Days 62-64

Day 62: Nap All Day (01/28/10)

I woke up around 6:45 and allowed myself to go back to sleep. I woke up again around 7:30 and got up this time.
I started getting ready and made it to breakfast before 9. The owner looked at his watch in disbelief and we both laughed.
I set my things down and asked if I could do laundry today. He said yes, so I went and grabbed my clothes and started the washer.
There was no juice today, but yogurt and fruit. I wrote while eating and am hoping my laundry is about ready to swap (though my guess is that it's still got some time). If it's not ready, I'll have to figure out what to do while I wait.
7 minutes lefts, I can wait. I read the guidebook about Loja/Vilcabamba and Podocarpus National Park.
I swap my laundry and head to the internet place to check email and look some things up.
Of course I don't end up doing anything on my list (of people to write and things to look up). The internet always just sucks me in.
I did email my mom and Santiago to let them know that I'm back in Cuenca.
I updated my blog a bit too.
When I finally finished wasting time online, I headed back to the hotel and decided to go to Tía for yogurt and granola for lunch, since nothing has been sitting well.
On the way there I thought of a fun (dorky/cheesy, I like cheesy stuff sometimes) Valentine's idea, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to actually make it happen. I'm picturing it relatively large and on red paper, but I don't think I can make that happen. I'm fairly determined to figure it out though. Maybe I can find the right kind of paper here at one of the paper stores.
Went to Tía, got yogurt and granola, walked back to the hotel.
I wound up just eating the yogurt. Probably about 5-10 minutes after finishing it I had to run to the bathroom. Then 3 minutes after I finished that I had to run back, and then again maybe 5-10 minutes later. UGH. I decided to stick around the hotel a while and try to nap because my stomach still felt if-y.
I just laid there a while and finally slept for a bit. I woke up around 7:30 and thought about trying to get soup or something. I decided not to and just stayed in and tried to sleep more. I watched some TV and then just laid there listening to the music from the dance club a couple doors down (until I fell asleep).

Day 63: Hotel and Internet (01/29/10)

I woke up around 8, then laid in bed until 8:45. Went to breakfast at 9. Last night while I was watching TV I tried to French braid my hair for kicks. I'm not as bad at it as I thought I might be, although I do need a lot of practice.
This morning my hair really looked like a mess, so I had some brushing to do before breakfast.
After breakfast I'm gonna shower and then check email. Later today I'm gonna try bra shopping (because the one real bra I brought with me is clearly on it's way out).
So, I showered and headed to the internet shop. I actually accomplished a few things this time. I wrote lots of emails, and found my confirmation number for my flight home and tried to look up fees for changing the date of my flight (all it said was "fees may apply to changed reservations," no shit Sherlock). I wrote down both of the help numbers for reservations. Maybe I'll call soon. We'll see.
One of the emails I sent was to my mom about this trip. A lot of the stuff I wrote is stuff that I've been feeling or thinking for a long time, but only shared with friends. I know she really wanted me to enjoy all my time here and have new experiences etc., and I'm afraid she'll be really bummed or maybe even a little hurt. It feels both good and bad to have told her, but I needed to.
Anyway, I talked to Christina for a while and then realized that I'd spent an obscene amount of time online. GROSS.
Part of it is that I'm afraid to go more than a block or two from the hotel and I'm afraid to eat or drink.
When I get back to the hotel I start watching TV. After a while my stomach starts really grumbling so I decide to try to eat some of the granola I bought.
I eat some and my tummy is a little restless. I do some stretching (my muscles are tight and sore) and the grumbly feelings slow down. This gives me hope. I drink a little water in sips. Maybe it's just about over?!? We'll see, but I'm very hopeful.
I watch more TV, cry a bit, watch a tiny bit more and go to sleep (around 11:30 or 2).

Day 64: Chin Up (01/30/10)

I woke up pretty late today, 9;45. I threw on some clothes and ran down for breakfast. There's juice today! I listen to my iPod and do a little writing.
After breakfast I go back up, dress myself more properly and head to the internet shop.
I got an email from my mom that was better than expected.
I spent a little time on email etc and then added 3 more days to my blog.
It was lunch time when I finished, but I didn't really feel hungry yet.
I went to the hotel and snacked on granola a little and watched a little TV. (Xena was on, random)
I took a nap for 3-ish hours and now I'm up again.
I want to go somewhere new for dinner but there aren't really many places that I haven't been to in walking distance. I don't want to take a cab if I'm not sure where I'm headed.
I think I might end up at the place on the corner, but I don't really want a sandwich and that's apparently the only worth while thing on the menu (my salad was ok last time I went, but I don't think I'd get it again). I'm tempted to just curl up, and snack on granola if I really need something. I feel like I should get out of my room though (for mental health's sake).
I force myself to go out. I decide to head to Calle Larga and see where I end up. I decide to go to a small bar/cafe that I've been to another time. It's called"Chipotle:Subs and Shots." The last time I was here the drink and the food was pretty good. This time I get a mojito (it's happy hour) and a quesadilla that sounds packed full of stuff.
The waiter speaks a little English. He asks me where I'm from and when I tell him he says "Ah! Your college is Lewis and Clark." He's the first person I've found that had heard of Portland, let alone a college there.
The mojito he made me is pretty good, but a little strong. Hopefully the quesadilla is good. I've got a feeling I'm going to wind up with some heartburn. I ran out of pepcid about a week ago now (I should probably re-up).
For some reason drinking this mojito is making me think of Nay. I'm really glad I got to talk to her for so long the other day. She's such a peach. I love her to bits.
The food is good and there's sour cream (that's a first here)!
There's a guy in here now that was here the last time I came. I swear he's not that old (late 30s?), but he's talking to girls at the bar about being retired here. He said he had 5 cars/motorcycles in Canada that he sold to come here and that he was some type of investment banker.
He sounded a bit like a P.O.S. the last time I was here, but this conversation that he's having now confirms it and then some.
Goal for tomorrow: Valentines.
I hope things go well between now and Valentine's, but I guess we'll see.
When I finished everything (eating/drinking) I go up to pay and as I'm leaving the waiter invites me to come back later and party. I say maybe, but I know that I mean no.
I finally feel like I'm getting over this gut thing, I don't need to get drunk and I really don't need a hangover.
I got to the internet place and check email etc. I had emailed Jenny and Steven about maybe working at the bubble tea place again when I'm back, and judging from the positive little note Jenny left me on facebook, there's a good chance I'll get to! Yay! I told her that made me super stoked.
I signed out and entered two more days to my blog (only 20-ish more to go).
I decided to call Laura. It's been forever and Ben gave me her number. She didn't answer (I forgot it was the weekend and she's probably working). I called Natallie next. I'm SO glad I did. We had a really great conversation. I can't wait to come home and squeeze her. I miss physical contact, hugs.
On the up side, I've eaten two normal meals today and drank a whole bottle of water! CHIN UP.

Day 61

Day 61: Oldies (01/27/10)

I woke up this morning to my "monthly friend" (to quote my friend), dealt with it, went back to sleep. Woke up to a bloody nose, stayed up to deal with it, and then found myself forced to rush to the toilet. UGH. I had really hoped (no matter how improbable) that I would wake up cured. Alas, such was not the case.
The visual swaying of everything is still there, but a bit less than a couple days ago. I'm out of seasickness meds, but I'm gonna try to tough it out today (hopefully that goes over well).
I went to breakfast closer to 9:30, but the owner still gave me shit about it being late. Breakfast was the usual.
After I ate I ran upstairs so I could shower before the younger guy started cleaning my room (because then I'll have to wait a while).
After showering and moisturizing, I got ready to head out (though, I'm not sure where).
Once outside I decide I'm going to do some walking. I decide to walk to the movie theater to see when (and what) movies are playing and maybe hit the pharmacy too.
I get to the mall to find the theater closed. Oh well. I wonder why?
I decide not to go to the pharmacy, but walk a different, longer, route back towards the hotel (I'm really hot and want to change shoes).
Once I get back and change I decide to go to the internet shop for a while. I didn't have any new messages or anything, but wound up having plenty to occupy my time with (as per usual).
I stumbled upon my old online photo albums. I had forgotten about a lot of these!
Looking at these pictures makes me happy and sad. So many of those people I haven't really seen in a while. And I'm not as close with them as before. But we had some good times!
I pry myself from the computer and head out for lunch at the veggie place around the corner.
It was good (as usual). I think it's called "Govinda's," but I always forget to double check.
I realized one of the nice things about the vegetarian almuerzos is that you don't have to worry about meat. I know that is a pretty obvious statement, but it's nice. I know words for a lot of different meats, but not all of them and I've ended up eating a few that I could've gone without.
After lunch I headed back to the hotel to read and write a bit.
I'm going to try to figure out where I'd like to stay near Loja. If I figure that out today, I'll try to buy a bus ticket in the next couple days.
I think right now I'm going to do a little walking and try to digest my food. Maybe take a little nap after (I'm surprisingly sleepy).
I walked for a while. A lot of it was on streets with names I recognize (from maps and ads) but haven't really walked on before.
It was nice. I brought only a couple dollars with me and my room key and iPod.
A bit more than half way through the walk, I felt an impending bathroom need. I tried to rush back to the hotel, but still had a bit to go and was afraid to walk too fast.
I made it back to the hotel in time, but just barely.
After that I decided to hang out at the hotel for a while.
I watched a little TV and then tried to sleep.
I must have succeeded, because I woke up around 6:30 I think.
I decided to have a light dinner of yogurt and fiber stuff, because I had over done lunch a bit (and felt it).
I went to the tienda a couple doors down and bought a little thing of yogurt, then came back to the hotel. I ate the yogurt and contemplated going to the internet shop.
I almost vetoed it to stay in and just sleep, but then decided to go. I added a few more blogs, read messages and talked to Nay for a while.
When I got back to the hotel the doors were closed and locked. I felt bad ringing the bell, but I knew they had to be up still (they never seem to go to bed before 12).
I apologized when he opened the door and promised myself I'd wake up earlier tomorrow to make up for it.
I got my laundry together for the morning and watched a little TV.
I had some difficulty falling asleep, but slept soundly until morning.

Days 57-60

Day 57: Santa Cruz to San Cristobal (01/23/10)

I got up at 8 hoping to make it to breakfast by 9, but around 8:30 ish I lost my motivation.
I missed breakfast by 5 or 10 minutes and decided to go looking for a place after hitting the bank and paying for a boat to San Cristobal.
I tried to get some cash with my USAA card first, but it said that I'd exceeded my limit.
Next I tried my Chase card and that worked (thankfully).
The boat ticket was $30 and was for one of the boats at 2pm.
I left my bag with the desk and headed out in search of food. After a lot of walking I headed to a place with a few other people out front and ordered a sandwich and juice. The sandwich was ok, but the juice was delicious.
I headed to an internet shop briefly (this one is more expensive than the one closer to my hotel, but it also has phones). I only stayed a short while, then headed to my hotel for my bag.
When I was walking towards the main drag, I ran into the woman from the desk of the hotel.
She said that my boat was called "Cholita," I thanked her for her help and we parted ways.
I stopped in at the (cheaper) internet place again, then headed to the dock to figure out where to catch my boat.
I waited and talked to (I think) a British couple for a bit (Fiona and??).
They offered recommendations about places they had been. They both quit their jobs and are traveling for 1-1.5 years all over South America.
There was some confusion about my boat, but it thankfully was resolved in time. My bags were checked by some type of island authorities and I was ok-ed.
The boat was much nicer than I had pictured.
The seats were plush and a flat screen TV played music videos the whole ride (2.5-ish hours).
Last minute a girl sat next to me. She (Tara) is from (northern) New Jersey and has a boyfriend (Wilson) here on San Cristobal. She met him while studying abroad and they've been dating since (about 2 years).
She offered to meet me at the dock at 8 to show me around. I checked into my hotel, which is a bit disappointing to be honest (tomorrow I'll probably try to find something else).
I ate a small snack then headed to an internet place across the street from the dock.
At 7:50 I started signing out of things and payed for my time (much cheaper than all the places on Santa Cruz).
I think I made it out to the dock about 8 and have been sitting and writing since, but they're still no shows. I hope the internet clock wasn't wrong. Oh well, I guess.
I'm gonna head back now.
When I got back there were a ton of large ants (I smashed some, but they kept coming). I got in my pjs and went to bed. I woke up a couple times in the night, but managed to sleep ok.

Day 58: Killing Time (01/24/10)

This morning I decided to ask about a pharmacy to get some seasickness meds (to see if maybe that would help).
My stomach was quite upset and I was afraid that I might need some re-hydration supplies (unfortunately I left the ones I already had in Cuenca).
I asked the older woman near the hotel entrance. She was very nice (much nicer than the woman that checked me in), she told me the pharmacy was on the main drag, so I went to look.
I walked the front street and didn't see it, so I stopped for some breakfast, then headed to the internet place. I couldn't find out where a pharmacy was located, but I did find the name of the seasickness medicine that is most commonly found in Ecuador (Mareol).
After I finished up online I bought some Gatorade and headed down a different street back to the hotel.
I found the pharmacy on one of the side streets and bought some Mareol.
The only problem is that there are no instructions. I went ahead and took one, got in my underwear, put a cool damp bandanna on my forehead, pointed the fan at myself and tried to nap on top of my sheets.
At one point I think someone opened my room (to clean?) thankfully my back was to them and they left right away.
I got up around 5 and decided to try to find some yogurt, toilet paper and look for Mareol instructions.
The store I thought would be open for sure, wasn't. I walked a while and made it to the internet shop without passing an open store.
It took me a while, but I finally found official instructions for the Mareol (1-2 pills 2-4 times a day).
I was online forever, but I guess that's not such a bad thing, since I don't know what else I'd do.
I went to the store next door and bought toilet paper, but they didn't have yogurt. I headed to the ATM to get some more cash.
A few blocks away I found a small store with yogurt (I also got some Gatorade).
When I got back to the hotel I ate the yogurt, drank some water and took another Mareol.
I decided to shower tonight so I wouldn't have to worry about it in the morning. I took a couple pictures of the shower head because (like a lot of construction and wiring in Ecuador) it's pretty sketchy.
After killing about 30 ants and packing up, I tried to sleep. It was still early and I had a hard time falling asleep.
I woke up a couple times, but didn't sleep too badly.
Being ill is making me want to be home, more than I already wanted to be.

Day 59: San Cristobal to Cuenca (01/25/10)

I woke up a few times in the night. I was worried that my clock wasn't set correctly (well, I knew it wasn't, but wasn't sure how off it was) so I think that had something to do with it.
I woke up when my clock said 8 (it was really 6) and stayed in bed until it said 10 (really 8).
I left to get some breakfast, find the actually time and kill some of it.
My plane is supposed to leave at 12:45 and the travel agency told me to arrive at the airport 2 hours early, but I was assured by other travelers, and the guide from my boat tour, that 2 hours wasn't necessary.
I ate breakfast at the same place as the other morning, but ordered something different.
After, I went to the internet place for a while then headed down the boardwalk. I stopped at the post office to mail some postcards. It costs as much to send a postcard as as letter ($2 a piece).
I headed to one of the public bathrooms on the boardwalk and when I came out Angela and Stefano (the Italian couple) were nearby.
I talked to them for a while and then we sat and waited for the bus that was coming to take them to the airport. Angela said it would probably be fine for me to ride with them (I thought so too), but she asked Estefano (the guide) to be sure. He okay-ed it.
We got to the airport just after 11 and checked in. We had to wait until 12:39 almost to go through the "customs" and then waited about another 30 minutes before loading the plane. We left late, but still made it to Guayaquil about on time.
Once in Guayaquil I had to go back out to check-in with TAME for my Cuenca flight.
All of the signs said check-in for various classes of passengers for a Quito flight leaving 30 minutes after my flight.
I was a little confused, but I still had a while before the flight, so I sat and wrote and listened to my iPod.
When it got down to around what I guessed should be boarding time, I went to the desk to ask.
The man checked me in right away and I made my way to the terminal.
In Guayaquil you have to walk through a store to get to the flight gates.
When I got through, I sat close to my departure gate, but there still weren't any attendants at it.
After about 20 minutes they started loading the plane. The flight was pretty empty. On the last flight (to Guayaquil) the plane had been very full, but I had somehow wound up with a row of seats to myself.
The ceiling above my seat (for the second flight) was dripping some unknown substance. A larger drop hit the top digit of one of my fingers and it burned.
Luckily during the actual flight it only dripped tiny droplets and they hit the inflight magazine I was reading.
I got to Cuenca on time. It was raining. I was glad my rain coat was at the top of my bag. I hopped a taxi right away and headed to Hostel Santa Fe.
It feels strangely like a second home.
This time I have the room next to the one I had before. It's bathroom has a fan (the other one didn't) which is nice, but the room itself is a little awkward. Because of the door placement (to the room and bathroom) there isn't really a different spot to put the bed. The hanger pole is right above the bed, which is probably the most awkward part.
I kind of slept in, which was nice, but I'm still feeling the non-existent motion.
I took some anti-diarrhea pills yesterday, so my fingers are crossed for fewer emergency bathroom trips.
I managed to sleep, but had some very strange dreams.

Day 60: Plans (01/26/10)

I got up around 9:30 and organized my things (dirty laundry, etc.) and got ready for my day.
I made it downstairs for breakfast around 10:15.
I've been sitting here writing since. The younger guy that works here must be listening to some type of American love song compilation.
He was listening to "Total Eclipse of the Heart," followed by " Unbreak My Heart." I was stoked until "My Heart Will Go On" came on. I'm beyond over the "Titanic" movie and that song.
I'm gonna head to the internet shop to try calling my mom in a bit.
I got a hold of her right when she was considering getting out of bed. We talked for a while. Penny's doing well, and dad and Katie are up skiing today.
After talking to her, I went online.
Staying in Ecuador is getting harder, but to be fair it does seem to come in waves.
There are things that I'd still like to see. I think there are really 3 that come to mind: 1.Loja/Vilcabamba 2.Baños (the one up north, not the one right next to Cuenca) 3.the amazon.
Hopefully I'll feel more normal tomorrow and be able to start planning a trip to Loja/Vilcabamba.
I'd like to leave some room for flexibility, but I'd also really like to plan most of the things out to some extent.
I'd like to at least maybe figure out where I want to stay in Baños and Loja, and figure out the day trips I'm interested in. Maybe also look into Amazon possibilities. It seems like the Amazon trips are better to plan once you're actually in Baños or whatever you're going to use as your base.
If any or all of these mini trips get planned in enough time for me to really enjoy them I will be thrilled.
It sounds like Vilcabamba is pretty hard not to enjoy and Loja is attached to another one of the National parks.
I went back to the hotel for a while, but now I'm finishing up dinner. Dinner was alright, I had a Shawarma. I'm going to pee, pay, check email, then call Gabe.
After talking to Gabe for a while, I headed back to the hotel and went to bed.

Days 54- 56

Day 54: Isla Floreana (01/20/10)

Today we're headed to Punta Cormorant, Devil's Crown (for snorkeling) and Post Office Bay.
We started our day with breakfast at 7 again and by 8 we were in the pangas (boat taxis) headed to Punta Cormorant.
After walking only a short ways we came to a lagoon with Pink Flamingos. I got a few pictures of them standing around and searching for shrimp, but didn't get any of them flying. They look very awkward flying. Their head/neck is as long as their legs. Their wings are either the same length as their head to toe length, or perhaps a little shorter.
One of them started flying the same way I do in my dreams (running until I take off, but in my dreams I don't have wings and the flamingo was flapping his/hers).
We continued past the lagoon to a beach on the other side of the island. It was another white sand beach. This one is where Green Turtles lay their eggs and where stingrays come to breath. This beach has continually oxygenated water (because of the never-ending small waves breaking constantly) which the stingrays enjoy.
We got to see several turtles and stingrays (as well as crabs). After wading with the stingrays a while we headed back up the trail and around to another part of the lagoon.
In this part there were around 20 Flamingos just hanging out pretty close.
Next we headed back to the beach we'd landed on earlier and took a closer look at the green sand (green because it was made up of your normal clear, black and brown parts as well as olivine crystals, which are green).
We headed back to the boat to get ready to snorkel next.
We snorkeled at "Devil's Crown" and along the side of Floreana.
While we were snorkeling around Devil's Crown I saw more sea lions, a shark and several fish and aquatic flora. The tide carried us around most of Devil's Crown, but when we went inside the curve of it, we had to do a bit of actual swimming to get to where we wanted to be.
We snorkeled along the edge of the island Floreana where the water was deep. I saw a bigger ray (than the ones we'd seen earlier) and schools of fish and lots of sea stars along the bottom. A few people saw a hammer head shark, but I couldn't find it to save my life (I was right near it too!).
When we finished snorkeling we returned to the boat for lunch and a break before our afternoon activities.
This afternoon we'll be hiking and going in a lava tube! I'm really wishing I'd brought a flashlight (but oh well).
At the lagoon today we also saw black mangroves that sweat out the salt, from the lagoon, through their leaves giving the leaves some sparkle.
After snorkeling I took a shower before out afternoon trek.
In the afternoon we headed to another part of Floreana(Post Office Bay). When we arrived we left our snorkel gear on the beach and walked a short distance to the "Post Office."
We dropped off post cards, for others to deliver to us at a later date, and rifled through the post cards there to see if there were a few we could deliver for others.
I only wrote one to be delivered and found two that I'm willing to deliver.
One is for some part of SW Portland I've never heard of and the other is for Corvallis. There were I think 3 others for Oregon, but not close enough to deliver myself.
After that we hiked a bit to get to the lava tube.
We took a very steep ladder to another steep ladder to a rope to another steep ladder to the ground level.
After about 5 feet of rocky ground water began to cover the ground. Only a few inches deep to begin with, then several feet deep, until (after going through a small tunnel-y area you came to a "room" that was deep enough to swim in (about chest/neck height). I had considered stopping one we hit the water, but decided to go up to my knees. After getting to knee depth, I decided the water wasn't so bad and continued until near wait height. It was spectacular! The highlight of my trip so far. Once I got in there (where the deeper water was) I was bummed that I had brought my bag (because I could've actually gone swimming if I hadn't). My shorts got soaked, but I'm so glad I kept going.
When we left the lava tube we headed back to the bay and snorkeled and swam a while. There were lots of Green Pacific Turtles eating and swimming around.
When we finished we all hopped in one panga and headed back to the boat. I rinsed off quickly, lotioned (the sun is seriously drying my skin out) and got ready for our "briefing" for tomorrow's activities.
Tomorrow we're headed to Isla Isabela for a bit of hiking, snorkeling and hanging out.
There's a chance of rain tomorrow so all of us have out fingers crossed for clear skies.
The water is colder and murkier near Isabela, so snorkeling might not be that exciting, but there is a chance that we'll see white tipped reef sharks.
After the briefing was dinner (the cake at the end was the best part). After dinner I grabbed my camera to show Barbara and Lon pictures from New Years (we'd talked about it at dinner) and joined them on the second story deck.
When they headed to bed I talked to Michelle, Betina and Warren for a bit, then they were ready to say goodnight too (I hadn't realized how tired I was until I came down to write).
Now it's bed time for me.

Day 55: Isla Isabela (01/21/10)

This morning I went to breakfast in my pajamas plus a pair of jeans. I had been sleeping pretty heavily before my alarm went off.
The first thing we did today was walk around a small island just off of the Isabela shore. There were lots of iguanas and lizards, a few penguins and turtles and one white tipped reef shark. The penguins were tiny (a little shorter than the blue footed boobies). The iguanas were a bit larger and then colorful than the ones on the previous islands. I only got to see the fins of the shark as it turned a corner.
When we finished our walk around the island we came back to the boat briefly to get ready to snorkel.
The snorkeling was ok, but a lot of it was very shallow (I kept thinking I was about to drag my body on the coral and rocks). There were mostly just fish, but there were also a few playful sea lions.
After snorkeling we returned to the boat for lunch. At 2:30 we're headed to the main part of Isabela for some walking and a visit to a tortoise center where they have tortoises of many different ages and sizes. Later, in the day we're free to explore the town of Vilamil (I think) and nearby beach as we please.
Vilamil is small, but nice. The beach is beautiful and there aren't many people. When we finish at the Galapagos National Park Tortoise reserve (or whatever it's actually called), we head to town. In town we have almost 2 hours to kill.
First I went with the Swedes to a bar for a beer, then we walked around a bit (looking for a haircut for Uké (I don't know how to spell that)) and headed to the beach for a bit. The Swedish men went back to the boat early but the rest of us swam a while with the Italians. At 5:30 we headed back to the boat.
We ate dinner a little earlier than usual. After dinner we packed and had a drink and talked a while. The time to Santa Cruz was supposed to be a bit a longer and bumpier, so they started driving faster earlier (than usual).
My stomach wasn't sitting well, but once I was asleep I was out for the night.

Day 56: Santa Cruz and Hotel España (01/22/10)

This morning we started early to breakfast and then the Charles Darwin Research Center.
Breakfast was at 6 and we left about 7 for land.
The Charles Darwin Station is home to "George" the last surviving Giant Tortoise from the island of Pinta. The station is trying to breed giant tortoises and some iguanas too to restore numbers in the wild.
After we finish at the station I head to Tortuga Bay with the two remaining couples (all of the other passengers are leaving the boat today) I hadn't planned on going with them to the bay, so I was unprepared (no swim suit or towel or sandals). I decided to just hike up my passport pouch and go in the water up to my shorts. The water felt nice. I got to talk to Michelle for a while.
She's some type of consultant and Gawain is some kind of special effects guy, but they both quit their jobs to travel a while.
She said that they'd be in Ecuador a while and then were headed to the US. They'll fly into Atlanta and then probably drive cross country in a rental to California.
Walking back to the trail head I got some blisters and also got a cactus needle stuck in my foot. Not as bad as it sounds and totally my fault (I was walking barefooted). I pulled the cactus bit out and put my shoes back on.
We had taken a taxi to the beach, but there were none to be found for coming back, so we walked.
We got back a little early so we made a quick stop at the grocery store and I found another ATM that would take my Chase card.
The pangas came to get us at 12 and we headed to the boat for lunch.
I was supposed to grab my bag and pay for my trip and then head to the Hotel España, but the guide wasn't back yet from the airport with the new passengers. I wound up eating lunch, paying the captain, and heading to the island when they were going to get the new passengers.
I found Hotel España without any trouble. The room was plain, but air-conditioned.
I tried to nap, but was unsuccessful. I pried myself out of the air-conditioning to head to an internet place around the corner and then dinner.
Dinner was ok. I was a little worried I'd have trouble getting money the next day (I spent my last $15 on dinner).
After dinner I watched a movie and went to sleep.

Days 51-53

Day 51: One Day 'Til Galapagos (01/17/10)

This morning I really didn't feel like getting up. I pried myself out of bed and in to the shower. I got my laundry together and got dressed for breakfast. It was just about 10 already so I asked for only egg, bread, and hot water.
I ate everything and was just about done with my tea when Santiago showed up. I guess it was good that he was late again so I had time to eat.
We headed to the internet shop and went online, but his friend wasn't on. So we called from a booth. His friend got my passport info from me so he could book my hotel stay. After they talked a while we went back online and he sent Jorge Luis (his friend) an email with my email address so he can send me instructions and details for when I land at San Cristobal airport.
We left the internet shop and headed over to the church across the street to see the festivities (they were having another parade).
I guess they dress all the children up and decorate horses and cars and reenact some kind of baby Jesus scene.
They do this every weekend from late November/December until Carneval. All of the children were dressed in fancy traditional costumes.
The church across the road from my hotel doesn't look particularly spectacular from the outside. Plain white walls (etc.), but the inside is beautiful and ornate. There are carvings and sculptures and lots of colors. Really very beautiful and a lot larger than I expected.
After the church we walked down towards the Tomebamba. Santiago's mom called and wanted him to call back, so he walked me up the river a bit and then back to my hotel.
He said to give him a call when I get back into town and take care.
Back at the hotel I asked if I could start laundry and the owner said yes. Then we talked briefly about my trip.
I need to ask about leaving a few things here for the week and about getting a room again when I get back.
I'm drinking some tea and writing now, but in a short while I'm going to call my mom.
It's nearly 2, but the computer place is packed and I'm hungry. Pretty much nothing is open today so I ended up at "Cafe Austria" again.
I think I'll probably just call my mom instead of trying to Skype. On the way here I passed a place that advertised 5 cents a minute for calls to the US, so I'll head there instead of the usual place.
I need to remember to go to the ATM today.
Talked to my mom for a bit. She was busy making stuff for a work potluck and had some other things to do, so we didn't talk for too long.
Part of the reason I have been pretty set on heading straight to Central America with Gabe is that I afraid my mom would be on me about finding a job right away etc. But after talking to her I'm no longer worried about it. It surprised me a bit that she didn't expect me to really be looking until April, but I guess she realizes how hard it is to find work right now. The only thing on the agenda for right when I get home: taxes. Not a big deal, because I really want to get mine done as soon as I get back anyway.
For dinner I headed to Rayipampa (I think that's the name). It was the place that I had tried to go for lunch with the huge line, a few days back. My teacher had recommended the lunch, so I figured the dinner probably wouldn't be half bad either.
I had a mushroom and chicken crepe and a margarita. Both were good, but the crepe was SO rich and very filling.
After eating I headed back to the place I had called my mom from, to call Gabe. He didn't answer so I told his voicemail I'd try later.
I went to the internet shop by my hotel and checked email. Jorge Luis sent me an email, but all it said was to take the bus to the Central Park stop and walk 3 blocks, or take a taxi ($1). The hotel is called "Hotel España" and the room is $30 with AC or $25 with a fan.
I wrote the info down and hoped that that was all the info I actually needed.
I talked to Katie on IM briefly.
I called Gabe and got to talk to him for a while, which was nice. I had questions that I forgot to ask, but I remembered to invite him to Cirque Du Soleil when I get back.
When we got off the phone, I headed back to the hotel and packed.
I wrote a note asking if I could leave a small bag behind, and if I could reserve a room for when I get back.
Then I went to bed. I was a bit anxious about traveling the next day, and about figuring out my week.

Day 52: En Route To The Galapagos (01/18/10)

Just before bed last night I had asked the hotel owner to call me a cab for the morning. I watched him call and he said everything was worked out for my 6:45 cab.
I woke up early and got dressed and packed up my last few items.
No one else was up. At 6:30 I headed downstairs with my things. A short bit later a woman came downstairs. There was a honk outside and I thought maybe it was my cab. The front door was locked and this other woman seemed just as antsy as I was. She told me to wake up the hotel owner, so I did.
He came out and unlocked the door. He double checked my cab and I gave him the note. I realized that the woman was antsy because the honking was her ride somewhere.
He said it was fine and I payed him for the last 20 nights.
My cab came and I was off. When I got to the airport (about 5 minutes later) there wasn't anyone working the check in counter, so I waited in line. After getting checked in I found my way to the departure waiting area. This airport is tiny, but nice (there are only 3 departure gates).
I was feeling pretty antsy because I didn't see any of the people I had waited in line with. As I had walked into the room a guy from (I think) TAME (my airline) had rushed outside with a woman. I began to worry a bit, thinking maybe I had missed my boarding call (which was silly because I still had 30 minutes before my plane was supposed to leave).
I made myself sit still and wait. The room began filling up and a bit later they started boarding.
When I got to Guayaquil they announced that people heading to the Galapagos should talk to a flight attendant while exiting, so I did. She pointed me to another airline employee. He started walking briskly and motioned for me to follow. I followed, but when I handed him my ticket to look at, he stopped. They hadn't checked me in for my next leg yet, so I had to go to check-in (and the plane was supposed to be leaving a bit early).
The line for check-in was long. After checking in I had a while to wait still so I got some food. Basically just a grilled cheese ( for $4.50, holy cow).
My flight ended up leaving at the original time.
When we got to the Galapagos I had to wait in another line. This one was short, but took a long time. I had to pay for a tourist card ($10) and fill out a paper explaining the nature of my visit (migration form basically) and pay $100 to enter the park. Then they emptied my bags and put everything back in.
When I got through, I hit the bathroom and then tried to find a bus or taxi. When I asked a cop where the bus stop was all he said was "taxi" and pointed to one. So I asked the driver if he knew where my hotel was and he smiled and said "yeah, but it's on a different island." I had flown to San Cristobal, but my hotel was on Santa Cruz (a couple hours away by boat). Shit. So I looked for a phone and saw a payphone looking thing that said Porta all over it. The number for Jorge Luis was a porta number so I went to check it out. The only problem was that it required some type of Porta phone card. I started to panic a bit. A guy had asked if I was part of his volunteer group coming in and I had said no. I decided to go ask him about it. He said that my hotel was on Santa Cruz and that the boats were done for the day, so he'd help me find a hotel for a night and tell me how to catch a boat the next day.
A short bit later another guy standing nearby asked if I'd like to take the last room on the boat he was the guide for. At first I thought "no way" but after talking to him a bit (and seeing the other passengers) it didn't sound so sketchy.
He said for $1,000 everything for all 5 days would be included and it would drop me at Santa Cruz on Friday. I would have a day to do whatever and a day to get back to San Cristobal. I agreed and joined them. I thanked the volunteer guy for his offer to help me, and then headed out.
The boat is very nice. When we first boarded we took our shoes off and went inside for a meeting. We talked about the plan for the day, the meal plans, and who belonged in which room. Then we unloaded all of our things and met back up for lunch.
After lunch we were going snorkeling (near Isla Lobos) and then for a short hike.
Snorkeling was awesome. I was afraid to do it at first, but I'm glad I didn't chicken out. The first sea lion that swam by me scared the crap out of me and swimming close to the rocks scared me too. After a bit I got over it though. The sand on the bottom was just little bits of sea shells. There were fish that looked clearish with electric reflections and a sword shaped nose (the fish were not very big though, 4-8 inches and skinny) that swam in schools close to the surface.
There were darkish fish with yellow mouths and lots of other brightly colored smaller fish. There was the raddest sea slug I've ever seen. It was wild camo-y print with electric spots along it's body that I think were blue (I can't remember though).
After playing with young sea lions for a bit we headed back to change and get ready for our hike.
Our hike ended up being more of a walk. We climbed over some rocks for a bit and saw a baby sea lion (2 months old) nursing. There were a lot of other sea lions and lots of lizards too. We saw an adolescent blue footed boobie (that didn't have it's blue feet yet and couldn't fly yet), and a couple young frigate birds and some yellow warblers.
We ended by walking through a section of beach scattered with sea lions and pups.
After the walk we had some relaxation time and then at 6 had a "meet the crew" cocktail.
I sat and talked to a couple from Switzerland. They were young and are both geographers. Betina and Warren. They had been here for a few weeks on a bike vacation and after the cruise are headed home.
I sat and talked with them during dinner (I had sat with an older couple from Minneapolis at lunch).
After dinner there were going to be some boat taxis to town for shopping, internet etc.
I bought some post cards and emailed my family and Gabe. When we headed back to the boat I hungout with some of the crew and had a couple beers. The guide got his computer and showed me some pictures of the islands. After a short while it became apparent that he had the wrong idea about me. He asked if he could kiss me. I said no, thanked him for the beer and went to bed. Ugh. Breakfast is at 7 tomorrow, so bed was a good idea anyway.

Day 53: Isla Española (01/19/10)

Today we went to Gardener Bay and Punta Suarez.
We had breakfast at 7 and left the boat for our first beach and snorkel at 8.
The beach had very light colored sand that was made of sea shell bits. The first hour we walked the beach. There were tons of sea lions and lizards. There were also some turtles, hawks and other birds.
I got a video of one type of bird fishing. It flew close to the surface of the water, then flew much higher, and then dove into the water and popped back up shortly.
After walking a while, we snorkeled from the beach to a large formation of rocks. I saw a few rays and lots of fish. There were a pair that I remember specifically. The one swimming in front was silvery and fairly plain, but the one following was bright neon electric blue. Spectacular.
I did not, however, manage to see the sharks that supposedly inhabited the rock formation. I'm not terribly bummed about it though. I almost pee myself each time I get passed by a sea lion, so I can only imagine my reaction to being even relatively close to sharks.
After that we headed back to the boat to get ready for more snorkeling around a small island.
This time we were mostly looking for sea stars, coral, anemones, etc.
It was nice, but my muscles were crampy and I was pretty cold.
Shortly after getting back in the taxi boat the last few members of our group joined us and we headed back to the boat.
When we got back I got ready for lunch and ate. After lunch I talked for a while with the Australian/UK couple and the Swiss woman, then headed to the second floor to digest.
I wound up attempting to nap and found myself dozing in and out. It was a bit chilly so I headed to my room to nap for real. The only problem was that I really didn't feel like getting back up. I forced myself to get up.
On the taxi boat I got to talk to the Swedish people a bit. On the boat there are 3 older Swedish from the same town (Inger, Shel, Susann, Mari-anne, Claes and Uke. I'm guessing on all the spellings), they're hilarious, there's a young surfing couple (Michelle from Australia and Gawain from the UK), an older Italian couple(Angela and Stefano), a young Swiss couple (Betina and Warren), and an older couple from Minneapolis (Barbara and Lon).
So far I like everyone pretty well. The Swedish couples are great. They're all very funny.
We went on a hike at Punta Suarez that was very hot and fairly long. We saw lots of iguanas, smaller lizards, sea lions, blue footed boobies, Nasca boobies (and their babies), doves with bright circles around their eyes, a couple types of finches, waved albatrosses, re-billed tropicbirds, hawks, and lots of crabs.
We got to see the cliffs on Española which were nice (but probably much more dramatic years ago). Also a blow hole.
After the walk I was about to faint from being so hot and thirsty by the time we got back (I brought water with me, but not enough).
I drank a lot of water and ate lots of snacks. I sat in the common room couch area and talked to the Swedes for a long while.
More people filtered in and we talked about a lot of different topics until it was time for our group talk about the formation of the Galapagos and our plans for tomorrow.
After the meeting was dinner and I sat and talked with the Italians. I think that the husband doesn't speak English, but the wife does quite well (also Portuguese, apparently).
After dinner I got my notebook and postcards and started writing. One of the Swedes offered me a drink and I accepted this time (they had asked earlier, but I was on a re-hydration mission).
When I finished my writing I headed to bed.

Day 50

Day 50: Phone Tag (01/16/10)

I woke up with just enough time for breakfast before Santiago is supposed to be here. One of the English guys is eating breakfast and I sit and talk with him for a while. He's been in South America for a few months now and has a few more to go.
He's headed for Peru tonight. He wanted to stay a bit longer, but there are strikes predicted on that bus route in a few days so he's leaving early. He said someone he knew had gotten stuck on a bus for nearly 3 days because of a strike and he didn't want to risk it.
He got up to start his day and I ate my breakfast slowly. Santiago was half an hour late. When I was finished eating I wrote a note, and gave it to the hotel staff, asking them to let him know I was at the book store around the corner.
I went to the store and read a little bit about the islands. I went to write the names of 4 or 5 islands I think I might enjoy and the woman at the desk got very snappy with me (she hadn't said one word to me before this point). I don't care for this woman. She snipped at me about how the book is for sale, not free yadda yadda.... I interrupted her rant and said that I knew and was hoping to trade it for the Peru guidebook I had bought with a friend a week earlier. That calmed her down a bit, but she was still short with me. I had hoped for an even trade since the Ecuador book was 3 or 4 years old and the Peru book was brand new (and I hadn't even used it), but she only gave me $5 credit.
I think I won't go back there if I can help it. Her husband seems nice, but I really don't care for her.
After I went online to check email etc. Gabe had written a short but sweet email. I wrote back to what he'd written and then told him about my near panic attack the day before.
I hadn't felt that shitty and anxious in years (since Virginia). I didn't have a full blown attack, but I was dang close. I went home and cried for a long time and then slept. I woke up feeling relieved though, which is what I had hoped for.
When I got back to the hotel Santiago had called and asked me to call him back. So, I did, but there was no answer. I went back to the hotel and wrote a note saying that I was headed to the internet shop and the Tía. That I had tried calling and that I wrote him an email. AND that I would come back to the hotel around 5:30 (I thought it was already 4:30, but I guess it was only 3:30).
I went to the internet shop for a bit and wrote him an email including the islands I wanted to visit, as well as how much I preferred to pay for hotels and my flight info. Afterwards, I headed to Tía and bought some yogurt, tea, and a candy bar (I really wanted junk food, but I stopped myself from buying anything else).
When I got back to the hotel it was only 4:35. I layed in bed and watched TV and read. After a while, I figured he wasn't going to call the hotel again, so I tried for a nap.
Around 7:15, I made myself go eat then tried calling again.
He answered this time, we agreed to meet at 10 am at my hotel. I ate a sandwich at the "Club" place again.
After that I called Natallie and talked to her for almost an hour.
I replied to Steph's email from a few days ago. I cut it a little short because it was getting late and I was the only one still in the shop.
I've been listening to a lot of music on YouTube since my iPod stopped working (not just frozen this time).
When I left the internet shop I came back to the hotel and watched some TV ("Ghost" then "Euro Trip") and then hit the hay.

Days 47-49

Day 47: Hump Day (Wednesday) (01/13/10)

Today I woke up an hour and a half before class, and got up an hour before class.
Breakfast was huge again. I'm going to get fat eating all these large meals and not exercising.
In my first class today I learned (or started learning) many new verbs and how to talk about the future a little. We ended up talking a lot about sex ed, which was a little random (but probably started with our conversation about national problems, teen pregnancy, as well as talking about my mom's work).
When class ended I walked to "Moliendo Cafe" for lunch. Today I tried "arepa mixta" which is basically tortilla covered by a pile of veggies, beans, chicken and beef.
I also had some Colombian (because this is a Colombian cafe) drink that was a little similar to cold chai, but with different spices accented. They also have almuerzos, so the next time I go I'll probably get that.
I finished eating and headed to the hotel for a second, then decided to go online for a bit.
I wrote to Santiago, my mom and Annette, then headed to my conversation class.
We covered A TON of vocab, I won't be able to remember all of it for a long time, but hopefully I'll get it (poco a poco).
After class I headed back to the hotel and did some writing. This morning when I got up I wondered why my waist band is so tight. I'm bloated.
I've been drinking two cups of green tea each morning, lots of water through out, yogurt most days and I haven't had regular BMs (TMI, I know. Sorry). I don't want to stop taking my iron, but I know that has a little bit to do with it. Ugh.
I think I'll head to Tía and maybe buy some yogurt and granola for dinner.
I told Gabe I would try to email today and that I would ask about sending a package here, but I haven't asked and I'm not sure what to write.
Maybe I'll update my blog some to help me come up with ideas. I need to remember to write down Jamie's address and Brooke's phone number.
I wish I remembered where the closer Tía was. The one by the market is kinda far.
After Tía I walked back to the hotel and ate my yogurt. I also bought some more jasmine tea. The tea box is ridiculous. There's a half naked airbrushed chick on one side and a half naked photoshopped dude on the other (both Asian, of course, since it's Oriental brand tea). Hopefully, it doesn't taste like crap.
Watched a little TV, now I'm headed to the internet shop to email Gabe and update my blog.
I wound up emailing Gabe and Steph and some others, but didn't update the blog at all. When I left, I headed to the hotel and watched a little TV then went to bed.

Day 48: Galapagos Planning (01/14/10)

I was exhausted this morning. I finally managed to pry myself out of bed with the promise of a hot shower. Unfortunately, I got in the shower only to be disappointed by lukewarm water. I decided to get out and wait 'til the afternoon to try for hot water.
Today at breakfast there was jugo again and my new tea (no matter how ridiculous the packaging) tasted alright. Instead of the normal rolls there were croissant-like things. I forced myself to only eat one even though I wanted both.
In class this morning we worked mostly on GUSTAR-to like and a little on progresivo (things ending in the equivalent of -ing in English). My homework is to reply to an internet personal ad of sorts. It's just some girl's ad for an international pen pal, but even still, it'll be weird to write back (personal ad style).
I walked to a restaurant next to the cathedral for lunch, but there was a long line out the door, so I came back to the Colombian place (this time for the almuerzo).
The soup and jugo were both good, but the meat in the entree was a little plain (still good though).
After eating I headed to the internet shop. Kendyl and Annette both wrote to me.
I left to go to the bathroom, but I think I might head back to call Santiago. Or maybe I'll take a nap... If I nap I have to call right when I get out of class. I think that's what I'll do.
Tomorrow I want to try to remember to ask Esperanza (my grammar teacher) about Baños (not the one up north, but the one close to here). Taking a soak in the hot springs sounds really nice.
I need to ask Eugenio (my conversation teacher) today if he knows about receiving packages here.
I need to call USAA about my credit card and I need to email my doctor about an appointment when I get back.
I forgot to ask Eugenio, and I didn't call USAA. BUT I did meet up with Santiago and have reserved a hotel room for the Galapagos for this next week!
Tomorrow he's going to help me buy my plane tickets after my first class.
After we found my hotel room, we went to dinner. At dinner we both ate burritos and talked for a while.
I headed back to the internet shop and did some blogging. Then went back to the room and got ready for bed.

Day 49: Last Day of Class (01/15/10)

Last night I decided I would try to get up a little earlier today (since sleeping in doesn't seem to be doing any good).
I hit snooze a couple times, but got up around 8:30.
The shower water still wasn't particularly hot (by the end of the shower it was cold), but at least it started out relatively warm.
I took my time getting ready and still had 45 minutes for breakfast.
At breakfast there were two guys from England (I think). I didn't talk to them, but if I run into them later today I will. Even if I am leaving for the Galapagos on Monday, it'd be nice to meet someone on this trip. Maybe they'll be in Cuenca when I get back or maybe they'll be headed somewhere I'd like to go too.
There is some kind of staff meeting at the Spanish school today, so we'll be starting a bit late.
This staff meeting turned out to be a baby shower.
The last day of class went pretty well I think. Today we talked about people's obsessions with things. The first iPod (apparently that was huge in Ecuador), Hannah Montana, concert/sports tickets, etc.
At the end I was supposed to fill out evaluations for Esperanza, but I only understood some of the questions so I waited until later to fill out the rest.
After class I met with Santiago and we found tickets for my flights to/from the Galapagos (with help from the hotel owner). I only had $100 on me though, so we set up a time to meet later to pay the rest (after my second class). Santiago and I ate at a place near his work and then parted ways.
After my class I filled out the evaluations and then headed to the back to get more cash.
Santiago was supposed too meet me at my hotel at 6 to head to the travel agency to pay the rest. I was supposed to pay by 6:30. The agency called my hotel at 6:25 , and Santiago was still not here, so I went on my own.
The tickets including a special travelers tax ($10) were $520.75 and I need to bring at least $100 with me. The Galapagos entry fee (which must be payed in cash) is $100. I will also need some cash to get to my hotel from the airport.
Guidebooks recommend bringing your own water because it's much more expensive on the islands, but I don't think I'll have the room in my bag. It's about 25 cents for a bottle of water here and about $1 there, which does add up. But when I'm already spending $40 a night and $500 for tickets, $100 for entry, and who knows how much for boats and tours, a couple dollars a day for water doesn't seem like much.
Now I just have to figure out which islands I want to go to and which nights I'll need to stay on other islands (and where I'll stay).
After buying the tickets I meet up with Santiago and talk to his friend about accommodations. When he leaves I stay and look online for info about the specific islands. I really much prefer looking for this kind of info in books.
We're supposed to meet at 10 tomorrow to discuss it, but maybe he won't mind a quick stop at the book store first?
After being online for a while (I updated my blog a bit) I head back to the hotel for bed.

Days 44-46

Day 44: Skype Date (01/10/10)

I woke up at 4 am to some guy pounding on the front door of the hotel. At first I thought maybe I was just hearing things, but then it started up again.
Then there was a phone call and the owner got up to see what was going on. He and the person talked for a bit and then finished and he locked the doors again. The guy came back a couple more times. I think he finally quit around 4:30-4:45.
I woke up around 9, stayed in bed for a bit and then got up about 9:30.
I got dressed and headed to desayuno. The owner asked if I was writing in Spanish. I said no, but told him that my classes start mañana (tomorrow). I told him after that, only Spanish. He said good and joked about beating me with his belt if I didn't start writing/speaking in Spanish.
There is a parade this morning. The end of the street has been blocked off and on for the past few days. Yesterday there may have been another parade, or it was just a practice run.
There were people and horses dressed up. Today they made their way down our street. There were also cars decorated going by today. It looked almost like a Christmas parade. All the Christmas decorations are still up.
Today I think my plan is mostly just to read. I want to finish my book today and maybe do some walking around town.
After my shower I quickly checked my email, etc., then took a walk to the river and back.
I was hoping to have lunch at the vegetarian place around the corner, but I guess they're not open Sundays.
I walked around for a while and hoped to find the New York pizza place or a good looking almuerzos place. I didn't find either (hardly anything is open on Sundays) and settled for the Chicago pizza place.
I had calzone and Pepsi. It was alright. The calzone had two kinds of cheese. One was weird, the other was good.
After I ate I walked around for a while.
I saw a cathedral a ways down and decided to check it out. It was really nice, but obviously not an area packed with tourists. It made me a little nervous because I only kind of knew where I was.
I walked back to the hotel and watched TV for a long time. I watched some ice skating movie with Joan Cusack and Samantha (from "Sex and the City") and then "Princess Diaries:2."
At about 8 I got up and went to the bar around the corner to grab some dinner.
I just ordered the hummus plate and a glass of wine. I talked to one of the servers a while. It turns out he, his brother and his brother's wife actually own and run the place.
I finished my first glass and got a second. After a bit I payed and headed back to my room. The guy had shown me the rooms they had in their hostel there. I think I may stay there when I get back from Venezuela. The room was nice and the dormitorio only had 4 beds and a bathroom, not too bad. It's $8 including breakfast.
When I got back to my room I finished reading my book and then went to sleep. I reminded myself that class is at 3 tomorrow.

Day 45: Half Way Point (01/11/10)

Today I woke up and rolled over. I wasn't worried about the time because my only obligation wasn't until 3. A short while after falling back to sleep, I woke up to a knock on my door.
The woman that works at the hotel (sometimes) was at my door. She told me that my class time had been changed to 10am (it was 9:30).
I quickly got dressed and scarfed down my breakfast. Just as I was finishing my juice Mayra (the woman form the school) called to let me know I should come at 10:30.
I brushed my teeth (a second time) and decided to head over.
She told me there was internet access upstairs I could use while I waited. The two computers were already in use, but I sat at a table to write.
I made my way back downstairs just before my lesson.
The lesson went very well, I think I like my grammar teacher a lot. This afternoon, I'll have a different teacher for conversation, hopefully I'll like him too.
For almuerzo today I headed around the corner from my hotel to a veggie place I hadn't been to yet.
It was delicious. The soup was pretty plain (mote, onion, something else?) but the broth was excellent. Then there were some shredded carrots (and a few other things) as well as some kind of root (that I've decided I don't care for) with cauliflower and a little sauce. Mashed potato-y things, brown rice and some type of veggie with tempeh. It was so good. Definitely worth $2.00.
Afterwards, I headed to the internet shop.
Gabe apparently had turned his phone off all day Saturday, which was why he didn't answer when I called. Steph and Alina also wrote to me.
When I left the internet shop, I headed back to the hotel for a second and then Spanish round 2.
My afternoon conversation teacher is running late because of traffic. I made a mental list of things to do or look into later. I need to weigh the pros and cons for going to Venezuela. I'd really like to go, but I would be spending $400 just on plane tickets to be there for a weekend (not even a long one at that).
When my teacher arrives he apologizes for being late and asks if it's okay to start 15 minutes early the next two days (to make up the time). I say it's fine and we start our lesson.
So far I think I like him pretty well. I'm having a hard time remembering some of the vocab, but it's only my first day.
After class I came back to the hotel and rewrote my notes so I can understand them. I also did laundry. I still need to do some written homework for my grammar class, but I think I'm going to eat first (it's almost 8).
I wandered around the neighborhood and finally decided to go to a place called "Chipotle: subs and shots." I had a Pisco sour and a burrito de pollo. Both were good and the bill was only $6.50. Afterwards, I headed to the internet shop to call Gabe, but both international phones were being used. So, I checked email, etc., until one of the phones freed up.
I called Gabe, but it went straight to voicemail, so I called Hana. She didn't answer and her voicemail doesn't work, so I called back a minute later.
I talked to her for a bit, but she had to go grab some cleaning supplies before the store closed (she's having an apartment inspection tomorrow). I told her I would call back after (hopefully) talking to Gabe.
I tried Gabe again and he answered this time. He was record shopping with Morgan.
We talked a bit, but not too long because they were going to grab some food.
He asked me to call again tomorrow.
I feel too tired to focus on Spanish right now. I already did some studying, so I think I'll save my grammar homework for the morning (hopefully I'll get some sleep and feel revived).
Crossing my fingers for solid sleep tonight.

Day 46: Big Breakfast (01/12/10)

This morning I felt pretty well rested, but I still didn't want to get out of bed. I made myself get up at 9:15. Showered and had about 30 minutes for desayuno.
Today my breakfast was huge. He made me eggs, a bowl of yogurt with fruit, 2 rolls with jam and tea. I only ate one of the rolls, but finished off everything else then ran to class (I did some of my homework while eating).
Grammar class was good today. She looked over my homework and taught me a few new verbs (which we then practiced). I have more homework for tomorrow.
I need to do some studying before conversation class.
For lunch I came back to the veggie place (same as yesterday).
Today I had brown rice with beans, a small side salad, fried ripe plantains and veggie soup. I also had jugo today (mango and something else I think).
After lunch I headed back to the hotel for a bit, then decided to go to the post office. I sent Christina/Steph's letter, Natallie's, Hana's and Gabe's. It cost $2.00 per letter, a little expensive.
When I got back to the hotel, I decided to go to the internet shop until class (I had about 30 minutes left).
Gabe emailed me. I'm gonna call him tonight. I miss him and hope we can take a trip.
Tonight I'm having dinner at the place with the "Club" overhangs near my hotel. I ordered a veggie wrap and a dirty martini. Martini's good, hopefully the sandwich is too.
The wrap was pretty good, not spectacular, but just the right amount of food.
After eating I headed to the internet shop to call Gabe.
He wants to send me a package. I would love to get one, but I've got a feeling I probably wouldn't end up actually getting it. It was good to talk to him when he was alone (most of our other conversations are when he's around people, it makes it more difficult).
After talking to him for a good amount of time, I headed back to the hotel and got ready for bed.

Days 42-43

Day 42: CEDEI or Bolivar? (01/08/10)

I set my alarm correctly last night, but when it started blaring this morning, I was not ready to get up.
I stayed up late last night reading and didn't let myself check the time before trying to fall asleep. My eyes were dry and starting to puff up before I went to sleep though.
When I finally did get up this morning (about 9:15) the power was out. As far as I can tell they're alternating between 9 am and 1 pm for the blackouts. I think over the weekend there shouldn't be any blackouts (like when I was in Canoa).
When the power comes back on, I'm gonna shower, check email, and stop by the CEDEI office.
I'll ask some questions and if the answers sound good then I'll take the placement test (if they need me to, I think it's safe to say I'm a beginner) and head to the bank for the tuition money. If I'm feeling if-y I'll check out the Bolivar school and get back to CEDEI about my decision.
I think today I'll also send letters and look up Galapagos stuff. Maybe email Santiago about it.
Hopefully, I'll hear from Rafael about my suggested dates for a visit and be able to buy my plane tickets.
I'm looking through the "501 verbs" book my mom sent and cracking up.
Apparently, if you want to say "beat it" you say "¡Cómprate un calvo y péinalo!" the literal translation is actually "buy a bald man and comb his hair!"Hahaha WTF.
Took a nap (watched TV). Showered, and hit the internet spot.
Haven't heard from Rafael, but double checked the flight availability (the tickets are still available).
Looked at a couple sites for the Galapagos trips. They're ridiculously expensive. Hopefully, with Santiago's help I can find something good. Speaking of Santiago, he sent me an email that I literally could not understand. He kept talking about "her" or "she" but didn't reference any names. He said something about CEDEI and something about Peru...??
He also left his cell number, so hopefully I can meet up with him this weekend.
I did a little reading on the lonely planet website about Central American spots and Caribbean spots. It finally just started stressing me out so I quit looking.
Gabe wrote briefly. I'm going to be so excited if we pull off a short vacation together.
I left the internet shop and headed to the CEDEI building. I wound up just going ahead and signing up for and paying for a week's worth of classes. If I really like it maybe I'll sign up for more. If I don't like it I might give Simon Bolivar a try later. My first class/lesson is Monday at 3pm. I need to show up a little early to find out where it is etc. I hope I like my teachers because it's 1:1 lessons, so if I don't like it, it'll suck pretty bad.
After leaving CEDEI I headed to Tía to buy some yogurt. I missed lunch, so I had a yogurt/granola/fiber snack around 4:30. I bought some mani (peanuts) too, but they're weird. They're called Mani Cris and they're basically peanuts with a tough salty shell on them.
After my snack I was gonna nap, but wound up watching some soap opera-esque show for a while, then "Hey Arnold."
Around 8:15 I headed back to the internet place. My mom had written back about our Skype date. A couple other people had written me, so I wrote back (to some, I forgot about Alina and Carolyn!).
I did some general internet cruising for a while, then came back to my room.
It's raining, but it feels kind of nice (until you stop walking and then you just get cold quickly).
I didn't send the mail today, maybe tomorrow? I don't know what the post office hours look like on Saturdays.
I also really need to get more cash. After paying for the Spanish I'm left with about $30.
Well, I think I may do some writing or reading and then hit the hay.
I want to wake up a bit earlier so that I'm hungry for lunch at the appropriate hour (I haven't been getting hungry until 3 ish).

Day 43: Pay Phone (01/09/10)

So much for getting an early start. I stayed up reading and writing for a while and then decided not to set an alarm. I woke up probably around 8:30 or 9 but tried to sleep a bit more. I got up at 9:45 and headed downstairs for desayuno. Today there was melon jugo (juice). It was good, Cantaloupe maybe?
I read a tourist brochure while I ate.
Now I'm headed to the internet shop to check emails and maybe metropolitan-tours.com, then maybe the post office?
For lunch I think I might try "Aguacolle Café." They have veggie almuerzos and are a short walk from here (according to guidebooks).
So, metropolitan-touring.com was a bust. It was less helpful and I think a bit more expensive than the local tour site I looked at before.
When I left the internet spot I headed to where I thought "Aguacolle Café" was supposed to be, but it wasn't there. I'll have to look online again to find it. I walked around for a long while, but the places that came to mind weren't open. I stopped by the bank and then back to the hotel to hide my money. I decided to see of "Café Austria" was open (it's just a few blocks from my hotel). It was open. I ordered a smoothie and an empanada.
I had really wanted to go back to "Tiesto's" to try their empanadas, but I doubt their construction will be done by the time I leave.
I sat and read while I waited for my food and drink. I'm determined to finish this book before I start Spanish lessons.
The smoothie came first. It had both fruits and veggies in it, and was more of a juice than actual smoothie. I'm not sure how I picked this one specifically. It was ok, but the second wave of flavor was all veggie (which was a little gross).
My chicken empanada was delicious. At first I was a little bummed because I thought it was supposed to come with a few, but it was only one. Once I started eating, however, I was glad it was only one (very filling).
After leaving I walked back to the hotel and read another chapter of my book, then headed back to the internet spot.
I really hope that Rafael writes back about the dates for going to Venezuela soon. If he doesn't I might not be able to afford it.
Steph wrote me an email. It sounds like she's doing pretty well.
Santiago didn't write me about whether his phone is Porta or Movi, I hope he writes back tomorrow.
Elsa wrote me back saying that Jack made it safely back to Portland, but that she doesn't know Margaret's plan. I'm honestly a little ticked at Margaret.
I wasted a couple hours online and then decided I should probably get some dinner (if I planned on eating tonight).
I contemplated heading to the place around the corner that I've already been to, but I decided against it.
Instead, I headed to the place on the end of my block "Cacao & Canela" (Chocolate and Cinnamon). Lonely Planet online had only mentioned that sandwiches were cheap, but I thought I'd give it a try.
The menu (as far as food is concerned) is short. They have cheap sandwiches, a few appetizers and a few salads. I ordered a Ensalada César and an Aniseto.
The salad was definitely not a caesar, but I don't really care (it had ham and cheese and vinaigrette).
The drink is anise flavored liquor, rum and something else.
After drinking less than a quarter of it I was tipsy. Now I've eaten my whole salad and I'm not quite half was through the drink and I'm probably drunk.
I'm a little worried about what I'll feel like if I finish it.
I really want to call Gabe, if I can figure out how, but I think it's probably a bad idea. Plus he DJs tonight.
I caved. I went back to the hotel to try to find the international calling code for the U.S. (I could've sworn I had just seen it on something). I couldn't find it in my Spanish books or on anything else. I went to look at the tourist guides downstairs, but didn't find it there either. The owner asked if I was going to a discoteca, I said no and he laughed a little and then I tried to fold the brochure up and started getting flustered (I think I drank a bit too much of that drink).
I went to the internet spot and found the code(00) and then tried calling Gabe. He didn't answer. I called Natallie and we talked for a while and then her phone cut out. I called back and we talk some more. I tried Gabe again, but it went straight to voicemail.
After the calls, I headed to the hotel and watched part of "Sex In The City" in Spanish and then went to sleep.

Days 39-41

Day 39: Spanish Classes? (01/05/10)

Today I woke up and got ready for desayuno (breakfast). I had a roll (similar to a croissant, but not as flaky) that I filled with my egg, ham, cheese scramble, and juice and tea.
While I was waiting for my food (and while I was eating) I read a bilingual magazine about South American food. It made me want to go on an eating tour of South America. It is easy to find $1.50-$2.00 breakfasts and multi-course lunches (almuerzos), but I've got a feeling that at the right restaurants you could have a spectacular lunch for only a few dollars more. The $2.00 specials are filling, but there's nothing exceptional about any that I've had thus far.
After breakfast, I tidied my room and got ready to leave.
I headed first to the internet shop to respond to Santiago's email and to see if either of the schools had gotten back to me.
The schools had not replied yet so I just wrote back to Santiago.
I checked my other "emails" and Gabe had written to say that he got his passport application. I wonder if he knows he can go to the Multnomah County Building on Morrison and 11th for passport stuff? I will be ecstatic if he gets it in time to go to Costa Rica (or where ever)! I wrote a couple messages and then headed out for lunch.
I went to a place called "El Miel." I sat on the back porch. It's nice with lots of bright tiles and colors and a small garden. I saw a little tiny spider crawling around on the table. I went to relocate it and accidentally smashed it in the process. Sorry lil' guy.
I ordered Quinoa with mushrooms (and some other stuff) with a side of veggies and a cup of juice. The Quinoa was delicious and the juice is good too. Getting the bill however is taking forever. I think that's mostly due to the fact they only have one server who takes all the orders, runs all the food and makes all the drinks. 3 groups of people showed up right after I did too, so he's busy. The meal was delicious though. Hopefully, I can make it to the hotel before the rain starts (I left my raincoat and I'm wearing flip flops).
It never ended up raining. I made it to the internet shop. I got a couple new messages and wrote a few. I wrote to my mom, but I had to make it really short, because the power was going to go out any minute. Maybe after dinner I'll write a real one.
I went back to my hotel room and did some reading. I read "A Grief Observed," I got to page 70 then decided to take a nap for a couple hours.
It took me a bit to fall asleep and when my alarm went off it seemed too soon. I tried to sleep a while longer, but there was too much going on downstairs. I got up and got ready for dinner around 7:30.
I didn't have anything in mind for dinner so I started wandering down Calle Larga. I didn't see anything too promising so I headed up one of the cross streets and wound up at "Cafe Austria." In Margaret's guidebook they say that it is home to everything caffeinated, so I thought it was maybe only a coffee shop. Upon closer inspection I found there to be many tables of people eating meals, so I decided to give it a try.
I ordered mushroom tortellini (I think) and a glass of wine. I am sitting at the bar. While I wait for my food I check out their liquor supply. It's much better than most of the places I've been, but also more expensive.
They have some good happy hour prices though.
They have a whiskey called "Something Special," my guess is that it's probably not as good as they hope it sounds. I'm always wary of things and places that "toot their own horns." They also have a Heineken bottle that is the size and shape of a large wine bottle.
So it turns out, what I ordered is not tortellini, but it's still good. I ate a bit too much. It was very rich and it was a large serving.
After eating I walked back towards my hotel. I stopped in at the internet shop and wrote a longer reply to my mom. I also talked to Lisa on Skype chat, which was nice. I guess she's mostly been working at the NW store and that Harper quit. Harper quitting is a bummer. I really like her and working with her a lot. It's understandable though. She's got another job and wants to have more time to spend with her daughter.
I got to talk to Gabe for a bit on IM (instant messenger), which made me really happy. He's going to turn in his passport application tomorrow. I'll pee my pants if we get to take a trip together! We're supposed to talk again tomorrow.
I'm back at my hotel now and just about ready for bed. I'll probably try to finish "A Grief Observed" and then sleep.

Day 40: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back (01/06/10)

Today I woke up early. There are people with young kids staying here now. The combination of kids and church bells was too much for me.
I finally gave up and got out of bed around 9.
This morning at breakfast I read more of the culinary magazine on South American food and restaurants. Today breakfast was the same as usual, plus some jam for the roll. The roll today was different, denser.
After breakfast I came upstairs to shower and the power was already out. Hopefully, it'll be back on after only a couple hours.I showered in the dark. The room has decent light because of a big window to the courtyard, but the bathroom only has a tiny window near the ceiling (so it was dark).
After showering and dressing, I wrote a few letters then headed to the internet shop. I wound up staying a lot longer than I had anticipated.
I wrote to a few people and wrote more of my blog. I'm finally updated through all the entries in my first notebook.
Some of what I write in the notebooks I'm not sure if I should share on the blog. I've been leaving bits and pieces out, but sometimes it feels like I'm basically leaving out half of the entry.
I think my fever is back again. I really really hope I'm not actually sick.
The guy sitting next to me (well, 3 feet away, but that's more than close enough) at the computer place was obviously pleasuring himself to something on the computer. He kept looking at me and I couldn't tell if he was checking to see if I was noticing, or to trying to get me to notice. I wish I knew how to say "GO SCREW YOURSELF SOMEWHERE ELSE, PERV," in Spanish, but unfortunately I don't.
Gabe payed for his passport, it's gonna be 4-6 weeks (which is about what I thought it'd be). He found some really cheap airline tickets, but when I looked for round trip flights out of Ecuador I didn't have such luck. It's really expensive to fly internationally from Ecuador. I wrote him and suggested that maybe I could just buy a one way ticket to meet him and then a one way ticket back to the U.S. instead. Or we could always wait until I get back to go.
I need to find out about tickets to Venezuela.
After writing Gabe I headed back to the hotel, peed, drank lots of water, and then headed to the bank.
I only took out $200 because carrying more than that makes me nervous.
It seems to have gone ok, so hopefully the bank doesn't put any holds on my account.
I came right back to the hotel and transferred the money from my wallet to my passport pouch.
I ate some granola.
On the way to the bank I figured out where I'm going to have dinner tonight, "Zoe." I remember reading a review of it in Margaret's guidebook.
Right now I'm going to try to take a short nap before dinner.
The nap was more or less a failure. I basically just listened to music for an hour and a half. My burned arms are starting to itch a bit.
When I got up I got dressed and headed out. The restaurant is only 3(ish) blocks from my hotel. It felt like it was gonna rain, hopefully it doesn't dump on me when I leave.
I ordered an Apple Martini (on special) and Eggplant lasagna. The restaurant looks nice, but it's virtually empty. There is one other table of people. Two women, a man joined them later. The women sound like my worst nightmare. They're here for some type of conference. I get the impression that they're maybe not as dumb as they sound, but it's hard to tell. I would much prefer to listen to the music than their conversation though.
They struggled to remember how to say uno más. The one woman kept going on and on about how something at the conference lists the guy as her esposa then explains to the other woman that that means spouse. Ugh.
The drink was good, I'm glad I took my Pepcid before coming to dinner, though. The lasagna was really good, but I ate too much of it.
After finishing dinner, I came back to my room for a second, then hit the computer shop. Luckily it stayed busy enough tonight that he stayed open late. I got to talk to Gabe for a while. He's thinking about moving out of his house (apparently his sketcher creepy roommate is also thinking about moving). That (apartment searching) and the job search when I get back are two things I don't want to think about right now.
We talk about possible trip stuff for a while.
When Gabe and I are done talking, I head back to the hotel. I read for a bit and do a little reading, then it's bed time. I'm exhausted. My missions for tomorrow: Sushi for lunch (another place that Margaret's book recommended) and signing up for Spanish!

Day 41: Sushi (01/07/10)

Today I woke up later than intended. I had set an alarm for 7:45, but forgot to actually "activate" it, so it didn't go off. I woke up at 9:15, threw on some pants and went downstairs for desayuno.
I started reading "She's Come Undone" last night and brought it with me to breakfast. The owner "tisk-tisked" me and said "en Espagñol." He's probably right, it's probably easier to learn if I stop spending so much time reading and writing in English and allow myself to struggle with Spanish. The writing would be difficult to give up, but the reading would be do-able.
I stopped myself at chapter 5.
After breakfast the owner started talking to me about how the other tourists were drunk last night and made a mess of the water station. I told him I had heard it last night. He was starting to impersonate them being drunk, but stopped because they were about to walk by. He's pretty funny, I'm a little bummed I didn't get to see the whole reenactment. One of the girls that was with them began apologizing profusely, again.
I walked upstairs, got changed and headed out to check Spanish school prices again. I emailed one of the schools because on their website it shows that they do individual one week sessions, but doesn't list a price. I wanted to look up a few more things, but the internet was slow and the power was about to go out.
I went back to the hotel briefly and then decided to head to "Sakura Sushi" for lunch. I would be highly skeptical, but Margaret's guidebook said that this place was good. It's located across the street from Rio Tomebamba, so the view is very nice from the front window.
I ordered miso soup, a California roll and a limonada (lemonade).
I think I got 200% of my daily recommendation of sodium (the lemonade alone was 69% of the DV for less than half of the bottle).
The miso was good. Instead of having tofu it had thinly sliced mushrooms. The California roll was good but the rice was weird. The texture was like they had smashed the rice pretty flat and then rolled it. I always have a difficult time with really loose rice, but I'd much rather loose rice to smashed rice. The flavor was good though. I'm stuffed (again). I think I'll have a small dinner tonight.
I came back to the hotel after eating and did some writing.
I'm torn about a lot of this trip. I can't decide if I can really revive it at this point. I think it would be much better to just go home and plan a different trip later. First I need to decide about Venezuela and Peru and buy my Galapagos stuff.
I think for now I need to forget about Margaret and just worry about plans for myself (since she isn't communicating with me). I need to start making moves or the impending stress will crush me.
After a nap (I kept waking up because I was drooling on myself), I head to dinner.
It becomes almost immediately apparent that I picked the wrong place for small portions, but once seated I feel obligated to stay.
I don't know what I ordered, but the ingredients sound good, so hopefully it will be.
I struggled to decide on a drink and then decided to just go for some water. The black Russian was enticing though, maybe that will be dessert?
I think after dinner tonight I will go ahead and just sign up for the Simon Bolivar Spanish school. Their prices are the most reasonable and the other school probably hasn't replied to my email yet (judging from their prices for other programs the individual sessions are probably pretty expensive).
I'm supposed to write Gabe tonight, but I don't know what to say.
So, my dinner wound up being all the yummy ingredients piled on top of fried green plantains. Definitely NOT a small amount of food.
Eating alone is turning me into a 15 minute binge-r again (like I was while working at Kells). Tonight I stopped myself early, thankfully, but still ate too much.
After dinner I headed to the internet shop.
The other school (CEDEI) replied to the message I sent earlier that day. Their individual program is only $200 also. I was ready to sign up for Simon Bolivar, but now I'm torn.
The Simon Bolivar school also finally got back to my previous message. Their individual program (because of a promotion this month) is a little cheaper.
I emailed the CEDEI lady back and said I would try to come in tomorrow. I need to remember to ask her about meeting other people while in the individual program. The Bolivar school has weekly activities where you can meet people from the group classes, but I don't know about opportunities at CEDEI.
I wrote Gabe and babbled about a bunch of stuff, but of course, I forgot all the things I wanted to say as soon as I sat in front of the computer.
I got to talk to Alina and Carolyn for a bit, which was really nice.
I also got a message from Rafael saying that as long as I come to Caracas while he's there then I can stay with them. I looked for tickets and found some for under $400. I asked if the weekend of the 22nd would work, we'll see what he says.
After the internet place, I came back to the hotel and read about 100 pages of my book, then slept.

Day 38

Day 38: On My Own (01/04/10)

I wake up a bit later than I have been, but I have no idea what time it actually is because there are no clocks anywhere.
I hop in the shower, gather laundry and head downstairs. The washer is confusing, but I understand some of the settings. I take my detergent back up to my room, then head downstairs to ask the time.
The man that runs (I think owns) this place is very nice, but doesn't tell me the time. Instead he tells me my classes must be very soon. I tell him I'm not taking classes yet and he asks why and tells me there are lots of school (he starts rifling through things on the desk and hands me brochures for schools).
I thank him and head to the internet place. It's 10:15. I email Santiago to let him know where I'm staying.
The schools haven't returned my emails yet.
I email my mom about setting up a Skype date and then check my other email etc. I get a little bummed when I realize that no one has written at all. It's silly, but I don't really have a lot of people to talk to here, so email has become more important to me.
I get off the internet because the power goes out and I head to the bookstore. I manage to find a pocket Spanish-English dictionary and two small books for pleasure reading.
Afterwards I come back to the hotel hoping to restart the washer and do some writing.
Now I am going in search of an alarm clock and watch.
At the bookstore they recommended looking for both near the cathedral. They said that I would probably have to go to an appliance store for the alarm clock, but that the watch should be easy to find. I swapped laundry and headed out.
I passed by one appliance store because it looked like they only had large appliances (washer/drier, etc.).
I found another just down the street that had some smalled items, so I went in to look.
The only alarm clock I could find was a plug-in radio kind for $16 (ouch). So, I kept walking. After a while of walking without seeing anything I walked back down Mariscal Sucre (the one with the appliance stores) and stopped in the first shop I had passed up. Upon closer inspection it had nothing like an alarm clock.
Back at the second store I look up the word for alarm clock and ask the clerk. She leads me to the one I saw before and I ask if it is the only one. She says yes, then takes me to some clocks. The first one she pulls down is exactly what I want and is only $2.20 + $0.80 for batteries.
I´m glad I asked.
I went back to the hotel to drop a few unnecessary items off and the owner brings my (mostly) dry clothes to my room.
I thank him and hang up the damp items and then get ready to go in search of ibuprofen and vaseline (for my poor nose that's been on the verge of bleeding for the last few days).
I decide to go back to the pharmacy near the mall, because it has actually aisles so you can find what you need easily. Most (about 80%-90%) of the pharmacies here have everything in glass cases or behind the counter.
I walk down Borrero to Calle Larga and take that to a big set of stairs. The stairs lead to a bridge over the Rio Tomebamba.
I cross the river and head through the park of the mothers. I cross the 4 lane road and walk to, then through, the mall and down a block to the pharmacy.
I find ibuprofen right away, but have trouble finding vaseline. A woman who works there approaches me, but I have no idea what she said so I say "no se" then she asks if I speak English. I say yes and she asks if I need any help. I ask about vaseline and grabs some for me.
We talk for a while. She lived in San Antonio for 10 years and she really liked it, but her husband wanted to move back. She works at the pharmacy which she said is a "good job" here, that makes $500 a month. In San Antonio, she worked at CVS for 2 years, then worked at a spa making $500 plus tips for 4 days of work. She asked if I was married and when I said no she said "good, don't."
I decided to get some yogurt and then headed to the check out.
The walk back was a bit quicker (except for the stairs) because I realized I could by-pass the mall.
After eating yogurt with added fiber stuff and writing some, I decided to check my email in case Santiago or the schools had emailed back and to look up airfares.
I go to the internet place and check my email, no new messages. I sign in to Skype, no one is on. Gabe wrote me a short message and so did Hana. Jenny and Bill also wrote to me. I wrote them all back and then wrote to Margaret, Rafael, and Alina. Rafael about possibly visiting him in Caracas, and Alina about Costa Rica (since she's spent so much time there) because Gabe and I might try to head there.
I checked email again and Santiago had written, but I pretty much had no idea what it said. He uses an online translator when he writes to me and sometimes it makes sense, but other times, not so much.
I really hope that Margaret talks to her doctor about the altitude medication and that she wants to go to Peru still.
I put 3 more days of blog up (I'm up to day 16 now).
After finishing blogging I signed off, payed and headed out for dinner (at the hostel we'd eaten at a couple times before the others left).
I ordered a glass of wine and a mushroom, cheese and white sauce crepe. I feel awkward going to dinner alone. Breakfast and lunch are one thing, but dinner alone by candlelight? A little depressing.
So the crepe came out as soup with garlic bread. I've got a feeling he misunderstood my order. It was good though.
One of the guys working here speaks English and I had talked to him about Spanish programs before. He stopped to talk for a minute.
Dinner was pretty good and only $4.20 including the wine.
After paying I walked back to the hotel and utilized both the vaseline and the ibuprofen (I think I've got a fever), and brushed my teeth.
My new alarm is set for 8:45. I might read a little, but I'm almost ready for sleep.