Well what can I say other than tonight is a rather meloncoly. We had a fantastic day today and yet tomorrow morning Amber and I begin our long day of flights home; Quito to Miami to Dallas to Seattle to Spokane. Its hard to know that such an exciting trip has come to an end but I know that we have enjoyed it throughally. I know how lucky I have been to share this trip with such a great friend. I'm not sure I would have made it nine weeks with anyone other than Amber. (We've decided the EXTREME closeness must stop when we get back home...no more bathroom talk for sure!!)
Over the last nine weeks, my heart has soared to new heights. I love traveling and that my friends and family call me a 'world travelor'. I can only begin to think where my next adventure in life will take me. What I will be able to experience and all the new places I will see.
While we were at Machu Picchu, we saw a 70-year-old lady fall on the steps in front of us. As others scrambled to help get her to her feet, a woman next to us said "can you believe the 90 year old women in our tour group? Shouldn't they just be dead already??!"
This world travelor vows never to be the latter, but the 90-year-old woman who is conquering new feats through every stage of life.
As we journey home tomorrow, I think it will be difficult for both of us, but this journey has been a long, yet great one. Today I have thought a lot about one of my favorite poems (below)which speaks of a journey inside ourselves to experience those things which we know not of.
Until the States,
Katie
MAR ADENTRO
Mar adentro, mar adentro,
y en la ingravidez del fondo
donde se cumplen los sueños,
se juntan dos voluntades
para cumplir un deseo.
Un beso enciende la vida
con un relámpago y un trueno,
y en una metamorfosis mi cuerpo
no es ya mi cuerpo;
es como penetrar al centro, del universo:
el abrazo más pueril,
y el más puro de los besos,
hasta vernos reducidos en un único deseo:
tu mirada y mi mirada
como un eco repitiendo, sin palabras:
más adentro, más adentro,
hasta el más allá del todo
por la sangre y por los huesos.
Pero me despierto siempre
y siempre quiero estar muerto
para seguir con mi boca
enredada en tus cabellos
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
Quito, our last big stop...
Hello everyone, I apologize for not posting a blog sooner. We arrived to Quito exhausted and slept right away. Since a friend of mine is studying abroad here, we decided to meet up with her and hang out, let her show us the ropes. We woke up and ate a fantastic lunch at this little cafe, then headed her place and chatted for a while. Eventually, we all came to our hostel and they ate sushi and we chatted. It was nice having other people around that can add to our conversation. After they ate Katie and I were really hungry, and sushi sounded good, we headed to a different resturant for the food. Don't worry Moscow Mom, we are still craving Bonsai for lunch friday.
The day ended really well and we fell asleep on our nice and comfortable beds. A large improvement from the rocks at our other hostel. And we have great breakfasts and showers!!! On Saturday, we headed to the market. Oh the market, it was incredible!!
Cari and her boyfriend Chris went with us which was great because the whole bus situation was crazy!!! But we arrived in Otavalo around 11 and the market was in full swing, it was huge. We headed to eat first as none of us got breakfast. Cari took us to the pie shop which was incredible, they have a bunch of different types of pie including apple, banana, lemon, chocolate, strawberry, and then some with Ecuadorian fruit. After eating warm pie, we split up and shopped. The market was extravagant. The was a main square area with streets of booths pouring out at every direction. We tried to stay on the main street where the pie shop was, this street went on for at least ten blocks, it was incredible.
As we found more and more booths we got off the beaten path and found ourselves lost in the mass of booths. We found our way eventually but not after stopping to bargain for a few gifts here and there. It was a great day full of people in traditional dress and men and women yelling for food. The products were fantastic and fun and the food fantastic too. After finally finding our way back to the pie shop, we found Cari and Chris ready to eat lunch.
We opted for a mexican resturant which was good and simple. Then we made our way back to the pie shop, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to take some with us back to Quito. About three hours later we found ourselves back at our hostel, exhausted from the day. We ate our pie and slept.
Sunday we slept in and it was wonderful. As most things are closed we went to lunch, then headed to the mall. It was huge and a ton of fun to shop around. I really enjoy Quito's Spanish. I can understand them really well and they understand me. When in one store, they needed me to give them a cell phone number or my passport; I recited my passport number in spanish as if it was the language I always speak. We spent a bit and had a blast finding last minute gifts. Then we ended the evening with a celebration tapas dinner and some wine and getting sad about our departure but excited for the next adventure.
Quito's been warm but breezy, it's not hot by any means. We definitely need a light jacket at times but our faces are getting a bit more color. Well, it's getting more freckles if anything.
We'll post more as we see more of Quito. Tomorrow we are headed to the middle of the world, where we will stand on the equator. Then we have our last day in the city and fly our early morning on Thursday.
As the days wind down, we will keep you as informed as possible!!
Love you all,
Amber
The day ended really well and we fell asleep on our nice and comfortable beds. A large improvement from the rocks at our other hostel. And we have great breakfasts and showers!!! On Saturday, we headed to the market. Oh the market, it was incredible!!
Cari and her boyfriend Chris went with us which was great because the whole bus situation was crazy!!! But we arrived in Otavalo around 11 and the market was in full swing, it was huge. We headed to eat first as none of us got breakfast. Cari took us to the pie shop which was incredible, they have a bunch of different types of pie including apple, banana, lemon, chocolate, strawberry, and then some with Ecuadorian fruit. After eating warm pie, we split up and shopped. The market was extravagant. The was a main square area with streets of booths pouring out at every direction. We tried to stay on the main street where the pie shop was, this street went on for at least ten blocks, it was incredible.
As we found more and more booths we got off the beaten path and found ourselves lost in the mass of booths. We found our way eventually but not after stopping to bargain for a few gifts here and there. It was a great day full of people in traditional dress and men and women yelling for food. The products were fantastic and fun and the food fantastic too. After finally finding our way back to the pie shop, we found Cari and Chris ready to eat lunch.
We opted for a mexican resturant which was good and simple. Then we made our way back to the pie shop, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to take some with us back to Quito. About three hours later we found ourselves back at our hostel, exhausted from the day. We ate our pie and slept.
Sunday we slept in and it was wonderful. As most things are closed we went to lunch, then headed to the mall. It was huge and a ton of fun to shop around. I really enjoy Quito's Spanish. I can understand them really well and they understand me. When in one store, they needed me to give them a cell phone number or my passport; I recited my passport number in spanish as if it was the language I always speak. We spent a bit and had a blast finding last minute gifts. Then we ended the evening with a celebration tapas dinner and some wine and getting sad about our departure but excited for the next adventure.
Quito's been warm but breezy, it's not hot by any means. We definitely need a light jacket at times but our faces are getting a bit more color. Well, it's getting more freckles if anything.
We'll post more as we see more of Quito. Tomorrow we are headed to the middle of the world, where we will stand on the equator. Then we have our last day in the city and fly our early morning on Thursday.
As the days wind down, we will keep you as informed as possible!!
Love you all,
Amber
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