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Hey guys, long time no write, I know. But I do believe I’ve already told my excuse, so let’s get right down to work.
Dad and Judy showed up here at my house on Wednesday afternoon, much to my relief. Turns out they’d been lost in Portoviejo for about an hour. I was thankful they got THAT far. Both of them were tired, but glad to be here, and we got them all settled down in my grandfather’s house (free is a better price than any hotel!) and then Dad and I ran down to Rotary, which was, oddly enough, celebrating Mother’s Day. Hm. There’s been odder things.
The next day, we went to school real quick so I could play some basketball. We had the Olympics that week, so it was all sports, all morning, not that I mind much. After that we went to Manta to spend a little time at the beach. It was a little unrealistic to me – After all, I’ve been ‘away’ from my family here for so long that it feels like this is my place, and then my family shows up! It was great, don’t get me wrong, but slightly disorienting. We left Manta around 6:00 after I’d been doing some hardcore translating. My host mom was quiet, perhaps because she’s not familiar with Dad and Judy and she doesn’t speak English. After that it was straight off to Guayaquil since we had a reservation for the night in the Oro Verde Hotel. The road was a little harrowing, since all along Jipijapa had been torn up and this being Ecuador, there was no signs warning this and Judy kept saying we were on the wrong road, but again, we made it in one piece.
Friday was a chill out day for me, and I mostly, ahem, watched Fox News. River came over briefly in the afternoon to talk with me and eat cheesecake, and we went out to eat lunch at a nice restaurant, although the ceviche wasn’t lemony enough. Hey, I’m a coast girl. When I want my ceviche, I want enough lime to knock out a cow. On Saturday kids started showing up, and I went with the Riobamba girls to Burger King for lunch and then it was over to the place we were staying with Rotary at two. We got to hang out for awhile, so a couple of us went down to the Malecon to walk around and eat McDonalds. The Flag Parade at the District Conference was at 5:00, although it started at 6:00, and then we all got to be antsy in our chairs for an hour. Then it was back to the Malecon for an official tour, and then we all stayed up much, much too late.
Okay, I have a confession to make. I’m not planning on going through every day of the Sierra Trip for you right here. One, I don’t remember the exact chain of events, two, some of the stuff we did frankly wasn’t very interesting, but I’ll see if I can at least get the chain of days in correct order. I love the Sierra with a passion. Not only is the weather exactly my type (COLD BABY) but it’s just so lovely up in the mountains. It’s a lovely rich green, everywhere. We walked along the streets of Cuenca alone at night, where the recent rain made the sidewalks shine, and chased llamas (not kidding) at a Inga temple site. We held live shrimp in our hands and snuck back into our correct gender rooms at four in the morning while surreptitiously hiding bottles (erm not me really), although Rotary didn’t care much anyways. I wandered around Otovalo for three hours with my best friend, the largest market in Ecuador at 10 by 10 blocks, and then I sat in a small café by myself for an hour eating a brownie, drinking hot chocolate, and reading a Neil Gaiman book (when they advertise delicious American food you go get it) while wrapped in a scarf and a sweater. We heard about the Llama Mama, no joke, and ate llama and ostrich meat, and saw incredible monuments to God in Quito. The best part of all of this? I was with people who like me very much, and I like them very much back. When we completed the Paseo Manabi, we all told each other not to worry, that we’d be seeing everyone again at the end of the year and that wasn’t such a long time. Now, we don’t have that certainty, and we’re sure that we will never be all in one place at the same time again like we are now. The world is simply too big.
Despite the looming event of our years winding down to an end, it was impossible NOT to have an amazing trip. I’m so glad I didn’t stay in the US when I went back in May, no matter how attractive it seemed, because I wouldn’t have missed this trip for the life of me. I only wish that we’d had more time to spend together. I swear I cried for a good hour, what with us saying goodbye for half an hour and then on the bus. I know there are lots of people that I will definitely see again because they’re simply too stubborn to just lurk back to their houses for eternity, but gosh darn it, why couldn’t I have been European!?! THE US IS TOO BIG AND I LIVE TOO FAR AWAY.
It’s been an odd week. When I got home on Sunday, it was to the discovery that Karen had jacked my room after she’d broken the AC and the bed in her room. “Well, Allison.” You say. “Where did you sleep?” Don’t laugh too hard, please – She made me sleep in the crib. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. It’s one of those big bed sized ones so the mom can sleep with her kid, but it was still kind of weird. Not to mention hot. You should’ve seen the look of incredulity on Monika’s face when I told her. Eh. Anyways, I finally got my room back, thank Jesus, after I was about ready to murder Karen since she’d been liberally making use of the room and the items contained in it. I still can’t find a couple things. Ketita, my host sister, arrived into Guayaquil at 11:00 at night on Wednesday, so they got here around 6:00 in the afternoon on Friday after spending time in Guayaquil. It was AMAZING. I love Ketty! She’s a closer fit to me than Karen is, and I get the feeling we’re going to get along just peachy. We went to the University last night (Friday that is) so Ketty could catch up with everyone, and I tagged along because we went out afterwards. We, um, got back to the house at 2:30… With Teresa (Karen’s best friend) and a guy named Antonino in tow, but they left at 4. It was a little odd. I was just so tired that I really wasn’t processing much, and it was a relief to fall into bed, although I had to sleep in Karen’s room again, thankfully NOT in the crib.
As for school, it’s been school like. All of the exchange kids have either left or just aren’t going to school anymore, so it’s just Jan, Oliver, and I, with Monika showing up infrequently and Florian even less frequently. Oliver’s not in my course, so Jan and I usually just end up talking for most of the day and after about half an hour, he starts giving me a bad time since his attention span seems to have decreased exponentially. Poor kid. He’s been having a tough time with his host mom, still – I’m a little worried for him, since I’m not sure what he’s going to do, but he’s not like me, despite the similarities in the situations (him with his host mom, me with my ex-host mom). He’s already talked to Fernando, his councilor, who declined to help, and I know he just won’t sit still. Jan’s got 17 days left, but it probably seems like the longest time in the world. Anyways.
We had Rotary last Wednesday as well, which served as the “SAY GOODBYE!” time for Cynthia, Lukas, Luke, Min Chia, and a letter from Leslie, since she already left. Jan, Juliette, and I get to do ours not this week, but next week, since this week is a Father’s Day celebration. Lukas was trying his best to leave the meeting early, since he was trying to surreptitiously catch the last bus to Quito with Florian, Marvin, and Oskar. Too bad he was so pushy, since it made Fernando suspicious, but luckily the kid apologized before he left. He should’ve played it cool. The next day the kids in my club went and ate ice cream at Pepe’s house with Fernando, who was still suspicious since Lukas didn’t show again, and then it was over to Luke’s house for another impromptu going away party. It’s really weird. I’ve already cried for people leaving, now there’s really nothing weird except a weird empty feeling or whatever. Another weird thing: Drinking with Rotarians. Ugh.
That’s all I got, folks. I’m hoping Ketty and Karen don’t want to go out again tonight – I was sleeping for most of today and it got me all disoriented. I don’t know where they are right now anyways. Next Friday my course from school is having a Traffic Light Party (haha, the name is actually in English on the invitations) so if you’re single you wear green, yellow is undecided, red is taken. Does this seem like a setup to anyone else? Do I have to go? There’s no internet for some reason right now, and my host parents get back tomorrow. I’m faulting only a couple weeks until I leave, as well. July 11th guys… Back in the US on the 12th.
Love you all lots. If you want more detail on the trip, just gimme a ring, although I doubt…
Chao!
(MUNDIAL GUYS!!!
By the way, apologies for the late post. Internet’s been spazzy…)
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