Hiking and hanging out with the family

Sometimes friendly Australians give you their yoga mats, sometimes the truck that goes all the way back to your community picks you up hitchiking, and sometimes you get bed bugs.

Cotacachi

I don´t think I have bed bugs but something is definitely getting me while I sleep.  Try as it (they?), they haven´t been able to get in the way of a serious amount of sleep while here - it is always crazy to me how tiring existing amidst a different language can be.

Last work week was great, while this week is off to a really slow start. From the clinic in my town we did a bunch of community visits. I was treated to a brief taste of altitude sickness in the last community which sits around 3000 meters, but more importantly got a glorious view of Cotacachi, one of the volcanoes outside of Otavalo.

Laguna de Cuicocha

On Sunday I hiked around Lake Cuicocha, a crater like not far from town. I went with Bekah, a doctor from here with Tandana for a month as part of her residency. It was gorgeous, we met some wonderful American travelers and caught a truck all the way back to town.

My Spanish is definitely improving, as measured by fairly in-depth conversations with various health workers at different clinics. Communication with my host family, at least verbal communication, is pretty much at a stand still, as we try to meet in the middle with my gringa Spanish and their Kichwa Spanish. Beyond vocabulary and accents, I´m having a blast,  albeit completely exhausted by, playing with all my siblings. With 6 little brothers and sisters I always have someone harrassing me to play set (fun!), read, draw, or most recently, engage in a thumb war - previously unknown to them, it has taken off like wild fire.  More endearing is the reciprocal hair braiding while watching horrible Latin American reality TV. My favorite time is when we have teeth-brushing parties outside before bed, something I hope will be a lasting tradition. I´m less enthused by the endless intrusions when trying to do yoga in my tiny cement room, but well worth it. The grandmother of the family is by far the hardest to communicate with, but we have our morning salutations down pat now, full of smiles and friendly gestures.