Well, I've been dancing and exploring the island a lot! I was sick for about a week and a half, but I am back on track now. I had a wonderful birthday. We made a vegan meal and ate at our house. The local dance spot, the Iguana Point, is becoming more of a hang out for me. I have been there twice, and I think I am beginning to learn to dance better. The picture on the left is on my birthday of all of my friends here on the island. It was taken in the house next to mine, "The Mission
". It is called this because a Catholic church is right next to our house. We hear church bells every day.. Sometimes a 5 am. My friend Vera and I rode bikes to a wall that was built by prisoners. The island where I am living, Isabela, was once a penal colony. Along the way, we saw many beautiful places. First, we st
opped to look at the water and some iguanas. We visited a popular hang out for the iguanas. The picture to the right is Vera walking around on the volcanic rock. There are a lot of iguanas here, but you can't see them. The picture on the right is me, and behind me is a large iguana. They are such cool animals! Occasionally the iguanas spit salt out of their noses. They do not have access to fresh water, so it is a mechanism for them to stay hydrated with salt water. One iguana spit his salt
on Vera this day. Some people think it's a defense mechanism, as well. These animals are harmless.After checking out the iguanas, we continued on our way to the wall "El Muro" in Spanish. On the way we passed about three turtles. These were just babies, but it was wonderful to see them in
the wild. We also saw a lot of birds and stopped at a lookout.From the lookout (picture on the left), you can see the whole island. It is very beautiful and uninhabited. It makes me realize how far away I am from the rest of the world. It is easy to forget that when you get caught up in the trials of daily life. The town where I live is those small white spots in the photo behind me. The picture on the right
is on the other side of the lookout. There are five volcanoes on this island, and you can see one behind me here.
The next photo on the left is a picture of the wall. I wish I knew more history about the wall, but all I know is that it was built while Isabela was a penal colony in the fifties. It is a little eerie, but
interesting all the same.
I have also been working a lot. Everyday the job is more exciting and challenging. The kids are getting better, and I am becoming re-accustomed to teaching young students again. Although sometimes, my classroom reminds me of a scene from Kindergarten Cop, I do feel like I am making progress with my students.
Today, we had a "company party" with all the teachers in the school. We went to the Highlands, and they cooked a whole pig. Of course, us three vegetarian teachers did not eat any pig, but we did eat four varieties of corn. I must give us credit and say that we all tried the broth of a soup made with pig hearts and intestines! But, none of us made is much farther than eating a piece of yucca. After everyone ate, we all danced for about four hours. It was the longest company party I've ever been too! It lasted eight hours. They boiled orange leaves and added sugar and made a tasty drink with canya, sugar cane liquor.
The video below is us dancing at the party. We danced meringue, salsa, cumbia, bachata, and reggaeton. Moving my hips is still an issue for me, but I am getting better and better. I am taking a belly dancing class with one of my friends, so it is helping me with my hips.
I have discovered that yogurt is great for my stomach, and I have been eating it two times a day everyday for about a week now. Let's hope that this is my stomach's saving grace. I am continuing to enjoy my stay here. I see more dancing in my future. I am going to teach my third yoga class in my series next week. Teaching yoga is going well, but I definitely benefit from having a teacher. My own practice is hurting because I was so sick.. Anyways, Namaste, peace, and love. I hope everyone has a wonderful Halloween.
Anna Erwin
