Welcome to the Global South, where infrastructure isn't always the best

So I'm so so very extremely EXCITED that this Friday night one of my absolute best friends, Sarah Rivin, will be arriving in Quito. No matter what, we're going to have a great time, but right now an extra long and hard winter is making things difficult.

Originally we had planned to go to the coast for Carnaval, which would have been super cool. Then the rains got worse and as of last night on ONE main road between the sierra and the coast alone there were 20 mudslides. One another road it looks like it has straight waterfalls crossing it in some places. Needless to say, the coast is out of the question.

Basically as of right now there are very few inter-provincial main roads safe to travel on between provinces. Sarah and I will be avoiding said problems by traveling in plane, but it still very much concerns me what's going to happen in this country in the near future as this winter continues to be harder and longer than they've had in a while.

The best part? One of these roads was built 5 years ago...not very long. The problem is that they build and repair most of the roads here as if it rains once a year, not for a prolonged period of time. Now I undestand that this year is especially bad, but you have to plan ahead expecting the worst. But this is how it is in countries riddled by foreign debt and trying to achieve true sovereignty amidst poverty, instability, and political divisions.

Not only is tourism freezing all over, putting a damper on the well-being of pretty much everyone on the coast and now even in the Amazon and soon in the Sierra as well. Carnaval is basically their bread for the year on the coast. Besides people who were already lucky enough to have bought flights out there, who knows how many of the people chancing it on temporary bypasses through the foothills to get to the coast will make it safely. I hope as many as possible.

On top of all that, commerce is basically paralyzed, as well. Vegetables from the Sierra can't make it down to the coast (or even through parts of the Sierra) and fruits from the coast can't make it up to the Sierra.

Then on top of that, with tariffs just getting higher on imported goods (Correa's economic independence strategy that so far isn't accompanied by sufficient agricultural/industrial supports within the country) means that in a few weeks' time we won't have much fruit available besides the bananas and papayas that eventually will make it up from the coast.

It's super interesting being here at a time in which change is happening every moment, when who knows how Correa's plans will work out in the short-term. At least he hasn't pulled a Chávez and proposed an amendment to his already new Constitution to end term limits (though what he's doing is already an infraction of them by holding elections in April mid-term).

Obviously the road situation is frustrating, but in my nearly 6 months here, letting go of things I can't control is a skill I've learned very well. Things will surely work out (at least for Sarah and me)...how? We'll see. For now I've got to keep plugging away here at my last day of work and tomorrow/friday work hard on my final paper advance to present at Cimas.

I hope you're all doing well!

Un abrazo,
Emily