(Just wanna warn you that this entry will be a bit longer due to my having not written in a while due to the jungle lacking in internet access...)
So I have internet access again! We just arrived in Cuenca Sunday night after spending a few days at a lodge in the Amazon. The mountain views of the Andes are incredible. The lodge we stayed at is like a hideaway in a paradise. The cabinas were right on the Rio Napo, on the outskirts of the Amazon.
(Note: The jungle. Is relentless. Deet. Is lacking. I have wayyy too many bits than I can count right now...)
In spite of pesky bites, it was awesome!
Jungle recap: Dia 1: We took a canoe ride to Misahualli, a small town with lots of monos (monkeys). It was crazy to see them up close and personal! One even stole Bianca's sunglasses and ran up to a tree before dropping them down. Que ladones! Next, we went to AMAZOONICO, an animal refuge founded by a Swiss and Kichwa couple in 1993 as part of the "selva vida" program to protect and save rain forest animals, many of which are endangered and need help before they go back into the wild. We saw toucans, red macaws, monos, things that look like ROUS (capibarras?) and caymans (look like tiny crocodiles...), among other things. And it was HOT. We ended up doing a lot of hiking after the animal tour. Our Spanish-speaking guide Marco pointed out to us a lot of plants in the Amazon. El arbol de traicion is so-called (the tree of betrayal) because it's so clean compared to other jungle trees. This is because it has a mutualistic relationship with the lemon ants that clean the tree... they taste kind of bitter. After a hard hike, we had a nice lunch of chicken and beef con arroz y vegetales. Then we went swimming in the rio for a bit. The last thing we did that day was visit Tuyo Kiya ("Rock water"), an indigenous Kichwa village. We saw women making pottery and chicha (a drink made from fermented yuca). I was stunned at how much effort and time these women put into their crafts. The village, I later realized, was only about 5 minutes from our lodge by canoe. I couldn't believe that. Dia 2: We began the day painting our faces with red markings and symbols, strategically placed of course. We used achote, a plant used as a medicine and spice. We looked like serious warries. (grr.) We hiked to Las latas, a waterfall, and it was rough. But it was definitely worth it. We swam there and enjoyed the view. I was so thankful we were able to experience God's creation there. It did rain on the way back though--mucho lodo! (mud) We ended up tubing back to Cotococha on the rio and it was really peaceful, surprisingly. Later, we went to a mariposeria, where we saw a bunch of different species of butterflies. My favorite was the one that looked like an owl with its fake eyes on its wings. I realized I had gotten a rash on my arm, though, but Marco used his machete to get sangre de drago, dark red sap from a tree that turns to a white cream on contact with skin. It really reduced the swelling, and it made me an official fan of Amazonian remedies. CUENCA, POR FIN!!!!!! I was sooo nervous and excited on our 11-hour bus ride from Cotococha to Cuenca. The bumpy nature of the bus and the incomodo chairs didn't help a lot, but once I got to CEDEI and met the rest of the staff and my host mom, I felt a lot better. Here's a run-down of my host familia: Ceci: Mi mama! Very sweet, welcoming, funny, trendy (she's got short hair she's dyed red)... I've talked to her the most so far. She's very expressive (vocally and facially-- see why we get along?), which I really like! Hernando: my host dad--quieter, but also really welcoming Emilia: always smiling, verrry energetic 7-year-old host niece. Love this girl. Pamela: Emilia's mom (in her late 20s). I don't know her as well yet, but she's also helped me feel welcome. Paola: another host sis, but I haven't met her yet since she doesn't live at home. After a tour of the city on Monday, we went on a scavenger hunt to find key places like the post office, the central statue of Calderon in the central parque, and Tutto Freddo (AMAZING gelato place). Later, we met back up at the CEDEI to go to the Mercado, que se llama 10 de agosto. I bought 4 mangos there for a dollar. My host mom made a dessert with them--que rico! After dinner last night, I helped my host mom water her plants. She has a small garden in the back yard. She's got so many different kinds of plants! One tree is called "La dama de la noche" due to the scent of its flowers. To be candid, though, I am struggling a bit. I'm tired from the group traveling everywhere, walking in a place I'm not familiar with yet, speaking Spanish with my host family. It really wears on you. Transitioning from orientation week with our group to the host family situation has been a little rough. And real life comes into play--figuring out cell phone stuff, which ATM's don't charge fees... It's really starting to hit me that I'm actually here and will be for awhile. I'm starting to miss everyone at home a lot more now. Don't get me wrong--I really like my host family and the program so far! And I'm really happy that I'm in Cuenca. It can get tiring though... But. I know that God has an awesome plan. He's working in this experience, in my host family, at the school. I just need to relax, let go, and give this up to Him, and it'll be awesome. Hasta luego! (P.S. Today's my first day of classes! More on those later...)
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