Cheers

The students leave tomorrow morning and all there is to do today is clean the house and pack. Spic and spam to the sound of pop-music cranked reverberating through the house. I have other more pressing things to do and so like an absentee overseer I dictate the cleaning and ran off. I have to finish up my Ecuadorian visa bureaucracy before I leave else I can't come back next semester. I picked up my passport from FCT's office and ran down to the census bureau. I have to officially register and be issued my identity card. Meanwhile I'm distracted in the waiting room by a big screen of tortuous Latin American soap operas. A few people used this distraction to jump in front of me but eventually I tore my eyes away to get my visa card complete with a funny photo that makes me look like a pop icon punk rocker... I don't even know. I did shave the handlebars off though I must confess for the occasion :)

All is packed up and clean, wrapped up and in order. Our last night together and we went out for dinner to an Italian restaurant in the centro Coral and I found on our very first night in Cuenca. We really just come here for the spinach ravioli in mushroom cream sauce. It is truly divine. Powercuts and darkness come as unpredictable as they always do and we find ourselves gathered around intimately by candlelight after the lamps go dark. What a lovely night and a great bunch of students, of people I have come to know. I think I will miss them, even Alex. So well done. Pat yourself on the back Jesse. You did it.

Cheers.