News

Surreal Beauty, Bug Bites, and Shared Struggle

May 22 2023

We ended the second full week of SST on an eventful note, spending a few days in the beautiful Ecuadorian cloud forest.  The transition from the high-altitude valley in Quito, through a short stretch of dry dusty mountainsides, followed by a downward descent into the lush cloud forest is a stunningly rapid change of landscape.  It is a visual experience indicative of the incredible biodiversity of Ecuador that is layered upon the rapidly changing landscape throughout the country.  During our time in the cloud forest, we hiked through thick rainforest vegetation, past cascading waterfalls, and through misty humid air as we tried to take in the surreal scene around us.

In addition to our hikes, we had a first-hand look (and taste!) at how chocolate is made and the wonder of its unique properties.  We also helped with local plant reintroduction efforts that aim to equip regional residents with the means to produce their own organically grown vegetables.  In the process, we acquired a healthy share of bug bites and contributed to the local bug food chain.  We ended our time in the cloud forest touring an organic coffee farm, with the opportunity to pick, de-pulp, and wash the freshly harvested beans.  As we prepared to leave this stunningly beautiful place, we stopped at a nearby hummingbird feeding ground that was literally buzzing with life.

At the start of the week, we had the opportunity to tour an art museum dedicated to Ecuador’s most famous artist, Oswaldo Guayasamin.  His art frequently depicts the pain and suffering of oppressed people, in particular those in Latin America.  Amidst the beauty of the week, it is suffering that we reflected on as a group.  Whether it is suffering on a micro level (bug bites and stomach upset) or suffering on a macro level (extreme poverty, oppression, and even torture and death), we worked to find an individual response to that suffering.  In the end, we settled upon the simplest of actions:  kindness, compassion, physical presence, human touch, and offered solidarity.  Suffering, both big and small can be an overwhelming part of the human experience and is something best confronted together.  It is through the unifying element of human connection that we can make it through difficult days and work to overcome suffering together.

  • A winding rural road with yellow curve-warning signs leads toward mist-covered green mountains under a cloudy sky.

     

  • View through a vehicle window of a white truck on a rural road with cloud-covered green mountains in the background.

     

  • A pink flowering shrub in front of lush green foliage with misty mountains behind.

     

  • A group of young people riding in the open bed of a Toyota pickup truck on a village street.

     

  • Smiling young people sitting together in the bed of a red-and-white Toyota truck with buildings behind them.

     

  • People riding in the bed of a white Toyota pickup truck parked on a dirt street beside a brick building.

     

  • A narrow cobblestone village street lined with buildings, with a truck driving in the distance.

     

  • Young people waving from the bed of a silver pickup truck surrounded by green trees.

     

  • A white pickup truck driving down a tree-lined paved road under a cloudy sky.

     

  • A selfie of three smiling young women sitting inside a vehicle.

     

  • People riding in a yellow open cable car over a green forested valley.

     

  • A young man standing beside a yellow cable car platform with another person.

     

  • A group of hikers walking along a lush green jungle trail.

     

  • A young man with an excited, open-mouthed expression on a forest trail.

     

  • A group of hikers standing together on a trail in dense green rainforest.

     

  • A person crossing a wooden log bridge over a rushing river in the jungle.

     

  • Hikers making their way down a steep trail surrounded by thick green vegetation.

     

  • A group of people gathered near a stream amid dense tropical foliage.

     

  • People standing beside a rocky river surrounded by large-leafed jungle plants.

     

  • A person on a rope swing amid dense green rainforest vegetation.

     

  • A tall waterfall cascading down a mossy rock face in the forest.

     

  • A rope hanging in a dense, misty green rainforest.

     

  • A small waterfall and stream among rocks in a misty jungle setting.

     

  • Dense green rainforest foliage and trees.

     

  • Two smiling hikers walking up a dirt trail through green forest.

     

  • Two hikers walking together on a dirt trail through lush green forest.

     

  • A smiling young man walking down a jungle trail surrounded by greenery.

     

  • A cascading waterfall tumbling over rocks amid green forest.

     

  • People standing near the base of a waterfall in the rainforest.

     

  • A hiker walking up a wooded trail lined with dense green plants.

     

  • A person smiling and raising their arms joyfully on a forest trail.

     

  • A smiling woman standing with arms outstretched in front of jungle greenery.

     

  • A smiling person standing beside a stream in a forested canyon.

     

  • Two people taking a selfie together in the rainforest, one giving a thumbs up.

     

  • A white dog with its tongue out sitting in a wooden doorway.

     

  • A group of people sharing a meal together at a long table under a covered patio.

     

  • People smiling around a wooden dining table with plates of food in the evening.

     

  • A group gathered at a table enjoying dinner together at night.

     

  • People eating a meal together at a long table in a rustic dining space.

     

  • A cheerful group sharing food and drinks around a wooden table.

     

  • A close-up of a white flower surrounded by green leaves.

     

  • Green leaves and branches of a tree seen up close in the forest.

     

  • A close-up of a large green leaf with reddish stems in the rainforest.

     

  • A cluster of green ferns growing among dense forest foliage.

     

  • Large heart-shaped green leaves of a plant in the jungle.

     

  • A close-up of pale flowers hanging from a leafy plant.

     

  • A cluster of white-and-purple flowers among green foliage.

     

  • A close-up of an epiphyte plant growing on a mossy tree branch.

     

  • Large colorful letters spelling a place name displayed outdoors at night.

     

  • Two people sitting outdoors on a city street at night.

     

  • A group taking a selfie together outdoors with greenery in the background.

     

  • A group of people posing together for a photo indoors.

     

  • Students in purple shirts working together inside a plant-filled greenhouse.

     

  • A student sifting soil through a wooden screen inside a greenhouse.

     

  • Two people holding a wooden sifting tray filled with soil in a greenhouse.

     

  • Students working together to sift soil in a greenhouse.

     

  • A student shaking soil through a wooden sifting screen at a farm.

     

  • A group of students working with plants and soil inside a greenhouse.

     

  • A student standing among rows of seedlings in a plant nursery.

     

  • People gathered around a work table under a covered outdoor structure.

     

  • Students sifting soil together through a wooden screen.

     

  • A group of students working under a covered outdoor shelter at a farm.

     

  • Students sifting soil through a wooden tray in a greenhouse.

     

  • A student sifting soil with a screen while others work nearby.

     

  • Students shoveling and bagging soil at an outdoor work area.

     

  • Students filling bags with soil using shovels at a farm.

     

  • People working at long soil beds under a covered farm structure.

     

  • Two students shoveling soil into a bag on the ground.

     

  • A person standing in a green garden field with buildings and mountains behind.

     

  • A wide view of a garden field with a person working and hills in the distance.

     

  • A line of students working in a garden while an instructor speaks to them.

     

  • A group of students working together in a garden under a blue sky.

     

  • People bending over to work among plants in a garden field.

     

  • A young man standing in a garden with plants around him.

     

  • Students crouching to tend crops in a garden bed.

     

  • Two people kneeling to work with plants in a lush garden.

     

  • Students working among tall corn plants at a farm.

     

  • Two people crouching to tend seedlings in a garden.

     

  • A student in a purple shirt bending to work in a garden plot.

     

  • People working with soil at a raised bed under a covered shelter.

     

  • A student kneeling among corn and garden plants.

     

  • Students potting plants together inside a greenhouse.

     

  • People working in a garden with a building and hills in the background.

     

  • Students working with wooden garden beds inside a greenhouse.

     

  • A person planting seedlings in potting bags in a greenhouse.

     

  • A person kneeling to work with soil and potted plants at a farm.

     

  • A hand holding a pink bowl filled with seeds or grain.

     

  • People working with plants and small pots in a garden area.

     

  • Colored buckets sitting on the ground at a work site.

     

  • A person crouching to work with pots and buckets on the ground.

     

  • An instructor speaking to a group of students inside a greenhouse.

     

  • An instructor showing plants to a group of students in a greenhouse.

     

  • A person kneeling to work with soil on the ground at a farm.

     

  • Students working with climbing plants inside a greenhouse.

     

  • A smiling person holding a brown chicken in a garden.

     

  • A person crouching to tend plants in a garden.

     

  • People bending over to plant seedlings in a garden field.

     

  • A wide view of students working across a garden field.

     

  • A group of students planting in a freshly tilled garden plot.

     

  • Students working together to plant seedlings in a garden row.

     

  • People kneeling to plant among large green leaves in a garden.

     

  • A group of students planting and tending a garden plot.

     

  • Students spread across a garden field working the soil.

     

  • A person planting a seedling in a garden near a wooden post.

     

  • An open cacao pod showing white-covered seeds inside.

     

  • People sitting together at a long wooden table indoors.

     

  • A group seated at a long table with a view of greenery outside.

     

  • Students gathered around a long wooden table inside a building.

     

  • Young women standing together outdoors among plants and trees.

     

  • People standing near drying cacao beds under a greenhouse tunnel.

     

  • Students gathered outside a building on a rainy day.

     

  • People standing and talking inside a covered greenhouse structure.

     

  • Students sitting around a table working with cacao beans.

     

  • People seated at a table examining and tasting cacao products.

     

  • A person drinking from a mug at a wooden table with others.

     

  • A group sitting together and chatting at a long wooden table.

     

  • Students seated at a table doing a tasting activity together.

     

  • A cup of hot chocolate and a bowl of ground cacao on a plate.

     

  • People sitting at a table with drinks under a covered patio.

     

  • A group gathered around a table talking and enjoying drinks.

     

  • Students posing together for a group photo indoors.

     

  • A group of students laughing and talking around a table.

     

  • A smiling person taking a selfie with friends at a table in the evening.

     

  • Two people laughing together at a table at night.

     

  • A rushing river flowing through green forested banks.

     

  • A person standing beside a river surrounded by dense greenery.

     

  • A group of students walking along a forest trail beside a river.

     

  • Students walking single file up a green garden path.

     

  • A group walking along a wooded path lined with plants.

     

  • People standing among rows of seedlings under a covered nursery.

     

  • A person tending seedlings on a raised bed in a plant nursery.

     

  • A guide showing rows of seedlings to a group of students in a nursery.

     

  • Students listening to a guide among trays of seedlings.

     

  • A guide speaking to students under a shaded nursery structure.

     

  • A group of students standing outdoors on a coffee farm.

     

  • Students picking coffee cherries from bushes on a farm.

     

  • A person standing among coffee plants on a hillside farm.

     

  • Students walking among coffee bushes on a green hillside.

     

  • People picking coffee cherries from bushes at a farm.

     

  • A wide view of students harvesting coffee on a green hillside.

     

  • Students picking coffee cherries among dense green bushes.

     

  • A view over coffee plants with students working on a hillside.

     

  • Students gathered around coffee-processing equipment under a shelter.

     

  • People working with buckets and processing machines under a covered area.

     

  • Students processing coffee with a hand-crank machine and large bowl.

     

  • A group working together at a coffee-processing station under a roof.

     

  • Students gathered around processing equipment at a coffee farm.

     

  • A group of people watching a coffee-processing demonstration.

     

  • Students standing around coffee-processing equipment under a shelter.

     

  • People working with a coffee grinder and pots under a covered area.

     

  • A large tub filled with washed coffee beans in water.

     

  • Students working around a coffee-washing station at a farm.

     

  • A young person standing on a garden path surrounded by greenery.

     

  • Students sitting and relaxing on an outdoor patio at a farm.

     

  • A group of students standing in a circle inside a greenhouse.

     

  • Coffee beans spread out to dry on a surface.

     

  • People gathered on a covered patio at a farm building.

     

  • Students sitting and talking together on an outdoor patio.

     

  • A student relaxing in a chair on a covered patio with others.

     

  • A group of students seated together on a patio, some laughing.

     

  • Students gathered inside a farm building talking together.

     

  • Two people standing on a garden path amid green plants.

     

  • Two students talking on a path surrounded by lush greenery.

     

  • A group of students walking along a jungle garden trail.

     

  • A young man sitting on the ground holding out a red feeder.

     

  • People holding out feeders to attract a hummingbird among plants.

     

  • Two students holding a feeder as a hummingbird approaches.

     

  • A hummingbird feeding at a red feeder among green ferns.

     

  • A hand holding out a small red hummingbird feeder outdoors.

     

  • A hummingbird feeding from a red feeder held in a person's hand.

     

  • A hummingbird perched on a person's hand near a feeder.

     

  • Students sharing a meal together at a long table in a restaurant.

     

  • A group seated around a table with plates and drinks at a restaurant.

     

  • A misty dirt trail winding through green trees in fog.

     

  • A foggy forest path lined with tall trees.

     

  • People viewing paintings on the walls of an art gallery.

     

  • Students looking at artwork displayed in a museum gallery.

     

  • A group of students standing together in an art museum.

     

  • Students walking through a gallery with polished wood floors and paintings.

     

  • A view of a covered courtyard with wooden roof beams.

     

  • A large animal skeleton displayed on a lawn outside a white building.

     

  • Two people standing on a green lawn with a city and mountains behind.

     

  • A view of a city with a prominent mountain peak in the distance.

     

  • A panoramic view of green mountains under a blue sky.

     

  • A city skyline at dusk with mountains and a colorful sky.

     

  • A quiet town street with houses and mountains under an evening sky.

     

  • A town street lined with buildings beneath cloud-covered mountains.

     

  • Dramatic clouds over dark mountains at dusk.

     

  • Layered mountain ridges under a cloudy sky at dusk.

     

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