We've had almost a whole month in Montañita now and our Spanish classes have come to an end. Its going to be quite sad to leave here as we've established a great group of friends who have all been here pretty much since we arrived or have left only to return a few days later. Its quite strange saying goodbye to some of these friends because its not like friends from back home that you know you will soon see again.
Kajsa and I are off to the Galapagos for a week from today. Mark, Ross, Sana and Sadie are heading inland for the week after which Mark comes back to meet me in Montañita so we can gather our stuff and head off on the cycle, Sana returns to Sweden and Ross and Sadie go off to hike some volcanoes before Ross continues to Columbia.
Trying to organise the trip to the Galapagos has been quite a task! Finding a cruise at a slightly less crazy price than the other crazy prices is not easy. For one the airlines that fly there do not allow you to book on-line or even pay over the phone so going through an agent and getting a package deal turned out to be the easiest and cheapest option but even this can be a challenge when you are not fluent in Spanish!
The last few weeks have been crazy as Montañita was hosting the Festival of San Icidro Labrador (spanish for St. Icidro laborer) - the local church has been totally revamped and all festivities occur somewhere near the church but only really saw anything going on inside on of the church on the last day of the festivities when everyone had all but partied themselves out. The first night a Wed was nuts - it was fireworks and the local 'bull run' where all the kids in town gather in a circle around a man with a paper cow on his head - then they light it and fireworks start flying in all directions - this is when he starts running at the kids - what a laugh - the kids (and us) go mad and naturally start a stampede in the opposite direction. Next up was the flying airplanes that are precariously tied to what looks like an old washing line - only when they wondered over with the torch to light it did we realise we were standing under neath the next big attraction.
The following 3 nights followed in similar fashion with things only really dying down at about 6am - even the old folk sit around in plastic chairs observing the festivities well into the early morning. By the last day the locals had all but given up on opening their shops in the morning as most of them were recovering from the night before. All this excitement has meant that the last few weeks have flowen by - run (when feeling energetic), school, breakfast, beach, nap, school, nap, sun-downers on the beach, dinner, fiesta, somewhere along the line cram in home work (or just don't do it), sleep, run...and so it goes on.
Last night we had our big farewell fish braai and cocktails - South African style - lots of meat and drinks! Getting home at 4am again was not a good idea as just the thought of being on a boat is making me queezy - holding thumbs those sea sick tablets are supper effective!
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