Days 9-12

Day 9: Lunch in Canoa (12/6/09)

I managed to sleep a bit better last night. Tossing and turning was minimal. Woke up at 6 again, but had not trouble falling right back to sleep for almost 4 more hours.
I ate my usual breakfast of yogurt and granola and started watching the movie "Before Sunset." I have seen small bits and pieces before in a psychology class at PCC. The movie is pretty good. It's almost entirely just the two main characters having a conversation, but it's still holds your interest. I've never seen the first movie "Before Sunrise" which is the same two characters years prior.
Part of the way into the movie Camila came by to see if I would go swimming. I stopped the movie and joined her and Brent in the pool. After swimming (and doing handstands etc) for a while Camila lost her nose plug. It took a long time to find, but we finally found it. Camila asked if I would walk with her to Canoa for lunch. I was too hungry to wait that long, so she begged Brent to take us to Canoa. To her surprise he agreed.
We all showered off, got ready to go and piled into the truck (Camila, me, Brent and Elsa. Margaret was napping). Elsa had crashed on their moped the day before and was pretty banged up, but she thought it would be a good opportunity to get out of the house. We ate lunch at a restaurant right across the street from "Margaritaville" (the cabana that Elsa and Brent used to run). I had chicken with rice and french fries, Camila had a pile of fried shrimp and fried plantains, Elsa had shrimp fried rice (a huge pile of it) and Brent had fish soup (also a huge amount). The food was pretty good. I had thought about ordering something with seafood, since this is a fishing town after all, but I had already had my fill of fish earlier in the week. We when were all finished with our meals we each ordered a drink. Brent and Camila had colas and Elsa and I had berry juice. On the way back to the condos we stopped for ice cream bars too.
Once we got back I hopped online for a bit and got to talk to my sister and a few friends on IM. I signed into AIM (aol instant messenger) for the first time in years. A kid I had known back in VA who I had actually stopped talking to a while before I got back to Portland, tried to start a conversation with me. For whatever reason, every time I tried to write something AIM just kept saying there was an error and it couldn't send my message. Maybe for the best. It was a blast from the past, and not necessarily a positive one.
I called Rachael and got to talk to her for a bit. It's weird having phone conversations. It just kind of hit me that I never talk on the phone anymore Sure I have 5-10 minute calls about meeting up with people or making plans, but not actual conversations. I had had a lot that I wanted to tell her before we got on the phone, but as soon as we were talking I completely forgot what I had wanted to bring up. Calling phones with Skype is weird too, it was cutting in and out a lot. It was still really good to get to talk to her.
I keep feeling like I'm settling in a bit and getting less homesick, but then I watch a movie or get an email or have a dream and I feel like I'm back at square one again. It's confusing for me. Hopefully, I'll be able to find a language program and make travel plans soon.
I think that my parents' neighbor Ingrid (who had been in the Peace Corps in Ecuador) was probably right, Ecuador is not the best choice for first time-solo-non Spanish speaking-3month trips.
After being online for a bit, Camila and I watched "Angels and Demons" (well most of it anyway, the disc started skipping really badly towards the end). Camila headed home afterward and Margaret and I ate some dinner. After dinner I watched the rest of "Before Sunset" (because I hadn't watched the whole thing earlier) and then tried to get some sleep. It was still pretty early though.

Day 10: Market Day (12/7/09)

I woke up around 6 again. I had a pretty rough time trying to fall asleep the night before. Margaret was up and starting her day, but I decided to try to sleep a bit longer. I managed to fall asleep again around 7:30 and then woke up and got out of bed around 9. I ate my usual breakfast while trying to listen to a Spanish CD Margaret and had brought with her. That didn't last long. They talked pretty quickly and made references to a book that went with the CD that Margaret didn't have.
I decided to sit in a hammock and write in my journal. A short while later Brent came out to swim and asked if Margaret and I would like to go to San Vincente with him when he was done. Margaret got back from a walk just in time to come with us.
Our first stop was the municipality so the Brent and Elsa could talk to their architect (they are going to build a couple houses). Margaret and I wait in the car while they run in. I tried to take pictures of Bahia (which is across the Chone river from San Vincente) and of some of the birds flying by, but it is so overcast that everything just looks flat and boring. I hate that this camera doesn't have an actual viewfinder. I keep trying to look in it, but it just has a digital display. When I get back to Portland I need to start taking pictures again. It's been too long.
When Brent and Elsa finally get back to the car, we head to a busier part of town so that Brent and Elsa can stop by the civil registry so they can fill out papers that need to be processed before they can legally get married (which they are really hoping to do later this month).
Margaret and I walk around a bit while we wait. I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb, because I do. I'm taller than a lot of the women (this part is not so obvious because nearly all the women here wear high heels) and I'm a lot whiter than anyone. Even Margaret has a dark tan now and I am pasty. It's not so bad, but it makes me uncomfortable at times because people literally stop and stare.
I went back to the truck because Brent and Elsa were nearly done. Margaret stopped to buy some sweet breads. Once we were all back to the truck, we headed to the market.
Today (Monday) is the big market day in San Vincente. Any other day of the week you will only see a few outdoor vendors, nearly all of which are only selling produce. But on Mondays the covered outside area is packed with vendors of different kinds and customers.
We bought mostly fruit this time. Because the tap water here isn't safe to drink we have to buy larger water dispenser bottles of purified water. The big jug only lasts about 5 days, but luckily they are fairly inexpensive. You trade an empty jug for a full one and pay around $1.50. If you don't have an empty jug to trade then it is more expensive ($6 for the jug plus the $1.50 for the water). When Jack get here we may have to invest in a second jug and/or go to San Vincente more often. We finished up at the market and headed to the grocery store for wine, tortillas, and a few other necessities.
After the store we drove to Camila's school to pick her up and then headed back to the condos. On the way to San Vincente I had seen a kitten passed out by the side of the road (that may or may not have been dead). On the way back I was happy to see that the kitten had moved and was not dead. There are a lot of stray animals here. They are near starving and a lot of the females look like they've just had a litter of pups or kittens and out of probably around 150 male dogs that I've seen, only 2 were fixed. A lot of then like to take naps in the street next to the curb, which freaks me out because I keep thinking they're dead.
When we got back we all have some lunch (I had a weird lentil sandwich). After eating Camila wanted me to join her for a swim, but I wasn't interested. Instead I sat in a hammock and wrote in my notebook for a bit. I had wanted to watch a movie, but the power was out. A short while later Camila asks me to teach her how to cartwheel. Who knew it was so hard to teach? Camila has a weird (hilarious) habit of turning (spinning) around before diving into the cartwheel. I think that the spinning is the only thing stopping her from a successful cartwheel, because it throws her off balance. She is getting a little better though.
Next we played "horse" but she got tired of that quickly. She suggested that we get in our swim suits and head to the beach to make sand castles.
We ended up making a volcano with a mote instead of a castle. Then we wrote and drew in the sand. I ran back to grab my camera, but by the time I got back the waves had run over everything.
We came back to the apartments to rinse off and go for a swim in the pool. But because the power had been out for a while there was no water to rinse with. Camila and I rinsed off with the water from the big tub of water outside of Camila's condo. We swam for about an hour and a half, but when we wanted to get out there still wasn't any power or water. I resorted to putting some of the drinking water in a pitcher and dumping it over my head. I put shampoo in my hair and then realized I had to go across the condo to get water to rinse with. So, with suds running down my back (and front) into my towel, I ran across the room to fill the pitcher again. Of course about a minute later the power and water came back on. I felt ridiculous, but relieved at the same time (it definitely would've taken at least two more pitchers to rinse my hair fully).
After I was clean and dressed I started watching "The Perfumer: story of a murderer." It was pretty bizarre, but I kind of liked it. I was interrupted by dinner. We had cheeseburgers and potatoes with onion, all from the grill rather than fried on the stove (which was a nice change). Camila was still full of energy and trying to drag me around the condo after we ate.
The adults and I played Chinese checkers and I checked my email. We played two games before Margaret decided to head back to our condo. Elsa and Brent watched a movie and I made some calls.
Most of the calls weren't successful, but I managed to get Steph on the phone. It was SO good to talk to her. It only made me a little sad at first (because I'm not there), but by the end of our conversation I felt more like myself than I had since getting here. It's been getting colder than 30 degrees in Portland and even sprinkled a little snow one day. After talking for a little more than an hour we called it quits. She had to get ready to meet up with friend and I felt bad for still being on the phone while Brent and Elsa were winding down.
I came back to the condo and finished "The Perfumer." I was still wide awake, so I decided to try having another glass of wine (I had wine with dinner) while watching part of another movie ("Everything is Illuminated"), to try to make myself drowsy. It didn't help, so I finally just got in bed and tried to sleep anyway.

Day 11: Laundry (12/8/09)

It took me forever to fall asleep last night (which is becoming a regular occurrence). This morning I woke up at 4:30. Ugh. I tossed and turned then slept about an hour (til 6), then slept again til 8 and then forced myself to get up.
I tried to make a fried egg sandwich (with turkey and cream cheese), but only kind of succeeded. Margaret blames the sticking on the gas stove, I blame it on the pan. It doesn't seem to matter how much oil you put in the thing, everything sticks to it. So, I fried my egg in crap loads of oil and it stuck and I mangled it trying to get it unstuck. I actually ended up throwing away the bottom piece of bread, rather than eating it, because it was completely saturated. I squeezed a grapefruit for some juice (it was very good, but surprisingly sweet) and ate my open faced greasy sandwich.
I started where I had left off in "Everything is Illuminated" and ate some yogurt. I thought I had already seen this movie, but as soon as it started I realized I was wrong. I had read the book, but not seen the movie yet. It was pretty good (the book was better and a bit different). After the movie I gathered up laundry. I was looking forward to fresh, clean sheets.
I think maybe I'll ask my mom to send some Melatonin, with Jack when he comes, to help me get to sleep. Ever since I stopped taking my altitude sickness meds I haven't seemed to be able to sleep a solid night. I should probably come up with a comprehensive list of things I'd like my mom to send with Jack (I keep just asking for one thing at a time). I should email my family today.
I took my laundry to the laundry room, then came back to the condo and took a nap. I got up from my nap just in time to swap my laundry, or so I thought. When I got to the laundry room one of the maintenance women had already swapped it for me. SO, I came back to the condo and made some lunch. I started another movie just as the power went out. I decided to nap some more. Today is the only day I haven't gone swimming, since getting here.
After my nap I grabbed my laundry, then did a little socializing, read emails, ate dinner and went to bed.

Day 12: Bahia? No San Vincente, Twice. (12/9/09)

Today I felt more rested when I woke up. I had some breakfast and then got ready to go to Bahia with all the adults (Camila had school). I was trying to write letters on the ride to San Vincente, but it just looked like chicken scratch.
When we got to San Vincente, Elsa and Brent had meet with their architect and someone in charge of city building regulations. I waited in the car and started my letters again Brent and Elsa shortly came back because the man they needed to speak with was not in his office. We all waited a short while in the car to see if he would show. 10 minutes later Brent decided it would be better to do some other errands and come back. So we drove to a steel supplier and then a few shops. I continued to write. Margaret hopped out to hit up one of the grocery stores and said she would meet us back at the municipality.
Finally, the man was back in his office, so we drove back over. Margaret got back about 5 minutes before Brent and Elsa. When everyone was back Brent announced that they no longer needed to go to Bahia, so we headed back to the condos.
We ate some lunch and when Camila got back from school we went for a swim. After swimming, Camila and I went back to San Vincente to shop for notebooks and envelopes.
When we got to "Globo," the store Camila thought would have notebooks, we played charades for about 5 minutes while I tried to explain what an envelope was to her. She figured it out.
After buying supplies and walking around a bit Camila wanted to get something to drink. We walked in to the mini mart and the gas station and Camila made me buy the chocolate soy milk she wanted (with her money) because she was afraid to talk to the woman working the check out counter.
Back on the bus we had to wait a little while before it began it's trip to Canoa. The bus drivers always seem to have two helpers that collect fares and to talk to them while they drive. This driver had 2 or 3 helpers, the oldest looked about 15/16 and the youngest about 12. The helpers were drinking booze from a plastic bag, I could only hope the driver wasn't. Most of the bus drivers drive pretty recklessly anyway, though. Riding the bus is definitely an experience.
When we got back it was dinner time. After dinner I didn't do much.

Days 7 & 8

Day 7: Bahia de Caraquez (12/4/09)

I thought that maybe if I forced myself to stay up later I would be able to sleep a little later. I was wrong. I was wide awake at 6:30 again. I heard Margaret get up a short while later, but I was convinced I needed more sleep. After a little more sleep (and a lot of tossing and turning) I thought it had to be around 11. I pulled myself out of bed and realized that I had a terrible headache and that my right eye and eyelid (and surrounding area) were swollen. As I went to grab an ice cube, I noticed it was only 9:30. Oh well.
I held ice on my eye and ate some breakfast, then went in search of Advil. Thankfully Brent had some. Margaret probably had some too, but I didn't want to go through her stuff to find it (she was out walking).

When Margaret got back from her walk, Brent stopped by to see if we wanted to head to San Vincente with him and Elsa. We did. So, I got dressed and we all piled into the truck. Our first stop in San Vincente was a fabric shop to try to find Mosquito netting. We found some that Elsa said still allowed good air flow, but they only had enough to make one Mosquito net with and it was quite a bit more expensive than they had originally thought. Elsa and Brent agreed to pay for the one, since they would be able to use it in their guest room (once their house was finally built) when we left. The store next door had some pre-made Mosquito nets for cheap ($10) and Margaret decided to go ahead and buy one. Elsa said it would work fine for the duration on Margaret's stay probably, but that they tend to catch on things so we should be careful putting it on the bed.

After that we parted ways. Margaret and I headed to Bahia, and Brent and Elsa continued to run errands. There were two ways to get to Bahia: by ferry (which was free for pedestrians but the ferry only left once an hour) or by a smaller pedestrian only boat (which left every few minutes and cost only 30 cents). We opted for the smaller boat because the ferry wait was still about a half hour. When you pay they hand you a life jacket and you head down a ramp and then get on the boat next in line to leave (usualy the only boat with people on it). They pack around 20+ people on to the boat benches and then start the 15 minute trip across the Chone river.

When we got to Bahia our first stop was the Banco Pinchincha so Margaret could withdraw some cash. Our next stop was supposed to be a restaurant that Elsa and Brent had suggested (with a $2 lunch special), but their directions were a bit confusing and we didn't end up finding it. Instead we did some walking around. I managed to find the post office, we also found the market and then, after some more walking, we found ourselves outside of a hostel. We asked the woman at the desk about restaurants in the area and she suggested one right around the corner.

The restaurant was tiny, but they had a lot of customers, so we decided to give it a try. We took a quick look at the menu, but at lunch here they had the $2 lunch special so you don't actually order off of the menu. We didn't really understand at the time, but basically if they still have all the options available you get to choose one soup, one entree and a juice. They only had fish soup left that afternoon (we got there a little late to expect all the options to still be available) but there was still a choice of entree: fish or chicken and only one option for juice (the juice was good, but we couldn't figure out what kind it was). The soup had really great flavor, but the giant chunk of fish wasn't my favorite (I gave it to Margaret), so I just had the broth. The entrees were big. They each had a large piece of meat (Margaret had the fish and I had the chicken) and a heaping pile of rice and a small side salad.

After eating I headed back to the hostel to use the bathroom (bathrooms are hard to find here, even at restaurants), and then we made our way back towards the pier. We made a stop at the Tia (a small grocery chain with some clothes etc too) to pick up a few things. I was under the impression that our stop was going to be a quick one just for milk (Margaret put it in her morning coffee) and maybe granola or something, but getting Margaret to leave was like pulling teeth. I like Margaret a lot, but shopping with her gives me anxiety. She's definitely a bit of an impulse shopper.

When we were done at the Tia, we headed back to the dock and hopped a boat to San Vincente.

Back in San Vincente we walked around a bit and checked things out on our way to the bus stop. They don't really have many set bus stops, so we had been a little concerned that we would have trouble catching the right bus. After only a short walk though there was a man standing next to a bus about to leave saying "Canoa" so we paid and then hopped on.

To get a the bus to stop (because there aren't really any designated stops), for you to get off, you have to walk to the front and ask for them to stop when they are approaching your destination. Our condos were approaching faster than either of us realized (the bus drivers drive like maniacs a lot of the time), and by the time I made it to the front and the bus stopped, we had passed them. Thankfully it was only a short walk back to them.

When we got back to the condo Margaret and I took naps. Mine ended up lasting nearly 3 hours (I was exhausted after hardly sleeping last night). When I finally woke up from my nap Margaret was cooking dinner, chicken and potatoes. We invited Elsa etc. over for dinnner.

After dinner Camila ran home and the rest of us stayed and talked for a while.

Brent and I swapped iPods so he could download some of my music to his computer. A short while later, Juan (one of the sons in the condo maintanence family) came by to let Elsa and Brent know that one of their contractors was at the gate. So, they went to have a meeting with him.

Camila came back to show us her homework assignment (a glittery, red, popsicle stick Christmas star) and asked me to swim with her. I agreed.

After swimming a while, I showered off and then wound up talking to Margaret til around 11.

It was very humid, overcast, and windy today. The wind was really nice though. I probably would've melted in the humidity otherwise.

I had wanted to send some postcards today while we were in Bahia (since the only post office in the area is there), but I haven't seen a single one yet (except for a few I saw at the bascilica in Quito).

When I got to bed I listened to Brent's iPod hoping to fall asleep quickly, but after listening to one full albums and a few other songs I just turned it off. After tossing and turning, I think I managed to fall asleep around 1:30.

Day 8: No More Naps (12/5/09)

I woke up at 6:30 again this morning. I tried to force myself to sleep more, but just wound up tossing and turning until 9:30.

Breakfast was followed by a swim (my hair is going to be in such bad shape by the time I get home). The swim was followed by a walk to Canoa with Camila. Walking to Canoa was nice, but tiring. The walk was a lot longer than I had expected. Along the way we saw a lot of little crabs, a lot of shells and sand dollars, and a lot of trash. Nearly half way to Canoa we saw a sealion carcass with between 50 and 100 crabs on and in it. As soon as they realized we were getting closer, they all fled the carcass and ran to their homes.

The whole walk Camila was climbing up a sand ledge and then running for a bit and then hopping down, and then doing it again. One of the times (we were nearly to Canoa by now) she climbed up and (after only a few seconds of being up there) turned and ran towards me with a terrified look on her face. All she said was "dogs." I thought there were probably only one or two sketchy looking dogs, but then about 5 or 6 dogs lined up on the edge where Camila had jumped and started barking and staring us down. Luckily we were a little further down the beach at this point and they stayed put (still barking though).

Once in town, we went in search of ice cream bars. While walking around, we decided we'd ride the bus home afterwards, instead of walking like we had originally planned (since walking took over an hour). We got out ice cream and then realized we'd spent all our change, so we went on a mission to break my $10 bill. I decided to buy a bottle of water. The boy working the counter couldn't find quite enough change, so I bought some yogurt too (we were going through it pretty quick for breakfast) and he found enough bills that he didn't have to give me all coins.

The bus wasn't there yet (it comes about every 15-20 minutes) so we did some more walking around. Camila really wanted me to try "corviche" (I don't know how it's actually spelled, but that's my guess), which turned out to be basically a corndog with fish instead of other meat inside (and no stick). Of course people usually eat it dipped in mayo, just like everything else here (gross). It wasn't my favorite, but it was alright. I let her finish it. It made me want a corndog.

The bus was coming now, so we hurried to a bus stop sign I had seen earlier and waited. There was an older man (like 60s), as well as some younger guys (teens), near the stop making comments. I had no idea what they were saying but Camila looked freaked out, so I pretended not to notice them talking.

On the bus we managed to find seats near the front and Camila asked for our stop at the perfect time, so we got dropped right at the gate. It was nearly 4 o'clock when we got back. We watched "Slumdog Millionaire" with Margaret, the Camila went home for dinner. Margaret and I ate lentils and rice for dinner. We talked a while and then watched "Margot at the Wedding" and "Burn After Reading."

After the movie fest, I returned the movies to Brent and Elsa, and went online for a bit. No emails, but I got to talk to Brant for a bit on IM, which was nice. I tried calling a few people, but got voicemail, so I headed back to the condo to hit the hay. Please let me sleep easier than last night and for longer. No nap today.

Days 4-6

Day 4: Margaritaville (12/1/09)

Woke up early and uncomfortable. The 8 hour drive the previous day really roughed up my back. Elsa was making breakfast for us, so I hurried to their condo. It was simple but good, just boiled eggs and toast.
After breakfast I got a chance to call my parents. It was only 7:30 in Portland (I guess there's a 3 hour time difference). My parents answered, but were still half asleep. It was really good to get to talk to them, even if it was brief. Before the call to my parents I hadn't been able to communicate at all. It was exciting for me to have a few emails waiting for me to read.
I really wish I could send/receive real mail here. I can send mail, but in order to do so I have to ride the bus to another town (San Vincente) and then take a ferry to a second town (Bahia). All of the mail for this area goes through the post office in Bahia.
After emailing I went back to my apartment and got ready for a trip to San Vincente. Elsa made lunch for us and then we headed to the market in San V. In Ecuador, you can't drink the water, so one of the first things we picked up was a big water jug (the kind that go in those office water dispensers). The market is where you go for produce and a few other items, everything else you buy at the grocery store. Once we stocked up on what we would need for about a week, we headed back to the condos to unload the truck.
Elsa's daughter Camila's school got cancelled for two days because most of the other parents hadn't paid their monthly bill. Camila was home and trying to keep herself busy. She begged us to go swimming, I agreed. Camila, Brigitte (the maintenance family's youngest daughter), Brent, and I went down to the ocean to swim. The water is pretty warm, but because it was so hot outside it felt cold anyway. There were a lot of pretty strong waves. It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, Brent got stung or bit by something after just getting in and decided that Camila shouldn't swim in the ocean for a while (there had apparently been a lot of people getting stung recently). After the ocean we swam in the pool for a while and then got ready to head to Canoa (the other nearby town).
We did some more shopping in Canoa for things like milk, yogurt, and bread, then headed to "Margaritaville". "Margaritaville" is a cabana on the beach in Canoa that Elsa and Brent run. It's basically a burger shack. They're not actually opening it this season because they haven't been making enough money to make it worth it. We headed to "Coco Loco" another gringo owned business to visit the owners (I guess Brent and Elsa have become close acquaintances with them).
When we got back to the condos Margaret and I set up a DVD player and ate cheeseburgers. We watched "Shall We Dance" and then I went to bed.

Day 5: Manantial (12/2/09)

It's hard to believe it's already December. I feel like the last bit of summer through most of November flew by.
I feel like I'm adjusting a bit everyday and that things are getting a bit more comfortable.
I tossed and turned most of last night and forced myself to sleep in a bit today. When I pryed myself out of bed (around 11) Margaret was gone. She had left some pancake mix out for me though. I headed to Elsa's to return the movie and borrow a spatula. Elsa, Brent and Camila were all surprised to see me. They thought that I had gone in to one of the towns or something. Camila is used to waking up at 6am for school and I think Brent and Elsa usually get up by about 8, so me sleeping until 11 was weird for them.
They had planned to picnic today, but Brent was getting anxious to eat, so he suggested I skip pancakes and we eat our lunch then head to Manantial (a coastal town almost an hour north).
So, I found Margaret (she had gone for a walk on the beach) and we got ready. For lunch Elsa made some seasoned chicken and rice. After eating we piled in to the truck.
We had to stop for gas on the way and we all got ice cream bars, while Brent filled the truck.
Manantial is another fishing town, but is more serious about fishing than most of Canoa is. Canoa is mostly filled with people that work long enough to afford to party for about a month and then get jobs again when they're broke (or at least that's what I'm told).
When we got to Manantial we changed into our swim suits and set up some chairs and a blanket under a hut. The ocean looked very calm for the most part, but then huge waves would seem to just appear near the shore. The wind was strong, but it was a nice relief from the hot sun.
Camila, Brent and I went swimming for a while. The waves were so intense that we didn't dare go out much because we probably wouldn't have made it back.
There were a lot of fishing boats in the water. Most were motor boats, but there were a few sail boats. Watching the motor boats come back on to land was the most exciting part. They start going very fast and ride big waves and then skate up the sand into a leafy hut.
When we were done swimming and lounging I went in search of a bathroom. Margaret said she had found one down the road a bit, but that the man tried to charge her $1 and not even give her toilet paper (he ended up charging her $.50). Elsa decided to come with me and the man only charged us $.20 each and gave us toilet paper. After the bathroom trip we piled in to the car again and headed down the beach a ways. We parked and then continued on foot for a while, trying to find shells etc to bring back to the condos (Camila, Elsa and Brent call it treasure hunting).
There were a good number of birds here, but basically only two types. One small all black kind with long tails that hopped around on the sand and large mostly black (with some white underneath) with long forked tails that flew above populated areas. I also saw a vulture.
After getting back and showering off, Margaret made some dinner. Pork chops and potatoes. The pork chops looked a little pink still to me and I got paranoid, so I had leftover cheeseburger instead. When everything was cleaned up from dinner Margaret and I sat and talked a while.
We decided that tomorrow we would sweep and mop and do other cleaning. Margaret is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her husband (Jack), I think. He's going to fly in to Quito on the 17th and then on the 18th fly from there to Manta and we'll meet him there. I'm looking forward to the trip to Manta because it's quite a bit bigger than where we are now.

Day 6: Cleaning Day (12/3/09)

Today I woke up on a mission to get my laundry done. I gathered everything together, just to find out that the water was off. The power and water seem to go off at some of the most inopportune times here.
Margaret came in shortly after my discovery about the water. She had been on the phone with her husband. She made us some crepes and we smothered them with cream cheese, jam, and Nutella. We talked for a while then headed to Elsa and Brent's.
The water had come back on just after going to E&B's, so I grabbed my laundry and threw it in the wash. Margaret, Elsa, and Brent went in to Canoa to pick up a few things, but I stayed behind and sent emails. I was just setting up my blog and writing my first post when the power went out. The power goes out everyday for at least 3 hours. Usually, it goes out from 1-4 or 2-5, but occasionally it goes out around 6am and then goes out again in the afternoon.
After some lunch and some more cleaning I went for a swim in the pool with Camila. She gets home from school around 2 everyday, because school starts around 7. We swam for a long while and then Brent came to tell us dinner was about ready.
For dinner we had fish, rice and cucumber/tomato salad. The fish Brent had picked up in Manantial the day before. It was called "wa hoo" (I have no idea how they spell it). Elsa had sliced it very thinly and covered it in a lime/mustard dressing and then dipped it in flour and pan fried it. It was very good. By far the best thing we've eaten since landing in Ecuador. For dessert Brent made mango, papaya, peach, vodka slushies.
We played three games of Chinese checkers and then I headed back to the apartment and Margaret called her husband. On my way back to the apartment someone in the courtyard-like area near the pool shot a rifle. The shot was followed by loud conversation and a lot of laughing. I hadn't realized people were even still out there, so the loud noise startled me. It was just a drunk Ecuadorian who was on the condo association. There was a group of them there for a long weekend.
I watched "Sideways" then covered my mosquito bites with Caladryl and promptly fell asleep.

Days 1-3 Here I am

I'm terrible at keeping journals of any kind, so we'll see how long this lasts.

Day 1: En Route (11/28/09)

I stayed up all night before my flight. It was a good thing because I managed to sleep through both of my flights.
I only packed one carry-on sized backpack and my purse. I was happy to only have a few things to carry going to the airport, but I was thrilled not to have any bags to check (for the flights) or pick up (after the flights).
Immigration took forever. I think we were in line for 45 minutes. Then when we got to baggage claim Margaret couldn't find 4 of her 5 bags (2 of which actually belonged to her friend in Ecuador). After finally finding her bags we filled out customs paperwork and went through the safety check point. There were TONS of people waiting in the lobby area for people to arrive. Margaret had only seen pictures of the woman that was coming to pick us up, so she was a little worried we wouldn't find our ride. We pulled all our baggage to the side and by the time I got back from the bathroom Margaret had found our 'hosts'. Margaret's friend Brent was flying in on a later flight, but his girlfriend (soon to be wife) Elsa and her middle daughter Andrea came to pick us up. Brent came through customs about 40 minutes after us. Right as we were getting ready to go to their truck it started pouring. The parking lot began to flood a bit. Andrea agreed to go get the car and come pick us up. The airport was very busy so we still had to walk a ways to get to the truck when she pulled closer. My chucks were soaked.
Andrea drove us to the hotel that Elsa had made a reservation for us at. Elsa, Margaret (my 62 year old travel companion) and I went inside to pay and get our key, but once inside Elsa found out that the man working at the desk had given our room to someone else. He suggested that we try the place right across the street and walked us over. The place across the street was not as nice and more expensive, but we agreed to stay because we both just wanted to sleep (and it would only be for two nights). We set up a time to meet at our hotel the next day to go grocery shopping and do a little sight seeing.

Day 2: Quito (11/29/09)

Margaret and I wandered around a bit looking for a place to eat, but all the places nearby just had tourists as customers. We finally settled for a tourist-y place a couple blocks from our hotel because we were running out of time. It turns out that we were staying in the main tourist section of Quito, which explained why touristy over priced places were the only ones near our hotel. Margaret and I both had omelets for breakfast (they were filling, but very dry).
When we got back to the hotel Elsa was on the phone with the man at the desk. Perfect timing. They were running late because Elsa's two daughters had both taken nearly hour long showers. Elsa said she would have the man at the desk call a taxi to pick us up in 30 minutes to take us to meet them at the big shopping center. So, 30 minutes later we hopped in a cab and met them at the mall. The big grocery store was in the mall so they thought it would be good to meet there and have some lunch and then shop. The food court consisted of two Chinese fast food places, KFC, Texas BBQ, two Ecuadorian places, a meat place (with t-bone steak for $6) and a Venezuelan place. I had a BBQ chicken sandwich. It was a piece of lettuce, a slice of tomato, chicken and a roll. No sauce. It filled me up though.
The grocery store "MegaMaxi" was a little overwhelming. It was very large and very busy. We had to buy enough food to last us for about 2 weeks. The town we drove to the next day has some groceries, but a lot of stuff you can only get decent quality in a bigger city. Things are not as cheap here as people think. A lot of stuff you can only get imported versions of and they are expensive because of the tax to import them. Local beer is like $1 or $2 for a six pack, Corona is $10. They pretty much only have Kraft singles or Velveeta singles for cheese. I think just by cutting cheese out of my diet I will probably lose a few pounds. After filling a cart to the brim we payed, loaded up the truck, and headed to Elsa's house.
Elsa's house is deceptively large. The front of the house looked like nothing special, but once you were inside you can see that it has 3 or 4 good sized bedrooms, more than one living room, a dining room, and a decent size kitchen. We put the groceries that needed refrigeration in the frig and then headed to Basilica del Voto Nacional.
The rain started to dump right as we were about to enter the Basilica, so I couldn't take any pictures of the outside. The inside was fairly plain compared to some European cathedrals I've been to, but the stained glass and the flooring was beautiful. The only area we weren't allowed to enter was the actual chapel. You could pretty much literally go everywhere else. Camila (Elsa's youngest daughter, 11) and I walked up flight after flight of stairs, then there were a few flights of metal spiral steps and then there were 4 sketchy looking ladders leading to the very tip top of the bell tower. Camila and I went almost all the way up. We stopped just before the last ladder because I was getting lightheaded and Camila was getting scared. It was pretty amazing. The view was spectacular. I took some pictures, but the lighting was not great so they didn't turn out too well.
After we were done Brent got the truck and pulled up out front, we ran (it was still raining heavily). We went back to Elsa's house and talked a while. Elsa and Brent were meeting with an architect shortly after so she called us a cab back to our hotel. Cab drivers have a hard time finding her house because it's on a dead end, so we had to call a second cab and give them exact directions.
When the cab finally arrived, she talked to the driver and he agreed to pick us up from our hotel the next morning to bring us back to their house to load the truck. Once we got to the hotel we wandered around a bit to find a place for dinner. The place we chose had a long menu, and was clearly sponsored by Absolut. We had a nice long dinner and conversation and then made our way back to the hotel to sleep.

Day 3: The drive (11/30/09)

I woke up bright and early. My bag was packed and I threw my bag on my back and was ready to grab breakfast. Margaret didn't want to drag her bags to breakfast, but I didn't want to have to worry about check out after eating because I was afraid we'd miss our cab. So, I went to breakfast and Margaret stayed behind. I had a disappointing bagel, but at least it was something. I made it back to the hotel just in time for the cab and off we went.
Loading Brent's truck was a challenge. There was so much stuff that Brent and Elsa needed to bring and so much luggage between Brent and Margaret, but we made it all fit somehow.
I tried to stay awake for most of the 8 hour drive, but if you know anything about me and riding in cars you know that I'm usually passed out within 20 minutes. I managed to stay awake wedged between Camila and Margaret for more than half the ride. The drive was pretty crazy. The roads are terrible and there was a lot of road work going on, but no signs (apparently Ecuador never uses signs for road construction) so it made for a bit of an adventure. Cows grazing on the sides of the road and in the medians, and buses playing chicken around every corner.
Our half way point was KFC just outside of Santo Domingo. The KFCs here have huge play areas for kids. I swear I've never seen one at an American KFC. They're called "Chicky Parks" and they're massive (twice the size of most McDonalds play areas). They don't have ranch, or real ketchup or anything besides Mayo really, so I passed on chicken strips and went for a chicken sandwich. I don't know which would've been better.
On the road again, I tried to sleep, but the ride was so bumpy and uncomfortable. I did manage to sleep for about 45 minutes. As you get closer to the beach the landscape changes a bit. It mostly just gets drier, hotter and the trees are sparse.
We finally make it to the coast (and before dark even) and it is very pretty, but a little overcast. The apartment is nice and the gated condo area our apartment is in has a pool, playground, basketball court and volley ball net. The fence just past the pool opens up to the beach.
In Ecuador, they're having an energy shortage severe enough that the power all over the country goes out for about 3 hours each day. This also means that the water stops running because there is no power for the water pumps. I also learned shortly after landing in Quito, that you can't flush anything in the toilet, not even toilet paper. Every bathroom has a trash can next to the toilet for used toilet paper. Most public bathrooms (at malls etc) don't even have toilet paper, if they do it is in coin operated dispensers like the ones used for tampons or condoms.
After settling in a bit at our apartment I went for a swim in the pool and then ate dinner. I did a little bit of reading (about Brazil, it's the only book I have with me, thanks Breena) and then fell asleep.