Wow! ´Just looked at my last blog, I didn´t realise it had been quite that long - sure I remembered writing one two weeks ago.And startign my blog with an apology about how long it has been is the only regular thign around here. Oh dear!
So life has changed a little since last time. All the new people have arrived, learnt a little bit of spanish and now most of them have promptly left again, to work on the Galapogas islands or the jungle. However our group is three girl volunteers richer, two of whom live in mi casa, two where Harry and Alex live.
One of the new ´girls´ is actually about thirty which makes things a little strange; she isn´t very willing to join in with our teenagerish frolics and so hasnñt bonded with the group very well. She was oringionally my roomey but I´ve moved in with Emily, who has been here as long as I have, and is fun and lovely. The other 2 remaining newbies coincidently went to high school together where there werenñt the best of friends. Luckily they went to seperate six forms and are quite happy to ´hand´ in the smae small group.
For their first weekend we took all the new volunteers to Papallacta, where us oldies had already been, to give them a chance to relax in the hot springs. The weekend was a bit odd as there was a big vote going on, meaning everyone had to return to the place they were registered as living, and alcohol was declared illegal for the entire weekend (to aid sober decision making, and voting is obligitory over here). I am sure however the number of empty alcohol bottles i saw in the street actually increased that weekend, and we didn´t find any problems sharing ´Zuhmir´ the local speciality with the newbies, although we did wait until we saw some real life Ecuadorians drinking from a wine box in the hot tub.
The next weekend, while all the other volunteers went on a stilghtly-too-organised-for-my-taste trip to the jungle four of us oldies set of to the sleepy town of Riobamba. Well, it seems to be sleepy everyother weekend, but this weekend it was festival time, I think to cellebrate some local defeate over the spanish conquistors. There was a fair gound, food and drink in the streets, parades and lots of people. We had a fun wandering around the town soaking up culture (partying) weekend, although not everthing went exactly to plan. The hotel we had booked well in advance calimed they have never heard of us and sent us down the road to another hotel. When we arrived there we nearly walked off as it looked so posh, but eventually decided to enquire about room prices, and once we found out it was only 6 pounds a night, decided we could probably afford it.
A very famous train called the ´nariz del diablo´ (devil´s nose) leaves from Riobamba and as we had heard good things about it we managed to book the last set of tickets for the 7.00 sunday morning set off. However, due to me dropping my phone the night before close to mdinight and therefore not realising the time had reset itslef, we ran into the hotel lobby and found ourselves staring at a huge clock at 7.10. A cheery receptionist kindly informed us that yes the train did leave on time and yes we had missed it.
Not to worry, we took a two hour bus to another pretty village and waited to cathc our train a little further up. After a lot of cafés, waiting and wandering (I bought socks) the train finally arrived, and a stuburn guard bruskly informed us it was full. After a few minutes of grammitically incorrect (all we know how to do) arguing, he promised us a ride on the next one in an hours time. A little more wandering and waiting (sadly no more socks) and we were on ´the good bit´ of the ride. It was ok. Quite pretty. Not atall steep despite, its name. I´ll up load the pictures soon. The day was fun though, despite it!
Project news, other info and last weekend will have to wait ´till tomorrow as tea´s ready my fingers hurt and I can´t decide whether to go to the cinema or pass out in bed tonight. Maybe I will even tell you what they were voting about the other weekend.
Much love xx