Thursday 8 March 2012

the west coast sun is beckoning


It is International Womens Day today, which started out with a parade and dancing in the square this morning.  A fun wake up, and then good wishes from all the ladies at the bakery!  Such lovely smiles!

So this week is the week that the kids headed back to school for the year.  The sidewalks and plaza have become astoundingly busy, and it is such fun to see all the students, impeccably groomed, and shining in their lovely school uniforms.  Buttoned up shirts, sweaters, ironed dress pants and shiny black leather loafers for the boys.  Knee length pinafore dresses, white blouses, cardigans, knee socks and black polished maryjanes for the girls. 

And there is no skirt shortening happening here… not even away from the campuses, it is simply not in keeping with the modest culture.  We are for the most part far from the short skirt & high heel norm of the big cities.  Casual pants and jeans are the norm… probably why I feel so comfortable here.  Not that I blend in at all of course.  I could live here my next 20 years and I will still look like a gringa visiting town.  Lilly white skin, blue eyes and light hair gives us all away.

Of course even without these dead giveaways the moment we open our mouths the truth comes out.

A couple of days ago I went with Eduardo to check out the progress on the house he is building just outside of town.  The ceiling was poured last week, and we could get in and have a look see.  Nice layout, very well conceived and planned.  But the view… Oh the view! 

I think I would give up a lot to be able to look out my kitchen window, coffee in hand, and be greeted by such a vista. 

My search for such a slice of contentment has intensified, and my determination to set things in motion is growing.

Lets do the math (all figures approx.)
                        Lot with vista              $ 3000.
                        Lot prep (hydro etc)       2500.
                        Cost to build                15,000
                        Furnish/Décor                5000.

Grand total of said dream $26,000.00.   (or about 2 years rent on my house in Courtenay)

This of course doesn’t take into account the personal cost of being far from friends and family.   What with the internet for instant communication what that boils down to is my absence at dinner parties and barbeques.  Hmmm.

On another note, after weeks of rain the hot equatorial sun decided to make an appearance as I was wandering around in the hills with Eduardo.  Suddenly my long sleeve shirt, winter fleece zip up and rain coat seemed a tad to many layers.  No hat, no sunscreen, and now me carrying around my winter gear.  Yup… oh for a predictable sunny day?!

Thankfully there will be a good weeks worth when I get to the coast.  I will thaw.  Then I will sweat.  My prediction is I will smile through it all.   My bus ticket has been purchased, although not for the day bus as I had wanted.  Seems if I had proceeded as planned I would have ended up alone, at the side of the Trans American highway, far outside of the city at 1:00 am.  Uhhh, nooo…  Not in this lifetime if I can help it. 

So the night bus it is, and I will have to catch the view on the way back. 

The continued rain in the mountains here has not only stymied the various walks & sightseeing adventures I had originally planned, but now is poised to kybosh the 3 day trek into the mountains planned in two weeks time.  Just can’t envision myself enjoying hiking around and camping at 3000 meters in the cold rain.  I mean, I will have just gotten warm for heavens sake!

If it doesn’t warm up (or at least stop RAINING) when I get back this way I will likely just pick up my stuff and keep heading east until I get back to the Tarapoto area.  Then I can complain about the sweltering heat for a change.

Lovely iridescent humming bird made a return appearance this morning.  Flit, flit, flit and then GONE.  Man are they fast. 

Having some pain issues, and I can place that firmly at the feet of lack of physical activity.  Need to walk.  Prefer not to slide around in the muck and dodge mud puddles.  A conundrum to be sure.

Still full from the enormous veggie omelette I was served for breakfast, there is no way I can partake of lunch at the vegetarian restaurant.  Thus siesta time has arrived and my nap is calling…


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