Thursday, April 14, 2011

What's in Your Pack?

So we've been hiking these last two weekend and it's been fabulous. I could go on for ages (and I might in a later post) about all of my gear envy and ESPECIALLY my camera envy that I've been having within our hiking group. But I won't do that right now. Right now, I thought you might want to know what we take with us in our packs. Usually when we're just hiking in Metropolitano, or taking a pack for a day trip, we share one. There's no use in both of us carrying a 1/2 full pack. But yesterday when we hiked Illinizas we both took our own because we needed a little more stuff. So without further a do...

Ryan's Pack

Chapstick with sunscreen

Headlamp

Garbage bag... can't leave it in the forest

Extra bags

Snacks

Dry and clean change of clothes

Lots of water

Warm layers

Rain layer

First Aid
There's some other things in there too. Like keys, cell phone, map, toilet paper. But these are the essentials!

Project Number 2 - Day 36 (Wednesday)

Yesterday I had the first of my 'last classes'. Does that even make sense? I finished a class yesterday. It was one of my private classes with the kids. It was good/awkward. They gave me a present, which I LOVE! They're these hand formed clay figures of indigenous people that have these little napkin holders on them. I was instructed to use them on Thanksgiving, which I will! I brought the little boy and myself treats to eat in class while we did his homework. Then the dad drove me to where the taxi driver was waiting and made me promise that if we EVER came back to Ecuador we would call them. (This is the family that took us to the LIGA game in their suite.) Then I left.

I didn't really eat much because, I think I forgot to.

Breakfast - I made oatmeal with a plantain and some frozen strawberries.

Lunch - I had a Coke and a small bag of papas. Plus then with my student I had a guagua de pan (bread filled with blackberry jam).

Dinner - Ryan and I chatted with Ryan's parents while we were cooking dinner. It was a late one because I had late class and then we had to go to Mega. We contemplated buying a rotisserie chicken but they were $8 and we can get a chicken, rice, soup, and potatoes for $10 at GUS. We decided on pasta, without sauce, fresh veggies and smoked mussels. DELICIOUS but not super fast. I was so hungry that I ate two bowls.