I've got a couple of seconds!!!

Uaaauuuuhh!!! It's been nearly a month since I arrived in Loja... and I have had no time to write, read or breath... this is the most hectic time I've had since I left BT... ehhhh... well... I mean... since I joined BT ;oD

So... Hello Everybody!!! How's the summer going¿? Mine is like winter again... Loja is around 2600m over the sea level... so, even though it's August and we are around latitude 0º... it is sunny, it rains, it is warm and it is cold all in the same day... several times each kind of weather... and then is cold during the night. A lot of fun!!! ;oD

Lots of things have happened during this month... The first one was Natacha & Ben's visit! They arrived in Quito on 1st August... and I sure made my way there to introduce them to our Ecuadorian family... they were great 4 days going through lots of good memories, stories, and catching up after 4 years... and I had a good session of 'escondidas' (Ecuadorian version of Hyde and Seek) with Vero, Ricardito, Pedrito and familia. Great food, great "tropical jugos" and a shock when I discovered how much I have been missing all this time for not tasting Chirimoyas before... Nightmare!!!

The second event was my birthday. Thank You very much to everybody that remembered it!!!!! You are great!!! It was great to get so many messages that day, and I do apologize for those I haven't been able to answer before but interné does not work so well around here (trust me... I am not sure I am going to be able to finish this post!!!!). I was back in Loja for that day... and the celebration started a couple of days before thanks to Laxia and Joana, that decided to make me part of their leaving do and surprised me with a cake and presents... and then it came 8th August... and I had a couple of celebrations... I tried Quimbolitos, The kids (under Mercy's supervision) cooked a superb chocolate birthday cake (the one in the pic!!) and we had a good laugh... and then me and the boys slept outside in the terrace... with a little bit of cold, rain and stars... so... even though I was on the other side of the Atlantic I had a great party, and I felt at home at the same time!!! Ain't it cool!!! And here are some of the postcards I got this year... I hope they are still working :o)

http://www.hallmark.com/ECardWeb/ECV.jsp?a=5159491950804M126481667Y
http://www.hallmark.com/ECardWeb/ECV.jsp?a=4554691960693M127563270Y
http://www.postalescachondas.com/tarjetas/pickup.php?id=0608082032304KUIbLbh1zJ3


Then it was Nat&Ben's visit to Loja... and their chance to meet the children I spent all my time here with... we took them to the (frozen) river for a swim one day... and then the other one we went for a bit of family history in Catacocha, where Hno Santos showed us around (he took us to a different and much better Chiriculapo - Gods' Chair) and treated us as Kings.

Now things are slowing down here... the kids will be back in school soon, and they know it... so they have a bit of the feeling "shit, the summer's over", but still very good fun. We have some religous walk on Sunday (not my cup of tea... but when in Rome...) and I am trying to organize a couple of weekends at the Podocarpus National Park, which should be pretty good!

Well... the guys are waiting for me to celebrate "San Viernes" up in the roof... with another night under the stars... we have been waiting the whole week for it... as Antonieta banned it coz' we're tired the morning after... sometimes I am not sure if I am the responsible one... or the worst one in the house ;oD

Well... make sure you all take care of yourselves, ok¿? Lots of kisses for the ladies... and some hugs for the boys!!!

El veranito bien, verdad¿? Pues no podía ser de otra manera... espero que lo estéis pasando en grande! Por acá todo sigue iendo bien... aunque interné me pone un poquillo dificil el estar en contacto con todos vosotros... y del Tunguragua no os preocupéis, que estoy bastante lejos... por desgracia!!!

Un beso muy fuerte a todos!!!!!

Ciao ciao


Heiwa XXX