Miss Mali rides the bus…..

What a trooper is my Miss Mali, always ready for an adventure!! We were once again on our way to Las Esperanza to meet with Condor and his family to discuss a project for the community. We planned to stay overnight and felt this was too long for Miss Mali to be left here. It would be asking the family a lot to look after her in our absence as they are quite busy. Also I did not wish to leave her, thinking it would be difficult for her to understand and it would be quite lonely for her as well. We were planning a trip to the small volcano the following day which I knew she would love to be part of – she loves her walks, so for these reasons we brought her with us despite the complications that could arise.

So when the bus came and while we waited to see if Mali was going to be allowed to join us, we could see that she was very unsure about this idea. The driver said to come on board, while the assistant loading the bags underneath the bus said no she was not allowed. So I was getting mixed signals and even though I had started to get on, I was uncertain and stepped back down. When they finally decided and I looked back as I made my way to the stairs, you could see the wheels spinning behind those beautiful eyes of Miss Mali, calculating and weighing the possibilities. She suddenly made up her mind that despite her fear of this great big car, it was better to board than be left behind, so up she went. However, she did not go to the passenger part of the bus, instead joining the driver, much to his shock. Then misunderstanding the alarm in his voice and his hand waving signals, she jumped into the co-pilots chair, ready to go. So a few minutes of panic and confusion, while we convinced her to join us in the passenger end of the bus. Once we did that she was fine, just a bit confused by the amount of people and the very bumpy ride. They have huge speed bumps here and when the bus goes over one, your belly does a flip flop as your butt leaves the seat and you are temporarily airborne. Great fun, but poor Miss Mali was a little unsettled by this motion.

Once I opened the window and she got a whiff of the cooking smells from the street vendors, she forgot that she was confused and reached up, her front paws on the seat and her nose at the window.

Opening the window a bit more enabled her to stick her nose out further….

And as her curiosity got the better of her…..

She just enjoyed the smells and the small view she had. All was good at this point, just another adventure. A little awkward getting off the bus, but overall she did so good, just another day in the life…

Then it was onto the next bus as we had to transfer at the terminal in Ibarra. There were less people on the bus so she ended up with her own seat, although this was probably not allowed, we just all pretended it was fine. By this time it was becoming more comfortable for her and she began to enjoy the ride much like she would in the back seat of the car back home, watching everything that passed by her with curiosity.

We got several strange looks from the people on the street or waiting at the bus stop, plus many smiles as Mali watched them all disappear behind her. We got to La Esperanza and began to enjoy the day.

The beautiful home of our hosts in this lovely village or community as they say.

Mali settled right in making friends with Chino their dog while we held our meeting and then went for a walk to see the community that we were hoping to work with.

Along the way we saw this wonderful painting on the side of someone’s home which was done by Condor. I just thought it was so beautiful, I could not help but admire the simple yet dramatic beauty as it captured me. The eyes were amazing!!

I absolutely love this mans work, there is so much love and inspiration in every piece. I wish I had that kind of talent.

We had a lovely meal at Condors home after our walk, but first, before walking down to his home, Patrick and I each went to our assigned rooms to put away our belongings. I had such a lovely room across the patio from the main house. I had to climb some unique stairs, ducking my head as I went, entering into this very quaint and lovely bedroom. There was a bathroom and sitting room below which Patrick and I would be sharing. As I turned at the top of the stairs, I found myself staring at my fathers image and had to sit down as I absorbed what I was seeing, tears filling my eyes. It took me by surprise bringing to mind the moments shared with him that I have been able to recall over the years, close again. Especially so since having just discussed my story with Miguel and his wife. It was as if his spirit was here in this place showing me the way, letting me now that everything would be ok, he was here.

It was a bit of a surprise to find myself looking at this famous image of him in this remote place, but yet it was very appropriate. Our host has a degree in many things including human trafficking. Che Guevara is a name that carries respect here, his evolvement with the poor and the hope to improve their lives, is a story that is appreciated here. Miguel is someone who understands what is in my heart, he says knowing the full scope of the tragedies carried on in his country, as well as the other South American countries. It is not easy to describe how comforting it is to speak with someone, not in depth because of the language barrier, but still with enough conveyed for me to be understood completely. He said there are many here with stories like mine, but these people do not have the courage to speak about it. He seemed grateful for my ability to speak of my past and my wish to share it, his hope was to help me find a way to share it with more people believing it to be a very important story. I did my best not to lose control of my emotions, but the tears caught in my throat as I sobbed lightly while sitting at his table listening to him as he lent his support. At last I had met someone who completely understood me and respected me for my decision to tell the truth despite the possible backlash. In some places it would still not be safe for me to speak of my past, but I have lived my whole life in a prison made of my fear. It is time to stand up and trust in that truth to carry me – it is a beautiful freedom to finally talk about it.

As we walked the road we came across 2 dead tarantulas, and I have to admit that I felt a bit of concern about the possibility of seeing a live one. Walking home that night from the store, this did indeed happen to me, with one walking right in front of me. One more step and I would have stepped on it, that was how close it was. My heart was racing as I watched it move past me, and for a few seconds I felt the panic and fear of my childhood fill my mind. As it turned out Patrick found many of these spiders in the yard, when he made a trip to the washroom That evening. Unfortunately for me they were on the path I would take back to my room which made my heart skip a few beats. He was kind enough to walk back with me when it was time to turn in, using his flashlight to point out where each of them was in the grass. I swallowed my fear walking as quickly as I dared trying to get to the doorway of my cabina without crying out in fear. These spiders do not climb walls like some others, so I knew once I went upstairs I would be fine, but I still had to make sure there were none lurking in the sitting room or bathroom. Once I settled that in my mind I made a dash for the safety of my room, leaving Patrick who was like a little kid checking each spider with his flashlite in hand, trying to pick one up. While he explored this little spider Adventureland I closed the door and headed for my room. As I lay in bed with my fathers picture on the wall representing love, and the knowledge of the spiders below my room, representing the fear of my torture, I wondered at the turns my life have taken this past year and the path I have begun to walk. I still have trouble believing I am here taking these steps to my freedom.

The next morning I found I had a beautiful golden dragonfly trapped in my room.

A symbol it seems, confirming the importance of my presence here in this place that has listened to me and wishes to help me find peace. After a few efforts, he let me catch him in my hands and release him to the garden.