tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17564427199293183982024-03-05T04:31:33.070-06:00Goin' WalkaboutGreg, Ayelet, and our cat, Scoots, have chosen the life of expats: first in Munich and now in Quito, Ecuador. Enjoy our adventures abroad!AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.comBlogger271125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-37303409218879861852013-07-20T10:30:00.000-05:002013-07-20T10:30:01.816-05:00An ending and a beginning<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Even an ending is
a beginning. As I wrote in the previous blog post, I'm amazed by how
little of the future we can imagine, even if we try to know as much
as possible beforehand. Greg did a ton of research before we decided
to move to Fort Collins. When he got the job at Poudre High School,
we knew that we were finally moving back, even if all the pieces
weren't perfectly put together. The pieces almost never truly align
anyway.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Before we moved to
Munich, we didn't fully understand what living a European lifestyle
really meant. We didn't know what it would be like to be living in a
country without knowing much of the language. We didn't know how open
other expats and teachers would be to accepting us into their lives,
or to what extent the Germans could be both reserved and
enthusiastic.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Before we moved to
Quito, we didn't really get what it meant to be in a developing
country. We didn't realize how incredibly lucky we were to have
well-paying jobs (by Ecuadorian standards) and be able to take
vacations and see the country. It was a privilege that not many in
that country have. We didn't understand real poverty until we went
there, but we also didn't understand how people with so little can be
so helpful and kind. At the same time, we didn't expect Ecuadorians
to be so shy about making friends with foreigners.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Of course, it
hasn't been all uncertainty. But there is a big difference between
what you know ahead of time and what actually greets you upon arrival
and how it fits into the grand scheme of things in a country. Moving
back to the US will be easy in some ways, but very difficult in
others.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I don't remember a
lot of thoughts and details I had before we left for Germany, but one
thought stands out vividly. It was the idea that I had that we would
not truly understand what was going on around us for a long time.
That thought turned out to be so true. It came out in daily
frustrations and funny mistakes alike.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Even with my level
of Spanish, I know now I can never truly assimilate into another
culture. It takes so much more than just language, or even just
having strong relationships with locals. You really cannot re-learn a
whole mindset. But the good news is that any experience is always
your own, even when you share it with others.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This may not be
our last blog post, but it will be one of them. This blog hasn't
always been easy to keep up. Many times though, we both felt so
excited to share our experiences with you all. I cannot tell you what
a comfort it has been to have you guys out there reading, responding,
and supporting us in our journey overseas. Thank you very much!</div>
AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-11178050793328042152013-07-17T10:27:00.000-05:002013-07-17T10:27:23.526-05:00Our New Apartment<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'm writing this
from our new apartment in Fort Collins. An apartment that I did not
even know about or could have imagined when we were packing our
suitcases in Quito and saying goodbye to good friends there.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here is what I can
tell you: Fort Collins is green. Both in the eco-friendly sense and
in the foliage sense of the word. Most of Colorado around this time
of year is brown, beige, and yellow (trust me, we just saw this scene
last week when we flew in). But Fort Collins feels like a little
oasis. There are streams and rivers in the city. Huge trees line many
city blocks. Even in our new apartment, we've got a huge green lawn
that we look out over. Scoots keeps watch over the numerous dogs that
frolic in the backyard.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The apartment we
choose is by far the smallest place we have lived in together. It's a
one bedroom on the ground floor with a patio that lets us walk out on
to the lawn. It is cozy and peaceful. I'm unashamed of my love for
the dishwasher after two years of hand washing dishes almost every
single day. We are right next to an organic grocery store with
reasonable prices, a vet, a pet food store, and a little neighborhood
coffee shop.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This apartment
will be our transition place to a house as we get to know Fort
Collins and potential neighborhoods we'd want to live in. We already
have bikes and Greg is going to build a bike trailer that we can take
to run errands and more. We still hope to live without a car,
although we are seriously considering an <a href="http://www.organictransit.com/">ELF</a>. So many people bike
here! There are nice wide side streets and bike lanes as well as
beautiful trails along rivers.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I hope you all
will hear more about our new location, but maybe this time in person
rather than through the blog!</div>
AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-42083061962620551552013-06-27T13:11:00.001-05:002013-06-27T13:11:41.434-05:00What Living Abroad Has Taught Me (Ayelet's Perspective)<br />
<div>
As you all know, we've lived abroad for four years now. We've each learned our own lessons about living in new places. Greg will write his own perspective later, but for now, here's what I've learned in our last four years.</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Talking to Strangers</b></div>
<div>
Asking questions of people you don't know is not something I generally had to do a whole lot of in the US. What I've learned is that people love getting asked for directions, recommendations, etc. You just need to meet them halfway there - know the actual name of the place you're trying to get to or give them something to go on if you're asking for a recommendation (e.g., don't just ask for a restaurant for example - ask for a vegetarian-friendly restaurant). The more sheepish or helpless you can look, the better!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The ones who don't like your questions aren't worth talking to anyway. </div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Being Resourcefulness</b></div>
<div>
One area where I have had to be incredibly resourceful is the food department. We can't find all the ingredients of dishes and desserts I've wanted to make here. I'm always on the lookout for recipes I can make or that I can find simple substitutes for. This type of resourcefulness extends to making things that I could buy, but don't want to get rid of when we leave. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For example, instead of buying a bunch of frames or bulletin board to put photos up in my studio, I created a makeshift picture holder with wire hangers and clothes pins, and I figured out a way to put it upwithout having to drill into the concrete wall either. It's awesome and I love to look up from my designs to see my family, friends, and inspiring pictures looking down on me.<br />
<br />
<b>Living Simply</b></div>
<div>
Like I mentioned in a previous blog post, we are going to come back with three suitcases, two carry-ons, a backpack, and a cat pack. That's not a lot of space, which is good in a way. It means that anytime I think about buying something, I think to myself "Will this be one of the few things that makes it back with us?" If I know it won't, I don't buy it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That means that what I do buy here are things that I truly love and want to have in a future home. I hope I can extend this mindset when we have a home to settle into.</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Doing Without a Car</b></div>
<div>
If you told me five years ago that we would go this long without a car, I probably wouldn't have believed you. Europe was extremely easy to get around without a car and in Quito, it's easier to travel around without a car than with one. It would be nice to have a car here for weekend trips, but we've found car rental services for those rare getaways. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It may be harder to get groceries to our home and sometimes that means the trip will take longer. But benefits to my health has been huge. Before I left the US, my doc told me that I had high triglyceride levels (aka bad cholesterol; it runs in the family). But since we've been without a car, it hasn't been a problem. I also feel stronger, more able to stand for long periods of time, and more willing to be active in other ways because we don't have a car to rely on. I feel more connected to my community and the neighborhood we live in because of it, too. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We hope to go without a car in the US so we're not tempted to rely on it - Fort Collins looks like a great place to bike and use mass transit. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Learning the Language</b></div>
<div>
I can't even <i>begin </i>to express exactly how much easier and better the overseas experience is when you know the language. I hear a lot of frustrations and bitterness among the teachers and other friends here who don't know Spanish. And I'm so thankful that my Spanish is good enough that I understand what people are saying. I still have grips about things that relate more to society, but that also has been a great experience.<br />
<br />
It's easy to think that things could be better if only they did it like they do in the US or if only they did this instead of that. But another country isn't the US and never will be. And that's the whole reason why we came overseas - to see a different culture and try our darnedest to understand why things are the way they are here. It would take years to really, truly understand the culture and society.<br />
<br />
I'm sure there is much, much more that living abroad has taught me - it may only come out when we return to the US in a week and a half. Stay tuned!</div>
AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-88110676650569184002013-06-11T17:30:00.000-05:002013-06-11T17:30:00.752-05:00Quinoa BurgersOnce upon a time, we attempted to make bean burgers. Those sloppy-joe-like patties were not making the cut. Then we evolved to mushroom burgers. These were great, but did not offer the variety we sought. Finally, we have settled on the quinoa burger. This tasty item is the perfect blend of for any diet. They are easy to make. Best of all, they freeze better than most foods and are reheated to perfection in less than a minute.<br />
<br />
So, without delay, I give you the quinoa burger...or at least the steps for you to make them.<br />
<br />
Prep time: 45 minutes<br />
Cook time: 45 minutes (unless you use more pans)<br />
Makes 24 burgers<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
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1 Pound Quinoa<br />
2 Cups Water<br />
1 Onion<br />
5 Cloves of Garlic<br />
1 Carrot Shredded<br />
1 Zucchini Shredded<br />
1/2 Pound of Mushrooms<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 Tbsp Cumin<br />
1 Tbsp Paprika<br />
2 Eggs<br />
1 to 2 Cups Bread Crumbs<br />
Veggie Oil for Frying<br />
<br />
Note that all items should be diced into very small cubes for easier burger shaping. You can also substitute other veggies as long as they do not get too wet while cooking.<br />
<br />
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Step 1:<br />
Start boiling the quinoa in the water.<br />
Fry the onion until brown. <br />
Add the garlic.<br />
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Step 2:<br />
Add shredded carrot and cook for a few minutes.<br />
Then add shredded zucchini.<br />
These items help to bind the burgers.<br />
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Step 3:<br />
Finely dice your mushrooms. <br />
<br />
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Step 4:<br />
Check that your quinoa is cooked and has very little liquid (about 20 minutes).<br />
Then transfer your cooked veggies from the frying pan to quinoa.<br />
Fry your mushrooms. Drain excess liquid if needed.<br />
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Step 5:<br />
Add the mushrooms, eggs, salt, and spices to the mix. Stir this together.<br />
<br />
Slowly add the bread crumbs until the mixture is dry enough to handle but still holds together. When making burgers, you hands will get some of the mixture on, but it should not be too sticky.<br />
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Step 6:<br />
Patty up the burgers (to the size of your anticipated buns) and fry in oil on medium heat. Fry each side for 3-5 minutes.<br />
<br />
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Step 7:<br />
Flip your burgers.<br />
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Step 8:<br />
Cook both sides until they are dark brown.<br />
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Step 9:<br />
Stack up burgers on a plate to cool.<br />
We like to top our burgers with tomato, rucola, cheese, ketchup, and mustard. I usually consider this one of my traditional American meals.<br />
<br />
If you are feeling like making this an all home cooked meal, then I suggest making a focaccia while you cook. You can use the dough from my <b>next post,</b> stove top pizza, for the focaccia.<br />
<br />
Remember to freeze all of those extras for quick lunches. Enjoy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06819761487276975204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-76220538046101994452013-06-08T08:30:00.000-05:002013-06-08T08:30:02.352-05:00On the Subject of FoodThe moment you leave your neighborhood, food can start to look, taste, and smell a bit different. Four years ago, Ayelet and I jumped an entire ocean that forced us to rethink our 3 daily meals.<br />
<br />
Over those four years, we have broadened our palettes with new flavors, meals, fruits, and vegetables. Many of our favorite new foods were cheeses or <a href="http://goinwalkabout-golz.blogspot.com/2009/09/cake-for-lunch.html" target="_blank">desserts</a>. But one thing we quickly realized was that being vegetarian in a foreign country and with a foreign language can be tricky, especially right when we arrived in a new place.<br />
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Ironically, we assumed so much about food before our moves to Germany and then Ecuador. And the great part was that we got everything WRONG! Germany, we assumed was meat-centric and that we would be stricken to a pretty poor selection of veg. <a href="http://goinwalkabout-golz.blogspot.com/2009/08/being-vegetarian-in-germany.html" target="_blank">We were pleasantly surprised</a> in the first days of going out. Every beer garden always had those huge pretzels we loved and the local restaurants served my favorite <a href="http://goinwalkabout-golz.blogspot.com/2010/11/kasespatzle.html" target="_blank">kasespatzle</a>.<br />
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Then, we moved to Ecuador. We figured that as a developing country, with farming produce as a main industry, going out for food as vegetarians would be even easier. We were going to get the freshest ingredients in the world at every restaurant. It did not take us long to figure out that going out to eat was a luxury here for the average person, and that most of the Ecuadorians are not vegetarians. However, we still had personal access to all of that fresh produce so our own kitchen became our <a href="http://goinwalkabout-golz.blogspot.com/2011/09/smoothies-every-day.html" target="_blank">cooking school</a>.<br />
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I think these types of situations are what we have cherished most about living abroad. We have had to be open to breaking our assumptions completely. Our lives were pretty routine 4 years ago (and still are in many ways), but we have been challenged in the most basic daily needs: food.<br />
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So, with that in mind, I would like to share two of my recipes we have really enjoyed over the past two years. I sometimes wonder if we had stayed in the U.S. if we ever would have tried so many new things. In my next two posts, I am going to branch away from pure travel and show a few of our home-cooked favorites. <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">ยก</span>Buen provecho!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06819761487276975204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-29825446228794943552013-06-05T09:00:00.000-05:002013-06-05T09:00:08.305-05:00Llamas Yamas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm not even going to write that much in this post. I just wanted to show you all the amazing llamas we were surrounded with when we were at the Black Sheep Inn. They acted as the inn's natural lawn-mowers.</div>
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Beautiful creatures and these were actually friendly! Greg got a lick on the hand from one of them. Another one was chilling outside our cabin on Saturday morning. Enjoy!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Good morning" says the baby llama</td></tr>
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<br />AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-32113958877047358262013-06-02T16:41:00.003-05:002013-06-02T16:41:57.617-05:00Check out This Big Ol' Hole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our cabin</td></tr>
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Last weekend we road tripped to Chugchilan and the Quilotoa crater with two friends for the long weekend. Ecuador celebrated an important independence battle on May 24th, so we took advantage and checked off one more trip on our bucket list. This will be the last new trip of our time here and it didn't disappoint. It was easily one of the best trips we've done here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glass bottle wall at the lodge - one way to build<br /> in an eco-friendly and beautiful way</td></tr>
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The Black Sheep Inn is an eco-lodge set about 4 hours away from Quito - the last two hours were rough riding, but we made it fine! After lunch at the lodge, Greg and one of our friends went on a hike, and myself and our other friend stayed in the hammocks in their sunroom and took some naps.<br />
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We really had the hard life because after a nap, we all checked out the wood-heated sauna and hot tub until dinner. There were many interesting expats and tourists at the lodge so our dinner discussions were extra fun.<br />
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We must have come on the Jewish weekend or something because at least six other Jewish people were there that weekend. After all this time of barely knowing any other Jewish people, it was funny we got to know so many others on this trip.<br />
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The next day we went to the big ol' hole, aka the Quilotoa crater, for a day of hiking and picnics. It was basically a volcano that exploded long ago and its top fell in to create a giant lake. We got lucky because it was bright and sunny in the morning when we got there. But it was cold. Hat, gloves, warm layers, and windbreakers were all needed! Later in the day, as we were leaving, a thick fog rolled in and you couldn't see more than 100 yards in front of you.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Countryside we passed through to get to Quilotoa</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lake itself - the dark spots are cloud shadows</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All ready for the cold and wind!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg along the ridge</td></tr>
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There was the possibility to hike down and back up, or hike about 5-6 hours around the crater ridge. We opted to hike around the ridge until we got tired and turned around. I'm glad we didn't have to hike through the fog because it would have been all pain and no gain since we wouldn't have seen anything.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow flowers along the ridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of the flowers</td></tr>
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Passing along the ridge, you have the crater on one side and beautiful rolling hills and fields on the other. These bright yellow flowering bushes were in bloom and it was a beautiful contrast to the blue-green color of the crater lake. I told Greg I hope we can plant some of these flowers in Colorado one day and have ourselves a little Ecuadorian alpine garden.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY16wo5gCaVwdXBWUYXEXTDEFgn81mMrjdJnuy7D9AjD5U0e5U7SSaHRtcra7bV2q6tBfbAj9wmHfc28Q9XaecpE7WMRh7GkpHJmstjJuG9G9UScdr-eZKv8eKeM1cRG6jZIJX40Xu0nh/s1600/IMG_9422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY16wo5gCaVwdXBWUYXEXTDEFgn81mMrjdJnuy7D9AjD5U0e5U7SSaHRtcra7bV2q6tBfbAj9wmHfc28Q9XaecpE7WMRh7GkpHJmstjJuG9G9UScdr-eZKv8eKeM1cRG6jZIJX40Xu0nh/s320/IMG_9422.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We dubbed this pup Poop-Face because he had poop on his snout. <br />Poop on the snout or not, he was super cute and got food out of us.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaDji03mp9UVOTnx-fPRQH6M5xgcfccaOuNQ_-nr5hpz1xmWMzQoxgiB1rBRDdz8WrzCqIUtV17wZq0SglGcjS-OhwuErV7eVo8mCFHqAYMl857kKcA7Xrhk1tbI01x7sU9AX8I2G2bRB/s1600/IMG_9424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaDji03mp9UVOTnx-fPRQH6M5xgcfccaOuNQ_-nr5hpz1xmWMzQoxgiB1rBRDdz8WrzCqIUtV17wZq0SglGcjS-OhwuErV7eVo8mCFHqAYMl857kKcA7Xrhk1tbI01x7sU9AX8I2G2bRB/s320/IMG_9424.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the fog that's starting to roll in to the left there. It was pretty cool to watch.</td></tr>
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Back at the lodge, we soaked in the hot tub and read for the rest of the afternoon. At night, we scrounged up marshmallows, biscuits, and chocolate for makeshift s'mores. They were delicious. I wish we were still at the lodge - it was a beautiful trip!<br />
AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-42139995069108101742013-05-22T09:36:00.000-05:002013-05-22T09:44:29.449-05:00It's Started<div>
Moving is a pain in the neck. I can better understand now why people live in the same place for 30+ years. I've started saying if I could sleep through the whole moving out part and wake up in Colorado, I'd be happy. Poor Greg and Scoots - they'd have to fend for themselves.</div>
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Today I cleaned my studio and got rid of scraps I'd been holding on to for years. Scraps that I brought from the US, and then Germany. Don't ask me why - I don't know. It does feel good to put order to the chaos that was my studio in the last few weeks.</div>
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This morning made me think about our attachment to stuff that ends up being just clutter. Gifts were never used. Papers with notes that are of no use anymore because the events are long over. Cat toys that a certain grey tuxedo cat (not naming names) doesn't play with. Dried flowers that have faded in the sun. Dead batteries. Rolls of thread and bobbins for sewing. Cute little containers. Notebooks whose pages are all filled. Computer wires and cables, speakers, microphones. And the list goes on...</div>
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At the end of a time somewhere, what is the point to keeping half this stuff? Some might say it's because of the memories or the nagging thought that once you throw it away, you'll need that thing again. I'm here to say that's not true - you'll always have the memories and you won't ever need that thing you've been holding on to. Throwing or giving away your items is liberating. You focus on the people and things that are most important to you - Greg, Scoots, health, good food, warm shelter, not having to move again. It gives you clarity.</div>
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We still have a month and a half to go so there's time. A friend told me she usually starts the moving out process about six months before. I feel like I should do this mass cleaning every six months regardless of moving or not. For now, our goal is to get our pile of stuff down to fit in three suitcases and two carry-on bags as well as a backpack. We'll be donating, selling, and tossing a lot in the next month and a half. </div>
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I'm sure this won't be the last you hear about our move out of Quito, but we do have a lot of other activities we want to do before we leave, too. This weekend is a long weekend and we're going here with two friends: </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyUnqW4qmvLmmuk3eo3YQRS97Vy5wNf_4sjxle0OWR8pDxedaV5WP_doMjoS8ZL5l8Qjt-tnz91jXhBYbZyuGs_kdf0FH9Ool7hlfhi6CP4YaXpNxWJ6_BlBse5eAZaUMVPno6CqE92zy/s1600/quilotoa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyUnqW4qmvLmmuk3eo3YQRS97Vy5wNf_4sjxle0OWR8pDxedaV5WP_doMjoS8ZL5l8Qjt-tnz91jXhBYbZyuGs_kdf0FH9Ool7hlfhi6CP4YaXpNxWJ6_BlBse5eAZaUMVPno6CqE92zy/s320/quilotoa.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quilotoa crater (image found <a href="http://www.turismo.gob.ec/quilotoa-un-tesoro-del-pasado-se-alista-para-el-futuro/">here</a>)</td></tr>
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I think our pictures won't be as scenic as this one (the lake doesn't look this green in other photos) so fair warning! We've been looking forward to this trip for a while and it'll be our last new place we visit here. Stay tuned for more!</div>
AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-72403582758568319282013-05-03T17:00:00.000-05:002013-05-03T17:00:06.280-05:00Yoga Retreat, then FinalsI'll be a little quiet on here in the next two weeks because of the end of my class (2 exams and a paper due in next two weeks... but no more presentations!), designing, and work. But before all that, I'm going on a yoga retreat tomorrow (you may remember <a href="http://goinwalkabout-golz.blogspot.com/2012/08/yoga-retreat-in-mindo.html">this one</a> from last year). I remember I came back so relaxed and well-fed last year - I hope that same happens this year.<br />
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I also wanted to share some photos I took of the last full moon - it was huge that night! I woke up early and thought the stadium's spotlights were on, but the angle that the light was shining in was off. When I took a look out the window, the moon was massive and so bright. Enjoy the shots and I'll write more in a couple weeks!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qv72nzixV8eoiqy_Fnkjwo4WKoDZkQl26fyO2izaMwz1PnA27aZZwQ_pIAEq_06-HC0kxGbYWQflSy_LENlhu1AXJxsDvG4rGLGlnDi-F0K27iaTEuJpxv0MR0BGjxWWvtceBKJXjGG4/s1600/IMG_9280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qv72nzixV8eoiqy_Fnkjwo4WKoDZkQl26fyO2izaMwz1PnA27aZZwQ_pIAEq_06-HC0kxGbYWQflSy_LENlhu1AXJxsDvG4rGLGlnDi-F0K27iaTEuJpxv0MR0BGjxWWvtceBKJXjGG4/s320/IMG_9280.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yes, that's the moon up there.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3yqtrhlapnHJVbadgdCBmV7E2RJepXy1dhN4XPIhycPKBXr3LNYJ8eeGwSZSTxjg_rp1_0FIBR2JeA5Av1vp7d_sVjKM1kCQQAZLLymg_SX1krxZoys1-AKouyFWnORNbjKriPQovOhq/s1600/IMG_9282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3yqtrhlapnHJVbadgdCBmV7E2RJepXy1dhN4XPIhycPKBXr3LNYJ8eeGwSZSTxjg_rp1_0FIBR2JeA5Av1vp7d_sVjKM1kCQQAZLLymg_SX1krxZoys1-AKouyFWnORNbjKriPQovOhq/s320/IMG_9282.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moon as the sun came up</td></tr>
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AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-28875875556963977902013-04-24T20:15:00.001-05:002013-04-24T20:21:19.189-05:00Great Day in QuitoYou know when you have those days where you just feel like you need to be outside. Well, the weather in Quito usually pretty good, but today was PERFECT! I know, talking about the weather is a little clique, but after a week of rain you would feel invigorated too. Ayelet and I enjoyed a warm walk in park today as the Sun set behind Pichincha (you've seen it in previous posts).<br />
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Now, luckily I am in a career that allows me to get outside as much as needed. And today just happened to be a day that we needed a 70 meter long stretch of grass. My middle school students were doing a lesson that I like to call "Space Race," where they create a scale model of our solar system. Here is a little taste of our backdrop from school on a clear day from Quito after a long stretch of snow being dumped on the mountains. Remember, we are surrounded by a bunch of old volcanoes that create amazing views.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9xpf3XhajKygmESEB8J9yMdkJ_Hzts9kWyDSa9XcNHlDFs0KqgSyvvpPSHMSaJVn3xD2Yw2fF1nl-1B0MRy6QhLHu4e3d15je9AFV7oadBMIIlhuzT1ZGhosnxkfzAETGvkGlljOcbk3/s1600/IMG_9262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9xpf3XhajKygmESEB8J9yMdkJ_Hzts9kWyDSa9XcNHlDFs0KqgSyvvpPSHMSaJVn3xD2Yw2fF1nl-1B0MRy6QhLHu4e3d15je9AFV7oadBMIIlhuzT1ZGhosnxkfzAETGvkGlljOcbk3/s320/IMG_9262.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cayambe (the pointy one in the next few pics)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-h7Sk2ec10jjzfuh7eUnBsECT_uV2Rgik59fblTWkFrNp4S6HING0O_RH-bjOftR5fXJhTkXrM5HoBYgVxhpP7aUCq6FCSioSv3bVbDUN2zXW-b5Sry4c42f-g-RD3K4bPxKnYgKs0Rs/s1600/IMG_9270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-h7Sk2ec10jjzfuh7eUnBsECT_uV2Rgik59fblTWkFrNp4S6HING0O_RH-bjOftR5fXJhTkXrM5HoBYgVxhpP7aUCq6FCSioSv3bVbDUN2zXW-b5Sry4c42f-g-RD3K4bPxKnYgKs0Rs/s320/IMG_9270.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from my classroom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifV_bIFRhG70eFhnpVYrC5tU3g1JrZMPI-Wq-SIlNE5k6TeXQyKd4hlvzeq3fi_YwGE4YMRrEdL1JuDvt2qP1Kl23K9purM3bVUt9ODj4HQmj7KSU552Yv7b1VGE1-wokYsSkAqxdhr5sd/s1600/IMG_9263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifV_bIFRhG70eFhnpVYrC5tU3g1JrZMPI-Wq-SIlNE5k6TeXQyKd4hlvzeq3fi_YwGE4YMRrEdL1JuDvt2qP1Kl23K9purM3bVUt9ODj4HQmj7KSU552Yv7b1VGE1-wokYsSkAqxdhr5sd/s320/IMG_9263.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Students setting up the inner solar system. The tree is the Sun. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJCSq0DU0iX9UEQZWcV8dR6XaLBVBSgF7lVppdbsvkO_goobjk2svvpCZcmygCOn0gJ5w4cAht8qbDXsSdRISHgPUtFnA63TEp6v6lF0vN75jgoe3-7iAUAQ5K-E1syUjHrXyfY55RXiI/s1600/IMG_9264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJCSq0DU0iX9UEQZWcV8dR6XaLBVBSgF7lVppdbsvkO_goobjk2svvpCZcmygCOn0gJ5w4cAht8qbDXsSdRISHgPUtFnA63TEp6v6lF0vN75jgoe3-7iAUAQ5K-E1syUjHrXyfY55RXiI/s320/IMG_9264.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our scale, Neptune is 60 meters from the Sun</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaAfIbbZy3dTwTRbPQ-AFjbyuyhjXgaknG50arR6_MHHkNwa00JR-f4Wxsw6BPWxtAlUcat9gyFhF14ykIESTlIZI8ZsbTgBSy4kWP4s8QcgUF-H_XqHDVEt_JZ5zhXUI_Dp2FNgMiNZb/s1600/IMG_9267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaAfIbbZy3dTwTRbPQ-AFjbyuyhjXgaknG50arR6_MHHkNwa00JR-f4Wxsw6BPWxtAlUcat9gyFhF14ykIESTlIZI8ZsbTgBSy4kWP4s8QcgUF-H_XqHDVEt_JZ5zhXUI_Dp2FNgMiNZb/s320/IMG_9267.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone enjoyed the view. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8d2MZGXDkX4j0dmCHESG8MoxNbSD8NnnZ34Yv7x_reWGQl1zRIqV1OpL-8WpGOHvbE2p-R0vadv3PjDlh-l136WXu02V2ULSF7elCrWqeZeIwfyLqWCYh_1pv6FOIZl8r7QRN9S_zAaQD/s1600/IMG_9266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8d2MZGXDkX4j0dmCHESG8MoxNbSD8NnnZ34Yv7x_reWGQl1zRIqV1OpL-8WpGOHvbE2p-R0vadv3PjDlh-l136WXu02V2ULSF7elCrWqeZeIwfyLqWCYh_1pv6FOIZl8r7QRN9S_zAaQD/s320/IMG_9266.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mars was 3 meters from the Sun. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAKWS_RotlY4CWejx7sfL65PPU4sEtEpJtci4pS6UkSKyZaxX6AF3iXE5Sm01r_M1QyGaQ8kIMzWUe9mnxVd855DR7XO3vQimDjTavDNJWsvS79smRYHnYiQJZrxfXhtwyFr-KsfhIitn/s1600/IMG_9268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAKWS_RotlY4CWejx7sfL65PPU4sEtEpJtci4pS6UkSKyZaxX6AF3iXE5Sm01r_M1QyGaQ8kIMzWUe9mnxVd855DR7XO3vQimDjTavDNJWsvS79smRYHnYiQJZrxfXhtwyFr-KsfhIitn/s320/IMG_9268.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antisana from my class. Supplies about 10% of water to Quito. </td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06819761487276975204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-25745309157942519002013-04-23T19:20:00.000-05:002013-04-24T16:03:05.275-05:00Latin American Artists in Nueva York: Orozco and TamayoAlright, we left off at Jose Clemente Orozco and Rufino Tamayo, two great Mexican artists. Orozco was considered one of "los tres grandes" (three important ones), referring to the three great muralists of that time: Rivera, Siqueiros, and Orozco. Siqueiros also was in New York at this time, but since I'm not a huge fan of his work, I won't go much more into him - beyond the little tidbit that he influenced Jackson Pollack with his use of industrial paints, like airplane paint, in his art. Ok, on to Orozco.<br />
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<b>Orozco on the East Coast</b><br />
Orozco lived in New York for a while - 1927 until 1934 and then again in 1940 and 1946.<br />
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One of his amazing murals is in a basement room in Dartmouth College. You'd be right to say that Dartmouth isn't in New York; it's in New Hampshire. But the mural he painted there is so amazing - I just have to write about it. It's called "The Epic of American Civilization" and it's 92-feet long. It portrays American civilization from the invasion of Mexico during the conquest to the Mexican revolution to scenes in the United States during the 1930s.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkkTlEZZR1Pk5YM8AoVCvRwIikQW5EtVkx9mPDcakX3dqJIdI4kGiFvsblOteva5Do2ZZwvni4iB-Jz53F7XkQmTHXG8p4q_1VYBdQcTOT5fqEHEjvS1weP69GjiSVFs8FCKKhDWxFs0Du/s1600/orozco+epic+of+american+civilization.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkkTlEZZR1Pk5YM8AoVCvRwIikQW5EtVkx9mPDcakX3dqJIdI4kGiFvsblOteva5Do2ZZwvni4iB-Jz53F7XkQmTHXG8p4q_1VYBdQcTOT5fqEHEjvS1weP69GjiSVFs8FCKKhDWxFs0Du/s400/orozco+epic+of+american+civilization.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">One segment of "<span style="text-align: start;">The Epic of American Civilization", Jose Clemente Orozco, 1934, via <a href="http://now.dartmouth.edu/2013/03/orozco-murals-one-of-13-new-national-historic-landmarks/">Dartmouth</a></span></span></td></tr>
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Orozco also painted scenes of New York life, such as "The Subway." Greg said it's like a jail cell. The dark and dreariness of the scene is very much like Orozco - his themes often have an apocalyptic overtone to them.<br />
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What stuck out to me is that the people look blurry and faraway, just like they would if you were trying to avoid seeing other people on a subway car. Beyond just the need to have space in a big city (even if it's only mental space), there's also a survival need there. You never know who you might meet on the subway and whether they are sane, unfriendly, or even short-tempered to the point of being murderous. Orozco shows the distance we place between ourselves and others in this painting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GBWu4GJlQacbly7ljPDSy0YvTM7htzMlWl4Jo9r7FM2AtOj60lV_xWu986WAyKqmA6Q2vp8BCVlu9kspFls1LsvQ1sz9G544G40QG4I3O1f1q-LoL6sdpULgiwtc1APd2Ig4CxAes5pj/s1600/the+subway_orozco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GBWu4GJlQacbly7ljPDSy0YvTM7htzMlWl4Jo9r7FM2AtOj60lV_xWu986WAyKqmA6Q2vp8BCVlu9kspFls1LsvQ1sz9G544G40QG4I3O1f1q-LoL6sdpULgiwtc1APd2Ig4CxAes5pj/s1600/the+subway_orozco.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Subway," Jose Clemente Orozco, 1928, via <a href="http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=79129">MoMA</a></td></tr>
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<h3>
Rufino Tamayo in New York</h3>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"I
went to New York to get to know what painting really was... We were blind here, and New York
made me aware of all the trends and currents that existed in those
years. It showed me what art was."- Rufino Tamayo (via <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/27/arts/from-exile-to-idol-rufino-tamayo-at-91.html%20">this New York Times article</a>)</span></span></blockquote>
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During the late 1920s, Tamayo was being eclipsed by the three great Mexican muralists of his time. There was really no need because Tamayo was an excellent painter who painted in a more universal style than the muralists. He wanted to base his art in principles of modern art, meaning flat compositions and abstract forms. Tamayo lived in New York between 1926-1928 and again in 1936 until 1950.<br />
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He exhibited in several galleries in New York and also had a major retrospective at the Guggenheim museum in New York in 1979. Not convinced? Here are two of his paintings that he did while in New York:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeKe8Zr3RX5maNpQ4x2JIGfUjl1p5uPcHCMMceFOC2Mauo4uUT-vWnNU2_ZraVD4xK-4fJBcJWnrn64dL-1dkL85zzbxXDmYwgNcng-bHE1iPuwbeCGl2Zxe4OxamA8JLmmrkKFmcauTb/s1600/animales_1941_tamayo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeKe8Zr3RX5maNpQ4x2JIGfUjl1p5uPcHCMMceFOC2Mauo4uUT-vWnNU2_ZraVD4xK-4fJBcJWnrn64dL-1dkL85zzbxXDmYwgNcng-bHE1iPuwbeCGl2Zxe4OxamA8JLmmrkKFmcauTb/s1600/animales_1941_tamayo.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Animales," Rufino Tamayo, 1941, via <a href="http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=79030">MoMA</a></td></tr>
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Tamayo painted <i>Animales</i> right in the middle of WWII. It clearly communicates the fear and uncertainty that was rampant at this time in the world. These dogs are clearly hungry (see picked-clean bones at the bottom) and inspire fear in whoever would encounter them, especially in a dark alleyway somewhere. The animals are displayed with cubist lines and sinister colors. These are not your average domestic dogs here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLYImqytugm6_pWrBP3Rvi9w4jfE1kDXRZApeUAASwD5eB5e9Pjc5BvanYcSm4HPNZH3ZWtTqkeuJxO5piFxCU5H-2Rc7DXcwYHXAAIVZZJP0zLpZuZGigko_ZgnkUkiDO8mM457Hn4rw/s1600/woman+with+a+pineapple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLYImqytugm6_pWrBP3Rvi9w4jfE1kDXRZApeUAASwD5eB5e9Pjc5BvanYcSm4HPNZH3ZWtTqkeuJxO5piFxCU5H-2Rc7DXcwYHXAAIVZZJP0zLpZuZGigko_ZgnkUkiDO8mM457Hn4rw/s1600/woman+with+a+pineapple.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Woman with a Pineapple," Rufino Tamayo, 1941, via <a href="http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A5795&page_number=2&template_id=1&sort_order=1">MoMA</a></td></tr>
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In total contrast, this peaceful scene of a woman with a pineapple. You can really see the influence of Picasso and cubism here. The colors also are interesting - you may never find a face with those types of colors (or shapes) in real life, but that's why it's art. Also, the subject matter evokes Gauguin with his island women.<br />
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Next up: Miguel Covarrubias and Joaquin Torres Garcia! Hope you're enjoying my presentation over many blog posts.AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-17044744849753921582013-04-20T10:00:00.000-05:002013-04-20T10:00:06.799-05:00Latin American Artists in Nueva York: Diego RiveraNow we can start on the artists - like I said before, I've got more information on Mexican artists than others so this is heavily skewed to them. There were plenty of other Latin American artists in New York during this time period, but not as much info on them. So, first up is Diego Rivera...<br />
<h3>
Diego Rivera in New York</h3>
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He came to New York with his yet-unknown-artist/wife Frida Kahlo - nowadays more people know her than him, but back then, it was the other way around. He was fascinated by the modern technology that the city was using. Because he leaned heavily towards leftist politics, Rivera thought modern technology would free up the workers from hard labor tasks. </div>
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The reason he saw all this modern technology at work was because the city was expanding greatly. It was the age of the skyscrapers in New York. Rivera created a three-piece mural for his successful MoMA exhibit in 1931-1932 and the subject had to do with this modern technology.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIodVXY6syWemiPxQwmyqX-nP3FVtrm9RYdNI2xQ5z9H1r-hMZzTfccQ_U3JGCSOtZKAYg5P1YdldR6YpYGx45WFUJH9nXlsjOOHBz_HD6uJFxlsNk9OiJCwN0BMYlCHA6Rb7dVe0DKqD/s1600/pneumatic+drill+-+Rivera+-+1931-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIodVXY6syWemiPxQwmyqX-nP3FVtrm9RYdNI2xQ5z9H1r-hMZzTfccQ_U3JGCSOtZKAYg5P1YdldR6YpYGx45WFUJH9nXlsjOOHBz_HD6uJFxlsNk9OiJCwN0BMYlCHA6Rb7dVe0DKqD/s320/pneumatic+drill+-+Rivera+-+1931-2.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Pneumatic Drill", Diego Rivera, 1931-2, via <a href="http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2011/rivera/murals.php">MoMA</a></td></tr>
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The first painting was called "Pneumatic Drill." This depicts the construction done for the Rockefeller Center, a place that will factor scandalously into Rivera's life a little later. The workers all have indistinct faces that imply they are simply hired hands. I found it interesting how the modern machine is in the front, but there are men using old technology (axes and such) in the background. It shows how old technology is the past and the new technology is the future.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA34WFz8t-4acThPtQuR8k7NUW-Eef2i58dWnlUHetyzhFHFN-vYXWRvN3ctAqcArzmP_yykyUoqKOXzjgBhl381Jmu1lFsBB5fGuXSHu96OcySKgeeI2JLO__-nR9rMfuGeibZRnwc2Ap/s1600/frozen+assets+-Rivera+-1931-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA34WFz8t-4acThPtQuR8k7NUW-Eef2i58dWnlUHetyzhFHFN-vYXWRvN3ctAqcArzmP_yykyUoqKOXzjgBhl381Jmu1lFsBB5fGuXSHu96OcySKgeeI2JLO__-nR9rMfuGeibZRnwc2Ap/s320/frozen+assets+-Rivera+-1931-2.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Frozen Assets", Diego Rivera, 1931-2, via <a href="http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2011/rivera/murals.php">MoMA</a></td></tr>
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<div>
The next painting, "Frozen Assets," shows the city on three levels. The uppermost level is the newly-built skyscrapers in New York. The middle level shows a warehouse or homeless shelter full of homeless men, packed together and watched over by a guard. They were most likely the workers on these skyscrapers. In this painting, it appears that they are the foundation of the skyscrapers in the way they are positioned. In the bottom level, the rich are in a bank's safety vault, storing or reviewing their enormous wealth. Notice how this painting contrasts the few rich people at the bottom level with the vast number of homeless in the middle level.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGb5KEI5nDAH6wiUP8oPtI8IjEGo5XqcZFYH_FxIleDUeMdkP5HLUsfNKCk8OjlAKbo5Pl2IobaGnA9FqAsrFkaZJrpg7ReDf3WEWYs3ygciMEqpHa3Q0GXHYpvWjrdbC5wrtrryDe1Nxi/s1600/Rivera+-+Electric+Power+-+1931-2+MoMA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGb5KEI5nDAH6wiUP8oPtI8IjEGo5XqcZFYH_FxIleDUeMdkP5HLUsfNKCk8OjlAKbo5Pl2IobaGnA9FqAsrFkaZJrpg7ReDf3WEWYs3ygciMEqpHa3Q0GXHYpvWjrdbC5wrtrryDe1Nxi/s320/Rivera+-+Electric+Power+-+1931-2+MoMA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Electric Power", Diego Rivera, 1931-2 via <a href="http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2011/rivera/murals.php">MoMA</a><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The last mural, "Electric Power," depicts workers in the Hudson Avenue Power Station where they generated steam power for the city during that time. Again, the workers aren't showing their faces, but two of them are looking at sources of light, which could signify that they are hopeful for the future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Although Rivera was successful in New York at this time, he also was plagued by scandal. He was commissioned by Rockefeller Jr. to create a mural in the Rockefeller Center titled "Man at Crossroads." After placing Lenin's face in the mural, there was such an outcry in the press that Rockefeller was forced to tear down the mural. Or so they say...</span></div>
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"Man at Crossroads," Diego Rivera, 1934, via <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/flashpoints/visualarts/diegorivera_a.html">PBS</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Another version that has been hypothesized is that Rockefeller was actually okay with Lenin's face on the mural. But what he didn't approve of was his own face on the mural. Rivera may have painted him in, drinking and dancing with women. Considering Rockefeller was religious (a Baptist) and a Prohibitionist, this personal insult was too much for him. This hypothesis may be true because Rivera later recreated the mural in Mexico and it had the scene with Rockefeller partying in it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Lending credence to this belief of the personal slight is that Rockefeller ordered the mural destroyed while he was in negotiations with the MoMA for them to take the mural off his hands. Why would he have not sold the mural to the MoMA if only Lenin's face bugged him? He was a business man after all. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Stay tuned for info and analysis on Orozco and Tamayo next time!</span></div>
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AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-69425355727440385662013-04-17T09:30:00.000-05:002013-04-17T09:30:03.811-05:00Latin American Artists in Nueva York: IntroI recently gave a 30-minute (more like 45-minute) presentation to my art history class on Latin American artists who lived or passed through New York during the 1920s-1940s. You probably immediately think of Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo's husband, the legendary Mexican muralist if you've seen the movie about Frida. But there were lots more. I did end up focusing more on the Mexican artists during this time, but there were some from Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba, and even Ecuador (you might remember I mentioned <a href="http://goinwalkabout-golz.blogspot.com/2013/02/update-on-art-history-class.html">Camilo Egas</a> here).<br />
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I'm going to break up this post into at least two different posts so stay tuned for the rest. For now, enjoy learning a bit about the New York art scene during the '20s, '30s, and '40s, and how Latin American artists were treated during this time...<br />
<h3>
New York Art Scene in the 1920s</h3>
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Art during this time was still relatively conservative in New York. The center of the modern art world was still Paris (and would be until WWII). The only gallery in town that was really showing modern art was Alfred Stieglitz's Gallery 291. H tried to get an avant-garde movement going in NY and would show more than just photography in his gallery. Even though New York wasn't known for its modern art yet, the US as a whole was known as an advanced and modern nation. Also, in case you forgot, Prohibition went from 1920-1933.</div>
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New York Art Scene in the 1930s</h3>
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In the 1930s, the Great Depression raged in the US and around the world. In response, the art movement called social realism that displayed poverty and struggle grew in New York. Some American artists were given support by the government through the Works Projects Administration to create public art at this time. New York also experienced the immigration of artists and intellectuals from Europe who were fleeing unstable situations across Europe. They brought modern art movements with them, such as cubism for example.</div>
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<h3>
New York Art Scene in the 1940s</h3>
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During this decade, abstract expressionism grew in New York. The city also became a modern art center of the world because Paris was stuck in the middle of WWII. Lots of artists, both North American and Latin American, were influenced by leftist politics<b>.</b></div>
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<h3>
Latin American Artists Specifically</h3>
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What I found really interesting was that Latin American artists who came to New York during the twenties/thirties/forties often were already well-known artists in their own countries and in Europe before they arrived in the US. What they did in New York added to their fame, but it didn't start their careers. Museums, like the MoMA, and galleries held exhibits for these artists.</div>
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North Americans during this time saw Latin American art, especially art from Mexico, as something exotic and picturesque, even though the artists were following the same art trends that North American artists were following. They just added their own Latin touch to the artwork and North Americans loved it! The Latino art also inspired North American artists and writers to visit Mexico and Cuba to experience the landscape and culture for themselves.</div>
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Also, President Roosevelt's Good Neighbor Policy tried to build better relationships with Latin American countries using cooperation and business, rather than military force, to stabilize the region. The government sponsored some exhibits of Latin American art during this time period, too.</div>
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One last interesting thing (and then you'll just have to wait until the next installment) was that art during this time influenced one another. As mentioned above, the famous photographer Alfred Stieglitz exhibited modern art work, including caricatures by Marius de Zayas in his gallery. The Mexican caricaturist, Miguel Covarrubias, was influenced by Jazz and Blues music, as well as African-American dancing. And Frida Kahlo loved watching movies and included a famous actor in one of her paintings when she was in New York.</div>
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I'll leave you with that wealth of information until next time. I'll list my bibliography at the end of this series so you all can research more.</div>
AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-18948043871494669072013-04-15T20:00:00.000-05:002013-04-15T20:00:03.943-05:00The Air is Thin Up HereContinuing on our weekend journey from Riobamba, we decided to climb Chimborazo, the world's highest mountain (taller than Mt. Everest due to the earth's bulge at the equator). From the center of the earth, Chimborazo is 6,384 meters/20,944.9 feet high. Everest loses by 2 kilometers/6561 feet. It looks pretty imposing when you drive up to it.<br />
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Did we get to the top? Heck no! That would take hours and require amazing levels of fitness that I, for one, did not have.<br />
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What you do is you drive into the park and go about 8 kilometers by car along a very bumpy, gravel road. Along the way you see vicunyas, special alpine llamas-meet-deer, and fog rolls in and out. We were lucky because the top of Chimborazo came into view a few times for us.<br />
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You park your car at the car park at the first refuge, which is at 4785 m/15,700 feet, and then start walking to the second. You can literally see the second refuge up there. It also seems closer than it is because the air is thinner up there and things appear clearer because of it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two buildings are the two refuges - <br />
they're not that far apart, but it feels farther when you're hiking it at altitude.</td></tr>
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Another side effect of the air being thinner is that you have a hard time catching your breath and your heart starts racing. At least mine did. I was the slowest member of our group, but I did make it up without feeling too sick or out of breath.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">V for Victory!</td></tr>
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The second refuge is at 5000m/16,400ft. high. A lot of the Ecuadorians were going a little further up to play in the snow since they hardly ever get to see snow. However, I was ready to get back to slightly thicker air so Greg and I hiked back down to have some tea and cookies in the first refuge. Our friends joined us and then, we got ready to go. Little did we know that we had left the car with its lights on while we were hiking.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chimborazo's summit peeking out for us</td></tr>
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We get in the car and -lo and behold!- it doesn't start! We're stuck at 15,700 feet with a drained car battery. So we get out to push it down the hill so it can charge the battery. Keep in mind the air is thin up here and our arms/legs get tired more quickly. We push and push, and at some point, another guy comes to help take my spot pushing because my arms felt like limp noodles.<br />
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The car starts to roll down the hill and it turns on! I know most of you who know about cars were probably thinking "<i>well, duh</i>" at this point, but I had no idea if this pushing idea would really work or not.<br />
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The rest of our trip down Chimborazo and back home was fairly uneventful. We did pass the most beautiful river valley I've ever seen, but nothing was as exciting as pushing a car down a mountain. And there were friendly llamas, which always make life better.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoy the llama cuteness!</td></tr>
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<br />AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-15529241900297386672013-04-12T08:30:00.000-05:002013-04-12T08:30:03.121-05:00Riobamba, Frio-bambaRiobamba was our overnight stop on our weekend trip with our friends. Having never been there before, we had only heard it was <i>really </i>cold there. The whole night we kept asking ourselves if it felt colder than Quito or not. Hard to tell! <div>
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We didn't do a whole lot in Riobamba, except walk around a bit and eat dinner. This church stood out though. The info poster called it a mestizo baroque church. </div>
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As you walk closer to it, you can definitely see both styles in it. There are quite a few pre-Colombian symbols on it and it is quite overdone in areas, which indicates baroque style. Many Latin American countries like their baroque style, but Ecuador does go a bit overboard with it. Most of the churches in Quito have baroque touches to them. </div>
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Of course, any church worth its communion host has its additional structures outside: </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a lovely fountain before the church</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">detail on the fountain</td></tr>
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AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-43458691566894335972013-04-09T19:00:00.000-05:002013-04-09T19:00:03.752-05:00Getting Away from Quito for a WeekendA lot happens last-minute in Ecuador. For example, a few days before the weekend, we were invited by friends to go away that weekend. They didn't have an exact plan, but had heard about these lakes in a national park about 5 hours away that they wanted to check out. We jumped at the chance to get out of Quito and explore an area we hadn't been to before. And it was beautiful!<br />
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The lakes are called Lagunas de Atillo and they are a chain of lakes in <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/260">Sangay National Park</a>. The park is huge in itself (and I found out, it's listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Sangay has three volcanos in it: Sangay, Tunguruhua, and El Altar (you might remember I mentioned El Altar in my post <a href="http://goinwalkabout-golz.blogspot.com/2013/03/portrait-of-painter.html">here</a>). Sangay and Tunguruhua are both active volcanoes, but we didn't see them on this trip. We went up the largest inactive volcano/mountain the next day, but I'll tell you more about that later.<br />
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We got to Lagunas de Atillo in the early afternoon and hiked down almost to the lake. It looked steep on the way down, but the ground was covered by these strong grass bushes that you could step down on easily. At first glance, it looks like it's just those bushes. But as you're walking down, you start to see different types of flowers and wildlife. I'm sad we didn't get to see Andean condors who live in this area. They can have wingspans that are 10-feet long!<br />
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After the lakes, we had a classic Ecuadorian lunch and headed to Riobamba to spend the night. More on this later.... for now, enjoy our pics!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indigenous boy riding a horse down the road - this horse did not want to be ridden</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg relaxing at the laguna</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfall above the lagunas</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here you can see the bushy grass we were stepping on </td></tr>
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<br />AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-89958111422120842412013-03-22T12:30:00.000-05:002013-03-22T12:30:00.621-05:00Gold, Boats, and Forts<i>I'm just getting to finishing up our posts on Colombia now so bear with me. Thanks! ~Ayelet</i><br />
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We spent our last few days on vacation in the town of Cartagena, right along the coast. In a way, I felt like our vacation only started when we got to Cartagena.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the sunset on century-old city walls</td></tr>
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Why?<br />
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Because 1) it's warm and humid, 2) the people are super nice, 3) it was easy to walk around and felt safe within the old city walls, and 4) there was a variety of things to see and do.<br />
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One morning we spent some time in the old fortress on the hill. Cartagena was where Spanish kept all the gold they stole from the indigenous people before they shipped it back to Spain. So pirates <i>loved</i> to raid the city, or at least try to. The old city is faced on 2 sides by water and is protected by the city walls. The fortress on the hill protects the back sides of the city. We had a great tour guide at the fortress - at one point, he had us go down a dark maze to show how the military communications worked back then. And then he let us flounder our way out of the maze and scare us half to death in the process. Fun times!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leading to the mazes below the fortress</td></tr>
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On another day, we took a boat tour to a few islands off the coast. It took 2 hours to get out there, but let me tell you, this guy was the <i>most </i>entertaining guide/boat game show host we've ever had. We've got video, which we hope to eventually put together, but for now, I'll share this photo of just one part of this voyage.<br />
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Yes, those are two men who are cross-dressed up in women's clothes from female volunteers on the boat. They even have lipstick on and stuffed towels up their butts. Then, they were made to walk the "catwalk" and even dance with a pole. And I just want to say that the North American/European tourists were in the minority on this boat. That afternoon, after the boat, we ate lunch on Playa Blanca and relaxed on the beach under a cabana. It was perfect.<br />
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Because it was really hot in Cartagena one afternoon (actually, who am I kidding? It was hot every afternoon so we took our siesta usually between 1-3 pm), we stopped by the Museo de Oro (Gold Museum). To our surprise, it was an air-conditioned museum delight! The first floor was about the Zenu Indian tribe, which had goldsmiths quite early. They were around 200 BC to 1600 AD although there are a few remaining members still around today. It was amazing to me that they had an advanced enough society to use gold and have enough wealth to pay for gold jewelry during that time. When you hear about modern civilization, you don't hear about how advanced the non-European societies actually were.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold earrings that both women and men wore </td></tr>
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On the second floor, there was a section that talked about how they created a canal system over 400,000 hectares (almost a million acres) of land in northern Colombia because it would keep flooding. They carved out canals in their lands so their crops would still get the nutritional benefits of being in the flood plains, but their houses and villages were safe on the canal ridges. It's interesting because even today, people often build in places that are almost guaranteed to flood without taking precautions.<br />
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We were not expected Cartagena to have so much to do and see. We were pleasantly surprised.<br />
<br />AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-88303131502619133522013-03-17T10:48:00.001-05:002013-03-17T10:48:30.907-05:00Portrait of a PainterAround the time Luis Martinez started painting (late 1800s, early 1900s), Ecuador was still establishing itself as a nation. So his paintings of countrysides could be seen as a way of marking Ecuadorian territory, if only in the public sentiment. He showed Ecuadorians and the rest of the world what Ecuador was (after all, this was during a time when people couldn't just hop a plane or even a bus).<br />
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Martinez was a mountain climber, which gave a lot of realism to his art. But his paintings were definitely romantic - you can see a lot of inferences to the presence of God in his work. The sky in many of his paintings take up a third to half of the piece. And there's a lot of golden, heavenly light in there, too.<br />
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Another thing he was really good at was working in a play of light and shadow to create depth and add distance to his pieces.<br />
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He saw his work as a scientific document - he was not just painting a pretty picture, but more importantly, showing everyone what these mostly unseen landscapes looked like.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Altar in the early 1900s</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of El Altar in 2008, taken by <a href="http://www.panoramio.com/photo/7161643">Ivan Layedra P</a></td></tr>
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Even in modern times, his paintings have this aspect of a scientific document to them. His work gives us a view into this part of the world before industries and people began polluting and causing great changes in the atmosphere. He painted mountains with snow-capped peaks. When we see them today, much of the snow has disappeared. Probably in a few decades, these mountains will be completely bare of snow, leading to huge consequences for the people who live in Ecuador and the rest of South America.<br />
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I think his work really conveys the feeling that one gets in the solitude of nature and in the presence of something greater than ourselves. These mountains and landscapes will outlast all of us.<br />
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<i>[Paintings from the book "Luis A. Martinez" by Fernando Jurado Noboa]</i></div>
AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-35900600640699994252013-03-08T16:00:00.000-06:002013-03-08T16:00:01.264-06:00A City Full of KnockersWe appreciate the simple things in life.<br />
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So, when we recently vacationed in Cartagena, the knockers really stood out to us. You would probably show up and say, "Wow, these knockers come in all different shapes, sizes, and designs. Where could I get some?" Well, take a close look at our Cartagena tour of knockers.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06819761487276975204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-43678791014296491822013-03-05T19:30:00.000-06:002013-03-05T19:30:02.539-06:00Our Next Adventure...Greg and I have decided to head back to the US after almost 4 years away. It's been a hard decision and we've had a lot of pros and cons of going somewhere new versus going back home.<br />
<br />
Even though we're looking forward to being back in the US, we do miss the excitement that comes at this time of year. Most teachers go to job fairs and get their next overseas gigs right about now. Switzerland, Italy, Qatar, Mexico, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Panama - the world opens up to an international teacher (and his/her spouse :-) for sure.<br />
<br />
In the US, our ideal location is Fort Collins, Colorado. For both of us, Colorado now feels like the closest thing to home. We've got great friends there and the landscape is beautiful! We don't have jobs yet, but after our time overseas, we've adapted to tougher situations. If we can't make things happen in Fort Collins, we're open to looking at Denver or other towns.<br />
<br />
The biggest challenge for us will be trying to go without a car. One of the best experiences we've had overseas is walking, biking or taking public transit (ok, this part hasn't been fun in Quito). It's so much healthier. I really hope we can make it work in the US. We know we'll need use of a car at some point, but renting or using car sharing are options.<br />
<br />
Now, the important thing is to enjoy the next few months without thinking too much about the move back (and all the planning, bureaucracy, closing of accounts, taxes, etc. that goes along with it). I think Scoots also will be very happy to have a more permanent home... and I will be happy to not deal with transferring him to and from different countries.<br />
<br />
There are a few other things I look forward to:<br />
<ul>
<li>Seasons - Quito feels like spring most of the time, with a distinct rainy season that's colder, but no snow! I'll probably be sick of it after one snowfall, but whatever, it's SNOW!</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Grocery stores are open 24/7 (even on Sunday - a big no-no abroad).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I can get anything I want in the US. I can't even tell you how many delicious meals I haven't been able to make because they don't have the ingredients in Ecuador (or didn't have them in Germany).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Everything will be in English - this is going to make our lives just that much easier.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Customer service is <i>amazing </i>in the US. Even the worst customer service agents in the US have nothing on the Germans! The Ecuadorians try to be helpful, but it's just not the same. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>We're going to be so much closer to family. I'm already hoping to get home (or NYC) for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, in September. I haven't been back for at least 4, maybe 5, years and it's one of my favorite holidays.</li>
</ul>
It's not going to be all fun and games though. There are quite a few things that we're not looking forward to:<br />
<ul>
<li>Our friends who've moved back from being overseas have said adjusting to the American lifestyle (and especially the lack of work-life balance as compared with other countries) is tough. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>We're not going to be bombarded by culture and new people all the time. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The health care situation in the US scares me personally. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>There seems to be a trend of lack of respect for teachers in the States right now.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The general safety in the US (especially idiots with automatic guns) is frightening. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Not enough people seem to be worried about the consequences (environmentally and socially) of buying cheap clothes, tons of plastic toys and foods that are wrapped in insane amounts of packaging. It'll be hard adjusting after basically living out of 4 suitcases; wearing our clothes down so they have holes in them; and being resourceful instead of buying items. </li>
</ul>
I'm sure you guys didn't want to hear all that, but I'm just writing what's on our mind as we make our way back into the country. We'll be back in July - only 4 months away!AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-78186197466635207092013-02-27T20:00:00.000-06:002013-02-27T20:00:01.075-06:00Update on Art History ClassYou may remember I'm taking an <a href="http://goinwalkabout-golz.blogspot.com/2013/01/watch-out-college.html">art history class</a> at the local university. There are a few updates I can give you now that we're more than a third of the way in.<br />
<ul>
<li><b>The class is half-full of art history nerds</b>. You can especially tell who is an art history nerd and who is a art history amateur (myself included) when we sit in a cafe after going to a museum. The art history nerds (which I write with much affection) will talk the teacher's ear off about some abstract painting; an art conference coming to town; or problems that are affecting the Ecuadorian art field in general. Really heavy stuff. The rest of us will chat about the new airport in town, the weather, our next vacation, or a new movie. As you can imagine, I'm getting pretty good at Ecuadorian small talk.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>I'm now understanding 80% of what is said, maybe 75% on the day that starts at 9 am. </b>I'm not a morning person when it comes to Spanish - I've found that my Spanish level decreases noticeably when I'm forced to communicate articulately at wee hours of the morning. So trying to identify what kind of art style a painting is before 10 am is not really happening. I sit back and soak it all in until my mind starts up for the day. Next week we have a 4-hour class and I think my head might just implode by the third hour. I've heard talk of pastries making an appearance though.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Camilo Egas is one of my new favorites. </b>The other week, our teacher took us to the museum of Quito's most under-appreciated artist, Camilo Egas. Let me tell you - this guy painted it all. He painted impressionism, cubism, abstract expressionism, surrealism, Spanish modernism, and lots of indigenous art. I couldn't take photos, but you can check out his work <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=camilo+egas&hl=en&rlz=1C1KMOH_enEC514EC514&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=u5YuUaO1IIiY8gSwr4GQCw&ved=0CEMQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=643">here</a>. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>I have an exam... tomorrow.</b> I should be studying my butt off like all the good art history nerds, but I'm having a hard time concentrating on it tonight. We've got the most <a href="http://goinwalkabout-golz.blogspot.com/2012/12/head-in-clouds.html">amazing cloud show</a> happening outside our window right now. It's good blog-writing weather.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b style="font-weight: bold;">My next presentation is on Latino artists in New York in the 20th century. </b>My teacher says she's got text (in English!) for me so I think she's taken pity on me. I've also noticed there are not that many Ecuadorian art history books out there. And the ones that are out there are difficult to read. My theory is that these art history experts know they're a select few who write about Ecuadorian art history so they feel inventing obscure words (that aren't in any dictionary and confuse even the native Spanish speakers, mind you) is their right. They exercise that right pretty much every sentence. The sentences in these art history texts are something else, too. I've never seen such long sentences in my life. I've actually started counting the longest sentences I've seen so far - the record is 8 lines (2 lines less than this bullet point).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>I'll finish with some other painters for you to check out.</b> Since our class is about Ecuadorian and Latin American painters, we've studied painters from all over. I've enjoyed <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Tarsila+do+Amaral&hl=en&rlz=1C1KMOH_enEC514EC514&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Op0uUa_WG4-68wSl8YD4Aw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=643">Tarsila do Amaral </a>from Brazil; <a href="http://www.pettoruti.com/h_autor.htm">Emilio Pettorutti </a>from Argentina (futurism!); <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Pedro+Figari&hl=en&rlz=1C1KMOH_enEC514EC514&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=g50uUen6BoiC8ASOrICgCQ&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=643">Pedro Figari</a> from Uruguay; and Luis Martinez from Ecuador (I did a presentation on him - beautiful landscapes of Ecuador. I have to write a blog post just about him. After all, I did the research and my class probably only understood half of what I said anyway so other people should benefit from this knowledge). </li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9Z8gsWaGG2N2qFRlDWghMhIn9MxwHuV4jupxzvSJt5CKLZsG_Mos1r_69XVVEWZCnqCdJte48s2xoVmbYq434pqThafXh2g1mjdCLlJA2XziEfTJMjym_eJiJZctmUu9K6tZdwF25lTZ/s1600/IMG_8449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9Z8gsWaGG2N2qFRlDWghMhIn9MxwHuV4jupxzvSJt5CKLZsG_Mos1r_69XVVEWZCnqCdJte48s2xoVmbYq434pqThafXh2g1mjdCLlJA2XziEfTJMjym_eJiJZctmUu9K6tZdwF25lTZ/s400/IMG_8449.JPG" width="350" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of my favorites of Luis Martinez -<br />
it's from a book called <br />
"Luis A. Martinez" by Fernando Jurado Noboa.</td></tr>
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<ol>
</ol>
AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-78199572733206637272013-02-20T09:30:00.000-06:002013-02-20T09:30:03.273-06:00Two Days in Medellin, ColombiaWe just got back from a week in Colombia and our first stop was Medellin. If the city name sounds familiar, it might be because the infamous drug warlord, Pablo Escobar, ruled the city for many years. But he's gone now and the city is much better than it was during his time. To set the stage, we both read "News of a Kidnapping" by the well-known author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The book is based on a true story of several kidnappings of journalists in the 80's and 90's by Escobar's gang. It helped to picture what people went through during that time. Thankfully, the drug cartels are not what they were back then and Colombia is much safer now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGbsQrqU1aQ7QuIwoSHNM0EEYVe6TRFpQv_VVVtM5wvyR-mdi7Csuq7y5GqzFr-3uD-RuXDd5XBOPXvW5o_m0a-_X5aO972sLhJXhDmOQ6S34ZuV9Q0UMlmcjTzPHDeXwjTgqHWsjtx7G/s320/IMG_8836.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One slope of Medellin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MCLQAc1tpzF4O1ZmoZd6jasA9kc8EpeinU40jNJMang-XNHYoZa38EaitZXdegh73mdPGNcvQ7lPjp6mq1jwSwiQ6_1eyHrKCkmL8ON8UrvXmsnxYZKqyM8TfcWevHmNTtAHXNRZWTsq/s1600/IMG_8800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MCLQAc1tpzF4O1ZmoZd6jasA9kc8EpeinU40jNJMang-XNHYoZa38EaitZXdegh73mdPGNcvQ7lPjp6mq1jwSwiQ6_1eyHrKCkmL8ON8UrvXmsnxYZKqyM8TfcWevHmNTtAHXNRZWTsq/s320/IMG_8800.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Medellin airport is actually 45 minutes outside of the city in a little mountain town called Rio Negro. To get into the city, you have to take a mini-bus and go over some hills and down into a valley. Apart from being so far away, it was nice to see a more rural part of the country because Medellin is 100% city. The city was warmer and a little more humid than Quito, but much of it was similar.</span></div>
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We decided to stay in the city center without much thought as to why. If I would do it again, we'd stay out in the El Poblado neighborhood, which was more hip and felt a lot safer. But no matter! Being in the downtown meant we were close to the park that housed more than 20 Fernando Botero sculptures and the Museum of Antioquia (the region Medellin is in). If you only have 24 hours in Medellin, these are two great sights to see.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9E-U5wZEVe6s9ZVPA7byj9j8XFV3-wpkDUEbU9b-JCFz4BiZEo9_GcdTYwTlY3YZUvSyPYN3r4mTL26kJjFSbcnnVwUwHvANWAA2inCXefdSWE2as15oraaqOinWWHHoNK-lzDx0M-K4/s1600/IMG_8814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9E-U5wZEVe6s9ZVPA7byj9j8XFV3-wpkDUEbU9b-JCFz4BiZEo9_GcdTYwTlY3YZUvSyPYN3r4mTL26kJjFSbcnnVwUwHvANWAA2inCXefdSWE2as15oraaqOinWWHHoNK-lzDx0M-K4/s320/IMG_8814.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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Although it was raining when we got to the sculptures, we didn't let that deter us. The interesting thing about Botero is how he makes his subjects so large. According to him, he makes them that way because he wanted to express people's voluminousness and sensuality. I guess he meant we're all larger than life. ;-)<br />
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The museum itself had 3 stories full of Botero sculptures and paintings, as well as other Medellin and Colombian artists. A lot of the painters were from modern times so it was interesting to see their work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgBz5UmkyVubOXchIZoiILpfsvULDZQVw73mr4dBnPgi_vMGJ1MCH0j8n4BxH1VlOleU55Wp0AQsbjdYR8fg0QTQlCDv7SA0-IPP-txv42PqMqdio4j3rhbH05KOyK8MdHvN0J-jU27Mi/s1600/IMG_8828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgBz5UmkyVubOXchIZoiILpfsvULDZQVw73mr4dBnPgi_vMGJ1MCH0j8n4BxH1VlOleU55Wp0AQsbjdYR8fg0QTQlCDv7SA0-IPP-txv42PqMqdio4j3rhbH05KOyK8MdHvN0J-jU27Mi/s320/IMG_8828.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you see the gun? This guitar was created to promote peace.</td></tr>
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The next day we spent the day roaming around the El Poblado neighborhood I mentioned before. It had little shops, cafes and restaurants. There was even options for vegetarians - something that's not at all common in Ecuador. The area had a beautiful stream running through it with lots of lush gardens around, too. Our mountain-dried skin soaked up the moisture like sponges.<br />
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I'll write more about the later part of our trip in another couple blog posts - Medellin was okay, but Cartagena was the highlight of our trip. Just wait until you see the pictures!AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-211860024738009762013-02-06T19:30:00.000-06:002013-02-06T19:30:01.553-06:00Hot, Wet, and WildYou guessed it, I'm talking about the rain forest.<br />
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The journey from Quito is long if you go overland. A few friends and I (Greg) just did the 7-hour bus ride from Quito to Coca. Then, we sped 3 hours down the Napo River to the Sani Lodge, deep in the jungle. The Sani are a tribe of natives that live along the river, but their way of life seems to be changing very rapidly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cayman in the river</td></tr>
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There was a constant flow of barges on the river carrying big trucks of all kinds that will be part of the oil extraction process. One of the main question I've heard about constantly since we moved to Ecuador is whether the country should expand oil drilling to untouched areas of the rain forest. You can find many interesting articles regarding the Yasuni ITT online (see <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/01/yasuni-national-park/wallace-text" target="_blank">National Geographic article</a>).<br />
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Last year, Ecuador wanted other countries to give them money, around 4 billion dollars, in order to leave the oil in the ground and help reduce the contributions to climate change. Well, that time has come and gone. During our trip, we saw many journalists at the lodge who were in the area to interview locals regarding the current situation. There are many concerns surrounding this issue with some big ones including biodiversity loss, contamination of water resources, and operations in areas with tribes that do not welcome outside human contact.<br />
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I was lucky to see this amazing area before too many future changes occur. However, there was already a large influence from the "outside world" on the local tribes and their culture had obviously changed. Most of the natives wore blue jeans and some had cell phones. It probably helped that a giant cell phone tower was in the the middle of their village meeting area. <br />
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Still, I enjoyed the seeing many new birds, insects, animals, and plants. And just like you might see on a travel show about the jungle, I managed to eat one of those large grubs. The bugs in the jungle were not as bad as I had expected and I probably walked away with less than 100 mosquito and sunfly bites.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parrots eating clay to help with digestion of their acidic foods</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06819761487276975204noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-48223799880973054692013-01-28T16:14:00.000-06:002013-01-28T16:14:00.694-06:00New Years in QuitoBoth in Munich and in Quito, people go all out for the New Year, but in Quito, we have an especially good view out over the city. So we got some great video footage of all the fireworks bursting over the city.<br />
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You can read our account of <a href="http://goinwalkabout-golz.blogspot.com/2012/02/new-years-in-quito.html">last year's New Year's</a> if you forgot what we wrote about last year.<br />
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You be the judge. Here is our Quito vs. Munich New Year's Eve videos.<br />
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<br />AyeletDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991891812810218472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1756442719929318398.post-18877145017710383772013-01-25T07:50:00.000-06:002013-01-25T07:50:00.526-06:00Do you love church architecture? Churches are a conundrum to me. Humans have designed some of the most amazing structures in terms of beauty but ironically one of the least used buildings in society. Yet, churches amaze me all the same. Compared many of the European churches we had seen over the past few years, the churches in Cuenca, Ecuador, were equal in size, but much more humble on the interior. They made up for a lack of ornate art with a splash of pastel colors which gave the churches a much more inviting feeling over the ominous dark corners of European churches.<br />
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So, if you like to look at church architecture, you would enjoy a visit to Cuenca. I could name each of these, but I think you will simply enjoy the view.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up on the door of the church above. I love wood carvings. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFgw2r6Lv7FYHqvQnLO8j31mV6D7n8Xu5GtHlpQPaKN8YUzeEhjrrGeCDHKNn0648wTArNrvDJrHdyC-ZoLdiSCTj2XSZuBf9YfmWELbetLPLW_QDUhru1c8popPQYZbcF6mLWGsi0wYy/s1600/IMG_8335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFgw2r6Lv7FYHqvQnLO8j31mV6D7n8Xu5GtHlpQPaKN8YUzeEhjrrGeCDHKNn0648wTArNrvDJrHdyC-ZoLdiSCTj2XSZuBf9YfmWELbetLPLW_QDUhru1c8popPQYZbcF6mLWGsi0wYy/s1600/IMG_8335.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKPwmgz0w1-X-AVxhGSsHBtyZeMsk2k5mEsq-2qon0CnFSvzWLuvFyTe2ve7kbkzVwzo9iGL3S8aTQoFqV7D79sMOFVMUGVELDj6y3tVqbgonKG91N1vT3kSvgnDvATsTXhJI0mKTOco4/s1600/IMG_8217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKPwmgz0w1-X-AVxhGSsHBtyZeMsk2k5mEsq-2qon0CnFSvzWLuvFyTe2ve7kbkzVwzo9iGL3S8aTQoFqV7D79sMOFVMUGVELDj6y3tVqbgonKG91N1vT3kSvgnDvATsTXhJI0mKTOco4/s1600/IMG_8217.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently this church had a structural issue that did not allow the builders to add the two missing spires. I can just imagine how different this might look. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqduRZ7FqilwlLFQXX8YJo41Tohplt1xlnphaa_Zzp5JHXCTe7-DaUTfa8pTFxik6gZZpehx0FG8DSaXTPpRpN0AZerqsIpUAMjqL7Pz0xSu0Rv177FqAWv5BM2_dF7yNOmlSSlewdGraP/s1600/IMG_8371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqduRZ7FqilwlLFQXX8YJo41Tohplt1xlnphaa_Zzp5JHXCTe7-DaUTfa8pTFxik6gZZpehx0FG8DSaXTPpRpN0AZerqsIpUAMjqL7Pz0xSu0Rv177FqAWv5BM2_dF7yNOmlSSlewdGraP/s1600/IMG_8371.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A back view of the same church above. Again, without the spires. </td></tr>
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