Volcanoes, Ceviche, and Donuts! Oh My!

2 weekends ago, I climbed on the WORLD’S HIGHEST ACTIVE VOLCANO! Okay, so everyone and their madre has told me it’s the world’s highest and then when we got there, the guide said it’s the second highest because there’s a higher active volcano in China. So apparently he didn’t know what he was talking about, even though he’s a hired professional. So we’re just gonna keep saying WORLD’S HIGHEST ACTIVE VOLCANO because it sounds mo’ badass. It’s called Cotopaxi and it’s the biggest reason Ecuador gets so many tourists (well I don’t know which attracts more, the volcano or the Galapagos Islands. Ask a guide.) I had signed up a week in advance for this when the other volunteers invited me. They go to a gym in the city nearby and there was a group of 40 people going to the volcano. This sounded awesome for several reasons: 1. It’s so much easier to go places with Ecuadorians. You don’t get charged as much, it’s a lot safer, and it’s an opportunity to try and make friends. 2. It was super cheap- only $8 for direct transportation to and from, tons of hot chocolate, a sandwich, and a guide. 3. The other volunteers were going too so I could relax and speak a little English. Then the weekend arrives and I’m sick as a perro! But I said “to heck with it!” cause I’m a champ. And it sucked. My nose was a faucet and my chest felt like it was going to explode. I didn’t really know what the hike consisted of, I pretty much signed up blindly due to reasons 1-3 listed above. It ended up being tough because it was SO cold and the wind was blowing so hard, it almost knocked me clear off the WORLD’S HIGHEST ACTIVE VOLCANO. But I survived and the hot chocolate was delicious.

Last weekend I went to visit my old host family, Sonia, Javier and Ayllin and it was SO much fun! It was kind of hard coming home, what with Sonia begging me to stay the night and feeding me tons of delicious ceviche. She has a new volunteer so although I would have loved to stay and eat her delicious scrambled eggs in the morning, I didn’t want to impose on the new girl. So we went to the new mall about 15 minutes from her house on the way to Quito and guess what the heck the mall had?! DUNKIN DONUTS! That’s right, my friends, best food on the planet, which cannot be found in my town! It was heaven with a hole! (that’s what… nevermind.) Then Sunday, I chillaxed and we had fish for lunch! Awesome! Then I had a meeting at 4:00pm. I had agreed to help my host mom and her other English teacher friends study for the huge English test that everyone is worried about. We were supposed to meet for 1 hour and practice English, especially pronunciation. This turned into 3 hours! But I felt really good about it at the end. The teachers were really grateful and they’re coming back next Sunday (with food!).

On Monday, I played Barbies with a 7 year-old. It was awesome. Side note: Barbies here are also white, blonde, and blue-eyed. Back story: my host family always goes to the same grocery store so I go there now too (mind you “grocery store” here is about 4 aisles of food, but it’s the best selection in town and they’re the only place with low fat milk). The owners are super nice people and are really interested in their 2 daughters learning English. So my host mom and I had mentioned several times about my kids’ English class. The mother kept asking and insisting on private lessons for her youngest daughter. I felt terrible but I had to turn her down because I have had several requests for private lessons and I just don’t have time for each individual person, but I assured her that there are children who are the same age in my kids’ class. She ended up bringing her daughter, Fatima, to my class and the pobrecita just cried the whole time L So I ran into her mom in the grocery store again and she asked if maybe I would like to come over to their house and have lunch so that Fatima would trust me more and feel comfortable coming to class. So I showed up around 1:30 and guess what was for lunch?! CEVICHE! Score! I never get to eat seafood here and I had it 3 times in 3 days! After lunch, Fatima showed me ALL of her Barbies (she has about 45) and their houses (3) and cars (4) and we talked about how to match all of their clothes and which Disney princess was our favorite and why. By the end of the afternoon, she seemed really happy and she is the sweetest little girl! I’m hoping she starts coming to class.

Other than that, just chillin like a villain, gellin’ like a felon. Rumba’in and Taebo’in it up. Schoolin’ the youth of Ecuador. Trying to get organized for summer camp. Missing home on the daily. But I feel like I’ve been kicking ass lately. I hope you are as well.

p.s. WHOA! As I was writing this, EARTHQUAKE! Just a baby one. Don’t worry.

 

that ditch is from lava flow!

arguably the WORLD´S HIGHEST ACTIVE VOLCANO

                                                                                           

                                                                                       pretending to be happy. totally miserable.