The Mundial

The World Cup, or Mundial as they call it over here, is a pretty major event for South Americans. So it was that I found myself in the small Ecuadorian town of Latacunga surrounded by slow moving Toyota pick-up trucks honking their horns and spilling out hundreds of jubilant young people waving yellow flags. Ecuador had beaten Poland in their opening match and everyone was very very excited about it. What a contrast finding myself alone in a cafe the following morning watching England limp dismally to a win over fellow South Americans Paraguay.

We're holed up in a remote corner of the Andes for a few days, well away from the Mundial, enjoying invigorating walks at high altitude in spectacular mountain scenery. I haven't enjoyed the view from my bedroom window this much since I was in Nepal. We're staying at an American run eco-lodge equipped with every environmentally sustainable modernity you could require from 'dry toilets' through to a pet pig that eats the meagre leftovers that remain after sorting waste for recycling. There's also dogs and sheep to keep you company, and a llama that has a tendency to want to join you in the outside shower. Though occasionally you fear getting into trouble for eco-blundering, it's actually a wonderful place to stay and quite inspiring to see the way the owners have striven to put their profits back into supporting the needs of the local community, which is overwhelmingly indigenous and relatively poor even by Ecuadorian standards. I'm not looking forward to leaving this place to return to the big city lights of Quito.