Arrived safe and sound

Well that was an exciting journey!  The flight from Frankfurt to Caracas was fine, a bit of turbulence a couple of times, but otherwise calm and relaxing.  The inflight entertainment centre wasn´t working properly so I didn´t get to watch all the films I wanted to but I had more than enough reading material.  Have I mentioned recently how much I adore my Kindle?  A lifesaver for a bookworm like me when travelling, although you do need a normal book or magazine to read during take-off and landing.

So far so good.  We landed at Caracas and I headed into the terminal to get the boarding card for my connecting flight.  Not sure why Lufthansa couldn´t print it in Frankfurt (Gareth? Any ideas?) but they were able to check my luggage all the way through to Quito.  Caracas airport doesn´t believe in signs.  The few signs that they do have are very very very small and difficult to see behind the large crowd of people standing in front of them.  Caracas was also hot, 34C and humid.  The airport also didn´t have air conditioning.  Given how cold the plane was, the difference in temperature was breathtaking!  So I finally got my boarding card after first queueing in the wrong queue (see lack of signs above!) and then waited ages to go through the security check which was ludicrously lax in comparison to Europe.  I was panicking slightly at that point as it was already 16:45 and the flight was scheduled to leave at 17:00.  I panicked in vain.  We finally left Caracas at 21:00.  Why there was such a big delay I still don´t know.  Several reasons were mentioned, including alien abduction.  Now, I understand that things happen, planes stop working, weather closes airports and all that.  The problem in Caracas was the lack of information.  We were told that the plane was on its way, that it would be here soon, in 20 minutes, half an hour... and so it went on, for four hours.  They don´t do announcements and info screens in Caracas.  It was a long four hours.  But I did eventually make it to Quito where two representatives of UBECI, the organisation I am working with, were waiting for me.  They took me to my host family and then I was finally able to go to bed and sleep.

So this morning I woke at 7am (not planned I assure you!), unpacked, breakfasted, spent some time getting to know my host family (a married couple in their 30s with a two-year-old daughter who I have yet to meet), showered and am now more or less opposite my home for the next four weeks in a tiny internet cafe.

I´m planning to go into the historic centre of Quito this afternoon to have a look round.  It is a UNESCO world heritage site and looks spectacular in all the photographs I´ve seen.  The weather is gloriously sunny with bright blue sky stretching on for miles and miles.  Pleasantly warm but not hot with a slight breeze.  Perfect weather in my book!

On Monday I have my orientation session at UBECI and then on Tuesday I start my volunteering.

More soon.

Lx