Trading our way through Southern Ecuador

Hola amigos y familia
First update; we happily passed the holidays (christmas to new years) in our comfy home of Salasaca. However we were getting too comfortable, and too restless to explore! On January 3rd we packed our bags for one final excursion...
Cotopaxi, the highest-active-snowcapped-on-the-equator volcano in the world, was calling our name. We met our guide-friend Alexis at the base, spent the night in the 4800 meter high refugio, awoke at midnight with splinting altitude headaches and nausea, rested another 30 mins and began the climb, ice picks and crampons included. Unfortunately we did not make it to the top, due to sickness, too much snow, and a late start. But we had lots of fun sliding down the mountain in our snow gear and climbing to the glaciers in the (real) morning.


After freezing our toes off, we decided a jungle trip was in order
We made our way down to Puyo, Ecuador's largest jungle city, to explore the infinite "monte". We traded some manual labor, working in our host farm/backyard for a free accommodation in a private jungle mansion. Overly comfortable, we stayed for a week. Straying 10 meters away from our house, we could easily loose our way in the dense Amazon's immense biodiversity (pachamama!). One particular day, our garden co-worker lead us tromping through a muddy, mossy, no-trail trek, hand made by his relentless machete that cut down everything in its path. So much for saving the rain forest. We also got a thrill out of running inside whenever sporadic jungle monsoons came around. We took a day trip to the small town Misahualli where we talked with a radical revolutionist about our volunteer roles were affecting Ecuador and were robbed by monkeys in the town square. Actually Courtney was the only victim. We spent a half hour trying to retrieve the glasses from the unsuspecting, cuddly monkey which suddenly snatched the glasses off her head, ran to the roof, popped out the lens, and warped the frames by slamming them on cement. We finally were able to trade them an onion, and locate a ladder in order to get all the pieces back. Having our fill of nature, we headed to the city.





We passed through the historic sites of Riobamba; attending a cultural dance show and visiting Ecuador's first church in Guano as we went.
Now we are in Cuenca, "Ecuador's most beautiful city". We enjoy strolling through the colonial streets, visiting the museums, gettin down in the clubs and grubbin on traditional plates.


Tomorrow we will leave in the morning for Loja, tour around the south a little longer, then were off to PERU!
Hopefully we will be there within the week. We are currently deciding between new work projects in southern Peru (Arequipa or Cusco) and livin the life of travelers until then.
We are still happy, healthy and hairy.
Ciao!

oh yeah, here are some extra photos for you enthusists!
http://picasaweb.google.com/courtneybratrude/AmazoniaJungle#

Trading Volcanic Ash for Sandy Feet

It seems that with the regularity of routine comes a laziness to update blog posts. A note to devoted blogreaders: sorry if you thought we had died.
In fact, we are very much alive and alert. So is the volcano we live next to, we have had the privilege to watch our neighborhood volcano Tungurahua spew molten volcanic rocks during select nights, and hear the mountains anxious growls during the day.

We are still enjoying the rambunctious company of our ninos, but last week decided to take a break from Colada and Tungurahua´s blinding ash, and head to the coast!
First we stopped off in Quito to join in the celebrated Quitumbe music festival where we saw the reggaeton legends Calle 13 and Bob Marley´s Wailers. We had beautiful weather and were spoiled by our Quito host. We got to explore more of the city and prepare for the 9 hour night-bus ride to tha coasta!
On Tuesday morning we arrived in Ecuador´s celebrated Tuna capital, Manta. When we stepped off the bus, we immediately sensed the coastal mood. We were no longer sucking thin 9,000-foot-altitude air, but instead were greeted with the oceans crisp smell on every inhale. The weather was and remained warm and relaxing for our entire journey. It felt like summer time. Plus we loved being able to swim in our Pacific Ocean without a full body wetsuit!


After spending a few days in the streets and beaches around Manta and eating up lots of seafood we (Courtney, Lisa(our Austrian) and I) started hitchhiking down the coast. Before reaching our destination Puerto Lopez, we were able to stop off at remote beaches and neighborhood ice cream shops in between rides. In Puerto Lopez we met up with David (our massage therapist/surfing fanatic host). He took us to his home, showed us the tent we would spend the next few nights in and introduced us to his Mama and two younger brothers. After unloading our stuff we were ready for the beach. Out of town we walked past ¨No Trespassing - Turtle Hatching Area¨ signs to get to the secret beach La Playita. We played in the water until a family-run fishing boat cruised by, picked us up and took us fishing til sunset.
The next few days we spent on the beaches surfing, playing soccer, collecting seashells, taking photos, dancing at neighborhood parties, and of course, swimming. We stayed salty and happy, only occasionally taking showers by pouring bowls of fresh water on ourselves.

On Saturday we set out for Montanita, Ecuador´s notorious party beach. We spent the night partying along the beach at cocktail stalls, in the streets, and in the bars. Shoes were optional. After recuperating on the beach we returned to P.L. the following day.
For our last day in Puerto Lopez we joined a boat full of tourists and drove over an hour to the Isla de la Plata island - aka ¨the poor man´s Galapagos¨. Our tour took us on a hike around the island, where we learned about the rare blue-footed, red-footed and masked boobies, frigates and fauna all of which we observed in their natural habitats. Afterward we fed turtles and snorkeled with schools of fish along a coral reef!
That night we radically changed our altitude once again. We returned to the Sierra, and back to our pueblito Salasaca. On Thursday morning we were welcomed back to school with enthusiastic hugs and endless questions from our kids.
School days have become more and more dedicated to the upcoming winter solstice/Christmas performance set for next Tuesday. We´re crossing our fingers, hoping for a smooth and theatrical execution in front of all the parents.
We will happily spend our Christmas here in Salasaca surrounded by our wonderful friends and loads of home-brewed sugar cane alcohol (canelazo), Yonif (our favorite card game) tournaments, and delicious meals around an open fire.
Happy Holidays everyone, we miss you all!

pictures here: !!! :)
http://picasaweb.google.com/courtneybratrude/Ecuador#

http://picasaweb.google.com/courtneybratrude/Ecudor02#

Skoolin in Salasaka

Hola familia y amigos
A few days before leaving Quito we made friends with the wonderful artist and person Fernando Torres. We left our Gordito with his doorman and his daughters. Unfortunately he was starting to grow out of our backpack :(
After a quick stop at Cotopaxi, Ecuador´s largest snowcappped, active, on the equator volcano we made our way to Pachamama.



Since our last post we have been happily living in Salasaca, Ecuador, a small, mostly indigenous town three hours south of Quito along the Andean ridge. I dont think it shows up on Google maps. We have been here 2 weeks so far volunteering in the hilltop school Katitawa. With about 25 students, Katitawa is a bilingual school teaching Spanish, English and native Kichwa (a dying language).
We finally have routine, which believe it or not we longed for in the midst of aimless traveling, maybe its an American trait?
Everyday we wake up around 6:30, have ¨porridge¨ then walk 30 minutes to school. Our first week was hot and dry and we were constantly battling clouds of dust, this week weve had nothing but rain, thanks Southern hemi. At school we help out in Spanish, English and Math classes, in which more energy is required to keep kids in their seats then it is to actually teach. During morning break we sip on Colada. Its government sent flavored powder mixture, boiled with water to a cream of wheat consistency. Apparently it contains good nutrition for the kids, but tastes pretty bland, mostly we just eat it because its warm, sometimes we get cookies too. The kids usually eat it as pure powder as well, which always makes a mess. Then they come climb on you.
Lunch is always less than spectacular as well, but its free and a welcomed break.
Toward the end of school Emily usually teaches full art class and Courtney usually works in the schools over picked, over grown, under irrigated garden. Our wind downs at the of the day.
Back at home we have time to relax, or ride by the back of a truck to our one street town, play cards (Yonif!), and wait for dinner. We love our home! We live with 11 other volunteers from around Europe and the US. We enjoy socializing with our new friends, and always coming together for a gourmet family dinner every week night! Seriously the best weve eaten yet, all handmade by us in rotating cooking teams.
Just outside our door we see inactive volcanoes like Chimborazo (technically the highest point in the world!) and Tungurahua, which just erupted this year! We also get to hang out (and hear) cows, horses, pigs, donkeys, sheep, stray dogs, chickens, roosters, ducks and more. They live in the mountain tops as high as the patchwork farm fields reach. Everyday we are amazed to see 4 foot tall women carrying 5 foot long bundles of greens and men walking everywhere barefoot.








Last weekend we rode bikes along the Pan American through Banos´waterfall route, and partied it up in Banos, Ecuador´s favorite vacation spot! We also saw the thermal baths the town is named after.







We have had a good week at school and look forward to another. We look forward to vacationing in the jungle or on the beach soon!
Salud!

pictures soon to come
here´s our school!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_vxIQsM7cM
school website: www.skyecuador.org

Happy Halloween!

Greetings from Ecuador!
We are currently writing from Quito, Ecuador´s mountain rimmed capital. Today we had fun walking the city and busing to mountain top theme park/gondala ride view point. The city sprawls wide with an unbroken skyscraper skyline. We will explore the splendors of colonial architecture tomorrow.

El desierto de Tatacoca was so unlike anything we have seen yet. After spending a night in a nearby villa, we walked an hour in the midday sun through the ¨red desert¨ and were picked up by our friend Hairo. Hairo lives in the middle of the ¨grey desert¨. His property includes a natural pool, hammocks, and handmade, bamboo/mud facilities, including an outdoor kitchen and cabins with spectacular desert views. We enjoyed riding around by motorcycle and taking day and night hikes. Minus the bugs. We learned about cactus fruits and sasafrass trees. At night we were greeted by a nearly full moon which cast a grey light upon the desert floor. Unfortunately we did not see many stars in the cloudy sky, but the desert had just as many dazzling configurations.
After 3 days we were on our way, however we could not leave without being gifted the cutest puppy in Colombia. During our stay we enjoyed their constant company and entertainment. We knew we wanted Gordito - the hungriest of the bunch- when he puked all over Courtney on our first day.






Gordito in hand, we motorcycled outta the desert and bused through Neiva to San Agustin. Arriving late by pickup truck, which amazingly transported 18 of us for an hour, we found a happy family hostel in el centro. The next day we left Gordito with the 10 year daughter and set out for the infamous archeological park. The park was full of huge rocks which were carved into defensive faces and protective stances of anthromorphic figures. Most of these statues dated back 4,000 to 6,000 years! There were few informative signs around, and we refused to go with a guide after meeting the craziest of the bunch. However we still enjoyed our stroll and felt the ancient energy. It was also good practice decoding the spanish signs.







On Monday, October 25th we arrived in Popayan. The central district contains only white buildings which were a lovely colonial style and gave surreal impressions. We spent an extra day just strolling the streets, and getting our new dog vaccinated. On our first visit, we arrived by bike. Considering its dangerous to cross the streets here, this was a bit of a frightening experience. The second visit we walked through rain. With our doggy passport, we made our way to the boarder city of Pasto. The bus ride was included bonito views of deep canyons and steep green slopes. The highlight of Pasto was realizing Colombian pastries are bad after sharing a bagel-like donut.






Goodbye Colombia, Hello Ecuador.
In the morning we bused to Ecuador with a very relaxed puppy. We landed in Otavalo. Otavalo is most famous for its extensive artisan market manned by the large indigenous population. The Otavaleno women dress all the same in white floral blouses, long blue skirts, suede strap slides, strings of gold beads (symbolizing wealth), and a long braid down their backs. First off in the morning we went to the animal market with a very excited backpack-bound dog. We saw pigs, goats, cows, upside down chickens, guinea pigs for eating, kittens and pups for adopting. We told at least half the people there that our dog was Colombian, and was not for grabs. The artisan market covered a dozen blocks and was overwhelmingly full of crafts. We bargained for Ecuadorian pants and bracelets.
That afternoon we left with overstimulated eyes for Quito.

Capitales

Bogota was our most recent unplanned stop that was well worth the visit. We arrived at the countries capital last Sunday and were immediately dropped into the rich cultural and historical happenings of the city. We stayed in La Candelaria barrio for 3 days and 3 nights. We walked the streets, ate hawaian arepas, saw a concert for dia de los razas in plaza bolivar (the countries largest square). The Museo del Oro (Gold museum) was a one of a kind treat where we were able to learn even more indian histories and see their gold masterpieces. Colombian indians = El Dorado. We visited the Botanical Gardens where we saw all the lovely fauna and herbs of Colombia.
We ditched Bogotas party scene and instead spent our weekend in the countryside of Solento, Colombias coffee capital. Perhaps we should have switched this order. In Solento we were able to stay in the penthouse of a coffee farm and work there one day. We were hoping for more work, but there is none on the weekends, and today is a town-wide day off. On Friday we enjoyed picking the fruits of the coffee trees, which will be peeled down 4 layers, soaked in water, roasted and grinded before they become the coffee we all know and love to drink. Perks of the farm: free fruit to pick and all-you-can-drink-rich-coffee.
The rolling green hills and adorably painted houses that surround us have made Solento a good stop along our way. Yesterday we hiked in the National Forest Valley de Cocora and saw the tallest palm in the world! and we made it out with all the shoes we went in with.
Tonight we leave for the desert of Tatacoa to explore new landscapes!
Ciao de Colombia,
Emilia y Chia