Semana Santa

Semana Santa in Ecuador is intense.  There are Masses to go to, reenactments to see, and a Resurrection to celebrate!  One warning, though: because the day Jesus opened the Gates of Heaven for us was technically Good Friday rather than Easter Sunday, el Viernes Santo is more “celebrated” than la Pascua.  If you have a chance to go to the procesión on Friday, bring a camera, some tissues, and if you’re religious, a slightly more closed mind than you have the rest of the time, just so your religious heart doesn’t become too sad.  Definitely try to go to the Masses if you can, since they are somewhat different from those in the United States and are all beautiful.  “Que viva el Jesús resucitado.”  “¡Que viva!”

Highlights from this Week:

• Tuesday – Since I got home from our trip early this morning, I pretty much just relaxed and did homework at home today.  In the evening, Cecilia and I went for a walk.  The lights were on in the church and we stopped to see what was going on inside.  I was delighted to see that they were having Reconciliation and, after finishing our walk around the block, Cecilia came into the church with me so I could do that.  I was a little nervous to do it in Spanish, but the priest was so nice and I was able to understand everything he said.  I wasn’t expecting to have an opportunity to go to Reconciliation, so I was very excited to run into such a wonderfully coincidental chance to do that.  Now, I’m definitely ready for Easter!
• Wednesday – As of today, I have been in Ecuador three months.  My, how time does fly…  I went to Cumbayá this morning to run errands and ended up going to Movistar, Juan Valdez Café, Cactus, and SuperMaxi.  My phone wasn’t working (it kept wanting me to send in my número de cédula, but I don’t have a cédula because I’m not Ecuadorian), so the people at Movistar fixed it.  I went to use the WiFi at Juan Valdez, but it didn’t work with my computer.  Lauren met me there and she recommended we try Cactus, so we went to lunch there and that Internet worked fine with my computer (probably because it didn’t require a password).  We stopped in SuperMaxi, so I could buy Easter candy and stuff to cook for my family, and then headed home.
• Thursday – Today is Holy Thursday.  I went with Jesús this morning to the Oratorio and Comedor to help out.  I crumpled paper into little balls for a craft and danced along with all the elderly people when we did exercises.  I helped serve food at lunch and just enjoyed helping however I could.  My family and I went to Mass this evening and I believe this was the first time since I got here that I could understand everyone who spoke.  Usually, the microphone echoes so much in the church, I can hardly understand anything, so I was thrilled to be able to hear the Word of God clearly for the first time this semester!  People brought up offerings at Communion and, after Mass, we processed around the church and arrived at a shrine for the Holy Eucharist.  People threw flower petals in our path as we walked and we stayed for a while for Adoration.
• Friday – Today is Good Friday.  Jesús and I met Cecilia in Quito after her velada to go to the Procession in town.  It started in the Plaza San Francisco as many cucuruchos dressed in purple robes with cone-shaped hats kept coming and coming out of the church to the sound of music that could have been played at a funeral.  Some bore logs on their shoulders and others carried huge wooden crosses.  Behind them came a crowd of women in purple robes with veils covering their faces – las Veronicas.  We walked over to the Gran Plaza, where we could see better – there were so many people acting as Jesus, Simon, and Veronica.  One man dressed as Jesus fell with his cross in the street.  Immediately, a number of people rushed to help him up and the crowd cheered him on.  The procession ended with members of the Ecuadorian military accompanying statues of Jesus and Mary along the route.  Around 3:00 in the afternoon, a thunderstorm broke out…  In the evening, my family and I went to the Good Friday service at church.  We heard the story of the Passion of Christ and all went forward to kiss the feet, knees, and side of Jesus on the Crucifix at the front of the church.  During and after dinner, my family watched the Passion of Christ.  For once, I did not join them.  After all that’s happened today, I’m not sure I could bear watching my God die again…

• Saturday – Even though Jesus has not yet been resurrected, today was much happier than yesterday.  I went to Cumbayá in the morning to look for Internet and, though I didn’t find it until I went to Cactus, I did have a passion fruit smoothie at Juan Valdez that was amazing and a juice called Sunset at Cactus – some delicious concoction of orange, melon, and pineapple.  In the evening, Jesús, Cecilia, and I went to the Easter Vigil Mass.  We stood outside around a fire, lit many candles, and processed into the church.  The first part of the Mass was done from the light of all the candles, which was wonderfully peaceful.  Then, we turned on the lights to baptize three new members of our faith.  A bit later, people brought up offerings and Padre Jorge blessed all of us with Holy Water sprinkled from white flowers.  I felt so much better and more hopeful after the Mass…such a beautiful evening.
• Sunday – Happy Easter!!!  I’m not sure I’ve ever been so happy for this day!  This morning, Jesús, Cecilia, and I went to Mass.  The church was decorated in white with balloons and streamers hanging from the ceiling.  Front and center was a life-size statue of Jesus Resurrected, the centerpiece of the church.  We sang lots of happy songs and welcomed seven new altar servers, whose parents helped them put on their red and white robes.  After Mass, the statue was driven around the neighborhood and the churchgoers followed accompanied by a band playing religious songs.  People threw flowers at the statue the whole time and when we got back to the church, the statue was replaced as the centerpiece of the worship hall.  I also spent the majority of the day half-snickering at my family’s lack of ability to find the candy-filled Easter eggs I hid around our little apartment last night.  I told Jesús and Cecilia of their existence, but they’ve only found two out of ten so far!  I guess finding eggs is a little harder than one would think if you haven’t been doing it every year for your whole life.  Hopefully, they’ll find the other ones relatively soon…  Happy Easter!
• Monday – Happy Easter Monday!  Unlike the other days, today doesn’t seem to get any particularly special recognition here other than as a day off, which was certainly nice for me.  I went to USFQ and saw a few friends who were outside the campus gates.  Then, I went into the school, which was unexpectedly open, and got a ton of work done.  In the evening, I helped Jesús take peas out of their pods, which was oddly fun.

Random Notes:

• If you start getting texts that ask you to send in your número de cédula, going into Movistar (your phone service provider) early to get it fixed won’t help.  You have to go in on the date on the phone (after your phone has stopped working) to get it fixed.  Plan your schedule accordingly.  Since you’re not Ecuadorian, you don’t have a cédula (unless the Ecuadorian government has been particularly quick at getting yours to you – ours haven’t come in, yet, and it’s the middle of the semester), so the people at Movistar will probably just need your name and passport number.
• If you’re looking for free WiFi for your laptop, I would recommend Juan Valdez Café, which is close to the Post Office.  If the password doesn’t work with your computer (which is rare – I’m the only person I know who has a computer that won’t take the password), try Cactus, which is next to the Banco Pichincha.  They have free WiFi that doesn’t require a password (so it works with my computer and will probably work with yours, too).  Apparently, El Español also has free WiFi.
• Catholicism here is intense and that’s especially obvious during Semana Santa.  Also, as I mentioned before, Ecuadorians don’t cry in public and, besides, they’re used to this sort of thing.  Imagine more power, pain, and overwhelming sorrow than a funeral, but no one is crying.  That’s Good Friday here.  To tell the truth, if you are an American Catholic, it’s overwhelming.  I’m glad that I went to the Procession in Quito and to the Good Friday service and I would recommend that you go, too, whether you’re Catholic or not, if only for the cultural experience.  Especially if you are Catholic, though, be prepared for a very emotional experience.
• Good Friday services are somewhat different here than they are in the U.S.  Just like in the United States, you hear the story of the Passion of Christ.  Unlike in the some parts of the United States, though, in the middle of the service, you go up (just like for Communion) to kiss the feet, knees, and side of Jesus on the Crucifix, which is resting on a table at the front of the church.  Usually, you also put a coin into the basket at the base of the Crucifix as an offering.
• The juices at Cactus are amazing, so make sure you try one or several while you’re there!  I particularly recommend Sunset, which is one of the many they serve.
• Try to get a couple of white candles before Holy Saturday if you can.  Unlike in the United States, churches don’t give you candles – you need to bring them, which makes sense.  Especially if you bring enough for your family, I’m quite sure they would appreciate it.
• If you have the chance to be part of an Easter procession, go for it!  My host mother had to go home before ours, but I continued walking with everyone in our community and it was a lovely experience.  Everyone is so happy and having a parade through the whole community announcing the Resurrection of Jesus seems unusual compared to Easter celebrations in the United States.

Puerto López

Puerto López is the beach town closest to la Isla de la Plata, “Poor Man’s Galápagos.”  If you don’t have enough money to go to the Galápagos Islands (or if your Spring Break trip to the Galápagos is cancelled, which is what happened with me) or you just want an adventure, this is the place to go.  The island is gorgeous – you can find blue-footed boobies, rainbow-colored lizards, sea turtles, all sorts of tropical fish, and more, depending on the time of year.  I went with three friends from my program and we went on a tour of the island, which involved riding a boat to the island, hiking around various landscapes, and snorkeling just off the coast.  We also spent each evening watching the gorgeous sunset on the beach.  Exploring a new part of Ecuador was exciting and spending time with friends over our vacation without worrying about schoolwork was wonderful.

Highlights from this Week:

• Monday – I helped Jesús and Cecilia make humitas this evening.  I didn’t get home in time to help too, too much, but they turned out well and were delicious!  I’ll definitely need to take this recipe back to the United States!
• Wednesday – I didn’t have to go to the doctor today!  Yay!
• Thursday – In Ecología, a veterinary professor came to talk to us about illegal trafficking of wild animals, which is a problem in Ecuador and around the world.  Only about 1 of every 10 trafficked animals makes it to its destination alive, so make sure the things you’re buying (including pets) are classified as “exotic” rather than “illegal.”
• Friday – Greetings from Puerto López!  Today’s bus ride was very long (12 hours), but Allison, Lauren, Paige, and I are finally here!  We checked into our hostel, the Sol Inn, and went to dinner at the Blue Water Grill, which I would highly recommend if you’re ever in the area (their spaghetti con albahaca is amazing).  I had some trouble putting up the mosquito net around my bed at the hostel, but once I did, sleeping in it was wonderfully comfortable…oh, Study Abroad problems…
• Saturday – Today, we went to the beach, which is quite close to our hostel.  We relaxed on the sand and played in the water.  I rested on my towel reading La ciudad y los perros for my Literatura class.  A few Ecuadorians stopped to talk to Lauren and they must have known I was reading it for a class because Lauren said they were wondering why I was reading such a terrible book!  We had lunch at our hostel and enjoyed the fruit from the local market.  Later, we bought our bus tickets for the ride back and walked along the beach to watch the Sun set.  Back at our hostel, we played cards and visited well into the evening, which was lovely.
• Sunday – Happy April!  April Fools’ Day doesn’t seem to be too big of a deal here, but that’s absolutely fine with me!  We spent most of our day on a tour of la Isla de la Plata.  We had a 1.5-hour boat ride either way and took pictures of blue-footed boobies resting on cliffs around the island.  We hiked through all the gorgeous landscapes and, after getting back in the boat, found sea turtles and then went snorkeling above a coral reef just off the island.  I saw all sorts of beautiful fish and swimming around was so much fun!  Later, we walked along the shore to watch the Sun set and sat on the sand while a new dog friend curled up next to Lauren.  The beach is so beautiful here…
• Monday – I walked along the shore this morning collecting pretty-colored rocks and I also found a piece of coral and a little conch shell.  After I came back, Allison was determined to find a shell and soon returned with a conch shell about 10 times the size of mine, which made me laugh.  We watched the Sun set in the evening and ran into a friend from school.  We talked with her a while and then got on the bus for the (much shorter – only 8 hours this time) ride home to Quito.  This has been a good weekend.

Random Notes:

• Humitas are kind of like cornbread, only awesome.  Take raw sweet corn and grind up the kernels until you have over half a pot full of them.  Add 3-4 eggs and about half a pound of sugar plus a pinch of salt.  Clean the cornhusks and put a spoonful of filling in the center of each leaf.  Fold one side over the filling, fold up the bottom of the cone-shaped leaf, and fold over the other side.  One end of the humita should be closed and the other should be open.  Boil some water.  Take a large, empty pot, put a few cornhusks on the bottom, and put in the humitas, stacking them carefully so that the open ends are slightly above the closed ends.  Put a few more cornhusks on top and pour an inch or two of boiling water over the whole thing.  Put a cloth on top of the cornhusks, pressing down so the cloth is flat on the husks and little steam can escape, and put the lid on the pot.  Let that sit for 45 minutes.  Remove your humitas (if you can – be careful, they’re hot!), dry off the cornhusks, and let them sit a few minutes before eating them.  Once they’re cool enough (or almost cool enough) to touch, enjoy!  (Oh…but just eat the filling, not the cornhusks…and you may need a fork.)
• In case I haven’t mentioned it, the doctors at the USFQ clinic are really nice and really want to help you feel better.  It may take a while and you may need to have a lot of tests done, but you will get better eventually.  Just be patient and have fun with all the new Spanish medical words you’re learning!
• As I mentioned, baking soda is illegal in Ecuador.  If you’re wondering why all the cookies in the country are crunchy or crumbly rather than soft, that’s why.
• If you’re planning a trip anywhere, take the night bus!  I know you don’t sleep as well on a bus as in a bed, but trust me.  The day buses take way longer than the night buses do to reach their destinations and the bus drivers on day buses stop a gazillion times and take a million random breaks.  Half the time, the night buses are also nicer (temperature control, bathroom on the bus, etc.).  Just take a night bus.
• According to the people at our orientation, to many Ecuadorians, we as gringos look “exotic.”  This means that you may have lots of random people coming up to you to say “hi,” especially on beaches (swimsuit = less clothing = now you look really exotic!).  Just be nice and say, “hi” back.  Who knows?  You could make some new friends.
• Ecuadorian nausea medication is called Mareol (from the word for seasickness, which is “mareo”).  It works in cars, on boats and, I imagine, in planes.  If you don’t feel particularly well on any given trip, give it a shot.  Ecuadorian roads are necessarily winding, since the country is divided by a very high mountain range, so even if you don’t normally get carsick, watch yourself for the symptoms (nausea, headache, possibly vomiting or feeling like your going to vomit, etc.).
• The fruit in Ecuador isn’t just awesome in Atacames.  It’s amazing everywhere, so eat lots and enjoy living close to where all the tropical fruit is grown!

Around the Town

My family and I went around Quito this weekend.  We went to Mass in the Basilica, which was enormous and beautiful.  We took pictures with elaborately dressed guards in front of the President’s Palace and watched people dancing in the plaza to the music of a random band that was playing there.  Although being in a big city still makes me a bit nervous just because of all the things you hear about thieves, Quito really is nice and quite beautiful, as long as you don’t mind walking up and down hills all the time.  There are so many random, interesting things you can find in cities and towns in this country, especially in a city as large as Quito.

Highlights from this Week:

• Monday – So, the first day back in class was not the best in the world, but what did I expect after having missed a week of classes?  The second class was more enjoyable than the first, though, so I suppose I’ll survive.  I very much appreciate that at least one of my professors was so understanding of the fact that I was gone for so long.
• Tuesday – Today was much better with classes.  All my professors were very understanding of the fact that I was gone for a week from my illness.  There’s no way I could catch up so easily in college in the United States and I’m so glad it’s so easy (for the most part) to catch up here.
• Thursday – Ellie and I took a “partner” test together for Conversación this morning.  Before we took the test, Ellie asked our professor if we could be a little late for class, so we would have time to get lunch after taking the test.  I highly doubt that would fly with any professor in the United States, but our professor here was so nice, she said, “sure”!  We went to the Empanada Company, which is a great place right across from the front gate of the university.  I’d never been before, but Ellie had, and their empanadas are delicious!  Allison, Lauren, Paige, Tara, and I went to see the Hunger Games in the theater in Ventura Mall later this evening.  The movie was wonderful and it was exciting to see a movie in English, just like at home.
• Friday – FEVI had its monthly venta de ropa in Lumbisí, so I helped fold and organize clothes for a while to help out.  We also made pizza and sold it with lemonade to earn more money for the organization and use some of the ripe, homegrown tomatoes from the community.  The pizza was really different from what I’m used to, but it was very good.
• Saturday – I went to help and what I believe is the last greenhouse minga in the organic garden.  I was the only gringa at the minga, but I enjoyed cutting plastic, wrapping poles, holding ladders, and just generally helping in any way I could.  I had to leave before the greenhouse was finished after I realized I was burning through my sunscreen, but I can’t wait to see the greenhouse when it’s finally done!  Later, I went to interview a gentleman named Manuel for my anthropology project.  He was the Treasurer of the Lumbisí Cabildo (the community’s government) during a period when members of the community were fighting for their rights to their land and talking with him was wonderful!  He knows so much about the atmosphere of the community and about its history and he had a number of truly wonderful stories.  Most impressive, though, was one of the last things he said, “Nosotros aquí, somos unidos.”  I love Lumbisí!
• Sunday – I went with Jesús this morning to meet Cecilia in Quito after her velada (night shift) at the hospital.  We went to Mass in the huge Basilica and I thoroughly admired the Gothic design of the cathedral.  Afterward, we wandered toward the Gran Plaza and had lunch while listening to music played by a band at the edge of the park.  We walked up in front of the President’s Palace and took pictures with the elaborately uniformed guards on either side of the door and then paused for a while to watch people dancing to the music in the plaza.

Random Notes:

• If you have to miss a lot of classes, it’s OK.  After being a college student in the U.S. for a while, you probably think I’m crazy to say that, but it’s true.  Professors are very understanding if you have a trip or if you get sick and, for most classes, it’s very easy to catch up.  If you know ahead of time that you’ll be gone, just like in the United States, it’s polite to let your professors know in advance, but if you’re sick and can’t let them know, that’s OK, too.
• The Empanada Company is kind of like a fast food restaurant right across from the main gate of the university.  Just go out, take a right, and cross the street.  It’s pretty much right there.  Just an empanada is usually about $1.50 and they’re delicious!  And empanada is kind of like a calzone – just a big circle of dough folded in half over a bunch of filling.  The restaurant has empanadas stuffed with meat, cheese, vegetables, fruit, and lots of other stuff, depending on what you want.  I had a vegetarian empanada (mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and olive oil) when I went there and I’d definitely like to go back to try their “sweet” empanadas (banana and manjar, which is kind of like dulce de leche, or strawberries and chocolate).
• Movies in theaters here are usually in English with Spanish subtitles if they were originally released in an English-speaking country, which may be why going to the movie theater doesn’t seem to be quite as popular here as it is in the U.S.  Sometimes, they’ll wait to release the movie until it’s been dubbed in Spanish, but when we went to the movies here, it was in English.
• In Ecuador, they really like their spices.  Pretty much the only bland thing you’ll find on a normal menu is rice.  The pizza we sold at FEVI’s monthly venta de ropa was dough covered with tomato sauce, cheese, ham, and a ton of oregano.
• Odd though this sounds, if you don’t have thigh muscles, you might want to work on them, especially if you’re a girl.  Try doing squats or pressing your back against the wall while in a “sitting” position.  The thing is, if you can, you want to get to the point where you can use the restroom without actually sitting on the toilet.  I know that sounds weird, but many public restrooms in Ecuador are not particularly clean and it’s best if you don’t actually touch your skin to the toilet to avoid the risk of getting sick.  I do not have the muscles to do this and I haven’t exactly died, so clearly you can survive without this skill, but I would highly recommend working on your thigh muscles if you think you can reach the point where you don’t need to sit to use the restroom.
• Though you should really keep your guard up at all times, especially in the city, on buses, and in other crowded places, potential thieves are not always particularly difficult to spot.  Usually, there is one man alone or a few men who seem to be hanging out in roughly the same location.  If you see someone acting suspiciously, just keep an eye on them, hold onto your stuff (preferably in front of you), and walk on the other side of the sidewalk or, better yet, on the other side of the street.  Don’t make it overly obvious you’re watching them in case they really aren’t thieves and are really just waiting for someone, but do be aware of what they’re doing and make sure they aren’t following you.  As soon as they realize you’re onto them, they’ll leave you alone – there are far easier targets than someone who clearly knows what they’re doing.