Cotopaxi Crater Originally uploaded by magnusvk. Before I came to Ecuador, I had never been above 4,000m (~13,000 ft) of altitude. Back in Mexico, I was dreaming about climbing Iztaccihuatl (5,230m / 17,158 ft) — but that didn’t work out. Between traveling, studying and partying, there was just not enough time for acclimatization or training. [...]

“White people just don’t get the rhythm” — I first heard that from a black street performance group in NYC’s Central Park in 2000. And, while there’s the occasional exception that proves the rule, this really is true. Good thing we are in Latin America, though — because Latinos really do get the rhythm. Go [...]

In Ecuador, Spanish names are not particularly popular. Instead, parents like to give their children English (or, at least, English-sounding) names. If you are from Germany, you might be familiar with this trend: during the communist rule in the former GDR, English names were similarly popular. It is, really, a way to aspire to US [...]

The one major project I have been working on as a volunteer at CENIT in the last couple of months is a new website for this great organization. And, finally, the completely re-designed and much-enhanced version of their website is online — check it out at www.cenitecuador.org. I hope you all like the new design! [...]