Let´s hear it for the boys!

The boys have left me alone (fending off wolf whistles from the locals) in Latacunga today as they´re climbing the snow capped mountain, Cotopaxi. After witnessing what was meant to be a ´gentle´ climb at the lake (seriously, it was so hard core - Duncan even quit smoking for life afterwards*) there´s no way I´d even contemplate an actual Touching the Void type scenario.

They left me at 8am in bed watching Spanish Sesame Street (it´s the way to learn) and Spanish Art Attack (with a Neil Buchanan lookalike). After a bit more shut eye (I´ve been awake every morning at 5am - especially here as the church bells kick off at that time, although neither Duncan or Joubin believe me) I´ve ventured out to find pretty much everything closed. So I think it´s going to be a boring few hours as there´s not much to see that we haven´t already. Joubin´s requested that I hunt down the CD they play at the Columbian coffee house that we´ve been in everyday. It´s a compilation of `classics´ (Unchain my Heart, It must have been Love, Lady in Red, Wind of Change etc...) but sung in Spanish - and it´s the perfect, amusing soundtrack to our games of Uno (going down a storm, thanks Anna.) But I don´t think he´s going to be lucky this time.

Tomorrow the three of us are heading on, probably for the volcano town that´s on amber alert (we´ve been assured it´s safe to go) and then Riobamba after that. Then it´s the coast to really get to grips with the tan. I´m not doing too badly, although think I over did it yesterday. Apparently I looked `embarrassed´ at dinner last night, due to sun-burnt cheeks. Brilliant.

*It lasted 20 minutes...