Bacterias and Explanations

I meant to catch up on all the posts circling my brain from the past week and a half on Tuesday night. I meant to e-mail people I hadn't e-mailed in a while on Tuesday night. I meant to eat my salami and cheese sandwich and talk to other fellow hostal dwellers and breathe the cool, deep air of Quito...and cigarette smoke.

I meant to do a lot of things on Tuesday night.

But instead, I spent the night rushing to the bathroom, throwing up absolutely everywhere. Literally, everywhere. I vomited until I didn't think I could vomit anymore...and then I threw up again. And again. And again.

The drama that ensued when my Cuencan family found out I was sick can hardly be described. I was talking on the phone with mom, while she skyped with Dorothy and the family, while Chio was talking to the hostal on the phone and the hostal workers were talking to me. There was mentioning of an ambulance, of Dorothy coming to get me, but in the end a doctor was sent, courtesy of one of Chio's cousins in Quito. After hearing the account of my past couple days, trip to the jungle, eating of unusual foods, and pushing all around and into my stomach, he told me, in mixed Spanish-English medical jargon that I had acute gastroenteritis from a bacteria in my stomach. He wrote out a recipe of prescriptions, telling me that I could travel back to the states in the morning if and only if I started the medicine immediately.

He also mentioned I shouldn't go to a pharmacy alone, since Quito is not a safe place for anyone, especially a gringa, at night.

So, wonderful. I'm horribly sick, alone in a foreign country, with only $50 cash. I have a flight at 8:30 a.m. and I can't keep my insides in.

Let's just say, I've had better days.

But thankfully, help came in the form of Chio's other cousins, Maria and Fernando. They picked me up at 1:30 am from the hostal, bought my medicine for me, and took me back to their house to sleep better and start my prescriptions. They found me a cheaper cab ride to the airport, and, 12 hours, two more embarrassing stomach removals, and five wheelchair rides later, I was in Raleigh.

And now, sitting on the couch, re-hydrated from an IV and the slow drinking of blue gatorade, but slowly wasting away from not being able, or allowed, to eat anything, I am going to try to fill you in on the final week and a half of my Ecuadorian adventure.

But first, I'm going to sleep.

Gualaceo y Chordeleg

It was raining and a little chilly when we all piled in the car for Gualaceo on Sunday. But by the time we were going through the toll check point and buying aplanchados and melchochas (sweet, pastry-like cakes and sugar cane candy) to snack on in the car, the sun was out and it was perfect weather. Especially perfect for shopping.

The small town was buzzing with festivities for Patron Santiago, their patron saint and the "indoor" food market was so busy, we had to move like vultures to find an open table. Mona, the pro that she is, brought me with her to get the food. What did we have? Fresh, like, they pulled it off the pig with their hands and put it on our plate fresh, hornado, morcilla, papas, llapingachos, sancochos, y aplanchados (pork, sausage intestine with rice and vegetables, fries, cheese potato cakes, stewed pork, and sweet tortillas) for almuerzo. Ricissimo!

We walked through and around the cute, pedestrian-friendly town and admired the old architecture, the cobbled streets, and the beautiful cathedral. Finding the car again, we drove the few kilometers up to Chordeleg and admired the beautiful mountains and country houses. Dorothy translated that a lot of European and American people have decided to retire here, and so the property value has sky-rocketed. I definitely would have lived there. Fue precioso!

Chordeleg was any woman's with some bit of taste dream. Silver and gold handmade jewelry shops with one-of-a-kind pieces with only-in-Chordeleg prices. As we walked the shop-lined square, gazing into every store, peering into the window, and even trying (and buying) some of the gorgeous aretes, anillas, y collares, I couldn't help but notice the family we were and how beautiful of a day it was.

After several hours of delayed stepping around the park, we drove down to Chio's aunt's house to spend a little time. La quinta was a beautiful, old estate of a house complete with an overgrown sugar cane field, cows, river, and cock fighting pit. I truly fell in love with it, especially after I met Valentine, the 2-day-old calf that I made friends with. I kept thinking how much my parents would love this place, wondering if the family would ever sell, even imagining bringing my family there far in the future.

Ok, so a little much, but this place was beautiful.

After stopping in town to buy pan y helado de leche, we made our way back to Quito and Dorothy and I proceeded to eat canguil con pepas de sambo (popcorn with roasted pumpkin seeds) and watch a bootleg copy of Sherlock Holmes.



It really was the perfect day.

Chuchaki, enferma, o este tiempo del mes?

I'm sorry it has been so long since I have posted. It has been a combination of being busy and being too tired and a little sick to do it lately.

It has been an interesting week, filled with a lot of somethings but not much of anything. On Tuesday, we went to talk to this guy who owns Yoko, the nicest club in Cuenca, and set it up for me to sing at the club. It was all very exciting and kind of quick before I realized what I had just gotten myself into. Truthfully, I think everyone else was a little more excited than I was; thus a reason for it not happening. The night they wanted me to sing is the same night we had planned on going to the jungle, so I am no longer singing.

I do feel bad for cancelling, but I never actually asked to do it, nor do I actually sing the type of music they wanted me to: American pop, aka Katy Perry, Kesha, and the like. I know I sound a little selfish, I don't mean to, but I can sing anywhere...I can't go to the jungle anywhere.

Eeeh, rereading that made me cringe a bit. I promise I am not that selfish, and I really do appreciate it. This is just a big, expensive trip that I want to actually DO things on.

That's something that is going to change this week. We are going to DO things. We have kind of just been chilling, with everyone qualifying it as my vacation so I should just relax. But I don't want to relax. I can relax in Raleigh. I am in ECUADOR (as Mary Cate puts it) and I should have ADVENTURE!

Now, the past two days I haven't been up for much. After La Mesa on Wednesday (a popular salsa club only open one night a week with the strongest drinks in town), I was a little chuchaki and then just sick (thanks, Mother Nature). We went to the Banos though, which were really great. Los Banos are these pools of natural hot spring water that you just kind of lay in. They are extremely calcium rich and really hot (40 degrees Celcius = 104 degrees Fahrenheit) so they make your skin smooth. It is a lot like a spa, but more affordable and less...quiet.

Today, we considered going to the Cajas for a day of hiking, pero llueve y hace frio (but it's raining and cold), so we walked up to El Banco Central to see the inside cultural exhibit while it was still free. (Earlier in the week, Dorothy and I ran and walked around the Inca ruins and gardens.)

Later I think we are going shopping at the open air and hippie markets near Tom's flat. Of course, I have to go with Mona in order to get the native, fair price, since I'm a gringita.

Manyana (Domingo): Gualaceo para ir de compras
La Semana Proxima: Cajas, Incapirca, Museos de arte, y Las Macas!!!

El Fin de Semana y Lunes

So, Dorothy is at work, and I have an hour until I have to be ready to go to Baile Rapido with Maria, so I am going to try to catch up on everything that has been going on.

After our late night out on Friday, Dorothy had to get up and go to work at 9 (pobre cita!) but I slept in. Since I missed breakfast with the family, Mona made me eggs with chicken and I had the usual pan, jugo, y cafe. But then I just kind of sat around the house, got on my computer, read some from my book that I am horribly behind in.

That is something that is actually pretty funny. I brought a ton of books down here with me with the intention of taking time everyday to read a little, but so far, that has not been the case. Maybe it will change though, we'll see.

Once Dorothy got home from an apparently very busy morning at work, we had Ecuador-style lasagna with sopa de tomate and fresh avacado. And for postre, pear with chocolate, coconut, and a custard-like substance. Mmm, can you tell that eating is a really important thing here? But truly, almuerzo is the time of day that we eat a lot and talk just as much. So far we have had some very interesting conversations and I am very thankful I have my mother's gift of being able to understand most everything someone says, whether I know the language well or not.

Yesterday at almuerzo, we discussed the differences between the US and Ecuador in regards to opportunity and help availability for mentally handicapped people. Mona talked about some family members who have autistic children and how difficult it is here for them. They are very sweet (muy dulce) but so much to handle, especially when it comes to school and growing up like other kids. There is just not a lot of help here for parents with children like this. I found it really interesting because I have been so used to special ed programs at school. Even at Camp Tekoa, I had a camper in my day camp group that had some mental illness and had his own "special buddy" and so much attention. There is nothing like that in Ecuador.

Anyway, after almuerzo and a long siesta (since Louly hadn't gotten a lot of sleep the previous night), we were in a bit of a funk, somewhat mad at the change of plans from Dorothy's friends (Oscar, Aguila, Choco, Diego, Juan Pa, etc.). (We were supposed to go to la quinta that day, but it didn't work out, and they didn't really tell us this until is was pretty late in the day. And thus the German chicas who were going to join us were also pretty angry with us, even though we had nothing to do with it.) But Tom's mum, Claire, had arrived that morning and we had been invited to dinner and whatever else we wanted to do after that with Tom's mum and crew. So, we went to dinner at a place downtown that I cannot remember the name of and Dorothy and I had crepes with bananas, chocolate, and cream.

MUCH better mood after that.

But then the night got a little crazy with changes of plans and frustrated people. We all eventually ended up at Zo, another dance club, in different groups but had a pretty good time, I think. I just remember being pretty tired and being ready for a few nights off from partying. I did meet one of Oscar's friends, Hernan, who is a futbol player for Cuenca and danced with him some. He might be getting us tickets for the next Cuenca home game, which would be awesome.

Sunday is Dorothy's day off, so we had breakfast together and then went on a run/walk that I almost died on. Not only have I not run since April and Dorothy is a major half-marathon-ista, we are also at a very high altitude here in the Cajas Mountains, so it took about three minutes for me to have some difficulties breathing. But it was okay because Louly is the best and let me walk a good amount.

We made it back for almuerzo and a short siesta, and then both took showers and just kind of relaxed a bit. Last night we went to the mall (yep, there's a mall, with a food court, and an apple store, and a "princess" shop) and had ice cream from Tutto Freddo and went to el cine to watch Robin Hood, since that was the only one in English. We ran into one of D's friends, Mericio and he tagged along. I snuck a fruit salad and a coca-cola light into the movie, as is my custom, and then got sick on popcorn. I'll never learn.

When we got home, Mona had some of our left-over popcorn, and we ate some zebra cake from a birthday party she and Maria had gone to on Saturday. It was a great end of a chill day.

But today! Today has been wonderful! After breakfast and some internet time, D and I walked to downtown to the hat factory and I bought an Ecuadorian hat! It was the easiest decision I have made in long time. And it is beautiful; purple, black, and with so much character. I love it.

Mom, Tim, and Ryan...you all owe Dorothy money.

Cuenca

Arrived around 9 am on Thursday morning, before our host family had even woken up and it was like Dorothy and I had seen each other last week. (Except for the extremely excited hugging and jumping around, that is.) I met Mona and Chio (Host Mom and Daughter) at desayuno (breakfast) and fell in love with them immediately. Chio speaks very good English and Mona speaks a little, but they are both very encouraging of my somewhat broken Spanish. After breakfast, Dorothy, Chio and I went to el parque principal (?) to walk around and to meet TOM!

Ok, so let me explain the excitement. Tom is my sister's best friend here. He is from England and has traveled a lot but is teaching at the same place (Wall Street Institute) as Dorothy, so, very important. It was a funny kind of meeting because Tom and I have been skype chatting (and even video chatting) for a couple months now, so we kind of already know each other. So, we kind of just dove right into conversation since we are used to it by now. After playing a little frisbee, and attempting to teach Dorothy and Chio different ways of throwing it, we returned to la casa for almuerzo (lunch).

Now, almuerzo is the most important and biggest meal of the day in Ecuador (and most Spanish-speaking countries) and is served around 2 p.m. My first almuerzo was ceviche con camarones, pollo con championes y arroz, y fresas. Ceviche is a very popular dish and is like a shrimp cocktail soup with popcorn. Weird, I know, but absolutely incredible.

Actually, all the food here is amazing. There has not been one thing that I haven't liked. We eat a lot of bread and fruit, which are my favorite things, so, you know, I'm happy. Desayuno usually consists of bread (lots of different kinds like wheat, pastries, sweet bread, etc.), queso (cheese), mermelada (jelly), miel (honey, and Dorothy's favorite) and fresh squeezed juice sin sucre (without sugar). I also drink coffe every morning, but it is very different than what I'm used to. It is an instant mix that you stir into hot milk. It is very rich and very good.
Almuerzo is always a big meal with two or three courses and includes meat, vegetables, and sometimes bread. If we're lucky, Mona makes postre (dessert) which is absolutely amazing. It's kind of her job, so, you know.

On Thursday, after lunch, I took a nap (for 4 hours!) while Dorothy went to work. At 8:30, Dorothy called and told us to call Mickey (a cousin) and get him to drive me to work. I had to leave in the middle of dinner (which consists of bread, cheese, yogurt, etc. or whatever we eat if we go out) and didn't realize Mona expected Dorothy and I to return to finish dinner. We got in trouble the next morning because Mona was worried I didn't eat enough. : / Oh well, it happens, I guess. After Mickey and I picked Dorothy up from work, Mickey drove us around town a little to show me downtown and then proceeded to get lost on the way to Tom's flat. I enjoyed it, and thought it was kind of funny, but I think Dorothy was a little frustrated. We finally arrived at Plaza de San Francisco and made our way up to the penthouse (glorified) for the beginning of the evening. That is where I met our primary party group:

Tom - British, one of the roommates
Dom(inick) - German, one of the roommates
Sam - German, Dom's friend here for three weeks
Duvan - Colombian, I think one of the roommates
Nathan and Tilley - Traveling Brits, met Dom and Sam in the Galapagos and were staying just a few nights on their way to Peru

Dorothy made dinner (huevos y pan), we listened to music, got to know each other a bit, drank a bit (yes, Mom, I did drink some, but don't worry, it wasn't anything to be concerned about, Dorothy is taking good care of me) and danced. Then, Mickey returned for the promised club outing and we all proceeded to pile into his Hyundai SUV and go to Dos Dos.

Of course, I, nor anyone else really, was properly dressed to the scale that Dos Dos recommended. It was expensive and everyone there, excepting us, was kind of high class Cuenca and didn't look like they were having a lot of fun. They danced without looking at the each other, without smiling, and without gumption. But we all had a lot of fun. We danced with each other, and I got to dance with Mickey too, and then Tom and I proceeded to have a pretty deep, intellectual conversation whilst salsa-ing. It was a lot of fun.

Sleeping in relatively the next day, we had breakfast and then ran up to hang out with Tom a little. His mum was coming the next day, so he was making keys and other important things. There was a lot going on at the church and plaza near Tom's apartment because it was the celebration of the Virgen del Carmelo (Virgin del Carmen) and there was a parade, mass in the square, and other festivities all day. We walked through it, snacking on hot street pastries and talking about what the flower market looks like on any other day.

Yes, there is a flower market in the square next to Tom's apartment Every Day. I am in heaven. Also, Chio was telling me how when her husband first started dating her, he sent her 100 roses every week! (Roses are not nearly as expensive here, like a dollar for a dozen, but still, that's ridiculous!)

When Dorothy had to go to work later in the day, I went with Mona and Maria (other daughter) to el central to walk around a little bit. Maria went into the church with all the festivities because her full name is Maria del Carmen and she wanted to pray. Then we walked around and they told me about the town, about the statue in el parque del central that it Mona's ancestor, about the buildings and the streets and the churches. Mona bought us some kind of flaky iced pastry (Mom and Tim, these were your favorites, apparently) and we walked down Las Escalinatas and past the Broken Bridge, the two most famous sites of Cuenca.

After meeting Maria's husband, Andres, and her son, Jose Luis, we returned home for me to shower quickly and take a taxi to Dorothy's work to meet her students. When Tom and Dorothy were finished, we all went to Tutto Freddo for pizza and Coca-Cola light and to get all of us in better spirits. And, of course, since it was Friday, we went out again, but after trying 5 different bars, Dorothy and I just wanted to go dancing, so we left. We walked to Gabbia, another dance club, and as girls and foreigners, got in for free and proceeded to have a much better night than just drinking with our party. I learned to Meringue from Juan Diego Aguila, one of Dorothy's friends who I danced with most of the night, and just had a really, really nice time.

We are going to Aguila's country house this coming Saturday with a big group of people as is relatively usual on Saturdays. Instead of going out, young people go to la quinta and just chill and eat good food.

Ok, I think this post is plenty long enough for now, I will catch up on the rest tomorrow.

Buenas Noches!

Here.

Such a long day, but such a wonderful day.

I will spare you my dramatic (always) rush to the airport, over-loaded bag, and then 7 hour layover in Miami musings since that is not what's really exciting about this whole experience anyway. I will say though, that the airport floor makes for great napping, and traveling with someone is always a good idea. Though, I suppose that I will have to get used to traveling alone if this is the kind of thing I want to do with my life.

And it totally is.

Ok, important things. Sergio Alava. Asked me in the terminal if I was going to Ecuador, and when I answered yes, he smiled. He calmed my nerves when I suddenly was terrified about the thought of actually coming to Ecuador and realizing just how un-practiced I am at Spanish. But when our seats were across the plane from each other, I thought that was the end, when lo-and-behold, the seat next to mine was empty, and he moved (of course) and we became friends (obviously). Truly though, he made the trip so much better. Battling a headache from no sleep, nausea from my Malaria pill, and butterflies was nothing when he spoke to me. He is from Guyaquil, he went to school in Wyoming, and he went to Europe last year and learned a little Serbian and Italian. Wonderful? I think yes. He wants Dorothy and I to come visit him in Guyaquil...it'll happen.


Antonio. Cab Driver. He was very, very nice. After some kind of awkward but usual exchanges in English I asked him, "Puedo a practicar con mi espanol?" "Por Supuesto!" he answered. So we began talking about things we liked and then talking about Ecuador. I told him I was going to Cuenca and he told me he was from there originally. He studied architecture in school and he loved the architecture in Cuenca. But his favorite style is gothic. "Yo tambien" led into a discussion of politics. When asked what I thought about "socialismo", I asked him how to say "it's hard to say". We bonded over our shared opinion that some things had improved, others had worsened. We arrived at the Secret Garden Quito Hostel when hoping that the Correan government would not get any more oppressive.


Now here, sitting on the couch in the WiFi room, blogging (so 2010), all I want to do is go up stairs and meet lots of people and drink some red wine, but I know I should go to sleep. I haven't slept much and I have to get up at the ungodly hour of 5 am tomorrow in order to make it to the airport on time for my flight to Cuenca. As horribly early as that is, that also means that is the earlier I get to see my beautiful sister, Dorothy.


I just caught myself eaves dropping. This is like a gold mine of interesting young people from all over the world, actually, I guess this is a hostel, and that's what those usually are. It's brilliant and wonderful and I am in love.

Ecuador

In two and a half hours, I am waking up.

In nine and a half hours, I will be eating breakfast in Miami International Airport.

In nineteen and a half hours, I will be in Quito, Ecuador.




So begins the travels of Katie Bailey.