Guayaquil Cross Country Championship
A day of many contrasts. A day with a very dark overcast sky and a low cloud
base with a cross wind so we didn't go up the hill, but did some spot landings
in the LZ.
First, Jeff O'Brien, Jeff Shapiro, Jamie Shelden, Ricker Goldsborough, and
Dustin Martin went with Father Frank to his mission/school/clinic in the slums
of Guayaquil to see what the story was there. They donated significant funds
(raised by hang glider pilots) to the clinic for medical supplies as the clinic
had run out of them. They visited the school and the neighborhood and talked
with the residents and heard their stories.
The other half of the crew went to check out the first three designated landing
areas and turnpoints for a possible cross country route out of Guayaquil to the
north. The route was dirty and noisy with small fires burning trash by the road
sides and piles of litter every where. It was very uninviting.
We went back to the LZ and, after making sure that we couldn't do the cross
country open distance task for the first day of the competition, Raul got us to
set up our gliders as he wanted to tow us up for the spot landing contest. The
conditions were perfect in the LZ, with a gentle breeze and no bumps coming in
for landings.
As evening approached a few of us headed to the esplanade along the river. The
city was clean and beautiful and the Malecon was gorgeous. We walked up the 440
stairs to the lighthouse (and up the lighthouse stairs) and what was a slum
twenty years ago is a thriving commercial and tourist area with beautiful views
of the river from quaint bars and restaurants. A total contrast to the other
area of the city that we had gone through earlier in the day.
The city government has obviously done a great deal to help this town which
twenty years ago was in very sad shape. But obviously there is more to do.
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