I'm a little stuck between a rock and hard place with this blog - some of you chastise me for not writing often enough - others chastise me for writing in English, other chastise me for having too much time on my hands. So I won't try and artfully craft a work of literary art this time.
The truth is you can't be doing and seeing things all the time, nor should you try. I have reached the stage in Quito where I don't need to be doing the sightseeing anymore - this is the transition from visiting a place to living in it. The Lonely Planet is not another ticklist for me to work my way through - I don't have a need to do and see and everything. The trick is to live in the present, enjoy experiences and relationships without worrying too much about what you could do or haven't done. Nice words, now to live by them. On the next leg of my journey to Peru I shall try to savour the experiences and the places without having to do all the sights.
I am travelling over land by bus to Peru next week. Hopefully I can get there without being robbed - three of my friends had things stolen last week, so vigilance is definitely on the cards.
I would like to stay here to get better at Spanish. The school is good; I do enjoy the learning, and meeting other students. And I am also starting to get to know the family better, another result of living and not visiting. But in other ways I am ready to leave Quito, for new challenges.
The Spanish school has a transitory feel to it with new people arriving and leaving all the time. It is sad to keep meeting people, making friends and parting, but this is unavoidable when travelling. A saying a friend told me recently: We shall meet twice in life, ...
This week I have been learning and reading a very little about South American politics and history. In particular, I am interested in the idea of a United States of South America. This was first proposed by Simon Bolivar in the 18th Century and is currently undergoing a revival in part due to Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela. He wants to move South America away from dependency on the world bank, the IMF, and the subsequent need to subscribe to the washington consensus.
In 2004, the countries in South America signed the Cusco Declaration - the intention being to build a union modelled on the EU, with open borders, free trade, and a single currency.
The more things I learn about, and the more I see of the world, the more I realise how little I know. But life is so short there will never be enough time to learn about everything of interest. Is it better to know a little about everything or a lot about a few things? I hope with my forthcoming PhD I picked the right specialism.
And the Lonely Planet is not infallible - I found a mistake in it when I discovered the climbing wall was not where they said it was. So perhaps I will get my name in the next edition in the list of contributors of corrections. Other things I did recently include: visiting the overrated market town of Quito, attending a local football match, straddling the Ecuador at the tourist musem with suspect scientific experiements, and ascending the cable car for a view of Quito. Tuesday was a national holiday for Labour day.
Will probably write next from Lima, in a couple of weeks.
FC
The truth is you can't be doing and seeing things all the time, nor should you try. I have reached the stage in Quito where I don't need to be doing the sightseeing anymore - this is the transition from visiting a place to living in it. The Lonely Planet is not another ticklist for me to work my way through - I don't have a need to do and see and everything. The trick is to live in the present, enjoy experiences and relationships without worrying too much about what you could do or haven't done. Nice words, now to live by them. On the next leg of my journey to Peru I shall try to savour the experiences and the places without having to do all the sights.
I am travelling over land by bus to Peru next week. Hopefully I can get there without being robbed - three of my friends had things stolen last week, so vigilance is definitely on the cards.
I would like to stay here to get better at Spanish. The school is good; I do enjoy the learning, and meeting other students. And I am also starting to get to know the family better, another result of living and not visiting. But in other ways I am ready to leave Quito, for new challenges.
The Spanish school has a transitory feel to it with new people arriving and leaving all the time. It is sad to keep meeting people, making friends and parting, but this is unavoidable when travelling. A saying a friend told me recently: We shall meet twice in life, ...
This week I have been learning and reading a very little about South American politics and history. In particular, I am interested in the idea of a United States of South America. This was first proposed by Simon Bolivar in the 18th Century and is currently undergoing a revival in part due to Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela. He wants to move South America away from dependency on the world bank, the IMF, and the subsequent need to subscribe to the washington consensus.
In 2004, the countries in South America signed the Cusco Declaration - the intention being to build a union modelled on the EU, with open borders, free trade, and a single currency.
The more things I learn about, and the more I see of the world, the more I realise how little I know. But life is so short there will never be enough time to learn about everything of interest. Is it better to know a little about everything or a lot about a few things? I hope with my forthcoming PhD I picked the right specialism.
And the Lonely Planet is not infallible - I found a mistake in it when I discovered the climbing wall was not where they said it was. So perhaps I will get my name in the next edition in the list of contributors of corrections. Other things I did recently include: visiting the overrated market town of Quito, attending a local football match, straddling the Ecuador at the tourist musem with suspect scientific experiements, and ascending the cable car for a view of Quito. Tuesday was a national holiday for Labour day.
Will probably write next from Lima, in a couple of weeks.
FC
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1 comment:
hmmmm, I read this after my email speculating on your next destination. Peru it is! Don't forget, just because you're leaving the Spanish school doesn't mean your Spanish knowledge will become stagnant.
Lastly, your friend who said "hopefully we'll meet twice in life..." sounds very wise:) My question is how much is left to fate, how much to coincidence, and how much to the power to choose your own ending?!
KP
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