Skip to main content

Wait a minute...Is this really my life?

One could say that the past few weeks have been a bit of a struggle for me here in Ecuador. The realities of life have caught up with me and the fact that this is not merely an extended vacation has settled in. To put it simply, I've been homesick. I miss my family, my friends, and my city. Each day thoughts of everything that I have been missing ran through my head on a constant loop cycle (see previous post) and this list of things that I can't wait to see and do have become a sort of mantra, repeated over and over for anyone willing to listen (thank you Dave).

I was walking to my classroom building last Thursday as I glanced up from the memos I had just received and caught a glance at the hills that surround the school. They are beautiful and beginning to flourish with new growth. Imagine my surprise as the thought, "I love it here," ran through my head. I stopped, stunned at what I had just been telling myself in light of the homesick tune I had been singing for weeks. Is it possible? The thing is, I DO love it here. I am often in awe that I am living this life, in this place, surrounded by things I have never imagined I would see and do.

The appreciation for Ecuador only grew as the weekend continued. Dave and I went with a group of friends to Quito and Otavalo for our long weekend break. The trip had been planned for weeks and we were looking forward to getting out of Guayaquil and seeing somewhere new. We stayed the first night in Quito, a very tourist-friendly city that is populated with North Americans. English abounds everywhere, in restaurants, shops, and parks. There were even a couple of English bookstores that I felt right at home in. There were sections of the city that reminded me of Boise, little neighborhoods that had boutiques and restaurants.



After a wonderful breakfast at the Magic Bean, we all headed to the village of Otavalo. Otavalo hosts Ecuador's premiere artisan market every day. Artisans from all over come to set up their wares and bargain with tourists and locals alike. The crafts are beautiful, made before your eyes, and inexpensive if you are willing to haggle a bit. Dave and I were only intending to spend a couple of hours walking through the market place, but we ended up spending six hours on a shopping extravaganza! We were able to complete all of our Christmas shopping and even managed to buy some prizes for ourselves. I was able to purchase six skeins of alpaca wool for only $4.50! The most amazing thing was just watching all of the activity and people. The market was buzzing with shouts showing off products and asking for the best offer.


During our stay, we were also able to travel to three other nearby villages that specialize in different crafts. I'm ashamed to admit that I only know their gringo names: Leather Town, Wood Town, and Weaver's Town. These places are filled with shops that only sell the goods attributed to their names. Wood town has furniture, sculptures, and nick-knacks all made from wood. Leather town specializes in shoes, purses, coats, and hats. And of course, Weaver's town has tapestries aplenty. Dave and I purchased a beautiful wall hanging that we are planning to put up in our apartment here, as well as hang in our home when we return to the states. We were able to meet the weaver and get his picture with our tapestry as well!

We stayed in a beautiful hostel in Otavalo, the Ali Shungu hotel. It is run by an American couple who have been in Ecuador for the last thirty years. They have completely decorated their hotel with items that can be found at the Otavalo market and it is gorgeous. There was also a wonderful restaurant and lounge area where guests could relax by the fire, play games, and eat amazing food. I can't wait to bring family and friends here when they come to visit. (Still waiting for that first visitor---come on people, you know you want to!)

Saturday night we headed back to Quito to continue to play and explore. We ate well, went book shopping, and spent a lot of time laughing with friends. With how comfortable I was in Quito, largely due to the "Americanized" environment, I was surprised to find myself missing Guayaquil. I definitely enjoyed my time in Quito, but it somehow felt too much like home. I missed hearing the soft flow of Spanish being spoken around me, instead of the curtness and volume of English. I missed seeing the vast span of different people, from all walks of life, that populate Guayaquil. Dave and I were both glad to be back home Sunday night, to a place that has now become recognizable, comfortable, and home.

Here are some more pictures of our weekend adventures:

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Vivo en Guayaquil, Pero Mi Corazón Está en Quito

Oh Quito, how I love thee... Dave and I needed a break from the heat and honking of Guayaquil, so we hopped on a quick flight north.   We spent a wonderful four days in beautiful Quito, Ecuador.  Enjoying the many artisan markets, coffee shops, restaurants, mountains, and cool weather.  I wore jeans and long-sleeved shirts, slept with three blankets on the bed, and never left without my jacket, hat, and gloves for the first time in months.  It was pure heaven. Quito is a very tourist friendly destination, with people from all over the world walking through the streets.  It is not uncommon to hear whispers of French, Dutch, German, English, and, of course, Spanish as you travel down its cobblestone avenues.  The people are also so very friendly, pointing out points of interest that they have discovered to any other tourist they see.  People often can be seen giving tips on which restaurants to try or where the nearest bookstore can be found to complete strangers they bump into.  Many ar
Read more

Años Viejos, Pyromaniacs, and Fireworks...Oh My

I have to admit, it has been quite awhile since I have actually been awake to ring in the new year and say goodbye to the old.  Dave and I have always been a bit more concerned about the eight hours of sleep necessary to enjoy life rather than seeing the ball drop.  But this year...is different.   It is 12:58 and the neighbor's hired band just started, there are rapid fire explosives (aka fireworks) going off in three minute intervals, and the car alarms throughout our block seem to be answering the loving call of said fireworks.  There will be no eight hours to start off the year for the Richert's this time. Nothing about our experiences in Ecuador could be classified as typical, and New Year's Eve is proving to be no exception.  The evening started out quite and low key, dinner at home with a movie.  There were the occasional firework, but that isn't anything atypical.  I was even contemplating continuing the tradition of snuggling into bed by 10:30.   Before I called
Read more

I'm Feeling a Teacher Geek Out Comin' On!

There are four weeks left of school (28 days counting weekends), and usually this benchmark is characterized by complete and utter exhaustion.  A little of the "I just need to make it through this day" attitude.  Past April/Mays of my teaching life have been filled with days where I am just trying to keep my head above water.  I'm tired, the kids are tired, we are all a little bit irritable, and patience doesn't seem to be a virtue that makes it on my list.  By the end of the year, I am so thankful for the break to just physically and emotionally recoup.  But, this year....this year is proving to be different. Thanks to some of my rockstar co-workers, I have been energized in an unaccountable way.  I'm talking a full-fledge teacher geek out, usually only experienced in the first few months of the school year.  Technology people, best motivator ever. Here's the top five technology wonders currently making appearances in the Richert classroom: 1.  Voicethreads:
Read more