Journals from Abroad – Page 40 – Linfield students studying around the world

November 12, 2018April 7, 2021

Episode 6: Poland

Seeing as though my last blog was about a school trip I thought it would be fitting to write about another school trip. This time it was to Krakow, Poland. DISCLAIMER: Before I begin I would like to warn anyone reading this, I will be discussing and sharing photos of the former concentration camp Auschwitz and if you do not feel comfortable or want to read or see these things it is alright to stop when it says Auschwitz in bold letters. But other than that lets begin with Poland.

Now Poland is not somewhere I would have ever thought I’d go but boy oh boy am I sure glad I did. Not only is it absolutely beautiful, but it has some of the BEST dumplings I’ve ever had in my life. Yes I said that and yes they are the best. While we were there, the weather was not the greatest but it also set a mood that felt like fall, finally. And for some reason it made the trip much better.

On Thursday the 18th of October we took the night train. This may sound so cool, and it kind of was, but at the same time, it was not the slightest bit comfortable. It’s something everyone should experience and honestly, if I had a choice I would totally do it again because it beats traveling all day. Overall, the traveling was not bad! We arrived in Krakow around 7am and made our way to our hotel where we left our bags and ate breakfast. Around 10 am we headed out for our first tour of the old town in Krakow. What makes this part so beautiful is the large park surrounding the town. This park used to be part of the fortification walls that surround Krakow for most of its existence. While we were there, the leaves were changing color and everything felt so peaceful. We made our way through the old town and stopped at the old university museum where we got a tour of the inside. Interestingly the outside has this clock that at certain times of the day (I don’t remember which times) it goes off and out comes little figurines and go around in a circle. Now this may not sound significant, but in Krakow it was and it was quite a sight to see.

Here is the group just outside of the castle!

Eventually we made it into the center of the town where there was a long row of markets (that were amazing) and of course, a huge church. Now with this church came something that everyone should experience. Every hour on the hour, the window of one of the towers opens up and a man plays the trumpet for all of the town to hear. He plays what is called St. Mary’s Trumpet Call four times, in each cardinal direction (North, East, South and West). This call is a five note anthem that supposedly came about during the Mongol invasion and a trumpeter sounded an alarm playing this tune. However the trumpeter was shot before he could finish and therefore the call is only 5 notes. At the end of the call, the trumpeter sticks his hand out the window and waves to everyone in the streets. Now this is something so amazing and unique that I never expected to see or even hear of and it is something everyone should experience. We ended the day with some lunch/dinner where I had some amazing dumplings, of course.

A photo from the garden area of the Castle with a view of the church.

Ana and I all bundled up inside the castle walls.

The next day we headed up to the castle and had an amazing tour of the church inside the castle and parts of the actual castle. Later that day we made our way to Auschwitz.

AUSCHWITZ

Auschwitz is a former concentration camp from World War II and is known as one of the biggest. There are two parts of Auschwitz, Auschwitz 1 and Birkenau Auschwitz 1 holds many barracks and areas where some of the SS Soldiers had slept as well as the prisoners of the camp. During the tour they took us through a few of the barracks. In the first barrack they shared photos of the prisoners and maps of the grounds. The next barrack is where we saw the suitcase, the shoes, the dishes, and the hair of the prisoners. Each of these things had a certain impact on me and the hair is what impacted me the most. They requested that no photos be taken of the hair out of respect. To end our tour of Auschwitz , they showed us one of the gas chambers.

We then headed to Birkenau. Birkenau was the largest area of the Auschwitz concentration camp and is split into three parts, the women’s side, the men’s side and then there was a third section that was never actually finished. When you walk through the gates you are immediately walking where prisoners of Auschwitz had walked. The guide took us along the pathway where newly arrived prisoners were sorted into two sections, able and not able. Able as in able to work. Many of the women and children were put in the not able section, because they had not wanted to leave their children. Here they were lied to and told they were going to take showers, but were actually sent to the gas chambers. The tour guide then took us to the memorial area where they have a memorial stone in every language that was recorded there.

The memorial for all the victims of Auschwitz.

After this we saw what was left of the gas chambers, which were burnt to the ground by both Nazi soldiers and the workers of the camp. We then headed into the women’s side of the camp where we saw their sleeping barracks. Often 6 to 8 people were fit into a bunk. This concluded the tour. This tour of Auschwitz was not something I’d ever thought I’d do, but now that i have, i highly recommend everyone to at least visit a concentration camp. It is important to remember what happened and make sure it never happens again.

One of the two gas chambers in Birkenau.

The last day in Poland, we went to the Salt Mines which I have to say were pretty awesome. You could actually lick some of the walls and taste the salt! I’m not sure how far down the salt mines go. However I do know that they are something everyone should see!

Michaela licking the wall of the salt mine!

That’s much like all of Europe.

So far this trip has been an eye opening and amazing experience in which I encourage everyone to try and do.

November 6, 2018April 7, 2021

Fall in the Chinese Capital

As the last warm breaths of the Chinese Summer ceased, the landscape here at Peking University (also called “Beida” (北大) for short) began to change with the seasons. The trees around Beida’s famous Weiming Lake transformed from a vibrant green to a glowing yellow as the century-old koi fish began revealing themselves near the edges of the popular body of water. After seeing Shanghai for the first time, my good friend Ivy, a bright student from American University, and I decided to explore more local and authentic locations in Beijing.

We began our adventures by traveling to some of Beijing’s most famous hutong (胡同) neighbourhoods. Hutong neighbourhoods, which are essentially small alleyways made up of homes and shops (hutong roughly translates to alley in English), once made up the majority of Beijing’s total area. However, many hutongs have been lost to the construction of things like subway lines, roads, and new apartment buildings. Despite this, many hutongs remain, such as the Nanluoguxiang hutong near the Beijing Bell and Drum towers. Nanluoguxiang was built during the Yuan Dynasty and has endured the last 1,000 or so years. Nanluoguxiang was filled with people, primarily tourists, as well as the smells of truly incredible food. I noticed the famous Beijing Jianbing (a pancake-like dish with eggs) being sold all over the hutong, as well as a disproportionate amount of people speaking the local Beijing dialect of Chinese.

After we explored the hutong, Ivy and I climbed the tall steps to the top of the Beijing Gulou (北京鼓樓), or Beijing Drum Tower. In ancient times, bell towers were used in Chinese cities to signal time, much like clock towers in the West, while drum towers were primarily used to signal different events occuring in the city, usually involving the Emperor or other government or public events. Many Chinese cities still have their drum and bell towers, and of course Beijing is no exception. The bright red tower is truly stunning, and it manages to work itself nicely into the local landscape. The towers stairs have to been the steepest stairs in the world; one tumble down those and I think anyone would be a goner, so climb carefully! After reaching the top, the proceeding view of Beijing is truly stunning. While it was rather polluted the day we went, it was still worth the hike up to the top.

The two of us also returned to Yuanming Yuan (圓明園) which we had explored together in the end of Summer. Yuanming Yuan, or the Old Summer Palace, is right next to Peking University, making it easy to visit. While the Palace was gorgeous in the Summer, I almost like it better during the Fall. The yellow colours and dead grass go hand-in-hand with the ruins there.

Other than exploring Beijing, I have had great opportunities to get to know my teachers more and more as well as make more friends. After a language exercise at my comprehensive class teacher’

s university, we all had lunch with her and managed to talk and get to know her a bit more. It’s truly an amazing experience to make new friends and get to know people in your second language! Our teachers and us students have really gotten close over the semester, with inside jokes and being made daily. Hardly a day goes by without the class busting out laughing at least once.

So far, Beijing has yet to disappoint. I just hope I can see all there is to see in the time I have, which is already going so fast. The more time I spend here, the more my behavours and mindset begin to shift towards the Chinese perspective. It makes me wonder what it will be like to return to Linfield in May!

November 5, 2018April 7, 2021

Peru

Up until now my blog posts have consisted of the wave of emotions and the unexpected epiphanies that studying abroad in Chile have induced, but I just got back from Peru and it deserves a story of its own.

Before I even knew where in South America I was going to be studying, I knew I had to see the ancient Incan pueblo and ruinas of Machu Picchu while I was here.

Preparation—

The month leading up to the trip, I’m not going to lie, was stressful. Nothing but our plane tickets were in order, and those who know me know I’m a compulsive planner. I don’t usually opt to ‘figure things out when we get there’ or leave things up to chance, and this has especially been the case traveling throughout South America with my less than perfect Spanish.

Booking plane tickets and making hostel reservations was the easy part. Buying the entrance passes to Machu Picchu, however, took a couple of tries. Luckily my host brothers, Gabriel and Diego, had gone at the beginning of August, and directed me to the official Ministerio de Perú website, where tickets are much cheaper than the ones many tourists purchase through travel agencies. We bought our tickets only five days in advance because we kept having problems with our cards getting declined and the site malfunctioning. I obviously recommend buying tickets much earlier in advance than we did.

Thursday, October 25—

We left our home city of Chillán at 3:15 am on bus and arrived in Santiago at 9 am, early for our 2:15 pm flight to Lima, Peru. The four hour flight was long, especially because none of us had really slept in over a day. We finally landed in Cusco at 8 pm. We found a taxi that doubled as a Machu Picchu transport service at the airport, and after haggling for a little with Pedro, the friendly driver, we decided to book our trip with him.

Augustin & Mel on the way to the airport

The thing about Machu Picchu is that it’s about 46 miles from Cusco. So travelers still have to find their way to the Machu Picchu pueblo of Aguas Calientes from Cusco, either by train, bus or van.

Friday, October 26—

We woke up at 6:30 am to catch our van to a little pit stop along the way to Machu Picchu called Hidroeléctrica. From there it’s about seven miles to Aguas Calientes, but it’s only accessible by train or on foot. So we walked along the train tracks.

Augustin, Mel & I at the beginning of the train tracks

The views of the Peruvian jungle from the tracks were unlike anything I’d ever seen before. I thought I was accustomed to the mountains being from central Idaho, but I was absolutely in awe of the deep green, plush landscape that felt like it was completely engulfing me.

After almost three hours of walking along the tracks in the on-again-off-again rain, we finally reached Aguas Calientes. That night we ate traditional Peruvian lomo saltado and headed to our hostel early to prepare for the next day.

Saturday, October 27—

We started hiking to Machu Picchu at 4:30 am. Because our tickets were in the first circuit, from 6am to noon, we wanted to take as much advantage of our time slot as we could. The hike to the entrance point took an hour and a half, and it was all stairs at a steep incline. You know how in basketball or volleyball or softball when your coach makes you do stairs, your legs burn after like three minutes? At some points I thought I wouldn’t make it to the top.

Once we were actually there, I stood with my jaw dropped at my vantage point and marveled at the Incan ruins. I remember thinking about the people who once lived there, how strong and innovative they must have been. How is it possible that something this grandiose even exists in the world?

Machu Picchu, one of the seven wonders of the world

After we descended through the ruins and got pretty friendly with some lamas, we made our way up the grand montaña Machu Picchu. This was probably the hardest trek I’ve ever done in my life, especially after the already strenuous hike earlier that morning. We climbed the over 2,000 stairs in an hour and 45 minutes, reaching an altitude of 10,111 feet.

Just a little bit prior we were here in the ruins

and then a few hours later we climbed so high we could barely even see the them.

In total that day we walked 15.5 miles, took 35,631 steps and climbed 265 flights of stairs.

Sunday, October 28—

On Sunday morning we shopped around the little vendors in Aguas Calientes, before heading southeast again for seven miles along those train tracks. At 3 pm our van came to pick us up in Hidroeléctrica, and when we finally got back to Cusco at 10 pm. My legs felt like they might not even last me the rest of the night.

Monday, October 29—

We left our Cusco hostel early to catch our 8:45 am flight to Lima, and didn’t land in Santiago until 6:00 that evening.

Now it’s Tuesday and I’m writing this at a friend’s house in Santiago (who studied abroad in my home state almost four years ago) reflecting on my journey while he’s in class. My ankles are swollen, my muscles burn, and my legs and arms are adorned with mosquito bites, but I have never felt so alive. Peru is the best thing I’ve ever done, even through all the rain and rigor.

Nos vemos pronto,

Camille

October 31, 2018April 7, 2021

Life in Nottingham

A little over a month into our time here, and it feels like the semester is flying by. With so much that I want to see and so many places to go, we are trying to make the most of our time by exploring whenever possible.

Although classes are well underway, I only have one class each day allowing me plenty of time to go into town and find a new café, wander around the city, or go to a restaurant for some food that’s better than what the dining hall serves.

Old Market Square, Nottingham City Centre

Unlike at Dillin Hall, we have only one option every night: you either eat the vegetarian entrée or the one with meat. Unfortunately, as a vegetarian, this leaves me with one choice every night. Although the quality of food is comparable to Dillin, the lack of options makes me less than enthusiastic. Like Linfield we have meal card money, aka “daily bites”, that allows us to buy food from the coffee shops, restaurants and bars on campus. This is a life saver when dinner just doesn’t sound that good, but I don’t want to leave campus or spend real money.

Last weekend we “played tourist” in Nottingham. We went to Nottingham Castle, found the Robin Hood statue and visited the oldest inn in England- Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem.

Carmen, Sarah and I at the Robin Hood Statue in Nottingham

If you don’t know, the legend of Robin Hood takes place in Nottingham and the Sherwood Forest. When I was still in the States and I told people that I would be in Nottingham they always mentioned Robin Hood, so I decided I had to find the statue as photographic proof that I was living where he once did. The statue is right outside the castle, which, unfortunately, is under construction until 2020.

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is the oldest bar in England, established 1189 AD. It is built into the side of a cliff next to the castle and is said to be where King Richard the Lionheart and his men gathered before heading to Jerusalem. The bar has its history splattered on the walls, from swords to paintings.

The oldest bar in England- Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem

During the week we also visited the Wollaton Deer Park, which is right across the street from campus. The park is amazing, with expansive grounds, a pond and a private golf course. Wollaton Hall, better known as Wayne Manor to anyone who has seen The Dark Knight Rises, houses a natural history museum. While walking the grounds, you can see herds of deer, you can sit by the pond, or if you were there when we were, you could see animatronic dinosaurs set up around the park as part of an exhibit about the Jurassic Kingdom (see picture). Needless to say, it was an amazing way to spend an afternoon and learn about the city we’re living in!

A view of the deer park from in front of Wollaton Hall

This weekend we ventured to Wales. We booked an Airbnb in a quaint town, Penperlleni, an hour bus ride from Cardiff. We had a little cottage all to ourselves, and luckily it had heat. So far on this trip, I have never been as cold as I was in Wales. Bone chilling wind and just plain cold weather kept us bundled up the whole weekend.

Friday, we made our way to Wales from Nottingham, arriving at our Airbnb eight hours after our train departed from Nottingham Station. From a three-hour train ride, missing our next train and waiting an hour and a half for the bus that would take us to Penperlleni, we were frozen and ready for a night soaking in the warmth of the cottage. A whole day of traveling in the brutal cold called for board games and fuzzy socks Friday night, so we would be ready for a day of walking around Cardiff.

Saturday we made it to Cardiff after a much shorter wait for the bus, and a better understanding of the bus system in Wales. We found cute vintage stores and used bookstores at Castle Arcade. Here I found a copy of Moby Dick and a book of poems by the Brontë sister, both of which were printed in the early 1900s.

The tower at the corner of the stone wall that surrounds the castle grounds

We also went to Cardiff Castle. Located in the middle of the city, the castle has massive stone walls stretching around a large courtyard. The actual castle sits on a small hill in the center of the courtyard. You can pay to walk through the castle and around the courtyard, but we chose to just walk in as far as they let you without a ticket and then wandered around the gift shop. All weekend we marveled at the signs in Welsh trying to understand the language, but never actually figuring it out. Luckily the signs are also in English.

For now, it’s back to the books for me. Fortunately, I don’t really have homework – just reading for classes- which means more time planning my next trip.

Cheers,
Rilee

October 30, 2018April 7, 2021

Camping, Tramping, and Friends Part 2: The Kepler Track

Kia ora!

If you have ever thought about coming to New Zealand and like me, are an outdoorsy person, you may have looked into doing a great walk. In all of New Zealand, there are a total of 10 great walks. The walks comprise of multi-day tracks that end at huts or camping grounds and are usually situated in a place with spectacular scenery. Because the great walks are sought out by people around the world, New Zealand has what’s called the Great Walks season. The season runs from October to April, when the weather is warmer, and a cost is set to however many nights you decide to stay at each hut. The great thing about being at Otago for the winter term is that it is out of the Great Walks season, meaning that the cost of staying a night at each hut is lower. Though it would add to the experience to be doing a great walk during the warmer months, the cost between the on and off season is substantially different. For international visitors, it costs about NZ$130 per night during the on-season, while it only costs NZ$15 during the offseason.

A list of Great Walks found in New Zealand can be seen here:https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/things-to-do/walking-and-tramping/great-walks/

The Kepler Track is a 3-4 day track and in total, a 60 km loop. Because we were in the colder months, the risk for avalanche in most areas of the track was higher. We also only had the weekend available since school started on Monday. The combination of these two factors led us to decide to only stay for one night on the track and not do the entire loop.

Ami, Patrick, Kevin and I started from Dock Bay and made our way to Mt Luxmore Hut. With our heavy backpacks strapped tightly to our backs, we set off along the bay. This part of the track was forested and there were multiple signs along the way warning us that we were in Kiwi territory. Within the first 10 minutes of the walk, I was already beginning to get hot and the view of people swimming in the bay did not help my want to stop and take a swim. Despite this, we swiftly moved along near the edge of the bay, only stopping once to take a swig of water before the sandflies swarmed us. About ¼ into the track, I began to notice that the track had increasingly gotten steeper. With shoulders aching and calves burning, we decided to stop and take a breather. After a couple of minutes, we set off again. We repeated this cycle multiple times along the hike. It was far more challenging than the Copland track that I had completed a few weeks ago. As the steep incline of the hike took us higher into the mountains, we were soon above the bush line and could see the tops of the trees and the view of the bay from which we started.

Tracks like this reminded me that tramping is a mental challenge just as much as it is a physical one. Just as we were about to take another break, we spotted a sign that stated that we were 20 minutes away from the hut. Once we saw this we started booking it and practically power-walked the rest of the way there. At this point, we were above the bush line and the view was absolutely stunning.

This was one of the most challenging walks I have ever done but the people and the view made it worth it.

Best,

Mehana

October 29, 2018April 7, 2021

Episode 5: Prague!

Prague. Famous for Ice hockey and food. Just kidding its famous for more than those things, even though its food is absolutely amazing. Before we start talking about the infamous Prague lets discuss a much smaller city known as Olomouc. On our first day in the Czech Republic we visited Olomouc. Granted, this is not typically on the itinerary for this trip but Hermann had known of a former student of the AAIE that was working at the university there, so it was added. When we got there we had our first Czech meal and let me tell you something, it was DELICIOUS. Czech food is known for being very heavy, i.e. more carbs and sodium than any person should consume. But boy oh boy, it is delicious.

Later that day we visited the university and learned a little about it and where it came from. The university is called Palacky University and it is the second oldest university in the Czech Republic. It was established in 1573 and its medical school is one of the best in the Czech Republic!

That evening we went out for another delightful dinner!

Here is the older portion of Prague, located across the river!

The next morning we made our way to Prague. We arrived in early afternoon and headed to the hostel. Now if you plan on traveling in Europe alone, hostels are the way to go. You can chose to either be in a co-ed room ranging from all different people or just single gender. The highest bed number in most hostels are 6 beds. But the people that stay there are typically young college kids traveling and therefore you can make new friends from many different places! In Prague all 5 of us girls stayed in one room which was nice.

The first day we had an afternoon tour which lasted roughly five hours and we a large portion of the city including the Karls University and the Karls bridge. Both of these were established and built under Charles IV. Along the tour our tour guide showed us some great places to eat and drink.

The entrance to part of the Karls University in Prague!

The second day we headed up to the Prague Castle. An absolutely beautiful site to see. The tour again lasted about five hours, which after the first tour, was a little bit rough. However, it was enjoyable and totally worth it! Inside the castle is a beautiful church called St. Vitus Cathedral. Along with this, there is a very small street called Golden Lane. Here you can find very short houses. Yes short houses. They’re almost like the houses in the Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit! Inside are tons of little shops, even ones where you can purchase beauty products made out of beer and wine (i.e lotion, shampoo etc.). Overall the whole area is a must see!

Here is St. Vitus, located inside the Prague Castle.

The next and last day we had another tour and then were able to have free time in the city. Later that evening, three of us group members, Tommy, Ana and I, attended an ice hockey game while the others headed back to Vienna. Why ice hokey? Well ice hockey is very big in Prague and it was probably one of the coolest experiences ever. The local team in Prague, known as Sparta ,crushed the opposing team 4 to 1! I highly recommend going to any sports games while in Europe, the experience is something different for sure!

Ana, Thomas and I at a the Sparta ice hockey game!

After the game the three of us made our way back to Vienna.

Prague is definitely a must see, but there is one thing I must warn you about. there are a lot of tourists. ALOT. But don’t let that stop you from seeing this beautiful city.

Melissa

This is a building from the area of Cubism architecture.

This is a random corner building in Prague.

October 25, 2018April 7, 2021

Val Ball and Castle Hill

It has been a hot minute since I have written a blog post, but for good reason. To be honest not much has happened in the last three weeks. At least nothing too interesting to write about!

First of all, I am composing this blog post on Thursday October 25th, which means it is week thirteen. In translation, this is my last week of classes before exams. Tomorrow is my last class at JCU, ever…. It is absolutely crazy to think how time has past me with a blink of an eye. Over the past three weeks the only two significant things worth talking about are Val Ball and Castle Hill. The rest of my time I have been studying and writing papers. After everyone returned from lecture recess classes got more intense and required less time relaxing on the beach and more time in the library studying.

Val Ball, which stands for Valedictorian Ball was October 6th. This is where our dorm, Uni Hall, celebrated all of the people (valedictorians) that are moving off Uni Hall next year. It is also used to recognize and award all of the RA’s and our Senior RA for their amazing work over the past year. This was a time for all of us to dress fancy and wear heels and celebrate. It was almost like prom. We picked our table group of ten people and we were served a two course meal, in addition to an open bar of champagne, wine and beer. Val Ball was such a fun experience because it reminded me of my high school prom experiences and it was fun to get dressed up and see everyone so well put together. After Val was over, all of us changed into regular going out outfits and went to town all together.

American friends all dressed up before heading to the Brewery in town where the event was held

This past Tuesday Dena and I took a bus into town to climb Castle Hill. Castle Hill is a massive rock in the middle of Townsville. You can either climb or drive up it but it leads to a beautiful view of the city. Hundreds of people visit Castle Hill every day. It is a very popular place to get a great workout it considering it is a massive steep hill. Dena and I met up with Will, one of our friends we met in our hostel in Byron Bay. He stayed in Townsville for two days and we were glad we could meet up with him. Castle Hill is one of the main things to do in Townsville, so it was a “right of passage” to take Will up to the top (even though Dena and I hadn’t done it yet). Always, we went up around sunset and even though it was a bit of a difficult climb it was absolutely worth it. Unfortunately we didn’t get the best view of the sunset because of some clouds and the sun was almost already set but below is a photo from Google so you can get the idea of how beautiful it is.

Photo of Will, Dena and I at the top of Castle Hill

Overall, even though these past few weeks have been pretty slow with school work, this upcoming week is SWOTVAC. SWOTVAC is the study week before exams. Most of us Americans tend to travel around this time. Dena and I are headed north up to Cairns and that’s what my next blog post will be about, until then…

Cheers!

Makenna

October 24, 2018April 7, 2021

A new beginning in Quito, Ecuador

Since arriving in Quito my life has seemed to be such a world wind but I could not be happier. In the beginning, I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say the most nerve racking part about coming to Ecuador was when our group arrived in Quito and we had to go our own ways to meet our host families for the first time. These nerves didn’t last long at all after I was welcomed with a big hug from my host mom and a host brother who offered to take my bags for me. From the very moment I met my host family I knew right away that I was going to feel right at home. After my first night in Quito my family has had nothing but kind, caring and understanding attitudes that really helped take stress off me in the first couple weeks. I also think the fact that they remind me of my big and outgoing family back in the states is a bonus because it really makes me feel like part of the family.

Once our group had attended a long orientation and our classes started, we began to settle into our new life in the big Ecuadorian city of Quito. At first the routine of public transportation and full spanish immersion was a bit overwhelming. The staring eyes everywhere I went took a little while to get used to as well, especially when I was still trying to figure out my way around the city. Now that it has been a couple of weeks I would say that I am super confident in my routine here in Ecuador. A typical day for me includes classes Monday-Thursday usually finishing around 4:00pm. To get to and from my University in Cumbaya I take 3 buses each costing $0.25 and taking me about 1hr 15m. Luckily, I have since met an ecuadorian friend who lives nearby and can drive me sometimes which only takes 25-30 min to get to school, saving me time and money.

Ecuabuddies is one of the programs here to meet and interact with ecuadorian students. The Linfield group and I have had some fun times with ecuabuddies, especially the pickup fútbol games on wednesdays, but I still felt I was missing the raw immersion. One of my biggest fears about coming to Ecuador was not being able to immerse myself enough into the culture and the people here, but I have figured out a couple ways to branch out since then. First thing I did was take an extra art class that won’t count towards my Majors but allowed me to have a class with full ecuadorian students, unlike my other classes that were all for international students. Considering that I am not that shy of a person I also decided to join the salsa club on campus, allowing me to meet some really fun, interesting people and practices my already awesome dancing skills. Last, I just decided to just step out of my comfort zone and try as much as I could.My decision to ask a girl I didn’t know for help with my computer has gained me a bunch of ecuadorian friends here in Ecuador and has really made my time here that much more amazing.

Although the first couple of weeks were time for us to settle into our new home, we still found time to do some pretty amazing things. Our program provided us with a trip to centre historico in Quito. I was excited because I knew that Quito was the first city to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so I knew it was going to be beautiful. Here we got to visit an indigenous museum, Basilica del Voto Nacional, plaza de la independencia and the fully plated gold church of San Francisco, Quito. The entire Linfield group also planned to visit Mitad del Mundo (the middle of the world) together. First we stopped at the huge monument placed in 1736 by the French Geodesic Mission then we went to the current location 250 meters away in the rad Museo de sitio intiñan. I am not going to brag but I was the only one that could balance an egg on the equator. Next up was the Ecuador vs. Columbia soccer match. I am so glad I was able to have this experience. The energy was unlike any game I have ever been too I will probably go back to another, but next time learn the lyrics to the famous song they sing “Yo te diré.” Last I want to wrap up this post talking about my amazing experience taking the TeléferiQo and submitting the 4696m high Rucu Pichincha Volcano. I am not going to lie when I say that this hike was probably one of the hardest hikes I have ever done. It also probably didn’t help that I was not super adjusted to the high altitude of Quito yet but, I will say that this hike was 100% worth it. I love hiking back home in the states so, having the opportunity to hike such a beautiful new place and have a view of a volcano and Quito was a vision I won’t forget.

I can not believe the amazing time I am having here. I think that its been filled with such rich adventure that I never got the time to be homesick. I really believe that I am learning so much and growing as a person. I am so blessed to be able to have these experiences and I will not take them for granted. Although my time seems to be going by so fast, I am trying to embrace every part of it. If you want to continue with my crazy adventures in Ecuador, you can look forward to hearing about the beach, the amazon forest and the Galapagos islands! So until then…

Nos vemos y saludos,

Magdalena McGuire

Me starting my first day at school in Cumbaya. Go Dragons

University de San Francisco Initiation. They had dragon statue breath fire once we were initiated. Maybe Linfield should try something like that?

Inside the campus at the University San Francisco

Me inside the Basilica del Voto Nacional

A street view from a park in Quito — A hidden view in Quito

I can walk to the bus station and I am no longer phased that everyday I pass a whole store of eggs.

The delicious typical dish of Tigrillo (Bananas, cheese and eggs). Don't bash it until you try it — The delicious typical dish of Tigrillo (Bananas, cheese and eggs). Don’t bash it until you try it

After deciding to start eating gluten again while I am in Ecuador, I may have gained a couple pounds but there are no regrets because the pan here is to die for.

Learning about Cacao from the sitio intinan museum, mitad del mundo — I learned that cacao comes from inside a fruit. If you didn’t know that, did you know you can eat that fruit as well?!

jumping for joy as we start our journey in ecuador. We are in el Mitad del Mundo!

Just a couple of tourists standing on the equator.

egg on the mitad del mundo — My cute egg. You already know.

Just something casual you may see on a hike in Ecuador

Quick selfie at the top of Rucu Pichincha

A memory I will always have. Rucu Pichincha, Quito

October 24, 2018April 7, 2021

Camping, Tramping, and Friends Part 1: The Catlins

Kia ora!

Now that I had gotten my first ever tramping experience over with, I was feeling very confident to plan one without the help of the tramping club. From the mid-semester break, I had also made the realization that I loved camping and wanted to go on more camping trips with friends.

The Catlins is an area about two hours south of Dunedin. Many people, especially surfers, travel there during the weekends because of its popular surf spots. Plus, with its close proximity to Otago, it was an easy trip to make. Me and three of my friends, Jen, Sam, and Ailisa, decided to plan a spontaneous girls trip to the Catlins. We loaded the car with our sleeping bags, tents, and most importantly, hummus, crackers, and chocolate, and set-off on our two-hour journey to the Catlins.

We arrived at Purakaunui, a popular camping spot in the Catlins, close to dark, and most of everyone there had already set up their tents and made their fires. Ailisa, who had camped there previously, showed us the perfect camping spot that was already equipped with a bench and fire pit, and high cliffs that shielded us from the wind. It was a clear sky, and the moon was bright enough that we could still see the waves and cliffs in the distance. Ailisa ventured off to look for more firewood, as we had only bought one bag of kindling, and the rest of us began making dinner. For dinner, we made bacon and pesto pasta topped with cheese. Though the bacon ended up more boiled than crisped, it was still a delicious meal and we were all very proud that we had not opted out for buying already-made food. We sat near the fire, eating our pesto pasta, sharing sweets, listening to music, and talking. We joked about how brave we were to go camping without a big group of people and laughed at the struggles we faced as girls peeing in the wilderness. When our conversations about life died down, we simply looked up at the stars and moon and then decided to head to bed.

Like any time I’ve gone camping, I’ve always tried to wake up for the sunrise. Keyword: “tried” because sometimes we’re all too tired or an alarm just doesn’t go off to wake us up. This was one of those times. However, we still awoke to the sun still low near the horizon. We walked along the beach then packed up our camping gear and headed out to explore the rest of the Catlins. As we were leaving, we could spot a group of five surfers running into the surf and more vans had pulled up to the beach to scope out the waves.

Walking along the beach we spotted a seal

We spent the rest of the day exploring Purakaunui Falls, Curio Bay, and Nugget Point.

Overall, the Catlins is a beautiful destination in the South Island. I would suggest anyone who decides to study abroad at Otago to spend a weekend here, especially since it’s so close to home.

I’m loving it here in New Zealand!

Best,

Mehana

October 24, 2018April 7, 2021

Mid-Semester Break (Part 2): Camping in Kaikoura

Kia ora!

After seeing the most pristine places along the west coast of the South Island, I felt eager to explore the rest of what the South Island had to offer. I was so excited to return home in Dunedin. It was the first time I realized that I could comfortably call Dunedin home and after being on a bus with fifty other people, sleeping in tents, and jumping from hostel to hostel, I could not wait to be in my own, comfortable, warm apartment. However, my eagerness to be home did not last long and I soon began planning a trip up to the northeast of the South Island to Kaikoura. That Friday, me and a friend I met on the tramping trip started our drive to Kaikoura. The seven-hour drive was accompanied by easy New Zealand tunes, views of sheep (you would not believe how many sheep are actually in New Zealand), and talks of how much we were enjoying our time in Dunedin.

Kaikoura is a town located up north from Dunedin where the beaches are scattered with seals, surfers, and paua shells. The town of Kaikoura is a unique one in that an earthquake had caused destruction to roads and other infrastructure in the area back in 2016. The earthquake was so huge that the construction of the roads is still going on today. What’s even more impressive is the seabed rose a few meters above sea level. Given this recent history, the drive there involved multiple construction stops along the way. Though, it gave us a chance to really see the effects of how this earthquake changed the landscape of this town.

Upon arrival, the sun was setting behind the clouds and our friends who we were to be meeting were gathering firewood for the night. After setting up our tent, my friend Miguel proudly showed me his bench that he had made over the past week that he had been there. In reality, it looked like a pile of rocks, but it worked as the perfect place to watch the waves and sit near the warm fire. As the sun went down, we sat around the fire cooking our meals for the evening and sharing drinks.

Miguel cooking a very nutritious meal of beans and potatoes

The next morning, I awoke to the sun shining through my tent and the sound of waves crashing along the shore. That day, my friend Mia and I did a walk along the Kaikoura coast, all while spotting seals along the way. We then decided to explore the town centre which was simply one strip of road filled with knick-knack shops, cafes, and OpShops. I took this time to search for gifts for my family back at home and even snagged a $2 book from an OpShop.

Through the mist, you could see the snow-capped mountains

The rest of the two days that we were there, we simply sat, lay, and relaxed along the beach reading our books and watching the boys surf. It reminded me that it’s okay to not be constantly doing something when you’re abroad. After talking to other people about this subject, we all seemed to share the same feeling. Because we are abroad and have a limited time in the country that we are studying at, we were constantly feeling that we had to plan trips every moment we could. While spending those relaxing couple of days in Kaikoura, I realized that it was important to take a few days off of exploring and adventuring. During that weekend, I was able to finish the book I had bought and reflect upon my semester abroad thus far.

Best,

Mehana

Best,

Mehana