Another Successful Study Abroad to the Coast of Ecuador

 Kristie Guffey was applying the dental sealant
on a young boy in the coastal village school.

 A group of students traveled to Ecuador during the winter session on an agricultural study abroad experience.  There were 18 students traveling along with Dr. David Coffey, Dr. Melissa Stewart, Kristie Guffey and a dentist from Winchester, Kentucky. 

The group left the winter cold of Kentucky for the warm, tropical conditions of the south.  They arrived in the capital of Ecuador and toured the museums, art, architecture, churches, and the culture of Quito.  The group met up with Dr. Rankin Skinner, a dentist from Winchester, in the city of Santo Domingo.  There the students and leaders of the group learned how to administer dental sealant on the teeth of children and adults.  Working with Dr. Skinner and Partners of the Americas, it is the combined goal to improve the overall health of teeth in the children of Ecuador.  The group went to two orphanages, two schools, and a small coastal village to apply the dental sealant and to give each one a toothbrush.  The service learning project was magnified by the overwhelming majority of students who are now donating money, time, and dental supplies to the next study abroad trip that will be leaving on March 2, 2011.

Agriculture freshman, Josh Dennis and Junior, Andrew Peden applying dental sealant. 

The group continued to travel from the magnificent mountains and volcanoes of the Andes to the tropical region and the Pacific coast of Ecuador.  They traveled to a bamboo farm, pineapple, cacao, beef cattle, palm oil, and hearts of palm, fishing villages, local markets, and witnessed a local group of indigenous people in their native culture.  The group wrapped up their experience by walking on the equator and conducting exciting scientific experiments that proved they were in the middle of the world.

 

The entire WKU agricultural group 14,000’ high in the Andes Mountains.

Pre-Pharmacy major, Lashelle Courtney wrapped up our trip with these words, “To see mountains that touch the clouds, to witness farms and plantations of bamboo, bananas and palm oil, to be indulged into lifestyles that are new and different from our own, to touch peoples´ lives and have them touch ours right back, the study abroad trip to Ecuador was the trip of a lifetime.”

 By:  Kristie B. Guffey

           

 

Ibarra

Today found us returning to Ibarra to visit friends and continue our dental program, which was started in 2002.  On our way out of Quito, as we were driving through the Guapalo neighborhood, I thought once again what a beautiful town this really is. The winding streets through this hill town really resemble villages we have seen in Spain. Upon leaving Quito, you travel through mountains that are dry and much like  areas of Africa. After reaching the town of Cayambe, the terrain turns lush and green. The patchwork farms on the sides of the mountains are a lovely site. One thing that strikes everyone as they travel through this part of Ecuador is that fields are planted on the vertical slopes of the Andes. The area is well-known for fresh blackberries and strawberries. A great blackberry syrup, called arrope de mora, is made here, and is awesome on pancakes. 

In Ibarra, we learned that the Rancho Totoral, at Lago Yarguacocha, where we have been staying for a lot of years, had been sold and turned into a private residence. So we lodged at the Hotel Montecarlo in the central part of the city. We shared a great seafood dinner with or friends Nicolas Herrera and his daughter Soly. Afterwards, we walked to the Casa de la Cultura for a private showing of Nicolas' new sculpture installation. Both Nicolas and Soly are artists and both have had shows at Lexington's Central Library Gallery, under the auspices of Kentucky Ecuador Partners. 

After Nicolas finished his exhibition in Lexington, we shipped his paintings to McAllen, TX to the Latin American Museum. He added more paintings to the show, for a total of 50 paintings. His opening there coincided with an International Surgery Conference, which held its opening reception at the museum. Nicolas sold every painting at $5,000 each. He used the proceeds from this event to build his cultural center in Ibarra, a stunning facility high on a hill, with a panoramic view above Lago Yarguacocha. 

In the several years since he was in Kentucky, Nicolas has created monumental sculptures which have been placed in the central parks of the towns of San Gabrial and Gitan in Carchi Province. He has been very successful and now has expanded his cultural center to increase his exhibition space by 120% and also is including a cafe, which Soly will manage. 

The next morning, Miguel Harrington, a friend who has worked with our projects since 1986, hired a truck with racks in the back to take us to schools above La Esperanza. Esperanza is at the foot of the Volcano Imbabura (15,121 ft.). Imbabura, the mother mountain, is held in high regard by the indigenous population, who ask her blessings for abundant crops planted on her sides (when it is raining in the valley, it is said to be Imbabura relieving herself). The local indigenous used to climb Imbabura to collect ice to sell in Ibarra. 

As you leave Esperanza and climb the mountain, you drive through stunning scenery, including eucalyptus forests and a patchwork of planted fields. You realize you have entered a world all its own as everyone here is indigenous. The type of bus these folks have to use is exactly what we are riding in, a truck with sides on the bed. The difference is, in their trucks, there might be 15 or more people. Everyone here still wears their native clothing and don't seem to be affected by outside culture.( At one point on our way back down the mountain that morning, we came around a curve and realized we were following a pickup truck carrying a somewhat small casket along with one of the deceased's family members, surrounded by funeral flowers and leading about 8 other mourners).

Finally, as we climbed higher and higher that morning, the truck began to sputter from lack of oxygen, just as we arrived at the school "El Abra" Our dental program was started here at this school in 2002 and we have seen a lot of success, more restorations in permanent teeth and few cavities and lost teeth. After applying ACP and distributing toothbrushes and beanie babies, we returned to Ibarra for Helado de Paila.

Cuenca

No trip to Ecuador is truly complete without a visit to our favorite city, Cuenca. The flight there is the coolest because you fly right down an avenue of volcanoes. The plane flies so closely over some of them that you feel as though you could reach right out and touch them, or better yet, see into them. Cuenca is 275 miles south of Quito and is Ecuador's 3rd largest city. It has cobblestone streets and various colonial-era churches, plazas and buildings. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site since much of the city's colonial architecture remains intact. Cuenca was the 2nd largest city in the Inca empire, after Cusco in Peru. The foundations of the former Inca palaces became foundations for the city's churches and government buildings. Before the Incas (1400's) the Cañari people had lived here for centuries. They were the first inhabitants of Cuenca, building a city here around A.D. 500, called Guapondeleg. After the Incas conquered them in 1480, the city became Tomebamba, the name of one of the rivers which run through the city. Pizzaro and the Spanish conquered the Incas in 1534, and the city of Santa Ana de los Cuarto Rios de Cuenca was founded in 1557.

We checked into our hotel, The Orquidea, and took off to the Parque Calderon (the most beautiful in all of Ecuador, we think) to people watch and eat ice cream. One of the things we love about Cuenca is her friendly people and great food. Everyone on the street speaks to you, and with a smile. We contacted our dear friend Julio Montesinos, a very talented painter, who arranged a private showng of some of his new work. Donnie bought two paintings to complement his growing art collection. The next day we decided to see the little-known Cañari ruins found 30 kilometers from Cuenca called Cojitambo. We stopped a cab to ask if he could drive us there. He said it would be cheaper to take a van. So he took us to the bus/van stop. We found out the van would take us to other areas which we had already visited, and would only take us to the base of Cojitambo. The ruins are situated at 10,000 ft. Our cab driver tried to negotiate a fare with a 4-wheel drive vehicle, but it was too expensive. Finally, he said he had never seen (or heard of, for that matter) the ruins and would just take us there himself. He was looking forward to the trip right along with us.  This is yet another example of why we  love Cuenca. The city-dwellers love their town so much, and want to share that love with newcomers.

The drive north to the ruins was on a great road (All the rich folks we have talked to simply hate their president, but we have seen truly major improvements in the roads and infrastructure in this country. Could their hatred have anything to do with the fact that they now have to pay their full taxes, which are then used to improve services for the entire populace?) and naturally the  vistas were stunning. One thing which seemed a little ajar to us was there seem to be many new gated communities for retiring gringos. Most don't seem to learn the language or immerse themselves in the culture, which hurts the feelings of the locals. The expats don't, as a general rule, bring the best of what our culture has to offer. 

As we continued on our way, we saw a huge mountain towering over everything around it and going straight up. We soon came to realize the ruins were to be found on this mountain. As we pulled off the main road, we hit what is best described as a goat path. After about 1/2 mile, it got better, then turned into a great road. As we ascended, the view became more and more dramatic. Finally we reached the small community of Cojitambo and asked directions. We were told to keep on going to the very top. The higher we ascended, the less oxygen there was, and the car started coughing and sputtering. Finally, with the car now in first gear, it could climb no further. So we got out and started our climb. We stopped often, first to catch our breath, and second to become yet more breathless by the fantastic view. We were at the highest spot in the entire area and the world was there at our feet. We finally reached the peak of the ruins, with a 360 degree panorama. To the south we could see the entire city of Cuenca, to the east the town of Azogues, to the west the way to the coast, and to the north, Cajas (The Boxes), a national park with over 20,000 lakes. (Yes, that is the correct number. Cajas is a story all its own, but will have to wait for another year). The person in our group who was the most blown away was our driver. He was amazed by the entire experience and loved the fresh air. Cojitambo was built by the Cañari as a defensive fort. They could

Quito

January 19

Quito---After an uneventful trip back from the coast to Quito, the college group and the Skinners, (minus Ruthi, gone to get a decent haircut, and having been on this cool trip before), met to take a ride on El Teleferico. This great cable car was constructed by the Swiss a few years ago. It is a 6-person car which takes folks up the side of the volcano Pichinca which tops out at13,287 ft. It takes about 10 minutes to reach the top at 3,286 ft. and it is really interesting to see the vegetation change as higher altitudes are reached. There was a great view of Cayambe and several other volcanoes, all snow-covered (something the folks back home may be unable to fully appreciate during this horrible winter of '11). At the top, Quito lies before you, surrounded by a line of some 7 volcanoes, simply breathtaking. It makes your heart beat faster in amazement; or it could possibly have been that altitude, us having started the journey at about 10,000 ft! There are many hiking trails which give different perspectives of the city view, as well as horses for rent for those who don't dig on high-altitude hiking. It is so spectacular, you consider never leaving, until the cold starts to seep into your very marrow. If you are ever in Quito, Ecuador, Sud America, this is a treat not to be missed!

In the afternoon, we visited the artist Enrique Estuardo Alvarez. He works in a truly lovely old colonial property owned by an arts foundation in Cumbaya, one of the lovelier neighborhoods in all of Quito. Cumbaya puts one in mind of any town one might encounter in Southern California, complete with the obligatory KFC and Mickey D's.Kentucky Ecuador Partners brought Enrique to our state in 2003 for a show of his paintings at the Lexington Public Library, and workshops at UK, EKU and WKU. Since then, his success has been phenomenal, and prices for his paintings have skyrocketed. He did a public works project in Ecuador called Faces of Ecuador, where billboards of his paintings were placed along the highways. He was also selected by Absolut Vodka to design a bottle cover which was then transferred to black leather jackets, sold only in Switzerland. Technically, his new work is as good as it gets, very cutting edge as well as political. He continues to do Faces of Ecuador and these works evoke a strong emotional response from all who see them. All the students bought books of his work and postcards with reproductions of his paintings.

The Coast

Only about 3% of the population of Ecuador, but about 70% of the population of the coast, trace their roots  to escaped slaves of African origin. These people inter-married with the local indigenous and learned their ways and culture. They established communities along the coast and rivers called Palenques as early as 1550. They were very independent and resisted colonial rule. They brought the Samba and Batucada from their former homes. The combination of the cultures brought about a local traditional music called Currulao.  This music combines drums and marimbas, a xylophone-like instrument of African origin. Coastal folk will dance for hours to the driving beat of this music. Another thing not to be missed on the coast is Encocado, a coconut seafood stew.

The Skinners and WKU students and staff arrived in Atacames late in the afternoon and were given time to make phone calls, use the internet, get water, sunscreen and other supplies. Without sunscreen, you WILL fry!! Atacames, once a small, quiet fishing village with a beautiful beach is now the tourist trap from hell. But, this is where we had to go to stock up on supplies before getting out of Dodge and heading on to the lovely Same, a small village some 15 miles to the south. We checked into the Hosteria El Rampiral. We had private cabañas right on El Pacifico (what you call the Pacific Ocean). We fell asleep with the crashing waves creating their harmony throughout the night. For R&R it brought back memories of 1969-70, when we lived in a beach house in Oceanside, Calif.

The next day we rode in tap-taps, motorcycles with a bench in front seating two, to the adjacent town to the south called Tonchigue. We went to arrange for dinner for the next night for the group at a small restaurant called Francesca's. Not only does Francesca herself serve as the chef of the leading seafood spot in the area, but she is also the hard-nosed sheriff, allowing no drugs or prostitution in her town. Francesa's dream is to make this town a family destination on the coast, allowing just enough tourism without losing the small-town charm and innocence here. The return trip to the hotel was accomplished seemingly on two wheels. Is this where the saying "Hell on Wheels" originated?

Field Trips: Plantains, Bamboo, Palm Oil

We awoke early and were off to inspect a plantain (sometimes mistaken for bananas) plantation. This farm exports most of their product to the U.S.via Bonita. It was interesting to find out that banana plants grow young plants (sort of the way orchids sometimes produce sports) around their base as they get older. The workers select the best new plants and cut down the rest, so it is unneccesary to replant. They recycle the cut materials. As the plant matures, a purple flower will appear, which is the biginning of a stalk of bananas. As the stalk forms bananas, a plastic bag with holes in it is placed over the whole stalk to protect it against insects. We were able to see how the banana tree is cut and the bananas are removed, treated and boxed up for markets in the U.S., Europe and Canada. After a great lunch of swordfish steak, we were off to visit a group of los Colorados Indians.

The los Colorados, more properly called the Tsachilas, are one of the most interesting indigenous groups in Ecuador. There are about 3,000 individuals left, living in 8 communities around Santo Domingo. They are well known for their healers and shamans. Most are farmers and they raise cattle. The men use a thick paste made from the achiote seed to mat down and color their hair. The men wear a knee-length wrap-around skirt, with black and white horizontal stripes, tied at the waist with a red belt. For ceremonies and healings, men and women paint their bodies with horizontal black lines, said to be indicative of the snake or serpent spirit.

We were told of the use of halucinogens to help the healers communicate with their ancestors and to better understand nature. We were allowed to view a mock-up ceremony to bring a young man into adulthood. It takes him 10 years to prepare for this, as he will be drumming and chanting for days to communicate with the spirit world.

Afterward we practiced spear-throwing and dancing. I placed a spear dead center in the target. These were really beautiful people, and it was moving to see how tight the family unit was. It was also very sad, as probably by the time our children are our age, the Tsachilas will probably be no more, their way of life giving over to an ever-expanding world population and more and more "progress".

The next day we headed to a bamboo forest. It is owned by Carlos Penaherra. Carlos was born in Ecuador, but later moved to Ohio, where he graduated from Ohio State, later getting his post-grad from Harvard. He served in Viet Nam. He was an old hippie who developed a passion for bamboo. He returned to Ecuador, where he teaches at the University of San Francisco. He bought a farm in Santo Domingo and converted several thousand acres to bamboo production. He planted many varieties and harvests constantly. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world, growing several feet in a week. His main variety grows in clumps, with the oldest plants, the ones which can be harvested, in the center. This makes the harvest difficult. Hiking though this forest is like taking a trip back in time. It is dead quiet except for the wind and birds singing. One feels very close to nature in a beautiful preserve such as this. Of course, paradise always has serpents, and a bamboo forest is not exempt. There are many bushmasters (fer-de-lance), an extremely poisonous snake here. It is most advisable to wear knee boots and carry machetes, something which we were somehow not told earlier.

Tena: Strangers Entertained

At 7:00 A.M., we left for Tena with Miguel Castañel, on public transport. Aware of how dodgy the bus trips can be in S.A., we knew we were in for an adventure. We stopped in Pifo, Miguel's hometown,to pick up fresh bread (with chocolate in the center, and also with pineapple, Miguel says only his town does the piña) for the trip onward, and to meet his beloved mother. We unfortunately missed her; she is a very devout Catholic, and had already headed to church. But, to our delight, Pifo was in the second day of a 3-day festival celebrating San Sebastian, the town's patron saint. Whoa!!! You already KNOW how the Skinners dig a parade---This should be big. The parade featured groups of dancers, musicians, clowns and, of course, the obligatory local beauty queens. I can still feel the excitement we felt as we just climbed right in and walked among the performers and floats to get lots of photos. What I loved most about this parade was that there were groups of dancers of all ages, from toddlers to a group of grandmas gettin' down! The cutest indigenous kid of about three years was enclosed in a circle dance, boogying with all his family. What a doll! This festival is held every year at the same time. We were told that the entire day on Friday was given over to celebrating the Chagras, Ecuadorian cowboys. Many boys and men were still wearing their chaps from the previous days parades and partying. We will put San Sebastian on our calendars, making sure to take in the whole weekend event next year!

About one block from the corner where we would wait for the bus on to Tena, a young lady of 103 years of age, who had had a birds' eye view of the festivities from her upstairs window, called down to us. Her daughter who was with her told us she was giving us her blessing, and they asked if we would like to come up for a visit. Even though we had no more time to stay and chat, we were reminded of just one more reason we love Ecuador; her people are as beautiful and inviting as the country. While waiting at the bus stop, we bought slices of fresh-cut watermelon, which we ate with our yummy chocolate bread right there on the side of the road. No three- star dining establishment could have made it any better than that.

When the bus arrived, we found seats wherever they were available. While things are quickly becoming more up-to-date even in Ecuador, where you rarely encounter live chickens and even small pigs, and where folks are no longer allowed to use the bus as a moving van (where entire household goods were stacked on top of the vehicle), it still sometimes seems like an every-man-for-himself undertaking. One woman who shared the space with Rankin and Ruthi on the back seat had little space and nothing to hold on to except the small child in her lap. No problem. She just politely leaned over, put her head on Rankin's shoulder, and proceeded to fall fast asleep.

The ride to Tena takes one through a pass in the paramo, over 13,000 ft., the air turning very cold at those heights, before descending into the jungle. Sometimes the bus is held up for several hours until the ice/snow on the road melts, before proceeding through this pass. Condors are regularly seen here, if the clouds are cleared. We passed the lush green Papallacta Hot Springs, where there are many pools heated by volcanic activity. The terrain continued to become more tropical until we reached the edge of the jungle, Tena.

Sealant Project -- part 1

In 1996, while on tour in Ecuador with the rock 'n roll band Beau Haddock and The Highland Rim, our group ended up in Ambato to headline the Fruit and Flower Festival there. Bands and dance troups from all over the world participate in this annual event. While there, we were invited to a private performance of the local university ballet group. Their dance was choreographed to Pink Floyd's The Wall. Ruthi commented on how beautiful the girls were, especially the lead dancer.
After the show, we were invited to a reception, where we met the dancers. To our dismay, we noticed that the prima ballerina had a huge cavity in her upper, front tooth, taking so much from her beauty, as well as,I am sure, from her self-esteem. As a dentist, I couldn't help but realize this lovely, talented young woman would most likely require an extraction within only a few months. Afterwards, Ruthi insisted we had to add a dental component to the volunteer work we had already been doing in Ecuador for nearly ten years.The big question was----What will we do, and how will we fund it?





For several years, we procrastinated because this would require a huge investment in time and money. In all my prior dental health projects (Haiti, Jamaica, Guatemala, Belize and Ecuador), I was unable to do anything but extractions, and could never come close to meeting the needs of the populace in these communities. It was frustrating to think I was doing nothing more than putting out fires. I came to realize more and more that prevention was the only true help, stopping the decay before it starts. So, in 2002, working directly with the Ecuador Minister of Health, we started a Sealant Project, where we provided the sealant material and training for government dentists in 15 clinics
in Ibarra and several surrounding communities, and 15 clinics in Quito.This was a partnership among the Minister of Health, the government dentists, the schools they supported, the parents, and Kentucky Ecuador Partners. Ruthi and I would provide the sealant material, and the government dentists would place them. The second year, on discovering that these children did not even have toothbrushes, we realized we sort of had the cart before the horse, so provided toothbrushes, which we obtained at a reduced rate from Darby Dental Spencer Meade, a dental supply house from whom we purchase our supplies for our own office.

In order to be successful, we realized we would need several components to this program. The dentists would place the material and every six months, under the pretense of checking to see that the sealants were still in place, they would see the kids back in their offices, clean and check their teeth and add fluoride into the process at the same time. The principals of the schools instituted a daily brushing program and included a dental health education program into their curriculum. Then, both the dentists and the schools began educating the parents. Most of the parents were subsistence farmers, with little or no education ,but loved their children just as we love ours, and wanted to help the kids in whatever ways they could. During the last year of this program, a new product for preventive dentistry entered the market. It was a new fluoride varnish with ACP (Amorphous Calcium Phosphate), manufactured by Premier Dental. This was destined to become one of the best preventive dental materials to ever enter the market. The ACP, when added to the Fluoride Varnish, causes the teeth to absorb 200% more fluoride than a regular fluoride treatment.

A Trip Report by Marcelo Carrera

NOTA DE PRENSA DEL VIAJE RALIZADO POR MARCELO CARRERA AL ESTADO DE KENTUCKY DESDE EL 28 DE AGOSTO AL 11 DE SEPTIEMBRE DEL 2010.

La visita tuvo como objetivo “Desarrollar profesionalmente el conocimiento acerca de los recursos naturales para la gestión sostenible y establecer directrices para el mejoramiento del BioParque Amazónico La Isla, de la ciudad de Tena, ubicado en la región amazónica de Ecuador.

El intercambio de experiencias y el conocimiento de trabajos similares en educación e interpretación ambiental en el cual se ven beneficiados la sociedad y en especial los niños y jóvenes fue otro de los objetivos.
Con estos antecedentes las visitas fueron realizadas a los siguientes Centros:
El Lexington Mac Connell Springs, Arboretum de la Universidad de Kentucky, Pine Montain Settlement School, Flat Lick Elementary School aquí hubo dos presentaciones acerca del trabajo desarrollado en Ecuador a estudiantes de quinto y sexto grado.

Rave Run Interpretive Center - Salato Wildlife Center - Gladie Visitor Center. Daniel Boone National Forest. En la Universidad de Kentucky se impartió una charla sobre Recursos Naturales de la amazonía ecuatoriana




Compartir experiencias no solamente fue en el aspecto ambiental sino también en lo cultural y lo histórico Bluelick State Resort Park y experiencias en la recolección de frutos en Red Valley Orchads.
En Indianapolis – recorrido por 100 acres, Parque Ecológico y Ambiental. Y el Zoo de Indianapolis.
La segunda parte de la experiencia se desarrolló en Bowling Green
Visita al Dale Hollow Lake - National Fish Hatchery - Lost River Cave - Kentucky Down Under - Mammoth Cave National Park.

En el Campus de Glasgow se impartió clases sobre lenguaje y cultura Ecuatoriana por tres ocasiones.


En WKU de Bowling Green se difundió dos clases adicionales, incluida al programa de líderes de la Universidad.
Visita al Zoo de Luisville, fue una experiencia sumamente interesante, pues allí se pudo conocer de cerca el manejo de animales, sus dietas y los protocolos de manejo de fauna, algo similar posee el BioParque La Isla con un pequeño centro de rescate animal.

The Score and More From Rankin and Ruthi

For those interested in the soccer score, the Imbabura tem defeated the national tem 1 to 0.The entire game was accompanied by the oldest brass band in the free world, who only knew one song.The magic of the Andes only added to the excitement of this game. The play was VICIOUS!!! After the game, Dr.David Coffey picked us up in Otavalo where he was touring with 22 students from Western Kentucky University, and we returned to Quito.

The next morning we were off to Santo Domingo. We will go from 12,500 ft. down to 300 ft. above sea level. As we descend, the terrain changes dramatically. It is exactly like views from Romancing The Stone, this incredible green vegetation and dramatic waterfalls at every turn. The temperature in Santo Domingo is much warmer and humid.

Santo Domingo is located in the lowlands on the western slope of the Andes. It is a major transportion hub connecting the coast with Quito and the rest of the country. It is also the center of some of the most productive agricultural land in Ecuador. They grown palm oil, pineapples, cacao, bananas, plantain, and various other fruits and vegetables. The city gets its name from the local indigenous group the Tsachilas, who paint their hair a bright red, using an achote paste. The Spanish call them The Los Colorados (translates The Colored Ones). When the area was colonized, they were converted by the Dominican priests and the town was called Santo Domingo Los Colorados.


After checking into our hotel, we were off to the local hospital where we learned much about the increase in Diabetes since the introduction of Coca Cola and KFC (Thank you, U.S., you shouldn´t have). We met with Dr. Leonardo Oviedo, who has been to Kentucky many times, and works with several groups, including Partners and Shoulder-To-Shoulder. Later we went to a farm, Finca de San Antonio, owned by a local agricultural college. It was initially owned by one man, but was confiscated by the federal government after he was convicted of drug trafficing. It hs 22,000 acres and that is not one of my normal exaggerations. They raise beef cattle, have a dairy, raise pineapples and various fruits. It is a major farming industry. They make about $750,000 per year on the pineapple alone. Most is exported to the U.S. and Europe. We cut pineapple in the fields and ate it right there. It was sooooooo delicious. It doesn´t get fresher than this. The rest of the farm is covered with tropical vegetation and has a river running through the center, with various types of fish and small alligators. The alligators are employed to keep the water clean. When Ruthi saw all these rivers around this farm, she was GREEN with envy.We returned for a reception at the radio-television station Zarcay. Our host was the owner Holgar (pronounced Ohare) Valestequi, who is a WKU grad. He spoke of the political perspectives of the coastal area and the infiltration of the Colombian cartel, using Ecuador to launder their money. We fell into bed exhausted.


We´re keeping all our friends and family in our thoughts and prayers, and hope you will do the same. We´ll be baaaaack,

--
Rankin and Ruthi

Winter in Ecuador

It was the spring of 1989. I had several Partners  projects under my belt and had spent enough time in Ecuador to have fallen in love with the people and the country. I was determined to learn more about the Indigenous flute music of the Andes, as it touches me to my core. The more I studied and listened to the music, the more I realized I had some sort of cosmic connection to it. I decided that my next project would be to bring an indigious band to Kentucky for a series of concerts. The big question was how do you find the best band to bring? The answer became obvious, a battle of the bands. We did our publicity and had a series of regional playoffs in Ecuador, with the winner competing in the fall of that year over a three day weekend in Ibarra. Ibarra is the sister city with Winchester, Kentucky. One band really stood out. Not only were they excellent musicians, they had developed instruments from garden hoses, pvc pipe and a rams horn. Also they garnered attention because they wore their hats backward. To make a long story short, this band won. The band, Americamanta, came to Kentucky the next spring and opening at the Kentucky Centre for The Arts, then hitting the College circuit. Americamanta won freinds and fans wherever they played. Before the trips to Kentucky, none of the band members had ever flown, most had never left their home town of Otavalo.



 One of the leaders in the group was Jaime Yacelga. He would tour Europe with the band and turned Americamanta into a success story. In the US, they have recorded six CDs and are in high demand for festivals across the country. Over the years, as he toured in the US, he would visit in KY where our friendship developed. The band felt comfortable staying with us and we all looked forward to private concerts for our family and friends. Eventually, Jaime would bring his new wife Emma, where she and Ruthi would become fast freinds. Ruthi taught her to drive and to cook KY meals. After the birth of their first child, Aliyah, they asked that we become the girl's godparents. We traveled to Ecuador aware that our relationship had converted from friends into family. Anytime we walk in Otavalo people address us as compadre and comadre. We all stay in touch with regular phone calls and emails.





 Now, here we are in Otavalo again, my brother Donnie and sister-in-law Roberta are to be god parents to Jaime and Emma´s second child, Raisa. Last night we went to a local pena and heard friends of Jaime play. The sound of those deep flutes still resonate in our minds. I feel like I am home, connected to this place by love and friendship. The christening will take place in El Quinche, about 80 kilometers from Otavalo. The church was built in the 1500´s after the Virgin appeared to bring a message of hope and faith. The Virgin of Quinche is highly reveared by the indiginous of Ecuador. Thousands of people come every week to pray for help, love, business etc.

 When we arrived at the church we were seated for mass. Afterwards about 400 people stood in the aisles with photos of family members, keys to new cars, and business cards to be blessed. Then came Quinceanera and two weddings. Finally, we were escorted to a back room with 10 other families for the christenings. Even though the whole experience reminded me of a goat rodeo, when it came time for Donnie and Roberta to become Padrino and Madrina, there was this incredible sense of spirituality that transended the chaos.




Afterwards we returned to Otavala for a familty dinner and celebration. One of the surprises for us was the reunion of several of the old members of Americamanta who performed together. There was also folk dancing, hip hop and dancing into the wee hours of the morning. I am going to have to go on just a few hours of sleep as there is an under 20 soccer game at 11:00 a.m. against the national team.

Abrazo fuerte.

> Rankin and Ruthi in Ecuador