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(by Nicole) 42 different kinds of fruit, am I in heaven?! On our return from Galapagos Islands (check out Cals entry for that below) we took a bus 3.5 hours out of Quito to Puter Quito, a place which uses the fact the sun never shines to gain tourism!! Cloud Forest remains a consistent 22 degrees all year round, and it true to its name, has many clouds and forests. We stayed with a really nice family (6 children under 8 years old!!!), and our host took us on various excursions over the three days we were there. When we were not with him we were relaxing in the hammocks, eating up our books, and trying to recover from stomach bugs. My highlight was the fruit farm near by where we wandered around in tropical paradise, gorging on every kind of fruit imaginable, including 5 kinds of bananas and pineapples growing on a bush. This area is also famous for its chocolate plantations, so in the evening we learnt how to make chocolate, and of course consumed our efforts in the form of fondue ......with yet more fruit.
On Friday Callum turned 30 and we celebrated with bad Thai
food. He jumped off a waterfall, and we spent 7 hours in a bus. The real celebrations will have to wait until we have some people to celebrate with in NZ.
Otavalo markets were fun, we brought another 10 woollen hats and a hammock. With less than a week to go we did not feel so bad filling up our packs to the brim. We rose early to see the local livestock market; screaming pigs, cows, sheep.... bit like home really!
I am pleased to report I have had my first solid poo in nearly 2 weeks. Sorry if you did not want to know that, but these things are part and parcel of a trip such as this. Sadly I managed to pass the virus to Callum so he is still swallowing Imodium. Tomorrow we fly to Easter Island, then on to Auckland on Thursday. We are so excited at the prospect of cooking for ourselves, and everything that comes with the conveniences of home. New Zealand customs.....please be kind to us. Yes we have been on a farm in the last 30 days, yes we do smell very bad. Everything in our bags that was once
white is now brown, most clothes are ripped and without buttons. We have to many photos to count and it will take a millennium to put them in albums, along with the wedding photos,....and video, but it must be done. We have been away for nearly 5 years all together, but New Zealand, we are coming home!!!!!!!!!
Nicole
xxx
Highlight: Fruit, fruit, fruit!
Lowlight: The public bus to get there and back
Best Munch: Papaya, pineapples and bananas
Best Gulp: Jugo Mixto
Rate: 7/10
Interesting Fact: To make chocolate, first get the seeds out of the fruit and soften then in the wok. Rub them between your palms to get the soft shell off, then put them through a grinder/press to make a paste. In a pot, heat the juice of a sugar cane, add some milk, and the chocolate paste to taste. This will produce a sweet chocolate fondue perfect for dunking fruit.
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Jo
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Hey
Hey guys. Sounds like the end of your trip is in sight...bet your looking forward to it. Sounds like there has been lots of adventures since our meeting in Arequipa (sorry for having to head back really wanted to be out but just really wasnt feeling good). I too have hd a bit of a stomach bug following our trip to Pampus but doesnt sound as bad as yours lasting that long. Now in Potosi and off to the mines tomorrow and then onto Sucre. Its soooooo cold here! Okies time for food, have a safe rest of trip and keep in touch as defo heading to NZ at some point hehe take care xxxxxxxxx