Back in Banos

Alot has happened in the last week. So fast really that getting the writing catch up can get in the way of the action that is taking place. So the Puerto Lopez part of the trip included going to Agua Blanca, an archeological site. My main intention though as always was to see animals. So that was kind of sad really. There used to be an ancient civilization site there, with a river close by, however with global warming that water is no longer there and many changes have taken place because of this. I saw the tail of a squirrel and an unusual emerald green large bird and that was it. My guide said that to see animals would require a 1-2 day treck into to jungle. Very sad. Later after our very hot walk we swam and mud packed ourselves in the cool sulfur pool. Very nice. Overall a nice tour but one that is not needed to be repeated.
Next on the boat to Isla Plata, where Sir Frances Drake was said to have buried treasure there. I went with a fully ready camera and expectations. Oops. It is an hour and a half trip by boat and we were very fortunate to see a pod of humpbacked whales swimming by. You know coming from the west coast of Canada and seeing those orcas up close and personal on the beach of Point Roberts. I think that that main and most exciting part would be to dive and really see these big fellahs. It is okay to see a hump surface or a tail or a spout or a flipper but I think to really get with them would be best underwater. They are sooooo dynamic, it is like seeing an iceberg you know that there is so much more under the water.
So now we get to the island. We approached by boat, apparently there were sea turtles bobbing there heads up to wecome us, but I didn't realize that they were turtles. On this tour, we got a choice to go to one side of the island or the other. I choose the side that might possibly have the opportunity to see sea lions, (lobos de mar) unfortunately that did not happen. The island is what you might expect from the Baha in California, very dry, sparse and dry brush. Not my favorite choice of surroundings but I went to see animals not view for a new place to live. Sooooo, the blue footed boobies and other boobies and Pajaros Tropical greated us and flew on by. I love the little dance that the boobies were doing lifting their little blue feet and whistling. It was a 3 hour walk and up hill and over dale. On the coastal part I got to see a Manta Ray jumping it was like watching a cotton sheet flying out of the water and down. Apparently, in one part of the coast on a bay, lots of fish come in to rest and eat and this attracts lots of shark and manta and various sea birds. Over this one cliff I saw an albatross resting, they are a huge bird. I got some great some pictures. The island also is a nesting area for the red footed boobies who are on the extinction list. Here's the problem, on this island there are snakes and rats. The rats were so abundant that they were hopping here and there. Of course this is very sad as those furry little buggers are happily eating various flora and fauna (bird eggs), they are not indigenous nor do they have alot of preditors, hence really big problems.
So after, these two days of running about, I decided to hang out and just enjoy Puerto Lopez. Javier (pronounced Habi air) the manager of Hostel Spondylus where I stayed was nice simple and easy. I met some lovely people there just traveling through. I spent the day on the beach and hung out with my camera where another fellah showed me a lagoon/river that was the home to these beautiful white cranes. They were perched in trees by the shore and fish were jumping in the water and that water was boiling with fish. Other than birds, mamals were few and far between. Very sad.
So after 10 days of travelling, I got the call, that a certain man of mine was missing me and so I cut the trip a bit short to be with him. I travelled to Guayaquil through Jipijapa, and this little old farmer from Ayampe sat next to me and talked non stop for the whole trip. The sad thing is I have a very difficult time understanding the coastal people, their accent is so different from the mountains. But he was a lovely person and tried to show me all the agricultural details of what was being grown. I never realized the the Guayaquil area was a rice growing area. They grow rice here for all of the country. There were huge fields and drying areas.
I then called Rob in Guayaquil as I also was thinking of visiting the Iguana park in town but it was sooooo damn hot I asked Rob to give me an excuse to come home faster. I literally hopped on the next bus, seriously 10 min later and was off. Another gentleman who I could understand sat next to me and chatted for the next 4-5 hours. Fortunately he, I could understand. We did have a flat tire and had to have it changed in a town where it was really hot, Guayaquil is in its winter and according to the locals was cold. Yikes. Eventually we were on our way and within 20 minutes it was the temperature of the cool mountains, lovely. He showed me the city where they grow all the mora ( blackberries) sugar cane, choclo (a kind of corn) etc. Finally, after much talking, we stopped in his town and the neighbor wanted to chat and he moved over to sit next to me. I find the Ecuadorians very curious of the tourists and want just the chance to chat and be friendly. They are really lovely people, but they would never allow a stranger to be lonely if they could help it. They are very sweet.
I had paid for a direct ride with the bus to Banos and they didn't. They dropped me off at the terminal area-ish side of the road and left me to figure it out. Soooo, I waited in the rain for the next bus, only of have one of Rachelle friends who are going to school to be medical doctors, give me a ride right to my house. So sweet really.
That was a good night sleep as I had travelled 12 or more hours and was pooped.
Assimilating back home was interesting but okay.
Yesterday Rob and I went on a hike up accross the bridge to El Tablon, it was a 3 hour hike straight up. When I mean straight up, I mean it. Climbing wasn't too bad until I hit my saturation point of being terrified of the heights. Finally I had to stop but Rob and the dogs carried on for another half hour. I met them a while later, in a fruit field. Several tourists and a bare-footed farmer on the back of a donkey passed by like no problem. Anyway, I now have some sore muscle, but after this very long day, I slept well.
Today is the beginning of another day with new adventures.
Talk with you all later
Robin

revisiting Puerto Lopez

Well, things never stay the same not even in Puerto Lopez. The main road to enter town is now being prepared to pave and there is a town square. Habil is not living in the hostel any more. But at least he is still in town. Roberto dos has probably left to teach surfing in Mantanita. And my two favorite restaurants here are closed. How sad. I am glad to be back though, as I am here to take ¨pictures¨. The sea here is rather calm and the beach very white. I hope to get in my island tour here and my inland tour done rather quickly as I think I would like to travel to the end of the road past Selenas and past Playas at the end of the ¨Hook¨. Apparently there are dolphins there and I could use a good dolphin healing right about now. I might then cross over to the Ilsand of Puña where there is a whole lot of nuthin. Then I would take another boat over to Malacha (sp?) and go up to Naris de Diablo. I might meet the kids and Rob there. Who knows, I sure don´t.
My visit to Bahia and visit with friends, (who are arguing and creating a less than peaceful environment) was o....kay...... but of course I try and find out the lesson for why I was there and that might take a while yet to discover. I guess....... choose you fights might be something that I observed and don´t cry over spilt milk might be one, but I think the biggest would have to be watching how some people pull in drama in their lives, and how walking away from it might be the best move. My friends were very helpful in not letting me get into my drama and feeding it. For that was a good thing for me to learn, control my reaction to the drama and let it go long enough to see it for what it is. When I felt my drama perculating or felt theirs rising up I went for a long beach walk and distracted myself by taking pictures and looking for shells. That was a much better use of my energy.
Today was a good day to totally let the drama go and come to Puerto Lopez. On the bus and alone on the bus, can be a bit of a chore as behind me sneaking over the top of my bag a theif was bout to try and steal stuff, however my neighbor across from me who was a very nice man, and a biologist for the local shrimp farms caught the fellah and tossed him off the bus. Then he kindly brought me to the next bus until my stop and said a fond fairwell. Their are still wonderful people in the world. It did make me a bit jumpy though. But still I think that my good kharma and angels are still following me around. I hope my angels follow me to el isla plato, y agua blanco where I will search for flora and fauna. Apparently, Jabril will take me.
Talk with you all another day.
Keep fueling good kharma as it always is rewarding
Robin

Life and It´s little nuances

Hello all
Here I am on the coast travelling. After a number on circumstances, I have chosen to have a well earned ¨Robin Alone Time¨. Actually and honestly, Rob took one look at me and said tooooooo much stress, leave and find your answers and come back with joy and calm. So, under the excuse of taking more animal pictures, I am actually taking the time to figure a few things out and the appropriate responces. I will allow experiences that I love and enjoy to help create peace of mind, balance, and flexibility of thinking.
I first went to Quito, where I tied up loose ends with my lawyer, a lovely man, who delights me with his sence of humor and fun. It is alway a joy to visit with him. Next, I went to the Quito zoo, all the way to Guyabamba, at least a full hour away from Quito. I had the nicest driver. We discussed ¨family¨and kids. When I finally arrived at the zoo, I offered to pay for him to go in too, as it was hot in the parking lot and I thought he would get really bored. After and hour and a half of photo taking, he had sneaked off and was waiting for me at the exit with ice cold coke. Something, that is normally never done here. We travelled back to my hotel and I didn´t quibble when he said his price for the fare. Tired I got to my room, and screamed, realizing I had left my camera in his car. I ran downstairs only to see it waiting for me. I guess that there are some really great people in the world when you are open with them and sharing wonderful times with them.
Of course this experience, got me thinking of kharma and what that intales. I have seen many
people live with their kharma, some age faster, become sick, or sickly with real or phantom illness, I have seen where wrinkles show their life as painful, or joyful. I know that I will work on having laugh lines and character lines. I can see in Rob´s wrinkles, especially in the corners of his eyes, a laughing devilishness and youth that I so enjoy. I see his intelligence and experience on his face. Face and eyes: road maps of emotion and experiences. They say that your partners are mirrors for each other, and that the partners we choose are within 10 points of intelligence from each other, well if that is the case it makes me feel that I am on the right path.
During this time, I will be meditating, yoga and taking pictures. I am in Bahia de Caraques right now. I have friends here who are lovely to talk with and sometimes just have silence with. A friend of mine Richaard and his dog Helga took me on their boat (Trimaran) just to hang. The weather was overcast and the wind softly blowing, very nice.
Tomorrow, if the weather is ok, I think that I will hire a boat to find a real free spoonbill. I think that it would make a marvelous painting.
I always find that the sea helps me come into balance and see things for what they really are. On the sea, there is peace and stillness or clarity and wildness, so many things. I think that when I go home that I will know some of those answers. Right now, I am not sure. I think that I might go home in a couple of weeks or so, depending...... Rob´s concern for me for wanting for me to find my balance is not on a time line as journey takes as long as they take and can´t be pushed into a precise moment of completion.
As you can see my writing is a bit choppy as I am mulling and perculating with contradicting thoughts. So forgive me as I work through what I need to work through. I am reading a book right now that says the only way to present moment awareness is to travel through and allow the process to happen. So processes are happening..... and thoughts are perculating.....
The problem with writing these and other thoughts and certainly decifering them, is that with only reading text, there is soooo much open to interpretation. I mean really, look at how people have interpreted the reading and writings of the bible. And how many interpretations people make when they are in English, poetry classes. The human in them looks for answers between lines that may or may not be there. The other day a friend interpreted the writings of my walk from Ambato to Baños as angry and frustrated, so there you go. My personal experience from it was different than what was read or perhaps my writing was more full than I intended. People are lead to many interpretations while they are missing the other often more important cues like verbal and visual cues. The time it takes to read is where they can fill in blanks and create more action or less action. I was told that writing was a lesser path to god than music and painting. An interesting and provoking thought really. I guess that is why I prefer to paint and listen to music.
Well, the evening is approaching the ocean right now and a wind is picking up, perfect time for a walk. I will ask if Helga the giant schnauzer is open to exploring the beach, as Ecuadorians are a bit overly aware of her presence.
Talk with you all later
Explore your soul and answers abound
Robin