Quito, Banos, Puerto Lopez


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South America » Ecuador » North » Quito
July 18th 2007
Published: July 18th 2007
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5th Entry in under 3 months, I think I am on track for a world record,

Just a quick abstract this entry includes visiting day to a cocane dealer in a Prison in Quito, The trip to the amazing town of Banos, including a white water mis-adventure, and a trip to see hump back´s in Puerto Lopez.

So pretty much I am still doing the same sort of thing here in Quito as I was in Trujillo. We have a north school and a south school here, many of the Children are about to head out into the real school state systems which means we have to foot the bill at about 55usd per person. This meaning we have been busy fundraising over the last 3 weeks and have almost hit the target of over 1000usd to send the ninos to school.

Had a bit of a horrible thing happen last week, we have 3 brothers that go to the South school, there parents are afew Kumera short of a Hangi. The mum always had a baby boy strapped to her back, and he died through malnutrition. The 3 children did not even know the name of their Brother or go it the Babys funeral. I think what happened is the dad beat the 2 older kids and they ran away. We are trying to locate the 14 and 12 year old but have no idea where to start and the parents dont seem to care.

So from here on it hopefully will be a better read but thats just an idea of some of the stuff we have to deal with in the charity work here.

Quito itself is am amasing town, high up in the Andes with snow capped mountains all around. I was supprised since its just 20 KM from the equator. Have not really had a good look around in Quito itself except in Mariscal. Nice during the day, but is renound for countless knife point robbings during the night.....nice

last weeknd we travelled to Banos, which got its name from the many hot barths around. All that we tried to go to were as minging as the next so we just swam in the cold rivers.

Banos itself is in the most amazing setting, at about 1800m above sea level it was a lot lower then Quito. It felt normal again, being able to walk uphill without feeling dead!!!! yes. The hills are so steep around Banos that countless waterfalls flow down into the town itself.

Banos is somewhat an adventure town in Ecuador, offering bungee jumping, River rafting etc. Our choice if Adventure was the river rafting, we thought we choose a good company where the fun would be matched with some safety..,......

All started out well, we had 1 instructor with a broken finger, but that was all good. 1 rescue kind of blue short rubber ducky with what we though were 2 instructors, and 1 Kayak instrustor with a fat American lad who thougt he knew what to do.

1st problem happened when one of the guys in the small blue raft fell out in some rapids and freeked out. So the rescue raft was not the best and they asked if I wanted to go in it, (it was loads of fun and fell out once)

We were well ahead of the Kayak instructor and his man so we stopped on the bank, we waited foir 10 mins until we saw the upside down raft of the fat "I know how to kayak" American float past with no one insight.

Our instructors started to fret and we all jumped into the big raft to catch up and rescue it. There was no sign of the American or the other instructor but after a huge hassle and about half an hour or more the instrustor managed to free the Kayak from under a rock. Then he got swept away by the current and so we piled back into the big raft to save our instructor..........comical.

Without to much fuss we got him and the kayak back into the big raft. My mate (Mike) and another instructor who were now in the small blue one caught up so we were only missing 2 people.

We paddled down the river until it got dark, and landed on some random bank which wasn´t were meant to get out.

So we had to carry this boat through the jungle for 20 mins through these crusty swamps until we got back to a jungle house that had 2 little deliverance children. Kind of different and interesting situtation but weird. The children just stood there and stared at us like they had not seen white people before, or maybe they thought I was a Giant.

There was no sign of a van or car to take us back, so our instructor went to find something to get us back to Banos. He was gone for about 45 mins and then came back in a Ute. When the lights went on the surronding area there must have been about 5 other people just sitting there in the jungle just looking at us. Was very random.

So this random guy who was paid took us back to a local town where the instructior phoned the rafting company who then came and picked us up.

About half way home we finally saw the fat American and the other instructor, appreantly he flipped out of his Kayak and it just drifted off downstream. Then they had to hike through jungle and up a mountain until they got back to the main road. Nightmare

But eventually we got back to Banos...well over 3 hours late...good adventure.

The other weekend we headed away to Purto Lopaz, to see the Humpback Whales which are in mating season. We took a boat trip to go see them, some impressive displays, if I had my memory stick here I would have put them on!!!! sorry

Otherwise 8 days till surfing in Costa Rica

Email me you Punks!!!!

Rich

O yeah had a random day at Quito, went to visit my "Friend" Peter who is meant to be locked up for 12 years for cocane trafficing. Appreantly he is a big Drug Cheese in England, but best details are not provided.

He owns his own cell in the prison plus 2 others which he rents out to other inmates. In the weekend the cells can be rented out for inmates to have overstays. Every second weeknd they can have their wives, girlfriend or call girl stay over. Kind of random experience and the jail could have been a horrible gentlemans club.

All of them were getting on the drugs inside (appreantly easier to get inside then out) and getting drunk etc, lots of very amazing stories not so sure of the truth %age but made for a very in lightning day.










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19th July 2007

Shocking spelling
shocking spelling just read it now hahaha

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