Take a city like Boston. For starters, multiply the danger of walking in a city like that by a hundred. Take away the traffic and crosswalk lights. Turn off all the lights in every building while you're at it.
That's been my evening experience in Quito a couple nights per week since the entire country realized it was in an energy crisis. The country gets the majority of its energy from hydroelectric plants. It hasn't rained. Someone needs to do the rain dance, ASAP. Peru and Colombia are potentially willing to sell energy, but political tensions seems to be preventing a definite deal. Either way, these "apagones" that occur daily in different sections of Quito for five hours at a time, as well as in all other regions of the country, could last until March.
What's worse, the economy isn't looking all that good either. Unemployment/desperation for resources + dark, abandoned streets = bad news for your average pedestrian carrying anything of value. Also, businesses are being forced to slow down or close early, clubs can now only be open till 1am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (--> loss of profit from alcohol sales). It's bad. It's not as bad right now as it is in Venezuela, where neither light nor water are to be found.
Ojala que llueva, ojala que llueva. A country shouldn't face problems such as these, especially, potentially in the long term. We need solutions, and we need them fast.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Six Weeks Left
I promise to write about the Galapagos very soon, but since I only have a few minutes at the computer, I just wanted to express my sadness at the thought of leaving this country.
After a little over two months in Ecuador, I feel like this has been and always will be my life. I feel alive here. I know the big streets of Quito like I know the big streets of Boston. Of course, I take the Ecovia bus line, of course, my classes are in Spanish, of course, I barter for everything I buy.
When I was sitting on the shore in the Galapagos this weekend, I started to tear up at the thought of leaving this place, leaving my life here. Yes, it's true I get very emotionally attached to people and places-my mom can tell you because she always sees me crying about giving them up, but this is big. Four months of my life.
Yes, I would like to see my family and friends because I miss them dearly, but other than that, there's nowhere else in the world I would rather be in this moment.
Perhaps this is all coming out because I'm still a little loopy from being on a boat all weekend, or perhaps it's all that sun, but I'm already really upset.
Also, I'm actually a little overwhelmed to be back in Quito. I will say that coming back from the serene, pristine Galapagos to good ole dirty Quito was quite the drastic transition. I could smell the fumes before I even got off the airplane. And I also almost got into a screaming fight with the cab driver at the airport because he wanted to charge me $4 to go home...that was before I realized the fare included the airport exit fee. Anyways, I'm going home right now to drown myself in homework. Wish me luck.
Oh, but as a special treat, here's a picture for the Galapagos to give you guys a sneak preview of my next post:
After a little over two months in Ecuador, I feel like this has been and always will be my life. I feel alive here. I know the big streets of Quito like I know the big streets of Boston. Of course, I take the Ecovia bus line, of course, my classes are in Spanish, of course, I barter for everything I buy.
When I was sitting on the shore in the Galapagos this weekend, I started to tear up at the thought of leaving this place, leaving my life here. Yes, it's true I get very emotionally attached to people and places-my mom can tell you because she always sees me crying about giving them up, but this is big. Four months of my life.
Yes, I would like to see my family and friends because I miss them dearly, but other than that, there's nowhere else in the world I would rather be in this moment.
Perhaps this is all coming out because I'm still a little loopy from being on a boat all weekend, or perhaps it's all that sun, but I'm already really upset.
Also, I'm actually a little overwhelmed to be back in Quito. I will say that coming back from the serene, pristine Galapagos to good ole dirty Quito was quite the drastic transition. I could smell the fumes before I even got off the airplane. And I also almost got into a screaming fight with the cab driver at the airport because he wanted to charge me $4 to go home...that was before I realized the fare included the airport exit fee. Anyways, I'm going home right now to drown myself in homework. Wish me luck.
Oh, but as a special treat, here's a picture for the Galapagos to give you guys a sneak preview of my next post:
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