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.
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.
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.
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