when it reigns, it poors

imagine this; a jam-packed bus winding through the tropical, poverty-stricken towns of north western ecuador. the air is thick, made thicker by the fact that most of the windows are closed. you can feel the sweat dripping down your legs. it doesnt matter if you are holding on to anything, even though the bus is jerking left and right and diagnally upwards, somehow, because there is no space to fall. just as you take your eye off the one open window BAM, it hits--a blast of water to the face.
welcome to carnaval in ecuador, where no one is safe from water or silly-string ever, at any time. carnaval is the equivalent of mardi gras, a giant party before the fasting and reflection leading up to the resurrection of JC. except carnaval lasts 4 days, and is marked by its late-night parties and the water and espuma (silly string type stuff) that everyone throws. no one is safe. last week at the last minute i decided to head to esmeraldas, a coastal town with the largest population of afro-ecuatorianos in the country. i had spoken to some couchsurfers who would be in town and i planned to meet up with them. we arrived saturday afternoon, gave juan (couchsurfer) a little ring and caught a taxi to meet him at his grandma's. the cab pulled up and we were greeted by a welcoming smile. juan mumbled something about not walking on the sidewalk, and just as i understood what he was saying we were hit with a waterfall from the balcony above. bienvenidos a carnaval :) we were soaked. i spent the weekend with a really wonderful and kind group of various couchsurfers, mostly from guayaquil, one from colombia and a few others from austria. we danced, visited beaches in the area, got blasted with water/foam, we had a grand time. caught a night bus last night, mostly to save money on accomodation, and the 5 hour ride turned into 10 when the rains finally came and washed the roads out. but all is good because la tierra has been thirsty and hasnt tasted rain like this is months.

last week i went with a friend to the museum of oswaldo guaysamín, one of the most famous artists from ecuador. his paintings most often depict exploitation, suffering, and inhumanity, particularly of indigenous people. the tears seem to drip of the paintings, and indeed my heart hurt just to be in their presence. but their truth contained a kind of redemption of humanity, that at least these voices were being heard, appreciated, admired, pinned up in museums. the most striking exhibit is the 'capilla de hombre' or chapel of man, dedicated to the people of latin america. the center of the capilla has a large dome with a circular opening at the top that sheds light on all the suffering. indeed i left shaken, breathless, yet hopeful for things to come. if you ever visit me in quito i will surely take you there :)

speaking of things to come, i am pretty sure i will be switchin from school next quarter to an internship. there is an opportunity in the north to work with a womens rights organization in a flower-producing community. while a structured school setting has its benefits, i know that this internship opportunity fits more with the goals i have for this trip--becoming fluent in spanish, challenging myself in as many ways as possible, connecting and sharing, learning about the struggles people face here. ive also been writing a lot, and think i might just try and put together some kind of something, you know ;) throw out my verse into the universe. in fact, uni-verse sounds like a poem i should write about now.

may the sun shine warm upon your face and the rains fall soft upon your fields.
laurita