Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Last days at home

I am nearing the time to leave home again. I think I have almost everything I need. Sometimes it feels like I've been home forever and I can't wait to leave, but other times it feels like I just got home and I just want one more week. One more week would be nice because I of course waited until now to get everything together and go shopping for the things that I need, but almost everything is done. One week from now I will be in Uganda. Actually, in about four days I will arrive in Entebbe. I will write back in here when something significant has happened, i.e. when I have arrived in Uganda. Until then, I will be hanging out at home. A new telenovela started in place of the one I just finished watching and I like it. Too bad I'll miss most of it while I'm gone. I'm also trying to finish up some books and clean up my room a bit, but time is slowly running out. Chao chao!

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Pictures

Hey all. I forgot one thing-the link to my pictures on Picasa, which is:

http://picasaweb.google.com/dutkoc

Enjoy!

'Mother Fire Throat'

Well, too bad I'm not in Riobamba anymore becuase it appears I'm missing quite a show. Volcan Tungurahua is doing a lot more these days than spewing out ashes. It's beginning to erupt. The government is starting to evacuate people (which I'm sure many of them aren't too happy about, especially after hearing about Peggy's ISP on exactly this topic). I remember when I was there around the 25th or 26th of November people began to get a little more concerned when more ash started spewing out and heading towards Riobamba, but now it looks like Banos is right in the way of lava flows. It would have been cool to see the eruption happening, but perhaps it's better for my lungs that I'm here and not there.

This is what the volcano looked like in November from the roof of my host family's home

Here are some stories, the first one in Spanish and the second one in English:

http://www.elcomercio.com/noticiaEC.asp?id_noticia=163628&id_seccion=10

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article3331315.ece

On another note, only two more weeks until I leave for Uganda. Things around here are kind of boring but I'm getting some reading done. It will be nice to have a change of pace, espcially in quite a different environment. I still miss Ecuador though-hopefully I will be able to go back soon. Hope everyone is staying healthy, happy, and safe.