A Weekend of Hiking

Howdy y'all. Things got a bit busy down here with school and other activities so I couldn't update the blog. However, since my professoras were super nice this weekend and didn't give me homework, I finally have the time. :)

On Saturday, May 18, the school offered us students to go on an excursion to Aguarongo, a forest reserve just outside of Cuenca. About 6 students and one profesora went with a guide to walk for a couple hours around the park. Getting to the reserve felt like it took forever; the mostly gravel road wound around the mountain and provided us with a complimentary feeling of claustrophobia when we were surrounded by thick brush just before entering the reserve. Once there, however, we found ourselves to be in a large clearing with large views of the surrounding mountains. We were also the only people at the park other than the groundskeeper and her son.

During the hike, the reserve was very peaceful and had an abundance of plant life for us to appreciate. However, we did get ridiculously muddy while observing the medicinal plants throughout the reserve. Word to the wise: when hiking in the mountains, make sure your pants and hiking boots are dark colors; you'll thank yourself when you have to wash everything later.

 

Checking out the view from the nature reserve.

 

Dogs are literally EVERYWHERE in Ecuador. In people's houses, in the streets, and even in some restaurants. This one was at the reserve and acted as our guide throughout the entire hike. At times, she would run off to explore something, but always came back to us and led us around.

 

 

A tree at the park that's over 400 years old.

 

A little creek in the park.



On Sunday, May 19, three of my friends and I went to Cajas National Park for the day to do even more hiking and exploring. This was my friend Elena's last official Sunday in Ecuador and she wanted to return to the park one more time. Us four girls took a bus to Cajas, checked in at the station, and began our adventure. (Side note: Traveling in Ecuador by public bus is usually very reasonable, generally it's about $1-2 per hour of travel. The buses can get a little bit sketchy though, so it's advised that you keep a close eye on your stuff.)

When we first got to Cajas, I knew the views were going to be breathtaking. At some points, the clouds were literally in the mountains and created a sense of mystery and awe. We first began our hike excited for the journey. Elena had already been to Cajas with the school and knew what path we should take, so we didn't bother to find a guide.

For several hours, we hiked on trails that were only wide enough to go single file on and probably wouldn't pass any regulations in the U.S. I spent the majority of the hike looking at the path because one wrong step could have sent me sailing down the mountain side. Nonetheless, it was very exciting, and was extremely physically challenging.

At one point during the hike, we were to descend the mountain into a little forest. Somehow, we managed to lose the trail and were stuck in the forest near a lake for about 15-20 minutes. After a small lunch break, we regained our energy and pressed on in the direction that seemed the most logical. By the grace of God, we managed to find the path again and continued on our journey.

One eerie thing about Cajas is that they have crosses along the path in memory of hikers who have died in the park. Some fell to their deaths and others died due to health reasons, such as heart attacks or strokes. We passed by several of these wooden crosses on our way, which caused me to be very thankful for the success of our hiking group.

After we climbed hills, thought we were going to die, trekked across streams, and observed the beautiful views, it started to rain. Nonetheless, most of us were prepared with our rain jackets and tried to embrace the rain. After a bit more hiking, we finally made it to the end marker of our trail. Although we had reached the end of our trail, we were still in the middle of nowhere. Seeing as we had little choice, the three other girls and I continued on a trail towards the highway and finally caught a bus back home.

This hike was probably the most challenging hike of my life, both physically and mentally, but I don't regret it for a second. My friends and I made a ton of memories on this hike and successfully made it out of Cajas accident free.

 

One of the many lakes in Cajas.

 

Hiking

 

A forest in Cajas.

 

Beautiful Cajas

Cuencan Life

With almost 500,000 people, Cuenca is a busy city. There is a constant flow of people moving in every direction along the cobblestone streets and sidewalks. Many women choose to wear high heels when walking, which, I've decided, must be a talent passed down through the generations. Simply walking in Keen's without tripping in the random dips and grooves that many of the streets have is hard enough, let alone in heels. (Side note: Keen's are AWESOME. I'm incredibly happy with mine and feel they were most certainly worth the investment.)

As for the weather, it's almost always beautiful. It's usually in the upper 60's or lower 70's so it's incredibly easy to pick out the day's clothes. It does rain on occasion, but it doesn't last long and it usually isn't very much. While many people carry an umbrella, most use it to block out the sun, which, at about 2350 meters above sea level, is a bit intense, to say the least.

Looking at the city

A church on my walk to school.

A street in Cuenca





 

One dish that's considered a delicacy here is called cuy, or guinea pig. A few of my friends and I went out on Tuesday to try this favorite dish among Ecuadorians. If you're a vegetarian or don't like to see pictures of dead animals, stop reading here. You've been warned. :)

 

After catching the guinea pig, it's roasted over a grill until it's crispy and dark.

Cuy cooking.

 

Cuy ready to eat!

 

After cooking, cuy is the cut up into smaller pieces so it's easier to eat. I had the portion that included a foot. Fun fact: a lot of meat can be found when you scoop it out of the leg. :) Cuy doesn't have a lot of meat on it and is pretty greasy. Nonetheless, it's actually decent and it's definitely worth trying, especially if you find yourself in Ecuador.

 





A portion of cuy and some awesome Chilean merlot.

 

 



Getting to Cuenca

On Sunday, Caitlin and I explored Quito a bit and walked around searching for Parque Metropolitano, a beautiful park with lots of bike trails, recreational space, and plenty of opportunities to view the gorgeous Andes mountains. But, after realizing that very few streets in our area were properly marked, we decided to get a taxi. Taxi's are super cheap in Ecuador-our ride to the park (which ended up being about a 45 minute walk) was only $2. We arrived at the park and explored for a while. The park was very peaceful and calm despite the many families enjoying the atmosphere.

 Los Andes

The park was very popular among families and cyclists.

 

My $2.50 delicious lunch.



 

 

After lunch, we decided to head back to the hotel and attempt to figure out when we would get picked up to leave for the airport. Our drivers the night before did not know what time we were to leave and neither did the hotel staff. Although we were told someone would be at the hotel to pick us up and hand us our plane tickets, nobody seemed to know anything about that. After waiting several hours, we were told at about 4 pm that we were to get on the bus with some students from Rhodes University to go to Cuenca. We scrambled to board the bus, as all of the other students were already on it.

 

When we arrived at the Quito airport, we didn't have tickets, so Caitlin and I had to wait 10-15 minutes while the kind airport staff handwrote each of our tickets. We both felt bad because we were holding up line, which was growing by the minute. After sorting out that mess, we ventured on into the airport. When it was time to board, we took a bus from the gate onto the tarmac. After stopping near our plane, we got off the bus and literally walked on the tarmac to climb the stairs leading to our plane's entrance. The flight to Cuenca was quick and dark, as the sun sets everyday by 6:30 pm.

 

When we arrived in Cuenca, we were again to walk on the tarmac into the building to pick up our luggage. This was actually a really neat experience, as large airports in the United States rarely let their passengers venture onto the tarmac. Caitlin and I both grabbed our luggage, found our host families, and departed for the evening.

 

My host family consists of Maria, a special education teacher, and her son Mateo. Mateo hasn't been around much because he lives mostly with his dad. I'm also living with Sophia, a college student from New Jersey. She was a blessing to have the first night, as she explained to me the household procedures and what to expect. Sophia also attends my school and is in my two classes. Overall, our house is very peaceful and welcoming. Maria is a very kind woman who really truly cares about our happiness.

 

 



¡Estoy en Ecuador!

I made it! After leaving the house at 3:30 am, two flights, and a long lay over, I arrived at the Quito airport around 6:30 pm. I would like to thank mis padres, God, the kind airport staff, and my driver Eric, who patiently listened to my awful Spanish, for allowing me to get where I am. Since I had a good deal of time by myself today, I realized a few things:

1. Your first trip by yourself is probably the scariest, most lonely experience you'll ever have.  After getting over the initial shock of figuring out the normal procedures at airports, the desire to share the experience with someone else creeps up; but, as you're traveling solo, there isn't much you can do about it. When you arrive at your destination and reflect on your experiences (yes, fellow Honors students, I'm WILLINGLY reflecting!) you realize how much you've been able to accomplish. That feeling somehow makes the lonely feelings seem not so bad in the end.

2. People watching is a blast. Seriously. It's so much fun to guess where people are from or where they are going just based on what they are wearing. I lost count of the floral shirts many men wore down in Miami and chuckled to myself as I saw them board flights to Caribbean islands. Earlier today when I boarded my first flight, I saw a gentleman wearing a Panama hat and wondered if he was also going to Ecuador. I never did find out, but I did see several other gentleman wearing these beautiful hats near my gate at Miami. Seeing them there helped me feel confident I was in the right place.

3. Driving here is insane. The quote from Pirates of the Caribbean regarding rules being more like guidelines definitely applies down here. Rarely do people use turn signals and straddling the two lanes going in the same direction is perfectly acceptable. I've never seen more people cutting others off, butting into traffic, or speeding by pedestrians in my entire life. Nonetheless, riding with a skilled driver is really entertaining, especially in a manual.

4. The earth here is so beautifully green. As I flew into the new Quito airport (which is very nice, by the way), the first thing I noticed was how green everything was. The rich greens welcome onlookers and reminded me of what I did not have back home: luscious green grass.

5. The altitude doesn't bother me (yet). At 9350 feet, I thought I would for sure notice a change in the air. Actually, it took me about a half hour during the car ride to the hotel to even think about the air here. I literally had to consciously think about the air before physically noticing it. But, I haven't pushed myself too vigorously yet, so that could change. :)

Well, that's about it for now. I think I'll go watch some t.v. while I wait for my friend, Caitlin, to arrive. She is also from my school and will be in Ecuador studying for the same time that I will be. ¡Adiós!

Countdown to Cuenca: T-minus 5 days!

Well, the day in which I can finally count down on one hand to my adventure in Cuenca is finally here. Whether I'm ready or not, I leave in less than five days. These five days are going to pass like crazy, especially as I still need to finish packing, take three finals, and say many goodbyes. Leaving right at the end of the semester is bittersweet; I will be finally finished with the semester, but I won't be able to see many of my friends graduate or celebrate their successes with them. Nonetheless, leaving the day after my last final brings me closer to what was simply a dream a year ago: studying abroad in Cuenca, Ecuador. I have wanted to immerse myself in a Spanish-speaking culture for many years, and until last year, it was simply a dream that I never knew I would truly experience. As I continue my adventure, I will try to update this blog with my adventures and experiences as often as I can. Stay tuned for more! :)