Yet another posting in one day, saints preserve us.

I had to add another posting today, due to the summing up of driving here in Ecuador. Ecuador is big on road repair, for a number of reasons, first of all because this land is built on ball bearings of the volcano's the roads are usually in need of repair. This means that yesterday when we decided to take a break in
Ambato, we had to take a bus there. I don't how to describe the driver this time, maybe idiot is a good one, or perhaps Lara Croft Latin style. This ..... driver.... took that poor driven the hell out of bus over a overused dirt country road full of dips and holes and occasional sheep or cows. Then he decided to take another
"short cut" through an area, we all agree should only be used by sturdy goats, and this goof decides to take a full bus full of people on it. As it turns out, other buses and camiones (trucks) have decided that would be fun to do too. Silly people. Shockingly, there was a cola grande (large stopped line) which no one can pass. So, being wise and experienced to the ways of drivers of Ecuador, the kids and I disembark. We wave a happy, calm goodbye, and start a walking. The other choice would be that the bus would have to back up through that goat trail, and we just thought it would be more scenic to walk. As we were walking there was a huge area that was slippery with snotty muddy and again shockingly there was a choca (car accident). There was also a large dip in the road that a large and full bus was straddled over like a beached whale. The kids and I congratulated each other on our wise decision to walk. On the way, as we are good Samaritans, we warned all the other dare devils to turn back and take an alternate route.
On the way back, we decided to take a taxi. Now here is the difference from North America to here, I haven't seen alot of accidents and that is because they know that there is no insurance.... not really, if they are injured they might not be taken care of. So this means there is frequent and friendly use of the horn (Peepa) and though you can pass cars on areas in Canada that would no way been possible, the move over as much as possible so as not to have head on collisions. In Canada, people often feel like the right of way means, "I own the road" and "Get out of my way" but here... not so much. We are finding sometimes it is like driving in Nascar, we have angels driving with us or on the bumpers keeping away. There are also several saint monuments along the way that bless the roads, and it is not uncommon for the driver to give a Hail Mary and crossing of the cross and kissing of the crusifix. (For Real). So there you go... a second posting from the rumbling country.
Write you all soon
Robin