29 November 2018

She was fantastic! After such a long flight/drive we finally saw her and hug her! She was standing there, as good as we left her, just waiting for us. No too much dust, the fridge started on the first try as it did the battery, the gas, the electricity. All perfect…it did feel like home. I just realised then that it felt like home because is the only home we have had in almost 5 years. The only known thing, the familiarity. And after only 2 days of cleaning and organising we took her on the road again. That feeling of driving once again, that feeling of freedoms, it was exhilarating! We were very emotional; which was exactly what we needed after seeing Archie in video over the phone celebrating his first year ?

We took a familiar road and ended up on Puerto Lopez once again, for 2 days. This is the place of nice bike ride on the beach, the slow pace and the huge prawns just out of sea. We also took our kayak for a quick spin as the sea was somewhat choppy…still very funny to paddle to the end where the fishermen are, buy some prawns and paddle back.

Laguna El Salado, near the border with Colombia 

Canoa

A perfect place to work. Once again, we are in Canoa. The place of looooong and desertic beaches. Spent a few days here and unlucky a fall from the bike took my shoulder in such a pain. They told us to go to a “sebador”, someone who puts bones back in place? Arrived to a small town, there were so many people in the “waiting room” (hammocks outside the place). We waited for 6 hours, the pain was so bad but not as bad as what was waiting for me! He literally pulled my arm around and OMG thought I couldn’t take it at all. I cried so much! A few injections after to calm me down and still can’t recover….

Ibarra

Stuck. Literally and symbolically. The shoulder is no healing but now we also have the water pump and the water tank broken. And so, with lots of “ifs” and “buts” we stayed at this great camping for 4 days! Hecti repairing and repairing, me not doing much… just worry about the work I have to do and can’t do and, in the meantime, we met this great Colombian family and a promise of new encounters.

Don Alejandro

We were for a big treat! Celebrations!!! Don Alejandro, the owner of the hotel where they let us park so generously and use the WIFI is turning 87!!!! Hecti did the cheesecake in a saucepan cake and with a glass of wine he blows the candles. Such an interesting life. Rescue by the “French Legion Army” from a concentration camp when he was a child. Fought in the Vietnam, Korean, Algeria and World War II. His French wife killed in Africa. Lived in USA for 30 years, now in Ecuador for the last 20. So lucid, so alert, and psychically in great shape. Goes for a swim for  half hour every time he can and a walks every day. We finished the day going to town to a big estancia where his friends prepared a BBQ.

 28 September 2018

I am writing this blog on a tiny plane going from Sydney to Cooma. I cannot begin to understand how we are where we are now.

Achie changed our journey, our heart and our way to be. He arrived only a few months ago but is giving us a lot to think and do. Before we even left Australia we started thinking about how to come back and see him again. The answer came courtesy of mainly 1 client who was so taken by my work last that he asked me to come back! And so after only a few months in our SalSolcito, reunited with Clau in Ecuador and enjoying some serious mountain-volcano walks we are back in Sydney. Hector in full babysitting mode and I am in full workaholic mood! 

While enjoying Archie is such a joy it is clear to us that our lives are not totally here (Sydney). It is true that is the best city in the world and having the kids again so close feels like we have never left. But, our bodies are screaming for fresh- easy food and physical exercise and our souls are screaming for nature. I am so convinced that I am at my best when I am surrounded by water, with a physical challenge in front of me in the form of a bike, a kayak or a mountaineering experience; where I don’t know where I will wake up and where I will fall asleep, where there is so much to see but specially so much to “being”

Archie is eatable! I won’t write about the good bye as it is very painful

June-July 2018 we travelled with Claudia from Quito to Guayaquil
We visited: Quito, Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, Baños, La Moya – Chimborazo, Cuenca, Cajas National Park, Guayaquil – Parque Samanes

Back to Australia from Lobitos – Piura

June 2018

After dropping the young people we continue our journey north. Still looking for warmth weather and still looking very much for sun! Our batteries are unable to charge, all is cloudy and grey. It does make our re-entering into our lives much harder. And what definitely is making it harder is that the northern we go the ugliest the towns become :(

Having said that, the exception was Canoa. Long, wide beaches, friendly people, lots of bars in their two blocks "touristic" part along the beach (deserted this time of the year). We felt safe and we liked it there but after 2 days we were ready to part.



Next was Punta Cojimies. We got there with the hope of trying our new kayak for the first time. We knew it was a bay and so safe to explore....but once again, the rain didn't let us enjoy. This was the last beach and now we are ready to cross to the mountain, searching for long and adventurous walks :)

Deciding to stay put for another day or 2 prove to be the key. Finally, our kayak is out! It does feel strange to paddle in such a different kayak but we are happy to welcome “Linyera” to the family 😊



I have to admit how difficult it is to communicate with a lot of Ecuadorians. Not sure if it is the language mannerism or the general culture but Hector and I find ourselves asking the same questions sometimes 4-5 times until something does happen. Most of the time, people just stare at us, without answer or movement. Simple things like “do you know a bakery here?” are met with dead silence.

We picked them up in the campsite and we adopted them for 5 days. It was fun to be a family again of 4. We fed them, traveled together and played cards. Back to the 7 waterfalls, relax, fun. Such great boys. A rush from the past. What we miss. Luli and Nani :(

Such a weird encounter! We were lost, trying to find a place to sleep. A place to put up a tent for the boys. We then were stopped and encouraged to follow a big car Up and up the hill. Such a beautiful view of the beach from the top. A very interesting story, a warm welcome and home made wooden fire pizza!

Generosity and kindness; in times of need. Our hearts a bit bruised still after our trip to Australia and Buenos Aires and the despair of the mould in our home. It was really nice to relax among family. He helped Hecti with some fixing of the car and she talks about her trouble family past. They were strength and calmness all in one. And we found in them also a home for our home when we are leaving in a few month time.

May 2018

Overwhelmed. Confused and upset. This was pretty much the feeling when we got reunited once again with SalSolcito. It has been a very intense 8 months of separation. Now we are grandparents! We left SalSolcito in Lima, rushed to be in Baires as my dad was very sick. We left her in very good hands, family. Back in Australia we were in a roller-coaster of emotions. 4 houses, living on a suitcase, working and welcoming our little joy, Archie. We got so closed to him, we were there for the first day and pretty much every single day after for his first 5 months of life. We left him when he started to recognise us and it was such a difficult goodbye. We spent the next 10 days back in Baires viewing and reviewing all his photos and videos. The only consolation being that in 2 months time we were seeing him again in Argentina.




Lima and its terrible weather, humidity has got into every single space in SalSolcito. Fungus here and there and practically all the clothes inside had to be washed. Luckily we found a great place to clean her thoroughly, including all the seats and couch covers.








We started slowly our way to the north. Looking, as always, for sun, warmth and sea. It took us more than 3 hours just to leave Lima, such a mess city. 3 days later, many many little towns after and oh so many potholes we still have not arrived!

We arrive late as we ere so desperate for a rest and beach. What we found was solace, and kindness and time to recover. We spent then 4 days cleaning- all (including our heads and hearts) to be ready once again to be on the road. The perfect place, the perfect time.