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Published: June 16th 2006
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Ok so I have been pretty slack lately - no excuse either apart from lots busy with Spanish school.
So here goes.................................
3rd June:
I think I left off just before the Canyoning extravaganza. Basically, this was a day of abseiling down 12 waterfalls increasing in height from 5m to a whopping 75m absolute beast. Got up a little bit late after a night on the tiles and was I have to confess still a bit drunk!! (Not so good when you are putting your own life in your right hand as you abseil down waterfalls but nevermind!). As water flows down we first had a 40 minute hike up a pretty large hill in the baking sun - to top it all off this was done wearing a full wetsuit - not good i tell thee and i do not recommend. I think Jess and me were sweating pure alcohol!! We got to the top and had a very brief (2 minute) talk on the technique of canyoning - they are very unhot on safety here which probably explains the general cheapness of all trips where life threatening activities are involved. So to the first waterfall -
a 5m baby. It was really cool - kind of following the river and getting totally soaked by pounding water but it was really slippery and quite scary at times. The 2 basic rules are "lean back" and "open your legs" - which we had great amusement laughing at like schoolgirls for a long time - well all day actually. And so it went on - waterfall after waterfall until we came to the 3 biggies - 60m, 50m and 75m. I swear to god at this point I wished I had remebered my slight fear of heights but of course now it was too late - I didn´t want to be left in waterfall doom to live out the rest of my days so I had to do it. It was very scary looking over the edge at Alehandros the guide who was a mere matchstick at the bottom - he looked so tiny from so high up!! I have never concentrated so hard in my entire life!! But I made it down all 3 and lived to tell the tale - so chuffed to be alive!!
5 June:
Today was the party to end all parties.
This was the last day in Baños for everyone I had been with for the last week. Beforehand Jess and I decided at 3pm that horseriding for the arvo would be quite cool - so we set off to find ourselves some trusty steeds for a few hours of riding. Well it was interesting!! We ended up leaving at 4 with the 2 most knackered horses I have ever seen! They were looked after ok but I think they had had their fill of work for the day and were most unimpressed to have another traveller sat on top of them. We also left a little late and ended up coming down the steepest, rockiest hill in the dark - I could not see a damn thing - street lighting outside of towns does not exist here and I am so glad horses have better eyes than me! There were a few moments when I thought perhaps I may come off badly but my horse got me home safely. Then it was the Leprechaun Bar (If you are from Ecuador you pronounce this Leprochown which is hilarious) for partying till the early hours. And I have learnt a valuable lesson
- never ever do rounds with Irish guys especially not Irish guys from Kerry - yes Victor and Kevin I do mean you! Hats off to you!
7 June:
I was supposed to be with my Ecuadorian family on 4th June ready to start school on 5th June but had a few mishaps there. For a start I did not know until 6th where the school was or where the family lived. So I eventually left for Quito 3 days late! Got there in the evening to a really nice family - Martha (mother), Marthita (daughter) and Martha (cook) - easy for me only one name to remember!! Must get a bit confusing for them though. They speak absolutely no English which is actually pretty good for me as it means I have to speak Spanish with them - no choice there!! They live in a really nice apartment about 15 mins walk from the school and they look after me really well - do feel a bit guilty as they seem to beat me to bed every single night - talk about feeling like a dirty stop out!! It´s also impossible to get into the house quietly
as they have 3 locks and 2 doors.
My school is nice and there are lots of other nice students to hang out with. My teacher Pablo is also great and we have a great laugh - I am trying to teach him bad english jokes like the chicken crossing the road and the black and white and red all over penguin in a blender but the humour gets slightly lost in translation i think - his jokes are just as bad and i mostly don´t get them! I am learning a lot from him though - i have lessons from 8:30 - 12:30 and have to talk constantly for that time - have had 6 days now and definitely improving. Afternoons have been spent learning salsa, hanging out with local people I met and also organising stuff - booked a tour for the Galapagos Islands today - 8 days of swanning around on a boat and looking at cool stuff - can´t wait - not till August though.
Got another 2 weeks of school and then I leave for the Galapagos to volunteer with the giant tortoises.
10 June:
This weekend we went to Otavalo
where there is a famous market every Saturday - it was really good - I didn´t buy anything though the hammocks were tempting until I realised that it was slightly impractical to carry around anywhere. The market was great for people watching as all of the indigenous people come from the highlands to sell stuff. So much stuff there and some beautiful art. In the evening we decided to check out the highlight in Otavalan nightlife - the cock fight! This was perhaps one of the strangest things I have seen and also the most horrible. Basically, it involved doctoring the cocks slightly so that the have a kind of metal spike about 1 inch long on the back of each leg and then they put them in a ring together and let them fight. It was horrible - feathers flying everywhere and lots of squawking. I hid under my hat for most of it which the local guys found funny - had to explain the vegetarian thing to them! I think it was kind of some macho event where they all basically take their cocks and sit around a table for a while deciding who has the biggest one
to fight the next biggest one. And there is this perverse stroking action going on the whole time - very odd. But still an insight into life of an Ecuadorian man.
11 June.
Today we went to the Lagunas de Mojanda some beautiful lakes at the foot of Volcan Fuya Fuya in the paramo surrounding Otavalo. It was beautiful and so peaceful. We climbed Volcan Fuya Fuya which at 4263m was no mean feat - you really feel the lack of oxygen happening at that height and it was pretty tough. Was first to the top behind the guide - go me! There were some beautiful views from the top and you can see soooo far away - it was awesome. After a while at the top appreciating the beauty and peacefulness we made our way back down and for the country of England I braved the waters of the lake - it was freezing but very nice being up to my knees in it. Only person to brave it and not surprisingly I was the only English person there!!! Quel surprise!!
So for now I am about to finish this week of Spanish classes. Tomorrow I am going to Baños (yes again I love it there!) for the weekend. So will fill you in when I get back. Have a great weekend everyone.
Take care.
Love Karen x
As usual photos are to follow!
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