GREETINGS! This is Bruce and Paul, and we were the Leaders of the day today for working like a local day. We started the day, before the roosters awoke, bright and early at 6:07. Then, we journeyed to La Estancia to enjoy the beautiful meal prepared by the amazing Ana and her staff.

We arrived at La Tarabita and were greeted with smiles by brother and sister owners Magali and Oscar. At the farm, we toured the fish pond and cow and pig pen. We learned about the farm’s tradition of bull fighting. At the farm we began by replanting cabbage and lettuce seedlings. Some glimpsers dug trenches for the lettuce to be planted; others helped to place the seedlings into the soil. The steep terrain of the field made planting more difficult. Oscar instructed us to plant in a trench design to avoid erosion. After we completed planting the cabbage, some Glimpsers manually plowed a field while others weeded a vegetable garden and fertilized a field. Bruce, the strongest man to grace Ecuadorian soil, used his superhero-like strength to move a huge rock from the field. After multiple hours of difficult, but rewarding work in the field, Magali treated us to fresh fruit juice made on the farm. Magali reminded us that all the produce from the farm was organically grown.

Next, Oscar brought out his cow and its calf so that the cow could be milked. Alas! his calf was running away – she was not going to be a prop in this staged performance. Nina and Paul went with Oscar to capture his lost calf. Oscar valiantly lassoed his calf and led it back to its mother. We all had an opportunity to milk the cow, but Marco and Bianca proved to be the best after mastering the two – handed technique. Nina, Tiger Lily, and Brooklyn helped Magali to prepare the meal. We then headed to the dinning area to have some delicious rice, chicken, lentils, and potatoes. All of the food we enjoyed was grown on the farm using organic practices. We also had some delicious lemonade with lemons that Magali had hand picked from the garden. After we ate we finally got to taste what some have been anxious to try: Cuy (Guinea Pig). It is a delicacy in Ecuador, and it is considered to be one of the best meats. Diego bravely chose to eat the head of the Guinea Pig and made many interesting discoveries about its anatomy. After having some of that delicious Cuy we handed Oscar and his sister Magali a gift, and we thanked them for the experience and for welcoming us into their home.

When we returned, we made last minute additions to the our Community Action Project (CAP) presentations. We then presented the project, and Yariemy, our talented and beautifully unique translator, helped to convey the information to the director of the nursery. After our successful presentation, Mr. Allrich and a group of time-less students ventured out to purchase watches. He could only watch helplessly as one of his students purchased a non-functional batman watch.* After dinner, we passed on the responsibilities of Leader of the Day onto Jayla and Rubi.

Thank you for reading our blog post, and we hope you have a beautiful day.

Adios,

Brucey and Paulie

*EDITOR’S NOTE:  The watch is now functioning.