Welcome to the Andes!

I have finally created my blog and will be putting up group postings about once a week when I return to the capital city. Right now I will be posting events from past days so anyone who is interested can catch up on the happenings...

Sun. June 4th, 2006 (Day 3)
Today was my first full day in Quito. I woke up and went in search of a bank because neither my VISA nor my bank card worked at the ATM close to where I stayed Saturday night. I soon found out that the entire city shuts down on Sundays and it is pretty much impossible to change traveller´s cheques or even get money out. At the end of the day, I still had not found a bank that would except either of my cards. At 4:30 I took the bus that goes to the village, called Las Tolas, where I will be living. It is a rather alarming 2 and a half hour drive through the mountains that is done half on paved roads and half on windy dirt roads. On the bus I met two other volunteers from England who had been volunteering for 3 weeks already and were staying for another week. While on the bus ride Anna and Sara told some rather alarming things:

1. No organic farm exists where I will be living (the point of me going to Ecuador was to work on an organic farm)
2. My mornings would be comprised exclusively of meaningless manual labor (ie. finishing the pool that is on the property)
3. Most of the food is either fried or made with lots of milk (I dislike both)
4. My cabin has no electricity
5. After the first week is over, Anna and Sara will be leaving and I will be alone for the next five weeks to dig dirt out of a pool and live in a cabin that is an hour hike in the rainforest from the nearest village (of 300 people) and has no electricity

When I actually arrived in the village I was seriously questioning both my choice to come to South America alone and my choice to do a volunteer project instead of only travelling.

I then proceeded to hike the hour walk to the cabins. Under normal circumstances, this walk would be very pleasant. With my huge backpack on my back walking around the Andes after dark was not something I would classify as a good experience. By the time I got to the cabins I was sweating like a mad woman and very, very worried.