For a quick update as to my whereabouts on a stormy Sunday afternoon: I returned to my hometown of Jackson, MS on Tuesday night after saying a sad goodbye to my lovely Ecuadorian hosts (and a not so sad goodbye to the little critters I slept with each night). The return trip was 16 hours as I first flew to Miami where upon landing I immediately burst into tears - not sure if it was due to being happy or sad about returning, but nevertheless I was certainly a pathetic sight as I sat there wedged in between two complete strangers trying my darndest to clear my eyes and look "normal." After going through immigration and being readmitted into the good ole U S of A, I boarded a train for an hour long trip to the Ft. Lauderdale airport where I entertained myself by eating Dunkin Donuts and reading The New York Times during my 4 hour layover. After what seemed like forever, I boarded a plane for Atlanta, waited around another hour and FINALLY made my way to Jackson and the waiting arms of Susan around 11:30 PM. Talk about an exhausting day!
Since returning to the comfy coziness of my dad's house, I have caught up with old friends, battled the intestinal blues (appears some little critters made their way through immigration wiht me:(), made tentative plans for the next month and thought about packing my backs for my next adventure. Tonight, I will head to my mom's house in Oxford, MS, and then onward I go to North Carolina to begin working at the NOC on Thursday. Looking forward to being back in the mountains - hiking, biking, eating Becki's pasta salad, Della's hummus, and homemade cookies fresh from the oven. Come visit:)! VIVA!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Tis Time to Say Goodbye...
Buenos días! I am sitting in Ivo and Luisfer's apartment in Quito, Ecuador in what has been my home for 5 weeks now and am pulling all my things together to pack my backpack one last time before I head back to los estados unidos for awhile.
Ready to go out in Guayaquil!
I spent my last weekend of my time here in Guayaquil near the coast with Luisfer and his family. Guayaquil is a big city and very very hot...similar to Mississippi in the Summer...so I was immediately reminded of what I will be returning to in just over 24 hours. And my body's reposnse? Complete and total shock and shutdown. After only a few hours wandering around the city center with Luisfer and his mom and eating some amazinginly delicious llapingachos (cheese filled potato dumplings) covered in peanut salse prepared by his grandmother, I proceeded to sleep nearly 4 hours...qué vaga soy! But refreshed and revived, we headed back out to the center to eat dinner, climb 450 stairs to the top of a hill overlooking the city and the rivers the snake through it, and then off to dance the night away in celebration of my final night out in Ecualandia (Luisfer's cousin lent me clothes so I had actual "going-out" attire!). Sunday, a cousin and her boyfriend joined the two of us on a bike ride before eating lunch, playing tennis, eating again - this time in the company of 12 family members - I love Latino family get-togethers! - and then boarding my final night bus to return to Quito.
Bike ride to the river in Guayaquil
Tomorrow will mark the end of 8 and a half months of my life as a mochilera traveling solo throughout South America. I have visited five countries (Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador), visited countless cities - from capital cities with 12 million people to pueblitos with population of 200 and every size in between, met some of the most wonderful, hospitable and inspiring people, and had some of the most amazing experiences of my life on this adventure of mine. I have been challenged in ways I could not have imagined - physically and mentally - and, as I said from the beginning, tried my best to stay in the mindset of "Do that which you think you cannot do" when faced with such challenges.
But now the "real world" (I.e. one in which I must work to recuperate my savings) is calling me home. And I am not sure how I feel about returning home. It will certainly be good to see my family and return to North Carolina to work and play in las montañas, but I will miss Latin America - the ambience, the friendly people, traveling everywhere by bus, living a very materialistically minimal existence traveling with - I kid you not and please do not be disgusted - 3 pairs of pants, 4 shirts, two sweaters, and 2 pairs of shoes (and, yes, holes have peeked through a few of my clothes, but I HATE shopping even when things are cheap...), and - most delightfully - the ability to buy any and every kind of food imaginable by simply walking out your front door - no need to go to the supermarket here! I will not miss - being utterly confused about the how, why, when, and where of bus stations, bus schedules, bus routes; eating nothing but bread for days on end when other options included potato chips and soda; explaining to people that I only drink water (why would someone be so crazy to live like that?!), do not eat red meat, deep fried foods, and prefer to have veggies at least once a day; and I will defintely NOT miss bathrooms without toilet seats and toilet paper....although it may be awhile before I stop throwing the papel higenico en the trash can...8 month long habits die hard:)!
Tonight is celebration of my final evening here, the boys and I plan to eat ice cream (first!), pan de yuca, choclo, arroz con menestra, perhaps a llapingacho, and, if space allows it, an empanada de queso. And tomorrow, painfully bright and early, I will be off to my hometown where Susan will be awaiting my arrival with bells on! Hasta la proxima, America Latina! VIVA!
Ready to go out in Guayaquil!
I spent my last weekend of my time here in Guayaquil near the coast with Luisfer and his family. Guayaquil is a big city and very very hot...similar to Mississippi in the Summer...so I was immediately reminded of what I will be returning to in just over 24 hours. And my body's reposnse? Complete and total shock and shutdown. After only a few hours wandering around the city center with Luisfer and his mom and eating some amazinginly delicious llapingachos (cheese filled potato dumplings) covered in peanut salse prepared by his grandmother, I proceeded to sleep nearly 4 hours...qué vaga soy! But refreshed and revived, we headed back out to the center to eat dinner, climb 450 stairs to the top of a hill overlooking the city and the rivers the snake through it, and then off to dance the night away in celebration of my final night out in Ecualandia (Luisfer's cousin lent me clothes so I had actual "going-out" attire!). Sunday, a cousin and her boyfriend joined the two of us on a bike ride before eating lunch, playing tennis, eating again - this time in the company of 12 family members - I love Latino family get-togethers! - and then boarding my final night bus to return to Quito.
Bike ride to the river in Guayaquil
Tomorrow will mark the end of 8 and a half months of my life as a mochilera traveling solo throughout South America. I have visited five countries (Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador), visited countless cities - from capital cities with 12 million people to pueblitos with population of 200 and every size in between, met some of the most wonderful, hospitable and inspiring people, and had some of the most amazing experiences of my life on this adventure of mine. I have been challenged in ways I could not have imagined - physically and mentally - and, as I said from the beginning, tried my best to stay in the mindset of "Do that which you think you cannot do" when faced with such challenges.
But now the "real world" (I.e. one in which I must work to recuperate my savings) is calling me home. And I am not sure how I feel about returning home. It will certainly be good to see my family and return to North Carolina to work and play in las montañas, but I will miss Latin America - the ambience, the friendly people, traveling everywhere by bus, living a very materialistically minimal existence traveling with - I kid you not and please do not be disgusted - 3 pairs of pants, 4 shirts, two sweaters, and 2 pairs of shoes (and, yes, holes have peeked through a few of my clothes, but I HATE shopping even when things are cheap...), and - most delightfully - the ability to buy any and every kind of food imaginable by simply walking out your front door - no need to go to the supermarket here! I will not miss - being utterly confused about the how, why, when, and where of bus stations, bus schedules, bus routes; eating nothing but bread for days on end when other options included potato chips and soda; explaining to people that I only drink water (why would someone be so crazy to live like that?!), do not eat red meat, deep fried foods, and prefer to have veggies at least once a day; and I will defintely NOT miss bathrooms without toilet seats and toilet paper....although it may be awhile before I stop throwing the papel higenico en the trash can...8 month long habits die hard:)!
Tonight is celebration of my final evening here, the boys and I plan to eat ice cream (first!), pan de yuca, choclo, arroz con menestra, perhaps a llapingacho, and, if space allows it, an empanada de queso. And tomorrow, painfully bright and early, I will be off to my hometown where Susan will be awaiting my arrival with bells on! Hasta la proxima, America Latina! VIVA!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Conociendo Colombia (and putting off my Final Goodbyes)
Buenos Días desde Quito, Ecuador! Im STILL here, although a FINAL return ticket has been bought - no turning back now! But, in the meantime, I will enjoy my final days of my Grand Aventura.
View from high above Bogotá!
Most recently, Luisfer and I boarded a plane (no long-distance busses this time around!), and made our way to Bogotá, Colombia to spend 5 days exploring the city, visiting his friends, and eating and drinking our way from one part of town to the next. Since we had muy poco tiempo, we stayed in the city. But Bogotá is HUGE, so there was certainly plenty to keep us well-entertained, as well as well-fed. I feel like Bogotá was as much a culinary adventure as anything else. And our first Colombian food? Hormigas (i.e. ANTS!). That's right, these little buggers are a delicacy in these parts - and they dont come cheap. Luisfer and I both ate one each. And that was enough for a lifetime. Basically, I felt like I was eating a dirt-flavored peanut which may not have been so bad had I not had to see the head and little beady eyes before I took to munching away... Other tasty delights included Tamales, Arepas (white corn tortillas) filled with ham and cheese, Obleas - huge crackers filled with dulce de leche (arequipe in Colombia) and grated queso fresco, Bandeja Paisa (typical dish of rice, beans, meat, and platano), and Changua (cheesy bread in a bowl of milk).
Our days involved lots of walking through the centro historico, making our way through the hoards of street vendors, riding the elevator to the top of the tallest building in Bogotá (46 stories) for a panoramic view of la ciudad - Qué Grande!, visiting the Botanic Garden (I LOVE green spaces:)!) where our hostess Nataly works, visiting museums, and playing the typical Colombian drinking game of Sapo (or "Frog" in English) which involved throwing a coin at a box with nine holes of varying point values, two of which were covered by frogs sitting with their mouths wide-open on the top. Neither of us was skilled enough to actually get the coin in the "Sapo's" mouth, but it was still quite fun! And while I was certainly a winner in my own mind, the score card seemed to lean more towards Luisfer and Nataly's team...hmm....
Our nights were spent bar/disco-hopping in different parts of la ciudad where we made new friends, drank chicha (a drink made from fermented corn) out of a coconut shell, tried each of Colombia's different beers, as well as aguardiente, and danced to typical Colombian music. Colombians know how to drink and stay up until - literally - the break of dawn. I didnt make it much past 3 AM (I know, I know - abuelita!), but our hosts kept the party going until about 8:30 AM.
We had a great time and really enjoyed getting to see the city with our Bogotán hosts. It makes such a difference (and is a MUCH calmer experience) when you are with people who really know the city - how to get around, the best places to go, etc. We met some wonderful people, and while, yes, there are police with big guns everywhere - and one even tried recruiting Luisfer to join the force - I never felt more unsafe than anywhere else Ive visited throughout my travels.
I have only a few days left here in my home away from home and will be going this weekend with Ivo and Luisfer to Guayaquil to visit THEIR hometown before making my way to MY hometown. It has truly been a Grand Aventura, and I am sad to see it come to an end. But for now, I will live in the present and revel in my last moments here in Quito with my Ecua-familia:). VIVA!!
View from high above Bogotá!
Most recently, Luisfer and I boarded a plane (no long-distance busses this time around!), and made our way to Bogotá, Colombia to spend 5 days exploring the city, visiting his friends, and eating and drinking our way from one part of town to the next. Since we had muy poco tiempo, we stayed in the city. But Bogotá is HUGE, so there was certainly plenty to keep us well-entertained, as well as well-fed. I feel like Bogotá was as much a culinary adventure as anything else. And our first Colombian food? Hormigas (i.e. ANTS!). That's right, these little buggers are a delicacy in these parts - and they dont come cheap. Luisfer and I both ate one each. And that was enough for a lifetime. Basically, I felt like I was eating a dirt-flavored peanut which may not have been so bad had I not had to see the head and little beady eyes before I took to munching away... Other tasty delights included Tamales, Arepas (white corn tortillas) filled with ham and cheese, Obleas - huge crackers filled with dulce de leche (arequipe in Colombia) and grated queso fresco, Bandeja Paisa (typical dish of rice, beans, meat, and platano), and Changua (cheesy bread in a bowl of milk).
Our days involved lots of walking through the centro historico, making our way through the hoards of street vendors, riding the elevator to the top of the tallest building in Bogotá (46 stories) for a panoramic view of la ciudad - Qué Grande!, visiting the Botanic Garden (I LOVE green spaces:)!) where our hostess Nataly works, visiting museums, and playing the typical Colombian drinking game of Sapo (or "Frog" in English) which involved throwing a coin at a box with nine holes of varying point values, two of which were covered by frogs sitting with their mouths wide-open on the top. Neither of us was skilled enough to actually get the coin in the "Sapo's" mouth, but it was still quite fun! And while I was certainly a winner in my own mind, the score card seemed to lean more towards Luisfer and Nataly's team...hmm....
Our nights were spent bar/disco-hopping in different parts of la ciudad where we made new friends, drank chicha (a drink made from fermented corn) out of a coconut shell, tried each of Colombia's different beers, as well as aguardiente, and danced to typical Colombian music. Colombians know how to drink and stay up until - literally - the break of dawn. I didnt make it much past 3 AM (I know, I know - abuelita!), but our hosts kept the party going until about 8:30 AM.
We had a great time and really enjoyed getting to see the city with our Bogotán hosts. It makes such a difference (and is a MUCH calmer experience) when you are with people who really know the city - how to get around, the best places to go, etc. We met some wonderful people, and while, yes, there are police with big guns everywhere - and one even tried recruiting Luisfer to join the force - I never felt more unsafe than anywhere else Ive visited throughout my travels.
I have only a few days left here in my home away from home and will be going this weekend with Ivo and Luisfer to Guayaquil to visit THEIR hometown before making my way to MY hometown. It has truly been a Grand Aventura, and I am sad to see it come to an end. But for now, I will live in the present and revel in my last moments here in Quito with my Ecua-familia:). VIVA!!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Ecua Blessings
Buenos días desde Quito, Ecuador! I have been having a truly wonderful time here in Quito. The last week has been spent working on getting things in order for when I return to los estados (yes, my return is inevitable...) and need to do things like work (WORK? What's that?). I had the pleasure of talking to my wonderful boss Becki Davis at the NOC on the phone and it sounds like things are just as exciting (if not more!) than ever at the Nantahala River, so once I finally decide it is time for me to return to the homeland, I will surely be looking forward to getting back to las montañas de North Carolina, seeing old friends, going for some lovely long bike rides, and eating some of Slow Joe's fantastic hummus and pasta salad. Oh man, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. But enough about the future! Im still here and not ready in the least to leave.
As both Luisfer and Ivo were busy busy with work, and I was busy with "work," we spent the week here in Quito. Most nights, I got some form of lesson from Ivo and Luisfer regarding my pronunciation. We have been putting particular effort in the proper pronunciation of "torta" (i.e. CAKE!) as it is an incredibly important part of my vocabulary here. And who knew my gringa self could have SUCH a freakin'hard time sounding even slightly native...hmmm.... In addition to trying to pronounce food words, we had a few culinary adventures - ate sushi (Ivo - who eats EVERYTHING - only ate a few bites, but at least he gave it a chance!), brownie ice cream at my favorite little tienda, and Luisfer even explored the world of tofu when we went to a veggie buffet. I do not think I was able to sell him on the food, but, again, at least he tried it (and I took photos to capture the moment!).
Friday night we went out dancing and stayed out until they shut the place down - woohoo! Saturday, I joined Luisfer and Ivo on an outing to our friend Marcelo's hacienda outside of Quito where they played an exciting game of fútbol. During my year here, I, along with Elsa and Rene, were the "Monosapiens" biggest fans, so I spent a lot of that year watching these boys play and it felt like a blast from the past to watch them run around on the field again - I even had a few goals dedicated to me;)!
The rest of the days have been spent in search of cheap food, cooking (Luisfer was in total disbelief that I could actually prepare my own dinner and wanted to take a photo to capture the moment - hmph!), watching movies on the floor, running in the park, and - most exciting of all - planning a trip to Colombia!! Luisfer and I leave tomorrow morning for a 5 days trip to visit some friends of his in Bogotá and explore the ciudad. So while 4 years ago, I was completely forbidden fom even entering the country, things have improved dramatically, and I am thrilled for the opportunity to get a taste of what the country has to offer. And even more excited to have a travel companion. Traveling solo has its delights, but I am finding that I am WELCOMING the company!! So off we go....VIVA!
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