I don't really know what to say about Cuenca. The air is fresh and there are birds out our window. When we walk around town it's like we never even left home. At first when we arrived in Quito it was scary because it was all new. But now nothing much has really changed. But everything is different like there is a lot more poverty living beside me but I'm not in it. Spanish class is fun. Our teacher is really smart and she is telling Liam and me about Ecuador. It's really different from San Francisco. It's more conservative and mostly Catholic. One of the people who is taking spanish class is named Dean. He's really funny and is always talking about being "cortez". When he's in the room everyone laughs. Dean is 78.
On Sunday we went on a really long hike with a hiking group called Sanguay. It was fun but I got so tired on the hills I felt like giving up. In my head I was being melodramatic and thinking that this was true pain. But when we got to the top it was a huge relief. There were a lot of beautiful butterflies and nice flowers. On the way back down a woman fell and probably broke her ankle. It must have been really embarrassing. She was wearing little pink socks with cows on them.
Ailish
photos by Liam
Hi Alish, this is Mitch (not Wendy). I enjoyed you most recent post. The hike must have been really hard cuz I know what a strong walker you are. What is the altitude there? Your Spanish must be improving as well, being immersed in classes on such a regular basis. Tell Liam the photos are awesome. I particularly like the last one of the bird. I don't know what kind it is but I guess it uses that long beak to get at something deep down in a flower or deep in a tree. Perhaps Liam can fill me in?
ReplyDeleteThings here are samer than ever. Spring is here with the wildflower blooming in Tennesee Valley. Haven't been out on my bike as much as I would like, though I suspect that as the onshore winds stoke up, my stoke for the bike will follow a similar path.
Miss you guys, be well.
Mitch
Hi Burden Family--so great to get such colorful little glimpses of your adventure! I was going to say the same thing Mitch said--that must have been quite a hike if Ailish was feeling true pain. Cool photos, Liam. Would you post a photo that has one or some of you guys in it soon? I bet you all's Spanish is way better than mine was when we went to Spain for four months. I think I told you my story about saying "albondigas" when I meant to say "algodon." I felt as if I was about three years old, because that was the level of the ideas I was able to communicate. Do you feel your true age when you're speaking to an Ecuadorean, or a little younger? Have any of you made any memorable bloopers?
ReplyDeleteMorgan and I and some friends were at "the cabin" last weekend, and spring is certainly sproinging there, you'll be glad to know. We've had plenty of rain, but not so much that there was a lot of erosion from the burn--yay! There's glowing emerald grass, lots of flowers already, and lots more on the way. Much raucous bird activity. We heard and/or saw woodpeckers, scrub and Steller's jays, wrentits, bushtits, flickers, canyon wrens, yellow-rumped warblers, pigeons, hawks, and our local vulture tribe has returned after being away ever since the fire. That made us very happy. They do their courtship rituals and morning wing-warming poses on the rocks right above our cabin every spring, and sleep in a big pine that we can see, above your cabin. Then they "watch over" us all day as we hike.
Are the plants and birds and animals very different in Ecuador? What's the weather like?
I'm going to Oregon for the first half of April to visit Lev and Kirin and Nola (my granddaughter)(You can see her at Nola-now.blogspot.com) and help with babysitting while Lev's mountain bike touring company (cogwild.com) starts up their spring tours (no more advertisements, I promise).
Hugs to all, Abbie