I saw from one of my recent comments that I haven’t talked as much as I should have about my internship, so I’ll talk a little more about it (thanks Mark!).

My internship took place at the Catholic university in Quito and was first billed as a women’s rights internship, but became more geared towards human rights in general. I helped and observed students working in the Centro de Derechos Humanos at the university. They worked with faculty, mostly lawyers or students interested in law, and the organization was offered as a pro bono service, which is great for the community, as many people are poor and can’t afford council during cases. The center was also associated with a civil office which dealt with many different cases. Another girl living in my host family house, Stephanie, helped in that office and dealt with many divorce cases there.

We took cases and spoke to clients in the Centro de Derechos Humanos who believed their rights had been violated. One case that took place while I was there was for a man who had due process issues after being accused and tried for illegally trafficking immigrants.

Another case the center took in the past dealt with fumigation issues between Ecuador and Columbia which violated international laws. I learned a lot while I was there, even when the internship was cut short when students began summer break. I also was able to observe a mediation while I was there, which was very interesting.

I really enjoyed my time there and hope you have enjoyed my blog! If you have any further questions about my time, feel free to ask!

Until next time,

Megan

I spent my weekend in Baños, a city about a three and a half hour bus ride from Quito. I was supposed to leave with the students I went with to Otavalo, but there was a mix up and while I was getting money at the ATM they headed for the Trolebus to go to the bus station. My host mother was very helpful and put me on the right bus to go the station and take a bus to Baños, but the ride was somewhat lonely.

I checked into a hostel when I got to Baños and walked around a little Saturday afternoon, and as luck would have it I found my friends right before they went on a tour through the cascades! It was such a relief to find them and not spend my time in Baños by myself. The tour itself was fun because the road on the tour is right on the edge of these cliffs, so sometimes the road would be only inches from a plunge down hundreds of feet into the trees and river!

We went in a small green pulley car across the river, and it was fun but scary. The rocks, trees and river were very far below us, so you can imagine our excitement and fear when we went across and back! We also got to see people jump off this bridge with bungee cords attached to them. It was like bungee jumping, but the cord wasn’t elastic. It looked fun but I wasn’t brave enough to try it. At the end of the tour, we walked about a mile downhill to a waterfall, and when we headed up it was pretty dark. After the tour, it was getting late, so the other students went to their hostel to change into swimsuits while I canceled my room at my hostel, called Plantas y Blanco, and moved into theirs, as they had extra beds in one of the rooms.

We went to the hot springs pools for a little bit, which was fun even with the crowd that gathered at the pools, and then returned to the hostel, called La Chiminea, to change and find somewhere to eat. The eight of us met up with a group of three, led by our friend Myriam from Holland, who had been at Otavalo the previous weekend, and found a restaurant willing to serve us just as it was about to close. We had a good night enjoying the food and each other’s company. One of the people in the smaller group, Stan, was interesting to talk to at dinner, as he had traveled all over the world and was going to travel the rest of South America for the next few months. After dinner, our larger group parted ways with the smaller one and went to bed.

The next day, we had breakfast at our hostel, which was really, really good! Then we decided what we wanted to do for the day and to leave Baños for Quito between 5 and 6 p.m. I went with two other girls, Sara and Sarah, to do horseback riding and later find a spa to get massages. The horseback riding was not very expensive and our guide was very nice. Not only did we get to travel on horseback into the mountains, but at one point we got off our horses, tied them to a tree, and went across a river in this small swing! It was fun but definitely a surprise! After that, we went up in a really high tree house, which was scary to me because I am afraid of heights, and then went on a smaller wooden swing, which was fun.

After we came back into town on the horses, we went to find a spa and relax our sore muscles. We stopped at one spa, but they didn’t have time to do all three of us for massages, but they recommended a spa called Huellas Massage just up the street. The owner was American and had moved with his wife, a native Ecuadorian from Cuenca, from the U.S. to Baños about a year before. They had met in Ecuador when he was visiting family and decided later to open their own spa in Baños. Sarah, who was from Canada, wanted to get a full body massage and a facial, and Sara, who was from Sweden, and I wanted to get just full body massages. The owner had no trouble having the women who work at the spa see us, and the massage was very relaxing (and affordable)! I had never had a full body massage, but was really satisfied. As Sara and I waited for Sarah to finish up her facial, the owner gave us freshly cut roses. I was really happy with the spa and definitely think that if you have the time, you should go to Baños and hit up that spa!

My time in Baños was a lot of fun, even after the mix up with the rest of my group. Given this past weekend was my last full one in Ecuador, I had a lot of fun but wish it wouldn’t have gone by so fast!

My remaining days in Ecuador will be spent in Quito seeing the parts of the city I have not yet seen. I have enjoyed my internship and learning about human rights in this country, but being one of the first people doing a human rights internship through AIDE, I definitely have some suggestions to improve the program in the future. The students I met at PUCE, the Catholic university where I had my internship, were very nice and understanding and share a passion for human rights that, I hope, will take them far. The Center for Human Rights at PUCE has taken on a lot of different cases, from violations of international law to disputes in an individual’s judicial process, and continues to tackle the issue of human rights in this country. It was very interesting to see the impact on the local and national community such an organization, and related organizations throughout Quito and Ecuador, has had on laws and daily life. I hope I can use the knowledge I have gained here in the remainder of my time at my university and beyond.

            This weekend was a lot of fun. I went with four other students from all over the world – from Montreal and Sweden, to Arizona and Florida – to Otavalo. It is a great indigenous town with a rich history that is known for its markets, particularly its Saturday markets. We took a bus from Quito on Saturday to Otavalo. The bus ride took about three hours and the bus stopped along the way to pick up more people heading in that direction. We arrived at Otavalo in the afternoon and browsed the market for good deals and great souvenirs to take home. We stayed in the Hotel Otavalo, and it was definitely worth it. With nice beds and breakfast included in the price, we were sold!

            That night, we ventured around Otavalo a little and ran into another student, Kelly, which Heather, the student from Florida, knew from when Kelly stayed with her host family for a night in Quito. We ate at a restaurant and talked about our lives, our time in Ecuador so far and our plans for the next day, and finally went to bed around 11.

            The next morning, Hotel Otavalo did not disappoint us with its breakfast. Pineapple juice, orange juice, coffee, bread, and eggs were among the things four of us consumed while the student from Arizona, Andre, slept in. Later, we went back to the market, which was much smaller on a Sunday morning than the popular Saturday market is, but it still had great deals and a large selection. I found some good gifts for friends and family, as well as some things for myself, and afterwards met up with the students to go back to the hotel, pack up and check out before heading to Lago Cuicocha, a beautiful lake located in a crater about 45 minutes from Otavalo. We met up with four other students, and our big group took a bus to Quiroga, a town not far from Lago Cuicocha, and then from there hopped in the bed of a truck to drive up to the lake. The drive up was fun, with the wind whipping our hair and us waving at the locals we passed as they trekked on foot, on motorcycles or also in trucks with standing room only.

            Lago Cuicocha was very pretty, and it was fun seeing the locals because there was a festival going on in this indigenous region, and so we saw some song and dance. The lago was very pretty and peaceful; it was well preserved with mountains and trees on all sides, and some islands in the middle of it. If it weren’t for the power lines and the dock housing boats which people could ride on to tour the lake, it would look like something out of the TV show Lost!

            After we took some pictures and decided what to do next, our group followed a narrow dirt trail up to a restaurant that overlooks the lake. The view was great and the service at the restaurant was good too. Later, we took another truck down to Quiroga, rode a bus back to Otavalo, and then our smaller group of five parted ways with the other students at the terminal, taking a bus back to Quito, which ended up being a much shorter ride than the ride to Otavalo.

            I had a really good time and hope anyone deciding to visit Ecuador considers going to Otavalo and Lago Cuicocha. You definitely won’t regret your time there!

            Until next time,

            Megan

On Saturday, I spent the morning in Old Town and returned to my host family’s home for lunch. Then later I went to Mariscal, the tourist district, and made it just in time to the Internet café Papaya.net for the rain to kick in. It was nice just relaxing, ordering a drink and talking to people online.

Today was more exciting, as four other students and I went to the Mitad del Mundo! It was a lot of fun. I bought some postcards to try to send home, to my grandparents in Canada, and to my boyfriend stationed in South Korea. Mitad del Mundo’s stores were more pricey than some I have seen around, so when I visit Otavalo I plan to get more souvenirs. The postcards were very nice, though; they came in a 10 for $1 pack so I was sold on the bargain! It was also fun going with people I had never met and who had traveled far and wide in their lifetimes, from Lisbon to Tanzania to Greece to many other places! The stories shared were really interesting.

The internship is going well at the Catholic university here in Quito. The students are very nice and have a lot of knowledge about human rights in Ecuador. My internship is more geared towards human rights rather than women’s rights, but this allows me to see a wide range of cases I did not expect to be related to human rights. I believe in Ecuador the definition of human rights is broader than in the United States, and the younger generations being more progressive help to bring about more awareness than past generations. It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming weeks I am here.

That’s all for now! I will update again soon.

-Megan

Here are some of the highlights from my time here thus far:

• I got on the wrong bus Tuesday to go to my internship, and was wayyy south of where I should have been. I saw a man walking some goats by the side of the road and some cows grazing in a pasture between houses.
  
• I went to the Ecuador vs. Argentina football game Wednesday, and it was awesome! Though it rained a lot, Ecuador beat Argentina 2-0!
• Everything with my internship is going a lot better, and while my Spanish speaking skills are far from fluent, I’m understanding more the longer I am here.
  
• The meal times were hard to adjust to, but I’m finally getting there!
• Someone tried to pick my pockets when I was on the trolley back from Old Town on Monday, but there was nothing for them to get.

I will post pictures soon! If you have any questions or comments, please put them in the comments section!

Until next time,

Megan

Well, that’s it for Day One, I wonder what other adventures I will go on?

Misconception #1: “Oh, you’re going to have to convert your money into their currency before you go, aren’t you?”

Reality: Ecuador has been using American currency since 2000 when the inflation rates of the Ecuadorian sucre were crazy and more stable currency was necessary (at the end of the use of the sucre, 25,000 sucres equaled 1 US dollar). So I won’t have to convert money at all, but use gool ol’ U.S. greenbacks!

Misconception #2: ”It’s going to be so hot there! Be sure to pack shorts and tank tops!”

Reality: The temperature in the Andes Mountains where Quito lies is actually fairly constant and cool. A dry season occurs June through September and is considered summer, whereas October through May is the wet season and is considered winter. That doesn’t mean, however, Quito doesn’t experience rain in the summer; the forecast this whole week for Quito has been overcast and rainy!

Also, shorts and tank tops would not be considered appropriate attire for Quito! Ecuador is a conservative country, due to the religious and social history, so an outfit like that considered summer wear in the United States might be offensive and would also cause me to stick out as a non-native. Granted, my Spanish speaking skills might do that on their own, but the less I attract attention the better!

Misconception #3: ”You could just bring a lot of big bills, like $20’s and $50’s, while you’re there. I’m sure they can take them.”

Reality: The cost of transportation and food in Ecuador is lower than in the US, so smaller bills are more appropriate. In some areas, it can even be difficult to find change for a $10! Bringing plenty of smaller bills is important, but big bills aren’t completely useless; if I needed smaller bills in Quito for a day trip to, say, Otavalo (one of my many stops while I’m there!) or for around town, there are many banks that could make change if the stores can’t. 

Misconception #4: ”You’re going to have to adjust to the time zone there since it’s farther west than St. Louis. I bet it’s different than where you live.”

Reality: That might be true for some people, but right now my US time zone (CST) is the same as the time zone in Ecuador (called ECT for Ecuador Time) because of Daylight Savings Time. So while I would have to adjust if I lived somewhere else, right now I’ll only have to acclimate to the altitude change. 

***

Well, that’s really all I’ve got for now. If I think of more I’ll add them in the comments

My flight leaves tomorrow! I can’t believe it’s already here! I can’t wait to be there, but I’m so nervous too. I haven’t had the proverbial “forgetting the entire foreign language you’ll be using for a month” dream yet, but there’s always tonight!

I think the best thing about planning this trip is I began the research fairly late in the game (late to me, at least, but then again I’m VERY Type A haha), but in the end it all worked out. Oh sure, there were a few more hoops to jump through than if I were studying abroad through my university, but not too many more. It was a bit more leg work and questioning on my own, but I’m really happy with my decision. Like I’ve said to people before, if you really want to go abroad but can’t find the time during the conventional school year, research and read as much as you can about alternative programs before taking the plunge. I’m glad I did!

That’s all for now. Time to pack and organize some more!

-Megan

My host family is interesting and while I don’t have more than names, number of people living in the house and approximate ages, the little piece of the puzzle I got today makes me even more excited to go. I am staying at the home of the Najas family. My host mom is named Susana and her childrens’ names are Lilian, Susana and Ernesto, who are grown up. The family also has two Ecuadorian students living with them. I really can’t wait to meet them in two weeks!

My program site is at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE) and I will be working Monday through Friday while I’m in Quito. Looking at Google Maps, PUCE isn’t very far from my host family’s street (probably about 1-2 miles), so I hope transport to the site doesn’t take very long each day! In Quito, public transport is easily accessible so taking a taxi or the bus to the site will be easier and probably safer than walking, not only because I won’t know where I’m going but I have no idea what to expect on the sidewalks in my neighborhood!

Well, I shall let you all go now. If you have any suggestions for what to see in Quito or experience, leave a comment! I really appreciate the ones I’ve gotten so far! Bye all!

From around the time I knew where I was going for my internship, I looked online for money belts. Most of them looked nice enough but I wanted to see one in person before buying it online. So last week I went to a travel store at the mall where I live and found the last tan one of the brand the store was using. The woman who showed me what they had said they were switching brands and so the tan one they had was the last one. There was a black one but I chose the tan money belt instead. It’s basically like a flat fanny pack with two pockets. I think it will work pretty well. I’ll put a picture of it up (provided Word Press cooperates haha).

My money belt for the trip!

[If you click the link above it will go to my album in Picasa. This is the best way I know how to link photos in here, but if I find a better way I'll try it!]

It still hasn’t really hit me that this trip is very, very soon. I leave in 15 days! So much is going on before I leave. I’m going to a conference in Tuscon this weekend and am playing violin for a wedding next weekend, so I’m sure once those are done it will hit me harder that I’m almost on my way! I have lots more to do for the trip before I go. I’ve decided today while I’m at my job at the bookstore I’ll buy a map of Quito and a pocket Moleskine journal so I can keep vital information close at hand while I’m there. To me, writing down what I need to know and keeping it close by in case I get lost in Quito or need to find something will be really important, and the small Moleskine will be the best route to go. The map, of course, will be helpful too.

Ok, I have more I need to get done around the house before work tonight. I’ll write again soon!