What follows is my Peace Corp  journal which was written from 1976 to 1978.   Just some notes that I madefrom time to time. The first entry was on August, 1976 and the last journal entry was in June of 1978.

Today’s date is November 12, 2009.  My journal takes place over 30 years ago during a 22 month period of time.   I went to Quito, Ecuador as a Peace Corps Volunteer when I was 23 and now  I ‘m 56!

Being younger at the time, I did things that I wouldn’t do today.  But it was great fun and a big adventure.

If you have questions about Ecuador or about my experience in the Peace Corps, please email me at rickey.harris@gmail.com

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August 17, 1976

I begin my journal in the fourth week of training in “Espanol,” my fourth week in Ecuador.  This journal will attempt to describe my experiences in the Peace Corps Ecuador is in an objective manner.

Our group of approximately 72 people arrived in Quito, Ecuador on the morning of July 23, 1976.  We spent 3 days in Quito for “staging” or getting preliminary instructions about life in Ecuador and filled out a bunch of paperwork such as health insurance, etc.

I remember the feeling when the airplane took off and up from the Miami airport. As soon as our plane lifted off, everyone applauded, electricity was in the air, everyone was excited!  We arrived in  Quito after a sleepless night. Seeing the sunrise in Quito was a beautiful sight. Felt at home.

Some folks in our “staging” group of 72 have dropped out already.  Guy named Bill already went back to Kentucky….he sat next to me on the plane coming down.  He was older than most of us by about 20 years.

The first three or four days, we stay at the  Zumag Hotel, near the airport in Quito.  (After being there for 3 days, we were sent to live with local Quito families.  I got picked up in a little yellow taxi.  It arrived with a little lady who is the mother of the household.  The Family’s last name is Bermudez.  The dad sells socks and they have one boy at home about 12 years old named Barney.  Barney is a nice little kid.  When I first go there they asked me so many questions that my head hurt!   Really, since none of them  speak English I had to fumble my way around in Spanish and try to answer all their questions.  Finally, had to “escape” to my bedroom and lie down and rest! )

And all of us move into individual Ecuadorean homes in order to improve our Spanish.   My group of friends have  taken a trip every weekend since being here.  Totally informal.  We decide where we wish to go and then we just go!   First we traveled to Otavalo which is  an Indian town about 70 km north of Quito. Bought a handmade Indian sweater there for about 300 sucre’s which was the equivalent of $12 US.  It’s made out of rough wool and even has some bits of trash in the wool!  But a nice sweater for $12.

The  next weekend, we traveled to Banos, which the gateway to the Amazon.  Banos has a large swimming pool filled with nasty looking water.  The reason it looks nasty is  that is is sulphur water and  flows out of the ground right from the volcano at about 110 degrees F. They  say that the water has curative powers.

The next weekend  I traveled to  Lago Agrio.   The Orient is the jungle area east of the Andes.   Three  Peace Corps volunteers lived in Lago Agrio, two of which works with the  animal husbandry program and one works in school construction. All three are doing a fine job (to be continued later). I must study some Spanish ……This is where I am supposed to work for the next two years.  Don’t think so.  The guys live in bamboo huts and are not in very good health.  One has severe stomach problems from the amoebas he has picked up in the water and has to go to Quito next week to see the PC Nurse.  A friend of mine who came down with us is in the hospital for dysentery and my have to be sent home for medical treatment.

Lago Agrio  is very young town,  only seven years old.  Oil was discovered here and BOOM…..the jungle is cleared out.  Texaco comes in and does their thing.  My hotel is the ORO NEGRO, a two story hotel made with rough lumber  with rats running on the tin roof at night.  My room is on the second floor with a window looking down on the dirt street.   Sleep under a mosquito net.  Sunday morning woke up at daybreak to the sound of a naked indian yelling, selling marijuana in plain view out of a burlap bag.  He wore a necklace and something covered his front private parts, but nothing else.  Interesting.

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Guayaquil, Ecuador  August 23, 1976

I return to Quito and on Monday morning I tell Francisco who is the PC Center language director that I want to look at changing to the education program.  I am the only experienced teacher in the group.  Francisco helps me out with this.  I will travel around the country and look at the different

schools in Quito and Guayaquil to see which one I want to work.  After my visit to Lago Agrio, I decide not to work there but to do something else.

I’ve just returned from a four-day visit to Guayaquil, where I’ll be teaching for the next two years at a private school for the mentally retarded. The schools’ name is Fasinarm, which is a nonprofit school for the training and educating the mentally retarded. Guayaquil is  near the  ocean and on the Guayas River. Salinas, Ecuador is 3 hours away by bus…..very nice beaches.

In Guayaquil, we attend a Catholic church service on Sunday with Ron Rivera.  Ron is one of our Peace Corps trainers and  the godfather of the child who was christened. Afterwards,  we went to the parents home.    We were treated or overwhelmed with hospitality!  Very nice  family!  They  served us Coca-Cola and a drink of ice cream and rum which I had never had before.  Then they served us a delicious soup for lunch, along with spaghetti and  a dessert.  We’re made to feel at home with these super nice people!   Saturday we went to Playas, a small beach town outside of Guayaquil.  I loved it!   I’ll be glad to get to Guayaquil as there is much to do and see Guayaquil.