Nothing rings in your one-year in country celebration like an attempted coup. As I mentioned in a previous post, September was my training group’s mid-service conference. The conference itself was a pretty good time. There was a lot of time to catch up with volunteers, discuss projects, and brainstorm about ways to make our second year of service successful. Once the three-day conference had ended, many of us were instructed to hang out in Quito for an extra day or two for annual health checkups. So as we were kickin it in the hostel enjoying hot showers and cable TV, we got a call from the Peace Corps office saying that there had been some rioting in Quito and that we were not to leave the hostel for any reason. We flipped on the news to see somewhat of a situation developing miles down the road from us. It had been said that earlier that day the president, Rafael Correa, had passed legislation taking away police bonuses and making it significantly more difficult for them to become promoted within the force. So, the cops went on strike. No big deal right? I mean, people strike all the time. Well what made the issue a big deal is that when the police strike some pretty important responsibilities go unfulfilled. Like the security of the country, for example. The airports were closed, department stores were looted, and the president was held captive for the day in a police hospital where, while hanging out of the window, he made dramatic speeches challenging the cops to take him on. No president plus no cops equals raised safety concerns in a country whose two largest cities can be pretty sketch under completely normal circumstances. Not to mention that a coup, if successful would have meant that instead of packing up to head back to site, we would be packing up to head to the airport and back to the United States. The whole ordeal came to a head at the end of the day when the police and the military opened fire on each other. Five officers were killed and about fifty injured as a result. After a day of chaos, however, things just about went back to normal about as fast as they had gone sour. The military took charge of the nation’s security and Correa returned to his presidential palace. We were relieved to receive the news that we would be sent back to our sites early the next morning. Happy mid-service to us!
I also found a puppy sometime around the end of September. She and her brother were up for grabs outside of a school in a friend´s site. She was filthy and flea and tick infested and too adorable not to take home with me. Here is her profile:
Name: Viche Marie
Alias: Viche Maria
Age: Fourish months
Breed: Yes
Nicknames: Princess, Baby Love, Vichecita Mi Hijita Chiquitita
Likes: Dumpster diving, bike rides, the neighbor puppy
Dislikes: Baths, bedtime, leashes
In local news, the bridge that had been being built since I got to site last year is finally finished. It now connects my town with Bahía de Caráquez, the more developed city across the bay, and let me tell you, infrastructure is exciting. There was plenty of hoopla surrounding the completion of the project. The president came out, there were fireworks, as well as an all-night party on the beach. Ecuadorian tourists have been coming in from all over the country to walk the bridge and get a couple of pictures on it. Though this seemed a bit silly to me at first I tried to think of a bridge that I would be excited enough about to take a picture with. The Golden Gate Bridge came to mind which made me think of Full House. Which made me think of that episode when Michelle climbs up on the jungle gym at school to prove that she isn´t a baby after Danny puts her in an embarrassing hat and kisses her goodbye in front of everyone. Once she got up there though, she realized that she really was a baby and needed help down. I think they should have left her up there. The point is I think now I understand the hype. I would totally take a picture on the Golden Gate Bridge. The new bridge is the longest in the country (just over a mile) and connects the entire northern coast of Ecuador making about a two or three hour difference in travel time from before it was built. Here are a few pictures of the bridge festivities:
In just under three weeks I will land in Minneapolis and embark on a 21-day Minnesota vacation. It is hard to stay focused here having home in my sights for the first time in a year-and-a-half. Especially when certain people Skype you eating chocolate pudding saying that you can have some when you make it out to visit them. I mean really? Chocolate pudding? How am I supposed to focus? It’s all good though. For the next 17 days (not that there is a countdown or anything) I will keep my schedule as busy as possible in an attempt to keep my mind off of chocolate pudding and all of the other wonderful things I will consume and fabulous people I will see the beginning of next month. Won’t be long now!
Rodrigo, my bike, was stolen on Friday. Unlike the majority of the time when I lose things, I can’t really kick myself about this one. I had put the bike in my friend’s yard, closed the (lockless) gate and headed to work across the street. When I came back to get it about 4 hours later, the gate was open and Rodrigo was gone. I mean, it was broad daylight and there were people in the house, so whoever took the bike really flippin wanted it. I could not count how many times since I bought the bike last November people warned me that somebody was going to try and steal it. Without knowing it, I had even warned myself in a letter we were told to write to ourselves in training: “…and even though you are a year in don’t get too comfy with your $, camera, etc. because you know that’s when they get jacked.” I think my bike fell under etc. Rod and I had a great one-year run and all I have now are the memories of the places we saw and the time we spent together. So cue P.Diddy’s “I´ll be Missin You” and roll the picture montage of the good times. Here’s to you, Roddy.
Rodrigo Bike, November 2009 - November 2010
