Regalame Un Mangito

There is a big difference in city and campo living here in Peace Corps. I have experienced both extremes. The verdict is not in yet on which experience I am enjoy more. In the campo, I had a host family and people to talk to everyday. Always people wanting to play volleyball or soccer. However, most people no some of the nightmares I had living in the campo. No privacy. Bathing in the rio. Transportation everyday. Trekking through the mud to get to my latrine. I could go on, but that's the past- no point on dwelling on it.

Now I am a city volunteer. I go out to the campo every so often. The twist on my city life is that I live in a tourist town. There are many familiar faces here in town, but the problem is all of the familiar faces are from people who live in the campo or other towns close to Atacames. Why all this nonsensical writing? Well, integrating into my “community” has been difficult. I am very well integrated into the organization with which I work, but I do not have the connection to the people I live near. No real Ecua-friends here in town with to hang out with (co workers do not live in Atacames).

Something recently occurred to help my attempts at meeting new people. The mango tree in front of my house is packing lots of fruit. Now I get knocks on the gate everyday from the children in the area. “Por favor, regalame un mangito!” Usually, I have no problem with the kids climbing the tree (as long as they don't fall down and kill themselves). Professional tree climbers/fruit pickers. I came to Peace Corps looking for child labor and low and behold. It is nice to have visitors every so often now, even if they are only using me for my sexy mangoes. If only I had an orange, lemon or mandarina tree in my yard, I would have had an easier time integrating much sooner.

In sadder news, my camera is not functioning for now. I don't have the money or tools to properly fix it right now, so no lovely scenic pictures for a long while. It is amazing where this camera has been though, between the travels of me an my sister. Kenya. All over Europe. Argentina. Ecuador. Four of the continents isn't bad for one camera. Quite the world traveler it is.