This weekend...

I think it's a really good idea to put a map of the world in your house. I remember when I was little spinning the globe with my eyes closed and stopping it at an unknown point and declaring "that's where I have to go!" Well, not much has changed. When I think of all the places I want to visit, I sometimes get really overwhelmed. But, I met a guy in the hotel this week who has been able to make a living out of his love for travel and adventure and he assured me that with the will to go, I will go. After that we decided we were going to climb Cotopaxi, one of the largest active volcanoes in the world. I think that is on the schedule for next week Thursday. It's an amazing hike because we actually begin the hike at midnight, meaning we arrive (all conditions permitting) at the summit at 6am, just in time for sunrise.

For practice we climbed up Pichincha, a local mountain in Quito which I believe summits at 4,500 meters. We were about 30 minutes from the summit before a massive storm hit and we had to turn around. The altitude makes it incredibly difficult to breathe and move fast. Luckily for me, I have had the time in Quito to acclimate to the altitude a bit making it a little easier for me. We got back to the railway car thing soaked and sore from all of the giant chunks of ice that were showering down on us. To continue with our luck, the railway car stopped in the air for about 30 minutes, 4,000 meters above the ground. When I got back to the hotel I don't think I've ever enjoyed a hot shower so much!

This weekend is going to be huge for me because I am going into the Amazon to witness a workshop on collective rights for a meeting of indigenous people. An oil company is threatening to expand it's block of territory which would affect the Quichua, Achuar, and Shuar nations living on that land. According to international law (which I believe has been ratified by Ecuador), consultation and consent of indigenous people before extracting oil or mining on their land is necessary. BUT, most indigenous peoples do not have the full access to knowledge of their rights, therefore the point of the workshop is to teach them this and if they decide to take legal action against the oil company, to help them organize that as well. There will be a lot to write about on Monday!

Outside of all of this everything in Ecuador is going great for me. My spanish has improved in ways that I still have a hard time believing. I don't end every day with a headache and a stupid English comedy to relax my brain. I'm taking kickboxing classes which makes me feel really powerful and I love releasing all of my aggression with an adrenaline rush. I miss everyone at home a lot and I can't wait to be back in December, but I am also really excited to re-pack to come back in January!