Neither North nor South

A few days ago we visited the equator line at "El Sitio de Intinan," Intinan-meaing the route of the sun. I visited El Mitad del Mundo "equator line" and monument while in Ecuador before and had been a bit bummed to learn that the line was only an estimate using the sun, that had been drawn bfore the days of GPS. Thus, I was thrilled this time to visit the GPS-marked equator line that lies about 250-500 meters from the Mitad del Mundo "equator line." We learned that the indigenous people of this Andes region originally the area "Quitu," meaning center of the earth. When the Spanish arrived they found it difficult to pronounce Quitu and renamed the region Quito. The tour guide showed us some pretty awesome physics experiments. She showed us how a sink full of water drains in opposite directions North and South of the equator. When she drained the sink right over the equator the water went straight down the drain, without circling at all. Crazy!

The guide showed us how the gravitational force on the equator is strong enough to make certain actions easier: JAson, one of the studens in the program who is over six feet tall and strong, held his hands clasped in front of his forehead. The guide, a petite Ecuadorian woman put one of her hands on top of Jason's clasped hands. South of the equator and north of the equator the guide tried to pull Jason's clasped hands down while he pulled up. Understandably, the guide was unable to pull his hands down. Yet when they both stood on the equator, the guide pulled down both of JAson's hands with her one hand, with ease! I tried it out with a friend and it really worked! The force of gravity aided the guide enough so that she could pull Jason's hands down with ease!

One final experiment highlighted how the rotational forces differ north and south of the equator. IT should be easy for a sober person with eyes closed or open to walk a line, such as done in a sobriety test. With closed eyes and arms at my sides, I easily walked the equator line at a reasonable speed. Yet, when I closed my eyes and raised both arms out to the side, it was nearly impossible to walk the equator line faster than at a snail's pace. The opposing rotational forces caused gravity on my left and right hand made it difficult for me to balance and walk in a straight line.

I was about not to go to the equator line, thinking we would be visiting El Mitad del Mundo monument, I am so happy I went to see the real equator. I think Bill Nye the science guy would have enjoyed it.
**I do not know how to do accent marks on this netbook, which I recently named Slothy due to her slow nature. I miss my mac!

Back in Ecuador!

I have now been back in Ecuador for about a week. My love affair with this Andean country began four years ago, as a summer exchange student in Quito. I am a trainee thru an organization called Hispanic Serving Health Professionals Schools, a non-profit established in 1996 as a part of US Dept of Health and Human Services. This organization sponsors my summer in a Tropical and Travel Medicine Training Seminar that is a collaboration between University South Florida and La Universidad el Central in Quito. I will be living in Ecuador for 9 weeks, 5 in Quito, and 4 in the coastal and Amazonian regions. It feels good to be back in what has come to feel like a second home. There are six other students in the program, all of whom are working towards a Masters in Public Health.

While in Quito, myself and the other students are living at a hostel, L'Auberge--French for berenjena, which is Spanish for eggplant. Not sure how the owners came up with this name, but the French pronounciation is often left behind for a Spanish-accented "La-auh-bare-hey," that can cause a bit of confusion and quizzical looks from taxi drivers. The accomodations are more like a basic motel (ew that word just sounds gross), okay economical hotel perhaps. I have my own room and bathroom (which I was not expecting!). The first morning I leapt for joy when hot water came out of the shower. While spaces to store a summer's worth of clothes leave something to be desired, there is a nice central patio that somehow embodies a sophisticate tranquility.
I would guess there are about twenty-five rooms. Guests vary both in age and nationality, although the French name does seem to attract a large francophone group. Most guests staying here seem to be friendly and I have shared a meal with Israelis, Dutch, Swiss, and U.S. citizens. L'Auberge is treating me well. More on Tropical Medicine soon!

Oregon Salmon Patties + Caper Tartar Sauce = Amazing

The title pretty much says it all. Living on a student budget, this recipe felt gourmet and was so scrumptious (and not pasta or a sandwich)! The main ingredients are actually quite simple:

Salmon Patties: canned salmon, sauteed onion, butter, crackers, 2 eggs, dry mustard, & shortening (I left the shortening out. I guess learning about fatty-acid synthesis in Biochem today didn't inspire me to add extra lard--I know butter counts, but it is just SO GOOD and buttery.)

Caper Tarter Sauce: capers, mayo, lemon juice, salt & pepper, and some dried garlic just for kicks. I do admit that capers are the one semi-splurge. I think you can get them on the cheaper side at Trader Joe's. Yet, they bring me so much joy and one little jar lasts so long, that it is well worth it. yum.

PS: Click on Title for link to recipe!

PPS: There was an attempted coup d'etat in Ecuador today. Sounds like "a bit" of chaos. In Portoviejo, where I lived, banks and the shopping center are prey to thieves. There is no active police force right now. BBC tells more here.

Heading to "El Campo"

The gynecologist and me in the room where she saw patients. It was HOT and humid!

This weekend I went along with physicians and volunteers from the CAS Clinic on a "medical caravan" trip to a small town an hour away. A general medicine physician, pediatrician, dentist, and gynecologist saw about 150 patients. I helped assist the gynecologist. Very eye-opening difference between the culture of a small town only an hour away from Portoviejo. It seems that women generally have many children, marry very young, and often are illiterate. The community that received us was very kind--cooking huge pots of rice, soup, and chicken.

Hills around Caña--covered mostly by farms filled with bananas, yuca, cacao, zapote, oranges, corn, and avacado.

Aftershock Quake in Portoviejo, Ecuador

A bit before 5:30 this morning there was a brief earthquake here--10 miles East of Portoviejo, Ecuador. According to the US Geological Service(USGS), it was 5.3 on the Richter Scale. While here, I have felt minor tremors for a matter of one or two seconds, yet this about four second shaking woke up the house and we stood near the front doorway for a few minutes afterwards.

This aftershock was one of 90 such aftershock earthquakes in South America following the recent devastating earthquake in Chile of 8.8 on the Richter Scale. This has been the only such aftershock quake in Ecuador. Yesterday, swimming was banned on nearby Ecuadorian beaches due to stronger than normal waves.

Here is a pretty cool website by USGS, showing The Location of Aftermath Earthquake, as well as all recent seismic activity.

Papallacta-Night Swimming in Hot Springs

We arrived at dusk to Papallacta and went on a short little jaunt through the countryside. Cows grazed nearby and roosters crowed, trying to trick us into thinking the day had just begun. We couldn't be fooled, we knew it was time for night swimming (I guess I mean soaking) in the hot spring pools. Fed with hot water from the nearby volcanoes, steam rose from the pools, partially disguising the faces of bathers. Luckily, a cold mountain creek nearby provided a quick (I could only stay in ten seconds) relief from the heat. Tingly hot-cold--almost like walking in Minnesota snow before getting in a hot tub.

Hiking around Cotopaxi

More update later...but this is hiking with friends around the volcano Cotopaxi. The Peak is at 5,897 m (19,347 ft). There was actually a glacial icepack just south of the Equator. It was a bit tricky to keep breathing up this high--about 5,000 meters!

Botanical Gardens, Playa de Los Friales

This weekend I visited Los Frailes--part of Machalilla National Park, Ecuador's only coastal park. The park was pristine and free of loud music blasting from subs in cars parked along the beach. This is a view from a short walk to a look-out tower.
I am happy that I am out of the water for a bit. A wave attacked me while swimming and I ate sand and toppled in the surf. Later, I was still finding sand in my ears. A healthy respect for the sea was restored to say the least.

This last week, I also visited the Botanical Gardens of Portoviejo with friends. Being that it is rainy season, I left with flip flops caked in mud and about 20 new mosquito bites, but it was well worth it.
I do not remember the name of this small mammal native to Ecuador, eek. He was quite friendly and followed us as we walked through the garden. Unlike most zoos, we were encloused in a wire tunnel and the animals wandered freely throughout the park. The guide insisted that they were so accustomed to their habitat (and 3 meals a day) that they do not try to leave the grounds of the park. Many of the animals in the park are native to Ecuador and were found as illegal pets in homes. They are brought to the Gardens for a time of rehabilitation before being sent back to forests and jungles. Interestingly, the guide noted that while it is illegal to have any animal native to Ecuador as a pet, Ecuadorians can legally (for a high price) have the pheasant that was in the park as a pet, or another animal whose home is Colombia, Brasil....etc....

Fishermen in Crucita

Young Boy watching fishermen bring in the catch.
Clouds of birds fly overhead. One happened to poop on me. I think this is good luck, even though my expression looks a bit shocked. Later that day, I found a lost earring.

This older gentlemen was very proud of his catch. On the right, are a dark-meat fish. The nutritionist I shadow here, always suggests patients eat black-meat fish.
Fishermen lined up their catch: tuna, dolorado, albacore.
Young boys quickly carry in the catch, trying to dodge pesky birds trying to get a fish.
Piles of smaller fish are thrown on wooden plank tables. Women and men quickly gut the fish with a large knife--barely looking at their hands as they do it!

At the Beach: San Clemente

Drive back from San Clemente to Portoviejo. The cattle in the middle of the road seemed to be a normal occurence. Cattle, chickens, and hogs seem to roam somewhat freely along roadsides.



The Beach in San Clemente. Wide with fairly calm waves, it was perfect for kids looking to play in the surf. Cloudy days like this are keeping me from looking like a tomato. Yay.

A Week at the Clinic with Visiting Medical Team

This is the view from the clinic window. Only at the beginning of December, there was no green. Now, with rains, some of the trees have gained color. Up on the hill, there are a number of houses mostly made of brick and sugar-cane like material. Laundry drying on lines dots the hill. A bus terminal is off to the left in the photo. Often, loud music from the little cantina at the bottom of the photo, can be heard in the clinic.
Part of the group here the past week for plastic and orthopedic surgeries along with volunteer physicians from pediatric clinic. It was fabulous to have the opportunity to learn from such a wonderful group of people and care for children here. Much of the week, I was the only one translating in the clinic--this gave me a great respect for the capability of those that normally perform this work.

New Year´s in Ecuador

This is Aragon, beloved black lab. The small paper dog next to Aragon is a año viejo. I returned to Ecuador on the 30th and was intrigued to find new vendors on every streetcorner, selling años viejos (paper mache characters of cartoons and people, as well as paper masks). At midnight, Ecuadorians burn the años viejos, as they say goodbye to unfavorable parts of the past year and welcome the new year. It seems that the burned character is either done in good fun (Aragon), or something you truly despise.

Burning of años viejos outside the house. In the hour surrounding midnight, it sounded like a warzone. Fireworks went off from all surrounding streets with a whiz, pop, and crack!

The view of the Sunset from Crucita. Absolutely breathtaking. This beauty is tempered by a hog eating refuse in the seaside dirt street.

Photo Update on Ecuador, Before Christmas

30-nov-2009 I went on a Rotaract trip to Riobamba, a town in the Sierra region of Ecuador. Rotaract is party of Rotary International, a service group based in communities throughout the world, Rotaract is specifically for youth, 18 to 30 years old. While in the Sierra, we hiked around Chimborazo, the tallest volcano in Ecuador. We couldn’t see the top because their were too many clouds! They first appeared as shadows in the clouds. Then the Alpacas emerged. (Unless I am mistaken, and they are llamas). This picture is almost as cool as the (many) photos my dad has of the three fawns in the backyard at home. In Riobamba, we rode around in a la chiva for awhile. It is the colorful open-air jalopy-bus behind us, top photo. This is kind of like crusin’ in a car, only with louder music, and more friends. Everybody in Rotaract tries to pile on top of la chiva as it slowly goes through town.

Eyeglasses & Bingo in Río Caña

View from the Car

Sunday I went to Río Caña with a Rotary International group from Portoviejo. Only an hour and a half away, the landscape was strikingly different. The dry hills and dust clouds surrounding Portoviejo were replaced by verdant foliage. In orderly rows, the tall skinny trunks of yucca plants reached for the sky. Cacao, avocado, plantain, banana, naranjilla, orange, and mango trees encroached on the winding dirt road.

Cacao Tree (See the Yellow Cacao Fruit?)

Boys Spinning the Sugar Cane Grinding Machine

We made a sharp turn into a plot that housed a contemporary country home and a larger farmhouse no longer in use. The homes in el campo have a brick foundation and a steep staircase leading to the home on the second floor. Walls and floors made primarily of canya (bamboo-like material) comprise the home. Hammocks hang lazily in one room and a porch looks out on the temptingly cool creek.

Bingo Game

I climbed up the steep stairs/ladder of the old farmhouse to find a home with six rooms. The kitchen housed a stove fashioned of a wooden counter with a carved out center for wood and charcoal. One large room housed the men’s beds and the other the women’s beds. In a multi-generational home such as this, eight or ten people slept in each room.

Historic Sugar Cane Grinding Machine— Once Upon a Time
Extracted Sugar Cane Juice

In the morning, the Rotary group and a team of optometrists set up camp beneath the old farmhouse and fitted community members for prescription glasses. With other volunteers and high school Rotary exchange students I sifted through boxes of donated glasses to find the necessary prescription for each glasses recipient. Oftentimes, the exact prescription wasn’t available. In these cases, it was fun to help the recipients try out a few different specs to find the optimal pair.

Lunch was across the street…the volunteers seemed concerned that I wouldn’t like the traditional country food, but it was delicious. Three enormous pots simmered over a wooden stove in the kitchen. One was filled with a soup full of giant lentils, carrots, and huge hunks of pork. In another, simmered the breasts, legs, and hearts of multiple gallinas (country chicken). Enough rice to feed a small village steamed in the third pot. I winced a bit before drinking the lemonade that had been mixed up in a giant plastic bucket, but was assured the water was boiled. My stomach is hearty and it was delicious. When I was unable to finish my portion of rice (enough to feed a full family of four), I had to assure everyone that everything was rico.

In the afternoon, the Rotary club put on a BINGO game for the community. It was a hit and as far as I can tell a huge chunk of people turned out for prizes consisting of household goods, candy, and five-dollar bills.

I left Rio Canya a little sunburned and with approximately a bajillion bug bites. Still, I was overwhelmingly content. My stomach was full of fresh mangoes and star fruit. I had the pleasure of meeting kind, energetic Rotary members and the humble, generous community of Río Caña.

CliffsNotes on Ecuadorian Weddings & Karaoke Bars

I had the pleasure of attending a wedding this past weekend with two good friends. Interesting cultural notes:
1. The drink of choice is whiskey. While champagne was plentiful during toasts, each table passed around a bucket of ice and a bottle of whiskey. Traditionally, the groom’s parents pay for the whiskey and the bride’s parent’s pay for the wedding. I’m thinking that it is expected you cough up a nice amount of money for the best whiskey. Beer is frowned upon as informal at weddings. I would attribute this to the fact that most drinking establishments serve two beers—“Pony” and “Pilsner” (side note: Pilsner is the company name as well as type of beer).
2. The first dance between the bride and the groom is traditionally a waltz.

I met up with some friends at a bar this past weekend. Upon arriving I realized it was a karaoke bar. I am all for karaoke—it’s a good time, right? Belt out some lyrics, generally it doesn’t matter if you can really sing, a chance to let loose. These rules hold true here. Yet, unlike in the USA where rock and pop take center stage, ballads were the stars of the night here. I will admit, this was not for me. Most ballads centered around: Longing for your old lover, Feeling like you can’t go on without your old lover, Remembering your old lover. Not exactly jamming songs for a Saturday night! Eek. Hey, at least I got to follow the lyrics on the screen and watch images of tranquil oceans, doves, and furry animals. In summary, I checked off Ecuadorian Karaoke Bars.

Hiking around the Lagoon

Johana and Me

la laguna (lagoon)-- an area of shallow water separated from the sea by low sandy dunes. (dictionary.com)

Lagoons make me think of the “Kiss the Girl Scene” from the Little Mermaid. Vegetation from all sides…like a bayou-swamp, something out of a fairy tale. I am not sure why the Lagoon at Cotochaxi is called a lagoon rather than a lake, if only for the reason that it looks like it is straight out of The Lord of the Rings.

Aragon and Robbie

Johana, Robbie, Aragon el perro, and I took a four-hour hike around Cuicocha, a volcanically formed lake (similar to Crater Lake in Oregon) that sits at the base of Cotacachi Volcano. Steep-climbs up Andean slopes were rewarded by brief moments jogging down the other side of the mountain. I will admit, at 10,649 feet (to give you an idea—Denver, CO sits at 5,280 ft), I was breathing a little harder than usual—not that I am using this as an excuse. The view was gorgeous. To one side, the lagoon with a mountain-island, and to the other side, a valley surrounded by higher mountains climbing into the clouds. Aragon provided constant laughs, trying to drag a 2 meter log to play catch and incessantly retrieving our mandarin peels we tossed into the brush.

A half-hour into the hike, I recognized that I had visited this lagoon two years ago, only I didn’t have the pleasure of a hike, only a brief stop to see the crystal clear water. When two of my fellow students dove into the lagoon, splashing a boat of French tourists, we were quickly ushered back to the buses, and followed by a trail of French profanities.