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.
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.
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.
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