San Juan

So this past weekend (really starting on the 21^st and still going on up until today, I believe) there have been mid-summer festivities all around Ecuador, more commonly known as San Juan.  Basically everybody gets extra fancy in their dress-up and lots of dancing, drinking and craziness ensue.  I survived! 

I went to Zuleta to celebrate with friends and to see where the most traditional of all celebrations occur since the Hacienda Zuleta is one of the only places in all of Ecuador that still has good relations with its community and so therefore the traditional partying happens.  What this means is that several groups, usually families, party it up at a house in the community then slowly make their way to the Hacienda Plaza with dancing, playing music and drinking along the way.  

 

I must add that I absolutely love these hats and I want one with a peacock feather.

Once at the plaza, the dancing continues, and a young girl who has been riding on a horse the whole way gives a speech to the owner and the family of the hacienda, mostly about gratefulness and honor (that's what I picked up on).

 

 

         The night before was also entertaining as all of the groups travel throughout the community, up into the hills and stop at houses along with way.  What I mean by this is that they do their singing, dancing and drinking in the streets and make their way into each house along the way, never stopping the singing and dancing. Once inside the house they are giving drinks by the owners who pour out a sizable ration for each person in the circle (and you never know what kind of drink it will be! It could be chicha, vodka, peach wine, watermelon schnapps... ).  Sometimes a plate of food is passed around, and meanwhile the circling and singing and dancing continue.  It’s a great dance, really, kind of shuffling along in a circle with your hands in your pockets or behind your back and then all of a sudden then you change directions, sometimes without warning until you run into the person in front of you.  All of this is done circling around either the musicians or the person that is handing out the drinks (sometimes both). Every now and then, especially when the beat picks up and you start a running shuffle, I feel like we are part of Alice in Wonderland when all the strange animals are running circles around the pelican on the beach and the water is rising and nobody pays any attention and they all get swept away by the ocean but they never stop dancing and singing and running in circles.  It’s very much the same, really. But still so so much fun.

 Well these are just a few samples of the hundreds of pictures I took over those two days. I'll put up more on Facebook soon, and also a few videos if I can manage (my disk space is getting full though-time to go home! haha).  No, seriously, I'll be home in just a few weeks!  

Lots of love,

Maia ;)

Oops...

Ok, so, my bad… it’s been more than a month since I last posted!  I’m not so good at this.

Well, since I last wrote things have been really great.  A little complicated but the issues have been resolved and I am learning so much from being here which is exactly what I needed.

Christina is a psychologist who has a ton of experience with horses and she has created a program called Horse Guided Empowerment.  She has her own horses on her property and by working in collaboration with them is able to provide therapy/empowerment sessions for children, teens and adults.  Basically if someone has a trauma, difficulty, problem or lack of something in their life they can come and work with the horses and Christina and through various techniques and methods will be able to find the answer on their own and/or with the help of the horses. It is a great program and there are similar ones, but I particularly love the way Christina runs hers.  She is writing a book as well and I am reading and editing it for her so I’m really getting to the depth of the methodology behind it.  This is exactly what I want to do with my life!! Yay!!  I am so grateful to have this opportunity and to have such a great teacher in Christina and in the horses.

I am now living on the same property as Christina’s family in the lower level of the house they rent out. It’s very nice and quiet, and much easier on my stress/anxiety than it was at the orphanage.  I lived at the orphanage for three weeks before moving back here for various reasons.  What it boiled down to was that I was providing the kids with a parental/ therapist type of support that was not what the “Father” wanted… he wanted me to be more like another orphan and just play and follow his orders and not give them advice on how live in harmony and properly take care of the babies and deal with their emotional issues.  His loss.  Well, I was actually really sad to leave those kids because just when I thought I was actually getting somewhere and getting through to them I found out that the father thought I was doing nothing and being lazy (i.e. I wasn’t out buying him his morning breakfast at 5 am like the previous volunteer…).  Not in my job description. Luckily Christina and Tomas were very supportive and let me know that I was being the professional one and handling the situation the best that I could. It just sucks to find out the hard way that not everyone has the same view on how to psychologically and emotionally support mostly-orphaned children who are HIV positive. Not that I’m an expert by any means, but the little help I had to offer was not appreciated and that bummed me out. Oh well, It was a powerful learning opportunity and a lesson in how to deal with (or let go of relationships with) people who are used to being in unequivocally charge and unwilling to change or alter their opinion.

Here are some pictures of those adorable kids who I really miss a lot:

Well, since then I have been doing more work training a young horse and working on my horse-human connection with Christina’s horses.  I would like to do some more therapy sessions with kids, but we will have to see what comes our way. The father said since the kids are studying for exams right now it's best to postpone any sessions until summer vacation (mid-July).  In the meantime there is still plenty to do here and I still have some time to relax and soak in all that I have been learning. 

I have a big weekend coming up as it is San Juan festival in Zuleta so I will be back there for the weekend. Then the first week of July there is a big retreat happening here at 4 Volcanoes that I will help with… then it’s just a few days to travel and I will be on my way home!  I am getting really excited!  Lots of love to everyone, xoxox

Maia

San Pablo del Lago--more horses and kids!

It has been yet again quite a while since I have written anything… and a lot has changed since the last time I wrote!  My time at Zuleta was really wonderful. Quite relaxing but a lot of time with the horses and the tourists, lots of translating practice, and a lot of delicious rich food! I really should have taken some pictures of the food… I’ll try to remember that if I go back in the next couple of weeks.

      So, I left Zuleta about a week and a half ago to come to San Pablo, which is really only on the other side of the hill but it takes about 2 and a half hours to get here from Zuleta. I decided to come here because I heard about an opportunity to become a working student for a lady named Christina. She runs a program called Horse Guided Empowerment, which provides therapy to children and adults in need.  She has five horses on her property, two of which are rescued, traumatized, and one of which is a filly in training.  She and her have lived here in Ecuador for ten years though they are originally from Germany, and they have three young boys that speak an awesome combination of German and Spanish. They are a very nice family, and I am very pleased to be working with them.

      Anyway, I found out that Christina was looking for an intern while I was at Zuleta. She used to work for Zuleta several years ago until they found their own place and created their own lodge and Christina set up this program.  I knew vaguely that Christina worked with horses, but when I found out that she had a therapy program as well, I asked into it more and Carolina found out for me that they needed a new intern here. I came right away! Ever since I have been working with horses again I realized that I couldn’t give up either my love of horses or my love of children, so I need to find a career that works with both. And here it is! I know that since I have been so positive, at peace with myself and open to new things that this opportunity has been presented to me.  I am very happy here so far, still getting used to a different living situation and being in a “city” several times the size of Zuleta! It’s weird hearing the busses pass by and seeing new people every day on the streets… little by little I’ll get used to city life again, haha!

      So far, my tasks include training the horses, assisting with therapy sessions, playing with the kids and horses (together), planning art lessons, organizing therapy evaluations and caring for the horses at Christina’s and at the orphanage. It is rather busy and hectic at the orphanage, there is always someone that needs a diaper changed, or a bath, or just a hand to hold. The kids are age 1 to 19, most between 5 and 12.  They are very sweet kids, not all orphans, but I believe all are HIV positive. I haven’t gotten much information on this yet, as the father (he’s a monk, I guess, it’s a Franciscan Monastery) isn’t particularly open about this stuff. I would like to know exactly how much the children know, and the workers as well because I have noticed a few sanitation issues, and the oldest girl has a boyfriend so I think this is something I will need to step into with a public health frame of mind.

      Okay, well, I will TRY to write more often and definitely put up some pictures soon. I think I will post a few on Facebook right now :)  I hope all is well with everyone, please keep in touch, I’m sending lots of love and hugs and kisses!! Xoxoxo

Maia

Bailoterapia (Dance Therapy!) Or, jazzercise with a Latin twist

So, a few days ago I went with my friend Laura to her “Dance Therapy” class. Now, I have been to a couple of classes with her, but I still have yet to figure it out completely.  It is a lot fun, no doubt, and great exercise, but it is certainly different from almost any other class I have been to. I would consider it to be most closely related to jazzercise, as a lot of the movements are somewhat the same.  Step right, tap, step left tap, arms up overhead, step kick, step kick, etc. However, with Bailoterapia you have to add the hips.. and the extra steps.. and the Latin flair with the hands.. and the random turns.  It’s so much to accomplish all at once!  I would get the basic steps right and then the teacher (a super slim Cuban guy with more hip movements than I could ever dream of) would add in extra steps. As in for every one step I did, he would do three. Or, sometimes five. And with those extra steps he would invariably add in some intricate hip movements.  A few times I managed to get the hips right, but then the steps would be off.  Then I got the hips and steps right and we would be on to the hand flourishes, which would always throw me off completely.

After the first class, Laura mentioned to me all the different kinds of dances we did and I was very confused. She said we did meringue, salsa, kumbia, and a whole host of other types that I had barely even heard of. I had no idea all the complicated steps actually pertained to real dances. Turns out most Latin American people are just born with the knowledge of theses dances and all their fancy footwork and that’s why everyone ELSE in the class seemed to know what they were doing so easily. But it was worth it! I really enjoy going, and its fun to try out the different moves to see how well I do. I just know it will be different taking exercise class at home and not be expected to move my hips faster than my feet.

Well, other than dance class, my life here is Zuleta is quite relaxed. I’ve been doing quite a bit of work but it’s all very enjoyable—riding horses with tourists, training the horses, writing the blog and taking pictures…  I also do a bit of translating and map-making with direction writing. Learning how to use a GPS has been the most challenging thing for me; I still don’t really understand it!  Luckily there’s a Wisconsinite here (the finacee of boss’s daughter) and he has an iPad with a GPS app on it that I have borrowed a few times, and that one is a bit more user friendly. But even with all the work I am still chilled out, loving life, making friends and having plenty of time on my own to make bracelets, read my books and converse with dogs and horses. 

Missing you all at home though, and hope all is well. Please write some time and update me! Love love love.

$ Maia

Horse Crazy

More than a month has flown by with me working here at Zuleta, I can’t believe it!  I feel like I have been helpful and productive and certainly learning a lot.  I realized (again) that I am NOT a person that can sit in front of a computer all day long.  I can write a blog or do some translating for a few hours in the morning, but I have to have my breaks.  For example, yesterday I tried worked on a blog from 8 to 11 but was quite distracted the whole time (i.e. I was on Pinterest and facebook quite a lot).  Finally, I gave up and went to the stables, took a horse and went for a ride by myself for about an hour.  After I got back I was SO much more productive.  I finished up everything in a remarkably short time.  So, today I took a walk in the middle of the morning, and this afternoon I wandered to the stables and chatted with the workers and horses for a while to recharge my brain before returning to my translations.  It’s so nice to have so many nice little secret places to escape to if I’m feeling “antisocial” or chased by my computer. I don’t have too many pictures of my secret places, I’ll have to make sure I do that for the next blog.

Me and Rebeldia, a young horse that I was helping train a few days.

There are always gorgeous roses everywhere in the hotel.

The entrance plaza and cross.

My “office” is the window on the far right.

I have been lucky enough to go on several long horse rides recently, and I am getting to know the horses better.  My favorite is a little mare named Bailarina.  She’s feisty and clumsy but very sweet and a willing listener.  I need a horse that is responsive since I’m always rushing up front or to the back of the group or off to one side to get just the right pictures.  Plus, she’s learned to stay VERY STILL when I’m taking the actual picture, which is imperative.

Our horse trekking guide Rodrigo, he’s the best!

This is me on Valentin, Fernando’s horse.  Took me a while to train him in as photographer’s mount.

One particularly nice ride was an eight hour long trek off to the Lake San Pablo.  We went as a group of eight, five of them being tourists that have been coming for several years.  Mary and Linda are the two that started the whole gig five years ago and they have been coming every since, bringing new friends or family every time.

Picnic lunch overlooking Lake San Pablo on our whole day ride.

Linda and the group at the end of a nice long ride.

It was nice to have a group of horsey people stay for such a long time, they were here for seven days, which is a lot longer than most groups usually stay!  I got to know them quite well and spent a lot of time on horseback with them, frantically snapping photos for their surprise “end-of-trip” present from the workers: a small photo album with a nice little Zuleta embroidery on top.  They loved the gift and exclaimed, so THAT’S the reason for all your photo taking!  I decided I’m really not the most subtle. But they enjoyed it, so I was pleased.

Mary and her group on one of their first rides.

Trekking through the pine filled woods.

Anyway, I am happy to be here and feeling useful.  I think that there is probably a lot more that I could be doing to help out, but they are not putting a terrible amount of pressure on me and that’s just fine. I worked so so hard in Cusco, it’s nice to have a little rest and really have some time for myself.  I have been reading a lot, working on bracelets and hair wraps, playing piano, and hiding in the gardens or in the paddocks just thinking and talking to myself or anything that will listen.  It’s very refreshing! Luckily I already know I’m a little crazy so it doesn’t concern me >

Well, I hope all is well at home in the scorching heat of Minnesota!  Missing you all and looking forward to being home in less than two months!

Love love love ;

Maia

Hacienda Zuleta

I am finally going to post a blog that has more pictures than words!  Also, I just discovered this font and love it.  (I get all my fonts from Fonts for Peas—it’s the absolute best!)  But this one is a lot like my handwriting, except my “r’s” are always capital. But “hoRse" looks a little weird so I’ll refrain from making all the r’s capitalized.

Okay, so I recently arrived at the Hacienda Zuleta in Ecuador where I am volunteering for the next five or six weeks.  

I will be primarily working with the horses and the tourists, and I will also be teaching an after school class a few days a week. I think I’m going to teach the kids about horses, big surprise! I have been overwhelmingly content to be working with horses again and I think I can never again go so long without them in my life. 

 

I will also be writing the blog and taking pictures for the Hacienda’s website. As soon as the blog is updated I’ll put up a link, but for future reference you can find it HERE. It’s in Spanish and English, so woohoo for more resume goodies!

  

Well, there are a few photos for you, hope you enjoy! Lots of love.

Ecuadorian Hacienda

I made it to Ecuador!  I arrived on Friday night after a very tiring 24 hours of riding on buses from Mancora.  The beach, by the way, was very nice. I stayed with some friends in their shop which was a lot of fun (and free!) and I got to help them out a bit as well.  I relaxed, did some reading, and sold a bunch of crepes to earn my bus ticket to Ecuador. It was a nice town, very small and lots hippy-backpackers kind of doing the same thing--making things to sell and keep traveling! Tons of artisans and people making really beautiful things, and they kind of accepted me into their community since I was selling crepes. It was fun to be a part of for a week, but I really don't think I could do it much longer than that. Anyway, I got a nice tan going but now that I am up in the mountains and colder weather it is going to fade fast, bummer!

So, my arrival at the hacienda ended up being late on Friday night, so I didn't get to meet the bosses until Sunday.  I slept most of the day Saturday and helped with the horses on Sunday morning. Then I spoke with Fernando and Carolina, the owners/bosses of the hacienda and the told me we would talk on Wednesday to figure out exactly what my work would entail while I am here.  They are really nice, and I think I am going to like working for them.

Today is my third day of being sick and I am really tired of it.  I haven't left the couch in front of the TV for way too many hours, I've been on Facebook for hours on end doing nothing and I can't be more than two rooms away from a bathroom. LAME. I hate being incapable of doing anything... I can't even eat a bowl of soup or walk up the hill without being sick. Since being here I haven't even been able to do any trekking or exploring, but I know that once I do I will be taking tons of pictures to show everyone as what I have seen from the windows of my little volunteer house it is really beautiful.

Aside from my adventures in Mancora, since leaving Cusco I took a few days to stop in Lima and visit my good friend Diana and her baby Julieta. It was nice to see them and spend some time with them in the nice warm weather and sunshine of Lima.  I also got to spend time with a fellow past volunteer, Emile, who is traveling with her boyfriend right now as well. They also followed me to Mancora shortly after I left Lima since we were ready for the beach and to be away from the city.  We had a lot of fun both places, mostly on the beach and hanging out at the shop in Mancora.  It was nice to have her almost to myself for a few days, my little sister :)

Anyway, hopefully I will be feeling better tomorrow so that I can start working.  I will get my assignments either way, so I'd better be up to starting soon.  Well, I hope everyone at home is doing well, send me some healing thoughts and prayers, please.  Lots of love to everyone!

Love love love,
Maia