Well, I am about to spend my last night in Finca Amiruca. Their home can go from having 17 people eating at the table, to nobody there during the day. I have been doing a little weeding and gardening, straightening up the plants they are hoping to sell, some fruits, some ornamentals, some medicinal, most native to the area. I also help Deidania with her homework, help to cook meals, scratch my countless bug bites and sweat a lot in the sun and humidity. The family is full of smiles and jokes which make me lighten up a bit. Two guys from Texas came three days ago to volunteer, they left today. They told me that they weren´t getting anough food, they told Mercedes, the matriarch, they didn´t have enough money. With me afterwards she laughed and thought this was very funny. What´s (NOT SO) funny to me is that they weren´t willing to buy too much food, and they sure did eat a lot (tall, skinny fast matabolism, 24 year old male, you know the type). She couldn´t figure out how they had money then to travel. It´s true that at the moment the family doesn´t have money right now, Mercedes has been waiting for a check from the municipality for just about 2 weeks now. Yesterday I gave the $2.80 necessary for the kids to go to school and back today, otherwise they wouldn´t have gone. In a just world, they should be able to ride for free if they´re going to school. Well, in a just world, this wituation wouldn´t come up. There has been little, but enough food, and I find the Texans closed minded and hope this trip loosens them up a bit.
Things I love about Finca Amiruca and the Napo Region:
Swimming under all the waterfalls
The smiles of Deidania, Sandi, Elsa, Mercedes, Damian, Jose, Fabricio, Jimmy, Henry & Quindi
The sound of the crickets and river together at night
All the amazing tropical fruits (I ate the most delicious Papaya yesterday)
How I am challenged by my perceptions of ownership, generosity, and friendship
Yucca
Things I have learned:
(I want to learn) more about all the medicinal plants here
The outside of platanos are sticky and permanently stain clothes
How to cook Yucca countless different ways
It is impossible to avoid mosquitos
How to cook with one can of Tuna for atleast 12 people

Well, I am off back to Quito for the weekend and then to Finca Llurimahua. If you want to send me mail, please do so in the next 2 weeks, it takes about 6 days for mail to get here. My new address is:
ANNAH SHAPIRO
PONTEVEDRA 553 Y VIZCAYA, LA FLORESTA
QUITO - ECUADOR