Cuena Ecuador December 21, 2008

Hmm where do I start with this one.....well for starters it was amazing to see Paris at the port in Manta and then to jump in and drive off with not much hassle, well you can imagine how the reunion felt. With the three of us back together again we headed for the equator which was a hell of a drive. Ecuador has some pretty narly roads Paris was probably pleading for us to sent her back to the northern hemisphere. The equator was not too spectacular, but it was fun to jump back and forth between the hemispheres. I mean how often do you get to do that really?

Afterwards we headed back down South and took the Ruta de Sol (Route of the Sun) which was very nice and even managed to get in our first waves in the South American continent on this trip! We stopped in Monanita and took out the long board for an hour of waves riding and splashing about. The waves here are pretty small and will probably be for the rest of the trip since it's summer here. Although it doesn't fell like it today because we drove from the beach (27 degrees) into the Andes (15 degrees) and I'm freezing my tush off how do people live in this temperature?

The drive through the Andes is amazing the little towns are very full of life and colour and of course festivities for the Navidad season. Yesterday in Salinas Ricardo and I went to a free outdoor concert which started with a great Salsa band, some Rigaton which is a cross between rap with very dirty lyrics (which my husband wouldn't translate for me:() hip hop and ended with a girl pop band. Fortunately there was a ton of boobs and rump shaking on stage enough to get me through to the next year.

Some quick notes of observance: 

Latin americans can move their body parts very fast 

Our addiction to coconut ice cream is starting to become a problem

Ricardo has discovered green mangoes and now seeks them out with fervour

Driving form the beach to the mountains in one day is dumb and COLD!

Hope everyone has a great calm and relaxing holiday season