Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Barbecue

I left home this morning for an internet cafĂ©, for two hours I wrote a couple emails and updated my blog. As I was on the computer, I got a call from Jore who invited me for a party on Saturday next week and I also got a call from Pablo who invited me for a barbecue this afternoon. I accepted the barbecue with joy. I met up with him around 2:30pm, we did a little barbecue shopping (meat and alcohol) with some of his. And then drove to another of his friend for the barbecue, for the entire afternoon, we were six boys for two girls. The seven of them knew themselves since kindergarten, at first it was very hard to enter the group. But then Pablo and one of his friends, Alexandro, decided to get me waisted, which they have achieved because as of 7:00pm I cannot remember what happened, I was totally plastered. Supposedly, I met up with Fabian and Toya around 8:30pm and we ate at McDonalds, I can’t recall a thing.
But it was nice to meet young people to hang out with.

Monday, May 30, 2005

Trip to the coast and graduation celebration

This morning I woke up relatively early in order to go with Patrico Jr., Pablo and Daniel (a complicated Izurieta family link) for the first time out of the Andes on what Ecuadorians call the coast(Even though it's not on the coast, it's just on the west of the Andes).
They picked me up around 7:30am and we drove for hours to go to a hacienda which produces giant bamboo, a very new agricultural product.
On the road to the hacienda, we drove down the mountains through undescribably beautiful mountain landscapes.
Once at the bottom of the mountain, the landscape changed radically. I was surrounded by tropical landscapes. For the first time in my life I chewed cane sugar, it’s quite tasty but for two seconds. Once you’ve chewed it, you through it away.
Then, after a four hours drive, we got to the giant bamboo plantation. Patricio Jr. required a lot of information, because he wishes to start growing this kind of bamboo, so for over an hour he asked questions to blond Ecuadorian. A very rare specimen, but to tell you the truth, he originally was from Holland.
After the visit, lunch and long drive back home. As we got in the Andes, we had to drive through a very heavy fog, it seemed very usual to Patricio Jr. who was driving, but to me it seemed like we had entered a scenery of creepy movie.
As soon as they dropped me home, Toya, Fabian and I had dinner. While we were having dessert the phone rang. It was Ricardo who was calling us to tell us that his son Ricardo Jr. had just graduated and is know a doctor in law. So we all were invited at their home to celebrate. It was enjoyable to see the entire family celebrating such an event. For the second time in the evening I had dinner. I ate in the kitchen with the younger generation which included people up to thirty five. Patricio Jr. was a lot fun, for some time he was imitating some of his uncles as they fall asleep. After dinner everybody was drinking and laughing, the new doctorate was even trying to get everyone down a shot of whisky. Great celebration!

Riccardo Jr.'s graduation

Sunday, May 29, 2005

Resting and family meeting day

Today, resting day. I've spent the whole day home.
This morning, I wondered with a book around the swimming pool which is in the garden!
For lunch, a few people from Fabian's family came over. Initially it was for me to meet the youth of my generation, but it actually was an all generation meal. Fabian's mother(Blanca) came, two of Fabian's brothers (Patricio and Ricardo), and two of Patricio's four suns (Patricio Jr. and Pablo).
After a nice and long lunch, Diego, Patricio Jr., Pablo and I sat around a card table to suprinsigly play some forty. Good thing Benjamin had taught me before yesterday how to play! It was a good socializing, we spoke about the involvement of futur technology in our economy. It was really interesting, but it only was speculation. After the card game, every body left even Diego left with his son and daughter, Filipe and Alegria.
So that's it, I am once again on my own with Toya and Fabian and tonight we are watching cowboy television serie called Deadwood. Boring but relaxing

Saturday, May 28, 2005

Cotopaxi Park

Today was a big excursion day, we left home at around twelve for a long drive south. We (Toya, Fabian, Diego, Alegria, Filipe and me) drove towards the Cotopaxi Park. The Cotopaxi is the world highest active volcano which rises above 5'850 meters.
The tip of the volcano is all year long covered by snow, the flanks of the volcano were redish, most probably because of the iron.
As we stepped out of the car for a little walk on a plateau at the bottom of the volcano, the wind blew like crazy, we walked around a pond, but Filipe was really cold, so we headed back to the car and continued our sightseeing from the car window.
In the park, we saw a lot of wild horses and even an eagle that was no futher than a meter away from our car. What a beautiful bird!
After the park visit, we headed towards a hacienda (farm) to have lunch. The hacienda was beautiful, with an inside court yard field by colourful flowers. The volumes where really spacious, and above all, the food was delicious.
On our way back home, we decided to visit Toya's father natal city, but unfortunatly I fell asleep and haven't seen an inch of it. But what I did see, was the hacienda Fabian use to spend a lot of time in as he was younger. Fabian showed me quickly around and as I looked at the view form the hacienda, Fabian told me that his mother used to compare the view to Switzerland. She was quite right, from the top of the hill where the hacienda layed, we could see a small river flowing down in the valley, a couple cows walking around a field and all this in a decor of mountains.
Then we drove back home and for the rest of the evening, we rested in front of the television set.

Cotopaxi Posted by Hello

Felipe Posted by Hello

Friday, May 27, 2005

Family Day

Toya and Fabian's son Diego came with his two children Alegria(7) and Philippe(1,5) to stay with us for three days because today, Friday, is a day off to comememorate the day Ecuador took its independance from the Spanish colonial empire, on the 24th of May 1822.
So in the morning, Toya decided to take her grand children and me to the sport centre which is right by her house. It was a lot of fun, we all played together in a park, had a little snack and then drove back home around twelve.
On the way back home, I had taken a bet with Alegria that her father was going to be awake as we get home (her father just came back from a very busy business trip in the US), but as we got home, Diego was still fast asleep. So I lost my bet and I owe her an ice cream.
For lunch, Toya's father (Benjamin) had invited us all, and so we all went.
Benjamin still lives with one of his son named after his father Benjamin, this is quite usual.
As soon as I got there, Benjamin showed me the card table and explained me the rules of a game called forty. But he told me we would only play after lunch. So we went straight for the dinning table. During the meal, there have been a lot of national political talks in which I couldn't really get involved because it was far above my knowledge.
But after lunch, as promised, we sat around the card table and started playing forty. I had teamed up with Toya and Benjamin had teamed up with Diego. I came up with that usual beginner's luck and Toya and I have beaten twice in a row our opposing team. What a joy it was to win both those games. I made a little pocket money (75c), but as I've been told so many times, the most important is to participate.
After the card game, another of Toya's brother, Santiago, joined us with his wife for the rest of the afternoon. Gathered around the card table, the family discussed about the book that Benjamin is writing about his memories. Benjamin has been extremely involved in Ecuadorian politics, and definitely has a lot to say about his past experiences.
After that lovely afternoon spent with Toya's family, I drove with Fabian to the National Theatre to listen to a concert of classical Ecuadorian music which had been set up by Fabian's niece. After over two hours of listening to sharp and deep voices, I got to meet one of Fabian's brothers, Ricardo.
Then Fabian and I drove home. For the rest of the evening, we have talked about all kinds of economics and politics, once again what an enjoyable conversation and what a lovely day.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

Strange but great city tour

Thursday morning, no big rush. I left with Toya at around 10 am in order to go to Itchimbia Centro Cultural where was held an art exhibition of children no older than 12.
The children have been accompanied by famous Ecuadorian artists to make their chef d’oeuvre: The theme of the exhibition was the difference. Difference of identities, different kind of fruits you find in Ecuador, different totems indigenes use, etc.
The exhibition was very moving because the children are able to express feelings and mix colours in a very different way than adults do. And even though it’s very seldom to see details, children are always able to pass a message, sometimes even, much better than adults can.
Itchimbia Centro Cultural is a monument which looks very much like old French train stations. On top of that, it was on a hill. So once again, the views we had of Quito North were outstanding.
After that, Toya dropped me in the old city. I wanted to go for a deeper visit of the old town. Toya had advised me to visit two museums, but by the time I was over with the sightseeing, the museums were closed. I imagine I'll just have to go back again.
By the way, when I was in front of the Government Palace, surprisingly, I saw a group of women protesting for women’s rights. I was not expecting to see some thing like that in a third world country. But whatever, what I will remember is that I met a girl astonishingly beautiful. I must say there are a lot of very good looking and fit Ecuadorian girls (guappa), but she was the very top in breed good looking Ecuadorian. So I started a chat with her, but after something like ten minutes we came to a very decisive question: Where are you from? As you can imagine I answered Switzerland, but she told me that she lived in a small city far from Quito and that she was in Quito for two days only. What a pity, all my efforts to get along with her were "nearly" in vain.
What a disappointment! But nevermind it's only my first week, and I'm sure I'll get to meet other good looking girls.
After my tour round the old city, I started walking north to go to a shopping centre (mall), but I got lost. So I asked my way to a man, a man wearing a suite and holding a briefcase. I thought that a man of that condition would have a better idea of where to go shopping than any other ordinary man.
I was right, he knew were to go. He told me to follow him because it was on his way home, and so I did. We took the bus together for more than half an hour, he was very curious and was full of questions. As he knew everything that happened in my life, I barely got to know his name and where he was from.
When we got to the mall, surprisingly he stepped off the bus with me and showed me around the mall. I stopped in a CD shop for 10 minutes, he looked over my shoulder for the entire time. As I had to leave to go back home, we exchanged phone numbers after what I thanked him very much for the guide he had been and ran away on a bus.
I met Fabian, in a hotel hall where indigenes were playing melodious Ecuadorian music.
Then Fabian and I drove home and spoke all night about politics, especially the American higher educative system, it was very interesting. I hope it was only the beginning of many more conversations!

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

2nd day. City tour

Today I had to wake up quite early to go on a city tour.
I visited the old city of Quito, which is no very big but which hides 53 churches, only for the old city, isn't that incredible?
The old city is beautiful, totally full of colonial art and built with the rocks of the pre-Columbian tribes. Thus there is absolutely no vestige of the old tribes in Quito, zero vestige.
Then we went on a hill which is crowned by the Saint of Quito, it's a little like in Rio de Janeiro. There is a statue of a saint with wings standing on the planet earth.
It's absolutely beautiful and you can see this statue from more less anywhere in Quito.
After what I went to the Plaza de la Independencia, which is a beautiful square surrounded by the Governmental Palace, the Cathedral (which is the most important church in the country), the Archbishop's Palace and the city hall.
But that day was different, as you know, the Independence day of Ecuador is the 24th of May. Thus for one entire week, there are parades going on. People of all age, military, acrobats, and so on, come from all over the country to exhibit their talents on the public place in the very centre of Quito.
Parades, parades, parades, every body enjoys parades and the atmosphere around it always is festive!
Then we went on the Equator parallel to make several experiments. One of which was to look at the water fall down at tap clockwise in the southern hemisphere, anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere and straight down on the Ecuador. Another on was simply realizing that people had less resistance on the Equator i.e. if I pull your arm down on the Equator, I will require less strength.
Then I discovered indigenous cultures that use to shrink the heads of their defeated enemies. They would start by cutting the head off, then taking the skull out, then burn the fat and put the remaining in very hot steam, the head would then shrink to become a head smaller than a tennis ball, isn't that unbelievable too?
After having been impressed by all I had seen, we drove back to the new part of the city centre where I have been wondering around for most of the late afternoon.

Center of the World Posted by Hello

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

First day, visit and sunburn!

This morning, I fell asleep in the sun and got a sun burn on my hands and on the neck, never have I ever been so red.
The sun hear is so different because Quito is on the Ecuador and in the mountains so you can imagine.
After waking up with those ridiculous sunburns, I went in the city centre for a visit of the Ecuadorian national history museum. A beautiful museum but unfortunately there was no guided tour, so I had to discover all by myself.
So if you want to know, people started living in Ecuador approximately 14'000 years ago after having crossed by feet the Bering Strait and headed south for several hundreds of years. It is only in the XVI century that the colonial Spaniards have imposed by force their culture and costumes.
Ecuador only exists since 1830 when the Gran Colombian Empire led by Simon Bolivar has broke into pieces.
After this very entertaining visit, I had a meeting for my future work here in Quito. I will work in a company named Terrafértil. David Bermeo, the company chief executive officer, enlightened me on the purpose of my internship. I will be analyzing the European, American and Canadian market and try to understand the trade tariffs with those markets.
Then I went shopping in a mall in the north of Quito, everything seemed so cheap compared to the price I am used to in Great Britain, so I decided to buy a couple CDs and a Spanish to French lexicon.
This has been a long day especially that everything is in Spanish and requires me to do a lot of efforts to understand what the hell is going on, but what a beautiful language and culture.

Monday, May 23, 2005

Tiring trip but nice arrival

So that's it, the beginning of my big trip in South America has started.
I flew from Paris to Quito via Madrid.
My grand father drove me to the airport at 5:45am this morning for a journey that has last more less 19 hours.
Luckily it did not seem as a too long trip because on the flight from Madrid to Quito I got entertained by some Spanish doctor from Barcelona. Conversing with him definitly helped the hours pass quicker!
At the airport of Quito, Fabian and Toya were waiting for me.
We then had a 45mn drive untill their home which is in a city just outside Quito, what a nice drive in those beautiful green valles.
On the road from the airport to my new home for two months, Toya and Fabian had all kind of questions for me to know how the family is going on.
As of that very first contact, I’m sure I’m going to be having a great time and that I’m going to enjoy the family I will be staying with.
Their home is absolutly great with huge volumes a swimming pool and huge room for me. What a change in comparison to the students accomodation room I have been having over the year. This room is no kidding 5 times the size.
Tonight, will not be a long night. I am exhausted, the trip has pumped all my energy away and above all last night I've bearly been able to sleep an hour because of the excitement.
I am just looking forward to take advantage of my new room, jump in bed and leave my inconscient imagination take over my conscience. I need a long and still night so that as of tomorrow I may be totally ready to take advantage of this very new world.
So I’ll jump in bed and keep you updated soon.