Trouble in Paradise

So basically right now our trip into the villages is on an indefinite hold.

Though maybe I should explain the study first.

We are doing a nutritional study on children aged 5 and under in rural Ecuador. We will administer surveys to mothers about the eating habits of their children. We will also take anthropometric measurements of the children. We will then compare two villages, one that is near a road (though still quite remote) and one that is not on a road (we will have to take a boat to get there). These villages are in Esmeraldas, which is in the Northwest of Ecuador. It is a very poor region with a primarily Afro-Ecuadorian population.

Unfortunately, there has been illegal mining going on in this region for quite a while, which corrupt judges have allowed to continue. The mining was illegal because it caused a lot of pollution. The mines were horrible because there were a lot of children working in them. However the mining did provide a livelihood for many families of the region. Recently the government decided the only way to stop the mining was to blow up the mining equipment with dynamite. This really p*ssed people off, so there is a bit of unrest. It seems like it should settle down soon as nothing too major has happened, but it has given us pause as to whether we should be entering the region right now. Until we have a better idea of what's happening, we'll be here in Quito. And to anyone who is worried, we have people here who care about us and wouldn't let go if it was dangerous.

However we're still carrying on with the project as if all is well. We have our translators, two really nice girls from Esmeraldas, going to do the pilot without us so we don't lose to much time. Their names are Liliana (maybe 30-years-old) and Monica (26-years-old), and they're with us in the picture below.

We have a lot of people helping us on this project. It is sometimes difficult for me because my Spanish is not fluent, and everything is being done in Spanish. However Rachel is on top of it for us, and she translates for me when I don't understand something. A couple that has helped us out a lot here are WIlliam and Nancy. William is the project manager in Ecuador (the project we're working on is called EcoDess) and Nancy is his wife and also a nutritionist who has done a study very similar to ours some years ago. She has taught us how to use a program called Food Processor that will tell us the dietary/nutritional info of each of our participants (we just have to enter all the recipes they're using and the serving sizes in grams-- quite a bit of work). We owe them a lot! If you have any suggestions for something we should give them when we're done here, let us know in the comments. For right now we're thinking at least a few Michigan shirts. William is also in the picture with their daughter Sammi, though unfortunately you can't see Nancy as she's taking the picture.

Hanging out in Quito has been good. The food is still a problem but we're learning how to get around it a little more (or maybe we're growing accustomed to the salt?) Now that summer is starting we're starting to see more tourists milling about. And summer classes have started, bringing American students as well.

I think now that it's been a few weeks for Rachel and a week and a half of so for me, things are starting to get a little easier. In many ways I'm glad we're not leaving for the villages on Monday. I think that would've been a little soon and stressful at least for me. Though I do hope we get to go eventually, after all it's what we came for!

Ya nos cansamos de la comida, y por eso comimos helado para la cena...

I would like to proclaim that this is my first blog post...ever. I am looking forward to honing my posting skills in the next 2.5 months with my partner in crime here in Ecuador.

We have had a good day here in Quito, though I think it's safe to say that we are two tired women. As Lauren nicely put it earlier, "Living in another country is tiring because even the little things can be hard. Oh, so you want to cross the street? Well, try really hard and maybe you'll be able to."

Lauren and I went to USFQ, which is in Cumbaya (yes, it is actually called Cumbaya), together for the first time today. It is a beautiful campus, and the ride to the school is fun because it goes through the valley. It is about a 25-minute trip from where we are living, and we have figured out the bus system, which certainly makes me feel like a bad-ass.

We are making progress on our project, and it looks like we'll be going into the field in about 10 days. Lots to do before then, but we are moving in the right direction and progress feels good.

To explain the title of this post "Ya nos cansamos de la comida, y por eso comimos helado para la cena" - this translates to "We are already tired of the food, so we eat ice cream for dinner." Lauren and I are both easy-going when it comes to food, but the diet here is basically rice, potato, and meat. And mind you, all of this will have approximately 200% of the sodium you need in a day. There are some really incredible food options here in terms of fruits and typical foods, but after only a week of eating here, my taste buds are starting to rebel. Lauren and I will most likely come home slightly less healthy than we were when we left, but we are aprovechando to the best of our abilities.

More to come soon!

Unas photos

The above photos include Rachel hugging a planter made of tires in La Mariscal (don't ask my why I just told her to smile). The next is of the hostel (La Casa Sol) where I stayed the first night and Rachel stayed for 4-5 nights. The next is of "la comida típica" in Ecuador. Usually some not-at-all unique combination of *salty* meat, beans, rice, potatoes, soup/salad. It's a really good thing I stopped being vegetarian for this trip, though Rachel and I are both worried about all the salt we're eating and will definitely need a detox when we get back. It doesn't help that as Public Health students we know the affects of high cholesterol on the body... The large supermarkets (supermaxi) are just like grocery stores in the US, but with lots of fruits we don't recognize (and some that are just bigger like these bananas).

This is USFQ. It's beautiful, I can't wait to spend even more time here! Most impressive is the drive to get here. It's up a windy road with REALLY impressive snow-capped mountains and you can see all the houses in the valley and... just wow. It is a bit of a mission to get up here from the house we're staying in, but totally worth it for the views.

Estoy en Quito, Ecuador!

Well I just arrived in Ecuador last night, though Rachel has been here several days working on her tan (don't tell her, but it's not working). She picked me up from the airport, brought me a bottle of water, and carried my bags. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Last night we stayed in the hostel La Casa Sol, which Rachel has stayed in many times before. It is in a very touristy neighborhood and quite expensive, but I have to admit is pretty cute and the perfect place to feel comfortable and safe the first night.

I would send pictures, but funny story: a cable to connect my camera to my computer is the one thing I forgot... and for Rachel as well!

Woe is all of you, but we'll find an electronics store one day and post some pics. Until then you'll have to use your imagination... or a google image search.

I'm already embarrassed about my Spanish, but Rachel keeps encouraging me. I have a feeling it will be pretty good by the time I leave here. Starting tonight! We will move in today with a Professor at La Universidad San Francisco de Quito (forevermore dubbed USFQ in this blog). He and his wife have 3 kids who have fled the nest and they have been hosting students for years. It is probably not the cheapest option we could find, but definitely practical. With our own bedrooms/bathrooms, breakfast, dinner and wifi we will be set!

Rachel has been busy and we have meetings set up tomorrow and today to work out HOW THE HECK WE'RE GOING TO PULL THIS OFF! ;)

For the record, Rachel and I will both be posting on this blog, so hopefully neither of us will get too sick and tired of it and we'll be able to maintain it for at least... a month, ha!

Chau chau!!