The HotRock climbing tour has come to an end for me. I´m now spending a few days in Quito to sort myself out before starting the next leg of my travels which is an organic agriculture and sustainability course on the coast of Ecuador. Meanwhile I´m intensively learning salsa in Quito - let´s see how that pans out.
So it´s time to reflect on what I have enjoyed, disliked and learned over the last 5 months.
I love the great outdoors - mother nature´s finest. I went for another walk by myself the other day - this time up a volcano, though I didn´t get anywhere near the top. I loved the beauty of the place and the physical nature of the walk. But there was something else that made me enjoy this walk - I had my MP3 on shuffle and I listened to good track after good track throughout the whole of the walk - it just made me feel so good. I was walking down a canyon and just as I approached the top of a waterfall a Faithless track which I love came on. So I stood on the top of a boulder at the top of this waterfall and danced to the whole track - it was awesome. I like this saying - "dance like nobody´s watching". Well, there was noboy else for miles around so I really was dancing just for me and I loved it.
Another thing I love is bivvying out. Literally just a sleeping bag outside - no tent. It feels so nice. The stars are hanging over your head throughout the night. You wake up to the pre dawn light. It´s a beautiful feeling that lasts with you throughout the day. Closely connected to this is an early morning swim. I love swimming outside at anytime, but waking up and dropping straight in to the ocean is so special and infinitely better than a morning shower. I have really vivid memories of similar experiences with a swimming pool at a friend´s house in Spain and a fresh water lake in Portugal.
At this beach spot there were some Australians living in the house next door. The location was beautiful but so remote. They talked to us for hours - I guess that they get to enjoy their ocean views every day, but don´t get much in the way of company. Much as I´m an outdoors person, and much as I appreicate my own time and space - I know that I couldn´t live in such isolation.
Dancing for me is a big part of my life, and it is very natural - just letting your body flow with the rhythym of the music. Going to bed just after dusk and getting up at dawn also feels very natural to me. Yet these don´t go together. Dancing is predominantly a nighttime activity - it just feels better that way. I guess I´ll have to find the balance between these two things.
A final thing that made me laugh the other day. I walked by a funeral home and it advertised a "permanent service". Perhaps death is only a temporary concept over here.
Well.... Yes in a big part of our society dancng is a night thing, however in many latin american countries it is a part of your day. While you work or if a good sOng comes On and sOmeone is there to enjoy it with you and if not, you can just dance it yourself.
ReplyDeleteI have danced so much wity Gabriel that he was dancing before he could walk! You will find you perfect balance!
Nice to read how nice it is! Pin