Nearing the End

Final days in Quito (11/5/09)

Not much to report. We visited Cuenca, Ecuador's third largest city for the day of the dead holidays. The Day of the Dead also aligns with the city's independence, creating a 4 day party city. The cemeteries were filled with people carrying flowers and guaguas de pan. The five of us (patrick, becca, kara, grace and I) wandered the streets, ate traditional Cuencan food (including cuy, or guinea pig as it is known in the States), mote, guaguas de pan and colada morada. We also visited the annual tower burning ceremony, in which the a decorative tower of the previous year is burnt. We idiot gringos had no idea that this 'burning' is actually just lots of fireworks and pyrotechnics dangerously raining down on the unsuspecting crowd. No wonder we had such great seats. But besides almost catching on fire and eating a common household pet, the weekend was relaxing, although we all returned via the 11 hour night bus without more than 2 hours of sleep under our belts just in time to take our first final exam.

With that being said, I leave Quito tomorrow (friday). I leave by night bus at 1100pm to Puyo, about 5 hours south of Quito. From there I am in limbo for 4 hours until 830 when I meet up with my advisor and my English ends for a month. At 10am on Saturday we fly by dual engine plane for Sarayaku (look them up on google) where I will live and work for 3 weeks to a month, depending on the weather- if there is too much rain, I'll be unable to fly out for an additional rain. I really don't know much of what my living condition/day to day life will be like. I know I am living with a family and will only be eating yuca (similar to a potato), verdes (a type of banana) and chicha (a grain alcohol which is central to the religion, economy, social structure, history and identity of the Sarayaku). I will be spending my 21st birthday alongside this tribe, in the heart of the Amazon. I am due to return to Puyo sometime around the 29th of November, from there I will live a much more comfortable life for a week as I attempt to write a 30 page paper on the previous month. I will be in Quito on December 3th or 4th,depending on the circumstances. Evaluation week lasts until the 12th of December. Then 21 of the most incredible people I know will all return to their respective states...

It all goes well, my week from the 12th until the 19th will be spent climbing the Inca trail from Cusco to Machu Picchu. Vamos a ver.

With that being said, I bid you all a very fond farewell as I head into the wild.