Don´t Drink the Water if There is Any

This past weekend Gaby invited Kevin, Andrea, and me on a weekend trip, which was really nice. One of her friends let us stay at his house which is about a 45 minute bus ride away plus a canoe ride. On the way to the house, we stopped at a place called Jatun Sacha, which means ¨Big Jungle¨ in Kichwa. There, we went on a hike to a large tower. It was 30 meters high, made of metal, 3 sided, and could be climbed all the way to the top with the help of caribeaners to get a view of the surrounding area. Gaby and I made it all the way to the top and it was definitely a view from above. After the hike, we made our way to the house.

At the house we ate some food we had brought and then headed down to the river to get washed off, as the house was without water this day. We spent the rest of the night hanging out at the house and visiting. The next day we made our way, by canoe, to an animal reserve run by volunteers. After eventually making our way back to Tena, Gaby and I went to a friend´s house to watch the World Cup finals.

Now the reason I say don´t drink the water is for a few reasons. It is true that in Ecuador, you cannot drink the tap water. It is also true that there are times when we don´t have water, especially when it is raining and they turn it off. The other reason I am saying it right now is because Gaby is pregnant. On top of that, so is the lady that lives downstairs and now I just found out the dog is too.

The last month!

So, I realize I got a little lazy there and had my dad writing blogs. Now, a month has passed and I have been doing some things, including going to the Symphony of Cuenca performance and watching the World Cup when I can. That was especially fun when Uruguay won in the shoot out, as we were all watching it in the lobby of the hospital.

Other than that, I have been lucky to be adopted into my friend Jenny´s group of friends. They invite me out with them whether it is to someone´s house, a karaoke bar, or to Quito. The Quito trip was so that Jenny could finally go to a movie in the theater! Mission accomplished.

Recently, I was able to see Don´s younger brother Chris a couple times in Tena, accidentally and intentionally. He was staying in a nearby town for 2 weeks for a medical mission through his university. Every time that they were in Tena buying medicines, I happened to see him on the street. I swear I don´t just wander the streets. Granted, he is a tall guy in a city of not so tall people but still (finally people that are my size!). I was able to meet some others from the group on a hike and also at dinner and it seemed like they were having a good experience. It´s always nice to see a familiar face!

Two new volunteers arrived last week. Kevin, a physical therapist, and Andrea, a family medicine doctor, are here from Canada. They will be staying until September when they will continue their adventures through South America and then off to Africa. It has been nice to have them around and here their stories!

Parental Units. Closing. Part 4.

On June 14, a Monday, we said our good byes to Maura and Maria at the airport about 4:30 am. We knew Maura was in good company with Maria. Maria stayed with Maura until her bus ride came. The bus would have her back in Tena in time to get back to work.
Tena is in the Oriente of Ecuador. It is in the Amazon region. It is at the mercy of the weather, especially during the rainy season, but it is not primitive. As Carlos, one of the Tena citizens pointed out to me, the people of Ecuador are well educated. We met several who earned college and graduate degrees. Clearly not all attend college, but neither do they in the US or Europe. Nonetheless all were warm and welcoming to us. These are good people.
The artisans own a talent comparable to what we have seen in many countries. The textiles woven in Otavalo match the works of the weavers of Belgium and Holland. The wood carvings we saw in San Antonio were exceptional.
In locals where Maura did not run into a friend nor know someone, we found the people friendly. While not all speak English, many know some. In our travels we met Ecuadorians returning from the US to visit family and friends. We would travel to Ecuador again, but with a far better handle of the Spanish language.
Speaking of language, the indigenous people of Ecuador have retained their original language of Kichwa. We saw this in Otavalo when Maria pointed out to us that she could easily understand the Spanish but not the Kichwa. Maria also noted as did a museum guide, that the people of Otavalo adhere to the rule of hard work, truth telling or no stealing, and no harming others.
The trip to see Maura allowed us to meet many of her friends and acquaintances. Not only is the land beautiful, but the people are also.
We are back home now.

Thanks for writing Dad! Hopefully those that read this enjoyed a different perspective than my own. It was great to have visitors and have the opportunity to travel with them!

Parental Units. Part 3.

Out the door and into the car to be driven to Tena and the hostel La Casa Abuelo which would be home for a couple of days.
The road to Tena was a winding, though paved for the most part, road. But we were to learn that is not as simple of a trip as just driving. The heavy rains of the previous weeks left the roads cluttered with mud and rocks and more mud and more rocks. Luck did shine on us because road crews were cleaning the roads. They work carefully and slowly. On the return trip on Saturday afternoon, June 12, some of the same parts of the road to Tena still had the mud and rocks.
Tena is a town of about 15-18,000 people. We met some of Maura's co-workers at the clinic. Also saw that Maura has a schedule listing patients just about every hour of the day. Reality in the Amazon region of Ecuador means the patients do not always arrive for the appointment. As we walked toward the clinic one young boy ran to Maura and wrapped his arms around her smiling all the time. His father stood by approving his son's embrace. As parents we truly enjoyed seeing our Maura engaging the patients so positively.
The next day we met three young Ecuadorians--Raphael, his sister, Isabella, and her boyfriend Fabio. All us went to Misahulli for a canoe trip on the Misahulli river to visit a village of indigenous people. Interesting and educational as we were introduced to the ways of the people living off the land. Mary Ann excelled above the others at the blowgun and Maura sounded the conch like a pro. It was at the next village that Doug showed his skills in native dance accompanied by one of the older women from the village. That night we went a little farther into the jungle for dinner, mostly chicken and fish. Jungle is what the Ecuadorians living in the Andes mountains call Tena.
The next day we met Gaby, Juan Francisco and Gaby's mother. Gaby is Maura's landlady. We all went to lunch at a pizza place. In the afternoon we went to the hostel where Maura ran into some friends who were gathering for a party.
Tena had some sudden flooding in April and some of the damage is still evident, the zoo on an island had the bridge wiped out. A bar suffered some damage but was reopened by the time we arrived.
Then back to Quito on the road from Tena.
In Quito we saw an exhibit of art work from the rebellion to independence. We went to San Jose church, a very modern church filled with parishoners who actively participate in the service. Closing commments to follow.

Parental Units Part 2

On June 7, a Monday, we fly to Cuenca to see what promised to be an original Spanish town from the days of the conquerors. This would be around the middle of the 16th century. Of course we're speaking here about the old town. Today Cuenca is the third largest city in Ecuador with a population of around 400,000.
We arrived late in the afternoon and after settling in our room we enjoyed a not too light lunch at the hotel where we were booked , the Santa Lucia. A waiter there explained that the hotel was once a house for a Spanish businessman who had a large family. About 160 years ago it was turned into a hotel. Though the exterior of the building is rather plain the interior is notably exquisite with its wood work throughout.
That night we walked into the town plaza to watch the festival of the Corpus Christi. There were booths filled with vendors, really townspeople not commercial businesses, selling candies, sweets, breads, drinks. Later we witnessed the religious procession of the Cuencean clerics including the local bishop presenting the holy monstrance to the gathered people of faith. This was followed by the fireworks.
The plaza is typical of the Spanish plaza, the new Cathedral church, a government building, another church, the old cathedral now a museum and a fourth building but I can't recall what it is.
The next day we departed for the highlands of Cuenca and the southern Andes with Wilson, the guide and Giovanni, the driver. First stop St. Bartholomew, a very small hamlet where we enjoyed some herbal tea at a shop in a house. Wilson explained to us how the owner, a woman, barters her cooking oven for whatever she needs. She grew her vegetables and fruits to supply her family.
From there we saw a guitar maker, an outdoor food market, complete with roasted pig and fresh meats and fruits. Then to the orchid farm, a weaver's, lunch, a town that sells silver reasonably, and finally back to the hotel
That evening we met the parents of one of Maura's Xavier University classmates. The father was originally from outside Cuenca and his wife was from the Hague in Holland. They met while studying French in Paris. They invited us to their home where we enjoyed their hospitality and suggestions for the next day's sightseeing. This was a wonderful experience.
At Angel's suggestion we visited the Inca ruins at the Central Bank in Cuenca. These particular ruins were the administrative buildings of the Incas while they occupied Cuenca for the brief period from about 1480 to the 1537 when the Spanish drove them out. The Kanaries, or indigenous people of Cuenca, were not easily conquered by the Incas.
Later that day we flew back to Quito where Maria met us.
On Thursday ,June 10, we went to Tena. More about that later.