Ecuador

The Incident ⁸

Never in a million years did I think I would spend my first night in Ecuador wrapped in a homemade diaper skirt crafted from a bath towel.

Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

You may remember this post, where I discussed the various immunizations and medications required for my recent trip to South America.

Ciprofloxacin was one of the medications I was prescribed. It’s used to treat traveler’s diarrhea, and is capable of knocking pretty much any bug out of your system almost instantaneously. I anticipated I would probably need to use the Cipro at some point during the trip…but I most certainly didn’t expect I would need to pop one of the pills within ninety minutes of landing in Quito.

Me and my Cipro. And my awesome deer head necklace from my friend Rachael. You can guess which of these two items is my favorite.

After an entire day of traveling, my roommate and I were exhausted by the time we finally set foot in our hotel room. Our trip coordinator had provided each of us with a few bottles of purified water for drinking and brushing our teeth. The water in Ecuador doesn’t agree with sensitive American tummies, and we were advised not to ingest any of it unless a date with the toilet was our idea of a good time.

Come to think of it, I don’t think that’s anyone’s idea of a good time. And if it is? Well…you should probably never admit to that.

Anyway, by the time we had set down our luggage, I was ready for bed. I literally don’t think I’ve ever been so tired as I was that night…partly because I had spent the prior evening with friends in Minneapolis and was out until three in the morning. I groggily dragged myself into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth before passing out for the next six hours.

Thirty seconds later, I realized I had made a terrible mistake.

Me: AAAGGGHHHH!!!!

Roomie: Whoa! What’s wrong?

Me: You’re not gonna believe this. I just brushed me teeth with the tap water! I don’t know what I was thinking!

Roomie: Oooh….yeah…that’s definitely not good.

Me: I know! I can’t believe I just did that! So…what do I do now?

Roomie: Umm…rinse your mouth out with the bottled water, I think?

Me: Yes. Good call. Lots of rinsing.

Insert me rinsing mouth and then proceeding to brush teeth a second time with tap water. I was really exhausted and out of it at this point.

Me: Aggghhh!!!

Roomie: You okay?

Me: No! I did it again!!

Roomie: Wow. You’re really bad at this game.

Me: I know! I must be really tired. Do you think I’m totally going to get sick now?

Roomie: Probably. One of my friends came down here and she said she had to shower with her back facing the shower head. Apparently even one drop of the water on your lips can be enough to do you in.

Me: Seriously? One drop of water?!? I’m doomed!!!

Roomie: Relax. Do you have any Cipro?

Me: Yes.

Roomie: I’d take one of those…like right now. Then you should be fine.

Me: Okay…good idea. Hey–you don’t think I could get a parasite from this, do you?

She chose not to dignify that last question with a response. I can’t say that I blame her.

I immediately downed the Cipro. Roomie and I said our goodnights and I crawled into bed. But despite being completely wiped out and beyond sleep-deprived, I was unable to drift off into peaceful slumber. You see, my mind kept wondering how much it would cost to replace the mattress I was sleeping on.

I know, gross. But I was tired. Like, really tired. I figured this meant there was a pretty significant chance of me sleeping so deeply, I might just get sick in the middle of the night without even waking up.

And you know what’s not sexy? A do-it-yourself Jackson Pollock mattress.

Apologies for the visual. I just couldn’t pass up a chance to flex my art history muscles. Also? I think that analogy really demonstrates just how unsexy this entire thing would be, if it actually occurred.

Unfortunately, dropping a few hundred bucks on a new bed was the least of my worries. Subjecting my roommate (who I had known for all of five hours) to the wrath of my digestive system seemed like something that would permanently scar the both of us. I mean…I’m not an expert or anything, but I’m pretty sure soiling your bed in a foreign hotel room at two in the morning is not a good way to make friends.

I am almost positive it’s an excellent way to end up in therapy, though. Although…do they even have therapy for stuff like this?

I decided not to find out. After five minutes of visualizing the worst-case scenario in the dark, I slowly crept to the bathroom to grab a bath towel.

Roomie: Are you okay?

Me: Oh…me? Uh…yeah! Totally fine.

Roomie: You sure?

Me: Yup! No problems here.

Roomie: Katrina — are you feeling sick at all?

Me: No…not yet. I just wanted to grab a towel. Just to be safe.

Roomie: A towel??

I then went into an explanation of my reasoning for the towel, which may or may not have been way too detailed to share with someone I had just met that day. The fact that all of this was going down in the pitch black dark while we were lying in bed just a few feet away from each other only added to the awkwardness.

But it was worth it. With the plush towel triple wrapped around my lower half in a homemade diaper that slightly resembled a pencil skirt made out of mummification cloths, I was finally able to fall asleep.

I awoke six hours later, still tightly wrapped in my clean, white diaper dress. Talk about being worried for nothing.

Later at breakfast, I learned that brushing your teeth with the tap water isn’t that big of a deal– I probably didn’t even need to take any of the medication. I had really been worried for nothing.

I think we can all learn one thing from this horrible, horrible overreaction.

My digestive issues don’t even hold a candle to my mental issues. And you know what? I’m kind of okay with that.

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Mexico: The Photos

I never agreed to this.

Ecuador: The Photos ¹

WARNING: This post has a ton of photos.

Dare I say it, a crap ton of photos.

(Fifty-two, to be exact…which is technically a crap ton and a half.)

Yet after a few days of reflection, I realized there was no better way to capture my South American adventure than through the images you’re about to see below.

Also…if you scroll down far enough, you’ll see a photo of yours truly demonstrating extreme bravery while covered in giant Hercules beetles.

You’re welcome.

Day One

A small section of the city of Quito. Nestled in the foothills of the Andes mountains, it has over 3 million people. We spent most of the first day touring the city.

Quito's historic Basilica, which dates back to the 15th century.

Quito's historic downtown. This was formerly the palace of the Archbishop.

The Presidential Palace. There were group of protesters outside while we were there.

A view from the central square in historic downtown Quito.

One of the many cathedrals we passed. We were allowed to go inside during Mass.

A typical city street.

No idea what this is...but it looked cool.

Literally, the center of the World. Also, where the nation of Ecuador gets its name.

Me, in both hemispheres. Boo-yah.

I realized my gut was sticking out in the above photo, and decided some plank work might tighten up my flabby abs. Also? I totally wanted to show off in front of the alpacas that were watching me.

I don't think he was impressed.

Traditional Ecuadorian lunch. Trout, rice, salad and fried plantains. This definitely didn't help my flabby ab situation.

An active volcano! With smoke coming out of it! We saw this on our three-hour drive to the city of Ambato. This area of Ecuador is framed by two volcanoes that are known as husband and wife. This one smokes and erupts constantly, and is known as the angry wife as a result. Yay for volcanic gender stereotypes!!

Me and my homies. And by "homies" I mean "Ginormous Hercules beetles that totally got stuck in my scarf".

Day Two

Driving through the foothills of the Andes mountains to reach the World Vision communities we would be visiting. At one point, we were over 13,000 feet!

A group of young people in the first community we visited who had started a savings box. The savings box teaches youth in the community to pool their savings so they can provide community members with low-interest loans to pay for education and various business ventures. Most of the kids in this photo are former sponsored children. These teens also started their own radio program!

An alpaca farm we visited. World Vision funding helped pay for the animals to start this farm that supports the local community.

I think this is my favorite photo I've ever taken.

A little boy proudly shows off his baby alpaca.

I wanted to take one home. Something tells me Jolie wouldn't approve...

Two young girls taking care of sheep.

I got up close and personal with this guy.

Real-life sheep dogs!

This young man is the provider for his family. His father is unable to work because of a heart condition, and his mother had fallen ill and needed surgery. He used a loan from World Vision to set up a pottery business that was able to pay for his mother's surgery, and now provides income to support his family. His two younger sisters are both sponsored.

Demonstrating his pottery painting technique. In addition to his art business, he's also studying law at a local university.

Day Three

Money from sponsorship helped this young man start a business sewing jeans. Over thirty young people in his community work on the jeans and benefit from the profits.

The finished product.

Oh you KNOW I wasn't leaving Ecuador without a pair.

More breathtaking scenery from the Ecuadorian highlands.

This cow had a heart on his head...which totally made all of the other cows green with envy.

See? Totally jealous.

This community participates in what World Vision calls a "community pot". Mothers with children under five gather together to prepare healthy meals for themselves and their children. World Vision staff educates them on nutrition and other important health-related issues. The community even created their own fruit and vegetable garden!

The women at the community pot compost! (I had to take a picture to show to Scott.)

The women from the community pot presented us with an extremely generous gift -- fresh fruit and vegetables from their garden!

One of the mothers with her daughter in the kitchen used by the community pot.

Next, we visited a community school. These cuties were playing outside.

More kids from the community in their classroom.

: Me, eating a guinea pig.

And yes…I totally ate a guinea pig. Read more about it here.

The teens in this community put on a play for us about sexual health and HIV prevention. They wrote the entire play themselves! It was creative, hilarious and totally wonderful. The play was entirely in Spanish, and hearing our translator try to interpret it on the fly was nothing short of amusing.

The highlight of the play? When the boy dressed as the HIV virus was wrapped in a giant condom, of course. 'Twas magnificent.

Day Four

World Vision helped these parents partner with other families in their community to form a co-operative that earns money by sewing men's dress clothes. This was their work room.

Another community with an early stimulation center for children five and under.

We brought a bubble machine for the kids as a gift. Their reactions were priceless!

Joy and innocence.

This little guy LOVED posing for photos while giving the "thumbs up" sign! The nose-picking was pretty adorable, too.

Most of the kids at this school are sponsored through World Vision. The school, which educates children from kindergarten to eighth grade, also receives funding from World Vision and is well on its way to being officially considered a health-focused school by the Ecuadorian government.

The kids were proud to show us their multiplication and long division skills.

Having fun on the playground.

The children took turns running around the playground and giving each of us giant group hugs. I think my heart literally melted into a giant puddle right then and there.

Amazing, right?

The trip was truly an adventure…yet it was so much more than an exciting journey to a new and unusual place.

If I had to take away one thing, it is that sponsorship works. It touches not only the lives of real children, but also their families and communities. It makes an undeniable impact–a true transformation.

Take it from me — sponsorship is one-hundred-percent real. It’s also life changing. I hope my experiences move you enough to consider sponsoring a child through World Vision. You’ll not only be changing the life of a child, you’ll also be changing your own.

********

Don’t worry! There’s plenty more Ecuador stories to come. Tomorrow I’ll be giving a riveting account of my bout with everyone’s favorite topic: traveler’s diarrhea.

Just kidding.

But not really.

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Coleslaw emergency.

Oysters and Guinea Pigs ⁰

I arrived home safely from Ecuador last night!

To call the trip amazing would be an understatement. It was truly a life-changing adventure that has forever shifted my perspective. I know I will treasure the memories and friendships made over the past week in Ecuador for the rest of my life.

So why did I go to South America? I’m glad you asked! You can read more about how this very special trip came to be in this post.

You can also expect a detailed recap of the trip later this week…but because my brain has yet to process all of the incredible things I experienced, I need a few days to gather my thoughts and come up with something that is actually coherent and logical, as opposed to a giant photo dump with captions like “!?!?!?!!! ;) !!!!”.

Because truly, there is nothing worse than reading a caption that consists entirely of punctuation marks and emoticons.

In the mean time, I’ll leave you with a sneak peek of my very favorite photo from the trip.

My heart does a super-happy cartwheel every time I look at this photo. (It’s actually more of a sommersault/cartwheel combo as my heart is not very coordinated. Yet what it’s lacking in gracefulness and balance, it makes up for in enthusiasm.)

The kids at this school took turns bombarding each of us with giant group hugs. It may have been the most precious thing ever.

But again, until my heart stops doing cartwheeel-sommersaults long enough for me to write something that is at least somewhat articulate about my overall experience, I’m going to write about something a little bit lighter.

Food, to be exact.

I’m a pretty adventurous eater. I’ll try anything once, which has created a patchwork quilt of culinary experiences that ranges from eating cow intestines in Tijuana, trying fish flavored gelatin in Norway and eating raw sea urchin at a sushi bar in Omaha.

In addition to this, I’m also not a very picky eater. I like just about everything and often brag that there is only one food on the planet that I don’t like.

That food is oysters.

Granted, I’ve only tried them once, and they were simply wrapped in foil and roasted over a fire. I suspect that if I were to try oysters that had been prepared differently, I might actually enjoy them. (Read: Fancy oyster shooters like the ones that Vicki from the Real Housewives of Orange County had catered for her dinner party in that one episode where Gretchen has too much to drink and ends up hitting on somebody’s son.)

I probably shouldn’t admit that I have that episode memorized by heart.

Anyway, I may or may not have bragged that “There is only one food in the world that I don’t like. Oysters!” as we sat down to enjoy a guinea pig lunch that one of the communities in Ecuador had prepared for us.

Yes, you read me right. Guinea Pig.

I was hoping it would be like Red Lobster where you get to pick the one you’re going to eat out of a tank. But, alas, they had already been prepared.

Photo by picto:graphic

Cuy (cooked guinea pig) is a traditional Ecuadorian dish that is served at very special occasions, such as weddings. The fact that the community we visited had prepared such a delicacy for us was a huge compliment. They were giving us their very best.

The women from the community preparing our lunch. I’d just like to point out that I think this is the largest/most awesome soup pot in the history of the world.

I was thrilled as I had heard all about the Guinea Pig dish, and had been hoping to try it before leaving South America. The fact that we would be served Cuy at lunch was so exciting to me, I was practically bouncing up and down as I waited for the tasty rodent treat to arrive.

Photo by makro78

I’m sure it comes as no surprise that I dug right in.

That poor little piggy never had a chance…

I wanted to like it.

Like, really wanted to like it.

Unfortunately, it tasted just like I had imagined a rodent would taste. Similar to a piece of extremely gamey meat mixed with super-fishy seafood. Cuy is extremely popular in Ecuador and all of the locals love it, which leads me to believe it is an acquired taste.

I imagine if an Ecuadorian came to visit in the United States, they would have a similar reaction to our beloved tuna fish sandwich. They’d probably be all “Umm…wait a second. That shredded fish just came out of a really sketchy looking can. And then you mixed it with mayonnaise and pickles?!? I’m not so sure about this…”, and then we’d be all “But it’s so delicious!”, and then they’d politely take two bites before giving up and filling up on potato chips.

While the cuy is probably something I’ll never try again, I did my best to eat it out of gratefulness.

You see, prior to eating the generous lunch they had prepared for us, we had toured an early stimulation center for children under the age of five. We were seated around a table that had been assembled with a few stools that had four large pieces of plywood precariously balanced over the top. The teacher informed us the community needed money to provide furniture that was not only functional, but also safe for the children who used this classroom.

Adorable kids from the community in their classroom.

This poverty-stricken community had pooled their money and resources to honor us with their very best — a celebratory meal featuring the national delicacy. They easily could have put that money towards a table for the classroom, but instead, chose to honor us by sharing a very special meal.

This truly summarizes the people of Ecuador. Warm, hospitable, and generous beyond belief. The cuy I ate that day may not have agreed with my taste buds, but it was easily one of the best meals I’ve ever taken part in.

So, while I now must admit there are now two foods I’m not too fond of, I feel very lucky to have eaten that rodent.

Because that rodent was prepared with love.

(Talk about sentences you never thought you would type.)

Let’s just say I’ll never look at a pet guinea pig the same way again. In a good way.

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In other news….the winner of the Best Book Ever Giveaway is commenter #4, Kelly! Congratulations Kelly! I’ll be contacting you with further details

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Guest Post: A New Zealand Style Meltdown

Produce Anxiety

I never agreed to this.

Contrast ³

This may come as a huge surprise, but I’ve decided to swap my Louis Vuitton bag (also known as the handbag of shame and manipulation) for this bad boy from Target for the next six days.

Yes…it’s totally a satchel.

Believe it or not, I actually let Scott pick it out. He’s since informed me that he would do a million joyful jumping jacks if I got rid of Louis and toted this guy around on a full-time basis.

He’s also made it known that he’d like me to buy a pair of Chuck Taylors, start wearing hoodies from American Apparel, and get more in touch with my “earthy side”.

I didn’t have the heart to explain to him that I don’t really have an earthy side. Although deep down, I’m sure he already knows that. He’s simply in denial and has resorted to buying me satchels as a last-ditch coping mechanism.

But here’s the part where I break down and admit it: the Target bag is starting to grow on me. It’s comfy to wear, the neutral fabric goes with just about anything, and it’s capable of holding my usual supplies with additional space for my iPad, my camera and 19 tubes of lip gloss.

Yes, I’ve been known to carry around 19 tubes of lip gloss. You know…for emergencies.

But back to the bag — I’m starting to think of it as pretty great addition to my accessories closet. It’s durable, practical, and most importantly, it was under $20.

Why on earth would I desire such a bag?

Because I’m going to South America! In fact, as you’re reading this, I’m probably mid-air on a flight to Quito, Ecuador, where I’ll be spending the next week.

I’ve mentioned the trip many times on the blog (including all of the shots I needed to get in preparation for my travels), but I haven’t really explained why I’m going, or how this adventure came to be.

Here’s the scoop: I’m traveling to Ecuador with World Vision, a Christian non-profit organization that does all kinds of incredible work, but is probably most well-known for their child sponsorship program.

Did you know Scott and I each sponsor a child?

This is Solomon…he’s a 9-year-old boy living in Kenya that I am so thrilled to be sponsoring.

Solomon loves to play soccer. He’s good at math and helps baby sit his younger siblings.

And this is Belinda. She’s the nine-year-old girl Scott sponsors who lives in Zimbabwe.

Belinda helps out by washing the dishes. She loves all types of ball games and her best subject in school is studying her national language.

Sponsoring these kids has been such a blessing. A life-changing experience for us, and hopefully for them as well. It’s more than just a meaningful way to give, it’s about fostering a special connection, a relationship with your sponsored child.

The great thing about sponsoring a child through World Vision is that you not only are helping the child you’ve chosen to sponsor, you’re also helping to benefit their entire community. Their parents, siblings, neighbors, friends, teachers…everyone! Sponsorship helps bring clean water, nutritious food, health care, education, spiritual nurture and so much more to these children and their families for only $35 a month.

Thirty-five dollars.

Such a small amount, yet it’s enough to change (and in some cases save) lives.

That’s less than a date night with Scott would cost.

Less than a tank of gas.

And way less than that new pair of shoes at Nordstrom that I really don’t need.

Yet its impact is so incredibly significant–a concept that never fails to completely blow my mind.

People always ask me if sponsorship is real. My answer?

It’s absolutely real! In fact, it’s the entire reason for this trip!

I won this trip as part of a contest at World Vision. For each friend or family remember you could get to sponsor a child, you would earn one entry in a drawing to “see sponsorship in action”. I was able to help six friends and family members decide to become sponsors, and much to my surprise, was selected at random as the lucky winner!

While in Ecuador, I’ll be visiting four different communities that are benefiting from sponsorship. I’ll get to meet sponsored children, hear their stories, and see the way World Vision sponsors have been able to help in transforming their lives, and their communities.

I’m also expecting to come face to face with some very sobering stories. I know I don’t have to explain to you that as Americans, we are so incredibly shielded from the extreme, devastating poverty that runs rampant through many other parts of the world. I don’t have to explain it to you, because you already know. But chances are, you often times forget.

I know I forget. Almost every single day.

As I scroll through this blog post, I see a photo of me, posing in my comfortable bedroom with my new handbag that I’m joking about because it wasn’t very expensive and certainly isn’t glamorous.

And then I see an excessively indulgent pile of lip gloss that has to be worth at least $150.

And then I see their beautiful faces.

Two precious children who have too little, while I have too much.

Two precious children who not so long ago, may not have had access to basic essentials such as clean water, nutritious food, and necessary medical care.

Two precious children that quite possibly see more hardship in one single day than I will witness in my entire life.

The contrast between my frivolous, selfish photos and their sweet little faces makes me feel disgusted with myself.

And I should feel that way.

But I also feel inspired.

Inspired to remind myself and others that true joy does not come from having the best handbag or the funniest blog.

Inspired to live a life that is about people, not about things.

Inspired to realign my priorities.

Inspired because there so much more that I can do to help.

But I don’t just want to talk the talk. I want to walk the walk.

Which is why I’m sharing this video from World Vision with you. I truly hope that you’ll do more than just watch and feel joyful. I hope that you’ll watch and feel inspired. Inspired to commit just $35 a month to literally changing the life of a child.

Pretty incredible, right?

We’re just getting started. Want to join us? Sponsor a child today, and become part of something that’s so much bigger than its $35 a month price tag.

********

Changing gears, I’ll be returning home this Saturday. In the mean time, I’ve scheduled daily posts and even have a few surprise guest bloggers! And of course, I can’t wait to update you with the details of my trip once I return. Have a great week, blog friends!

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