My trip home was most excellent! I wish that I could have seen more people (especially my family in Minnesota) but you can only fit so much into 2 weeks...especially when you are used to living at S.American pace. Courtney and I shot dinosaurs, I ate a TON of cheese, Betsy and I watched bootlegged horror movies from Ecuador, Kay/Chloe/Kael/Bill came over for pizza and fun, I watched a ton of TV, pestered Zoe, went to Courtney's work, rode around in my parents' Prius and drove my own car, went to the movies, celebrated my birthday and ate out a loooot! Aww, the US is an amazing (yet expensive as heck) place!
Now I am back in Ecuador living the Quito life. I went back for more Spanish classes and graduated at “Superior” level. I absolutely loved my classes with Amparo, my teacher. We spent most of our classes sitting around talking current events and about my job hunt. When it came time for me to leave, she gave me a bracelet as a goodbye present. I have been back a couple of times to visit...she is easily my favorite Ecuadorian of all time.
I got kicked out of my hostel again (because I didn't have a reservation), so I moved to a place in New Town Quito. I absolutely love my new place; it is a bit more high class and attracts a different type of guest. I made a good friend here who is a Fulbright Scholar studying Noisy Night Monkeys. She has also been stuck in Quito because of red tape, so we spend most of our time together. We also took a crazy trip to the cloud forest for my birthday (I'm 25 now!!)...see my pictures for that story.
During this time I got an e-mail from a lodge asking me to finish the application process. I did, and then I went back to waiting... and waiting... and waiting... Finally one day I got an e-mail from the General Manager, but it was clearly not actually to me! It said he was going to Europe and he would like to visit me...ummm? I told my friend Keith who owns a tourist/travel shop in my hostel and he told his friend who is really good friends with the GM. She (Alba) then called him and talked me up, and I had an interview for the next day. It was a strange interview...apparently I already had the job and they just wanted to make sure I understood what the job was. After that I spent weeks working on my visa (trips back and forth back and forth to the ministry) and I got it!! Actually I got a full year visa, so I am legal until next October (though I plan to fly home at the end of March). And then I went and got my new Censo card...so I am completely legal now!! Wooo!!!
I couldn't leave for the lodge until I had gotten my visa, and then I couldn't go because the lodge manager was on vacation and they wanted me to wait for him. So during my waiting I went in to work at the lodge office here in Quito. I input questionnaire data into spreadsheets and then translated tourists' comments from English to Spanish. It was nice to feel useful again, and to learn more about the lodge! During that time I also met the lodge manager, the highest rated guide and an English woman who lives in the community. So that was nice too.
On Friday I went to the airport to help with “guest transfer,” which basically just meant meeting the guests at the airport and giving them a welcome/intro talk. I looooved it. :) I really do enjoy working with tourists. My volunteer coordinator was impressed with the way I “handled” the guests...I think it helped that I am fluent in English ;)
Ok, my lodge...amazing! I am working for Sani lodge (in exchange for room and board) which is 100% owned and operated by the local Quichua community. My main job is to guide, but I am also in charge of the recycling and compost program (the locals currently burn their trash and throw bottles into the woods). When guiding I will be leading day and night hikes in the woods, canoe tours, caiman spotting, and translating for the guests. I am crazy excited.
To get to my lodge, I take a 10 hour bus (or 30 minute flight) from Quito to Coca where we transfer to a taxi (or truck) that takes us down to the river. Then we all load into a motorized canoe for a 2.5 hour (or longer if the water is low) ride down the Napo River. At the entrance to our lagoon we transfer into dugout canoes because the motor would bother the endangered Black Cayman that live in our lagoon. Just getting there is an adventure :)
Around the lodge we have endangered Black Cayman, rare Amazon Manatees, (maybe Pink Dolphins in the Napo River), 12 types of primates, Anacondas, 100s of butterfly and bird species, Conga Ants, tarantulas, and SO much more amazing stuff. I can hardly wait to get there to see all the things that live there!!
I will occasionally have internet at the lodge, but for those of you who want to send me mail, here is my new address:
Sani Lodge
c/o Amber Schmitt
Roca E4-49 y Av. Amazonas
(Pajase Chantilly)
Quito, Ecuador
Whenever someone comes out to the lodge they will bring me my mail.
Well, that is it...you are finally up to date!! I fly out to the lodge on Monday (26th)...can you believe that I am moving to the Amazon Rainforest!? I am super excited.
I hope that everyone is doing well...please eat some cheese in my honor!!
:) Amber
Posts
