¡Hola desde Quito!
It is crazy to think that this blog will be one of my last before I leave Ecuador! It’s even crazier to think that it is already May and that four whole months in a foreign country have passed. In one sense, I’m happy that my departure day is coming soon (only 20 more days!) as I do miss my family, friends, and Oregon. The other part of me, however, feels a bit bittersweet as I’ve made so many friends here and have experienced many one-in-a-lifetime activities. For now, though, I’ll just focus on persevering through finals and exploring Ecuador just a little bit more!
As I have mentioned, finals season is approaching, which means I have been wrapping up my final assignments for each of my classes. For my History of Baroque class, I recently completed my final presentation, which was to analyze any Baroque artwork of my choice. I was very nervous about this, as I, the only international student in the class, was the first to present. However, I think that my presentation went really well, as my professor really enjoyed my content and only provided feedback that would further enhance my argument. As for my other classes, there has been a recent focus on just being present and enjoying the space that we exist in, which has been a very fun shift in the regular class schedules.
Besides focusing on my coursework, I’ve also taken some opportunities to just spend time with my exchange friends. A few weekends ago, some of the international students celebrated our friend Ellie’s 21st birthday, which was both casual and fun! Throughout the night, we just relaxed, talked about life, and played uno until very late in the night; I don’t think I arrived home until two in the morning! My favorite part of this experience was being able to directly spend time with my friends without having any external pressures affecting our get-togethers, such as school and travel.
A week or two after Ellie’s party, a few friends and I went to get our nails painted at one of the many local peluquerías. If anyone ever ends up in Ecuador, I strongly recommend getting nails done, as they are so much cheaper here than in the United States; the current nail design that I have, which would normally cost $50 in the U.S., only cost me $13 here in Ecuador!
This past month was full of adventures and exploration! Besides going to the Galapagos (which has a blog all to itself), I took trips to Otavalo and Cuenca, which both did not disappoint! Even though my group only spent one day in Otavalo, I really had a blast there! Our trip started out with a hike around Cuicocha, which is an earth-made lake just outside of Otavalo’s city limits.
The hike was a bit challenging, as it had a lot of uphill action, but it was so cool to see the varying angles of the lake in pure sunlight! After this hike (and an unexpected boat ride on the lake itself), we visited a very large artisanal market. For me, it was a bit difficult to enjoy the market, as I hadn’t had dinner and was a bit tired from the hike; I was both hungry and not in a shopping mood.
As for Cuenca, I absolutely loved that city and wish I had more time to explore there! Cuenca is known for its historical, elegant, and catholic town set-up. While there, my group and I visited Cajas, which is a national park outside of Cuenca, and Museo Pumapungo, which is a museum that shares indigenous artifacts and the past indigenous history of Cuenca’s land. The museum even had authentic past ruins, but sadly that part was closed off and we weren’t able to visit it.
Throughout our trip, we also visited a few artisanal markets (which I did end up buying stuff this time!), chocolate shops, and older buildings/churches. I really wish that I had time to go back to Cuenca, as this town is filled with so much, but I don’t think it’ll be possible due to my sudden departure back home.
My last update for this blog is on the sadder side. Santiago Gangotena, who was the founder of USFQ, recently passed away due to a brutal bus accident. To many in Ecuador, he was a father figure to many and someone heavily involved in the community. Due to his passing, everyone associated with USFQ got a day off from school to recover and remember the legacy that was Santiago. Last week on campus, staff members had created a memorial for him, which included many flower displays and words of gratitude. Even though I really didn’t know him, it’s been heartwarming to see the local community band together in hopes of retaining the memory of their beloved.
¡Chao!
Cassie Klagge