Fishing in the Mountains

Yesterday I went fishing with Justo, Santiago, Josue, Juan and Cristina to the Cajas, an isolated place at over 4,000 meters altitude with lakes. We didn't catch any fish, but the scenery was beautiful. I had the opportunity to experience several new things, such as climbing uphill through mud in rubber boots at 4000 meters, and being stung by stinging nettles. When we first started hiking, just walking slowly uphill felt about as difficult as running. I was feeling terribly unfit and couldn't figure out what was wrong until Justo said, "Kim, do you notice the altitude?" I went running this morning back down in Cuenca, and it was a lot easier than walking up in those mountains, so my exhaustian must have been from the altitude.

I followed Justo and Santiago up into this strange forest growing on the side of the mountain. That's where I got to experience the stinging nettles. I wonder how plants can sting like insects... strange. The plant life was so unique. It was warm and calm and the ground was sopping wet, but the foliage was more like that of a dessert or prairie because of the altitude. Very interesting. We had lunch on some rocks next to one of the lakes, and I had a lot of fun taking pictures of some of the plants and scenery. God is surely an amazing archetect!

Cui Pictures

The raw and the terrible

Giovanni putting the cui on a stick

Roasting over the charcoal

A toasted delight

Attack of the cui

The crunchy feet

A delicious supper

Here are a few lovely pictures of a classic and gourmet cuisine here
in Ecuador... Cui. Or, more commonly known as guinea pig. Giovani and
his family invited Claudia and Paolla and I over to their house for
supper, and I got to see the whole cooking process. They put the cui
on a big thick stick and slow-roasted it over charcoal for about 45
minutes. I didn´t know what to expect taste-wise, but it was actually
very good... something like tough chicken with a slightly different
aftertaste. And the feet were crunchy.

One more picture...

Here is the picture of me with a monkey in Shell. God was sure creative when he made the monkey... their tails are amazing, and their curiosity even more so!

Jungle Pictures

The view from the bus between Ambato and Shell.

Making the final touches on the video.

The group at the LaBouf´s

In front of the house of Nait Saint.

Brother Ricardo showing us the mail system at the airport

Another plane in progress

Justo with Felipe in the back of a pickup truck

The whole group

One of the many gorgeous flowers in the jungle

A bat that just about flew into me

In the caves

The bus ¨station¨ in Adajuno

Koko in the general store with our stuff

The general store in Adajuno

In the plane with Raquel on the way in

One of the village boys with baby monkeys

Supper in the communal house after showing the video

Hiking to the river

Prepared for the jump...

My graceful dive

Playing in the sand

Another gorgeous jungle flower

The plane finally arrived!

Standoff with the boys

The view from the air

Back at the LaBouf´s house

The three girls who were the last to leave the village

Waiting for the bus in Shell