Otavalo es muchas bonita

Typing this Saturday evening in Otavalo in my hotel room. Locals are playing music in the restaurant across the street, I would have stayed there except women are not looked on well here out at night alone. Took notes on the bus ride today so I wouldn’t forget the minutae of yesterday, here goes:

Woke up once again with stomach issues, not sure if it is stress from the week and the current volunteer placement or something else but have started Cipro as of this evening. Really sucks on that front so far.

Had oatmeal and toast for breakfast as we didn’t have any tourists at the lodge, thus we get to make our own meals; I preferred it especially for breakfast.

Spent the morning in the garden. Another volunteer has been working on it and tried to get it under control, but she has been up against Luis, the cantankerous elderly gardener that has his own ideas. For example: why give tomatoes support? They can just grow all over the ground, oh and forget pruning. (:

He is actually quite a character and I would imagine is quite lonely as he is in the garden every day by himself, stays during the week in the house out there and only goes home on the weekends. I would talk to myself too if that were the case! I began by weeding and enlisted his help in building a support for two tomato plants that are in a whole bed of cabbage. Luis just likes to throw random plants together. He was quite chatty during this and asked a lot of questions about me. Once he found out how old I was and that I am single he then told me I am old. I didn’t know what word he was saying but then he pointed to himself while saying “like me.” Nice. He is 68.

I pruned what I thought needed pruning, but I am a beginner gardener so I hope I didn’t kill anything! I wish I would have asked more questions in Ireland or read up on gardening as I feel a bit out of my element. With only having limited internet Googling everything is not really an option either.

Lunch was leftovers followed by more orchid cleaning. I am really trying to be positive about this volunteer placement but am having a bit of a hard time. I expected a really eco-friendly lodge with in house researchers, a lot of volunteers, and more structure. It would seem that the lodge is constantly battling with nature and nature is winning. They do have researchers visit occasionally for a weekend or so at a time. Volunteers are very sporadic and the learning is very self directed, i.e. from books. There are more volunteers that are coming this week, but the following two weeks it will be just Michael and I with the local manager who is Spanish speaking only. I think it all comes down to the fact that I am paying for this too, and I am not finding meaning in the work. It seems very overwhelming, and when I leave, there will be no one to continue it. Both of the co-managers are leaving next Friday for ten days, then leaving for good on Sept 1 and as of now there are no replacements.

I do want to be the kind of person who can make the best of anything and try to leave this world better than I found it but this current situation is quite frustrating. I have been chastising myself for not doing more research but after speaking with my Dad today who reminded me that I am in a third world country and I never know what I am going to get, it did make me feel better.
Enough about that, it is what it is for now but I am exploring my options.

Speaking of exploring, I explored the market in Otavalo today, wow was that sensory overload! I bargained with the best of them and came away with a lot of fantastic Christmas presents. There was food on one side and I was brave enough to try rice with potatoes, which seems safe right? At the market everything was being sold, from fresh fruit to pig heads, textiles, dolls, scarves made in China (???), and beautiful jewelry. I felt guilty bargaining but in my guide book it says it is expected, with some of the things I just couldn’t do it. I felt like I was bargaining with people’s livelihoods. As soon as I came back to the hotel I already wished I had bought a couple more items so I may make a day trip up here at the end of my journey.

The bus ride up certainly was interesting we passed miles upon miles of rose farms, all secured with 20 foot tall fences and under plastic polytunnels. Reminded me of this short film I saw on PBS:


Tomorrow I am hiking around the Laguna Cuicocha “Guinea Pig Lake” north of here. It is a crater lake that is gorgeous in pictures with two islands in the middle; apparently those are the guinea pigs. This hike should be interesting as I pulled a classy moment this morning when leaving the lodge at 6 a.m. in the dark and fell down the stairs landing on the head of my right fibula. What did Michael say? “Do you want a picture?”

It is interesting traveling with Michael as all of the shop owners ask if we are married or boyfriend/girlfriend. Apparently it is not typical to travel with the opposite sex as friends here. He and I discuss frequently how traveling with people is enjoyable; and that we wish our friends from home would have come along. It makes me miss the ladies I met in Ireland (Erin & Allison!) such kindred spirits. To be contrary though, I do love the sense of independence that traveling solo brings, but on the other side is the loneliness that creeps in like spiders in the bathroom.

Dinner tonight was rice with veggies, I felt bad but couldn’t but eat half of it. A girl can only eat so much rice! They did have salad on the menu, but I am wary as a friend got sick off salad in Peru and it still trying to ditch the unwanted friend that came along with it. Enjoyed. the local cocktail with dinner it is sugar cane alcohol with a berry juice served warm. It was INCREDIBLY strong and I could only sip it. Being a bit chilly in the evening I am sure it is nice in the winters here.

Buenas Noches, thanks for reading.

PS During the typing of this local children started banging on all the hotel doors and running up and down the halls screaming. I yelled out in Spanish to stop which was a mistake as they stood outside my door whistling and yelling in Spanish outside my door. Not sure if they were looking for money to stop or just to aggravate but they left after 15 minutes. It's 10:30!