Ecuador, Cotopaxi

Ok guys, after some distractions from Kindles and spring, I'll continue with the trip to Ecuador. After having shopped in Otavalo,  went on to Cotopaxi province which is named after the world's highest active volcano. We stayed at a really nice hostel called the "Puerto de Corezon" or in English the door to the heart. It was a really nice place, quite luxurious, with good food. The hostel is at 3600 meters which means that we went to bed exhausted.
The next day off we went to climb Cotopaxi. The bus wheezed up to 4500 meters and from there we hoofed it up to the glacier at 5000 meters. Believe me when I tell you that at 5000 meters (16400 feet) the old engine really pumps oil. ;o) At that a height you are only breathing in 50% of the oxygen you get at sea level, so the only way to go is slow but sure by just putting one foot in front of the other.

Cotopaxi

A traveling we will go...

I haven't blogged in a while, being too busy and tired. (I sometimes feel that I should be paid by the kilometre.) We just got back from our annual class trip to Washington. Yes I know it's a h*ll of a long way from home but Boston and New York are taken by the other grades so off we go to Washington. This year we left on a Tuesday morning at 7 am and arrived in Philadelphia in the afternoon where we visited the historical city. We then went to the hotel and the next morning we left or Washington. Having arrived there we then visited the museums (Smithsonian and Holocaust) and walked around the monuments (Lincoln, Washington, FDR, Jefferson, and the war memorials) and streets of the city. The Americans sure know how to build monumental buildings in white marble. After three days we finally got back on the bus and after having driven all night, (realizing that I'm getting way too old to be trying to sleep on a bus) we finally arrived back at school. The trip went well and the kids loved it. What impressed the students the most you ask? Well the Holocaust Museum and the war memorials (Vietnam and Korean) as well as the Lincoln memorial were probably their favourites as well as the Medieval Banquet they participated in. The girls were all sighing over the Blue Knight who was our section's champion. The boys however were much more interested in the sword battles on horseback. ;o)