Nothing but an emotional roller-coaster

WOW, where to start.

first of all, right now I´m only reading to get out my emotions cause I just got a very perturbing email, so if you want the start of my story and my emotional roller-coaster, go read the french blog... sorry...

OK, so today, I had a great day, relaxed for the morning, got my clothes washed, ate Gouda and Ritz crackers breakfeast and lunch, ahaha! great. Then, Roxanne and I arranged to go horseback riding with the guide we met a couple nights before, when we went to the volcano. His name is Wilson. So we met at 13h and went on these horses in which at the start, you have NO confidence, but then, when they start to trot and GALLOP, you need to have confidence. Also, when they start to go down a path you wouldnt even walk down and the horse´s hoves are slipping and sliding on rocks and mud... EEK!!! lol anyways, it was GREAT fun, very adrenaline-inticing! ahahah, I loved it cause my horse was crazy and it kept running into the side, the other horse, or barbed wire! ahahha! and also, it had diarreah, so I was scared it would be too sick to carry me! Plus, I´ve hardly any experience with horses, I was a bit lost. But I learned, we had 4 hours to get to know each other, lol! it was fun! Near the start, we went up a waterfall!! it was scary and dangerous! I never thought I could do this!! The only bad thing was, the whole time, Wilson was hitting on me and Roxanne, which is quite normal for an ecuatorian. But, after supper, we went to the Hot Springs where we said we´d meet after, right? but he was sooo annoying and forthcoming, everything was RUINED, the boundary of respect was completely lost... which really pissed me off. He tried to kiss me multiple times, massage, grope, and he whined when I wouldnt kiss him goodbye. I was really disgusted. and I´m sorry if I´m being negative, but this is not the type of thing I´m at ease with to just shrugg off and turn into a positive situation.

But, Roxanne helped me a lot, she was really chill, and after we talked to two guides from the agency we dealt with in the amazon and it was just that you know. We know they found us cute, who cares, but hey didnt DO anything, just asked us questions and talked... which is good for me. I´m NOT looking here, dammit. lol... scary macho society... Anyways, so after we got out of the thermal bath without further ado and that was that, we felt very Zen and went on a shopping spree after! I bought a gift for dad, the prettiest skirt ever, and also an alpaca sweater for me!! YEY! oof.... so much spending! so after, just to chill a bit before going to bed, I wanted to check my emails and so on... and I got an email from Guillaume, my teacher.

Now, I don´t know what to do anymore. I´m such an emotional FREAK, this day was too good, but 2 guys ruined it. Guillaume has put me into a huge state of shock and doubt.

He basically says that I´ve ben depressed since before I left Montreal and that its because I read too much and I´m not able to get my head out of my books (I dont read THAT much, its an illusion, geez...). What with all the doubt already going through my head about this trip, the rest of my life, my personality, my relation with my parents, with my friends, and everything. I just dont know what to think. Right now, I´m kind of just mad that he ruined my evening, but that´s my usual selfish me, I suppose. But since its MY blog and I´m going to write my emotions, here goes. Guillaume says he´s sorry he never talked to me about it... with the comments he did today... I don´t know if he realised how HE was the whole stage, he was going toward the fun, the excited, the intersting, his favorites. He basically ignored me, and some others, and I´m not the only one to think this. He´s right that he never talked to me directly about it, because he should know that what someone says in a conversation with others who are whinning is... often exaggerated. I don´t think he knows at ALL how I feel about the stage, and about how he and Yves were... etc. Much less about why I am supposedly negative. I dont FEEL negative. I know I have depressed passes, but its not because of the physical world of Ecuador, according to me, its about the unknown in my head and for my future, but even then, I have NO CLUE why sometimes I get so depressed.

Anyways, to get back to a moare general... I dont yet know how I really feel about this, but now the doubt is back, the zen is gone and I´m wondering what made Guillaume write such an email.

Whatever, time to go to bed, because tomorrow, we´re OUTTA HERE! at 6:50 we´re off to Riobamba and from there: Cuenca!! yey!!!

love and doubt,

Emilie-Anne

and yes, I´m going to go read...

Quick-Post

Just to make everyone jealous. I just got out of a thermal bath, I´m going for a pizza in a few minutes, my pictures are just loaded and after, I´m going to go up a mountain in a Ranchero (check previous blog) to see the volcano fire! departing for the Amazon tomorrow morning at 8:15 for biking and rafting before we get to the city Puno in the jungle, and from there? who knows... my friends were too sick/tired to horseback ride today. Hopefully the day we get back, the 28th, we will be abe to!

love

Emilie-Anne

From Baños, Ecuador

Good day!

Well, I´ve finished my stage part of my trip and what a relief! now I get to do what I want (and its expensive eech...) hahahah... no but its great, I´ve finally started this trip with my 2 friends as it was gonna be, the 3 of us alone. Its fun so far.

Before going on, I´m going to try to upload some pics in this entry. They come from optionsens.blogspot.com but I´m in all of them, so I feel I have the right to put them on my blog... if it works... vamos a ver...



YEY! it worked... now have fun finding me in all these pics!!! hahahaha... anyways.

So im in Baños, which is, so far, my favorite city of Ecuador!!! Im going to the Amazon monday, so expect a message after that! hahah

ciao

Emilie-Anne

HELLO

hey hey

its about time I showed sign of life on my english blog since I had the gall to announce it to everyone! I cant even remember the last time I was on my english blog... oh well...

here goes nothing: I am in Jipijapa, in the final days of my "stage" in the family. for now I am with Ben, Rox and Emilie in a café internet to my great delight. Later, I´m bringing Ben and Rox to my hole in the jungle house because they´ve been living the entirety of their stage in the city and are anxious to see tarantulas and get eaten by a milion different things like I am!

Right now I look like a leper. I have red blotches from "manta blanca" all over, but especially concentrated on my right forearm, I have a zillion little bubbles of bites on my LEFT arm, my skin is peeling in my back and shoulders, I have scratches everywhere, and also from the Cane extraction expedition, the tender part of both my forearms (underneath) are riddled with smalls cane darts.

So right, about the Cane extraction, that was yesturday and yesturday was the best day of the stage so far! Lets start at the beguinning! I got up early, assessed my bites from the night adn quickly went off to town my my daddy and his grandson, it took 30minutes of walk in the jungle and 20mins of a ride in the back of a truck. we got to UPOCAM, which is the building of the organisation with which we are working (Union Provincial Organisation Campesinos de Manabí) and, on Guillaume´s initiative, we made CREPES with maple syrup and nutella for all the ppl at UPOCAM while they were waching the MUNDIAL Ecuador vs. Costa Rica! And we WON!!!! what Euphoria! I was really SCARED each time they scored! and when they WON... HURLUBERLU total!! OMG!!! soon after, the 11 gringos got in the white truck (like the outdoor cage hold-on type) and we went out into the streets of Jipijapa to get to America (a community where we are going to work) but it was HAVOC in the streets to get there! cars and trucks FULL of yellow-sporting supporters screaming and banging! we had SO much fun with them in our truck!! and we were off on the superspeen highway in the truck! its so FUN!!! what a trip! WOW!!! anyways... we eventually got the the location of our exploit and eagerly got into the forest to learn what we were to do... so we had to move 50-75 logs of Cane (like bamboo) 5metres long of varying weight 200metres out of the jungle... through ravines and slopes and such... we got all dirty and sweaty and disgusting but what FUN! finally! we did somethign!! I loved it and I cant believe anyone complained! it was great, problem-solving, teamwork, etc... it took us like 4hours!!! after, we went to Amilie´s for "lunch" at 3 and had guess what? RICE!! (duh... 3 times a day...) and nummy home-made Juice of Honey Dew Melon and a banana! mmm.... we all wanted MORE we were so tired and dirty! anways. After it was more car and bringing some ppl home. we went back to UPOCAM at Jipijapa and I had to wait for my dad to finish working. we killed time with Ben, Guillaume and Jorge the annoying/hyperactive/intrepid little boy of UPOCAM who follos us around. we juggled and talked and had fun! and the night, I got to take a happy washing in the jungle and wash my clothes too!!

Anyways, just for the record, the days are usually less filled and exciting, obviously. Today, im just chilling...Tuseday was horrendously boring at the 28th anniversary of UPOCAM... urkl. Wednesday also. I just went to see Jessica and helped her at the primary school... it was ok.

The weekend at Puerto Lopez was really intense. Emotionally roller-coaster-ish from the high of jumping in to the Pacific the first night fully-clothed to the low of recalling the end of my musical life. Plus, many things happened to the group. Some get closed, others, more appart. Patrico left us... long story I´d rather not right out, but im really afraid for him right now. Me, Ben and Rox are spending much more time together, etc.

But the stay with the family before that was slightly moronic... I hated it for the most part... see my french bloh for more info...

Must be gone...

GO SEE PHOTOS!!!! HUGE UPDATE!!!

Emilie-Anne

First Day in Quito!

Hey!

Feels like a week I´ve been here already we´ve done that much stuff! I´m gonna try to upload my pics in a few minutes... gonna switch computers with a friend of mine.

Ok, well to start with the beguinning... im extremely happy i´m not going to fly anywhere any time soon! all the airplane crap was annoying. from 4am to 10pm nothing but airplanes, airports (MIAMI SUCKS!!!) and airplane food. actually, the non-airplane food was the better of the whole day... the only edible thing we found in the stupid american-infested airport of Miami was Pizza Hut... for 7$ ugh (there was also Starbucks so its forgivible for now...). Anyways, no one died, got lost or is missing baggage so great... but airplanes are not part of my "happies" any more... oh well. I think I was just extremely stressed. I still am a bit... but not that much.

So we got to the hotel but 3 minibuses that drove over 20minutes at about 90kmh minimal, ran red lights and RACED each other (mine won!) it was FUN!!! and the hotel is like a huge labyrinth of cubicle rooms (good rooms, locks and beds, window, no bugs (but no bathroom)) and we have a ROOFTOP on which to chill! its great! beer IN the hotel is like a buck (Brahmas about twice the size of a molson EX in Canada!) the boys each get a room with a double bed, whereas the girls get to be 2 or 4 or 5. No complaints, dont think I´d be happy being alone. its just funny. Im with Roxanne in a 2-person. we can use our own lock on top of theirs to lock our doors when we leave... so its happy.

We spent today in a bus. but WHAT a bus-ride! first, I must say, I brought a book, but I wasnt able to read! the sites are amazing!! we were in the ANDES going up and down roads it was Great. We first went to see the Marche Otavalo (go look it up!) which was fantastic. we also went into a sacred waterfall and WENT SWIMMING in our clothes and ran up and down hills and traversed a stream on a log bridge! WHOOO!!! it was fun!

anyways, I cant put too much more detail in, im making my friends wait cause we hafta be in the hotel at 12... its 1135 (were in a cafe internet at Quitos hotspot) and just for a final note... tomorrow we are going to the mom of the woman whos cousin drove us around in the bus today who is also related to the person in charge of jipijapa and going to Mitad del Mundo tomorrow...

ciao

Emilie-Anne

Hey hey!

Hello and welcome to the first edition of the english version of my 2006 South America trip blog!
(what a mouthfull!)

Allrighty, to start with, you can all check out my french blog at http://preada.blogspot.com. I will NOT be posting simultaneously and even less repeatedly on both my blogs cause that's just annoying. So for all those bilinguals, be sure to check BOTH!!!

Right, well I think this starts out quite well. Except for a logistical update: I'm in Montréal, and its the Sunday before I leave. This friday at 4:30 I will be a YUL getting ready for a whole DAY of travel, including 2 flights and a 7-hour break in Miami!

Must go pack! àdieu!

Emilie-Anne















P.S. This is Maude and an example of the colourfull ethnic diversity of Montréal! (I LOVE this picture, even if it was sort of rude to take... sorry)