Work, Teleferico, and Tattoos

Day 6:
     Goooooood morning. The last two days haven't been very eventful or busy, but I have learned a lot more at the clinic. Today was a new breakfast than the other days with grilled cheese. This morning my host mom made us pancakes and a side of pineapple. After chowing down my breakfast, I headed to the bus station to head to work. I worked in the laboratory again today. Another younger worker came into the lab and was a normal worker. She taught me a couple more things such as where things go, or which vile to draw blood is needed for each person. I wasn't able to do a ton of things today, but hopefully tomorrow.

I forgot. This is the infamous Plaza Foch sign I walk past daily.

     After my time at work today, I headed back to the school to wait for my friend Christine. While I was waiting, I played a card game called "Cuarenta." When Christine was done with her class, we took a taxi to the bottom of the Teleferico. The Teleferico is a cable car that goes up to the top of the nearby mountain. Once at the top, the views are gorgeous. We were able to see for a ways. Down at the bottom of the mountain, it was very warm and not very windy. Once we got to the top, it was COLD. And for being from Minnesota, I might have become accustomed to the Ecuadorian weather. It was windy. But, this mountain was pretty neat. There were mountain biking trails, horse riding, and llamas at the top waiting to take their pictures with us.

The view from the top with Quito in the back.

Trying to contain my hair!

     We took our pictures at the top of the mountain with Quito in the background, and then we headed back to the school. The school was having a little get together for the volunteers with cake and snacks. It was pretty nice to be able to talk with the other volunteers. I met a couple from New Zealand who were very nice. Half of the volunteers here are from Germany. There is a retired couple who is here learning Spanish! The snacks were great, but I headed home to eat with the host family. I started talking to my host mom about the various Chicago and Germany magnets. I thought it was the perfect time to give her the magnet I got her. My host mom thought it was GREAT. It's a moose from Minnesota with springy legs. She loved it and couldn't stop laughing and hugging me. After dinner, I wrote in some journals and hit the hay.

The room for our get together with the volunteers.

My spectacular magnet!

Day 7: 

     Today was a great day! I ate breakfast and then headed to the clinic where I was a lot more busy today, even though the lab wasn't very busy. Today I prepared the viles with the necessary numbers according to the patients, put the needles on the adaptors, and brought the viles to the appropriate locations. An older lady that came in had dropped her bag on her foot which was bleeding. I cleaned that up while the nurse took her blood. I felt like I was helping more today than the other days. She was very appreciative. Today, I was also able to draw someones blood. Next week I will hopefully be able to do more too! I might even go to another department in the clinic. 

Here is a picture of the laboratory.

The doctors office where I first started my observations.

     After I left from the clinic, I went home to eat lunch, write in my journals, and rest a little bit. Today was also my first time going to the Supermaxi which is the local grocery store. Afterwards, Christine wanted to go get a tattoo! So, I went with her because I wanted to see what it was like and to be support and company. The tattoo shop was very clean and sterile. More sterile than I thought it was going to be. They had new needles, sterile mats, gloves, and autoclaves. Twas' interesting indeed. After the tattoo adventure, I went back home where Matthias, the German student, was packing up to leave. He left which was a bummer we weren't able to get to know each other more. Darn, maybe I'll have to go to Germany to visit. Once he left we ate a delicious dinner consisting of an avocado, tuna, tomato, and bean salad with banana chips. It was a great day before a busy weekend. More to come on Monday about the busy weekend ahead. Thanks for reading!

Myself, Matthias, and host mom Janett! 

                                                                Nos vemos el lunes :) 

                                                                       Mackenzie

Volunteering, To the equator with hat and mittens, classes, and FUTBOL!

Day 4:
     I know it has only been two days since I last posted, but I have done and observed so much these past couple of days. Today I woke up and ate my breakfast as usual. After that, I went to the bus station and walked to my first day volunteering at Fundacion Medica Mosquera. The doctor who I am with was in a surgery when I arrived, so I sat around and waited. While I was waiting, I put on the medical white coat and the minute I did that, people started to approach me saying "Doctora, Doctora" or asking me questions. The doctor finally arrived and I observed him see his patients. He is a Doctor of Internal Medicine so many of the patients he saw had gastritis. What I did notice while volunteering today was that the clinic here varies in many ways from that in the states. It was the doctor's job to take the blood pressure, temperature, and typical things that nurse do in the United States. I also noticed that no one asked who I was or even was bothered by the presence of a stranger. Maybe the white coat made me look professional and at that moment they didn't care.

Some sights I see while walking to the clinic for work.

     After my first day at the clinic, I went to my final Spanish class here in Ecuador. My professor and I read, spoke, and played games in Spanish. He taught me how to play a game called "cuarentas" (or 40) because that's the amount of points one must have to win the game. After our intense card game ended, we walked to an Ecuadorian market with all Ecuadorian items. Of course I bought a little thing while I was there, but I can't mention that or the person who it's for might be reading this.

The Ecuadorian market in Quito.
 It's a smaller version of Otavalo (where I'll be going on Sunday).

     We headed back from our walk, and I went straight to a salsa dancing lesson. The school, Fundacion Simon Bolivar, offers a couple classes here and there. Every Tuesday and Thursday are salsa lessons. It was neat to learn the dance, however it's not as easy as it sometimes looks UNLESS you're dancing with the instructor who knows what they're doing. I met tons of new friends at the class. Once the class was over, I returned home to eat a little bit of pasta with the host family and the other student before heading to bed.

Dancing with my friend Vanessa while looking a little strange.

Day 5:
     What an exciting day today was. It was pack filled with adventures and explorations. I started my day off earlier than the rest. First, I of course ate the same grilled cheese type breakfast and then headed to the clinic to work and observe in the laboratory. I observed a nurse take over 50 blood samples from patients. She did this all alone while the other nurse was taking the "ticket" and letting the patients know that they would call them when they're next. Their system and order of doing things is much different here than back home. They have some technology such as a couple of blood test machines and an older computer. Instead of having the patients listed on computers or official charts, they write the patients name and birthday on their receipt and then give them a number. That number is the order that the nurse will see them to take blood. Instead of stabbing people with needles, I assisted the single nurse doing the blood work. I would carry the vials of blood back and forth to where they needed to go. One of these days they said they would teach me how to take the blood samples too! I'm excited for that day.

Another view of my walk to the clinic.

A view of inside the clinic. The lower clinic is the waiting area
and off to the left is the lab where I was.

     Another difference I noticed today was the amount of sanitariness they have and don't have. While the nurse was taking the blood samples, sometimes she wore gloves and sometimes not. There was a little baby that she was taking care of. She simply stuck the needle into the vein in her hand and attempted to drain the blood into a vial... without any gloves! I mean, just the needle in the baby's hand while the blood was dripping out and hoping it was caught in the vial. Instead, the blood got all over the floor and onto the nurses de-gloved hands. That was interesting.
     After all of the lab stuff, I headed back to the house to rest a little bit before heading to the school to meet up with Christine, another student who is from Canada. She and I headed towards the food market to get lunch with the professor Gustavo and one of his students. We ate some very good fish with rice and potatoes, and of course ceviche on the side. There was some delicious juice we had, but I can't remember the name. All of that food, and I mean it was a lot and when I say a lot... I'm not kidding, was only $4! I love the prices of things here in Ecuador. We quickly ate and then Christine and I found our way to the bus station to catch the bus to the Mitad del Mundo (or also known as the Equator.. the center of the earth).

The fish meal at the market.

     We took a couple of buses that each took about 30-40 minutes and finally made our way to the tourist looking equator monument. Of course we had to take a lot of pictures while there. ALSO, for those of you who don't know... the equator is NOT hot! I was expecting it to be a dramatic temperature change and be dying from heat. However, it was maybe even cooler than it was in downtown Quito. It was a pretty neat area. Of course we had to pay to get into the area with the monument, but there were also little stores and shops to buy souvenirs. There were also a couple of restaurants. Instead of eating another meal, we ate some ice cream which was probably the best ice cream. It's more ice than cream. Strawberry is a highly recommended one by me. The cool thing about the equator is that there are things you wouldn't be able to normally do, like balance an egg on a nail.

I was able to wear a hat and mittens without sweating!

Balancing an egg on a nail.

Sunbathing on the sundial before we saw the "do not sit on sundial" sign.

There were even Llamas at the Equator.

    After a little while at the Equator, we needed to head back in time for a class. We took the first bus, and then we took a taxi that took much longer than we had expected. We were about 40 minutes late for our class, but it was more of a social class. At the school, we learned how to make cocktails! We made Ecuadorian cocktails and mojitos. It was a big celebration and mingle time at the school before most of us headed to watch the championship soccer game for Ecuador (against Colombia).

Making cocktails with my host mom Janett.

A majority of the students learning how to make cocktails with the professors.

    Before the game, Marilyn, another friend from California, and I decided to go to a small restaurant to eat some dinner before watching the game. We found a little restaurant in the wall and ate there. It was delicious. I had a rice dish with shrimp --similar to paella in Spain if you have ever had that. While we were sitting there, a little boy came into the restaurant and was trying to sell us gum. We decided to have a little conversation with him because he was very tired and just wanted someone to buy something. Instead, we gave him conversation and gave him a couple of cents. A sweet little boy he was. Once done eating, we headed to a bar/restaurant where the school had a room reserved for us. We watched the intense game as everyone was shouting, chanting, and cheering. Unfortunately, Ecuador lost 0-1. A sad day for Ecuador and their futbol fans, but a happy day for me considering I live on a street with all the bars around me. Not as many parties tonight that will keep me awake. What an exciting and eventful day today was though. Until Friday, goodnight!

The crazy action happening while watching the game!

                                                          With love from Ecuador,

                                                                     Mackenzie

Arrival in Quito, Orientation, and A LOT of walking!

DAY 1 (7/32/16) :
     Buenos Días from Quito, Ecuador! I have only been here for 2 full days, yet I have learned so much about this city (and of course taken tons of pictures). It all started with my two flights getting here; the first flight was around 2pm. I had one layover in Houston, Texas which wasn't much of a layover considering I had to RUN to the next flight as they were calling "Last Boarding." I was quaintly greeted at the airport by Jorge, a friendly worker at Fundación Simon Bolivar. By the time I got my luggage and we drove through Quito to my host family's house, it was about midnight (it's very nice that there is no time change from Minnesota to Quito).

My flight where I sat on the aisle seat with no one beside me.

DAY 2 (7/24/16) :
     This was technically my first day here in Quito, but I'm going to start my journey with Day 1 as my travel day. Today I woke up and was able to talk to my host family a little bit more than I did the previous night. My host mom is a very kind and comical woman. She has two children only a couple years older than me. Because I arrived on a Saturday, on Sunday's most places are closed; today was a very relaxed day. My host mom was very willing to bring me around Quito and get me a little acquainted with the area. We walked everywhere! The first place we stopped was at a large "mercado" or market, similar to a farmer's market in the states, but on a larger scale and inside. After this market, we stopped at a supermarket where we bought groceries for the week. From there we took a taxi back to the house because of the multiple bags we would have had to carry.

We also saw Policemen showing off their dogs and their skills. 

     After a little lunch back at the house --salad with tuna, avocado, and tomato; rice and potatoes-- the daughter, mom, and I went on another walk. This time we walked even longer to burn those calories. We explored the Parque La Carolina and 'man' did I love this park. It's a very large area where many families were picnicking, playing futbol, and flying kites. It made me very happy seeing so many families together and enjoying the gorgeous day. There are brand new futbol fields, basketball courts, and volleyball courts. I also noticed many people here in Quito ride bicycles! After we returned to the house, we ate a dinner consisting of an vegetable omelet. I wrote a bit --or a lot-- in my journal then hit the hay.

Forgot to mention, I went to Paris.

A park where you can boat. We witnessed two boys fall out of their boats!

Parque La Carolina

DAY 3 (7/25/16) :
     Today was the day I finally met more people. Beforehand, I was worried I wasn't going to meet anyone and that I would have to travel alone. With that being said, there are many volunteers and students at the school where I am taking a couple of Spanish lessons. They also offer day and weekend trips in which I will be partaking later in the week. :) This morning I woke up and met the German guy who is also living with the same host family as me. He only has one week left, but fortunately he speaks English. When I arrived at the school for my orientation, I met another German girl who arrived the night before me. She and I had our orientation/walk around the city with Jorge to learn about the taxis and buses here. The taxis cost on average $2 and the buses only $0.25! (Oh, Ecuador takes US dollars). We learned that the only taxis to take here are the yellow ones with green licenses in the windows, otherwise you will more than likely get ripped off and have to pay $5; I suppose minor detail, those taxis are also not legal.
     After this orientation, Jorge took me to another orientation at the clinic where I'll be working. It's called Fundacion Medica Mosquera. It is a clinic/hospital owned by a family. This hospital is mostly for people with not sufficient incomes. At other hospitals it may cost $60 to even see a doctor where here it is either free or possibly up to $5. I met the doctor who I'll be working with and start the job tomorrow. I am very excited to start volunteering tomorrow and see what I'm going to be doing. (It's a lot easier volunteering because I don't have to pass an interview, especially in Spanish!)

Fundacion Medica Mosquera in the Plaza Teatro (the tan, 3 story building)

     And finally after all of that walking, it was time for my first Spanish lesson. Here I thought I'd be sitting the entire time. However, it ended up we went on an even LONGER walk towards the South of Quito. My professor and I just talked because conversation is the key to learning another language. We ended up walking to the Centro Cultural Itchimbía which is a hill in the middle of the city. There were gorgeous views and a very quiet place to be in the middle of this busy city. It contained multiple playgrounds and trails to walk along. This is the point in the day that I noticed the altitude. After climbing up and down tons of stairs to get there, I was short of breath. After a long walk back to the school, I was done for the day and very exhausted. My phone calculated a total of 24,000+ steps.

Heading toward Old Town Quito.

The view from the top!

I decided to ride a bull.

No caption needed as to where I am in the world.

     After my long day of walking, orientating, and now barely being able to talk and think both Spanish and English, it's time to rest and then off to bed. A 9am start to my first day of work. Let's see what's in store for tomorrow. Next blog is coming on Wednesday! 

                                                                  ¡Buenos Noches!
                                                      Love from Ecuador, Mackenzie