11 Things I love about living in Loja

I've now been in Ecuador for a little over 6 months. I feel like I have settled in to the rhythms and customs here. I have weekly routines, and the holiday season has arrived. I now know what homesick feels like. The last few days have been rough, but I know the cure for the blues: Gratitude! When I count my blessings instead of sheep, I have peace and my heart lightens. So here are 11 things that prove I am blessed to be here.

1. The View 

Each morning, even the ones where I wait until the very last minute to get out of bed, the first thing I do is look out my kitchen window. The combination of the mountains and the clouds as the sun rises is always lovely. Even when the sky is gray and it's raining, it's beautiful. I don't think I will ever get tired of looking out my window and seeing mountains.

2. My "Commute" 

I don't have a car here, and I don't need one. Every day, I have the pleasure of walking to and from both of my jobs. My apartment is roughly 15 minutes walking distance from both of my jobs, and they are roughly 10 minutes from each other. Since I regularly come home for my lunch break, I get about an hour of walking in every day. At first, I missed my radio time in the car, but now I walk with even more pep as I listen to music with my headphones. It is a joy to breathe in the fresh air, soak in the sunlight, and get a little exercise every day.  

3. Fresh bread 

It's a good thing that I am walking as much as I am, because there are at least 5 panaderias (bakeries) within a 5 minute radius of my apartment. Fresh bread is the best! The next building over from my place is a bakery and I've made friends with the owners. They're a young couple and their two little girls sometimes practice English with me when I stop by. They've been teaching me the names of each type of bread. You wouldn't believe how many kinds of bread there are! So far, I enjoy empanadas de manjar the most.

4. Creamy Ice-Cream 

Another temptation is to eat all kinds of ice-cream. There are many great ice-cream specialty stores nearby as well. I'm doing my best to monitor my intake. Oh and of course- it's very inexpensive.

5. Eating out is Affordable 

Speaking of inexpensive, I can eat out for lunch for anywhere between $2.50 and $4.00. I do enjoy cooking, but most days I'm too exhausted to have to create something during my lunch break. Thank God that most restaurants serve "Almuerzo." For "Almuerzo" customers get a choice between 2 kinds of soup as a starter and 2 kinds of main dishes that almost always include some kind of rice and meat. I love this convenience and I'm actually getting used to eating soup on a regular basis!

6. Seeing Friends throughout the Day 

I work in the same building, at the same academy, as many of my friends. At the end of the work day, there's a good chance that I'll get to see them. Obviously, there are crazy days when I don't see them. However, there are also days when we leave work at the same time and get to grab coffee together or have a bite to eat. This is one of the biggest blessings to me. I love having quality time with them. 

Aside from working with friends, I have made new friends from church who work at restaurants. If I ever want to get out of my apartment or catch up with people, all I have to do is walk a few blocks down the road and stop by their restaurant. Two nights ago, I decided to drop by my friend Tiffany's restaurant. We ended up talking for over 2 hours. God has made it abundantly clear that I'm not alone.

7. Quickly Getting Involved in Church 

Loja city has many evangelical protestant churches, but God led me to "La Semilla de Mostaza" fairly quickly. It was only the second church that I visited. It's not always the best idea to tell God what to do, but I had told God that I would invest in the church who had someone invite me to lunch afterwards. I didn't know it at the time, but it's actually fairly rare for Lojanos to go out to eat with anyone who is not in their family on Sunday afternoon. When I visited "La Semilla de Mostaza," I met some nice people after the service who made polite chit-chat.  All the same, I was about to leave a little disappointed, when my now-friends Pati and Xavier introduced themselves and asked if I would like to walk home with them. They were headed the same direction. We ended up grabbing lunch and spending a good part of the afternoon together. Since then, I have taken a weekend hiking trip with the youth group (which actually consists of mostly twenty-something-year-olds), and I regularly see my new friends at Bible study and on Sunday mornings.

8. Living Alone 

When I was planning for Ecuador, I knew that I would most likely live by myself instead of living with roommates. It was an intimidating and scary idea for me. The first week was an adjustment, but now I truly enjoy it. I control the cleanliness of the place. I decide the decorations. If I want to sit in silence, I can. If I want to jam out and sing at the top of my lungs, I can. There is a lot of freedom to living by myself and I'm grateful for it!

9. Washing Clothes by Hand 

Not everyone who lives in Loja washes their clothes by hand: some have washing machines; some go a "lavanderia" (laundry mat); and others have house workers to do house chores for them. For me- I thoroughly enjoy washing my clothes by hand. Every week on Saturday, I use a "washing station" on my apartment terrace to wash my clothes. It only takes about an hour to do- then the clothes are hung up on a clothes-line until dry. It's gentler on the clothes, it's very cheap, I get some sun, and it's therapeutic.

10.The Weather 

It is now November, and by my estimations, today the temperature fluctuated between the 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. That has been the norm since the beginning of October. I miss the changing of the fall leaves and pumpkin spice lattes of Kansas during this season, but I have no complaints about the lovely weather of Loja.

11. I'm not Leaving Anytime Soon 

 For a little while there, I had been experiencing many roadblocks in the process of getting my work visa. I had started to give up hope that I could stay because all the doors seemed to be shut in my face. After worrying about it longer than I should have- I remembered how good God is and I found my peace. A month went by, and I still had no answers. But praise God because recently, the doors have been opened again. I am paid legally, and I am moving forward in the process to getting my work visa. The process isn't over yet, but my hope has been restored. If it is the Lord's will, I won't be leaving anytime soon!  

Loja: Getting a job, apartment, and starting paperwork.

About 25 days ago, I arrived in Loja, Ecuador. While I was planning the trip and praying about Ecuador, Loja had already stuck out to me. When I got here, I knew it was the city for me. It's relatively small for a city in Ecuador, and an incredibly walk-able city. In general, it's tranquil without a lot of traffic (in comparison to other Ecuadorian cities). As far as safety, I have no problems walking by myself during the day to any place I need or want to go. And like any city in the world, there are areas to avoid going alone and/or at night. I also take extra measures not to carry many shopping bags with me when I walk from place to place: backpacks help with that. The small size of Loja makes it incredibly easy to meet up with friends within minutes of making a plan to get together.  That is probably my favorite thing about Loja.

My friends did almost everything!

After arriving here, I quickly began job hunting and apartment searching. I was looking for jobs at Language Academies and private high schools. Language Academies here in Ecuador are privately owned institutions where children, teens, and adults pay to receive additional language classes. They see the value in learning another language: especially English. Almost all of my English teacher friends here have 2 jobs, and one includes work at an Academy. I also needed to find a job at a private school because it would be tremendously difficult with paperwork to work at a public school. Ecuador has a complex public educational system, and it's not the easiest thing in the world to get into that system as a teacher. With the apartment search, all I wanted was something close to the center of town, furnished, and a reasonable price.

Let me tell you: things happen fast when you have connections! I don't know what I would have done without my friends. Everyone has been completely supportive of me. To be truthful, I did very little to get the job interviews. As soon as they heard I was looking for a job, my sweet friends Karen and Luzma, my buddy Hover, and other friends/family of friends started making calls. Within a few days, I had 3 interviews at private high schools and 2 interviews at Language Academies! Karen and her dad also basically set everything up for me with apartments too. He would find an apartment listing, and she would call to see about the price range. My only job was to show up after everything had been scheduled for me. It was amazing how much my friends did for me. I'm fully grateful for what they did! 

Job Interviews: The roles reversed 

I had no idea what to expect at each job interview. I didn't know if I'd be talking in English or Spanish. I didn't know if I'd be talking to the Principal, the head of the English department, a Human Resource person, or all three. I didn't even know where the schools were located. Needless to say, I was nervous. I brought my resume, and a few other documents to each one. I was also prepared to answer a lot of questions and ask a few of my own.

Aslan

Most of the interviews were done in Spanish, and I met with a variety of people at each place. (Believe me, I was nervous to speak all in Spanish. When your license says you teach a language, you better speak clearly when interviewing with native speakers for a teaching position.) Some interviews would take place the same day they called me. One morning, I received a call at 10a.m. and was asked if I could come in for an interview at 11. That's Loja for ya!

The craziest part of most of the high school interviews is that most of the time, I felt as though I was the one interviewing. I would get there, and after the first few minutes of looking over my qualifications, most would open the floor for me to ask questions or tell them what I wanted. Instead of an offer, they would ask me questions like: "What salary do you want? What grades do you like to teach? What about English levels: what levels do you prefer to work with?" They wanted to accommodate me: my needs and my wants because they believed I had already met theirs, I guess. Towards the end of each interview, I said that after some time I would get back to them. They would make vague comments about hoping to hear good news from me, but not directly say I had the job. I assumed their comments meant they wanted me to work with them. People from the States tend to be more direct.    

The same week with all the interviews, I was looking at apartments. After checking out a few, I found one that fits my needs and wants. It's in the center of town, within walking distance of all that I need, at a good price and furnished. I also love the view from each window. I moved in about 10 days ago.

The results

It was definitely a hectic week. After consulting with some friends and praying, I made my decision. I could have written about it sooner, but there were still things to work out. Now, I feel more confident so I can say that, as long as everything works out with my visa and some other paperwork, I will work at Ateneo and Fine Tune English Academy!

I'm very excited that things are coming together for me here in Loja! The work of getting fully set up is still underway. I still need to get legal documentation from the government of Ecuador, while setting up all the paperwork to open a bank account. I also have to get an extension on my tourist visa because the work visa will not be available before my tourist visa expires. Please pray for patience in all the areas that I cannot control and peace that everything will work out in due time. I feel like I don't say it enough: Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your support. Thank you for reading this.
Melody

Recap 5: Unexpected Blessings in Guayaquil and Cuenca

Ecuador has been very good to me these past 40 days! The travel part of my trip is about to end, and the real adventure of finding a job and settling in to a new place is about to begin. I am truly grateful for the experiences I have had with my friends, and I'm excited to start phase 2 of my journey. Here's what I've been up lately:

Guayaquil: A huge, humid, and busy Metropolis

I was only able to spend a few days in Guayaquil: the biggest city in Ecuador. My friend Andres
Rodriguez offered to have me stay with him and his family. Even though Guayaquil is considered unsafe, I was always at peace next to Andres. He's just a peaceful, calm person in general, and his parents were incredibly sweet hosts!  

Las Peñas y El Malecón

There is a famous neighborhood in Guayaquil called Las Peñas. I knew I wanted to visit this area of town because of all the pictures I had seen of it. It has bright colored houses all grouped together on a tall hill towards the northern center of Guayaquil. Andres took me to see Las Peñas and the boardwalk below one evening. We had a great time meandering around- walking up some 400 steps to the top of Las Penas hill, seeing a great view of the city at night, and checking out some amazing monuments on the boardwalk!

La Playa Salinas: An unexpected blessing! 

As soon as I got to Guayaquil, Andres and his parents quickly explained that they have a house in Salinas and that if I wanted, I could join them at their beach house! Of course I said yes. Besides only being a block away from the ocean, the best part of the house was the wide balcony where we set up hammocks. There's nothing more relaxing than being in a hammock swaying from the ocean breeze. True to the experience, while in Salinas, I ate 2 delicious seafood meals: one with crab and rice, and another with fish and rice. 

Even better than the food and the hammocks was the surprise waiting for us as we headed to the beach. After about 1 one minute of arriving, vendors came up to us explaining that they were having tours to see the whales. My excitement could not be contained! After about an hour of  swimming in the ocean, we grabbed life jackets, hopped up into a small speed boat, and headed out into the deep blue. Not 30 minutes off shore, humpback whales were putting on quite a show. Every 5 minutes or so, another one would slap it's long fin on the water, flip it's tail, or twirl out of the water! I felt so incredibly blessed to see them in their habitat making their long journey south. It was an incredible experience! One bucket list dream complete!  

El Mall del Sol

My timing to see the whales was spot on. It wasn't so great when it came to seeing friends in Guayaquil. Many had work or family plans. However, I was able to grab lunch with my friends Monica and Rocio my last day in town. It was lovely to catch up with them. I'm glad they could spare a couple hours to hang out with me. Love you girls!  

Cuenca

Many friends had said that I would love Cuenca for it's architecture and culture. They were right! It's a beautiful city with red roofs and deep blue flowing rivers. For the first part of my week in Cuenca, I stayed with Jose and Veronica. They were incredibly good to me, and at the same time, they gave me a lot of freedom to be my independent self. Sometimes I feel like they're way too cool to be friends with me, but still they accept me. I'm very grateful for their friendship! The second part of my week- I was blessed to stay with Pati and her 2 year-old daughter Fabiana. Pati is such a sweet friend and she insisted that I stay an extra day longer than I had planned. I just couldn't say no to her.

Turi: During the day and at night

Cuenca has a famous lookout called Turi. My first day in Cuenca, Jose took me to Turi so I could see the whole city during the day. It was a spectacular view. Later on in the week, another friend-Andres Peralti took me to Turi at night. Both times it was breathtaking. I especially loved reflecting on our stage of life with Andres. As we sat on the edge of the Turi lookout, we lost track of time chatting about the struggles and simple joys of being single in our twenties. Andres is always good for a deep conversation.  

El Centro Historico y El Rio

One of my favorite things about hanging out in Cuenca, was my free afternoons. Before Jose would head off to work, he would drop me off in the Historical Center of town. There I had about 4 hours to check out the churches, enjoy lunch, draw by the river, read, and just walk around. After so many busy days during this trip, simply sitting and thanking God for the wonderful fact that I'm in Ecuador was very special to me.  

Las Ruinas and Amaru Zoo

Some of the more "touristy"activities I did in Cuenca were visiting the Pumapungo ruins and the Amaru Zoo. Seeing what little is left of old temples and ancient native american civilizations is always humbling. The Pumapungo ruins were truly ruins meaning that there was very little left of their once thriving civilization. It only took about 20 minutes to explore the area. It wasn't exactly thrilling to check out, but maybe it's better that way- to take in the somber reality that the conquistadors destroyed what these people had.

The Amaru Zoo was definitely a highlight of Cuenca for me. Jose barely made it on time to work just so I could explore this Zoo. Thanks man! Not only did it have many kinds of rescued animals, it was also placed on a hill so that we were required to do quite a bit of hiking as we explored. Unlike any other zoo experience I've had, we arrived at just the right time to see a large family group of lions who were awake and playful. Just a few feet away from these magnificent creatures, I was ecstatic to see them up close! They are, after all, my favorite land animals.  

Hanging with Pati, Fabiana, and Lorena 

Pati has her hands full being a single mom and a full time teacher. She is truly a devoted mother to Fabiana. That little girl is so loved! Unlike some of my other friends who are moms- Pati also lives by herself. I felt blessed that she would make room for me in her hectic world. Since Pati had so much going on already, she passed the torch to another dear friend Lorena to come up with some fun plans for me in Cuenca. Lore did not disappoint! Lore used to be in the Scouts so she knows about all these neat places nearby Cuenca where people can go hiking and exploring. 

One morning Lore, Pati, Fabiana, and I headed out to Chapanahuasi. This is a tall but small mountain that just seems to shoot up into the sky while being surrounded with shorter hills. Many people head there for rappelling and rock climbing. We didn't have the gear this time, but I don't doubt that Lore would do some climbing with me if we get another chance. This time, we settled for hiking to the top. The nearby town quickly shrunk in size. It was wonderful! When we headed back down, we had a mini-picnic. 

Lore and I also had a few more adventures. We went to another less-known lookout of Cuenca. She showed me the best place to get morocho and empanadas. We enjoyed pan de yucca and yogur in the afternoon. While walking around town, we spontaneously stumbled upon a group of break-dancers. It was like we got a little show just for us! Lastly, we went dancing together. Lore has got some moves! When I came to Cuenca, I wasn't sure I would even see Lorena. Now I feel like I know her so much better, and I'm very happy to be considered her friend. 

There you have it- the last of my recap posts! Yesterday, I arrived in Loja: the last destination city of my trip. Aside from seeing friends, the job search, church search, and the apartment hunt have begun. With the help of my friends, I have two interviews set up for this week. Tomorrow I go to check out an apartment, and I'm expecting a call for a third interview. Prayers are especially needed right now for peace as I talk to possible future employers, and wisdom as I decide where to live and work.  

Week 4 Ecuador recap: Sometimes things don't go as planned

I hope you're enjoying reading about my adventures, and even if you're losing interest, I'm still thoroughly delighted to type out my experiences. I feel as though this blog is just as much for me as it is for you. And here we go...  For the past ten days or so, the plans I've made haven't always turned out like I thought, but I wouldn't trade them for anything. I've been in Ambato and Riobamba with a couple short trips to other places like: Baños, Guano, Chimborazo, and Alausí.

Making the most of Ambato and Baños

In Ambato I stayed with my lovely friend Cristina. She's an incredible woman who enjoys travel probably more than any one else I know. We were able to have quite a few good conversations about life, love, work, and India (Cristina got back from India about 3 months ago). I had a great time being with her and her family.

Parque Provincial de La Familia 

Father's day morning. Cristina took me to this park overlooking the city. One of my favorite things to do is walk around green areas, enjoy the fresh air, and soak in unhurried time outside. Cris and I took some fun pictures, checked out the awesome view of Ambato below, and savored some moments walking around the park. 

Chimborazo: 1st attempt didn't go so well... 

Around 50 minutes away from Ambato lies Chimborazo. At an elevation of 20, 561 feet (6, 267 meters) it is the highest mountain in the Americas. It used to be a volcano, but it is no longer active, and sweet Cristina wanted me to see this amazing mountain. Unfortunately, the day we were able to travel was a gray, rainy, cold, and cloudy. 

The drive up was wonderfully curvy and followed right along the river which was pretty great. We kept climbing in elevation little by little, and the plant life slowly changed from lush green areas with fields of harvested plants to dryer lands with some shrubs here and there. As we traveled along, it continued to be cloudy and foggy. Eventually we started seeing wild Alpacas. I couldn't stop taking pictures. They were so wonderful to watch! At the same time, Cris and her uncle (who drove us) kept pointing to an area in the distance where I should have been able to see Chimborazo. Finally we entered the "gate" to Chimborazo and there was nothing to be seen. The entire area was cloud covered. We took a picture anyways, and I can still say that was my first time to see Alpacas! 

A completely cloud-covered Chimborazo

Alpacas made it worth it!!

Jen and Juan Carlos 

One of the tough things about staying only a few days in a city is that I don't always get to see everyone I know who lives there. Fortunately, Jen and Juan Carlos, who also live in Ambato, were able to spare some time to grab brunch with me. I hadn't realized how dedicated Jen is and how many puns Juan Carlos has up his sleeve. He kept cracking me up! It was a short time together, but still a memory we made together!

Ready to jump in the warm waters

Can you find me?

Aguas Termales in Baños

Baños is also not far from Ambato and it's a place of frequent visits from Cristina. She loves it there and it wasn't hard to see why. We were only able to stay there for one night (at a hostal for 7.50 a piece) and one morning, so we filled up our time as much as we could! The town is called Baños because of the hot springs; so of course, we spent an hour relaxing in the naturally warm waters of one pool. By far the coolest part of this pool was the waterfall only feet away. 

El Columpio del Fin del Mundo: Not exactly what I had pictured...

"The swing at the end of the world" also known as "the swing at the tree house" or just "the swing" in Baños is famous world wide.  I couldn't go to Baños and not go on this swing. It would be WRONG. Knowing this, Cristina and I headed up the winding road to see this swing, but just like with Chimborazo it was a gray, wet, dreary day. And also like Chimborazo, as I sat on the swing I could not see anything but gray misty clouds covering the mountainside. Cristina and I still had fun, and it's absolutely one of those "total failure" memories that make you smile afterwards. We both decided that this is the perfect excuse to come back another day, and I hope to do just that.

Riobamba and all the fun I had when we traveled elsewhere 

When I mentioned to different friends that I would be visiting Riobamba, most were somewhat confused and asked questions like, "what are you going to do there?" It's not exactly known for tourism or exciting attractions. But my dear friend Jenniffer lives in Riobamba, so it was a non-negotiable city to visit. Like me, Jenniffer is a single Christian language teacher so there are plenty of ways we relate to each other. We have pretty different personalities, but that doesn't matter- we're sisters in Christ, and it was great to spend some time with her!

An Ecuadorian Wedding 

Jenniffer lives in the church that she serves. The downstairs holds all the services while the upstairs has rooms and the terrace has a kitchen. This week I also lived in La Iglesia Vision de Dios building. A special part of living here was that I got to experience Daniel and Rosita´s wedding that happened on Saturday.  Two people I had never met before welcomed me into their wedding without question. I watched as they put up decorations, listened to the sermon preached, participated in all the songs during the ceremony, ate delicious food (so much food!!!), was given a seat at the wedding party table, and the father of the groom gave me one of the wedding cake toppers to remember them by.  I felt out of place, but they didn´t see it that way. This is what being in the family of God looks like! Talk about blessed!

The amazing wedding cake!! 

Guano: Cholas and el Péndulo 

I'm that small person in blue!

After service on Sunday morning, Cecelia (another Godly woman who lives in the church with Jenniffer) drove Jenniffer and me to Guano. This town is about 40 minutes or so from Riobamba and draws in the tourists. Guano is known for its cholas and leather. I did not end up buying anything leather, but I did get to eat cholas. Cholas are a kind of sweet bread. Inside the bread bun is this caramel, brown sugar, and sweetened fruit that melts in your mouth. It's a challenge to eat just one. After grabbing lunch and some cholas, Cecelia suggested we walk up to this lookout area where you can see all of Guano. I was game. After walking up many flights of stairs and checking out a couple really neat rock formations (an Indian head and a fish), I looked over and there was this intense swing which hung over the cliff's edge. The pendulum was calling my name. I paid a small fee and leapt off the edge! It was an awesome adrenaline rush. Jenniffer called me crazy after, but I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Chimborazo: 2nd attempt- "We did it!!! Wait.. We're not done???"  

Like the pendulum in Guano, some days I wake up and have no idea what is going to happen when we get to where we are going. On Monday afternoon, another old Go Teacher friend who also lives in Riobamba- Jaime Silva- decided that I could not continue my travels without another trip to Chimborazo. He took Jenniffer and me to see Chimborazo mountain. Unlike my first attempt to see Chimborazo, Monday was a bright sunny day. We had the perfect conditions to actually see the mountain. As we drove closer, I assumed we would stop at the gate like last time, stand in awe, and then return home. Jaime had something else in mind.

We past through the gates and there Chimborazo stood- tall and snow capped, but we didn't stop. Jaime kept driving up this windy, dirty and bumpy road. We reached a cabin-like building and got out. Once again I was thinking: Wow! This is amazing! So after a few minutes we'll head back right? Then Jaime says, "Ok vamos!" and he begins walking up this path toward the mountain. I was pretty excited to hike up, but also wished I had known that was the plan all along. At that elevation, breathing can prove difficult, so Jenniffer and I needed to rest every 30 steps or so. Jaime, although he was the heaviest of the three of us, had walked up Chimborazo many times before so he was used to it. Eventually we made it to a second cabin-like building, and once again I thought we were done. We made it!! The view at 5000 meters or 16404 feet was spectacular!! We were higher than most of the clouds, and I was pleased with our effort. However, once again Jaime was like "alright so let's keep going." We only went about 100 meters higher before the sun was beginning to set and we needed to walk back down. Thanks Jaime for pushing us and for creating a lasting memory for all of us! After everything, we decided that after I get accustomed to exercising at high altitudes, we'll go back and tackle hiking all the way to the top!

Alausí: El tren del nariz del diablo 

My last full day in Riobamba, Jenniffer and I decided to take a bus to Alausì so we could take a legitimate train around the mountains to an area called: The Nose of the Devil. I was incredibly happy to have Jenniffer with me. The train wound down and up the mountain side with great views of a river below. Once we reached "The Nose," we were greated with a show of wonderful dancers dressed in traditional garb moving to the folkloric music. We even joined them dancing after a while.

The most special part of this trip for me was when Jenniffer and I dipped our
hands into the crystal clear water of the river. We were determined to touch the river. So, while other visitors were grabbing coffee and lunch at a nearby bar, we explored the land to find a path down to the river. It was awesome! I was reminded of the little adventures I would have with my mom and my brother when we were younger. I´m sure they would have loved it there with me! My whole family would have liked the experience.

So there you have it: the last ten days of my adventure.

In about 1 hour, I will be grabbing a bus to Guayaquil. It´s supposed to be more dangerous there, so I would love prayers for my safety and protection. My friend Andres will be looking out for me and I trust him. I am also changing climates completely. Riobamba is probably the coldest city that I´ve visited so far. At night I slept with 5 blankets covering me, and that´s not an exageration. Guayaquil, on the other hand, is humid and hot. Some say it´s hotter than Esmeraldas. Please pray for a quick transition and a positive attitude no matter how many bug bites I get or how much I sweat.

Thanks again for reading this and supporting me prayerfully. I have about 2 weeks left in my journey, and then the job search begins. I´ll do my best to keep you updated!

11 more things I'm learning about Ecuador

It's day 25 in Ecuador for me!! I've visited 8 cities now (not counting those cities I passed by on bus), and I have about 5 more to go. I'm picking up on how things work here in Ecuador little by little. Here's 11 more things I'm learning about Ecuador!!! 11 because I'm feeling rebellious- deal with it. :)

1. Food Fact 1: Eat less and less as the day goes on  

Disclaimer: Not every Ecuadorian eats exactly the same way so know that I'm speaking in general about this one.

Typical lunch

Ecuadorian Tortilla for a Snack

In my opinion, Ecuadorians have got this food thing figured out!! Most start off the day with a medium to large breakfast between 6 and 8 a.m. (A medium meal would be an almost full plate and large would be a full plate almost overflowing with food.) Around 10 or 11 a.m some "toman un cafecito." It's time for some coffee or maybe a cappuccino and an empanada, tortilla, or a piece of fresh bread.  This is just right because lunch isn't served until 1:30, 2 or sometimes even 3. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day. Almost every day of my 25 days here in Ecuador, I have barely finished lunch because it's always so much food. Then around 4 or 5 in the day, it's time for a small snack. Something like a smoothie, ice cream cone, or crackers will do. Lastly between 6 and 8:30 the day is wrapped up with coffee and another piece of bread or a couple empanadas.  

Now, on weekends, I've gone out with friends where we ate a big meal at a nice restaurant in the evening, but we usually walked around or went dancing after. 

This is an incredibly logical set up of meals throughout the day!

Sopa con espinacas y queso

2. Food Fact 2: Soup and rice anyone?? 

Another common occurrence with food in Ecuador is that they love their soup and rice! Almost every lunch includes soup before the main course, and it is not at all dependent on the weather. In Esmeraldas, we had soup for lunch. I was already sweating before the steaming hot bowl was passed to me. It doesn't matter- soup is healthy so soup is eaten. Sometimes I'm full from the soup before we even begin the main course which of course always has rice. Sometimes half the plate is rice! The food here is truly delicious and fresh, but these are two things I will probably eat less of on my own when I cook for myself.

3. Leggings= perfectly acceptable 

In general, I feel as though leggings are not completely acceptable in the States. I can wear leggings if I have a long shirt or a dress over them, but in Ecuador it's a different story. Here leggings are just another kind of pants, and I'm a fan of that. They are incredibly comfortable, and I look good in them! hahaha

4. Street and bus vendors= sometimes awesome & sometimes annoying  

As I've taken the bus more and more- I've started to expect vendors to jump on and sell their goods. They usually pitch their sell for a few minutes then make their way up and down the aisle. Sometimes it's annoying because I'm not all that interested in hearing their speech. In those times, I can play the "clueless gringa" card and act like I don't understand what they are asking. Other times, it's proven nice. If I'm a little hungry, I'll buy some peanuts or if I'm thirsty, I'll buy bottled water.

Some of the most interesting "sells" I've experienced are musicians. They'll jump up on the bus or walk into the restaurant and begin to play, sing, or sometimes rap. After a song or two, they will wave a hand in front of you asking you to pay them for their performance. So far I have not been moved to thank them for their interruption. I suppose some day if I meet someone truly talented, I might give them a dollar or two.  

5. Water service: Use it while you have it! 

Some places in Ecuador do not have consistent running water. So those who live there, save water for the days when they won't have running water. They keep big big jugs available and fill them with water from the faucet or even rain water sometimes. Again I'm impressed by the ingenuity of it all. I took a cup shower one day and it was refreshing!

6. Centers of town are like long strip malls 

The best way I can explain city centers here in Ecuador is to compare them to strip malls in the U.S. If I need something and I may not know of a specific shop to go to, I can just walk around a few city blocks and I'll find what I need. There are tons of one room stores here- stores with clothes, office supplies, furniture, fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, ice-cream, hair salons, pretty much anything you need or want. It's wonderful to me.

7.  Bills versus Cards

Before coming here, I switched credit cards to a card that doesn't charge international fees. This is still useful for getting money out of an ATM for example, but other than that- I have not used my credit card once. They use cash here not cards. And sometimes it's even difficult to break a 20. Small store owners might lose your business just because they can't give you change if you only have a 20. I ended up buying a "monedero" for every day use.

8. Backpacks in stores

In many bigger stores with more rooms or a wider space: backpacks are not allowed. In those stores, there is usually a guard. He or she will require your backpack to be handed over and kept in a locker while you shop. Sometimes a ticket or token is given until all the purchases have been made. This is an incredibly smart way to prevent theft!

9. Laundry: Do it at least 2 days early 

There are 3 ways to get laundry done here in Ecuador. 1. Take it to a laundry service who will wash and dry it for you for a fair price. 2. Wash laundry in a machine and set it out to dry. 3. Wash laundry by hand and set it out to dry. I have yet to meet anyone who has a dryer. So far I've done #2 and #3 at my friend's houses. This means that clothes are set out on clothes' lines, and it usually takes 2 or sometimes 3 days to dry completely. The reason it might take more time to dry is because it frequently rains here. Praise God I haven't gone without clean clothes. Now I know to wash it little by little so I have dry clothes in time.

10. Can I get some yummy fruity juice please? 

Colada Morada Deliciosa

I love love love the juice here in Ecuador! About once or twice a day juice is served. At one of my friend's houses, we went into her small backyard, picked a babaco fruit from the tree, pealed it, sliced it up, put it in the blender with water and sugar and wallah: sweet refreshing juice!! Not only is the juice amazing- they have fruits here in Ecuador that do not exist in the U.S. Some of them are: Babaco, Guanabana (I love saying this fruit), Naranjilla, Tomate del arbol, and probably a few more than I'm not thinking of right now. Thank you God for fruit!

11. The key to the latin curvy booty

This one is just for fun! If you haven't noticed, many Latinas have great curves. After these days of being here in Ecuador, I think I've figured out some reasons behind their amazing curves. Yes yes genes are a part of it, but there are other factors. 1. Jeans can do a lot to help. There are certain jeans here that don't have pockets in the rear with certain dyes that really show off the curves in the right spot. 2. Los tacones: many are not afraid of heels that give greater shape to their legs. 3. Most importantly...the key to the curve.... THE STAIRS. There are stairs in almost every building here in Ecuador. Walking up and down the stairs is the secret people!!! That's how they have these amazing curves!!! You better believe I'm going to work on it! 

Well, I hope that made you smile. If you're curious about any part of my trip or things I'm learning here, just post a comment, and I'll respond! 

Much love, 

Melody