Trip To Montecristi

---

So I am sitting in Quito and am about to go back to INTAG tomorrow, I just met with Laura and her friends to have a goodbye beer and its raining so I will post a blog about my trip to Monticristi because I dont want to walk the 4 blocks to the hotel in my nice, dry, and for the first time in 3 weeks, clean sweatshirt.

Monticristi is the site of the Constitutional Assembly, the birthplace of the I dont know...Teddy Roosevelt-Thomas Jefferson of Ecuadorian Presidents, Eloy Alfaro, and the location of his grave. The current phase of the Constitutional Assembly is called the mesas (tables) in which community representatives have the opprotunity to present anything that they feel should be in the new constitution. The purpose of my going was that I wanted to give any support that I could as an Observer, and I wanted a change of scenery. The overall purpose of the trip was so that the communities could be represented at the mesas, there was an anti-mining rally and people wanted to go to the beach.

In order to get to Monticristi had to take the truck for 3.5 hours to Apuela. I went to a DECOIN (an organization dedicated to defending INTAG) meeting and then left for Monticristi at about 4PM. The bus ride took 18 hours, I slept a little, at nearly 6ft tall I am not made for busses in this country. We went to the rally and I met back up with Laura, Katie and Hannah who were taking a little vacation to the beach. At the rally people made speeches of solidarity and the President of the Constitutional Assembly, who is anti the current mining arrangement, spoke. You could tell that he was the President of the Assembly, he was wearing a suit and was surrounded by other very important looking people.

After the rally, we tried to get into the mesas but were unable to. We waited at a police checkpoint for about 2 hours talking to a policeman who looked very important, he was wearing a different kind of police suit and was bossing the other policemen around, he told us we couldnt enter. After 2 hours another more important looking policeman, with a more dignified looking uniform arrived, after talking with him for about 30 seconds he told us we could enter the City of Eloy Alfaro. So we went to the location of the Assembly building, which is at the same spot as the new grave of, and new meusem dedicated to, Eloy Alfaro. First we went into the grave of Alfaro. To enter the grave you must enter a giant dome, which is where the location of the grave of-monument to Alfaro. The dome is connected to a long shaft-like structure which is a meusem dedicated to the life of the great leader. The entire structure is painted in a peachish-skin tone and looks like this when viewed from the side: 8==========D. I am not kidding, its a huge wang. Inside of the dome (the part that looks like this 8) is the grave. The grave is at the foot of a gold statue of Alfaro which is 9 feet tall, has ripped muscles and looks to be bursting forth out of the ground like a golden presidental phoenix. The Assembly building is also new, however I cannot draw a picture of it using the keyboard. The new President, Rafael Correra, is sparing no expense in making the Constitutional Assembly look as good as possible on TV and in the papers.

After a few hours admiring the architechture of the meusem, we went back to where the bus was and were told to return an hour and a half latter. About 3 and a half hours later the bus left. After another 18 hour busride and 3 hour truck ride Laura and I, Hannah and Katie had gone back to Quito, returned to the cabanas. I was never so happy to get that cold shower.

Also, today I was told that the mining concessions in Junin reverted back to the state. Take that evil Canadian Company. I really have a bad feeling about this though. The fact that the President of the Assembly is anti current mining plan and that Correra has said that Ecuador would have mining and has said that the people who are resisting mining are foreign ecoterrorists makes me fear that the government is getting ready to plan some kind of government sponsored mining something. Laura has told me that Ecuador is going to have to find some other place to find money because oil, the only realy source of money for the country, is running dry. So this news is like one step foward but could be a step closer to a kick in the balls. Also, I should note that because of years of highschool debate, I think in terms of worst case scenarios, and the state deciding to do mining is just that, so dont get too nervous, I am probably wrong.

PS. It is crazy how disconnected I feel-am from news in the States. Until now, I really didnt have much time for computer in Monticristi, I havent gotten really any news from the USA. The first piece of news I saw when I got to Quito was that Heath Ledger died... That was the top story. After that though, I found out who was winning the Presidental Primaries, go Obama. And damnitall, 99x is off the air, I almost cried. Sorry that I havent put any pix on the blog, if I am back in Quito or Ibarra next week I will try to put some up. I also hope that the Patriots win the Superbowl and that I dont get sued for using the term Superbowl, which is a registered trademark of the NFL and I am using it without their premission. I really hope that I can watch the game though.

Its still raining hard, I really dont want to get a cab and watch the look of disappointment on the driver´s face when I tell him that I want to go 4 blocks, plus hed probably charge me double what the ride would cause regularly. I think I might go get some Pizza. Happy January 26th.

---

Comments

[JC]

Hi!
I would like to come visit while you are there (if not for other obligations) but this sounds positively miserable! I was going to send you some sunflower seeds but P2 says you don't have a mailing address. Take care! We miss you!