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Day 21 – Puerto Lopez

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 Today was spent lounging on the beach. I got a nice tan, but by tan, I mean that my legs look considerably similar to a distant relative of the lobster.

Some of us wrote messages to significant others in the sand (pictured above). Good to see the distance can’t stop true love!
The city held a parade, complete with marching band, in the afternoon to celebrate the migration of the whales along Puerto Lopez’s Coast. The sister of President Correa resided over the ceremonies.
Some of the floats were pretty elaborate:
But my favorite was the school of kids dressed up as squids… or octapi? It was hard to tell.
We wrapped up today with another view of the sunset. Enjoy!
Nick Bratcher

Day 20 – Puertp Lopez

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I know it’s easy to do seeing all of the awesomeness that is going on down here in Ecuador. But just in case anyone forgot, this is a STUDY abroad opportunity. Let’s take a glimpse into class this morning:
Yes, that’s a beach. Yes, that’s also a class. And in case you’re wondering if we’re actually learning anything, let me share with you a portion of a piece by Pablo Neruda called “The Lamb and the Pinecone” that we analyzed today:

I have been a lucky man. To feel the intimacy of brothers is a marvelous thing in life. To feel the love of people whom we love is a fire that feeds our life. But to feel the affection that comes from those whom we do not know, from those unknown to us, who are watching over our sleep and solitude, over our dangers and weaknesses- that is something still greater and more beautiful because it widens out the boundaries of our being and unites all living things.

Neruda was speaking of the importance of giving and service. Though we may not always understand the effect of a good deed or even know its recipient, that sharing of affection and love unites all humans in the struggle that is life.
To close, I leave you with a view of the sunset over the Pacific Ocean from the roof of the hostel we are staying in.
Nick Bratcher

Day 19 – Puertp Lopez

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This has got to be the coolest place I’ve ever stayed in my life. Every inch of the hostel/hotel was hand-made by the owner. Every corner holds tons of puzzles and games. It’s one giant adult playground. Just look at the floor of the study:
And don’t get me started on the lounge. It’s got a marimba hanging from the ceiling:
The sun had already set when we arrived here, so there’s not much else to say about our stay on the coast yet. However, the crashing of the waves and cool breeze are certainly making me optimistic.

Nick Bratcher

Day 18 – Yachana

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Tonight was our last night in the rainforest. We’ll be waking up bright and early tomorrow at 5 a.m. to venture to our next destination. We’ll take our three-hour boat ride to Coca to fly to our connecting flight in Quito and then to Manta, a town on the coast, for a couple days on the beach.
In honor of our last night in Yachana, we threw a bonfire/cookout.
Nick Bratcher

Day 16 &17 – Yachana

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Remember how I said the internet would be unreliable? Yeah, that was not a lie. The server’s been down for a couple of days and they just got it running again tonight. Hopefully, I can bring everyone back up to speed tomorrow or when we get to the coast in a couple of days. Thanks for reading! 
Nick Bratcher

Day 15 – Yachana

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 Today we loaded up on the top of a double-decker bus to do some bird watching through the jungle. Once finished and well away from the river, we did some hiking.



But what would hiking be without indigenous warrior face paint made from tree sap (pictured above)? After gearing up, we set off with our Yachana guide, Robert. He’s truly an expert when it comes to the Amazonian jungle and it’s been a pleasure to glean from his knowledge. He even showed us how to make a make-shift basket from palm leaves (pictured below).
In case anyone has forgotten, this is a service-learning study abroad, though. We’re earning our keep at Yachana in two unique ways. First, the lodge in which we’re staying is actually a non-profit organization. It uses the profit from all its guests to fund the town’s high school, Yachana High School. This school is so elite that over 200 applicants throughout the region apply for the 20 spots available each year. It teaches the young men and women here in the Amazon the mandatory math and sciences while simultaneous applying practical uses in Eco-tourism and environmental protection.
We’re also volunteering in several projects with the students of the high school while we are staying here. Today we went “Machete-ing” to rid their plantane garden of weeds. I ended up with a couple of blisters, but more importantly, I made a new friend, Samantha.
Nick Bratcher

Day 14 – Yachana

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This… was today’s afternoon snack. Grub worms found in the empty space that exists in the Hearts of Palm plant after its center has been harvested.
We did cook them first though, so they tasted much like bacon. The heads were especially crunchy!
OK, I think that’s enough gross stuff for the day, though we did do a fair bit of eating and cooking in the afternoon, including making some delicious chocolate cooked from fresh cacao beans (pictured below). It was definitely a lot more bitter than traditional chocolate in the States (which is normally 15-20% cacao if it’s milk chocolate), but with a pinch of sugar, the rich, warm taste definitely made me a fan.

The morning was spent slightly different, though. We went looking for a prehistoric bird that has survived in the rainforest in very small numbers. It has the nick-name the “stinky turkey” and “flying cow” for its emission of methane gas (much like a cow) which has a very bad odor.

Then we went to find the largest tree in the Amazon, the Kapok (pictured below). Yeah, it was pretty big…
Nick Bratcher

Day 13 – Yachana in the Amazon Rainforest

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Right now, darkness consumes almost every inch of space, leaving behind just a small patch of stars visible through a canopy of trees. Bugs fly and chirp everywhere. A generator rumbles in the distance. Yep, I’m blogging from the rainforest.
It’s been crazy here. Even getting here was an adventure. We had to take a plane to Coca, then a bus to the river, and then took a three-hour canoe ride to Yachana. We’ve already had one tarantula scare when a girl from another group found one on her shoulder. One of our students got sick and has been stuck in the clinic all day getting fluids. Power is only on from 6-10 p.m. and computer speed and signal are fairly week. Despite all that, it’s been a blast.
Today we met with a medicine man, known as a curo, in Yachana. The indigenous peoples here believe that life is a balance between good and bad spirits. When infected with too many bad spirits, the body becomes weak and gets sick. It is the medicine man’s job to remove those bad spirits. Today, he performed the ceremony on our group that removed our bad spirits and replaced them with good.
After our souls were purified, we needed to catch our lunch. Naturally, we used a blow gun and hunted for our own. OK, so maybe we just came back to our lodge and ate the prepared food, but it was still awesome. One of the girls in our group, Ashley, actually got three bullseyes in a row and won the competition. Too bad she’s a vegetarian!
I hope every day is this interesting. Just walking from place to place can get pretty adventurous in these parts.
Nick Bratcher

Kicks and Giggles: food

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If there’s one hot topic about travelling abroad, it’s food. Rightly so, eating is kind of important to sustain life. Ten days in seemed like a good time to give a run down about the dining options here.

I would be amiss if I didn’t start with fruit. It is, by far, the biggest food source here. It’s in the drinks, it’s what’s for breakfast, and it’s what’s for dessert. Sounds like a little much, right? Well, it would be if there wasn’t an extensive variety. From guanabana to tomate de arbol, there are tons of choices, most of which aren’t even available in the U.S. (much like the naranjilla pictured above).
I won’t comment on what I’ve thought of it much because I’m no authority. However, I will say I’ve tried everything offered and in so many ways I couldn’t even comprehend. Banana chips (exactly like potato chips, but bananas instead), smoothies, juices, milkshakes, ice cream, pie, raw, in yogurt, etc.- they’ve all been different and great experiences. (In case you really are curious, the piña (pineapple) and mora (blackberry) stuff has been my favorite by far.
We should move on to soup. It’s HUGE here. I’ve always hated it in the States, but I promised to be a little more open here with my food choices. Thank goodness for that because almost every traditional meal we’ve had here has included soup as the first course. It’s actually been very delicious in most cases and generally is broth-like with a potato or bit of chicken for substance.
The soup is only the first course. In most meals we’ve had, they’ve at least contained two courses. The second course generally contains some version of corn (there are dozens of varieties served, but my favorite has been Choclo with queso, as evidenced by its destruction in the picture below left).
Dinner also usually features a small portion of vegetables (usually a potato or yuca because both are easily grown in the mountains) and sometimes a small portion of meat (chicken has been very popular, but we’ve also had a jerkey-like meat a few times).
As for my opinion, it’s all been very good. The corn is NOT the same as in the US. You can forget the butter and salt, but the cheese that I mentioned compliments it just as well. The meat is deliciously seasoned, and the chicken is usually baked, not fried. It’s just as delicious though. I’ve been very content with the main courses on the whole.
And now for beverages:
Beer is immensely popular here and comes in two cheap types: Pilsener and Club. They’re served for about a dollar in every store, restaurant, and even hostel with practically no exception.
Water is bottled, and I’ve found that Ecuadorians enjoy club soda just as much as normal water. So, if looking for regular water like in the states, one must ask for agua sin gas (water without carbonation).
Soda is big here too, of course. Coke, made from sugar cane instead of corn syrup, is much better than in the States and seems to be the most popular soft drink. Sprite and Fanta seem to be popular choices too.
Finally, juice, as I said above in the fruit section, is always an option.
Well that’s my run down about food… Buen provecho!

Nick Bratcher

Day 10 – Quito

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Well, this has turned into a somewhat unbloggable experience lately. Today was spent sifting through museums, and we’re headed to a movie tonight. Both prohibit the use of photography for obvious reasons, so it looks like everyone will remain in the dark for now. Sorry followers!

Hopefully we can get this thing rolling again soon. Until then, enjoy this picture of my buddy Joe Law, a sophomore at WKU, with one of the little girls thanking us in Santa Ana. Chao.

Nick Bratcher