Just your "average" weekend...

I really don´t know what my problem is since I´ve been in Ecuador but blogging just seems like so much work! I´m sorry I´ve been a bit MIA...I will try to be better...let´s just blame it on the altitude and call it a day, shall we??

Ok, so another reason I haven´t blogged is that I just keep thinking, "Well, nothing that amazing has really happened." But today, I started scanning through my pictures of the last 5 days and realize that I seriously need to gain my perspective back. Over the last 5 days I have probably done more than I had for a years with of 5 days before this crazy adventure began.

Seriously...I need to adjust my idea of exciting or a weekend at home in Mpls could send me into a coma.

Alright, so rather than try to tackle all of the last 5 days at once, I´m just going to write about my weekend...and next entry will introduce my 3rd amazing project.

So the first piece of huge news is that I have friends! Yes...it took a few days but I have officially met the other volunteers and we managed to hit up Otavalo this weekend and have a great time.

On Thursday I visited an amazing waterfall with my Spanish teacher (this was clearly pre-friends Debra!) She made it sound like the place was just around the block...not exactly. After about 45 minutes of huffing and puffing, I could finally hear the faint sound of a water fall and it really was incredible.
We sat and enjoyed the tranquil waterfall and tried to catch my breath (still not totally used to this altitude...or at least using that as an excuse for the fact that I´m just out of shape...)

Breathe in, out...enjoy the waterfall...and then...about 150 kids showed up at the place on a field trip! So much for our relaxing Spanish lesson at a natural wonder...back down to Otavalo we went.
Friday night we hit up the town to say goodbye to some volunteers and also to celebrate another´s birthday. Well let´s just say that this birthday girl had one too many $1 shots (a side effect of everything being so ridiculously cheap here...).

Needless to say, I wasn´t thinking that this birthday girl would follow through on her plan to meet me on Saturday morning to do some touring around...but she stayed true to her name and this girl was ready to tour (more or less...)

So we hopped in a cab up to El Lechero which is a tree in Otavalo that is considered magical. Why? I have no idea. But we were going to see this magical tree. I brought along my trusty Lonely Planet Guide Book and looked to see what you are supposed to do once you get to this "magical" place...no such luck.

Caroline remembered something about seeing other people having pictures hugging the tree so we just decided to do that, snap a few pictures of the amazing view and scoot outta there...how magical huh??
Then Caroline and I headed to the market. Now if any of you have ever heard of Otavalo or have ever mentioned it to someone who has heard of it, it is unlikely that you have gone more than one sentence without hearing about the market. And it truly lives up to its reputation.

It goes on for blocks and blocks and literally swallows up the city every Saturday. It is a rainbow of necklaces, vegatables, alpaca scarves, traditional paintings and of course, people! It is amazing...
Feeling brave, Caroline even braved eating some street food...despite the fact that in less than 12 hours she was embarking on a 36 hour plane ride back to Austrailia...crazy Aussies...

Now this is not your ordinary street food. At least I know on my street I don´t often see an entire pig sitting on a spit and the person just cutting away chunks of it´s behind to serve to unknowing tourists and locals...had to pull out the kosher card on that one.

But Caroline did seem to live through the experience...or at least I think so!

So Saturday night was another fun night with my brand new friends (I seriously do feel like a military brat that just keeps having to move and meet all new people!) We classed it WAY up and bought ourselves some Coke and booze and made ourselves some lovely cocktails right in the central plaza in Otavalo...now that is class people.

On Sunday, Danai (yes...my friends even have names...) went to a nearby lake. It really was beautiful...
We took in the scenery and somehow managed to chat away the afternoon. We headed back to Otavalo and I think Caroline´s bravery had worn off on me...

No, I didn´t eat a pig´s ass. But I did partake in some street corn. This is no Minnesota State Fair corn (no...nothing can be as good as that...) but it was quite amazing. Big corn covered in butter and then topped with cheese...and I still am alive to talk about it!

So basically, it wasn´t climbing a volcano or tubing in a cave in Belize...but it was a great weekend. The first of many more I hope...

xoxo,
Debra

P.S...feel free to keep the "What Debra Misses" guesses coming...the contest is still open...and I´m loving the responses...