October 4, 2009

It's Feeling More Real

Well, up until this point this whole trip has felt very surreal.  This morning I booked my flight to Quito, Ecuador and made hotel reservations at Cafe Cultura since I'll be flying in a few days early.  Now it is feeling very real!  I spent some time this morning watching a video of Quito on the Cafe Cultura website and it was a great introduction to the city.  Quito seems like a wonderful city and I'm really excited to have a day to explore some of its rich history.  There are huge plaza's where the Inca rulers lived.  The more I read about the history of Quito and Ecuador, I'm struck by how much can be aligned with the history of people here in New Mexico and 1500 - 1600 Spanish conquests.  We truly are all connected.  I'm glad to be going into the heart of the Amazon Rainforest where humans have had little impact on the ecosystem and I really wish I had more time to explore the beaches and islands off Ecuador that are basically untouched ecosystems and environments.  Thank god humans have not totally invaded every nook of the world - but really isn't it just a matter of time unless we are proactive about protecting nature?

I really wish I were fluent Spanish.  My husband and I may be at some point since we love traveling to Latin America.  In the meantime, I'll be studying Rosetta Stone until I leave.  For those of you interested in the local Achuar language, here are some wonderful words I'll be studying :

WIÑA JAI = Good morning,  Good afternoon,  Good evening - greetings
WEA JAI = Good bye
MAKETAI = Thank you
WETAI = Let´s go
NAKARSATA = Wait!
WINITIA = Come on
JA AI = Yes ATSA = No
WIYAIT JAI = my name is...
YAITIAM = what is your name?
YUMI = Water
YURUMAK = Food
NIJIAMANCH (also Chicha) = Manioc beer
KINTIA = Day
NANTU = Month
MUSACH = Year
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4 comments:

  1. LukeOctober 4, 2009 at 3:46 PM

    Sounds great! Can't wait to see photos. You should buy the new Ipod Nano - they make videos now too and are very compact. Perfect for sharing on the web and youtube.

    Have fun!

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  2. AnonymousOctober 4, 2009 at 4:41 PM

    Sounds cool! Let me know if you need any help with Spanish phrases. Tip: Do not compare Ecuadorians to Mexicans or Mexico in ANY way. To them they will take it as a slight insult. I know you said New Mexico and were not referencing Mexico itself but that's what went through my mind. You proposed a question so I'll answer. There are many areas in the World that remain untouched by the human hand and the only words to describe them are absolutely beautiful! Nature is in of itself self sustaining. It is absolutely amazing how many plants can self pollinate, and reproduce. I disagree that we will ever reach the point of self destruction on this planet where nature won't continue to thrive. Despite popular belief and movies like Wall-E that like to embellish this idea. I do think it is important to respect nature and it's God given beauty. So from that approach I think it's important but what is naturally meant to happen, will happen. Perhaps the unknown is what is scary for many, so actively preventing something they may be unsure of, gives off self fulfillment and comfort. Anyway, just my perspective. Good Luck with everything!~Denise

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  3. AnonymousOctober 5, 2009 at 8:01 PM

    PS: I don't want you think I was being discouraging. I do think the rainforest is so very important to us because it is home to thousands of animals and plants, unique to any other part of the world. I'm so glad you are helping out with it's preservation because so much of it is still unexplored. Potential pharmacutical benefits could quite possibly be living in this area. Anyway, I will be looking forward to the pictures and all your stories! ~Denise

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  4. AnonymousOctober 5, 2009 at 8:37 PM

    Monica,
    I'm so pleased you are going to Ecuador. I lived there for 3 months while in college. Quito was my home base. I met Americans and Ecuadorians and flew over the jungle, stayed in the jungle in a house, and other adventures. It is a beautiful place. I found the climate to be much like NM.
    It rained lightly each afternoon for 10-15 min. There was not much humidity nor bugs. It was a milestone in my college life. Enjoy! gail
    PS: I struck up a friendship with an Ecuadorian girl who wanted to practice her English. I, of course, wanted to practice Spanish. She giggled each time I tried to pronounce "engineer" in espanol!

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