Día 102 | Sábado, el 11 de Abril | 2009

Joker on the Beach...

Today we got up a little later than normal (8 A.M.) and went out for the day to the beach.  Breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, fresh fruit juice (tomate del árbol), and bread.  I really enjoyed getting the chance to relax but today re-affirmed to me that I am not a beach person.  I believe that in life there are beach people -- ones who are more prone to belong at the beach or near the ocean all of the time.  While I enjoy swimming or a walk along where the tide rolls onto the sand, I know that I can never be a marine-dweller.  Being in the sun for too long, having to profusely apply sunscreen, getting sand stuck on my body -- all of these grievances do me in by the end.  

There were some really sublime moments of today though -- eating fresh clam ceviche on the beach, going out for swims, and also witnessing some of the unruly political rallies on the beach.  Above is a photo for one of these rallies.  People just dancing and carrying on to support their candidate for the National Assembly.  Very different than American rallies.  People actually seem to have more fun than here.  Here, it's dance first then vote.  I'm not sure if people ever really dance at political rallies in the States.  If they have actually danced, I have not seen them.

Día 101 | Viernes, el 10 de Abril | 2009

Playas...

Today we woke up at about 4:00 A.M for our drive to the coast.  The name of the city we stayed at was Playas (literal English translation is Beaches) and it was about a six hour drive from Cuenca.  The drive was particularly South American in the fact that the roads were really bumpy, swerved through seemingly perilous stretches, and there was fog everywhere.  It was really beautiful (maybe even majestic) to see the sunrise as we were driving through Cajas National Park.  We stopped for a short break after Cajas and then we pressed on.  Going down the mountains was the worst part of the trip -- lots of bends in the road -- and it was practically impossible to get any rest.  Once we got through the mountains it was smooth driving to the coast.  The landscape -- vegetation, architecture, and everything -- seemed to change drastically as we got closer to the beach.  We also drove through the city of Guayaquil (the largest city in Ecuador) for about a half an hour.  After driving through, I now understand why our program prohibits us from visiting Guayaquil by ourselves (without our families or someone with the program).  It just looks run down, tougher, and more prone to crime than Cuenca or even Quito.  Maybe we hadn't been to the right places in Quito,...I don't know...but I was noticeably uneasy while we were driving through.  I don't think that I will ever live in Guayaquil, that is.

We finally got to Playas around noon (we actually hadn't left the house until about 6).  Once we got there, we had a bite for lunch and then we were off.  Immediately, I was struck by the differences of beaches here than in the States or otherwise.  People just seem to be so much more laid back, tolerant, and joyous here than any other beach I've been too.  No one seems to be conscious about their bodies here -- or maybe is that just me being ignorant to subtleties of culture...?  Regardless, I felt so much more at ease at this beach and it was the beach of dreams.  En el mar, la vida es más sabrosa (In the ocean, life is more rich) is what my host dad told me as we were both running for the surf.  I felt great swimming, jumping, and splashing -- as if there was no need to worry about anything at all.  Total relaxation.  We stayed at the beach until sundown, then went back to the hotel to swim in the hotel pool, and then we finally had dinner and went to bed.  It was a strange day -- a lot of new experiences -- but also one that I'll never forget.

Día 99 | Miércoles, el 8 de Abril | 2009

Paja toquilla...

It has been mostly rainy today.  There has been only about an hour's break in which it hasn't rained.  There have been a few showers here and there since we have been in Ecuador, but it has been mostly sunny -- so this is a change.  

Today has been kind of discouraging.  It is only two weeks in but being here, the classes, my family -- everything -- is not near what I had expected it to be.  I appreciate my experience so far and I deeply appreciate the opportunity I have to come here, but there are some things that I just cannot accept.  I wish that the classes would be a little smoother and that everyone could be in the right mindset -- not talk in English, incorporate a positive attitude and use positive re-enforcement when working in groups -- but some things just cannot be avoided.  This really frustrates me a good deal when people's attitudes are negative or their perspective is centered on just getting the class over with as to move on to something else.  It seems like such a waste of time and energy (like what's the point??) if we can't all focus on optimizing our time here?  I hope things will get better (and not get worse).

My family and I are going to Las Playas -- beaches just past Guayaquil -- for this weekend.  I am glad that I will get some time away from class and the program and just be able to relax.  It's neat that we are going to be near Guayaquil (largest city population in Ecuador) but I have heard that inside the city of Guayaquil is pretty dangerous.  My family and I won't be going near the city though and I'll be sure to be safe and careful (thanks Dale and everyone else who are looking out for me).

Later:  I just finished watching a demonstration of the paja toquilla process.  Toquilla straws are the raw material that make up "Panama" Hats (even though they are exclusively made in Ecuador) and they are also used to make other accessories (coasters, baskets, small containers, etc.)  The presentation was really interesting -- this group was made up of about 21 women (three were here to present) and they explained the process of harvesting the trees, making the straw, the process of applying color to the straw, the process in which they weave the straw, and then finally the point of sale of the products.  What really blew me away was the intricate patterns on each of the baskets, hats, etc.  I am not sure how well you can make out the details in the picture above, but there are hundreds (if not thousands) of little straws that go into the construction of each item.  Each of the straws are about 1/16 of an inch wide and the weaving is all very tight.  One of the weavers told me that it only takes about 1 day for a weaver to weave a large hat.  Unbelievable!