torsdag 15. april 2010

Livesign

Sorry everyone for not writing for month. My live in Quito is quiet now, work and some small activities. I finally startet to work in the school as an english teacher. It is very hard sometimes teaching a language that you do not know perfect, in a language that you not know nearly perfect, without any teaching skills. But I like it, the kids seem interested! Yesterday I even went to Tae Kwon Do training. It was not quite as it is back home. Funny was that my teacher had a green belt (two belts below me...;))
So I guess there wont be much more blogg reports now. I am fine though! You can see a lot of pictueres at my picasa webside. Enjoy!
I will tell you all about Peru when I am back home.
Love to everyone reading, see you quiet soon! (2 month)

mandag 22. februar 2010

Februrary

07.02.10 Sunday
Today I went to Guapalo which is a part of Quito very close to my house which is like a village. It was a really nice walk. I visited the Guapalo church where Elsa and Pepe were married. It is really beautiful.
08.02.10 – 12.02.10 Monday to Friday
My Ecuadorian friend Angelo came to visit me in Quito. We hang out a lot in the Parks of Quito too practice juggling. It is as hard as it looks. Wednesday I needed to say bye to Sara, one of the girls I have been hanging out with since the beginning! It was really hard. Thursday I said bye to Gioia, that was horrible, she was my neighbor and friend since the first days as well. Now almost all of my folks are gone. In one week everybody leaves… Then there is only Bell left who I only met two weeks ago…
13.02.10 Saturday
This day was a party day once again. I wasat a party from my quitorian friend, they made a little concert at the roof of a house in the middle of Quito! The atmosphere was great! Later I met my German friends to celebrate Leonies birthday in our usual club the “next Level”.
14.02.10 Sunday
I spend the day with Angelo until he went back to Guayaquil in the evening.
15.02.10 Monday
This was a free day because of Carnival. I went to the known Carnival town Ambato to see the celebrating. In the day there was little to see, but in the evening there was a large parade with a lot of colors and dancing, it was really great to see, unfortunately we had to leave early to take the bus back to Quito.
16.02.10 Tuesday
I had free today to. It was a relaxed day and there was no electricity in the Ramses where I hang out with everyone so I went home early.
17.02.10 Wedensday
I stood up early to get to work, where I learned that I had free the rest of the week, COOL! So I took the bus back home and went to bed once more. In the afternoon I went to the Ramses and chilled. We made Chili con Carne and later we went out at the Ladies Nigths at the” Next Level” and the “Bungalow 6”.
18.02.10 Thursday
The day was easy because we needed to take the bus at 10 pm to Cuenca. Where Mirjam and I wanted to spent the weekend.
19.02.10 Friday
We arrived in Cuenca around 8 in the morning and went to our hostel. Then we went out to explore the city. We visited old town and saw a beautiful flower marked. Afterwards we went into the new Cathedral and took a city sightseeing tour-bus, which was really touristic but nice. After that we went down to the river of Cuenca, which we enjoyed a lot since there are no rivers in Quito. Later we visited a small Art Museum with the work of Jamie Ville and a concert with South American Sounds. After this long day of culture we enjoyed pizza in a really cozy restaurant.
20.02.10 Saturday
Today we went to the Inca ruins Incapirca. It was a long ride and it was not that exciting, but now I can say to have seen the most important Inca ruins in Ecuador and that sounds very cool, right? In the evening we enjoyed the atmosphere in the old town with small jewellery shops in the street and a lot of cute Bars.
21.02.10 Sunday
We went to the national Park Cajas outside of Cuenca where we walked 3 hours in an incredible landscape. Lagoons and mountains all over! At about 4 pm we took the bus back to Quito.
22.02.10 Monday
Where we arrived at around 3 am. After some hours of sleep in my bed I went to work and in the afternoon I have been in the Internet and maybe I will meet the others now…

søndag 7. februar 2010

Working and exploring

Tuesday 26.01.
My second day of work. In the afternoon we cooked and went out afterwards.
Wednesday 27.01.
After the long party working was really hard, especially since I worked 8 hours, to get one day of! After work I went to get a piercing in my lower lip, it cost me only 8 dollars! We partied again that night.
Thursday 28.01.
The little sleep and much party showed this day because I woke up at 11 am and did not go to work that day… But these hours missing I worked in again later!
Friday 29.01.
Today in after work and chilling I took the bus to Guayaquil to meet some friends who are traveling, a Ecuadorian friend who lives there and to see the city.
Saturday 30.01.
I met my local friend and later the day my two German friends. We walked the promenade of Guayaquil and climbed a little mountain (over 400 stairs) from where one can see the whole city, it was really nice.
Sunday 30.01.
Unfortunately there is not much more to see or do in Guayaquil. It really is a ugly city, so we took the bus to Montanita to enjoy the beach!
Monday 01.02.
We did what one does at the beach: eating fish for breakfast at 1 pm, picking up shells, bading, sunbath (and get a real sunburn!) and at night we watched the juggle show of my friend and sat around the fire at the beach chatting…
Tuesday 02.02.
After a really great breakfast we enjoyed the beach and the crazy village some more before we took the bus to Guayquil. From there I took the bus back to Quito.
Wednesday 03.02.
At 5 am I arrived at the house and after 1 hour sleep in my bed I went to work. In the afternoon I chilled and ate pasta with the others in the Ramses.
Thursday 04.02.
I worked 5 hours. One day at work looks like this, I take the bus for 40 minutes, then I arrive at San Roque at 8 am. Until 08:30 I play a little with the kids, then they have milk and bread. My job is to make them sit down, give them the food and sometimes feed them if they don’t want to eat. We always try really hard and force them a little sometimes. This sounds crazy to us, but the food they get in the kinder garden sometimes is the only food they get because the parents can’t afford food. Then we play or work until 10 am. The work is mostly learning colors, paint, learn the national hymn and things like that. At 10:00 we eat a fruit. Then we play or work until 11:30, which is lunch time. The kids get soup, rice with a sauce and juice, a traditional dinner here. After that I help cleaning the dining room and at 1 pm I take the bus back home where I eat dinner/lunch together with my hostfamily.
I do not really like the work because I do nothing which is important. If I am not at work it is the same, I feel a little unnecessary. I hope I can change to the school soon…
Later that day we went to the park and cooked together.
Friday 05.02.
I worked until 1pm as always, ate and chilled in my room when I got a call from a local friend who asked if I wanted to join them at a concert. Of course I wanted. We met and took the bus to the old town. There we saw 3 really cool metal bands, open air and for free, genius! At 8 pm they could not play anymore because it was located very close to houses, so I was early enough at home to eat dinner with Elsa and Pepe.
Saturday 06.02.
Today was my first day alone in Ecuador. My friends have gone to the coast for the weekend but I needed a break from busses and chill because I have a cold. So I went to the old town to the Museum of Quito. In the bus my purse was stolen, but there were only 10 $ in there. In the afternoon I chilled and went to the internet café, soon is dinner and afterwards I will go to bed soon so get healthy.

mandag 25. januar 2010

Last weeks

09.01.10 Saturday
After only some hours in Quito we left in the evening to take a bus to Rio Bamba. In the hotel there we had a little party with the guys we had not seen in a while.
10.01.10 Sunday
we had to get up at 6 to get the bus to Alausi, where we had some braekfast. Here we where to take a train tour, which is really famous. Before you where able to sit at the top of the wagons and enjoy the incredible view and take one of the last traintracks exicsting in Ecuador, but now it is only touristic and the steam engine is gone. ;( So we felt kind of tricked. At the same day I wanted to get to my house in the village near Cotacachi which was impossible, so I slept in an Hostel in Ibarra. This evening was kind of exciting, with all the buses which did not stop where I wanted them to, so I was really happy to get out of the bus in a real bed. From the 29.12 until the 10.01. I spend 56 hours in busses, over two of 12 days!
11.01.10 Monday
I took a bus to Cotcachi in the morning and arrived at my hostfamilies place. i did not do a lot this day... Just was happy to be in a "home" again...
12.01.10 Thuesday
At 10 am we drove to an soccer game (as always in the back of a truck, which I enjoy every time, it is freedom pure.) Unfortunaly there was no game since the other team did not show up, easy outcome. :)
13.01.10 Wedesday
We tried again with the soccer game and this time we played 3-3. In the afternoon I went to Cotacachi to buy some stuff. Since it is the town of leather. I bought really nice leather boots. :)
14.01.10 Thursday
Yes I did work too in these weeks. Today I worked all day, first in the garden with my youngest hostbrother and then in the new house of my other hostbrother, we did some painting.
15.01.10 Friday
The last things in the new house where finished and in the evening the little family moved the bed over to the new house and they slept there the first night. I made them some bread with salt on top, for good luck in the new home. (German tradition)
16.01.10 Saturday
In the morning we left for Otavalo to go to a meeting and I payed for my time in the Calera. At 3 pm we drove to another soccergame which we won 1-0.
17.01.10 Sunday
What a day! Today was the semifinal and the final for the cup which all the soccergames belonged to. The semifinal won the team from the Calera 4-0. And the final was reallt exciting! It was 1-0 against us all the time, but finally there was the goal which made is eacual 1-1. Then there was a 11-meter-shooting (whatever that is in english) which we won, so we where champions!!! There was a big party all night, the price was to big oxes, which the boys from the team will sell for a lot of money.
18.01.10 Monday
This day was kind of crazy, the whole town had an hangover or was still drinking. I did some work, for example I got the cows from the pasturage, for the first time ALL alone. Luckily they where nice. ;)
About the 19.01.10 is not much to say, only that I culled beans for the first time.
20.01.10 Wednesday
In the morning my hostbrother and me cleaned the cows stall. We got 17 barrowes of bullshit to the fields... In the evening we moved more stuff to the new house with a little truck.
21.01.10 Thursday
We worked all day at a lot. The comunity is building a restaurant for tourist where one can eat traditional food.
22.01.10 Friday
Agian we worked at the lot but only until midday. In the evening did not happen much only that I needed to pack my stuff and was kind of sad that I needed to leave the village soon.
23.01.10 Saturday
The whole morning we made guinea pig for some tourists from USA. It was really interresting to see the process of this traditional food. My buisness was to get enough plates and seats for 18 people. Nobody has so much stuff in their house in the Calera. At around 1 pm I left the Calera in a bus to Quito. My thoughts where kind of heavy since my time here already was over...
In Quito I had a warm welcome from my family here. I only chilled all evening and wathed a movie after a real long time without any medias...
24.01.10 Sunday
I spend all day in the internet cafe. In the evening I met my friends here in Quito, or those who are left (only 2). Almost all have gone back to Germany! ;( We played cards, ate pasta and chatted...
25.01.10 Monday
Today was my first day of work in the kindergarden. I stood up at 6 am to take the bus at 7. I work with the kids from 4 to 5 years. It was nice but hard to. I can not calm the fights properly because the spanish of a 4 year old who is crying is hard to understand.... I look foreward to get to know the kids better, even if I can say already who are the "bad" ones in the group...;)
Now I will go to the cinema withmy folks and see "Sherlock Holmes".

lørdag 9. januar 2010

New Year

29.12.09 Tuesday
The day was pretty boring: pakking and stuff...
In the evening we took the bus to Guayaquil at 23.15.
30.12.09 Wednesday
At 8 in the moring we arrived in Guayaquil. We had a lot of time until the bus to Montanita went so we had breakfast. After another 3 hours in a bus we arrived in Manglaralto, where the hostal was. Of course we went to the beach at once. In the evening we went to Montanita to party.
31.12.09 Thursday
In the day we where shopping in the crazy shops of Montanita. The new years eve we soent at the beach in Montanita. A big party in the whole town. A litte before 12 o¨clock the surfers ran around a big fire ans afterwards they went in the water. Crazy people! I did not go home until the morning, at 7 am I was walking home along the beach. It was beautiful.
01.01.10 Friday
After this much party we did only chill out at the beach all day. Only to return to Montania in the evening for more party. The second og januar was exacly the same: Beach and party.
03.01.10 Sunday
We had a little more time at the beach and around 3 pm we took the bus back to Guayaquil. It was a little uncompfty because we had no seats and after all this party and little sleep everybodu was very tired. At around 6 pm we were finally there, but our bus to Quito did not leave until 11pm. So we ate a lot and played cards.
04.01.10 Monday
When we came to Quito in the morning everybody only wanted to go home and sleep. We slept some hours and attended some stuff: like washing clothes. In the evening Jens and me took the bus AGAIN. This time to Cuyabeno, the jungel!!! It took eon and we arrived at around 10 am at the 5th.
We drove to our logde with a little boat, had bearkfast and went right away for a walk in the jungel. It was just amazing. For exampel we saw monkeys and toads. In the evening we took a trip at the river, it was kind of scaring at first, at night in the jungel but I gor used to it.
06.01.10 Wednesday
We paddeled the river in the morning. Later we had another walk in the jungel. We saw ants that carried leaves on thier backs and a tucan. In the evening we had a nightwalk. There we saw a lot og stuff, mainly crazy big insects and little frogs.
07.01.10 Thursday
In the morning we tried to fish piranias, but had no lick. The afternoon was chilled, we relaxed and in the evening we went to try to see kaimans and fish again but with little luck.
08.01.10 Friday
Early we left to go to the black lagoon. It was almost 3 hours by boat. In the black lagoon we took a bath and saw a little kaiman and the backs of pink dolphins, that was amazing. After that we took the boat to an lokal tribe the: siona. There we made yuca bread and smoked a nature sigarette with the chef of the village, the papa who was 98. Then we took the boat back and at 7 pm our bus to Quito left.

tirsdag 29. desember 2009

Christmas and Birthday

24.12.09 Thursday
Today we met at the volunteer apartment to celebrate German Christmas. We made bruscetta and pizza our self and did the secret Santa. It was really nice. Everybody got very personal presents and everyone was truly happy for them. I got earrings and a bracelet which I really wanted from Chris. Later we ate fruits with chocolate cream. Around ten Gioia and me left for our host family, it was a little hard because we had such a good time with the others. But of course we had to see how Ecuadorian Christmas works. They do not start before 10 pm. They did start with singing and praying. Then hundreds of presents were given away. I got sweets and a really colorful scarf. I had seen them but would not buy one because of all the colors, but I love it as a present. Afterwards there was more food! Gioia and I shared one plate because it was so much.
25.12.09 Friday
In the morning we made pancake breakfast in the Ramses (Volunteer house) I spent my day with Marlene and Jens doing nothing but talking. Later we had a party at the Ramses. We went to a club called “No bar” and ate Mc Donald’s from the drive through by taxi at 4 am. A different Christmas one could say… 
26.12.09 Saturday
We stood up around 10 am and made Pasta for breakfast. Then we bought a lot of good stuff (Oreo-cookies, Milk, Ice-cream…) sat down and just talked for 5 hours about everything and nothing. It was great!
After a little break at home we met again in the Ramses and waited for my birthday. Celebrating of course. At 12 pm we drank champagne and went out to party afterwards. At the “No bar” I got an champagne shower like at the formal 1. It was really funny!
27.12.09 Sunday
I slept out for the first time in Ecuador, until 11 am. That was NICE! At 4 pm all my friends came to my house. Elsa had made cake and tea. It was almost like home, especially because Gioia made a cheesecake for me! Wow! I got and really beautiful box and the coolest T-shirt ever. It says “Is schon schön…“ This is one of the stupid frases we use here all the time. The others have the same t-shirts in their colors and mine is red and black of course. Elsa and Pepe gave me a little purse.
Later we wanted to go to the cinema but there was nothing. So we bought 2 DVD’s and had a relaxed movie evening at the Ramses. At 12 we continued the celebrating because now it was Sara’s birthday!
28.12.09 Monday
We ate breakfast in one of our favorite restaurants, the “Coffee & Toffee”. Then I took care of some stuff. Like going to the police because of the 100 $ that got stolen from me. At around 2 pm I was in the Ramses again. Were we made a poem for Sara and had her birthday cake. Later we ate Swiss at an restaurant because Sara is Swiss. Then we went to Party, around 2 am I was in my bed.

torsdag 17. desember 2009

A lot of things happen

In the weekend 4. and 5. december I was in Quito for the fiesta de Quito. It was nice to be with mt people there but it was a big contrast to the countryside.
On monday the 7th I bought a lot og stuff for my traditionel cloth.
On Thuesday the 8th there was born a baby here in the village whic I visited when it was 12 hours old. And you know what? They are goning to name her after me! That is so cool! I do not really know why, but however...
On wednesday I but on the traditionel cloth for the first time, they are caled anako. The people liked it really much and all the men told me I was beautiful, it was kind of funny.
On friday the 11th we made bread in an big oven, it took hours and was really interessting. First make fire, than the ...., form the bread and than bake it. The baking itself took omly a few minutes in the really hot oven. It was delicious of course, my hostmother had to tell me not to eat more warm bread because it would make my stomic hurt. Hihi...
On Saturday I met some of my friends from Quito in Otavalo, a town near by, where a really big handycraft market is. We shopped all day! It was really nice to hang out with them and talk to someone who I understand imidietly. Sunday is football day and we watched the lokal game. We although visited an botnic garden which is not jet finished, but will be opened for tourists soon. It is to show all the plants which are used by the indigenas to eat and heal.
Monday the 14th was a bad day for me. In the night I had a stomicace and I felt quite week all day and did nothing. Of course I gor lonley after all day in my room.
Tuesday was great, even if I stood up at 4 o clock in the morning. We took a pick up and then walked one hour (at 5 in the morning) steep up to get to a field. We had breakfast when we arrived (6 o clock). It was chicken and potatoes, sounds crazy but I did not care a bit, I was hungry after that walk man! Then we worked hard until 1 pm, 7 hours of work! We had dinner at the field, potatoes and some kind of meat which I could not eat, it was wiered. ;) Than we walked back down and took a pick up home. We did nothing more that day!
Thursday the 17 th was qutie exciting. First I want to say that I tried to publish this article then but the energy went two minutes before I was done. In the morning we where in Otavalo and when we came back my hostmother reconised one of the pigs was sick.It died within 30 minutes. I was kind of shocked. ( I think it might have lived 10 minutes longer, if we would not have treadted it with icecream. Because I doubt the medical effect og icecream for pigs...;)) My hostbrother took a knife and punched it in the heart og the pig. Now I know that all animals have their heart at the right side. Then we went into the wood to get leaves to burn away the hair. After that we guted the pig. That was kind of hard for me, but I think I was brave. I even ate some skin, which was kind of grilled from the burning. In the evening I met the german doctor who lives in the Calera, my comunitiy, Jacob.
Friday the 18th really nothing happend. At Saturday I watched two footballgames. My hostbrothers won both. The first 3-0 and the second 5-3. It was nice to hang out a little with the men of the family, because normaly I am much with the women. At Sunday the 20 th we went to church in the morning and in the afternoon there was a meeting to get to know the achievement of the election of the new president of the Calera. There where although elected ministers for tourism, the women in the Calera and sports.
At the 21 th we worked hard the whole morning to clean a field. In the afternoon I went to Otavalo with my hostmothers to buy sweets for the children for Christmas. I think they where very happy what I bought some too.
Yesterday I just packed my stuff to travel to Quito today. I got the cows from the field, for the first time alone, or only with my little hostsister. And in the morning I bought a little present for one of the girls in the Calera, to do a secret Santa. Which I gave to her in the evening when I atended the Divino del Nino for the last time.
Today I traveled to Quito in the morning. I met my hostfamily and now I sit in an Cafe to write. Later I will meet the other volunteers. Tomorrow in the afternoon we will celebrate together and to secret Santa. In the evening I will celebrate with my family here, they don*t start before 10 pm!!!
Well that is it for now. I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a happy new year! (Which I will spend at the coast!) If you have to much time, there are finally more pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.de/lynn.marquardt