My Future’s So Bright

Tuesday 9 March
Canoa

Sunglasses never last. It’s rare to have a pair last longer than six months in my experience. On my 2008 trip I had left my sunglasses at home by mistake, so bought some new ones in Bangkok. They lasted until Goa, where as I was climbing some wooden steps to a hut, the stairs collapsed and as I put my hand out to stop myself falling, I crushed the glasses that were in my hand.

However the glasses that I had before then – the ones I left at home – lasted my longer. I used them during the summer of 2009 and on all my (short) trips that year, including the trip to Singapore and the surrounding area. I lost one of the rubber coverings on the side in the shopping centre under the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. I nearly lost the other one on the flight from Galapagos to Quito but someone picked it up for me.

But today I lost all of it. In fact it was yesterday – when I woke up I realised they weren’t in the room. I went to all the places I had been the previous day but no one had them. But they had had a good innings. Something like two years. But now I bought a new pair. At $5 they were pretty good value, and proper retro wrap around with multicoloured reflective glass. You guys are all jealous.

The American girls left today so I said goodbye to them. In the evening I met a group of people who had been doing a Spanish course in Quito and who had come to Canoa after it had finished. There was three American guys from Buffallo, a girl from San Francisco, a girl from Ealing, and a Dutch guy and an Austrian guy. They were all pretty cool so I hung out with them. I can’t remember how the night ended but I pretty sure I went to bed.