Paige Blog #10


1) What was your favorite part of Bella Vista and why?  

For me my favorite part of Bella Vista was walking through the mountain and looking for interesting things that I had never seen before. I have learned to enjoy the journey and especially on this hike I wanted to not overlook the small things. I was humbled by our tour guide because every time we asked him a question, he generously came back to where we were and explained whatever it was! Patrick was so knowledgeable and willing to teach it made my experience so great! I loved looking up as I was walking at the canopy of trees filled with birds flying about and the sun peering through holes on the leaves of the tree. 

It was incredible to find flowers and mushrooms that were such vibrant colors. I can not believe that nature produces a flower that is neon orange, or a leaf that is blood red! It shows me how incredible our earth is, and how important it is for us to work to preserve it. This is a piece that really surprised me about Ecuador in general! The fact that a developing country realized its acts of deforestation was detrimental to the country and decided to act, is incredible to me! Reaching the waterfall was so rewarding but the whole climb made the experience amazing! 
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Here I am at the base of the waterfall after going completely under it! Freezing, yet exhilarating! 

2) What was the biggest challenge you encountered in the cloud forest, and how did you overcome it?  
A challenge for me in the rainforest was to think about what this place was possibly like before the land was farmed for its lumber or 'colonized' by outsiders. As I previously mentioned I was so amazed by the beauty of nature. I could reach down into the stream and have a handful of mountain fresh water, which was incredibly refreshing! I looked up and saw a magnificently blue sky. These sort of sites I am grateful to have experienced. Yet, I am fearful for what the future of these places will be as we continue down this path of our own planets destruction. 

Throughout the hike I thought about Rita and the Tales of a Female Nomad where she threw her trash in the street or when she chose not to impose a practice of selling the locals goods at a market in town. It is such a hard line for me personally between respecting culture and knowing that coal, fossils fuels, burning garbage and all of the other things United States has done and learned is negative towards the earth. When is it appropriate to educate locals about the process of recycling, because it is very well possible they never would have known that plastic can get melted down and re shaped into new containers. I throughly worry about our earth and how we are so far away from making it a greener and healthier place.  

To be completely honest I have not yet overcome this conflict I have. I remind myself that their culture is different, not worse or better, just different than my own. However, it is still a conflict since we all share this earth and we need to protect it for the future. This is something I would love to talk about more so that I am able to process it and have recommendations for ecological improvements throughout the world. 

3) How has your thinking about culture and communication changed this week, and what would you like to accomplish next week?
Something I would like to work on this upcoming week is doing things more in line with what the locals would do. I want to go to restaurants they would go to and see things they would normally do. I feel as if a lot of what we have done is tourist things, which I have greatly enjoyed and feel we need to do for the full Ecuadorian experience. However, I would like to do more local things and less tourist things. I will accomplish this goal by talking to my taxi drivers, asking more questions at the dinner table and listening more to locals conversations and ask to hear their thoughts on certain things. 

In terms of my beliefs on culture and communication I would say they have changed by be becoming more aware of their power. Previously I was aware my nonverbal communication was important and that I was sending a message. However, after just sitting at the dinner table i have learned that I may not be involved in the conversation through contributing words, but by being fully engaged, laughing and actively listening I am communicating to my family that I am interested in what they are saying. In a culture that I am not a member of nonverbals are vitally important for me to have a positive experience. Cultures around the world are all so different and I am so grateful that I have this opportunity to learn about this one here in Ecuador. Tonight our host mom let us make her family's famous cookies, which was an honor because she sells them to local restaurants around town. I felt included in the culture and as if I too was a member of this family. 

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In this photo I am making the cookies! 

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