Ecuador is a feast for the senses. Mountains abound and so do stray dogs. Music and cooking smells fill the narrow streets and we are surrounded by all things non-familiar. We have been speaking and listening in Spanish only, and we must admit that we are exhausted. We are managing better than we anticipated though. We hope to be fluent before long. Odds are, we will have to be.
INEPE, the school, is three kilometers from where we are staying. The children and teachers here are very enthusiastic and supportive of this initiative. They seem eager to know us and have already graced us with copious hugs and ecstatic smiles. All of which we happily return.
Saturday, while making our way to INEPE for a brief tour, we stumbled across a festival for the Virgin of Dolarosa. Women were throwing rose petals and singing. Everyone was dressed in the traditional garb of the indigenous peoples of the Andes. Hours of singing, dancing, prayer and dining ensued. Yesterday, Patrcio�s family took us to Otavalo to experince an open market known world-wide for their ponchos and wooden carvings. After, we explored the Lake of the gods, a mystical lagoon which holds religious import for the indigenous people. After crossing the equator we dined on toasted corn, boiled corn, and corn on the cob. We have seen so much of the country already.
Today, we have met with the teaching staff at INEPE and with all the students. We are still a little vague as to the types of projects we will be working on, but it looks like Monty will have several: history of music, the impact of oil on water, drug and alcohol use, and revolution and freedom fighting. My projects involve art--possbly a mural of some sort, and teaching about the history of the universe. Phew!
More on this as it develops.
Love to you all.
Monty and Shelley
This past weekend, we went into the commercial and tourist district and looked through a couple of outdoor markets - many of you will be receiving trinkets from these visits. We also found a mall that is built on a spiral, as it climbs slowly upwards, it passes shops of all descriptions. We found a cozy corner in the mall (this was difficult because it is round) and wrote in our journal. When we arrived home we were taken on a tour of the centre of historic Quito (450 + years old) then we returned to the Raza family�s house for some in-house Karoke - Shelley, this is "Your Song".
This past week was difficult for Monty health wise, and it came to a head yesterday when he must have eaten something slightly toxic. He had been trying to hide the fact that he was a little ill, but the Raza family found out and within an hour he was visiting Dr. Carlos - Dr. Carlos speaks flawless English and has put him on a diet that he says will, if not cure his Crohn's, will help send it into remission. He experienced Accupuncture and a bit of Chiropractics as well. He feels much better today.
Hasta Luego Amigos,
Shelley (Conchita) y Monty