Mindo y Baños

So this last week has hardly been any work at all. More like a week of vacation intermittent with classes every now and then. On tuesday of last week the class and I left to el pueblo de Mindo and a retreat owned by our university in the Selva Virgen. It was a six hour drive out of the city to the resort. After exiting the paved road we bounced our way down a mud road until we arrived to Selva Virgen. It was a pretty place with rain forest on all sides and bungalows on either side of a paved walkway. We all recieved our prospective bungalows. I shared mine with Jade from the rugby team and a professor from UTE the university that i go to here. We started off with lunch in the dining room which, as always, consisted of fresh juice, soup, and some sort of meat entree. After that we took a quick break to look around the reservation which has ostrich farms, botanical gardens, and tree nurseries. The weather was awesome with warm humid air and the occaisonal sprinkling. After the break some of us went down to swim in the ¨río¨ which was really just a brown murky pond with a rope swing over it. But the owner of the resort assured us that there were no cayman in the water only maybe a few snakes. The water was so muddy you couldn't see six inches below the surface so we had to take his word for it. We tightrope walked across and jumped into the dark water, which was actually quite refreshing. Some people climbed trees and jumped off into the water and other of us crawled into rafts and paddled about. When you just layed back in the raft looking up to the sky and just listened you could hear the jungle birds chirping and the jungle insects singing, it was pretty awesome. After the short stint in the pond we climbed up to the pool where most of the people in our class already were and swam in the pools. At one point there were so many of us in the jacuzzi that it overflowed and some people were just laying on top of others. We all got out and the directors of the program told us we were about to go on a hike through the rain forest for two hours. We threw on our shoes and headed off with two guides, the student, and a trusty dalmatian named Papo who always scouted around for jaguars or prospective wildlife. The hike was gorgeous as you can imagine, it reminded me a lot of Costa Rica and the hikes in the rain forest we had taken there. We found some cacao trees and ate the ripened fruit which was delicious and we also found some fruits, similar to pepper, that the natives used to use to paint themselves red. After we all had our war paint on, we proceeded down the path to the real río. I cant remember the name of it but i was a big one. The water here too, was too murky to see more than a few inches so i had to trust the guides who said that the cayman didn't get big enough to attack (unless they're really really hungry). We all jumped in and soon found a perfect cliff for jumping into the river. It was probably a 35 ft jump so big enough to make you nervous but not big enough to really get hurt on. We all thought we were really cool jumping off, some of us who were brave enough doing swan dives, but then the local kids came and joined us. They would do double flips, back flips, misty flips, you name it they did it without the slightest evidence of hesitation or fear. One boy climbed to the top of a tree that was on the cliff essentially doubling the height of the jump and did a flip off the top. It was pretty gnarly. After a while we all had to go back to Selva Virgen to have dinner. We ate dinner with, like I said, as always juice and meat. That night we went on another hike but at nighttime with some torches soaked in white gas. It was a cool experience to see the line of hikers in the pitch black with only fire torches, muy hermosa. The next day we all went and had breakfast in which i had bacon for the first time in four weeks. Needless to say it was super bomb. After breakfast we went out for a little get away where we were told we could go see a waterfall and swim in it. I was expecting a little 2oft waterfall with a pool to swim in at the bottom, but after a 20 min hike through the forest, the trees opened up to a 95 ft giant that was crashing into a pool at the bottom. It was ridiculously awesome and all our hearts surely skipped a beat at the notion that we were lucky enough to experience swimming in this beautiful spectacle of nature. The water was refreshing but not too cold and it was deep enough to dive down pretty far. We all crawled under the cascade and enjoyed the natural back massage it gave us. Our professors, who we never get to see in this kind of setting, dove in with us and enjoyed it all with us. This was probably the most awesome thing i have experienced on this trip. We crawled back up out of the forest and went back to the hotel to relax a bit and then leave to visit Mindo. Its a small town pretty close to Selva Virgen. We went to a butterfly exhibit but by the time we got there in late afternoon they were all cold and sleeping. All of us, including the professors, were all reluctant to go back to the din of the city of Quito.
This weekend we went to the town of Baños named after the thermal pools that are all round the city. Its a hardcore tourist town with tons of gringos all around and eco-sports for the masses. We traveled down the rio negro to some other waterfalls that were very pretty. On the way there we crossed a bridge that was literally just some planks of wood suspended by some wires. Needless to say i crapped my pants as i looked through the boards, some of which were broken, to the rushing river 200 ft below. Overall the town of Baños was really pretty, sitting within the mountains with waterfalls falling on all sides. We visited a military run animal reserve that had all sorts of animals. Cuatis (im not sure if im spelling that right), ocelots, monkeys, boas, parrots and all sorts of other animals. At the reserve there was a swimming hole with a waterfall but when we got in the water we realized that the mud at the bottom was to waste height. It was very unnerving to be swimming in the pool and then when trying to stand up sinking down to your hip or thigh in mud. I didnt swim in that pool for too long.
I´m getting used to Quito and everyday i learn more about where to go to have fun and meet new people. Next week we go to the town of Canoa to enjoy an entire week at the beach. I literally can´t wait.

Love you guys very much and miss you a ton. I cant believe im more than halfway done and will be back at home in only four weeks :-/.

Con amor,
Juan Carlos de la Playa.

La Playa de Tansupa

So this weekend we decided that we didn't want to spend our time sitting at home again so we asked the professors if we could organize our own trip to the beach. They reluctantly agreed but that´s all we needed. Never have i seen a group of students our age organize themselves and get a project going so quickly. We immediately set a date and collected money and within two days we had reserved a school bus and had all the money we need to pay the driver and reserve hotels on the coast. We reserved the bus for the 16 students to leave at midnight for apparently this was the best time to leave the city (least amount of traffic). We all arrived at the pre-organized meeting spot but not to find the bus we expected. Instead we found a buseta or a little bus that really only sits twelve plus the driver. Without any alternative we all decided to climb into the bus and get on the way. It was rediculously tight and not anybody could really sleep. Two people fell asleep on both of my shoulders and this prevented me from moving to get any sort of comfortable postion. The drive is six hours long so after a while we all just ended up sleeping on each other in a mosh posh of sleepy students. We finally arrived there at about six in the morning and found a pretty little hotel with a pool and a little garden to kick the soccer ball around. We took some quick naps and walked the four blocks from the hotel to the beach. It is definately different than Laguna. We walked down a dirt road in between some colorful buildings all the while being watched intently by the ¨beach folk¨. They say in Ecuador that the beach people are all lazy and dont get anything done. I see now why they say that. People just chill on side of the road or on the sidewalk and watch the passer-byes. The beach is filled with people selling stuff and by the time i got there, half of the students had already bought coconuts to drink the milk out of and a man with a guitar was singing local beach songs to some of the girls. We bought some chairs under a tent for a dollar each and we all jumped into the water, which was green and kinda gross. Ha, but it wasnt too cold and it was refreshing to get out of the rediculoulsy powerful sun. Being on the equator, the sun was directly overhead and decievingly strong. I didnt think i was getting burned but when i got back to the hotel i was like a lobster. We played soccer on the beach and threw the frisbee for a while. The waves were pretty small and it wasnt really possible to ride them with the exception of a few sets everynow and then. After five or six hours at the beach and lunch at a beach side seafood place we went back to the hotel to swim in the pool. We were pretty much the only guests there so the owner of the place turned up the salsa music and started serving us drinks. We danced / drank until nightime fell upon us and we all showered to go to Atacambes a bigger city with clubs all along the beach. We got there and continued doing what we had been doing at the pool for a few hours intermitten with beach strolling. After a few hours we finally got over it decided to go back to the hotel. We got there and i rested in a hammock for a while enjoying the warm night and fresh air until finally i crashed in my bed. The next morning we woke up and went to the beach again to enjoy much of the same as we had the previous day. We left around three and were therefore able to see what we had earlier missed due to the darkness. The drive up nearly ten thousand feet showed us a variety of ecosystems all just as pretty as the next. From tropical beachside scrubs to banana plantations to forrests of deciduous trees to the huge and dirty building of the city. I had the best night of sleep i´d had the whole time ive been in Quito that night. Now i had classes today in which we discussed Ecuadorian authors and direct and indirect pronouns. Tomorrow we leave for Mindo, a tropical forrest reserve about three hours from here. Love you all very much and miss you a ton. I wish you all could have been with me to enjoy the beach and ambiance.

Love always JCB

I´ve got to admit its getting better, a little better all the time..

Hello everybody, well i just am starting my fourth week here in Quito and im definately starting to get used to living here. I understand at least a general idea of the layout of the city, at least where i live, and am beginning to at least communicate with people i dont know. I went through the apparently very common two week drag period in which you feel homesick and wanna go home. Now, however, im happy to be here and excited for the next day. Lets see what has happened since i last posted... Well last tuesday was the birthday of one of the students that goes to the school so we all decided to go out and party in The Mariscal, or the club section or town. Clubbing seems to be a big part of the culture here, so even on a tuesday the clubs were completely packed. Alvaro, my house father, who is not to adverse to partying himself, took us to a club that he likes to go to every tuesday. He was very generous and bought us a mesita where we could all sit and drink and talk when we werent dancing. Now anybody who knows me, knows that im not the biggest dancing enthusiast but in Ecuador there is no choice. I tried not to embarass myself too badly, but after the a few drinks i stopped worrying and just had fun. After a while, some of the people wanted to go to a place that had more latin music as apposed to the techno we were listening to, so we moved on to another place where we all danced salsa. By now it was already one in the morning, so some people went home but other, more hardcore partiers such as myself hahah, went to another underground club, as they called it, and danced for a good while more. After that, everybody left except for me and alvaro. On the way home he asked me whether i would prefer to go home and sleep or hit up one last place on the way home. I told him that it was late and i had class the next day and i thought it would be better to go home and get some rest. He shrugged and said, ahhh lets do one more. haha. We went to one more club and didnt end up getting home until five thirty in the morning. Needless to say it was difficult to get up for class in the morning. That day, however, we had a field trip around some of the churches in the historical district so i forced myself to get up. When i got to the bus that we were going to take into to town from campus, i was relieved to see i was not the only one a little under the weather. Practically the whole class was recovering from the night before. We went to the plaza de San Francisco, where theres a huge church that we took a tour of. Walking around the historical district in itself is really pretty. The buildings are made of stone and ornately carved to show the grandeur of its former glory. However, right next to these ancient cities are the poorest of the poor people begging for money and food. Homeless indigenous women begging while their children juggle balls in the street for pennies. The ancient buildings, so beautiful and ornate and the signs of modern poverty and economic divisions, create an interesting juxtoposition that cant help but be noticed. We then went on to some other museums and churches whose names escape me right now but they too were very pretty. Pictures of them are on facebook now under the Ecuador album.
Lets see what else, on friday our compostition professor took us to the El Teatro Sucre, which is one of the oldest theaters in Quito. She took time out of her day to take us there and show us an expedition of some paintings that were very pretty. Then she got us a tour of the theater which also was really cool. We all sat in the presidential box, where the president of Ecuador had sat just the night before. It is a very pretty theater and i wanna make sure i go and see something there before i leave. After the tour we all went out into the plaza that is in front of the theater and had some coffee and desserts. While we were there, however, somebody stole the purse of our professor. This was a very sad and she immediately fell into tears when she found out. She informed the police and with a few questions we found out that it was older man who was pretending to talk on his cell phone at the cafe and snagged her bag. The police ran in the direction that the witness told us that he had gone but returned empty handed. This was a good wake up call though to the students who all payed special attention to their bags for the rest of the trip. It was also however a very sad turn of events for our Ecuadorian professor who had taken it upon herself to take us there and paid a dear price. We´re all going to pitch in and get her a new bag, fortunately she had her wallet in her pocket with her ids and money.
We also went to a show that night were we went to see some indigenous dancing. It was really cool and the dancers and musicians were incredible. The musicians would just pass each other all sorts of instruments and they could all play them perfectly. After a while of dancing, the dancers, there was about 20 0f them, jumped down off stage and grabbed people in the crowd to dance with. Soon the whole crowd and all the dancers were dancing to the music all over the theater. It was a cool and exciting experience.
Classes are going well, im getting good grades as expected. In fact my house family even makes fun of me about how studious i am, saying that me and Nati, the grandchild of Alvaro´s mom who is the same age as Sequioa, are the two most studious people in all of Quito. She smiles and giggles at this and i assure them that Nati is much more studious and will someday be a doctor.
Today was Fathers day here in Ecuador and i think in the US too but im not sure. Anyway, Alvaro and his mom, Laura, took me with their extended family to a very fancy hotel in downtown Quito to have lunch and celebrate. When we got to Laura´s sisters house her son, Alvaro´s cousin, Mario gave me some pills that he said would help me eat as much as we possibly could at the coming all you could eat buffet. After he saw my pause he assured me they were all natural and not bad for me. I took em and we were on our way. We go to the hotel and when we checked in we recieved a glass of champagne and were led to our tables. When we got there, there was food everywhere and with our medicine induced ravashing hunger we all dug in. After about ten minute the lights went low and some bellly dancers took the stage, i suppose to entertain the fathers in the crowd. The music was so loud and it was so dark that any form of commmunication was eliminated so we were all forced to eat and watch. After the belly dancers finished, forty foot projection screens were lowered from the ceiling and the Italy vs Brazil soccer match was put on for the crowd to watch. This was awesome and Brazil ended up winning 3-0. After the game we were all very full and decided to go home and take a nap. I did some homework and now im watching soccer highlights from the weekend in my bed in my room.
Things are getting more and more fun and this weekend we will be going to a town called Los Baños for a couple nights with the class. Should be a good time, everybody in the class is really nice and fun to hang out with. I still miss you guys a lot and think of you all, all the time. Happy fathers day to you papa and to you too Sky.

Love always and forever,
Charles

Sorry its been a while, internet is harder to come by than i thought it would be....

So i´m currently in my third week here in Quito, and its been quite an adventure. My spanish has gotten much better but i still talk like a seven year old. Classes have been fun but rather intensive, with usually at least an hour of grammar and composition homework every day. My original awe of the city has worn off and allowed me to be a bit more critical of my surroundings. Maybe it was because i spent most of the weekend recovering from a particularily extreme case of food poisining, but im beginning to becom disillusioned with Quito. It is a really big city with lots of people and malls and movie theaters etc. Exactly like what i have access to in California only with and extra layer of trash and crime. According to my house father, the head of security for my schol, outsiders shouldnt be going out at night at all because its so dangerous. This, in combination with a society thats not so different than our own, makes me a little upset at this supposed life-changing experience. However the people for the most part are really nice and my classes are really fun. Im learning a lot, especially in grammar for the benefit of Baiga..who i miss a lot. The teachers tell me my diminishing interest in the place im staying is normal for week two and three of being in a new country and that i will enjoy it more as time goes on...

Lets see what have i done since i last wrote. We visited La Virgen de Pancillo which is a ten story statue of an angel that sits up on a hill overlooking the city. It had a beautiful view overlooking both sides of the city, with green volcanic ranges on either side of the valley. Later that day, after returning home, my host father, Alvaro, and his mom, Laura, took me to a restaraunt called Vista Hermosa. It was a quaint little place with a beatiful view of the Basilica and the Cathedral and all of the numerous churches that spot the city. The next day we had classes as usual and afterwards we went to the gym to play some bball. The altitude clearly inhibited my game but i was still able to ball it up a bit. We went to two museums the next day and looked at indigenous art and chrisitan art from Ecuador. It was very interesting as you could imagine. Alvaro has work most of the and Laura spends most of her time at home cleaning or babysitting her grandaughter Nati, who is about the same age as Sequoia. So most of my time at home is spent either watching spanish TV, which can be hilarious, or reading and doing homework. It rather difficult to get around town because the taxis are somewhat expensive and besides that not until yesterday did we have a house phone, so i wasnt able to reach anyone to meet up. Besides that you cant really go out too late because its dangerous to stay out past night time.

One experience that was really fun was the world cup qualifying game between Ecuador and Argentina. Ecuadorians LOVE their futbol and all work was stopped at twelve thirty in the afternoon in preperation for the four o clock game. I mean all construction, all teaching, all stores, most bars, most shops, all closed to start the pre-party. Me and a few of my fellow students are starting a project, in a little town named Nono that is in the forrest, to help them organize their trash that they currently just throw into a big concrete box. Anyway, we were on our way back from Nono the day of the game and decided to go to the tourist section, know as the Mariscal, to watch the game at a bar. When we got there we were surrounded by yellow jerseys and the big screen TVs were being set up all over the place to watch. We found ourselves a table at a little restaraunt about an hour before the game and ordered some beers. Little children, ages 3-10 were selling gum to for 5 cents a piece around the tables in order to make some more money for their families. These dirty and malnurished children were just another reminder of the horrible poverty gripping this city. I bought one, which was a mistake, because i was then perpetually plagued by other kids selling gum for the rest of the game. The game started and atmosphere was intense. Ecuador needed to win this game to qualify for the world cup so everybody was pretty nervous. Every missed shot, good play, and well timed tackle was rewarded with screams and applause from the crowd in the plaza which must have numbered nearly a thousand. It really made the game exciting and interesting. Ecuador scored their first goal in the second half and the crowd exploded. People were hugging and kissing complete strangers and everybody was downing their drinks in celebration. Needless to say the second goal scored by Ecuador late in the second half, sealed the deal and the crowd went even crazier. It was an awesome experience that will stick with me for a while.... DOWN WITH ARGENTINA!!!

That sunday i went to church with Alvaro and Laura. One on the only times i can remember ever going to church for a sunday service. It was a pretty church surrounded by the big modern building of the city. It was a pretty service during which at one point you had to turn to everyone around you and wish them peace in their life and give them a kiss on the cheek. I was obviously an outsider and i noticed some smirks as i attempted to fit in. After the service, Laura lectured Alvaro on how she hoped he had listened to the service(which was about loving others and providing for those with less). He defended himself saying he had heard the service but thought that people should work for their money and he wouldn´t be the one giving handouts. Laura dismissed his defense with a sigh and mumbled under her breath to me that clearly he had heard the sermon but had not listened. Later that day we went to the city of Cubaya which i have told some you about where i had the soup made of pigs skin and blood.

That week we had classes and the usual took place of me going to class in the morning, regressing after to go home and have luch, and taking a nap until dinner time. Then watch some movies in spanish and go to bed. This is my usual day, rather boring and uninteresting, i know. Tomorrow we are all going on a trip through the city to see the Basilica and other museums. Should be a good time, any diversion from the usual grind of school and such is nice. Then that night we will go to the Balet at the opera hous here in Quito, should be a good time. The girls here are still very pretty but in a society where the guy has to do all the work i havent really done much in that dept, besides my inadequate spanish doesnt help.

I have been especially homesick lately and just wanted to say that i love you all and miss you very very much. Twins, you guys and i definately have to do something like this together... it would be the best time ever. Dad and Charlene, i miss you guys a ton and hope that everything is going well. There isnt a minute in the day that i dont think about you guys. Mom and Sky, i love you SOOO much and think about how much fun we have together. I wish i could be with you guys right now in the backyard of your house relaxing and joking over a bottle of wine, or two, or three....hahah. Kiki and Tracy, I look at ur guys´ card everyday that you wrote me it sits next to my bed and i think about how much i miss you. Thomas and Kim, i miss you guys and home that Baby Dean is well. I wish i could be with you guys and sing Yellow Submarine to baby dean and watch his face light up. Miss you all and love you a ton..

First Few Days

Well where do i start, ha. Its been a wild first few days filled with adventure and chellenging situations. I arrived at Quito and exited customs to find a welcoming room absolutely filled with people. I´m talking probably 600 or more people all asking if i need a taxi or with signs indicating who their wating for. I just kept walking trying to pretend like i new what i was doing. Finally i saw the sign that said John Bradley, and told the man holding it that that was in fact me. He called for a driver over the walkie-talkie and soon i was on my way to the Windsor Hotel. All the rumors i heard about the crazy driving in Quito were 100% true if not understated. The lanes, stoplights, stop signs, and any types of road rules are all merely suggestions. The taxi drivers are all experts at narrowly avoiding crashes and drive at a frantic pace in order to get paid and move on to the next customer. After a 20 minute drive i arrived at the hotel. After a short argument between the management and the driver about when he would get paid(the school left money for him at the hotel) i got my room and went to dinner. At this hotel clearly catered to tourists, i´m embarassed to say that i had a hamburger. The next morning i woke up and had breakfast with Jade, a guy from my rugby team, and we waited to meet our host familes. Talk about a stressful situation, we knew nothing about the families and were just waiting in the lobby expecting the worst. Finally the first family member came and picked up one of the students. She was an elderly grandma with a very kind smile, this managed to calm my nerves a bit. One by one students were taken by their families to their prospective houses until there were finally only four left. The family coordinator got the call that my family was coming and that it would be better if i met him outside (the traffic in Quito is rediculous). She informed me that he was the man in charge of all security at UTE, my university. Great, i thought, im going to have a general as my host family member this will be interesting. When he arrived he was a stocky man, in his thirties, with sun glasses on and a very stern expression on his face. Lillianet, my professor, explained that i was a nice guy and that i could understand spanish relatively well. He nodded and grunted his understanding. I got in the car, and as i drove away from the only people i knew in ecuador i couldnt help but feel a little anxious. He asked me what i like to do and i told him that i liked soccer. With this statement he relaxed and began telling me his plans to put me on his team and how we could play every weekend if we wanted. He laughed as i attempted to explain what position i played and what else i liked to do in my free time. He drove me around for a while, showing me the campus. Quito is a city unlike i have ever seen before. Nestled between two mountain ranges it is rediculously beatiful but at the same time intimidating. Any former thoughts i had that it might be rural or not very modern were soon put to rest. Its a hustling and bustling city with lots of people. The views are amazing with a multitude of multi-colored houses. We went to lunch at this resturant where we had fried pork, empanadas, fried plantains, and papas fritas. We talked a little bit about the plane crash in france but for the most part conversation was stinted due to my insufferable lack of spanish. We then wen to his appartment and i met his Mama´. She is a wonderfully nice lady that immediately asked me what i want to eat. I told her we had just eaten. The appartment is very nice, with wood floors and very nice antique furniture. I have to go to class now but there is a ton more to talk about. I love you all very much and miss you more than you could imagine...

I´m getting used to it here but im still not comfortable yet.


still to come...
the tour of the city
the first night (when i went to the club)
my first day of classes
the school and students
etc.

Love, as always, Carlitos

About to leave....

So its the 30th of May and unfortunately i have to wake up super bright and early tomorrow morning to catch my six AM flight out of LAX to Quito. I'm super excited and wondering what its going to be like while I'm there.