A weekend trip to Quilotoa...
Viernes 13 de marzo - Quilotoa
At 3pm, the end of the school day, me, Raphael, Aini, Virginie, Lea, Eliane, Kristina and Neomi climb aboard the caminetta along with the kids in order to be dropped off in central. We manage to flag down a bus straight away that is heading to Latacunga.. we briefly hold the bus up whilst Virginie walks one of the young girls from the school across the busy road, then we are on our way.
After around an hour and half we arrive in Latacunga, dropped street side, we then walk to the bus terminal.. we are again in luck as there is a bus leaving soon after our arrival, direct to Quilotoa. We have time to grab some snacks then we are on our way again.. 2 hours later we arrive in Quilotoa.. and after a short walk we are at our hostel for the night. We have a beer and chill out, tomorrow we will have a 3-6hr trek.
Sabado 14 de marzo - Quilotoa
We are up at 7.10am... a little lie in and then we all meet for breakfast at 7.30am. After packing and leaving the hostel we first head to the nearby shops to buy snacks/water in preparation for the hike. Around 9am we are at the entrance, and before setting off we go to the lookout point.. and then I first see (having no previous knowledge of where or what Quilotoa would be.. apart from a long trek..) the impressive view of the volcanic crater lake!
We are close to 4000m above sea level! Right here we go.. we set off clockwise around the crater.. it is a misty morning with a chill in the air. . Everyone is wrapped up but, as usual, I am not very cold after starting the walk. Kristina, who has not been very well, decides to turn back soon after we set off, feeling as though she won't be able to make it round.
On route we stop off for pictures.. two groups emerge... 'Group 1' .. the Germans (Raphael & Neomi) + Aini and lagging behind 'Group 2' me, Virginie, Lea and Eliane! Group 1 are off at quite the pace.. whilst we take it easy.. chatting and enjoying the beautiful views.
At the highest point, just over half way round, we all meet for a break. The next part of the trek is mainly down hill, which proves to be difficult for me due to my trainers as footwear (everyone else has hiking boots!) I am close to slipping over on numerous occasions but make it without falling!
Near to the end there is another lookout, we get another group photo here.. we are all extremely worn out now! Eventually after around 4 1/2 hrs we complete the circuit, meeting Kristina on a bench overlooking the crater.
Before waiting for the 3pm bus we eat some lunch and then wait. .. and wait.. and wait for the bus.. but there is no sign of it.. instead we take a caminetta to Zumbahua and then a bus from here to Latacunga.. we all crash on the bus ride. At the bus terminal in Latacunga we are told that there is a bus going to Baños, so we jump on.. it infact only takes us to Ambato where we then have a slightly stressful time making our way back to Salasaka! Eventually we arrive back.. and time to rest!
Domingo 15 de marzo - Salasaka
A lazy day, in the afternoon a few of us make a trip to Pelileo to get money, food etc. In the evening some of the volunteers cook a tasty meal. An adventurous weekend!
Semana 3
Lunes 16 - Jueves 19 de marzo - Salasaka
On monday I spend the morning with Lorenzo at the vivero whilst Raphael goes to the market with Arne. I practice speaking some broken spanish with him. In the afternoon, a new guy returns with the group from school, David, an American man..and now my new roommate! (A friendly guy.. but a snorer. .and is up most mornings at 5am.. waking me up due to the bed being covered in plastic as a flea prevention! Well.. I guess I had been lucky during the first two weeks to have a room to myself).
The library continues to be a good experience, working with young students and adults.. I am looking forward to building greater bonds with many of the consistent attendees.
The work in the vivero starts to die away and we mainly spend our mornings sitting around.. Hopefully next week we'll be working at the school. We both plan to stay untill around the end of April.
Viernes 20 de marzo - Cuenca
Another wet day in Salasaka.. today it is Equinox which is celeberated by the indeginous people here. The students at the school have a ceremony..as I am about to head to school, after spending the morning sorting through the English textbooks in the library, Arne arrives and persuades me to head to Ambato with him.. we have lunch and buy the bus tickets for tonights journey to Cuenca.
In the evening we wait around before setting off to get our bus.. me and Arne have had a mix up with times..we had been told 12.30am when we bought them, but after checking them again whilst chatting in the kitchen we see that the bus departs at midnight... right.. we get everyone ready to leave straight away.... perfect timing.. in the end.. we board the bus and it pulls away a few minutes later...phew!
Sabado 21 de marzo - Cuenca
We arrive at 6am.. I have managed to get some sleep through the night..listening to a 5hr playlist! We take a taxi to the historic part of the city... no one seems to know our hostel..but we manage to locate it after aquiring some free wifi. It is 7 am and everywhere is shut, so we head to the market for breakfast and then return to drop off our bags before beginning to explore the city. Most places are still shut, including a few museums we pass, so we keep on walking through the streets. Eliane, who sprained her ankle at school this week, having had previous history of injuring her ligaments, is on crutches and hobbling along with us!
We look around a museum, finding out about the history of Ecuador, the early inhabitants and their culture. It is a hot sunny day.. a few of the paler group members are in danger of burning again.. Close to midday most of us are flagging from the affects of the bus journey and morning walk.. it's time to eat.
Me, Arne and Raphael have a standard cheap Ecuadorian lunch... arroz con pollo..whilst the girls 'decide' where they will eat. . We've nearly finished by the tine they are off in different directions! After lunch, me, Arne and Raphael chill out by the river. There is a celebration taking place opposite to us on the river bank, we think it is also linked to Equinox..they are eating Cuy!
We all meet back at the hostel, where we check in and have a few beers. We leave with the intention of visiting one of the cathedrals in the main square, not far from our location, but we find it closed! Instead we visit the flower market and artisan stalls.. where we wait, and wait, and wait for a few of the girls whilst they shop/look around. Me and Arne both fancy some cake, others have ice cream but we decide to try and find a cake shop. . We look around for what feels like an hour, only finding expensive options.. so we eventually buy some cheap pizza instead! Back at the hostel we have some more beers before a much needed nap in preparation for the evening.
My alarm is an unwelcome occurrance to my dreams, and my decision to then blast out some Moby to wake the others up does not leave Virginie amused. We grudgingly get up, shower and get ready for our night out. Before heading to an Indian restaurant we have spotted earlier in the day, we have a few happy hour cocktails in the hostel.
After dinner we head back past our hostel to a club we have free entrance too. At first the music is good, but then the live band starts.. and it is terrible. Soon after we are heading for the exit and on a search for another bar/club. Raphael, Virginie and Kelly decide to head back to the hostel as they are planning on going to Cajas National Park in the morning.. the rest of us are undecided as yet. We find a club down by the river where we dance into the early hours.
Domingo 22 de marzo - Cuenca
I awake to Raphael and Virginie getting ready for their trip to the national park.. I decide not to go.. Neomi at first is up and also looks around, she then falls back asleep but suddenly is back up and also off!
After a lie in, me, Arne, Eliane and Lea get up and enjoy a cooked breakfast in the hostel. We then visit the modern baroque style cathedral. . Inside the church sunday mass is taking place but we can still climb the steep windy spire to the roof, where we are treated to beautiful views of the city and beyond.
Soon we are back sitting down eating again.. this time lunch, in the market, before we head to the bus terminal to take the 6-8 hour bus back to Ambato. As we set off we make contact with the others, they are on route back to the bus terminal from the national park and therefore will be behind us.
The views on route back are stunning, and we arrive in Ambato after only 6 hrs where we cross the main road and manage to jump onto a bus heading through Salasaka straight away.. perfect timing. We eat in Salasaka before taking a caminetta back to the volunteers house. Two new volunteers have arrived this weekend, Iris and Aline, we chat and soon after it's time for bed after another great weekend trip.
Semana 4
Lunes 23 - Viernes 27 de marzo - Salasaka
This week I will be working for the first time in the school during the mornings, whilst continuing my work in the library during the evenings. I will be in the kindergarten with their current teacher Jana and Iris. In the morning every monday there is a ceremony at the school where the kids sing a variety of traditional songs, and if there are new volunteers they are introduced.
Working in Kindergarten proves to be a lot of fun. There are four kids, Yarina, Inti, Christian and Sisa.. each morning we go through the days of the week, months of the year, numbers, letters (they practice writing a letter and word), drawing and a lot of playing! At lunch each day I walk back to the volunteers home with Raphael before starting the library shift from 4pm.
On Wednesdays me and Arne now take the music class with group 1 & 2, Renato arrives for the final hour to work with group 3 & 4, who have melodicas to learn and play tunes.
On Friday there is a special walk taking place from Ambato to Baños (approx 6/7 hrs), that takes place every year linked to the story of the Virgin Mary. We drink in the house and then head to central to see all the people walking (the roads are closed!). We start to walk but only make it past the cemetery. .we haven't even made it out of Salasaka!
Sabado 28 - Domingo 29 de marzo - Salasaka, Pelileo & Baños
This weekend we stay in Salasaka and have planned to have a BBQ at the volunteers house. On Saturday, after a lazy morning, me, Raphael, Iris, Neomi and Aline head to Pelileo where we have lunch and shop in the market. After an afternoon nap, we are all soon starting the preparations for the BBQ. Me, Arne, Angel and Nico bring down bricks from the roof to build an area for the bbq in one of the rooms under construction. Angel (a Ecuadorian teacher from the school who lives with the volunteers) has bought meat earlier from Ambato. We get the fire started... and soon after the drinking begins, the Salasakan way... one glass.. a drink is poured and whoever you 'salud' drinks next.
Renato turns up with his guitar, the songs begin. Soon the meat is on the bbq, and finally we are plating up and eating a delicious meal. We drink for a short time more and then are on our way to Baños via a bus we manage to jump onto passing through central Salasaka. In Baños we go to a different bar from my previous time here.. drinks..dancing..salsa.. a lot of fun. .which is ended abruptly by a black out.. which we soon see is across the whole city after heading back to the main route leading back to Salasaka.
We squeeze on board a caminetta, already packed with locals, and head back to Salasaka.. a 40min journey on the back of a pick up truck! As we arrive back in Salasaka, after dropping many of the locals off on route, we come across a party taking place street side.. a stage has been set up with large speakers and sound system.. we jump off.. the alcohol is handed out for free.. although it is a disgusting warm strong spirit..we still drink plenty.. At first I am half asleep from the drive, but 2am soon turns to 5am.. a crazy night in Salasaka.
We all awake around midday on Sunday, and a lazy afternoon follows. Somehow Kelly along with Liz and Jana, have gone to Chimborazo. Later in the early evening we bump into them whilst we are searching for food in central Salasaka. I find out later in the evening that I will now be working with Kelly in Group 1. I had really enjoyed my time in Kindergarten, working with Iris, Jana and the crazy kids! But now it will be good to work with some of the other slightly older kids, where the students have more structure and lessons!
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| Me, Arne, Nico, Angel and our BBQ! |
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