June 19, 2008

2008 Itinerary

Departure for our grand adventure was delayed for several hours due to stormy weather in our connecting city of Miami. Though flight-weary, we arrived in Quito, Ecuador at 12:30 am (which is 1:30 am North Carolina time).

After too little sleep but a pleasant breakfast, we left for the Heifer offices where we were given a wonderful presentation by Central Region Program Director Maria Fernandez. From her we learned about the beautiful biological, atmospheric and cultural diversity of Ecuador. She taught us how Heifer Ecuador works to empower indigenous farmers to organize themselves, to better represent themselves to their government, to write proposals and to maintain their dignity as farmers.  The alpacas that we will see tomorrow at a Heifer project in the Paramo represent a tangible gift to farmers who are ultimately protecting entire ecosystems and the precious resource of water.

At the Heifer office we were also honored to be a part of a lemon tree planting ceremony. It demonstrated that though the growth and results of many endeavors are not immediately obvious, this by no means diminishes their importance. Martha Pacheco reminded us that we cannot always immediately see the fruits of the seeds we plant.

After packing boxes of teaching materials for El Cerrito, we departed for Otavalo. On the way, we stopped at a small park where the equator was marked by a line and a large stone globe. It’s still hard to believe that we are at the equator, in a different hemisphere, in this enchanting country of Ecuador.

We arrived safely in Otavalo, thanks to the careful (and savvy) driving of Carlos Vaca. After unloading our bags, we walked a couple of blocks to where we were awed by the sights, sounds and smells of the Otavalo Market, famous for its crafts from the local area. The market proved an exhilarating experience for us all, as we wandered the maze of vendor stalls manned by talented and eager artisans.

Q & A for June 19

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