More information from Anna

I finally figured out some technical difficulties I was having with posting pictures with my last post, so here are some more pictures.

I took this picture from the front door of the house of one of my students. The mountain there is Imbabura, and the province Otavalo is in is named after this beautiful old volcano. Otavalo is hardly visible in this picture--if you look to the left of the trees, and notice the gray dots on the ground, those are buildings in Otavalo.



This is probably my favorite picture that I took of the landscape in Ecuador. This was taken on the drive back from Mojandita, the school where I was teaching. The sun is setting behind Cayambe, which at 18,996ft of elevation is Ecuador's third tallest peak. It's slopes are the only places directly on the earth's equator that are continually covered by snow and some glaciers.

The tallest mountain in Ecuador, Chimborazo, lies significantly to the south, and I never personally got to see it. It's summit elevation of 20,500ft combined with earth's small bulge at the equator makes it the peak furthest from the center of the earth (that means it's even further than Mt. Everest!)



This is the setting for the schools where the volunteers teach. During breaks and after classes, volunteers often join their students for games like soccer. Be careful, though, because while the kids are young and small, they really know how to play soccer!

Here's a picture of the hostel where volunteers stay. Each room, most of which fit two volunteers, have private bathrooms with showers. A few even have TV's!










I wanted to add answers to some commonly asked questions about Otavalo that I did not cover in my last post as well.

Is the water safe to drink?
Tap water is not potable in Otavalo, however, you can by large 5-8 liter jugs of water at the corner store, which is literally about 20 feet from the front door of the hostel.

Is the food safe to eat?

Packaged food as well as food in restaurants is safe to eat, but you will want to wash all fruits and vegetables well with disinfectant before eating them (the family in the hostel has this). Volunteers are fed three meals a day at the hostel, all of which are well cooked and safe to eat. They're also happy to accommodate many special food needs (particular allergies, vegetarians, etc).  

Do I really need to bring four weeks worth of stuff?

You can buy decent quality toiletries at a grocery store that is about four short blocks from the hostel. One thing that is harder to find/substantially more expensive is sun screen, so I highly encourage you to bring your own, even if you're not the type of person who usually burns. If you're hiking at 13,000 ft of elevation where the sun's rays are much more powerful, so even if you don't normally burn, you might end up with an unexpected burn or two.

There is also a store nearby where you pay a small amount per pound to have your laundry washed, so you can plan on washing your clothes.

What happens if I get sick?

In case you do get ill, the family's doctor is just three blocks away, and he makes house calls too. The summer program director will always be available to translate if you need help communicating with a doctor or just need help. While your insurance will not be useful in Ecuador, a doctor's visit runs between $5-10, and most medications are very cheap (~$10 or $15 for a full course of antibiotics). When I had a bad food allergy reaction, my doctor's visit , medicine, and my very own syringe totalled $9.90. It was extremely easy to get medical care, and I personally felt very comfortable with the quality of care I was given. The doctor is very nice and recognizes that it's scary to be sick so far away from home, so he does what he can to make you feel comfortable and safe. Many people visit Ecuador and don't get sick at all, but I know that the "what if" is a big concern.

How easy is it to be in touch with people back home?

You will be able to call home every single day if you want to, either by using a volunteer's computer with skype at the hostel, or by going to an internet cafe (Virtual, the favorite of volunteers, is a five minute walk from the hostel). If you go to an internet cafe, expect to pay about $0.10 per minute to call the US and $1/hr for internet access. You can also pick up a SIM card for your cell phone while there, and buy minutes using calling cards.

Are there lots of bugs?

Otavalo is high enough in elevation that there aren't many bugs, though it's advisable to take bug repelent on hikes, particularly hikes at elevations lower than 12,000ft near water. Also, this past year some volunteers took a weekend trip to the beach, where bug repelent is a necessity!

Do I need any vaccinations?

You do not need any types of vaccinations to visit Ecuador, particularly not to visit the mountains. While some books suggest malaria pills if you want to visit the Amazon rain forest, the consensus is that it is extremely unlikely to get malaria and/or other serious viruses. The most common way to get sick is by eating uncooked fruits and vegetables, and that's true anywhere in the country.

How many people outside the hostel speak English?

Hardly anyone speaks English, so don't go to places and expect to be able to order food in English (though one cafe, Buena Vista, is a notable exception to this. I swear it has the best brownies I've ever had, and the menu is bilingual). Very few people in the market know some numbers in English, and even they have trouble bargaining in English. 

One great thing about Ecuador, though, is that they tend to speak Spanish more slowly than people in Mexico, Puerto Rico, or Spain. And you can always say "Mas despacio por favor!" (more slowly please!).

It's warm in Ecuador, right?

Not in the mountains! It gets cold! Many volunteers valued their sweatshirts greatly, and found little use for the dozen or so T-shirts they brought, so keep that in mind when packing. While most days will be between 65 and 75 during the day, it can be in the 40s at night.

How do volunteers get to Otavalo?

Volunteers travel between Quito and Otavalo on a bus, and so packing light makes traveling much easier. Volunteers are met at the airport by the summer program director, and no one has to travel between Quito and Otavalo alone.

I hope that information is helpful, and feel free to email us villageeducationvolunteer@gmail.com with any questions you might have.

A couple things about Otavalo

Hi, I'm Anna, the Director of Education for VEP and a volunteer from this past summer.

This is just a very quick post about what it's like to stay in Otavalo, Ecuador for the summer. One of the most striking things about the town is how beautiful the scenery is. About a two hour bus ride from Quito, Otavalo is perched up high in the Andes, just a few miles north of the equator. Because of the high elevation, the temperature is most often between 60 and 75 degrees during the day, though it's not very strange to have a day that is 55 and raining or 80 and sunny. Also because of the altitude, it can be quite cold at night, and you may sunburn more easily despite often cloudy weather.

While the schools are further out from the town and some are in relatively rural settings, Otavalo itself is a decent sized town. It's laid out on a straight forward grid, which makes it easy to navigate, and it's a very safe town to walk around in. There are internet cafes where you can make phone calls to the US for 10 cents a minute or less, though this past year we had wireless internet at the hostel, so those of us who had our computers were just able to use skype to call home. There are plenty of different places to eat in town, and because so many tourist come to Otavalo, you can find everything from pizza to chinese food (though the quality varies greatly between restaurants). Eating out is generally very cheap--dinner often costs $5 or less, though the meals provided at the hostel are good as well (if bland--if you like spicy foods, you might want to bring your own pepper!).

Otavalo is home to a large handicraft market, and the market on Saturdays is one of the largest handicraft markets in South America. Some volunteers have trouble packing away all the gifts they buy for family and friends, because Ecuador is one of the few places where $5 can go quite a long way. Be sure to bargain, though, because people in the market know a naive tourist when they see one! Generally, the people are very friendly and love to strike up conversations, and we've had volunteers run into the parents of their students in the market.

Volunteers have their mornings and nights free to plan lessons and wander around the town, discovering fun places to visit, great bargains, and beautiful views. On weekends, volunteers have the option of going on guided hikes in the surrounding mountains. If you want a comfortable, safe, and fulfilling trip to South America, and are passionate about teaching and learning Spanish, the Village Education Project is for you!