The Baby Blog!

After much anticipation (under -exaggeration!), we are the VERY proud uncle (soon enough) and aunt of Lara Beth Aitken, born at 9am (after waiting a few days she was suddenly in a hurry), 10th August. Mum, Dad and Bub all well. We have the official word from her big brother Zeza that she´s bweeetiful. CONGRATULATIONS Mandy & Paul!!

While Mandy was in labour, Kaz was having her own struggles, hanging on to the back of a quad bike for dear life as Stu "MacQueen" Wales hooned around perilously steep and gravelly corners for a stunning view of the active Volcan Tungurhua but more about that later...




Back in Caracas....being the organised duo that we usually aren´t (or Kaz is, Stu ain't) we had a nice little hotel, close to the airport booked so we would be in plenty of time to catch our afternoon flight to Quito, Ecuador (for those geographically challenged). No need, flight was delayed until 8pm anyway. No worries, plenty of time to make more annoying calls to United, wander the airport corridors and blow the budget on duty free delights mmm....8pm came and went and still no plane let alone flight. Became suspicious when the airport intercom summoned us to the most remote (out of sight) gate in the airport. Pandemonium was in full swing by the time we´d spent our last Bolivars and sauntered down to Gate 25. Apparently our plane had swallowed a bird and we weren´t going anywhere except the Caracas Hilton - YIPEE!! (Stu doing the victory bounce on the bed). We tried to look annoyed in keeping with the other passengers, most of whom had travelled directly from Germany and had lost any patience they might have had to jetlag "It´s enough! It´s enough. Just give me the keys!"

After the biggest, most luxurious breakfast we´ve had for 6 months AND a bubble bath (whoo hoo!!), some protesting began in the Hilton lobby resulting in the Hilton booting us out. Back to the airport for more thumb twiddling... They promised a flight at 7pm. At 9m one comic passenger starting impersonating staff (waving finger behind the boarding counter and calling out No Quito!). By this point the staff had already packed up and gone home. We were beginning to lose hope...

Finally, Avionica Air stepped in to take us to Quito. The whole plane errupted into applause when we eventually touched down in Ecuador at around 12pm. Unfortunately we had landed in Guayaquil at the other end of Ecuador to Quito. Close but no cigar. Another free nights accomodation maybe?? More protests in Ecuador customs and confused looks when half a plane didn´t want to enter the country until a Santa Barbara rep came and sorted things out. The Santa Barbara rep, already curled up in bed wasn´t going to be disturbed and left the airport to clean up the mess. At least our bags made it unlike half of the other passengers´ luggage (good ol' pigglets). After another night of free, classy accommodation (no complaints from the backpackers) someone was trying to organise a flight up to Quito at 7am. Too early for us, we decided to call it quits and just start our exploration of Ecuador from Guayaquil instead.

After a bun fight for double-allocated bus seats and some passing of the piglets out of the bus window we set off on our first real chicken bus trip for Riobamba. Five hours of steady hillside climbing, things started getting chilly and we started getting hungry. (They´ll have to make a food/toilet stop on a 5 hour trip won´t they?) Apparently not. Not to worry, Kaz waved her arm out of the window at a local woman with a big cooking pot and rustled up a bag of pork, fried plantains and unusually large white corn. Turned out to be a bit of a mistake as we found out later that evening - won´t publish the details ;-) Or it could have been the ice-cream...everytime we dropped off a passenger some enterprising local jumped on and sold random nibbles. Try eating a juicy chunk of pineapple on a moving bus - sticky!

Feeling the effects of our new high altitude location in our aching lungs and limbs we huffed and puffed around Riobamba - 2800 metres above sea level. Either the level of oxygen has dropped dramatically or we have spent too long lazing on beaches - probably a bit of both.

Sitting in the local plaza sipping our morning coffees we knew we were starting a completely different experience on our South American adventure as we watched locals walk past in traditional costumes, women carrying their bubs wrapped up in blankets on their backs. Most have time for a friendly beunos dias, como estas? which is lovely. Riobamba was a brief stop, just long enough to start our acclimatisation process, suss out the ridiculously cheap and tastey food of Ecuador and for Stu to learn his lesson for the week (see below).

A little further up the bumpy road is Ecuador´s economical version of Chile´s Pucon. Pretty town in the Andes with an active volcano bubbling away in the background and a plethora of sporty type activities and tastey gringo restaurants - yum! After dropping off some smelly laundry (ahh the glamour of travel) our first task was to climb the hill on the other side of the gorge which borders the town. Weazing like old folks on three packs a day 15 minutes into our walk we both thought "sod-it" and took the detour, contouring around to the rickety bridge at the other end of town. Confirmed by our local straw-poll that the muddy, donkey poo strewn riverbed which we were following was the only way down we back tracked through the mud again and hoped for the best.

Walking around Baños has a sarcastic edge, as the gringos struggle up the hills they're overtaken by local kids skipping past and octagenarians striding with a purpose, not even pausing for breath to shout a chirpy Buenos tardes. All a bit bruising for the old ego...

We learnt our lesson quickly, the next try at getting up the hill for the stunning views of the volcano was power assisted. This was particulary satisfying when powering past other gringos struggling on foot while Stu revved up the quad bike and mastered the clutch. We'll gloss over the three thousand times he stalled it. Volcan Tungurhua last flipped its lid mid July. We're hoping the signs in front of every tour shop saying "Volcano eruption, 9:30pm daily" are just tourism propoganda.

Also met some interesting foreign folk in Baños including a raving Danish woman and a mud brick building Scottish lass - keeps life interesting.

To further dispel our beach bum image we hired bikes today and rode the 20km along the road to Rio Verde, taking in some pretty scenery and impressive waterfalls along the way. Ok Ok it was all down hill and the bus took us and our bikes back up but acclimatisation is all about baby steps, honest. Making absolutely sure we hadn´t over done it, Stu retired to our favourite cafe for a pint by the fire while Kaz had tomorrow´s breakfast smeared on her face. Nice facial - but there´s still bits of honey behind her ears... Yummy.

Love Kaz and Stu

Lesson of the week: Never let anyone under 5ft tall cut your hair. Mohicans are sooo last season.

Gaffe of the week: Kaz took a step back and was about to complain when she thought Stu was popping off again only to find a snuffling pig on the walking trail. Sorry Stu!

Tastey treat of the week: Local sticky toffee, Molcocho, made by throwing it randomly at a door frame. This one has dentists rubbing their hands in glee.

Shout out of the week: Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Shaun Kenny on their recent nuptuals, nice work fella!!