Day 8, 9, 10: Voting Weekend

This weekend is election weekend in Ecuador, which means that the Working Boys Center is being used as a polling center. Because it is mandatory for all adults to vote in Ecuador, we had time off from service and used the weekend for vacation time. On Saturday, we headed off to Estadio Olimpico: Athualpa for the Liga vs. S.D. Quito game. Because the Liga stadium is so close to our home, we rooted for them despite it being a home game for S.D. Quito across town from the center. We all bought cheap jerseys and sat on the Liga fans' side, where we were surprised to see a huge, screaming crowd. As Liga ran out on the field, the fans unraveled a huge flag which covered an enormous portion of the stands, from the field seats to the nosebleeds. We cheered on as Liga scored the first goal, and after a goal by S.D. Quito the score remained 1-1 until the final whistle. It was a really exciting game and fun to be around the crazy, die-hard fans.

On Sunday, we went to Mindo, a community located near the rainforest. We decided to be adventurous and try zip-lining, which turned out to be a great choice. We took a pickup truck up into the mountains of the Ecuadorian jungle and arrived at a small hut which had helmets, gloves, and harnesses. We had a quick tutorial and soon we were off the platform and flying over the valleys and trees of the rainforest. Ten zip-lines and two hours later, we returned to Mindo feeling incredibly satisfied. We then decided to test out the rivers by going tubing. We split into two groups,and hopped on giant tubes which consisted of 7 inner tubes tied together. We floated over rapids and rocks for a half hour, and took a bus home feeling really happy after our adventurous day. To end the day perfectly, Mr. Heffernan and Mr. Kilroy took us to Crepes & Waffles, where we ate a huge meal and enjoyed the creative ice cream desserts.

Today, we woke up late and decided to go to Medio del Mundo, the Equator. After a short bus ride for less than an hour, we arrived at the Equator. We walked up to the huge monument and entered the museum inside, which held many facts about Ecuadorian culture. We took a bunch of pictures and enjoyed the beautiful day. It was cool to say that we were on both the northern and southern hemisphere at once. We spent the rest of the day playing soccer with the ninos and a match of volleyball. We look forward to another day of shadowing volunteers tomorrow.

-Peter LiVolsi '11 and James Shovlin '10