Otavalo
07.01.2006
Rainy evening in quito,
Project turning out very difficult, probably have to change soon, we are trying to get the people running out with the organisation and if that happens as some will remain, it will probably be difficult to stay. I would like to as I like working there, we are starting to finally get things going and the relations with the kids are good.
To anyone doing such a project though I would strongly suggest learning the language first as now that I am able to talk to the kids more it is so much easier and giving.
Some things are just really strange, the children using newspaper in the toilet despite having millions of rolls of toilet paper in the office, there are constantly donations coming in that the children don´t receive, etc. when asked why, the nuns give ridiculous explanations, there are also two children quite sick, one with something very weird in her scalp and hair, and the other with some sort of psychological, neurological motor problem, but these things are treated so weird here.
Yesterday we left to Otavalo a market town here, which proved to be very very touristy, mostly Americans.
But it was very cheap and we bought some nice things. Bargaining is quite funny here, as it always works on the same principle, you say half the price and they add a dollar or 25 cents depending on the thing.
We were only able to leave at about 7 though and as the very bumpy busride took around 3 and a half hours, we arrived really late, and also missed the stop so we ended up on the motorway literally in the smallest village I´ve ever seen trying to catch a bus or cab for 2 hours in the freezing cold. So now quite tired and sick we returned in the afternoon. I also got lice from the children so smell alot like a medicine bottle as I washed my hair with something hopefully toxic enough to kill them..
Otavalo was quite pretty, small and modest, but beautiful for those reasons, quite atmospheric and full of very friendly people. I think the same principle applies that people are more friendly in the countryside, but then again they are more apprehensive towards non-Ecuadorians. There was a man on the bus that literally sat in 3 different seats and disappeared under them very obviously to steal things out of peoples bags..
Well,
tomorrow holding a little dinner party, today quite sick, hopefully I don´t have malaria, as some of the symptoms are a little in that direction, but I think its just fatigue of not sleeping very much, having a bit of the flu etc.
Posted by laurailok 4:28 PM
Voi sinua raukkaa - täitä ja myös kipeänä! Toivottavasti hoivaatte toisianne, ja pääset kunnon lääkärin luokse, jos tarvitset. Ilmoittele, jos tarvitset ihan mitä vain Euroopasta, voin lähettää. Matkaan huomenna pienen nyrkkeilijän kanssa Leideniin Upun ja Tanen luokse, röhistelemään hollantia ja nauttimaan ajasta heidän kanssa. Lähetän pusuja ja rakkautta, ihana lukea viestejäsi! Katri
08.01.2006 by kemppain