After Cartagena we took an interesting trip with lots of different jeeps and buses and boats to Playa Blanca, a beach which is very touristy with Colombians I guess, but which is with white sand and absolutely turqoise water, very Caribbean paradise. We stayed the night in a simple beach hut, sleeping in the open air in hammocks, which was not all that comfortable but atmospheric, the cocks started screaming at about 5 so didn´t sleep that much, but swam and spent the day in the sun, then took a boat to Cartagena which was beautiful, we were going to walk , but a group of really nice spanish tourists took us for free for a little tour of the Islas of Rosario, which were beautiful, but have a resort on basically each one.

Then we took a bus to Santa Marta where we visited taganga a fishing village turned again a little touristy, playa negra, which was a bay where I snorkelled in coral reefs for about 2 dollars.. beautiful, it was really cold, almost lake water. On the second day we went to the national park, where we hiked for a day and saw such amazingly beautiful scenery, from jungle woods to boulder beaches.

Now yesterday after a 15 hour, freezing bus ride we are in Bogota, unfortunately leaving in a bout a few hours, for a 15 hour ride to Popayan, then 7 hours to the border and then another great 5 hours to Quito, I have had absolutely enough of buses.
Bogota is really beautiful, we are staying in the old city, yesterday e walked around the city, went to a Botero exhibition (he is from Medellin, Colombia) which was really good and free as he just donated 123 of his paintings to this museum, then went out with a really nice Colombian group to a disco with very bad music, the music that comes from Europe to here, is mostly really old and bad, or heavy metal.. of course there is else, but it is like good international music, which is hard to find in Vienna too.
I don´t want to leave Colombia, it is really such a gorgeous country, we have just had a great time here without any problems whatsoever. I got robbed a piece of paper and 20 dollars from my bag, but that can happen anywhere.

Take care all, my last days in Quito will be quite busy, but I will have the time to write a little.

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Okay at the moment in Cartagena, again my description will be that it is yet another old colonial town, expanded now into one of the biggest cities in Colombia, like Cali as well, as we went to a zoo in Cali which was interesting and colourful, we took a bus that literally went around all the city before arriving at our doorstep and we saw how huge the suburbs were, the grey inner layer which was just dirty poor city and then almost country side and beach hut style architecture around that.
Then on thursday evening we took a "direct bus" to Cartagena, which ended up being changing in Medellin anyway and waiting there for an hour and then a trip that stretched by 2 more hours as we stopped really often, so we were in total perhaps 23 hours in the bus. Most of it in the night so that was alright, and then during the day it is interesting anyway as you look at the landscape. Colombia is so much more rich with nature, rich with openess and culture in contrast to Ecuador which seems so much more tranquil, people, climate and landscape wise, I guess these are all connected. Like people and climate in Finland.
Yesterday I was robbed yet again on the street here, but they took a piece of paper which in the end effect was quite funny, it was still kind of scary as somebody just grabbed my arm from behind, held it and took whatever was inside.
Today we looked around the old city centre which is where we are staying in a hostal thats owner is from Vienna.. its really beautiful, broken down dorms with brick walls and some sort of brick oven(?) and a kitchen on a balcony outdoors.
The old colonial city centre is really gorgeous, we went to the beach as well where everyone tries to sell you everything, women just start to massage you etc. the city is beautiful, but we want to see some nature and have some more natural beaches, so tomorrow we are most probably heading on to Santa Marta, visiting some islands there and going snorkling. We did meet some really nice people here, people get married so early, I find it so funny when people are shocked that I don´t have children yet with twenty..
Today perhaps going to the cinema, maybe just going for a drink somewhere.
We had these horrid American guys from Alaska who were in our hostal in Cali that coincidentally took the same bus to Cartagena. I hate speaking English here, especially since everyone thinks you are american anyway, it was literally so annoying and embarassing as they had this dominant air of wanting to ask all the questions needed to be asked that we could have done so much better with our Spanish, they speak with the "du" form of German instead of "sie", tu not usted.. and that just makes them come off even more rude and ignorant.
Colombia is quite pricy, buses are so incredibly expensive compared to Ecuador, stupid as we travel alot with them and long journeys.
On the bus ride got stopped by military again, but a very routine check up, friendly man, its good that there is the military on the streets not guerillas. IT still takes alot to get used to to see men with machine guns on the street.

Send my love from the beautiful Caribbean sunshine

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Stopped over in Popayan, a beautiful small colonial city, now came here to Cali, which is obviously one of the rich cities in Colombia.
We have a hostal which is super cozy, run by a Swiss man who has married a Colombian woman here and lives here now, met lots of people travelling here or some that live in Cali.

Cali is very modern, really very safe, you can see that especially in this area where we live, people are quite well off. Funnily I ran into the two Finnish girls that Marja-Liisa knows in Popayan in the hostal, as they are now making their way to Ecuador.

I met the Finnish Consulate here today, a Colombian man that really has no connection to Finland whatsoever.

It is absolutely beautiful, but very comfortable sunshine here, not humid like in the beaches and south of Ecuador.

Of course travelling in Colombia seems risky and I guess there is a small risk, but as we are doing only the main main routes the risk is very very small, there is just a heck of police and military out on the streets, which is just intimidating in itself. We are being more than careful, doing 9 hour busrides in the day, which is worth it as well not only for safety but also to see the amazing landscapes here, it is such a beautiful beautiful country.

People here are alot more open and direct, but in a nice way, just they speak very unclearly compared to the slow, very calm and articulated Spanish that people speak in Quito.

Cali is also the capital of Salsa and as I do know how to dance perhaps we should have gone dancing here, but well.
Either we stay here one day longer or tomorrow we head to Medellin and from there to Cartagena on the Pacific Coast.

Take care all, I will write again, probably from Cartagena.

Laura

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I´ll stop now, just to say that I´m safe and it seems to be alright here, a little scared to move anywhere just because Colombia has such a bad reputation.
The internet is really slow so Ill get off now, we`ll stay here one more night.

Take care,
Í`ll keep on writing
Laura

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We´ll be absolutely careful. I think there are just some annoying rules you have to follow like not do a 7 hour bus trip in the night, which really is quite annoying, we´re only doing the coast, North and coming down again, which is the safest part, we´ve got money in different places etc. etc. I think the chances of you being kidnapped or getting into anything more serious are very very slim so don´t worry.

Now spending the whole day in the hostal, not all that exciting.
Take care.

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a bit in the last minute I decided that I would travel now. I don´t have enough time to go to Peru with Dela, as it takes a while to get to the South which is where everything really is, so I am going to Colombia with a friend of mine from Austria.

It might sound a little scary, but I´ve met loads of people that have gone there and say it is fine as long as you´re careful.

So tomorrow we are taking a bus to Tulcan and then crossing the border, heading to Cali, the capital of Salsa and a beautiful small historical town, then further to the Caribbean Coast and then further onto the archaeological sites, back down through Bogota to Quito. We will be gone for about two weeks, but I am bound to write during that time too.

Lots of sunshine to cold Vienna!

Laura

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Arrived about an hour ago to Quito again, it is nice to be in the cool climate valley city, with a bit more of a stable place again.
I didn´t have time to write during my travelling week, we started last day and did a ten day tour of Ecuador down south and through the coast up to Quito again.

Anja, the website is ecuadorvolunteer.com (do you spell volonteer, or volunteer..very bad English..) but it is less than informative. You can look at the "street children project".
Just met the first boy from Finland, had to speak in Finnish, which in the first minutes was a mixture of Spanish. He´s doing a community project outside Cayambe.

Katri: I´ll have to visit you and the stomach in Berlin, the baby is kicking? When can you find out if it is a boy or a girl, or do you want a surprise? I´m very excited to be an aunt.

Hope you are all well and enjoying your studies, work whatever you are doing.

For a summary of the last ten days. We started off going to Latacunga which is near the volcano Cotopaxi, it was just to see the landscapes of the volcano because the entry to the park is quite expensive. Afterwards we went to the small village of Laguna Quilotoa, which has a volcanic lagoon, absolutely beautiful, but a very difficult sandpit hour and a half hike down. We canoed there and spent the night in an indigenous owned hostal down at the lagoon. We spent the evening sitting with the family around a fire and then slept in their very basic rooms. It was quite authentic and there really aren´t many tourists around there. They told us of the legends in their culture, it seems a very tranquil, nature based culture, which they had preserved quite alot, however most of the indigenous are catholic here.
After a hike up the lagoon the next day we planned to go to Baños in a bus, but got stuck on the motorway a few kilometers away from Latacunga because there was a bus-strike. We rode a 5 hour ride of jeeps to latacunga, ambato, pelileo, and then to Baños, were two days there with pouring rain, which is such a shame as Baños is worth hiking around and the town itself is not interesting, very touristy etc. we didn´t know whether we should come back to Quito or not, since the next station Cuenca was far away from Baños and not so easy to hitch to, but there were buses to Ambato and then to Cuenca the next day.
Cuenca is beautiful, absolutely packed with old churches and cathedrals, a bit like a clean centro historico of Quito. It is one of the most international, but foreigner unfriendly cities that we experienced. I think it also has quite a fascist scene because I got heil-hitlered I think 4 times, and the graffiti is very in that direction.. strange. We slept the first night there in a really dodgy hostel that rented rooms out by hour to prostitutes and their clients, it was a little bit of bad district tourism as it was in the north, and we could see and hear quite interesting things in the night..We arrived in the night, so we changed for the next day, then took a bus during the day to Guayaquil which has a really hot humid climate. Its the biggest city in Ecuador, a port town. We didn´t see much more than the really old parts, the new port district which is spotless and very safe and then some more local areas downtown. It would be an interesting city to spend a month or two in doing a project as then you know where you can go etc. because some areas are quite dodgy and there is a slum district. First time that we wished we would have had just a cold shower, as we just had one warm tap, there are so many cockroaches and I can´t recall the name but big ones of those usually green things that jump alot , but there they are really big, fly all around the streets and especially the bus station and brown, they don´t do anything, but they are massive and you constantly have to flick things from your hair and body..
Afterwards we left to the Beach, to Puerto Lopez first, which was disgusting when we arrived. we had a hostal for 2 dollars a night, which was worth nothing more, really manky, it rained and the streets were just muck, algae and garbage and the water really dirty as it is a port-town. So we left, to Montañita, for 2 days and nights, where we had a really cheap domitorium, just an attick, right by the sea, with 20 people sleeping on the floor. We found this deserted beach by Olon a small village a few kilometers away, but filled with medusas, that we only noticed once we were well in the water, otherwise it is a surfing town with lots of tourists. In the places that there are most tourists, they are most hostile to foreigners, I guess partly because they see the rude types, partly because they have to cater to so many and group you more into a whole.

that was in general, our nice little trip around Ecuador. Today I am going to see about other projects they have here in Quito. I would really like to do a few weeks at this organic fruit farm a little more to the coast, but its through a different organization so I have to see how that works as Ecuador volonteer is quite buisness oriented as well, not all so fair.

But,
if you want to call me, I´ll be in tomorrow from lets say 3-5 my time.

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A very eventful week has passed and I haven´t found the time or the clearness of mind to write all here, but I guess have been digesting things for a little while.
I think the last entry I wrote was about Otavalo.
Since then I worked almost a week in the street children project that now probably has come to an end.
On wednesday we had a discussion with Ecuador Volunteer the organization that sent me to the project. They have been working together with a human rights organization considering the bad treatment of the kids in the project.
We were asked to keep our eyes open for any sort of proof for further maltreatment. On wednesday one of the volonteers experienced a nun hitting a child with a stick and we examined his body and found a very bruised mark on his leg which we photographed after which we immediately called the organization, who then phoned the police to pick up the child the next morning. One of the volonteers that lived in the project made the mistake of preparing the nuns not thinking that they had time to act, but they sent the child away in the night (very mafia style). Apparently he was sent to some aunt, but as he has lived in the project for 2 years without any of the family being interested in receiving him back ( the adoption laws here are crazy, you have to contact family to the 4th degree before being able to give a child for adoption, obviously this will take aaaagesss.)so they probably just sat him in a bus to go somewhere in direction to Cuenca close to his home, in the night.. a boy of 11.
In the morning we arrived in the project and were told this as well as told to leave immediately because apparently we hit the children.
The nuns entered the childrens rooms at 5 in the morning telling them to lie that we hit them.
On friday we went to the project to visit the children and they all apologized and cried because they had lied.
It was heartbreaking to leave as although we are just one of many volonteers that come and go, I did have some special relationships with the children.
Now we don´t know how things are as there is a carpinteria in the project as well, the man we spent christmas with with his family and who arranged for a truthful goodbye for us, giving us as a present one of the games that the children make. We realize in retrospect how naiive we were towards the project, putting emphasis on education when the children need to learn the basics of organized living, and will never ever end up going to university. Of course it is important to learn to read and write etc. but the idealistic dream of happy children with all opportunities open is just not possible.
The man in the carpinteria, Alejandro is talking to the nuns today and I will find out soon whether we can continue working there. I have just over 2 weeks left until I will travel and it is useless starting another project.
Today I started working with Deaf and Blind children which is really interesting and intriguing, but there is little possibility of making something out of that in mere 2 weeks, especially as most blind children are integrated into schools here and the majority are deaf, as I don´t know anything of spanish sign language, it is nearly impossible to communicate with the children and to learn this in two weeks is hard. Its another language ontop of Spanish.
I might work in a project for old people, if it is not possible to continue with the street children project, as this is much easier to integrate into as they are adults, obviously able to communicate, it would interest me alot.

Well.. my life outside volontary work.
I have moved finally out of my expensive, deserted hostel into one full of life, outside of the horrid, touristic, non-atmospheric district in Quito, Mariscal. I live in Casa Bambu right now, it is packed with German speakers, but very cozy up a hill near a park, with a view of the whole of Quito etc. I live in a dorm with 4 other people, today I woke up to a chinese man sleeping in the bed next to mine, people come and go, but it is extremely cozy and cheap (4 dollars a night). I feel more integrated into the city here, the only downside being that it is more dangerous at night (although in Mariscal because of being a tourist district there is alot of theft and also 2 people were killed.. for political reasons, in a hostel which is owned by a woman involved in politics.. right infront of mine..) so we´ll have to take taxis in the night, but..
We went to Papallatka last weekend, hot springs 2 hours outside Quito, the nature was stunning, mountains and lots of cows..
but laying in warm water for hours is not so my thing, but it was nice.
Afterwards to a housewarming party in yet another area of Quito which was interesting, trying to decipher house numbers for an hour in the night.. hmm.
I work in the north now, previously in the south in the historic town so I get to see more of the city.
Otherwise trying to figure out whether to go to Colombia or Peru, Colombia sounds so dangerous, but in reality very beautiful, cheap and not that bad as I´ve met atleast 10 people travelling there alone from Europe who say it is absolutely fine. We´re trying to get some more people to join us as now we are two.
Well, my phone number is 2226-738 now, with the Ecuador, Quito extensions of course. Please do call me, lets say 9-10 at Vienna time again, which is 3-4 here, I leave work at 2 so that is fine.
This weekend probably doing the train ride here as it sounds beautiful or perhaps going to the biggest city here, Guayaquil. Okay.
Take care my loves,
Anja was really nice to hear from you.
Besitos y abrazos
Laura

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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.

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Weekend spent at the beach in Canoa, very spontaneous as we didn´t have the desire to stay in Quito and all bus tickets were gone.. so without hostel and with what we could pack quickly, we headed with an 8 hour night bus to a small village of San antonia, where we arrived at 5 oclock in the morning very tired and had to change to another bus, after waiting for an hour in the village with a shop owner. The little villages however are not really dangerous, it was a fishing village so people get up very very early.
You can not wait alone anywhere with people starting conversation. One of my friends here from Ecuador as well remarked on how strange it feels for Ecuadorians when Europeans answer the questions of how are you, with a simple fine without explanation. Communication is very important here, and rarely can you walk past someone you know without conversing for a while. But its nice, something to get used to, but its a bit of a sacrifice of individuality as even if you don´t feel like talking it is considered very impolite not to do so. The village of San Antonio really contained people that never left and it is strange to imagine staying in such a small place for all your life without knowing anything else.
After a cold and very noisy (very loud music and open door which I think didn´t exist..) we took a small and very bumpy busride to Canoa. The view was beautiful as the sun rose and you could see families in very small beach shacks waking up and roasting breakfast around big open fires outside.

Canoa was very beautiful with a stunning beach, very small and modest. We had the choice of a very old hostel with lots of little animals we couldn´t identify and one which was a little more expensive but a little more reliable. My room however was without a window and I think freshly painted or stained with the mosquito oil in the canopy, extremely stuffy and hot so with the nightbus rides and that I haven´t slept almost at all. We knew a group of other voluntaries who were going as well so we had a nice new-years reunion with sunshine, a warm beach at night, great.
The waves were extremely high, but swimming was still great. We didn´t manage to visit the caves with thousands of bats though as you need a low tide to do that.
We took a jeep ride to the nearest village San Vicente which is a fishing town as well. It is extremely common to hitch here as you pay the drivers a modest amount and you get to sit on the back of a jeep or on our return stand in the back of a wooden truck which drove on gas..
The nightbus back was interesting as well as the bus was packed with people sleeping on the floor and I woke up a few times finding some stranger resting his or her head on my lap.. hmm.
Today, after arriving in Quito at 5 am, I went to work in the morning. We had a big discussion with the nuns as they remarked that they don´t want us to come anymore. I speak almost the same amount of Spanish as Dela, but as she is dark-skinned she gets treated a bit better by the nuns, who show little respect for me and make little comments about me not knowing the language at all etc. which is not true at all. Their problems with us are minute things we can put an effort in to change for them like giving them plans of exactly what we will do etc. our problems are more of the principles of them not communicating with us, their strategies with the children. I had a small dispute about the nuns hitting the children today, and I guess it is the best to get your opinion out there and we feel that there has been a little change both ways, us becoming a little more stern in a good way with the children as they need to be pressured into learning etc. as well and them becoming a little more relaxed with them.

Tomorrow we are getting started with the things we have planned.
I am having a little bit of problems with the food here, as one of the specialities is uncooked seafood soup kind of thing which might be a little hard with the cold water. They eat a lot of seafood here, alot of rice, corn, green bananas cooked, the food is very good.

Very tired and unfortunately a little sunburnt I will go to bead early today for a day of work tomorrow.

hugs,
Laura

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the contamination in the city is incredible, I can hardly breathe, there is literally a dark cloud of smoke whenever a bus passes buy.

one of the boys had a bit of a psychotic attack in the project, some others cry once in a while, and am finding myself trying to practice my psychology studies in diagnosing a bit of the childrens needs.. michael and I have some good ideas about what to do in the project with the money and time. Today a new volunteer came who is interested in doing a bit of arts with the children.
A ct scan costs 30 dollars here, hmm..

the ecuadorians are a bit puzzled over Europeans and their lack of communication and short answers.
today worked a full day, quite tiring, but got much more involved. had a lecture and a bit of a dispute with one of the main sisters.
well.

am trying to decide where to travel to in my two or three weeks of travelling, Peru, or do another project in a community in the woods. hmm..

this weekend hopefully heading to Canoa to a bit more of a quiet beach to celebrate new-years.

take care all.

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The project is rolling on, we´ve organised a few things, like a theater and singing group, set times for some sports, fruit days, lesson times etc. so I think we´ll start moving forward now.
alot of the children have huge lice which we spent ages picking out today, hmm.

I don´t know what we´ll do with the money yet. perhaps the best would be to try and send some children to a real school as it is more than difficult to teach them in the centre.. then the question ofcourse arises who, and then even less children will spend the morning alone and working, so. .have to check out prices for schools, atleast for a year.
We´ll also try and buy some socks and clothes for the children, giving the money to the nuns will be absolutely no good, unless there is a clear plan for what they need to do with it.

Alone at the hostel, as Dela moved to the project for a week,
vamos a ver..
when I can move out..
Take care all,
Laura

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This week has been a little bit of ups and downs for me. I felt quite lonely this week as me and Dela weren´t working together, she was working later, and I didn´t have so many people that I really got along to talk to. Work was quite tiring this week as well, because me and Michael were alone in the project, the weather has been quite bad, I didn´t sleep well, was quite sick two days, one of which really spent in bed alone while it was the only sunny day out..its a bit of a rain-season here now.

But things are really good now again. I have been meeting up with an Austrian girl Helene and her friend from Germany Leoni and they are people that I really get along with. Leonis hostel is full of really nice people that I´ve also gotten to know, so I feel like my friendship circle is starting to expand a little. I also have started to feel more at home here, the city seems a little clearer to me now and thus I find myself taking small excursions here and there alone after work etc. It helps knowing where things are. The boy Eduardo who lives in my hostel and has studied classical music (piano) in Moscow and Stockholm is an absolute prodigy in piano, composes and plays so absolutely well. It is good to have these contacts as you would never find an isolated free classical music students concert here due to the lack of programmes..

I started taking salsa lessons this week too. It is really alot of fun, challenging, but really relaxing too after work. My teacher is called Patricio and is the stereotype of an energetic, good-natured, Latino man. Yesterday we went dancing with a group of people and it was great fun. Dancing alone as a girl just doesn´t exist here, even if you are in a group.. its just a different culture.
Whenever you are out, in the bus, in a taxi etc. people mostly start talking to. The prospect of getting to know "strangers" is just so much more likely here. I like that openness in this culture, as it is also not superficial, but quite sincere, you´ll probably not meet them again, but it is interesting to hear about different peoples lives and views.

Finland is perceived as the country of technology, flowers (?), and lonely independent strong women..

Yesterday I did get robbed with a knife. We were selling these origami games that the children make in a shoppingcentre and me not really knowing how to get home, took the wrong bus, ended up in an isolated end-stop with groceries and got robbed with a knife.. quite creepy, but the best thing to do is just to give your money straight away. Afterwards I had no idea how to get home, but a really nice taxi-driver took me home for much less than the trip cost.

Work has been pleasant as well though, I am starting to get to know the children better, the boys are much more open to me as well, I understand what they say better etc. Yesterday we organized a little christmas thing for them. It was a great improvement from the chicken claws dipped in soup with "brei" that they get sometimes..
Some of the children are quite aggressive sometimes, and as they are disciplined a little with slaps in the school too they take that example and practice it onwards.
Hm.
Okay this has been a very pragmatic overview of things I have done, as I haven´t written for a while. Today we are celebrating christmas with the big family of a man we work with.. should be interesting.

Hope you all enjoy your snowy(?) chirstmasy christmas.
Laura

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Work is starting to roll and the conflicts with the sisters are actually quite helpful as they give an opportunity to complain about a lot more.
I´m trying to find out more about the children and why they are at the home etc. its difficult to ask them straight as some of them speak a little unclearly and also the topics are obviously quite difficult to address. There are two mentally retarded children that just haven´t been diagnosed at all, whilst they obviously need some help, when they leave the project they will be left with nothing as they can not learn, work etc.
Another child which I adore is given the diagnosis of "down syndrome" although I´m sure he has nothing of the kind, I think in the project people just want to put the children into quick neat boxes, but this child is smart, is only just a little hyperactive, but if anything has a little bit of ADD.
I don´t think the sisters know much about each child and the teacher is sick who I would ask about them. It is so important to know such things as each child is an individual with its own needs. If the children are aggressive, they are just disciplined, maybe we suspect also with hitting, and often their behaviour has very good reasons. A little girl for instance told me today that she was on the streets because her father murdered her mother and is in the prison now, and obviously that child has its own individual needs.
Maria, a child that always cries and is really quiet opened up a little to me today and is starting to play with the other children and approach me, today it was impossible to leave the project as all the children were hanging on my neck again, I think I took about an hour, they really don´t have any adults around them that give them true affection, listen to them and let them be children.
We are a bit in a vacuum of where to start, and that will probably just be practical assertive demands of clear lesson times, groups etc. as some children are discriminated and always forced to work and we always have to search for them in the beginning of lesson times and that takes time. Afterwards we will try to change more of the fundamental things. Dela is going to live in the project for a week, I might join her as well, so we can see how things really work all the time.
theres a little boy called Wagner, quite a grandiose name for a child that always cries as well and it is just obvious that they don´t feel well in the home which is such a shame.
I think the best way to donate money is to put a little bit on my mastercard account, and I will buy school supplies and underwear and shoes which are in horrible conditions or nonexistent and meanwhile I will talk to the organisation and discuss where the money is best sent and donated as surely not to the project directly.
Today a group of nuns came to the project and sang and played with the children, it is a shame that we don´t have those kinds in the project.
Today I am going out with two Austrian girls, who work in another project. I know a bit of individual people here in quito, but not so many that I really get along with and can spend time with.
Most people in Quito don´t earn very well, not enough to afford insurance etc. then there is the very poor class which is big, but much bigger outside the city, outside the city you see shacks in the middle of nowhere, we haven´t really seen the rich people here, only buisness men in the modern city, but their residential area is outside the main city, there are private fenced schools around, but I think the middle low class is the biggest here.

I finally remembered to get my phone number,
00593(Ec.)2(Quito)2547737
There is a six hour time difference, behind, it´s 4 here now, 10 in Vienna or Berlin too.
The best time to call me is I guess between 3-5 my time, as I usually get home at around 3 or 4, Monday to Friday,
Saturday I won´t be in Quito , but Sunday yes.

Besitos
Laura

rainy quito remains copyright of the author laurailok, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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A weekend spent in Quito this time. The first week of working was quite exhausting for us, so we decided to stay here this weekend, and its not like there isn´t anything to see here either. Most locals seem to find Quito quite unimpressive, but a saturday morning in the old town impressed me alot. It is beautiful with historical buildings, lots of hidden plazas and statues. We just walked around for a few hours, the buildings are quite magnificent, not always in good shape, lots of the buildings are really colourful and generally the feel is a little like in the centre of Vienna, but of course different, with lots of little allies etc.
We also visited two big churches which were very, very decorative, lots of Gold, icons, a bit more sombre paintings of Jesus and his life, lots of people praying and lighting candles. There is something very distant and glorifying in the catholic religion with ritual and much more feeling of respectful bowing, religion here is very strong, but there is also a big movement of reformatist churches so the statistics of pure catholicism are not quite correct.
There are always street children around churches wanting to polish your shoes, sell you gum. Usually if anything we buy them food. Giving them money just isn´t productive, although not doing it is also not encouraging for them to go to school, its difficult.

The best way in Quito as there is a lack of programmes in the city about events, is just to venture around and ask alot of questions. Today we encountered a free ballet of the nutcracker in the house of culture here, which was a really nice experience. Yesterday we went to a Chaplin movie, today to a small market in a park in Quito. The weather has been very rainy here so I think the city is a bit more quiet and more restricted in what you can do. Usually there are alot of street artists in the park. Some things are really hard to find here cheap, books and there just seem to be no postcards of Quito.

You don´t sense the perfectionism that people strive for more in Europe. Nothing really is punctual or scheduled, in a way there is some carelesness, but in another things are just alot more relaxed.
I don´t use a clock, only in the mornings to know when to get up for work.
We are thinking of moving from the hostel as its just quite expensive and a little empty.

The work is progressing and with more time spent in a place comes more awareness of details. I don´t even know where to start by what needs to be changed. We are going to meet with people to discuss to what extent things like children working etc. are really necessary, just more information about how the project really works. At the moment the children hardly have class and the idealistic picture of the project painted by the organization just is false. It said the main task of the volonteers is to help with homework, but the project hasn´t even progressed to the point of having homework for the children. We are also going to do a fundraising to buy the children things like underwear and shoes which are in horrible conditions. There is little organization in when and what the children are taught and the excuse that we often encounter is that the children are present for too little and unspecified time, but I think more than a reason not to teach the children it is the opposite, to give them a chance to enter routine a little and visit a "school" when it is possible.

Everyone seems to be getting robbed and me and Dela are kind of wondering when its our turn..
I will ask about the donation money for christmas, probably best sent to Ecuador Volunteer, I´ll ask for the number of the account.

okay,
take care you all,

weekend in Quito remains copyright of the author laurailok, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Second day of work, much better than the first.
All the children are just really special, I get so much gratification from working.. its a bit much to say on the second day, but we have alot of ideas regarding the project, because as I said there is a hell of a lot to do..
Some of the nuns are really unpleasant, quite unfriendly to us the volontaries and the children as well. There isn´t so much dedication put into the project, partly due to the lack of financial situation, but also personal dedication is lacking in parts.
There is one child I am absolutely in love with. Because we are few volontaries you really have to watch out that you don´t spend more time with one than the other, because the children will take it much to heart if they feel that you like one more than the other. all the children are so affectionate, always hugging you and talking to you.
One child was crying today because he misses his parents. I was talking to the children today about where they come from and the destinies are so tragic, just really sad. Parents were alcoholics, or just didn´t care about them, dead or work really hard doing some bad job so I guess they lack the time, energy and patience to care for their children.
Some children are really quiet and obviously have experienced things no child should do. Then again on the other hand it is amazing how happy they can be at times.
Today perhaps going to an Ecuadorian movie, have to see. I am so busy with classes, homework, work and trying to sort out the everyday stuff. Next week my classes stop as my Spanish is at quite a good level and I learn most from practicing.

Anyways,
got to go shopping for food and handing out leaflets for a fundraising event we are doing.

Laura

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Yesterday we went to view the project and afterwards for a walk around the old town which is stunning, the part where we are working too.

In the evening we went to a catholic mass which was quite beatiful in a really big church resembling the stephansdom, with a woman singing with microphone who has a very meditational voice. The service was very traditional and in the way of catholics, quite official yet passionate and glorifying of their God.

Afterwards I went out with a very nice Ecuadorian boy who has studied classical music in Moscow and Stockholm and is very informed about Sibelius..

Today in the morning we started work. The centre is very disorganized, headed by catholic nuns who are quite authorative and distanced with the kids. One of the nuns is very pleasant though. There are two other nice volontaries apart from us who are very friendly, Michael a german boy and Nelly a british-indian girl.
They have been in the project for over a month so they are very helpful. the centre is quite dirty and obviously lacking in financial resources. It is however very beautiful with large balconies overlooking the city.

In the mornings we have classes with the kids, usually in small groups, teaching them to read and spell and more according to their level which is obviously very variant, some old kids can not read, whereas some young ones have gone to school for some time before landing on the street. The children are incredibly sweet and obviously in need of some affection, they are always hugging you and blabbering on about their days. There are some really special kids, who are obviously very intelligent and compassionate, and others that don´t really have a sense of discipline or why you need to learn things, sit down and listen to people etc.
the volontaries have a huge task as they are the only ones apart from 2 teachers of which one is only present each day, who teach the children and really spend time with them. There is some racial discrimination between the black children and Ecuadorian ones. The children are forced to do tasks in the kitchen, carpentry, which at times is in too vast plentitude, especially when it comes to the black kids.
Spending time with the kids is so rewarding and they return the favour with lots of affection.

Afterwards, two hours of intensive Spanish, only reciting irregular verbs, which I thought was a little unnecessary in that extent. My teacher is really sweet and once you get her talking she blabbers on and on and repeats herself atleast 5 times.

today we are handing out flyers for the project to collect money through a fundraising event.
Otherwise I have nothing in mind but cooking some tortillas and enjoying the delicious array of fruits available. You can buy fresh thick pure juice of Guanabanas and other exotic fruits for less than 50 euro cents.. heavenly, empanadas etc. the food here is very good, I guess a little bit of an international mixture of Latin and spanish foods.
I will have to try Cuy.. Guinea pig sometime which is an indigena traditional dish.. hmm
Ok stopping as need a little rest, have been on my feet for ages.
Laura

first day of work today.. remains copyright of the author laurailok, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Time has passed quickly here. There is so much to do and see.
On saturday morning we left for a trip outside Quito. At first we took the bus to a bit of a tourist location: the equator monument. It was nothing very special, but I guess a little bit of a reminder that you are somewhere else and I guess kind of cool. After that we took the bus to a small village and climbed up a huge hill to a volcano Pulaluhua (I am not entirely sure that that is how it is spelled.) Its a dormant volcano since long and theres a little village in the crater. It was worth the hike.

Afterwards we took another 2 hour bus ride and afterwards a hitch which is very common in Ecuador, as you do pay to get the ride on the back of a landwagon to Mindo, a very small town in the midst of forests and next to a river Mindo. The town was very small, very basic and surrounded by amazing landscapes. Ecuador is so beautiful with lots of mountains, volcanoes, forests, rivers, coast also etc. it is just so variable. As we ascended the volcano, the mountain peaks were embedded in clouds and fog as we were really high and it was just quite spectacular.

In Mindo we were invited to a fiesta by someone at the street so we ended up going to a house party where we met lots of nice people, the people hosting it were from galapagos islands, we also met 2 German girls working in the embassy in Quito, 2 girls doing stuff by the UN in quito, there are many foreigners that have some weird job or reason to be here.

Today we took seriously a 6 hour hike to a waterfall and down again. I am so incredibly tired and a little sunburnt.. yes it is around 20-25 degrees here.. sunny but not too hot.

Yup and then another long busride, tourists pay a different price than locals here for everything, which I guess really is quite fair. The door of our bus fell off and we didn´t even stop for a second longer. as if it was totally normal, I guess it is?

The people outside Quito I guess are a little friendlier and a lot poorer too.

The indigenas are pretty much doomed for the worse jobs.

Anyways I¨ll stop here because I really am quite tired.

first trip remains copyright of the author laurailok, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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i´m alot more rested now, I slept lots last night.
There´s a really nice Belgian girl staying with me in the appartment. Otherwise there aren´t any other volontaries, because it is just a small hostel with lots of different people. A group of volontaries are arriving next week.

Yesterday was another added day of fiesta here with lots of fireworks and different events, we just saw a glimpse because we didn´t really know where to go and it is not advisable to just start walking around at night.. we were also very tired. went to the airport to try and pick up my rucksack with little success. The Ecuadorian service consists of people who tell you to go to someone else as quickly as possible and it hadn´t arrived, another try tomorrow. One man even pointed to a wall "tiene que seguir todo recto!".. hmm, nothing there.

Today I had 4 hours of spanish classes in the afternoon. My teacher is really young, very friendly and speaks soo fast... I don´t speak anything but Spanish here, also with the Belgian girl, its really good for learning the language but quite tiring, because you´re always figuring out what to say.

We also took the morning to walk around the city as well as having a meeting with the project leader. I´´m definetly working in the street children project and might even live there later, not sure yet. The project requires lots of independence, sounds very demanding but really interesting.
The new part of the city which we walked around today is quite oldfashioned in the European sense but with big office buildings, lots of authentic small cafes and restaurants. It is quite broken and dirty, often we almost walked into a very deep pit, which they have lots of. However there are lots of big beautiful parks with street artists and interesting sculptures. Ecuadorians are very helpful and friendly, but quite quiet and seem a little serious too. There is a big difference between having some relation to them and talking to strangers who are perhaps a little hostile even. All the people I´ve really met are very sincere and friendly, they ask lots of questions and are really interested in you. That is perhaps one thing i could characterise them by, sincerity. They are quite calm and relaxed about life, content. They don´t put so much emphasis on everything like in Europe, but I can´t really put things into words yet as I´ve been here for such a little time. There are pretty many poor beggars and people who try to sell you little things like chewing gum or ask to polish your shoes. Lots of children too which is really sad, a really nice man of the organisation drove me to the airport yesterday in the evening and at night you see very young kids , around 4 years old on the streets.

Today we are celebrating the hostel owners, who is so friendly birthday. He has a little boy with epilepsy who we are also helping to take care of a little later on, because he has alot to do.

I am doing only Spanish courses this week, but on monday I already start working half day. I´m excited to start and meet more people, because we are a little lonely with the belgian girl because there is no one else at the hostel and neither of us know the city at all, but that will come with time.

Take care

la segunda dia en Quito remains copyright of the author laurailok, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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My English is already stuttering. Probably as I am very very tired from my 40 hour journey as well as the fact that I need to get used to speaking only Spanish. Somehow I am making myself understood and its not all that difficult. Understanding is quite easy as in Ecuador they speak very clearly and the words are basically fancy English words with an o at the end and said more aggressively.
I havén´t met anyone yet, theres noone at the appartment which is very central, well organised and has a really nice aesthetic touch and design.. The owner is a very friendly man.
There are alot of foreigners in this district.

I still have to pick up my backpack from the airport as it stayed somewhere in London and is arriving today later. That was an interesting conversation with the person in charge as they really did not speak English and I had to talk in all different tenses and answer lots of questions.. I wouldn´t want to hear that translated.

The city is extremely quiet today as I just missed a week of fiesta and bullfighting and because everyone is tired from the fiesta, there is a holiday today.. I like this attitude..
It looks very Southern, very shabby, I can´t really say as I just drove through, but its surrounded by beautiful mountains and a volcano.

Laura, it was such a lovely time in the Christkindlmarkt, it was really something quite special. thank you so much for coming to the airport so early...
Muchos besitos,
hope you are all fine and happy
Laura

here in quito remains copyright of the author laurailok, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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but:
Address of my appartment is:
Juan Rodriguez E8-72 y 6 Diciembre
Quito
Ecuador

I do have to check that as it was sent to me in a very weird format..
otherwise do e-mail my gmx,
laurakemppainen@gmx.net

there is some sort of e-mail link on this site, when you log in you will receive some sort of personal address you can send stuff to and it will automatically appear on the site.

Addresses remains copyright of the author laurailok, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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