Thanks everyone for your messages its great to hear from home. Glad the exams are going well for Sarah and Richard x Here´s some photo´s for you Deb.

We are finally relaxing and are really enjoying everything so far.
This post is an update of stuff we´ve been up to since 11.5.09

11.5.09
We´re sure you all knew we were climbing a volcano this week and so Monday was spent getting equipment , boots , crampons, gaiters, ice axes......Liz began to get a bit nervous at this point. The volcano is 5897 meters (19460 ft) high and mostly snow covered so you have to be roped together all the way up and have ice Climbing training before you go up. Stop worrying mum´s , its after the event now and all is well x

Phil needed to find a new battery for his camera and we needed to locate a specialist shop listed on the internet as address World Trade Centre, so not to be phased, off we went into the WTC in Quito and blagged our way past security, only to find a bunch of offices none of which sold batteries. Found a shopping centre call Mall Jardean, which Phil thought it sound like a terrorist outfit! The shops in the Mall didn´t sell AK47´s or camcorder batteries. Having traipsed around most of Quito on a fruitless search we gave up and had a proper backpacker meal, Fillet Mignon and Rack of BBQ ribs. We are really slumming it!!!!!

12.5.09
We had to acclimatise at a higher altitude for a couple of days before the climb so went on a trip to a place called Papallacta where we sat in hot springs all afternoon after a short trek ... lovely . After that we went to a trout and Guinea pig farm where we tried to catch trout , only Phil managed it. We ate fresh trout for lunch..really delicious and Phil the anti fish man loved it.

We stayed in a lovely remote hostel called Valhala looked after by an Equadorian family. Their little boy took a real shine to Phil and kept running up to him with open arms. Our room had a log burner which was really cosy and from the window we could see the Andes and Llamas in the fields.

13.5.09
Today we had our first lie in in months and spent the day relaxing at the hostel. We went for a walk with the hostel owner Augusto . We managed to communicate with lots of sign language and a very basic phrase book. Phil needed a plastic bag and actually asked for a plastic (ball bag) scrotum ...so funny . On the walk we met the neighbouring farmers who we joined to milk their cow and later had cocoa from the fresh milk. A really lovely day.

14.05.09
Today we travelled to the mountain refuge where we stay for the few hours before the climb up Cotopaxi volcano. Liz could hardly make it up the hill from the car park to the refuge so things weren´t boding well for her (she actually needed a poo and could n´t concentrate on walking). In the afternoon our slightly impatient guide Patrizio took us to the glacier just above the refuge to practice with the crampons and practice falling correctly using the ice axe to stop your fall.
Bed at about 6 to try and get some rest as up at midnight to start ascent in time for sunrise at the summit.

15.5.09
Today was the big day. We were up at midnight after very little sleep and put on numerous layers and ate a quick breakfast before heading off. With just head torches to light the way we spent several hours plodding up very steep ice covered slopes . We both did really well not too out of breath despite the altitude and keeping a steady pace. Phil lost his crampon and it really annoyed our intolerant guide , then it fell off again later oh dear, Phil was ready to hit him with his ice axe if he carried on being stroppy. At 5700 meters (18850 ft) Liz was completely exhausted and decided not to go the extra 200 meters to the summit. It was an almost vertical ice climb up an ice wall which you had to use ice axes, and there was just no way Liz could have done it but fortunately another guide was passing and took Liz down which allowed Phil to carry on.

Phil made it to the summit at 7.45hrs, only spent 10 minutes at the top due to temperature being -10. After a 2hr descent Phil made it down safely.

16.5.09
Back in Quito, getting ready for the next leg of our South America trip with Oasis Overland from Quito to Santiago via Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. Just seen the truck we are travelling on MONSTER!!! oh and the 71 year old KIwi lady who is travelling with us, b*****!!! Phil thought he would have a year free of CPR.

Adios, for now enjoy the photo´s, keep the messages coming.