What’s up, fatty!?

     In the U.S., you could send teenage girls, or even grown women for that matter, running away in tears by such a small phrase.  However, in coming to Ecuador, you better leave your weak self-esteem at home!  I think this catches many of us by surprise when we first hear it, and we’re not even sure how to respond.  Nevertheless, Ecuadorians basically just call it like they see it.  To us “gringos,” it may seem tactless and out-of-line at times, but it’s definitely never meant to be so.  I’ve noticed that in the culture here, things such as this are simply more open, friendly, and joking.  This goes with questions and curiosity as well.  I’m not sure if it’s a test or a greeting!
     So, within the first few weeks in my site, host family and friends had no problem calling me “gordito” (which means “chubby,” or “fat” with a hint of endearment) which is where Taco Bell got the name for their “gorditas”.  In fact, you can take the ending of many words in Spanish, in this case “gordo,” drop the –o, add an “-ito,” and it becomes a term of endearment.  I’m often called “Mateito” (pronounced “Ma-te-e-toe” which is “Mateo,” the Spanish equivalent of “Matt” and pronounced “Ma-te-o,” changed in this same manner.)
     Regardless, I hear tons of these terms all the time.  They include, but aren’t limited to:  gordo/gordito (fat/chubby), flaco/flacito (skinny), Moreno/morenito (dark), blanco/blancito (white), negro/negrito (dark/black), etc.
     Therefore, my first encounter with being called “gordo” or “gordito” went something like this:

“¡Mateo, esta gordito!”
(Matt, you’re fat!)
                               – Friendly Neighbor

     After a look of “have you lost your mind!?” combined with a “mean-mug”…and then quickly followed by a smile, I said:

“¡Gracias!”     (Thank you!)

     This was welcomed with an eruption of much laughter from all within earshot!

     Another thing used here are terms to describe where people are from, such as:  Cuencano (people from Cuenca, pronounced “Kwain-can-o”) or the term “mono(s)” (people from the coast of Ecuador, and translates as “monkey or monkeys”).  This term is often used derogatorily, but there are some people from the coast that don’t mind it.  Many of these terms are used to describe people, especially when referencing someone that the other person doesn’t know.  You’ll even here “gringo” or “gringito” used to refer to almost any foreigner, from the U.S. or otherwise.  This is similar to the “mono(s)” term in the sense that it could be used derogatorily.  I suppose this goes with almost any word, it’s all in how it is said!
     Like I was saying before, the idea of just saying what is on your mind is commonly true with questions as well.  People will ask all kinds of questions from “What do you parents do?” to “How many brothers/sisters do you have?” to “What all do they do?” to “What religion are you; what do you believe?” to “What does this cost or that cost?” etc.  The list goes on.  They aren’t afraid to ask hardly any question, which some might feel is too personal.  It doesn’t really bother me; I don’t have anything to hide.  I do however think it makes a few feel uncomfortable.  So, I’m sure they haven’t entered the era of “political correctness” here.  If they have, I haven’t seen any evidence of it!  Who needs political correctness anyway!?  People need to grow up and quit dancing around the truth and just call it like it is…  So, regardless, if they are curious, they just ask, we should probably take a few notes on this one…it’s just to say that we often tip-toe around so much when we could just get straight to the point!

¡Achachay!

     So, “How’s the weather!?”  I’m sure you’ve used this question at some point just to fill the void in the conversation, but it’s a fair question, and as far as Ecuador is concerned, it’s a loaded question!  Many see the word “Ecuador,” and whether they know where it’s located or not, immediately think “equator” and then think “hot!”  Well, it is located on the equator, and it can be very hot!  In school, we were always taught that the equator is the hottest place on earth.  Well, they should have given us a little more than that!
     My first impression was that in coming to Ecuador, it was going to be hot, really hot!  Luckily, I reviewed the recommended packing list and packed accordingly.  As I sit here and write this blog, I’m in long pants and a long sleeve shirt!  For those of you that know me to wear shorts nearly all year, except in the few months that it gets really cold in the South, you may find that as a shock!  Now, don’t get me wrong, almost everyone here wears long pants and a jacket, even on days where I decide just to wear shorts and a shirt.  I often get strange looks, but I figure there’s only so much you can do to integrate and people are always going to give you strange looks because you’re a “gringo.”
     The truth is that the temperature/climate here in Ecuador is completely dependent on your altitude.  I finally traveled to the coast, so I have a better idea of the temperatures/climates, but it’s not complete.  The time of year factors in as well.  As for altitude, I’m in the mountains at almost 7,900 feet!  Now, this combined with being close to the equator, makes for really nice weather.  I would like to say that it’s between 65°F – 80 °F almost all the time.  As for the months of August-September or so, I’m told that it will get really windy, be a little rainy, overcast a lot, and cold!  I take the “cold” comment with a grain of salt because when it drops to about 70°F or 65°F, you can put money on the fact that you’ll hear “¡Achachay!” before the days end!  (“¡Achachay!” which is pronounced “ah-cha-chai” and is a Kichwa word that is just an exclamation used when one is cold.)  “Kichwa” (pronounced “key-chwa”) is an indigenous language that is spoken by many indigenous people/tribes in Ecuador.  Now, if you’re reading those school books again, you’ll see “Quechua” (pronounced “K-chwa.”) I’m told this is actually mostly Peruvian, possibly found in Ecuador, but I’m told is not the same as “Kichwa.”
     It’s a little funny to hear people say the phrase “¡Achachay!”  The people on the coast think it is hilarious, mostly because it’s a sierra/mountain thing.  It’s also pretty catchy, being as how I crawled into a shower a few days ago only to be blasted by icy cold water, quickly exclaiming “¡Achachay!”
     Anyway, as for the temperature right now, it’s maybe 55-65°F.  As for the coast of Ecuador, it’s slightly warmer, maybe 75-85°F, but also overcast.  It seems like the whole country is dreary!  Now, just a week or two ago, we had some beautiful, sunny days, great temperature, warm, not too hot, nice cool, breeze.  It was perfect!
     Now, I’ve been told that the coast is usually hot, really hot!  Then again, it sounds much like the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.  It gets around 95°F – 105°F with tons of humidity.  Sound about right!?
     So, in a nutshell, the weather depends on the time of year and your altitude.  The seasons are basically the reverse of the U.S.  Ecuador only has 2 seasons which are called/translated “winter or summer” but really mean “cold or pleasant” for the mountains or “hot or dreary” for the coast.  They also have two other “seasons” that overlap these other “seasons”…the two are “rainy or dry.”  So, now, while it’s blazing hot in the U.S., it is fairly chilly here.  I think around December – February is the hottest time of year here in Ecuador.  Also, the rainy season is from June – September and a little in December in the sierra and from January – April on the coast.

     If you are thinking of traveling here or are just curious as to “What the weather’s like…” you can check out this two links that I’ve found to be pretty decent:

Adventure Life, Ecuador Weather

Weather Underground – Ecuador

¿¡Mande!? (Say what!?)

     “Mande?” pronounced “maan-day” or more like the day, Monday, means “what?” but is a little more formal/nice when compared to “Que?” which is pronounced like the letter “K.”

     Also, I mentioned in the blog before last that I could do 5 posts on the coast, but I’d narrow it down to at least 3…well, here’s 2 of 3!  Enjoy!

     Now, I’d been prepped about what to expect when going to the coast, but I was a little shocked, nevertheless!  The coast is significantly different from the sierra (mountains, where I live).  In the coast, it’s almost as if they speak a different language.  To be such a small country, the diversity in accents in almost stunning!  I suppose you could describe it in terms of the different accents in the U.S., or perhaps even just in Mississippi.  We all know that people in California, have a different accent than people in Wisconsin, or Minnesota, or Texas.  This follows true for people in Boston or New York, or people in the North in general, as well as people in the South.  As for those back home, we know people in the Delta of Mississippi speak differently than people in Vancleave, and even more different from people on the coast!  Now, to emphasize the difference, Ecuador is about the size of Colorado and has a number of different accents, at least 4!!
     I’ll try to give you a breakdown of what it’s like here in Ecuador.  Ecuador has 3 basic regions, including the coast, sierra (mountians), and oriente (jungle/amazon).  In the sierra, you might consider it the “cleanest” of Spanish accents.  However, places like the “campo” (pronounced “caam-po” aka country, as in country side), the accent gets a little more slurred, so-to-speak.  For instance, the “R’s” don’t get rolled clearly, or even pronounced clearly for that matter, they’re more slurred in to a “jzee” sound; it’s difficult to explain…not to mention difficult to reproduce!!  In Quito (pronounced “Key-toe,” 2nd largest city, the capitol of Ecuador), has claim to an accent that is similar to what I experienced in Costa Rica.  There, the accent pronounces the “y” and “ll” sounds in Spanish as a “j” sound instead of the more common “y” sound that is often heard.  For example, most everyone knows the word “quesadilla” that is pronounced “K-sa-dee-ya” normally, but may be pronounced “K-sa-dee-ja” in places like Quito and Costa Rica.  Loja (pronounced “Low-ha,” 4th largest city, 2 hours south of me), has claim to the “cleanest Spanish accent,” and it is often said that newscasters, radio speakers, etc. often come from this city because they speak so clearly.  Cuenca (pronounced “Cwain-ka,” 3rd largest city, 2 hours north of me) has very clean Spanish as well, but people say they “sing” Spanish.  I’m told that I’ll more than likely pick up this “singing” accent.  I suppose only time will tell!  Now, as for the coast, it’s far different, the Spanish there is spoken much more quickly, and they tend to drop the “S’s” from any words that have another consonant after the “S.”
 
     I’ll try to give you an example:

“¿Como esta?  Estoy bien.”
(pronounced “ko-mo es-ta, es-toy-be-in”)
This is a common greeting with response that means:
“How are you?  I am good.”

      This is quickly changed to:

“¿Como eta?  Etoy bien.”
(pronounced “ko-mo e-ta, e-toy-be-in”)

     It holds true for the word “costa” which means “coast,” and becomes pronounced “co-ta” in the coastal accent of Ecuador.

     It may not seem like that big of a difference, but trust me, it is a huge difference!  Especially when an entire conversation is riddled with “holes” aka missing letters.  It’s also spoken at rapid-fire!!  I actually understood a good bit of it, but that doesn’t mean it was easy by any means…I even tried my tongue at it a few times, it’s not that easy.  I’ve also heard from other volunteers that the upper lip of the people there doesn’t move either while they’re speaking.  I was too busy trying to understand what they were saying and didn’t notice this characteristic in my short time there.  As for the oriente (jungle), I’m not sure what the accent is like.  I want to say it’s a combination of the two, but don’t quote me on that!  I’m sure it’s closer to the sierra Spanish, but not completely sure.

Urban Dictionary, Thanks again!

     For those of you unfamiliar with Urban Dictionary, it’s a website, www.urbandictionary.com, that provides definitions for ANY term that you may hear on the street or otherwise, you can find definitions for a number of slang terms/phrases there.  It can come in pretty handy in a number of situations, even if you’re just looking for a good laugh!  So, without further ado, here is a screenshot of what you get when you search “Peace Corps”:

This may be funny to some, it may not, but it’s hilarious to us PCV’s (Peace Corps Volunteers)!!!

I’m personally a fan of #10 under definition 1.  For any of you that have worked with the government, you completely relate to the ridiculous number of acronyms commonly used!

I’ll say a special thanks to Reid and Jason for bringing this to my attention!

Whales & Avocado Milkshakes!

     I’m sure you cannot imagine how these two things could possibly have anything in common, but just you wait!  After talking with a couple of friends, I was easily and quickly convinced in going with them on a short excursion to the coast!  The trip was amazing, and I had a great time!!  I could probably write 5 different blogs about all that I experienced, but I’ll try to narrow down to at least 3…hahaha!
     After about 11 hours, 4 different buses, and $15 in fares, I made it to the coast of Ecuador!  Needless to say, this was a long day!  I suppose the McDonald’s in the bus terminal in Guayaquil (pronounced “gwhy-a-kill,” largest city in Ecuador) made up for the whole traveling experience.  It’s not even that McDonald’s is all that great, but it is nice to have a taste from home once in a while…
     I, along with a few friends/volunteers, stayed with a volunteer that is just outside of the town of Puerto Lopez (pronounced “pwer-toe lo-pez”).  From there, we just hung out, we walked all along the beach, and considered kayaking to a small rock formation/island just off the coast, but voted against it, we were just too tired from all the traveling.  The next day, we headed into Puerto Lopez early to have breakfast and board a boat!
     We made a reservation just days before to go on a boat ride to “La Isla de la Plata.”  (It’s pronounced pretty much like it looks, and is translated as “Silver Island” or directly translated as “The Island of the Silver.”)  Regardless, it is often referred to as “The Poor Man’s Galapagos!” especially by us gringos, or PC volunteers!  It’s a very small island with tons of wildlife including snakes, mice/rats, lizards, and many different types of birds.  I’m sure there’s more, but these are all the things I witnessed in just a couple hours of being there.  I was also informed that the island got its name from the silvery shimmer of bird poop all over its surface!  Furthermore, it should not be compared to the Galapagos because it is composed completely differently.  This island was mostly sedimentary rock, soft and brittle, while the Galapagos is volcanic, hard and strong.

Here’s a picture of the island:

This shows a ton of birds swarming near the island:

     One of the coolest parts about this excursion is that we went during this time of year.  As you may not know, the hump-back whales are migrating and just happen to be off the coast of Ecuador!  It was spectacular to see these beasts in the wild!  To steal a phrase from another volunteer that went the previous week, it was straight up “National Geographic” stuff!  The whales were swimming, jumping, flipping, etc all over the place.  At once point, two whales swam beneath the boat and emerged on the other side just feet from the boat!  I’m not even joking when I say they were within 20 feet of the boat!  They were enormous, probably almost twice the size of the boat, maybe bigger!  I tried to snap a picture when they were soooo close, but my zoom was all the way out, and I didn’t get a good shot.  It seems that when they’re jumping out of the water, it all occurs in slow motion because they are soooo big, but it’s just the opposite.  They seem to appear from no where and disappear just as quickly.  Now, these photos are not great, and will never do them justice, but here’s a few:

This is not a boat in the distance, it’s a whale beginning to leap out of the water!

This guy decided to wave!
(I’m not sure if he was saying “hello” or “hola”…)

I think this is when it was really close to the boat, if you look in the middle of the picture, just below the water line, you can see the white part of the whale, which looks light blue through the water.

I was just a second too late to catch this one out of the water but it left a good splash and just in front of the island.

     Again, just a second late, but this guy left a HUGE splash!  He leaped out of the water and did a side roll, or twist, just before landing!  (This was taken on the way back in from the island.)  I think another volunteer may have gotten a decent picture of this; I’ll try to see what I can do about getting a copy to share later…

     As for the island, we went on a small hike with a guide.  We were lucky to have 1 of maybe 5 English speaking guides, from a group of about 90 guides!  Here’s a picture of a map of the island, with some of the locations of the birds, also showing the two major trail loops:

(We took the loop on the right.)
I want to say that it was around 2 miles, but I can’t be sure.  Along the way, we saw a number of lizards, a snake, a mouse/rat, a couple of albatrosses, a number of other birds, and some blue-footed boobies!

I think the one on the left is the male, and the one on the right is the female.  (FYI:  You can tell them apart by their size and the size of their pupils.)

     The males would make this whistle sound while dancing around which meant he was trying to attract a female/mate.  The female would make this quack-like sound.

Here’s a picture of one looking at me:

Here’s a video of their interactions, along with sounds:

Here’s a picture from one side of the island:

Finally, here’s a picture of the group of us in front of the sign on the island:

(It translates: “Silver Island: National Park”)

     After leaving the island, we had a lunch on the boat and then went snorkeling!  There was a ton of colorful fish and a coral reef.  Another volunteer has pictures of this, I’ll see what I can do about getting copies…  It was also a blast jumping off the top deck of the boat into the water!  After returning to shore, we decided to kill an hour or so until dinner.  During this time, I discovered/tried what might possibly have forever changed my life…an avocado milkshake!  Now, it sounds pretty gross, and of course, it’s green…but it was delicious!  I watched carefully as the lady prepared it.  It’s really simple to make, and I noticed a secret ingredient.  It’s just avocado, milk, sugar, and a drop of vanilla extract!  Blend and drink!!  You should definitely give it a go sometime, it’s good, trust me!

Here’s a picture of that guy:

(It doesn’t look all that elaborate and the presentation is weak, but it makes up for it in taste!)

     Afterward, we had dinner there, browsed through some of the craft stands, and returned to the volunteer’s house to get some much needed rest!
      The next day, I made the exhausting trip back to my site, completely exhausted all along the way!  I, of course, opted for Pizza Hut in the Guayaquil terminal on the way back through!  Once arriving in site, I recounted the entire trip to my host family and then proceeded to sleep like a rock!!