Educacion by the Numbers

We know that Ecuador is different from the U.S.  But every once in a while when we’re taking notes during a Fe y Alegria meeting or observing in a classroom, a few numbers shock us, despite their context:
$280 – average cost per year to educate a student for FyA Ecuador
$224 – average monthly FyA teacher [...]

La Bramadora – bugs, bananas, and a school in the jungle

We got off the bus from Quito in a dusty supply town called El Carmen.  The first thing to hit us was the heat – a palpable, equatorial wave that announced our arrival in the subtropical basin of Ecuador’s Manabi province.  We hefted our duffel bags past street vendors hawking coconuts and flapping roosters, and [...]

Building Character

Ecuador is a great place – it’s got big mountains and nice beaches, verdant jungle and a diversity of people, plants and critters that should make the rest of the world jealous. Still, the day-to-day can be a little…well…“character building.” This post is a tribute to those moments over the past few weeks in Jahuapamba [...]

Cuenca, Part I – First Impressions and the City Itself

As some readers may remember, Matt and I long ago promised to do school visits as part of our year in Ecuador. Language difficulties, side projects, bureaucracy, vacations, family visits, inertia, and the Ecuadorian conception of time all delayed the start of that plan. But in February we finally completed our first school [...]

These be Mountains

For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.
~Leonardo Da Vinci, mountain man
This post is about mountains. If you’d like to skip directly to the photos, follow this link – http://picasaweb.google.com/jvorse/ – [...]

Volcanoes – Not Such a Problem in Boston

So this week a volcano erupted 60 miles from our house.  Walking home from work, we could smell ash in the air.
We were told the eruption was only “moderate” and nothing to worry about.
We feel better now.

For those of you who read Spanish, here’s a link to the local paper – http://www.elcomercio.com/noticiaEC.asp?id_noticia=235383&id_seccion=10.

“¡Sí voté – voté sí!”

(Yes, I voted – I voted yes!…girl shouting into her cell phone after voting)
Many of you in the U.S. may be proud to elect a new president, but here in Ecuador we got a whole new constitution.  Last Sunday about 64% of the population approved a referendum that gives President Rafael Correa additional powers and strengthens [...]

3 Weeks in Ecuador – A Micro-Retrospective

After three weeks in Quito with little blog to show for it, we’ve opted to turn a potentially lengthy chronology into a recap of significant impressions. Here goes…

“It’s the Altitude:”
At 9,350 feet, the altitude in Quito is no joke.  However, it does provide a nearly constant stream of excuses for why we feel tired in [...]

We Have a Home

After two weeks of living in a hostel on the edge of the Mariscal (or “gringoloandia,” the tourist center of Quito), we have a place to call home for the next 4 months.  Combing the classifieds and navigating the fascinating world of real estate agents in another country and another language was an adventure in [...]