Tech Trip

Scrolling through my ipod, Billy Joel’s greatest hits seemed to fit my mood, head phones in, play...  And thus, Billy Joel rang in my ears as my eyes took in our buses decent through the lush green mountains that ushered us into the coastal region of Ecuador.  This past week the 14 trainees in the Youth and Family program headed to the coast of Ecuador for a week of technical training in the district of Manabi.  This was my first experience on the coast of South America.  My body seemed to register the change of environment more readily then I was able to process it in my mind.  My hair doubled in volume from the humidity and my skin instantly became sticky from the hot clammy air.  I had to change my rings to smaller fingers as my hands swelled from the heat.  While some trainees seemed to be delighted to be back in a climate they loved, I admit to grumbling a bit and having to bite my tongue once or twice as this kind of heat is really not my style.  I will have some major adjusting to do if my site ends up being along the coast. 

While I tried to tame my hair, my mind ran in circle trying to process the fact that such amazing biodiversity exists in a country so small and in the course of so short a bus ride.  Beautiful beyond comprehension.  The bus ride was around eight hours and when we finally greeted the coast it was along side rolling hills filled with banana trees, not flat plains as I had imagined.  Once we arrived to the coast we hopped off the bus and onto a little boat taxi that took us across the bay to Bahia, where we were based for the week. 

We had a busy week, which included visits to 4 current Peace Corps Volunteers sites.  Seeing volunteers in their sites started to help me see past the bubble I’ve felt we’ve been living in in our Tumbaco life.  The sites of all of the Peace Corps Volunteers were very different from one another.  They helped me appreciate, once again, that the best way I can prepare for my site is to have no expectations and be open and flexible toward anything.  That said, I cannot help but draw comparisons between the different regions in which I could be placed.  Note that these are large generalizations, but, the people along the coast seem to live a much more open, welcoming and louder lifestyle from what I have experienced in the sierra where people seem to be much more reserved.  Integrating into a community in either of these regions would pose very different kinds of challenges for me.

Excited to be on the coast and on a boat!

Bahia

Visiting different communities and practicing giving presentations in Manabi.  Note, ´Honcho Frisbee´ flying through the air.  My ´Honcho Frisbee´ was a gift from my amazing cousins before I left.  Maybe I can use it as my version of ´Flat Stanley´

Next time I post, I should have my site!  I also wanted to thank people for sending me messages.  I love the updates and soak in every word.