Feb 24th 2009 - Plant Life

I didn’t get the best night sleep but it was handy and I woke feeling brighter than I had at the start of the last few days. More bites meant more annoying itching but is starting to feel like the norm. However fried banana and cheese for breakfast is always going to put you in the right mood!

We had more Spanish lessons today and we had the same group as before but with a few more of the Danes. I think I’m at the bottom of the class but nevermind, you can’t have it all! It’s a lovely environment to learn in though, with hummingbirds whizzing around, the noise of the forest floating through the air and beautiful plants everyone, but it might be a bit too nice for learning as I am continuously disrupted by what is around me.

I absolutely love Puerto Quito. I don’t mind having no TV, I’m not bothered about finding an internet café to check in with home and I’m not even fussed about finding out the football results. The only annoyance is the mosquitoes. The hostel is beautiful (even when it rains) and the company is fabulous. It is very easy to get mentally lost here and not be worried about finding a way out.

Our afternoon excursion was to a tropical fruit plantation, we again got a pick up truck there with Maïté and Rachel trying not to touch the sides which was very entertaining. It was so lovely to walk around the plantation – we saw cocoa plants, caca leaves, some wonderful fruit, leaves which retract when they are touched, leaves which can help cure cancer, tall trees many metres high, tiny beautiful flowers and much more besides. The owner was a nice, old man who only spoke Spanish so I struggled to understand whenever Maïté wasn’t around but he seemed to enjoy himself – taking his machete to even the smallest of plants – and his smile was heartwarming.

After returning to the hostel I played table tennis with Mia and Josefine (an experience everyone should have). By this time I was already writing about how much I loved spending time with these two as everything was always so easy, nice and fun. Table tennis became a laugh-a-minute sport and whether its serious conversation or silly laughs, I always found myself enjoying their company.

Tea was nice – it was good to have some meat with our rice for a change. The majority of the meal and the evening I spent with the Danes, relaxing, listening to their conversation (I love the sound of the Danish language!), making silly faces, going over photos and doing some candlewax work. In the candlelight it was magical.

Just before going to bed Sally, Maïté and Chloe headed for a walk to the pool. When I turned up Chloe was upset and when we spoke she said that it was only because she really liked me. I tried to reassure her that I really liked her too – and I do – but I am also worried about us getting too deep too soon. We have only been together for a few days but have been thrown into a really intense relationship due to the circumstances straight away. It would be nice to have some time to court instead of being too full on.