Over the next week, students will be sharing their perspective of the program so far. Today, we have guest bloggers Sarah H. and Troy D.!
Notes on Las Tolas by Sarah H.
After five days of exploring Ecuador together, we have already learned so much about the culture and improved our Spanish more than we could have in any classroom. Yesterday was our first day of working in Las Tolas, and it definitely tested our mental and physical strength! We have really enjoyed playing with all the kids, trying new foods (especially the fruit), and settling into a routine. Most days, our schedule looks like:
7:00 AM – wake up
7:30 AM – breakfast
7:50 AM – daily chores
8:00 AM – work (our jobs consist of moving bricks, building trails, digging in the plant nursery for seedlings, and painting)
12:30 PM – lunch
1:00 PM – down time
2:00 PM – back to work
4:00 PM – free time
6:00 PM – dinner
All of our meals are cooked by women in the community! In spending so much time in a local community, we are learning new words every day and keep a list in the school where we are staying. Some of our latest additions include:
- Lombriz = worm
- Columpios = swings
- mermelada = jam
- caminata = hike
- Estar mareado = to feel dizzy
- llovizna = light rain
As part of my blog post, I wanted to include pictures of everyone with a special message for their family and friends, so you can hear from them too!
That’s all for now!
— Sarah
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Momentos Destacados de las Tolas by Troy D.
As I (and I assume my others peers) arrived in Las Tolas, I didn’t know what to think. We arrived to a small, local elementary school and, looking at the faces around me, I could sense that my peers shared the same feeling of “wow, this is my home for a week.” As we got settled in that afternoon, the local children greeted us and requested that we play with them. Even me, not a “kid person” had fun playing and eventually forgot about my fear and anxiety. That night, the Putney group was invited to a local baptism party. The music was so loud we could hear it from our schoolroom dorms. The music and dancing was a fun way to end our first night in Las Tolas.
When I woke up on my small inflatable mattress, I felt a foreign feeling of excitement. It was a new day in Las Tolas and I was ready to do anything. In the morning, we all participated in a group scavenger hunt around Las Tolas, requiring us to interact with the locals.
After, we ate lunch and then headed to a waterfall and swimming hole. The 13 of us stuffed ourselves into three cars and made our way to the waterfall. The ride was bumpy and windy but once we reached the waterfall, nobody was complaining.
The waterfall carried chilled water, which felt extremely refreshing.
Our third day in Las Tolas was our first work day. After an early breakfast, the group headed to the work site. The site presented a half-built building with only the structure and roof. Half of the group worked on the building and other half on the sendero. I did not know what a sendero was, but as we walked a few steps past the building, I found out that it means “trail.” With hoes, we made pathways down a steep hill leading to I don’t know where. The work was extremely strenuous and, writing from the day after, I can say that I am very sore. But talking to the locals and seeing how much progress we made was worth the soreness.
Las Tolas has been such a unique and different experience, and I am excited to see what the rest of the time here brings me.
— Troy