June 28, 2004

Q. An 11th grader from Wake County asks: In the daily journals, there is no mention of aggravating insects..has the team encountered much of a problem with mosquitos?

A. Not really. In fact, the insects in N.C. are more irritating. We are here in the dry season, which might be why there are so few. There are a few mosquitos, especially here at the coast, some black flies, and sand flies where the sand is dry.

Q. A 6th grader at B.F Grady Elementary in Duplin County asks: Are there any other kind of languages in Ecuador?

A. Though most everyone speaks Spanish, the dialects, as in different regions of the U.S., have slight differences. Also, the indigenous languages of the Inca are still used, often mixed in with Spanish. The major language besides Spanish is Quichua, one of the Incan languages.

Q. A person in Cabarrus County asks: Please describe your biggest surprises in terms of cultural differences and similarities. In other words, how is life in Ecuador much like that in North Carolina. How is it starkly different?

A. What is most similar is that there is a very strong sense of community in the places we have visited, which is like some of the communities back home. Probably the biggest difference is that there is a great deal of subsistence living here. Most of the rural people go to the store only for essentials like flour, drinking water, salt, etc. rather than go several times a week to stock up on treats and soda.

Back to 2004 Q & A