Hotel Bonaventure Quito

... outside the Plaza de Toros)!
The matadors strode round the ring very proud and the bulls came out fighting (excuse the pun) ... then the stabbing of the bull began (the not so nice part) in order to aggitate the bull even more. The bull ends up running around with about 4 metal prods hanging from its upper neck and the blood oozing out. The matador then taunts the bull some more until he finally stabs it with a sword. The other matadors knacker ...

... worse. My ears prick up. After a load of talk between the ticket guy and the wasted people at the back they move one guy down the front to sit behind me and Nicki. He stinks like a dirty rum bottle and is falling all over the place. His girlfriend who's half hanging out doesn't look much better, eyeballs hanging out of her head and sweat dripping. Great! Why does the freeking weirdo get moved near us?

Oh well, things seem to die down a bit now apart ...

... myself just bef*re bed!

T*day we p*pped d*wn t* the l*cal markets, fun chatting and bargining. H*wev** I didnt buy much as I´m g*ing t* Otaval*. This t*wn is fam*us f*r its crafts and markets.

Aft** that Alfred* (Pedr*s friend / my salsa partn**) t**k me t* the ´Middle *f the Earth´ a v**y weird feeling! Their was a fiesta t*day with l*ts *f music and dancing. I th*ught it w*uld be full *f Eur*pean t*urists, h*wev** m*st pe*ple their w**e l*cal ...

... tour with the hotel and 3 other Venezuelan guests staying there, one of who had good enough English to translate for us all day what things we would be doing. We took a ride first to the ´El Telerferqo´ cable car where we could go to a great vantage point to see the whole of Quito from. Our host paid for us which meant we got a couple of dollars off the price as locals go for much cheaper than tourists, so we weren't allowed to talk in the queue and around the other helpers for ...

... on their happiness and satisfaction. And so I felt the sadness along with the Ecuadorians, as their chance to enter the world championships diminished a bit as they lost the game.
What my concerns are in regard to participant observation is if I am better able to understand the cultural, national, social, psychological and other perspectives of the whole bar scene by observing the fans or by being a fan. Some would argue by being both the (objectified) observer and the fan. And ...

... hiking. My glutes, quads, and calves are as sore as they've ever been and I'm walking on only the water pouches of liquid in the blisers on my feet. Crossing flat ground is almost bearable, climbing hills is painful, and descents are nearly impossible. Every time we sit for five minutes, I get up to find my muscles have frozen in place all over again. So yes, climbing a church tower seems like a grand idea.

We climb to the balcony and then above the nave, which we cross on ...

... br>
Relationship is not about a formula, it’s not about checking the things you do for someone off of a checklist; relationship is about clinging to someone because you love them; it’s about the time you spend with someone; it’s about intimacy.

Just like the girl clinged to me, I feel like sometimes I am clinging to God, or feel like I should be.

Kids can teach you a lot.

... of the border. Like he said it was very suspect. Jammed with locals everybody looks at me when I pass by the masses. Teenage kids whistle and motion to their friends of my presence and the taxi takes me to an alley, away from the crowds and stops. My heart is racing while a small crowd surrounds the taxi looking in. The guy riding shotgun rolls up my window and locks my door saying ¨dangerous area, hide the bag¨. He proceeds to tell me I need a ticket to ...

... united many countries in South America. The curious fact to note about Quito was its lack of Inca architecture - the Spanish had completely wiped out any trace of Inca work (or built upon their ruins) and replaced them entirely with Catholic churches. A return back to familiar territory, and to the crepes and waffles place marked the end of the day here, as the bad weather encroached.

Final day in Quito, and a busy one at that - we were looking forward to it, as we ...