The Small Business Development volunteers here in the canyon are developing a bicycle tour to promote tourism in the canyon. To finalize some decisions they needed someone to actually bike the proposed route. So, Tim and I decided to spend a few days making our butts and legs sore cycling through the canyon.
We took a bus to meet up in Chivay, then biked to Madrigal. 5 hours
We slept over night at my site, then entered the canyon going straight down (kind of felt like an extreme sport). Once we crossed the river the incline was so intense we had to walk a good portion of it. We ended at another volunteer's site called Cabanaconde. 7hours
In the morning tim bussed back to his site, but there are no buses that go from Cabanaconde to Madrigal. So, i biked back. 4 hours
Absolutely beautiful trip, and it felt SO good because it was so challenging!
The trip gave me a lot of time to think.
Honestly, I found myself thinking a lot about Cesar. While we have cultural differences that are strong and those differences give us moments of pain that is hard for both of us, we have an understanding for one another that is unexplainable, and maybe un-understandable to anyone but us.
When someone hurts me, I cut them off. I don't let them hurt me again.
He gets defensive when he gets hurt. He is accustomed to people (father, mother, brothers, aunts, uncles) cutting him off because of their own selfishness.
We both made mistakes in our relationship and even after a month of doing very well on our own we still longed for each other's presence. We weren't communicating because we realized our lifestyles just clashed too hard for us to be happy together. He is extremely social an charismatic. He has a handful of friends, some I get along with, some I don't. I am a bit more private. I really like just me time with the earth and animals when I am not working. I like small intimate conversations with close friends and he likes large parties with multiple acquaintances.
I sent him a message when we got off the bikes in Cabanaconde. It was the first time we had communicated in weeks, and I said simply something like, "You are in my thoughts. All I can do is hope that the social lifestyle you have chosen makes you happy. I wish our lifestyles were more similar and you were here with me, I want to conquer the world, just you and me. If there comes a day that you want that too, please come to me and I will be yours."
He called back quickly to tell me he loved me too and that he was sending me a birthday present on the 9pm bus to Madrigal the next day that I should go pick up. With silent polite and sad smiles we hung up.
At 9pm on the 18th Cesar de-boarded the bus in Madrigal. It was extremely romantic and some townsfolk started smiling and giggling and spreading the gossip immediately. He was with me for the first time in my territory. He saw my world for the first time and saw why I love it. He is currently pursuing a managerial position at a hostal in Cabanaconde so we will only be half a day's hike apart.
I love him, and the foolish love makes me happier than I have ever been in a relationship even through the cultural struggles.
I ask that all of my friends and family please be patient with us.
I have seen frustration on his side and on yours due to small misunderstandings that are almost always cultural.
Please, know that though I talk to you when things are rough, he is here by my side supporting me and loving me like no partner ever has. Please, support me in the decisions I make for me. The 24 hours of following him stepping off the bus were some of the happiest in my life as you can see in the April 19th entry to come...
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