Leaving our hearts in Miraflores…

After a 26 hour flight from Sydney, I couldn´t string to gether a sentence and yet the Week 5 team who greeted us were warm, accepting and friendly despite my barely audible grunts and blank stares- which was honestly all I could manage.

Day two was spent with team 6- Alison from Australia, Louise from Sweden and team 5- Liz and Angela from NZ and Aus respectively and Patricia and Ruben from Spain. We toured the old town, visited the equator line and hit the local markets. It was a wonderful introduction to the country and I felt spoilt having a day to actually enjoy it before the work began. Huge thanks to Team 5 for organizing it, it meant a lot. Louise landed in Ecuador at 8am from Coppenhagen and was on the bus touring the city with us at 9am without breakfast or breaking her stride. She hasn´t stopped since.

Alison carrying one of the children of Miraflores

 

Walking through Gabriels Farm

Jorge getting friendly with the vacas

Day 3- The welcoming ceremony. When we first spilled out of the bus and into Miraflores and the children were waiting, holding up their arms to be carried and hugging these 10 strangers with so much conviction and trust, it was overwhelming and humbling. I´m a crier and I didn´t stand a chance. The whole community treats everyone like family and are so sincere and generous that for someone who has probably become jaded by rush hour traffic and big city attitude, it was such a welcome shock. We met Gabriel and spent the day on his unbeleivable farm in Quito. Milking cows, baby llamas, electric fences and edible gardens…

Rich shovelling dirt

Louise, the wheelbarrow warrior

Day 4- Everything hurts. Pushing barrows, shovelling dirt, making brick chain gangs, lifting your co-workers and spasming your back… all worth every blister, sun burnt inch and aching limb. We made so much progress and the local construction team ane an inspiration to every one of us. In our broken english and even more broken spanish we laughed, lifted and heaved our way through the day. It is so rewarding and you wish you could do more.

Day 5- Was taken off of active duty and played teacher and photographer for the day. Week Six are truely an incredible bunch of people. We pushed ourselves to our limits, looked out for each other and despite the hard work, spent most of the day laughing and enjoying the labour. The construction team don´t stop so we don´t either and it shows. The progrerss has been incredible.

Deb shovelling rubble

Day 6- Spent the day rendering walls. I have never looked at an uneven, ragged, brick and mortar wall and thought,¨how beautiful¨until today. It rained and we had to stop for two hours for the welcome ceremony for David and Allison, and despite the welcome distraction, we still managed to get quite a lot done. We also had music today. I have heard Bob Marley´s Could You Be Loved at least 20 times today and I am still humming it.

Super Jorge

The musicians from the Andes

Day 7 – Spent today at the farewell ceremony and teaching the children. It was an emotional day. We have become really close not only as a team but to the children, parents and construction team at Miraflores. There were a lot of tears and hugs and it was difficult to say goodbye. We all really want to return to see the finished product and are already devising plans on how we will get to do so. We spent the afternoon at Gaston´s house. He opened his door to us like we were his children and we were all so grateful. We felt right at home. He served us lunch in his dining room, explained to us the motivation behind his foundation and inspired all of us.

Rosalina with the Children of Miraflores

Day 8 – Climbed the second highest active volcano in the world today… okay, so I climbed 300 metres in 2 hours but it was still incredible. The view was amazing, the feeling was incredible and I´m really proud that so many of us reached the top.

Day 9- Getting ready to go home. It was pretty hard to say goodbye to the team today. We started out slow getting to know each other but have shared such an incredible experience and I felt so close to all of them. Deb and Celeste who were so loving and cared so well for all of us, especially myself. Trina who was the calm and who was everyones support. Rich who didn´t like suprise photos but who inspired many aspiring 7 year old footballers with the ´football´skills. Rocio our resident translater, who was everyones mama and who we would still be lost in old town Quito without. Alison, our dry humored, wheelbarrow warrior Aussie who has made me laugh the entire trip with her unfailing honesty and quirky observations. Louise, our tough, spanish speaking, wine drinking, salsa dancing Swede.  Rosalina, who´s heart is as big and beautiful as her smile. The children adored her and so did we. And Rob, our straight-talking, big-hearted, Liverpool loving geezer. The trip wouldn´t have been the same without you. Jorge, you made us laugh, you worked as hard as any of us, and your dancing skills are never to be forgotten. Lou, who was so understanding and so patient with me. I know what you did to make sure I had an amazing experience and I am unwaveringly thankful. I´m grateful to know you all.

My advice for future volunteers coming to Quito – Bring a nice, warm going-out jacket. It is really cold some nights and it´s not nice being dressed up for a nice dinner and having to throw your construction site worn fleece over your nice clothes. The children suffer from dry skin and cracked lips from the wind and strong sun, if you want to give anything and have any spare chapstick or sun block, they really appreicate it more than anything else. Being high up in the mountains, on the equator and so close to the sun it is a recipe for fried skin. Even the darkest of us burnt. So like everyone before me says, bring 50+ sunblock. It sucks lifting 5 kilo bricks with burnt arms. Like the volunteers gone told me, suck in every minute. I hope you all love the experience as much as I did.

This did not end up being as short or as sweet as I had planned. But I hope I made up for seven days of not pulling my weight with the blogs. Thanks guys.

Week Six after a hard days work with David & Freddy