Lifeworks posts

My mom suggested (quite brilliantly) that it would be a good idea to post the blogs that I wrote for our group blog on here, for you all to read. The url, if anyone is curious about the rest (which are kind of disorganized) is http://www.lifeworks-international.com/blogs/allblogs.php?k=07updates&page=2&id=311. Wow.

Whitewater Rafting! 21 Jun 2009

Author: Rachael (writing as Sherlock Poirot)
Location: Rio Toachi and Blanco
Today started like any other day - a hot cup of java and a quick scan of the newspaper. I wuz lookin' for this dame, I think Cher's the name, who'd been kidnapped out her families noses. I wuz told it would be a doozy, but when I realized I'd be looking for her at the bottom of class 4 white water rapids, the whole story got a mite stranger. I was game, for a higher price. The fam threw lunch in the deal, and I was in. Too bad they couldn't 'a told me 'bout the treachery of my boatmates - we flew over a big swell and it pushed me out. Sure I was drowning, my only thought was, "I hope I still get paid."

Beaten, Bloodied, and Beaming 3 Jul 2009

Author: Rachael
Location: Rio Napo, Amazon
There's a certain amount of irony in not having water in the rainforest. Really. But, I suppose since it was at the end of the day, I shouldn't complain about my not-a-shower until the end of the post.

It was a dark and stormy night...

Like usual.

Then we woke up.

Also, like usual.

I will admit to skipping breakfast. I said the food would make me nauseous, which was technically true, but it was also true that I was tired, and had finally gotten comfortable in this darned humidity.

When Megan and Michi came back to the room, I heard our "facilitators" had been arguing about who would have to stay behind if I was still sick. Needless to say, I was immediately, if unhappily, guilted into attendance, at whatever cost. Hector told us the night before that our outing would include a hilly hike before lunch and a delightful day of being further squashed by the infinitely superior football skill of small children we were constantly at risk of squishing under our big toes. The largest kid barely came up to my elbow, but kicked harder than a mule with a mosquito on its bum. And for whatever reason, they always aim their kicks at our body parts...today alone, Christine, Tierney, and Calder were all tripped, my not-tan calves were turned purple from bruises, and Adam was quite dramatically (and effectively, in terms of defending the goal) emasculated.

I suppose I skipped a bit. You know, that whole hilly part I mentioned, during which I learned that light blue t-shirts show sweat extremely effectively, mud has almost no traction, and my basket-weaving skills leave something to be desired, not to mention that I need to run some more stairs, since the trek up to the treehouse deck at the peak of our hike left me more than breathless, and it was taken at a far slower pace than the one at which Monsieur Robert usually drives me. To be honest, it was a bit of a letdown. We climbed up the whole bloody tree to see one bird (which I actually couldn't find) and listen to Eddie ask Emily what she thought would happen if termites ate through the boards we stood on. Hearing that the second group of mock-birdwatchers saw a plethora (I've been wanting to use that word in a real sentence since the 5th grade!) of birdfowl that appeared immediately after we left confirmed that the group literature discussion at the bottom of the tree was definitely the best part of the pre-lunch day.

Returning to Sumak Alpa and the mahhhhvelous time we had hanging out with small, cute soccer pros - it's definitely worth mentioning that everyone in our group can now shoot a traditional blowgun and throw traditional spears, if poorly. Hector is really really ridiculously good at using such violent implements, but he did hunt when he was younger. Granted, this is the same guy who claimed that he carried around a machete to discipline our group, and that the claws he wore around his neck were his mother-in-law's fingernails, so who knows.

The day ended with a delightfully extensive "appreciation" session, which culminated in a group guffaw at Eddie's shrieking cackle. I don't know whether I'm disappointed to leave the beauty and novelty of the Amazon, not to mention the simple magnificence of actually being in such a legendary place, or whether I'm just delighted to be leaving the humidity and the bloody freaking tarantulas, and the tiny, evil mosquitoes. It will be nice to shower with water again, too. For a rainforest, there is a lot of emphasis on the lack of fresh water. Ironic, then, that my dysfunctional shower forced me to bathe with bottled water. Tomorrow is another day. At least I'm clean, if not totally rinsed, and if all goes according to plan, I will be flying back to Quito tomorrow afternoon with a brand new machete in my backpack. See you soon, mom and dad!

It is time.

I'm finally responding to the countless familial (irritated) requests for pictures.

In chronological order, I shall begin with our arrival the first night, and the tour of Quito, keeping in mind that pictures I post are not always taken by me. Thanks to Michi, Christine, Megan, Calder, Dan, and Roberto, from whom I will be stealing more than a few snapshots.

Pictorals!

I'm in the mountains. And I can't breathe. And it's worth it.

Written Sunday, 5 July, 2009, on a computer that doesn't like blogger.com.

I'm in the mountains. And I can't breathe. And it's worth it. Every single second is beauty personified, I'm buying more alpaca sweaters than any one person (or 4-5, to be more accurate) could sweat through in their life, the views are breathtaking, and I woke up this morning to a gorgeous sunrise. The altitude is severely impairing my movement skills, since what little fitness I had has gone out the "we're 10,000 feet in the air" window. Still, the hike we did today was awe-inspiring, and riding in the back of produce trucks as they bounce down cracked dirt roads was an experience in and of itself. Considering the whole of my trip over the last, oh, 17 days, is it already?, I have decided to give all who read this a little insight into my experiences by way of personalized notes. Enjoy :]

To Mamaw,

My gorgeous tree of life/tomorrow has not left my neck once since you bought it for me, save for during the two minutes I ran through security at SeaTac Airport...none of the Ecuadorian metal detectors even notice.

To Gramma Joan,

On that same note, I did in fact beep and get pulled over going through security at SeaTac, so I think we can say for sure that their security is irrationally tight. More seriously, I certainly inherited your travel bug, and the incredible experiences you've had constantly inspire me to seek more out of my time here, and make me more and more excited for the adventures I have yet to experience. I also thank you truly and profoundly for the gear you bought me - it's serving me extremely well, and certainly easing my way as I travel.

To Gramma Yvette,

I have made sure to spit from every relevant height I come to, including off the edge of a beach into white water rapids (into which I had earlier fallen), off the top of a massive Amazonian hardwood tree, off more than one clunky Ecuadorian transport, and from the top of the Andes Mountains onto the most beautiful view I have ever witnessed.

To Gramma-Gramma,

Every haggling skill you ever taught me was put to best use in the Zumbahua marketplace yesterday, dragging the price of lovely handknit alpaca sweaters down from $20 to $12, for example...now, if only you'd taught me Spanish, too, I'd not need to drag Michi along as translator!

To Tutu,

I walked through an Andean market yesterday. Eddie asked for help finding a reasonably-priced shawl for his grandmother, and knowing how well you could have sewn the garments there gave me incentive to view the quality with a more critical eye.

To Papa,

Every moment I was in the Galapagos, I was thinking of you and how much the incredible atmosphere of the islands reminded me of Hawai'i, and also of how much I can't wait to go there with you. To that end, I'd love to come back here to the Andes with you - we could hike slowly together, luxuriating in the intense views and sitting in the hot tub to chat. (Gramma can't come - she'd hate the cold :] )

To Momma,

I have missed you CONSTANTLY, and never moreso than when I was goofing off and just enjoying life, whether it be trying to not fall out of our canoes in the Amazon or finding every flimsy excuse to pick up and pet the tortoises at the Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos. My mommy-sickness was particularly acute, too, when I got sick, and longed for you to pet my head and bring me Gatorade. I made a playlist on my iPod to listen to while I slept that reminded me of you, and I can't wait to come home and see you.

To Daddy,

With the friends I have made, I've had conversations about everything from physics to Bioshock, and every conversation reminds me of you, and how much delight I can find just by being around you and spending time with you, whether it be by video games, chatting, or just periodically sneaking a glance at your computer screen over your back in the office. I've bought you every interesting turtle and tortoise I can find, and I can promise you that I tried very hard to smuggle out a baby for you to raise, but they're distressingly organized at the research center...but you still scored :]

To Grampa Steve,

I must be honest - I have not yet cracked either of the two books from you that I brought on this trip, but more than anything else, that's a testament to how interesting everything has been. Besides, since I'm constantly trying to find to sneak in some reading, I am always thinking of you and how much you'd appreciate the amazing things I'm seeing. There are also more than a few people in my group who could use some banging over the head with the Scepter of Truth, but I'm trying to hold my temper, and laugh at them silently like I know you'd tell me.

Ahhhh right...also, since you collect knives...well, it's not really a knife...I bought you a machete in the Amazon.

To Grampa Dan,

As I trek through this magical land and consider the ways my horizons have been broadened and my perspectives are shifting, I hope beyond hope that I can one day emulate the magnificence of the life you have lead, and I hope that perhaps I can find something in myself worth writing down, as you do so well.

Much love to all, and I'm absolutely delighted to be home now, where I can FINALLY post this in the comfort of my own squishy desk chair - the flights home were agonizingly long, and I almost missed my connection from LAX to Seattle, but all is well, and I've slept so well the last few nights that you might call it blessed.

Signing off, and most likely staying that way until I finish solidifying the rest of my year,

Egg

Back "home."

Greetings from back in Quito, Ecuador! I (we) arrived with a heavily diminished supply of clean clothes and a heavily increased supply of bug bites. I cannot tell you how delightful it was to walk into the Hostal Posada del Maple, drop my bags on the floor, flop onto the couch, and look up at a completely tarantula-free ceiling. I will not miss the bugs, nor the humidity, but the simple majesty of the area was simply breathtaking. Example: just being on the river itself was awe-inspiring - the movies really don´t capture the sheer massive width of the Amazonian rivers...and we weren´t even on the Amazon itself. The Rio Napo did not disappoint, and I couldn´t have asked for a more satisfying experience of the Amazon. My Spanish is even now improving! Granted, I´m starting from zero, but still, it´s really cool. I would recommend checking out my blog post on the lifeworks blog (http://www.lifeworks-international.com/blogs/allblogs.php?id=311) for more details, since I´m wimping out on my narrative skills right now.

I will admit that the people in the group are rapidly separating themselves into the people I do and do not like, but overall I´m truly enjoying the whole experience.

Ecuador is bloody MAGIC! It´s so cool here!

More later, and much love,

Signing off,

Egg