Tag Archives: Mompiche

Do you want to help H keep traveling?!?

26 Mar

Hello all!

It’s been a while, and maybe i should feel guilty about that. But during that time away i was deathly ill at times, exploring Ecuador and Peru as a solo traveler, and coming to terms with some serious personality quirks. So it probably wasn’t going to be interesting posting anyways.

But this isn’t a return to posting. You see, I have left Latin America and traded in my intense traveler 1.75 year chip for a place back at home in the states. Instead I am writing to ask you all a favor.

You see, H is still living down there, suffering interesting life twists that go beyond inconsistent electricity and the regular life-in-Latin-America drama. She has bott flies exploding out of her shoulder, people. She has been attacked by beetles from the outside of her mosquito net, which caused her hand to swell to three times its natural size. She is loosing blackened toenails. She has strange stomach issues at random times…

Why in the world would someone put up with that nonsense? I find myself asking. But she’s got this awesome thing going, and they are trying to raise some more funding to make this ridiculous existence she is suffering worth it. So while I may be too selfish to understand the level of self-punishment she is reveling in down there, I can see that if it is all to see an outcome other than some crazy nasty scars I should try to help out a bit.

Here’s the link to Forest for A Living funding page. They are going to some seriously rural communities in the jungle of Ecuador, giving them the opportunity to create a sustainable living for themselves, brokering a deal with organic chocolate business in Europe, and then in payment asking for the rights to the primary rainforest to be held in a trust. Good stuff, no?

This is some seriously tough work, my people. So if you can give anything (it is tax season after all!) or help spread the word I’m sure she would appreciate it. Let’s give her something more than those nasty exploding pustules of baby flies to look forward to in the next few months!!!

Thanks, y’all. Big hugs (and from me, many of you know that’s quite a thank you. I would actually hug you if you help us out here, really!)!

R

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I am coming home.

26 Jun

I left Otavalo, as promised. But instead of going straight to Mompiche to wait for H to exit the jungle, I decided to meet two friends from Cali in Quito. That decision from the last blog was making me crazy, and I needed someone sane nearby to help me untangle all of my crazy thoughts on the matter.

Good news is that everyone, from my skype date with our model-esque English friend still in Cali, to my home and garden inspirational friend at Nine Red, my yoga instructing salsa addicted friend who listened to me over drinks, my overly enthusiastic parents, to my date in October in Cusco, and my new eccentric mother-earth inspired friend were all available to help me think my way through it. You are all amazing!

The decision is final today. I am going to take a breath, realize that this part of my trip is over, and re-gather myself back with family for the time being. So now I have a week left here in the Latin America!

Probably needless to say, I have been quite a bit distracted this last week. This is late (sorry!) and I only have a few snapshots to share from travels. We start in Quito, where after realizing that I also have ringworm from my week with an adorable kitty in Mompiche we went to the pharmacy to get treatment cream. We also found a street performance… that was strange and impressive and randomly right in the middle of traffic.

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Yes, there were goat heads. And buckets and some beautiful long ribbons. Then we went to the Guayasamin art gallery where the intensity of his house and art blew my mind to pieces. We spent some time decompressing with local cows and giggling. Then I was quickly threatened by a man with a knife, but I licked his face and kept my belongings. It was an interesting day.

The three of us headed to Mompiche, where we were able to see H for a little bit before she had to go to Quito to renew her visa to keep working with her jungle project. My two friends and I explored town, and ventured by the black sand beach before packing ourselves up and moving along the coast.

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The trip was fairly smooth, with only a short wait after our bus broke down in the middle of the road. Impressively another came up for us within 20 minutes.

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Now we’re relaxing in Canoa, where there’s a nice beach break and some very beautiful cliffs just waiting to be explored. I don’t have pictures of that, though. Just of the view from our hotel’s balcony, which is also pleasant in my opinion.

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So what does this mean for this blog? Good question. I don’t know. We’re 90 posts in at this point, and H is still going to be traveling and in the jungle down here, but also without internet. We can hope that she will be able to update from time to time, but likely no more weekly posts (not that I have been that good about it!).

I will write at least once more next week to describe the rest of the Ecuadorean coast that I encounter. But please know that it has been amazing to meet and know each of you, thank you all for being the special creatures that you are!

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