Estuve aprendiendo español
Trip Start
Jan 20, 2004
1
29
88
Trip End
Feb 01, 2005
Quito,
Ecuador
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Ferrocarril to Cotopaxi
The Sunday before my Spanish classes were to start, I took the train to Cotopaxi National Park with the other Aussies from the hostel, Paul, Kathryn and Tracey. We didn`t prepurchase our tix, and hung around the very dodgy station to try and get on the roof of the train. The conductor eventually waved us up the street further and we were able to clamber on board.
It was supposed to be a train, but another company bought the route (one train every Sunday) and turned it into a ferrocarril - a bus on train tracks. We rode on top of the train and had some fantastic views of the mountains and the green patchwork countryside.
We passed lots of eucalypts and it became my goal to grab some eucalypt leaves so that I could smell them. The ecuatorianas saw me reaching for nearby leaves and started doing the same. I think I started a bit of a trend.
At the park, we stopped for about 4 hours and took a horse ride through the park. It was pretty, but then we got stung for $10 at the end of it, when we had only wanted to ride for 1 hour which was $5. The park was pretty, but not worth the $10 to get in.
We also neglected to bring a picnic, and were lucky that Kathryn and I had purchased some croissants while waiting for the train. I also found a tin of tuna in my daypack, along with my cutlery and we got some biccies from the very small stand and had a hotchpotch lunch.
My Family
After getting back from Cotopaxi it was time to move in with my host family for the coming week.
Host Family
I was a bit nervous, but that all disappeared when Maria del Carmen greeted me at the door with a big welcoming smile! I then met her children, Sofia who is in her last year of school and Andy who is studying French at uni. I had a fantastic time living with them, and being part of Ecuadorian life. It was even better than living at home (sorry Mum & Dad!) as Maria del Carmen wouldn't let me help with the dishes or anything else. All I had to do was eat, and then go and do my homework!!! Spanish Classes
Marlene was my teacher and for the first 4 days we just covered verbs and conjugations in the present and past tenses. Day 2 was a bit boring and repetitive, but it was all necessary revision. Day 5 I finally got my teeth stuck into something new which was very interesting. I understood virtually everything Marlene explained to me, for which I am so glad I took classes back home. Now I have a lot more confidence to speak in Spanish, but I still need lots more practice and more lessons further down the Panamericana. I definitely recommend Spanish lessons to other travellers in South America and to all my buddies from Spanish class back home, it is so much easier to learn here!!!!
Things I Learned
* No puedo escribir todas las cosas yo aprendì este semana. Yo aprendì mucho en español y ahora puedo conversar en español con otras personas. Todavìa uso incorectos palabras, pero puedo hacer una frase. (I can't possible write all the things I learned this week. I learned a lot of Spanish and now I can converse in Spanish with other people. I still use incorrect words, but I can make a sentence)
* I keep saying sex words in Spanish when I try to say normal words, like successful, to cover or hide something, and even when I said "Did I?" in English, it is apparently a rude word too. It is very funny y muchas gracias Andy para explicar las significas de las palabras (despues mucho reìndo).
* Spanish is a great language, and whenever I don't know a word, I guess by saying the English word in a Spanish accent. Surprisingly it works 85% of the time.
