Blogs from Puyo, Centre, Ecuador, South America - page 2

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South America » Ecuador » Centre » Puyo October 31st 2010

El Huerto de Esfuerzo As the time goes on here I am realizing the how much of a difference seeing the kids 2 times a week can make. Luckily, with one of the schools I teach at I have that opportunity. I have been going with the community development boys out to Esfuerzo and while they do “man work” in the garden I have had the girls paint name tags and put them in the garden. It is great because it gives me another chance to collect/help with homework and also apply English to something practical...the crops that they grow and eat! Somehow I was allowed to go with the boys to buy 10 bags of compost, something our organization funded, and as we drove along the road we saw a man on horseback with a ... read more
Jungle trekking
So much green!

South America » Ecuador » Centre » Puyo October 5th 2010

I arrived in Ecuador on the 1 st of October after a horrible 36hr trip from Dublin between elays and travel sickness it was hellish. Flew into Quito but didnt spend any time there, got on a bus and headed straight to Riobamba where id organised to volunteer with http://www.ecuadorecovolunteer.org/. turns out there are amazing run by and ecuadorian and an australian they are and eco friendly organisation which works with the local communities directly whiich not only keeps the pric down but you know the money is going were it should. they have this beautiful guesthouse for volunteers to stay before you go to your project its family based so there always people about i really enjoyed it. slept pretty much for two days coz of my jetlag so didnt get to see much of ... read more
Maria Seelyo
common area

South America » Ecuador » Centre » Puyo September 30th 2010

Last week was busy but wonderful! My classes are still very draining but at least I am getting used to things. It´s nice to actually wake up before the alarm goes off at 6 am every morning. We picked up Adam, (ÿou know, the first man in the world¨), and our 5th person in the house last Monday. On Tuesday we went to a waterfall near our house for a picnic and refreshing dip in the chilly water. Jermey showed no shame and climbed an attempted to climb teh waterfall wearing nothing but his skimpy little boxers. The afternoons are very warm so the cold water helps keep away the crankiness. El pobre Adam arrives and falls sick within days, but I think he is finally feeling better. Thursday night was special...we had gotten home from ... read more
Making signs for the garden
Fast Friends
La Ruta de Las Cascadas

South America » Ecuador » Centre » Puyo August 10th 2010

So, let me first apologize my my slacker efforts, or lack there of, about keeping my blog updated. If it´s any consolation my journal has been suffering as well. I should also note that despite the ramshackle hospital experience the amoebas appear to be long gone and I have been feeling great since my ER fiasco. When I got back from the hospital we had 5 new volunteers in Arutam which was a nice change. The food actually improved a bit- they started serving sides with our daily yucca! :) The weather was also rainy my first days back so thankfully I didn´t need to work much or feel guilty about laying around when everyone else was working. The next morning Timoteo, one of the Vargas (Shuar) brothers and town medicine man, made me some tea ... read more
Me saving the rainforest
Fish and heart of palm, yum!
Dance party

South America » Ecuador » Centre » Puyo July 24th 2010

Hello civilization! I´m temporarily back to life from the jungle. We have weekends off, so most of the volunteers headed to Baños for the weekend. Baños is a bit touristy, both with foreigners and Ecuadorians, but it´s a beautiful little town at the foot of gorgeous mountains and a volcano. Tomorrow I think we will go rafting, assuming tonight doesn´t knock us all out. I arrived in the Shuar village of Atutam on Monday afternoon and was greeted by Ernesto who is essentially the father of the village. He has 25 children from 2 wives. Poor women! I think there are about 40 people in total in this village, but there may be less who live on site where we do. There are 10 volunteers from all over the world and half of us stay in ... read more
My home in the selva
Cuchuchu!
Shuar face painting

South America » Ecuador » Centre » Puyo April 1st 2010

By far this has been one of my best experiences to speak of, as all of my volunteer projects have been, but working in a refuge has been on my dream list for many years. So it feels so good to have finally had the opportunity to do it. For this I must send a little appreciation to my dad for helping make this happen financially. The refuge itself is ran by Frank and Jennifer who are doing an amazing job. You can really see that Frank, as well as the other long term volunteers, such as Louisa our vet (might I add the ONLY vet to be in a refuge in Ecuador...crazy, you´d think all would have one!) really care about these animals from the bottom of their hearts and are giving them the best ... read more
Samson hiding behind a leaf
Samson´s foot
Lucas eating some mandarin

South America » Ecuador » Centre » Puyo December 7th 2009

Back in Baños we got ready for the expedition to the jungle. Via Rainbow Expeditions we took a trip to a community of the Shuar tribe set in a primary rainforst 40 minutes flight and then 40 minutes walk from Puyo. We could have done this walk in 2 hours and enjoy it but we really didn´t want to lose eye contact with the ‘guide’ - the man and woman from the community where we landed who carried food and other things to the community, Tuna, where we stayed the next 4 days. Tuna is a relatively new community comprising three brothers and each one´s family, all together about 20 people. They welcomed us with a short ‘official’ welcome including a traditional Chicha drinking (not yummy, a sour tasting drink that was made from fermenting, mashed ... read more
House and a kitchen
Picking up yuca
Papaya tree

South America » Ecuador » Centre » Puyo November 15th 2009

Puyo. Hot, humid, and the one nice resturant.... closed (as we arrived). Your mildewy hostel has only one thing of interest, a 24 hour porn channel. What would our parents say? We are leaving straight away in the morning. ... read more

South America » Ecuador » Centre » Puyo October 12th 2009

Four weeks in Ecuador and I am one week away from home. I am writing this in my Hostel in Quito, waiting to fly off to the Galapagos Islands tomorrow until I return to Quito on Saturday, This has been an unsettling experience in some ways, Ecuador ties with Mozambique as the poorest country that I have been to and the project I have been on is the only one where the conditions I have stayed in have reflected this. After an 11 hour long and very confusing flight to Santiago in Chile, I had a four hour wait for my connection to Quito and I didn’t really know what day it was. I went the wrong way across the international date line and today instantly became yesterday, but as the flight had gone overnight, I ... read more
Capuchin
carrying the plank
Casa de Juan de Dios

South America » Ecuador » Centre » Puyo July 1st 2009

Feeling slightly more human today after the drenching we got yesterday but it´s amazing what a hot bath and good night´s sleep can do. Absolutely gorgeous sunny weather today which was just a slap in the face coming the day after our soaking jungle venture. Still, better weather meant we could actually do something today instead of skulking in the hostel as we had planned so we decided on visiting a nearby exotic bird sanctuary to see some of the jungle inhabitants who were so shy yesterday at closer quarters. Started off a bit weird as they seemed to have the largest collection of pigeons I´ve seen outside of Trafalgar Square but then I suppose pigeons are technically éxotic birds´here. The best of the bunch had to be a funny reddish-brown pigeon with red eyes ... read more
Monkey
Toucan
Amazon bird




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