Coast Life

Don't worry, we're still alive (but barely... I'll explain later). I'm sorry it's been awhile, ever since we left Quito, internet has been harder to find, and our days have been jam-packed, but we decided it was past-time to fill you in on our time on the coast.

We spent our last couple of days in Quito finishing our rock mosaic project for the orphanage. It turned out great, so everyone's nervousness was calmed (especially ours- we didn't want to destroy the monument!). Then, last Tuesday morning, we packed up for our expedition to the coast. We had to say some hard goodbyes to the kiddos and to our friends. It was especially sad saying bye to Andrea, who won't be there when we visit before flying out in December. Then, we once again lugged our huge packs down to the side of the road. Crunched for time to catch the bus to Mindo, we got the taxi driver to speed through the traffic and hopped on the bus at the last second (typical). It was 2 hours to Mindo (a town on the way to the coast) and when we got there we dropped our stuff in a hostel room, with one small bed, right on the river. We immediately headed out for the zip-lining course at the top of a long mountain road. The 10-cable course through the jungle was awesome, and some gorgeous toucans were flying through the trees with us. (We have to do some touristy stuff ya know?) After that, we headed back to the hostel and were playing some Spanish

Scrabble when we met a 23-yr-old traveler from Portland named Sam. We spent the whole night with him, eating our first pizza in forever, and swapping stories. He had been living in Panama working on a forest ecology project for the last year. He was also a biology student, and he and I went on-and-on about different projects and interests; Jenna was having a blast I'm sure. That night, Jenna and I crammed into the tiny bed, covered ourselves with the huge mosquito net, and fell asleep to the sound of the river outside.

The next morning, to start off my last day of being 22 we took some river-showers, said bye to Sam, and hopped on a series of buses to the coast. The trek to the coast was very different; all along the way were tiny villages of shabby houses, lots of palm and banana trees, and more and more darker and taller people,

naturally. We got to the town of Atacames just in time for sunset, and, for the first time in my life, I saw the ocean. To put it lightly, it is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and literally the largest birthday present I've ever received. Jenna and I spent the entire next day walking and running the beach, swimming, and rescuing beached blow-fish. I couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday. Oh, and did I mention we made friends with two awesome Ecuadorian surfers? They met us on the beach and showed us their favorite hang-outs, took us to watch a game of beach soccer, taught us how to salsa, and then spent that night celebrating my birthday with us. Jenna and I ordered a drink called the “Cucaracha” to start off the night. Cucaracha is spanish for cockroach, and it seemed fitting since we found one in our hostel room that day.

Not knowing what to expect, we winced when the bartender brought over a bowl of tequila on fire. We just looked at each other and laughed as the bartender showed us how to put out the flame and put in two straws for us. Weird, but hilarious. Also that night, 3 older Colombian men tried to sing happy birthday to me in broken English, which I wish I could have recorded. The whole night was very fun, and a great way to start off our time on the coast, and of course my 23rd year.

The next day, Jenna and I packed up once more (we've moved camp about 6 times in 7 weeks now- I cannot believe we've been here that long!). We took a motorcycle “ecotaxi” 10 minutes south to the town of Sua, which people told us was a much more chill town. It probably would have been, if it wasn't, very fittingly, the weekend of the town's birthday party. We met two other Ecuadorian surfers, Jonathan and Bernardo from Sua, and spent all last weekend celebrating with them and all the locals (including attending a ceremonial crowning of the “Reina de Sua”= Queen of Sua). This past week, the guys also took us dancing,  gave us some beginner surf lessons, and introduced us to all their friends and family. They are two of the most fun-loving, easy-going people I've ever met. They both have huge, dark, curly hair, and are known

around the town for it. Bernardo lives in a stilted shack in a part of town called the “Mangar” known for its mango trees. When we first went over there, we were introduced to someone who was soon to become one of mine and Jenna's favorite people in the world: a 33-yr-old Englishman named Anthony. He's been living with Bernardo for the past three months learning Spanish and volunteering in Atacames with kids. He is thee funniest person, and doesn't let barely knowing Spanish, or his British accent, get in the way of talking to everyone he sees. The entire town is in love with this guy. His plan was similar to ours: to stay in Sua for a day or two, but we've all fallen victim to the charm of the town and it's people. Anthony now plans to stay for another month until Christmas, and Jenna and I have been living on this gorgeous small stretch of the Pacific coast for over a week now. Us and the 3 boys have been traveling to other beaches nearby to check out the waves and experience the culture. (One afternoon we spent the day at Jonathan's sister's house on an island with sandy roads and cows meandering through yards and ate fried tuna caught that day. Her house consists of 2 small rooms, a kitchen, and a hole-in-the-ground bathroom, and her and her husband and 2 daughters were just the happiest people. Talk about eye-opening.)

Jenna and I already know a lot of people in this cozy town. We have a great hostel staff of three older ladies we call the “abuelitas” (little grandmas) who watch out for us and make sure we come home every night. Our other friends include “Batido-man” (Batido=shake, and we buy from him every day and he gives us life talks about enjoying life while we're young), Bernardo's sweet DJ brother, Paul, who threw the best parties at his beach-side bar for the town celebration, and three other Colombians who fed us free snacks and took us for a ride on a huge floating banana out in the ocean.

Today is Jonathan's 23rd birthday (also fitting) and we decided we'd stay for that, and then pack up and leave on tomorrow morning. Life has been so amazing that we can hardly say goodbye. We've gotten to experience a more real side of Ecuadorian culture off the Gringo-path: we've eaten interesting food every night (like ceviche, guava, shellfish, platanos, shrimp pizza, and a bunch of random fruit the guys pick off the trees to snack on), we've practiced Spanish 24/7 (which has improved exponentially since we've met them), and we've spent quality time getting to know friendly people from every walk of life. Also, you can't beat swimming in the ocean every day, while pelicans fly overhead. These 3 guys already feel like family to us, and coastal life has been the best experience yet.  I think we'll both feel ready to get back to volunteering next week, but for now, I can't imagine being in a place where we would learn more. This is a whole other side of Ecuadorian life, and one that's not in the guidebooks. I think that is where the real adventures develop though. Jenna and I are still keeping our pact to do anything and everything that comes our way. Even if at first it seems random, for example, to go to breakfast at someone's house in the jungle who you just met, you might fall into a lifelong friendship and be thanking God for the experiences He puts in your path.

Health update/Why I say were barely alive (or why I'm barely alive, rather):  First of all, I got pretty sick from something the other day, fish maybe, and was puking all night and slept all day yesterday. The abuelitas asked Jenna what was wrong and they were very worried. They gave Jenna some medicine to give me and

made me an Ecuadorian remedy drink called ojita. How adorable are they? We are not going to be able to leave this place... Also, just when I thought I was getting better, we went for an ocean swim today and I got stung pretty bad on my leg by a jellyfish. Not to mention, I got sand in my eye and haven't been able to wear my contact for the past couple days. I just walk around with one eye squeezed shut all the time; the townspeople probably think I'm half blind.

I also want to say thank you to everyone for all the birthday love this past week, it makes it much easier to be here knowing all the support and prayers I have back home. I know this next year as a 23-yr old is going to be a great one. I miss and love you all very much!!

Loving being a beach bum at the end of November,
Renae

Latacunga

Hey ya'll! (Yes, I do think I'm allowed to say ya'll now that I have a friend from Alabama)


What a great couple weeks it's been. As Renae described, we obviously had way too much fun in Banos the other weekend. (Ps I just had to squish the biggest spider we've had yet in Casa Sol... why do they keep getting bigger and bigger?! Ahhhh! U.S. spiders ain't gonna have nothin' on us when we get back) Anyways, ever since an exciting vacation in Banos, we've been back to work with the kiddos.


On Sunday we made our way over to the other branch of FHC, located in Latacunga, about two hours south of Quito. It's a bit of a funny feeling to hop off a random bus on a random corner in a town you've never been to with no one to call and nothing but a hand-drawn map in your hand, but luckily our taxi man was able to decipher the map and get us to the orphanage safely. It's a bit different than the Quito location, because it is mainly kids with severe special needs, some of whom are past the age where they can be adopted. We planned to work only through Wednesday, but quickly realized that wasn't going to be enough time. The site is absolutely gorgeous, the Tia's are so helpful and so appreciative, and the kids.... we fell in love FAST, that's all I have to say. Although we were both a bit intimidated going into it because of the big special needs factor, we were soon a part of the Latacunga family, and were spending all day every day hanging out, lovin' up on the new cuties in our lives.


Some highlights of the week:
-Renae and I going along with 1 of the tias and 6 of the boys to get haircuts in town one afternoon. Our job was to sit in the van with the 4 that weren't getting their hair cut at the time and make sure no one got into TOO much trouble... but let me tell you it was easier said than done. When your Spanish is less than mediocre, and 5 of the 6 boys have special needs, a half hour jammed into a van can seem very long! But we all survived, and the boys all looked way too adorable with their new haircuts.

 -One of the boys, Josue, is OBSESSED with elephants, and won't let any movie be shown that does not center around them. So we watched the movie The Blue Elephant more times in one week than I care to remember. But whatever makes them happy, I guess! By the last day we had the theme song down and had all the kids shouting it out along with us, although I don't think the Tia's appreciated that part very much.

-We got to celebrate Dia de los Muertos in the 'Cunga, complete with gua-gua's de pan (aka bread babies) and colada morada for everyone. Although us Americans all thought the colada was a bit questionable, it was a great party, and a great way to spend out last morning on site.

-Another long-term volunteer from the Quito location, Andrea, met us there so we did lots of interesting cooking combo's with the food left behind by the last group, and of course played lots of card games.

-Every day we had wonderful afternoon time with nowhere to go and no one to play with since all the kids were napping... aka reading, writing, playing games, cooking, training for the 10k out in the country (it's this coming Sunday, ahhh!), and best of all, NAPS for us too!

-The best part of Renae's week was spending time with Wilma, an 11 year old with cerebral palsy. She is nonverbal and in a wheelchair, but is SUCH a happy, carefree, caring little girl. They struck it off right away, and spent the week cracking up at their inside jokes that sometimes drove the rest of us crazy. (We couldn't hear the elephant movie over the laughing, damn it!)

-I especially loved hanging out with Stalin, chubbiest (and cutest) baby there is, and Christina, who has already acquired a pretty big attitude for a 2 year old. Whenever we tried to scold her with “No asi” she would turn around and scold us back saying “No” with a death glare and her finger pointed. Way too cute to ever be seriously mad at her.

So the days passed easily, happily, and quickly. I wish I could describe the feeling that came over both of us that week. It was extreme contentment in its purest form, and Renae and I both came to the conclusion at the same time: we were in the exact place we were supposed to be, at exactly the right time. There was something about that place and those kids that affected us more than anything else has so far, I think. They were just SO special and wonderful to be around, we wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by them all day, and left the compound I think 3 times the whole week. We were excited to get back to the other kids in Quito, but are already missing the Latacunga gang like crazy, and scheming to find time to go back before our days in Ecuador are up.


Saturday we traveled back to Quito, Sunday we spent with some friends, going out to eat and playing Frisbee in the park above the city. We got talked into eating cuy aka guinea pig, but I didn't end up liking it very much... tasted like fish :/ so I think the one time was enough for me! We also talked crazy Renae into eating the guinea pig eyeball, so that was gross but entertaining. Ever since then we've been back at it at the orphanage, soaking up our last week here before we venture off to the coast.


Some of this week's happenings:
-We happened upon some pot shards on the street on Sunday, and it gave us a project idea for the week... a mosaic path! We had to pass it by the office ladies first, and they seemed pretty hesitant, which we were annoyed at.. didn't they trust us?! But they agreed to let us work some magic on the memorial for Clark Vaughn, the founder who died last year. So we spent a day painting rocks with the kids (Yes, more rock painting. Surprising, I know) and thought we could do it, no problem. We soon found out why the ladies were a bit hesitant.... cement laying is hard work! It was one of those times where we think we can do anything and take on big projects without thinking about if we actually know how to go about it. Luckily, our favorite tia, Tia Jenny, came to the rescue. That woman can literally do anything. So she took us to the store and helped us buy the right material (no it was not what we were thinking at all), fed us some cevichocho (yum), and spent the afternoon teaching us how to mix and lay cement. It was a lot of work, but it turned out great, and I think even the office ladies are impressed. Thank God for Tia Jenny!
                                 

-Our other project of the week has been coming up with little activities to do with some of the older kids in the afternoon to get them out of the house for a bit and to have some one-on-one time. So we've been hosting music classes, rock painting, and bracelet making. And of course, loving every second of it. It can get pretty crazy at times with everyone in Casa Harlow, so it's nice to have a couple kids to yourself and really get to hang out.

 

-We've also been continuing the games every night with Jen and Andrea. We've discovered the game Ticket to Ride, which everyone should own. I love our relaxing nights SO much, and am going to miss the comforts of a cozy, warm apartment filled with games, movies, candy, tea, and people who have become such close friends in such a short amount of time.


So that brings us to this weekend... 5 weeks complete already! Where in the world did the time go?! I know we'll both be super sad to leave, but hopefully the excitement for the adventures to come keeps us from dwelling on it. That's one of my goals for the trip, after all: practice living in the present. I don't want to always be missing something from my past or thinking about things that haven't even happened yet, I want to be alive and aware and in the moment. So bring it on!


Love you all.

J Flynn

Orphan Sunday

Today, November 3rd, is Orphan Sunday. Even if I had known this day existed before now, I can say it definitely means a lot more to me now than it ever would have before. Tomorrow marks a full month down here in Ecuador (crazyyyy, I know!), and the majority of the time so far has been spent with some of the most AMAZING kids, making the orphan crisis in this country seem so very personal. We've met so many precious kids, heard their stories, and our hearts have broken for them time after time. But more importantly, we've gotten to see how much love and life these kids have to offer. Many of the children here have been through more in their few years, or even months, of life than the rest of us have in all of ours, yet they are still so happy and full of affection. It is SO inspiring and perspective-altering to be a part of. 

This is a video we watched in church this morning:

So make sure and say an extra prayer today for all those cuties out there in need of a home. They really do deserve the world. And know that there are a million ways to help, whether it's a prayer, adoption, child sponsorship, some time volunteering, or anything else you can come up with! One cause in particular is pretty close to the heart for us: there is a family in the U.S. who is raising money to be able to adopt a little girl we've gotten to know here in Quito. Here's the link so you can read a little about her story and help them out if you feel the urge!

http://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/-when-will-my-forever-family-come-asks-a-9-year-old-orphan/98457

I also know For His Children is always looking for people to sponsor the kids here both for education and living expenses, so check into that too if you want!

http://www.forhischildren-ecuador.org/get-involved/child-sponsorship-program/

Thanks for reading and we'll try to blog again this week so we can fill you all in on the details from our week at FHC Latacunga... It was crazy fun, I'll tell you that much! 

Have a good week errybody!