Gary Finnerty from won a travel award with EIL Ireland that enabled him to spend a month or so volunteering in Ecuador. He wrote extensively about his experiences, here's a blog entry from mid way through his time in Ecuador:

Today is E-Day plus 31 and I'm finding it hard to believe that I've been here for a month with only a week left. Today is also my last day here in Riobamba as after lunch I'm heading to Quito for a night before getting a flight tomorrow to the Amazon rainforest. You'd expect me to be happy and excited at the prospect of being in the Amazon (something I've always wanted to do) yet what I'm feeling at the moment is a sadness that I'm leaving my homestay. I've been here in Riobamba for nearly 4 weeks staying with a family and without doubt this part of the trip will be the highlight of my time in Ecuador when I think back in a years time.

But picking up from my last blog last Friday I went with the group on Nariz del Diablo. This was an amazing train journey that takes 3 hours and brings you through some spectacular countryside. It's also an increadible piece of engineering as it goes through some of the Andean mountains. It was a really early start but very worthwhile and thankfully I remembered my camera this time! Saturday we went to a few different markets in Riobamba which were an interesting experience but I think a little horrific at times for the vegetarians in the group, they got to see the before, after and consumption of animals in the space of a 100 very crowded yards. Saturday morning was our last group activity during the homestay.

On Sunday it was the farewell meal with all the group and their host families, It was held in a very nice leisure centre outside Riobamba. The actual meal was quite a sad one as it really began to hit home that soon we'd be leaving our host families. At the end of the meal each member of the group had to say a few words of thanks to our host families in Spanish and by the end it was a very sad room. But afterwards we got a soccer match going between the host families and a "Gringo" Dream Team that included myself, a couple yanks and 3 host brothers (Gringo is a North and South American word for North Americans travelling in South America). I'm delighted to say that the Gringo Dream Team were the victors 10-8. It was a happier end to the day.

Yesterday was my last full day in Riobamba so I stayed mainly with my host family but at 3 I met up with some friends from the American groups and host families to watch what was a huge game for Ecuadorians, Real Madrid against Liga de Quito (South American champions). In Europe these pre-season matches mean little yet here it was huge. The bar was really crowded and the people were fanatical following the match. Sadly Liga lost 4-2 but I enjoyed the atmosphere and it was a good way to say good bye to some of the Ecuadorians that I've played football with and hung around with while I was here. They've been friendly and been easy to bond with so it's sad to have to say goodbye. I haven't had to say a proper goodbye to my family yet (another 3 hours left!) but last night I brought them out for a really nice dinner as a small token of thanks for all they've done for me.

If everyone on this trip is honest, the most feared part of the whole experience is the homesaty. There's nothing as scary on this trip than staying with a bunch of strangers who speak a language you know little of (if any!) for nearly 4 weeks. Yet speaking at the end of the homestay I honestly know that the time spent here is the real highlight of the trip. The strangers become family who you share a bond with and will be a part of you for a very long time in your life. My family have been so friendly and accepting of me I'm depressed to be leaving to go the Amazon, something I thought I'd never say. I hope we'll be able to keep contact through e-mail and hopefully meet up again in the future. My time in Riobamba has been so much fun I will never forget it. Between staying with Luis, Andrea and Tomas, the activities with the 2 American groups be it organised day trips or just meeting up (with host siblings) in Riobamba to even the experience of my lousy attempts to teach the many taxi drivers in Riobamba a little bit about Ireland in my limited spanish. It's been brilliant. I could stay rambling on for a long time but sadly time is something I'm running out of in Ecuador. I'm heading out to my last lunch with my host family and after that I'll be heading to Quito with my group. Tomorrow we're getting a flight to the Amazon and I'm sure that´ll be incredible, but not the highlight of the trip. In the Amazon I won't have any internet so I'm sorry to those I haven't been able to get in touch with in the last few days but I'll get back in contact next Monday. Best wishes to friends, family, well-wishers and the folks in EIL. Gary.