We arrived in Quito last night after a chaotic experience in Cuenca. Evidently, the airlines overbook flights in Ecuador, and the first people in line are the people who get seats. So, reservations don´t really matter too much! In the end it all worked out, and our flight was only delayed about 30 minutes or so. We got back to the hotel in Quito at around 9:30 pm. Cuenca was a nice way to finish the trip. Yesterday we bounced around from a weaver, to several markets, to a orchid producing company, and finally to a hacienda for lunch. The hacienda was tucked away in the valley and was extremely relaxing. Here are some final thoughts on Ecuador, as this is most likely the last post.

Politics- Politically Ecuador seems to be in a crucial time. The proposed Constitution is going to be voted on in the coming weeks. Among the proposed changes are ending federal money going to private schools, increasing the representation and rights for the indigenous, and directly electing the Supreme Court. I have my worries about the Supreme Court aspect, but the other parts seem to be pretty positive. On Thursday afternoon I witnessed a motorcade protest in support of the Constitution. The various cars had many socialist flags and banners with Ché´s face all over. Many of the cars also had the hammer and sickle.

Economy- The economy is built on agriculture and handcrafts. Obviously the fruit, vegetables, and coffee will always be an important aspect, but it seems as though the traditional handcrafts are changing over time. In a number of the communities that we visited, we heard how the younger generation is increasingly choosing going to school and moving to the city rather than learn a traditional craft. Additionally, many crafts are slowly moving toward mass production. One example of this is the Panama hats, which for a time were the second largest industry in Ecuador. We visited the major Panama hat factory in Cuenca and I was struck by how modern everything was. Eco-tourism is another area where Ecuador is trying to find it´s niche. The most difficult part of this industry is the balance between conservation and attracting customers. 96% of the forest on the Ecuador coast is gone, and many are concerned that will carry over to the Amazon.

Ecuador is a wonderful place to visit and a fascinating case study in ¨development.¨I am curious to see what will happen with the new Constitution, the national economy, and the role of Ecuador in South America. I don´t know if I will ever come back to Ecuador, but I would surely like to. I think I would like to visit a more remote part of the jungle, the Galapagos Islands, and the Pacific Coast. Who knows if it will happen, but I´m sure I would enjoy it if it did.

We arrived early Tuesday morning in Cuenca, which is the third largest city in Ecuador. It is another city located in the Andes, but much further south than Quito. The city is very wealthy, and is set up in the traditional Spanish colonial way. We are staying in a very nice colonial style hotel that is by far the nicest hotel we have stayed in. After we checked into the hotel, we toured the city. The city has four small rivers, and was taken over by the Incas just 30 years prior to Spanish invasion. Included in the tour was a visit to the largest church in South America. It was enormous! We had a wonderful lunch with garlic shrimp, potato soup, flaming bannans, and an alcoholic tea made from sugar cane. The weather is cold here, as I am comfortable in jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and a fleece. The schedule has changed a bit. Tomorrow we are heading to the pre-Incan ruins which are about two hours away. Thursday we are planning on heading up into the mountains (around 13,000-14,000 feet) and hiking in a reserve. Thursday evening we are having a traditional Ecuadorian dinner with guniea pig, which I have yet to try. There was some confusion a few weeks back, and come to find out it was pork not guniea pork! Anyway, Friday we are touring three indigenous communities around the city. Each of the communities specializes in a different craft. One community in particular makes the Panama hats, which are very important to the Ecuadorian community. Friday night we are flying back to Quito and Sunday we are flying home. I look forward to exploring the city and hearing more about the history. In particular, I´m interested in the contrast of the politics of Quito and Cuenca. Cuenca is considered the most conservative city in Ecuador. Hope everyone is well.

We returned to Quito today after spending the past week in the rainforest. Overall the trip was very educational and enjoyable. The facilities at Yachana Lodge were much more modern than I had anticipated.

Wildlife- The spiders, birds and bugs really stand out more than anything else. We saw a number of tranatulas and other very large spiders. One member of the group forgot to shake her boot one morning, and found a huge poisonous spider in it when she put it on. Luckily for her, she didn´t get bit! We didn´t see a jaguar, but we did see fresh tracks one morning. The weather was hot and humid, and it rained at least a little each day. We did see three snakes. The frogs were really fascinating as well, and mostly came out at night.

The Lodge- The lodge is about three hours up the Napo River from Coca, in the Napo province. The province ranks last in Ecuador for almost all health statistics and poverty. If you are looking at a map, Mondana is the closest community to the Yachana Lodge. The lodge overlooks the river and we saw many amazing sunsets over the mountains. Another interesting part of the trip was watching the river rise and fall drastically each day. Our group estimated that the river was up at least 30 feet today because it rained most of the day on Saturday. As a result, we watched 40 foot trees literally crumble into the river as it eroded the shoreline. The Napo River feeds into the Amazon, and is comparable to the Colombia River for all of you Oregonians out there! We did visit the local clinic, and discussed the difficulties of working in rural medicine…

The jungle- Each day, we had breakfast at 7 and went into the jungle around 830. Jungle gear consisted of knee high rubber boots, pants, long sleeves, and plenty of bug spray. The sounds of the forest are very distinct, and our guide seemed to know every bird call. We would walk until Juan found something of interest, and then he would proceed to tell us everything one could possibily know about that plant or animal. I was particularly interested in the various medicinal plants. One tree was called the bleeding tree because of it´s red sap, and is used for cuts or snake bites. Four members of our group got lost in the jungle one morning, but luckily were found about two hours later.

Culture- The culture in the Amazon (or Oriente) is in constant flux between the indigenous cultures and the more modern Spanish influence. We heard about the oil companies coming in and taking over much of the rainforest, and timber companies doing similiar things, and eco-tourism as the new alternative. Juan discussed his own journey through this difficult process, and his parents hesitation to support his decision to further his education.

One week left in this adventure. We leave early Tuesday morning for Cuenca, which is a city in southern Ecuador that has many colonial roots. We return to Quito on Friday night and then are back to the states on Sunday the 3rd. I have added a link to ecuadortravels.wordpress.com which is another blog about the trip. Katie teaches elementary music and has taken the time to upload a lot of her pictures. I encourage you to visit it if you get the chance.

These last two days in Quito have been really nice as I have been able to catch up on sleep and focus on getting better. We leave tomorrow morning for the Amazon. The flight is only one hour, and then the canoe ride is another 3 or 4 hours. ¡I am sooooo excited about the Amazon! I have also taken the opportunity to really reflect on a lot of the things that we experienced in the first two weeks of the trip. Sometimes I feel like our days are so packed with events that we are not able to analyze meaning (yeah I know this probably sounds a little too Lewis and Clark)!

Gender- Staying with a host family really allowed me to view how one segment of society treats women. The machismo notion that men need to have bravado and need to be the powerful figure is very present here. Only 20 or 30 percent of the women voted in the last national election. If you don´t vote in Ecuador, you can not make any state transaction including getting a drivers license or working with almost all state agencies. The mother in our family was extremely nice, but never ate with us. Evan and I were served with the father only. After we finished we were asked if we wanted more, which we never did because they gave us so much food. Only then were the children given their food and allowed to join us. A similar thing took place with the mother usually sitting down at the very end of the meal. The people here say that there is a great deal of gender discrimination in hiring.

Race- One thing that I did not anticipate seeing as much as I have is the very apparant racism. About 60 percent of the population identify as mestizo (or a mix between Spanish and indigenous) 35 percent as indigenous, and less than five percent as Afro-Ecuadorian. The host family once again taught me about this part of society. When they introduced their children, they said that they were so proud that Marcos and Richie looked very Spanish (meaning white) but that their youngest daughter Daniela looked as Indian. I didn´t really know what to say. Around the dinner table one night we started talking about crime in Otavalo. Drugs are used mostly on tourist in a variety of ways. Anyway, the family made sure to point out, that the people who did this were either Morenos (translated as darks, they meant the Afro-Ecuadorians) or the Colombians. Most of the Afro-Ecuadorian communities are completely segregated and incredibly improverished. The town of Mascrilla, which we visited on Thursday, served as a difficult reminder of the legacy of slavery in this country. A man from a nearby hacienda even pulled into town and hired three of the boys to pick coffee for him the next day. It was a very distriburing image of a Spanish landowner coming into a poor black town for labor. He had slicked back hair, a new F-150, and a cigarrette in his mouth. I know it sounds stereotypical, but that is the way it happened. The other thing about race that I have noticed is how white Jesus looks here. Maybe it is because you don´t see a lot of really pale people, except at the hotel! However, the church really was used as an instrument of oppression here, which is another thing that is difficult to handle.

Social Class- There is a huge wealth disparity in this country, that seems to be largely based on race and what class one was born into. The schools all have at least some fees. I was really struck to hear in some of the indigenous communities the average number of years in education is 2.5 years. In Otavalo, the market is where the people from the 163 indigenous communities that surround the city come into town to sell their goods to the Mesitzos and the tourist. The friends of mine on the trip that bought things said that some of the people didn´t know how to sign their names (because we have to get recepits for everything) Due to the enormous income gap, crime is a problem throughout the country, as all banks, hotels, and even some restaraunts have armed guards.

The other interesting thing that I noticed is how different Quito feels the second time around. The first time, we were worried about safety and thought that the food at the hotel was so unique and exotic. I felt like we were in a different country. Know, after being to many of the small villages and living with a host family, Quito feels incredibly modern and comfortable. The showers in the hotel actually get hot and the food is safe to eat! It is really fascinating how quickly your perspective can change.

These are just a few of my initial observations in Ecuador. I know this post comes off as negative, but you could say all of these things for the United States to an extent as well. I do love it here, and I am really glad I came. This is a hikers paradise! Anyway, I don´t know if I will be in contact with any of you for the next week. We are in the Amazon from Sunday to Sunday. I can´t wait for this part of the trip! love you all lots.

Sorry I haven´t written in a while…it has been a pretty tough week. On Monday we had our last day of class, and then met with a woman who knew a lot about Ecuadorian politics. It was amazing, but I was feeling really awful. So, I had to call it a day early and miss the Shaman part 2. I went back to my host family and slept, hoping to feel better on Tuesday. On Tuesday I felt terrible, so I stayed home and missed the Cloud Forest. On Wednesday we went up north to the Colombia border and learned about the water shed. I was still feeling bad, and was much worse after the craziest bus ride I´ve ever been on. We arrived at the Reserve which was about 4,500 meters! It was really cold and the vegetation was really interesting. We stayed the night in the Valle de Chota which was much warmer. We woke up on Thursday and went to an Afro-Ecuadorian community in Mascrilla. We arrived and thought that we would learn about the history and culture, but were taken instead to a day care with nearly 100 students. We were given groups of students, and then the teachers kind of disappeared. After about an hour, we wondered what we were supposed to do. The kids were pretty rowdy. We finally found the other teachers and they told us that they thought that we would play with the kids for another 2 hours! I have learned to go with the flow. Diane and I went back to Quito on Thursday afternoon rather than Friday morning to make sure that I was healthy again. I just had a wonderful dinner and am feeling great! I´ll be in Quito until Sunday and then am off to the Amazon!

I can´t believe that it is Sunday night already! On Saturday morning, we met our Spanish professor who walked with us around the market. On Saturday´s the whole city of Otavalo becomes a market where you can buy any clothes, food, instruments, carvings, paintings, or even animals. We started out by walking to the animal market, which is a big field with people selling pigs, horses, cows, turkeys, chickens, kittens, dogs, guneia pigs, fighting cocks and much more. The most interesting part is that there is no organization. The people just stand with the animals on a rope, and sometimes the animals escape. I was almost run over by a pig! People carry a bag around and just chuck any live animal they buy into it. Yes, I did see a chuck a duck! We walked around the market for four hours, and didn´t come close to seeing everything. The vast majority of the people selling things in the market are from the indigenous communities that surround Otavalo (163 communities in all).  I ate lunch in town, and then we went up to the Mojanda Lakes, which are about 14,000 feet above sea level. The hike took about 2 hours or so and was beautiful.  We went back to our family and had fried chicken that had been killed that day. The meat taste much better here as a result. After dinner, we went out to a bar that was supposed to have a traditional band playing. It turned out to not be as authentic as I would have liked. The smoke was really bad. On Sunday, we visited a famous weaver who taught us how they hand make their clothes and blankets. After that, we went to an indigenous home that had many historical artifacts. We learned more about the guniea pigs in the indigenous cultures here. We ate lunch there, but were a little disappointed to find out that it was chicken and pork that we were eating, and that we weren´t getting any of the guniea pig! After lunch, we went to another lake (Cuiconichi). This lake was another crater lake in the mountains. Mountains are in every directions, and the sun was setting. Another amazing hike, but it was cut short because we still had two more things on the agenda. Next, we went to San Antonio de Ibarra, which is in the state just north of here. We saw a lot of wood carvings, but I think that people were pretty burned out. Finally, we ended our weekend adventure by trying some of the homemade ice cream! I had four scoops! Two coconut (couldn´t help but think of Derek) one chocolate, and one mora (which is a berry kind of like a blackberry). I´m sure Mom will be happy to read that the ice cream is great here. We are heading back to our ¨house¨now, and I am going to attempt to call it an early night. Another big day tomorrow…

We had yet another long day today. The Spanish lessons went better today, but they are still very difficult. We had a really big lunch today with Yuca soup (yuca is kind of like a mix between potato and yam) and fried shrimp. The shrimp was really good. We also had fresh orange juice. After lunch, we went to the Shaman. The Shaman does a number of cleansing and healing ceremonies. For the first ceremony, the Shaman took a live guniea pig and rubbed it all over the skin of one of my colleagues. After rubbing the pig all over Cyndi, the Shaman took the pig and skinned it. I think that the pig died during the rubbing part, because it didn´t squeal. After she skinned the pig, she looked for any spots or markings on the body. After that, she gutted the pig and checked the organs to see if they were okay. For Cyndi, she said that everything looked good. Next, Evan volunteered. Evan got to experience the guniea pig peeing on him, which was kind of funny. The Shaman said that didn´t mean anything. After skinning the pig, the Shaman stated that he must have some pain in his back. Evan then stated that he has had back pain for quite a few years and that he is in PT for it. Finally, John volunteered to be cleansed with the egg ceremony. A different Shaman rubbed an egg all over him, and announced that he hasn´t been sleeping well. I roomed with John in Quito and know that this is certainly the case. The Shaman then stated that the reason John doesn´t sleep well is that he gets to cold. The Shaman rubbed a couple of oils all over John´s body and said that John will now sleep well. All of these ceremonies where is a room that was no bigger than Mom and Dad´s study! Remember that we have 15 people in our group, plus the Shaman and our translator! Let´s just say I got to experience all of the senses during the ceremony! After the Shaman, we had a two hour group meeting to touch base. We changed the schedule all around. On Saturday we will be going to the saturday market, the Mojanda Lakes, and a performance of folklore music. On Sunday, we are going to visit a famous weaver, and two communities of different indigenous groups. On Monday we will visit the governor of the province. I´m really excited about talking politics! Evidently, Ecuador is writing a new constitution. Monday we will also see another Shaman. Tuesday we are off to the Cloud Forest, and Wednesday we head to our new destination of Valle de Chota (which is a community of Afro-Ecuadorians. love you all lots, gotta go!

I got moved up in Spànish classes today, and now there is only one other student in my class! the professor is difficult. The food has been really good here. I have had a lot of beans, fruit juice, chicken, beef, rice and bread. Last night my family made a pasta with a tuna topping that was excellent. This afternoon we went on a hike that was really steep. We saw the Peguche waterfall. After that, we went to a bird reserve that had falcons, eagles, owls, vultures, and even condors. Condors only live in south america. the reserve is on the top of one of the hills overlooking the city, so I got some great pictures. Tomorrow we have class in the morning and we are visiting a shaman in the afternoon who is going to do a cleansing ceremony with a guniea pig! More details to come on this one I´m sure.

We had our first full day in Otavalo today. We started the morning off with fresh pinapple juice which was amazing. The fruit here is much smaller than in the States, but it is much better. They still don´t use any insectisides for the most part. Spanish class started at ¨830, and we have four people per class. I remember a lot of Spanish, and can understand almost all of it when other people are speaking. However, I have trouble remembering vocabulary when it is my turn to speak. Class went until 1230, when we returned to our host families, where we had lunch. Lunch is the biggest meal in all Latin American countries. We had a spinach soup, chicken, yams, rice, and a desert that tasted like berry flavored cool whip. We got together with the group again in the afternoon and visited a local weaver, who is known as the best weaver in town. He focuses mostly on al paca and other thick wools. We then went to Peguche, which is a small indigenous community just outside of the city. We visited a family of musicians who did a special performance for us. It was amazing. The family was a chechwa family.

Otavalo is a beautiful community that reminds me a little of Boulder Colorado because of the mountains in all directions. The family Evan and I are staying with is very nice. Antonio is a mechanic, Patricia is a work at home mom, Marcos is 22 and is also a mechanic, and Richie is a 13 year old. They also have a four year old girl with them, that is somehow related but not their child. The house is pretty nice, and Evan and I even got our own rooms. Unfortunately, the pet monkey died a couple of months ago! They do have two cats, which makes me feel a little more at home. Otavalo has a huge market in the middle of town where the indigenous sell art work, clothes, and many other crafts. The city also has many crops and meat available, including live animals that you can buy and have slaughtered for you. No wonder why the chicken was so good for lunch! We do have about a 20 or 25 minute walk to our house, which we do three different times a day (in the morning, for lunch, and in the evening). I feel great, and am surprised that the weather is very up and down. The highs have maybe been in the mid sixties, but the majority of the time it is in the 50´s or lower. I wear my fleece almost all of the time! That´s about it from here, hope everyone is well.

On Monday we had quite the day. We went to two art museums; an indigenious art museum and an art musuem that had Ecuador´s most famous painter (Guayansimo) and many of the art from the early Spanish rule. It was an amazing look at the culture and there was such a contrast between all of the art. The indigenous art was extremely colorful and centered on the themes of fertility and nature. Guayansimo reminded us all of Picasso and I was able to take some great pictures. The Spanish paintings where always of very pale white people (especially Jesus and Mary). They were also very gorey. We then went to lunch and I had empanadas which are kind of like dumplings. After that we went to a church that had 70 tons of gold in it. Let´s just say it made me proud to be a Lutheran after seeing all of the Catholic art and the church that forced the indigenous people into conversion. I did notice a pyramid with an eye in it…After the church, we went to the middle of Quito and saw the Presidential Palace where a demonstration was taking place. We couldn´t tell what they were protesting. We then went to a hill that overlooked the city and that had a huge statue of the Virgin Mary on it. It was a great view. After that, we took a tram up a neighboring mountain (4,100 meters) where you normally could see the whole valley. However, the clouds rolled in at just the wrong time, so we couldn´t really see anything up there. The tram was pretty scary and took about 20 minutes. They had a nice coffee shop and an oxygen bar at the top! We returned to the hotel and I tried Ecuadorian ice cream and Ecuadorian beer. Both were excellent. I am struck by the amount of security and poverty here. Any restaraunt, hotel or shop that is half way decent has an armed security guard out front. The city was not really planned out too well (or at least by American standards) so the poverty is really everywhere. Little kids follow us around, because we stick out by our skin color and our height! Well, we are off to Otavalo (in the north) today and are planning on stopping at the Equator. We will meet our host families tonight and school starts tomorrow. I do not expect to have internet access in Otavalo, so it may not be until next Friday that I update this. I am feeling great, although I didn´t sleep well last night, I guess I just had too much to think about.