The Berdels

About a month into training, in April 2009, we traveled to Tena to do a week-long visit and some preliminary project discussions. That week was the most anticipated one of training, by far. Many things have happened since then: Some people’s projects have changed, some people’s sites have changed and for us, mostly just our perspective changed. One thing that didn’t change was the presence of our compadre couple at the office, Wolf and Franka Berdel. Last week however, was their last.

That day we arrived, there were six of us sitting at a bus stop café, drinking a victory beer for having, to our surprise, survived the bus trip down here. Little did we know that we would become very used to the bus drivers’ break-neck pace soon enough. We waited at the café for our counterparts to pick us up while talking excitedly about the adventures ahead of us. I didn’t think much about it at the time but one of the first counterparts to arrive was Wolf Berdel – for Ben, another volunteer in our cluster assigned to work with Parque Nacional Sumaco.

Wolf is a six-foot-two, skinny blonde German guy with a tremendous laugh and a happy spirit to match. That’s kind of a strange looking counterpart for Ecuador, I thought. After everyone left, Laurel and I jumped into the back of a pick-up truck of a guy who owned a hostel on the far end of town. Our counterpart (Bolier) was out of town at the time so we stayed in said hostel (previously written about) that also had great hammocks, good food and a monkey on a rope.

Wolf

After unpacking our weeks’ worth of clothes, Laurel and I asked where the best place to get a cold drink would be. They said the name of a bar that would eventually become our Cheers, Araña. Upon arriving to the watering hole along the river we saw Ben and the tall German sitting around a table, having beers and eating. It turns out that Wolf was also one of our counterparts; he was just picking up Ben because he drew the short straw and had to leave the bar while one of Ecuador’s World Cup qualifying matches was going on. (If I remember correctly, Ecuador won easily against Bolivia.) Ben would be heading to his site near Volcán Sumaco, three hours out, the next day with another counterpart, Juan Pablo. At this table there sat almost all of our future office mates.

Franka

Wolf and Franka work for the German development agency DED. This group actually started out as a show of support for John F. Kennedy’s vision of the Peace Corps. DED and USPC started similarly, but eventually Germany shifted focus to more advanced technical assistance. Now DED workers get paid like USAID, which is to say, pretty good for the developing world. Wolf and Franka dated while on his first assignment for the DED in Gambia. Because of his work in Gambia, Wolf was quite familiar with the Peace Corps, and speaking English.

While Wolf is tireless and always fun and optimistic, Franka, his possibly wiser half (she has her PhD) is down to earth and cool. They have two beautiful little girls, Maya and Paula and together they lived next door to us in probably Tena’s nicest house. Good for parties.




Of course, when we first arrived in site, after training, the Berdels and many other people from the office were on a month-long vacation so there was very little to actually do. But, when everyone got back, the Berdels would prove invaluable not only as friends in a strange city but as summarizers of the ins and outs of our work place. Together, our inexperience with the coastal accent (several of our counterparts hail from the coast), misunderstandings about timeliness, frustrations about disorganization, and questions about the meaning of it all began to take its toll. If it wasn’t for the explanations of the Berdels (in English to boot), I (at least) would have been lost for a lot longer than the first month or so.

Laurel and I quickly found out that weekend evenings at Araña or at someone’s house were the place to find answers about the labyrinth that is a development consortium like Grupo Sumaco. Social situations like these were not only our way to clarify unknowns, it was also a way for many other people in the office to get to know us and more casually vent frustrations of their own. Eventually, our Spanish improved (I mostly mean mine, Laurel was fine from the beginning) and our relationships with other counterparts also developed. I wouldn’t say things are always smooth sailing at the office now but at least we understand why it isn’t. Thank goodness for the Berdels.

Beyond work and social gatherings, Laurel and I also began to develop a real friendship with these guys. We took trips together, ate meals together and talked about everything under the sun. They learned about our U.S.A and we learned about their Germany. They’ve been in Ecuador for five years this month and their kids have never really known Germany, but they are in fact going home. . . But not until the largest despedida (going away celebration) this town has ever seen.

One Thursday night in June during game seven of the NBA finals (I know, I missed it, but I’m glad I did) about seventy people met at the Park offices auditorium for speeches, games, music, presentations and a pretty good time.



Afterward we all spent the entire night imbibing and reminiscing at a local private bar. When the sun came up we all trudged along to the Vagabundo Pizzaria, the Italian restaurant of one of the other Germans in town, Jurgen, to watch the World Cup. Germany was playing the 6:30 am game and the U.S. had the 9:00 am game. Needless to say Friday was a lost day after the games were over.

I haven’t stayed up all night in ten years, nor do I plan on doing it ever again. It just seemed fitting. I wonder if the Mayor is as popular as the Berdels in this town.

Among the many people who were thankful in their own way for having been friends with the Berdels was a Women’s group from Loreto (about two hours east). Wolf and Franka assisted this group with a grant about four years ago to pay for machines to help them with their arts and crafts business. It was a big success, at least on the part of these women’s lives even if not in terms of pure profit. But, because of security restrictions, DED, like the Peace Corps are not allowed to travel to the province east of here anymore, where Loreto borders. As a result the Berdels haven’t seen these women in four years.

Jens helps present with a community member

A couple weeks ago, Miguel, one of the Park Guards stationed in Loreto told the women about the Berdels leaving. So, they all gathered on a bus to Tena (by bus it takes about three and half hours) with Kichwa handy-crafts packed as gifts. When arriving in Tena on the day of the despedida, they were greeted with big smiles and a few tears. They all took pictures and exchanged gifts (Wolf didn’t remove his twine purse all night). The women also went to the party and had a great time.

In all, it was one heck of a memorable fiesta for everyone. Over five years, well, I’m sure they have a pretty long list of accomplishments to name in a resume, some of which I personally know of, but how many people do you know who get to have a job where you can actually change the course of peoples’ lives?

They didn’t want to leave. Up until the end they were working furiously to find positions with one of the other German groups in-country. They’re going to miss it here, sure, but they might just be missed more.

no es adios, solo hasta luego