Comfort Zone¿? I am miles away from it!!!

Hi Everybody!!!

Things have changed completely!!! From my constant chaos and lack of rutine... to waking up everyday before 7am, cook breakfast, be on time for when the kids finish theirs... and play, teach, tell off, heal, wash hands-faces-noses, hike with the older ones, go out to play arcade games, etc etc...

And I have never had such a huge responsability and I have never gone to bed sooooooooooo tired and sooooooooo early! But I tell you what... this is FAB! First thing I get in the morning when I start it is not a cup of coffee or tea... nope... it is around 30 to 40 hugs, kisses, good mornings and things like that... and when I go... well that is bad, coz' I get 30 to 40 sad faces asking me to stay and to go back the day after... uaaaaauuuuhhhh: so intense!

I arrived in Ecuador around ten days ago with all the great moments in Venezuela still running through my blood. But I was full of energy and already looking forward to starting the volunteering with the kids in Loja :oD.

I spend the mornings with kids from the age of 3 (Mayra, she's the cutest thing I have ever seen!) to the age of 13 (teaching Maths and English to them is a real challenge... and not the Sat Comms projects I used to do before!).

In the evenings I am with the older ones in the house. This is more like being part of a family, and check that they do their duties and stuff. Until now there are only 3boys and 2girls, but the rest arrive tomorrow: another 7 in total... NIGHTMARE!!! ;oD I am kidding... they are all great and very good fun to be with!

In the weekends we try to get away and do some hiking. Last Sunday we went with Monica and Fam to the Podocarpus National Park (Zamora) where we got absolutely soaked... but we tried fruits from the trees, we saw orchids birds, La Poderosa waterfall... Awesome!!

Today Pato, Diego, María, Luisa y yo decided to go to the mountains near by... and we climb up, slided over the mud, eat wild strawberries and blackberries, climb down waterfalls, walk through bushes with stings, got burnt, got wet... GREAT! And that was all only 30min walk away from the house... Can we ask for more ¿!?

Tomorrow I am off to Quito (only 12hours in the night bus) to welcome Nat&Ben on their first time in SAmerca. I will make sure they fall in love with this little part of the world! I will be crashing at Conchita's... which sounds great to me!

Before going to bed, just let you know that superChiqui has started to upload the pics to a new server. Some of them are already there, so if you are bored in the office and want to have a look at them, feel free to go through them.

Well... I am off to bed now... blogger has hung my post a couple of times now, and if this doesn't go through this time... there will be no post! Make sure you are all happy with the heat wave that is bathing Europe! I do think of you from this beautiful spot in the middle of the Andes full of surprises and very very special to me!

Un besazo muy fuerte para todas/os. Cada vez os voy echando más y a más de menos, así que cuídense muchíiiiisimo entre tanta barbacoa rica y tintito de verano! XoD

Ciao ciao,


Heiwa X

PS."Chiqui: Ecuador. Recuerdos¿? Recuerdas¿?". Muchos! Mucho! Como no podía ser de otra forma... bonito es a la vez, ver cómo estos días generan muchos más. Un beso BigBro!

... y los sueños, ¿sueños son??!?!??!?!!

Sin casi darme cuenta estoy otra vez en la Plaza San Martín de Lima. El mismo cielo gris, la misma sensación de salir de esta ciudad en poco tiempo.

Todo refuerza la sensación de que Venezuela ha sido un sueño. Que Helios y Adriana sólo existen en mi imaginación. Que las tortugas son monstruos marinos de un comic de Calvin & Hobbes y Querepare la inspiración inmaterial de un libro de Gabriel García Márquez.

Mientras Verónica me dice que yo inspiro a soñar, yo no hago más que pensar que en estas últimas cinco semanas cada persona que he conocido me ha mantenido alejado de la realidad y anclado a un mundo de fantasía en el que cada día, cada minuto, cada segundo es un sueño.

Si no fuese por la presencia de Bea en este sueño quizá no podría hablar de Él con nadie (de hecho fue juntos como esta 'vaina' nos fue 'agarrando').

Si no fuese por Emigdio, que unió el pasado menos reciente, el pasado más reciente, incluso el futuro cercano, con este presente (que siento como 'regalo') jamás podría ubicar estos días en el tiempo, con la esperanza y la necesidad de que se repitan.

Si no fuese por Aurelio, no habría disfrutado desde el primer día de la maravillosa hospitalidad que me ha seguido rodeando hasta el último instante.

Entre 'vainas' y 'cacharras', 'carros' locos y 'coches', 'franelas' y 'camisetas', 'comiquitas' y 'dibujos animados', 'bergas' y 'trankas' fui olvidando el lenguaje. Pasé de no entender nada al Chino, a Merengue y a Amarillo (Luis Alfredo) a no ser capaz de encontrar una palabra para describir el sentimiento de agradecimiento. 'Gracias' se vació de significado tras repetirla 'n' veces, cuando 'n' tiende a infinito.

Los últimos días de Caracas se me han escapado entre las manos mientras Teresa me contaba historias de los dos lados del Atlántico y me hacía ganar un poco de peso con sus sorpresas culinarias (quedan pendientes unos pimientos rellenos). Y tan a gusto se me fue el tiempo que ni siquiera conseguí despedirme de Soe, de Aurelio o de Mª Teresa. Por lo menos a Hedelvi pude, en persona, darle las gracias por la franela que me convierte en parte de los tortugueros (ahora, gracias al colgante de Vero, soy todavía más tortuguero).

Y en estas cinco semanas... en el camino, de un sitio a otro, parecían esperar gentes como Meyvi y Vicente. Fulful y sus arepas para salvarnos de la inhalición a Simone, a Igor, a Simon y a mí. Carlos con su sonrisa siempre a punto. Melecio, el ron y el vendedor de perros. Esquiza (perdón si me equivoqué al escribirlo) y sus cetáceos fantásticos. Y muchos más que no por no mencionar son menos importantes.

Y si me pusiese a escribirlo todo necesitaría otras cinco semanas, porque no quitaría nada. Pero, quizá, así sea la única forma de convertir este sueño en realidad.

Mientras Verónica me dice que inspiro a soñar yo ingenua y vanidosamente me lo creo. Vanidoso, porque es una de las cosas más lindas que me dijeron nunca. Supongo que eso me convierte en una espcie de anti-avatar capaz de desmaterializar la realidad... pero al mismo tiempo los sueños nos convierten en avatares potenciales, con la habilidad de 'materializar' nuestros deseos.

Compartir un sueño propio es un placer, del que disfruto cada día. Formar parte del sueño de otra persona ha sido totalmente mágico. Ser parte de las condiciones que los crean es un concepto 'arrechisimo' en el que uno no puede, por menos, estar agradecido de semejante honor.

Ahora en Lima... mientras me desperezo... voy ya pensando en cerrar poquito a poco los ojos a medida que me vaya acercando a Loja.

Más de 6 meses de viaje... y superchévere! Un beso muy fuerte!

Ciao ciao,

Heiwa X

PS. Es un estracto de mi diario... quiza no tenga sentido en conjunto para todo el conjunto... pero seguro que quien quiera encontrar algo personal lo encontrará... de todas formas yo no sabría explicar de otra forma qué ha pasado en estas últimas 5 semanas ;oD

Merida - Back in Uni...

Épale!

How is everybody around the world doing¿? I guess most of you are already on holidays, or ready to go, so there will be no jealous people writting back... Which is good!


Well... after a few days in Merida I am now in Maracay, in my way to Choroní (following David's wise advice) and planning to stay there around five days and then back to Caracas, to meet up with the people from the turtles project.

Merida has been great. Emigdio's family hospitality was just incredible... but, to carry on with the weird things that can happen to me, he suggested that I should give a lecture (or something similar) at the Universidad de los Andes (the oldest Uni in Venezuela), where he is a Professor. Believe or not, I accepted, and gave a 2 hours presentation on Digital TV... I couldn't believe that I remembered so much! But it was amazing to be back in Uni, so far away from my normal enviroment and try to communicate some stuff (I could hear the ones at the back of the class snoring, so there were losses in the link... :oD)

Well... this implied a new change in my dates... I am flying away from Venezuela on the 18th... and to cancel most of the tourism in Merida. At the begining I thought it was going to be easy peasy... but then the nerve kicked it, and decided to spend more time working on the slides! But a visit to Merida is not a visit, with out going up on the "Teleférico".

The view from the top is amazing, and walking over 3000 metres is always a nice challenge. Also, one have to see the amazing Frailejones, the typical plants from these mountains.

You will get more news soon... but I have to go to the beach now... hehehe... Holidays!!!!

Un beso muy fuerte a todso,

Ciao ciao,

Heiwa X

A third world Paradise: Querepare

Hello Everybody!

Long time since my last post... but I've been isolated in one of the most beautiful, magical and special places I've ever seen. Querepare! A little village by the Caribean sea, with an empty incredible beach. We had running water half a day every two days; light only from time to time (you knew it coz' you could listen high volume 'Bayenato' while the electricity was working); no drinking water and no shops or bars to buy any other drinking stuff... No beds for all of us, and that meant sleeping on a Chinchorro.

But there were Mangos, Cocos, Mararabes, Caña de Azucar, the sea, the incredible children, the people living in poor houses offering you food everyday. There were "tetas" - boobs - which were home made icecreams, Juan bringing Arepas and Galetas in the morning. There were Cacoa in all shorts: fresh, dry, toasted, processed, home-processed... And there were this marine monster called Letherback Marine Turtles (Tortugas Cardón). All this and that made it worthy.

There is no pics yet... but hope I can upload some soon. The turtles are scared of light... so I could not take any of the big ones... but I recorded them breathing while nesting... and, at least to me, it is impressive! That is going to be the night pic of them.

There are so many things I could say about the days in the beach... but they will bore you to death, or I'll make you really jealous. One of the two... and I will not be able to tell you everything, anyway. Those back in Leon... check with Bea, she will explain it a little bit better... the others... the others... well... get a plane and come to the beach!

Appart from that, I am enjoying the fantastic way the people from Venezuela is treating me. Aurelio & Zoe, Emigdio & Family, and Helios & Adriana had made me feel so much welcome that I am speechless most of the time. I have only slept in Posadas back in Mochima (went diving again... saw a huge "chucho"!!!!!!!!!!!!! and a pez Murcielago... but not the kind of batfish that were in the GBR) and Puerto de la Cruz. Appart from that, everybody lodges me in their house. Great!!!!!!!!! So much like being at home! Great great feeling! I am so much thankful to all of them.

Mochima... beautiful... lovely beaches...

Caracas... Crazy... not as dangerous as they said... but not 100% safe. Helios made it easy to move around!!!

Merida... Bohemian... and green. This is were I am now. With Emigdio, Victor and Gabriela. I arrived this morning and I will stay for a few days here, before going back to Caracas to fly to Lima on the 9th (new change of dates... I needed two extra days to be able to visit Merida!).

Hope you are all happy happy, and that the summer sun is tanning your skins (some of you might be red, by now!). I am going to see the Germany-Italy extra time... and join the winning party afterwards!

Un beso para todos... y el mundial... por lo que parece nos eliminaron... no me lo explico... en serio... no me lo explico... crei que este año ibamos a ganar... y yo trankilito en Querepare esperando para salir y ver la final... y fijate tu... bueno... no me lloren mucho... sean felices y cuidense mucho con la sangria veraniega y las barbacoas nocturnas! Pensare mucho en ustedes!

Ciao ciao,


Heiwa X