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

onsdag 2. desember 2009

BEAUTIFUL!

My dear friends and familiy sorry for scaring you, it is sooooo beautiful here! If you could see, you would fly down here at once. My familiy is really nice and the house is really swaet. They have chicken, pigs, cows and guinneapig. The garden is with about everything, yesterday we made marmelade from blackberries. The indegious people are so beautiful and the womens clothe too. Yesterday we also farmed a piece of land. I have never worked so hard in my life. You know what you have done if you farm a field with your hands. And the sun burns ALL day and the mosquitos bite me. The life at a farm is a really cool and very new experience. The life here is really hard, even if I tried to imagine it was a little shock. It is amazing that the family does not laugh at my stupid questions, I would like too have a book: "farming for dummies". Today was more easy there was so much sun that we did not work very much. There is warm water too, sometimes. ;)
My family has 7 members, father and mother. Their 3 sons, one with his wife and daughter. Of course there are tons of other family members in the houses around. I have a room and bath for myself. I sleep rally well, but unfortunaly I am still a little sick. I am so glad I did this project, it is the closest I will come Ecuador. And it gives me experience I did not even dream about. To live with the indigious people is really a great gift to me!

mandag 30. november 2009

Start working!

Last week was not happening very much.On Tuesday I went swimming again. Wednesday was Party day, as always. On Thursday I joined Elsa to her Church, which was very interesting. Because it was a private house, no church. Thursday is womens day and there where only whifes. They sang, prayed and studied the bible. After that I looked at a crazy street citchen. A lot og food I did not want or should eat! On Friday we wanted to go to the cinema and see "New Moon". But it was the first day playing and of course there where no tickets left! On our way back we got soaking wet, because it rained like hell.
Saturday 28.11.
At 5 am I stood up to meet the others at the school at 6 am to go to Banos. After checking in at the hostel and all that we did rafting at 2 pm. It was really cool. The views and landscape where great. And the water really fun!
Sunday 29.11.
Today I was feeling really sick, I could not go to the waterfall climbing with the others. :( Instead me and Kathi went to a Zoo. It was really sad, because the cages where to small and ugly. Then we chilled in the grass infront of our hostel and waited for the others. The bus back to Quito did not leave before 5:30 which was kind of hard for me with my strong cold!
Today Monday 30.11.
This morning at 9 am I left Quito. I took the bus to Otavalo with a man from the spanish school. Now I am waiting here in Otavalo for a man from my foundation to pick me up. Then I will go to Cotachacci to work. I am a little nervous, because I do not know what it is like there. I know I have a family and I live at a farm with indegious people, but I dont know what I will work with and if there are other volunteers there. I left a lot of stuff at Elsas house and travel only with my backpack now. She even gave me some ginger to make tea with for my cold! At my little village will be no internet and I dont know when I can write again. But dont worry, I am fine, even if I might have to shower in more or less cold water up there. Today I will not work yet, I will only meet everyone and see everything. But maybe tomorrow I will work, with what? I dont know... ;)

mandag 23. november 2009

Update

Wednesday 18.11.
Today I got my ecuadorian ID. Cool, he? Now a lot of things are cheaper for me and I do not need to carry the copy of my passport anymore. Afterwords we had Cocktail lessons in school and went out after that, it was a fun night.
Thursday 19.11.
This ws an easy day only clases and cocking at the volunteerhouse.
Friday 20.11.
Pretty much like Thursday, cocking and chilling at the volunteerhouse.
Saturday 21.11.
Today I did really a lot! I went to Otavalo with the school. We started by eating a fruit which ws really strange, called Chirimoya. Then we had breakfast: Bischocha, which is a kind of bread with cheese and hot chocolate. Then we had a short stop to make photos at Mira Largo, a baeutiful lake. The first stop in Otavalo was a marked for animals and after that the BIG handicraft marked where we had 2 hours to shop. I spend 70 dollars for 2 of these funny "South-america"-throusers, scarfs in bright colours and jewerely of course. We ate dinner at an good restaurant and I tried a little cuy again and I did not like it: again...
This was in Cotacachi, where I will start to work next Monday. It is a quite bid town and I will not be cut from civilisation! Cotacachi is the town of leather, hre you can by anything in leather. My money was empty, but I will have my chance when I work there. The last two stops where a beautiful laguna and a waterfall. Then we made our way back to Quito and it was not easy! We spend 4 hours, because the road was closed because of pilgrims, who walked 10 hours from Quito to a church. We had to take detour, which took us 3 hours. Finally at 23 pm we arrived.
Sunday 22.11.
Today I went to the Vulcano Cotapaxi with school. We drove up to the parking at 4500 m. Then we walked up to the hut at about 4800m and had brakfast there. Walking has never been so hard, you just can not breathe up there. You walk 10 m and need to stop to rest! After breakfast we went up to the glacier. At 5000 m, wow I have never been up so high before! This where only 500 m altitude difference, less than our "house mountain" in Norway (which is usual to climb in 1 hour), and we used 3 hours for that! It was quite cold and there was hail. But the view and the landscape where really great. It was an amazing experience! The way down was much easier. And afterwards we visited a laguna and had lunch. At 6 pm we arrived in Quito. We all where really tired and I went home and to bed quite soon.

tirsdag 17. november 2009

Oh I have much to tell you

Sorry for not writing so long but I had really a lot going on and if I had time there was loss of power.
Friday the 06.11.
This day was only school and party until late at night.
Saturday 07.11.
We had to stand up early anyway, because we where going to Mindo, a small town with a lit of exiting things to do. Like: Canoping. On metal ropes we flew over the jungle. Wow, that was an adrenalin shock. Afterwords we went tubing, on hoops we where floating over the river. In the evening we where partying again. Hihi...
Sunday 08.11.
Still in Mindo we visited a butterfly farm in the morning. It was really great we saw them be born and fed them with banana juice. After that we tried to see some orchids but there where not many blooming. We took the bus back to Quito at 16:00 and arrived at 18:00. At home I met two Americans who lived with me one week, a new married couple on a veeery long honeymoon; world trip for one year.
Monday 09.11.
I had 8 hours Spanish to recover the coast trip! Wow that was hard! After school I cocked with 12 volunteers, nam nam pasta. We had a lot of fun!
Tuesday 10.11.
8 hours Spanish again! It almost killed me! After that I did not do much. Except watching X=Files with Gioia from next door!
Wednesday 11.11.
Only 5 hours of Spanish felt like heaven and after that I even had power left to go swimming with Sara. It was nice! Finally some exercise. Which I destroyed at once by going to the lady's night and party.
Thursday 12.11.
This day was just great!You will never guess what we did, we where on a "Die toten Hosen" concert. It was amazing! Only Germans in the whole club and only 200 people. Really private!
Friday 13.11.
We wnt out today as well but it was not my day and I went home at 11:30...
Saturday 14.11.
We met early again to visit the Guayasamin Museum, he is an ecuadorian painter, with a stile a little like Picasso. It really impressed me. The museum is called chapel of men, I really liked the idea of a chapel for mankind!
Then we had a home party at the volunteer house and I went out to play billiard with Jens from Berlin.
Sunday 15.11.
In the morning we went up a mountain here in Quito by cable car. The view was amazing!!! After what we went into old town and up a hill, there is a statue, the virgin of Quito. Of course there is a great view here too! In the evening we went to a really good Mexican restaurant to say "goodbye" to two of the girls who left for their projects.
Monday 16. 11.
Today we went to an soccer game after school. The team we went for lost! Uff... but it was cool to be in the stadium. Bur I would have expected even more shouting and better football! When I came home today the whole house was decorated for christmas. Wow, a little much and colorful for my taste but that is how it works here.
Tuesday 17.11.
Today I went to my project here in Quito to have a look. It was kind of shocking, but I had expected worse. Of course there are a lot of kids and to few grown ups, but I knew that. That is why I am here. I have to take the bus for about 30 minutes to work. The children are from parents who work at the marked which is very close to the school.

torsdag 5. november 2009

Weekend at the coast

Friday 30.10.
This day was kind of hard. I had 8 hours of spanish to recover my day og sickness. In the break we had some typical ecuadorian food, colada morada and guaguas de pan. Some kind of warm fruit juice and bread. Especially the juice was very good. At 23.00 8 of us girls took the nightbus to the coast. The first bus took about 7 hours, but I slept well. The second was worse, it took two hours from Atacames to Mompiche, our final destinastion. But a lot of the time we did not have a seat.
Saturday 31.10.
At 9 am we finally arrived in Mompiche. We found our hostel fast and went to have some braefast. Afterwards we went to the beach og course. Later we checked out the little town and had a good lunch. We met two german boys, who work here instead of going in the army. They are englisch teachers and it was interesting to hear about school and methods here. If the parents allow it, taechers kan hit the kids. We went down to the beach again and enjoyed the fruit cocktails. Thefruit is great but the alcohol they use here usually is really cheap, so to avoid an chuchacci (hangover) i drank the local beer instead. We met two ecuadorian guys too, they would take us surfing the next day. :)
Sunday 01.11.
At 1 pm we tried to surf. It is really hard and only possilbe with a lot of help. I only managed to get on my knees. Later that day I asked some guys at the beach if I could borrow their 4 weel motorcicle. I could! Then I drove down the beach on that really fast! It was great and I had an adrenalin shock for an hour and could nor talk about anything else! In the night we had a party at the beach again, it was very nice with bonefires everywhere. We still walked around in T-shirts because it wasn¨t colder than at daytime.
Monday 02.11.
In the morning the ecuadorian guys took us to Playa nergo, the black beach. Here the sand was all black, it was really nice, but we did not swim today because it wasn¨t that warm. When we came back to Mompiche the temprature was better and we tried to surf again, it wasn¨t any easier today eather. ;) In the evening we drove to Atacames to check out the nightlive there. But the driving there was better than to be there because the music in the beachbars was bad, while we had really good music in the truck. Everybody bought the same bracelet, to remenber out trip toghether. Taht was a really sweet idea. Two of us had to go home with the nightbus and now there where only six girls left. This night there was a full-moon-trance party in Mompiche and of course we went there. We danced and met new people all night, it was really great.
Tuesday 03.11.
After these powerful days we just packed and relaxed at the beach today. We all got sunburned once on this trip even if there always where clouds. We got tired of the sanf beeing everywhere and even showering in salty water... But it was so nice that we did not want to leave. Mompiche is really beautiful! But at 4.30 pm we took the bus to Atacames, had some dinner and waited a looooong time for the bus to Quito. At 23.30 it finally drove.
Wednesday 04.11.
At 6 am we arrived in Quito, took a taxi home and I went to sleep for 2-3 more hours. Than at 12.30 I had spanish lessons again. It was hard after 4 days of german and english but now I can theoraticly speak in past, present tense and future. After school there was a cocking lesson and we had avocado, tortillas and peanutsauce, jam jam! Afterwards we had a cocktail with a lot of new and old people from the school.
Thursday 05.11.
Today I have 5 hours spanish like yesterday to recover the lost days and after school I will attend Salsa lessons again.
Some of us already have a plan for next weekend, we will go to Mindo.

onsdag 28. oktober 2009

Tuesday and Wednesday

About yesterday there is not much to say. I was sick all day because I was really bad the night before. Today I will go to school again and other good news are: finally there are som pictueres!
You can see them at
http://picasaweb.google.de/lynn.marquardt
Enjoy a lot!
Yours Lynn

mandag 26. oktober 2009

The whole week

I was sick a while so I wasn´t able to go to the internet Cafe. On Wednesday there was a Cocktail lesson at the school. It was really cool. We made Caipirinha, Mojito and Canelazo ( a VERY strong ecuadorianan drink). On Thursday I was supose to go on the night trip, but I was sick all day an lay in bed. On Fruday I wnt to school again and in the evening I went to the old town with my hostfamily, so I got to do the nighttrip anyway. :) Saturday was a great day. Two german girls and me went to Mitad del Mundo, the middle of the world. To the actual Ecuator! It was really cool. You could to some experiments. I found one very exciting: When you let water fall down in a basin in Europa (north hemisphere) , it goes down anticlockwise. When you do the same on the south hemisphere) it goes down clockwise. BUT if you do it direktly on the Ecuator it just falls down! No rotating! The others where on the Cotapaxi on Saturday, but I did not go because og my cold. I am glad because they said it was really exhausting. I will do it some other time.
Yesterday we went to some warm thermae in Papagacta. The bustrip took two hours but that was no problem because of the amazing sights! The warm waters where really relaxing and we had a great time! Today there is school again, but with a new teacher. My old is on a trip and I found out that she is called "the monster" because she is one of the strictest teachers. In the evening we will try kickboxing!

Yours Lynn

tirsdag 20. oktober 2009

Monday 19.10

The spanish lesson was good and hard. I never thought one could learn so much in 4 hours and I have no idea how to learn all these new words so fast. In the break I hang out with all the german girls and everybody came out of their rooms with a red had, about to explode. ;) So I was not the only one. I finally bought sun lotion yesterday. When I came home I ate, made my homework and wenty to sleep. I was pretty exhausted. Today is going to be even worse, bacause after the spanish lesson the will be a salsa course. My whole week is already full of things to do. In Thursday there will be a night trip through old town and in the weekend we hopefully will go to Cotapaxi, the highest vulcano there is.

Thanks for all the komments!
Yours Lynn

mandag 19. oktober 2009

Saturday 17.10. and Sunday 18.10

On saurday me I saw a lot of Qiuto. At first we went to a marked, but I will buy all that souvenir stuff later. Then we made our way to the old city it was longer than expected. When we finally arrived we already had come by a basilika and an demonstration for better education. We alsough were hungry and had lunch for 2$. Afterwards we visited the plaza de indepencia and the one of the most important churches in Quito. It is all golden inside and you can find influence of indegiuos people. What I foud very strange is that in the altar there is a statue of the godfather! An old man with a beard.
Then we visited plaza San Fransisco where the president of Ecuador had spoken. It was covered with garbage, like paper and flyers. We where really tired now and made our way home by bus. Taking the bus here is an adventure in itself. This afternoon the first rain came.

Yesterday, on sunday i took a trip to an vulcan crater, Puluahua, with four german girls. It was really cool, even it was not as amazing as we thought. There were houses and farms in the crater, no cold vulcano stone as one would imagine. We went down in the crater anyway and up again. That was hard! In 3000 meter altitute you get exhausted faster. We tried some grilled banana with cheese and it was yam yam!

Today I will have my first spanish lesson at 13.00.

Hug to everybody reading,
Lynn

lørdag 17. oktober 2009

15.10.09 and 16.10.09 Flight and arrival

Yesterday was a long day. Dad and I stood up at 4:30 am and my flight Berlin – Madrid was at 07:30. Everything went very well. I got on the right airplane in Madrid, even sough it said “Guyaquil”, which is another city in Ecuador, on the screens. It would land in Quito first, I learned.
The flight was very long! 10 ½ hours, that gives space for 3 meals, two films and a lot of reading! But it was all forgotten when we circled over Quito to get in the right position to the airport. The view was overwhelming, mountains and the city climbing them. I got my luggage at once and found the driver very quickly. It was very warm and the first thing I did was to put my rain jacket away. The drive through Quito was almost as exciting as the landing and it was the first time it was good that my camera is water proof because I was pretty nervous to meet the family and my hands where sweating. I really had no reason for that, because it was a very warm welcome. I met Elsa my host mother. She is fantastic! She showed me the house and my room. It is really nice! Elsa needed to go and work in her little store, which is next to the living house. I packed out some presents for the family and said “Hola” to a kid in the backyard. He thinks I am crazy or stupid or both because I speak no Spanish. I think he asked several times what I was doing in Quito speaking no Spanish. Good question isn’t it? Then I went to call home, which was much easier than I thought because there are about 3 internet cafés at the place where my new home is. Afterwards I went to see what was going on in the store. Elsa and Pepe’s store is mostly for paper and school stuff but you can although buy make up and a lot of other things.
At 20 o’clock Elsa closed the store and we went inside to eat something, it was pasta soup with chicken. After that I took a shower and went to bed after 23 exciting hours! I slept very well in my new bed, but had some weird dreams.
This morning I woke up at 6 o’clock. I stood up slowly and at 8 there was breakfast. Papaya, banana and toasted bread, nam nam! Then Elsa opened the store and at 10 o’clock there came someone from the Simon Bolivar School and showed me the way to the school and important things in the area. Afterwards I had a meeting with Monkia, the manager of the school. I could now ask all my questions and that was really nice. At 01:30 I was at my new home again and ate lunch. We had soup, rice with meat and vegetables and some white beans for a snack. To drink there was the fantastic fruit juice Elsa had made in the morning.
Things are happoening so fast. The evening yesterday was great. We drove around the city, both the finiacial district and the old town. In the old town we had an ecuadorian snack and drink. An member of the family wh is american is on visit and he explained and translated a lot for me.
Today I will meet Ellen, who I met in the school yesterday we will look at the old town again, by day. It still has not rained even it is soposed to be rain reason! Actually I got a sun burn yestersay, because the sun is so stong here.
Your Lynn, overwhelmed anf happy!

søndag 11. oktober 2009

Es rückt näher!


Jetzt ist meine Abreise fast da! Morgen geht es in aller frühe los, um 06:30 ist Abfahrt in Voss und um 10:15 geht mein Flieger nach Berlin. Gestern habe ich mich von meiner letzten Freundin verabschiedet und seitdem habe ich ein mulmiges Gefühl der Aufregung.


I morgo begynner den store reisen min! Tideleg om morningen starter eg frå Voss for å ta flyet til Berlin klokka 10:15. Siden eg sa hade til Torunn i går, er eg ganske nervøs! Sidan ho var den siste vennen eg sa hade til, kjenner eg at ting nærmer seg veldig no og det er litt skummelt.

mandag 5. oktober 2009

VISUM

Heute habe ich ENDLICH mein Visum bei der Post abgeholt. Jetzt ist wirklich alles fertig für die Reise und ich kann noch 1 Woche entspannen bevor es los geht. Wir sind alle erleichtert!
Ab Mittwoch wird gepackt, obwohl schon im ganzen Zimmer sachen die mit müssen liegen...

I dag henta eg ENDELIG Visumet mitt frå posten! Eg er sinnsykt letta og no er vikelig ALT på plass og eg kan slappe litt av til eg reiser på mandag!

mandag 15. juni 2009

Viel Vorbereitung!

Aller Anfang ist schwer... Das einzige was ich fuer meine Reise tue ist planen, planen, planen... Viele Dokumente muessen zusammen getragen werden. Das ist anstrengend, aber ich habe mein Ziel vor Augen und ich freue mich riesig!!!