Time for a BREAK!

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Yo!

after a long break, (you´ll get the pun shortly), its Jen signing back in. Ola!

We have been busy studying Spanish here and to be honest we are doing pretty well, for a Brit anyways. But what a stroke of luck we have had lately. Firstly, the camera goes swimming. so we get one sent out cos they are about 3 times the price here. And when it arrives by courier, it contains a grand total of 1 plug. Thats it. And did I mention we got our bag stolen? Containing our only other item of interest, the archos mp3 glory, in addition to all our books, and other fun stuff.


So, we are thinking, bad luck comes in 3´s and that should be it, right? Wrong. Last Thursday was the grand one year Jen and Rich anniversary (no, thats not the bad luck) so for a suprise I take my darling boyfriend for some high altitude (starting at 4100m) mountain biking.


After a 3 hour journey from town on the bus to get there, we set off. a paltry 5km or so into it I decide to do the fantastic no-hands, no-feet trick, landing expertly on my swede. Its always reassuring when your ´guide´runs over shouting ´my god, my god!´Well, anyway, we had to pay some guys out fishing to take us back to town where I got some first class medical attention, and luckily everything was ok. They even let me have a head xray. And get this, here we dont bother hiding round lead sheets, oh no! Rich got to watch the whole thing and he actually saw inside my brain! (By the way, the doctor said it was the biggest brain he had ever seen!) Cool huh?


And just for something else fun, I shall include some pics of the town where we are, Cuenca. Its the cultural capital of Ecuador and is full of beautiful churches and buildings. the roads are cobbled and it is generally a lot nicer than Quito, the actual capital. The weather is pretty nice, like a permanent spring, so its about 24 degrees warm somedays and cloudy other days. The town itself is flat although we are surrounded by mountains. The food is rice rice and a slice of meat, but I have homed in on the particularly delicious´Ecuadorian version of the Cornish Pasty- the Empañada! Super yummy. But I'll leave the food side of things to our man in the know, Rich.


Oh and I very nearly forgot until rich remeinded me. Rich has been continuing to amaze the locals with his fancy footwork. Firstly he managed to clear a space around himself in the most crowded salsateca in the whole world, by swinging at anyone nearby, and then proceeded to take his coordination to new levels in the market; while I investigated buying fruit, Rich took it upon himself to KICK OVER THE ENTIRE STAND! Blackberrys galore. And just to round off his coordination, while I lay in my sick bed, unable to take care of him, he decided to boot the bedstead as hard as he could and promptly (possibly) broke his toe. I doubt it will affect his dancing though.

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Photos

MONKEY BRAAAINS!!!!
Check this out! Its Me!
For sure it´s the most efficient and active cerebral mush the doc had ever seen!

Shoe shine boy
In the plaza in front of the main cathedral is the place to chill out and get your shoes polished. Quite sad really that you see so many kids scratching an existence.

Scrubadub
The washing is still done on the banks of the river by some folk in town.

Cuenca´s Cathedral
It´s pretty unusual to see a cathedral made of bricks. It is impressive. What is more impressive is this: See those blue towers on the back part? Well, they were supposed to be on the two pillars at the front, but when they put them there, the whole thing started to collapse. Gutted.

How to get plastered
This is how to get a wall plastered. Quick? For sure. Quality? Well, I guess it doesnt rain too much here.
P.S. for how to get plastered in general, please follow my easy example.

From the days of Colonial Granduer
Away from the central plaza, the building here are full of colonial splendor, but they just aren´t maintained in many cases.
The town is UNESCO world heritage, a Stratford of Ecuador and much more pleasant than Quito, the capital

Cuenca ´s Cathedral By Night!
And Lo! Just when you thought it was ages till Christmas, Noel Edmunds arrived and switched on Cuenca´s festive lights!

Comments

[Duncan]

Blimey...
At this rate you'll manage to trash the whole of Ecuator. "It was pristine, now it's shop-soiled, guvner..."

[Skin]

{Resist making a witty comment}
I thought you already had a head X-Ray... On that key-ring you used to have!?!? x