My name is David Shenk and I had the privilege of accompanying the May Term class in Ecuador during the first week of the course as an interpreter and assistant to professor Jerrell Ross Richer. I’m a Goshen College graduate from the class of 2009 and I lived in Ecuador from 2010-2015, working through Mennonite Mission … Keep reading »
May Term Class: Ecological Economics in Ecuador
Chicken and Rice
If you’re ever making the trip to Ecuador, be ready. Be ready for the surreal landscapes, the welcoming people, and the rich culture, but most importantly be ready for the delicious contrast in food. Although the majority of the meals we have eaten haven’t been incredibly unfamiliar, there have been many ways to find extraordinary … Keep reading »
Wandering through the Market in Otavalo
Today we had the opportunity to hear an Otavaleno man named Cesar Cotacachi who works to preserve elements of the Otavalo culture. He showed us various instruments, looms and archaeological finds from generations past. He also gave us some insight into the habits and methods of Otavalenos in their adaptions of their business methods over … Keep reading »
Zumba in Tena
Throughout our time in Ecuador, I have been struck by the many differences between Ecuador and the United States. Everything from Ecuadorian ecosystems to the nation’s sewage system differs drastically from that of the United States. In the midst of the differences, there do seem to be a number of commonalities between the two countries, … Keep reading »
AmaZOOnico
On Wednesday afternoon we traveled to AmaZOOnico, a tourist attraction suggested to us by the owner of the lodge we’ve been staying at the Tena. This attraction is part zoo, part animal hospital, part retirement home for native animals that have been kept in captivity. Their goal is to rehabilitate these animals and prepare as … Keep reading »
Petroamazonas
Our group has been hearing about the importance of the oil industry in Ecuador since our first day in the country. Earlier we heard a presentation from EP Petroecuador in Quito about the structure and policies regarding oil extraction, refinement, and exportation. EP Petroecuador is the nationalized public company responsible for refinement, commercialization, and exportation … Keep reading »
River People
On Tuesday we had the privilege of learning about the economics of a small business as well as having the experience of a lifetime. We spent about 5 hours white water rafting in class 4 rapids on the Jondachi and Hollin Rivers in Tena, Ecuador. River People, owned by Tim Dent, has been named as … Keep reading »
Transitioning back to the Land of Laundromats
After a complete day of travel starting from the small village of Zábalo at 7:33 AM, we arrived in the city of Tena at approximately 9:30 PM. The first leg of the journey was filled with word games and conversation in our large fiberglass motorized canoe, and the second a relaxing bus ride (having to … Keep reading »
Water for Thought
Making our way through Ecuador I’ve noticed there’s one natural resource that’s stands above the rest: water. I think a lot of us often forget how important and valuable water is, and how many services it can provide for humans and other organisms. We stayed with an indigenous Cofan community for a week and were … Keep reading »
Samantha
5-year-old Samantha, a Cofán child of Zábalo, hopped up onto a 50 foot structure resembling a water tower, and began to climb up the ladder connected to it. “Mira mira.” She asked me to watch her, but as she surpassed 20 feet I nervously called over to one of our leaders, Jane, and pointed out … Keep reading »
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