EIL Intercultural Learning

Well it's E-Day plus 25 today and I'm having an incredible time in Ecuador. Last Sunday my group and our host families met up for a soccer match in the evening on these astro-turf pitches I've been playing at for the last couple of weeks and it was a brilliant night. Firstly we got the full size pitch and so many people came we actually had a full game with 11 on 11 with spectators also. It was a great laugh and there was a huge difference in skill levels so it made for a very entertaining match. It was the best soccer night I've had in Riobamba so far.

On Tuesday I went back to Chimborazo with the second group of Americans and I found it just as good as the first time. It was the same hippy vans as before but there was no drama this time as the last week here has been sunny which has resulted in much less snow on Chimborazo. Less snow meant less hardship when it came to hiking but at 15,000ft going the short distance again took a silly amount of time given the perfect conditions. But when it came to the mountain biking it was easier as we were cycling around and down the mountain and every few feet lower the altitude is, the easier any exercise becomes. The day was also made brilliant by the good company I have in the American group, this one just as the first, are great to be a part of and I'm suprised how easy they are to get along with.

Today was personally a mixed day as we headed to a beautiful city halfway down between the mountains and the Amazon called Banos. Now today was a brilliant day but I messed up by forgetting the battery for my camera, I had charged it during the night especially for today but it was an early start and I somehow, to my huge annoyance, forget the battery....... Banos was brilliant though and I have a few Americans to thank for my day not being dragged down by the camera debacle. We got a tour bus around to all these waterfalls that Banos is famous for, one was particluarly amazing as we could go up through a tunnel to right behind the 100ft tall waterfall. The noise, speed and spray of this waterfall was amazing to behold, but being feet behind it getting drenched by a natural shower is an experience I won't forget in a hurry. Later in the day we got to go to these hot-springs, these 3 pools at different tempatures, cold, warm and very warm. I loved this, especially the warm ones because swimming in a warm outdoor pool with warm sunshine is not part of the Irish summer and since we had swimming gear with us for this Banos trip I got plenty of slagging from the yanks for my whiteness, especially at the pool. It was all a laugh though and I had a great day with them but I'm wrecked from the sheer lenght of the day. Tomorrow it get's better as I've a 5 o'clock get up time as the group is going to this spectacular train journey in the Andies called Nariz del Diablo. It's one of the highlights of Ecuador so I hope we get another good days weather.

Sadly my homestay is coming towards it's ending. Our farewell gathering is on Sunday and we leave on Wednesday morning for the Amazon. The homestay has been a wonderful experience in Riobamba for me. My family have been really great and it will be sad to leave. The days that the group hasn't been doing activities have never been boring. This week only Monday and Wednesday were free but there's been visits to markets and even a concert last night involving one of the Americans host dads. I'll fit in another blog before I leave Riobamba to find more words to describe the homestay experience. But for now, I'm wrecked and need to get home to bed for tomorrows early start. Best wishes to friends, family, well-wishers and the folks in EIL. Thanks a million for the comments and e-mails. Gary.