j - Sinchi Mozzies

Mozzies are mosquitoes. They ALL live here in Sinchi Warmi with big
families and are all fit and strong. I doing think there is a square
inch on my body that has not been bitten. Lucia and I sit at table in
the gathering area doing my lessons with our chins almost on the table
with an almost permanent grimace, because we are scratching our legs or
ankles all the time. My arms look as if I have chicken pox with no
control to not scratch and many places on my arms and legs scratched
open. No amount of any oils., terra-whatsit or teetree oil, anti
whatever spray or cream, oil of Olay, germoline, spit or benedryl stops
them biting, nor does it stop the insanely incessant itching. I am even
mozzie bit on my scalp and between my toes. I look seriously diseased
and I am going to have to wear long pants and long sleeve shirt in Quito
and on the plane or no one will want to come near me. I totally
understand the mozzie nets at night and am happily sitting under mine
right now - its like a little cave, blocking out everything around me,
except the fantastic cool breeze coming through the front of my room and
the sounds of some happy frogs in the ponds below me.

I woke up with a start at around 7am this morning - happy to be up and
ready to get up. Strange how I can never wake up at home, but when I am
away - no problem at all. It was thundering so I quickly got dressed,
ran down to the bathroom - a hut on stilts with thin bamboo slats as
'walls'. But it does have running water and a basin too! Then off with
Gypsy to see what there was to see. It was so quiet here - seems like
everyone gets late starts here - just one lady, Melissa, was quietly
cooking in the kitchen. This open area, the lounge/gathering place,
reception and kitchen reminds me of Skipskop for some reason - everyone
gravitates there and it has such a gentle, no issues feeling. There is
not one thing here that will pass the grade of standards to be met, in
the US and I think this is part of the charm in it all for me - its so
different, a good many years behind the times, yet everything works just
fine as long as you are patient. This lifestyle seems to have a calming
effect of people - no one here is uptight at all in any way.

Screaming down the road again today, I noticed that all oncoming cars
honk their horn at people walking or sitting alongside the road and then
keep up that speed assuming that the other person will do right. And so
far they all have - kids and all. If there is someone walking, the taxi
will stop and take them along the same road for as far as they want to
go - no extra charge - they were going that way already. We gave a ride
to the couple from the butterfly farm like this yesterday...... people
just seem to do the right thing for the community and this show of lack
of selfishness, or selflessness is everywhere here. It just seems such
a pleasant way to do life around here. The families gather in the
kitchen part while the cooking is happening - some cooking, some
chatting and joking around, and they are each doing their part with no
hassle at all. The kids today were playing outside with some of the toys
they got yesterday and all waved repeatedly at me with huge big smiles.

Anyway - it rained. And rained, so we did lessons all morning - well,
most of the morning. I am really honestly able to remember some words
not - my grammar sucks seriously, but I can and do make myself
understood most times. After a couple of hours I can literally hear my
brain go 'clunk', and that's it for the day. No more learning. Lucia
is very patient, but does not speak good English at all, so it makes
explaining stuff slower than normal, I think - but I am getting it!!
Another thing I am happy about :)

After lunch, I was issued with some 'botas' - boots. My feet and lower
legs are so swollen from the heat and mozzie bites and the constant
being upright, that the only size boot that would fit my calf, was at
least three sizes too big for my feet. But hey - they worked - for now.
And off we went to see the waterfalls. WHY does no one tell us that
this is going to involve an intense hour or three of hiking on a tiny,
uneven, muddy, mossy slippery UPhill path that runs along the very edge
of a huge drop into nothingness?? Sheesh. This was a really rough walk
today - all three of us were sweating profusely almost from the start.
My glasses and camera almost immediately fogged up from the humidity, so
there I was, unable to take photos most of the time, unable to see and
trying to walk in these conditions with boots about three sizes too big
on my feet, but rubbing all my mosquito bites on my legs open to
bleeding point. But I had to see the waterfalls. About halfway there,
the guide asked if I would mind if a leech leeched onto me. Ummm, no -
I think. I told Lucia that she was first to take a photo and then pull
the flippen thing off as fast as she could. This was another of those
paths that had no ending. Along the way there were big holes in the
ground that led to underground caves. The guide just said that every
now and again a new hole appears. Well, what a great thought that was to
have while walking right there, in the now light drizzle with thunder
booming above our heads. Not a big storm though. A good many times
each of us slipped, but no falls and I felt that I did pretty darn well
for a halfway-old lady :)

We had to cross the river on some huge bolders before finally getting to
"De Cascades" - the Waterfall. There was a small area that one could
swim in but, even being severely overtired, over hot and ready to get
into anything cool, especially a beer, for some reason I just did not
want to get in that pool.. The waterfall was beautiful and the cool air
was incredibly welcome. I went and stood with my boots in the cold
water and enjoyed the cooling effect. The thought of using even more
energy to get undressed, get those boots off and then back on again -
no. That pond stayed un-swimmed in today. Imanaged to get my lens on
the camer fog free for a minute or two and got some photos, but that did
not last long. and the path back down still waited. Its strange to me
how it felt as if we were going uphill all the way, and at one point I
even thought that I was thankful that it would literally be all downhill
on the way back.......... but noooo - there were way too many uphill
bits on the way down too. I felt a bit like a slug on that path,
sweaty, slimy from connecting with mossy trees and slipping back down
that path ever so slowly and when I felt myself slipping, I grabbed the
camera in protection first. Lucia knows that if I go down - let me,
grab my camera :) And a couple of times she almost had to.

Both there and back it was important to test your foothold on each and
every step. The rocks were slippery and even worse when covered with
rotting leaves, the mud either sucked your foot into a tight grip (most
often when your other foot could do with some help too!) or sent you
scrambling for balance while leaving skid marks of varying length.
There were very few places with hand holds and one does not grab hold of
trees and plants here in the jungle - there are way too many things with
teeth and stingers to reward you for such a stupid move! It becomes a
very interesting mode of travel, "walking" does. And even though the
waterfall was beautiful and there were a good many interesting
viewpoints, plants and critters to see along the way - the feeling of
achievement of having done that trail with not even falling was a bigger
deal to me!

Right across the road from where we were spat out of that path, was an
overgrown walkway to the Napo River. The waters swirl in huge big
circles all the way from one bank to the other. Apparently no canoes
can go on this stretch of river at all. Why do I love that river so
much? She is not like any other.......

And then it was into a taxi - most of them are pickup trucks/bakkies,
and we all make a grab for the window winders and down came the windows
and we were all grateful for the speed that driver drove -that cool
wind........ aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!

Instead of going to the main house when we got back home, we headed into
the forest again, both Lucia and I sighing heavily - but with a smile,
telling the guide that there was no way we were going another hike like
the last - not today! But no, we were headed off to see the tarantulas.
It was not far up the path but Lucia's mind was working overtime and
every time even a leaf brushed her, she would jump in anticipation. I
have not seen her like this before and it was funny in a way, but I felt
for her. So I handed her the camera and told her to take photos - we
would not make her hold the tarantulas at all. We found them in there
specially made, open air 'house' with jungle thatch roof and all, and I
got to hold one and even put one on my face for a photo - but Lucia was
by far not at her best when seeing this and, well, I have two photos :)
That small place held about 25 tarantulas, I was told, but I only got
to see about 5. I will do back in full daylight to see if I can see any
more.

Off to shower again in cool water and I must say that I was more than
happy to hop under that water, but found myself smiling broadly at how
much I had moaned and groaned about it before. And yes, you were right
there in my mind while that cold water pounded my back - you know who
you are and I know you are laughing!!

Lovely supper, gentle evening and a cooler evening. Its been another
lovely day here. Tomorrow I go to the Art Museum where the 5 ladies who
own this place will teach me some crafts. I look forward to the time
with them all - it looks like it will be lots of fun, judging how
everything else is done around here with lots of laughter and caring.

Oh - that rooster from last night? I think he thought he was a cuckoo
clock! Every hour he crowed, every freaking hour! I dont hear him
tonight though......... hmmmm. Nope - we has spaghetti for supper.....

Love light and huge happy smiles, oh, .........and endless scratching!
Annie

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