Q & A for July5, 2006

Have you seen any snakes yet?

— several students across North Carolina

We have not seen any snakes yet, but did walk on a trail where a very poisonous snake, a Bushmaster, had been seen recently.

What does guinea pig taste like and how is it prepared?

— home schoolers in Cobb County, Georgia and high school students in Orange County

Guinea pig tastes like dark meat chicken. There are many ways to cook guinea pig, but it is typically cooked whole, including the head and feet. Guinea pig is normally served with potatoes and corn.

How much money does it cost to go to school in Ecuador?

— a 7th grade student from Orange County

It costs about 100 dollars per year per student. This amount pays for uniforms, books and papers while at school, but does not include transportation to and from school.

How many ecosystems will you have the opportunity to experience while in Ecuador?

— home schoolers in Cobb County, Georgia

By the time our trip is over, we will have experienced five different ecosystems. We have been in a dry tropical forest, a moist tropical forest, the paramo (high-altitude grassland), a mountain cloud forest and the coast.

How many different Indian tribes are in Ecuador? Do they all speak different languages?

— a 9th grade student from Guilford County

In Ecuador there are over 20 ethnic groups. Over six groups live in the mountains, six more live in the forests and three groups live on the coast. All of the groups speak Spanish and many have their own original dialects.

What do Ecuadorian girls wear? Do they dress similar to us on an everyday basis?

— a 10th grade student from Carteret County

The Ecuadorian girls who we have seen wear many of the same clothes that young girls in America do — jeans, T-shirts, dresses, sneakers and sandals. However, when girls are in school, many of them wear uniforms of white blouses and navy blue skirts. Otovalian girls wear embroidered blouses with long dark skirts.

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