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

One Last Post

I'm in the Atlanta airport waiting for my final flight to Chicago! My heart is full with love for Ecuador and the people in it, I am so sad to leave!!! It feels like it was just a few days ago that I was waiting to depart to Quito. The past month in has been an amazing, life changing experience. I made unforgettable memories with great people. Throughout the month I was constantly amazed by the beauty of the country. I loved being immersed in the culture of Ecuador. I am so thankful for my wonderful host family, I will miss them so much!!! It will be a little weird adjusting back into reality, but I am excited to see my family and friends. I am so grateful for Simon Bolivar school, and all the amazing people I met. Thank you Spirit Exchange for the life changing opportunity, and thank you to my family for the endless support and love.

I hope you enjoyed following my adventure!!!

Love,
Molly

Last Weekend in Ecuador

Friday was my last day with the abuelitos. I was sad saying bye to them! It was fun getting to know and work with them the past few weeks. Hearing some of their stories really shows the poverty that they face. A lot of the time, the abuelito's children barely have enough money to feed themselves and their family, so the abuelitos are left to fend for themselves. It has been a great opportunity to work at the Abuelitos de la Calle. It has shown me the importance of listening, that sometimes all people want is to talk and someone to listen to them. I learned to be patient when helping the abuelitos with puzzles and other games, that is important to let them go at their own pace. I am so grateful for the opportunity and will carry the skills I learned into my future career as a social worker.

Friday after work I headed to the market with my two friends Eric and Tori! Tori and I got a dish with corn, beans, pico de gallo, and chorrizo, it was delicious!!! After wandering the market for a while, we saw something that looked interesting. It was a spiritual cleansing to rid you of bad spirits, for only $5!!! We decided to try it. The woman at the stand gave us all an egg and told us to wait for a minute and we would be taken to where they perform the cleansings. We were then lead down a hallway in the back of the market and up some stairs. We were then lead to an area that looked like a dressing room and a waiting room combined. Tori went first into this little stall, the size of a bathroom stall. Eric and I waited outside. I went next, I went in the room not knowing what to expect. The woman told me to stand still she grabbed a bundle of plants and started hitting me with the plants while chanting quietly. She then sprayed me with some green, sweet smelling spray and then rubbed the egg all over my face and neck all while continuing to chant. She took the egg and said it was over. I didn't feel any different, but it was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. 

Us with our eggs pre-cleansing

On Saturday morning Eric, Tori, Ben and I met in Plaza Foch at 6:30 to head to Mindo. Mindo is about a 2 and a half hour bus ride away from Quito. It is a little town in the jungle. We got to Mindo and checked into our hostel. It was awesome, it was like we were sleeping in a tree house, mosquito netting and everything! 

View from one of the windows

Our room! (Ben on left, Eric on right)

Nice hammocks to relax in!!!

After we settled in, we headed to a butterfly garden! It was a 40 minute walk, but it was a very pretty walk!!!

Pretty scenery on the way to the butterfly garden!

Ben with a butterfly!

One landed on me!

After the butterfly garden we walked back to the hostel. A woman at the front desk told us about whitewater rafting for only $6! We decided to do that next. We changed and then got a ride in the back of a pickup truck to the river. The raft ended up being five inner tubes tied together and the river was very rocky, but it was so fun!!! The river was beautiful and we were surrounded by cool plants and flowers the whole way. I thought it was a great deal for $6!!! I didn't get any pictures because I didn't want to bring my phone to risk getting it wet. We went back to the hostel got dried off and found some playing cards. We played cards on a deck outside right next to a little river until dinner time. For dinner we went to a place right down the street and got two pizzas to all share. We went back to the hostel and played cards until we went to bed. 

Today (Sunday) we wanted to do a big hike. We woke up around 7:00am, went to a convenience store and bought some homemade bread and peanut butter for breakfast, with some fruit and yogurt. We packed up all of our stuff and headed on our hike. We were hiking to a zip car that would take us to waterfalls. We hiked for about an hour to the top of a mountain to the zip car. 

The zip car

Ben and I in the zip car!

Once we got to the other side, it was an hour hike down to the first waterfall.

Hiking!

The waterfall!!! It was huge, the spray felt so good because it was so humid and hot outside!

Once we reached the first one, we sat and put our feet in the water and had some snacks. Then, on to the next waterfall!

We packed our suits in the backpack just in case there was a waterfall we would want to swim in. There were people swimming in waterfall #2 so we decided why not?! There were little changing rooms, so we all changed and got in! The water was very cold, but once you got used to it, it wasn't too bad. We swam around for a while enjoying the view and decided to head back. The hike back was heard because it was mostly uphill, but we made it! We took the zipcar back to the other side and started to hike back town to our hostel! We walked for about 10 minutes and then a car pulled up next to us and said they could take us back down! It was a family that we met at waterfall #2, we got in and as they drove us down we chatted about where we all were from and about their 3 year old son. They offered to take us all the way back to Quito, but we had all ready bought our bus ticket. They dropped us off and we offered to pay and they refused to take it! I was amazed by the kindness of that family!!! After the hike we had a few hours to kill before our bus left. We changed into some clean clothes and relaxed on the hammocks at the hostel. Then, we got on the bus and headed back to Quito!! Mindo was so relaxing and the perfect place to go for a weekend trip. I had so much fun and it was a perfect last weekend here!!!

I can't believe I am leaving on Tuesday!!! My time flew by here. I am constantly being amazed by the beauty of Ecuador. I have loved being immersed in a new culture and I think it will be a little weird to return home.

Thank you so much for reading!!!

Love,

Molly

Great Week of Volunteering!

I have had a very busy, but very good past couple days!!! Tuesday I volunteered in the morning. I played jenga and did puzzles with some of the abuelitos. I've been getting to know more and more of them and it has been amazing to hear all of their stories. After volunteering I got lunch at a little cafe on my way home. A little later I met some friends to book a hostel for this weekend, we are going to Mindo!!! After that we headed to salsa lessons. I really enjoy salsa, all of us students are getting pretty good!

Wednesday I volunteered again in the morning. I colored pictures with some abuelitos, while a big group of them did a memory activity. I came home for lunch and relaxed and read my book for a while. The school hosted a little fiesta before the big Ecuador versus Peru soccer game!!! Then we all headed to Plaza Foch to watch the game. They tied, but it was still a fun game to watch. Everyone gets really into it!!!

Today (Thursday), I volunteered until 1:30. I really enjoyed volunteering today. An abuelito and I were doing puzzles together, when we first started he was having a lot of trouble finding where the pieces fit and which way they went. But, by the end of the day he was finishing the puzzles pretty quick! It was really fun to work with him and to watch him get more confident the more we worked on the puzzles. After volunteering I met my friend Tori at the school and we headed to Old Town to see some of the beautiful churches!

Plaza Grande in Old Town

The Iglesia De La Compania De Jesus

Inside the Iglesia De La Compania De Jesus. Also known as the church of gold, everything was gold!!! It was beautiful. It took 160 years to build!

San Fransisco Church

Inside of San Fransisco Church

After exploring Old Town for a while, Tori and I headed back to the school for salsa lessons! I'm going to be a salsa pro by the time I go home!!! 

This weekend I am going to Mindo for a night! I am very excited!!! 

I feel so blessed for the opportunity I have here, it is going by so fast and I am trying to soak up every minute!!!

Thank you for reading!

Love,

Molly