Papallacta Hot Springs

We're back from our relaxing trip to Papallacta! When we arrived yesterday we had this yummy pistachio dessert and hot chocolate at the "fancy" hotel, and then we had some trout for lunch at our hostel down the road. The bus ride from Quito took about two hours, so we had quite a bit of the day and night to hang and swim in the hot springs! The air was quite chilly when we weren't in the water, and some of the pools almost burned us they were so hot! They stayed open till 10:30, and we just about stayed that late. Then we walked back to our hostel and realized that they locked us out, so we started banging and ringing the bell, and then this little boy came out to let us in. Too funny! We were so cold by then! This morning we ate breakfast and headed right back to the hot springs. There are other things to do there like hiking, but we just couldn't resist the warm water! We relaxed all day today in the water through random rain showers and sunshine, and then caught a bus around 5:30 pm so that we wouldn't be back to Quito too late. Tomorrow is the Chillogallo market! 

Fun Friday!

Yesterday morning when we arrived at the market it was so clear that you could see the snow-capped Cotopaxi Volcano completely in the distance! So pretty! It's been a month now that we've been here...I don't think I'll ever get used to the views. The kids are so fun, and I'm getting to know their names and personalities more and more each day. I wish I could get pictures at the markets more often. There's this 3-year-old boy named Jimmy and his older brother Edison. Jimmy loves building cool things with the Legos; his favorite thing to make is a gun. "Pistola! Pistola!" He can cry at the drop of a hat if someone takes a Lego away from him. Jimmy loves to make us laugh too! During our first week after lunch, he joined us a bit early and used us as human jungle gyms. We were on a grassy hill, and just near it is tall grass and what looks like a cliff that goes down really far. Jimmy would look at us, smirk, and jump off the "cliff." He loved to see our reaction because he didn't drop as far down as it seemed! Silly boy! 

When we arrived back from the market yesterday we went to the VCE office to do some planning for an upcoming trip, then we picked up our laundry at the laundromat. In the morning we dropped off a huge bag of dirty laundry, and they washed, dried, and folded it for us for $6. On the way to pick up our clothes, we saw a beautiful sunset, and I wished that I brought my camera! Then we headed to the mall so that Mike could get his haircut. I was looking for this place I knew of last year, but we couldn't find it, so we talked with the information desk in the mall, and she suggested two places. It was quite busy, but we still didn't have to wait. We showed Ivan, the hairstylist, a picture, and away he worked. I sat on a couch behind them, and Mike did a good job getting his point across in his conversations with Ivan. He kept trying to get me to help him to translate, but I refused. He got his hair cut, washed, and styled for only $6! 

After his haircut, we went back home to eat dinner and get ready to go out on a date to La Ronda for dessert and traditional music. We had a canelazo drink, a passion fruit truffle, hot chocolate, and blackberry pie! Delicious! They had brownies, but we can't just eat any old brownie now after that amazing brownie in Mindo.

Tomorrow we will be venturing out of the city to relax in the hot springs of Papallacta, which is about 2 hours away from Quito. 

OuR sAtUrDaY iN qUiTo!

Yesterday Mike and I took the trolleybus to a cute little market in Quito called El Mercado Artesanal. The market is near two nice parks, where you can rent bikes and paddleboat as well. They were selling artwork at the bigger park, and a lot of food stands were available, sort of like a fair. We will be heading back I'm sure! It being a Saturday, there were a lot of people out enjoying the day with their families. It's a tranquil place to be in a big city. At the market we did some bargaining and got some nice warm alpaca items, including ponchos! It's been getting a bit colder here...the rainy season is beginning. It rains hard and fast here, with hardly any warning! It can be sunny and warm in the morning, and cold and rainy for a couple of hours in the afternoon. The coldest it's been getting here is in the 50's, but as soon as you get in the sun, it feels like you're on a hot beach. We're in the mountains and on the equator, so the weather is even more unpredictable than ever.

Funny story about the rain: After volunteering at the market on Thursday, Mike and I were leaving the UBECI office and it began to rain. We had a jacket, and welcomed a bit of rain to refresh us, but we ended up getting very soaked! There were huge flood-like puddles that we just couldn't avoid. It was a memorable moment when we saw all of the locals grouped together in the nearest dry spots, while they're watching Mike and I running through the puddles and laughing, on a mission to get the best banana split in town at this awesome bakery! We're getting used to people's curiosity by now...we are very much the minority around here!

After getting back from our day of shopping yesterday, Mayra and Wilson came home with Chinese food for us to enjoy. Then we played some awesome games! Wilson knows SO many different games to do with groups of people! These are games like, "There's a hole," "I'm going camping and I'm bringing..." and "Silly Sally," etc. A lot of the games were tongue twisters too! The rule with most of these games was if you lost three times, you had to do a penitencia, or some sort of embarrassing or silly consequence. For one of my consequences I had to draw the numbers 1-10 on the door with my backside, and Alice had to do a rock impression of a kids' song in Spanish! Mike had to be blindfolded for one of his, and he thought an egg got splattered on his head. Great times with our awesome host family!

Volunteering Full-Time

Mike starts volunteering full-time tomorrow! He's done with his Spanish lessons for now, and he's saying different phrases and vocabulary. I'm going to teach him some more conversational Spanish, since he wants to volunteer full-time now with the kids!

I am just so amazed by these kids day after day. Being here with them really puts things into perspective. We meet at the volunteer office at 8:30 in the morning, and then each day we go to a different market in South Quito. By the time we arrive, the families are already selling their goods and are ready for the day. They sell vegetables, fruits, meat, chicken, fish, spices, bags, jewelry, ice cream, used clothes, electronics, pets, live chickens, etc. After working all day, the average amount the families take home is only $5, figuring the amount they spend on transportation and food. I can't even imagine...

As soon as we get to our area, we set up a place for the kids to play once they arrive, which is always a few plastic mats to put legos, books, and puzzles. At one market we need to put up a tent to block the sun or rain. Then I go with Danny or Christina, the lead teachers, to pick up the kids that will join us for the day. We usually have about 20-50 kids, and about 3-5 older students who get homework help. The lead teachers and I go through the market, and talk with the families and see if the kids would like to come with us to play for a few hours in the morning until lunch. Danny and Christina have built the trust and great relationships with the families, and sometimes there are even new kids that join us. We take attendance each day too. Danny asks the kids what their names are and how old they are. Last week we played games to practice answering these questions, since many of them don't know how to respond--Another reality check. Sometimes we take kids that are very little, but the majority of kids that we have been working with recently (since school started) are between the ages of three and four. I have really enjoyed working with this age group! I'm learning that the best way to get their attention is by singing, and I've learned so many new songs! 

Once the kids arrive, they wash their hands and face, and then play on the mats until all of the kids have arrived. Sometimes the parents drop their kids off, but most of them we pick up. After they play on the mats or play soccer, frisbee, jumprope, and tag, we get in a big circle and sing songs and do little group dances in the circle. Then we have everyone sit on the mats and do a whole group activity, which usually involves a puppet or the kids taking turns singing in front of the group. They are adorable! Then we break the kids up into small groups according to age, and they do an activity involving crafts, drawing, or coloring. Sometimes we do English lessons during this time, but so far it's been arts and crafts. For the littlest ones, it's building on their fine motor skills, and for all of the kids it's teaching them to work on something until it's completed, so they feel a sense of pride. After this, they line up and sing the goodbye song, and we take them back to their parents for lunch. After lunch, we do a similar routine and usually there are more kids, because more of the older ones are done with school by that time. From what I understand, primary school students can choose to go to school in the afternoon or in the morning, and more go in the morning it seems. 

When I take the kids back to their parents is when I notice how little attention many of these kids get from their families. Let me say that at three-years-old I would have never been able to find my way around those markets back to my parents, yet these kids do it because they have no other option. Sometimes I can't even tell if they have found their way back to the right spot, because their families don't acknowledge that they've come back. :( This is why I am soooo glad that they have the opportunity to come play with us. They soak up the love and praise. They find the volunteers and show each of us their artwork, and you can see their faces light up when they're told "Good job!" What a privilege this is to be able to be here with these little angels; God has a plan for each one of them. Jesus said, "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Luke 12:6-7

Mindo Cloudforest Weekend!

Mike and I are in Mindo right now, just about to head back to Quito on the 3:00 bus. We´ve had an awesome weekend away from the city! We stayed at a hostel called La Casa de Cecilia, which is right on the Mindo River, and it´s all wooden like a tree house. Right next door is El Queztal chocolate makers and restaurant, where we did the chocolate tour as soon as we arrived. They have the BEST brownies ever, made with their own chocolate. They don´t grow the cacao in Mindo, but they make their chocolate from scratch, and they even have a little garden where they grow organic oregano, ginger, peppers, stevia, and coffee, which they use in their products. The cacao is actually from warmer areas like the coast, and it is so yummy! On Saturday we met a couple from Quito, and went tubing on the river. It was quite the adventure! We kept hitting rocks, but because the tubes were tied together, we made it out without a scratch! Yesterday we did the waterfall hike in the cloudforest, and went swimming in the tallest of the waterfalls. What a cool experience! Today we hit up our favorite pìzza place in town, and got our wood-fired veggie pizza for the fourth time. We didn´t realize how much we were missing pizza! Mmmmm!

Kittens, Puppies, and Chocolate

Yesterday was definitely a different day at the Chillogallo market. In the morning, a very little girl brought a very little kitten with her to play with us at the UBECI project. The girl was probably only two, and the kitten was maybe a month old. In Ecuador, they don't treat animals the same as we do in the U.S. I treat our kitty Simon like a baby. This little girl was squeezing the kitten and holding it by the neck, and the other kids wanted to pet it, but she wanted it all to herself. It was turning into tug-of-war with the kitten, and the kids were getting distracted from their lesson. So, I took the kitten away, and took care of it. Unfortunately the little girl was not happy with me for taking her kitten. It was so sad. I took her back to her mom in the market, and she was able to sit quietly and peacefully with her kitten in the end. Then, in the afternoon, a puppy showed up, and we couldn't figure out which kiddo came with it. As soon as all of the kids left, the puppy was still in my arms. In the end, we had to leave it at the market. :( On a happy note, as I was playing with the little ones in the afternoon, I heard "Alicia!?" and looked up and saw Grace, the sweetest little girl from the market last year. I was looking all over for her last week and she didn't show up. She was on her way to school, all dressed up in her school uniform! What a sweetie! Just another God wink. :)

Today I worked just the afternoon since I had some errands to run. When Mike was done with his lesson, we had chocolate for lunch at La Ronda! La Ronda is a very cute little street with shopping and restaurants, near old town. We came across a chocolate shop called Chez Tiff, and they showed us how they temper their chocolate and gave us a little taste. Delicious!!

Quito Day Trip: TelefériQo & Horseback Riding!

Mike and I had a great Monday off today! We paid $5 for a taxi to take us to the telefériqo from our homestay. The telefériQo sky tram took us up Pichincha volcano. We were about 13,500 feet up as soon as we got out of the tram. What a great view of Quito from the top! It was spectacular! We did a bit of hiking up on our own, and then decided that we would do a little horseback riding. It was Mike's first time riding a horse, and he loved it! We got to go up a lot higher than we would have by hiking. It was great to get some fresh air. There were times when the wind wasn't blowing at all and it was just silent. Such a peaceful and beautiful place! Below is a link to a few of the photos we took...

TelefériQo Photo Slideshow

Guamani Market

Here are a few pictures from our second Friday at the Guamani market! 

This week

This week has been good overall, and we're getting into a routine now. On Tuesday night we went to the gym right near our place to do Zumba. Mike stayed on the sidelines on the bikes with all of the other guys. It was fun, and I'm sure we'll do it again soon! Yesterday Mike and I went to different markets to work with the kids. The market I went to was new for me; it was the Cuapicho market. I really liked it! It's a very quiet town, and there happened to be a lot of kids that came for the afternoon...I would say at least 50. I even had the opportunity to lead a group in a name game at that market. Mike and the other volunteers that work in the afternoons went to the park in Villa Flora. (This is the park that we visited this past weekend and took the video.) There, they worked with the kids that sell goods on the streets in town. Today we went to the Sangolqui market. This is the most challenging market because we have the most kids in the youngest age group from ages 2-4. It's also a very busy street market, and cars drive up and down the road all day. It makes me nervous with such little ones! It was the most challenging, but most rewarding day today!

Unfortunately we didn't have the best night last night. We realized that our cash was missing out of our clothes drawer shortly after we came home from volunteering. I first noticed my clothes were moved around in the drawer, and then we counted the money, and we were $200 short! We have been very cautious about bringing money out of the house, and here it happened at the place we least expected. It was obvious who stole it, because the new maid cleaned our room the same day it disappeared. :( We told Wilson, our host dad, and he immediately knew what happened. Mayra and Wilson were so upset, and they took care of it by visiting the maid at her home last night. They told her that if she didn't return the money, they would be calling the police. The maid did not admit to stealing any money. The maid's husband was very surprised by how much money she stole, and the woman just cried and started putting the blame on other people, when she is the only other one with a key. The good news is, they did get the money back. What made me sick is that the money wasn't even sitting out. We hid it, and she went through all of our bags and drawers, and all of our things. I understand people make mistakes, but just admit it, and solve the problem. Needless to say, she will not be returning to help out in the house. Mayra told me she does not want to see her again, and she just can't trust anyone. It's too much of a risk of her losing her job with the volunteer program. They really are the sweetest family, and I feel bad that this happened. Nothing like this has ever happened in the program. Mayra started crying and apologizing, since she wants this to be a safe place for us, and for us to be happy here. It's not their fault, and we know that this won't happen again. The good thing is that we do feel safe now, and the problem is solved. 

Second Day Of Work (Mike)

Hola!

We have been away from home for a week now. Time sure flies by fast while you're learning a new language and culture! This is my first time experiencing the city life. I love that we can walk to most places that interest us. If we can't walk, a mere dollar will take both Alicia and I to where we want to be and back. I can't wait to venture out to the mountains and look down at the city of Quito.

Today was our second day of work in the market with the kiddos. We went to the Chillogallo market. Alicia was right, they are precious and so innocent. Even with me not knowing much Spanish I have found that just a few words can make a child's day. The kiddos kept asking me to spin them, so I did. After awhile I had to say "no más" because I was getting dizzy. We played soccer, puzzles, drew pictures, sang songs and danced. Today's setup was in the parking lot of two buildings. We had enough room to play, but many of the cars were hit by flying soccer balls. No one seemed to mind much, so it must be the norm.

Below is a photo of Alicia this morning at the market taken by the VCE staff.

La comida

We have been enjoying dinner at home! Usually we eat a soup first, and then the main dish, with homemade fruit juice. Typically this is the size of lunch in Ecuador, but they kind of switch it around for the volunteers. Usually for dinner, Ecuadorians will eat something small from that day's lunch leftovers.