Monday, February 16, 2009

My knees are on fire, we´re stuck in Quito, I miss you

Hello!
First of all, gushers are amazing. No one on the trip seems to realize the incredible deliciousness that comes in a pack of gushers but if you are in the states, I strongly suggest you go out and buy a box and let me know how quickly they go.
We spent the weekend in a tiny village called Tena in the jungle. Can I tell you that I love the jungle? I do. The bus ride was beautiful, and terrifying. (Dad, remember the roads in Greece? Imagine switchbacks made out of rocks held together by chicken wire) We traveled through some beautiful towns and mountain ranges with exotic plants and birds buzzing about, waterfalls pouring out of unsuspecting places and dense fog covering everything but five feet of road in front of us. Tena is a great town, very poor, but I liked it about ten times as much as Quito. The houses are small and colorful with woven hay and aluminum roofs. Hummingbirds fly around the town like mosquitos and there is almost no criminal behavior. When we got in, we got caught in one of the biggest thunderstorms I´ve ever been in and were soaked to the bone.
We spent the evening in a pool hall with a bunch of locals. When we first walked in, a bunch of men surrounded our pool table and stared us down for about half an hour. Surprisingly, I´m a pretty good pool player, though, as are the guys I was with and they nodded and wandered away. It was strange, though, as the men in the pool hall get drunk, they start to tie their shirts up like belly shirts and walk around showing off their respective beer bellies.
My favorite food so far has been street food called pinchos, which is basically a scewer of meat, potatoes, and some kind of zucchini. I can´t resist one whenever I walk past a stand and in turn have been eating about six meals a day. (Mom, you would love them!)
On sunday morning we got up early and piled into a bunch of trucks and headed to the river for some white water rafting! We treaded through the jungle to get to the river... if I could tread through the jungle every day for the rest of my life I would. It was one of the greatest days I´ve had on the trip so far. We headed down the river, taking turns hitting the rapids and played tricks on each other to knock everyone off the boat. At one point I got to ride on the front through a particularly rough patch- it was fabulous. Our guide was hilarious and spent the entire time trying to either flip our boat or push me off. I got him in the end, though and he let me play guide for a while until I made us miss some particularly exciting rapids because I was busy spinning the boat. The only downside was that I got my knees very badly burned and can barely walk.
We spent last night heading back to Quito and found out that we´re stuck here for another day because of a bunch of landslides on the main roads heading out of Quito.
All for now. I love you, and love the comments still.
xoxoxox
love and bugs
Betty

8 comments:

  1. A) YAYYYYYYY For authentic Ecuadorian expereinces!!!
    B) I'm pretty sure that I've seen Dad tie his shirt up like that after a few drinks
    C) I miss you. I love you.
    D)xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxxoxoxoxo

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  2. Well you're traveling with a bunch of Brits, do they even have gushers in England?
    Bonesssss, this business sounds wonderful, and I am jealous. Hummingbirds like mosquito's, damn. I love those little guys! I could go for some of that skewered goodness myself at the moment.. no food in the house and I am lazzzyy.
    Haha, you make the boating experience sound like the treachery of small children in public pools, not scary at all. I like that.

    p.s. I hope you got your machete for the jungle treading.

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  3. This is so exciting. Do you think Jeff will tie up his shirt after sushi in Kyoto this week? I think the Japanese would appreciate that kind of new custom....

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  4. I'm having gushers for lunch tomorrow.

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  5. I don't understand. I've been all over HonAtsugi asking for gushers and they look at me like I'm crazy. Even if I say it really loud, they don't understand. Then I tie up my shirt and show off my belly and dance and and singing softly to myself:
    "I am lonely, lonely.
    I was born to be lonely,
    I am best so!"
    If I admire my arms, my face,
    my shoulders, flanks, buttocks
    again the yellow drawn shades,--
    Who shall say I am not
    the happy genius of my household?"

    And then they look concerned and push me out the door.

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  6. Blair, you have to stop writing so well. You're taking over my territory!

    Seriously, write a book!

    As for Dad---six more months of therapy!

    I hope you're healing in terms of your burn. Don't tell Mom, though. You'll get grounded!

    Looooovvvvee you!

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  7. I never knew my corporate lawyer brother did these types of things. What type of liquor makes him do these things???? :) love you and stay safe! I am soooooooo jealous!!!!!!!!!!! eliz

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  8. That was William Carlos Williams. Danse Russe.

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