Giff does Ecuador...

Well…It’s been a while…sorry!

I had a great visit with my Mom, and then Steve came to visit , their flights overlapped a few hours. Steve was able to extend his trip to 3 weeks, so we were able to spend a good amount of time traveling and then spend some time at my site.

Also…because there were some 800 photos taken during Steve’s visit I am going to upload the highlights to my google account, because I have no idea how I can just pick three or four pictures to post. Link to come…

Here goes Steve...

My trip to Ecuador was quite an adventure. It was filled with hostels, several 6 hour bus rides, over 100 stray dogs, and a huge language barrier. And that was only the first half of my trip!!!

My flight in was smooth, but had a rough landing that I will never forget. Upon exiting the plane, I followed the crowd through the terminal and eventually made it to customs. Considering that I don’t speak a word of Spanish, I felt this was a small victory. I was greeted by Leah and her Mom and about 100 other people with balloons, signs and noise makers. It was literally a HUGE party at the airport and it would never be allowed back in O’Hare. It was pretty cool!

We spent the first few days in Quito taking in this beautiful city. I quickly became frustrated with my inability to communicate. Luckily, Leah was always there to bridge the language barrier gap. She did a great job translating and explaining the cultural differences. While in Quito, we did some shopping, checked out the nightlife, saw a movie, took in a museum and ate at several great restaurants. I also experienced my first “chiva”, which is an open air bus with a bar, sound system and smoke machine. Needless to say, that was a fun night. The commute to Leah’s site consisted of a taxi ride, a 5 hour bus ride, another bus and finally a camioneta (which is a pick up truck/taxi). The buses in Ecuador are like our coach buses, but older, a little smaller and the passengers sit and stand wherever there’s room. One lady even tried to sit on Leah’s head.

Leah’s home was very nice and welcoming. However, after doing some brainstorming, we decided to paint a few rooms, hang some wall decorations and rearrange some furniture. (Knowing Leah, she probably moved everything back once I left.) I had the pleasure of meeting her host family and counterpart. Big Ralph gave me the tour of his beautiful home and the family garden which is filled with various fruits, vegetables, chickens and guinea pigs.

The second half of my trip included a bike ride down a mountain, a cable car ride, zip lining 150 m above the jungle floor, and seeing a 10 story high waterfall. We generally stayed in hostels that cost between $16- $31 per night and had a clean bed, a private bathroom and the occasional TV and wifi. Most people we met were friendly and helpful, however we still had to watch our stuff. Also, when asking a simple question, I learned that asking the same question a few different ways prevented a headache later.

I few in love with the aji pepper because it’s sweet and spicy and compliments any meal. It’s served as a sauce that sits on the dinner table. Their milk is thicker than our regular milk and is sold in plastic bags. It’s not uncommon to wake up to roosters or screaming pigs, to see a donkey walking down the street or have a stray dog come up and say hi. The temperature is always cool and the sun is hot. We spent 30 minutes poolside and I got a little red while Leah looked like a lobster. KFC and McDonalds are everywhere and seem to be a “higher end” establishment to eat at. Internet cafés are also everywhere, but their computers don’t always work.

The entire trip was a great experience. If I could have stayed longer, I absolutely would have. However, I did start to miss my dishwasher, laundry machine, the 7-eleven, clean water, good coffee and ESPN. I will miss the beautiful scenery, being unplugged from the world and of course, Leah. If I could go back tomorrow, then I’d be packing tonight.