*Parents and friends, please post your thoughts, as these will be shared with the Glimpsers*
Today we woke up bright and early (7:00 AM) and had an amazing breakfast of hornadas (lettuce with pork and oil) as well as papayas and yogurt. Many people who tried the papaya for the first time remarked that it tasted like brown sugar.
After, we played competitive human knot as an energizer, with two groups furiously trying to untangle themselves before the other. This seemed truly impossible at first. It was a great way to bond with each other before we settled in to talk about the day’s activities. We got background behind the indigenous communities in Ecuador and some of the traditions that sparked from those communities, as well as the result when these communities interacted with newcomers (conquering tribes and the Spanish).
We suddenly found ourselves climbing another thousand feet as we took the bus past the outskirts of Riobamba into the deep green mountains surrounding it. We reached an indigenous community called Pucará Tambo, a cozy, colorful place surrounded by white stones. From there, we got the tour of the place, learning what they eat, wear, how they prepare their food, and their customs. Everything is centered around food and family. One example is chicha, a traditional beverage, which is used for a honeymoon ritual as the locals poured it over the couple. Also extremely important is the impact of the Spaniards on the community, whether it be the destructive eucalyptus plant the settlers introduced, or the confident and outspoken attitude reflected by the locals after needing to stand up for themselves.
At lunch, we had a pampa mesa, or a potluck style lunch, which is a tradition of the community. We tried various new foods, such as oat milk and guinea pig! After, we were involved in a cleansing ritual, where we stood in a circle and were dusted with various plants and egg to cleanse the bad spirits.
Dance class followed! We were immersed in movement, sounds, and color as we experienced a taste of Ecuadorian dances. We got to dance in the traditional clothes of ponchos, chaps, and skirts, which gave us a taste of how they celebrated. At the end, we formed a huge circle as one at a time, the dancers brought us into the center of the circle for a couples dance.
The rest of the day was fairly brief. We started to prep for the first English tutoring lesson, dividing into groups and going over lesson plans. After, we had a dinner of pizza (!), as once again, Isabelle, our adopted mom, never disappoints. We had a small party in the restaurant, and everyone joined in to dance to the American songs.
Overall, today was fantastic, and we all look forward to the adventures ahead.
You guys are rockstars. Keep up the amazing work and try everything! Ya never know if you will ever get the chance to be this connected to those locals!! Be safe and keep posting for us!
Hello Glimpsers! You all looked great in your colorful dance attire. It was so nice to see all your genuine beautiful smiles. I’ll bet all of you were happy about having pizza for dinner. Can’t wait to find out how many of you actually tried the guinea pig at lunch. Looking forward to your adventure tomorrow. What a wonderful experience you all are on so happy I can follow.
So nice to see students experiencing local traditions … Frida, how do you feel after the cleansing ;-)?
To Max, Jocee, and Rose
It’s Maren and yall already know what tf going on. It looks like u guys are having an amazing trip and I’m so happy u get to experience this. I miss u three so dang much and I love u brothers. Max, my main bruh, my mf domestic partner, I love u sooo much. Also omg hi Ms. Schleimer I miss u and I can’t wait to hear about the trip from ur perspective. I love u all <3
Rosie Jocee y’all already know I miss you so much and it’s only been damn near one minute, I adore you both and can’t wait to hear all abt your trip.
looks like you’re having fun carla! we miss you lots!
Wow! What a full and amazing day you guys had in Pacurá Tambo. It sounds like you’ve taught and shown the ‘Glimpsers’ an incredible amount of information and a wonderful adventure already. Plus Max has accomplished her main goal in just the first few days: eat a guinea pig. Keep having fun. We love & miss you so much!
This one goes out to Rose, Max, and Jocee (and Ms. Schleimer too haha) y’all are too cute in these pics. I leave for Panama in less than 24 hours ain’t that crazy?? When we all get back we need to debrief our trips together. I miss y’all!
So proud & happy for all of you to have adventured on this journey. It
is an experience of a lifetime ! The bonds you will make not only with each
other but the country & culture stay with you forever !
And what a beautiful country it is, so colorful ! Absolutely try everything !
ROSE DANCING WARMED MY HEART wow. you are perfect and i love & miss u so much. jocee? a day without u is like a year without rain. queen of my heart.
This message goes to Claire from mom! So exciting to hear the menus of the day – but it is a little curious that you ate guinea pig (!!). The rituals write up was informative – I’m especially intrigued about the chicha being poured on the honeymooners! So exciting to hear how the days are going and what activities you are enjoying. Are you learning any Spanish? Me encanta todo lo que tu cuentas de los actividades! Enjoy!
Claire,
Really enjoyed reading this. Your descriptions enabled me to envision everything and I felt like I was there. It is so awesome that you are doing this. Can’t wait to read more and hear all about it.
Claire,
You will remember this trip the rest of your life. Have fun.
HI Farangiz,
I see you! I know you are having a great time and making it fun for everyone.
See you soon.
Love, Jim,Mad and Dylan
Natalie, you look happy my dear daughter, I am so happy that you are exploring other cultures and learning about the world. We miss you. Love your mom.
What a treat to be able to experience this culture. Jax, I am so happy that you get to be there and so terribly proud of you. Grammy Sue