OK Kids sorry, really I am. I am here in Cuenca trying to upload pictures on this MAD FAST net connection but no pasa nada. Irritating. So instead of giving you pictures whihc would be worth a thousand words I will try to give you some words that are worth what I figger to be about 1/1000th of the corresponding pictures....... best I can do with this short time constraint.

Mom and I have been having a blast since she got here. Several nights at the Marriott in Quito, which is pretty much the best hotel in the country. (Like anyone can even KNOW that, Napoleon.) ((Sorry, we watche ND last night on the laptop..)) Went shopping in Otavalo in the shadow of the Volcano Imbabura, which I hope to climb or walk up at least one of these days.... Otavalo is the biggest and best indigenous crafts market in on the continent. Maybe mom brought something back for you!?!?! Anyways, after that we hung out and went whitewater rafting in the Oriente, which is the westernmost part of what extends to become the greater Amazon rainforest basin basicaly. AWESOME. The boat fliped on a rapid called Curvas Peligrosas (Dangerous Curves) and we all sucked some major river water, I think I even swallowed a fish. I had to remind mom to breathe and stay calm, which uhh, might have saved her life, who knows... anyways that was a radical trip and I hope to post pics soon. The day after that we were bac in Quito and climbed the dormant peak of Volcan Pichincha. I summited alone but mom made it a very respectable way up. The top is around 15,500 feet and the panoramic view is PHREAKING off the chain. Pics to come of course. Ohter volcanoes were visible like Cayambe, Antisana, and Cotopaxi, all of which my favorite lady-type person has already climbed. I´m making plans to climb Cotopaxi in October. That´s the second highest ontain in Ecuador and by some accounts the highest active volcano in the world. Sweet. Gonna be tough as crap I bet. Well, bring it on.

SO, after leaving Quito (I bussed the ten hours down to Cuenca while mom flew and got a pedicure.) we headed to Cuenca, passing and flying over the Avenue of the Volcanoes and through some incredible Andean scenery... In Cuenca we met up with the Chuffy Mc Chuff and got some good Colombian eats, then the next day the three of us did a hike in Parque Nacional Cajas, where mom saw something she should never have had to se. (SORRY! It´s just that I didn´t want to get tan lines in this harsh equatorial sun, you know how it is!) Llamas and hikes and hitchiking in the back of a pickup truck at 13,000+ feet later we were back in Cuenca and just hung out until it was time to say godby fr four days and head to my site, where the fun of course ensued. I helped the mama to some platos tipicos, the famous local coffee (she might be bringing some to you heheheheh) and the there was the requisite adventuring... she brought me my ninja style grappling hook from home so I went to a shop and bought almost 10 feet of cheapo rope to tie onto it, then we rode on the roof of a truck down into a valley and started climbing a waterfall, using the rope apparatus to get up. After a while we found a nice pool that was watery and sunny simultanously and so she took a pit (book) stop while I stripped of shirt and continued upwards, where I eventually found a spot to sun myself yet again althoug here at the lower elevation the climate was much ore agreeable to my fumundaregions.... Saw a possibly undiscovered species of praying mantis but was without my camera for once in my life! Last night we climbed a hil and watched the sunset after doing our sandals about 6 miles of damage, and today she leaves. Gottarun now, sorry for the quickness and probable typos. All the best to yas, and I´ll get the pics up when I can. Kisses and all that. Oh yeah and damn that sucks about Steve Irwin. That was a real RIPPA!