El Papa in Quito!

A close-up photo my host-mom snagged

For Those Who Don't Know, El Papa = The Pope

Tuesday, July 7th, I had the pleasure of waiting to see Pope Francis drive by with thousands of others on a street close to my house. The city was in chaos. Streets closed down, most commerce closed, and little to no public transit availability. It was truly an experience.

The pope held mass on Tuesday at Quito's old airport. The total population of Quito is ~1.6 million people. The total people that are reported to have been at Pope Francis' mass service surpasses 1 million. Like I said, the city was chaos. 

Check out this video of the pandemonium of his drive-by!

What to Look Forward To

This week, I started my volunteer work. What we're doing is setting up a two-week camp for children whose families work in some of Quito's poorer markets. The program it's through is CENIT, and what they do is try to educate families on health and nutrition while providing children with a safe place to have fun and learn. The point of that is to say I will attempt to write more about the details of our preparation because CAMP STARTS MONDAY! Between being away to volunteer from 8am to ~5:30pm and exploring Quito, I haven't had a lot of time to write about the experience, so I'm hoping I can this weekend.

Further, I believe I'll be going to Otavalo this weekend, where I'm told there's a very large market. I'll take pictures and reflect on that experience too, hopefully!

Thanks for checking out what I've got to say!

Waterfalls, and Zip-lines, and Rapids, Oh My!

My Weekend in Mindo

At the Spanish school I took classes at, there are typically weekend trips offered outside the city. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to go to Mindo, a beautiful town just a few hours away from Quito. I was promised beauty, and Mindo delivered. Even on our way, we took a stop to check out this breathtaking view of the inside of a once active volcano.

Getting Settled In

Once we arrived, we waited a bit for our hostel rooms to be ready, so in the meantime, we went to a chocolate factory to learn how chocolate is made. Unfortunately, there were no Oompa-Loompas or chocolate rivers... However, there was a snake inside the building that we were told was venomous, so that was actually really thrilling.

Quetzel's cocoa plantation

This is what chocholate actually comes from

Snakes in a chocolate factory would be a good movie 

When our hostel rooms were finally ready before heading off to check out the waterfalls, we checked in. I was extremely stoked to see where my room was located and what it looked like on the inside. It was also really cool that there was no insulation in the room and even many open holes in the wall, showing how temperate Ecuador is.

Where it goes, no one knows!

Complete with insect net

The view from my room

Our Time in the Jungle

Voluntarily rappelling on part of the hike

I'm not sure if it's actually a jungle, considering I've also been told it's a cloud forest, but jungle sounds pretty cool. We got to ride in the back of trucks, which everyone was pretty excited about, on our way to a trailhead for a really cool hike, which I was especially excited for.

That's me, jumping off a cliff

At the end of the hike, we encountered a waterfall which we had the opportunity to jump into, and I was not about to miss out on that.

You can check out the video of me jumping 14 meters (~45 feet) into the waterfall here! 

My friend Jacob and I had been discussing out mutual love for running, so he and I decided to run roughly 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the trailhead back to our hostel, stopping only to enjoy the serenity, peace, and silence of staring off into the forest. It was beautiful.

Flying Through the Air

Cheesin' it

I'd done a short zip-line once, back when I feared heights with a fury. This time, however, was extremely exciting. The views from the air were incredible.

Those from our group who learned to fly

Like a kid in a candy store, or a snake in a chocolate factory

Tubing Through White Waters

Our last activity in Mindo as a group was to get in a series of inner-tubes tied together and float, or rather raft, down the river. Unfortunately, many of the photos that were taken were on the camera of my new German friend, Kaschina, whose camera was sadly stolen on a separate trip just two nights ago. You will just have to trust me that the waters where white and the times were good.

Reflection

Yet again, a good friend has left. Jacob has left to volunteer in another part of Ecuador. We were put into the same orientation group when we arrived and grew closer each day. It's another bittersweet experience of saying goodbye to a good friend, but having the good memories nonetheless. I also said goodbye to my friend from Oregon, Donella, who I hope will be as equally excited to make my blog again as she was her first time. Further, two kids who went on the trip with us to Mindo really grew attached to me and I felt bad to say bye to them as well.

I'll be honest... it is getting hard, particularly to continue losing guy friends, as there are few male volunteers here; but more goodbyes mean more hugs, and if that's not cliché enough for you, it's the memories that matter most. Really, It's exciting how many amazing people there are out there, just waiting to be met.

What to Look Forward to

Today, I got to see the pope in Quito! Between me and my friends, we got video and pictures, so I will try and post those tomorrow.

I've also started my volunteer orientation this week, which I will reflect on Friday when orientation is over.

Thanks for Checking Out What I've Got to Say!

Photo Blog: Climbing a Mountain with a Stomach Full of Guinea Pig

Hey friends!

Yesterday was a pretty exciting day and I felt it would be best described in a picture blog. First, I went an hour out of the city to a town known for their cuy, or guinea pig in English. I followed that up by going with some friends up to TeleferiQo, the cable-car that climbs up a mountain leading to a great hiking location. Check it out!

Adding this picture first from during the hike so it shows up when I share the blog!

Here is cuy before heated up

Cheesin' it

Classic Norwegian Viking

David, Jacob the Norwegian who can't keep his eyes open, Kiara, me, Julio my instructor

The chef 

The pollo and cuy all prepared

What I was able to finish; the cuy was delicious! But that was also the best chicken I ever had

After Cuy, we're taking the cable car partially up the mountain

A view after the cable car 

A silhouette of an American and Norwegian en juntos

The Texan silhouette

Hey!

To the to we try to go! 

More cheesin' it

We ran out of time to go all the way up but this is where we made it

The clouds when we return to the cable car

Qué bonita

The city at night

Model status

And finally, our necessary cheesy photoshop picture of the Viking taking all

Spanish, Trivia, and Cocktails Do a Soul Good

I've been in Quito for almost five days now and am beginning to feel quite at home.

My Spanish and My Lessons

I really wasn't sure how my Spanish would fare here. I've been to Mexico to visit family who only speak Spanish, but they sort of have an obligation to love me no matter how well I spoke. However, to my happy surprise, my Spanish rocks.

My first morning here, I sat in the garden with my host mom, Mónika, and we spoke in Spanish about social issues like racism and poverty, comparing both the United States and Ecuador, as well as other Latin countries. It seemed foolish that I was so afraid I'd have nothing to talk about more than my favorite color or where the bathroom was located. I would later hear her in the kitchen boasting about how excellent my Spanish is, which I have to admit... felt good.

Monday was the start of my Spanish lessons. They're four hours long and one-on-one with the instructor, which is exactly as terrifying as it sounds. However, I'm not sure I've ever enjoyed a class more.

My instructor, Julio, and I just sit down, often outside in the garden, and we just talk. He and I have discussed politics, religion, morality, poverty, racism, passions, our stories, our families, and countless other topics, simply getting to know one another. Whenever I make a mistake, we start a lesson, and he caters to exactly what I need to focus on. You know in school when you think 'when am I ever going to use this?' Well I don't have that problem because he's teaching me how to speak better with exactly what I'm using.

He's also said that my Spanish is good, even incredible, which again... feels good.

Trivia at an Irish Bar in Quito

One of the volunteer projects in Quito hosts trivia in English at FinnMcCool's, a bar just three blocks from my apartment. I figured paying $2 to a non-profit would be worth the humility of my own ignorance. What I did not expect was that my friends and I would meet a random group of teachers from The United States and Ireland. We sat down with them, and we all decided to form the trivia team "McMediocres" which would be pronounced by the German DJ as "MC Medic Ogres" or something like that, which is probably an improvement. We chatted away and once trivia began, it was game time.

Long story short, we end up winning! I'd like to brag for a moment that one of the points we vitally needed to escape second place was earned by me. It was a music round and the song The Tide is High came on, which everyone knew. However, I was the only one to know the author, Blondie, because I downloaded every version of the song when I was younger after watching The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Thanks, Lizzie, for always having my back.

It was really fun to just continue networking with people from all around the world. I'm a social butterfly so to know that I can go so many places in this city and meet people from almost anywhere, well, that's so exciting to me.

Cocktail Class

Once a month, the language school hosts a cocktail night wherein you can learn how to make alcoholic drinks commonly consumed in Ecuador. It's basically a meet and greet with social lubricant to grease the wheels of friendship. The drinks were really fun to make and actually delicious! There was rum and coke with lime juice, which sounds simple, because it is. Then there were mojitos, which I had never had, and those consisted of crushed limed, sugar, yerba, rum, and Sprite. Finally, there was canelazo, which we didn't actually make; we just drank it. It's a warm cider traditionally drank in the Andes, and it hides the taste of alcohol completely, so be careful

It was actually here that I met Donella, who attended college in Oregon just 15 minutes from where I grew up. After her time at Oregon State University, she moved to Portland to work on her Masters degree. We discussed Oregon things, like rain and... well, whatever else there is in Oregon.

She and I even had one mutual Facebook friend, which we thought was crazy. Who would have thought that I'd meet someone who's lived so close to me over 4,000 miles away, on another continent. It's a reminder that the world really is a small place.

The Moral

I need to learn to own up to my Spanish speaking abilities. Realizing that I can actually communicate decently with others really furthers my drive to see as much of Latin America as possible. Sometimes you just have to be confident and say 'hey, I know what I'm doing, dang it!' I feel really passionate about Spanish now, more than I ever have before, and I will pursue that passion until the day I die.

Additionally, friends can be made anywhere. Whether it's the trivia pals, people over cocktails, or the locals I went to the discoteca with last night, I've met some really great people! If I had stayed completely in my comfort zone or if I had decided to stay in, I would miss out on people who are a really interesting and powerful part of this incredible story.

What to Look Forward to

Tomorrow will be a really exciting day! In the morning, I will be going with my Spanish teacher and some friends outside the city to go buy and eat cuy, a South American delicacy. Keep posted on what exactly that is. Afterward, I will be hiking Teleférico, a mountain peak on the Andes just to the west of the city.

Thanks for checking out what I've got to say!

For getting this far in the blog, I'll share a picture of the Panama Canal at night, which I took on the plane to Quito.

Getting Settled In Ecuador

Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson wrote "I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."

My name is Alex and I am wanderlust.

A few months back, the opportunity presented itself to volunteer in Ecuador, a country I have longed to visit for many years. When I received the scholarship to come to this beautiful country for one month, I was beyond ecstatic, so much so that I asked very few questions. I was less concerned with where I would be staying, what foods I would be eating, who I would be surrounded by, etc., and more focused on the excitement of exploring the unknown. It is for that reason, just four days into my trip, I have had countless happy surprises.

I assumed I would be staying alone with a host family that spoke little to no English. I even thought I might be the only non-native anywhere close to where I'd be staying. However, it turns out there is an amazing network of volunteers throughout the city and that has already been an amazing adventure.

My First Day

Upon my arrival Saturday night, I was greeted at my house by two volunteers I now consider good friends, Katie (New York) and Alannah (British Colombia). We made plans to go to the downtown, AKA Old Town, of Quito the next day.

Sunday, I wake up, eat an Ecuadorian version of pancakes, and before heading out the door to explore the unknown, we wind up meeting with three more volunteers, Tom (England), Brody (England), and Nikki (North Carolina). I actually met Nikki at the airport and we exchanged information to ensure that no matter what, we could get lost in the city of Quito together.

One view from the climb to the top of the Basilica

We take the bus and begin our journey to the Basilica, and let me just say, wow...

After climbing what felt like an endless amount of questionable stairs and ladders, my breath temporarily escaped me as I stared off into the beauty of Quito - though in fairness, that may have simply been the incredible altitude of Ecuador... I can't imagine there is a better view of the city, except for perhaps one of the mountains to the West of Quito. And yes, you can definitely expect pictures from me of that vista once I have the time to make the trek.

Here are a couple more pictures with the friends I made immediately.

Brody, Tom, Katie, Alannah, Me

Tom, Nikki, Me

Saturday's Moral

Tom and I become as good of friends as two people who just met can become. We were described as having a strong "bromance," a brotherly romance. Why this is relevant is because Saturday was Tom's last day in Quito before heading off to the Amazon. At first, I was sad because someone I knew I could connect with was leaving so soon, but then I reflected on it more that night.

When you travel, you give up the luxury of stability for the adventure of spontaneity. You are going to meet a lot of amazing people but they aren't always going to be around forever. People come and go, and that's true for life in general. Sometimes, you just have to take the great memories you've made and move on, always remembering the good times. Perhaps it's a cliché, but I feel it's a good reminder.

I am going to connect with a lot of people from all around the world and they will shape the way this trip changes my life. As long as I can remember that, their memories are all I will ever need.

The reason I added the Louis Stevenson quotation is because it is a reminder that life is about change and adventure, or at least I'd like my life to mimic that idea. I don't need to be caught up on exactly what my accommodations are, who I will meet, what exactly I will do. Instead, all I have to remember is to keep moving and exciting things will happen, and they already have

What to Look Forward to

Monday I began my week of four-hour one-on-one Spanish lessons, however, I think I'll reflect more on that in the coming blogs. For now, just know that it's a really exciting time for me and has actually become a major highlight of my day.

I'll also do my best to reflect on my experience last night of winning trivia at an Irish bar with complete strangers, as well as the Ecuadorian cocktail and salsa classes I'll be taking this week at the school next to my apartment.

Thanks for checking out what I've got to say! 

Feel free to leave me some comments or questions and I'll be happy to respond. With that, I'll leave you with this cool picture of the Andes from just outside where I'm staying. Beyond the range is Volcán Pichincha, an active volcano.

Scholarship Recipients Matched for Volunteer Projects in Ecuador

Rita Hess will complete a week of advanced Spanish lessons in Quito before spending two weeks volunteering at a girl’s orphanage in Cuenca. She will aid in organizing recreational activities for the children, helping with their homework, and helping them in developing life skills. When asked her motivation for participating in this project, “I am honored to take my advocacy from the community level to an international stage, helping inspire these girls to fulfill their dreams and push through the hardships they face,” said Hess.

Alex Elizarraga will also take one week of advanced Spanish lessons before volunteering for three weeks at a summer camp for school-aged children. "Many countries consist of people like my dad, who had to drop out at age 9 in order to work. I want to make a difference. I want to be the support that I was fortunate enough to receive,” said Elizarraga.

2015 Volunteer Abroad Scholarship Winners Announced

Spirit is pleased to announce our 2015 Volunteer Abroad Scholarship winners, Rita Hess and Alex Elizarraga.
Rita Hess is a Spanish Linguistics and Pedagogy master’s candidate at Illinois State University (ISU). She currently serves on the executive board of ISU’s Sigma Delta Pi chapter (Spanish Honor Society) as secretary and has over 150 hours of community service and outreach. Hess studied abroad in Granada, Spain and has taught English as a second language to 120 students from Mexico through a university program.

Alex Elizarraga is currently studying Psychology and Spanish at Concordia College. On campus, he serves as president for the Concordia Swim Club and debate captain for the Concordia Forensics. In his free time, Elizarraga volunteers as an elementary Spanish teacher for youth. He also remains active in his local community as a camp counselor, private Spanish tutor, and small group leader for various organizations. He aspires to become a high school counselor near his hometown in Oregon.  

Check back on this page next month for more information about their individual volunteer project placements.