This week has been a whirlwind of work, learning, and bonding as a group. Whether rolling tires down a hill with elementary school students, planting yuca and papas chinas,  or trying our hand at teaching basic English, we’re challenging ourselves, growing closer with community members, and starting to flow in Spanish.

Today, the group worked on filling tires they painted with soil so that Gabriela, the tourism committee president, could plant medicinal herbs that community residents can use. Even though it’s tiring to shovel dirt for hours, it also gives us the opportunity to learn a lot about this land’s nature and from the community members who guide us. Today’s topics ranged from the family tree of Las Tolas (Gabriela has 14 grandchildren!) to how to say “dude” in Ecuador.

Since today was the Fourth of July, we decided to celebrate a little of our own culture by eating s’mores for dessert. It was fun to share this little tradition with our cooks and some other community members. Here are some more updates from our guest bloggers, Olivia N. and Miles F.

Nuestras cosas favoritas de Las Tolas por Olivia N.

Hola Padres!

After almost a week of exploring Las Tolas, also known as “The town in the clouds,” we have all come to love it for our own reasons. From working with the locals to playing games with the kids, we have had an amazing time so far. I thought it would be fun to show you all each students’ favorite part of this incredible town. We want you to know that we are having an awesome time, and we hope you don’t miss us too much!

Adios, Olivia.

Unas preguntas con Salomon por Myles F.

For my blog post, I wanted to interview a member of the town so you could learn a bit about the people with whom we are working. I chose Don Salomon Pérez, one of the members of the tourism committee and an integral member of the community.

He has five children, two of whom run and teach at the local school, and his wife Herminia is known for her delicious food and small restaurant that she runs on the weekends. Besides milking his own cows, raising pigs, and cultivating many fruit trees, Salomon is a passionate bird expert and studied for five years to become an official nature guide. Salomon often has a wise saying, or dicho, to share, and he says that laughter is a daily necessity. We love working with Salomon on building the hiking trails because he’s always ready to show us new plants and animals, and his endless optimism is contagious. Here are a couple of questions I asked him about Las Tolas:

What do you most like about living in Las Tolas?
What I most like about living in Las Tolas is the tranquility, the pure air, and that there’s almost no pollution. I like the countryside because you hear birds, insects, animals, and lots of things. In the tranquility there’s no noise and no bad people. For that reason, I love it here. Also, because my family lives here and they also love it here.

What’s your favorite project in Las Tolas?
For me, the project that I most like is that you all come here. For example, that you collaborate with us with your working hands, the cultural exchange, and your support. We also have the luck to make and share new friends from across the world.

That’s all for now! We have one more day of work tomorrow and then a fun Saturday planned before we head off to Mindo for a couple days of bird-watching and hiking. Hasta pronto!

— Alvaro & Leah