Daniel Durick's Travels and Babbles

NEW BLOG!!!

2009-08-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

For those of you that may keep up with anything I post from now on:
www.danieldurick.theworldrace.org

Cheers!
-Daniel

I've been slacking

2009-08-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been slacking but I eventually plan on updating this with some of the things that are going on in my life. I just got back from traveling out west with 3 of my best friends I have so much to write about but just not enough patience to sit down and write it all out right now. For now here is a trailer from our road trip.
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XblLUC7_iaw

Top 10 Ecuadorian Foods

2008-08-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Foods you must try in Ecuador:
10. Yuca- Everywhere else in the world it is called cassava. It is a root found boiled in soups and stews, as a side in place of potatoes, and reprocessed yuca is made into laminar fried chips called "yuquitos" which are a substitute for potato chips.

(Served with just about every meal but it never gets old)
9. Empanada- Ecuadorian empanadas are made of corn seasoning or flour. Their components may include peas, potatoes, steamed meat known as carne guisada, or many other varieties of vegetables.

(Great snack food)
8. Ceviche- Ceviche is served in a bowl that is composed of chunks of raw fish, sea bass, octopus, clam, and crab with lime or lemon juice.

7. Llapingachos- Llapingacho originated in Ecuador’s Highlands. It is a fried, mashed potato mixed with cheese which is generally served with sausage and fried eggs. This plate forms part of Ecuadorian's culture, and is one of the representative icons of the Highlands food.

(Last meal I had in Ecuador)
6. Guatita- made of mondongo - the part of the goat stomach that looks like a honeycomb and librillo-the part of the goat stomach that looks like the pages of a book)
5. Albacora- type of tuna
(NO PICTURE)
4. Encebollado- A type of soup made of albacora, yuca, tomatoes and onions and generally sprinkled with lemon juice.

3. Plantains- Whether they are served as a meal, chips, or just a fruit...Plantains are a Must.

(Patacones)

(Plátanos Maduros)
2. Hornado- For $3.50 you get a full buffet and get to pick off what you want from the pig with your fingers

(Two Thumbs way up for Hornado)
1. Cuy (Guinea Pig) -Cuy is high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol, and is described as being similar to rabbit and the dark meat of chicken. Ecuadorians consume an estimated 65 million guinea pigs each year.

(Before)

(After)
MMM!!!

Day 18

2008-08-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

I was woken this morning to the smell of some patacones being cooked. I took a big whiff knowing this would be my last one for this trip.
(Patacones)

When we finished breakfast Belen and Luisa were off to work for the day so they introduced me to their friend Denise who spoke really good English.

(Me and Denise)

Denise took me to some parks around town and then eventually to a place called Parque Historico Guayaquil.

It was a park that consisted of a variety of animals and history on what Guayaquil was like when it was founded in 1763.

We got along really well and the whole time we were laughing and telling each other our backgrounds. We went out to lunch and talked until she had to go to work at 3pm. Since Belen and Luisa didn't get off work till 6, I had some free time to spare. I wandered the city by myself until I eventually met a guy named Jim. Jim was from Chicago and was a Cubs fan. Although he was a Reds rivalry, Jim was one of the coolest guys I have met this entire trip. He quit his job 9 months ago and has been traveling throughout South America sleeping where he can like me. We talked for about an hour about baseball, football, and our travels.
Before I left for the airport Belen and Luisa asked Denise, Jim, and I to come over for a dinner they had made. They introduced me to a dinner called Llapingacho which is a fried, mashed potato mixed with cheese that is served with sausage and fried eggs.
As I sat there laughing with my 4 new friends I realized these people really do care about me. It's such a different culture here and I really don't think it's something I can explain, it's something you have to experience for yourself. Being from the States you don't ever kiss someone when you first meet them, you don't invite them over for dinner, and you definitely don't let them sleep under your roof. I've noticed people from Ecuador will go out of their way for you and just enjoy having you in their presence.
(Luisa, Denise, Belen, Martina, Me, Jim)

At 10:30pm I hugged Belen and Luisa goodbye and thanked them for everything. They said I will always have a place to stay if I ever come back. Jim and Denise drove with me over to the airport and saw that I got to my flight okay. As I walking away I started thinking back on how I started this trip by myself and just how many wonderful people I have met on the way.

To: Bill, Connie, Joil, Leah, Myron, Roger, Dr. Motobo, Heather, Audry, Patience, Mo, CJ, Troy, Becky, Lindsay, Lauren, Amy, Leslie, Lezlie, Beth, Whitney, Bekah, Jonathan, Caleb, Seth, Eduardo, Amaina, Ray, Wilson, Maryville, Domingo, Alfonso, Alex, Jimmy, Robert, Mika, John, Dave, Dwayne, Phil, Lee, Pastor RW, Bill, David, Joe, Carlos, Tanya, Belen, Luisa, Denise and Jim.

Whether you fed me, gave me a place to sleep, or just held an English conversation with me, thank you. You all have made this a life changing experience for me. I will never forget this and I will never forget a single one of you.

Dios te Bendiga. -Love Daniel
P.S. I'm coming home!

Day 18

2008-08-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

I was woken this morning to the smell of some plantanos being cooked. I took a big wiff knowing this would be my last one for this trip. When we finished breakfast Belen and Luisa were off to work for the day so they introduced me to their friend Denis who spoke really good English. Denis took me to some parks around town and then eventually to a place called Parque Historico Guayaquil. This place was filled with different kinds of animals and gave history on what Guayaquil was like when it was founded in 1763.
We got along really well and the whole time we were laughing and telling each other our backgrounds. We went out to lunch and talked until she had to go to work at 3pm. Since Belen and Luisa didn't get off work till 6, I had some free time to spare. I wandered the city by myself until I eventually met a guy named Jim. Jim was from Chicago and was a Cubs fan. I told him right away we couldn't be friends. Although he was a Reds rivalry I was completely wrong. Jim was one of the coolest guys I have met this entire trip. He quit his job nine weeks ago and has been traveling throughout South America sleeping where he can like me. We talked until Denise got off work about baseball, football, and our travels.
Before I left for the airport Belen and Luisa asked Denis, Jim, and I to come over fir a dinner they had made. They introduced me to a dinner called llapingachos which turned out being one of my favorite meals of this trip. As I sat there laughing with my four new friends I realized these people really do care about me.

Day 17

2008-08-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

Today was my last day in the Galapagos. Therefore I had to challenge Alfonso in one more soccer game before I left. Just like every video game I will eventually be good at it and I was now more then good when I beat him 5 to 4. I felt bad I beat him in his own game so afterwards we went to brunch in which he introduced me to two new meals. Encebollado, which is a soup mixed with many different meats and then I was still hungry so I ordered Guatita. Guatita is the inside of goat mixed with rice. Both were very good and Alfonso knew I was a true American when I finished both meals without a single grain of rice leftover.

(Encebollado)

(Guatita)

By noon I was all packed and at the airport for my flight to Guayaquil. Either these people on this island really liked me or they just had nothing better to do then hang out by the airport. I was able to say goodbye to all the new friends I met: Alex, Jimmy, Robert, Domingo, Maryville, Wilson, and Alfonso. Before I left Alfonso said, “I really wish you didn’t have to leave, you’re really really cool.” I gave him a hug and told him I would be back.

(Alfonso and Me)

Knowing you have friends on some of the most isolated islands in the world is pretty cool.

(Domingo, Me, Maryville, Wilson and his little girl)

Right before I loaded on the plane Alfonso told me, “Be careful in Guayaquil, it can be dangerous there and there is a lot of crime.” I didn’t realize how dangerous it was until I arrived. Not knowing where I was staying or anyone in this town did not help either. I started to wander the city and got a little scared when I noticed all the houses had 10 foot gates with barbwires and police with shotguns drawn outside of the banks and supermarkets. I walked to the mall knowing it was safe there. When I found an open table in the food court I laid my head down and took a nap.

Being a 6 foot white gringo with a full grown beard in the middle of an Ecuadorian mall is not something you see everyday. I was startled from my 30 minute nap when a security guard tapped me on the shoulder and told me to leave. The sun was beginning to set and I knew I didn’t want to be on the streets after dark. Luckily I was able to meet two lovely girls named Belen and Luisa from couchsurfing who spoke pretty good English. We went for a walk around town on the river. When I told them my story and why I was here, they were in shock.

(Me and Belen)

(Luisa and Me)

They were obviously interested in more when I offered to take them to dinner and they joined me. I told them all the details to my trip and they introduced me to a new meal. It’s called Soco de Pollo which is a special chicken cooked in beer served with rice. Until I came to Ecuador I never knew there were so many ways to serve chicken and rice. After dinner I saw the true beauty to Guayaquil when we walked up 444 steps to an old bar on top of the city.

When they knew I wasn’t a serial killer or making any of this adventure up, they offered me an extra bed they had open back at their mothers house. Now as I’m lying in bed I realize I can make it thru anything as long as I put my faith in God. Why Worry? Enjoy being young, enjoy meeting new people, and enjoy everyday like it’s a new adventure.

Day 16

2008-08-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

From some reason I have been looking forward to this day more than any other one. Alfonso had promised to take me to El Junco today. El Junco is one of the oldest craters here and the only one that produces spring water in the Galapagos. We met up with 3 other guys we met last night at church named Robert, Alex, and Jimmy. After climbing for about 10 minutes, we had reached the top and it was…foggy.

So foggy you could barely even tell it was a crater. Alfonso apologized and said it’s usually amazing looking.

(Robert, Jimmy, Alex, Me, Alfonso)

I forgot all about El Junco when we made our next stop. We drove over to the highlands and found a lookout over all of San Cristobal.

After doing our sight seeing I told Alfonso I wanted some time to be alone, so I went to the beach for about 2 hours. These islands are the perfect place to allow you to think in peace and tranquility. I realized this when I wondered over to the Centro de Interpretation where it explained the history of the islands. What entertained me was how much more history there was to these archipelagos than just Charles Darwin. When Ecuador first claimed the Galapagos in 1832 they voted a guy named Villamil to be governor of the Floreana Island. But when Villamil tried to settle the town with prisoners in exchange for their work in the community it caused nothing but problems between the citizens and prisoners. So much that it eventually created a concentration camp and up until the 1960’s the police were so corrupt that they would arrest innocent people for being out in the streets past midnight.

After my history lesson Alfonso and I met with Alex and Jimmy at the church. When I told them I played the batteria’s (drums) they told me to get behind the drum set in the church. Although we had no way of speaking to each other we were able to communicate thru music by playing together for about an hour.

Afterwards I was in shock when they said they had never heard of Led Zeppelin or The Who. The acted the same way when I said I had never heard of Louie and the F-String Band. They gave me a history lesson of Latin music and I gave them a history lesson of Rock N’ Roll.

Alfonso and I got back to the house around 10pm. I had promised him that I would help him with a PowerPoint English project on phrasal verbs for school that was due tomorrow morning. It wasn’t until I opened PowerPoint on my laptop that I noticed the free edition expired 2 years ago.

Alfonso had helped me speak Spanish all week so I knew I couldn’t let him down. Luckily since Wilson was in Santa Cruz we had the scooter all to ourselves.
(Deadly D to the rescue)
Although it was probably the gayest thing I’ve ever done, we drove over to the school lab and finished before it closed at midnight. Tomorrow I leave for Guayaquil.

Day 15

2008-08-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

Around the 25^th or so caw, rooster was beginning to sound very good for breakfast. I lay in bed starting up at the ceiling around 5:30am until I was able to fall back asleep. Not much later I was woken a second time to a thud…thud thud…thud…thud thud thud. I walked to the roof of the house and saw Alfonso watching a group of military figures marching down the street with a set of guns and drums. I asked, “Is everything alright,” without a clue what was going on.

Alfonso laughed and said, “Yes it’s August 10^th” like I should’ve known what was going on.

August 10^th is Ecuador’s Independence Day. In San Cristobal they celebrate by shutting down all the streets on the pier, have a big parade, and fix lots of good food. One thing I tried today was Moroco. It consists of warm milk, cinnamon, raisons, and beans. It was really really good until you got to the bottom where all it consisted of were chunks of those beans and raisons mixed together.

After lunch Alfonso challenged me in a video game at a store that lets you play Playstation by the hour. He said a football game so without thinking I said yeah dude expecting to kick some butt in Madden 08. It was until I got there that I remembered football here is football, or back in the states we call it the gay mans sport, Soccer. I asked Alfonso if he would play Madden instead but he had no clue what or who John Madden was. I even asked the lady behind the desk if they had Americana football but all they had were soccer games. So I settled for Fifa 08. I can honestly say I learned more about soccer in that hour then I’ve learned my entire life.

Alfonso could name all the Ecuador teams and all their players but had never even heard of Chad Johnson. To him Ocho Cinco is just the number of some guy named Juan Rodriguez or something like that.

To end the night we went to church where I was the only white guy.

(me and the pastor)

This is the one time I really wish I could’ve spoke fluent Spanish and held a full conversation with someone. I was getting tired of meeting people and asking the same questions over and over in Spanish. Afterward I told Alfonso thanks for being there for me and told him next time I come here I will speak better Spanish then him. Tonight made me realize how much I miss my family and friends. I miss my culture and the people from it. I get excited here when I see two people speaking in English. I miss the smooth roads without potholes. I miss eating burgers and fries. I miss good rock n roll music. I miss sarcastic humor with TV shows like The Office and Always Sunny in Philadelphia. But most of all I miss real American football.

PS Who Dey!

Day 14

2008-08-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

In my wanderings this year I have taken more chances and had more wild adventures than ever before. And what a magnificent country I have seen. The beauty of this country is becoming part of me. I feel more detached from life and somehow gentler…I have some good friends here, but no one who really understands why I am here or what I do. I have always been unsatisfied with life as most people live it. Always I want to live more intensely and richly. I have been thinking more and more that I shall always be a lone wanderer of the wilderness. God, how the trail lures me. You cannot comprehend its resistless fascination for me. After all the lone trail is the best…I’ll never stop wandering.

-Everett Ruess

Saturday morning arrived and it was our last day to complete the roof. At the rate we started I did not think we would finish but by noon we laid the last roof top. Afterwards I went to the airport and said goodbye to all my new Texas friends and Mika who was going back to Quito. As they departed I knew I was on my own once again. The only people I knew were those at Wilson’s house which were Alfonso, Domingo, and Wilson’s wife Maribel. Domingo and Maribel spoke absolutely no English and Alfonso’s English was equivalent to maybe a 3 year old. He knew all the basic words to hold a conversation but most the time we had to use gestures to explain what we meant. Maribel made us lunch which was chicken and rice and afterwards to show my appreciation I washed the dishes. They got mad at me and said I was their guest but I still did them anyway. When we finished Alfonso and I went for a walk in the woods.

We eventually found a lookout spot on the island as well as one of Alfonso’s friends from school, Jose. Jose knew very little English as well but was able to show us a great scuba diving area.

I dove in with some goggles and was blown away. Thousands of fish surrounded me. All were different colors and different sizes. The most amazing part was they did not feel threatened in anyway as I floated weightless in the water. You could stick your arms out and out of curiosity they would brace up against you. For the 20 minutes I was under the water I was able to see 3 sting rays, a sea turtle, and thousands of different fish. My mind can not even begin to handle that there is so much beauty under the sea that we will never see. When we finished swimming with the fish the sun began to set over the island as we sat on top of the city and watched.

When we got back to the house Maribel made us another chicken and rice dinner. As I ate, it was nearly impossible to keep the flies from landing on my food and when I got to towards the bottom of my rice, tiny ants surrounded the plate. After doing the dishes again, I went to lie in my bed which is just a mattress on the floor with one blanket and a pillow and started thinking that maybe I should’ve stayed at the hotel for a few more nights. As soon as I thought that, a cockroach scurried across the floor and instead of crushing it with my foot I watched it and thought this is how these people live everyday. I felt so selfish that I was worried about having to spend a few extra bucks at a hotel. This was an answer to prayer, for God needed me to see this. I never realized how blessed I was.

(From left to right: Carlos, Olmedo, Me, Pastor RW, Maribel, Maribel's girl, Joe, Dwayne, David, Lee, John, Dave, Bill, Alfonso, Tanya, Tanya's girl, Phil, and Domingo)

Day 13

2008-08-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

Money can be very interesting if you really think about it. It controls so many people’s lives. Why do we work? Well we need to in order to support ourselves and our family, right? I watch these animals on these islands and it basically comes down to survival of the fittest. There is no such thing as money to them. And I just can’t imagine our society without money. It would be complete chaos and anarchy. I don’t see how these animals seem so content but we put so much time and surround our lives around money. We spend our entire lives studying to make good grades, so we can get into a well educated college, so that we can get that well paying job so we can save up for our 401K so we will then have all the freedom to do whatever we want when were 65. At least that’s the way society wants us to believe that’s the way it work.

I woke up this morning thinking about how much money I’ve spent on this trip and knowing I haven’t made a penny being away from work for the past 3 weeks. I got to the construction site and could not stop thinking about the fact that I had already rang up nearly a $150 bill at my hotel and I still had 5 more days to pay for. I still worked just as hard today and even learned to lay roofing and how to weld, but I still could not get money off my mind.

We worked until the sun set and afterwards I said a prayer asking God to handle all my worries and problems on my mind. I asked God to take control. Trying to fix my own problems and do it my way has not got me anywhere this entire trip.

(Rainbow after we finished working)

Before dinner I was asked by Alfonso if I wanted to stay with him these next few nights at Wilson’s house. If I really wanted I could easily get by at a hotel for 5 more nights but I knew it was an answer to my prayer and God was in control so I said yes. We went to dinner at a very nice restaurant and were served 3 different kinds of fish called Galapagos Albacora. When we were finished they brought out Galapagos sushi and this stuff called ceviche. Ceviche is octopus, clam, oyster, shrimp and some other stuff mixed together.

(Ceviche)

This was the best meal I’ve had this entire trip. The next big surprise was when one of the guys from Texas recognized one of the workers at the restaurant. I guess chances are pretty slim when you run into someone you know on some of the most secluded islands in the world. Chances must be so rare that you’ll do crazy things like give an entire group a free meal. I knew right at that point Gods answer to me was, “Relax Daniel. Just Relax.”

Day 12

2008-08-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

Today I slept in. And by sleep in I mean I did not get up till 7:30. I made my way to breakfast and was caught by surprise when Wilson told me he was leaving. He said an emergency came up and he had to leave for a week to another island in 30 minutes. I figured if I’ve made it this far I can make it on this little island by myself too. I hugged Wilson and told him thanks for everything.

Around 8:30 it was just me and the Texas boys. We took a van to the northern part of the island where there is hardly any civilization. The roads brought back memories of the jungle with all the potholes. About 45 minutes we finally reached a place this is famous for having giant turtles. My shoe almost realized these turtles don’t just have big shells when I came just inches from stepping in an enormous chunk of turtle poo.

After that we went to a beach that was so secluded there were only two other people there besides us. They were two surfer dudes that must have been locals because they obviously had come to the perfect place. These waves were some of the biggest I’ve ever seen.

After playing in the waves like a little kid for 2 hours we went to get lunch. Out of this entire trip this was the biggest disappointment. For $10 I expected something so wild and bizarre being in the middle of nowhere. Nope, just more chicken and rice. But there was one thing here that was worth $10 alone. The coffee. I’m not even a big coffee guy but there is something about Galapagos brewed coffee that goes down so smooth. I’m not sure if it was the coffee or what, but for some reason I began to open up with these Texas guys. We talked about baseball and football (NFL and college…not high school). And there was one thing that brought us together real close…farts. CD Williams said it best, “There is nothing funnier than a fart.”

We laughed so hard with each other I pretty much forgot about that stereotype I had about them. So after lunch we found this old tree house that was built a good 30 feet off the ground with a lookout over the whole city. Like everything else I had to try the beer here. They only have one beer and it’s called Pilsener. I was not impressed. It was basically water in a can with a slight bit of hops added. So unlike the coffee, the cerveza is nothing special here. But what is special and surprising is that I’m actually starting to get along with these Texas guys.

(Sliding down the emergency exit)

Day 11

2008-08-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

On my way downstairs I was expecting the same thing again for breakfast; bread, eggs, and juice. In the Galapagos it’s different. We still had our bread, eggs, and juice but we were also loaded up with fruits. We had bananas, cantaloupes, avocados, watermelons, and my favorite, mandarins. There is just something about the fruit here that makes it so delicious.

I was then taken to another construction site when I was introduced to 9 other gringos. These 9 men travel around the world and help build churches for missionaries. Their project in the Galapagos was to build the roof structure for this church in 5 days. Normally I’d be thrilled to see other gringos here but these guys were from the only place in the U.S. I despise. Texas.

(After completing all the purlins and starting on the roof cover)

Honestly, there is not one good thing to come out of Texas. They think they are bigger and better than everyone else and they think the Dallas Cowboys are America’s team. These 9 guys were no different. All their stories involved fishing, hunting and who had the best truck. Over the years I’ve noticed bring born in Kentucky is tough. You basically have to decide whose side you’re on, north or south. I’m without a doubt on the north. There is not a bit of southern pride in me. I would rather be stuck in a 2 foot blizzard over a hot and sweaty Brooks and Dunn concert. My Friday nights consist of going to a bar and seeing a rock band, not going to tailgate at my old high school’s football game.

(Lady from Texas)

Anyways sorry to get off on a tangent but I had this stereotype of these guys right away so I pretty much kept to myself all day. That was until a younger Ecuadorian named Alfonso introduced himself to me. I noticed his English was slow but we just had this way of connecting right away. Alfonso likes the same kind of music, plays the drums, and is in his second semester of college. He’s originally from Santa Cruz Island, which is part of the Galapagos but he came over to San Cristobal to do school and work a little construction. I worked with him and two other Ecuadorians, Juan and Jimmy, for about 10 hours mixing cement and laying rocks. I worked harder today than a weeks worth of work back home and didn’t get paid a penny. As I was walking back to my hotel I began to think how nice that shower and bed would feel. That was until Alfonso caught me and asked if I wanted to hang out. I tried to think of an excuse but had nothing so I said okay.

(Me and Alfonso)

He took me to a beach and as soon as we got there the sun began to set over the clouds. Words can not describe the beauty there. My body filled with chills when the wind blew against my warm burnt skin. I tucked my toes into the soft white sand and gazed out across the pure blue water and thought to myself if this isn’t paradise, I don’t see how much better it could get. My body had gone numb and all my worries were gone. At that moment I knew it was Gods hands that lead me here. He has provided me foot and a place to sleep this entire trip. All He asked from me in return is to serve Him. Knowing my work today was for Him gave me a sense of ease and joy that any amount of money could never give. Tomorrow is our off day that we get to explore the island.

P.S. By the way I got my passport back today.

Day 10

2008-08-09T13:09:00.000-07:00

I was taken to the Cuenca airport around 8am. It was just me and Eduardo on this cold Tuesday morning. Before he dropped me off he told me a man named Wilson Botista would be picking me up at the San Cristobal airport. I asked what he looked like and he said he is a short Ecuadorian that drives a Harley moped. When we arrived to the Cuenca airport he gave me Wilson’s number and said a prayer for me. I hugged him and thanked him for all he had blessed me with.
(Overview of Ecuador)

I arrived in Guayaquil in about 45 minutes. I had about an hour and a half layover before my next flight. Around 11:15am, my second flight took off for Island San Cristobal in the Galapagos. I landed in the Galapagos around 1pm on Denver’s time. As soon as we landed our bags were checked at the airport. My stomach dropped instantly when they asked for the payment to get on the island. It was $100 for US citizens and I had only $63 in cash. I knew it cost to get on the island I just thought I had more cash then that. The lady took my passport and told me to come back tomorrow when I had the money.

My palms began to sweat knowing that I just gave my passport to a lady who doesn’t even speak English. My knees then began to tremble when I walked out of the airport and saw about 40 different short Ecuadorians. Walking around frantically, I just hoped to here someone call out my name in the crowd.

50 minutes went by and the airport began to close down for the day. Everyone had left except 3 workers at the airport bar. For the first time in my life I felt completely alone. Without a phone, without a passport, and without knowing anyone on the island except a guy named Wilson who I don’t even know what he looks like.

Finally when one of the workers was walking to his car I noticed he had a cell phone. I motioned to see if I could use his phone. I called the number Eduardo had given me and was answered by a Spanish accent on the other line.

“Hola,” he answered.

“Hey Wilson this is Daniel,” I spurted out.

“Who?”

“Daniel, I’m Eduardo’s friend.”

“Ohhhhhh”

“Hey I’m at the airport!”

After that he responded with a long Spanish sentence and then hung up.

I wasn’t sure what to do so I sat down on the curb and waited. Sure enough 5 minutes later a little Ecuadorian pulled up on a little Harley moped and shouted “Daniel!”

I got up and ran over to him and gave him a big hug. It was such a relief. He began apologizing for being late but I acted cool like it was no big deal. He explained how he speaks very little English and I explained how I spoke very little Spanish. He motioned for me to hop on the back of his moped. Without knowing what to say since we both spoke different languages it was a quiet ride. With a 6 foot gringo riding on the back of a 5’4” Ecuadorians Harley moped made it quite an awkward ride.

(Wilson and his Harley Dayton Moped)

I realized how nice Wilson was when he took me to his place and made me a ham sandwich and gave me some Oreos. While I was sitting there stuffing myself an Ecuadorian girl in the house asked where I was from. With 2 Oreos in my mouth I muffled out, “The States.”

She replied, “I figured that out but what state?”

I almost choked and responded, “You speak English…like actually good English!”

(Mika and Me)

She laughed and explained how she was going to school for English and then asked if I wanted to go for a walk. She introduced herself as Mikasha but said I could call her Mika. Her English wasn’t that great but I was so excited just to have someone I could actually talk to so we walked for about a mile down to the pier. The pier was beautiful and filled with iguanas, turtles, and sea lions.

(We share a lot in common...)

As soon as we walked back Wilson said he would have breakfast ready at 6am, so I went straight to bed when the sun set. It was a long day.

(San Cristobal)

Day 9

2008-08-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

I got out of my cozy bed at 6:45am and was quickly waken when I laid my foot on the tile floor. Chills shot up my legs and sent goose bumps straight to my arms. I skipped over to the shower and turned the hot water to full power. That’s when I first realized they don’t get hot water in the mountains.

Cuenca is an interesting town. One hour the sun will be beaming down on your face then an hour later its nothing but dark clouds and cold rain. This was a cold and rainy morning. To brighten our depressing morning Eduardo and his wife, Amaina, treated me and Ray to some breakfast before we made our way into town.

We arrived at the TV station around 8:00am just in time for the morning show. After the show I met the production manager who has lived in the states and speaks very fluent English. He put me to work instantly and I began to work on editing some graphics for a later show.

(Eduardo outside of Unsion T.V.)

Time flew by until lunch when I decided to walk around town by myself for a while. I took in the beauty of this city. Just knowing that most these streets and buildings have been around for over 500 years is marvelous.

After doing my usual wandering Eduardo told me he found a ticket to the Galapagos but it leaves tomorrow. We literally ran over to the airline place just before they closed and bought my ticket for $420.

(Random UK jacket in the middle of a South American market)

At the end of the night I parted ways with Ray and Amaina telling them it was such a pleasure to meet them. Ray shook my hand and said to me, “God’s got something big planned for you Daniel.”

My flight leaves at 9am so I’m gonna get some sleep and hopefully get rid of this cold.

Day 8 (Part 2)

2008-08-07T19:19:00.001-07:00

About 3 hours later I parted ways with the missionaries and was left with two guys named Ray, Eduardo, and his wife Amaina. You know that feeling when you break up with that significant other and you don’t really care about meeting anyone else, well that’s exactly how this felt. We went to a place for lunch where they literally lay out a pig (hornero) and you pick off the meat from it and eat it.

(Hornero)

I loved it!

And then Eduardo said I had to try this stuff called Rosera. It’s a real special drink you can only get in this town.

(Rosera) I loved it!

After that we got some chocolate covered bananas and went for a walk in an old park.

(Very old covered bridge in park)

(Very old wall in the park)

Ray, who is from Branson, Missouri, was down visiting Eduardo and Amaina for the week. We were able to connect quickly. The two of us sat down on a bench and told each other our life stories. My story was nothing compared to his, which consisted of flying all over the world, retiring 3 times, and now helping manage part of Unsion T.V. I did not open up to Eduardo and Amaina much today because their English was not too good being from Cuenca. But I knew if I was going to be staying with them for the next few nights I was going to get to know them real well.

(Park in Cuenca, Ecuador)

Day 8 (Part 1)

2008-08-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning without a plan. Not knowing anyone in this town, without a place to sleep, very little Spanish, and to top it off I was now sick. The only plan I had was to go to church with the missionaries before they left at 11am.

I was not very thrilled going into church, in fact I was laughing when I arrived and saw only 30 something people worshipping to a cheap CD player. The whole time I kept telling myself, ‘Daniel you should’ve stayed in bed.’

The pastor grabbed mine and everyone else’s attention when he asked Doctor Matobo, who was the interpreter from our missionary group, to come up and speak. When he first got up there he was speaking in Spanish. When he was finished he asked all the people from Ecuador to come up front. All of us from the States circled around them and began to pray. Doctor Matobo began to circle around the room placing his hand on each person and saying a prayer for them. A small old crippled Ecuadorian lady made her way to the front. When Doctor Matobo reached her he placed his hand on her face, shouted a prayer in Spanish and began to shake during it. What happened next is something I’ve only seen in movies and heard stories about from the Bible. The lady began to cry in praise and claimed her back had been healed. The power of the spiritual force was too much for me so I went over to the corner by myself and began to cry. I felt so unworthy and my faith was so little to believe what I had just seen.

A few minutes later Doctor Matobo came over, placed his hands on me and said a prayer. He prayed for God to show me my purpose in life. Instantly that feeling of unworthiness turned into a feeling of being loved and cherished. I no longer felt convicted, but felt like a weight was taken off my back. And then I knew these people weren’t faking but it was the Holy Spirit moving within this tiny church.

The coolest part was during our early morning service at 9:30am in the mountains, surrounded by nothing else, was a group of marathon runners. Runners who just happened to be passing by on their way from Argentina to Columbia! All the runners came inside the church to see what was going on. About 6 of them came up to pray with us. I wish I would have got some video or pictures, but I still don’t think any image could come close to describing what I experienced today.

Day 7

2008-08-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

It is now Saturday August 2nd. I am taking a bus out of Sacua and heading to Cuenca.
(Cuenca, Ecuador)

I am not ready to leave Sacua but at the same time I'm ready for my next unexpected adventure. It's surprising how many relationships you can make with people in a week. One person I have to mention is Whitney from Jacksonville, Florida. Whitney is also an intern and she has lived in Sacua for the last 8 months. The main reason I like Whitney is because she knows almost everyone in the town and can interpret anything for me. She is full of energy and always has an intresting story to tell. Before I left I told her I'd probably never see her again. She hit me on the arm and then I jumped on the bus and left.
(Whitney and Me)

While driving back through the mountains I listened to my Ipod and just gazed at all the scenery. The people, the houses, the waterfalls, and the hills were all just a touch of God's beauty. Within 7 hours we had arrived in Cuenca much faster then I expected.

To celebrate my last night with the missionary team I joined them in a really nice steak house. I can't remember the last time I wasn't able to finish all my food at a restaurant. But for only $8 I stuffed my self until my tummy could not take anymore. I was in need of a meal like that.

(From left to right: Patience, Troy, Beth, Me, Leslie, Audrey, Mo, CJ, Leslie, Heather, Lindsey, Lauren, Joil and Leah's son, and Amy.

Day 6

2008-08-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day at the village. As I sat there laying bricks for the last day I began thinking how crazy it was that I was here. I’ve never really been the most religious guy but I do believe God has a purpose for all of us and everything happens for a reason. And as I thought back to earlier this week when it was just me and Myron we were given the basics to build this church building. We had the bricks, the sand, and the cement mix. The only thing we had for a foundation was a concrete floor. I think its kind of the same way in our relationship with God. When we accept Him in our lives we are given that basic foundation. It is up to us to mix that cement and build up those bricks. Just like our bricks were uneven and offline, my walk with God gets off track so many times. It’s frustrating and so many times our walls fall down and we have to start over again. I also learned that this is a long and tedious process. It requires patience and is nearly impossible to do by myself. But when you have help from others it makes it so much easier. Since I got to college I’ve lost touch with the church. I don’t think you necessarily need an organization or religion to have a relationship with Christ, but when you try and do it by yourself it’s going to be a much longer and harder process.

(J, Me, and Little Daniel aka Grande Pantalones Hombre)

To end the day we were able to get 12 layers on the back, 10 on the left side, and 9 on the right side. As we were driving away the kids chased us down to the end of the street. That was by far one of the best feelings.

Another good feeling was when I jumped in another part of the Amazon. This bridge was much higher and the current was much stronger.

To end our last night in the jungle we were treated to a wonderful dinner and given a special treat called ChiCha.

ChiCha is basically the Yuka chewed up and then spit back in. I actually enjoyed it and drank quite a bit; the only thing is this batch that was made was a bit on the chunky side. Which is fine, until you wake up at 2am and find a chunk still stuck in the back of your mouth.

Day 5

2008-08-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning was by far the hardest day of the week to wake up. The pounding on the door did not make it any easier. As I lay in bed I began to think how much easier it would be to sleep in and say I missed the wake up knock. Besides I came down here to do an internship and take lots of pictures. I never signed up to be a missionary and I definitely never signed up to do construction. Then I started thinking about those kids in the village and how they would come running up to us with those big smiles each morning we arrived. I thought about their houses with literally nothing but a cooking pot, a plastic kitchen table, and a pile of blankets and pillows in a corner on the wooden floor. And my biggest problem right then was I had to rub the ‘sleepies’ out of my eyes. When I opened the door Myron was standing there with a goofy grin and that awesome hat he bought the night before. This helped me wake up.

(Me and Myron)

When we arrived to the village we were greeted by 3 other hombres from Sacua that were gonna be helping us out. Before today we had completed a total of 3 layers of bricks. By the end of the week we were expected to have 12 layers completed all the way around. With only 2 days left we knew this was nearly impossible. But by the end of the day it was nearly a miracle when we had 10 layers completed on the back side, 9 layers on the left side and 4 layers on the right side. To thank us for our work the chief took us into his house and had his wife cook us a meal. My sense of accomplishment soon became a sense of fear when a pile of these big white balls and yellow looking root things were placed in front of us. Myron trying to be funny asked if they had any hot sauce expecting to get a laugh from me. It was anything but a laugh when the chief brought us a chopped up green pepper. I reached for the yellow root first which is called Yuka, and dipped it in the pepper seeds. It was delicious! Now the big white balls were a different story. I still am not exactly sure what they were called but I don’t plan on eating them again while I’m down here. What a good day!

Day 4

2008-08-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

6:08AM I am woken to the cawing of a rooster. The sunshine shines brightly thru my thin cheap curtains, if you want to call them that. I make my way into the bathroom to find no water comes out of the faucet or shower. With my wrist in pain after jumping off the bridge the day before, I struggle as I put on a pair of cargo shorts and a ball cap and make my way back out to the jungle.

Today is Bill’s last day with me till he leaves for Quito. Thankfully I will not be alone but he has left me with a few missionaries from the states that are down here for the week. One man from Alabama named Myron has been helping me lay bricks for the building in the village. I’d have to say out of all the missionaries Myron is my favorite. But then again when you lay bricks with someone for 8 hours you’re going to build a relationship with the person, whether it’s a good one or not. Luckily we share a lot in common with sports, religion and women so it makes the time go by pretty fast. To sum it up best Myron is everyone’s favorite Uncle who tells those cheesy jokes but you just can’t help but love him.

(Myron, Leslie, Me)

When we arrive to the village on the 3^rd day we are confused when we notice that part of the first three layers we had already built had been torn down. Although it was our fault that the bricks weren’t lined up straight or even I was so frustrated to even start working again. Today consisted mainly of sitting around complaining, rebuilding what we had already started, and playing with the little kids. To end on a good note though, when we got back to our place we had running water again. J

(He was hunting wwrabbit)

Day 3

2008-07-31T19:00:00.000-07:00

Today I went into the jungle. Before I came here I use to associate the South American jungle with anacondas, spiders, and all the other deadly insects that will put you out within an hour. Although those are all still common, the things I never realized till I came here was the true beauty within these mountains, trees and small villages. It blows my mind that these people are living on the same planet and the living in the same century as us.

We left our small town Sucua around 8am and made our way across a small wooden bridge tied together with rope over the Amazon River. If you have ever seen Indiana Jones, that would be the easiest way to describe this. As our tiny white pick up truck got half-way across I began to worry when I looked down and saw nothing but white raging rapids and rocks 15 to 20 feet below.

After we made it across the bridge we drove about 7 more miles on a rocky dirt road until we arrived to the village Israli. The village consisted of exactly 10 houses, a basketball court/soccer field and four outhouses. In the middle of the village was nothing but a concrete floor with a roof. This was what we were about to work on for the rest of the week. We laid bricks for a 45 x 30 sized building and by the end of the day I can say I’ve never felt more accomplished with anything in my life.

To have 15 kids come running up to you smiling wanting to be picked up and hugged is priceless. One little girl named Catalina was the most precious thing. She has some kind of rash running down the sides of her arms and gnats flying all over here. And when I gave her a bottle of water her face just lit up.

(Edwin)

(Daniel)

Our conversations were short because of my poor Spanish but all her and every other kid wanted was attention. I don’t get to emotional about much but man that really hit me hard today. And when I pulled out my camera the kids were in awe when they saw themselves. They could not get enough and you could tell they had never seen anything like it. As we got ready to leave the chief of the village came up to me, shook my hang and with an enormous smile said, “Muy bien, Gracias.” That to me is better than getting paid or even a promotion at work. To end the day when we were crossing back over the bridge, after being covered in sweat and bug spray, I though ‘what the heck your only in Ecuador once,’ so I jumped off the bridge into a part of the Amazon River. Not the best idea. More Later.

Day 2 (More Andes)

2008-07-31T18:22:00.000-07:00

We are currently on our way to the little town called Sucua which is actually not even to be found on a map of Ecuador. If you were to look on a map of Ecuador though, it is on the far south east end. There are only two roads to get to the town and to get there you must go thru the mountains on many narrow curvy roads. Although it takes at least a good 8 hours (that’s if you’re in a car driving fast) the hours are taken away by the astonishing views. The mountains are literally breath taking and it’s something that can’t even be explained thru a picture. It’s something you must see for your self with your own two eyes. The only down fall are the bumpy roads. I was very shocked we made it about 6 hours before we got our first flat tire. It took about an hour to get it fixed but once we did we were back on the road and on our way to Sacua. By the time we were well into the night we arrived in town and were treated to a delicious chicken and rice dinner. Little did I know how popular chicken and rice were down here and how much more there was to come.

16 hours later...We made it!

Day 2

2008-07-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

We finally arrived in Cuenca, Ecuador around 7am. Went to church this morning. It was 2 hours of Spanish so I didn't really understand umm anything. But it was really neat during the worship watching everyone dance. Afterwards we had lunch at a place on the side of the road. Our lunch was Chicken Soup. Thats right not Chicken noodle soup but Chicken soup with the chicken bone legs. And the big entree was Guinea Pig. Yep. To describe it best...crunchy.
Now were on our way to a little village called Sucua, Ecuador down south. Back thru the Andes for another 11 hours

.

Day 1 (First Night Cont.)

2008-07-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

Still in the Andes Mountains. Still No Sleep. It's about 4:30am and surprisingly it's taken me thing long to realize I've already made the dumbest mistake. No Jacket! When your going to the equator some of the tings that come to your mind to pack are shorts, sandals, and sunscreen; not a jacket. But when you are 13,254 feet high it doesn't matter where you are but your lungs are going to hate you for putting them in this thickness of air. To give you an idea if you were to ever make it that high in the states, the snow would be up to your neck if not over your head because you would literally be on top of a glacier at that height.
We stopped for another bathroom break but after 4 steps I turned around and got right back on the bus. It wasn't until about 6am the my body started to warm up and my eyes lit up like a 9 yr old kid on Christmas morning when the sun began rising over the eastern mountains. For the first time since I left the country I had seen light and for the first time in my life I felt so small and insecure. It was perfect.

Day 1 (First Night)

2008-07-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

By the time I arrive in Guayaquil it is well into the night. Where darkness reigns this city at night and the only light comes from the dim yellow street lights. I quickly forget what it's like in the states when I take my first breath in and get the vast smell of burnt tar mixed with an American sewer. But I am able to let out the pungent smell when I catch my eyes on my gringo, Bill. We quickly grab my bags because this 8 hour day of traveling has only started. Little did I know instead of going to a hotel, kicking off my shoes, and watching cheap spanish versions of Die Hard, we loaded onto a bus and headed east up the Andes Mountains for 6 more hours. I've never had a problem with traveling over night, but when the streets have more crevices then the moon and the bus is called 'The Jungle Adventurer,' I knew it was going to be a long night. About an hour into my beauty sleep at around 1am, I am quickly awaken by an abrupt stop. Still half asleep I decide to follow everyone off the bus to go use the bathroom. Now, the way I grew up in America, as men we pee wherever we want. I learned quickly that it's the complete opposite here when I was fully awoken to a short Ecuadorian standing at the bathroom door with a shotgun half the size of him. I still do not know why he was there but after flushing "his" toilet me and bill were sure to leave a dollar tip with a very nervous "gracias!"

Day 1

2008-07-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

As I got ready to board my plane in Houston, Texas, I began getting chills. When all I could make out in English over the intercom was, "Now boarding for Guayaquil, Ecuador," in a very strong Spanish accent. My stomach began to spin as I quickly reached for my bag to retrieve my Spanish-English translator and started cramming my brain like an over-dramatic high schooler who forgot to study for his final. I looked to my left then to my right only to notice I was by far the whitest person at my gate and with my plain white T and Cincinnati ball cap, I stood out like a sober Bengals fan in the center of Heinz field. Once I had enough courage I made my way to board the plane. Sitting in my empty row on the plane I just prayed that the people sitting next to me would at least speak English. I felt a sigh of relief when the girl sat down next to me was wearing a Kentucky shirt. Sure she may have been a U of L fan and back in the commonwealth I most likely would have never said a word to her, but for the next 5 1/2 hours she was my new best friend.

Four hours into the flight my stomach comes to an ease, as I sip on my ginger ale and listen to The Who on my i-pod.
I'll write more later.

First Blog EVER!

2008-07-11T17:07:00.001-07:00

Well I never thought I would do it but I decided to start a blog. I doubt I will very rarely update this but this is mainly for my trip to Ecuador for the summer to keep everyone informed with what I am doing. Anyways right now I am hungry maybe I'll update this later but my tummy is a rumblin.
7/11/08