say if you can drive in Ecuador, you can drive anywhere in the world.
Besides the lenient laws of alcohol and driving regulations, the voting laws are quite interesting. A "Certificado de Votacion" or voting card is granted to all citizens when they vote in presidential elections. This card just as, if not more, important to the citizens of Ecuador as their ID. Every citizen over the age of 18 is required to vote, and voting is optional for anyone 15 and over. If someone fails to vote and obtain this card, they loose many privileges or have to pay a fine in order to get a voting card. The fine varies by region and I have been told its about $100 if you do not vote. Without a voting card, they cannot get a credit card, buy or rent a house or car, attend college (which is free), or work for the government for 3 years. I think this concept of enforcing voting is good for the country because Ecuador has had history with dictators and currently has very controversial political issues such as mining. The citizens need to express the true popular opinion to prevent environmental disaster in their country.

Just a little lovin'

I will start with hello. Most places in the world, including Ecuador, people are greeted with a "kiss" on the cheek. I say "kiss" because we don't actually give a kiss, we only touch cheeks and make a kissing sound. I've grown really accustom to this practice. It makes me feel very welcomed everywhere I go. I think that in comparison to the US, it brings families closer.
I got the first hug in my life from my brother about a week before I came to Ecuador. Sure, as children I was always the annoying younger sister who wanted to hang out with him and his friends, but as we've grown up we've become good friends. Since I have been in Ecuador, I have gotten used to a good: nice-to-meet-you, good-morning, hello, and goodbye kiss on the cheek. This simple action has made me reconsider my relationships with my own family and friends at home.
A little bit of physical love brings people closer! Just a simple hug from a loved one is nothing but good feelings, so why is this comforting gesture not practiced in the US? It is a little mind-boggling to compare my physical relationships with my friends at home to my new friends in Ecuador. I have plenty of people in Ohio who I love, but with most my friends, especially guy-friends, it not always common to even give them a hug goodbye. But in Ecuador, I am instantly friendly and comfortable with everyone after any "mucho gusto" (nice to meet you). I feel like a bit of physical affection to the people you are spending time with makes the time together more inviting and loving. A physical hello each morning, I believe, goes a long way with the love and strength of a family.
I don't have a definite answer to my previous question: why don't we practice this in the US? Perhaps it goes back to the early days of the melting pot. The history of America has a lot of racism, obviously Jim Crow laws come to mind, but in the earliest days of immigration even the people from European countries discriminated against each other. I suppose that this long history of segregation and discrimination has contributed to the "personal bubble" that many Americans have. Anyway, what ever the reason for America's difference from most of the rest of the world, it will be quite an adjustment for me to not go around a room and touch cheeks with everyone in it.

Development: a better life?

With the hot topic of mining in mind, my thoughts are brought back to my time in Junin. Junin was a very small community in the cloud forest, about a three hour drive from Quito into the mountains. This community actually prohibited a Canadian copper mining company from destroying their land. They were physically threatened with guns and pepper spray by paramilitaries who were paid by the Canadian company to scare the community into giving up their land to the foreign company. (This story can been seen in "Under Rich Earth") 

By visiting this town and living in Ecuador for two months, I have a new perception of development. Before this year, I didn't have a clear perception of what the country would be like. I pictured a 'third world country' where I would need to boil water to brush my teeth, and the cars would all be from the 80's and 90's. 

In reality, Ecuador has an extremely diverse range of development. The large cities such as Cuenca, the one I live in, have mostly all the things that I live comfortably with in Ohio (nice cars and houses, paved roads, wifi, cable TV, and pop culture, to name a few). Even though they have and use all of these modern commodities, they still are more conscious of energy consumption. At my house, almost every electronic device is unplugged when not in use. A simple action like this shows that this culture does not waste resources like we do in the US. 

Other regions of Ecuador make do with what they are given from nature. For example, below I have a picture of a piece of bamboo being used as a gutter for a house made from wood.

Small communities in the mountains of Ecuador live simply: growing their own food, teaching their children, and maintaining their homes. From my observations, I feel like once a community is set up, living in one is pretty easy sailing. Especially after visiting and experiencing life in Junin, I appreciate a sustainable way of life. Developing any further from the necessities is really unnecessary by definition.   I find it admirable that the people who live in these communities have a strong sense of belonging, and a life without the noise, pollution, and stress of a city. 

It is sad that many people who lead this way of life are forced to leave the land which generations of families have cared for because of development around the world. A term which we have learned in our class on Globalization applies perfectly to this thought: "Winners and Losers". The people who are being robbed of their heritage are the losers in this situation, whereas the developed nation and government of Ecuador who are making profit off of the natural resources of the land are the winners. 

Children in Junin playing with a bird they killed that day with a sling shot. (0_0)

Mining and Ecuador

"Correa minero el agua primero"

This is a picture of graffiti down the street from my house in Cuenca. It is about the controversial topic in Ecuador of mining. It basically translates as Correa, (the president of Ecuador) you miner, put the water first! The topic of mining is so important to Ecuador because on the one hand, it provides income for the country, but on the other, it pollutes and destroys the environment of Ecuador and causes all types of health problems for the citizens. As a class, we have researched this topic quite thoroughly. For anyone's personal interest, a few documentaries on the topic include: "Under Rich Earth" and "Crude". Each of these documentaries strongly depicts the environmental damage which leads to serious health issues for the local people.  

Early on in our trip, we visited Carlos Zorilla's farm, which was about a 2 hour bus ride, and an hour hike from a small village called Junin. Carlos's farm was high in the mountains in an ecosystem called the cloud forest. Both Carlos and the community of Junin are interviewed in the documentary "Under Rich Earth", which is actually about copper mining in Junin. 

Mining for petroleum and copper is such a hot topic in Ecuador because it destroys large areas of land and ruins the water here. With polluted water, entire ecosystems fail. Indigenous communities who got their drinking water straight from local rivers became very sick with stomach cancer and other diseases because of the contamination in their water supply. It is truly a sad story, and "Crude" has interviews with some of the effected communities if anyone is interested in seeing the environmental and health damages yourselves.

On a global level, the world obviously depends on petroleum for our means of transportation, and copper is always used in our technology, both of these products are precious to the world. The high value of these products causes the moral dilemma for Ecuador: choose economic profit, or the health of citizens? It makes me proud to see the public out-speak of graffiti relating to mining and the environment all over the cities of Ecuador.  

"Water or Gold?", "Live Yusani"

Dia de los Difuntos

 The second of November is known as Day of the Dead in many Spanish speaking countries. This is a day to visit cemeteries and celebrate and honor all deceased loved ones. In Mexico, it is usually a very happy holiday, where families gather in a cemetery and bring food and have a celebration where they sing songs to help the spirit pass on. Ecuador celebrates this day differently, with remorseful views on death more similar to ours in the US. From my observations, many people go to the cemetery and leave flowers for their loved ones. There was a Catholic mass at about 10 am, where a couple hundred people gathered around the stage where a priest talked, and music was played.

The cemetery in Cuenca which I visited was huge. It had to have been about five acres of land. The majority of the cemetery was filled with mausoleums for people who have been cremated. I estimate that there were about a thousand people visiting their loved ones while I was at this cemetery observing the culture. I really appreciate this holiday as being a time dedicated for all people to remember any loved one. I can only think to compare this day to memorial day in the US, but I like that this day is dedicated to all people, not just fallen soldiers. 

There are traditional foods for this holiday. Families and street vendors have "pan de guagua" and "colada morada". Pan de guagua is bread shaped like a person, and was traditionally used as a type of a gravestone, and also food for the deceased. Colada morada is a purple drink with chunks of fruit inside of it, usually served warm, and was also traditionally made as an offering to the spirit of a loved one. Today, these foods are solely consumed as a traditional seasonal treat, similar to us having pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. 

Pan de Guagua - 'M' standing for 'muerto' or dead

For the holiday at my house, Rosa made delicious colada morada, and my mom bought me the guagua de pan pictured below. My mom also took me and a few of the new in-laws to Caja's, a close by national park, which is where she spread the ashes of her husband seven years ago. This part of Cajas was a cemetery, and there were other people there praying for their loved ones. The atmosphere of the park was extremely calming, and I feel like I experienced a whole new part of my family.  

My mom and the tree she planted the first year of her husband's passing

Cuenca: Dia de Independencia

The third of November is the day that Cuenca celebrates the city's independence. Once upon a time, Cuenca was ruled by Incans and was called Tumebamba. Around 1550 the Spanish conquered the city. On the 12th of April, 1557 Gil Ramirez Dávalos declared the city under the rule of the king of Spain and re-named it Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca. Many years later, under guidance of many revolutionaries like Simon Bolivar, Cuenca declared independence from Spain in 1820 on Nov. 3rd. 

                                               

                                  Street performers juggling

To remember and celebrate Cuenca's independence from Spain, a full week was dedicated to festivities. This week has been one of my favorites of the entire trip. The streets and parks filled up with performers and tents for merchants from nearby towns and countries who were selling artwork and clothes. On the second and third, there were parades.

The pictures shown above are from the parade on the second of November. The parade took place on the street "Simon Bolivar" in honor of his leadership. The colorful skirts with white embroidered blouses, shown in the pictures above, is the traditional indigenous attire for Cuenca.

Similar to in America, this parade had many floats, music, confetti, and candy. The vivid colors of costumes and the lively atmosphere of the parade was more fun for me to experience than most parades in the US that I have seen. Somethings unique to Ecuador were the traditional attire, and the distribution of roses and colada morada (a traditional holiday drink). On the third, there was a military parade which the President of Ecuador came for. 


Every night of this week, the street next to the soccer stadium was closed off for live music. There was live music and probably over a thousand people there until about midnight each night.Even though drinking on the streets is officially illegal, there were vendors everywhere around the stadium selling bottles of alcohol, which came with a complementary cup to drink out of! The liquor stores do the same thing any night of the week, except on Sundays when it is illegal to sell liquor.

Iglesia de Turi

On the night of the second, the city set off fireworks. A group of us went to a church high up in the mountain called Iglesia de Turi, where there was a couple hundred people and live music playing. Something very different from the US was the lack of safety precautions used for the fireworks. They were set off not even 500 feet from where the entire crowd and stage was located! 
Also like in many Asian cultures, a few sky lanterns were set off. I understand that this practice is to symbolize one's problems floating away, as well as good luck. 

sky latern launching

Overall, the celebrations of Cuenca lasted much longer than those of our Independence Day. Also, they were only for the city rather than the entire country. But some aspects of the independence day celebrations for Cuenca were pretty similar to those in America, in the sense that there were parades, fireworks and parties. The liveliness and sense of national pride made the atmosphere so enjoyable! The entire week was really amazing.  

La Boda

On Oct. 29th, I had the great opportunity of attending my Cuencan "brother", Juan Pablo's, wedding. Juan Pablo and his new wife, Dani, have been together for 7 years, and are both some of the sweetest people I've meet here. Over the years, their families have become good friends, and the official joining of their lives was a beautiful thing!

Recognizing that every wedding is unique; I do not assume that every wedding in Ecuador will be just like this one, but there were a few customs practiced at this wedding which were new to me.
Just like many American weddings, the groom waited at the end of the aisle for the bride, who was accompanied by her dad. This wedding did not have a full wedding party; there was only a maid of honor who was followed by a few young flower girls and a ring bearer. Once the ceremony began, the bride and groom sat on a bench together facing the priest. They stood to say their vows, and they kissed to seal the deal. I wish I could have understood the vows! After the rings were exchanged they sat back down and a large rosary was placed around the two of them, I believe this was to symbolize togetherness.

After the wedding we headed to the reception, which was absolutely beautiful. To start, there was a table outside for appetizers. The bride, the groom, and their families stood together under a tent to receive congratulations and greet the guests. During dinner, the bride and groom came to each table to say hello to each guest. Although cake was served after dinner, there was not a cake-cutting ceremony. After everyone finished eating, the bride and groom had their first dance. Next, the close family joined in, and soon after, everyone was on the dance floor. It was really fun to dance at a South American wedding because everyone here knows how to salsa and dance in pairs. I learned a few dance moves, and thoroughly enjoyed myself while doing so!

My family: (left to right) Erika, Rosa, Christobal, Silvana, Juan Pablo (groom)