feliz compilano

it doesnt seem like i've been living out of a backpack for 3 months. its gotten a little heavy, i guess that means its almost time for me to head back. strange as that seems. if you know me, you know that i usually mentally shut down before i finish something. but right now im still fully in south america, somehow i feel so far removed from life in canada.
but i feel really good. i feel like this trip has been nothing like i couldve ever imagined. i feel as though i´ve conquered a mountain that i didnt realize i was climbing. now ive summited and i can see how far i've come. its been a process though. there were times when i was completely overwhelmed. times when i wanted to cry, but couldnt because it wouldnt have helped. ive been challanged in every way and pushed to limits. there've been times when every crutch ive ever used was taken from me and forced to face my insecurities. and there've been times that i feel that i only made it through by the grace of those praying for me.
ive enjoyed solitude, and disdained it as well. i've loved some, despite the fact i would leave them soon after. ive cherished relationships with people of all ages. ive been lost in large cities. ive been at the mercy of strangers. ive been humbled by the generosity of many. ive learned a little of a language, a little of a culture, and a little of their food. ive learned to share. i've been completely vulnerable with people i didnt know. ive had a lot of time to think about a lot of different things. ive embraced emotion. its been amazing. i wouldnt trade this experience for anything.

meet denis

denis, hmm, dont even know his last name. from slovania, although he grew up in germany. student. major in economics and politics.
so denis seems to be an integral part of my trip, strange as it may seem. well, maybe not integral, but he is somewhat of a thread pulling together many different places, people and experiences. i met him in bogota. it was the begining of his trip, and the start of my travel alone. we hung out for a few days, and i went on my way. over the last two months we have bumped into each other 5 times. somehow, when we're in the same city, we even end up in the same hostal. i dont understand how it all works out because we go different places and stay for different amounts of time. there've been other people along the way, that we've tried to meet up again, and it just hasnt worked out.
anyhow, i just thought you should meet.

surfs up

the other day i arrived at the beach with two sweaters on and mittens. and today i found myself in the mountains with salty jeans and sand between my toes. i guess thats how it works when you travel in a small country, you change climates faster than you can change your clothes.


after the whales in puerto lopez, i went south one hour to the surf hippie town of montañita. i loved it there. i got there just in time for a surf competition. i made friends with the locals. well, not locals, im not sure what you would call them. they're travelers that got stuck and never left. some of them work, some of them dont. some of them sell jewelery. some of them have drum circles and dance with fire. i really liked it there. i stayed in a hostel right on the beach the dorms were in the attic. it was open air and you could feel the ocean breeze while you slept. it was one of those places where i felt like i was there a week, even though it was only one night. there were people there that lived something like i would like to. although i do not aspire to be like them, but i think that i can learn from them. perhaps it is best that i did not stay longer, or maybe i would´ve gotten stuck as well.

mi amor

so i i've been doing a lot to try and get the most of my last few weeks. i went on this train ride where you sit on the top of the train. it was a nice way to travel. see the country side of equador and feel the breeze. but there were a few too many tourists for my liking. its funny the different type of people that travel in different areas. here in equador there are a lot of vacationers. i just dont find their company as enjoyabe. actually a fight broke out over seating. not physical but angery people with biting words. i found it quite disheartening.
then i headed to the coast to puerto lopez for some whale watching. i cant explain to you how wonderful it was to watch them dance. these pictures look like i didnt see a lot. but i did - just not through the lense of a camera, which is better i suppose. but these are the humpback whales. it is the time of migration so there are many passing through. they jumped out of the water, slapped their fins, spouted water, and splashed their tales. it was sureal. i thought i might even cry, but that had to do with the lack of sleep as well.
i think that it is funny how these people manage to sell things they cannot own or control. when they told me about the tour they said it would be between 2 and 4 hours depending on the activity. and with a 30 min boat ride out there, and 30 min educational talk, that means we could've spent a half hour looking, and headed back without seeing anything. with the volcanoe as well, they'll take you on a tour to see activity. but it may just be a campfire and warm drink. and maybe that is the thrill, to seek out what you may not be able to find.

volcanoes and waterfalls

i arrived in banos a few days ago. its a small town at the bottom of the largest active volcao in equador. actually, a few weeks ago they had to evacuate the villages higher up because it was getting a little bit too active. Last night we took a chiva bus to a look out point to watch the volcanic activity. I saw a little bit of i dont know if it was lava or fire, and heared it groan. it felt more like watching some living being, than land mass. it almost sounded as though it was hungery. it felt a little erie. i quite liked it.



banos is known for its hot springs, hikes, volcanoes, rivers and waterfalls. there are alot of different tours and treks to take from here. i decided to try repelling in the falls. i suppose that there are a few things i should've thought about first. one being that maybe my spanish is sufficient to find out about the tour, but perhaps not good enough to understand all the instructions. second, that it might not be the best activity to try with a bad shoulder. yes. i dislocated it jumping into a waterfall. this actually was only the first and beginner waterfall. and my joints are actaully loose enough that i can tell someone how to put it back in - even in spanish.


so needless to say my afternoon was cut short, i wish i could've finished it. it was actually harder than i expected. i dont know why i thought that it would be pretty simple. but you have to lean back really far so that you dont slip, you're fighting against the natural force of gravity, the frictions of wet rocks, and the force of the water pulling you downward. it was intense to say the least.

i am now in equador

i made it to quito equador. it was a marathon of 24 hrs in tranisit. flagging buses down from the roadside, waiting in the cold at immigrations for an hour after not sleeping on the night bus. i feel like i need a few days to recover, but i dont really have time to sit around. its hard for me to judge how much time im going to want at different places so that at the end ill be close to lima when my plane leaves.

theres a part of me thats over new cities, strangers and small talk, but at the same time its a shame to end it now because im feeling like im getting the hang of how the whole travel thing works. its still hard on the body to go from cold altitudes, to humid sea level, to endure sleepless nights, and have an ever fluctuation diet, but it doesnt stress me out to pack up my bag and jump on a bus to unknown destinations. in fact, i actually embrace the challange. i feel accomplished when i ask a question and can understand the answer, and would rather figure out the public bus system than grab a cab.

but aside from my complaining, i am doing well.

salento

so the last two days have felt like a week, so much happened. and yet, i didnt really get any pictures, so i know that makes it less interesting to read. sorry.

i spent two days in the coffee region of colombia. i stayed in a sleepy little town at a beautiful little hostal. the plaza was busy in the evenings, and there were lots of hikes in the surrounding areas. somehow this town seems to have lost track of time. the little restaurants and pubs play records of latin polka music, and still have original retro furnishings. there are cars, but people ride horses as well. the men like to pass time by playing tejo. its a game, maybe comparable to horseshoes. they set up with lanes with mud box at the end and use gunpower as the target so when you hit it, a flare goes off.

also witnessed someone saving a life. its a strange feeling to recongise the fragility of life.

my last night there, we cooked dinner and ate together as a family. i love that feeling. it surprises me, but it makes me a little sad when i leave people. its hard to know someone for such a short amount of time and realize that you will probably never again. and after a while you'll probably even forget them. im glad to feel the remorse of leaving these people. to me it is a sign that i am learning to love.