Blog : Your Language Connection, Lancaster, PA » vacation

Salinas Ecuador last beach

mdsalinas — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 04:07:07 +0000

The last beach we went to was Salinas. It is a major beach with a lot of people. Unfortunately the water was very cold and the waves were strong. However there were lots of sales people selling things like fresh coconuts that they cut open right there, sunglasses, hand crafted jewerly, temporary tatoos, clothing, and more. There were also people who braided hair and others who were selling all kinds of food. It was very exciting.

Instead of staying in a hotel we stayed in a house belonging to a family friend in a small, and I do mean small, town called Ancon. The town was big enough however to have its own fire department and a club house located on a cliff overlooking the water. There were a lot of condors there. We had cooked food (including 3 pounds of shrimp) delievered and served to us at $30 for 6 people. They even cleaned up too. You can’t really tell from the picture but the house has only a kitchen on the bottom with the rest open, and then 4 bedrooms on the second floor which is accessable only via a set of outside stairs.

More Photos from Ecuador

mdsalinas — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 20:25:22 +0000

The second beach we went to was in Oloncito and had larger and stronger waves. It was interesting to watch the men net fishing.

As you can see, Oloncito is not very big – only a couple of blocks.

Ecuador Continued

mdsalinas — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 19:33:39 +0000

Sorry for the delay in blogging it has been a busy two weeks.

The first beach we stopped at was Ayangue. We stayed for two nights at $10 a person, right on the beach in a house that belonged to Americans who rent it out by the bed when they’re not there. The water was beautiful, with small waves and soft sand. They had tents you could rent for $5 for the whole day. The cabana type buildings were restaurants that served delicious fresh seafood at great prices. A large bottle of beer went for $1.25 and a water for $.50. It was great.

Ecuador – a week at the beach

mdsalinas — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 00:27:04 +0000

Blogging was not possible due to there being no viable internet connections where we have been. They do have internet cafes, however they are older machines and the connection speed is extremely slow. There was no way to use our own computer, so we will be a bit behind. We have shown pictures of Guayaquil city. Over the next few weeks we’ll show some pictures of smaller beach towns and the countryside.

Countryside Living

On our way to the beach we stopped for 1 hour massages that cost $4 and used real Aloe.

The pools are inside

You can also have a mud massage.

If you don’t want a massage you can just bath in the mud pool.

Ecuador – Day 7

mdsalinas — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 03:54:53 +0000

El Parque Historico – This park has a variety of typical Ecuadorian sights. There are animals – like Macaws (Papagayos), Parrots (loros) and 2 toed sloths (Oso perezoso). They have a replica of a farm house you would find in the country, with chickens and pigs around it. There is a plantation house from long ago and gardens where they raise herbs and plants to cure a variety of ailments. You can try tea made from ‘La Hierba Luisa” (lemon grass) to help with digestion. And they have an outside cafeteria with fresh squeezed juices, coconut milk and a variety of traditional Ecuadorian foods. It is easy to spend 2 – 3 hours strolling through the part enjoying all that it has to offer, with or without a guide.

The city skyine can be seen as you go down the river on a boat, with a few tall buildings scattered around the skyline. The tallest building in Guayaquil (the white one alone in the picture) is 43 floors high.

Because there are not many tall buildings, antennas are put on the hills that are nearby. Buildings are built right on the edge of the water, making use of all the land they can!

Ecuador – Day 6

mdsalinas — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 00:37:07 +0000

More time at the Malecon 2000. Notice the graffiti on the cactus.

Here is a view of ‘El Parque de las Iguanas”. They are everywhere, not just in the park, but there are hundreds in the park where they are fed!

Check out the crabs. For just $6, you get 6 crabs and beer!

Guayaquil – a city with many features

mdsalinas — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:07:36 +0000

Can you believe that gas is still less than $1.50 here?? Too bad we can’t bring some home with us!

Las Peñas – the old city. If you want, you can climb close to 500 steps to the top to get a good view. People live here and have to climb up and down the steps daily, with any purchases they have, because there are no streets in this part.

This part of Las Peñas has narrow streets and many galleries. Las Peñas is a popular area at night because of the shops, bars and clubs.
It is very similar to South Street Philadelphia. Many homes have converted there front rooms to a mini-store. More than 30% of the population make a living selling products or food on the street or from their homes, out of neccesity. There are not enough jobs for the 3 million people living in Guayaquil.

Ecuador by night and by day

mdsalinas — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 02:36:41 +0000

There are casinos in Guayaquil, for now. The current president wants to close them down soon. He feels that instead of wasting money at the casinos, people should be investing their money. The Casino is very similar to those in America, but it was much smaller.

Some sights in downtown Guayaquil and at the Malecon 2000. The Malecon 2000 is like a huge boardwalk, with a mall, small restaurants, parks for children, gardens and much more. We will be posting more pictures form this great spot in the city in the future. It is along ‘el Rio Guayas’ and is very popular with the people who live and work in the city.

Where Would You Find 7107 Islands, 200 Volcanoes and Karaoke?

mdsalinas — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 02:43:51 +0000

The Philippines, officially called the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelago of 7,107 islands in the Pacific Ocean. Located in Southeast Asia, this archipelagic nation is surrounded by neighboring countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau and the Republic of China. The Philippines is the only Southeast Asian country that shares no land borders with its neighbors. Manila serves as its administrative capital.

Once, it used be the colony of Spain and Spaniards ruled over it for about three centuries. The United States bought The Philippines from Spain for $20 million in the Treaty of Paris of 1898. On July 4, 1946, the Philippines attained its independence.

The Philippines has an American-style democracy, headed by a president who is both head of state and head of government. The president is limited to one 6-year term in office.

The Philippines has a population of more than 90 million people and an annual growth rate around 2%, making it one of the most populous and fastest growing countries on Earth. It is the 12th most populous country in the world.

The climate in the Philippines is tropical and monsoonal. The country has an average yearly temperature of 26.5°C (79.7°F); May is the warmest month, while January is the coolest. The monsoon rains, called habagat, hit from May to October, bringing torrential rain which is abetted by frequent typhoons. An average of 6 or 7 typhoons per year strike the Philippines. November to April is the dry season, with December through February also being the coldest part of the year.

Still Not Convinced to Study Abroad?

mdsalinas — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 05:32:57 +0000

Well, maybe this will help. Here are more reasons why you should study abroad.

1. Ensuring that the citizens of the United States are globally literate is the responsibility of the educational system of the United States.

2. Educating students internationally is an important way to share the values of the United States, to create goodwill for the United States around the world, to work toward a peaceful global society, and to increase international trade.

3. The security, stability, and economic vitality of the United States in an increasingly complex global age depend largely upon having a globally competent citizenry and the availability of experts specializing in world regions, foreign languages, and international affairs.

4. Federal agencies, educational institutions, and corporations in the United States are suffering from a shortage of professionals with international knowledge and foreign language skills;

5. Institutions of higher education in the United States are struggling to graduate enough students with the language skills and cultural competence necessary to meet the current demands of business, government, and educational institutions.

6. Studying abroad influences subsequent educational experiences, decisions to expand or change academic majors, and decisions to attend graduate school.

7. Some of the core values and skills of higher education are enhanced by participation in study abroad programs