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.

Day 36-37

Day 36: Tiesto's (01/02/10)

Today is everyone else's last day in Cuenca. Elsa, Brent, and Camila are headed back towards Canoa tomorrow, early. Jack and Margaret will be flying to Quito in the morning.
Today I am very tired. Camila has altitude sickness and was back and forth between bed and the bathroom all night.
When I woke up I intended to shower right away, but Camila ran to the bathroom before I could. I showered a little while later and got dressed except for shoes and socks. Elsa came by and said they were about ready and they'd wait for me downstairs.
I put on my shoes, got my purse ready and then remembered my pills. So, I dug though the many containers to get the ones I needed. I saw Jack walk by just as I was digging (so I must not have been the only one behind Elsa and Brent).
I grabbed my purse, tidies my bed and then headed down (maybe 2 minutes later) and they were gone. No where to be seen and hadn't mentioned where they were headed for breakfast.
I got a little flustered, but decided to walk around to try to find them (this is not the first or last time that Brent has taken off without letting me know). When I got to the corner I didn't see them and I realized that after going through the trouble of finding my pills, I'd left them on my bed.
I went back, got my pills and then walked around the corner. I was about to head back and have breakfast alone at the hotel, when I saw the back of Jack's head in a hostel we'd eaten at a couple nights ago.
After breakfast Camila went back to the hotel and the rest of us headed to the big market. Unlike the others we'd been to, this one was two stories and had a lot of meat and other things, as well as the usual produce.
Next we met up with Brent and Elsa at the gun store. They were buying rifles to keep at the bodega on their property (where they are going to be building a house). They were $21 a piece. Once they were finally done, we headed back towards the hotel. We stopped in a small "natural" shop to try to find aloe gel (since none of the pharmacies seemed to have it). They had it for $5 and Brent winced at the how expensive he thought it was. I gladly payed the $5 and was excited to have found it for my fried arms.
Jack and Margaret stayed at the hotel and the rest of us went to Mall del Rio. We found Camila some shoes and then walked around (Elsa and Brent went home decor shopping). I saw some shoes I liked, but they were $40 at Payless and I'm sure I can get the same ones for the same price (maybe even cheaper) in Portland (if they have them).
We went bowling and played air hockey and then called Elsa because it had been much more than an hour (the amount of time they said they'd be shopping).
She said that they were ready and that we should meet them in the food court. So, we went straight there and I called to let her know where we were sitting (I wasn't sure if maybe they were already there and I just couldn't see them). She said that they'd be there in a few minutes. 20+ minutes later they still aren't there and haven't called, and aren't answering Camila's calls.
Finally, they call and tell us to meet them near Payless. They bought a bunch of stuff, including a ladder and fake Christmas tree, and they wanted to go to KFC to eat.
So we ordered food, except for Camila because it dawns on them that fried food probably won't help her upset gut. Elsa goes to the other food court and comes back empty handed. Camila ends up ordering some chicken and is instructed to peel off the fried crispy part. While we're waiting for her food and eating our own, Brent asks the time. He and Elsa are supposed to be meeting a guy to look at a property near Cuenca around 4. When he finds out it's 3, he starts obviously getting worried and a bit flustered. He starts ripping into her about "had she told them earlier, she wouldn't be wasting so much of their time now," (she was having trouble peeling the outside off of the chicken because it was really hot) and that she needed to hurry or they'd be late. This irritated me. I casually mentioned to him that if they had known that they'd be 25+ minutes later than the time they told us to meet them at, that we could have gotten food from the food court and already eaten food instead of just sitting there waiting.
He stopped talking for a second and then started freaking out about finding a cab large enough to fit the ladder in.
After eating we found a cab pretty quickly and came back to the hotel. Camila napped and I went to a book store with Margaret and Jack. We found a book on Peru that seemed pretty good and headed back to the hotel. About the same time Elsa and Brent got back from looking at that property (they're thinking about trading some of their property in Canoa for this property).
We all spent a little time resting. Margaret came by and asked if I'd be interested in grabbing dinner somewhere since it was getting later and Brent and Elsa were still shut in. I said I though we should probably wait to eat with everyone since they seemed pretty set on a specific restaurant etc. As we were talking Brent and Elsa came out of hiding.
They said "we're ready to go." And headed for the door, Margaret and Jack headed to their room for a second to grab something. I changed shirts and then headed out.
They were already around the corner when I got out the front door. We had just walked by Tiesto's the other day, but I couldn't remember where it was. I started to get flustered again, but then Jack poked his head around the corner to make sure I was coming. It was a good thing, because I had nearly turned to look the other direction.
When we got to the restaurant it was closed for a private party. Elsa talked to the chef and got us set up in the other room.
Margaret got potato soup, because of her upset tummy, and Jack and I shared lomo (steak) with mushrooms and onions in a red wine sauce.
I had tried to order a 1/4 bottle of red wine for myself, but the guy came back and said they were out of the wine sold in parts. That only full bottles were possible. So Jack and I shared a bottle (Santiago helped a bit too).
For desert I had "Hijo con Miel y Queso" which Santiago told me was a traditional dessert.
It was a dish made of a couple marinated figs, syrup and cheese. It was different, but very good (and rich).
Santiago, Elsa, and Brent had chocolate temptation which was also delicious. The top portion was almost a mousse, then the second layer was more like a light cake, followed by a layer of crunch. There was passion fruit drizzle on top and passion fruit sorbet/ice cream on the side.
Santiago and I exchanged email addresses and he is going to try to help me sign up for classes and maybe a home stay. He also may be able to help me book a trip to the Galapagos.
He is a very nice, 28 year old, gay lawyer that works doing general law with for the government.
After dinner we say our goodbyes and head back to the hotel. Camila left dinner early and is already asleep with the TV on.
I watch a little TV and fall asleep.

Day 37: Day of Rest (01/03/10)

I woke up and helped Camila get ready. We all ate breakfast and then start bringing her things down.
Elsa talked to the man at the desk and told him that unless I find a homestay, I will be staying here (Hostal Santa Fé) until further notice (while I take Spanish classes somewhere).
Afterwards I check out my two room options. I say goodbye to everyone and then pack up my things. When my room is ready I move all my stuff.
I decide to take a nap and don't wake up until late afternoon.
I head to the internet place and go online for a while. Still no one has confirmed me on Skype, but no one ever seems to be signed in anyway.
My friend Christy is on facebook and I talk to her for a while, which was really nice.
We haven't talked in forever. When I get back hopefully we'll be able to see each other once in a while.
After wasting a bunch of time, I pay and come back to the hotel.
I try to do some reading and watch a little TV, while eating some granola.
After reading and watching TV for a while, I make a list of things to do tomorrow and then fall asleep.

Days 34-35

Day 34: New Years Eve (12/31/09)

Today we wake up and have breakfast at the hotel again. Scrambled eggs, roll, jam, juice and coffee. After breakfast we all get ready and hop in the truck and head to Chordeleg (a town about an hour away known for it's jewelry). I ride in the truck bed again (it's actually a great way to enjoy the ride, aside from being afraid of being badly sunburned).
The drive starts out a little rocky. Brent doesn't know how to get there and doesn't have any way to look it up now that we're already driving. He checks the gas station for a map, but there are none. Margaret's book only has bus directions to Chordeleg.
We manage to find a couple older men, waiting for a bus, that know the way. They hop in the truck bed and we're off.
The one giving Brent directions from the bed loses his hat on the ride. His companion asks if I speak Spanish and when I tell him I don't he asks if I know French. We manage to have about a 2 minute conversation. (My French has all but disappeared).
They hop out and give Brent directions for the rest of the drive. We make it to Chordeleg ok and I realize that it's one of the places that was in the movie I'd watched ("Qué Tan Lejos").
From the minute we drove into town it became obvious that it was a jewelry town. More than half, maybe even more than two thirds, of the businesses were jewelers.
After spending about 20 minutes in one shop, Jack and I went in search of a bathroom. We finally found one for 0.$25 on the outside of the covered/enclosed town market. It was pretty gross, but it did the trick.
When we got back to the jewelry store they were still looking. About another 20-30 minutes later they were finally done there.
Next we headed up the road to look at other jewelers. Elsa and Brent were the only ones planning on buying more jewelry, with something specific in mind. Margaret and Jack suggested drinking a beer somewhere while they look. So, that's what we did.
When we were about half done with our beers the other 3 found us. We finished and went around the corner for some lunch (almuerzo, multi-course lunch special).
The food was pretty good, definitely filling and worth the $1.50 for popcorn, soup, entree with rice and beans, and juice.
After lunch Elsa and Brent went in search of pottery and things for their house. We hit the bathrooms (different ones) again and then sat in the shade in the park.
We saw Brent and Elsa come back for the truck so we walked down to the pottery place and helped load the truck. Off we went, back to Cuenca.
Once we were back Camila and I went to the mall to see "Avatar" and managed to get in this time.
The movie was pretty good, but entirely in Spanish (I got the gist). The theater was less than half full. When we got out, it was after 7 and we had a rough time catching a cab back to the hotel. We got back around 8 and the adults were finally out of bed.
Brent wanted to walk around and take pictures of the different scenes people had created for their paper maché people. There were lots of men dress as women stopping traffic by dancing seductively in front of cars (including cop cars) and then asking for money. There were also a lot of little kids in Halloween costumes.
It seemed that all of the paper maché scenes were politically oriented. At midnight they light them all on fire and shoot fireworks.
The adults all had kabobs from a cart for dinner, but Camila and I weren't hungry yet. We got hot dogs later that were GROSS (but sadly not the grossest I've ever had).
A short while later I was about to have a feminine emergency (T.M.I., sorry) so I headed back to the hotel. I got irritated waiting for Camila to decide if she wanted to come with me of not, so I just left. I got a little lost for a second, but figured it out.
The rest of the group came back a bit later and Jack, Brent, and I went around the corner for some drinks. Elsa doesn't drink and Margaret wasn't feeling well, so they didn't come.
Brent had Amaretto and orange juice, I had a piña colada and Jack had a Cuba Libre. These were the first decent cocktails we'd had (since I got here). Next Jack ordered a margarita and I had a South American drink. My drink was HOT and had sugar cane liquor and maybe peach juice? I don't know, couldn't figure it out and it didn't list ingredients on the menu. Brent called it quits after one and we got a surprise visit from Elsa, who ordered some tea. When we finished we went back to the hotel.
Jack had bought a bottle of champagne and since it was only a few minutes before midnight, insisted that we toast at midnight. I was surprised that he managed to get Brent to agree because of Brent's dislike for champagne. So, at midnight we toasted and then went to bed. The loud fireworks made it a bit more difficult to sleep. Camila had been up waiting for me to get back.

Day 35: Feliz Año Nuevo y Prospero Año (01/01/10)

Forced to wake up early again. Today since nothing would be open we had planned a trip to the Cajas National Park. After some difficulty finding our way there, we finally made it. The entrance fee for a non-resident was $10 and you got a nice map/brochure of/about the park.
It became apparent that this was not the same part of the park we'd driven through on the bus. The land was drier with sparser trees, but lots of lakes.
We were supposedly here to hike, but I think anything less than 2o minutes doesn't really count. We walked around, then at lunch, then walked some more.
There were beautiful views all around. The highest point we made it to was about 13,900 feet. Brent had his heart set on 14,00, but all of those points were on real hikes which we didn't have the time for today.
So we headed back to Cuenca. Camila begged me to let her sit in the truck bed and I reluctantly agreed. Camila is great, but I've spent literally all of my time with her (we were even sharing a hotel room).
When we got back to Cuenca Elsa, Brent, Camila and I went for a walk. We were headed back to the hotel to get Margaret and Jack for dinner when we saw them in a bar/restaurant on the way.
We all stopped in and decided to eat there.
Most of us ordered burritos. They were alright, no sour cream though.
After dinner we headed to the hotel for a walk.
We didn't end up walking far before we ran into a double-decker tour bus about to start a free tour of part of the city. So we hopped on the bus. We sat on the open 2nd level. They handed out whistles and pins to everyone and then we began our tour.
The city looks nice at night and the bus ride was pleasant. There was one street we went down that we had to duck to avoid hitting out heads on electrical wires (some of which are bare, with no coating), that was the only sketchy part.
Once off the bus we walked back to the hotel and called it a night.

Days 32-33

Day 32: En Route to Cuenca (12/29/09)

Our bus from Bahia to Guayaquil leaves at 7:15, so we are up early (6:15) and I am pretty much ready to go. We load the truck and pile in. Jack sits in the truck bed with the luggage because there aren´t enough seats for all of us now. They drive to San Vincente to the passenger boats and Camila and I hop out. We hop a boat and then a taxi to the bus station.
We are still about 30 minutes early, so we figure out which bus is ours and wait.
Our bus is very nice. The steering wheel, gear shift, and hand rail are all red and marble-y like a fancy bowling ball. There´s a rosary hanging from a mirror surrounded by blue fuzz. There´s also a Virgin Mary decal on the driver´s window.
The bus is very full. The ride is supposed to last 6 hours. Luckily I´m back on my altitude meds so I turn on my iPod and fall asleep quickly. Camila, thankfully, manages to do the same.
We both wake up while the bus makes a stop, but once on the road again we´re both out (again).
When we get closer to Guayaquil they start a movie (one of the ¨The Fast and the Furious¨movies, I figure out later).
We eat a snack and pack up our things as we enter Guayaquil. The bus station in HUGE. It's got a food court and small mall attached and is 3 stories.
We miraculously find a counter for a bus to Cuenca. The tickets are $8 and the bus is leaving in 5-10 minutes. The woman at the counter told Camila her when the bus was leaving and where to find it, but she wasn't listening. We manage to find it with the help of a security guard and a ticket collection lady, once I convince Camila that I need her to ask because the bus is about to leave.
The bus was half full this time and not as plush, but the ride is only supposed to be 3 hours long, so no big deal. This bus also had a fair amount of decorations similar to the last bus. The wheel, gear shift, etc. were all silver and gold checker this time.
The drive was much prettier and greener, but we made more stops between Guayaquil and The Cajas National Park (I think mostly because they wanted more passengers).
On the second bus my bladder was about to explode while in The Cajas, so I finally gave in and used the bus bathroom. There was no toilet paper, no seat, no soap and no towels (not surprising). But there was a giant window right about butt level. Of course I didn't even think anything of it, until we passed a car and I realized I was mooning them while trying not to sit of fall.
Getting through The Cajas took forever because of fog and road work. The bus had to drive very slowly and at one point stop completely (for 20+ minutes) because of road work. The ride that was supposed to last 3 hours wound up lasting almost 6 hours.
They put in a movie ¨The Fast and The Furious¨(a different one than on the last bus). Who knew there was actually any plot aside from racing cars? The whole thing was in Spanish with Castellano subtitles, but lucky for me it was not a difficult movie to understand. Seriously though, I had no idea the movie was supposed to be about anything.
We were thankful to finally get to the Cuenca bus station and find a cab that would take us to our hotel. Santiago (a friend of Elsa's) met us at our hotel and helped us get set up. Then we all walked (in a down pour) to the mall to see a movie.
Unfortunately, when we got there, there weren't any movies playing soon that we wanted to see (or could because Camila is too young). So we ate dinner instead.
On the way to the mall we got to walk by the Tomebamba river and through the park of mothers. The river is beautiful with green space on either side and many nice bridges crossing it.
When Santiago told me the park was called the park of mothers I laughed. I laughed because there is a giant statue of a man speed walking. I asked him why it was named that if it has a giant jogging man. He explained that the man was the first Ecuadorian Olympic Medalist, and then pointed to another statue. This one was of a woman and two children (it's a pretty nice statue). One thing I´ve noticed is that Ecuadorians love their statues. Even smaller cities/towns have a prominent few.
When we got back to the hotel (¨Hostal Sante Fe¨) Camila and I got ready for bed. We were in bed by 8:15-8:30 and started watching TV. Camila let me choose. ¨Twins¨with Danny Devito and Arnold was on, so I chose that and promptly fell asleep (thank god for altitude meds). I think Camila watched most of it before falling asleep.

Day 33: Waiting For The Others (12/30/09)

Elsa called Camila around 7:30 and said they were about to eat breakfast and then head out, so they would be there about 11. Camila and I ate at our hotel and then walked to the small mall close to our hotel (the one we´d tried to see a movie at last night) to see if we could find tights to match Camila´s dress (she was pretty concerned that she had mismatched tights).
The night before Camila had not wanted to wear her tights because their stripes didn´t match the stripes on her dress. So she wore my black skirt over her dress and zipped her hoody all the way up.
We weren´t successful. There is a lot of food and knick-knack shops, but only two clothing stores and one shoe store (none of them had tights, unless you count the thigh-high fishnets at the clothing store called ¨Sweet and Sexy¨or something like that).
We looked at movie times and decided to go see ''Avatar'' at 5:30. Camila is only 11 and the age requirement is 12, but she is very tall for her age so it shouldn´t be a problem.
After the failed mall trip we walked along the river back towards our hotel. On the walk we decided to go look at the church. I say the church because out of all the churches here (and there are quite a few) the one church is on almost every brochure in the city (for hotels, schools, etc.).
It takes us a little while to identify it because most of the photos are not of the whole front, but of the top. From street level it looks like a chapel within a separate church.
The outside is a red-y/orange-y brick structure and the inside layer (which is what most of the pictures are of) has three distinctive domes. The domes are light blue with white detailing (very different in style and coloration than the outside layer).
Camila wants to eat, but I suggest waiting until Elsa, Brent, Margaret, and Jack get to Cuenca (because I´m sure they´ll be ready for lunch). On our walk back towards the hotel we walk through a flower market. The flowers were beautiful and very fragrant. After making our way through we stop at a cart so Camila can buy a little snack. It's a small plastic bag. In it the woman puts 3 different kind of bean/nut things, plantain chips, marinated onion and tomato, salt, pepper, and then poured a lot of some type of juice or marinade over the top. You eat it with a little spoon, similar to ice cream taster spoons.
When we got back to the hotel we watched some TV and ate a snack.
When Elsa, Brent, Margaret and Jack arrive around 1, we unload the truck and go in search of food.
Brent had his heart set on eating "cuy" a.k.a. Guinea Pig, but had not looked into it at all. We asked a businessman on the street if he knew of a good place to go for cuy and he recommended two restaurants nearby. Unfortunately, at this point it was kind of past lunch hours so a lot of places (including the recommended cuy places) were closed until dinner.
Elsa asked some women on the street and she said to ask a taxi driver. Margaret and Jack decided to grab lunch at a restaurant we´d just passed and the rest of us piled into a cab. The driver took us to a street with a few places next door to each other that had cuy. He said he didn´t know much about them and personally didn´t eat cuy. I had been hoping to try it at one of the restaurants recommended in the guidebook, but Brent had his mind set. Both of the places looked pretty sketchy, but one actually had some customers and the other was empty. We ended up at the empty place because the other one was too smokey for Brent and Elsa (the smoke was from the fire they were cooking the cuy and some pork over). It was gross. It was dry and tough and not worth the effort it took to cut and chew it. It was obviously poor quality (which I had guessed before Elsa articulated it). I´d like to say that I´ll give it another shot while I´m here (at an actual restaurant with a good cuy reputation), but I might be too scarred to try again.
After lunch we headed back to the hotel and Elsa and Brent took a nap. Camila and I went to the internet place on the corner and then head to the mall around 4:30 to get tickets for the movie and hour later. The movie was sold out and again there were no movies playing soon that we wanted/could go to. Camila got upset when I suggested we go back to the hotel, but had no ideas as to where else to go. I told her that if she could come up with something I´d consider it, but if not then we should just go. She asked me why she had to come up with something and I told her it was because I was happy to go back to the hotel and she was not. Eventually, she stopped whining and agreed to go back to the hotel, so we head back. On our way, we decide to try to find a cafe that has hot chocolate too. We find one promising place, but it looks a bit like a bar and Camila doesn´t want to go in. So, we wind up back at the hotel anyway.
A while later everyone is ready for dinner and Elsa and Brent are excited to go to "Tiesto's," a restaurant around the corner from the hotel that they go to every time they're in Cuenca.
Unfortunately, they were booked for the night and the waiter said we´d have to try another night. They would be closed the next two nights for the holiday, so we´d have to try Saturday. Elsa talks to the chef for a while and then we go in search of another place.
Hardly anything near us (that seems decent) seems to be open or reasonably priced.
We wander into a hostal/restaurant/bar and take a seat. After looking around they became worried that there isn´t a real dinner menu. But, to our pleasant surprise, there is and it´s pretty extensive (and reasonable).
I order chicken in lemon sauce with rice and a small side salad, and a glass of wine. Almost everyone orders pasta. The meal is good and Camila and I order crepes for dessert.
Elsa asks the waiter about Spanish programs and he writes a list for me (of ones he's heard of). He also tells me that he thinks homestays and other school arranged housing is a rip off.
He said that if they heard of a cheap room for rent they would let me know the next time I stop in.
After eating we head back to the hotel for a bit. I think we just ended up going to bed after some TV.

Day 29-31

Day 29: Coco Loco (12/26/09)

Woke up tired. Tried to sleep longer, but had difficulty. Got up at 8:30, felt like it was much later. Ate the last of the gross yogurt with some granola, then had more with the good yogurt.
After breakfast I started some laundry and did some reading. Blogged for a bit. Then a bit later swam with Camila.
After swimming I grabbed my laundry and ate lunch. Blogged some more, then headed back to the condo because Brent and Elsa were about to make some dinner.
At our condo Margaret made some potatoes and burgers. Brent and Elsa showed up at our door ready to head to Canoa, but we were still eating. We apologized for not being ready and they waited 30 minutes. When we finished eating we all piled into the truck and headed one of the cabañas on the beach in Canoa. Unfortunately, the place Brent wanted to go to was closed so we headed across the street to ¨Coco Loco¨a hostel/bar for a drink (my whiskey and ginger was really a scotch and ginger... hmmm). After our drink we all piled in the truck again and headed back to the condos.
Margaret and Jack went straight to bad and I stayed up and watched ¨The Brave One.¨ I don´t really care for Jody Foster, but I like Terrence Howard a lot.
I´ve been in my room writing for probably close to an hour now and I'm finally feeling drowsy.

Day 30: Vino Tinto at Sunset (12/27/09)

I didn't do much of anything today. I woke up early and went back to bed. Then woke up again and just stayed in bed for a while. Finally, I got up and Margaret and Jack were out y the hammocks with Brent (and probably Elsa too). It was only 8:30. I made myself some breakfast and a short while later Margaret and Jack came in. They ate some pancakes and we did a little talking.
I went to ask Elsa about the bus details for getting to Cuenca. She was busy cleaning out her bedroom, and I told her it was no problem, I could come back later but she tried to call her friend Santiago anyway (in Cuenca). He didn´t answer. So, I checked my email (etc) and also looked online for flights to Costa Rica (from Portland and from Ecuador). They seem to be going up a bit, but are still fairly reasonable. I was gonna write a few emails, but left instead because Brent and Elsa were still cleaning and I felt like I was in the way.
After that I went back to the condo and was getting ready to take a siesta in a hammock, but then a group of people sat at the tables next to the hammocks.
So, instead I read the very last of my book and then tried to nap in my bed. I made myself a couple playlists and listened to both as I dosed in and out. I keep getting a sample, from a song I don´t even have, stuck in my head.
One of my last dreams involved someone (I think it was my parents) tricking me into eating pizza when they promised me sushi. Very strange.
I peeled myself out of bed around 5:30 and ate a snack. After my snack I went back online to write some emails. While I was online Sebastian (and his son Thomas) came over and invited us all over for some wine while the sun was setting.
We all walked over (we didn't have wine, so we brought beer) and a short bit later some other neighbors joined us. Michel, his wife, Dominica (one month older than Thomas), and their baby came. Michel is originally from Germany, but his wife is Ecuadorian.
We ate cheese and crackers and drank while the sun sank. Michel's wife took the baby to bed and Michel went with her to grab some booze. It was some kind of sugar cane liquor and it was surprisingly smooth.
Dominica and Thomas went inside with Sebastian´s wife to play (Camila went with them), and the rest of us stayed and talked. Apparently, Sebastian had been feeling sick all day, so we left early so he could rest up.
We went to Brent and Elsa's and the adults talked while Camila and I watched ¨The God´s Must Be Crazy.¨My mom had sent it as a gift for Camila. I had forgotten how good it is. Camila liked it too.
After that Elsa talked to me about maybe taking Camila on the bus with me and then Camila and I started watching ¨The Goonies¨(another gift from my mom).
I borrowed a couple movies and came back to the condo only part way into ¨The Goonies.¨ I watched a movie called ¨(something or other) Mariposas.¨I think the English title they gave it was just ¨Butterfly.¨I really liked it, but it was a little sad. When the movie ended I headed to bed.

Day 31: Getting Ready For Cuenca (12/28/09)

I woke up on a mission today. My room here was pretty messy, considering how little I brought. I leave for Cuenca tomorrow morning around 6:15 so I´ve got to get all of my cleaning and packing done today.
I got up and ate some breakfast. I wanted to make some tea, but Margaret was using the pot to boil sausages. I decided to go to Brent and Elsa´s to heat some water.
I came back to the condo and drank my tea while packing and listening to music. Jack is going to take my two books back to Portland with him and I managed to fit everything else in my bags. I thought that there was a good chance that some of it wouldn´t fit, but it did! It was a tight squeeze though. If I pick anything else up I might have to find another bag.
After packing I hand washed my bra and went for a swim. I swam in the ocean for a while first and then swam in the pool. The ocean felt nice, but the sun was so hot.
Just as I was getting out of the pool, Camila, Brent and Elsa got back from Bahia.
Of course, Camila wanted to swim, so I got back in the pool for a bit.
I got out with just enough time to shower before the power went out. After getting dressed I ate some lunch then headed to Brent and Elsa´s to drop off goggles and a magnet (for Camila).
Elsa talked to me about the trip tomorrow and gave me our bus tickets for the first leg of our trip. The tickets from Bahia to Guayaquil were only $3.50. The part that Elsa is most worried about is our time in Guayaquil. It´s the largest city in Ecuador and very dangerous. I´m supposed to hold hands with Camila and only talk to the people at the ticket counters. Apparently, there are several who walk around with papers that come up to ask questions and then blow drugs in your face so they can kidnap you.
She told me not to talk to anyone, even if they´re dressed like a nun. They caught a woman at the airport with lots of drugs while dressed like a nun (police dogs apparently went nuts). I promised Elsa that I would be very careful.
I milled around for a while and then decided to sit by the pool with Margaret. Camila came and begged me to swim, but I told her I was done swimming for the day. She begged and begged. I got up and started a load of laundry and then started watching ¨The Straight Story.¨It´s another Davis Lynch movie.
I swapped laundry and ate snacks then finished the movie. When it ended I went to Brent and Elsa´s. Brent was going to make some of his ¨famous¨margaritas.
When it became clear the neighbors weren´t coming, I wasn´t getting a margarita and I couldn´t make any calls I went back to the condo.
Margaret and Jack went to bed shortly after that and I watched ¨Memoirs of a Geisha.¨ I was packed and ready for the morning.

Days 28

Day 28: Christmas Day (12/25/09)

Got some pretty good sleep last night. Slept almost all the way til 10. I dreamt about Portland stuff again, but it was good.
I peeled myself out of bed and had some breakfast. Sat and talked for a bit then came out to the hammocks to write and read. I´ve technically finished my book, but there are a few articles at the end and a Q&A with the authors that I´m reading now.
After a while Margaret wandered out and talked to me for a bit and then walked down to the beach while talking to one of the neighbors (Sebastian, here for the holidays). I continued to read then Jack came out. He told me to let Margaret know that he was going to lay down because of a migraine.
When Margaret made her way back up from the beach we talked for a bit and then Jack came out of hiding. All of us talked a while and then Brent joined us.
Jack and Margaret decided to go for a walk, but first got Brent to take pictures of them by the ocean. Jack came back up and took a picture of me in the hammock, so I would have a picture with the date on it. Then off they went for their walk.
After reading a bit more, I ate some lunch. I read some more after lunch and then called my mom and my nana. Then did more reading. When Brent, Elsa, and Camila came out for a swim, I went and wrote a few emails and called Gabe (briefly. He was busy with family stuff and asked me to try calling again later).
After talking to Gabe for a bit I went back to the apartment and read some more. Camila came by to bring me a bracelet she made for me. I asked if dinner was soon and she said ¨yeah¨and then headed back to her condo. I thought someone would probably let me know when we were eating, but after a while I decided to go check things out. When I got there they were all finishing their last few bites. So I sat down and ate.
While we were still sitting and talking Sebastian and his son Thomas came to invite us over for some drinks. I thought about skipping it, but then decided that I could maybe just slip out a little early (or if it didn´t go too late, just wait until after) to call Gabe (since it had only been 2 hours since I called).
Sebastian´s was very nice. His wife (I can´t remember her name to save my life) was very nice and they were both quite the hosts. Their son Thomas is super cute. He kept playing peak-a-boo with me (hiding mostly behind furniture and then popping out).
Their condo is part of the same complex as the ones we are staying in, but they are the newest ones and are set up differently, better. They live in Quito, but they have the condo as a holiday getaway.
First we all went to the terrace, which was huge and perfect for Thomas because it was more or less fenced in. It had a great bird´s eye view of the beach.
Next we all headed back to the living room. Sebastian made some Pisco Sours for us (a Chilean drink with Pisco, lime, sugar and egg white. Sounds gross, but it was delicious) and they brought out some little things to snack on.
Sebastian works for a TV station in Quito and told us about a couple of shows he´s been working on lately. Kind of similar to True Life. He´s done one on aging where he interviewed elderly people about a bunch of different aspects of getting old, documentary style. One that he´s worked on more recently was an episode about people who were blind. They talked to people who were born blind as well as people who became blind. He told us about one of the people they talked to that they weren´t going to include in the episode. It was a 24 year old man who had only become blind at 23 years old. He said it wouldn´t make the final cut because of the circumstances. When he was 23, the young man had been convinced to drink industrial strength alcohol by his girlfriend at the time. The alcohol made him blind and undoubtedly caused other serious internal damage.
Anyway, he offered another round of drinks, but to my surprise everyone declined. It was probably for the best because Margaret and Jack were about done drinking and Elsa doesn´t drink (which means Brent doesn´t drink much).
There was no sneaking off for a phone call and no time to call after either (Brent and Elsa were headed straight to bed). So, I watched ¨The Hangover¨instead with Margaret and Jack and then went to bed.

Days 24-27

Day 24: Laundry (12/21/09)

I had taken Melatonin again and hardly had any trouble getting to sleep last night, which was really nice. I woke up a little before 7 and Margaret was already up, sweeping. I went to the bathroom and then back to bed.
I woke up again a while later and just stayed in bed thinking. I did some stretching (my body needed it after all the exercise from the day before) and finally got up around 11.
I made some breakfast and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and tea. I gathered up laundry and dropped it in the laundry room, but the was a load still going in the washer.
I came back and finished my drinks, did some writing and listened to some music.
Went back, started my laundry, came back and hand washed my pillow and did dishes. Went back to swap my laundry, but the stuff in the drier was still damp. I added some time to the drier and came back (to the condo) and did some more writing. Went back, swapped laundry, but took all the smaller things to the condo to air dry and just put sheets and a towel in the drier.
After hanging up all the small things to dry, I came inside and the power had gone out. So, I did a bit more writing. I´d like to go to Bahia to mail the letters I wrote last week, but I might swim instead.
While the power was out, I read part of one of the Spanish books my mom sent. I like the book a lot. It´s organized well. Some of the vocab is different because it´s Spain Spanish not Ecuadorian Spanish, but the basics are the same.
After reading a while, I went for a good swim. I just did laps for 20 minutes or so, but it felt good.
When I got out the power was back on so I showered and went to check my sheets. They were dry and folded. I threw the small stuff and my pillow in the drier because they weren´t drying fast enough on their own.
When everything was dry, I made my bad and we ate some dinner. After dinner we talked a while and then I watched ¨Love Actually¨and went to bed.

Day 25: Bahia (12/22/09)

I had dream about Fat Straw last night. I wish I had written what I remembered this morning, because now it´s evening and I´ve forgotten it all.
I woke up about 7, slept ´til 7:30 and then finally got out of bed at 8:15. Not only were they working on the road again, but also the groundskeeper was adding a window to one of the condos (knocking bricks out of the wall).
I made breakfast and then sat around chatting with Margaret and Jack for a while. They headed to Brent and Elsa´s to use the internet and Camila and I did some yoga and went swimming.
After showering off Camila and I got ready to go to Bahia. Our plan was to go to lunch, then the post office, then the museum and then sandal shopping (for me).
Camila and I ended up at the restaurant that Margaret and I had gone to on our first trip to Bahia. Today the $2 lunch special included your choice of cheese or meat soup, and a meat or fish entree, lemonade or jugo de tomat (which is not tomato juice apparently, still gotta figure that on out). We both ended up getting cheese soup (the cheese here is really weird, but the soup wasn´t too bad), fish entree (with rice and a side salad) and lemonade. Pretty darn good, just like last time.
Next we headed to the post office, but it was closed (AGAIN?) so we went to the museum.
It looked opened from the outside, and the front door was unlocked, but the inside looked closed. It was open they said (the security guards), but I guess the lights are all motion sensor-ed.
I had to sign in with the security (name, passport #) at the front, check my purse and pay $1 admission. They gave Camila a brochure in Spanish and me one in English. While we were walking around on the first floor, two (younger) girls came up to us and asked if we´d like a guide. Camila said yes, but told them that I only spoke English. So, they tried to find me a guide that spoke English.
I didn´t really know what was going on, so I just kept looking at stuff with Camila. When we exhausted the first floor visuals, we headed to the second floor.
The two girls from before followed us up. After a while they told Camila that the English guide was downstairs.
The man that was my guide (Camila got one of the girls to be her guide) was wearing a pink Playboy bunny polo shirt. His English was not perfect, but he did a very good job of explaining all of the exhibits.
The first floor was all artifacts. Most of which had, surprisingly, been discovered in the last few years. All of the pieces were either pottery, musical instruments, jewelry, or human figures.
The human figures were often positioned sexually, and some of them were part human part animal (there were only a few that were entirely animal). The guide talked about the importance of sexual practices in the culture (fertility, masturbation, etc.) as represented by the sexually oriented figures, and the influence of hallucinogenic drugs represented by the part (or full) beast figures.
There was a lot of jewelry and other metal works on display. Everyone in the culture wore nose rings (children, men, women) a lot of which were made with half gold and half copper.
In the front part of the museum, when you first walk in, is a giant replica of a boat that one of the first Spaniards (in 1526) described with great detail in his journal.
The second floor connected a lot of the pieces and practices to certain regions of the country. It tied the old with some of the more modern practices.
The third floor had two sections: an Ecuadorian hats (¨Panama¨hats) exhibit, and an art gallery.
Ecuadorian hats are commonly known as Panama hats because they were originally distributed through Panama. A lot of people here seem to take this misunderstanding very seriously (I´ve been reminded on several occasions that they are Ecuadorian hats). This room had a documentary playing as well as actual examples of hats at different stages of completion.
The art gallery was filled with art by different Ecuadorians, but unlike most museums or galleries I´ve been to the artists were not necessarily famous ones. The guide told me that every so often the museum goes out and collects art from artists that wish to donate it and they store it until there is an opportunity to show it.
After this we went to the sixth floor to get an overhead view of a portion of the city and of the bay (it was a perfect day for it).
Next we walked back the way we came. The post office was still closed, so we went in search of sandals. Once sandals were found, I dragged Camila to the shop next door to check my email.
We got some ice cream and the hopped a boat back to San Vincente. And from there, hopped the bus to the condos.
When we got back, I wrote some, then went to Brent and Elsa´s (while they were swimming, so I wouldn´t be in their hair) to use their internet. In Bahia, I had only read emails, and promised Camila not to write back while we were there. I wrote my mom and a few others and then looked up info about Rio Muchacho (an organic farm a little ways outside of Canoa) and a couple of the Spanish programs in Cuenca. The internet quit abruptly, so that didn´t last long.
For dinner we all ate fish tacos at Brent and Elsa´s. Afterwards, I went back to the condo and watched ¨Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.¨ (I´m starting to run out of movies to watch, I think there are about 5 that I haven´t seen yet)

Day 26: Online Research and Blogging? (12/23/09)

Today got off to a slow start.
Brent and Elsa are headed to Manta today to take back one of the remote control cars they bought because they got two that worked on the same frequency (so you can´t race them). So, it was a good opportunity to look up Spanish schools without being in the way.
It looks like most of the school are pretty similar in price, and programs. A few of them were quite a bit more. One of them that was highly recommended (according to Lonely Planet) was nearly $100 more for just one week worth of study (than the others). All of them offer home stays, but most of them require at least 2 weeks of commitment. I´m going to look in to it more when I actually get to Cuenca.
When the power was about to go out I went back to the condo and made myself some lunch. After eating and reading for a while, Camila came over and we left for Canoa.
We were more than half way to Canoa when Camila decided she wanted to go back. I needed to buy some groceries in Canoa and she had been so enthusiastic about walking there and back earlier. I pretty much had to beg her to go the rest of the way with me.
We went to two different stores and neither of them had the large size of the yogurt we usually get. At the second store (which is where we usually shop in Canoa) I bought a different brand of yogurt and my other groceries. We got out of the store and Camila was concerned that the bus wasn´t there and said she didn´t want to walk. A taxi dropped off a couple girls about a block ahead of us and Camila lit up. ¨We could take taxi, no?¨ I asked her how much it was and she asked the driver. It was only $2 so I agreed.
When we got back I figured out why she was so eager to get back. Her mom and Brent pulled up about 10 minutes later and she instantly started scamming on the possible presents in the truck bed.
We ate dinner a short while later and then Jack, Margaret and I watched ¨¨(something or other) Heist¨with Morgan Freeman, William H. Macy and Christopher Walken.
After the movie we talked a while, then Margaret and Jack went to bed and I read for a while.

Day 27: Christmas Eve (12/24/09)

The yogurt I got yesterday was disgusting. I am bummed. I put a bunch of granola in it and it masked the flavor well enough to make it edible.
Brent and Elsa were headed to Bahia to check out a cement mixer and Margaret and Jack were gonna hop a ride to San Vincente with them. I thought about going, but decided to stay and read instead.
I´ve already finished the book of short stories my mom sent and now I´m part way into the other book she sent. It´s been so long since I´ve done much reading and now I´m just swallowing up these books, it feels strange.
After a while of reading, I headed to Brent and Elsa´s to update my blog (as of today, I´m only up to my 8th day, only about 20 more to go). Just as I´m signing off Brent, Elsa, and Camila get back. Camila and I go swimming and Brent joins us as soon as he takes the turkey out of the grill and puts it away.
I swim for a while longer after they get out. When I got out of the shower Margaret and Jack were back from town. Margaret managed to find some of the better yogurt and a bit more granola. She was in charge of mashed potatoes for our turkey dinner, so they also brought a bag full of potatoes back.
We talked and drank while the potatoes were cooking. Margaret and Jack were both a little toasted by the time the potatoes needed mashing.
Dinner was delicious. Jack managed to get the wine open (by pushing the cork in, because no one had a cork screw) and a few of us had wine with dinner. Jack and Brent drank Cuba Libres (rum and coke and lime). For dinner we had turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, broccoli salad (with mayo, ick) and for dessert we had chocolate flan (SO much better then the weird carmel flavor they usually get).
Camila opened all her presents and we went outside and played with her new remote control car (and Brent´s). After a bit I grabbed my list of phone numbers and made some calls. I got to talk to my sister for a second and to Katie Sim, my old boss (my sister was just about to start work). I also got to talk to Nat for a sec and Steph for 15 minutes or so. Rachael didn´t answer when I called, but Gabe did. We got to talk for almost an hour. It was really good to get to talk to him.
When I was done calling I went back to the condo and watched ¨The Jacket¨and then hit the hay.

Days 21-23

Day 21: Feliz Navidad The Remix (12/18/09)

Today we woke up early and left the condos around 8:15.
We dropped Camila off at her school to get ready for their Christmas program, then headed to a few places for Brent and Elsa´s house building project.
Brent dropped us off at Camila´s school to watch the program and then went to drop the truck off in Bahia.
The program didn´t start until 10 and we had to leave before Camila even performed. Everyone at the school (kids and teachers) were all dressed in ¨nice¨ normal clothes, rather then their usual uniforms. People, especially older women and teachers, dress a lot differently than I´ve ever noticed in Portland. Can you imagine coming to parent teacher night and having your 5th grade teacher wearing a sheer lace cleavage showing tank top with booty shorts and 4-6 in. heels?
We were supposed to take the smaller passenger boat to the truck and then drive to Manta to pick up Jack, but the ferry wasn´t running (because the tide was too low). So, we had the pleasure of driving an extra 30-45 minutes on an extra torn up road around the bay. Even with the road as confusing as it was, we made it to Manta a bit early.
We ate lunch on the beach and were harassed by several vendors. There was only seafood, but the fish I has was pretty good.
After lunch we went to the airport to pick up Jack. His flight was late and he was one of the last people off of the plane.
It turns out that he had a run in with the Ecuadorian security over some PVC glue he was bringing for Brent. They pulled him aside and did a little questioning and took his passport and boarding pass for a while. They wound up letting him on the plane without the glue.
Once we had Jack we went to KFC so he could have some lunch before our grocery shopping trip.
We went to the SuperMaxi to the toy store so Elsa and Brent could pick up a Christmas present for Camila. Then we went to the food part of the store and did our shopping. They didn´t have a lot of the random stuff I was looking for, but I won´t die without it.
After shopping we piled back in the truck and headed to the condos.
We made it back to Bahia in less than half the time it had taken to get to Manta. And made it in time for the ferry to San Vincente.
Once we were back we unloaded the truck and had snacks and scotch.
Margaret and Jack went to bed and I attempted to watch a movie (something about parting waves?) but it was very slow and strange (it reminded me a bit of ¨Dancer In The Dark¨). I watched half and went to sleep.

Day 22: Bahia/Letters? pt. 2 (12/19/09)

Today I woke up at 6, as per usual, then headed back to bed. Woke up at 8:30 or so and quickly decided to get up because they were working on the highway about 25-30 ft from my bedroom window. Margaret and Jack were up making breakfast so I joined them for some crepe/pancakes.
A little while after eating they decided to walk up the beach to Canoa. I watched the second half of the movie from the night before.
After the movie, I got ready to go, then ate some lunch. Just as I was grabbing my purse to leave, Camila came home. She wanted me to wait, then she would join me.
I waited while she showered and got ready. She showed me the dresses her oldest sister had sent from Sweden for her, then we waited for the bus.
There were a few other people waiting. A man, his wife and son (I think) were waiting. The man said something about being from L.A. and could speak perfect English, but with a heavy accent. They were pretty friendly, they asked if I was Canadian.
We took the ferry to Bahia and went to Tía to buy a couple things and break my $20.
We walked to the post office next, but it was closed, so we walked to an internet cafe. It was surprisingly nice and well kept inside. The most confusing part was the keyboard. To get an ¨@¨symbol you have to press Ctrl+Alt+2, because the normal shift+2=" the guy next to me explained it for me.
I emailed my mom to let her know that everything went pretty smoothly with Jack and to thank her for sending things with him for me.
After the internet cafe, we looked for shoes for Camila and then took the ferry back to San Vincente. In San Vincente we went back to the shop where I had seen a shirt I liked. I tried it on, but it didn´t fit, so we hopped a bus back to the condos.
I had told Camila I would go swimming, but once we got back I changed my mind. A short while later I ate some dinner with Margaret and Jack.
Jack took apart one of the ceiling fans that wasn´t working properly and tried to fix it. About 5 minutes later the power went out. He didn´t want to give up get so he was trying to reassemble it by candle and flashlight. He was forced to give up even after the power had come back on.
With the power back on I started reading one of the books my mom sent for me. ¨Throw Like A Girl¨is a book of short stories about different women. I´ve read two of the short stories so far. They´re easy to read, but not that engrossing.

Day 23: El Matal (Jama/Manantial) (12/29/09)

My favorite part of this weekly picnic is getting to talk to Elsa. Most of the time she is too busy with Brent and Camila (and the house building errands) to really have a conversation, but when we come for the picnic we always get to talk. Today, because the tide is low, we take our ¨treasure hunt¨walk first.
Elsa asked why I might not go to Quito with Margaret when Jack has to leave. I told her that I was hoping to stay in Cuenca and take some Spanish then maybe head to the Galapagos or Peru after. And that there is a chance that one of my friends might meet me in Central America for a week or two.
She said that when we get to Cuenca she´ll introduce me to a lawyer friend of hers that can help me figure out my Galapagos trip. She said that he is 28, gay, and really nice (my guess is that she knows him through her son Leo).
On our drive to El Matal that day she had called him and made reservations for us in Cuenca, so we´re all going for sure!
We walked for a lot longer that before. It was nice though. I think it was good for me because I´ve been pretty stagnant lately.
After walking we went to our usual leafy hut and ate sandwiches. Brent, Camila, and Brigit we swimming. I talked to Margaret and Elsa for a while and then did some reading.
I read for about an hour and then realized I had to pee really badly. So, I grabbed 25 cents and some toilet paper and headed for the baños we used last time. It was closed, so I walked back to ask if Elsa knew of another place, but she didn´t. I walked down the road a long ways, but didn´t see any other baños.
When I got back to the blanket Brent and Jack were back from wandering. They said that the guy who´d been kite boarding earlier let them use the bathroom at the shrimp lab across the street. So, I did the same.
When I got back they were about ready to leave so we loaded the truck and headed back towards the condos.
We stopped by the gas station for gas, water, ice cream and chips. Then we stopped by the cabaña ¨Margaritaville¨to pick up some chairs and empty beer crates.
When we got to the condos Camila, Brigit, me and Tasha (? the Russian kid) went swimming. I think we swam for about 2 hours.
It felt so good to take a proper shower after swimming (the water didn´t stop running 2 minutes into the shower).
Then I ate and got to go online. I guess when I emailed on Saturday I had accidentally sent the email to myself instead of my mom. So I resent an email to my mom and emailed my grandma.
I also got to talk to Natallie and Hana for a bit.
I went back to the condo and drank some wine and talked to Jack and Margaret for a while. When they both went to bed I watched ¨Wild At Heart.¨t was good. Nicholas Cage and Laura Dern (and a few others) were in it. It´s by David Lynch, who is kind of hit or miss for me, but I liked it.

Days 17-20

Day 17: Laser Lights (12/14/09)

I had a mosquito net on my bed last night! (Finally!! Thanks Elsa!) It was great. I didn´t acquire any new bites for the first night since being here. I didn´t sleep well though.
I tossed and turned all night. I probably actually slept 2 hours.
I got up at 9:45 and had breakfast and talked to Margaret. Brent and Elsa had left around 8:30 or 9 to run errands. Margaret and I had talked to them about going to San Vincente with them today, and both thought that when they left this morning it was for San Vincente without us.
Margaret got ready and went to Canoa to get a few things. About 15 minutes later Brent came back and asked if we still wanted to go to San Vincente with them. I told him that Margaret had already left for Canoa to get some of our groceries. He offered to pick up eggs, water, and Cauliflower for us (all the things Margaret can´t get in Canoa), I said that would be great and thanked him.
I would really like to do some swimming and walking, but the sun is SO strong today. Later in the afternoon some clouds rolled in and helped make the sun a little less intense.
I went to Brent and Elsa´s to see if I´d gotten any emails. I was disappointed to find only junk mail. I think when the power comes back on (it´s been out for nearly 4 hours now) I´ll check again and maybe try calling my sister.
When Camila got home from school we ate lunch, went swimming, played ball, played on the playground, and then sat on our butts.
Elsa and Brent finally got back around 4:45 from San Vincente. They had been looking for wood for the new house they´re going to build. They brought back more than just eggs, water, and cauliflower. They also bought bread, 2 milks, a whole cooked chicken, and fried green plantains. Between Margaret´s shopping and Brent´s we have plenty of bread, milk, and water for a while.
When the power does finally come back on, I need to do some laundry too.
I hope Gabe´s written today. I hate writing multiple messages in a row. I really need to only go online a few times a week, but we´ll see.
So, the power actually ended up being out for nearly 8 hours. We lit a candle and talked and had some drinks (Margaret and I). Around 8 or so Brent, Elsa, Camila, and Brigit´s family were outside near the pool playing with a couple of Brent´s laser pointers.
We joined them a short while later. I was enjoying the drinks and the power outage. I was thinking about our plans for while Jack is here. I was looking forward to whatever Gabe was sending and getting excited to be heading out of Canoa. We´re going to Cuenca for New Years, which I am really excited about.
When the power came back on I went and checked emails. Natallie had left me her phone number and address, which I was excited about and I got a quick message from Gabe.
After writing back I headed back to the apartment. I tried to go to bed. I was very restless though, so sleep didn´t happen for a long while. I tossed and turned all night, and woke up at 4 and tried reading to fall back to sleep, but it didn´t help. I finally fell asleep around 6.

Day 18: Nap All Day (12/15/09)

I woke up about 7 and then ever half hour after that til 8:30. I just layed in bed a while, but had given up on more sleep. Lack of sleep is making my anxiety a lot worse. I hope that taking Melatonin when Jack gets here will help (my mom is sending some with him).
So far today I´ve accomplished nothing.
I ate breakfast and watched a movie (¨Qué Tan Lejos¨my mom had gotten it from the library for me, but I hadn´t watched it before I left).
Margaret, Elsa, and Brent went to San Vincente. I was going to do some laundry, then take a walk, but the machine was in use (and had a bunch more loads lined up), so I hand washed my necessary items. The sun is too strong for a walk right now, so I am eating lunch instead.
I wanted to lay in a hammock to read a while, but there were people taking their siestas in them.
I did some reading in the condo and then tried to nap. I figure if I can fall asleep at any time of day I should take it.
I woke up just as the power came back on (a bit after 5). Margaret was swimming and watching the sunset. It was a really nice one today. Hardly any clouds and the sun was a magnificent burning red/orange.
I attempted to do laundry again, but the was still some lined up (and the machine was in use). So, I left my basket to try again in a couple hours.
Margaret and I watched most of ¨The Elephant Man¨and then Camila summoned us to dinner.
We had beef tacos. They were simple: seasoned ground beef, lettuce and salsa (Mango salsa that Elsa made).
After dinner we talked a while and Camila covered me in the leftover fabric from her angel costume (for her school´s Christmas program). Brent took a funny picture of the two of us, hope it makes it online.
Later, we went back and finished ¨The Elephant Man¨and I tried to watch a Pedro Almodovar movie, but it didn´t have subtitles and I had no idea what was going on.
Then I tried to sleep. It took a while, but I finally slept.

Day 19: Walking (12/16/09)

Woke up at 6, went back to sleep ´til 8:30. Got up, changed, made breakfast, started laundry, ate. So far I´m feeling relatively productive.
Talked with Margaret and was getting increasingly impatient trying to explain Skype to her.
Swapped my laundry, ate some lunch, more frustrating conversation, walk.
The tide was coming in, but I was hoping to go for a little ways before getting trapped. This time I walked towards San Vincente, because all the other times I´ve gone in the direction of Canoa. I didn´t wear shoes because they´re too difficult in the sand.
Just a little ways down the beach there was a sea turtle being eaten by several vultures (belly up). For a long while there wasn´t much else, just crabs and shells and garbage. I was listening to ¨What Is Soul?¨by Parliament Funkadelic. I had traded iPods with Brent a short while after getting here, but today I traded back. A little while later there was a small bird that looked like a stork, but was only about a foot tall. I took a picture. Later I ran into a group of them, varying in size (one was at least 3 times the size) and color (some white, some gray/brown).
Just past the birds was a ¨shrimp lab.¨It was fairly rundown (like a lot of things here) with roof tiles missing etc. I think it´s non-functioning, but I can´t be sure.
The shrimp labs are where they farm shrimp and also try to genetically modify them to be larger. Took a few pictures.
I walked until the water wouldn´t allow me to walk further. (Further? or farther?) I may have been able to find a way around but I wanted to make it back to the condo before getting stuck.
On the way back I tried to take pictures of the vultures eating the turtle, but they kept stopping each time I looked at them.
When I got back I sat on one of the beach stairs and wrote for a while. Camila surprised me. She asked me to swim then go to San Vincente with her. I agreed.
The power was out and there was no water, so I had to rinse with my water bottle. Swam for about an hour, then rinsed off in Elsa´s big water tub on her deck. The power/water were still out.
Elsa wouldn´t let Camila go to San Vincente until tomorrow because the bus wouldn´t be running for much longer today.
Dinner with Margaret. Attempted to check email/make calls, but the internet was down. Partial movie with Margaret. Attempt #2 for internet was successful. Got to talk to Gabe and Georgia for a bit. When did having a decent phone conversation become so difficult? It used to come so naturally when I was talking on the phone all the time, but now with texting etc., people never have actual conversations on the phone.
Finished a weird movie and watched a second. Now time to attempt to sleep.

Day 20: Letters? (12/17/09)

Slept ok. My objective for the day was to send a couple letters.
Camils had asked me to go to San Vincente after lunch, so I thought I would just hit Bahia before coming back.
We ended up leaving a bit later than expected (to head to San Vincente) so we didn´t have time for Bahia.
In San Vincente Camila and Brigit bought a few things to decorate for school (for Christmas). I bought a few more envelopes.
After going to ¨Globo¨(the place with envelopes, etc.) we walked around for a while. Camila asked if I wanted to look at swim suits, but I had already bought a second one last week.
We went in and looked around anyway. She bought a swim suit (they´re all $5, just about everywhere it seems) and I found a shirt I liked, but hadn´t brought enough money with me.
After that we walked through most of San Vincente and caught a bus back to the condos.
It was nearly dinner time, but the power was still out. It´s a good thing out stove top is gas. The water was still out too. Margaret and I ate and talked a while.
The power eventually came back on and I went to check if Brent was able to get an internet connection (since I promised to call a few people). No internet. So, I came back and watched ¨Cassandra´s Dream¨(it was a pretty good movie, by Woody Allen).
I went to bed pretty early because we have an early morning tomorrow.