tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63787365704059285252024-03-20T01:15:11.977-07:00Will's Ecuadorian EscapadesRamblings of a mad vagabond.Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-76386471194719517362013-04-08T03:30:00.001-07:002013-04-08T03:30:48.154-07:00Homecoming KingWell I never got to be the Homecoming King in High School, probably because I never attended a Homecoming Dance. Although for the record I must state that I think if I had really given it an effort I could have at least made it up to Homecoming Duke or something. But finally my talents have been recognized and I can say that in my own special way I am a Homecoming King.<br />
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It is going to be a difficult adjustment coming home after almost eight months in Ecuador. I will have to get used to things like throwing toilet paper in the toilet, not saying "gracias", and using a toothbrush that doesn't fold up. For the past month or so I've been very anxious to leave, not because I don't like Ecuador, but simply because I have been missing a lot of things from home. Now that I'm actually sitting in the airport, beyond the threshold, I have mixed feelings.<br />
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I am now realizing just how much I will miss this place. I've met so many amazing people on my travels, made new friends, gotten to know some of the most wonderful places in the world, and had so many extraordinary experiences. I just can't imagine going back to a normal life at this point. But at the same time I can't wait to get back and see all of my family and friends. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed, get woken up at 5AM by my dogs instead of a rooster, and be able to assume that I won't get typhoid from a glass of water.<br />
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It's quite the emotional blender over here right now, but they're calling my plane, so I suppose I should shut the computer and get ready for a long day of travel. See you all soon!Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-81687239711818190642013-04-08T03:10:00.003-07:002013-04-08T03:10:59.608-07:00Food as ArtThis post is mainly just about a few of my favorite pictures that I've taken here. No surprise that in a country with dramatic landscapes and otherworldly plant and animal life, the thing that I can't stop thinking about is food. It's just so wonderful to live in a place where you have access to just about any fruit the world can offer. Even after eight months here spent working on farms and living in the jungle, I was still learning about new fruits on my last few days in the country.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14oVJ3YOptp6oIDnXHAlSX2rfFpu-lQ2NCTAa1oe5UmH9xlTzeVAgUIyV46aikO-6PI6uD2i4Ujwvn4N9yW61RroEQQYMQxc-blh-9rcBGxNIe_RqYP-v7VAT_JypqPumonIc5Lah2xI/s1600/DSC00685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14oVJ3YOptp6oIDnXHAlSX2rfFpu-lQ2NCTAa1oe5UmH9xlTzeVAgUIyV46aikO-6PI6uD2i4Ujwvn4N9yW61RroEQQYMQxc-blh-9rcBGxNIe_RqYP-v7VAT_JypqPumonIc5Lah2xI/s1600/DSC00685.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close up of lemongrass sugar we made for use in our lemongrass chocolate. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5W75n-Ffwlejl8NZ6EmX_lFySiG83rAji7hF5dptflged_PGbUookFkGStDPGRcoUiA20y6P0_vLZhgsM-1-HngfC5sOYtrlEq7ZD3pgvibMemQE9sG4HJvI44y9bYMh9z09KaFGWnWU/s1600/DSC00701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5W75n-Ffwlejl8NZ6EmX_lFySiG83rAji7hF5dptflged_PGbUookFkGStDPGRcoUiA20y6P0_vLZhgsM-1-HngfC5sOYtrlEq7ZD3pgvibMemQE9sG4HJvI44y9bYMh9z09KaFGWnWU/s1600/DSC00701.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me playing around with our espresso machine.</td></tr>
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My recent stint working in a restaurant/cafe/chocolate factory only got me more excited about the food here, as I had twelve hours a day to explore the offerings here. I am eagerly awaiting my return to the States, but one of the things I will sorely miss is access to fresh lychee, passion fruit, guava, dragonfruit, and countless other delicious fruits on a daily basis. But at least I have some of these beautiful photos to keep the memories alive!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEb-dGgconXzV0Qq-hobxH_4vZsBWWtFLG0hphC3Q3cKdKMc0aVaysVGsXtv0Fhdsx4E4U_ypi-pEhrgt7jfP4OTx1wXe7gwcGGrLfGJaBgOmCAMw7m8_qnF9FJi-qQVCJe2kdVjl1asw/s1600/DSC00719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEb-dGgconXzV0Qq-hobxH_4vZsBWWtFLG0hphC3Q3cKdKMc0aVaysVGsXtv0Fhdsx4E4U_ypi-pEhrgt7jfP4OTx1wXe7gwcGGrLfGJaBgOmCAMw7m8_qnF9FJi-qQVCJe2kdVjl1asw/s1600/DSC00719.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A chocolate and blackberry cake I made for the restaurant.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NmW-jW5nLyxgyOjLUXtdMYd7_aUJLNRITOo9Hwu-zoRpDsQHJY4nHhEQnGcuBErKHPqEOu_-R27WIgx7EgG15P0C-ezZhZo5U0CFXq8ghgbGPsj3AZozU6fMwLjrKc0humxRZK_mYEI/s1600/DSC00602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NmW-jW5nLyxgyOjLUXtdMYd7_aUJLNRITOo9Hwu-zoRpDsQHJY4nHhEQnGcuBErKHPqEOu_-R27WIgx7EgG15P0C-ezZhZo5U0CFXq8ghgbGPsj3AZozU6fMwLjrKc0humxRZK_mYEI/s1600/DSC00602.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These hairy little guys are called Achiotillos, I believe they are Lychee in English.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYBr5sApPT6i47dRv64P50SmNGIBwOQ4UtvM8TxxULx51Ty0d0usK34XfQQ9N_WxCbbkk_JLNrgy1edJ958iH-NysshWDuiWh0cbQGy3WeSZH1-SaoRXCj0w38HgWpO57xkYhBtleXnQ/s1600/DSC00605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYBr5sApPT6i47dRv64P50SmNGIBwOQ4UtvM8TxxULx51Ty0d0usK34XfQQ9N_WxCbbkk_JLNrgy1edJ958iH-NysshWDuiWh0cbQGy3WeSZH1-SaoRXCj0w38HgWpO57xkYhBtleXnQ/s1600/DSC00605.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yum!</td></tr>
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<br />Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-31234060277616374462013-04-03T14:25:00.003-07:002013-04-03T14:25:42.100-07:00Rumbo en MindoIf you have been checking my blog recently you know that it has been dryer than an Aubrey Plaza character. The reason for that is not my usual excuse that I don't have Internet; in fact, I have Internet all day long. The fact of the matter is that I've just been working without stop for the past week and a half. I arrived in Mindo last Sunday, and Monday morning began work at El Quetzal, an artisan chocolate factory and restaurant. I work seven days a week, from eight in the morning until eight at night, and I'm loving it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERzrflzeDx_XQ3Cp9YlP7B1JPD51HJIdfzCJVvRofl3_zB_phqWOCAPql6WMXt9V2v8ILxmEZNQzUTco_OmjN-ciU5i_CfRknP1_mM9mqSYyKhwyEwhOrotOVRHs3cZygaFcJGdnHCCY/s1600/DSC00644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERzrflzeDx_XQ3Cp9YlP7B1JPD51HJIdfzCJVvRofl3_zB_phqWOCAPql6WMXt9V2v8ILxmEZNQzUTco_OmjN-ciU5i_CfRknP1_mM9mqSYyKhwyEwhOrotOVRHs3cZygaFcJGdnHCCY/s1600/DSC00644.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Quetzal is probably one of the few places left in the world that ferments, dries, roasts, grinds, tempers, and molds their own chocolate all by hand.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunH8zZ5qGBqF2NDbz5G04rb9PxqckfJdTNRlsOpVztF9As7RuluiM9jujqhiZoIpRQ9cNTMXudeplEOGvtMuK3_FIprcssyUSi2cN0d4vwweSB0j6KQjGVhQ_2npPbKsCAITBserfaA4/s1600/DSC00667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunH8zZ5qGBqF2NDbz5G04rb9PxqckfJdTNRlsOpVztF9As7RuluiM9jujqhiZoIpRQ9cNTMXudeplEOGvtMuK3_FIprcssyUSi2cN0d4vwweSB0j6KQjGVhQ_2npPbKsCAITBserfaA4/s1600/DSC00667.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new place of work.</td></tr>
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It's a really amazing establishment to work at. They are just so committed here to experimentation and the production of quality products. Their chocolate is outstanding, still made 100% by hand, and the best in Ecuador by my tastes. We make our own homemade ginger ale, caramelized ginger, and ginger syrup. For anyone who knows how much of a ginger fanatic I am, you can imagine how happy I must be working here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5skVFkqabkgPjSKWgxCVMfhP1FU3K4ZzM3v1ASxtmBEvo0MHFTIRB0KJcHtXlgF8J5STzoQZuXAsFc4UwnF1dFk3NhKTO0G4MSj7KyxE-aJJ6KIs4PHsmDnQxDUiRk0Anxf__1fCaMI/s1600/DSC00656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5skVFkqabkgPjSKWgxCVMfhP1FU3K4ZzM3v1ASxtmBEvo0MHFTIRB0KJcHtXlgF8J5STzoQZuXAsFc4UwnF1dFk3NhKTO0G4MSj7KyxE-aJJ6KIs4PHsmDnQxDUiRk0Anxf__1fCaMI/s1600/DSC00656.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My best attempt at latte art... I know it's pretty pathetic, but we use whole milk, which makes things pretty tough.</td></tr>
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Aside from that I have a big fully equipped kitchen and espresso machine to play around with. I'm getting to practice a lot of things like my mayonnaise making skills, milk frothing, espresso making, and chocolate tempering. Working in a restaurant kitchen again is fantastic, and even more so at a place with such imagination and respect for food. Unfortunately I will be leaving in only a few more days and be "Rumbo a SC". Being in such a great place with such nice people makes me realize how much I am going to miss Ecuador, but I look forward to coming home all the same. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_pMFP5-3ilGaCIXxX2aMdkT0cVnpi7moZpi5EYK95ufoWYWhyphenhyphenl8AmGGatgEEhetUPAi5Q22CYsL6n15rlifKXCcBDcKjRuAPbZ_UiAtBDp0Fr3LZg83ieTwsZ0DygxSP8Dtw79bvtYg/s1600/DSC00673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_pMFP5-3ilGaCIXxX2aMdkT0cVnpi7moZpi5EYK95ufoWYWhyphenhyphenl8AmGGatgEEhetUPAi5Q22CYsL6n15rlifKXCcBDcKjRuAPbZ_UiAtBDp0Fr3LZg83ieTwsZ0DygxSP8Dtw79bvtYg/s1600/DSC00673.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first attempt at a "Latte Machiatto Caramelo"</td></tr>
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<br />Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-76073067291243420372013-03-24T13:08:00.000-07:002013-03-24T13:08:02.912-07:00Farewell, Amazon StyleYesterday I left Sacha Yacu Animal Rescue Center, my home for the past month, and made my way to Quito. I am now in Mindo, getting started on my last hurrah here in Ecuador, working at an artisan chocolate factory in the cloud forest.<br />
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Of course, this most recent visit was not my first time in the Amazon, I had spent two months there earlier in my gap year. During that time I was told a story about something called the Botfly, which lays it's eggs inside of open wounds or mosquito bites, and then leave the larvae to mature inside of your flesh.<br />
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Of course I thought it was an interesting fact, but never considered the possibility of it happening to me. Well, for the past few weeks I have had several infected bug bites bothering me. I've had this problem before, where a mosquito bite becomes infected and forms a pus ball under your skin. It is extremely difficult to get rid of, and I still have a couple from about four months ago.<br />
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So back to my story, I was on the bus heading to Quito, when one of my infected bites began to itch. I scratched it, and noticed a little white thing pop up out of it. I figured it was just some pus coming out, which happens a lot, so I squeezed a little harder. A little cream colored tendril popped up out of the bite, and I started thinking that maybe this wasn't just any ordinary pus. So I squeezed this time with a lot of force, and out popped a little white worm, fully intact, and still moving.<br />
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Turns out that I was indeed the victim of the Human Botfly. It is still difficult even for me to believe that this actually happened, but I have a witness in my friend Barbara who was traveling with me. And we both agree it's probably the grossest thing that has ever happened to me. But I suppose that's just what I get as a farewell gift from the Amazon, reminding me that I must come back soon!Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-89586182131746707452013-03-24T12:51:00.000-07:002013-03-24T12:51:05.921-07:00Signing UpShort post, just catching up on some things I was unable to complete during my self inflicted confinement in the Amazon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Andrea, machetes in hand.</td></tr>
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So a few weeks ago we decided it was finally time people knew where Sacha Yacu was, considering that it's basically just at the end of a path in the middle of the Jungle. So we painted some signs, and went out to the main access roads, machetes and shovels in hand, to put ourselves on the map.<br />
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I'm happy to say that thanks to our signage, if someone can figure out how to get on the bus to Arajuno, they can probably find Sacha Yacu, which is more than we could say before. <br />
<br />Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-42349544071739340672013-03-24T12:39:00.002-07:002013-03-24T12:39:18.881-07:00Up Close and PersonalThis is the first day in a month that I have been away from Sacha Yacu Wild Animal Rescue Center, and I already miss it terribly. I miss the rain forest, even though I'm in the cloud forest; I miss my old friends, even though I'm surrounded by new ones; but most of all, I miss the animals.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is our baby parrot, out of his cage for feeding time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnD8NVYAdDOel6jpbj1WnI7hyphenhyphenfm3euzD2tK6FJWMmWYolKiLoL0NtJXKiD6DlcEdvwEWlJf6wY73CpeTYxSng9k5CunUiXaNSideKlqowAZVDIuLWFyJJv3ZFzPW3nR-iwQ0ysqDofpBU/s1600/DSC00513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnD8NVYAdDOel6jpbj1WnI7hyphenhyphenfm3euzD2tK6FJWMmWYolKiLoL0NtJXKiD6DlcEdvwEWlJf6wY73CpeTYxSng9k5CunUiXaNSideKlqowAZVDIuLWFyJJv3ZFzPW3nR-iwQ0ysqDofpBU/s1600/DSC00513.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of our Amazonian parrots... their talons hurt a lot.</td></tr>
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I'm only realizing now just how unique an experience it was to be so close to animals that are usually only seen in zoos. At Sacha Yacu we have the opportunity to really get up close and personal with our animals.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1Hv1EkQbxHiXEnS_Kt4C8ED_t2OUZEEUYE6_amW8ajyXgqMqqgNgsSh8igRsLTbI3qnS4tLtTWb_h5ND_uKLAtxvGIxBX-sXf_-a7zHl7bUneF3aK5QslfPaDlixHKtKZQSgkdDXPdY/s1600/DSCN0894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1Hv1EkQbxHiXEnS_Kt4C8ED_t2OUZEEUYE6_amW8ajyXgqMqqgNgsSh8igRsLTbI3qnS4tLtTWb_h5ND_uKLAtxvGIxBX-sXf_-a7zHl7bUneF3aK5QslfPaDlixHKtKZQSgkdDXPdY/s1600/DSCN0894.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with Grumpy, my favorite monkey.</td></tr>
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Every day I got to have birds fly over and climb up my arm, have monkeys delice me, or pet some of the cutest little coatis the world has ever seen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7BTFX-RrFlRvgo6AAQVR1AlFoxeOAfFbTLFLdcM8l4wTbp3fqsUhT9nG82pDG_B-mdmuKe4yBq8vZyP5PRBMfKU9G1Vc-wY_KXcE4h8VVNRGd75NS6y9jVpIq8iie3-TBt2v0R_Rx8w/s1600/P1320867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7BTFX-RrFlRvgo6AAQVR1AlFoxeOAfFbTLFLdcM8l4wTbp3fqsUhT9nG82pDG_B-mdmuKe4yBq8vZyP5PRBMfKU9G1Vc-wY_KXcE4h8VVNRGd75NS6y9jVpIq8iie3-TBt2v0R_Rx8w/s1600/P1320867.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got to go in the cage with our two female Coatis and pet them. I want one...</td></tr>
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This time around I really developed some special bonds with our animals, and it was even harder to say goodbye then last time. But I can leave knowing that perhaps I made a small difference in their lives, that they are well taken care of, and that maybe, just maybe, I will see them again someday. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRPaqc7NvNGoK9OoEP-HXXVZEL95wfP9luz7CGuFDmYjInJwpPLk-O8A3Rwfk8j06vqFzZvEk_avJ4ncfEcp1MC-pvBNMiOIQzjd6OYFH4NSBzBme6FH6yDo4YEwBbjPwjqM6XFFfSM0/s1600/DSC00517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRPaqc7NvNGoK9OoEP-HXXVZEL95wfP9luz7CGuFDmYjInJwpPLk-O8A3Rwfk8j06vqFzZvEk_avJ4ncfEcp1MC-pvBNMiOIQzjd6OYFH4NSBzBme6FH6yDo4YEwBbjPwjqM6XFFfSM0/s1600/DSC00517.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the first time someone (me) got pictures of our Tigarillo outside of it's cage. That was a lucky night.</td></tr>
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<br />Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-32325117918059242352013-03-17T11:37:00.000-07:002013-03-17T11:37:20.179-07:00Learning to FlyMy life has been a constant battle with gravity; ever since I was a child I've dreamt of flying. It is the main reason that I spent 14 years as a competitive swimmer, since underwater is the only place I can feel weightless and have the sensation that I'm as free as an eagle. <br />
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I think I first realized my desire when watching Saturday morning cartoons, seeing Superman take off like a missile and go shooting through space with no hindrance. So like any 5 year old kid, I went outside, straightened my arms over my head, clenched my fists, and launched myself off of our back porch. Unfortunately gravity got the best of me on that day. But I was not discouraged; the failed attempt simply redoubled my hunger for flight. I strapped garbage can lids to my arms: too heavy; I cut out some wings from cardboard: too flimsy; I found some big discs made out of woven reeds, and for a mere fraction of a second, I felt the air resistance lift my arms, stretch the muscles in my armpits, and slow my decent. From that moment I was hooked.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course out of nostalgia I had to do it like a swimming start.</td></tr>
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As I got older I realized the irrationality of my dream of flight. I laughed at how ridiculous I must have looked strapping anything large and flat I could find to my arms and flapping them like wings as I leaped off of our porch and landed with a splat, crumpled in a heap of broken wings and broken dreams. I saw the comparison to the mad turn of the century inventors that had died attempting the same that I was, and I promised myself that I would stick to the back porch, and not jump off of cliffs or into ravines with my makeshift flying apparatus, now at age 19 I have broken that promise. <br />
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Even as I got into my teens, I have not been able to escape the dreams of flight. I often wake up remembering myself soaring high above my house, feeling the wind rushing past my ears and drying my eyes. But dreams are a cruel substitute for the real thing; always giving me a taste of the sensation but never satisfying my appetite. In my dreams I am in the park outside of my house. I take a running start, and then leap, catching a draft of air and climbing up, up, up into the sky. I hover before assuming the superman position and speeding around in circles, passing low to the ground, performing loops and acrobatics. But as the dream progresses, my new found powers are sapped by the rising sun outside my window. I being to lose my speed and falter; it feels as if I am in a car that is running out of gas. As I pass lower to the ground my imaginary engine sputters and I scrape against the ground before momentarily regaining lift. But I can feel the inevitability of complete failure; and my fears land me back in the park, where I find myself on the ground, repeating the running start, leaping up, grasping for that indescribable feeling, trying to recapture just a taste of the magic that I had felt. I am unsuccessful. I have been grounded.<br />
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Despite my many letdowns I am determined to keep hope alive, and always search for that momentary exhilaration; the weightless feeling that takes the place of all worries, fears, and uncertainty, and leaves you unburdened. That was what gave me the motivation and courage to jump from a 100 meter bridge into a ravine, with nothing but a rope to hold me to the earth. It may have only been for two seconds, but in that short time you feel all that is profound, meaningful, and meaningless in life flash through your head and spread out to your extremities, like lightning striking a pond and spreading out to the shore. It may not be the same as flying, but it's a start. <br />
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<br />Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-62981996015439252742013-03-10T08:20:00.000-07:002013-03-10T08:20:05.953-07:00Old Friends and NewI left Sacha Yacu about three months ago, since that time a lot has changed. New animals have arrived or been born, while others have escaped, died, or been set free, but it's not all different. I still had a welcome homecoming from several of my favorite animals in the center, and the new ones are really a joy to have around.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZduDqUp2LCMIEtxK0oloYhJLFK6sfGEVNzdIgyzwax-A3uGZ1fORfSTqewRVb1ckAVTvY1cQCqrpcVtRJ4HFIJphskrzjLpy2ZXI6Qjzk8OrPl5s7Uv3BXL6_LKIoJaIKcaoVNVV5jgE/s1600/DSC01646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZduDqUp2LCMIEtxK0oloYhJLFK6sfGEVNzdIgyzwax-A3uGZ1fORfSTqewRVb1ckAVTvY1cQCqrpcVtRJ4HFIJphskrzjLpy2ZXI6Qjzk8OrPl5s7Uv3BXL6_LKIoJaIKcaoVNVV5jgE/s1600/DSC01646.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with my old friends Grumpy and Naughty.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5UtwxL_Y9heYo0g1EGB4FVzhyphenhyphenJyGnbQ18Gdh4VcqAojhBIABEYXVDeiFSO4QWS3scZshO6nvIollHCIwQlaOnB0na1_jFxOqwnHNiQhQ06SZRLOPyb8FMIPFh4vW5J-yGnbH5te5Mkc/s1600/DSC01652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5UtwxL_Y9heYo0g1EGB4FVzhyphenhyphenJyGnbQ18Gdh4VcqAojhBIABEYXVDeiFSO4QWS3scZshO6nvIollHCIwQlaOnB0na1_jFxOqwnHNiQhQ06SZRLOPyb8FMIPFh4vW5J-yGnbH5te5Mkc/s1600/DSC01652.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It took about 15 minutes to get Grumpy to let go of me on this day.</td></tr>
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Since my time away one of our tyras died, one monkey escaped and another died, one parrot escaped, one coati escaped, and one peccary escaped. Heaping all those things into one sentence really does not give a great impression of how things have been going at Sacha Yacu in my absence. But when you consider that... two boa constrictors were liberated, a coati was saved from near death, an alligator was liberated, a tortoise was cured of a nasty shell disease, a baby parrot was born, a baby peccary was born, two peccaries are currently pregnant, and that we were entrusted with the rehabilitation of a tigarillo ("tiger cat", a very close relative to the ocelot)... it really puts things in perspective. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIKyJWCtweLWmaLT3yFalCjPUlMJbLt_BmLQftEKL9jTvNxgy88MYV159RLHNi-3D3tPOq3PQ14nodpwi9B0minmmi0OcJm1WKmMAQChehf6EsjMhsZ79fYzv22DFBFi9JMe9Uu2rQ2g/s1600/DSC00479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIKyJWCtweLWmaLT3yFalCjPUlMJbLt_BmLQftEKL9jTvNxgy88MYV159RLHNi-3D3tPOq3PQ14nodpwi9B0minmmi0OcJm1WKmMAQChehf6EsjMhsZ79fYzv22DFBFi9JMe9Uu2rQ2g/s1600/DSC00479.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the first thing I saw when I arrived for the second time at Sacha Yacu... pretty cool caterpillar.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is our Tigarillo, what should I name him?</td></tr>
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I feel so at home here that it makes me sad to think I only have two weeks left. But after that I have an exciting adventure in Mindo to look forward to, before my return home, which I have been anxiously awaiting for several weeks. I had a nice little chat with Marie Gingher and Andy Madore last night that made me feel very nostalgic about the good old days back in Happy Valley. See you soon SC!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZqvIetwfJO6ewMbNBk1qBL4g3G76kDfZR-wc72G9AdUxva-QOAmIcpW8y53eTtDsTSkvjMmZzUP1z-4Cfo9cQQUFCewUSazlDobwJLWyPeGaZC52UrubbAecVsdnboUBp5an21d5yiY/s1600/DSC_1485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZqvIetwfJO6ewMbNBk1qBL4g3G76kDfZR-wc72G9AdUxva-QOAmIcpW8y53eTtDsTSkvjMmZzUP1z-4Cfo9cQQUFCewUSazlDobwJLWyPeGaZC52UrubbAecVsdnboUBp5an21d5yiY/s1600/DSC_1485.JPG" height="427" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun in the pool with my old friends, and plenty of new ones.</td></tr>
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<br />Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-10361787013607239412013-03-03T08:44:00.001-08:002013-03-03T08:44:08.201-08:00Highlands HighThere's something in the air in the highlands of San Cristobal island that just makes you feel right. Or perhaps it's not in the air, but in the daily cup of joe we all have that gives you the energy to go cut Guava trees with machetes for four hours. I've now left the Galápagos, but I feel there is one thing I failed to mention; where I was living is one of the worlds best producers of gourmet coffee.<br />
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In fact, about 95% of the coffee grown on San Cristobal is bought by none other than the ubiquitous Starbucks corporation; one of their blends is almost entirely dependent on the coffee that we grow at the Hacienda I stayed at.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pNTazVRpotvVo2orLdMe_eo4jemIO_08VfS2AAV7iClI7744hAxuh_qv4kDv17GOdO9CEP_GqXxCwW8KBXlMrWGF7rR5-a1crQsNmX35eAdSe2Ohyphenhyphend88C4pxZtQw_-MtHiD1e3evEB8/s1600/DSC00462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pNTazVRpotvVo2orLdMe_eo4jemIO_08VfS2AAV7iClI7744hAxuh_qv4kDv17GOdO9CEP_GqXxCwW8KBXlMrWGF7rR5-a1crQsNmX35eAdSe2Ohyphenhyphend88C4pxZtQw_-MtHiD1e3evEB8/s1600/DSC00462.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The peeled and dried coffee beans, before being roasted. </td></tr>
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During my time at the Hacienda we picked coffee beans off the bushes, peeled them, dried them, roasted them, and finally ground the beans into what makes for a very strong, rich cup of coffee. Unfortunately I didn't get pictures of the peeling or roasting process, as I was quite busy during that time. But I have to say that it is very surprising how good the coffee we made really was, given that it was roasted in a big iron pan over a campfire.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoEXpUqZIfrUeE4Ul51rJYB1corOiMBud63L3Ug-eOoJa_aK1cnO_uMwn5xtKxoASYef9dQ9AO4aeH41Zevo-1ppe2ZCja4jXwjqokapyg3Xd6So_dv2ODIeZBxNiPjGQYr2JIggUsXw/s1600/DSC00457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoEXpUqZIfrUeE4Ul51rJYB1corOiMBud63L3Ug-eOoJa_aK1cnO_uMwn5xtKxoASYef9dQ9AO4aeH41Zevo-1ppe2ZCja4jXwjqokapyg3Xd6So_dv2ODIeZBxNiPjGQYr2JIggUsXw/s1600/DSC00457.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our roasted coffee beans, being ground into a fine espresso grind.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdC8vHQAqifIGVFs8BasabMm9O7Y8Ciw0tEk89o04flGaWraosllBSlNgHt79Kpc4Nypt82ZIpack4jmT9qhU_5aInxBEg3cbb5DhZjmk_LJy324NMYYQIxF2tGvRh5zGRXDE7CO0_t58/s1600/DSC00456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdC8vHQAqifIGVFs8BasabMm9O7Y8Ciw0tEk89o04flGaWraosllBSlNgHt79Kpc4Nypt82ZIpack4jmT9qhU_5aInxBEg3cbb5DhZjmk_LJy324NMYYQIxF2tGvRh5zGRXDE7CO0_t58/s1600/DSC00456.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better than a $100 burr grinder!</td></tr>
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I hope to post soon on my new adventures in an old place, Sacha Yacu Animal Rescue Center. But being at such an amazing place has it's downfalls, namely that I only get access to internet during weekends. But I will try my best to get those posts up!Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-24343556709768976732013-02-25T07:36:00.001-08:002013-02-25T07:36:06.616-08:00Change of PlansAs some of you may know, I had originally planned to do one month of volunteering on the coast after my time in the Galápagos. Well, that plan has changed. I had heard some poor reviews of the project I was supposed to do in the coast, and I knew that part of my work--taking stock of dead sharks at the fishing docks each morning--would not be pleasant, so I had to make a change. I had my flight back to the mainland of Ecuador on the 24th of February, that same morning I made the spontaneous decision that I wanted to spend my last month in Ecuador in a place I knew, with people I love.<br />
<br />
So after landing in Guayaquil, I caught a taxi to the bus terminal, and managed to make a giant scene out in front of the terminal when I had a shouting match with the taxi driver because he tried to rip me off. So after thoroughly embarrassing myself in front of a crowd of stunned onlookers, I heaved my backpack over my shoulder and trudged into the monumental Terminal Terrestre. This is by far the biggest bus station in Ecuador, and perhaps one of the largest in the world. It not only runs buses to every destination in Ecuador and South America, but it doubles as a shopping mall. There are about 300 different bus companies to choose from when buying your ticket, so I bumbled around looking very confused for a while, before a nice ticket hawker with a gold tooth ushered me up to a booth and essentially bought my ticket for me.<br />
<br />
I ended up getting on the bus with no issues, when about halfway through my journey I started wondering if the bus was actually going to Baños. It turns out my spider sense was right, and the last stop was in fact Ambato. Luckily for me, Ecuadorians assume tourists with blond hair are all idiots. So while the bus was parked at a gas station in Ambato the conductor asked me if I was going to Baños, then quickly rushed me off the bus, handed me my backpack, pointed to another bus parked a block away, and told me to run. Everything worked out fine in the end, and after another shouting match with the fee collector on the new bus, trying to explain to him that I already paid for passage to Baños in Guayaquil (he told me "not my problem" and I ended up having to pay the 80 cents), I arrived safe and sound in Baños.<br />
<br />
Tony Bennet may have left his heart in San Francisco, but I left mine in the Amazon. So later today, that is where I will be headed, and for the next month I will simply try to relax and let myself go where the wind takes me. Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-25369203182561298052013-02-21T15:58:00.003-08:002013-02-21T15:58:49.112-08:00Hot Tips for Ecuador: The GalápagosMy time in the Galápagos islands is coming to a close, so I figured it was about time to post the next installment of my now world famous series, Hot Tips for Ecuador.<br />
<br />
1.) Set your watch to "island time"<br />
Things here in Galápagos move at a much slower pace. Ecuadorians in general are not well known for their punctuality, and that is only intensified by the island lifestyle. It really is a frustrating place to live, everyone is perpetually late by about 45 minutes, and you just have to get used to the fact that it can sometimes take a whole day just to accomplish a simple task like getting money out of the bank. The same goes for work ethic, that is to say, it doesn't exist here. Shops and businesses open and close on their own schedule. I have walked into a store here prepared to buy something, only to have the owner say to me "sorry, we're closing" and then seen him cross the street to sit and have drinks with a buddy. People often open up their stores in the morning, walk inside, and put up their "closed" sign. Weekends are a whole other story; you might think that in a touristy place, things like restaurants and tourist shops would be open, but sadly that is not the case. All day long Saturday and Sunday the entire town here shuts down, and there are probably no more than 10 places open, making it very difficult for those of us who work during the week. If you want to survive here, some good tips would be to simply plan about double the time you think you would need into your schedule, and always try to do things ahead of time, because it will probably take longer than you expect.<br />
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2.) Get up close and personal with the animals<br />
I have a secret to tell... Galápagos does not have the "best" wildlife in Ecuador. In fact there are places that have much more diversity in fauna and flora, but there is one thing about Galápagos that makes the best place to view wildlife in Ecuador. That is the unique situation the animals here are in, in that they have no natural predators. This has led to an evolutionary pattern in which the animals here never developed a fear for large mammals. It is for this reason alone being in Galápagos is like no other place on earth. You can walk down the street here and trip over sea lions and marine iguanas if you're not careful, the finches will come land on your head, and you can approach within one meter of any of the animals here without having them flinch. It's really something else to be able to be surrounded by such amazing animals in a very intimate sense, so take advantage of it!<br />
<br />
3.) Take the plunge<br />
Galápagos has been rated by several scuba organizations as the best place the world to dive, and based on my experience, it doesn't disappoint. Whether you are a scuba diver, or you just choose to snorkel, exploring the underwater life in Galápagos is an absolute must. The islands are famous not for their amazing variety of tropical fish (of which there are plenty), but for their abundance of large marine animals. The waters here are full of sharks, rays, sea lions, and turtles. Just in my two scuba dives I managed to see hammerhead sharks, reef sharks, manta rays, sting rays, eagle rays, pacific green turtles, hawksbill turtles, and sea lions. The waters here are cold, but it's well worth the chill. Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-89641762252022972792013-02-19T13:28:00.001-08:002013-02-19T13:28:11.700-08:00Fun in the... rain<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span lang="ES-EC" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-EC;">For the
past two weeks, we have been stalked by the rain. It is really just teasing us
at this point, only stopping on the days we have to work, and coming right back
out as soon as we have a day off. Now every day is a battle with the rain, to
see who can get to the beach first. You can see the dark clouds brewing,
following<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you, and so far we have not
had a rain free day for two straight weeks. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1GqU2hS4HhY9EBQBQXFj9-LNUzrhInPTvA1clVMZAufPfIfaJMyvw3h6cozjd266itqwLFmU8QP7ej_4yDurfRPTT3D4lD8UdN63dKDlXcUqf3-n8HwprZVlZIS0nRflU3ESvEVeV-4/s1600/DSC00338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1GqU2hS4HhY9EBQBQXFj9-LNUzrhInPTvA1clVMZAufPfIfaJMyvw3h6cozjd266itqwLFmU8QP7ej_4yDurfRPTT3D4lD8UdN63dKDlXcUqf3-n8HwprZVlZIS0nRflU3ESvEVeV-4/s1600/DSC00338.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Junco, a crater lake, and the highest point on San Cristobal. </td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-RCzCelpeej3wT4yYc5sMDU5gTBwe22k32VQLh3SEfcXK1z9HSr7XRDpMq-lmKK3ujqDonLSxXq1a4GGVv80akLKrelKKSn2rJCXip_bgUmnp77njyzHWKMxQbVNmAkGlu0LXmU7l84/s1600/DSC00345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-RCzCelpeej3wT4yYc5sMDU5gTBwe22k32VQLh3SEfcXK1z9HSr7XRDpMq-lmKK3ujqDonLSxXq1a4GGVv80akLKrelKKSn2rJCXip_bgUmnp77njyzHWKMxQbVNmAkGlu0LXmU7l84/s1600/DSC00345.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The storms are brewing</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="ES-EC" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-EC;">Of course,
with such limited time here, we don’t let that get in our way of having fun. So
far we’ve simply been testing our luck, dodging the rainstorms when possible,
outrunning them in speeding taxis. And we’ve managed a bit of success. So far I’ve
gotten to see several of the beautiful beaches on San Cristobal, some transport
you to the Caribbean with turquoise waters and sand like powdered sugar. While
others bring me back to my childhood with seaweed, dunes, and course sand,
placing me back home at Cape Cod. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1D1Fbxtv2aCCWArSBTZHK-Ao0W0OzLo3ayh2i5Cu4avsCxhkoGxsHPEStuzfY7xvwH-qY9539tbFcskjhNSUY8axPY9-LLFmM8s9WCcysqVdqbwURLHq8Gm9lfo0JtXRN3eZtVnGzvEo/s1600/DSC00370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1D1Fbxtv2aCCWArSBTZHK-Ao0W0OzLo3ayh2i5Cu4avsCxhkoGxsHPEStuzfY7xvwH-qY9539tbFcskjhNSUY8axPY9-LLFmM8s9WCcysqVdqbwURLHq8Gm9lfo0JtXRN3eZtVnGzvEo/s1600/DSC00370.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puerto Chino, a beautiful beach that could fool anyone into thinking they were in the Caribbean. </td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nom nom nom.</td></tr>
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<span lang="ES-EC" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-EC;">Last
weekend we even got to take advantage of a few hours of sun to visit a Giant
Tortoise breeding center. And I’m trying to plan a dive to the famous Kicker
Rock for next weekend, rain or shine. So if you’re sitting back in cold, rainy
PA, no need to be jealous, and don’t forget to ¡aprovechar de su tiempo!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhUjwa9pc7mIL2tmkRmN-inT3Ut4wF3mfNW3B8gL-AsPWvzCkbzf51T8miBkYd2tvC5YSr74fq96s8fUx7AUwzwLCHFCLX3Rid29SryUjSTfqUuVCpbpjQCtcacuzflB9kQQf3SahPSI/s1600/DSC00368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhUjwa9pc7mIL2tmkRmN-inT3Ut4wF3mfNW3B8gL-AsPWvzCkbzf51T8miBkYd2tvC5YSr74fq96s8fUx7AUwzwLCHFCLX3Rid29SryUjSTfqUuVCpbpjQCtcacuzflB9kQQf3SahPSI/s1600/DSC00368.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-79193073328755304522013-02-11T14:11:00.002-08:002013-02-11T14:11:56.235-08:00Life on the HaciendaMy day starts like any other in Ecuador, with the ubiquitous crow of a rooster. Of course, that's also how my day ends, since--as I've learned on the Hacienda--roosters do not only crow in the morning, but all day long.<br />
<br />
Life here is fairly vanilla, in fact, if I were surrounded by Maple or Walnut trees instead of Guava, I may forget that I was even in the Galápagos. In many ways, living here is like living on any other farm you would find in the States or Europe. We rise early, milk the cows, saddle up the horses, and get to work.<br />
<br />
Our work here is mostly clearing of invasive species and farming. Our ultimate goal is to restore the land to it's native state, hence creating a natural habitat for Giant Tortoises. This means that most of our work is trudging through Elephant Grass to fell Guava trees, hacking away at endless patches of Black Raspberry (the same one that rings our yard back home in PA), or digging holes and planting various endemic and native plants. We also run many gardens that supply food to the surrounding communities, educate the locals about conservation, and help local children with disabilities.<br />
<br />
My days are long, filled with hard work, and close with an early bedtime. We cook our own food, and I spend my free time lounging in a hammock with my nose in a book, listening to the mooing cows or screaming donkeys. Before coming here I had no idea what a donkey actually sounds like... now I can say that it is not the old childhood "eeh, aww" we all learned, but more of a murderous, blood curdling scream. It really sounds like someone is torturing these poor animals 24/7. <br />
<br />
The next two days here are Carnaval, which includes a big parade in the street where people will run around throwing flour, water balloons, and rotten eggs at you. Unfortunately I will not be partaking in the festivities due to the nonstop rain. We are now in the 83rd hour of massive rainstorm here, where we have been in a complete deluge without more than 30 minutes of respite for the past few days.<br />
<br />
Hopefully now that there are fewer people at the Hacienda I can get some pictures of our work and accomodations soon. Until that point, I bid you all farewell, and will be heading back to take care of the cows and chickens! <br />
Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-63763843333346515002013-02-04T15:29:00.002-08:002013-02-04T15:29:35.593-08:00An Unexpected ArrivalMy journey from laid back Santa Cruz to my next volunteer project in San Cristobal started off like any other day in Ecuador, standing on a crowded dock with hundreds of other people trying to catch boats and everyone screaming incoherent interjections at the controllers. When I eventually shoved my way through the mob of other travelers that resembled a barking sea lion colony, I hopped on the first boat I saw, and made my way to the next obstacle, my ferry to San Cristobal.<br />
<br />
The boat I took had a capacity of 26 people... there were at least 30 adults, and about 10 children. This made for a less than comfortable two hour ride, squished in between a sweaty Dutch guy and an Ecuadorian woman with two kids piled on her lap. But I hunkered down and put my mind on my destination as we bounced along, baking in the high noon sun the whole time. When I hopped onto the dock at San Cristobal I was slathered with a nice mix of sweat, sunscreen, and salt. The coordinator of my program met me with a taxi to go food shopping and get back to the volunteer house so I could finally relax. Unfortunately it was Sunday, meaning that every food shop was closed. We ended up finding one where I managed to buy a couple of potatoes, some dry pasta, and two cans of tuna. With my pantry stocked, we headed back to the "Hacienda Tranquila" which I would soon learn was anything but "tranquil".<br />
<br />
When I arrived I was greeted by more than twenty teenagers all chattering in thick British accents. I had unwittingly stepped into a group of "Organized Gap Year" people, which from the description, sounds just like a big group of people who travel for 10 weeks together doing some volunteer work along the way... not what I would call a Gap Year, but oh well, to each their own. I slouched down in a plastic chair out of the patio and stuffed my nose in a book. But with twenty 18-20 year olds (17 of which are girls) all flapping their lips, I managed to get through about two pages before I just gave up and retreated to the sanctuary of my bedroom, which I share with three other boys. <br />
<br />
After a week of being here, I've gotten to know most of the group, and they're actually very nice people, the Hacienda is just not set up to accommodate such a large group. There are a few other solo travelers that, like me, are a little bewildered by living like bees in a hive, so we manage to find solidarity in each other.<br />
<br />
I really am enjoying the work here, and I plan to write about our activities ASAP. Hasta Luego!Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-47665681233520842322013-02-04T15:03:00.001-08:002013-02-04T15:03:26.687-08:00Scuba Steve!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span lang="ES-EC" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-EC;">I am now
certified to breathe underwater; at least that’s the gist of it. You see, two
weeks ago, I began my PADI Open Water Diver course. It was without a doubt, one
of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7K3X-W5oF19cLRuGZOjZD09IjHePVcRVLRlVrR-B_4rwjqyxVzPkkV9WxgqlIKW77kKVXR0n5z-hFR-F1s9bFc5Kr1KKL8HXUdGyDb7BGAlT8vgbtr3U6tgjzXPb3c_0HWyCooKsjFo/s1600/IMG_1918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7K3X-W5oF19cLRuGZOjZD09IjHePVcRVLRlVrR-B_4rwjqyxVzPkkV9WxgqlIKW77kKVXR0n5z-hFR-F1s9bFc5Kr1KKL8HXUdGyDb7BGAlT8vgbtr3U6tgjzXPb3c_0HWyCooKsjFo/s1600/IMG_1918.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-EC" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-EC;">The four
day course began with theory and in pool exercises, pretty boring stuff to be
honest. Although the feeling of breathing underwater is definitely worth the
inconvenience of slapping a scuba tank on your back. But once we got these
little requirements out of the way, it was time to move on to the real diving,
open water. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLp-rWedHhPHqS0IXiVAahzXy4aaMXwrG8BWKknpFmPA8oWmb7fZznA62YqihfC96IXAVfdI_j5FuV7rOzj6B358YnQGTJArRg94TuENqlyxX73XrBPdPZitXtsjJ4Vtm6eNOPL_VOHs/s1600/IMG_1891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLp-rWedHhPHqS0IXiVAahzXy4aaMXwrG8BWKknpFmPA8oWmb7fZznA62YqihfC96IXAVfdI_j5FuV7rOzj6B358YnQGTJArRg94TuENqlyxX73XrBPdPZitXtsjJ4Vtm6eNOPL_VOHs/s1600/IMG_1891.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These Sea Stars come in all kinds of crazy colors. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-EC" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-EC;">The
Galápagos is actually considered among experts to be the best place in the
world for diving... it’s also one of the most difficult. The islands are
affected by several strong ocean currents that make diving here difficult even
for advanced divers. You have the Humbolt coming up from the south, the Cromwell Countercurrent from the West, and the Panamic Current coming from the north. All of these
currents are changing on a daily basis, which means that visibility,
temperature, and current strength can be different day to day. The benefit of
having these currents is that they flood the Galápagos with tons of plankton,
algae, and nutrient rich water, all of which attract large marine life. It is
for this reason that the Galápagos is one of the best places in the world to
see sharks, manta rays, turtles, and sea lions… and I saw plenty. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFJ5DgdQzdgi0RUlLs4Xyd0avuUssXjuG6qu_1Yv4Xlm_HcXF6NuC7zBWMFUmRe57flmY-8o32CrBPS_LU_lKmuox4PyxvsxLg84xytZzyCvrsqMiVbQjTi67KjlFXG5ycqYygqLCzP0/s1600/IMG_1897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFJ5DgdQzdgi0RUlLs4Xyd0avuUssXjuG6qu_1Yv4Xlm_HcXF6NuC7zBWMFUmRe57flmY-8o32CrBPS_LU_lKmuox4PyxvsxLg84xytZzyCvrsqMiVbQjTi67KjlFXG5ycqYygqLCzP0/s1600/IMG_1897.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey there!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-EC" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-EC;">Our open
water dives began with the very humbling activity of struggling into a seven
millimeter wetsuit. If there’s anything more revealing than a skin tight layer
of neoprene I don’t know what it is. But putting all shame behind us, we suited
up, clipped on our BCD’s (buoyancy control devices), strapped on our tanks, and
took the plunge. At first it’s an odd feeling to breathe underwater, but that
quickly goes away once you descend into the underwater world. Being down at 20
meters really does feel like being in another world. I’ve never been so
surrounded by wildlife as when diving. At different points you’re swimming with
schools of tropical fish, playing peek-a-boo with a moray eel, or being circled
by hundreds of sharks. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0YOmwFpTZnSEc19B1DK9RM7J0ad6sve4iqo4rWaBDhdobNfaNq5bWI6RNPOkIf8gL7b0KQkmKT3RSAptxvXFY_VVa45Ozertt7DwDfufjkQtKKj7UdkJClQeGKwGskteqeMaErHoiCQ/s1600/IMG_1923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0YOmwFpTZnSEc19B1DK9RM7J0ad6sve4iqo4rWaBDhdobNfaNq5bWI6RNPOkIf8gL7b0KQkmKT3RSAptxvXFY_VVa45Ozertt7DwDfufjkQtKKj7UdkJClQeGKwGskteqeMaErHoiCQ/s1600/IMG_1923.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Rock Scorpion Fish is quite the looker if I do say so myself.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-EC" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-EC;">I breezed
through the practice, aced the tests, and before I knew it, was the proud owner
of my diving certification. Along the way I had the privilege of meeting and
diving with the executive coordinator of the Charles Darwin Station, who taught
me countless things about the islands and what it’s like to live here. I also
have to give a shout out to my amazing dive shop, who made it an unforgettable
experience… thank you Scuba Iguana! </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCanmWFFUsnUC80QgVCtAXZ2c-74-TWhpPQIYpwpXzFbGPeSerDY6-eAAV6oQchCqbAMILU51Xoi_efGuQUk7qVyZC0OKdXVIXLx7XWbALIskAim1TBmNuI8lDk73cn3uGxd5hSJujU4/s1600/IMG_1978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCanmWFFUsnUC80QgVCtAXZ2c-74-TWhpPQIYpwpXzFbGPeSerDY6-eAAV6oQchCqbAMILU51Xoi_efGuQUk7qVyZC0OKdXVIXLx7XWbALIskAim1TBmNuI8lDk73cn3uGxd5hSJujU4/s1600/IMG_1978.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, surrounded by sharks, grabbing onto the rocks to avoid being swept away by the very strong current. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJQ5SMN4yFzjarsYYbjEv-5XapahfkW72V1EKo3r4Qmt1V2yORCJjEZBScXbcMHUT0EUx8A50WzynKfgmgX1g0LWLPgh_Hk55w8-g-m8bD2xm6dPcPXctf0eRlF0yRYJDpjIL5NtWjhw/s1600/IMG_1973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJQ5SMN4yFzjarsYYbjEv-5XapahfkW72V1EKo3r4Qmt1V2yORCJjEZBScXbcMHUT0EUx8A50WzynKfgmgX1g0LWLPgh_Hk55w8-g-m8bD2xm6dPcPXctf0eRlF0yRYJDpjIL5NtWjhw/s1600/IMG_1973.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are all White Tipped Reef Sharks, but during our dives we also saw Black Tipped Sharks, and Hammerhead Sharks. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-13147709699672573772013-01-24T21:15:00.001-08:002013-01-24T21:15:47.548-08:00Hot Tips for Ecuador: The AmazonThis post is quite after the fact, given that I have been out of the Amazon for more than a month, but nonetheless I will stride forth with the blog, and the next part of my beyond-the-guidebook series "Hot Tips for Ecuador"; up now, the Amazon!<br />
<br />
1.) The shoes make the outfit.<br />
In the Amazon, proper footwear is of the utmost importance. I have seen several people come through with brand spankin' new $200 hiking boots, only to completely trash them in the quicksand like mud that pervades the Amazon. The fact of the matter is that there are only two pairs of shoes you need in the Amazon, and if you think you can stray from this course because strappy, slip on, water-proof, Eco-friendly, zero carbon, vegan Keen's are the just the "best shoes ever", you are wrong. The first thing you need is a cheap $2 pair of flip flops for walking around your living area, and for times you will not be venturing into the jungle. The second is a $5 pair of thick, tall, rubber boots. These are literally the best thing you can own in the jungle; they protect against sharp rocks, roots, thorns, tarantulas, and whatever other dangers might be lurking on the forest floor. And most importantly, you can go sloshing through calf deep mud--a common occurrence in the Amazon--without a second thought. It's pretty obvious that rubber boots are the way to go once you enter the jungle region and see 99.99% of the population wearing these all day long... I've even seen people wear their rubber boots to dance parties. <br />
<br />
2.) Beware of spiders.<br />
Of course the first thing everyone thinks when coming to the Amazon is "I hope I don't run into a tarantula!" Well, having already spent a few days in the Amazon before coming to Sacha Yacu, I was rather desensitized to this fear. You see, in the four day tour to Cuyabeno reserve that I did in September there was a large tarantula that liked to hang out with us while we ate. It was here that I got the idea that spiders are generally not something to be afraid of. While it is true that spiders are generally not aggressive towards humans, I ended up being the one guy who actually gets bitten by one. At the center we often go to collect bananas for the animals. This involves cutting down banana trees, and carrying the bananas about a mile back to the house. One good thing to know before doing this activity is that bananas are the number one place to find tarantulas in the Amazon (they like to hide in the "clusters" or whatever you call the vine thing that bananas grow on). So one day we were bringing back bananas, and I volunteered to carry all of the big clusters of bananas (this is kind of what it looks like when you carry bananas <a href="http://www.rainforests.net/Men%20carrying%20bananas.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.rainforests.net/Men%20carrying%20bananas.jpg</a>). So I slung the bananas over my back, carried them two by two in to the fruit shed, and hung them up to ripen. A few days later, I was picking bananas off these same clusters while preparing food for the animals, when ho! I recoiled my hand and leaped back, having noticed, crouched, hiding way in the back of the bananas, a tarantula. It was an immature tarantula, but still larger than any other spider I had seen in the wild... Big, harry, and with pink toes that looked like they had been painted with neon nail polish. By this point I had developed a big bump with a rash that was painful and itchy on the exact spot on my back on which I had carried the bananas. I'm not 100% sure that it was a tarantula bite, but the symptoms were strikingly similar to what I red on the web (yes I know, the "web" is pretty unreliable, but still). And as I write this, which is almost two months after this incident, I still have that bump/rash, and it still itches, although it is somewhat better than two months ago. The lesson here... in the Amazon, always check bananas before slinging them over your shoulder.<br />
<br />
3.) Don't drink the Chicha (if you can avoid it).<br />
One thing the Amazon is famous for is an alcoholic beverage they've been making for centuries, called Chicha. The only ingredients are Yuca and... something else. It's a fermented beverage, usually served at ceremonies, parties, or any other special occasion. Nowadays, Chicha is often made by simply mashing yuca with a big stick and leaving it to ferment in a pot for several weeks. However, in the more isolated areas of the Amazon, it's still made the traditional way, which is for the elder women in the tribe to chew the Yuca until it is paste like, then spit it into a big pot and let it ferment... then you, the lucky guest gets to slurp down a bunch of old woman spit mixed with some yuca and lots of alcohol. I happened to attend a party at one of these very traditional isolated communities, and there was plenty of Chicha to go around. The women spend the entire night, making circles around the party with buckets of Chicha and bowls. They come up to you, fill the bowl with Chicha, shove it in your mouth, and tilt away. You do not have a choice in drinking the beverage; for one thing it's an insult to their culture not to, but more importantly, they will tip the bowl up whether you swallow or not, so it's either have Chicha in your mouth, or all over your shirt. The taste is difficult to describe... the Chicha I drank was very fermented, about 30% alcohol. I would say it tastes like vinegar mixed with moldy cheese and sour milk. It is, in all honesty, the worst thing I have ever tasted. And the knowledge that you're drinking other people's saliva does not help to get it down. I came very very close to throwing up from it... a friend of mine actually did throw up. My advice to spare of this rancid beverage is to keep a watchful eye on the Chicha ladies, and go hide when they're coming around to your area. Although even when I tried that, they always managed to find me... oh the woes of being a tall blond kid in Ecuador.<br />
<br />
Well, there's probably more interesting anecdotes about the Amazon that I'm forgetting, but if I think of them that will just be one more excuse to write a new blog. For now, I'll steal from Loony Toons (which I have been watching a lot of in Spanish), and just leave you with.... That's all folks!<br />
<br />
<br />Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-33146878486531712932013-01-21T23:05:00.000-08:002013-01-21T23:05:21.618-08:00Island GetawayAfter the somewhat hectic and stressful experience of having all of my important things stolen, I decided to amend the itinerary for my vacation with my parents just slightly. We unfortunately had to cut out Cuenca, as we had lost a few days recouperating from the theft. But that did give us a couple more days to spend chilling out in Baños. It was a very relaxing and enjoyable stay, filled with massages, hot springs, steam baths, good food, and waterfalls. But on the whole, it was not terribly eventful, basically just a spa week to recover from all the adventure we had been through.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1FcB0O3bTeYmvThZOf3VQWcIFL3q5Vaz70CsZrE_W7fdR5uZRHcUe4w0K9gw7UYY9h6vSww5APRXcmJDDTTuvu_VGqBABVLENA7aPnaygT1sKUndJH8FrO1d9g64kaMiSHAFVa4ZgmA/s1600/DSC00099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1FcB0O3bTeYmvThZOf3VQWcIFL3q5Vaz70CsZrE_W7fdR5uZRHcUe4w0K9gw7UYY9h6vSww5APRXcmJDDTTuvu_VGqBABVLENA7aPnaygT1sKUndJH8FrO1d9g64kaMiSHAFVa4ZgmA/s1600/DSC00099.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant Tortoises living in the wild, they really are huge, over 600 pounds!</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMa8-1EqF8EtmlmtcAoKS7wNv0flcN_xJ7_wNyYZux7bJRe7n02qFLrcPX43SKrNNuBF4IsdcY_CJVfIswq855NPJGeVb8jkwVs2eIZlZQmKs6HmioF7jua-zk0vSCGnpfkz76CH3bWg/s1600/DSC00303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMa8-1EqF8EtmlmtcAoKS7wNv0flcN_xJ7_wNyYZux7bJRe7n02qFLrcPX43SKrNNuBF4IsdcY_CJVfIswq855NPJGeVb8jkwVs2eIZlZQmKs6HmioF7jua-zk0vSCGnpfkz76CH3bWg/s1600/DSC00303.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Lions are just everywhere around the Galápagos, and they are really friendly. </td></tr>
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<br />
After our detox in Baños, it was time to once again hit the road, and make our way to Guayaquil where we would catch our flight to the Galápagos Islands. This was to be our last hurrah together as a family, and I wanted to make it a memorable one. So after spending a couple nights in a very nice hotel, enjoying the beach and town of Puerto Ayora, we hopped on a six day cruise that we snagged as a last minute deal. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSimlGMtq9izCJM7JdufSypXRs05QNCfjeUct_-Yy9EIkWdcrH3fKeVZ0a0W6NsACalVHIMEUz52smuW8dTe6tkHYIMpc6jm96o1IX_Vr1AvxwLelqdm7uYvhl8DaJmQ4435U-ZmwqeM/s1600/DSC00313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSimlGMtq9izCJM7JdufSypXRs05QNCfjeUct_-Yy9EIkWdcrH3fKeVZ0a0W6NsACalVHIMEUz52smuW8dTe6tkHYIMpc6jm96o1IX_Vr1AvxwLelqdm7uYvhl8DaJmQ4435U-ZmwqeM/s1600/DSC00313.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's the nesting season for most birds and Sea Lions now, this pup is probably a week old.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iGFO24HFzs34b_zzQIq-M1l9FM6lLKCOCmGtsl_nIgFQBQ7uf1ALMMy_RVvHZVTByEgD-CNunP8JcjZQspGxWkAoYAvESsu5lUlABR3ust9H5rUU8tVsPrK6XXVqseejNKZvP78Plm4/s1600/DSC00123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iGFO24HFzs34b_zzQIq-M1l9FM6lLKCOCmGtsl_nIgFQBQ7uf1ALMMy_RVvHZVTByEgD-CNunP8JcjZQspGxWkAoYAvESsu5lUlABR3ust9H5rUU8tVsPrK6XXVqseejNKZvP78Plm4/s1600/DSC00123.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with a coconut, the beaches here are just beautiful!</td></tr>
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<br />
These past six days have been some of the most amazing of my entire trip. We began in Puerto Ayora, sailed to Puerto Villamil, then all around the western edge of Isabella, then up to Santiago Island, North Seymour, and finished back at Santa Cruz. Along the way we saw some of most incredible wildlife and scenery in the world. There are so many species and landscapes that are entirely unique to these isolated little islands. But the truly wonderful thing about the Galápagos is just how surrounded and immersed you become with nature. The animals living here have almost no natural predators, so they have no fear of humans. For this reason, the Galápagos is probably the only place in the world that you can take a hike and have to look at the ground to keep form stepping on marine iguanas. Every animal, from Blue Footed Boobies to Sea Lions will allow you to practically walk up and pet them without showing the least sign of distress or fear.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigeNu92wU-0_mTZkIrdpmuHBlYqg6bXUHtek9ZgBqiMUCpU3M5yD1dGmHaJs6i_7kieNjsJCWfBQhxhLfJeO8PaQflXe9Y9ScyKuRrrcSKWqAq_a2uXagFOBEmxySWE2iY0YVLYQC4NRM/s1600/DSC00320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigeNu92wU-0_mTZkIrdpmuHBlYqg6bXUHtek9ZgBqiMUCpU3M5yD1dGmHaJs6i_7kieNjsJCWfBQhxhLfJeO8PaQflXe9Y9ScyKuRrrcSKWqAq_a2uXagFOBEmxySWE2iY0YVLYQC4NRM/s1600/DSC00320.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ubiquitous Blue Footed Boobie. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzKUWcQ1AKjenXOw6cVX-4wFhlz-f2jxqcVyK1EIU8zHbiseiRwjUllyq2FxDsJ6onlFUJPpdDxgz5AbemTaZGIK00A0MdGRUl8stc5TjgxhUN5JfvTRYrk9t-17oNsFH624Gxu0afuI/s1600/DSC00166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzKUWcQ1AKjenXOw6cVX-4wFhlz-f2jxqcVyK1EIU8zHbiseiRwjUllyq2FxDsJ6onlFUJPpdDxgz5AbemTaZGIK00A0MdGRUl8stc5TjgxhUN5JfvTRYrk9t-17oNsFH624Gxu0afuI/s1600/DSC00166.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Sally Lightfoot Crab, the colors are just amazing, and this picture doesn't capture them that well.</td></tr>
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<br />
It was a fantastic trip, with only one downside... we had to live on a boat. One of the things I learned about myself during this trip is that sea life does not agree with me. From the moment I stepped on the boat, I felt dizzy and slightly nausiated. I did eventually adjust, but I never really adapted to constantly rocking back and forth. And throughout our trip I had sever bouts of headache and nausia. But it was still a fantastic way to end our trip, and I an experience I will never forget. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYtNzHkeOR1PFgqw9xNuMe0ARgRXjJHDWvCk75KRUlQB4EW_9KBhxSvKj2AKv3JWkXpA2-OyDC37ZmTMrfD1X56x3MKbrQ9SHuuGeofRO2uYSCTQC2HlJG-caCtEaLddDcv0-aRe1wMI/s1600/DSC00179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYtNzHkeOR1PFgqw9xNuMe0ARgRXjJHDWvCk75KRUlQB4EW_9KBhxSvKj2AKv3JWkXpA2-OyDC37ZmTMrfD1X56x3MKbrQ9SHuuGeofRO2uYSCTQC2HlJG-caCtEaLddDcv0-aRe1wMI/s1600/DSC00179.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These lava flows cover much of the islands, it really looks like an apocalypse.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1kYBCJkTCSaw32l_9t47ZHrEvU9mNP3z34wCs3Wre_GWZsGR1ybHg_wFne8KGkfwlzbu671lHiTGS3FF7LpS2cqf350FoYLqGo74spB7XwImBwYcPcsixZbX8Khm7Mndt5oEe5DvYto/s1600/DSC00239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1kYBCJkTCSaw32l_9t47ZHrEvU9mNP3z34wCs3Wre_GWZsGR1ybHg_wFne8KGkfwlzbu671lHiTGS3FF7LpS2cqf350FoYLqGo74spB7XwImBwYcPcsixZbX8Khm7Mndt5oEe5DvYto/s1600/DSC00239.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Galápagos is the only place in the world where Marine Iguana's are found, they enter the water to feed and cool off. </td></tr>
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<br />Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-6428583220539046862013-01-13T19:32:00.001-08:002013-01-13T19:32:24.102-08:00Back in Business I'm back, and better than ever. Once again I apologize for the long sabbatical, but I ran into some unexpected trouble on the road and had to put blog posting on hold for a while. Although it seemed pretty devastating at the time, in hindsight it's actually a rather interesting story, so here goes nothing.<br />
<br />
We were biking across the Andes Mountains, pedaling through one of the most beautiful areas in all of Ecuador. Our day started at Quilotoa, the emerald green lake cradled in the crater of an active volcano. We began from there on our ride down through the valleys and over the mountains, passing through what could have easily passed as the set for The Hobbit. It was a very surreal experience, like being picked up and set down in the middle of a movie, the scenery was really that beautiful. Around midday we stopped by a river winding it's way between two mountains, huge sheer cliffs looming up on one side of us, and endless rolling green hills on the other.<br />
<br />
Later that day we arrived at our hotel, hopped out of the Jeep, and stretched our stiff legs. Pulling our bags out of the car, I quickly realize that my backpack was not there. Not the giant backpack with all of my cloths, the small day pack that has everything important in it, the one I never let out of my sight. I quickly started digging through the bags, rooting around like a pig going through the compost... it wasn't there. Without that backpack, I was done for. It contained my passport, visa, ATM card, laptop, camera, cellphone, ipod, kindle, books, notebooks, and countless other essentials. I retraced every step I had traveled that day, the only time I took my eyes off the backpack was during our lunch stop, I would later get confirmation that that was where it was stolen. While we were having lunch, quite literally in the middle of nowhere (we were probably in one of the most remote places in Ecuador, there were maybe 5 houses that we saw along this entire road), someone drove up, opened the door to our car, grabbed my backpack, and drove off. <br />
<br />
Later that night, our tour guide had the bright idea of calling my cellphone, which was at that time, with the thief. To everyones surprise, I got an answer. To be honest, I was so stunned that I had no idea what to say, I managed to choke out an 'hola', and got a reply, but they quickly hung up. We tried a few more times, and always got an answer, quickly followed by a hang-up. I sent text messages offering money for my things back, but to no avail. I went to bed with a pit in my stomach and thoughts of simply getting on the next plane to the U.S.<br />
<br />
"Will, Will, get up! There's someone on the phone!" my Mom shrieked, stumbling into my room, blind without her glasses. I jumped out of bed, half dressed, and dashed over to the adjoining room. My Dad handed me the phone with little warning, and there I was, all of a sudden having a conversation with the thief of every important belonging I had. I was still in mild shock, and not in any condition to be negotiating. Went around in circles for about five minutes, before we basically agreed that he would return my passport, visa, and debit card (which we had already cancelled), for some amount of money. I offered $200, the reply I got was not encouraging.<br />
<br />
"Listen, I'm Ecuadorian, if I lost my ID, drivers licence, credit card... I know how important those things are." he boasted.<br />
"Well that may be true, but I've already called my embassy (a lie), and I can get a new passport in only a couple of days (a lie), for less than $100 dollars (a lie)." I shot back. <br />
<br />
I essentially told him that because I could just get a new passport, it wasn't worth more than about $200... he wanted $1000. I told him there was no way in hell he was getting $1000 out of me, after having already stolen everything else of mine, and that $200 was a lot better than his alternative, nothing. That pretty much ended my contact with the thief, he realize I wasn't going to give, and just gave up. I sent another text, offering him one last chance to get some money, $200 is a lot better than nothing I pointed out. <br />
<br />
The next day started out on a low note, pretty somber, but I decided to put all that had happened behind me, and enjoy the last day of our tour. It turned out to be a picture perfect day, it was clear, sunny, and we got a postcard view of Chimborazo. Sometime that morning, while we were on our bikes, I heard the phone ring; I could not pick it up. We waited until we had stopped, called back, and got an answer.<br />
<br />
"Hello, who am I speaking with?" I asked.<br />
"Uh..w-with the, uh, owner of your passport," came the reply. It was a woman's voice, not the man I talked to last night. This girl was unsure and stuttering.<br />
<br />
We worked out that she had found my passport somewhere and was in Latacunga... we would be passing through Latacunga in about an hour on our way home I told her; she got scared and said she would call back later. When we got closer to Latacunga I called back, and told her I would give her money, a meeting point was set. We pulled up to the crowded bus station (our decided meeting point) and waited anxiously.<br />
<br />
She was scared. The more I talked to this girl, the more I realized that she may really be innocent. She clearly knew nothing; I told her to wear the backpack so I could recognize her, and she replied that she didn't know about any backpack, she just found my passport and phone when she was going through the garbage (she claimed to be a garbage collector.) She was afraid of getting mixed up in a bad situation, and didn't want to cause any problems, she wanted me to come alone (that part felt very secret agent.) The whole time her voice was shaky and her breathing heavy, you could almost hear her heart beating over the phone. My own heart felt like it was about to crack a rib. <br />
<br />
In my head this all went down very slick, like something from a James Bond film, or an exchange you would see on TV, with the briefcase casually set down and picked up by the recipient. In reality, it was much messier. We kept calling each other back and forth, trying to arrange a proper meeting place, trying to find each other.<br />
<br />
"Wait, now you're at the bus station? You said you were at the traffic light." "Ok, now I'm at the bus station... oh you mean on the other side of the station." "Which mango tree are you under? There's like 10 mango trees out here."<br />
<br />
After about 10 minutes of walking in circles, probably passing each other several times, I finally spotted her. I stuffed my hands in my pockets, put my head down, and slowly approached, trying to look as least threatening as possible. She was a young woman, probably in her late twenties or early thirties, wearing very plain cloths, all covered in dirt and stains. She was obviously very poor, and so far he story of being a garbage collector was holding true. As I walked up to her, she looked terrified, she stuck out her hand and thrust the passport and phone in my face. It would have been so easy to just grab them and walk away, without giving her any money, she never would have followed me, or said a word for anyone. But seeing this woman in her ripped sweater and worn out sneakers, with dirt smeared across her face and clothing, I felt sorry for her. I ended up giving her $100, making an about turn on my heals, and speed walking back to our car. <br />
<br />
And that's how it ended, I got my passport, visa, credit card (now cancelled, and worthless), and cellphone back. We ended up staying in Quito for a few unplanned days, to purchase some replacements for essentials I had lost (computer, camera, headlamp, etc.) And I now write from a brand new laptop, sitting in the beautiful Galapagos Islands, enjoying life more than I ever have. I owe the woman who found my passport a lot, I will be forever thankful to her, and I hope she uses the money I gave her to feed her family, or something important... unfortunately it's likely more than she makes in a month. <br />
<br />
There are some things I cannot get back, certain photos, and videos, some contact information, notes, and books. But I am just feeling lucky to have recovered from what could have really ruined this trip. I have a ton of blogs to post, on what I've done, both before and since this incident. I doubt anyone will read this whole post since it's basically a short novel. But thanks for waiting, and I hope to have more up soon!Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-29894194519521819342013-01-04T15:27:00.002-08:002013-01-04T15:27:21.880-08:00Out of OrderI apologize to anyone who has been checking my blog recently only to find old posts. I recently had my laptop, among many other things, stolen. So I will not be able to post, email, facebook, and many other things as easily. As soon as I am able to get all of my stuff figured out, and get plugged back in I have a lot of blogs to post. Sorry, but thanks for the understanding!Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-27261171148420175982012-12-22T13:02:00.003-08:002012-12-22T13:02:56.293-08:00Fur and Feathers: MonkeysNow comes everyone's favorite animal group at the center, monkeys. At Sacha Yacu we take care of 12 monkeys, all with their own unique look and personality. Monkeys are an interesting case... they're both amazing and awful for the same reason, their likeness to humans. It's a wonderful thing to go into a cage with the monkeys and have them climb your leg and curl up in your arms trying to get their smell on you. It's not so great when they throw mud at you, bite your fingers, or break your wristwatch (Ok, so it was a $5 watch I got on the street in Quito, but still annoying.) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignFTsNLWDLlu7ZTSTwk18Bj3ymZ5QjDbIuywY0eiSr5eXm0QIMtHi4fud0AnsmeI7BlFMODfH3xZaRiwg32J3TH0P1cyhP2WxEIajOOp7jMX2Lz3Qt9vPTipSm7cOSYqMKYFNyjxj1Ws/s1600/DSCN0799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignFTsNLWDLlu7ZTSTwk18Bj3ymZ5QjDbIuywY0eiSr5eXm0QIMtHi4fud0AnsmeI7BlFMODfH3xZaRiwg32J3TH0P1cyhP2WxEIajOOp7jMX2Lz3Qt9vPTipSm7cOSYqMKYFNyjxj1Ws/s400/DSCN0799.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are actually just wild Squirrel Monkeys that hang around the center because we feed them.</td></tr>
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<br />
11 of our monkeys are Capuchins, considered the most intelligent of the New World monkeys. It really is astounding just how smart these little furballs are; I have seen them using tools to try to escape from their cages, using tools to actually escape from their cages, washing fruit before eating it, displaying jealousy and a myriad of other emotions, and outsmarting us humans on a daily basis. Twice a week we feed our monkeys insects that we catch the day before (using our hands I might add), the insects are supposed to be fed to the monkeys one at a time, but on more than one occasion I have seen the monkeys distract the person feeding them insects and then reach through the cage and greedily grab a giant handful of insects from the open jar. They of course proceed to run away and hoard their new catch, lustily wolfing down their prize while insect guts drip down their chins.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrncpeRWYaZqM-XYBIfHCfWpgmyjVJHkNNhqjTy57aqlFwFNXOSk6mcD3OlkDl-QVEzwtaFQY0pDNSmbDZLhedDgCKOG5sJlGdJX8NzNAeJBFoZEVazWYnCGj7mLh6hkvb5B1_OPNF-1U/s1600/DSCN0815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrncpeRWYaZqM-XYBIfHCfWpgmyjVJHkNNhqjTy57aqlFwFNXOSk6mcD3OlkDl-QVEzwtaFQY0pDNSmbDZLhedDgCKOG5sJlGdJX8NzNAeJBFoZEVazWYnCGj7mLh6hkvb5B1_OPNF-1U/s400/DSCN0815.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with Ada, aka my baby.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-izHnGboYcbHdqSzsLyU8faQ_AuQLXvRqC2JV7Ad61e1uaAUhRZ4FtQnBcXFiweV9S28Ru9R5AHuDck-pL2WEEgvC6un_kWpvpsGcC6c3Ew8b7MgZraPqAoL03GiZZ-lvH6tESzGqJQ/s1600/IMG_3445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-izHnGboYcbHdqSzsLyU8faQ_AuQLXvRqC2JV7Ad61e1uaAUhRZ4FtQnBcXFiweV9S28Ru9R5AHuDck-pL2WEEgvC6un_kWpvpsGcC6c3Ew8b7MgZraPqAoL03GiZZ-lvH6tESzGqJQ/s640/IMG_3445.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Zongo Zongo, our Titi monkey. She's abundantly furry and fuzzy, easily the most beautiful monkey we have, and she always sits on my shoulder for feeding time, my second favorite animal at the center.</td></tr>
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But while they monkeys can often be a handful, they are undeniably loveable. I have several monkeys at the center that love to see me every day, when I come in to feed them or clean their cage they will jump on my back and start delicing me (picking through my hair), or climb into my arms and start making little baby noises. They are some of our cutest animals, and on good days they really make it a joy to work at Sacha Yacu. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WbDRimrBVQviDz0G53VCF50rnHFdbsInXCovr84qWm5NDoTHfQQT8jbaqp_gkDHMKv9CLfCX5TSl0sfTIbLDuBiYrxLvtRfCLH-lsd-8mElucU9jDEeC7PMbDpzQsMYo_UzihyphenhyphenO7Yfc/s1600/IMG_1201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WbDRimrBVQviDz0G53VCF50rnHFdbsInXCovr84qWm5NDoTHfQQT8jbaqp_gkDHMKv9CLfCX5TSl0sfTIbLDuBiYrxLvtRfCLH-lsd-8mElucU9jDEeC7PMbDpzQsMYo_UzihyphenhyphenO7Yfc/s400/IMG_1201.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This would be Ninja, one of our Capuchins, with his tail wrapped around my neck.</td></tr>
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<br />Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-45792508866539297562012-12-16T06:01:00.000-08:002012-12-16T06:01:00.605-08:00Fur and Feathers: PeccariesThis week brings a bit of a boring topic if you ask me, but one that must be covered nonetheless. Peccaries are essentially pigs, although apparently they are not even related to pigs in any way. They look like a type of wild hog, with big sharp tusks and a good throaty snort. They are an animal indigenous to the Amazon in and around this region of South America. They are very populous in other parts of their habitat, but in Ecuador peccaries have become endangered in recent years, and it is for that reason that we keep them at the center.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIUiqyCnleEFEWmYMrGP-pnWOZAfRiRgTR0Q8MR4I4m0gCdmw2yYv_C8rVJHEx7eUlFPuGCoYG9S1bU18YWDbTq37bqN1RmdsTG3pIZ2RRvWNs8erO_NgEL8psi5dTPutio3k8W8BkDE/s1600/DSCN1100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIUiqyCnleEFEWmYMrGP-pnWOZAfRiRgTR0Q8MR4I4m0gCdmw2yYv_C8rVJHEx7eUlFPuGCoYG9S1bU18YWDbTq37bqN1RmdsTG3pIZ2RRvWNs8erO_NgEL8psi5dTPutio3k8W8BkDE/s400/DSCN1100.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of our peccaries, these are the guys that always show up on our doorstep looking for food.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgka64EI3-BWkd0qdLJr3P0ebk1q7R_PJnS7zKFU0RubPt4-UvlVsQhyphenhyphenRcFX4-SaF8UAlrfngBycE8rHutqEpcRZV9reX_BeXjhzOPVOcB_vdNu7ON1ig4bmKVlXjOGo5ntA_q1etKCbFc/s1600/DSCN1104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgka64EI3-BWkd0qdLJr3P0ebk1q7R_PJnS7zKFU0RubPt4-UvlVsQhyphenhyphenRcFX4-SaF8UAlrfngBycE8rHutqEpcRZV9reX_BeXjhzOPVOcB_vdNu7ON1ig4bmKVlXjOGo5ntA_q1etKCbFc/s400/DSCN1104.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of our Huanganas, which is basically a giant peccary.</td></tr>
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The best way to describe a peccary is a "jungle pig", they have hooves, a big snout, and look and act just like pigs in about every way. They smell, they snort, and they're always escaping. Our peccaries have a huge cage and it seems that about 4 out of the 6 days a week there is at least one peccary that escapes. This becomes a big problem as they usually wander up to the house looking for food, and can be very dangerous. Many of our peccaries have become very accustomed to humans, and some are now even aggressive towards people. They are fast, and have huge tusks that can do some serious damage. My first week here, one of the other volunteers was bitten by a peccary, leaving him with a big whole in his foot and putting him out of work for about a week. There are some people who find the peccaries quite cute... I am not one of them, to me they're really just a nuisance that serves little purpose at the center. But they're animals in danger, so I'll care for them all the same. Until next time!Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-4345611721297366672012-12-08T13:41:00.000-08:002012-12-08T13:41:11.449-08:00Fur and Feathers: BirdsFor the second in my series on our animals here at Sacha Yacu, I will describe my personal favorite class of animals we take care of, the birds. We have everything here from turkeys to scarlet macaws, however the large majority are various types of amazonian parrots. Amazonians are a type of parrot that comes in all sizes and color patterns, but they all have the same basic look. All have a small beak and many are mostly green with patches of color to distinguish subspecies. They are beautiful birds, but are alas, outclassed by some of the stunning beauties they stand beside. Our scarlet macaws are the big attention grabbers, and it's hard to deny that they are pretty amazing. They are very large, about the size of a house cat, and covered with brilliant feathers that span the rainbow from red to violet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0F2gqVGDo8kffJg6-lv2FHlz4c7yTjyXDCRSeXdjeQBhYuymtcYfTLXYXqOJG3kB3aSzVOdn-grg9bChKXKqMaXYbKJKqnAQt5UUvKTqupFGR7B0N4kDO2azJVfIgQaAHXhtob7hdSw/s1600/IMG_3259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0F2gqVGDo8kffJg6-lv2FHlz4c7yTjyXDCRSeXdjeQBhYuymtcYfTLXYXqOJG3kB3aSzVOdn-grg9bChKXKqMaXYbKJKqnAQt5UUvKTqupFGR7B0N4kDO2azJVfIgQaAHXhtob7hdSw/s400/IMG_3259.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Macaws are really awesome. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTH7xTiP4AJbjq74-yLKj1qHJhiEpE4Qt9p8BhVgKV2TpuZKq0wtq1KRBYDS1DjRrVOeofotykCPN-lcqR7Ep4Omv7yiRXAJ1ZJcg2mKORbzEIDCbkdO7tCf4jDq5uOty__raXqM771GA/s1600/IMG_1135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTH7xTiP4AJbjq74-yLKj1qHJhiEpE4Qt9p8BhVgKV2TpuZKq0wtq1KRBYDS1DjRrVOeofotykCPN-lcqR7Ep4Omv7yiRXAJ1ZJcg2mKORbzEIDCbkdO7tCf4jDq5uOty__raXqM771GA/s400/IMG_1135.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They use their beaks like a third leg to climb stuff, since they can't fly.</td></tr>
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Most of our birds are here because they have been injured in a way that prevents them from functioning in the wild. One is blind, some are quite sick, but about half of them have had their wings clipped so that they cannot fly. All of our macaws and many of the amazonians have clipped wings, this does not mean that their wings are gone or cannot be opened, merely that they no longer have the strength in their wings to support their own weight for sustained flight. Pictures don't do complete justice to the birds, but it's still the best way I have to give you an idea of just how cool they are. Oh and as a side note, many of our parrots can talk... they are often screaming things like "HOLA!" in screechy parrot voices, or whistling... it's very fun to have a whistling contest with parrots, they're pretty tough competitors though. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkGDaoebx6I2ggDhVctj-2KPkofIzvAMly8Jv3fx9rnd-cB16sHgAy6q0lx3Y74Kveg2oHVnmeFA0n4NRtw55jP_zFGfnx2pPtvyII4YzF3FGgDvN38Tmv_XV6JdLYEujw9Kbu3LgF3s/s1600/IMG_3231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkGDaoebx6I2ggDhVctj-2KPkofIzvAMly8Jv3fx9rnd-cB16sHgAy6q0lx3Y74Kveg2oHVnmeFA0n4NRtw55jP_zFGfnx2pPtvyII4YzF3FGgDvN38Tmv_XV6JdLYEujw9Kbu3LgF3s/s400/IMG_3231.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corn is the all-time favorite food for our birds. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8HI1RurUQji6sh18MaoQoHgJvuByaMWCTYXk9cGEERUZXNU05_WfkM2LNJVSvFswoRtEUZfHtp6MxAwQziswQNqMLbmt5SgU7CfQiYXGAEfG2M1u7wzol9XHx2yFPqUlQd5XsS1UPnY/s1600/IMG_3222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8HI1RurUQji6sh18MaoQoHgJvuByaMWCTYXk9cGEERUZXNU05_WfkM2LNJVSvFswoRtEUZfHtp6MxAwQziswQNqMLbmt5SgU7CfQiYXGAEfG2M1u7wzol9XHx2yFPqUlQd5XsS1UPnY/s400/IMG_3222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our yellow-cheeked amazonians. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hv1lwix2Gf4XUMFU90S5qj-i52kT43pzhA6YuSY1oVSklo6-JXgOEbYFR9hXveLq2GWTSq0A9HInJ72PhLKLm6doBHgDrmAwL-HlTD6Q1Ai94um43fjlZ4B2G103kSf00NCpP1OHLBc/s1600/IMG_3232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hv1lwix2Gf4XUMFU90S5qj-i52kT43pzhA6YuSY1oVSklo6-JXgOEbYFR9hXveLq2GWTSq0A9HInJ72PhLKLm6doBHgDrmAwL-HlTD6Q1Ai94um43fjlZ4B2G103kSf00NCpP1OHLBc/s400/IMG_3232.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have no idea what kind of parrot this guy is, but he is probably the most beautiful in my opinion, under those midnight blue outer feathers he's hiding a brilliant aqua display that you can only see when he flies. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkjR0uCf3gT8H11AnwR9pkRImJxyOBevJWpp97nrBM7w4UnGs77WYTkGe8ymxLF0IPCatypMomCWPrVCMsNuN4Pj6O5lwAPotbNAdkVeD1AD-BUQ6JMdcqEEb3OXi2rYrcOEeow8iZYw/s1600/DSCN0894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkjR0uCf3gT8H11AnwR9pkRImJxyOBevJWpp97nrBM7w4UnGs77WYTkGe8ymxLF0IPCatypMomCWPrVCMsNuN4Pj6O5lwAPotbNAdkVeD1AD-BUQ6JMdcqEEb3OXi2rYrcOEeow8iZYw/s400/DSCN0894.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Houdini enjoying a banana in his tree. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHkHgmnoT977sNq4p6ccUgy-1mgnBXCJ8T4fGEHWFyolWTjjvlfoqX1f7QqOALaXtE7smPC-oK5EwpQ1sNHSDUH5MTuU3xcPBwa2Wa2QSHVMR8BD-uxX7yV_Zu9HWUiHP6zj7-Yk2eRs/s1600/IMG_1300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHkHgmnoT977sNq4p6ccUgy-1mgnBXCJ8T4fGEHWFyolWTjjvlfoqX1f7QqOALaXtE7smPC-oK5EwpQ1sNHSDUH5MTuU3xcPBwa2Wa2QSHVMR8BD-uxX7yV_Zu9HWUiHP6zj7-Yk2eRs/s400/IMG_1300.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Houdini, escaped once more, hanging out in the bathroom, his favorite place on earth.</td></tr>
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This is Houdini, our blue and yellow
macaw, he deserves a special explanation because he's my favorite of
almost all our animals at the center. Unlike the other animals,
Houdini does not live in a cage here, he has a little house in a tree
just outside the house. His wings are clipped and he cannot fly, but
he has become quite amazing in just how well he can walk and where he
can manage to get. He is named Houdini because he always escapes from
his tree and walks up to the house. About four times a day Houdini
will be found in the shower (his favorite place to hang out) or in
the bathrooms, not in his house where he belongs. Despite his
propensity for escape, I can't help but have a soft spot for Houdini,
as I am one of the only people that he likes, and he will let me pet
him all day long if I like. Plus the macaws with clipped wings look
really goofy when they walk around, since they use their beak like a
third leg, to grab onto things, and they waddle along like penguins.
Sometimes I'll be laying about in a hammock and see Houdini come
waddling up to the shower and just burst out laughing from how absurd
he looks. Oh also he talks, every day at about 2:30 he starts
screeching “Hola!” in different voices for about an hour.
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Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-19970418694308775432012-12-02T10:06:00.002-08:002012-12-02T10:06:37.558-08:00Fur and Feathers: MammalsWell, as promised, I will finally begin to blog about the animals that we take care of at the Sacha Yacu animal rescue center where I am currently living and working. At Sacha Yacu we take care of tons of different animals, but they are grouped into four groups: mammals, birds and turtles, peccaries, and monkeys.<br />
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For the first installment of my series on our animals, I will highlight the two types of mammals that we so lovingly care for, tayras and coatis. Tayras are a member of the weasel family, they are energetic, great climbers, and can peel and eat a banana in about 5 seconds. I think that our tayras look like a lot of fun, and wish that I could go in and play with them, that however is not possible since in recent months the tayras have become increasingly aggressive, and would have no trouble taking some chunks of flesh out of me if given the chance. Despite the aggressive nature of our tayras, many indigenous households do keep tayras as pets, and they can be domesticated, although you would want to keep a closer eye on them than on the dogs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzh0qxgpTQvk79NpSwaAaa6t0bt3-QUiutYIkjVTER_Fm4pM5Jn-mGqLUVGbgPFYlB7MQtLCFRKNlcpMPpzOLuwjwlWaSGsRUAhVFeu-mUuaB-dErWLmP2e-DqV3D_ZBvXmwKHQcbHs3U/s1600/DSCN1051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzh0qxgpTQvk79NpSwaAaa6t0bt3-QUiutYIkjVTER_Fm4pM5Jn-mGqLUVGbgPFYlB7MQtLCFRKNlcpMPpzOLuwjwlWaSGsRUAhVFeu-mUuaB-dErWLmP2e-DqV3D_ZBvXmwKHQcbHs3U/s400/DSCN1051.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is our male tayra, I find him quite cute. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqO17Gxp6ZH8rURPvtECBke-BCCuYqh57ogZAOe-DbkioY00De4FrCrtUvg7_cAHZjDfrmaiNp7-M-jTsXKwKFGvLPl5o-zhYYojv5gQdn7O-5J8sh7tgJbLdIc7PtjRMLsjcRyjqMy0/s1600/DSCN1049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqO17Gxp6ZH8rURPvtECBke-BCCuYqh57ogZAOe-DbkioY00De4FrCrtUvg7_cAHZjDfrmaiNp7-M-jTsXKwKFGvLPl5o-zhYYojv5gQdn7O-5J8sh7tgJbLdIc7PtjRMLsjcRyjqMy0/s400/DSCN1049.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is our female tayra, I can't help but call her "Tayra Banks", the resemblance is uncanny. </td></tr>
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Next up are our coatis, which share a lot of traits with the tayras, but are decidedly cuter. Coatis are members of the raccoon family, and the resemblance is quite noticeable. They are characterized by a long snout that bends upwards, and a ringed non-prehensile tail. I personally love the coatis, I think they're very cute and fun, as do many other people in South and Central America, which has led them to become quite popular as pets. Coatis are easily domesticated, and are commonly kept as pets, although they are decidedly harder to train or control than a dog, and much more dangerous. A couple months ago, one of our coatis escaped from her cage and attacked a volunteer. She ended up leaving this girl with a bunch of lacerations on the leg/body, and a good chunk of hand missing. That being said, I still can't resist petting the coatis, they really can be very tame when they're not stressed, and I've made friends with one of the females, I like to call her Annie.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRiDabZHs-oOJfvlfICL34c1AsDLYvXGCL8VuJhHm3BQ33GjMfyNouOO22EL2qT2IColldI2HWRVWT0HZ28iEb3jJlwlzoky_6W7lImptDsTodBOwjTp9jn2nkDD53V30o8Y1y9tLKV0/s1600/DSCN1068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRiDabZHs-oOJfvlfICL34c1AsDLYvXGCL8VuJhHm3BQ33GjMfyNouOO22EL2qT2IColldI2HWRVWT0HZ28iEb3jJlwlzoky_6W7lImptDsTodBOwjTp9jn2nkDD53V30o8Y1y9tLKV0/s400/DSCN1068.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Come on, how adorable is this guy?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOl5CnzzUYjxk5GM069A201lSvLpdhZbHdQnaDub4LTKNIowa1qZ1InbyG_IJtgVlMUMNbnBrs4QmpWgeE5NYhHIsdvXFud17e3I_rzfFr2NouXV_auWhEcECd7Q_NeQmshLH_7zHz-XE/s1600/DSCN1059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOl5CnzzUYjxk5GM069A201lSvLpdhZbHdQnaDub4LTKNIowa1qZ1InbyG_IJtgVlMUMNbnBrs4QmpWgeE5NYhHIsdvXFud17e3I_rzfFr2NouXV_auWhEcECd7Q_NeQmshLH_7zHz-XE/s400/DSCN1059.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry for the blurry picture, but coatis move really fast, especially when they're hungry. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Orxc_-1hnj5ZXcNE2oL9VjhoWPb9AaddjE3d-nDlOcAlFMpUHNtauyA2gZnHtzLOZdAr9RMLYZY38uAhyLEPMeY6UwCJRLtuFlLZrovqGMOY4UiymivIVZwJmUmSEQcxUbmG9TWL9jk/s1600/DSCN1070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Orxc_-1hnj5ZXcNE2oL9VjhoWPb9AaddjE3d-nDlOcAlFMpUHNtauyA2gZnHtzLOZdAr9RMLYZY38uAhyLEPMeY6UwCJRLtuFlLZrovqGMOY4UiymivIVZwJmUmSEQcxUbmG9TWL9jk/s400/DSCN1070.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Annie, aka my best friend.</td></tr>
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I've got three more groups of animals to write about, plus some more random animals that we have just living around the center, so stay tuned!Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-1095644438875093192012-11-24T20:02:00.000-08:002012-11-24T20:02:47.461-08:00How to Dress Like a QuiteñoThis post is a bit belated given that I haven't lived in Quito for over a month now, but I've had this blog idea for a while and finally decided to stop being such a "vago" (you might want to wordreference.com that one), and put the pen to the paper... er I mean the fingers to the keyboard. In this post I will outline a few of the many looks that are common in Quito. Please keep in mind that these are of course generalizations, but I will say that from my perspective at least, they're quite accurate generalizations.<br />
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1.) "Hip Young Guy"-- I know the name of this look is a bit general, but that's because this is by far the most common and pervasive look you see in Quito. The demographic includes boys from 15-30 all trying to emulate a style that somehow represents both luxury and hipster-grunge at the same time. For the shoes you have two options, Chuck Tailors (usually a knock off) or some type of big colorful skate shoes. The pants are not so negotiable however, they are an exclusively Ecuatorian style. Skinny jeans that are made to resemble some kind of expensive designer brand are all the rage here. But in the process of making all these knock offs, something went terribly wrong... these jeans have patches of denim sewn all over them, in every direction random stitching criss-crosses over dark washed patches and panels of denim. These pants really look like they were made from a bunch of fabric scraps randomly amalgamated with overzealous stitching, and they probably were, leading me to name them "Frankenstein Jeans". The t-shirt is usually a knock off of with large letters announcing across the chest the name of some American brand: "Aeropostal" "Hollister" "American Eagle". But the look would not be complete without the big handful of gel that turns the hair into a jet black array of rock hard spikes so treacherous it would probably be confiscated by the TSA. Oh one more important thing to note about this look: for some reason, here in Ecuador the rat tail is still an extremely popular hairstyle, I would say about 60% of the guys here are sporting a long tangle of hair that snakes down the back of their neck.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMq89dyrsXs9eLjLEs5j67kWNzEBQnOEEH_walQWsiKu2u9F9aq008ulCGn6V928kUHYm3-05K8EXcEzkoklV2IS2aO9_yHfJc_lLdNyHjNx03B0B7Hbhd9oLPrTFgEhaDbqCPfAFbbII/s1600/Quito+Park+Views+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMq89dyrsXs9eLjLEs5j67kWNzEBQnOEEH_walQWsiKu2u9F9aq008ulCGn6V928kUHYm3-05K8EXcEzkoklV2IS2aO9_yHfJc_lLdNyHjNx03B0B7Hbhd9oLPrTFgEhaDbqCPfAFbbII/s400/Quito+Park+Views+002.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Chucks, best effort at looking Ecuadorian. And yes, I did Spider Lace them, because I'm just that cool. </td></tr>
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2.) "Business Man"-- I suppose this title should be in double quotes, since the people dressing like this are not really business men, they are in fact people that are trying to put on the appearance of a business man in order to sell you something. Most of these people are very poor, and employed by some type of salesman job, whether it be selling CD's on the buses, or handing out flyers about Jesus. However, they all have one thing in common: the suit. Appearance is very important in Quito, in fact I would go so far as to say that the people here are generally pretty vain and superficial (note that this does not apply outside of Quito). That is why it is not uncommon to find people with hardly any money to buy basic supplies, choosing instead to splurge on a jacket and tie, or knock off Rolex. One of the American ex-pats I met here told me that, "on the coast, all the rich guys dress like bums; and in Quito, all the bums dress like rich guys." I can now say with confidence that at least the second part of that is true, I'll have to wait until March to confirm the first part.<br />
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3.) "Old Indigenous Woman"-- This look is not so much a fashion statement, as it is a cultural declaration. There are many forms of traditional dress in Ecuador, each region having it's own particular accessories and idiosyncrasies. In Quito, the look is unmistakable, and quite popular among older women. It begins with the traditional shoes, a piece of cloth over the toes with a strap across the back of the heel. They look surprisingly like Toms, but have been worn here for hundreds of years by both men and women, so that $50 pair of Toms you're wearing right now may have been inspired by a $5 traditional Ecuatorian shoe. The look continues with a modest skirt, followed by a decorative blouse embroidered with colors and ruffles. Finally a sweater and hat, the hat is the important part. In Ecuador, the indigenous women wear hats to signify from which tribe and region they're from. It's an extremely important part of their cultural identity, and the hats are strikingly different. Some are felt with peacock feathers from Germany, and can cost over $70 (that's like $300 for a U.S. person), some are made of hard packed corn and weigh several pounds, and others are a simple straw or panama hat, but all critical to an indigenous person's life and identity. Of course, the look I've described here wouldn't be complete without one critical accessory... age. It's important to have a deeply lined face, and long white braid coming out of your hat in order to pull this one off.<br />
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One last thing to mention about Quito fashion is how unusually warm they dress here. Shorts are never, and I literally mean NEVER seen. Same goes with sandals or flip flops. And I would say that about 90% of the people wear a heavy coat or sweater all day long. Even at noon, when temperatures go over 85 degrees, you see people walking around with sweatshirts, jeans, and scarves, as if it's the middle of a Minnesota winter.<br />
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Anyways, I know this post has nothing to do with what I'm doing right now, but I just though it might be interesting. I will try to post more, but I'm very busy with very limited internet access, so no promises!Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378736570405928525.post-30139408430870885832012-11-24T18:51:00.004-08:002012-11-24T18:51:34.864-08:00Amazonian Nights
Although they may not be as famous as the Arabian Nights, I find
Amazonian nights to be one of the most calming and alluring things
about the landscape here. Being on the Equator takes most of the
guesswork out of daily schedules. Each night sunset begins around
5:45 and it is dark by 6:15. The jungle is a wonderful place during
the day, but it is at night that the environment really comes alive.
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Being so far away from civilization you might think that the
nights here would be very still and quiet... in reality it's quite
the opposite. As soon as the sun goes down the concert begins. From
every imaginable angle comes the buzzing, chirping, peeping,
whistling, singing, and myriad other sounds. It seems as though the
entire world is vibrating with a hundred different tones of beating
wings. This is the type of thing that people pay good money for in
the States... it really does sound like I have one of those expensive
sound machines plugged in next to my bed.
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The best part of nighttime however is the storms. It's called the
rainforest for a reason, it rains every day, and most nights as well.
It's a wonderful thing to go to sleep to the sounds of rain on a tin
roof, but my favorite part is not the rain, but the lightning.
Weather it's a far off storm, or one right above your head, the
lightning from night storms in the Amazon is a must see. Flashes
periodically light up not only the night sky, but also the
surroundings, framing the whole forest so you see only the outlines
of trees, plants, and vines.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lightning from a far off nighttime storm. </td></tr>
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Needless to say I sleep quite well here, safe and sound under my
mosquito net of course. The bugs do get pretty big after all, and I
wouldn't want one as a nighttime visitor, no matter how much I enjoy
their music.
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Will Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983902196104798339noreply@blogger.com2