Nariz Del Diablo

I can´t believe that it´s been already half of my exchange year. So much has happened that it feels that it´s actually been a lot longer, but at the same time I can´t believe how fast time has gone. I think that I´ve used the same words over again, but I could repeat myself over and over again and still couldn´t really explain everything for you. Exchange year is a life on on a year, so it does include quite a lot of things and feelings. I´ve already now learned so much about myself, about Ecuador, about Spanish and about the world, and Im so looking forward to everything that I´m going to learn! I appreciate every single second that I´ve spent here, even the hardest ones, because they are the ones that have taught me the most. And the happiest moments are the ones that I´m going to remember still when I´m old and wrinkly and traveling the world with my rollator. And all these people, my life wouldnt be the same if I hadnt met them. Same goes for these places and views all around me, trust me when I tell you that it is kinda cool to live in the middle of the Andies,or on the Andies more especifically. I´m so grateful also for all the people who have helped me so much with everything, my host family, my area coordenador, my e

xchange friends who always know what I´m going trough, my friends and family in Finland who´re always supporting me and listening to my endless rant about everything I´m going trough. And my local friends for showing me around my home town and other places and for showing me what real ecuadorian friendships are like - and they´re great.

It might hve been just a great coincidence with the week my exchange friends from Ambato (the biggest town close to Salcedo, also my ´base´ town where my area coordenador lives) decided for a famous tourist attraction, Nariz del Diablo train trip. It was on my list already before coming here so I was really happy to see it and with great company! I must admit that I thought that it would have been more extreme maybe, but I wasn´t dissapointed for sure - the views are really beautiful. First we had to take a bus to Riobamba (another beautiful town in the Sierra) , and from there to Alausi, which was full of blond and English speaking people! In other words, tourists. Especially where I live I almost never see any, so it´s always a nice surprise! And you always have interesting conversations with them - one thing I´ve learned here; open your mouth! Unlike we Finns believe, they´re actually normally not mad that you talk to them! ;)