Day 18 - Crunch Time

Ten page report due tomorrow. That’s all for now.

Day 17 - A Quick Inventory

I realized today that we have less than one week left in Ecuador, so I came up a list of ten things I have to do before I leave.

1. Find the waterfall that Marco told us about.
2. Catch the sunrise over Guayaquil on a clear day.
3. Finish my term project on fuel cells, and give a presentation.
4. Check out the iguana park in Guayaquil.
5. Spend a night out on the town with the Ecuadorian students.
6. Finish the puzzle the group has been working on in our downtime.
7. Climb the steps to the lighthouse at Malecón.
8. Pick up some traditional souvenirs.
9. Visit downtown Guayaquil.
10. Keep up with this blog.

Day 16 - A Global Education

Today, Professor Marco was a guest lecturer for our class. He talked about harvesting solar energy, and particularly the astronomy behind catching the sun’s rays. It’s fascinating to think about where the sun is in the sky and why, particularly along the Equator. No matter what time of year, the days here are always twelve hours. And the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn aren’t just trivial. Try revolving a globe around a light bulb, if you’re curious.

Day 13 - Welcome to Quito!

We just flew in to Quito for a weekend get-away. The capital city is completely different from Guayaquil. It’s twice as high as Denver, and you can really feel the difference in the air. Quito is truly in the mountains. Most of the city streets are steep like in San Francisco. Along the streets are colorful old buildings and churches, giving Quito a unique personality.

We had dinner in what they call “Gringoville,” which is a way of saying “tourist trap,” but it was refreshing and relaxing. (You know you’re in a tourist trap when you hear Bob Marley on repeat.) Tomorrow, we have an early morning for a day of exploring.

Jaime and Dr. Besser check out the equipment for the biomass experiments.

Day 12 - Taking Data

My group took data today on the fuel cell in the laboratory. We're going to use the data to design a fuel cell system for a home. The man who was teaching us about the equipment doesn't speak English, and I don't speak Spanish. One student in our group speaks enough English to translate, which is extra challenging in a technological setting. He did a great job, though, and it felt great when I finally understood the concepts. Now it's time to crunch those numeros!

Day 11 - Ecuador Wins!

After class, we watched the big soccer game against Argentina. We saw it on a little TV in one of the lounges on campus with another student in our class and his friends. It was a lot like watching sports in the US, only much more intense. The group was very animated, and they reacted to every single move. In the second half, Ecuador scored two goals, and everyone started jumping and cheering. It's cool to see an entire country support the same team so passionately. Ecuador ended up winning the game, 2-0!