walk the line

We flew to Ecuador from Bogota the next afternoon, as the flight was only an hour, we had time to walk around in the old town of Quito a bit. We stayed at a very cheap hostel in which we even had a (soviet style) private room for 5,5 € per person. The toilet on the other hand was something bey next level. It was literally a 1x1 m box where the sink, shower and toilet where but basically on each other. There wasn't a roof, room to move and the water was ice cold (Quito in the evening is cold on its own at this season). Happy showers!  Took a local bus of 25 cents to the Southern bus terminal early next morning and started the journey to Canoa. There was no direct bus until nighttime so we had to change in San Vicente. The bus ride took around 7,5 hours but would have been much quicker if we hadn't had so much stops, I'm not talking about stops in different bus stations in different towns, but literally stopping on every corner at some point, locals coming in and out. Also...

" All you need is that perfect song on a perfect drive to feel infinite! "  Epic roadtrip, volunteering and so much so good music!!

I had my doubts in the beginning, but it was an excellent experience. We were not just participants or group leaders, we all were in a way also the organizers and modelers of the exchange. As it was by a volunteer organization, we had a lot of freedom, and I really believe in the end the work we did, matters. 

West Virginia county has been rated one of the worst places in the USA, small town mentalities and such, and a lot of people don't even know the county exists. What Fahad was talking about once, that when his friends found out he is coming to study in WVU, they tried to convince him out of it and scare him with the stories. What I found from one interview once: "What other people call weaknesses, I see as strengths. Are we poor? Or do we value other things besides the accumulation of stuff? Are we “clannish”? Or do we care about our families more? Are we obese? Or do we just love home cookin’?" A lot of what people talk may be true, but first of all, at least Morgantown is a small town that has strong spirit, people are friendly and positive and keep together. The administration and the systems do not indeed often work, but when willing to fight for your rights and be persistent, you'll manage. It is not my place of choice to raise a family, but for stude...

Oeiras, Lisbon, August 2011