Por fin...

First of all, let me apologize to those of you who are avid Ecuador blog readers. I realize it’s been well over a month since my last post (probably closer to 2 months) and I have yet to update anyone on the goings-on of Macas. The past couple of months have been a little hectic and updating the blog hasn’t really been at the top of my priorities. But hopefully crazy times have passed and I’ll be able to start writing with more frequency.

The most exciting news would have to be that I finally got an apartment!!! Peace Corps policy requires volunteers to live with a host family for the first 3 months we’re in-site. Tack this onto our first 3 months in-country, where we were also required to live with a host family, and we’re talking about 6 months of little to no privacy. I was fortunate to have 2 amazing families, and I really enjoyed my time with both of them. However, since I’d been living on my own for close to 5 years before joining PC, I had gotten used to my independence and I was ready to have it back. Actually finding an apartment turned out to be a little harder than anticipated.

Within my organization here in Macas, I’ve been working on a huge mapping and zoning project that has required me to spend a great deal of time in a town called Puyo, which is about 3.5 hours (120 km – the roads here are awful) from Macas. Basically, I spent the month of July sleeping on the floor of my fellow Peace Corps friend’s apartment in Puyo. Obviously since I wasn’t in Macas, I couldn’t look for an apartment. Luckily, another PCV who lives in Macas, Ryan, came to the rescue. Ryan is with the youth and families program and has been in Macas for over a year. He basically became my surrogate realtor and spent a good amount of time looking for an apartment for me. About once a week I would get a call from Ryan, updating me on what he’d found and when I would be back to look at something. After a month of searching and a few disappointments (I learned that “I’ll hold the apartment for you” really means “I’m going to rent this out to someone 5 minutes after you leave, even though I promised you I wouldn’t let anyone else see it until next week”) Ryan and I finally found a great apartment. It’s got 2 bedrooms, incredibly high ceilings, and an amazing view of Sangay. It also has floor-to-ceiling windows in my bedroom and the living room, which make for great views (and very bright mornings). All the credit should definitely be given to Ryan since he not only found the place, but also helped me buy everything a PCV needs to survive alone for 2 years. These necessities include: a bed, a bed frame that Ryan and I built, a stove, a gas tank to attach to the stove, some dishes and other kitchen utensils, a plastic table, and some plastic chairs. I also built some shelves to house all my clothes. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s actually more than I had in the apartment I was living in before coming to Ecuador, so I feel pretty set. It’s also a very nice apartment in a great neighborhood, so I definitely lucked out. It has been great finally having my own space and cooking my own meals.

Speaking of meals...

I know my blogs seem to revolve around food, but those of you who know me know that my entire life revolves around food so this is nothing new. One of the great, and worst, things about living with a host family is you have all your meals provided for you. This is great because I was getting a variety of delicious meals, but bad because the portions were HUGE and I always felt bad if I didn’t eat everything on my plate. Life on my own is a little different. Not only am I an inexperienced chef whose main cooking repertoire in college involved anything from a can that could be heated in 5 minutes, I am also living on a strict budget that doesn’t allow for many splurges. That being said, I will now provide you all a list of common Marcie meals:

• Rice and tuna – an Ecuadorian classic. I never knew just how delicious a can of tuna, a cup of white rice, diced tomatoes and onions, and a squeeze of lime could be. I have this at least 5 times a week. Plus, I can get enough tuna, rice and veggies to last me a week for under $5.
• Eggs – great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. These protein-packed, potential chickens are great scrambled or fried, and add a nice bit of flavor to a plate of rice. Cost: less than $1 for a dozen eggs.
• Fruits and veggies – definitely the best part about Ecuador. All produce is fresh and incredibly cheap. I always have a plethora of papaya, tomatoes, avocados, apples, carrots, onions, and just about every other fruit or veggie you can think of.
• Bread – Ecuadorians love their bread, and I don’t blame them. As I’ve mentioned before, there are bakeries on every corner. And since a roll is about 10 cents, bread has become a staple in my diet.
• Condiments – I never knew just how delicious mustard, jelly or any other type of spread could make an otherwise bland meal. Mayonnaise is definitely the most popular down here, but since I’m not a big mayonnaise fan, mustard has become my topping of choice. My new favorite meal: mustard and tomato sandwiches. Don’t mock it until you try it. I bought a jar of mustard and 5 rolls yesterday for less than $1. Delicious and frugal.
• Granola and yogurt – my one splurge during the week. A huge jug of yogurt, some granola, and fresh fruit are my typical breakfast items. Granola is a little more on the expensive side (about $3 a bag) but it lasts me 2 weeks and is well worth it.

All in all, living on my own again has been great. I don’t have much furniture and my diet isn’t too varied, but it’s been wonderful having my independence again. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.