My experience in Ecuador was great! I really liked this small country in South America. From rolling hills to the gigantic Andes mountains, its green everywhere and gorgeous! On my way into Ecuador from Colombia I made some English friends, and they convinced me to stay in a small town on the way to Quito to see the famous Otavalo Saturday market. It was crazy. Half the town gets blocked off to sell Ecuadorian handicrafts, fruit, clothes, worms… anything you want!
There was even an animal market, and I really enjoyed it despite the flea and who knows what other bites I found on my legs afterwards. People bring all sorts of pigs, llamas, cows, sheep, dogs, cats, chickens, ginea pigs and more, then they stand in the middle of a field with their animals and wait for someone to come buy them. Well, since I going to be traveling alone for a while, I decided to get myself a travel buddy. I have to admit, it wasn’t the most thought out decision that I’ve made, but after forking out five whole dollars, Chasqui was to be my travel companion.
My English friends Andy and Sarah and a new Swiss friend helped me get the two month old lab ready for the road and after 4 baths she had no more fleas, was vacinated, had food, a collar and was ready to go! Our next stop was the capital city of Quito and then I headed off to a small town called El Tambo where one of my dad’s cousin started a school.
After one night in the capital city of Quito and seeing the equator I was ready to get out of the city.
It took a lot longer to get to El Tambo from Quito than expected and I got dropped off at night in the middle of nowhere with Chasqui and it was really cold. The directions I had to my aunt's house were basically “get off the bus at this one sign and then ask how to get here.” So of course, no one was around. I started walking up the hill and an indian lady leaned out of her house window and asked me where I was going. I told her who I was looking for and she said, “adelantito” (just a little further). It being dark and only a few houses scattered here and there, I asked her a little more specific but again she said, “adelantito”. Haha, ok then. Well, her directions were good because I walked adelantito and found the house. They live at the base of the Antisana volcano and it is a beautiful countryside with green rolling hills and rivers and streams finding their way down to lakes or bigger rivers. They have a big storage container that they converted into an office storage space where they also had a bunkbed, which is where I spent the night with my new travel companion.
Their ministry is an elementary school for the indiginous population in the area where about 40 kids attend at the moment. You have to walk uphill both ways because most people live in the hills and they have to cross a valley to get to the school which is also on a hill; and during the winter months they get snow! (so maybe that’s where your poor old rugged grandparents and parents went to school…?=)).
The next day I accompanied my Aunt Sharman and her daughter who teach there. I offered to put on a soccer clinic for them and like all good Latin Americans, the kids were really excited about it. We had a great time playing sharks and minows, shooters keepers and steal the bacon! All great seahorse camp games. (They all had boots so it made it extra fun).
The setting was amazing, nestled in the green hills at the foot of the volcano. Rivers running around the field and the paramo (backcountry) all around. It is at about 3000 meters about sea level, and after one sprint, I was huffing and puffing!
The kids were all very well behaved and listened intently as I shared about Jesus. It being a Christian school, most had already heard the message, so it was fun to be able to share that anything we do, we can do it for the glory of God, even soccer! I was asked to stay another day to do the soccer clinic. I guess the kids liked it a lot and so did I!
Although Chasqui had been a great travel buddy, the upcoming long bus rides would’ve been really really hard on her and it would’ve been extremely difficult getting her back to the US. It was very hard giving her up, but I found a great home for her with a nice nurse Rosa and her 8 year old daughter Jhayl in El Tambo.
Next stop, Peru!
Un Abrazo,
Nate
