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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us December 8, 2005 From Ashland to Ecuador Tidings reporter chronicles adventure in South America By Jennifer Squires Ashland Daily Tidings Jennifer Squires I haven’t bought a First Aid kit yet. My flight leaves the Portland Airport at 6:05 a.m. Friday and, aside from my passport and well-loved running shoes, the First Aid kit ranks up there as a must-have for the nine days that I am in Ecuador. Everything else can be borrowed from my sister. But not the First Aid kit. I need to think about safety first. My sister Audrey, a 19-year-old environmental science major at Willamette University in Salem, has been living with a family in Quito and taking classes at the Unviersidad de San Francisco since late July. A lover of national parks and furry animals, she has already taken advantage of most outdoor adventures in the region. Her exploits inspired the minute-by-minute itinerary she e-mailed me over Thanksgiving, which emphasized the need for athletic prowess and unyielding energy on my “vacation.” We will ride horses, climb a mountain or two, learn to surf, repel down a 150-foot waterfall and ride on the roof of a train car. There might be biking, walking tours of a cacao bean farm or hiking in lava fields. She's quite the adventurer. Me ... not so much. I split my head open and suffered a mild concussion two months ago while descending Mt. McLoughlin. This morning I cut my ankle with a safety razor and ruined a pair of socks before three Band-Aids stopped the bleeding. It’s inevitable that I will hurt myself in Ecuador. “As we rode this sketchy bus up the mountain, it seemed as if it we were not going to make it,” Audrey blogged back in August. “With so many people and such a steep road, the bus was definitely having problems. We also had to duck every once in awhile to avoid being decapitated by branches. But we made it and survived. “Saturday morning, Marcella, Susanna, Corrinne, Elise and I went repelling for only $20 with two personal guides. It wasn't just repelling though... we did it in waterfalls! We began with a few lessons, then tried out a 15 foot waterfall. I managed to fall the first time.” Audrey made it down the “practice” waterfall on her second try, then the guides ushered the group to a 150-foot waterfall for the real thing. She survived the descent, and the bus ride home. On a different bus two months later, though, she got a concussion and a fat lip when the driver stopped suddenly and her face smashed into the seat in front of her. No seat belts or real padding in those rigs. Between the two of us, Audrey is the sister with athletic gifts. As a child, she played soccer and basketball in addition to track, while I stuck to long-distance running. It required no contact, no coordination — just running in a circle. I didn’t even have to stay between the lines. Now she competes on the Willamette University cross country and track teams. I lucked out and caught two TDs during a staff full-contact football game two weeks ago. And that’s because none of the guys would tackle me. But the outdoor activities really are what drew me to the Ecuador trip. I intend on hiking more and have plans to pick up snow boarding this winter. I just think I need a helmet to do all of these things, and most definitely a First Aid kit. Staff writer Jennifer Squires finally took a vacation and is spending several days in and around Quito, Ecuador with her younger sister. This is the first in four columns about her (mis)adventures along the equator. Messages can be left at 482-3456 x 3019 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Generic Viagra Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Sportsbook Absinthe Supply Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations African Safari Hammocks Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino King of Spirits ink cartridges Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams