Canyoning

Well folks
Life just ticks along here in Banos. I have had some cool experiences here. I have this great friend who lives in Puyo. She has been a true inspiration for me in "trying your best to live your life well". She has lived in Ecuador for many years. She has helped many children and street children and youth. She has helped with furthering these kids education as well. She teaches a class on sex education in one of the school.... all voluntary. But every now and again she gets as she say "Ecuadored out". She has a need to hang with "her own" culture and recharge. She is right really. The two cultures are very different and some times can be very taxing. Neither culture is wrong it is just different and because we are soooooo ingrained with our cultures, we just need to come back to our roots again to fortify ourselves. Soooo the other day, I got a call from Puyo to just have FUN. Unfortunately, the only thing that I could think of quickly was canyoning. The my kids had gone and said that they had a great time, so knee jerk reaction was that choice. Okey dokey. Let me explain one failing of my character..... I have a fear of heights.... and this means things like repelling down a vertical sloped waterfall, might not be a great idea on how to have fun. I have spent my life trying to get over this little problem. I had a pilots licence, when on outward bound (mountain experience) etc. So if you have read the blog of Villacabamba and going on the horse trail well that should sum up everything.
So my friend, in desperate need of recharging and having good clean fun with a bunch of kids/teens, spent the week end with us. I think head count of kids ranged from 5-9 plus Eliza and myself and some new friends visiting Carol another canadian with her daughter (17). It was very much a kids adventure weekend. Eliza and crew came over Friday night, as well as Carol and crew. Dane made a mountain of pizza dough that decided much like the Blob who ate New York, started trying to take over the kitchen, and swallowed at least one ladle and a fork. It was a very noisy and fun evening and we shuffled around and those who needed a place to sleep found one and everyone had a great sleep.
The next morning the little boy who drives his bicycle around selling fresh buns scored at our house for all the buns he sold to feed this crew. The older ones went "shopping" and the younger ones went with the brave Eliza, horse back riding. I actually had most of the day by myself and I painted up a storm. We all met for dinner at the Swiss Bistro, my favorite resturant here in Banos (great european style food and they even serve vegies!) There were more or less kids, some left some stayed, I think, in fact, we ended up with more. One of the young men was performing dancee in Puyo and some of the kids went and saw that performance and some went out dancing. Eliza, myself and the younger kids stayed home and pretended to relax. Actually Eliza fell asleep in front of the TV and Dane and I waited for Rachelle to return.
Next morning, that little bicycle boy, loved our house. He made a killing this weekend. After tea, and coffee , Eliza and I drank our coffee in peace, waiting for the night owls to awaken. Chatting is good for a tired culture weery soul. The best breakfast for night owls seems to be left over pizza, at least that was what we found. Which did finally managed to be over whelmed and forced into pizza's and bread stick. How is it that spaghetti and pizza always taste better when reheated. Of course having huge excited kid energy doesn't hurt either.
Well, time finally came and we had to go to Rachelle friends place of work and meet our guide. You have to suit up with a wet suit, I looked, oh so nice, like an overfull sausage in neoprene and a plastic diaper (protection for slidding down a rock slide on your butt. Okey dokey, Latin men are latin men, we had those kind with us, we forgave them and had fun dispite them. I have to say when we lightened up and they became real people again and the jokes were fun. I had tense moments repelling down after a huge and sweaty climb up a mountain to the top to get to the top of the waterfall. Eliza felt she wouldn't go and so she met us at the bottom. We still had about 10 people in our party and I was the only old person, yikes, so I couldn't show fear, as the little ones (8 year olds) wouldn't like being scared. So with great bravado, I EASILY went down, repelling or kind of zip lining. At one point the little ones had to go down a bit of a zip line and they were so little and light it wouldn't work so they had to strap the two together, and down they went giggling and making us all laugh. There were great photo ops. We often huddled together to keep warm. But between the laughter and giggles, stupid jokes and stress of heights we made it. Unfortunately, the guide assistant kept calling me motherinlaw, because his eyes were jokingly for Rachelle. Eliza greated us with hugs and congrate'es at the end. I am glad we did it and it really was beautiful, and well worth it. All the kids loved it.
Later on we loaded up the van after the kids and guides raided the farmers field for sugar cane and mandarines. Still hungry of course we stopped at a nearby barbeque place and happily ate chicken dinners. Eliza who is sensitive to men harassing women or having to deal with single mothers and their tragedies, gave the gears to the guides assistant, for sticking his head out the window of the van and cat calling. He has learned to behave himself with her as his arm must be sore for all the sissy slapping she gave him. Although at dinner you would never know it as the driver and the guide assistant carried on all the more. The guide was great and super with the little ones. I give snaps to the guide and a sissy slap to the guide assistant.
Some of these kids have lived in the jungle their whole lives and have never been inside a nice resturant. They were all so greatfull and loving the moment which made it all the more better for the rest of us who are spoiled.
After talking with Eliza about Robin and Eliza's big adventure, going on a tarabita (gondola) over a ravine so deep that the people below are mere dots or going zip lining, Eliza, has said maybe we should do something beach oriented next time involving long walks and watching all the kids play in the sand. I think however that will mean for our combined crews, surfing, snorkeling and fishing and maybe discovering forgotten islands. Ha, we will see, no rest for the wicked.
I think the next dinner party will be a chinese smorgasbord, potluck, as none of us Americans or Canadians have seen one of those in a long time, we are craving sweet and sour chicken, beef and broccoli etc and fortune cookies.
So with Eliza's batteries recharged and ready to handle her lifes challenges of her crew went to Puyo with promises of more adventures and food.
Talk with you all later
Robin