Back to the US

Thursday morning we had to be at the Quito airport by 7:30am for our 10:15am flight.  We were down in the Hostal lobby waiting for a cab by 7.  It was quite the experience fitting all of our luggage into the cab.  We ended up having to sit in the back with my big bag and the girls' two smaller checked bags.  Unlike the domestic flights terminal, the international terminal was excessively over priced for food.  But we needed to eat so I spent $11 on a panini and coffee.  OUCH!  The good news: we didn't have to pay an exit fee!

When we arrived to our gate we had to go through another security station in order to comply with TSA guidelines regarding flights into the USA.  We weren't allowed to bring any liquids into the waiting area unless they were under 3 ounces.  After sitting at our gate for a couple minutes, we heard our names called.   I went up to see what it was about and was told that we had been randomly chosen by the police for a narcotics screen.  So we were escorted plane-side to have our bags gone through and sniffed by drug dogs. We all passed with flying colors.

Our flight to Miami was pretty uneventful, however they did run out of customs forms and told us we would need to get them once we landed.  When we landed and walked to the passport verification area, we tried to get customs forms and were told we could get them with our luggage.  Luckily, a TSA officer asked us if we had them before we made it up to the counter and informed us we needed them to get through passport control.  So he went with Jen to the same person that had told us differently and got us the forms we needed.  We filled them out in line and only had to wait about 25 minutes before we had made it through.  Next step: pick up our luggage and head to customs.

Jen got both of her bags almost immediately after the baggage carousel started to move.  Mine appeared about 15 minutes later, and Rachel was one of the last people on the flight to get hers (we were freaking out a bit that her bag didn't make it from Quito because the baggage carousel had stopped a couple times and it looked like all the bags from our flight had made it out).  Customs was the easiest part.  All I was asked was if I had any fruits or vegetables.

Next we had to re-check our bags and head to a security checkpoint to continue on to LaGuardia.  Re-checking the bags was easy - we just dropped them off at a screening point.  Heading to a security point took a bit more time.  We ended up having to walk outside to a different terminal to catch our next flight.  The security lines were CRAZY!  We waited about 30 minutes to get through security and fortunately we had enough time, once we were through, to get a bite to eat before our flight.  Our flight to LaGuardia was 10 minutes late, but our luggage was waiting for us at the baggage carousel and we were curbside waiting for Jen's dad within 10 minutes.  When we made it to Jen's house, her dad had made baked ziti and meatballs for us.  SO GOOD TO HAVE SOME COMFORT FOOD!  I was in bed by 11pm.  Tomorrow is the long drive back to Buffalo.

Back to Quito

This morning we had to leave for the airport at 7:30am.  From the house we had to take a taxi to the ferry station, take a ferry to Baltra Island and then wait for a bus to the airport.  When we arrived at the airport we checked in and they told us that we didn't need to get in line for security until 9:30am.  So we had an empanada and coffee for breakfast while we waited.  The airport was no more than a glorified barn.  Security consisted of someone rifling through your carry on and a metal detector.  SO SKETCHY! The flight back was great.  We were in an exit row!

When we arrived in Quito, we had to take a taxi to our hostal.  The first guy saw that we looked American and he tried charging us $8.  What a rip off!  So, we found another guy to take us for $6 which was what we had paid the week before.  When we got back to the hostal we repacked our luggage to make sure our bags were under 50 pounds.  After we were all packed, we strolled the streets of Quito.  I bought an Ecuadorian cookbook.  For dinner we had a delicious seafood meal and watched the Brazil vs. Ecuador game.  We lost 2 to 4.  Jen and I wanted to go out afterwards but it wasn't the same with just the two of us, so we settled for a hamburger from the hotdog doble stand and went to bed early.  We have to leave for the airport tomorrow at 7am.  Back to the states!

Lava Tunnels and the Beach

Today is our last full day in the Galapagos.  We woke up, ate breakfast and headed out to the lava tunnels near Puerto Ayora.  Tunel de Amor is on private property near Bellavista so we had to pay $3.25 to get in. The tunnel itself was lit by lights so we didn't need flashlights.  It was pretty sweet, but not what I was expecting.

After the tunnel we took a taxi back to Puerto Ayora and had our last almuerzo.  After lunch, we went back to the house and took a short nap.  After we woke up we headed to Tortuga Bay.  The sun wasn't out, but it wasn't raining so we stayed at the beach for a couple hours.  After the beach we showered and headed out on the town to do some shopping.  Everything was way more expensive than we were used to.  

The dinner we had was delicious!  I had a coconut fish chowder, a delicious salad with fried calamari, and a hamburger that was WAY TOO SALTY.  After dinner we came back to the house, had a Cuba Libre and then went out to a dance club.  It was a good time.  I'm sad we are leaving tomorrow, but such is life.

Floreana Island

Monday we headed to Floreana Island. Someone was supposed to meet us at our house at seven thirty, which ended up translating into 7:45am Ecuadorian time. We walked to the dock and got on a boat. The boat ride was about 2 hours. The water was ridiculously choppy. I have never been on a boat ride as crazy as this one. About 25 minutes into it, the girl across from us blew chunks all over herself, and instead of moving to the back, to get sick over the edge she just sat there and made a mess all over herself and the boat. The smell was horrific, but it was good practice for mouth breathing - a very handy skill to employ as a physician. About ten minutes after her bout of vomiting, her father started dry heaving. It was a mess. Anyway, we were all fine. When we arrived at the island we went snorkeling. IT WAS AMAZING! We were swimming with tropical fish, sea turtles, and sea lions. The turtles were the best part! The water was cold, but our wetsuits made it bearable. After snorkeling, we took a sketchy gravel road to a trailhead. The twenty minute ride was bumpy and slow, but the hike as pretty cool. We saw some giant tortoises, a fresh water spring (very rare in the islands), and some caves that were thought to have been used by pirates. After the short hike, we headed back to the pier for lunch. The lunch was good, but not overly filling. After lunch, we went back to the boat and went looking for masked boobies and penguins. We found both! It was pretty sweet. The ride back was much less eventful. No vomiting. :-)

Upon our arrival in Puerto Ayora, we went to the grocery store and bought supplies for dinner. After finding everything we needed, we returned home, made cocktails, turned on some Spanish hip hop and cooked pasta with veggies. It was delicious! After dinner, Jen and I went out to see if anything was happening on the bar scene. IT WAS DEAD. So we got some ice cream and came home to watch the Incredibles with Rachel. Tomorrow we are heading back to the beach and checking out some lava caves!

Isla Santa Cruz

Sunday we woke up and went to our tour guide's office to check out our snorkeling equipment for our trip to Floreana Island tomorrow. It was closed. So I called Wendy and we gave her our flipper size so they could bring them on the trip tomorrow. After that, we headed to Tortuga Bay; a white sand beach thought to be one of the most beautiful beaches on the islands. It was about a 40 minute walk from our house. BEAUTIFUL! We had a blast! The water was a bit chilly, but with the sun out we didn't care.

After the beach, we went to the grocery store to buy stuff for dinner. It was closed. So we went out to dinner at a restaurant with delicious food! The only drawback is they wouldn't sell us drinks because it was a Sunday. But my three cheese pasta and shrimp salad was AMAZING! After dinner we got ice cream and walked around the city near the bayfront. Eventually we made it back home and watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. After, we went to bed since we needed to be up and ready by 7:30am. Really looking forward to our day trip tomorrow.

Off to the Galapagos!

Saturday morning we left for the airport around 7:15 am. We had to go thru a special screening procedure for the galapagos, where they looked through our bags for seeds, plants, etc. That could destroy an ecosystem. Our flight was Quito to Guayaquil and then Guayaquil to Baltra Island. We flew AeroGal, and the experience was great! When we landed on the island we had to have our luggage searched again and then we paid our $100 fee to enter the islands. We met our guide who took care of all the transportation arrangements to get to Puerto Ayora (a bus to the ferry to a taxi that drives 40 minutes to Puerto Ayora). Once in Puerto Ayora, we met Paola, who showed us around the house. IT IS BEAUTIFUL! Around 3:30pm we headed to Darwin's Station. Here we learned a bit about invasive species and we got to see a galapagos tortoise farm. It was really interesting. After that we decided to have dinner. We ate some delicious seafood at a bar/restaurant on the main street. My spicy garlic shrimp was to die for. After dinner we got ice cream... I tried nutella and coconut flavors. SO GOOD! After that we headed to the grocery store to buy stuff for cocktails and breakfast the following day.

That night we watched Moulin Rouge and then went to bed early. A good first day.

Quito

We left for Quito around four thirty, and what is normally a three to three and a half hour drive took us about four, four and a half hours. We didn't know exactly where we were once we hit the city limits of Quito. We stopped a half dozen times for directions and eventually met up with Celso, who showed us the way.

Once we got to our hostal and checked in, we went out to get some food. Celso told him to meet up at a bar around eleven. By the time we finished dinner andstarted heading to meet Celso, it was eleven. When we arrived, Celso was not there. We waited outside for twenty minutes or so then decided to go in and take a look. He ended up strolling in around midnight, we had a drink, danced a little and then Scott and I headed back to the hostal. On our way, we stopped to get a hotdog doble (two hotdogs in one bun). It was nowhere as good as I remembered it the last time. But anyways, we made it back to the hostal, watched some TV and hit the sack around one thirty. I was up again at three to say goodbye to James, Scott, and Ben who had early flights. As our Bienestar adventure is coming to an end, I realized how much I am going to miss the Illinois crew. Everyone was a blast and we always seemed to find something to be laughing about. We'll definitely need a reunion soon!

Jen, Rachel and I head to the Galapagos tomorrow. We will have a blast!

Our Last Week in Banos

Since Monday was the fourth of July, we had a barbecue potluck at our Spanish school with our instructors: Chely and Liz. We listened to salsa music, lit off some sketchy fireworks and drank Ecuadorian beer.

On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I went to Rio Negro and worked in a rural clinic. The doctor was awesome! She only spoke Spanish, but here ability to explain things and teach us physical exam techniques was fantastic. On Tuesday, Jen and I rented a dune buggy and drove the "Route of Waterfalls." As we were leaving town our buggy died. We pulled into a gas station, called the rental company and they brought us a new one. IT WAS SO SLOW! Wednesday was a really busy day for patients in Rio Negro, nothing really too exciting except for a woman with 3+ tonsils! CRAZY! Thursday was our last day in the clinics so we had a dinner at a local restaurants for all the doctors and some of the nurses we worked with. We also found out that as a group, Bienestar raised $14500 to buy equipment for the hospital. The dinner was a lot of fun and afterwards we went to GringoCoco, a stand that sells 25 cent shots of sugarcane liquor. From there we went out to the bars to dance and have a good time.

Friday morning we rented buggies and motorcycles again. Afterwards we had our last almuerzos or lunch in Banos, did some shopping, and packed up. We left for Quito around four thirty.

The Last Weekend in Banos - Part 2

This morning I felt a little under the weather, as they say here: Tuve una chuchaqui. I was feeling better after breakfast/lunch, which worked out perfectly since we didn't have to be ready for rafting until one. For rafting we had to drive about thirty minutes from Banos. It started to rain as we got our wetsuits, helmets and lifejackets on, but by the time we were practicing it had stopped. I was in the smaller boat with Jen, Jenny, Ben, and Jill. Our guide's name was Marcelius. He was hysterical! Our team name: The Capybaras! After completing a set of rapids, we would throw our paddle tips in the air, hit them together, yell "Capybaras!" and slap them on the water. Since it had rained more than our guide expected, the rapids were 3+ to 4, and we had to walk around one area of the river that was too rough. Our boat almos flipped three times according to the other guide, but I never felt it. Hahaha. Anyway, we had a great time and afterward they fed us dinner. I can't wait to try whitewater rafting in the Adirondacks. After rafting we were all wet and cold so we came back to the hostal and showered then watched Finding Nemo in Spanish. After, we were a little hungry so we went to Doner Kabob, a fast food joint that sells a killer chicken sandwich for $1.50. After dinner, I came home and fell asleep... It was only 9:40pm. It was another epic day and I was glad my shoulder cooperated. Tomorrow we are having a BBQ for the fourth of July.

The Last Weekend in Banos - Part 1

Friday night, Jen and I met Ruchi and Jenny out at the Leprauchaun, a bar that has dancing, a fire pit and good music. We stayed out until one. It was a great time!

Saturday morning we met downstairs in our hostal at 9:45am to go canyoning. For those who don't know what canyoning is, it pretty much is when you scale down waterfalls attached to a harness. It was AWESOME! We had to wear wetsuits, canvas shoes, a jacket and a helmet with our harness. We scaled down 4 waterfalls: one was 8 meters, one was twelve and the other two were around 20-30 meters. We got pretty wet, but it was worth it! The last waterfall we got to slide down on our butts. It was cold, but we loved it! I was a little worried about my shoulder, but it seemed to be fine during the activity. It was sore after but I really didn't want to miss out. After canyoning we decided to try Cuy, or roasted guinea pig. It tasted gamey and there were more bones than meat, but we needed to try it while we were here. I have definitely eaten worse things.

For dinner we returned to Quilombo for their famous meat platter. With four courses you could split it two or three ways. DELICIOUS! After dinner we went back to the hostal to get ready for a night of dancing and being out at the bars. We stayed out until two thirty or so dancing and having fun. Our walk home was in the rain, but we didn't notice it too much. Tomorrow we go whitewater rafting!

Rio Verde

This past week Ruchi and I did our afternoon hospital shift at a rural clinic. It was a lot different than being in Banos. The rural clinic focused more on primary care than the hospital. There is only one doctor and one nurse working at a time. We saw a lot of abdominal pain and diarrhea in children. We also got to see a child get sutures in her head after falling. It wasn't always as busy as the hospital either, but Dr. Paul was really nice and we learned a lot from him. Next week we go to Rio Negro to another rural clinic. This weekend is our last weekend in Banos so we have a lot planned! Can't wait!

TO THE HOSPITAL!

This morning I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a bus! I skipped Spanish class to go to the emergency room at the hospital. They took an x-ray of my right shoulder and upon examination the doctor decided he needed another x-ray, but this time I had to hold ten kilos in my right hand. He also wanted a trauma specialist to take a look at the films. After reviewing both films, the trauma doc said I may have a slightly separated shoulder, but without a CT Scan he couldn't be sure. What he was happy about is that I had no broken bones, I had almost full range of motion and to his knowledge all of my nerves were intact. So, he prescribed me a sling (that I have to wear until Monday), a muscle relaxer (cyclobenzoprine) and a COX-2 inhibitor (a glorified ibuprofen). I had to pay for the drugs and the sling out of pocket... The grand total: $24.80. JACKPOT. The bad news - is I may not be able to do white water rafting and canyoning this weekend. Ugh.

Anyway, this week we are travelling to a rural clinic in Rio Verde, a small town near Banos, to see yet another aspect of healthcare in Ecuador. It was very similar to a primary care provider's office in the states except that the people were given the drugs at the office (for free) since they don't live near a pharmacy. Nothing too exciting today. Just kids with diarrhea and coughs. The doctor is a really nice guy though. I enjoy learning from him and chatting with him in broken Spanish. He is ONLY 25! Apparently, the way medical school works here is that you are not required to complete three years of undergraduate studies to go to medical school. The degree itself is a six year undergraduate program. Then you are required to work for the government for two years (since tuition is free) in primary care. After you finish that you can specialize if you wish. I am really getting a great perspective on a different type of healthcare system. It is mind blowing what they can do with so few resources.

Rainforest - Day 3

Today is our last day in the rainforest. Our itinerary includes riding in a motorized canoe up and down the river to visit an animal shelter, an indigenous museum, a ceramic shop, and a balsa wood shop. We started the morning with a delicious breakfast. After we ate, we packed up all our stuff, said goodbye to the lodge and piled into the canoe.

Our first stop was the animal shelter. It consisted of animals that police confiscated at the borders and unwanted pets. There were toucans, macaws, capybaras, monkeys, wild pigs and ocelots. IT WAS AWESOME!

Next, we stopped at an indigenous museum. Here we learned about a variety of traps used by the natives to catch their prey. We also learned and practiced shooting a target with a blow gun. Next we decided to go swimming. I wasn't going to swim until we saw the sweet zipline you could ride into the river. So I decided to take a shot at it. I was third in line to go. When it was my turn, I grabbed the wooden handle and took a leap, in an attempt to avoid a rather large bush at the shoreline. The series of events that occurred in the next 5 seconds went something like this: I jumped, I flew, the handle snapped in half, and I fell... HARD! The fall was about two meters and I landed on my right shoulder. When I stood up it was visibly dislocated. When I tried to move it, it snapped back into place. I was covered in mud and leaves and water. It was rather comical (although nobody else thought so) so I started to laugh. Jenny helped clean me up while Rachel and Susan got me some ibuprofen. It hurt like crazy. After everyone calmed down, I put on my clothes and we all piled back into the canoe for the next stop.

Upon arriving at our final destination of the day we discovered the balsa wood shop was close (the owner was out harvesting more wood) so we went straight to the ceramic shop. There we were shown how they make ceramic bowls using only a campfire. I wasn't really paying attention at this point because I was a bit nauseous due to the pain. But once my ibuprofen kicked in on our ride back to the trucks, I was feeling much better. From where we docked our canoe we took two trucks back to Tena. From Tena we took a public bus to Banos. It took about 3 hours and we were back at the hostal. We went to eat dinner and then went to bed. Tomorrow I go to the hospital to have my shoulder checked out.

Rainforest - Day 2

Last night I woke up to torrents of rain, one could barely hear themselves think. This morning we had breakfast and then got ready for a four hour hike. The river was really high due to the rain we had gotten the night before, so our plan to swim later in the afternoon was abandoned. For the hike, we took a motorized canoe up river about 2 kilometers. When we got out, it looked like our trails had been washed out, but we managed to maneuver up the hill with little difficulty. The hike was AWESOME! We saw some birds, learned about more plants and trees and we even saw a poisonous snake! Toasted the end of the hike we had to wade in water up to our waists. While hiking in the stream we saw a walking stick and we got to sample a few edible plants. We were also taught how to quickly weave a basket out of palm fronds. It started to rain a little as we finished up, but we didn't care as we were already wet from the stream and sweaty from the hike. When we got back to the lodge, we ate lunch and took a small siesta. Next, we went to visit our forest guide's family to get a better idea of how the people from the area live. On our way we walked near a hornet's nest and five of us from the group got stung (including Susan and I). While we were there we learned how to prepare dark chocolate and make chicha, a drink made by fermenting yuca. After returning to the lodge we had dinner and celebrated our last night in the rainforest by having a few drinks. Our guide taught us an ecuadorian drinking game and we were in bed by eleven. Another great day!

Rainforest - Day 1

This morning we left Banos at five thirty. It was a three hour bus ride to Tena where we picked up our guide, he bought food and drinks for the trip and then we set out, with our cooking and cleaning staff, to the river. When we arrived at the Napo river, the food and staff went in the first motorized canoe and all 14 of us plus the guide piled into the second. It was crazy to be in such a narrow boat on such a giant river. It was about a twenty minute canoe ride downstream to the lodge we were staying at. After arriving and walking up one hundred stairs or so, we made it to our home away from home. It was BREATHTAKING! We got assigned to rooms and then had an hour to look around before lunch. There were five hammocks under a covered area, cocoa trees, a bonfire pit, and the bugs were crazy! We saw ants biting off pieces of leaf and then taking them back to their colony. It was like National Geographic. After lunch we had an hour to digest and rest before we took off on a three hour hike into the forest. I packed my poncho, some water and a ton of bug spray and I was ready (not to mention the huge rubber boots everyone was wearing). It was so hot and muggy. But the trek was very interesting. Our guide showed us medicinal plants and insects, we learned about different trees and he gave us some information about the indigenous people of the area. When we got back to the lodge we were hot, sweaty, muddy and hungry. So everyone showered, using brisk rainwater, and we ate. The lodge only had electricity via generator between the hours of six and ten pm. After dinner we sat around until ten to see how dark it would get. It was pitch black! We wanted to look at the stars but it was cloudy so we headed to bed. Tomorrow we have a long hike!

The Last Week at the Banos Hospital

This last week was our final week at the hospital here in Banos. I am going to miss it! The doctors, students, and interns were a lot of fun. This week we saw a case of Chilaiditi Syndrome - a rare disease when your colon displaces your liver and puts pressure on the right lung. It was really interesting. We also got to clean wounds and watch some sutures get placed. I gave my first penicillin shot in the buttocks and my first intervenous shot of corticosteroids to an elderly gentleman with a nasty case of contact dermatitis. All in all, it was a great week. Saturday we leave for a weekend in the rainforest. I can't wait!

Back to Banos

Monday morning Rachel and I got up and went for a jog on the beach. It was great! After our run we ate breakfast and headed to the beach for two hours before we had to return to the hostal and pack up. After we loaded the bus we went out for lunch. Most of us got shrimp ceviche... It was really tasty! We ended up leaving Montanita around one thirty in the afternoon. Boy was it an adventure on the way home! We stopped at a gas station for dinner and I ordered a ham sandwich. This may have been the worst decision I have made on the trip so far. By the time we finally arrived in Banos, around 11:30pm I needed to use the bathroom really bad. All I have to say is traveler's diarrhea is the worst thing ever... (I didn't go to bed until 2 or so because of the urge to defecate) Anyways, that is about all that unfolded on our last day of vacation. Back to Spanish class and the hospital tomorrow.

The Beach, Surfing and a Pufferfish

Sunday we had to ourselves in Montanita. After waking up around nine we went to have breakfast and then headed to the beach. The weather was beautiful and we slathered on sunscreen like it was our job! At one we headed to the surf shop to pick up our boards and meet our instructor. There was a small language barrier, but with his minimal English and our Spanish we made out fine. The lesson was two hours, and within thirty minutes we had all had at least stood up on our boards once. The waves were crazy strong. After two hours of surfing we were EXHAUSTED! I had swallowed about a gallon of sea water, I had salt and sand everywhere and my eyes were killing me, but it was well worth it. After returning our boards we ate and headed back to the hostal to clean up and nap. Later we explored the town a bit, had dinner and took a walk on the beach. After walking to the end of the beach, Scott found a Pufferfish that had gotten caught in the sand when the tide went out. It showed some signs of life, so we attempted a rescue mission. Knowing that Pufferfish spikes can be lethal, we didn't want to pick it up directly with our hands. Instead I was volunteered by the group to use a large flat shell as a "gurney" and take it to the water. I got it on the shell, with the help of Jill's foot, but when we were almost to the water it squirmed off and landed near some rocks. I was pretty excited because I wanted to see it swim, but getting it to the water turned out to be a bigger project than initially expected. While I was trying to roll him to the water with the shell, a a slightly larger than expected wave caught us off guard, sent the Pufferfish farther onto the
beach, got our feet wet, and caused Scott to slip and scrape his arm. Finally, after five minutes of battling waves and slick rocks, the Pufferfish made it to the sea to live another day (at least that is what we like to hope). All in all, our evening turned out to be much more exciting than anticipated. That being said we were in bed by ten thirty. We leave to go back to Banos tomorrow.

Isla de la Plata

On Saturday we were up, packed, out of the hostal and had eaten breakfast by 7:55am. After everyone was ready, we headed to the beach to take a boat to "The Poor Man's Galapagos," also known as Isla de la Plata. They didn't have docks, so we had to wade out to the boat we were going to take to the island. On the way we passed all the fishermen bringing in their catches. There were sharks, ling cod, sea bass, and even a marlin! Anyways, we waded out to our boat and got ready for the hour and twenty minute ride to the island. The boat was nothing like I expected - it had two outboard motors and a canvas covering. AN ADVENTURE! On our way to the island we saw five humpback whales! One of them even jumped out of the water right in front of us! The rest of the ride was pretty smooth. Upon our arrival to the island, we waded in, put our shoes on and started our two hour hike. On the hike we saw lizards, and blue footed boobies. We also saw another bird that puffs up a red sack on it's chest when it is mating. It was pretty sweet. I was also amazing to see how dry and brown the landscape was. It looked like a desert. After our hike we did some snorkeling. It was pretty cool! We saw a tortoise, quite a few different kinds of fish and some sea stars. The ride back was a bit bumpier, but I thought it was great! When we got back to the mainland we jumped on the bus and headed to Montanita, about an hour away. After checking into our hostal, we discovered that if someone was showering on the first floor, people on the second and third floor had no water to shower, wash their hands, or use the toilet. A bit frustrating at times, but the view was worth it! After everyone was showered we headed out to dinner. We ate at a place that made their own pasta. The food was good and the wine was cheap. ;-) After dinner we went out to explore the night life. Oh, the fun we had! We went to a bar called HolaOla where six dollars bought you unlimited well drinks! After a couple hours at the bar we went to the beach for a quick swim. The water was perfect, however I was the only one of the four who left the beach unscathed. Apparently there was a rock hiding in the depths that Rachel and Scott busted their feet open on and Susan scratched her hand on. So we went back to the hostal, Susan broke out her first aid kit and we played doctors! After that, we tucked ourselves into our mosquito nets and fell asleep. A GREAT DAY!

Puerto Lopez, Agua Blanco and the Drive to the Coast

Thursday night, after Spanish class we quickly ate dinner and were off to our first Salsa lesson. It was fun, but a bit more challenging than I expected. I'll need to practice for sure! Hahaha. After our class, we tried "Ecuadorian Tequila" at a local bar for 25 cents a shot. It was different, but good. After quickly packing we met our guide, Celso, out at a bar. It was a good time but after an hour we had to leave to catch our bus to Puerto Lopez. We left Banos at eleven thirty and arrived at our hostel on the beach at ten in the morning the next day. IT WAS BRUTAL... I only slept about two hours. Once arriving at the beach we ate breakfast and were off to see some ancient ruins at Agua Blanco. It was crazy hot out, but we hiked around for two hours learning about the ancient culture, the flora and fauna of the area, and ended up at a naturally spring known for it's healing powers. We swam in it and put some of the natural clay on our skin. It smelled like rotten eggs and made me feel slimy all over. Don't know if I would do it again, but it was an interesting experience. After the ruins we went to a BEAUTIFUL beach. We hiked up to an outlook and the view was breathtaking! After the short hike we swam in the ocean. The waves were the strongest I have ever swam in! We tried body surfing on some of them but after Jen, Susan and I got annihilated by one (Jen lost her contact and I got stung by a jellyfish) we were done playing. So we got back on the bus and had seafood practically on the beach. The sunset was fantastic and after dinner we sat on the beach and drank a few cocktails. We had an early day planned on Saturday so we were in bed pretty early.

The elusive "Mobile Clinic"

So yesterday two people were suppose to travel with the mobile clinic and it left without them. Today, I was supposed to go with them and it never showed up. Instead we stayed in the emergency department in Banos. We saw some interesting cases: a woman with ameobiasis that resulted in secondary Crohn's disease (it was a textbook presentation!), a man with cholecystitis caused by fatty liver disease, a little girl with a kidney infection, and a pregnant woman having complications. Even after two days I have seen a huge improvement in my understanding of medical terms in Spanish. Can't wait for tomorrow!

A first hand experience with healthcare in Ecuador

So I have been battling a sore throat for a couple days and had diagnosed myself with a strep infection. I needed penicillin so I went into a pharmacy and asked if I needed a prescription. I did, so I figured I would just wait to see if it would resolve itself without intervention. Then this morning when we were working at the hospital, I met an intern that wanted to go into otolaryngology, so I had her take a look. Diagnosis: strep throat, Treatment: a penicillin injection in my butt. Oye ve! So they took a history, asked about allergies, I dropped trou and got a shot. Cost: $0. JACKPOT! Other than that our first day was pretty uneventful. Due to the bad weather, there were very few patients. All we saw was a man with a dislocated toe, that needed to be put back in place, a child with a sore throat and fever, a woman with gallstones and a woman needed a refill on her high blood pressure medication. Tomorrow I get to travel into the mountains with a mobile clinic that provides care to people who can't make it to Banos to see a physician. I am pretty excited! That's about it here on this end. More to come later this week. We leave for our beach trip Thursday night. We can't wait!

Salasaca, Pelileo, and the Hospital

Sunday morning Jen, Rachel, Susan and I got on a bus to Salasaca - an indigenous town known for its beautiful textiles. The bus ride was about thirty minutes and cost $1.25. They had some really great stuff. I bought an alpaca wool sweater for $18 and some linen pajama pants for $8. The girls bought alpaca sweaters as well! From Salasaca we got back on a bus to Pelileo - a town known for its jeans and brown sugar empanadas. A woman from our program told us that the bus driver would know where to drop us off for the empanadas if we told him that is what we were interested in. When we asked he said he would... come to find out, he was wrong. When we got off the bus the empanadas were no where to be found! So we did a little shopping (I bought a pair of pants - which was a lot more challenging than expected because everyone is so short here!), and asked around about the empanadas. Three people pointed us in the same direction so we started our trek. About 5 minutes into it a passing van started honking at us like crazy! When we looked closer, it was everyone else from the program on their way to Banos. Celso, our program leader in Ecuador, told us we were walking in the wrong direction for empanadas, and that it was about twenty minutes the other way! So we turned around and after asking 2 more people on the street finally found the empanadas. They were DELICIOUS! And at 8 for a dollar how could you go wrong? After 8 empanadas and a couple hours of shopping we were ready to go home. Our options were to get back on the bus, or contract a truck to take us to Banos. We tried getting a truck, but they wanted to charge us $5. We didn't want to pay over four, and they wouldn't budge on the price so we walked to catch the bus. Upon our return to Banos, we met up with the rest of the group and had dinner. We ate at a restaurant that was supposed to have the best chicken in town... It was pretty good.

Yesterday we toured the hospital in Banos. Talk about rural medicine. The hospital has 15 beds and specialists in surgery, orthodontia, psychiatry, physical therapy, pediatrics, emergency and obstetrics only. That being said, there are currently no surgeries being performed due to the fact that they dont have an anesthesiologist. The lack of diagnostic equipment and laboratory equipment was astounding. Nothing like in the US. Working in the hospital down here is going to be a real eye opening experience. After our hospital tour, we did a scavenger hunt in Banos, speaking only Spanish. It was a lot of fun! Later in the evening we got our class/hospital assignments. Jen, Rachel, Susan and I get to stay in the same Spanish class! We have hospital work 8:30 am to noon and Spanish 3-6 pm.

Bridge Jumping and Bike Riding

Yesterday after Spanish class we jumped of a bridge... It was probably one of the scariest things I have ever done! All we had to do was sign a waiver, pay $20 and meet the guide at one of the bridges outside of town. I didn't think it was going to be that bad until we got to the bridge. When you looked down it was a 100 meter drop to the river below. Oye ve! The rope was 70 meters long. So they put us in our harnesses and we were ready to rock. I went first. The technique: make sure you jump out away from the bridge and went head dirt with your arms and legs open. I got up on the platform, and fortunately the guy helping us counted down or I probably would have taken a bit longer to jump. "Uno, Dos, Tres, VAYA!" I was airbourne! What a rush! I can't wait to do it again. Susan and Rachel followed. WOOT WOOT! Afterwards we went out to a bar for a celebratory drink! We got a local favorite: La Cucaracha - a delicious blend of tequila, coffee liquid and brandy. It is served on fire! Then we had our first Ecuadorian karaoke experience. The four of us sang Backstreet Boys... the bar LOVED it! Then we had a disappointing dinner at a German cafe. Won't be eating there again!

This morning we got up early to go biking. There is a 21 kilometer bike route starting in Banos that takes you near 4-5 beautiful waterfalls! It was fantastic! We saw some beautiful scenery and we took a cable car to see two waterfalls on the other side of the river. I had never been on a cable car and for only one dollar we had to do it! On the other side we got to see a trout farm as well. Apparently you could fish them right out of the ponds if you wanted. Then we proceeded to one of the most amazing waterfalls I have ever seen: El Pailon del Diablo. It was breathtaking. If you wanted you could climb through this tiny tunnel made of rock, I had to take my backpack off to fit through, to get up to the top where you could walk behind the cascade. I was soaked afterwards, but it was well worth it. On our way back to the bikes it started to rain. So we decided to eat lunch in hope that the rain let up a bit. It didn't so we got a ride back to Banos in a truck. It was a crazy ride... The truck was like a milatary truck with the back covered in canvas. We sat on wood benches in the back with our bikes. It was pretty bumpy but we were just glad to be out of the rain. Tonight we are thinking of going out to experience Banos bar scene. Should be fun!

La Casa de Arbol and El Cafe de Cielo

Today we decided to climb up a portion of the volcano... Our plan was to hike up the side of the mountain behind Banos to the huge cross that overlooks the town and lights up at night, proceed to La Casa de Arbol (the Tree House, a tree house that is located at the highest point up the volcano one can hike without a guide), then proceed to El Cafe de Cielo (The Cafe in the Sky which is part of a luxury hotel that overlooks Banos up on the mountain). It was our understanding that the trek to the cross would take about thirty minutes, and according to the map, La Casa de Arbol was about forty minutes away from that point. WERE WE WRONG! Apparently the map was not drawn to scale! So after two and a half hours and an elevation gain of 2000+ feet we made it to La Casa de Arbol. It was treacherous! The worst part was that the volcano as covered in clouds so we could barely see it. Fortunately for us Carlos Sanchez, a 68 year old Banos native, was up at the site monitoring seismic activity. He offered to show us a way to get to the cafe in the sky that only took 25 minutes. We were a bit skeptical at first, but once it started to rain, decided to follow him. After chatting with him a bit we discovered that he was quite a character! He spoke no English so we had a lot of fun communicating with him! As we were leaving the Tree House he grabbed his backpack and two and a half foot machete! HAHAHA. We immediately thought of the movie Hostel. OYE! So I walked behind Carlos and the three girls followed. It was quite the trek down... Carlos was showing us what trees and roots to grab on to while hacking away at bushes and vines in our path. Sure enough, thirty minutes after we started, we arrived at the Cafe in the Sky. What an EXPERIENCE! We splurged at the Cafe in the Sky and bought cocktails, dinner and dessert. It tasted so good after walking for three and a half hours! From there we decided to take a taxi back to our hotel. What a day! Stay tuned for bridge jumping tomorrow!

Banos

After being in Banos a couple days we are starting to get a feel for where everything is. We are also making huge strides in our Spanish skills. Five hours of class is a lot, but we are used to it. We have been hiking all over the city (I say hiking because everywhere you turn here you are going up a hill). On Monday we hiked to a statue of the virgin of the holy water; a Saint that was native to Banos. It was BRUTAL! After that we decided to cross town to see the waterfalls named after the same saint. The trail was a bit dicey at parts, and the wind was crazy, but the view was spectacular!

Yesterday we decided to go to check out one of the many public baths located in Banos. We got there and it was not at all what we expected, so we turned around and made our way back to the main square, where we ate one of the best meals we have had in Banos. It was also one of the most "expensive" (a two burrito platter with beans and rice, a huge salad with a homemade garlic dressing, a 600ml beer, and a cappuccino for dessert all for under $10).

Today, after we finished Spanish class, we decided to hit up the town market (it only takes place on Wednesday and Sunday). It was like any normal farmers market, except for the prices, which were about one fifth of what I would normally pay in Buffalo! So for dinner we ate fresh fruit and vegetables. We also picked up some Gouda cheese and some fresh out of the oven bread ! It was a nice change from eating out. After letting our dinner digest a bit we went out for a n ice cream cone. While we were eating our ice cream, we walked around a part of the city we hadn't seen yet. We came across a tagua nut store (the tagua nut is part of the base of a palm tree that grows in Ecuador) where they sell jewelry . The tagua nut is known as "ecuador's ivory." We also went past a sugar cane stand and bought some fresh sugar cane. You chew on it to get the sugar cane nectar out. It was surprisingly good.

Tomorrow we plan to hike as far up the mountain behind Banos as we can in order to get a good view of "Mama Tungurahua" the volcano near us. There is a cafe at the top with 4 pools heated by the local hotsprings. Should be a lot of fun! We are going to bridge jump Friday! Wish us luck!

Bienvenido a Banos!

After a 4 hour drive we made it to Banos! The trip was beautiful. Banos is about 2000 feet below Quito so the drive was downhill almost the entire way. The more I witness ecuadorian drivers, the more I realize that road signs and markings are mere suggestions. We are staying at the Princesa Maria Hostal. It is really nice and the couple who owns it is really sweet. They don't, however, speak any English which makes communicating with them an adventure! We start Spanish classes tomorrow. I'll try to update the blog later this week.

The Middle of the World

Today we went to the equator! It was wicked sweet! We watched water flow counter clockwise a couple feet north of the line, clockwise south of the line and straight down right on the equator. We also tried to balance an egg, but weren't successful. :-( While we were there, we learned about the indigenous people of the amazon... They don't wear clothes- the men only wear this rope thing that they use to tie their foreskin up against their abdomen. You may think this a weird ritual, but they have good motivation to do so: lurking in the waters where they are native to resides the "penis fish." This fish will swim up an unsuspecting man's penis then fan out so it can't be removed. The only treatment: SURGERY! No swimming in the rivers for me!

We also travelled to the "old town" portion of Quito. It was beautiful! There were so many churches, and the streets were really steep (reminded me of San Francisco). We climbed up to the top of one of the steeples and got a great view of the city (although safety was not the first priority of the people who designed the stairs to the top, we survived). We also went to a church that had 52 kg of gold painted on the walls... It was INSANE!

We traveled around the city via bus. Which means we got to experience, first hand, the bus system. The way public transportation works here is that instead of a subway or a trolley or a train of some kind they have buses that travel in bus only lanes. IT WAS CRAZY! The buses take corners and travel at a speed as if they were a subway trains! Talk about getting jostled around. Anyway, we are back at the Hostal Junior Plaza safe and sound. Off for some dinner in a bit! We leave for Banos at 10am tomorrow.

We Made It!

We made it to Quito this evening! The flights went really smoothly and we were on time. Customs was quite the experience, however. After making it to the counter, we were told that we needed to fill out another form before they would let us through to pick up our bags. When we got to baggage claim it resembled a war zone: there were bags on the carousel, off the carousel, piled in the corner, just about anywhere you could think of. So an hour and a half later we finally met with our guide and made it to our hostal. It is located in the gringo section of town, so things are a bit more expensive. We had a nice dinner and our first batidos - an ecuadorian specialty consisting of fresh fruit juice and cream. IT WAS TO DIE FOR! Can't wait for our city tour tomorrow!!!

The Marathon

Why I ever thought it would be a good idea to run another marathon is beyond me.  Rachel and I arrived at the starting line around 6:30AM Sunday morning (after getting up at 4:30AM to eat and prepare for the trek ahead of us).  The weather forecast was 30% chance of precipitation with a high of 78 degrees.  Needless to say, it didn't rain on us, but boy was is HOT and HUMID!  The first 13.1 miles was fantastic!  The weather wasn't too hot and my legs and feet felt like a million bucks!  The second half, however did not go as smoothly...  My foot started to act up around mile 16 and by mile 18 I was walking.  I broke into my emergency ibuprofen stash and walked miles 18-20 while waiting for the pain relief to kick in.

Emergency ibuprofen stash.

I ran off and on for miles 20-25.  At mile 25 there was an "aid" station set up by some good samaritans that was offering beer!  Seeing as how I can never pass up free beer, I wet my whistle with an ice cold Labatt Blue. DELICIOUS!  That gave me the added boost to finish strong.  My official time was 4:20.22.  The heat was brutal!  Rachel finished in 4:27.05 and we both swore to never let each other run another marathon.  The good news, however, is we raised over $3200 to buy medical supplies and equipment for the people of Banos!  So overall it was a SUCCESS!

Yea Rachel!

WE FINISHED!

Marathon Training...

So after a foot injury that I was sure would put me out of commission for the marathon, I am back in the game!  I went for a couple five mile runs earlier this week and a 6 mile run this afternoon and feel great.  I will attempt 10 miles tomorrow.  We'll see.  Rachel, Jenn and I are starting to get really excited about our upcoming adventure to Ecuador (and even more excited about school being over in two weeks)!!!  More to come later.