Today was our first day of working. We went to a catholic school attached to a center that supports pregnant women. The task for today was to build a wall out of concrete blocks and mortar. I mainly carried concrete bags around and mixed the concrete with sand outside and then carried it inside to be mixed with water to become the mortar mixture. The only locals we met today were the workers, who showed us what to do and then went about there own jobs. There was also a young lady who worked for the contractors and acted as an interpreter for us and helped us understand our instructions better and even helped us slap up some mortar. At lunch time we had another chicken creation with rice and cheese. As a special treat the contractor brought us cokes and a chocolate pizza with strawberries on top, something I have never even thought about, but I was glad that I got a chance to partake in it. The work continued till the buses showed up, but I feel that we accomplished something here (about a wall and a half to be exact).
During our break when we returned to the hotel we decided to find a spot for dinner, some spot that would serve food that we were familiar with. Along the way we found a couple of fountain monuments with different religious figures and we also found a wall that had several religious icons painted on it (see attached pictures). So we ended up at the McDonalds near the hotel (reminded us of home). I was very surprised by the differences that this place had from its fellow chain establishments in the States. The first and immediate difference I noticed was the lower prices, which is always a good start. There were also several additions to the menu, like a Mcfiesta burger and a different type of French fry (a thicker and browner variety). The other major difference in this establishment that I can find on any corner around home would definitely be the language barrier I found inside. Our interpreter, Zack, did not come with us on this excursion so we were forced to make broken conversation and point at the items on the menu. The workers, quite contrary to US standards, were very patient with us and eventually got our orders straight out of the mixture of Spanish, English, and made up sign language, but I still had the food my way (wait is that burger king….then I guess I'm loving it!).
After work we had a lesson in some of the cultural differences between Ecuador and the United States. The one that I found the most interesting was the whole bit about it being rude to be on time, good manners being to show up two hours late for a function, that would drive me crazy (15 minutes early is the minimum show up time). The strict dating rules were also interesting to me, it sounds like the parents in Ecuador keep the apron strings attached much longer than the American girl and her independent spirit would allow.
Later that evening we went exploring up and down the board walk to see some of the night spots. I couldn't help but notice the continued police presence throughout the heavy tourism/nightlife spots. I am not sure if that suggests that there are many muggings in Guayaquil or if they just take security very seriously around here. Well this second day was great, but I was tired at the end of it (construction work is so exhausting) and was grateful for the bed to collapse into that night.