Abril en Ecuador

"The contents of this Web site are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps"

How can time fly by so fast at times and then move so slow at others? This is the question I ask myself as I sit on my new bed, in my new home, in my new community. It seems like yesterday that I was here visiting. Where did the last month go? Where did the last three months go?

I did it! I am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer. My time as a trainee is over and I was sworn in. The long days of charla after charla, PowerPoint presentation after PowerPoint presentation are over. I know I was ready to be finished with training but I would not be telling the truth if I said that I was jumping for joy when the time came to leave the training center. Tumbaco had become my home and the training center a place of familiarity. I knew what to expect there, I felt comfortable there. Now, I am in a world of unfamiliarity where I don't know what to expect or what to do with myself. Sure, I felt this way when I first arrived in Ecuador, but I was surrounded with 41 others who felt the same way as I did. Now, I am alone. However, I know that this too will be a challenge that I can overcome, a challenge that will allow me to grow and learn more about myself. First though, lets take a look at the last month.

Returning from site visit, I felt relieved to return to my home of Tumbaco. I was so happy to see my friends and my host family. I felt nervous then about leaving and boy did my last month fly. We continued with classes of security, health, technical information, culture, and language at the training center. 

Waterfall San Rafael near El Chaco! Hermosa!

 One weekend after our return, I had the pleasure to visit the farm of a friend's host family. We traveled the 3 hours to a town called El Chaco in the transitional zone between the Sierra and the Amazon. I must say that this section is breath taking. I was surrounded by lush green mountains, plants as far as the eye can see, and flowers of the rainbow. We arrived early in the morning on Saturday and ate breakfast with the family. After, we drove up winding roads and across rivers to where the family farm was located. Isolated and surrounded by lushness, I felt peaceful and content. Then to my surprise, I realized that there farm was actually a ranch. They had about 100 cows and those who know me can understand the look of excitement that was on my face. However, this was a group of cows like none I have ever seen before. Here in Ecuador breeds are not as important, so I found myself looking at Brown Swiss beauties, Ayrshire, Herefords, Holsteins, Brahmas, what looked like Short Horns, and others that I couldn't identify. Also to my surprise, they were all bulls, and boy were they aggressive in ever way possible. I found myself obsessing about the fact that I had found my first Brown Swiss in Ecuador. He was so tranquil compared to the others, which confirms there wonderful nature. I found myself daydreaming about all the Brown Swiss calfs that are being born at Shelburne Farms. However, my day dream was interrupted by being asked to help with vaccinating all the bulls. This was a traumatic and informative event. Bulls were shoved into  a small passageway, and then we went down the line with a needle and shoved it into there neck flesh as we quickly pushed the vitamin formula into them. 

Vaccinated bulls!

Needless to say, I avoided the Brahmas after a needle was broken in one's neck because of how aggressive it was and chose to focus on the Brown Swiss and Holstein bulls. When we had finished we walked the 6KM back to the house stopping here and there to eat fruit off trees and visit other farmers. After lunch, we got into the car and drove about an hour to one of the most spectacular waterfalls I have ever seen. We were surrounded by subtropical forest and I couldn't believe the size of the leaves of the trees. This wonderful day ended with us sitting in a hammock on a porch listening to the sounds of the night and eating a delicious meal. I found myself wanting to stay forever in this peaceful, tranquilo, atmosphere. 

On a ranch in El Chaco

After this wonderful weekend I returned to Tumbaco and re-packed my bag because I was off to the southern, coastal region of Ecuador. I was so excited to leave the Sierra and see another part of this beautiful country. I found myself on a night bus leaving from Quito to a town called Arenillas with 10 of my fellow trainees. The 12 hour bus ride was long, but we did our best to sleep most of the way. Arriving there at 8:30 in the morning on Monday, I was welcomed with suffocating heat. How is it possible that this tiny country of Ecuador, only the size of Colorado, can be so cold in some regions and so so HOT in others? I have never felt heat like I did there. I think the worst part was there was no escape. We weren't on the beach and the rivers were all too dirty to swim in. I did find myself acclimating towards the end of the week, but I never stopped sweating from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. 

A poisonous snake we found!

The week was crazy busy but interesting and exciting. We visited a vivero (tree nursery), took a boat ride through the mangroves to visit shrimp farmers, visited a waste management center, visited the local ministry, taught high school kids about recycling, visited a garden, picked up trash, discovered how glorious a banana batido is (milkshake), ate lots of chocobananas (chocolate covered frozen bananas), went on an amazing walk in a subtropical forest, saw monkeys, visited an organic coffee farm, saw banana plantations as far as the eye can see, and  managed to get some rest when we could. Needless to say, I was exhausted at the end of the week, but it was rewarding. We returned to Tumbaco Saturday morning and I enjoyed spending time with my host family and friends who had been on other tech trips. 

That Sunday I was off on another adventure. I went with a friend to a place about an hour from Tumbaco called Papallacta. It is high in the Andes and is one of the most famous places in Ecuador for thermal baths. We got off the bus and hiked the 3 or 4KM up to where you can find the thermals. We were surrounded by beautiful mountains and like El Chaco this place also had a sense of peace to it. It was early in the morning and the town was quiet. We arrived at the hot springs and enjoyed the many different temperatures the pools had to offer. It was beautiful! 

Howler Monkeys

After about an hour we decided to take a hike and check out the reserve. We hiked for about 6 or 7 hours discovering powerful waterfalls, unique  vegetation, many birds, and even a full rainbow as the clouds began to roll in. Before I came to Ecuador, I always imagined the Andes to be rough, mysterious mountains with their bare rock showing and clouds rolling in and out. Here is the reserve, I found just that. It was hard to see at times, however, this only added to the adventure. At times we found ourselves making our own paths and would have to turn around, but it was wonderful to hike and explore. After a long day. we returned to the hot springs to enjoy a final, relaxing dip as the sun went down. We reluctantly left and ate some dinner before hopping back on the bus that would take us back to Tumbaco. 

Mangroves

It's hard to believe that so much has happened since I arrived here in Ecuador. I know it will take time to adjust to my new home in Cotacachi. I can only do my best to take things a day at a time and go with the flow. At the moment I have no idea what I will be doing or what is expected of me, but I hope that with time these answers will come. I miss my fellow Peace Corps friends immensely and will count down the days till we all will be together again. I feel so lucky to have met them all and thankful to have them in my life. I know that great things await us all.

Till next time I send my love back to the states and hope that all who I love are well. Stay tuned for more about my life here in Ecuador!

Always,

Paige

The moment we all had been waiting for!

"The contents of this Web site are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps"

It has been a while since I have written a blog and so much has happened. I will attempt to do my best to summarize the last few weeks here in Ecuador.

Volcanoe Cotacachi

On Wednesday March 16^th, 2011 the moment we all had been waiting for occurred. We arrived to the Peace Corps training center as we do every morning, but this morning was filled with anticipation, anxiety, nervousness, and most of all excitement. We were summoned out back to the futbol field where we found a giant map of Ecuador sketched out in the field with rose petals.

 The map was divided into the provinces that make up Ecuador. One by one our names were read by our facilitators and with our name was the name of our site. The name of the place where we would be spending the next two years of our lives. The site that we had dreamed of since we received our invitations in the mail. I waited patiently as I watched my fellow trainees running to their spot on the map. Finally, it was my turn. “Paige Fisher, Cotacachi, La provincia de Imbabura”. My hand was taken and I ran to the northern most province that we are allowed to visit in Ecuador. I was met by my province neighbors Dan and Mina with smiles and excitement. Ahhhh! I will be working and living in Cotacachi, Imbabura in the Sierra region of Ecuador for the next TWO YEARS!!!! Now, I can't deny that I felt a little disappointment. Not because the sierra is not beautiful, but because I had seen myself in a more tropical and bio- diverse setting. However, being surrounded by beautiful mountains for the next two years doesn't seem to terrible. That Wednesday was one of the most overwhelming days I have had here in Ecuador, and to top it off we were all leaving the comfort of Tumbaco and the comfort of one another the very next morning to travel to these places that we had dreamed and wondered about for so long.

That Thursday I traveled with Dan and Mina the three hours or so to our sites in the north. I was met by my counterpart in the park of Cotacachi and taken to the office that I would be working for. I will be working with the Ministerio de Ambiental (more or less the equivalent of Fish and Wildlife in the US). I will specifically be working for La Reserva Ecologica de Cotacachi-Cayapas, the third largest national reserve in Ecuador. Only 30% lies within Imbabura and the rest is within the province of Esmeraldes. The reserve goes from sea level to about 10,000 feet, which means that the biodiversity within this reserve is huge. It ranges from tropical forest to paramo. I am hoping that I will be give the chance to explore all areas of this park as I work with them for the next two years. I spent my days doing my best to learn as much as possible about the reserve and how it works, however, this was difficult to do in Spanish. I did my best. Each day I would go to the reserve and work with the other guys in the reserve. It was hard work but I wanted to prove myself being the only girl. It was great though I did trail work, a reforestation project (on my birthday) and met many members of the reserve. It's hard to know exactly what I’ll be doing and where I can be the most helpful, but I walked away having ideas of Eco-tourism projects with the reserve and indigenous communities around the reserve, more English within the visitor center as well as English classes for the guides, and working in the schools. It is hard to know how this will all occur but I feel good to have a few ideas to begin with.

Reforestation Project. First time with a Machete!!!

The Volcanoe Imbabura. The view from my balcony.

My host family in Cotacachi is wonderful. I am living with a 29 year old uncle who takes care of his niece who is 13 and his nephew who is 18. The house I will be living in is wonderful and they own an art cafe where you can get the best empanadas in Cotacachi. There are definitely no complaints. On my birthday I was feeling a little sad to be so far away from my family and my friends, however, when I returned from working in the reserve that day with my counterpart I was greeted by balloons, confetti, streamers, and song. My new family had thrown me a surprise birthday party with cake, a bracelet, and delicious food. I will be sad to say goodbye to my family in Tumbaco but I feel so lucky to have me yet another wonderful family here in Ecuador.

My new family in Cotacachi!

I am now back from my site visit. It was a week of ups and downs that is for sure. That first night I sat in my new room with a new host family and wondered what on earth I was doing here. What made me leave the comfort of home and of my friends? However, as the week went on I was reminded that I am supposed to be here. My path in life has led me here for a reason and I am ready to embrace whatever may lie on this path. For now I will enjoy my last month of training here in Tumbaco with my friends and host family. I am nervous to finally be at my site, but excited to begin what we came here to do. I came home from my site visit feeling as though I was returning home. I felt relief when I arrived in Tumbaco. I only hope that one day I will feel the same about Cotacachi.

A Visit to an Elementary School!

"The contents of this Web site are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps"

Every color of the rainbow, laughter in the air, fútbol during recess, smiling faces, repeating, songs, hands-on activities, and so much more. What am I describing? If you haven't already guessed I am describing a school. No matter where you are in the world I have learned that these are some fundamental details that are always the same. These are some of the details that make me smile because I know I can expect them, they are familiar, they are reliable.

This Wednesday I walked into a small elementary school in Ecuador located near our training school and immediately felt happy. Why is it that children make me smile so much? Why is it that I felt a sense of home when I am surrounded by kids? No matter what the reason may be it was a wonderful feeling to have here in Ecuador where so much is unknown. Here at this school I felt content.

We were here at this elementary school with a purpose. We were here to teach a lesson in regards to the Media Ambiente (Environment). Now for me this isn't scary or stressful. Shelburne Farms has given me that. I love teaching about the environment and I have many tricks up my sleeve that I must give credit to the farm for. My group decided that we would teach our class about water. It is something that can be simple or complex depending on the details you wish to portray. We had 6-8 year old kids so as you can imagine we kept it simple. We started with a name game, asking them to act out there favorite animal. What was mine....a lobo of course (WOLF). After we went back into the classroom to talk about why water is important to them and how they use it. I love listening to what they come up with. After we talked about where you can find water and had them draw these places. Nothing makes me happier then watching children be creative; concentrating so hard on the task placed before them. After it was time to talk about the three forms of water and sing a song to remember evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Then the fun part. Get them outside.

Where does our water go activity!

We did an activity that I have done many a times at the ECHO Aquarium and Science Center in beautiful Vermont. We began with crumpling up paper and throwing it on the ground. Next we covered these papers with plastic to create mountains and valleys. We then predicted where the water from the rain would go. Where would it pool? Where would the rivers be? Next comes the fun part. Sprinkling water and watching where it goes. After we talked about this we introduced sprinkles; by far there favorite part. They sprinkle them over the mountains and then we predict what will happen when it rains again. If these sprinkles represent pollution what happens when it rains? My kids were wonderful and really got it. They understood that pollution can travel through our water and contaminate it. We ended with another song and said our good-byes, but not until I was given several of their drawings and many hugs.

Now the one thing I have not mentioned yet is that this whole lesson was given in Spanish! It made it much more challenging and for the first time in a while made me extremely nervous. What if they don't understand me? What if this fails? However, what I forgot is that kids are kids. Now matter where you are in the world never forget that they have no idea what you want to say to them or what you want to teach them. They only know that you are there to be with them. You are there to teach them and help them learn. Did I say everything perfectly, did I get every point across that I wanted to? No. However, when I walked away that day I knew that they had had fun and knew that water was important in one way or another. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Futbol with los ninos!

My kiddos drawing where they can find water and how they use it!

I walked away from the school filled with adrenaline. I walked away filled with confidence. My language might not be perfect, but I love to teach and I love kids. I have passion to get their hands dirty and learn how beautiful Mother Nature truly is, and for now that is enough. The rest will come with time and practice.

Love from Ecuador!

Un Dia Tipico de mi en Ecuador

"The contents of this Web site are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps"
Many have asked, “What do you do everyday over there Ecuador?” Hmm what do I do? Well, I manage to keep myself quite busy or rather Peace Corps manages to keep me quite busy. I start my days around 6:30 with the sound of my alarm going off. However, I have usually been lying semi-awake in my bed since 5:45, because that is when the rooster next door decides its a great time to wake up the neighborhood. I have breakfast with my family, trying to start my day off with speaking some Spanish. My breakfast always consists of an egg in various forms and the most amazing fresh squeezed juice you can imagine from so many different types of fruits I can't even begin to tell you. I say ciao to my family and walk the 10 minutes through Tumbaco to the bus stop where I am met by my fellow Peace Corps compañeros.. We then take the 20 min bus ride to the training center. Now taking the bus is not the easiest task, for you have to mentally and physically prepare yourself for a roller coaster ride through town squished up against people and holding on for dear life as you speed around corners. You also play bumper butts with the people around you. I usually disembark from the bus feeling light-headed and woozy, but it sure is a rush. We all always seem to make it in one piece.

Our mornings start at about 8:30 and we have classes until 5 or 5:30. It's a long day filled with language, culture, safety, health, and technical classes in which we split up into our groups of Natural Resource Conservation and Sustainable Agriculture. I am in the Natural Resource Conservation group. Last week all of us worked together to create an organic garden. It felt so wonderful to get my hands dirty and do some physical labor. It was great to till the earth and plant some seeds. We are working on composting, verma-composting, and liquid fertilizers. We are also raising 80 chickens and will be building a mini tree nursery. It is great to practice the things that we are being taught about because what better way to learn or brush up on skills than to do it hands-on. Our days are long and and exhausting but I find them rewarding. However, I do look forward to when we have down time.

The other day a friend showed me a path that leads to this beautiful canyon. It was so wonderful to see some of the countryside. Huge mountains surrounded us while a river gurgled far below. Beautiful flowers of all shapes and colors surrounded us and I watched intently as hummingbirds buzzed from agave flower to agave flower. The mountains are green but bare of trees, giving them a rough, majestic look. I find myself feeling more relaxed visiting this spot. It's a place where you can take a deep breath and absorb some of Mother Nature's beauty. On the way to this path we walked through the countryside where there are Holsteins grazing along side the path. I was delighted to find several calves and of course had to pet every calf that I found. I was very excited when I found a goat grazing alongside the edge of the path as well. My first goat in Ecuador! He was nothing compared to Jack and Cheddar, my favorite goats back home, but it was so wonderful to see a goat. Now I need to find some good goat cheese. There are so many things that are new and different. Every day I make adjustments to this new home, but I am comforted to find some things are exactly the same. As the days pass by I find that I am feeling more and more comfortable here. Now, if only I could instantly speak fluently....

The goat that I found when walking towards the canyon!

An agave flower!

Mi familia en Ecuador!



Love from Ecuador!

La Familia

"The contents of this Web site are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps"

One week ago from today I was sitting around my kitchen table with friends and family having one of my last dinners in Vermont. I remember feeling scared and nervous. When my friends said goodnight I felt anxious and sad. I remember thinking, "What have I gotten myself into?" How am I going to say good bye to my friends and family and to my home. However, one week later here I am sitting in my own bedroom in my new family's house in Ecuador, and yes I have wifi! I know that I am being spoiled but it sure is nice. With all the changes and challenges that I have faced in the last week, having easy internet access is comforting.

This past Saturday we arrived at our training center, El cuerpa de paz, Peace Corps in Spanish, early in the morning. I arrived with anxiety and apprehension for what the day would bring. Today was the day that I would be picked up by my host family. How was I going to do this. My spanish is not up to par. How will they understand me? How will I understand them? Will I like them? Will they like me? Where will I live? These are only a few of the questions that constantly ran through my head. For others this wasn't so scary, but for me who has never lived with anyone but my own friends and family this was a huge step, a huge jump outside my comfort zone. However, as a good friend always tells me, "Step back, take a breather, and relax". So, that is what I did. There was nothing else I could do because it was going to happen no matter what. Finally, the moment was here. I was given a piece of paper that said Paige and my host family had one that said Fisher. Our challenge was to find one another in a crowd of many. I searched and searched until finally, I heard "Fisher, Fisher Fisher!" I turned to find four Ecuadorians smiling warmly and brightly at me. I was instantly greeted with a kiss on the cheek and a hug from each one. At that moment my anxiousness melted away because I knew I had over come yet another hurdle in becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer.

My host family includes mi madre Anita, mi padre Henry, mi hermano (brother) Steven, and mi hermana (sister) Carolina. They are some of the warmest and happiest people I have ever encountered and I couldn't have asked for better. My host mom refers to me as her daughter and truly cares about my safety and well-being. My host dad loves to laugh and joke around. I am constantly laughing. My host sister is 21 and helps me so much, and although very shy my host brother is very sweet and kind. I am astounished how easily they accepted me into their home and into their family. On the first day I was taken to meet the whole family including aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and friends, and all of them greeted me with the same warmness as my host family had done earlier. I was so scared to feel alone. How silly of me to forget how important family and friends are to the Spanish culture and this definately includes the Ecuadorian culture. I have only been with them since Saturday and already my Spanish has improved and already I feel like a part of their family. They also have a dog named Daisy who they call Daisy loca or Daisy crazy :)

Today as all of us Americans gathered at the training center for classes, I didn't hear a single negative thing about anyones host family. It reminded me of the natural good in people. Here we are foreighners coming into a new country with new cultures and language and the wonderful people of Tumbaco have accepted us into their homes and most importantly into their families. This experience has been a reminder to me that where you are from doesn't matter because in the end family is family and friends are friends.

Love to all,
Paige

Bienvenido a Ecuador!!!

"The contents of this Web site are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps"

WOW!!!
That is the first word that comes to mind when someone asks me how I am. The last couple months have been crazy and its all come down to this moment of arriving in Ecuador. Here I was, living back at home after my amazing experience at Shelburne Farms with no idea of what my next step would be. Christmas eve arrived and I received a package in the mail from Peace Corps. I was accepted after almost a year of application process. I not only was accepted but I was invited to serve in Ecuador, a country I always wanted to vist. Now, five short weeks later here I am sitting in Tumbaco, a suburb outside of Quito. I am sitting at amost 8,000 feet of the andes and it is nothing less than breathtaking. I woke up this morning and heard birds and felt a warm breeze. It has been so long since that has happened I couldn't help but smile.

 I can't deny that I am nervous and scared because I am. However, I have already met some fantastic people and formed bonds with so many of my fellow Peace Corps trainees. It was so hard to say goodbye to all those that I love. It was so hard to say goodbye to to Vermont. I mean when I was leaving the airport I was bawling in the arms of my daddy like a little girl. The security guys had to give me tissues and comfort me, but I made it. I'm here. I have gotten through the first hurtle and even though I know there are so many more to come, I am confident that I can do it.

I left with this: A Native American friend of mine in New Mexico once told me that goodbye doesn't exist in their language, only see you soon. So even though I will  miss my friends and family with my whole heart, I will see them soon. No matter where we are in the world, we will always hold a special place in each others hearts, which no distance can change.

Stay tuned for more! Ecspecially since I will be going to my host family's house tomorrow!!!

All my love
Paige