camioneta surfing

It is pouring rain as it has been off and on for the last several days.  I thought I had the schedule figured out, sun in the morning and rain in the afternoons, but today I was all thrown off when it went and rained in the am. I’ve been working in the community garden lately, which is really cool.  First of all my walk to “work” is ridiculously beautiful (I will post a photo I promise) then I get to listen to the river while I sweat my happy ass off as I filth myself up in the dirt. 

I finally met with my counterpart yesterday who seems jazzed on whatever I want to do.  Also, he can make anything happen.  I told him I wanted to meet the person who worked the most in the garden and also meet someone to help familiarize me with native species.  Bam, this morning I woke up and he was here (it’s the same person).  This guy, lets just call him Luis, is freeking amazing.  So I worked in the garden with him most of the day and then while I wasn’t looking he built a shelter for the seed beds with nothing but bamboo and a machete. I was completely impressed. I think he might become my de facto counterpart because he is doing all the work I need to be a part of. 

In other news, my host family seems totally impressed with my cooking.  Now they want me to cook for them.  My host mom says she’d be the first one to sign up if I taught a cooking class.  I am pretty sure they love me.  My host sister wants me to help her study her English because she is taking classes in quito, it makes for some hilarious conversation especially when taken out of context, but yes girls do need nice legs.

I may/probably will start working with the school gardens in what I think will be two weeks, because my counterpart heard me say that I was interested in that, so I think he declared it would happen.  I hope my Spanish gets better soon. I’m ok with being an idiot with my host family but with people I respect and that already respect me, I don’t want to sound stupid.

Oh and camioneta surfing is riding in the back of a truck in surfer stance without holding on as some crazy as fuck driver takes sharp turns without slowing down.