Cumpleaños Feliz

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Originally uploaded by Cameron/Duff.

my b-day
For my 33rd birthday I woke up early and dined on fried plantains, corn tortillas, rice, and strong coffee with fresh cream. Chickzilla, Po, Tavis, and I accompanied a group of french people to visit the condor rehabilitation project. We bumped over the cobbles and mud standing in the back of a pick up truck. The misty air (free of rain for the first time in days) whipped around our hair and scarves and hurt our teeth as the giant green mountains rushed by. I translated from Spanish to English, which was then translated from English to french to communicate the story of these birds and then of one of the french man's connection to one of the ecuadorian workers sisters, who is living in france. Later, i knitted while my friends cooked and hid me in my room. In the afternoon, i ate inordinate amounts of sugar with the kids in the library, played pin the tail on the donkey, musical chairs, charades, and pictionary. They played with their finger puppets i brought them from Octavalo. When i got home, a huge vase of flowers awaited, along with a chocolate chake and the neighbors kids. They sang happy birthday and we giggled and ate. In the evening came the consumption of a birthday bottle of wine and another bottle of Zhumar. the day ended with cards, warm and sleepy, and I felt loved and special, home in my bed far away from home.