Otavalan Dress for American Girl Doll

If there is a special little someone on your holiday list who loves American Girl dolls, then we have the perfect gift - doll sized Otavalan dress.

Imelda Inuca demonstrating embroidery

Indigenous women in Ecuador’s Otavalo region can be recognized by their long, knife pleated skirts, hand-embroidered white blouses, and rows of golden beads around their necks. As both men and women travel to other parts of the country, they retain their native dress. They are talented artisans, well-respected throughout Ecuador and all South America for their beautiful handiwork. Their delicate, hand-made tapestries are among the most sought-after of any indigenous group in the country.

This year, just in time for holiday shopping, we have 

 imported a few hand-made,intricately outfits in a style worn by indigenous girls of the Otavalo region, specifically designed to fit American Girl dolls. Each outfit includes a hand-pleated skirt (anacu), blouse with intricately embroidered yoke (blusa), espadrille - like sandals (alpargatas), black felt hat (sombrero) and gold bead necklace.  

Take this opportunity to encourage your child's cultural awareness and appreciation of fine handicraft. By purchasing one of these ensembles you support Kentucky Ecuador Partners as well as add a unique outfit to your American Doll wardrobe.

Supplies are limited, so contact Kay soon.   Kay.roberts@uky.edu

Price:  $45.

Coffee Time

We are pleased to announce that the coffee we sell as a fund raiser has arrived and we are now taking orders.  The product which is Certified Fair Trade and Organic, is high quality and has been extremely successful in past years. 

We’ll be selling two types: South American Fair Trade and French Vanilla Fair Trade in 16 oz. packages.  Both are available in regular or decaf, both are certified fair trade and organic. All the coffee will be ground (no whole bean). The ground coffee is attractively packaged in heavy foil gusseted bags -- royal blue for regular coffee and green for decaf, with a colorful Kentucky-Ecuador Partners label.  We sell it for $12/pound, leaving us a profit of $5/pound.   

South American Fair Trade has a bright taste with rich aromas and is available in decafinated as well as regular.

French Vanilla Fair Trade has a  luscious vanilla flavoring which gives this coffee a rich and satisfying taste. Perfect with dessert, rich enough to stand alone as a dessert beverage. Both types are welcome holiday gifts.

The process is easy: 

•  Download and fill out the form, (If you have not received a form by email, contact Kay Roberts.

•  Collect payment at the time the order is placed. 

•  Get the form and the money to Kay Roberts by November 5. The coffee will be available for pick up Thanksgiving week.

Coffee Fundraiser Timeline:

October 7, 2011           Begin taking orders

November 5, 2011       Order forms and payment due to Kay Roberts  (contact info below)

Thanksgiving week      Coffee available for pick-up and delivery

Orders are pre-paid, so be sure to collect the money when you take the order.

$12. per pound

Kay Roberts, Community Liasison - International Affairs

Executive director - Kentucky ecuador Partners

102 Bradley Hall, University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0058

phone:  869-257-6601 (note new phone number)

email: kay.roberts@uky.edu 

Michael Barnes Provides Training for Musicians

Songwriter, performer and producer Michael Barnes conducted presentations and workshops in Cuenca, Ambato, and Quito this past summer. In the workshops held during July and August, Barnes taught recording music using Reason software. Presentations demonstrated  uploading music to the internet, creating CDs, as well as tips on how to gain an audience, and instruction on building a homepage, and selling music. 

Approximately 30 people participated in the Cuenca conference held at the University of Cuenca; around 30 people at the Ambato conference held at City Hall; about 16 students participated in the conference held at the University of San Francisco in Quito.  Students in Ambato and Quito brought their own laptops and MIDI keyboards for use in the workshops, and students in Cuenca used the Mac computers that were available in the computer lab.

"It was an amazing experience. Hopefully, I'll get to return one day."

For more information on Michael Barnes and his music, see the "Featured Traveler" column to the left or follow this link: www.michaelbarnesmusic.com

Rankin and Ruthi Skinner - Buenos Aires

Note: The following two blog posts are the final submissions by Ruthi and Rankin Skinner from their time spent in South America earlier this year.

Buenos Aires is a large, cosmopolitan and truly beautiful city with a European feel. Everyone who visits seems to fall under her spell. This is an immigrant city, most of its original inhabitants having migrated from Spain and Italy. The architecture is definitely European, along with the layout of the streets, broad boulevards with green space in the center. Buenos Aires lies in the Pampas. Pampas actually means "land with no trees", but one of B.A.'s early presidents had the vision and foresight to have planted 150,000 trees during his term of office, and the trend has continued. Now Buenos Aires is tree-lined from one end of the city to the other. Every park has public art and the people here frequent these lovely parks regularly.

We arrived at Ezeiza International Airport via Lima, Peru. It is a 30-minute taxi ride from the airport to the center of town. We stayed at Las Naciones Hotel, right in the center of the theatre district, and situated on Ave. Corriantes, one of the main streets in town. We arrived in early evening and everything was lit up, with big billboards advertising all the plays. The city was (as it always seems to be) alive! Folks here walk arm-in-arm at all hours of the night; lovers, friends, whole families with their kids, even kids who seem to be all alone (!!). Most restaurants do not open until 8 or 9 P.M., and no one eats early here. One of our favorite things to do was to sit in outdoor cafes, have a coffee or share a bottle of wine and people watch. Speaking of wines, Argentina is known for some of the best wines in South America. In one restaurant, we had a great small bottle of Malbec for $17 Argentine Pesos ($4.25). We are not meat eaters, but everyone raves over the steaks here. Of course, Argentina considers itself to be the beef capital of the world. The steak houses (parrillas) will give you a choice of several different cuts, and the servings seem to always be more than any normal appetite can handle. Argentinians will tell you it is so good because free-range Argentine cows eat nutritious pampas grass, without the massive quantities of corn, antibiotics and growth hormones which American and European stock is given in feedlots. In Argentina, the average yearly intake of beef is 70 kg/person.

Buenos Aires proper has a population of 3,000,000, not including the surrounding area which swells to 12.4 million. B.A. is separated into 48 separate neighborhoods, some very wealthy, others desperately poor. The city is also known for its cutting-edge designers and great shopping. One cool shopping street (1 block from our hotel) is Calle Florida, a long pedestrian street with no automobile access. It is one of the main arteries of this neighborhood. It is always jammed during the day with business people, shoppers and tourists seeking vehicle-free access from north to south without bus fumes and honking taxis. Buskers, beggars and street vendors thrive here, adding color and noise. The day we shopped here, there were several bands playing along the street, including a jazz band, Otavalan flute band (they're everywhere, they're everywhere) and reggae musicians. Ruthi was pleased to find our daughter Erin some cha-cha little sandles here.

 

A note: We really do not discriminate between our kids, grandkids and in-laws. The ATM at the airport in B.A. had eaten our debit card, so our shopping possibilities were severely hampered. What the heck. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It was because of  needing to use the phone when we reached Puerto Iguazu to call our bank back home that we were treated to that charming little town, which we wrote about in a previous blog. Then, David Coffey just brought us down some cash from Winchester, so shopping would pick up again in Quito. 

The next day we visited several of the neighborhoods. One, Recoleta, had tree-lined streets with mansions copied after ones found in Europe. If you want one of these you had better have plenty of cash. Most of the middle class citizens live in Palermo, another interesting area in 3 distinct parts. Many museums are found here, as well as many embassies of different countries. In one of the parks here is found one of Buenos Aires' most unique sculptures. It is a monumental flower by Eduardo Catalano, constructed of polished aluminum much like the museum in Bilbao. An interesting feature is it is solar-powered and the petals close at night. Really cool! Next, we visited La Boca, a blue-collar neighborhood, where many of the houses are covered with corrugated metal and painted in bright colors. This neighborhood is a rough one and it is not recommended to stroll away from the main streets, where there is constantly a street fair, with tango dancers, musicians and artists. Another neighborhood nearby, and known for its antique shops and great cafes, is San Telmo.

Rankin and Ruthi Skinner - Iguazu Falls

Years ago, a dear friend, and one of KEP's most devoted volunteers, Ron Padgett, visited me at my home after he had returned from a Kellogg Fellows meeting in Brazil. After the meeting, the group had all gone to Iguazu Falls and were stunned by the wondrous beauty of this place. He made me promise that one day Ruthi and I would go there.

For years after, the responsibilities of life, and the lack of time and money, prevented us from making this dream a reality. This year, all the stars were aligned (and we realized we were not getting any younger, and we are only promised this moment). After Roberta and Donnie returned to the U.S., having traveled with us for 5 weeks of our 10-week sojourn, we bought our tickets for Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls to fulfil our dream and our promise to Ron.

Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca and his expedition were the first Europeans to view the falls, in 1542. According to Guarani legend, the falls originated when an indigenous warrior named Caroba incurred the wrath of a forest god by escaping in a canoe with a young girl, Naipur, with whom the god was infatuated. Enraged, the god caused the river bend to collapse in front of the lovers, producing a line of waterfalls over which Naipur fell, and at their base, turned into a rock. Caroba survived as a tree overlooking the falls.

Geologists have a better explanation. The Rio Iguazu's course takes it over a basaltic plateau which ends abruptly, just short of the confluence with the Parana'. Where the lava flow stopped, thousands of cubic meters of water per second now plunge as much as 80 meters into the valley below. Before reaching the falls, the river divides into many channels with hidden reefs, rocky sand islands that separate

 the river into the many different falls. In total, the falls stretch around for more than 2 kilometers. Venezuela's Angel Falls is the world's highest single waterfall, But Iguazu is the widest set of falls on the planet.

Iguazu Falls (Cataratas de Iguazu) is located in an area where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay come together, although the falls are primarily in Brazil and Argentina. It really is one of earth's most wondrous sites. The power and noise of the falls is simply unforgettable. The falls lie in thousands of acres of national park, established in the 1930's. It is subtropical, with palm trees, ferns and lush green surrounding all. The rainforest is teeming with unique flora and fauna. There are thousands of species of insects and hundreds of species of birds, and many different mammals and reptiles. A few years ago, Iguazu Falls was named a World Heritage Site, and is a finalist to be named one of the new 7 Wonders of the World in Nature.

Day 26 quito

Since we arrived in Ecuador, our group has struggled with stomach problems. Somehow, I had managed to avoid this contagious nausea… until today. Most of my day was spent trying to recover so I would be able to enjoy my last day in Ecuador tomorrow.

We should be getting into some amazing adventures tomorrow. Stay posted!

Nick Bratcher

Day 25 - Quito

 Today we went to the Mitad del Mundo (middle of the world) to see the monument to the ecuator there. We may have had some fun straddling the Northern and Southern hemishperes:We had planned to ride the teleférico (a cable car that overlooks modern Quito) after our journey to the middle of the world, but the clowdy day changed our plans. Instead, we did something far more culturally rich… we went to the mall. A view from the food court:

And how would the average Ecuadorian get home from the mall? How about taking a bus (pictured below)? 

Let’s just say, they were a bit more populated than the busses we were used to.How to end such an eventful day? The cuy dinner we had seemed like the perfect option.And in case any of my readers are wondering, cuy means Guinea Pig in Spanish. It reminded me of chicken, minus the still-attached feet and head complete with teeth. Overall, it was delicious.    

Nick Bratcher  

Day 23 Puerto Lopez

We took to the sea today to visit Isla de la Plata to bird-watch, hike, and snorkel.

 We’ll be travelling back to Quito (it’s an eight-hour drive) tomorrow, so I’m off to enjoy our last night on the beach! Buenas noches!

Nick Bratcher

Day 22 - Puerto Lopez

Today we went to the village of Agua Blanca to hear about one of the oldest indigenous peoples in Ecuador.













Some of the artifacts that have been excavated date back farther than even the birth of Christ and the Incan civilization, such as the throne in the picture below.

Admittedly, ADD did kick in towards the end, so we broke out the ancient musical instruments. My childhood trumpet lessons paid off, I think.

While there, we also made a stop in the town’s sulfur lagoon. The mud exfoliates the skin, so naturally I took advantage of nature’s gift.

We wrapped up the day with yet another view of the sunset. This might have been the best one yet.

Nick Bratcher

Day 21 - Puerto Lopez

 Today was spent lounging on the beach. I got a nice tan, but by tan, I mean that my legs look considerably similar to a distant relative of the lobster.

Some of us wrote messages to significant others in the sand (pictured above). Good to see the distance can’t stop true love!

The city held a parade, complete with marching band, in the afternoon to celebrate the migration of the whales along Puerto Lopez’s Coast. The sister of President Correa resided over the ceremonies.

Some of the floats were pretty elaborate:

But my favorite was the school of kids dressed up as squids… or octapi? It was hard to tell.

We wrapped up today with another view of the sunset. Enjoy!

Nick Bratcher

Day 20 - Puertp Lopez

I know it’s easy to do seeing all of the awesomeness that is going on down here in Ecuador. But just in case anyone forgot, this is a STUDY abroad opportunity. Let’s take a glimpse into class this morning:

Yes, that’s a beach. Yes, that’s also a class. And in case you’re wondering if we’re actually learning anything, let me share with you a portion of a piece by Pablo Neruda called “The Lamb and the Pinecone” that we analyzed today:

I have been a lucky man. To feel the intimacy of brothers is a marvelous thing in life. To feel the love of people whom we love is a fire that feeds our life. But to feel the affection that comes from those whom we do not know, from those unknown to us, who are watching over our sleep and solitude, over our dangers and weaknesses- that is something still greater and more beautiful because it widens out the boundaries of our being and unites all living things.

Neruda was speaking of the importance of giving and service. Though we may not always understand the effect of a good deed or even know its recipient, that sharing of affection and love unites all humans in the struggle that is life.

To close, I leave you with a view of the sunset over the Pacific Ocean from the roof of the hostel we are staying in.

Nick Bratcher

Day 19 - Puertp Lopez

This has got to be the coolest place I’ve ever stayed in my life. Every inch of the hostel/hotel was hand-made by the owner. Every corner holds tons of puzzles and games. It’s one giant adult playground. Just look at the floor of the study:

And don’t get me started on the lounge. It’s got a marimba hanging from the ceiling:

The sun had already set when we arrived here, so there’s not much else to say about our stay on the coast yet. However, the crashing of the waves and cool breeze are certainly making me optimistic.

Nick Bratcher

Day 18 - Yachana

Tonight was our last night in the rainforest. We’ll be waking up bright and early tomorrow at 5 a.m. to venture to our next destination. We’ll take our three-hour boat ride to Coca to fly to our connecting flight in Quito and then to Manta, a town on the coast, for a couple days on the beach.

In honor of our last night in Yachana, we threw a bonfire/cookout.

Nick Bratcher

Day 16 &17 - Yachana

Remember how I said the internet would be unreliable? Yeah, that was not a lie. The server’s been down for a couple of days and they just got it running again tonight. Hopefully, I can bring everyone back up to speed tomorrow or when we get to the coast in a couple of days. Thanks for reading! 

Nick Bratcher

Day 15 - Yachana

 Today we loaded up on the top of a double-decker bus to do some bird watching through the jungle. Once finished and well away from the river, we did some hiking.

But what would hiking be without indigenous warrior face paint made from tree sap (pictured above)? After gearing up, we set off with our Yachana guide, Robert. He’s truly an expert when it comes to the Amazonian jungle and it’s been a pleasure to glean from his knowledge. He even showed us how to make a make-shift basket from palm leaves (pictured below).

In case anyone has forgotten, this is a service-learning study abroad, though. We’re earning our keep at Yachana in two unique ways. First, the lodge in which we’re staying is actually a non-profit organization. It uses the profit from all its guests to fund the town’s high school, Yachana High School. This school is so elite that over 200 applicants throughout the region apply for the 20 spots available each year. It teaches the young men and women here in the Amazon the mandatory math and sciences while simultaneous applying practical uses in Eco-tourism and environmental protection.

We’re also volunteering in several projects with the students of the high school while we are staying here. Today we went “Machete-ing” to rid their plantane garden of weeds. I ended up with a couple of blisters, but more importantly, I made a new friend, Samantha.

Nick Bratcher

Day 14 - Yachana

This… was today’s afternoon snack. Grub worms found in the empty space that exists in the Hearts of Palm plant after its center has been harvested.

We did cook them first though, so they tasted much like bacon. The heads were especially crunchy!

OK, I think that’s enough gross stuff for the day, though we did do a fair bit of eating and cooking in the afternoon, including making some delicious chocolate cooked from fresh cacao beans (pictured below). It was definitely a lot more bitter than traditional chocolate in the States (which is normally 15-20% cacao if it’s milk chocolate), but with a pinch of sugar, the rich, warm taste definitely made me a fan.

The morning was spent slightly different, though. We went looking for a prehistoric bird that has survived in the rainforest in very small numbers. It has the nick-name the “stinky turkey” and “flying cow” for its emission of methane gas (much like a cow) which has a very bad odor.

Then we went to find the largest tree in the Amazon, the Kapok (pictured below). Yeah, it was pretty big…

Nick Bratcher

Day 13 - Yachana in the Amazon Rainforest

Right now, darkness consumes almost every inch of space, leaving behind just a small patch of stars visible through a canopy of trees. Bugs fly and chirp everywhere. A generator rumbles in the distance. Yep, I’m blogging from the rainforest.

It’s been crazy here. Even getting here was an adventure. We had to take a plane to Coca, then a bus to the river, and then took a three-hour canoe ride to Yachana. We’ve already had one tarantula scare when a girl from another group found one on her shoulder. One of our students got sick and has been stuck in the clinic all day getting fluids. Power is only on from 6-10 p.m. and computer speed and signal are fairly week. Despite all that, it’s been a blast.

Today we met with a medicine man, known as a curo, in Yachana. The indigenous peoples here believe that life is a balance between good and bad spirits. When infected with too many bad spirits, the body becomes weak and gets sick. It is the medicine man’s job to remove those bad spirits. Today, he performed the ceremony on our group that removed our bad spirits and replaced them with good.

After our souls were purified, we needed to catch our lunch. Naturally, we used a blow gun and hunted for our own. OK, so maybe we just came back to our lodge and ate the prepared food, but it was still awesome. One of the girls in our group, Ashley, actually got three bullseyes in a row and won the competition. Too bad she’s a vegetarian!

I hope every day is this interesting. Just walking from place to place can get pretty adventurous in these parts.

Nick Bratcher

Kicks and Giggles: food

If there’s one hot topic about travelling abroad, it’s food. Rightly so, eating is kind of important to sustain life. Ten days in seemed like a good time to give a run down about the dining options here.

I would be amiss if I didn’t start with fruit. It is, by far, the biggest food source here. It’s in the drinks, it’s what’s for breakfast, and it’s what’s for dessert. Sounds like a little much, right? Well, it would be if there wasn’t an extensive variety. From guanabana to tomate de arbol, there are tons of choices, most of which aren’t even available in the U.S. (much like the naranjilla pictured above).

I won’t comment on what I’ve thought of it much because I’m no authority. However, I will say I’ve tried everything offered and in so many ways I couldn’t even comprehend. Banana chips (exactly like potato chips, but bananas instead), smoothies, juices, milkshakes, ice cream, pie, raw, in yogurt, etc.- they’ve all been different and great experiences. (In case you really are curious, the piña (pineapple) and mora (blackberry) stuff has been my favorite by far.

We should move on to soup. It’s HUGE here. I’ve always hated it in the States, but I promised to be a little more open here with my food choices. Thank goodness for that because almost every traditional meal we’ve had here has included soup as the first course. It’s actually been very delicious in most cases and generally is broth-like with a potato or bit of chicken for substance.

The soup is only the first course. In most meals we’ve had, they’ve at least contained two courses. The second course generally contains some version of corn (there are dozens of varieties served, but my favorite has been Choclo with queso, as evidenced by its destruction in the picture below left).

Dinner also usually features a small portion of vegetables (usually a potato or yuca because both are easily grown in the mountains) and sometimes a small portion of meat (chicken has been very popular, but we’ve also had a jerkey-like meat a few times).

As for my opinion, it’s all been very good. The corn is NOT the same as in the US. You can forget the butter and salt, but the cheese that I mentioned compliments it just as well. The meat is deliciously seasoned, and the chicken is usually baked, not fried. It’s just as delicious though. I’ve been very content with the main courses on the whole.

And now for beverages:

Beer is immensely popular here and comes in two cheap types: Pilsener and Club. They’re served for about a dollar in every store, restaurant, and even hostel with practically no exception.

Water is bottled, and I’ve found that Ecuadorians enjoy club soda just as much as normal water. So, if looking for regular water like in the states, one must ask for agua sin gas (water without carbonation).

Soda is big here too, of course. Coke, made from sugar cane instead of corn syrup, is much better than in the States and seems to be the most popular soft drink. Sprite and Fanta seem to be popular choices too.

Finally, juice, as I said above in the fruit section, is always an option.

Well that’s my run down about food… Buen provecho!

Nick Bratcher