From Huanchacho, we took a bus to Lima. It was a 9 hour busride. I know, tell me about it. Really, though, I can't complain. We got to watch movies (not the best selection, but they were in English ;)  ), got meals, played BINGO (oh yes, you read right... we played BINGO on a bus. Unfortunately I did not win). Once we got to Lima, we were free to roam the city. I really liked Lima. Maybe it was because at that point, I was quite ready to be home and missing everything about home, and in Lima, there were tons of tourists; for once, we didn't stick out like sore thumbs when we walked down the street. They had Starbucks, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Dunkin Donuts, Burger King-- it really was like home. There was this really amazing display of aerial photographs taken all over the world on display in one of the main parks. So, after supper, we spent our time wandering through those. The photographer was superb. 

The next morning, we had to leave by 3 or 330 (I can't remember- I think it may have been 3 though) to catch our flight to Cusco. I still can't believe the amount of traveling we did; whew! That was Saturday, I believe. We got to our hotel and were allowed to sleep/ do whatever else we wanted until 1ish, so that was nice. We found a nice little cafe across the street from our hotel where they served DELICIOUS sandwiches, which made me quite happy. I'm a sandwich girl. Saturday and Sunday, we went to a bunch of different ruins around Cusco. Our guide was hilarious. He'd go, "25 people- look over there! Kodak moment! 25 people- take picture!" His mannerisms were fantastic. Sunday, we also went to a llama/ alpaca farm, so that was fun. 

Then Sunday afternoon, we took a train to Aguas Calientes, which is only a 15-20 minute busride from Machu Picchu. For those of you that don't know, Machu Picchu is one of the seven modern wonders of the world. I want to say it's one of the largest set of ruins that is in as good of condition as it is. Monday morning, we got up around 5ish to get an early start for Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is the large set of ruins, and there is a mountain next to it called Waynapicchu that you can climb that has more ruins and an absolutely amazing view of Machu Picchu. They only allow 400 people climb Waynapicchu each day, thus the reason we had to get up so early. I believe I was the 22nd person to walk through the gate to climb it, so we did quite well. That was some intense climbing, let me tell ya. It was mostly just "rock stairs"-- not nice, neat ones either; they were pretty rudimentary. But I think that just added to the joy and sense of accomplishment once we reached the top. WOW- the view was breath-taking (wait, maybe that was because I'd been climbing straight up for 45 minutes.... lame joke, I know; couldn't resist). It was almost just as hard going down as it was going up. We got a guided tour of Machu Picchu, then had until early evening (when we had to catch our train back to Cusco) to walk around Machu Picchu or Aguas Calientes. 

Tuesday was a free day in Cusco. Cusco had a lot of character. It was pretty touristy, but the buildings and atmosphere had tons of character- older, colonial style. Two other girls and myself went shopping in the morning/ afternoon... had a street vendor stalk us for a few blocks-- kinda creepy. What had happened was one of my friends had been considering buying a painting from him, but he named too expensive of a price and wouldn't really bargain, so she decided it wasn't worth it. Well then, he would wait outside every store we went in, quoting lower and lower prices, which, had he not been stalking us, were quite good prices. It was the principle of it all though :) That night we had our farewell dinner- oh man, that food was so good. It was buffet-style, but more like gourmet buffet. Mmmm.

Wednesday morning we flew back to Lima, then had a city tour, then the night free. My night was spent completely unpacking, then repacking my suitcases, trying to get inside the weight limit (50 lbs. per bag). Luckily, the hotel we were staying in had a scale that we all made good use of. We had to wake up at 2 the next morning for our flight (ugh! all those early mornings were killing me). We got to the airport and found out our flight was delayed an hour and a half- bummer. It made me very glad that I had booked such a long layover in Miami- little comfort room. That whole day was spent either on planes, in airports, or in the car. I went from Lima to Miami, Miami to Atlanta, then Atlanta to Milwaukee, then a car ride from Milwaukee to good ol' Oshkosh. 

And that's it; that's all she wrote. That is the end to my 4 months in South America. 

I will post pictures hopefully soon (though I don't know how many people are reading this anymore... oh well). I'm a workin' woman now, and Leah's wedding is this weekend, so I'm not positive it'll get done this week. Sometime though.

Peruvian beaches

Well, after a lengthy "blog break", I will now commence the final chapter of my South American journeys. 

Our first beach stop had a great location- a good amount of beach-front property, a nice pool, pretty secluded. We went swimming when we got there. In case you weren't aware, I don't have the greatest swimming skills (I failed swimming lessons when I was little, if that's any indication ;)   ). I mean, I can stay afloat and get around; I'm just not the best at all the strokes. Anyway, we get in the water and first of all, there were TONS of rocks, and not just little pebbles-- I'm talking boulders. Combine that with a really strong current. Ouch. Needless to say, I didn't stay in for too long. I managed to escape relatively unscathed, but some of the people in my group came out with some scratches and bruises. This hotel had some serious potential (like I said- great location and some amenities), but the rooms had some need for improvement, and boy did we ever find that out when night fell. COCKROACHES IN OUR ROOM!! Ew ew ew ew ew. And a multitude of other crawling creatures. So bugs- maybe I could handle that (maybe not- I woke up every couple hours expecting to be covered with insects. ick). But it didn't stop with bugs- oh no. There was a MOUSE in our room. Yes- a mouse. Running around by our open suitcases. I don't know how, but somehow we (and when I say "we", I mean "Kate", one of my roommates) managed to shoo it out of the room. Like I said, I didn't sleep well that night.

We left the next morning for Huanchaco, another beach town. Oh, our accommodations were infinitely better than the last ones, namely because they were minus the bugs and mouse. We had a little balcony that overlooked the pool and just had to walk across the street to get to the beach. We stayed there two nights. The weather was perfect- sunny but breezy. We got a little beach time when we first got there, but it was cloudy and cool, so no tans were really gotten. The next morning we went to see a bunch of really cool ruins. It was quite sunny, so I managed to get myself the worse (and most obvious) tanlines two weeks before having to wear a strapless dress for Leah's wedding. Good planning, I know ;) A group of young dancers (I want to say early high school age and younger) came to our hotel one night after we ate and put on a show of native dances for us. They were amazing. Wow. Unfortunately, my camera was back in my room.

I'll add pictures to this later. I need to mow the lawn at some point today.

This may be a two- or three- entry series (the ones about Peru), and then maybe more pictures; we'll see how I'm feeling. 

Roadtrip to Peru- not many people do that, huh?

So we have made it safely to Peruvian soil. Lots of driving has been involved (and there is still more to come), but it really hasn't been that bad. I like roadtrips and brought a couple books to read, so I'm content. Our bus is quite nice- spacious, comfy seats, DVD player, big windows for a nice view of outside. I've noticed a little tension between people in the group. I think it's the close quarters :) That'll get you every time. We're going to a museum this morning, doing some more driving, and around 2, we'll reach our destination, which has a beach :) You can bet that's where I'll be spending my day. Oh, how exciting! Okay, well I'll give more of the Peruvian happenings at a later date (here's a little teaser: there was a mouse at one point. You're on the edge of your seat now, aren't you ;)   )-- it's time to go eat breakfast and then on the road again. 8 days!! Happy Wednesday.

Well, my blog won't end quite yet- my mom had the good idea that even if I have no internet access to report on my time in Peru, I should keep track of what I do in my journal, then when I get back to Wisconsin, give you all an update on what it was we did/ share pictures. So, that is the plan. 

I wandered around Cuenca this morning, taking pictures of some of the pretty buildings. Bought my host mom, sisters, and Jenni (our 19-year-old housekeeper-type girl--- super sweet) roses and my host dad and Mateo some candy. I think when I get home this afternoon, Carolina and I are going to a movie or to the mall or something. At 730 tonight, CEDEI is hosting a "Despedida"-- farewell dinner. There's going to be a slide show and speakers and food :) I feel like I'm graduating or something. 

13 days from now I will be on a plane or in an airport waiting to catch my next plane on my way home to good ol' Wisconsin. I admit I have never really appreciated the Cheese State until I came to Ecuador. Home sweet home :) 

Until next time...

The end is near...

I am officially DONE-ZO with my sophomore year of college! Oh, it feels wonderful. 

Now that I am able to think about things other than school and studying, goodness gracious, I leave Cuenca on Sunday. I feel the same way I did right before leaving the States to come to Ecuador. Like- Whoa, all the sudden it's here, and I'm not prepared for it. And I don't mean prepared as in all packed; I mean prepared as in mentally/ emotionally (though I'm not very in touch with my emotions). I don't know- I think it will be weird at first when I get back. I will have been here for almost 4 months- different culture, different people, different food... I apologize- I can't be too reflective; like I said-  not so in touch with my emotional side.

Anyway, we leave for Peru on Sunday. I'm so excited!! We're going all over Peru- lots of bus time, but I have a book, so I'm ready. Machu Picchu is going to be amazing and oh my goodness I can't wait. We're supposed to get some beach time, so maybe I'll be able to fix my goofy tan (one can only hope). I still have to pack- ick. I think I'll try to start tonight. I don't feel like I've bought a  lot, but I think it'll be rough. I'm not the greatest packer. We'll see though. 

Shoot, I'm sorry, but I haven't got much to say. My Ecuadorian adventures are drawing to a close, and I don't know if there will be any internet access to tell about some of my Peruvian adventures. 

Alrighty- I'm going to go home for some lunch. One of these days before I leave, my host sister Carolina is going to make this fantastic strawberry dessert. Woohoo!

hmmmm

Oh my goodness, it's already my last week in Cuenca. My, how time flies! Unfortunately, it's looking like it's going to be a rough week- lots of tests and presentations. It all starts this afternoon, and the storm doesn't end until Thursday afternoon. Much studying and preparing will be done, and little sleep will be had. Hopefully, it will be worth it. All that to say, no blog entries of any substance until probably Wednesday afternoon. This week may also mark the end of my blog- I surely cannot write about "my adventures in Ecuador" when I get back to the U.S. I don't know about internet availability in Peru (which we leave for on Sunday morning!! YAY!!!). Anyway, have a fantastic day.

Mi Familia Ecuatoriana

Last night we had a family photo shoot :) Meet my Ecuadorian family...

Picture #1: top row from left, Jenni (she lives with us and helps around the house), Mateo (3 years old, son of Viviana), Viviana. Bottom row from left: Carolina (holding the naughty dog, Odi), Oswaldo, Lia

Picture #2: Spot the Gringa... We look like family, right?

Picture #3: Las Reinas ("The Queens" ;)  )- all the ladies of the fam. Carolina refuses to smile in pictures- we told her to, but she won't.

Picture #4: My host parents and I. Mateo popped up behind the couch just as the picture was being taken.

Picture #5: The sisters (Carolina on my left and Viviana on my right)

A Feel for the Jungle

So you don't feel like you missed out on going to the jungle.... You can experience a canoe ride down the river from the comfort of your home!

You can also take part in a perilous jungle hike without leaving your chair!

Enjoy!

Cuenca's oddities

I have witnessed some STRANGE things while walking to and from school as of late… And it all happens on the same street- go figure. Last week, I walked by the old man from whom I bought my umbrella with his finger stuck all the way up his nose. I’m pretty sure I probably made a nasty face at that sight as I walked by. Mmmmmm- appetizing, I know. I wanted to go home and sanitize my umbrella immediately.

Then there was early this week: There was another old man (I’m beginning to see a trend here…) on the opposite side of the street chasing a pigeon. He then proceeded to CATCH one with his bare hands- no, you didn’t just read wrong- the old man caught a pigeon with his hands. I know. Crazy. But it gets better! He took the pigeon and began cuddling it up to his face and “embracing” the pigeon (if you can, in fact, embrace pigeons at all). Again, my facial expression was probably priceless. Where do these people come up with this stuff?!

The last incident occurred today on the way back to school after lunch. So there are countless street vendors with their carts all along my way to school. Usually the people watching them are women. Well, today I saw a mother and a teenage girl (presumably her daughter) sitting together by their cart. The daughter had a tweezers in hand and was tweezing apparently unwanted hair from the face of her mother- right out there in the open, on the sidewalk of the busy street. Obviously neither had any qualms about doing this for all to see. Maybe they both figured the general public would APPRECIATE seeing the mom get rid of those unsightly hairs. ;)

So- the moral of the story is if you find yourself walking down Benigno Malo (the street) in Cuenca, Ecuador at any point in your life, keep your eyes peeled; you just never quite know what you’re going to see.

p.s. I eat on average 3 apples a day. If “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, then sickness is not even an option for me, right? One can only hope… I’m feeing pretty insightful today, can you tell? ;)

Amazon Jungle Escapades- Take 3

Nearly finished- this will be the last post about what we did.. there may be more of pictures though...

Sunday: We got to sleep until 730 that morning- wonderful sleep. Our room stayed fairly cool actually (compared to other people's)- we had a fan going all day/ night until the power shut down. From about midnight until 5AM, the power shut down on the boat. It got a little stuffy then, but I was so tired I was able to handle it. Sunday morning we went for a long canoe ride to another place we were going to hike. Hiked around a while. We built a shelter out of palm fronds with our bare hands, so that was pretty fun. Then we got back in the canoe- it was probably 11AM. Some people fished for a little while (there were only 2 fishing lines though and the bait- grubs- had to be found in the forest so there was a limited supply). I left the fishing to the others because I tend to get frustrated and impatient if I'm unable to catch anything (especially if there are bites). After a while of that (and no luck), we headed back to the boat. The Jungle Discovery was returning to its original place since we were heading home the next day. I think we had about an hour or hour and a half canoe ride there. During that time, I took my rubber boots off (yes- we got to wear rubber boots on every hike- pretty stylin'). I went to take my socks off and ended up launching one into the river somehow. Oops. Our guide asked if I wanted to go back to get it, but it was no big deal. I have left my mark on the Amazon (I think some people would call it littering, but it was completely unintentional...). I rolled my pants up to just below my knees and relaxed for our long canoe ride in the sun. It was perfect- it was breezy because we were moving and sunny and oh-so-wonderful. We got back to the boat, ate lunch, and then had a bunch of free time before the next activity (basket weaving!!). So I put on my swimming suit and some shorts and laid on the deck reading my book. It was then that I discovered the TERRIBLE tan line I'd gotten from the canoe-ride. My shins were bright red (burnt), and there was a very definite line right below my knee. Nice. Some people went swimming, but I wasn't too keen on doing that, as I'm not the best swimmer (I can stay afloat, but I'm not great) and the current was quite strong. Then it was time for basket weaving. Ha that was fun. Tim and I were basket weaving partners and our basket turned out okay. Our teacher was the head guide, and he wasn't too impressed with our basket, but it was our first time- what can we say? I believe it was after seeing our basket that he said that some people are born basket weavers, and some people are born basket cases. Obviously he meant we were the latter ;) We took a night hike that evening. Saw LOTS of bugs- BIG bugs. I wore a long-sleeve shirt so that I wouldn't get anymore bugbites on my arms, and I'm so glad I did. All the sudden, I felt something crawling up my arm- something large. I was afraid to look, so I peered down and out of the corner of my eye, all I saw was legs- long legs. I believe I jumped up and down frantically, flailing my arms about. (You just never know what could be "attacking" you in the jungle at night). It turned out to be a giant grasshopper. Our guide was right behind me and told me, in Spanish, that there was no reason for me to be afraid- it wouldn't have hurt me. Yes, I said, but it was HUGE. We saw some spiders, cockroaches, and other bugs. At one point, our guide had us extinguish all our flashlights and just stand there in the dark, listening. Not going to lie, I was a little scared something was going to come out and eat me. Thankfully, nothing did. That night when we got back to the boat, we had a farewell dinner- DELICIOUS, but what else did we expect. Oh, it was so sad everything was ending. 

Monday: We took the same way back that we took to the Jungle Discovery. In the beginning of the canoe ride, we stopped at this native woman's house/ farm- type thing, and she showed us what sorts of things she grew, etc. It was kind of interesting, but it was SUPER hot on Monday, so we weren't really wanting to be there. We had been blessed with amazing weather the whole trip- not too hot or rainy. After we left, we had our 3 hour canoe ride and got out at the same place we'd stopped on the way for lunch. The place without bathrooms. And I had to go to the bathroom before our 3 hour busride. Oh, I was so torn- did I really want to do that which I had vowed not to do or did I want to spend the 3-hour bumpy busride in a very uncomfortable state? I got clear directions on the best way to go about relieving oneself in the wild from my experienced group-mates. Then I wavered for 5 more minutes. I finally decided that I was going to do it. I could do it. I did do it. Sheesh. Big deal, huh? Anyway, from there on out, it was traveling until 9 that night. 3 hour busride and 2 planerides, with some lengthy layovers in between. 

That, my friends, was my jungle experience. I highly recommend it to everyone. 

Pictures to come later- they're taking forever to load.

Picture 1: The cylindrical thing hanging from the branch on the left side of the picture is a wasps' nest, as are the bulges on the trunk. They make a marching noise if disturbed. 

Picture 2: One of our guides, Eduardo (I think that was his name) in action. He explained that the tree he's next to was used for punishment- people were tied to the trunk and the pointy things sticking out obviously hurt them.

Picture 3: There were some good tree roots- I couldn't resist.

Picture 4: LARGE wolf spider- they're very aggressive, we were told. That was during our night hike.

Picture 5: Giant grasshopper, much like the one that was crawling on my arm.

Amazon Jungle Escapades- Take 2

Friday: We had to wake up SUPER early that morning- 530 AM. We took a canoe (actually the whole group was divided into 3 smaller groups that rode in 3 separate canoes with 3 different guides) to a clay lick. What is a clay lick? you may be asking. It is a "wall" of a certain type of clay that parrots, macaws, and other animals eat to neutralize the toxins of the plants they eat. There were tons of macaws there, so it was definitely worth it. On the way to/from the clay lick, we saw many other types of birds, some monkeys (!!! they were kind of far away in the trees, but you could still see them), and some dolphins swimming in the water. It was pretty awesome. We actually didn't see that many animals during the whole trip- they don't just saunter up to a group of 15 noisy people like it's no big deal. I knew we wouldn't see many, but it was still kind of a bummer that there were no anaconda or jaguar sightings ;) We went for a hike through the rain forest around mid-day: saw a tarantula (which was small by tarantula standards, but pretty darn big by spider standards), a big millipede, and a bunch of plants. We got our faces painted with the juice of a certain red berry. That evening we went piranha fishing. It was basically  just a line with a hook on it- no fishing poles. Our bait was raw chicken. I got a lot of bites, as did everyone else, but the only person that caught anything was Ramon, one of our guides; he caught three catfish. I'm pretty sure he's got a fair amount of experience. After the fishing, once it was dark, we went caiman "hunting"- it wasn't really hunting though- I likened it to deer shining, just on the river with caimans instead. (For those of you that don't know, caimans are like black alligators). We were supposed to look for red eyes shining out at us from the shore. I never saw anything, even when our guide would supposedly spot one and we'd get close (I'm still not too sure I believe he actually saw anything...). We did see a little porcupine swimming for dear life in the water. Oh, it was just so cute! He climbed up a tree that was half in the water, and everyone took pictures of it (or most everyone, because I didn't...). He was probably scared out of his mind. The stars were gorgeous that night, and there was heat lightening. So even though we didn't see much for caimans, we got a pretty spectacular show in the sky. 

Well, it turned out that the river was low and the Jungle Discovery got stuck on a sand bar. What luck! We needed a ton of rain in a short period of time if we wanted to be able to move as was planned.

Saturday: We got up fairly early (like 630) and ate breakfast. Our boat was still stuck, but it had rained quite hard the whole night, continuing into the morning. After breakfast, we were told that we would have 2 hours of free time (ideally to sleep) because it was still raining (and we were still stuck). So after the two hours (in which I slept and read my book), we went to a small village where the Cofan people live, and we went on another jungle trek. We had a native guide (from the village) in addition to our normal guide. When we returned, our boat had become un-stuck! Just think- it rained enough in 1 night/ half a day that we were able to get moving again. That afternoon we went to a different, larger Cofan village. The people there have a project with the protection/ conservation of turtles that live in the Amazon. They collect their eggs and raise the turtles until they are big enough to protect themselves. Without the help of these people, the turtle population was declining rapidly due to predation and other factors. So there was a big "turtle farm"- I think they had 3000 turtles in all. They also had a pet monkey! Got some pictures of that. We stayed there for a while, and on our return ride back to the Jungle Discovery, we got to enjoy the most beautiful sunset I've seen in a long time (which I also took pictures of). 

Last installment tomorrow-- maybe I'll do another after that of just pictures or videos; we'll see. Happy Wednesday.

Picture one: Green macaws at the clay lick

Picture two: The tarantula

Picture three: Courtney and I, all painted up. (It was a serious picture ;)   )

Picture four: This was part of the Cofan village we visited

Picture five: Sunset

Amazon Jungle Escapades- Take 1

Well, I have returned from the Amazon jungle relatively unscathed- I have about a bazillion bug bites all over my entire body (those mosquitos are intense- biting through 98.11% DEET bug spray and through my clothes) and some pretty crazy tanlines (hopefully I'll have a picture to put up at some point that one of my friends took of this super-conspicuous line on my shins). Five magnificent days filled with sweat, sunscreen, and bug spray (among other things, of course). One word summary of the trip: INCREDIBLE. I think I'll try to do a day-by-day summary of events because that's just easier. Depending on time and space, this take up a few blog entries.

Thursday: We had to be at the Cuenca airport at 700 AM. Our flight left around 8 or 830 [pause in typing to scratch 5 of the 700 bug bites on my arms ;) ]. From Cuenca, we flew to Quito and from Quito to Coca. Stepping off the plane in Coca was like entering a whole new world. It was hot, sticky, and super-humid--- a little taste of the weather for the next couple days. Our guides/ boat staff met us at the Coca airport, and from there we took a bus to the place we were supposed to board the "canoe" to take us to our hotel boat (or "flotel"). Let me clarify quickly the use of the word "canoe"-- these were long boats with benches and 2 motors on the back; we were not having to row down the river :) There was a minor mishap about 15 minutes after leaving the airport in Coca on our bus. Somehow-- nobody knows exactly what happened-- our bus and a taxi had a little run-in. Uh-oh. So there was some drama, but after much arguing and some local police involvement, everything worked out. (Good start to the trip, huh?) We had 3 hours on the bus, then when we reached the location of the canoe, we had lunch and after, boarded the canoe for our 3-hour canoe ride. We had to wear these excellent orange life jackets every time we got on the canoe, so that was pretty sweet. Anyway, it ended up being a pretty long day of traveling. The landscape was extremely different than that of Cuenca though, so it held my interest for the majority of the 3 hours (until the end of the boat ride when I didn't know if I was going to be able to make it because I had to go to the bathroom so bad. The only option at our lunch site was to go in the woods- au natural- and I refused to pop a squat and expose my booty to the bugs and God knows what else was out there. I am proud to report I did make it until we got to the "Jungle Discovery"- our home for the next 4 days). It was a pretty relaxing first night on board- had supper, found out the itinerary for the next day, and just hung out.

I think part of the reason this trip was so wonderful was because, yes, we were trekking through the Amazon rainforest each day, fishing for piranhas, sweating our butts off, and just doing other nature-y things, but we always returned to our luxurious hotel boat. (Maybe not so luxurious compared to Caribbean cruises and whatnot, but relatively speaking, it was pretty classy). There were two people to a room, and we had our own bathrooms. There were 3 decks: the first had the kitchen, a few rooms, and the dining room; the second was all rooms; and the third included the bar (which some people frequented maybe a little more than they should have), a few rooms, and a nice 'sitting area' type place with couches and chairs. Let me tell you about one of the best things about our boat: the food. Now, I know most of you are aware that my stomach dictates much of my happiness ;) so this was perfect. The food was absolutely incredible. Every meal consisted of three courses (soup or veggies for course #1, then the main dish, then dessert; obviously breakfast was a bit different- we got a plate of fruit, bread, then the main dish- usually with eggs), and every course was DELICIOUS. They even made us tasty snacks between meals. They took good care of us and our bellies. The crew was great as well- not only did they cook, they cleaned, drove the boat, and some were even our guides in the jungle; they did everything. 

Now, time for a few pictures, and tomorrow I'll tell about Friday.

Picture 1: Kate and myself in the lovely orange lifejackets on our canoe to the Jungle Discovery.

Picture 2: Our home for the weekend! Isn't she a beaut?!

I haven't really had much to say lately. Been studying till my brains are ready to fall out. I had a mid-term last Friday, one today, and one tomorrow. Whew- all worth 1/3 of my grade, so kind of a big deal :/ Two down, one to go, and I think the next one will be the hardest; it's for my Latin American Culture and Civilization class. I really enjoy the class and like my teacher a lot, but it's all history and all in Spanish which= hard to study . The test is mostly essay, so we'll see how it goes. I don't expect too much sleep tonight. 

But you know what? I just keep telling myself that when the tests are all over, I'm going to the jungle. That's right. It's finally here. We leave early Thursday morning for the AMAZON JUNGLE!!!!!! I'm mildly excited ;) Okay, super excited. We're coming back Monday, so that is five whole days of wonderful, humid, sticky, hot jungle time. 

When I get back, I've got less that 3 weeks left in Cuenca and then 13 days in Peru (it's been decided that we're leaving two days earlier for Peru than originally planned, so that's pretty sweet). Shoot, only like 5 weeks left until my grand return to the Cheese State. Time has flown, and I'm pretty sure it's only going to go even faster now. Honestly, I'm pretty ready to come home. I have had/ am having a blast, and this is definitely the opportunity of a lifetime (goodness, I will be able to say I lived in Ecuador for 4 months). My host family is great, classes are okay (....ha.... I still have 3 huge papers to write when I come back from the jungle, not to mention 3 finals... that's school though- only like 9 more years of it, no big deal ;)    ). Living in a completely different culture is something I highly recommend- it's definitely an eye-opener. I've learned a lot about other people and a lot about myself too. All that to say I will be ecstatic when I get home. 

Happy Tuesday!

Mateo

I hope this works--- never uploaded a video before. But here is one of Mateo dancing. He's such a cutie. I'll have to try to get more videos- this one doesn't show his full range of moves ;) Enjoy.

Oh geez. I just realized today for the first time that "Ecuador" in my blog website is spelled wrong- how embarrassing! It is http://aventurasenencuador.blogspot.com/ . How did that "n" get between the "e" and the "c". I apologize for this oversight. I am not the most accurate typist and evidently made a mistake when choosing my blog website; at least it's spelled correctly in the title of the blog. Spelling errors (when I make them) irk me so. I'll get over it in due time, no doubt.

Saturday, I went with my host family to Yunguilla, the same place we went for Carnaval. It was a good time- relaxing, warm weather, lots of family. I read, took pictures (mostly of flowers; you wouldn't believe how pretty the flowers were around the house), played cards ("Speed" champion! Oh, how I love that game...), watched soccer and movies, got some more bug bites (of course). I got some videos of Mateo (my host-nephew) dancing. He has got some moves, that little guy does. Almost every night at home after supper, he goes and turns on some Reggaeton and dances. I've gotten a few lessons from him, but I don't think they've done much good (I'm a hopeless cause). 

Funny story: I have a 13-year-old "cousin" named Martin that was there this weekend. Saturday afternoon, he decided he was going to pick on me. He was standing behind my chair while we were watching a soccer game on TV, and he goes, in English, to whoever passed by, "Do you know she is my girlfriend?" pointing at me. I was like, "what??" For the duration of the night and on into Sunday, he would call me "sweetie" and "honey" and say things like "Did you know I am really fun?" At one point, in Spanish, I asked him how old he was. He answered "16". My host sister Carolina goes, "menos 3" (minus 3). He even was singing to me. Of course all the other cousins, especially the boys, encouraged him because they thought it was so funny (and it was). He commandeered my camera at one point and took 8 pictures of himself and at least 3 videos of himself saying hello and kissing the air. Oh dear, it was quite humorous.



Picture 1: I found a spider on my photo expedition. It was a pretty big guy- I'd say probably 2/3 my pinky-length, maybe bigger.

Picture 2: Abuelito! This is my host mom's dad, Julio. He's so cute.

Picture 3: One of the many flowers around the house.

merely musing

So I don't really have anything new to report on the Ecuador-front... I don't really know what I'm doing this weekend. My host family has gone back and forth quite a few times on whether we're going to Yunguilla (the place we went for Carnaval), so I figure hopefully tonight I'll find out if we're going anywhere tomorrow; I'm flexible ;) Other than that, there is the fact that I GOT A PACKAGE TODAY FROM MY PARENTS!!! I'm not sure if you can quite comprehend how excited I was/ still am for that. I get super excited in the States when I receive a letter or package, but something about being in Ecuador multiplies that by like a million--- maybe it's the altitude ;) I figure that since we blame a lot of things on the altitude here, I might as well add that to the list.

Anyway, I've been thinking a good amount lately. I have found that my walks to and from school are excellent times to do just that. The past couple days it has really sunk in how amazingly fortunate I am. There are, of course, a myriad of people and things I have to be thankful for, but it was one specific thing lately. How incredible is it to be able to say that Someone gave His life for you?! Like, seriously- would you live your life differently if you knew that the only reason you were alive was because someone (say- your friend or brother or sister or dad or mom) gave their life for you? Just take a second and really think about that. What LOVE that would require- someone valuing YOUR life more than their own. And it's not hypothetical. It really did happen. Jesus Christ took on MY sins (everyone's sins) and gave His life for ME so that I can have eternal life with Him. THAT is the definition of being TRULY ALIVE- having eternal life. Just the magnitude of His love blows me away. I'm so ashamed to say that I don't think about this as often as I should (daily)- it was brought to mind by the holiday that is fast approaching- the celebration of Jesus' death and resurrection. It first entered my head one day when I was feeling a bit sorry for myself, missing my family and home (yes that really has happened- it's not easy being on a different continent). All the sudden the fact that Christ DIED for ME came to mind, and it just made my pity party seem so silly. Yes, those feelings were real, but it's hard to stay sad when you think on the marvelous gift we've been given- all we have to do is accept it. 

...just a look into my thoughts as of late- perhaps a bit disjointed and maybe not the most eloquent, but so real. I hope you all realize just how utterly blessed we are to have Someone love us that much; and if you don't, take some time to think about it.

Thought this picture was perfect. It was taken in Quito, I believe... or one of the places we went in our first week.

Manicures and Markets

[A few market pictures added.]

We had last Saturday free, so I decided I was going to treat myself since there wasn't much else to do (good excuse, right?! Completely legit though, I promise ;)    ). My host sister had told me one day that she got a manicure for only $3. I've never gotten a manicure so I decided now was a good time, especially for so cheap. I asked my host mom if there were any places near the house where I could go, expecting her to just give me directions. But no, she drove me there and was so excited for me. She told me if she were a billionaire (her words, promise; except in Spanish), she would get a manicure all the time; she loves doing that sort of stuff, she said. So we get there and the ladies that work there gave me a little guide to look at. Well, those nail designs were QUITE elaborate. I'm a pretty simple girl, nothing too fancy. My host mom sat there, looking with me, pointing at all the ones with the flowers and butterflies, saying how pretty they were and how I should get those; I told her I liked the more simple designs. We had to wait a while because there was another lady before me. My host mom asked if it was okay if she went home because my host dad needed the car and if I knew how to get home (she asked this of the girl who didn't know how to get from school to her house until she was probably a sophomore in high school...). I was like "uhhhhh..." She told me what street we were on and that I just needed to turn up it to find the street we lived on. Easy enough, right? I figured I knew how to get home because I knew of the street she mentioned. Anyway, back to my manicure. I decided on this lovely plum hue with a single silver sparkly stripe across the top. Oh, it was so nice to have someone else paint my fingernails; I usually make a big mess of it. Then I asked the nice lady how much it cost, and she said TWO DOLLARS! Woohoo! What a steal! I went to reach into my pocket for the money, and she was like, "No! You'll ruin your fingernails!" (in Spanish, of course). So she got her 2 dollars out of my pocket, and I was on my merry way. I was so disoriented when I walked out the door. I went the wrong way for probably 4 blocks total (2 blocks each in different WRONG directions), then headed in a way I thought MIGHT be right. I was very unsure for the first 4 or 5 blocks, but then I finally got to a street I recognized. Hallelujah! I was going the right way! I'm pretty sure I took the long way home, but at least I made it, right?

Sunday, we had a group trip to Gualeceo and Chordeleg, two cities that are within 10 minutes of each other and 1 hour of Cuenca. Gualeceo has a really big food market- chancho galore, cuy, and about a million other types of Ecuadorian food. Mmmmm they had morocho (which meant that I had morocho too ;)   ), which is definitely up there on my "favorite Ecuadorian food and drink list" (if I had one). Okay, so it's a warm drink that has milk, cinnamon, brown sugar, and (don't judge) chopped up pieces of corn. So yes, you do have to chew your drink, and it sounds nasty, but WOW it's incredible. My family made some last week, and it was better than the stuff from the market. Super tasty. I told my mom we were going to have to try making some when I get home. After the Gualaceo market, we went to Chordeleg, which is known for having lots of silver jewelry. We wandered that the market/ stores for about an hour. I found presents for my niecey-poos and nephew, so that was super exciting. I got them all the same thing to avoid fights. I won't tell what they are though, so their respective moms can be surprised too :) (Madison and Leah know though because I told them on Skype today- oops). 

I haven’t yet loaded my pictures of the markets onto my computer (thus, I don’t even know if they’re worth posting); if they are decent, I’ll try to put some up tomorrow or Thursday. Until then, you can enjoy a picture of my manicure ;) I wanted to capture the beauty before I went and chipped them up (because we know that’s bound to happen). On the manicurist’s defense, though, they’ve held up quite well the past 3 days.

 

Branching out

I decided to branch out today and try something new. Are you ready for this: I went to a new ice cream place- no way, right? Tutto Freddo is so in the past now. I was talking ice cream with another girl one day, and she said there was an ice cream shop like 3 stores up that was WAY better and cheaper too! So today as I was walking to school, I decided it was time for my weekly ice cream. I walked in, and they didn't have Oreo... Uh-oh. But I was not to be deterred. I branched out FURTHER and asked for un cono simple (comparable more or less to a single-scoop cone) of  Tres Leches Cake ice cream. WELL, let me tell you what happened next. The lady got a bowl made of the same stuff cones are made of (I hope that makes sense), proceeded to scoop THREE (count them, THREE) scoops of Tres Leches Cake ice cream into it, AND stuck a small ice cream cone on top. All for a mere 70 cents! (Which is 10 cents cheaper than Tutto Freddo, and you get 3 times as much ice cream). Wow, right?! Wonder of wonders; it was fantastic. 

Alright, well I have class in 5 minutes. Need to prepare myself mentally for 2 hours of class. Just thought I'd share that nice little tale with you. Happy Wednesday.

Explanation of pictures at the end...

So apparently all is well again between Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Chavez, Correa, and Uribe (the presidents of Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia, respectively) signed an accord, ending the very serious situation that was at hand. My teacher this morning said that everything was calm again. One of the girls I know saw a newspaper article with a picture of the presidents of the three countries HUGGING (picture Hugo Chavez hugging two other men- ha). Good gracious- I'm just glad it's all worked out, and hopefully that little lovefest continues until well after I'm out of the country (or at least until after we've gone to the jungle ;)   ). Thanks to all who expressed their concern; no need to worry :)

Anyway- we had a four-day weekend since we didn't end up going to the jungle. Thursday, 3 other girls and myself went to Apullacta (the travel agency our school partners with) and booked a day-trip to go horseback riding on Friday. It included a bilingual guide, a snack, lunch, rubber boots, transportation to and from the hacienda where the horses were, and of course the horses. Oh, it was so much fun! We were rode the horses for about 3 hours through the mountains. The view was phenomenal the entire time. AND we were blessed with nearly perfect weather the entire time; the last 10 minutes, it started to sprinkle a little, but luckily we were not caught in any deluges like those in Cuenca that oh-so-conveniently start when I'm starting my 16-block walk home. Oh man, my horse had some serious personality. His name was Eragon- beautiful white horse (not gonna lie- I picked it because it was pretty;)   ). We started out, and right from the get-go, I could tell it was going to be interesting: I had the pokey horse. We were quite far behind the group for the majority of the afternoon (see picture above). But alas! There were instances when all the sudden Eragon would decide it was a grand time for trotting or even galloping (maybe he figured it was time to catch up with the group). Those times didn't last long, but they were always fun (a little hard on the bum, but fun nonetheless). We even made it to the front of the group a good two times, but then one of the other horses would get impatient with Eragon's slow gait and would pass us (I felt like the slow car on the highway- everyone passing me). Eragon had difficulties going down the steep hills (sometimes I wanted to close my eyes and just hope for the best), and we would get REALLY far behind. Then, the guide would tell me to give my horse a kick to get him moving, which I'd do, and we'd end up TROTTING DOWN THE HILL (which was really like a mountain- we are in the Andes, after all)- which was way scarier than just walking down it. Whew- a little nerve-racking., but I enjoyed every minute of it. I have resolved to own a horse (or more than one) when I "grow up." :) 

The rest of the weekend was just hanging out with my host family- taking naps, drinking hot chocolate, eating bread, you know... Less than 2 months to go! Crazy how fast time's gone. We started a new cycle of classes today. I've only had one thus far, and I think I'll like it. It's a Latin American Culture and Civilization class, and my teacher looks promising- like she really enjoys this topic and is eager for us to enjoy it too; I like those kinds of teachers.

I have tried 3 times now to upload pictures of the horseback riding extravaganza, but it's not cooperating. Hopefully later it'll work, so be on the lookout. 

So the pictures wouldn't go to the END of my post like I wanted...

Picture 1: The horses- the white one is Eragon

Picture 2: That's me giving Eragon the pre-ride brush.

Picture 3: On my pokey horse. Note the rockin' helmet

Picture 4: This is an idea of AT LEAST how far back we were the majority of the time.

Picture 5: Group photo.

Current Events

Sooooooo, I don't know if you have been following world news (or South American news) lately, but there are currently some relatively high tensions between Ecuador and Colombia due to the fact that some Colombians crossed the Ecuadorian border to kill 17 members of the FARC (Colombian extremist/ terrorist group) including the second-in-command. So it's a rather big deal, and it's a pretty interesting situation because the United States is backing Colombia (because we're in the middle of a new trade agreement with them). President Correa (the Ecuadorian president) is very anti- U.S., and even more so now. Anyway, Ecuadorian troops have been moved to the border as a precaution, but Colombia has not done anything as of yet (besides their initial breach of sovereignty). How does this affect me? In Cuenca, it really doesn't. Cuenca is quite far to the south of the Ecuador-Colombia border, so we're safe here. BUT, the place we were planning to go to in the jungle was in northern Ecuador. As of yesterday, we had moved our trip to a location about 50 miles south of the original location. Well, today was when we got the sad news: our jungle trip is being postponed until the beginning of April because the U.S. embassy advised Americans to keep a low profile and not travel in the north. Man, I was SOOOOOOOOO excited and so ready to go tomorrow! I'm glad it hasn't been cancelled completely, but I hope that it actually works out in April, or I will be ticked. 

Anyway, that's what's going on. I'm not going to the jungle tomorrow and don't know what I'm going to do with my long weekend now. It'll be fine ;)

La Selva

As promised, I am now going to tell you what I found out at our jungle meeting Wednesday. Oh, I'm SOOO excited!!

We leave next Thursday at 730 in the morning. We're flying from Cuenca to Quito, then from Quito to a city named Coca. From Coca, I believe we're taking a bus for a couple hours somewhere, and THEN we get to take a boat to our final destination! We're staying on a hotel-boat ON THE AMAZON RIVER. How amazing is that! The director of programs took the trip last week to make sure it was decent (because we're the first group to do this), and he said everything was wonderful. We got to see pictures of the boat we'll be staying on-- super nice. It has 2 or 3 stories, nice rooms, HOT WATER (oh, Praise the Lord), really good food, and a great staff. We'll have the boat to ourselves, so that's pretty sweet. Each day, we get to go on hikes through the rain forest and get to meet the people that live there and see all the wildlife-- a biologist's dream (oh snap- that's my major!). We will have a really good guide; he knows 7 languages- geez louise... of course he knows all about the jungle too. Our hotel-boat is going to move (maybe that's obvious, but just in case you couldn't figure it out) so we'll be in different locations everyday. We go on some night hikes, go piranha fishing (!!!), and go out looking for caimans (those are like black alligators) at night too. Oh man, I'm going to the jungle in less than a week!!!!!! How many people can say they've done that in their life? What an amazing opportunity.

This whole Ecuador experience has really taught me to pack light- 2 suitcases for 4 months, and now we only get a backpack for 5 days. I'll work it out-- only the necessities (I don't have much more than that anyway ;)   ).  

I only have one more Spanish class left, then my final and a presentation about what I've been doing at Miguel Leon on Tuesday, then I'm done with this cycle of classes! I'm taking 2 biology classes next cycle (Environmental Studies of the Andes and Conservation Biology) and a Latin American history class. I'm going to try to continue helping at Miguel Leon but probably won't be able to do it as much. The nuns and I are getting pretty close ;)

Happy weekend!

Hola Muñeca

So I decided it would be a good idea to let you know what it's like being an extranjera (foreigner- specifically a foreign girl). It's quite interesting, let me tell you. On my way to and from school (or any other place for that matter), it is not uncommon that a Cuencano guy says something as I walk by. And this is not just me- I'm not special in any way--- all the girls experience this. You'll get the "Hola muñeca" (Hello doll) or the "Hola. Buenas tardes. Como estas? Bien?" (Hello. Good afternoon. How are you? Good?.) That's one of my favorites; a guy that works/ lives near my house that just stands outside sometimes LOVES to say that- same thing every time. OH- there's also the random kissing noises or the sound "tss tss tss" they make as you walk by. Sometimes, they'll say a few words in English- multiple times: "Hello. Hello. Hello. How are you?" It's actually pretty funny when you think about it; does it actually ever work for them? I highly doubt it. I either look at the ground as I'm walking by (which is beneficial for another reason too: making sure I don't step in dog poop on the sidewalk) or stare straight ahead. Once I'm actually past them, I can hardly control my laughter because I just think it's so humorous. Goodness gracious. So, if you are a girl, that's what it'd be like if you came down to Cuenca. I think it is a pretty similar situation with the guys in most Latin American countries. Different cultures, different people. 

This afternoon we find out about our jungle trip next week! Woohoo! Tomorrow I will probably let you know what I find out. I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!

POST SCRIPT: Oh, the timing! This is just too funny. So, I was walking home for lunch today, like always. I was about 3 blocks from my house, and I was walking past this store front. There was a guy standing in the store front, and when I approached, he stepped out onto the sidewalk, WITH A ROSE IN HIS HAND. He held it out to me. My eyes probably about popped out of my head. Without thinking, I said in a very kind, gracious voice, "No gracias." He goes "No?? Porque no???" ("No? Why not?"). I kept my cool and kept walking. Oh man; I don't even want to know what would have happened if I had taken it. I just thought it was soo funny how I'd written about this sort of thing, and then shortly after the ULTIMATE example of it happened as I walked home this afternoon. 

Saraguro

This weekend we went to Saraguro. It was a 4-hour drive each way because we had to take a different route due to landslides on the shorter one. It's been raining a LOT lately. Wisconsin gets snow; we get rain. Hmm... 

Anyway, once we reached Saraguro on Saturday, we went on a short hike to this place where we had the wonderful opportunity to drink something called Mahongo (I think it's something like that- not positive). Basically, it's one step before tequila in the fermentation process. It comes from the Agave plant. Ick. I took a small sip (picture below), and the taste was not something I'd like to experience again. Some people said it got better the more you drank, but I think that's just because their mental faculties were beginning to fail them. This was at 2 in the afternoon. Oh dear. We hiked a bit more to a place with a FANTASTIC view. Wow. 

When we returned to the city, we had a couple hours to do whatever we wanted before supper. I wandered around the city for a while with some other people in the group- got to see an indigenous wedding. That was cool. I felt a little intrusive though (and VERY conspicuous being one of only 6 Gringos there), so I didn't stick around for long. 

Saturday night, we went to this place to eat, and the food was delicious. It was really good soup, then chicken with flavored rice and mote and other veggies, and the fruit for dessert. The flavor was amazing. (Sometimes, it seems like the food here is a little bland, but this stuff was great.) After dinner, some indigenous men played music for us, and there was dancing and fun had by all. The music was so beautiful, and the men were so talented- all of them could play multiple instruments and played them very well.

Sunday morning we got up early and had breakfast at our hostal. Our hostal was really nice- it was situated on a hill overlooking the city, and everything in it was pretty new. Very nice. Breakfast was eggs, bread with cheese inside, grapes, and hot chocolate (I had two glasses of that ;)   ). After breakfast, we went on a hike up this really steep hill/ mountain to a cave where we got to have a "shaman experience." There was a waterfall right next to the cave, and the atmosphere was just incredible. The whole shaman thing was kinda weird for me. For those of you who don't know, a shaman is pretty much like a "medicine man" for the indigenous people. He depends on herbs and nature to "heal" people that come to him with their ailments. He believes in the "Pacha Mama" (Mother Earth) and her "power" over everything and also in the powers of air, land, fire, and water. I don't know... We stood in a circle around the shaman and his two helpers while he performed his ritual. It was interesting- interesting to see what a good amount of people down here believe in. We had smoke blown on us, this alcoholic something sprayed on us, but before that, we got to drink this stuff he gave us. Oh my goodness. I thought the stuff from Saturday was bad. NO. That was mild compared to this. It was some alcoholic drink of some sort, and we drank it out of a shell- just a little bit. OH MY GOSH. I took my sip, and my mouth felt like it was on fire. My tongue went numb, and my lips were burning. It was the worst tasting thing I have ever put in my mouth before. And I kept burping it up for the rest of the day. Ew. Like I said, the whole experience was interesting, but SO contrary to everything I believe in. They pray to THINGS and gods and ideas and depend on rituals and acts to get things done; I pray to the one true God who hears me and knows what's best for me. I think it's really good to know more about other religions- I feel rather ignorant on that topic. Anyway...

After that, we hiked the treacherous way down (I slipped many times-- it was still raining and VERY muddy on that steep hill-- but luckily never actually fell), then went into town to do some shopping. The Saraguros are known for their beautiful beaded jewelry. I bought a good amount of gifts while there. Then we went to lunch and headed home. The ride felt a lot longer than 4 hours, and I was very glad when we got home. 

Picture one: We rode in open-air busses called "chivas" for a while in Saraguro. That is Erika, myself, and Kate.

Picture two: The church in Saraguro.

Picture three: Me taking a sip of the first alcoholic beverage of the weekend-- the one that was one step before tequila

Picture four: The view from where we hiked on Saturday

Picture five: I just liked this one. I took it while we were hiking

La Clase de Cocinar y El Dia del Amor y Amistad

Last night, we had an optional cooking class. I decided it would be a very good idea for me to go, as I know next to nothing about cooking (I can do cereal and sandwiches ;)  ). So with about 6 other people from the group, we went over to the house of the professor that was teaching the cooking class. We were going to make Locro de Papas (which is like a potato soup). Wellll... basically we ended up preparing the ingredients to be cooked but didn't actually do any of the cooking ourselves. I peeled and cut up potatoes for a good half hour. Other people cut garlic or avocados (for putting on top of the soup once it was finished). Then our teacher put it all together with whatever else was needed and put it on the stove, and we waited. It was very good, but I can't say I could ever cook it for you. That's okay though; it was fun.

Today is El Dia del Amor y Amistad (Day of Love and Friendship). Let me tell you, it's a pretty big deal. Granted, not as big as in the U.S.-- meaning they don't start advertising 2 months in advance, but big nonetheless. There are people selling flowers and candy everywhere. Funny story: I got up at 330 this morning to use the restroom. When I got back into bed, I heard something outside. Turns out that starting at midnight, boys go out into the streets in front of the houses of the girls they're dating or like and serenade them quite loudly. So at 330 this morning, I heard a bunch of boys outside singing to some lucky girl, and it lasted for quite some time. Funny, huh? I picked up flowers and candy bars for the people in my family on the way home from classes this afternoon. Nothing too special, but it's fun to give gifts. I went up to my room to put my backpack away, and there on my table was a flower arrangement (roses!) with delicious chocolates in it too from my host parents. How sweet! 

Well, I think I am going to head home now. I don't want to miss the hot chocolate and bread that we have for a snack ;) I definitely look forward to that and haven't been home for one "coffee time" yet this week. AND, I have a Spanish grammar mid-term to study for. Yikes. Have a wonderful day.

Osberto's House Explorations #3

Now for the final installment of Osberto's adventures....

He had to go down some more stairs (there are many steps coming from the third floor to the first). Then he saw Jenni, our maid (one of the sweetest people ever)! Once he got some loving from her, he decided it was time for a snack. This is a typical 5 or 6 o'clock in the evening snack. It includes fresh bread, mora (the dark colored jam-type stuff- delicious), coffee or hot chocolate (I'm partial to the hot chocolate myself), and juice (I believe this is papaya juice). Fruit also makes a tasty snack.

Thus concludes the house explorations of Osberto. We hope you enjoyed seeing our Ecuadorian home :)

Osberto's House Explorations #2

Upon entering our room, Osberto took a seat and prepared to do some homework. Doing homework really wore Osberto out, so he decided to take a nap. Then it was time to see what was downstairs. Lots of steps! Many Spanish soap operas have been viewed from this very spot on the couch. Osberto's near-sighted, so  he has to get really close to the TV to see what's going on. 

One more post after this!

Osberto's House Explorations #1

After 3 weeks of being in Cuenca, 4 total in Ecuador, Osberto (my little buddy from Madison and my mom) finally mustered the courage to explore the house :) The next 3 posts will be details of his explorations, complete with pictures.

He started on the third floor, where we live. He had to take a little break in the "sitting area." (He gets tired easily... and three flights of stairs is a long trek.) After a little rest, he got up to look at our great view of the city. Osberto decided he needed to use the facilities, so welcome to our bathroom ;) Then it was time to see our room.

More to come!