Doing something cultural.........

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Bueno, it's been a while since i've written, i seemed to have adopted the Ecuadorian laid back - almost horizontal attitude to everything, thus meaning it's imperative that i spend about a week thinking about things before i can actually do anything productive! So am i doing productive things?......Reading Don Quijote (and considering the several other books on my reading list), trying to organize somewhere to live and going to work everyday! Yes so there i believe i am.

I've had some eventful weekends in the past couple of months so i'll try and remind myself of a few, an express tour....Puerto Lopez: Whale watching, lots of sea sickness, one day on the 15th most beautiful beach of the world = seriously burnt laura, also got stung but a jellyfish which had wrapped itself round my leg, but indeed a very beautiful beach! 9 hour return journey, 9 hours of vomiting due to crazy roads, we arrived at 4am and had to be at work for 8.30am.....Baños: A town nestled in the Andes mainly designed for tourists but nevertheless very fun. We went white water rafting, it was amazing to be rafting down the Rio Negro surrounded by the jungle, tambien bathing in natural hot springs very CLOSELY surrounded by hundreds of Ecuadorians also enjoying these giant hot baths.

Finally the best trip was to a hacienda on the way to Lago Quilatoa, a crater lake set in the top of a volcanoe. We arrived at the hacienda (farm) on friday night and were welcomed into a warm farm house/ traveller retreat where we sat down to dinner with some rather fascist Italians who were also enjoying the country hospitality...We got up the following morning at 6.30 to milk the cows for our breakfast, despues de un breakfast soley made from the farm products i went for a casual ride on my new friend Pepe the llama...not the smoothest but i felt super cool in my leather slacks and poncho. Needless to say whilst i was kitted out in my cowboy gear i took one of the farm horses for a ride through the mountains! On returning to the farm we took a truck to a nearby colorful indegenous market where they trade in goods en vez de money, on the way there it was amazing to see the indegenous communities transporting their goods on llamas and donkeys over long distances. We might live in the country but these people live with the country, they are always with nature, everything is done outside, cooking, washing and crafting their goods to sell. Their weathered faces and richly coloured dress were captivating and i felt very much like a tourist passing buy in our yellow truck observing their ancient simple way of life.

For the weekends i am a tourist and monday to friday childrens entertainer, counsellor and market secretary! Work at Cenit has been quite intense over the past few weeks and i'm learning alot. There have been Quite a few cases of abuse in our group of children so i've had to go with the social workers to speak to their parents about what's going on at home. Alot of the families have at least 4 children and its normal for the whole family to sleep in one bedroom, the children often having to share a bed with the parents. As a result of this the children see lots of things they really shouldn't be exposed to and as a consequence they see violence as normal and teenage pregnancy is everywhere. Violence is all part of bringing up children here, so if i speak to the parents about the bad behaviour of their children it's likely that the next day they will come in with a black eye or a gash across their face (this hapenned last week). We can't dramatically change things for the children here but we're trying to provide something stable and safe for them.

So we stumbled accross a Harikrishna temple just down our street...I considered the religion, which actually seems quite appealing although extreme, I think they want me to convert but i've been scared off by there keeness so i shall continue only considering. Quito is so beautiful, despite it being heavily polluted over-popullated whichever way you look there is the view of the high montains on which the city is built. Each day after work I find myself thinking, maybe i should do something cultural today?! So after over 2 months here i finally made it to one of the many museums...i hope this will be the start of my Quiteño cultural activities that i think about, gold clad churches here i come!

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Comments

[Laura M]

So interesting to read about the things you're experiencing there.. will be really good to chat tomorrow (dom) if ur still upfor it? xxx

[Tiffany]

You sound like a proper travel writer! I t sounds like you are having the most interesting time out there, I wish I were there too! The world is such a diverese place and I think that no matter how much we read about it, or however open we think we are to differences, it is only when we are in the heart of things that we become fully aware of this. I can't imagine how you must feel having to witness the levels of poverty and violence that most of us only seem to read about but don't encounter to such an extent. Your life experience out there in such a relatively short time is a lifetime for most. love you and miss you xxT