The months that followed really represented a period of time that Maisa and I spent growing as a couple. We would see each other at least every other day and be on the phone to one another pretty much all the time. It was nice. With Maisa's family having a second house in Banos, it was also a period of time that we spent many a weekend down on the edge of the Amazon Jungle. Banos basically became my second home in Ecuador.
On one trip down to Banos we headed back onto Maisa's farm where we bathed under the cooling waterfalls after a long hike in the jungle heat. Along the way we found a huge hornets nest which Mauri decided to play with. Unsurprisingly, he was stung numerous times which quickly became a fascinating thing to watch for myself, as both his hands swelled up like balloons. It was bizarrely abnormal. On a second trip down, we were invited to a family wedding. It was an amusing experience, primarily because the young boy in charge of the wedding rings consistently dropped them about once every three minutes. As the ceremony continued you would continually hear a 'chinking' sound and then a second latter a small boy would be running around the church trying to catch the run-away rolling rings. Each time he did it I laughed louder and louder. The party was an experience also. Actually, weddings in Ecuador are not too dissimilar as any where else. The bouquet is thrown, speeches are made and there is much eating, drinking and dancing. The odd thing, which is not just at weddings but any form of party gathering, is that the food is not served until very late. The reason I am told is that if the hosts serve the food at say 8 pm, then most people will have left by 9. Thus, the food is served at something like midnight to prevent people disappearing and leaving the place empty. It therefore means that a huge amount of the drinking and dancing takes place before the meal so that by the time the food does arrive most people are steaming drunk. Odd. Apart from that, the wedding was very nice and enjoyed by all.
In Quito, Maisa and I celebrated our one year together. We went out for a nice meal, in a great restaurant with an even better view - that engulfed half of the capital. We had done a lot together during the past year, which has included spending time with each other in four different countries and in between, about a million different experiences. I hope for an endless amount more.
Back at work, things were going well. Tungurahua was taking up most of my working day as the activity at the volcano continued. I was soon to be going down to Tungurahua for a two week field course with a group of students from the States. I didn't know it at the time, but it would change my future.........forever.
Saturday 17 November 2012
Maisa & I - One Year Together
Sunday 6 May 2012
A Trip Away For Semana Santa
Starting the process to obtain a new work visa was as big a nightmare as I knew it would be. The ministries in charge of these things here in Ecuador seem to think that it is a good idea to change the rules on obtaining a visa, approximately every three days. This makes it increasingly difficult to do anything because by the time you have collected all your papers they have changed the rules on what you need and you have to start all over. When I first arrived into the country you just needed some documents to obtain a work visa directly. However, since that time things have changed, so that you now first need a ton of papers to obtain authorisation from the Ministry of Labour, and then go for the work visa afterwards. It is like putting up a huge brick wall in front of what was already a huge brick wall. My work colleague from the States - John and myself have started the arduous process and hope to have this visa in our passports sometime before our 60th birthdays!!!
At the beginning of April another holiday popped up. It was Semana Santa (Easter) and we were all given a long weekend for it. This would give me a good opportunity to get away from all the red-tape nonsense which appears to follow me around in Ecuador. To make use of the beautiful nature and the house that the Coello's have down in Banos - that is where we all headed. Despite Maisa telling me about it, I had never visited the farm land which they own near Banos. Actually they own a couple of pieces of land, but the farm as they call it is the largest. I don't know how big it is exactly but they asked me if I wanted to go and check it out and I naturally jumped at the chance. The farm land is not so farm-like as you would imagine. It is a large piece of land in the jungle that surrounds the Banos area. Some time ago, Mauri came and worked on it for about a year and cut a path across the land. As none of the Coello's had returned for about 4 years (when Marcelo had a terrible accident as he fell from a waterfall and badly hurt his arm), we needed machete's to get through the jungle terrain. The land crosses a large river, has a small hut some-way in and if you keep walking you can reach all of the 7 or so waterfalls. We walked for about an hour before reaching the first waterfall, which was small but was fine for taking a cold shower as we all melted in the heat of the Jungle climate. On the way back we passed dozens of lemon and orange trees and helped ourselves to the delicious fruit. It was quite a trek and not easy on parts, so by the end we were all pretty knackered.
During our weekend we also took the ride to Puyo which has incredible views of meandering rivers and a deep valley. We met up with Maisa's friend Lilly there - just to say hi and have something to eat, before driving further on to our popular river near Tena, the perfect place for a swim. I had never noticed before but the restaurant by the river actually has a pet Parrot. It had come from deeper in the Jungle but apparently likes to hang out by the restaurant, presumably for food. The trip was great - it is always nice to get away from Quito when I can and despite being bitten alive out in the Jungle and burning to a crisp under the strong heat of the sun, I will never pass up an opportunity to come out to this part of Ecuador. It's simply stunning!!!
My Second Home - Mindo
Not too long after my school friend (Martin) had departed Quito and continued on his way, an opportunity came up for Maisa and myself to escape on another trip out of the city. Maisa's family had gone off to the States for a week or so to meet up with Grace who was coming down from Canada and also with Henry, who had travelled from the UK. That left Maisa and myself alone more or less. We still had work as normal, but we decided that once the weekend came - we would get out of Quito.
We ended up going to Mindo - a place that I was more than familiar with but was happy to go back to. We also took along Mauri (a person who is essentially like a brother to Maisa but actually the two aren't really related) and his wife Yadi. So off the four of us went. Now, the odd thing for me in this situation is that whenever we take Mauri and Yadi anywhere we basically have to finance them for the entire duration. Mauri works for Maisa's father and gets paid, he is 31 years old, yet the two of them never have money. Now I don't know their full financial situation so it would be wrong of me to judge - it is just strange that Maisa and myself always seem to be like a mother and father to these two whenever we go out or on a trip away. I have never been a father, let along a father to a 31 year old - but now I feel I have had some experience in it when I actually do have kids of my own.
Mindo was the usual beautiful, relaxing and peaceful place, that strikes you straight away and reminds me why I always keep going back. I have been to Mindo probably more times than any Ecuadorian I have ever met. We did all the normal things that I love to do in Mindo too - first by eating at my favourite pizza place out in town and at night, we went to a local bar. It was a good start. The next morning we first went on the Canopy Swing - a series of zip-wires attached from tree to tree where you glide above the canopy of the cloud forest. I had done it so many times but love it too much to care. I have been so many times now that the guy who owns it must be financing his kids through college on the huge sums of money I have given him. Maisa had never done it before and I don't think Mauri had ever done it or anything like it in his life - so they also enjoyed the high-altitude adventure.
We also did something that I had actually never done before in Mindo. The Hotel where we stayed at also produces its own chocolate and as part of the price for your room they give you a free chocolate making tour. On the tour they teach you how they grow the Cocoa plants, give you a bit of history on the making of chocolate and then take you around their nearby farm which has big green-houses with different stages of the Cocoa beans. We saw the drying process, the grinding of the beans and finally the production of the chocolate. At the very end there was a tasting session where we all got to try 100% chocolate without any preservatives or sugar added. Now I love dark chocolate but even for me this was a bit bitter. We then added different amounts of other ingredients including on one occasion, hot peppers. I think I prefer Cadbury's, but we did get to try a completed chocolate brownie at the end - which was delicious.
Mindo had been just what we all needed. We left the small town happy and relaxed, knowing that whatever stress awaited us back in Quito - we were now ready for!!! As it turned out there was a lot of stress awaiting me in Quito. Now was that dreaded time, the time I hoped would never come. Even the thought of it strikes me with fear and anguish. I shiver, sweat and shake at just the mention of it, but, there was no getting out of it because now was the time...............the time - to get a new work visa.
An Event For Every Occasion
In Ecuador, Valentines Day (El Dia De San Valentines), is quite a big thing. After living in South America for over two years now, it has certainly occurred to me that in Latin culture people seem to be a very emotional, cheesy and romantic bunch. I'm not saying the English aren't romantic or cheesy but certainly not to the same extent. I mean you only have to sit an Englishman in front of a TV and fast forward to the end of the film - Armageddon, to see a Brit cringe with agony. It's romantic and/or cheesy moments like in Armageddon, where the average person from the UK will generally make a face like a dog chewing a caramel toffee and be heard muttering the words - "what utter drivel". On the cheesy/emotional front, compared to us Brits, the Americans take it to the next level and those from Latin America - well they take it three levels up, across an imaginary line and then far off into the distance. So when Valentines Day popped up, I had made a special effort to be as cheesy and romantic as Englishman'ly possible. In the morning (before work), I took the 40 minute journey to personally deliver a big bunch of flowers (and chocolates) to Maisa, who was just waking up in her family home. She was caught a little unaware, as I turned up (as a surprise) at 7am. Later on in the day the two of us went out for a nice meal where I also surprised her with a gold necklace. Maisa gave me some very nice gifts too, including a leather wallet and a cute little cuddly monkey that would have made a normal Englishman pull the dog-caramel toffee face. Luckily, after living here for some time, I am quite desensitised to such forms of lovey-dovey and so really appreciated the form of affection. It was a great night out and the two of us took many cheesy photos to show everyone back home..............sick bags on standby!!!
Just a few weeks after Valentines Day and it was another special occassion to celebrate - Maisa's birthday. She was about to turn 23 and I don't think she was particularly looking forward to it. The thought of getting older (even now at her young age) is not something she lights-up at with joy. Yet I had to remind her that 23 was an amazing age to be and I would love to be on that side (the correct side) of 25 again. I bought her more things that women and especially Maisa love, which included a pair of shoes and a handbag. She was over the moon. We didn't go crazy for her birthday, but we did go out for dinner with her family. We went to a very nice Italian restaurant that Masia and I had been to a few times before. It was very delicious.
Just a few days before Maisa's birthday, I had a special visit from an old friend. The last time I saw my school friend Martin Haggis was during my leaving party at the beginning of February of 2008, four years ago. When I returned from those travels a year and a half later, in August 2009, I didn't see Martin before he himself left for his travels, and as well, three months later, I again headed off once more - this time to Ecuador. After two and a bit years of travel, Martin had finally made his way down to South America and at the beginning of March, made it to Quito. He was only around for a week but it was enough time to catch up, chat about the old days, chat about our travels, our football team (unfortunately), and all this while drinking an absolute ton of beer (which is certainly Martin's speciality)!!! He hadn't changed at all, which seems to be the way with my friends - they are always the same every time I see them, and to be honest that is just the way I want it to stay.
Amongst all these occasions was another event - it should have been a normal affair but as is so often the case in Ecuador there is usually something which I just don't understand. Some relation of Maisa's was having her 15 year birthday party. This is a big deal in Latin culture as a young girl turns into a women at this age. For this, Masia was asked to be godmother of the girl, which I thought nothing of at the time. It was therefore a surprise to me that when we turned up at the event I as well Maisa was treated like some sort of royalty. Because I am dating Maisa, I had somehow become honorary godfather - and I had only met the girl once before. Now I don't think I have any obligations to fill in this role but it was a little odd when 100 people at the party started shouting Viva Los Padrinos or in other words (English words) - cheer for the godparents. After the strangeness had passed, it was actually a nice party, with food, drinks and a lot of dancing.
Over the last few months there had been a lot of occasions to celebrate for, which is good because I like a celebration. One Valentines Day, two birthdays and a reunion had flown past me over the last 8 weeks, however, as I was soon to find out - the celebrations wouldn't end there.........................
Carnival 2012
One of the good things about living in Ecuador is the unbelievable amount of holidays they have. Almost every month there is some occasion to take a day or two off work and what better occasion than Carnival, which popped up at the end of March. Despite what you see on the television each year, Carnival is a festival celebrated not just in Brasil, but in all of Latin America. Each country celebrates it a little differently and for Ecuador it is celebrated by spraying water and coloured foam over everyone......as well as the normal fiestas!!!
Along with Maisa and her family (and with an extra long weekend ahead of us), we took the 4 hour ride down to Tena, on the edge of the Amazon Jungle. When we arrived to the town on the first night, the party was already in full swing. In one of the main squares, the town of Tena had set up a huge stage for a musical concert, surrounded by food stalls and many a local selling foam in a spray-can. It wasn't long before all of us were dancing and naturally - spraying each other with foam. I would like to think that little Domi enjoyed herself the most but actually the fun was definitely shared by adults and children alike. The party went on late into the night and by the end - we were all covered head-to-toe in foam and soaking wet.
The following day, we carried on our adventure by heading to our favourite river near Tena and going for a swim under the strong heat of the Ecuadorian sun. We also brought food along with us this time and cooked up a big BBQ at the designated area, located on the river bank. It was perfect. That night we stayed at a fancy lodging, which had very cool individual wooden huts. In the dining area there was a film showing. It was based on a true story about a group of Americans trying to make contact with a native tribe from within the Ecuadorian part of the Amazon. At that time (1960's or so), this tribe had not had contact with the outside world. The tribes-men ended up killing some of the American's with spears thinking they were a threat before they eventually all made friends. Some of the Americans ended up staying in the jungle with the tribe for the rest of their lives. The film focused however around one tribes-women who spent a lot of time with the Americans and ended up learning to speak English. While we watched the film, Maisa realised that this woman was her friend's (Lilly's) grandmother. Lilly and her grandmother both live close to where we were watching this film (Puyo) and where the whole film is set. Her grandmother and their village still live in the jungle and in a very primitive way although Lilly has moved somewhat away from this basic life, especially considering that Maisa knows Lilly from university!!!
The following day we continued on our way. I can't remember the small town that we ended up at, but where-ever it was the Carnival party was in full swing. We had to walk some way to get to the party. As we passed the town, there was the usual food stalls selling, well the usual food. However, there was one stall selling Witchetty Grubs for eating. If you don't know what these things are - it is best not to know. Living in the jungle, these grubs are like small fat worms. The slide along the ground by somehow wiggling their bodies in a motion a bit like a slinky. Out here you can eat them cooked or alive. Now, I have eaten some pretty crazy things during my travels. Snake, crocodile, grasshopper and guinea pig to name just a few, but there was something about this thing that I just couldn't stand to bring it anywhere near my mouth. Out of everyone, only Maisa's sister - Jessy had enough guts to try it. She said it was pretty tasty actually.
The party was a bit chaotic. A large area next to a river had been turned into a concert. Music and more foam was the main attraction once again and even though I was now sick of foam, it was still enjoyable. Actually, for some reason I ended up making a foam-spraying enemy with a 10 year old Ecuadoian boy who made it his sole mission to only spray me. The only bad thing about the festival is that some of the foam they use is cheap and it is also coloured, so by the end your cloths are completely stained. I'm now saving these clothes for if I am here for next years Carnival party. We spent our last night at Maisa's home in Banos. When we arrived there was no electricity as the Coello's hadn't been to this house for quite some time. Amazingly Mauri somehow seemed to hot-wire the property. Using the power-line that is located just outside, he ran a couple of wires from it to the generator of the house and essentially stole electricity directly from the grid. Two things about this event surprised me - one, that it is actually possible to hot-wire a house and 2, that Mauri somehow didn't end getting electrocuted!!!
The next day we headed back to Quito. It was a great trip and certainly nice to be a part of the Carnival celebrations. For me, it was now back to work, and with an active volcano on my hands - it was certainly going to be a busy time. The vacation was definitely needed though, it was a lot of fun and one big adventure. However, it would take me about 4 days to dry off...............
Thursday 5 April 2012
Back Once More (Ecuador)..........Here We Go Again!!!
Arriving back in Ecuador was a pretty seamless transition. Within a few weeks I was back doing all the usual things that I had been doing before I left. I literally picked up where I left off at work - analysing and calculating different aspects of seismic signals from Tungurahua Volcano which, pretty much the day I got back - started to show signs of activity again. I also had a couple of trips out in the field. Over the space of a month or so I made two trips to the area near the town of Papallacta. On the first occasion I went out to two seismic stations where we were collecting data of local micro-seismicity. The stations were also located very close to the Antisana volcano, so we were getting data on volcanic activity too. Some weeks later we returned and I helped remove (un-install) many of the stations in and around the area. It was only a temporary network and the project time for data collection had come to an end - so we were taking out all the equipment. That time we stayed over-night in the very near and beautiful town of Papallacta, a place famous for it's thermal hot-pools. It was a relatively muddy adventure and a little hard-work, but that is all part of being a volcanologist I guess!!!
There was much going on almost straight away in other aspects of my life too, there usually is with Maisa and her family. Straight away there was another inauguration and party held by Maisa's father - Marcelo. Next to his new petrol station he had opened a shop selling truck parts. As is always the case with these events there is always some religious ceremony first. The priest often comes to the area (in this case the shop) and does a ceremony usually lasting around 30 minutes. At the end he splashes people with holy water. However, and this is the odd part for me, he will then be led around and asked to spray water on other things - cars and buildings etc. The priest was thus asked to head down to the shop warehouse (I know this because I went with) and was asked to spray holy water over nearly all the truck parts. Now, I guess this is to bring luck to the selling of the goods (or something along those lines), but all I was thinking (with my very non-religious views), was that all these truck parts are going to rust if he keeps spraying them with water like that!!! I didn't mention that to anyone though!!! The following party was the usual fun affair - of eating, drinking whiskey and dancing to traditional Latin music from the local area.
A few weeks after we returned from England it was also Maisa's graduation ceremony. She had graduated in Business and Administration and there was a huge event to celebrate it. At her university, in a very large hall, hundreds of people gathered to watch their loved ones collect their certificates. Afterwards there was a party with champagne, food and music. Maisa looked great in her red and black gown complete with hat. She looked like a female version of Harry Potter, as does everyone who wears those gowns. I remember when I did too.......although that was some years ago now. The following week Marcelo put on a big party in their family home to celebrate the event again - that was a more traditional affair but naturally still involved lots of food, drinking and dancing. After that Maisa began working full time - I think that took some getting used to after being a student for the past 4 years!!! I would say that working took me some getting used to after student life, but then many would state (my father mostly) that although I technically do have a job - I tend to behave pretty much exactly how I did when I was a student anyway - so I guess not that much has changed.
We also did a couple of trips down to Latacunga to see some of Maisa's family and where on one occasion I was presented with another meal of Cuy (Guinea Pig), again. I have officially decided that I just don't like it. The taste is okay but my issue is - it is a pointless animal to eat. I can understand eating Chicken, Pigs and Cows - these animals have meat on them. After all the hard work of rearing them, killing them and cooking/preparing them I actually get some food on my plate. With Guinea Pigs, they go through all this trouble for them to then present you with a pile of bones laid out onto your plate. For me - I am an eater who doesn't like to work. If for example you end up burning more calories (through sheer work of obtaining some meat) than you put on from actually consuming what you have scraped off the bones, then there really isn't much point me starting this meal in the first place. Okay, so if it tasted spectacular - like some delicious and magical delicacy - I suppose I would work - but it doesn't even taste that great - well to me anyway. Of course, it's an opinion of which everyone is entitled to - so for all those who really love a good bit of Guinea Pig - fair enough, but it's just not for me!!!
Anyway - with a gallon of holy water, a lot of parties, one very large erupting volcano and a plateful of Guinea Pig, it was official - I was definitely back in Ecuador. Here we go again.........................
Saturday 31 March 2012
Miami (USA)
Maisa and I had spent just a few hours in Miami on the trip out to England, but this time round we would have a couple of days out there. Apart from looking around the city and meeting back up with Maisa's godmother, for me especially, my time in Miami was to be used to buy just about everything I needed......and I needed a lot. Most of my clothes had now fallen apart so a new wardrobe was ultimately required but also, after having my glasses stolen in Ecuador, I also needed a new pair of specs too. Then, for purposes of work - well, and fun - I also wanted to buy a laptop. These things were somewhat cheaper in the States than both England and surprisingly, in Ecuador too. While living is very cheap in South America, electronics and imported clothes are particularly pricey.
Because of the time difference we arrived in the afternoon. Then we met up with Maisa's godmother and her daughter who both welcomed us with food and drinks. They were Ecuadorian but had moved over to the States a few years ago. The apartment they owned was very small but a friend of theirs was away so we were invited to stay in her place. I think Maisa found it a bit of a shock. Although there are some beautiful apartments in Miami, blocks and towers of places, this was rustic living at its best. The place had bars covering the windows and inside was the smallest lift that never seemed like it was going to work although it always somehow did. The apartment itself was just one room (with bed, kitchen and living area) and a side bathroom. I thought it was quite authentic living if nothing else. That night I was taken to a place to buy my laptop - of which I am very happy with.
On our main day in Miami, we all headed off to Dolphins Mall. The place is huge. In a day, I don't think we covered the entire place which just appeared to go on and on. I bought everything I needed and more that day. We also passed through the pretty Coral Gables and spent the rest of the time wondering around various parts of the city on the train with Maisa's designated family. I wanted to see more of Miami, or at least more in more detail, but I had been to this part of the world a few times before, where I played the tourist part to perfection - so I had seen a lot in this part of the country already. For that reason, I was happy to just do our shopping and very little of anything else. Although it was winter, Miami was still sweltering hot and despite the fact that Maisa was loving it, I was trying not to sweat away my entire bodily fluids the entire time we were there.
After just a couple of days, we departed Miami for the four hour flight back to South America.......and just like we had never been away - we were back in Ecuador!!!
Saying Goodbyes - Once Again
On the Saturday before we left, Maisa and myself again met up with Henry and Grace......and then absolutely everyone else. As well as me leaving again soon, it was also my good friend Rob's birthday and leaving party too. He was soon to be heading off to Australia and New Zealand for five months and I was really happy about it. He is one of those people who is designed for travelling, yet he has never built up the courage or money to go. Now finally he had both and so was off. Along with all my cousins, all my friends, friends of friends and people that I'm sure I had only met one time, somewhere - it turned out to be a great party. Located in a pub (with dance floor), it would be my last opportunity to see all my cousins and friends before I would head back off to Ecuador for some foreseeable future. It was a great night - of drinking, dancing and a lot of laughs. At the end things got a bit emotional as I said my goodbyes. I really have come to hate the goodbye part and this was equally as painful. It was great to see everyone again though and I made a promise to myself that it wouldn't be another two years before I returned home again.
On our last day the goodbyes continued. I said farewell to my very good friend Darren and his girlfriend J. They had been away in the States and were just back in time to have lunch, catch-up and then wave us away again. We said goodbye to Henry and Grace which was even more heartbraking for Maisa who had to say goodbye to her sister, as she was heading back off to Canada until the following June. Then the family goodbyes commenced. I chatted with everyone before saying farewell to my grandmas, my aunts, my cousins and my sister. The next day was the perhaps the hardest of the lot. Maisa and I had an early'ish flight, so at 6.30am on the Monday morning I said goodbye to my parents. It is too long to be away for two years just to return for 18 days and then go again. I need to be back more regularly and/or for a more prolonged period of time. That, I have to do!!!
Maisa had really loved the trip. She loved meeting with all my family and friends. She loved all the things we did and seeing the city of London. I think the only thing she found difficult was the weather. It was actually a mild winter this year but for Maisa (who loves the sun and the heat) London was pretty chilly in December. Actually, where I usually run around in shorts and a t-shirt until at least as low as -6 degrees C, I also found the cold pretty hard to handle. Being away in the equator sun for two years meant that I was just not used to it anymore. For me the trip was amazing. It was great to introduce everyone to Maisa and obviously to see all my family and friends again. Up until that point I felt really happy about the whole home visit, but once I returned back into life in Ecuador I realised one thing - I just didn't spend enough time with my friends and family!!! Yes, I saw everyone a great deal - but just not enough. Whenever I am outside of England, I always tell people that I love London, that it is the best city in the world.......and yes that is true, but actually what I mean is - it is an amazing city because it is home to all my wonderful family and my best friends, it is home - to me. Next time I return, I'm not going to do too much in terms of sightseeing and activities - I'm just going to spend time - with all the people that I love.
After saying goodbye to my parents, taking a last stroll around my family home, driving through Southgate for the last time in some unknown amount of time and then crossing the entire length of London, we finally made it to Heathrow airport. That morning Maisa and I took the 8 and a half hour flight to Miami - where we would actually be staying for a couple of days!!! For us, it was back to the sun.............
Saturday 24 March 2012
The London Adventure Continues
Maisa and myself had just over a week left of our London adventure, although it proved to be the busiest of the lot. A few days after New Years Eve, Henry and Grace returned to Henry's home in Tunbridge Wells. As Maisa had not seen another part of the country apart from London and as I had not visited Tunbridge Wells since I was a kid - we decided to spend one night with Henry in his home town. Tunbridge Wells is a pretty little place that reminds me a lot of Hamsted. It has that same look about it. Henry's Mum and Dad made us a nice dinner before the four of us headed off to a local pub. It turned out oddly to be another small reunion. Henry's friend, Alex, who had worked at the Secret Garden with Henry during their time in Quito and who I had made good friends with, turned up for a small pint. But as well, I had also worked at the IG in Ecuador with a young lady called Elena, about a year and a half ago, where she did some volcano volunteering. She lived in London but just so happened, had headed up to Tunbridge Wells to meet a friend that night too - so she came to the pub also. We all chatted about the old days in Ecuador and about all our future plans of which no-one had any set in stone.
The following day, Maisa and myself left Henry and Grace and everyone else we had met in Tunbridge Wells and headed back to London. Maisa enjoyed the train ride back, which took us by some very typical English country-side. That night I was very excited. It was the first time in just over two years that I had been to a Spurs game. The last game I went to was the famous 9-1 thrashing of Wigan - a kind of game I hadn't seen before and probably wouldn't see again.......at least not for a very long time. I had naturally kept up with my beloved team for the entire time I had been away in Ecuador. It's one thing that will never change. It doesn't matter how many miles away I am from White Hart Lane, I will always be keeping up on the state of the football team I have supported all my life. Football in Ecuador is okay, but it's just not the same. The atmosphere, the quality, the stadiums - nothing compairs. For Maisa - it was obviously her first English game and I don't think she really knew what to expect. With us was my Father (who I had traditionally been going with since my first ever game - Spurs Vs Nottingham Forest, when Paul Gascoigne scored) and my Mother - who over the last few years, had become a huge fan. It was exactly as I hoped, the walk through the park, the packed out streets of blue and white, the smell of cigarette smoke and burgers, the narrow turnstiles, those first few steps out - exposing 36,000 people all cheering on our boys. To top it all off, Spurs won 1-0 against West Brom. It wasn't a great game - but it would do. Maisa really enjoyed the whole experience also, especially stepping out into the ground and the atmosphere when we scored. For me, it was just amazing to be there again!!! COYS!!!
After some more London sight-seeing the following day, we had a planned trip to see the West End theatre show - The Lion King. Maisa and I met up with my Father and Sister in town and first went to a very strange restaurant. If you have never been to Sarastro on Drury Lane - it is worth a visit if nothing else for the decor. It is one of the oddest looking restaurants I have ever been to - brilliantly decorated and all in the name of fun. The food was good too. Maisa particularly enjoyed the manic theatre style of the place. We then went off to see The Lion King. I can't even remember the last time I went to a London theatre show so it was nice to be back. We chose The Lion King because we thought it would be more visual and not too complicated for Maisa, who's first language is not English. It certainly was visual. The show was fantastic - two hours of colour, singing and story telling. It was very cleverly done and the whole thing was a lot of fun and as such, everyone really loved it. I also still have dreams about the half-time interval ice-cream!!!
Over the next few days Maisa and I did a lot more sightseeing. We toured the British Museum - displaying pretty much everything that my nation had stolen over the years. Boy did we steal a lot. We also went further along the Thames River and took photos of the famous Tower Bridge, before wondering out to further parts of London, including two shopping trips to the quirky Camden Market. Just a few days before our trip was to come to an end, Maisa and myself along with my family went to a very fancy restaurants. Galvin at Windows is located on the top floor of the Hilton Hotel in London's very expensive Mayfair area. The Michelin-starred restaurant certainly didn't disappoint. It was an amazing experience. The food, the service and the quality of everything was just incredible. To top it off, it had a 360 degree view of London as far as the eye could see. This was dining - in very high style. All of us were also very well dressed (even for me) and all looked beautiful of course. It really made for a magical evening.
I know all my family (and Maisa too) really enjoyed that night, but for me - it was even more special. Firstly, just to be with my family after being away so long really is a wonderful thing. Yes, I had already spent two weeks with them back in London but that night it was the realisation that soon I would be leaving again, that really made it more emotional for me. Secondly, to eat this sort of quality food after coming from a country where most meals cost US$2.50 and you're never quite sure what sort of animal you are actually consuming - is always a great thing. Don't get me wrong, some Ecuadorian food is great - often very tasty and being cheap is no bad thing. For example, they have amazing fruits. I am still discovering new fruits in Ecuador, things you just can't find in England or other parts of the world - for this, Ecuador is blessed. However, some things about Ecuadorian eating really bugs me. They often don't eat vegetables. For me, something green is essential on any dinner plate but out there they just don't eat them. It is not like they don't have vegetables - they have them, I've seen them - but no-one puts them in their gob. I have always wondered what exactly is happening to all the veggies in Ecuador - maybe using them as some sort of biofuel or something. If they are doing this - I will recommend them using the Brussel Sprout - which could produce enough gas to launch a rocket!!! In replacement to the vegetable they will just add another carbohydrate. So, typically a meal will consist of - some meat (or fish), rice (always rice) and then potatoes too. Ultimately, there's enough starch in an Ecuadorian meal to glue together the Great Wall of China!!! The other thing, is the variety - there isn't any. People will eat this meal of meat, rice and potatoes pretty much every day for years. I used to wonder why they didn't get bored but actually it's the opposite - if you take an Ecuadorian away from this food, they crave it. On two occassions Maisa actually cooked meat with rice and potatoes because she hadn't had it in two weeks. It worries me. All in all, my point is - I often miss English food (or at least the variety of English food) and this meal in Galvin at Windows was the top of variety. Yum. I would also at this point like to personally thank my parents for forking out a small fortune for that fine dining experience as I know for a fact the cost of that meal could have covered the wages of the entire Ecuadorian army for a year!!!
When all of us stepped out of that restaurant and into the cold London winter, I realised that Maisa and I had just two days left in England........and unfortunately for us (well, me especially) those days were all about saying our goodbyes....................
Saturday 10 March 2012
New Years Eve & The Arrival Of 2012!!!
This New Year was an interesting affair. Over the last few days my parents had been away and in their replacement, Henry and Grace had been staying in my family home with Maisa and myself. Those two however, had booked tickets to a concert for New Year, of which Maisa and myself weren't particularly interested in. I had already seen Kasabian live (in a muddy field at Glastonbury in 2005) and Maisa isn't really too keen on that type of rock music. Unlike most years that I remembered, my boys had all scarpered off in different directions too. They were all doing things seperately and so it was left to Maisa and myself to entertain ourselves for New Years Eve.
After a day of resting, we eventually got ourselves ready and headed out for something to eat. Restaurants were not overly full and thus we didn't have too much trouble getting a table at most places, at least local places anyway. After some delicious pasta and a few glasses of wine, the two of us headed out into the mayhem that is central London on the last night of the year. The plan was to go and see the fireworks. They are usually pretty spectacular and I had actually never been into central London on NYE to see them - I used to just always watch them on the telly. London was chaos. Trying to get to a decent part of the river (near the London Eye) to obtain the best viewing spots were long gone. I think you had to queue all day to get those places. I'm sure I read on the news that one person had just stayed in the same spot since last years event, so they didn't have to bother fighting the crowds this time around. It is possible I dreamt that news report though.
After being led half way across London by the local police, battling with hords of people, we finally made it to a spot on the river - directly opposite the Oxo Tower. The fireworks WERE pretty spectacular despite the two of us being quite far from the main action. Also, by the end there was so much smoke from the first fireworks that you couldn't actually see the last ones from where we were. Still, it was fun to be out in all the madness and it was certainly something very different to what Maisa is used to on New Years Eve. We then took the very long walk back to King's Cross Station before heading back home. There we had a few drinks and waited for Henry and Grace, who soon returned. We finished the night off with further drinking before eventually collapsing on our beds.
It was nice to finally spend a New Year back home in London and to spend it with Maisa too. I still couldn't believe it was already 2012. Supposedly to some this coming year is the last that we will all have on this planet however, I was too busy to start thinking about the end of the human race at this moment in time. This coming week would ultimately be as manic as my last............and any thoughts on man's demise would certainly have to wait for now!!!
Saturday 3 March 2012
The London Adventure
After the mayhem of Christmas day, Maisa may have thought that it was time for a rest, but the week that was to come would ultimately be just as busy. While we did slow down for a few minutes, the next 7 days ended up turning into more family and friend encounters and a full London tour, all at the same time.The day after Christmas saw Maisa and I, along with my father head up to Alexandra Palace, which has great views over most of London. It was a place I always remember going to as a kid so it brought back good memories. On the way we passed one of England's most expensive roads - The Bishop's Avenue, which has some of the most expensive houses in the world. Some are so large, i'm sure they can be seen from space!!! Maisa's expression was certainly one of wonder. We saw more of my family across the week, including a reuniting with my cousins, but from my mother's side. It was great see them all after just over two years, and find out about all their adventures, which as it turned out had been taking place all over the world too.
We also met up with my good and oldest friend Michael, who was accompanied by his girlfriend Lauren. Before we met up I needed a new UK passport though, as mine had completely run out of visa pages. After all the trouble I had in getting even simple documents in Ecuador I just assumed that anything beaurocratic would now be a nightmare. It took me 10 minutes to submit my documents and four hours later I had a new passport. My faith in such matters has now been restored - well at least until I returned back to South America!!! When we met up with Michael and Lauren - we were ready for some sightseeing. We went to Picaddilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and along the famous Thames River. Obviously I had seen such sights an uncountable number of times in my life but for Maisa, it was a whole new experience. I think the thing that impressed her the most was the architecture and how old everything was. She would ask me as we walked down Regent Street questions like......"when did they have the time to build all this stuff???". I explained that London was a very old city and that there was plenty of time to get everything erected.....plus also that we have very quick trades-workers here..........yeah right!!! That night we met up with the rest of my friends for a birthday meal. It was Ricky's birthday and everyone was there for it - well everyone except Naddy, who was still hungover from Christmas drinking. Maisa got on particularly well with Michelle Ryan - my friend Chris's movie-star girlfriend. It was great to catch up with all the boys again and realise that they hadn't changed at all. In fact they never do, which is why I love them all.
The next day my parents went off to Europe for three nights, so Maisa and I had the house to ourselves. We were however, to be having guests to stay. Over the next four nights, Henry and Maisa's sister - Grace, were coming over. We met them that night and went to the famous Hard Rock cafe in central London. I can't remember the last time I went to a Hard Rock but it was nice to be a real tourist in my home town. The next day we all met up with my sister and Jody. We went into town to see some more London sights but also - to go on the London Eye, something that I hadn't done up until that point. It is incredible how little most people do in their own back yards - yet go off to another country and you end up seeing it all. I think I know New Zealand and Ecuador for better than I know England.....at least, I have certainly visited more places within those countries than I have in my home country!!!
After a 4D show and some queing, we got on the Eye. It took about 30 minutes to go around and the views over central London were amazing, even with the drizzly weather. We later headed down the river to see some more. We walked past the Globe Theatre and stopped in the Tate Modern Museum. Inside the huge building is a small bookshop, where Jody has published material. I think Maisa was temporarily star-struck when she realised she was standing next to a published author!!! Amy and Jody then left us - to continue work on their new house. It was great to go out with them both, to spend some time even sightseeing was nice for a good catch-up. We later had a pub lunch in the famous drinking house of The George, where Maisa had her first English fish 'n' chips meal. That evening we all met up with some old friends that I had met in Ecuador. Most lived in London, but others had come from Germany and even Sweden for this little reunion. It was good to catch up and talk about old stories from Quito and life in the Secret Garden Hostel. Most of them couldn't believe I still lived there.
When Saturday popped up - we were all knackered. It had been almost a week since Christmas day but, we had to keep going. It was the last day of the year, 2011 was coming to an end and we had some partying to do.................
Tuesday 28 February 2012
Christmas 2011 - Back Home With The Family
It had been four years since my last Christmas at home. In 2008 I spent xmas in New Zealand with my good friend Darren, bathing in the heat of the December sun in the beautiful Taupo. In 2009, I had just arrived into Quito a few weeks before when Christmas popped up again. It would be one of two consecutive Christmas days spent in Ecuador as in 2010, I was once more eating Christmas dinner with rice on the side. Now though it was 2011 and I was finally back home to spend it with my family. Although I had missed a Christmas or two I hadn't forgotten the routine, so, at 7am I was up with Maisa and my dad, my sister Amy and Jody too - as we all headed off into town. As tradition proceeds, we first stopped off at Abbey Road, to have our photo taken and write words of love and peace on the famous stretch of wall outside the Abbey Road Studios. We then headed to the Serpentine Lake. It has been a tradition for many a year - when on Christmas morning a bunch of absolute lunatics jump into freezing water for a swim. It's done for charity - so it does have some sense behind it and each year it's filmed for television. It has been my Christmas tradition to come and watch it every year for as far back as I can remember. Maisa found the whole thing interesting but at the same time must have been asking herself why she woke up at 7am on Christmas day to see hairy naked men jump into an icy lake. We continued our adventure by taking a little tour through London, showing Maisa some of the famous sights along the way. When we made it home it was about 10.30am and present opening time. We all sat in a big circle and took turns to open gifts. I think Maisa had more presents than everybody else.
Later on in the day and family started to arrive for Christmas dinner. It is without doubt my favourite meal in all the world and this year it didn't disappoint. I was so happy I even gobbled up some Brussel sprouts too. While we were eating, Maisa was enjoying opening the Christmas crackers with everyone. It is odd to think but in other countries they just don't have such things. Before Maisa had met me she didn't even know what a Christmas cracker was - I think when I first mentioned it she thought it was something edible. Later in the evening and more and more people started to flood into our house. Family and family friends started to come in their masses, so by the end of the night Maisa had met absolutely everyone in my family. There was more food which I'm still not sure how we all managed to fit into our already full bellies - but somehow it was achieved. Later on in the evening was the Christmas Quiz. Hosted by my father, it works by splitting the adults against the so called children - although no-one on either team was younger than 20 as far as I could work out. There were about 20 people or so on each team as a series of rounds see various questions answered. Some of the questions were even given (and had to be answered) in Spanish, which was advantageous to the kids team with Maisa and myself able to speak perfect Spanish......okay, so mine is a little less perfect. Naturally the kid's team won - thanks mainly to my knowledge, and by the end the adults were all coming up to me telling me to go back to Ecuador so it would be a little more fair next time. I can't remember exactly if all those events happened quite as I just described them but the kid's team definately did win - that is for sure.
After touring through most of London, seeing people jump into lakes, opening a million and one presents, eating the most delicious food (non-stop), drinking until our sober senses disappeared, gaining 3 stone and winning the world famous (well, Southgate famous) Christmas Quiz - xmas 2011 had finally come to an end. It was a great day enjoyed by everyone, but for me - it was just amazing to be back home with all my family. That - I won't forget in a long time. As we all collapsed at the end of the day I remember thinking to myself that I will never eat again in my entire life. Twelve hours later at Boxing day lunchtime and I was back on the turkey sandwiches...........I will never learn.
Saturday 25 February 2012
Arriving Back Home - London (England)
In the end, Maisa and I had so much stuff (mainly in souvenirs and presents) that our bags weighed approximately one small elephant each. It was amazing that we only had to take out a few items from each of our bags to get through. When I say take out - I mean transfer stuff from on bag to another bag. I would later learn on this trip how ridiculous these bag regulations really are. Most of the time it's just a case of reshuffling your items, putting something in one bag, taking them out of another, swapping clothes, wearing more clothes.......but in the end, the same result is accomplished - and that is that we would get onto the plane with exactly the same weight as we had before we walked into the airport. This whole game of baggage reshuffle therefore seems a little pointless to me. It's also odd that they don't weigh the people getting onto the plane - if they make such a fuss about a few suitcases. I mean someone weighing 15 stone is allowed the same baggage allowance as someone who is 9 stone - that is the weight equivalent to a fair few pairs of knickers if i'm not mistaken. My solution to this whole fiasco is thus simply to eat as much of your belongings before you travel and just hope they make it out okay at the other end - and when I mean the other end I don't mean your final destination. Well, it's and idea anyway.
I have two other quips about airport travel these days. The first is security. On this adventure Maisa and I had been interogated, drug tested, screened, had the dogs put on us and made to stand in a box that looks at your body in ways that only your partner should. By the end Maisa and I came out of the airport wondering if we had accidentally committed some criminal offence that we both weren't aware of. The other thing is immigration. Before Maisa and I headed to England, we first stopped off in Miami (USA). Just to be in transit these days you need to enter the country and that means going through immigration. There must have been 20 people in front of us and we were waiting in line for around an hour and a half. You realise why this process takes so long when it is your turn to go through. The man behind the desk asks so many questions that by the end of it all, if he had written everything that I said down on paper - he could have compiled my autobiography!!! At one point he was quizing me about what the longest erupting active volcano in the world was. It was exhausting.
As we had done the hard work in getting through immigration and the fact that we had about 6 hours before our flight to the UK, we thought we would step out into Miami for a wonder........but also to meet up with Maisa's godmother, who was eagerly waiting for us. We would be staying with Maisa's godmother in Miami on our return leg - when we would spend a couple of days in this gloriously sunny part of Florida. For now though, it was a flying visit. The three of us headed down to Bayside, where we stopped off along the harbour for some lunch. It was good for Maisa to catch up with her godmother, as the two of them hadn't seen each other for some time. It was also just nice to be out of an airport for a while. After a few hours though we headed back to Miami International and caught our flight on to Europe. Just 8 and a half hours later.........we landed in Heathrow.
It was strange being back home. Everything all looked familiar but somehow different at the same time. It would take me some days before I got used to it all. The first person we saw was my father, and just an hour later after driving through the streets of London, passing familiar places on the way, I would get the chance to see all my immediate family. It had been just over two years since I last saw them all so naturally I was extremely happy, excited and emotional all at the same time. It was fantastic to see everyone - all still looking as wonderful as ever and I was glad to be spending the next three weeks with them. The next few days, I took Maisa out into London and introduced her to many of my friends. The day after we arrived we went out to Harrods, to look around and to shop with my friend Darren and his girlfriend Jaqui. We also met up with Henry and Grace too, which was great for Maisa to be reunited with her sister after some months apart and which was also nice for me to see my old friend from Ecuador - Henry. We all had a lot to chat about. Grace had been in England for about 5 days already when we arrived so she was already settled in, but Maisa and I were still getting over all the time differences and travelling. We managed to last out the day though.
On the night of Christmas Eve, Maisa and I went to my local pub - The Waggon, with basically all of my friends. This was a tradition that had been taking place every year since the days that we could get into pubs, although I had missed the last four occasions due to travelling and working abroad. Everyone was there and again, naturally, it was fantastic to see everyone. It was great to catch up as best I could, although it was a bit overwhelming at the time, especially for Maisa - who was getting fed drinks all night and in the end conceded into just getting drunk. We stumbled home that night ready for the big day, which was now just a few hours away. It would be my first Christmas at home for four years - and I couldn't wait...................
Friday 10 February 2012
Planning A Trip Back Home
Since the time that Henry and Grace left Ecuador, the four of us had talked about all meeting up again in England during the Christmas and New Year period. Henry was already back in the UK and I had been talking about returning home for some time now - as it had been two years since my feet were last nestled in the mother-land. Then I thought, why doesn't Maisa come along with me - that way she could meet my family and friends and see London all at the same time. It then followed that Grace should head over from Canada also, so that she could see Henry and meet up with her sister (Maisa), who she wouldn't have seen for three months or so. It would be a perfect reunion......and so, we all started to plan our trip to England.
It was a busy time for me. Not only were we all planning a big trip but I had a lot of work on at that time. While I was playing with volcano data, I went out to the field to help install a seismic monitoring station and was asked to do a presentation at the end of November, on explosive activity at Tungurahua Volcano in the 2010 year. It was strange, because exactly a year earlier, similarly I was presenting - that time at a nationwide conference in front of 200 people. During that conference, Tungurahua started to go off for the third time since I had been there. Skip forward exactly one year and it felt like life was repeating itself. This time I presented at a conference held at the university where I work. It was a smaller affair, as about 50 people came to see me talk, but, once again Tungurahua started to erupt. It's funny how life goes round in cycles sometimes.
When Tungurahua started to erupt one more time, it really added to my work-load. Not only that but it was disrupting my holidays too. A planned trip to Banos was cut very short as we entered the town and found it to be unrecognisable. It was raining ash as we arrived and people were walking around with gas masks on like we had just entered some post nuclear war scene. It was a real mess.
With all these things going on - planning a trip back to England was taking some time and a lot of work. Normally when a Brit travels the world they are usually let into any country of their choosing with relative ease - especially as a tourist. For this reason, you often don't think about travel visas too often. For an Ecuadorian trying to get into England however - it's a whole different ball game. Just to visit the UK is a real nightmare and we found out just how bad it really was. So, to get a simple tourist visa for the UK, an Ecuadorian first has to go online and fill out a hefty application form. You pay for it ($125) and then book a biometric appointment. This involves heading down to the British Embassy where they take your photo and fingerprint details and a lot more of your money ($192 more). You then have to provide a ton of documents to show you have money to support yourself, that you have assets, flight details and accommodation in the UK, as well as a sponsor. Then all these details get sent to Colombia where they process your visa. In the end - it took about 3 weeks for the process and around ($360) just for Maisa to obtain a 6 month tourist visa. It was all approved in the end - so I guess it was worth it. Luckily for Maisa, she already had a visa for the U.S., because the only flights back to England from Ecuador go either through the U.S., Spain or the Netherlands which means you also need a visa for one of those countries too, just to be in transit. This world is an insane place sometimes!!!
So with Maisa's approved visa, the purchasing of flights and all plans put into action, we were almost ready to go. The last problem - was me. My visa for Ecuador was running out and I had to get it renewed before I left or I wouldn't be allowed back into the country on my return. In Ecuador, these things always get done last minute and this was no different. After a lot of paperwork, a lot of money and a lot of hair loss, I ended up getting my visa too. Grace also got her document to travel to the UK and with everyone ready, the excitement started to set in. So the plan was - Maisa and I would leave Ecuador for England, via Miami. We would spend 18 days in my home-town (London) - before we would head back to Miami for two more days and finally onto Quito for our return. It was all (finally) planned.
During the last week before our trip - we were basically ready to go. We did do some last minute shopping however. Maisa and her family (and myself of course), all headed up to Otavalo Market to buy clothes, souvenirs, and basically everything you can think of made from alpaca. Maisa even purchased a funny hat, that looked like she had some sort of beaver attached to her head. Nevertheless, before we knew what was going on - our time had come. With our bags packed, our passports finally in check and Maisa's animal hat...............we were off!!!
Thursday 9 February 2012
Trips, Trips, Trips!!!
Very shortly after my 28th Birthday - two very sad things happened. The first was that my good friend Henry had to leave Ecuador once and for all. He had extended his trip just to stay - not specifically for me (maybe 20% or so) - but mainly because he started to date my girlfriend's sister - Grace. They hit it off pretty well and as such, Henry stayed for as long as he possibly could - just to spend a bit more time with her. We were good mates - we had spent 4 months hanging out, went to Peru together and got through seasons 1-6 of Curb Your Enthusiasm. We ultimately had some last meals out, said some sad goodbyes and then - he was gone. The second sad thing that happened was that a few weeks later Grace left too - she went off to study English in Canada. It wasn't fully planned yet so at the time we didn't actually know it - but in just a few months - we would all be reunited again - so it wasn't all that bad in the end.
After Henry and Grace left - life continued as normal really. Work kept me busy during the week and Maisa kept me busy during the weekend. Towards the end of the year, between October and December Ecuador has its made rush of holidays and festivals. That meant two good things - time off work and trips away. Over the next three months I would head off to a number of exotic places for some very relaxing fun.
The first trip - Maisa and myself, Maisa's mum and little Domi all headed off to Papallacta. It's only an hour and a half drive and you're soon at the small town made famous for its geothermal hot pools. Naturally heated from nearby volcanoes - Papallacta is the perfect place for a Quiteno to escape the city and sit in hot water for the day. We spent our time relaxing in the morning and then eating in the afternoon - it doesn't get too much better than that.
For the founding of Quito festival, which takes place at the beginning of December - Maisa and the family, plus myself, all took a trip down to Tena. I had been to Tena before - a small town on the edge of the Amazon. It's a brilliant place to get away and take in the jungle vibe. We quickly found a perfect river, in a perfect climate - so that all we wanted to do was get straight into the cool water and go for a swim - which is exactly what we did - it was perfect. In the middle of the river was a huge rock - which Maisa and I swam to and clambered up on. We lay on that rock for about an hour - just talking about how amazing life was. The only downside wouldn't hit me until later however, when I would realise that my entire body had been fried to a crisp.
We later headed onto Banos too, which was a few hours drive from Tena - and where the Coello's have a family holiday home. Unfortunately we didn't stop there for too long, for reasons beyond our control - an erupting volcano emitting gas and ash all over the place. That's usually a holiday killer.
During those months Maisa and I also travelled south to Latacunga to see some of Maisa's family, we headed north to Otavalo - to check out the market and naturally to buy many of the things they sold, and we also spent some time in Quito - where we went to a big event, as Maisa's aunt and uncle renewed their vows and essentially had another wedding party.
All in all Maisa and I had done a number of great trips away, both near and far - and we did all that with my work as busy as ever as Tungurahua Volcano decided to go off one more time and also, while we were planning an even bigger trip away................
