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.

Two days become very quickly 10 days. It was the spot- a cul de sac just at the end of the beach- ; the sense of being part of a community- getting invited for dinner from everywhere; the huge prawns (the biggest we have ever seen!) coming fresh from the sea; the warm ocean; the flat beach; awesome waves; the sense of absolute calmness; and our beautiful "neighbours" (kayaks included!). On and all, San Jacinto is the perfect place. A paradaise, that we are not the first ones to discover as it shows by the so many expats who live here

Ecuador, August 2017

Crossing to Ecuador gave us a very different feeling. For starters it was the “captain” at the customs who not only allowed us to go without registering our car (the officer who does that was sick) but took a photo with us and gave us his personal phone number to call him while in Quito!

All we could see was green and green and more green. Bananas, plenty of them! Our first stop is the petrified forest- one of only 4 in the world. A quick walk and immediately surrounded by people who came to talk to us; telling them all what is good about their country. As it turned out we didn’t travel more than 20 km on that first week; so swamped by the hospitality of those first encounters. Dinner here and there. Our home filled with people and children who want to see more of our place. The crab festival in Naranjales attended by more than 3,000 people, the fun at the 7 Waterfalls- more like a rope course, and the thermal baths in Jesus Maria....where we ended up also being invited when in Guayaquil!

Duran/Guayaquil:

We stayed in Duran, just on the outskirts of Guayaquil and from there we did an awesome bike ride to Isla Santay; a 7 km boardwalk/bike that cross also to the city. There is a nice “Malecon” (promenade) in the city but apart from that, not much else to see. Almost two separate worlds in this city- like all the cities in south America. The very rich part- all with closed suburbs, nice shopping, clean streets...and the other part.

Bolivar & San Martin encounter in Guyaquil

The coastal way: Ruta del Sol (Spondylus)


Finally back on the ocean! Yupppyyy...I missed the sea so so much! The beaches in Ecuador strike me as so laid-back, so much nature with basic infrastructure. The weather is not coming along with us, cloudy-almost rainy- days, everyday...enough for walks sometimes and some pelota-paleta...but mostly days of cinema and eating. Montañita so very young and hippie, Olon very relaxed, Isla Salango where we took a boat and saw the whales! 6 of them, jumping and swimming in group, Puerto Lopez with a nice promenade

Received a whatsapp with the invite. Come over for “merienda” (dinner)...the whole family waiting for us to go to a restaurant. Couldn’t believe that even the grown up kids wanted to spend the Saturday night with us! And in our way back home...stopped at their parents home for a drink with cookies!

So generous in her invite. Stay in a safe place, a closed suburban with swimming pool. Ideal for these hot days in Guayaquil. All the teenagers on board to drive to the pizza place. Hecti birthday and a cake...and a promise to come back