These weeks are just flying by! It's surprising how much a person can do in one day when you don't have to work and your friends plan your days for you. :)
My third week in Ecuador, I visited Esmeraldas and Quito (one more time) before beginning my journey south.
The Journey to Esmeraldas
About an hour away from the city of Esmeraldas, I felt the humidity and temperature change. Looking out the window I began to see worlds of green. Huge green tropical plants passed by. It looked almost like jungle. Beautiful and warm.
Once we arrived, the sweating began. The drastic change in temperature was a lot for me. Each night in Esmeraldas I slept in a t-shirt and shorts without any sheets, and each morning I woke up sweating. This is truly the only thing I struggled with in Esmeraldas, and by the last day I was getting used to it. Of course it was 100% worth it to spend time with Xiomix.
Things I did in Esmeraldas:
Teaching
Xiomara and her director invited me to join them in teaching a few classes. It was fun to plan lessons with Xiomara and meet university students who care about English and some others who are going to be English teachers very soon. Even though I've only been teaching for 2 years, it was pretty great to reflect and share some of my experiences with future teachers.
Walking on the "board walk" and Salchipapas
My second night in Esmeraldas, Xiomara took me and her wonderful son Alex to the Esmeraldas beach. It was already dark so we walked around this sidewalk area looking out at the waves. The breeze from the ocean was refreshing.
The same night we ate the most amazing thing. Salchipapas. Salchipapas is a wonderfully crafted bowl of everything required for a heart attack: fried sausages, french fries, a creamy white mystery sauce, and a few other ingredients I didn't quite recognize. It was by far the best thing I've eaten in Ecuador, and I almost passed it up until Xiomara convinced me to seize the moment. Thanks girl!
Playa Atacames
The afternoon I walked on the beach with my sweet friend was the most wonderful, peaceful, and tranquil experience. In all my planning for Ecuador, this was a moment that exceeded all my hopes. We talked, but we also enjoyed moments in silence enjoying the feeling of the water rushing over our feet. Also, because we went on a weekday afternoon the beach was basically ours. This made it even more special. As a girl from Kansas- so far from any beach- it was an amazing time. I would go back in a heartbeat!Hanging with Alex
I fell in love with Xiomara's son. We played together and he often explained new things to me about Esmeraldas. He's very sharp, bright, kind and talented. Alex can also rap like nobody's business. I definitely improved my listening skills hanging with him. He has a great future ahead of him. I hope I get to see him again soon.
One thing I hadn't done in Quito yet was see some of the historic churches in the oldest area of the city. So of course, Andrea took me to see some of them. A lot of these Catholic churches have been converted into museums, and you have to pay to enter them. As I mentioned earlier, museums aren't as interesting to me as other activities, but we did enter one church. It truly was outstanding and ornate. The gold and the paintings were exquisite. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures inside.
One of my favorite things about the museum was that the inside garden had parrots. They were incredibly entertaining. One would copy Andrea and I. It responded to her "hola" and mimicked our laughs. The inner child in me loved this so much!
After checking out the churches, we were a little hungry so we stopped by this cafe. (By the way cafes are seriously the best here in Ecuador!) Andrea and I shared a fruit salad and smoothies. They were delicious!
La Ronda: Giving it another try
If you read my first week recap blog, you know that I prefer La Plaza Foch, but this go around La Ronda was somewhat better. Less people stared, and we weren't trying to find a place to dance. (I think that was the main disappointment the first time I went to La Ronda.) We were just enjoying our time together and seeking a place to eat and listen to live music. It was different because of our purpose in going to La Ronda. Esther, Andrea, and I enjoyed a lovely dinner, we tried legitimate chocolates made from the cacao plant here in Ecuador, and listened to live music at a bar.
Today I came from Ambato to Riobamba. I'm staying with my friend Jenniffer at her church. She literally lives at this church. The upstairs has rooms and the terrace has a kitchen. It's pretty cool! Pray that this week here in Riobamba will be refreshing to my soul. It's easy to be distracted from God's purpose and I'm hopeful this week will recenter me. I also want to be a blessing to Jenniffer and other believers here at Iglesia Vision.
Thanks for reading this and I really appreciate your encouragement prayers and support.
The Journey Back to Quito
Only after a few days that flew by in Esmeraldas, it was time to head back to Quito. My bus ride back began hectically. Xiomara's family took me to the bus station and I just missed the bus by seconds. The next bus wouldn't leave until about 4 hours later. We talked to the "ticket master" who told us she would call the driver. Xiomara's dad explained what his truck looked liked, and the driver was informed that we would be chasing the bus until it would stop for me. I was actually afraid for my life for a few minutes as we quickly took short cuts through the city to catch up to the bus. Xiomara's dad was determined. When we finally did catch up, there wasn't a good spot for the bus to stop so we drove in front of the bus for a good 15 minutes until it would stop for me. That was such a sweet thing that her family did for me. The scene when I got on the bus and turned around to say goodbye and thank you was just like out of a movie. We made it to the bus; I was relieved and grateful at the same time.
The bus was pretty full so I grabbed a seat next to an older gentleman, and I made a new friend. Gabriel and I started talking. His birthday was the very next day and he told me he was turning 86. For a good hour or more, he shared stories about how he used to play drums in a folklorico band, and how he still loves music. Of course this came up because of my name. We even sang a few songs together to the amusement of some of the other passengers I'm sure. It was nice to have someone to chat with. There's always so much to learn from elder people and I enjoy hearing their stories. God bless Gabriel.
Last things I did in Quito
On Wednesday, I traveled back to Quito to visit my friend Esther for a few days. It never ceases to amaze me that my friends- no matter how busy their lives are- they make time for me. Esther works in a public high school with many many students, but she still planned activities for me to do with her. She's truly a sweetheart. |
| The high school where Esther works!! |
Hanging out with Andrea
My first night back in Quito, Esther was waiting for me at the train station with her friend Andrea. Since Andrea had free time while Esther was working, we got to know each other. She's a 21 year old who also shares a love for travel. I hope we'll hang out again- maybe do a little traveling together.
Historic Churches in Quito
One thing I hadn't done in Quito yet was see some of the historic churches in the oldest area of the city. So of course, Andrea took me to see some of them. A lot of these Catholic churches have been converted into museums, and you have to pay to enter them. As I mentioned earlier, museums aren't as interesting to me as other activities, but we did enter one church. It truly was outstanding and ornate. The gold and the paintings were exquisite. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures inside.One of my favorite things about the museum was that the inside garden had parrots. They were incredibly entertaining. One would copy Andrea and I. It responded to her "hola" and mimicked our laughs. The inner child in me loved this so much!
Batidos: Oh those smoothies!!!
After checking out the churches, we were a little hungry so we stopped by this cafe. (By the way cafes are seriously the best here in Ecuador!) Andrea and I shared a fruit salad and smoothies. They were delicious!
La Ronda: Giving it another try
If you read my first week recap blog, you know that I prefer La Plaza Foch, but this go around La Ronda was somewhat better. Less people stared, and we weren't trying to find a place to dance. (I think that was the main disappointment the first time I went to La Ronda.) We were just enjoying our time together and seeking a place to eat and listen to live music. It was different because of our purpose in going to La Ronda. Esther, Andrea, and I enjoyed a lovely dinner, we tried legitimate chocolates made from the cacao plant here in Ecuador, and listened to live music at a bar.
Rest: Travelling can wipe you out!!
One of the important things I did in Quito at Esther's house was rest. I slept in, took frequent naps, and went to bed early most days. It was like all of sudden, all of the social interactions, the days full of fun activities, and all of the bus trips here and there caught up to me and I needed to sleep. I needed to have quiet time to myself. Praise the Lord I could do just that.
Today I came from Ambato to Riobamba. I'm staying with my friend Jenniffer at her church. She literally lives at this church. The upstairs has rooms and the terrace has a kitchen. It's pretty cool! Pray that this week here in Riobamba will be refreshing to my soul. It's easy to be distracted from God's purpose and I'm hopeful this week will recenter me. I also want to be a blessing to Jenniffer and other believers here at Iglesia Vision. Thanks for reading this and I really appreciate your encouragement prayers and support.
Thank you so much for sharing all of your adventures! Your writing is very informative and interesting. It's like a travel brochure!
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