Andrea in Ecuador

Tonight I'm going dancing with the crew, tomorrow to Chimborazo (tallest mt in Ecuador) and on Sunday to a bullfight and big fiesta. I'm not so sure about the bullfight but I want to get the cultural experience while I'm here. Ross, Laurie and Maeve leave tomorrow morning so this evening we are having a big group dinner at home and a fire and will wish them a great trip back to Canada. They are going to spend a couple days in Quito before they fly out.

It has been very rainy and chilly the last few nights and Chimborazo is blanketed with fresh snow almost all the way to the base. This is a stunning sight but unfortunately hasn't been too photogenic because of the many clouds that are still hovering around. Eve and Claudine continued to dig at the convent site (Maria) in Sicalpa today, Laurie and Ross finished up last minute details and packed. Maeve spent much of the day playing with her friend JoAnna from Sicalpa who was in Riobamba to go to the optometrist. Her mother kindly lent me a very good book on medicinal plants (of the world from what I can decipher). Of course the book is in Spanish but I photocopied it and returned it today. JoAnnas dad, Effrain, is featured in many of the pictures on the website and he stopped by for a long visit with Ross and Laurie and they wrote some letters together about the work that has been done here and intentions for future work too. On Monday, Effrain and Pasqual will begin working for Mike who can now start his own project at the colonial hospital in Sicalpa. He is really looking forward to this...if you look into his eyes you can actually see the gears turning in his head behind a thin veil of calm. He has a really geeky plan for the weekend (organizing all his field gear and making a plan for excavation on Monday). Anyone who knows Mike will appreciate how classic "Mike" this is. Jose has been doing a lot of the photography of artifacts and now that Laurie and Ross are leaving his work here is complete. His brother is coming to visit tomorrow and they will rent a large car to go to Chimborazo...he has invited me along since there is plenty of room. I'm looking forward to standing on a bed of snow. On Sunday the three chicas will go to Alausi for the bullfight and fiesta. None of us are too sure about watching a bull bleed but we will give it a try. Hope everyone reading this in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Minnesota, Georgia, British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, England, and Ecuador have a great weekend! Love Andrea

Quote of the Day:

"What is it about zippered flys in Ecuador...they just don't stay up do they?"
    - Mike