Candy: Although there is really good sugar cane taffy here, not at all enough M&Ms. No York peppermint patties, or Twizlers. How do the people live like that? ). Definitely no Halloween. America: all candies are plentiful Winner America   Toys: America: Beanie Boos (for those who don’t know, my fav stuffed animal of all…

We’ve settled into our new home in San Pablo del Lago, a small village just outside of Otavalo, in the Andean highlands of Ecuador. When I say settled in, I mean we’ve rented our own diesel pick-up truck and started riding in the back, we take morning walks to the local outdoor market, we pluck…

Sitting at approximately 9000 feet above sea level at the feet of 4 volcanoes (3 inactive, one dormant) is the beautiful town of Otavalo, Ecuador. The beauty of Otavalo stems not just from the glorious surrounding but also from the warmth and smiles of the Quichua indígenas who make up a large proportion of the…

  After a month in the beautiful country of Ecuador and 14 years in the amazing country that is the great U.S. of A, I have decided to draw some comparisons for our less traveled readers. I’m not technically advanced enough to make a flow chart so bear with me.  Lets begin with the sole topic which has…

When the kids were younger, I always thought they seemed happiest when we were staying in a small apartment or hotel room where they could always see, or at least hear, us nearby. They could call out for Mom or Dad, and there we were, right on cue. As they became teenagers, things changed, as…

While we felt certain that all of the insects and animals of the jungle were trying to kill us, we get a completely different vibe in the Galápagos. The markedly larger animals – on the land, in the sea, and in the air – in the Galápagos barely acknowledge our existence. The huge lumbering giant…

(Galapagos: the Creatures is still a work in progress.) The Ecuador mainland is the closest launching point for the Galapagos, but it still seems worlds away from mainland life. Two flights (with a delay for erupting Cotopaxi within view of the Quito airport), bring us to the island of San Cristobal. A quick jump into…

Every night at dinner, our job assignments for the next clinic day are read. About 25 of us:  Mimi, Mckenna, the USF pre-med students, and I, rotate through each station throughout the week. Some jobs, such a medical history, and translator are limited to those of us who are bilingual, but everyone takes a turn…

The other night, Ariana, our trilingual, patient-yet-firm brigade leader, asked us if we would be willing to make an after dinner house call. Bring your emergency packs and wear boots, we are walking there, she told us. Two drunk teens had collided while moped riding on a local “road”.  Although they lived close to each…

Five months ago I basically invited myself and my 15 yr old daughter, McKenna, on the Goldsteins’ first volunteer stop of their nine month trip –to Chontapunta, Ecuador. Little did I know what I was getting us into! After 9 days of sweltering heat, torrential downpours, mud, terrifying insects, and clothes that may never be…