hello from the congested Quito! i think we are all happy to b e out of the campo and back in the city after a long week of hard work. we spent the last few days in a rural community called Pucara. we all stayed with local families and as a result, were completely immursed in the culture. it was awesome to see how happy these people are with their simple lifestyles. my family consisted of a woman named Consuela and her husband Helado. they have 6 kids and live off of their cows and the money brought in from tourism. i never saw them without a smile on their face and i surely was never hungry. none of them spoke a word of english but that didn´t impede our ability to connect and share a beautiful experience. their house was nothing special by american standards, but they get by with what they have, and for that, i respect them. our contact in Pucara was a man named Peter. among other enterprises, he owns a farm right outside of town, which is absolutely georgeous. he grows lemons, pinapple, corn, guava, and coffee, completely organic, free of petroleum based pesticides. it was extremely inspiring to see how working with nature can be possible and feasible. Peter enlightened us about the harm that american agriculture is doing to our planet. he explained that the only way we can accomodate for the growing demand for food, is by increasing the amount of harmful chemicals we put into the soil. this way of poisoining the soil is completely unsustainible and will eventually lead to mass food shortage. although Peter´s views are quite radical, i think he has a point, and we do need to start thinking about the health of earth for future generations. he is very passionate about preserving our planet and encouaraged us to spread the movement. if i learned any thing from Peter, it´s that the greatest impact we can make on our planet is our choices as consumers. from buying fair trade products to choosing not to become a part of the iphone nation, we can send a message that says that we do not support the exploition of earth´s goods and its people. i believe an extreme change in our agricultural system is vital to the survival of the human race, and the sooner we start adjusting, the easier our lives will be. seeing Peter´s farm and hearing his opinions has definately planted a seed in me and i cant wait to spread the awarness to my friends and family back home.
an optimistic adios,
austin.
p.s. i have really been craving some sushi so hopefully we can find some tonight!