Carnival

Oh wow. This past week was carnival. Yes the same carnival that's so famous in Brasil, they also celebrate it in Ecuador. And its crazy. I went with my really good group of friends to one of their farms down south in Patate. They have like a second home out in this beautiful setting in a valley right at the base of a volcano. The volcano is the most active of all the volcanos in Ecuador. There's been two eruptions in the last 10 years. And at night you can see the lava at the very top, it was really cool. But as for this farm, it was amazing. Just when I think I see one of the most beautiful places ever, Ecuador shows even more beauty. This place never ceases to amaze me. This farm was about 200 acres and the majority of it was clementine trees. There was some other fruits and vegetables but tons of these clementine trees. So as you could imagine it was clementines for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and in between, they were so delicious. They also have a good amount of cows for milk, as well as a good amount of horses. So I got to ride horses again on this farm with all my friends and played games on them. We would go bareback riding in this field and then just try to push each other off, it was so hilarious. We also just rode all over this breath taking farm. As for the carnival part, they have a game called carnival. Its where you get everyone as wet, dirty, gross, and cold as you can. We played on teh farm with each other and other family members that were there. But the more fun is when we loaded up with a dumb amount of water balloons and buckets of water and got in the back of this truck then drove through town. When you go into town EVERYONE is wet or about to get wet. It was a massive water fight with random strangers, it was so much fun. When we were in the back of the truck we were trowing water balloons left and right and at the same time getting hit from balconies or from other on the street r other passing cars. It was so incredibly fun. They also have this silly string stuff but only its like shaving cream but shoots really far and thats really popular as well. And you play this all 4 days of carnival. When you go out in public on those days you wont come home dry, I promise you that. When we came back to Quito I don't think I had one set of dry cloths. It was too funny. Such a great thing to experience and be part of. Especially with my best of friends here. It made me realize how much Im going to miss them when I leave. As for some exciting news, my moms flys in tonight and is staying for 2 weeks. I'm so excited to see her. We're going to travel all around Ecuador for those two weeks and I'll finally get to show someone my life here and where  I live and what I'm doing. Its going to be a great time.

La Amazonia

This guy will kill you if you touch him

The Lagoon

 If this year isn't already life changing by itself, I had a life changing trip. I just got back from another Rotary trip (yes another) and this time we were in the Amazon for 4 days. I feel safe to say that I’ve traveled quite alot all over the world and seen a lot of beautiful places and special things. With that being said, this was the most incredible trip I've ever been on. Yes only 4 days, but 4 days of enchantment. We went to Cuyabeno which is the very north part of the amazon in Ecuador. It's on the border or Colombia and Peru. Its a nature reserve as most of the Amazon is now, so all the animals and wildlife was so incredible. I literally have no words to describe what happened. It was just a really special trip for me because i finally got to get back in touch with nature. Oh how I've missed her. Coming from vermont where I'm outside all the time in nature and the mountains, and then being put in a big city is hard. Don't get me wrong i love Quito and living here, but i do miss the nature aspect of life. So where better to experience it again than the place with the most amount of organisms and life in a square meter than anywhere else on earth. ANYWHERE! Where we were was pretty much right on the equator, and its true, in one square meter theres more wildlife of all forms than anywhere else. Also in one square kilometer it has the most amount of tree species than anywhere else. So needless to say it was breathe taking. We saw tons of different types of monkeys, (actually got to hold one) tons of insects, spiders of all different sizes, including the largest tarantula there is, boa constrictor, crazy looking birds, toucans, macaws, crocodiles, piranhas (we fished for them), deadly frogs, caterpillars that if you touch them you die within a few hours, and most surprisingly was dolphins. Did you know there are dolphins in teh Amazon? Me neither until our guide was like oh hey look, its the pink dolphins, and yes they’re actually pink. So crazy.

Scorpion Spider

Rainbow Boa

As well as all the different trees and plants that look from outer space. The lodge we stayed at is on a lagoon, so everyday to get anywhere was in these small little boats and it was truly my dream come true. Now all the animals and wild life was out of this world, and with me going to college for marine biology and wanting a profession that deals with wildlife, this was actually my dream, no joke. But one of my favorite parts (which is really hard to say because it all was my favorite) was we got to go to a Shaman. They’re the “jungle doctors” of the Amazon. Its like a medicine man with Native Americans. They’re very spiritual beings that help others with sicknesses or illnesses with the knowledge of the jungle. They use hallucinogenic teas that are made from different things from the jungle, to see within you and see their visions that help you. It’s a very cool practice. Anyways so we got to meet with one and hear his story of becoming one, which was very interesting to listen too. We then had the option of having a spiritual cleansing by him if we wanted. I’ve always wanted to receive one of these, so when we were able I was overly joyed to have the opportunity. It was so relaxing and such a special moment for me that I will never forget for the rest of life. So anyways coming away from this trip I have no doubt I will return. I fell in love with this place and am going to try my hardest to go back and study or just live in one of the villages there.

            This first week back was tough. The whole time in classes or anywhere I was just day dreaming about being back in the Amazon, I still cant get over the feeling I have within me. There are no words to describe it but it’s such a wonderfully incredible feeling. But life goes on for now, I still love where I am here in Quito and love my life here.

Sunrise in the Amazon

           Well they say a pictures worth a thousand words you go. enjoy

What just happened?

Time flies when you're having fun...the greatest year of your life. I am writing this update almost exactly half way through my exchange, give or take a day. Where did time go? I know I say this every post I make but it still feels like I haven't been here all that long. But at the same time I feel as if this is my life and I'm not on vacation anymore. So I have a little bit of the both feelings. Yeah, it's weird. The update is the same, having the most fun ever. I love this life. As for actual happenings, nothing too out of the ordinary of just living here. Since christmas and new years its been pretty low key. Just going to school and hanging with friends. I had one of those feelings though as I was playing Ecu-volley (a version of volleyball only played in ecuador) in this amazing setting with a backdrop to die for. The feeling was as if time literally stopped and i was just standing there looking at my life and where i am physically and where i am mentally. Almost like an out-of-body experience. But if i had to put a finger on what it was that i was feeling, i would say love. Love for my family here, and back home, friends here, friends back home, and love for myself. Simply love for this beautiful country and place that I have this amazing privilege to be in. I've had a few of these intense feelings before but never this strong. And i think that's due to my ever growing connection with where I am as i grow as a person as well. I also have these thoughts of what if I didn't take this year? Where would I be? What would I be doing? But the most thought provoking is Who would I be? One of the times I was thinking of this recently a song came on my itunes. It was Other Ways by Trevor Hall. If you haven't heard it, listen to it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPi-mkGko2o&ob=av2e. The chorus goes like this. "Well I think about all the other ways I could've played, All the other simple moves I could've made, All the other cards that I could've dealt, All the books I didn't read upon my shelf, All the other ways I could've sung my songs, I've realized that none of it went wrong, It was all play, How could it be any other way?" I was like wow, thats perfect. That's what I was thinking about, all the other things I could have done and where would I be because of them. But I always come back to the same result, I did it all right because I love where I am in life.
          As for what I'm looking forward to more than anything at the moment is my next Rotary trip on friday. We're going to the Amazon for 4 days. It looks incredible. We're split into smaller groups and the first group just got back and I've been looking at all their pictures and it's driving me crazy because I just want to be there right now. But it's only 2 more days so it'll come soon enough. I be sure to put of photos and tell you guys all about it when I come back next week.

Pictures for the last post

Feliz Navidad y Año Nuevo!

          Christmas??? It really snuck up on me. Time flies when you’re having so much fun. And that’s really the word that describes this year, fun. Among a load of other words such as; amazing, spectacular, unbelievable, eye-opening, incredible, and definitely unforgettable. I’ve realized recently that I think almost everyone should take a year abroad or at least a part of a year. The things that I have learned and will learn are plentiful. The things I’ve seen have given me new viewpoints. And this experience has just simply changed me. All of these things are for the better and can benefit anyone who is willing to embrace them. I will, until the day I die, tell and strongly encourage people to travel for a period of time, preferably when they’re younger. In the case of an exchange, not many people can say that they have had more than one family in their lives. And even fewer can say they’ve had more than one family in their lives that they love. And this is the case I feel like for most exchangers. Of course some people don’t get a long with their families and might not be the best of times when you’re living there. But once you can step out and look back on your year living with a different family I guarantee you can thank them for everything they did for you and taught you.
          As for the Christmas festivities, they were plentiful. Because its almost 100% catholic here, its an extremely important holiday. They have Novena which is the nine nights before christmas the whole family gets together at someones house and celebrate. It includes readings from various books and then playing music and eating. It's completely focused on the kids, as they do all the readings and have the small instruments to play along with and sit in the center of everyone. The first night as the book was coming my way I was like they wont make me read. Wrong. I had to get up in front of my huge family and read this passage in spanish about baby jesus. It was the first time I think I had to read spanish in front of a group of people. Although i was a bit nervous it felt really good. So each night was that and then they celebrate christmas on christmas eve. So we all got together and my grandmothers house and my god, i've neer seen so many presents. Theres so many kids and people in teh family it makes sense, but still, wow. The presents literally were pilled up past half the height of the tree. It was absurd. It only took an hour to get through them all though, i was expecting at least 2 hours. Anyways so that was a really fun night. And then christmas day they dont do anything which was a little weird for me. But it was cool to be in something different than im used to. Then new years. Oh my goodness, what fun. New years here is a very family holiday actually. So the whole family got together again and it was incredible. Everyone was having so much fun dancing, singing, taking pictures, and jsut goofing around. They have all these funny little traditions here to bring good luck and wanted things in the new year. As for midnight though, nothing like i've ever seen before. Everyone goes out into the streets of the city and just parties and lights off fireworks. The ENTIRE city sky was lit up with fireworks. No matter where you looked you'd see fireworks, and big ones at that. And then they burn these life size dolls which symbolizes the old year and to get rid of all worries and bad things of the past year and to bring on the good fortune of the new year. Well i didn't know that they pack fireworks inside of these dolls as well, so when you jump over it (another tradition) fire crackers go off and its quite exilerating. Then the party goes all night long. So all in all I would have to say it was the best new years i think i've ever had. I loved the family aspect and just being with my family here is so much fun. Such a great experience.

4 months...are you serious?

           Well actually 4 months and a week now, but still unbelievable. As I think of its now, I’m only a month away from my mid way point of my year. That’s ridiculous, and really sad to think about. I know it’s still a whole lot of time, but not if it passes as fast as the past 4 months have. Anyways heres my update on Ecuadorian life. To sum it up in a nutshell. It’s great. I literally can’t think of a single complaint I have of this amazing place. I love everything about it. I’m so close to all my friends and family now they feel like I’ve had them all my life. It’s starting to feel like this is my life and home here and back home in Vermont is just a memory. Weird. Anyways now actually being able to talk with people and understand just about anything it makes things much better, because now I can take part in decisions or conversation and actually speak up. I also get more of just whats going on around me, so I love that part. Still dancing and playing tennis every week and at school I was actually just pretty much forced to play basketball for their club. I think they figure because I’m tall and American I must be awesome at basketball…wrong. Well at least that’s a wrong statement back in the states, but here they all suck, lets be honest {Just like I do at soccer compared to them) so I get to model my mediocre basketball skills in an upcoming tournament later in January. So that should be fun. As for my family, I really fell part of it and they include me in everything including choirs or things like that which I really don’t mind what so ever. It’s the least I can do for them for taking me in for a year.

            Last week on Friday, all of my senior class and I went to a poor children’s school to spend time with them for Christmas. Each of us brought a bag of candy, an article of clothing, and a gift and then we got to give them to our buddies face to face which was so great to see their reactions. Like I think I said in an earlier post, I don’t really get to interact and deal with younger kids like I do back home teaching tennis and just with family friends. And I really miss that. I’d have to say kids are what I love most after tennis, and if not tied with tennis. So all these kids had different presentations for us like dances and singing and stuff and it was super cute. They sang “Santa Claus is coming to town” in English, which I thought was amazing for their age in a poor school, and all my friends push me up there so I sat next to them all and sang with them and it was a really cool moment. I think the coolest thing of that day though was to sit with the kids as they received, and opened their gifts. They were all sooo excited and to see their faces bright up like that almost solidifies in me that what ever I end up doing in life, its going to be dealing with young kids. So that was a great day that I’m sure I will remember for a very long time.

            What else.  The dates and info for our next rotary trip came out. The next trip is to the amazon for 4 days and 3 nights in this eco lodge in the jungle. I’m so excited and can’t wait. My group is going the 20^th -23^rd of January. So that’s the next thing I’m really looking forward to, Besides Christmas. Which I’ll tell you all about after the fact because it going to be a lot to say. So until then, Feliz Navidad y Propero Año Nuevo.

Festivals of Quito

 This past week was the festivals of Quito, and there is a HUGE amount of, not only country, but city pride here in Quito. So with teh festivals theres a week of bull fights, parades, family gatherings, concerts and tons of special events in the city. I went to my first bull fight, and then 3 others in the past week. I never knew they were so popular in Ecuador or south america. I always thought only in Europe for the most part, but yet again, i was wrong. They're definitely hard for me to watch because I love animals so much, so seeing the bull getting speared and tourmented its hard to watch. But as for the actual fighting part with the matador and his cape. I think that part is amazing. All the different moves and bravery that is shown is such great entertainment. The guts it must take to litteraly kneel a foot in front of the bull and throw your cape to teh side and just stare into the bulls eyes, has to be significant. The other thing I really liked about it was that everyone dresses up really fancy and they only serve wine and sangria. All the men wear nice pants, a tucked in button up shirt, nice shoes, and then a sweather over the shoulders. Talk about preppy. And the women all wear the big hats and nice dresses or fancy cloths as well. You wouldn't think people get so dressed up to watch a bull get killed.
As for the killing of the bull part, the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, outlawed the killing of the bull in the arena. Almost everyone here hates the guy, he has the worst approval ratings I've ever heard of. But because its such huge tradition for the matador to kill the bull as the finish of the fight, everyone who is a supporter of bull fighting is out raged. Anyways so I actually don't mind it because there no way I would be able to watch that. Other than the bull fights I went out alot to concerts with my friends and family. Had some nice family dinners with my grandparents who came up for the weekend as well. Played lots of cards and had a great time. Now back to reality in school and such. But no worries. Two weeks and its christmas vacation. Count downs begun.