Hey everyone! It’s Chloe here reporting on our fantastic week in Agualongo.
After our shopping spree in Otavalo, we headed back out into the country to Agualongo, a small community ofless than 200 people. We were again with homestay families, this time all of us were on our own with separate families. I was with Angelita Torres (the town healer – thoughwhen I showed her my insect-bite induced rashes she only told me that she hoped my pills worked….so I’m skeptical about her healing abilities), Josè Perugachi, Javier (11), and Jonathan (10). Angelita and Josè have 10 children total, but only the two boys are left at home.
Our time in Agualongo was through an organization called Tandana whose main purpose is to provide scholarships for local kids to attend school and to provide health care for poor Ecuadorians. Anna, the founder of Tandana (and now one of my personal role models because she’s so awesome), worked with us all week. She came as a volunteer to Agualongo when she was about our age and developed a very close relationship with her family and with the community and so she returned years later and founded Tandana. The whole community is in love with her, every night at dinner my familywent on and on about what a wonderful Anna is.It was really nice being Anna’s guest because she made it very easy for us to makeconnections with he community and to be accepted with the most open arms I’ve ever experienced.
Another leader was Paul. He was in charge of leading our group in activities and such. He’s a cool dude as well, but like us was new to Agualongo and also participated in the homestay program.
And then there were four interns (Dayna, Allie, Lindsey, and Allison) who also worked closely with us and they were incredibly friendly and fun to hang out with. They also hooked us up with some delicious lunches at our work site…it’s funny how much I had missed a plain ol’ sandwhich…
Monday through Thursday in the mornings we wroked to help build a tree nursery for a reforestation project in the area. The local leader was named Matias and he is the cutest man alive…. I wish that I had taken a picture of him for all you readers, he was older and just had a gentle soul and was adorable as hell.
Each day two of us skipped morning work to work at the Agualongo daycare and teach english at a school nearby. The day care was madness – on the day that I was there, the teacher handed out needles (sharp, long needles) to 4 and 5 year olds to poke holes in pictures of the human body…..I was disturbed to say the least.
Friday was my favorite day of the week: we went to a national park called Mojando Lakes for the morning and afternoon. I, along with James, Allison, Helen, Andy, and Maleea went on a hike up this peak called Fuya Fuya and it was absolutely amazing. We had to take breaks every 2 miniutes (actually) because our lungs were struggling big time with the altitude (14,009 feet), but each time we turned around we were treated to stunning views of one of the Mojando Lakes and the surrounding peaks. The clouds moved quickly through the area and because of it the colors of the mountains and water were in constant motion. I’m posting a few pictures from the hike, but they don’t do it justice. Good day. (PS for my family in Austin, Texas – we ran into a dude from Austin on the trail and I was so excited to be around someone who associates the work Leslie with our Leslie….I miss Austin!)
We also had a nice group meeting where we reflected on the week and all that we had learned. I realized that my time in Agualongo challenged me to accept/acknowledge that this world is filled with so many different kinds of people and cultures and that I need to refrain from passing judgement on the strange was that people may do things because I need to understand that they were raised under an entirely different set of circumstances and beliefs than I was. I know that this is obvious and I have thought it before, but I really realized it this past week. The thing that really made me do this was the treatment of animals in Agualongo. It’s bad. And disturbing to me. My first night with my homestay family, the two boys and their dad started laughing and ran outside with a sharp metal rod. I found out later that what they had done was kill a cat and then left it sitting there dead… yeah. I still am appalled, but I understand that people here don’t have the luxury or resources to take excessive care of animals like we do in the states. For me, my dogs are like members of the family. But here, people are everything because there is only barely enough for them. Anyway, a bit of a rant there….but yeah.
Ok, so anyway after our time at Mojando Lakes we went to Claudia’s(Claudia is an unbelievable cook) to cook an Ecuadorian dinner and then eat it. I personally cannot wait to cook Quimbolitos for my friends and family at home! They’re a type of cake cooked in a banana leaf and oh my goodness…so good.
We went home that night in food comas.
Ok, I’ve written a freaking ton so I’m going to let Elta talk about the minga on Saturday and our day in Quito yesterday and today.
For my friends am family back home: I’m having a great time and you guys better get excited for a very long slideshow from this trip and for me talking your ear off about it! I love you all!
PIctures aren’t working….I’ll try again tomorrow. Sorry that you guys only have the mud pic! More to come soon!