I am just loving it here.... it reminds me of Wynberg main road on a weekend :) Friendly, familiar, easy, busy sounds and a million interesting things to see, smell and hear. I walked for a good couple of hours again today, this time down side roads, over one of the bridges and along the river front. I saw where I stood yesterday pathetically waving my arms for help to get off that island, and laugh at what everyone must have thought of me! Ah well. I am on the right side now.
I decided not to take Gypsy with me this time, she really is too big to carry around town and I already stand out so much around here, so out came 'little one without a name' and she is a good job getting pics of this fascinating town and its much more comfortable to carry. Halfway across the bridge, the batteries died on me..... and yes, I asked, was understood and pointed in the right direction where I bought new batteries :) Am I getting good, or what? Mostly, its the 'or what' still, but its good to know that I can make myself understood. Ordering food is a no brainer anymore, sometimes I get something different from what I thought I ordered, but thats ok, so I learn. And I get the food anyway :)
Something different is happening in my head as far as taking photos go. Until this trip, I happily snapped away at anything and anyone, but this time I find that I am really reticent to take unasked for photos of people. I think maybe because the other times I felt distanced, was almost disconnected from the people of whatever country, but this time I feel much more....... attached? Not sure that is the word, but still. I do still snap the occasional photo of people or kids playing or climbing poles when they are not looking, but generally I have a very different feel about this.
The roasted hoofs and guinea pigs were on display again and this time I snapped a quick shot of them. There are piles of plantains, almost like bananas, being sold everywhere. When we got off the bus coming to Tena this weekend, one lady had about 7 huge bunches of them under the bus. No doubt bringing them into town to sell over the weekend.
Yesterday was washing day for me! My clothes has started to get that musty, just-before-mold smell and, well they needed airing and washing. One handbasin, cold water, extra shampoo and four hooks to hang things on. No coat hangers and one small, thin towel to squeeze the wet clothes in to help dry. I found that hooking my bra in the fan that is attached to the wall, worked great, even though I got clipped across the ear a few times by it being swished around and around. Got what I wanted washed and hanging – thankfully they dry here with the fan and open window.
About 11pm I was getting ready for bed, feeling happily very tired and accomplished – so back to the bathroom to brush my teeth. Something just was not right. At all. I absolutely hate brushing my teeth in hot water. Huh? Hot water?? What happened? I just could not resist, I jumped into a shower for the longest time, just daring it to change to cold again! What a way to pass 20 minutes :) Earlier in the day I had gone to tell the main office that my tv did not work, and found out that I needed a remote control to make it happen, she laughingly gave me one. Maybe they had forgotten to turn on the hot water to that room too? Whatever – no complaints, I love it.
I had the tv on for about half an hour and discovered that I like it better off. And so its stayed since then.
Lucia is due back here today and I have done my homework – a whole page in Spanish about this last week. Does writing reeeeaaaalllly big count as cheating? Just kidding, I wrote normally. It feels to me that if I just lived right here for a year, that I would absolutely know the language. One of the guys at Yachana said that if you kiss someone you will learn the language faster. Uuuuum, really?
I went to the supermarket here and bought some things to eat, fruit, juices and chocolate! I will peel the fruit – promise! I nearly bought a blow gun and arrows – a smaller version of the one I tried last week, but need to find out if I can take it back home without an issue.
Earlier on today, I sat in the main lounge of the hotel doing some online Spanish learning, when a huge group of folks came in. A couple of them stopped and chatted – they are a medical team, with interpreters and all. It was SO good to hear English, and whole paragraphs of it again :) The older guy who is the leader of the group sat down to talk. He is also a Spanish teacher and gave me some really good pointers. A small group of us just sat around and quietly nattered. It was really good.
Lucia came in at around 5pm after a very long 6 hour bus ride. She seems to take it in her stride but needed to walk – and so we did, for two hours all around town again! There are huge sidewalk restaurants where people hang out with families, couples, young and old. Apparently this happens every night – its simply a lovely atmosphere. It seems to me that many people are just ambling around, some buying ice cream, others just chatting or the kids playing as they tag behind the parents who don't seem to be in any rush whatsoever. It's a very gentle, relaxed feeling. Then off we went to supper and the supermarcado to try to find a spray bottle and now I am back here in my for-one-night-more-only home.
I found it strange how I am disappointed that my time in Tena is at an end. Lucia coming back was....... well, it almost felt like an invasion of my time. Interesting.
Tomorrow we leave here at 8am and get the bus to Mishauwalli......I think that's how its spelled, and then onto Sinch Warmi. Apparently its not as far from here as I thought, a couple of hours, and looking at the photos today on the internet, its very beautiful and not quite as rugged as I anticipated either. But they still only have cold showers! I am really looking forward to this week and have emptied my mind of any expectations of any kind.
Its going to be good to finally be able to give all the pencils and clothes and toys and the computers that you all helped to put together, to this community! I will try to get as many photos as possible :)
I will probably be out of internet contact until Friday when I will get back to Quito. I hope to get online at least once during the week, but one just never knows around here. So, if you don't hear from me, just know I am having a blast :) Just thinking about leaving Ecuador makes my heart clinch and I can almost feel the tears rushing to my eyes.... so I try really hard not to think about it. This place really has a hold on me. I feel like I have grown such a lot during this week in Ecuador, and definitely during the weekend in Tena. I feel more alive and happy than I can remember.
I am sad to leave Tena but its a part of me now and I know that yet another part of the journey is waiting.
Till then, love and light and laughter.
Annie
-- www.amazontravels.blogspot.com
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