My Fancy Lunch

Almuerzo

This was my lunch yesterday. Just so you know I’m pretty sure there was crawfish in the soup! Also this was a super nice restaurant. It was a whole $5 for my two course lunch with a coffee.

Food!

I don’t think I’ve posted yet much about the food, knowing me, that is sort of shocking. Here is a sampling of what I eat regularly here in Puerto Lopez.

First, the Batidos. Across Ecuador they drink “batidos” They are basically fruit, sugar, milk and ice, blended together into deliciousness. It is so good. Every little stand or restaurant has fresh fruit and you can just pick whichever fruit(s) you’d like: passion fruit, coconut, blackberry, strawberry or my new favorite “tomate del arbol” (literally tree tomatoes – no idea what it’s called in English). Yum! I love these drinks. (I think I may have already posted about batidos – but they are that good!) They usually cost between $1-1.50.

Second, the Ceviche. There is a long standing battle between Ecuadorians and Peruvians about who first invented Ceviche. I haven’t tried Peruvian Ceviche before, but Ecuadorian Ceviche is pretty darn good. Ceviche is sea food that is cooked using the acidity of lemon and lime juice. It’s so tasty. There is a little shack on the beach near my hostel that serves up a delicious pescado (fish) ceviche (other options are camarones (shrimp), longostina (lobster), pulpo (octopus) or marinero (literally means sailor but here it means a mix of all of them). The best in Puerto Lopez, in my opinion, is the little place near my hostel. The “soup” that it comes in is just sour enough plus they add onions, tomatoes and green peppers on top plus a little scoop of a peanut mayonnaise sauce that is amazing! They also serve it with “patacones” – which are little sliced, fried, flattened, plantain chips. Plus you know that fish is fresh. The fish market is literally a stone’s throw away from the hut. I’ve already eaten there three times and I’ve only been Puerto Lopez two weeks. It’s only $3 for a bowl at my favorite restaurant, but some of the other ones charge up to $10.

Third, the Empanadas. There is this house here in Puerto Lopez where a woman lives who makes empanadas. Every evening she opens the door and puts a little stand outside of her house where you can buy these delicious snacks. They are usually filled with a puree of plantains and either cheese or chicken. On top of that you pile a spicy sauce plus a coleslaw type salad and a homemade mayonnaise dressing. They are usually too hot to eat right away because they just came out of the hot oil. Once they cool down enough you have to try and eat them without getting the oil and goodness all over you. A great snack, or if you have two or three, a meal. These cost only $0.50.

Finally, Almeurzos. Almeuerzo literally means lunch – but it means so much more here. There are restaurants or “comedors” (outdoor restaurants) all over Puerto Lopez that serve lunch. Lunch here is not like the US. You don’t get a menu. You go in, you sit down and they give the options, if there are any. What kind of soup? Either fish or meat. Then you choose the main: fried fish or meat. You get a drink with it – no options there. Whatever fruit they decided to make juice out of that day is your juice. Some places don’t have options – but most have at least two. The soup is a steaming bowl that could be a light meal by itself. Then comes the main – usually some form of meat, plus rice, plus beans plus a small salad, plus a few patacones. Then they bring the juice. These meals are delicious and very filling. They range in price from $2.25 – $4 in Puerto Lopez.

P.S. Saturday I went to Isla de la Plata, which is known as the Poor Man’s Galapagos.  I have all sorts of pictures to post.  

P.P.S. To mark the season of Advent I am going to write in my blog or my personal journal every day. Advent starts next Sunday, December 2.   

Thanksgiving without Turkey

Today is Thanksgiving, a uniquely American holiday and my favorite.  I woke up this morning thinking that I would not do anything to celebrate.  It was a sad realization, as I thought this would be my first Thanksgiving with no celebration. No meal with family and/or friends to remind myself how lucky I really am.

Peurto Lopez

This afternoon I was invited by a Spanish friend to have Thanksgiving at their house.  The American living with them bought a rotisserie chicken for the night.  (Turkey cannot be found).   It turns out that I will have a Thanksgiving dinner after all.

I’m thankful for my friends and family back in the US.  I I love the fact that I’m supported in my crazy desires to travel and work all over the world by my family and friends.  I really couldn’t ask for a more amazing group of people to support me in my travels.

I’m so thankful for the experiences that I’m having here and all the amazing people that I’m meeting.  It’s hard for me to fully appreciate everything that I’m learning and experiencing here.  It’s always amazing to think about what brings people together.  I’m here in Puerto Lopez and I’m meeting an amazing group of Ecuadorians and foreigners – each of us has lead our lives individually until now, when we intersect for a time and then we continue living our lives.   The choices that brought all of us together here in this fishing village were different for each person and yet we all ended up here at the same time.

I’m thankful for all the decisions in my life that have led me here.  I’m thankful for all the people along the way, whether they’ve been there for a long time or only a short time.

One Full Week at the Beach

Los Frailes

My new favorite place to relax is a hammock hanging in the balcony of my hostel. During the day I can hear the sound of the new building being constructed next to me as well as the waves. Right now all I hear are the voices of children playing on the sand the waves crashing against the shore. It’s Sunday and I’ve been in Peurto Lopez one week.

This week has been very full. Although I have had plenty of time to sit back and relax in this hammock. Here’s a list of things I’ve done this week:

• Gone Snorkeling
• Eaten Ceviche
• Danced Salsa on the beach
• Taught English classes
• Got Sunburned
• Taken Spanish classes
• Yoga classes
• Played with kittens
• Saw a bike race finish
• Met Ecuadorian students studying tourism
• Driven to Montanita
• Watched 30 kids dance “Gangnam Style”
• Read an entire novel

And I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot of things.

This morning the owner of my hostel took me out snorkeling. We went to Los
Frailes, a beach right near Puerto Lopez. I had never been snorkeling before and honestly was a bit scared. It was a bit of a cloudy, cool day, but once I was in

Getting Ready for an Aquatic Adventure

the water it felt good. We swam around for about an hour before heading back home. The beach is so beautiful and I’m amazed the landscape in Ecuador. We drove for about 20 minutes to get to the beach, but we drove through desert brush hills and then suddenly there is the ocean. It’s amazing the way the landscape changes so dramatically.

Yesterday I spent the day with a group of students staying in my hostel. There was a group of probably 30 students from Calceta. They were here to see a bike race that one of their professors was in. It was a good morning and I got to practice my Spanish a lot.

Wednesdays and Fridays there is an after school program at Clara Luna. We have kids from the area that come and read and play. This Friday, after reading we decided to teach the kids how to sing “Gangnam Style” and to dance. It was amazing to watch the 30 or so kids dancing and attempting to sing in Korean. Such fun!

Many nights after finishing supper my friends from the school go out to the “kiosks” in town. They are little stands on the beach that have drinks. A few nights this week we went out and met up with some local friends. The thing is, there’s not much to do here. So what do we do? What else? Dance Salsa. That’s right, the kiosk blares the salsa music and we dance salsa on the beach. It is pretty amazing,.

It’s only been a week ago since I arrived in Puerto Lopez. I didn’t know what I’d find. I didn’t know much about Ecuador – only that I was headed for an adventure. It’s been one week but it feels like it was a different lifetime when I worked and lived in Austin. The abrupt change has made it even more complete. My life before and my life now and like two novels in a series – related but telling different stories. I’m looking forward to seeing how this store unfolds.

Arrival in Puerto Lopez or how I’ll learn to do nothing

I think that my time here in Puerto Lopez will be good for me. I am going to have to learn how to do nothing. I am going to learn how to be with myself and my thoughts and my feelings. Guayaquil was a great place to start this journey, but I am already learning about how to relax in Puerto Lopez.

You might think it’s easy to do nothing, but even on vacations we fill our time so busy that we need a vacation after our vacations. We are often so busy that we do not have time to be still. It is only by being still that we can be silent enough to start to hear that small quiet voice that tells us where to go. The wind that blows past us softly and gently leads us towards the path of life. Here in Puerto Lopez I will be working on learning to listen.

So my first 24 hours in Puerto Lopez have been eventful. Unlike the impersonal big city of Guayaquil, Puerto Lopez is a village where everyone knows everyone else. Last night one of the other volunteers went to dinner with me. While in the restaurant we ran into another English teacher and an Ecuadorian friend. Our dinner for two quickly became a dinner for four. Some of the others dining in the restaurant also joined in our conversation. It’s not always like that here – but it is often.

The village itself is about one mile along the beach. My hostel and school are on the very southern end of this mile. The town has about four or five blocks inland, as far as I can tell. I’ve walked to the end of the town and back three times today. It takes about 20 minutes at my pace (i.e. VERY SLOW). There are a lot of hostels and a lot of tourist places in town. I arrived just after the high season – September and October – that’s when you can see the whales. There are a good number of other gringos here but the town is not dominated by them.

I had my first Spanish lesson this morning. I’m taking two hours a week of one-on-one instruction. I’m also going to start teaching English tomorrow. I’ll have three one hour classes a week. It also looks like we will be able to help with a conservation project to protect the horn-billed turtles that nest on the beach here. I’ll learn more about that tomorrow.

All in all I think I’m going to like it here.

My friends from Guayaquil

Ecuadorians, Americans and Brazilians all getting along.

Leaving Guayaquil

It’s my last morning in Guayaquil. I’m taking a bus in just a few hours to Puerto Lopez to start my “real” trip.

Yesterday morning I was awoken by my friend shaking me awake to tell me there is a parade outside. I could hear bands from my room. I climbed out of my top bunk and found my way over to the balcony, still in my PJ’s. I looked outside to see every school age child in Guayaquil marching in the streets. Apparently they celebrate the city’s founding by having all of the kids beat drums and march for hours in the street. It was fascinating – and a great way to say goodbye to Guayaquil.

Friday night was the birthday of my new friend. We met up with two locals, through CouchSurfing, and then also invited a nice Brazilian from our hostel to go out with us. We went to bars in Las Penas but never found a place to dance salsa. We ended up back at our hostel with some beer and a small bottle of rum. The conversation turned to politics, of course. The first round of the presidential election is coming up in February. The current president, Rafael Correa, has been known for pushing through a lot of social reforms. In our conversations last night (about 1/3 Spanish and 1/3 English and 1/3 Spanglish) we talked about the way the Correa has worked to improve the lives of the every day Ecuadorians – he has increased the amount the Transnational Companies have to invest in the country. He has increased the education in all areas. He sounds like a President that is working for the people. Of course the US is opposed to him and is backing the more conservative candidates. The few Ecuadorians I’ve met have been very supportive of Correa and say that his policies have improved the quality of life for most Ecuadorians, especially the very poor. Although they still have segregated shanty towns (which I didn’t see) where all the poor people live in substandard housing.

I also want to point out how the world always gives you what you need. I was very nervous because I didn’t buy a guide book before heading down to Ecuador. I know it’s a little thing – but I was a little lost not having maps and really knowing if there were great places to go. Yesterday the Irish girl who stayed in the dorm for just one night gave me her Ecuador Guide book as she headed to Peru. (She also gave me information about how to get to Lima on bus which will come in very useful in January). I am just amazed at how I am always given exactly what I need

Guayaquil is a place that most guide books gloss over. No travelers say “You MUST go to Guayaquil.” Yet, I like this city. There are parts of it that feel like you’re in a manicured lawn but most of the city feels real. It feels like this is a place where people live. I walked down streets and see kids playing with their grandparents and school children joking with one another and people sitting drinking their batidas. It’s a city that’s not designed for tourists but for the people that are earning their everyday living. The fact that this city is so normal and mundane is what makes me think that this city is extraordinary.

First 24 hours

I’ve been in Ecuador almost exactly 24 hours now. It’s been a busy 24 hours.

I arrived last night and quickly went through customs and got a taxi right to my hostel. I stayed up posting my blog from yesterday and while I was sitting the common area with my little computer I met a fellow traveler. She too had just arrived. We started talking and soon realized that we had both left Austin, TX that morning. We had been on the same flights from Dallas onward. Yet I never once met her in Austin or even in the airport or on the plane. It took booking the same hostel in Guayaquil, Ecuador for us to meet.

Our hostel is located on the Malecόn.  This area is a renewal project of the city that has turned one of the most dangerous parts of the city into a haven for tourists and locals. One of the things I’ve noticed in my first day in Ecuador is that lack of beggars. In the 6 or 7 square blocks I explored today I didn’t see a single beggar. There were a few women with disabilities in front of the entrance to the Church – but I didn’t see anybody on the street just begging. The hostel is a nice place to meet people and has decent rooms.

Stairs we climbed in Las Penas

Today we explored the city. We started with the Museo Nahim Isaias . It was an interesting place to spend a an hour or so. Then we wandered over to Las Penas. This area is one of the few that survived the multiple fires that have razed the city over the centuries. We wandered up the cobblestone stairs of this old neighborhood. Finally we decided to stop for “almeurzo” or lunch. After attempting to go into a little house marked “cafe” we were directed to another house across the street with no signs on the outside. This small house had two tables, a few stools, a large flat screen TV and delicious food. We took a seat and ordered 2 lunches. In Ecuador lunch is not something that you order, per se. They are serving what they’re serving that day and you better like it. We were soon served two steaming bowls of soup with beef, hominy and some sort of dumpling . Then came the main plate: rice with pulled chicken and a sauce. Finally we had Cantelope juice to drink. There were about 2 other customers in the “restaurant” who came and went while we were eating. The large TV was tuned to the telenovela where overly made up men and women paraded around overacting. Lunch felt like we were part of the Ecuadorian family.

Finally we went back to the hostel where we rested until the evening CouchSurfing meet up. I found a group of Couchsurfers who meet to practice their English. We met at a cafe and had a great time answering “Have you ever…” questions. Some great examples; “Have you ever admired a sunset?” or “Have you ever been in a blackout while you were showering?” Dinner was at a restaurant that served typical Guayaquelleno food – Arroboles (rice bowls) .

Muy delicosa

The night ended early in preparation for Friday. It just so happens that my new friend’s birthday is Friday.

More stories to come 🙂

New Trip. New blog

I have a new blog.  Please go there to check out all my crazy adventures.

www.maryannstravelblog.wordpress.com

Making the Ordinary Extraordinary

I love TV. I know I’m not supposed to. It’s bad for my brain and I know I get addicted to the TV shows. I’ve tried being one of those trendy kids that doesn’t have cable or anything like that. About a year ago I broke down and got a subscription to Netflix. Netflix is actually worse than Cable TV as you can watch whatever you want whenever you want. My most recent obsessions are Doctor Who, Burn Notice and Alias.

These shows take the “ordinary” person and make them into something extraordinary. Tonight on the plane to Ecuador they showed the new Spider Man movie. It’s really similar to all of these TV shows that I’ve become enamored with. In Doctor Who there is always a companion picked up, seemingly at random, who becomes an essential part of the Doctor’s escapades. In Spider Man, Peter Parker is a seemingly normal teenager until bitten by the spider. In Alias, Agent Sydney Bristow tries to live a normal life while being a super bad ass double agent. In Burn Notice every day objects are made into the tools that allow the spies to overcome evil. The normal becomes part of something bigger – part of the ongoing fight between good and evil.

These TV shows are a form of escapism. In each show the characters only live through the interesting, exciting (and dangerous) parts of life. The Doctor and his companions never have to go grocery shopping or get stuck in rush hour traffic (except in that one episode) Michael Westen doesn’t ever need to go to the Dentist. Sydney flies all over the world but yet she never seems to wait at an airport or have to go through customs. These characters only live in those moments of extremities. They are always facing those tough decisions that us normal humans hope we never have to make. They make ten a day. Through these shows we are let into a world where the mundane doesn’t exist and the only parts of life are the good parts.

I am beginning an adventure – but it’s not an adventure like Michael Westin might have or the Doctor would go on. My adventure is actually going to be boring. I’ve spent 12 hours now on planes or in airports and most of it has been dozing or sitting around waiting. Surprisingly, no one has tried to hijack the plane or catch the super spy that is dressed as a businessman in first class. These stories tell us what we want to hear – we want to hear that Good vs. Evil is always happening and that it is a fight that we can be part of. We want to believe that our ordinary lives can become these larger than life adrenaline-filled episodes. They can’t. Our lives just go by day by day and are extraordinary simply because they are ordinary.

The moments that count in our lives are the simple moments. I had breakfast this morning at a little Diner in Austin, TX with my Aunt and Uncle. This was an extraordinary moment. It was just so simple and normal but it is something that I will not be repeating for a very long time. I watched the election returns with friends last night over beers. Another simple, yet extraordinary moment. It was a moment of love and affection and relief. Time spent with friends and family is the most important time.

Sometimes I go looking for something extraordinary to happen to me to prove that I could be the next Sydney Bristow but when I do that I often forget to look around me at the amazing and extraordinary people that already surround me. This trip I’m taking is going to be exotic and different but yet my life is still the same, simple, ordinary life I’ve always had. I’m looking forward to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary things I’m going to discover.

P.S. I did make it safely and I’m currently sitting in my hostel in Guayaquil, Ecuador 🙂