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Snow-Dusted Tungurahua
Each time I'm in Banos the volcano compels me to take multiple photos! After a rainy night Mama T is dusted with powdered sugar.I arrived back in Ecuador at the tail end of June and hit the ground running! Within hours of when my flight landed, I took over the wheel of my pick-up (thanks, Roger for taking care of Morci and for buying him new shoes, and meeting me at the airport) and was making the rounds to pick up donations for next fundraising Garage Sale to benefit the Volunteer Library in Baños. Muchas gracias to Maggie for using her garage to collect quality stuff from the Colegio Americano´s departing teachers. Also gracias to Jean for helping Carl (finally) clear out some his parents´and grandparents´ things. My green canvas tarp suitably humped up over the truckbed, I departed for Banos with Julien in tow.
Julien is a young French-Canadian guy I met at the guest house where I like to stay in Quito. He just happened to be travelling to and from Banos the same days I had planned, so he avoided a bus ride and I gained a co-pilot. Good thing, since I ended up having some vehicle problems en route and, happy coincidence, Julien used to work in an auto shop! My
Afternoon Light
High in the Andes the rays of sunshine pass through the clouds and dance on the hilly valleys below. truck had been threatening to overheat and when we hit a rockslide just outside Banos, traffic pulled to a stop and my worst fears materialized. I knew that I had to turn off the engine, but then I would be unable to restart the truck until it was fully cooled. SO, we pulled over onto the shoulder in case traffic should start rolling again, but Morci wouldn't start.
Arriving in Banos I unloaded the donations at the BIB and set off to find a good mechanic. I had commented to Roger that when it came to vehicle repairs, I felt at a double disadvantage, being a woman AND a foreigner. His response was, "But you speak Spanish so well." Yes, my dear, but I don't speak TRUCK, either in English or Spanish! Wilson, the nice guy at the oil change place, flushed the radiator and showed me that there was water creeping into the oil – the reason that the engine wasn’t cooling effectively. He thought it might be a leak in the head gasket. According to all reports, there was only one mechanic in Banos who could fix it, Piojo. (piojo
Andean Rainbow
The clouds sweep in, filling valleys with mist and sun and "arcoiris" magic! Credit goes to Charlotte for this lovely photo! means head lice – wonder how he got that nickname?!)
Wilson went with me to Piojo’s garage and begged him to fix it right away (I had only a day and a half before I needed to leave Banos to pick up the volunteer engineers in Quito!) and also to make sure they gave me a fair price. I left the truck for a few hours and went back that evening to get the final verdict. Seeing all of Morci’s “guts” laid out on the ground, the glistening pieces staring at me menacingly, I felt literally sick to my stomach. I don’t know if I’ve ever been so nervous before; waiting for Piojo to give me the verdict on Morci’s ailments. Between my upcoming work with the Engineers Without Borders and my planned trip with my brother and his family at the end of the month, there was a LOT riding on Morci’s diagnosis.
It appeared that the head gasket had scorched in such a way that and edge has lifted, causing the water leak. They for sure had to replace the
Chimborazo in the a.m.
Papa Chimbo is the planet's highest point. At 6,200 meters it's not as high as Himalayan peaks, but the equatorial bulge brings it further from the earth's core . “empaque” of the “cabezote”, but there was no guarantee that there wasn’t more serious damage. My stress mounted as I watched them run a metal ruler up and down the “cabezote” to verify that it hadn’t twisted while overheating. If that had been the case, I’d have been in big trouble. Huge sigh of relief as they informed me that it was ok and they'd be able to have it fixed by late the next afternoon.
The next day a power cut in the whole town set my heart racing again. Fortunately, in a village autoshop in Ecuador manual labor really is manual, and electric tools are rarely needed for repairs. I went back to get the truck at the appointed time, but at the last minute they decided that the fuel filter needed replacing as well. I waited impatiently as the boss drove off to get the part from their warehouse, which must have been way across town because it seemed to take forever.
Finally I drove off, overjoyed to have my truck in good working order once again. The next morning as
Hillside Pathway
Villagers traversed this steep trail to carry materials to the water tank building site. I left Banos (with Julien in tow once again) I commented that I smelled gas. We decided it must just be residues burning off – but as we neared the next town we realized there was something much more serious. When I stopped at red lights, the smell got more intense and I realized that my gas tank level had been dropping unusually quickly. The “new” gas filter was leaking at an increasing pace, to the extent that other drivers were honking and pointing it out. One nice man in a truck led me to the nearest mechanic shop who could fix it for me. Fifteen minutes and fifteen dollars later the defective part had been replaced and all was rosy once again. Whew!!
In the past I’ve always gone to meet the Engineers Without Borders volunteers at the airport, but since their flight was due in at almost midnight and the team leader Mark had been to Ecuador on previous visits, he insisted that I get a good night’s sleep at the guest house and just meet them at breakfast in the morning. We got an early start, giving us time to
Engineers Without Borders
The July 2011 group of volunteers pose with village president, Paulino Sacatoro. make purchases at the hardware and plumbing shops in Latacunga. We even managed to have lunch with Jose, a local soil erosion specialist, and made plans for him to come up and meet us in the village early the next week. The volunteer who had been corresponding with Jose had used a computer translator and Jose was more than a little disappointed to find that Will could barely speak Spanish. Once again my skills as an interpreter were essential to meaningful communication.
We arrived in Malingua Pamba just before dark. What a pleasure to see how much the roads have improved, cutting almost an hour off the journey from Latacunga. Of course it helped that we were there in dry season – no worries about mudslides or slippery, rutted uphill slopes. The day after we arrived the engineers when off to check the water lines and make a working plan for the week ahead, while I caught up with what had been going on since my last visit (different versions of the same story from various families and members of the community). That evening we met with the village president, Paulino, and
Trio of Strong Women
Human strength and determination to transport building materials to the tank site. Amazing work ethic and coordination of tasks. made plans to begin building a new pressure-break tank the next day. He made a few calls and the “minga” process was set in motion.
A minga is a truly amazing event to behold. Minga refers to a community-wide work group, sort of like the Amish “barn-raising” where all members participate. Key players “shouted down the mountainside” to call to the villagers below and by 9 am folks started gathering from far and wide, shovels and hoes over their shoulders. Some had walked for over an hour straight uphill, but all had smiles on their faces as they joyously greeted their neighbors. Even those who had hangovers from the previous day’s graduation fiesta made a mighty effort to give their all.
Paulino used his powerful new truck to drop off twelve 100 lb bags of cement, 2,400 lbs of sand, and 3,600 lbs of gravel at the roadside point nearest to the new tank site. These are the basic ingredients for the concrete mix. A reusable wooden tank form had been designed several years before by one of the engineers and had already been
Paul & Mark Haul PVC Pipe
Actually, they're just moving it down below the berm so it won't be visible on the roadside. Later it will be laid in the trenches dug by dozens of men and women. used to build several tanks in the village. All of the wooden planks had been carefully stored were now brushed down with vegetable oil for ease of removal. We followed the "recipe" which I had helped to write up and translate a few years ago, and assembled all of the necessary components.
Several guys went to work bending ribar support bars in various lengths, and about 50 villagers got busy unloading supplies from the truck and carrying them up the hill to the tank building site. With virtually no guidance needed, everyone seemed to know what to do, and each person did what he or she could. An older gentleman helped to hand the wooden forms down from the truck and then push the sand toward the edge so it could be more easily bagged. The smallest kids carried buckets and hoes and lighter wood pieces up the hill. One mentally handicapped guy who walked with a pronounced limp used his enormous upper body strength to help load & balance bags of cement on the backs of horses which appeared like magic just when they were needed. A strong young man can
Balancing Cement on Horseback
Each horse was carefully loaded with two 50 kg sacks of cement - a masterful feat of sliding ropes to attain equilibrium! carry one bag of cement, but each horse can carry two bags and several horses can be led uphill by just one man. As a reluctant mare headed up the steep path the 50 kilo cement bags began to shift and it appeared she’d lose her footing. A shout went up, "La yegua se va a virar!" Three men lunged forward and righted the rope rigging which ensured an equilibrium of the her heavy load. Whew!!
With the materials all on their way up to the tank site, I headed back up to Quito (a three hour drive) to pick up the last of the volunteers.. Again he flew in late at night and made his way to the hostel on his own, so I was able to relax a bit. En route down the Panamerican Hwy, we made another stop in Latacunga to pick up the last of the building supplies, rushing back and forth between the hardware & plumbing stores even a I received yet another call for one more part that was needed. In the nearly five years I’ve been working with EWB on this potable water project, my
Will & Jose Calvopina
Soil erosion scientists from two continents share technique and technology. Spanish (and English) vocabulary of plumbing supplies had become quite respectable. I know all about male and female threaded and unthreaded nipples, adapters, elbows, and Ts. I can distinguish gate valves from overflow valves, galvanized steel from PVC, 25mm & 40mm from ¾ or 1 ½ inch. I like to think that my Engineer Dad is quite proud of his daughter!
As planned, the soil erosion engineer Jose Calvopiña (his surname means bald pineapple!) arrived to take Will to see some erosion control projects in the area. My presence was requested facilitate their communication. I was glad that Jose was driving, since he took us up and over the mountain on a dodgy road that neither Morci nor I would have liked too much. After a rocky ascent, then a narrow sandy traverse we arrived in Samil Pamba. We received a warm welcome from all of the students and climbed along a the ridge of hillside to learn how some of the farmers formed their terraces. While Will showed off his new high-tech toy (an electronic compass with inclinometer to measure slope & grade), Jose collected three sticks, a rock and a
Warm Greeting in Samil Pamba
I had not previously visited this village, perched on the edge of a mountainside high above Malingua Pamba. piece of string to demonstrate how they could be assembled in the form of an “A”, tying the rock on the string to make a pendulum which serves to find a flat area (like the bubble in a carpenter’s level).
The path became steeper and just my lungs and legs were feeling taxed, I was left off at farmer Ramon’s house to wait for their return. I was grateful to get out of the bitter wind to rest a bit. He had left the TV on for me – they receive just one channel with scratchy audio and snowy video. I had to stand about 2 feet away with my body turned just so to get any reception at all. For the first hour of waiting I took a nap. Then I watched “Caso Cerrado” – a Judge Judy show featuring Latinos living in Miami, suing & divorcing for all sorts of bizarre reasons. I was beginning to feel completely abandoned with Ramon hurried in with a pot of boiled potatoes and “habas” (fava beans) for my lunch. He explained that the others were still at his brother’s house having their lunch
Graduating Class
These nine students are the second class to graduate from the High School that Pam constructed in Malingua Pamba. Seven of them plan to go on to university. and would be along soon.
During the remaining week in the village, the engineers and the mingas succeeded in building 3 more tanks, trenching for over 2 km of PVC pipe and bringing water taps to at least 12 homes. It was definitely challenging to get work done during this season of end of schoolyear festivities. If we had known that the dates of our visit would fall during graduation parties (a different day for primary in each of the neighboring villages and another day for the high school) we might have scheduled for the engineers to come at another time.
Despite all of the work going on, I did get to attend one of the end-of-school parties and enjoyed their version of breaking the piñata. They actually call it “rompiendo la olla” or “breaking the (clay) pot”. Originally piñatas were made of clay, so the custom is not that far from the Mexican tradition. Here they’ve done away with the clay pots (too expensive and the flying shards are dangerous). Now they hang a clothesline tying on one plastic bag for each
Cuy for the Masses
Josefina displays the roasted guinea pigs she prepared for the graduation party. of the students. Each bag contains cookies, candies, crackers, small toys, or a $1 coin. The students are blindfolded, spun around and given a stick. Whichever bag they touch first is the one they win. Good fun for all.
On several minga days Paulino and his truck were called away for other tasks, and (against my better judgment) Morci was pressed into service carting cement and gravel. When I started working with this EWB project in 2006, I thought nothing of loading my truck bed with construction materials (or a dozen villagers). However now that Morci is six years old with over 100,000 miles, I find that I baby him a bit more. He’s crisscrossed this small country dozens of times, often on roads that can barely be called roads. Alas, once again it was a rough village visit for my Morci.
The volunteers had brought down a new DVD player for the nursery school, but alas there were no cables to connect it. When I went digging in the mystery boxes tucked in the corner of the library, I found no cables but
Kiddie Day Care
While their moms & dads work in the fields or tend to the animals, these kids aged 4 months to 4 years are looked after with affection. I did find some other things for the nursery school. I uncovered piles of fabric, much of it appropriate for covering the bare foam mattresses where the children nap or for being cut into diapers or blankets. I packed separate fabric bundles for the three nearby nursery schools. Meanwhile the engineers had found a cable and the Malingua nursery school was thrilled with their new bedsheets and their video babysitter!
I took more of the fabric to Tunguiche, the village down the hill from Malingua. I greeted the children and they joyfully posed for photos. As I was leaving I noticed a dog hovering by the gate. He had blood oozing down his leg as he lay there trembling. It ends up he belongs to one of the nursery school aides and he had just been attacked by another dog. The children were all quite upset. I rummaged in my back seat first-aid kit and found some betadine scrub, hydrogen peroxide and large gauze pads. At least we could try not to let it get infected. I didn’t know if the dog would leave it on, but the kids were happy that
Hugo & the Pups
Hugo guards his food from this "allku" (prounced "ashcu" it's kichwa for dog - one of the few words I know) he got a bandage.
There was never a dull moment around the house where we ate and slept, between the active kitten and puppy who kept sneaking into the dining room, and the mischevious antics of 3 yr old Hugo (Paulino & Elvia’s youngest son). Hugo seems to be eating at all times, carrying his little bowl wherever he goes. That puppy’s no fool, he stayed close on Hugo’s heels learning early on that there’s plenty of food spillage around little Hugo! One day Elvia was rapidly speaking Kichwa, on the verge of hysteria. I found out that her two other sons (Bolivar & Roberto are little devils as well) had been running with the dogs and chased a lamb over the cliff and he died as he hit the bottom of a deep ravine. This was one of the sheep to be slaughtered for a graduation party, and was worth $75 (no wonder Elvia was upset!) After a futile attempt to rescue the corpse, it was given up as a lost cause.
On my past two visits I noticed that Elvia now had
Nursery School Kids
Such sweet faces, and of course they all clamor to see the camera once I click the photo. Digital photography makes for immediate gratification! an electric washing machine. On this visit I noticed that a traditional cement washing stone had been built just beside the new machine. I asked if the washing machine was working ok and Elvia confirmed that it was, but explained that in order to get the dirt out she needed to first scrub the clothes on the washing stone. There's something about the squishing, squelching noise that they insist lifts dirt from fabric.
Another of my jobs was to distribute packets of seeds to a group of women who had attended an organic gardening workshop. A subsequent nutrition seminar was presented to help them learn to prepare their veggies in healthy ways. Pam had sent down hundreds of seed packets, and I wrote the names in Spanish when it was not clear from either the photo or the English name. I sorted through the seeds and divided them out so that each of the 35+ workshop participants would receive five different packets. After asking each of the women to tell me about some of the things they had learned in their courses, I distributed the packets on the day of the HS
Double Duty
Between meal preparations, Elvia worked hard kitting scarves to gift to the volunteers. I love how she wears it to keep warm, even as she's still knitting it! graduation ceremony. All were all thrilled with the gifts for their gardens.
The last few days in the village a powerful wind began to kick up. The lack of rain had been helpful for the engineers’ work and a blessing for road conditions; but now the dry, sandy soil whipped into whirlwinds, the frenzied tempests biting into skin, stinging eyes, filling ears and nostrils. Almost immediately I could feel a tickle on the back of my throat which quickly progressed to a pressure in my ears. Soon my throat was so inflamed that every gulp felt like I was swallowing glass. I felt feverish and spent the last two days mostly in bed.
I was grateful for the Kindle my sister had gifted me, and while laying low I grazed the various books that were loaded on. I finally finished reading a book I had started during the summer, “The Blue Sweater”. It seemed appropriate to be reading about microfinance and development work while I was taking part in this important project in the village. Since I was the only woman on this trip, I
Sara Loves Her New Water Tap!
I got to know Sara when she worked as an assistant with the volunteer Dentists. After sharing her mother's home for year, she finally has her own house and now, a water spigot! had my own room. However, it wasn’t very private at all. It had a sliding door that kept jumping its tracks so I could never really close it completely. On two of the walls it had windows that gave into the two rooms beside it and when the lights went on, they flooded my room. Even with airline eyeshades, it was like sleeping in a disco! Then, on the last day when I was at my sickest hordes of people keep filing past. I finally had to get up and find out what was going on.
It ends up that Pedro’s wife, Carmen had given birth in the ravine. Pedro was at university in Latacunga and Carmen’s mom had taken her other four children to the party. Carmen was home all alone, a 40 minute walk from any road where a vehicle could pass. When she realized she was going into labor, she called Pedro on his cell phone. He immediately called the doctor in Isinlivi, a 45 minute drive away. Carmen began walking to the road, but didn’t make it. When the ambulance arrived a group of people found her and
Fixing Old Blue
How many mechanics can you fit under the hood? Paulino's OLD truck seems to be under constant repair! His "new" one is less than a decade old! the baby, carried them up from the ravine in a blanket and put them in the room next to mine. The doctor examined them (both mother and baby were fine) and he hooked her up to an IV. For hours on end there was a steady stream of visitors. Just let the poor girl (and me) rest! All this, and the pounding bass music of the graduation party just kept booming on and on into the night!
Another drive back up to Quito, my throat burning and fever raging. Farewell to the engineers and I had less than two days to start feeling better before my next guests arrived. I was able to book a doctor’s appt with the ear/nose/throat specialist (otorrinolaringo – say that 10 times fast with a scratchy throat!) but not for two days. Off to the pharmacy to start myself on an antibiotic (you can get most anything without a prescription). I tried to take it easy, in between running errands (like getting the truck cleaned inside and out). I got everything done,including a self-indulgent manicure/pedicure & facial which made me feel better.
Dancin' in the Andes
As we arrived at the hostel at sunset, little local girls were leading the guests in a dance. Lily, Luc, Paul & Char joined in. After my doctor's appt (a new antibiotic!), I arrived at the airport just in time to meet Paul, Charlotte & their two kids. I had met this family ten years ago when we were all living in Atlanta. In the interim they've moved around and I’ve visited them at their homes in Barcelona & Massachusetts. Luc & Lily are now 14 & 16 yrs old and when Paul wrote to me looking for a homestay/volunteer program for Lily, I put them in touch with a friend who sets up programs. In the end, the family decided to come down before dropping Lily off with her Ecuadorian family. They are avid hikers, so we made plans for some adventures in the Andes.
Leaving directly from the airport, we made our way to Chugchilan, arriving just before dark. This village, even higher than Malingua Pamba, has similarly stunning Andean views. Our guest house served a cozy, family-style meal; it was fun to share supper with German, Dutch, Belgian, French, & Canadian travelers. Our respective itineraries had brought us all together in that place at that time. That night I hunkered down
Quilotoa Crater
A photo can't adequately capture the jewelled turquoise tones of the crater's water. The Vesel family is all bundled up and ready to hike! under stacks of wool blankets as the wind whipped in through the huge gap under my door. Neither my shower nor my toilet worked, so I asked to have my room changed for the next night.
In the morning I drove the gang to Quilotoa crater where they set off with a guide to make the six-hour hike back to Chugchilan. We had a lovely clear morning with amazing views of the crater which was formed by a volcano that last erupted in 1799. The cone collapsed creating a deep caldera; alkaline waters filling the bottom with a vivid blue-green lake. I didn't join them on the hike; my job was to drive the truck back to the hostel and wait for their return. That I could handle! I had stored my bags in their room, but alas the hostel staff didn't have a copy of their room key so I couldn't access my stuff. Fortunately my laptop was in the truck so I used the waiting time to write the blog entry you are now reading (kiling time could be why it seems a bit verbose!). The computer's power cord was
Hiking frm the Crater
The guide books say that the hike from Quilotoa crater back to Chugchilan is one of the most beautiful in the Andes. The road is dusty & rocky but the trail looks amazing! in my pack in their room, but the battery lasted until just as they returned.
I slept better (and warmer) in my new room -- fabulous sunrise views of the valley below. We left right after breakfast for the Thursday market at Saquisili, a colorful gathering of indigenous vendors and buyers which is popular among foreign tourists. Several guides had told me that vehicle theft has escalated, so I stayed with the truck at all times, watching the bustling flow of humanity from the curbside vantage point. The Vesels visited the animal market, then took a spin around the potato, grain, basket, rope, handicraft plazas. It was a crisp, sunny morning and there was a carnival-like atmosphere. Two guitarrists set up their loudspeakers on the corner, balloon vendors floated past, the rat poison seller sang out his wares in harmony with the women who were chanting their fresh, hot corncakes and the tinny ice cream truck loudspeaker.
Continuing southward, we worked our way towards the province of Chimborazo. As we climbed and climbed, the enormous snow-capped peak of Chimborazo mountain peeked out at us from between
Shaved Ice Vendor
Market day has a festival feel - lots of vendors of ice cream and other treats. the clouds. The views teased and taunted us, sliding in and out as we rounded each curve. Finally, we hit a straightaway and all gasped with delight at the whole shimmering glacier hovered directly in sight. In the late afternoon light the icy slopes gleamed and we stopped for photos over and over again. With each passing moment the view seemed more and more breathtaking.
We spent the night in Guaranda, a large, high-altitude city that I had once visited way back in 1988. On my first visit I had stayed with a friend's aunt in a room off the kitchen where she kept her cuyes (guinea pigs) in wooden pens. As I recall I didn't sleep at all due to the squeaking of dozens of little furry rodents who seemed to know they were destined for a dinner plate. This visit we ended up in a "businessman's" hotel with lovely city views but very bad 1970's decor. The internet could only be accessed from the lobby so there I sat among businessmen hunching over mod steel and glass coffee tables to catch up on my email.
Salinas de Guaranda
Tucked in a high Andean valley, the curved streets of Salinas cling to a hillside above the salt mines that give the town its name. One night was enough in that place, so we headed out to Salinas de Guaranda, a town I've never visited but have heard a lot about. My friend Roger did volunteer work in the communities surrounding Salinas, but I never managed to visit while he was working there. Set in a small curved valley, the salt flats are down below and dramatic stone outcroppings above. An Italian priest who arrived 40 years ago has helped the locals create a cohesive, productive community. Each family owns at least one cow and their daily milk production is collected and processed into the best cheese and chocolates in the country (El Salinerito). We visited the factories, learned about the other community industries (making soccer balls for one!) and enjoyed the local scenery.
Lily and Luc were eager to climb a mountain so we made plans for them to hike the slopes of Chimborazo, starting at the first refugio (climbers' hut). Fortunately we got an early morning start and taking a scenic (but bumpy) back road, reached the snowline before clouds began to roll in. I hung out with the vehicle while they made the climb
1st Chimborazo Refugio
A brilliant, sunny morning. I hung out at the refugio hut while the others ascended to the 2nd refugio (5,000 meters). to the 2nd refugio (5,000 meters in altitude) and then to the edge of the glacier beyond. I was interesting to talk with the climbers who were planning to climb to the top. Most had been planning and training for weeks and there was a group setting off at 11pm, hoping to summit (6,200 mt) at daybreak.
It was a pleasure to travel with the Vesel family. Since they all speak Spanish and have travelled fairly extensively, I was not called upon much to help or interpret. We shared some wonderful meals, lots of laughter, linguistic wordplay and a good time. I haven't spent much time with adolescents recently, so this was my prep for the 2 wks I'll be travelling with my nephew. My brother Bob, his wife Kate and her son Holden are in Galapagos right now, and in a few more days I'll drive down to Guayaquil to meet them. Meanwhile, I am here it Quito for a job assessing an TESOL Certificate Training program. I wrote my first assessment report in February, so I'm not as nervous about the job this time.
Parramo Lunar Landscape
Once above the treeline, the wind whips the soil into Dr Seuss-looking whorls and tufts. Thanks for reading this long-winded entry. Hope you enjoyed coming along for Andean Adventures!!
Note: There are a few more photos not shown with the text. Click on NEXT to see them.
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Karen
non-member comment
I know your guy Wilson
Sara, the guy at the oid change in Banos is probably my very dear friend that I have been to Equador twice to visit. He is fine mechanic and would have made sure you were treated fairly. Small world. Tell him I said hi. :)