Fulfillment!!

---

This week at work with the MCF was incredible! After finishing off a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend in Cuenca we returned to Mindo. Cuenca was fantastic. There were loads of old churches, some built on Inca ruins, and a giant cathedral built in honour of a visit from Pope JP2. The altar could have easily been a replica of Bernini's work in the Vatican. I am hoping some of the others were able to get some pictures inside, as my lack of a camera has prevented me from documenting quite a bit of the gorgeous artifacts and scenery! We also managed to undertake a hike in the Cajas national park, where we were surprised to discover that just a hike around one of the lakes would cost us a whole $10!! Ecuadorians only paid $1.50! It was a worthwhile hike though, so we found it hard to complain. We managed to get stuck in a rainstorm, however, and had to make the overnight bus journey back to Mindo (through Quito), with wet shoes! Upon arriving back to the Foundation, we were greeted with a warm dinner, and went to sleep early as the overnight bus trips on the weekend had cost us quite a bit of sleep. Then it was back to work. Monday started off much like the first two weeks of our volunteer placement, where Luis (our co-ordinator) would walk around the hillside digging holes so we could plant coffee plants. This was very unsatisfying work, as we had met the owner of the Foundation the previous week, and he had let slip in conversation that his intent was eventually to sell coffee for profit. Although it is organically shade grown coffee, I did not really appreciate that my volunteer efforts would be used by an American to make a profit, and I doubt he would have let these words slip if he had known that he was speaking to someone with the Global Stewardship mindset. By the end of our working day on monday, all four of us here in Mindo were feeling quite unsatisfied with the work that we were doing and were voicing opinions that we may have been better in a different placement. However, tuesday's work began to change my mind, and perhaps those of the others. Instead of planting, Luis had us trekking down some of the trails of the sanctuary where eco-tourists (mainly birdwatchers) would come through. We were finally doing work that resembled the idea I had in my head when the trip was first booked! We would take it in rotations, so one of us would be walking down the trail, clearing any over-growth with a machete, while the other two would follow behind with rakes, clearing both the leaves that had already fallen, and whatever the leader had previously cut down. Unfortunately, August (our Norwegian friend, and co-volunteer) was ill that day and could not partake in some of the most fulfilling work to date! We ended the work day early, and instead of an afternoon full of work, we ventured further down the trail and those who were willing swam in the river. I personally avoided the chance to become soaked, as I was fighting off a cold myself, but did it ever look like fun! The next day was very similar. We had learned that a group would be coming through the Foundation on the thursday and we had to make sure the trails were all in good shape. Wednesday's work consisted largely of trail repair, instead of simply clearing leaves. We dug steps into the soil of the trails, and cut planks of wood into small pieces so that they could serve to hold the steps in place. Once again, I felt like we were finally doing what we had set out to do! By the time we finished that day, the trail was in far better condition than it had been that morning and was ready to support a group of tourists. Thursday morning around 9:00, the group arrived. To our ears' misfortune, it was a group of school children from Quito, and no matter what efforts the chaperones put in, they did not seem to want to be quiet. This was hard to believe, considering that one of the chaperones was the President's wife, the first lady of Ecuador! Unfortunately for us volunteers, she was hardly what I would call friendly, speaking maybe two or three words to us. What I was able to take as a breath of fresh air was that this group came from a school where they were taught in both Spanish and French! I haven't been having trouble understanding Spanish at all, but my speech is far from ideal, and therefore, a chance to speak a language I had been speaking since childhood was amazingly refreshing! One of the children, upon discovering that I was from Canada, asked immediately if I spoke french, and when I answered "yes", asked if I was from Quebec! He told me that, in fact, his father came from Quebec. This was definitely a highlight of my trip. On thursday afternoon, Jon and Robin left for Quito with plans to eventually travel to the coast. Due to a miscommunication during our preparation stages, I was planning only to be in the Andes during my month here, and assumed that they would visit the coast after I had left, so I was not vaccinated for Yellow Fever, nor did I have any malaria medications. I decided it would definitely be best to play it safe and stay behind. August also left on thursday afternoon, as his volunteer term was now finished. I spent Friday (or yesterday I suppose) working alone at the local school, where Jon works in the morning and where I hope to work a couple of days next week. It was not hard work, but again, it was more like what I expected when initially planning this trip. I was working with the local community to add onto the structure of the school, and I painted a door and a window frame for this renovation. After work ended yesterday, I started what has become probably the most boring weekend of my life. I am saving my last $120 for next weekend where I plan to visit the market town of Otavalo for its amazing Saturday market, so this weekend my plans have been limited to sitting around our treehouse-esque residence and reading whatever I can get my hands on. So far, I have read the two books I bought on my way down, the two books Robin brought, two issues of the New Yorker, and an issue of the Economist.. However, I believe that I am out of reading material now and hope I can find some other entertainment! Anyways, that's about all for now. I can only sit hoping that next week's work will feel as good as this week's did, and that the others will return sooner than later!
Peace and Love!

---