benvenidos

[benvenidos]

Day 2:

We woke up early at 6 to intense downpour and Howler Monkey calls!

After breakfast, we set off on an hour trek through the jungle to a lagoon. We took a canoe into the lagoon where we saw and heard so many endangered and rare birds! One bird, I forget it’s name, has not changed phenotypically in so long that it’s offspring still have claws at the ends of their wings. These offspring use the claws to climb back up trees from diving into the water in order to escape predators, as they’re too underdeveloped to fly away.

That afternoon was the only afternoon where the rain held off until the evening! We hiked to a place near our camp called “The Tower” which is a 45m (abt 135ft) tall and is supported by a 300+ year old tree. We climbed to the top of this, and observed the canopy of the Amazon for a long time. With telescopes and binoculars, we saw bromeliads, a family of parrots, toucans, cotingas, and many primate species!

That evening, we set off with our headlamps and flashlight to a night hike in the forest. We saw many nocturnal creatures from tarantulas to giant centipedes to huge stick bugs. At one point, our guide had us turn off all of our lights and stand to listen for a good 10 minutes. The sounds and intense darkness of the forest was really intense, and the bioluminescent fungi felt like we were standing around stars. Definitely one of the most surreal portions of the trip.

Throughout the trip, our professor kept finding 2-4 tarantulas in his cabin! He’d bring them over for us to observe them. We didn’t find any tarantulas in our cabin, but there were plenty of other spiders and moths.

The red insect pictured is called an Assassin Bug.

The photo with much of the leaf eaten away features what is actually a type of fruit dangling from the plant.

[benvenidos]

Day 1:

30 min by plane from Quito to Coca, 2 hours by boat on the Napo River, 2 hours by bus, and 2 more hours by boat on the Tiputini River brought us to the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the Yasuni National Park within Ecuador’s Amazon Rainforest!

If we had decided to take a bus instead of a plane, it would have taken 8 hours to get to Coca. The Coca airport reminded me a lot of the Binghamton Airport, expect the radio tower at Coca was only 2 stories tall and the whole airport was essentially 4 rooms and a runway.

After the first boat ride, we had to pass through a security checkpoint controlled by Repsol, the Italian oil company that control the sector of the Yasuni National Park that the research station resides in. We asked our professor why the research station, who’s research is in the name of environmental conservation, had an agreement with the oil company to pass through the sector. His answer was that it would take five times as long to get to the research station in alternative routes, which was deemed to be inefficient, so it’s a necessary evil that the station complies with.

On the bus ride, the sides were open which allowed for a nice breeze and break from the humidity. We utilized a bus from Repsol and drove on the Maxus Road, a road that an American company origonally built in the 1990s. We passed many homes of the native Huaorani people, whose homes and appearances seemed really Westernized. We learned that roads like the Maxus Road make way for increased colonization, deforestation, illegal poaching, and acculturation of the native populace. Also, the majority of habitat destruction in terms of illegal logging and poaching mainly stem from indigenous communities traditional tendencies being amplified by modern technologies. Many local communities view the animals of the forest as unlimited and there for consumption. Their hunting was mainly restricted based on rivers and manual hunting techniques, but now with the addition of roads, bridges, and firearms, the local people have been able to kill off exponentially more wildlife than before they were contacted by the Ecuadorian government and oil companies. 

During our last boat ride, we discovered that we had a hitchhiker on board-a juvenile tarantula! 

The fuzzy thing on the side of the metal support beam of the main library and lab spaces is a caterpillar, and I’m not sure what type of bird is in the other photo.

We arrived, settled into our cabins, and had dinner. We were the only group present at the station besides the researchers and volunteers working there. During our stay, we ate lunch with world-famous entomologist, Terry Erwin, as well as famous scientists studying primate behavior. One of the undergraduate students who had been doing Woolly Monkey research gave us a lecture on her research and what primate species live in the region of the station. I found the Saki Monkeys to be really fascinating, though we did not see any during our stay.

We were really astounded by just how loud the rainforest was all the time. With 50% of the world’s species being found in Ecuador’s Rainforests, I guess it made sense! So many different chirps, wails, buzzes, and calls rang at all hours. It sounded a lot like white noise machines that people may listen to back in the States.

I definitely bathed more in bug spray than I actually bathed, which is a good thing on account of the literal thousands of species of insects everywhere and the fact that if we showered too much the station would run out of clean water reserves (this did not happen, the station can support roughly 40 people at a time, and there were probably 1/2 that number while we were there).

We also had electricity twice a day, from 10-2 and 6-9:30. Internet was for emergencies only, so our phones were used as cameras for the week. There were dry boxes located in the library/lab spaces building where people stored their sensitive electronics from the humidity. The humidity felt a lot like Columbia, SC, and it persisted the entire time we stayed until we got back to Coca at the end of the week. No clothes would dry, so we were mostly sticky with sweat and bug spray for most of the time, but it was so worth it to hike, observe, and even swim with the wildlife! More details to come about the rest of the week tomorrow, for now I should rest up for classes in the morning.

[benvenidos]

¡Hola! Lo siento por not writing in a while, it's been quite a whirlwind these past weeks-so much to talk about! The other week we stayed with a local community in Riobamba and hiked Chimborazo! Since the Earth bulges out slightly at the equator, Chimborazo is the highest point from the center of the planet. The volcano is inactive & is 20,000ft above sea level. We only ventured up to a little over 16,000ft, but it was still very tough. That is almost twice as high in elevation as Quito with exponentially less oxygen density, so walking a few feet felt like a marathon but it was worth it to see the landscape and wildlife! Along the pathways, we saw graves and memorials for people from around the world who attempted to climb the volcano and died. We also learned that Ecuador's top marathon running regularly trains at Chimborazo, which is astounding to me as I couldn't walk 500ft in 2 hours. There were a surprising number of birds and plants near the base of the volcano. One of the dominant kinds of plants was in the same family as the sunflower and has basically no stem to protect it from the cold. We visited a Polylepis Forest nearby the volcano, whose trees grow on the sides of hills and take hundreds of years to grow a few inches. Their papery skin wards off lichen and mosses that may grow on it. We also so plenty of vicuñas, which as wild pack animals introduced from Peru. The winds there were incredible, easily blowing us around as we trekked across the desert (or as we called it Tatooine). When we stayed with the community, the local people introduced us to their traditional songs and dances-we easily danced for hours together. We also saw the entire process of preparing cuy, the Ecuadorian delicacy of Guinea Pig. Guinea Pigs are kind of tough, but do taste like a more flavorful chicken. In the local culture, the people need permission to sing songs from the local elders, which I found interesting. More to come soon from our week at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the Amazon!

[benvenidos]

So much has happened since my last post. The first photo features the Geobotanical Pululahua Reserve, which is a dormant volcano that fell in on itself after its most recent eruption hundreds of years ago. People settled n the valley subsequently created from that event and have thrived there ever since. Last weekend, my group trekked to el Mitad del Mundo-the equator line in Ecuador! There we had a tour of different customs of native Quichwa and other endemic communities as well as how cocoa is harvested and processed by hand. Though we didn't venture to the larger monument indicating the French calculated equator line, we observed water flowing straight down a drain with no spiraling & a loss of our sense of direction in relation to Earth's magnetic field. We then ventured to the city of Otavalo. Otavalo supports the largest open market in South America, run by the Otavalo people. There we found items from handmade jewelry, ponchos, spices, artwork, instruments, and even Beatles t-shirts! The photo of me was taken at a bird of prey sanctuary that we visited. Behind me is a male volcano whose name escapes me at the moment. Many native beliefs attribute activity between this volcano and another female volcano nearby as flirting. My host mom and siblings took me on a walk early Sunday morning to see the Valley of Cumbayá's reservoir. Featured left to right: Leslie, me, Diana, Elizabeth. My host family also includes Victor (father), Victor (son), grandmami, and another brother who is married as well as an extended family 10 min away. We visited my host mom's brother's family the other day and I played the board game Clue with the cousins, taught English to a younger cousin, and conversed with the mother about Rochester, Ecuador, and how she's housing a U of R student! The next few photos are of USFQ, one of the universities I'm attending in this program. Lastly there is Lucas, one of the family dogs. Pipo is not featured there but he's the other, more energetic dog. Annie is the white dog, and she belongs to the married brother-I forget his name. Last week my host mom took me to a restaurant and ordered for us-I didn't know what we were eating at first, but it looked almost like penne pasta. It wasn't until I'd eaten a fair amount before I realized they were goat intestines! Chewy but pretty okay. On Thursday, my group is traveling to hike the highest volcano in the world; Chimborazo in Riobamba for 2 days. It's the highest point on earth in relation to the center of the globe (approx 20,000ft at its highest point) Being in a place as stunning as Ecuador, among so many kind people away from home has put many things in perspective for me. Did you know that most drug commercials here have a person signing Spanish sign language in the corner of the tv screen? In light of recent events happening in the United States, it makes me ever more thankful that I have the opportunity and privilege to live life to the fullest as part of my study abroad experience and beyond, and to be able to share it with people I love. Lin Manuel-Miranda said it best, "Love is love is love is love." Thank you all for being a part of my life, and I hope I've enriched yours. Please donate if you can to help Orlando: https://www.gofundme.com/PulseVictimsFund Hope to post again soon, buenos noches

[benvenidos]

This morning, my host mother made me a breakfast of grilled cheese, eggs, tea, and juice (I still can't pronounce it) and then I was off for a 2nd day of orientation! Today was focused mainly on health & a tour of Quito's historical district. We before the tour, we played soccer in Quito's largest park, La Carolina, which, at an altitude of 9,300+ feet, was quite a work out. The tour focused mainly on old Neo-Gothic churches constructed as early as the 1600s, and on statues and buildings that signify Ecuador's struggle for independence from Spain. The first church we went to had huge flying buttresses & gargoyles adapted by the local culture to depict wildlife from Ecuador's 4 main ecosystems (Andes, Amazon, Coast, & Galápagos). There was an opportunity to climb to the extreme top of the church via ladder, but I chose to take in the view from a slightly lower vantage point that was stunning. After our tour, we dined at a restaurant across from a square that houses Ecuador's equivalent to our Statue of Liberty. We learned that Friars at churches in Ecuador would have their apprentices show devotion by dressing in traditional attire with masks that shocked us a little at first, and that has no connection to any bigotry that we as citizens of the United States might initially associate them with. Pictured is our waiter dressed in this garb while serving one of our IES coordinators Ecuadorian ice cream. Tomorrow, we're being briefed on our classes at USFQ & visiting the equator (Mitad del Mundo). On Saturday, we're visiting the largest open marketplace in Ecuador at Otavalo! I'm super stoked, and my Spanish is steadily improving a little. Hope to check in again soon.

[benvenidos]

Today has been very long but very rewarding! Started it off with an early breakfast of corn, eggs, tea, and juice from a fruit I can't pronounce with my host mother & sister and walked to El Universidad with my host mother to meet my fellow study abroad students & begin our first day of orientation! I had heard that altitude sickness was most definitely going to happen to me, and I definitely felt it walking to the university this morning. After 5 blocks it was a struggle but definitely worth it to see the residents of Quito and the landscape around us. My group took a shuttle ride to our study abroad center and became acquainted during the ride (there's another Ben in the program, can you believe it?) We got briefed by the staff about safety procedures and the culture of Quito and Ecuador, and then it was off to lunch at a restaurant overlooking the Valley of Cumbayé in Quito that had a stunning view. I haven't seen the big volcano, Cotopaxi, yet because of the clouds but I hear it's beautiful when it's clear and you can see the smoke billowing from its core! After that, we were driven back to the headquarters where we were briefed more and got to enjoy a view from the top of the building. I learned that it's not part of the Ecuadorian culture to wear seat belts (though we did) and that Ecuadorian traffic is mostly chaotic but in a good way. Throughout the day, I've been going through times where I feel fine and great to where I'm ready for a nap and I feel like I've ran a marathon. I'm sure it'll pass in a few days. I arrived home with my host sister, Leslie later on. We played with her dogs (Pipo & Lucas) and she showed me the view from her house's balcony of the valley. This evening, her family and I swapped family photos and watched the COPA America soccer games. My host family consists of my host parents, Victor & Elizabeth, 19 yr Leslie, 17 yr Diansa, 28 yr Victor, and an older brother whose name I forgot. The weather here in the Andes reminds me a lot about Rochester-all 4 seasons in 1 day. Tomorrow, we're taking a walking tour of Quito's historical district, so I'm signing off to save my strength. Hope to post again soon!

[benvenidos]

Studying Abroad

Hello! My name is Ben & I’m studying abroad in Ecuador with IES Abroad as part of their Summer 2016 Enivronmental Studies Program. I will be taking classes in Spanish, Ecuadorian Ecosystems, and Ecuadorian Environmental Policy at the Universidad San Fransisco de Quito (USFQ) and the Galapagos Academic Institute of Arts and Sciences (GAIAS) for 7 weeks.

As part of the program, I will be staying with two host families, one in Quito & one in the Galapagos. I’m very excited and nervous to meet my family in Quito tomorrow, as well as my fellow IES Abroad participants. Visiting the Tiputini Research Station in the Amazon for a week, spending 3 weeks in the Galapagos Islands, and traveling around Ecuador will certainly give me a lot to talk about!

I will do my best to update this blog as often as I can, though I will be without internet access for some periods of time. If you already know me & you’d like to contact me while I’m abroad, please either imessage, email, fb message, or WhatsApp me! If you don’t know me personally, please message me via the tumblr message board.

Thank you to my family & friends for your love & support, I couldn’t have arrived at this point without you all. Mom, Dad, Rachel & Chris, I love you. Kristen, I love you and I will be safe. I’ll post again once I’m in Ecuador! 

BiENvenidos a bordo