Blogs from Quito, North, Ecuador, South America - page 157

Under most circumstances I love the rain. I love the first rain that comes after three months' drought, when the land is so parched it has forgotten a life with water and given in to its arid world, and when those first drops hit the ground the earth heaves a sigh of relief and it feels as though the whole world is reborn. And I love the rain that is hardly a drizzle, that clings to spider webs and the ends of your eyelashes, and the rain that lashes against windowpanes while you are inside, warm and dry, a mug of tea in your hand and a book in your lap. I am fortunate, then, to be here during the rainy season. Most afternoons -- around 2 or 3 pm -- towering cumulus clouds form above ... read more

¡Hola Chicos! Been in quito for about a week. First things first. The beers are massive and cheap. It costs about $1.50 for local brew. Started spanish school on mon. Realised i knew nothing but was able to pick a few words up. On the first day of school they sprang a surprise on me. Salsa lessons! We re all so crap, its pretty funny to watch. Im already sun burnt even with using ridiculously strong sun tan lotion. But its not that bad. School has been good but it seems like ive got the worst teacher, everyone has told me she only ever talks about money and death which should make for interesting conversation. The schools got 7 students at the moment. 2 english (inc me), 2 swiss, 2 swedes and an ozzie. Theyre all ... read more

Thousands of them came rushing towards me! Out of the corner of my eye I had seen them slowly creeping up to me, but now they were charging toward me, full speed! I was alone and my only hope was a desperate leap into the river. That's how it felt as it dawned on me that I was lost in the jungle. The forest surrounded me. I was fortunate; people knew where I was; I had 3 hours of daylight left; and if all else failed I could walk down the Cosanga River until I reached town (it would have taken me a day and a half). I was extra fortunate because after only thirty minutes Rafael came charging through the underbrush looking for me. Harold was back for a week before he left for 3 ... read more

It's been a very intensive couple of weeks. I’ve done 10 days of Spanish classes, interspersed with two weekend trips. The Spanish has been hard work and very enjoyable. Unfortunately for you, dear reader it doesn't make for interesting travellers tales. I speak quite good French (I lived in France for a year) and this has both helped and hindered my Spanish. Compared with French, Spanish is similar; shares a lot of vocabulary and concepts, but has less complicated rules and fewer exceptions. Having one-to-one Spanish lessons has been fantastic! I have learned so much in such a short time! We even covered the whole of the Imperfect tense in just 15 minutes at the end of my last lesson. South America is cheap enough to make the one-to-one lessons feasible. Quito is a major centre ... read more

The best part of our new neighborhood is the man who drives around with barrels of fruit in the back of his pick-up truck broadcasting his wares over a loudspeaker attached to the top of the truck. As soon as I hear him I dash from window to window, trying to figure out where he's coming from and what he has this time. I can't really understand what he's saying, (but it looked like he had a bunch of piñas this time), nor have I bought anything from him, but I look forward to his arrival nonetheless. Today the three of us forked over $30 each and joined the South American Explorers (SAE)club. In the long-run this will prove to be a worthwhile expense; as members we receive discounts at places all over the city, including ... read more