9th October

Hello everybody,

First of all happy birthday to Stuart, have a good one!

We haven´t added a blog for nearly two weeks I realise now, so I thought I´d quickly add one. We are both fine but we don´t have a enormous amount of news this time, life in Zumbahua is becoming almost routine, which just goes to show that you can get used to basically anything!

Adele has been sent to Angamarca again but this time for four days, I would have gone as well but those English lessons and tiny houses won´t teach or build themselves so I´ve stayed in Zumbahua. At the weekend we went down to Latacunga (which we passed through in August on our way up here), not because we liked it that much but because we needed an ATM and there aren´t any anywhere else! While we were there we finally tried the city´s famous speciality, ´Chuchucara´ (or something similar) which basically consists of a huge fry up of bananas, potatoes, pork, pork scratchings, dumpling and popcorn (it isn´t exactly a light meal). We also picked up a guitar that we plan to take on our forthcoming travels!

Last week here in Zumbahua was pretty hectic, as basically all of the members of the OMG (the organisation that funds the hospital and school here) from all over Ecuador came here for a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the death of someone who used to work here. There were so many people that about 20 of us spent a whole morning just peeling potatoes and cooking on an industrial scale, and we met lots of people who have offered us lodgings on our way down to Peru (although unfortunately we won´t be able to stay long in Ecuador after we leave because of the visas)

I can´t think of anything else for now, hope you´re all keeping well!

Love Ross (and Adele)