I am in love with my routines. A habit based life in my own speed. I love eating my favourite foods every day and to meet the same amazing people all the time.
However, I believe that happiness often comes with the occasional seeking of discomfort, how cheesy it may sound.
Every now and then a new experience is opening your eyes to a different type of life and helps to refresh your mind. It can break old unhealthy patterns and adjust your way of thinking in new directions.
After acclimatizing, eating delicious street food and “culture shocking” at the same time for around three weeks in Ecuador’s capital Quito it was about time to start my first real adventure in this comparably small but beautiful South American country.
There were a few important things I still had to sort out before I was ready to leave.
First meeting the lovely group of volunteers from England, USA and Germany.
Second packing sunscreen and mossie spray, which turned out to be completely useless against these evil Ecuadorian mosquito monsters. And finally, realizing that my Spanish is probably not on the level that it is supposed to be. All check! I am ready!
Off we went to hop on a bus to Santa Domingo, located in the coastal region of Ecuador, which is the closest city to the cultural centre of the Tsáchila.
The city of Santa Domingo definitely felt a lot more chaotic compared to Quito. After our arrival, I fought my way through until the ticket office to organise a ride to our final destination, trying not buy any candy, fruit or a alive chicken which I got all offered on my 50m walk there.
After a 30-minute bus ride, we finally arrived. The friendly driver let us out the ride at the entrance of the centre. Surrounded by banana and plantain plantations, right in the middle of little tropical forest.
We were already awaited. Alfonso the leader of the community and some other members gave us the warmest welcome. We all got introduced and installed in cute little traditional cabins - open enough to let bats fly their rounds and through them during the night-time. Thank god there was a mosquito net over the bed.
I loved this place. The smell, the colours and just the whole vibes were something different and something I really appreciated. And the best was yet to come. No Internet connection! Finally, some time to cure my addiction…
However, the main purpose of our arrival was not to simply to enjoy the beautiful setting.
We came to work.
The mission was to help to sustain this paradise and the culture of the Tsáchila Tribe. In the following two weeks, we created a stone path, installed natural showers, learned about plant medicine and planted native plants in the garden. The work made us sweat a lot but was very satisfying at the same time.
On top of that, we befriended a massive boa constrictor, which was just lunching next to our open accommodation, we celebrated carnival with locals at a close by village and I even ate a huge worm (grilled, however).
All in all, it was an amazing experience. I have learned a lot personally by being in charge of a group and taking on leadership. I valued to get the chance of diving in a new way of living and learning so much about a culture of the Tsáchila, which differs from my own a lot.
I found that the Tsáchila are just wonderful people. There connection to nature, the relaxed way of doing things and especially their ability to give you their full attention when you are in a conversation with them. Their honest interest in what we had to share with the tribe but also the fact that they sometimes did not talk at all. Unforced and enjoyable silence! Beautiful! I wish that they could keep these abilities and won't fall into the trap of all the traps modern western life often brings with it.
I am also really looking forward to meeting up with the Tsáchila in the future again. .
• Spending time in nature
• Meditation
• Learning about life
• Being social/ Me-Time
• Nutrition
• Entrepreneurship