Okay, so the long-awaited "tour" of Ecuador has finally happened. I seized the day (or week rather) and decided to use some of my downtime to see the other volunteers and get a glimpse of the Ecuador outside of Imbabura.
I tried to be as logical as possible about my travel
route and wanted to spend as little time on buses as possible, so my first
stop was Portoviejo. I figured I could start there, swing by Machala, come
right back up through Cuenca and then home to Ibarra. (see map below)
Well, the plan to “spend as little time on buses as
possible” immediately went out the window as I spent a total of 13 hours on
three different buses just to get from Ibarra to Portoviejo. Seeing as Ecuador
is about the size of Colorado, I’m
not entirely sure why it took 13 hours. I’m guessing it had something to do
with the fact that we stopped every 30 minutes to allow people on and off the bus and the fact that the insanely windy roads meant that if we went over 50 MPH we would have tumbled off the
side of a cliff and that we had to wait while the driver stopped at
a small roadside café and sat down to a full course dinner. Just saying. So, after leaving my house at 6:30 that morning, I was greeted in Portoviejo at 9:00 that night by the
smiling faces of my two fellow volunteers, Dani and Tommy. Having survived on
empanadas and granola bars for the last 13 hours the only thing I wanted to do
was eat. Thankfully, Dani and Tommy knew the perfect little sandwich shop... and
so began my Portoviejo experience.
The following day Dani, Tommy, their respective beaus,
one of Tommy’s friends, and I all headed to Manta to visit La Playa de
Murcielago (literally, Bat Beach). The weather seemed to disagree with our
plans as a thick cloud cover followed us all the way from Portoviejo to the
beach. In spite of the clouds, though, the weather was warm and by the
afternoon the sun even made a brief appearance. We did the beach thing: laid
out in the “sun,” played a quick game of volleyball, waded in the waves, and
ate delicious seafood. As much as I love the mountains, there will always be a
place in my heart for the ocean.
Sunday was a bit of a chill day. We checked out the
shopping mall in Portoviejo (appropriately named “Shopping”) and ate lunch in
the food court. We don’t have a proper mall here in Ibarra so it was like
stepping into a little piece of America for a moment. After lunch, Dani and I spent the
afternoon at Parque Forrestal, a beautiful park complete with a lake,
playgrounds, and ice cream vendors. Oh, and giant lizards.
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| It's a bit fuzzy, but that is one (of several!) wild lizards that were roaming about the park |
Portoviejo doesn’t have much in the way of greenery, so
it was nice to be amidst a bit of nature for awhile. The only downside to the
whole experience was that the cab driver who took us back into the city tried
to give us the “gringa” price and upped the price a whole dollar. Thankfully,
Dani’s Spanish is much better than mine and she managed to force him back down
to $2. (I know you’re all sitting there shaking your heads and thinking, “it’s
just a dollar,” but it’s the principle!)
Monday morning it was back on the bus. This time to
Guayaquil and then on to Machala. The terminal at Guayaquil is enormous and I
literally had to ask for directions to find the correct bus line to purchase my
ticket. It was just like being at an international airport, complete with a
McDonalds.
The one thing I remember about the bus trip to Machala is the banana plantations. They literally went on for miles. At one point in the trip we spent almost a solid twenty minutes surrounded on both sides by nothing but thousands of banana trees.
Just like in Portoviejo, the Machala volunteers met me at the bus terminal and we spent the evening catching up. The next day was more of the same, lots of eating and talking. Apparently, eating is THE pasttime for the Machala volunteers. And they've got a pretty decent selection in Machala. It's much larger than Ibarra so there were significantly more options. And traffic. Outside of Quito, I don't think I've seen traffic since I've been here.
That evening I visited one of the local institutes to watch another volunteer, Katelyn, teach her evening class. I always enjoy observing other teachers at work--I love how each person's personality expresses itself through their teaching style.
The day was topped off perfectly with my first taste of "papipollo." I'd been hearing rave reviews of this particular food from the Machala volunteers since our mid-service conference so I was excited to try it for myself. It's basically French fries slathered in ketchup, mayo, mayo verde and a sizeable piece of fried chicken. Seeing as I'm a confirmed French fry addict, there was nothing not to love.
The weather still wasn't cooperating and I didn't see much of the sun during my two days in Machala. However, that didn't keep us from getting out to visit "The Port" on Wednesday, an area of the city located along the water. I got to indulge my seafood addiction again, this time with a dish called, sudado. It was more or less a seafood stew made with shrimp and mussels.
After lunch Elizabeth and I wandered through the one of the local markets which sold everything from puppies to fresh fish. It was crowded and dirty and smelly and completely unhygienic. My little gringa stomach immediately started roiling as I looked at the slabs of warm, uncovered meat for sale. (It didn't however keep me from purchasing a piece of dragonfruit to sample.)
Elizabeth had to teach that night, so I stayed in and joined in on the WorldTeach webinar that was being hosted for the new volunteers arriving in September. It hadn't really hit me until then that I'm halfway through my year here. Somewhere in the last six months, I've become the (somewhat) confident volunteer who can share my experiences with the wide-eyed and terrified newbies. Some days it seems like just yesterday that I was clinging sweaty-palmed to my conference chair wondering how on earth I was going to make it through the year without being robbed or express kidnapped.
I went to the bathroom and since there was still a long line of women after me I figured I had time to buy a quick snack in the convenience store. The woman in line in front of me was from the bus too so I knew I was still okay on time. I paid for my stuff and I walked to the door just in time to see the bus pulling out of the station onto the highway. It was like something out of a horrible nightmare. I immediately ran after it wildly waving my arms but it was already pulling onto the highway and I knew it wasn't going to stop. There aren't words to express how sick and terrified I felt! Somehow my stomach managed to have lodged in my throat and dropped to my feet at the same time. There I was, stranded in the middle of nowhere at a gas station and both of my bags were still on the bus!! There were several Ecuas at the station and they all just stared at me as I dazedly walked back to the convenience store.
Of course I immediately called Lee on the brink of a nervous breakdown. I seriously thought I was going to lose it right at that gas station. I could barely hold the phone i was shaking so much. Lee offered to call the bus station and see if she could get them to hold my bags at one of their offices in either Ambato or Quito and I asked the owners of the station if they could call me a cab to get back to Riobamba.
By the time I got to the bus station in Riobamba, Lee had called to tell me that the bus was going to leave my bags in Quito at their office. So I hopped on a direct bus to Quito. I wasn't going to get there until close to midnight and had no idea where I was going to stay or what I was going to do, but I didn't want to risk losing my bags.
Well, about five minutes into my trip, Lee calls to tell me that no actually my bags have been left in Ambato and I shouldn't go to Quito. I'm on a direct bus to Quito at this point, mind you. So Lee's like, give the phone to the drivers assistant and I'll explain that you need to get off in Ambato. Well, he refused to take the phone from me and talk to her. So I told Lee I'd try to work it out myself. When he came around to check my ticket I tried to explain my situation. Spanish is tricky enough as it is, but when you're near-hysterical, trying to make yourself understood is basically impossible. It didn't help that he was unfriendly either, but he did agree to let me off in Ambato. The only problem was that it was dark and I had no idea when we would arrive there and I wasn't sure if he would let me know once we had.
So I spent a long anxious hour peering out the foggy window hoping by some magical intuition I would know where we were. I finally asked the guy next to me if he could just let me know when we arrived. However, it turned out the driver's assistant announced the stop and even showed me where to get a taxi.
Lee had told me that my bags were waiting at the main bus terminal for me. But I saw a small Express Sucre (that was the bus company I was traveling with) office directly across the street from where the bus had let me off. On a hunch i decided to check for my bags there before heading all the way over to the terminal. And sure enough there they were! I almost broke down all over again out of sheer happiness. Lol
The one thing I remember about the bus trip to Machala is the banana plantations. They literally went on for miles. At one point in the trip we spent almost a solid twenty minutes surrounded on both sides by nothing but thousands of banana trees.
Just like in Portoviejo, the Machala volunteers met me at the bus terminal and we spent the evening catching up. The next day was more of the same, lots of eating and talking. Apparently, eating is THE pasttime for the Machala volunteers. And they've got a pretty decent selection in Machala. It's much larger than Ibarra so there were significantly more options. And traffic. Outside of Quito, I don't think I've seen traffic since I've been here.
That evening I visited one of the local institutes to watch another volunteer, Katelyn, teach her evening class. I always enjoy observing other teachers at work--I love how each person's personality expresses itself through their teaching style.
The day was topped off perfectly with my first taste of "papipollo." I'd been hearing rave reviews of this particular food from the Machala volunteers since our mid-service conference so I was excited to try it for myself. It's basically French fries slathered in ketchup, mayo, mayo verde and a sizeable piece of fried chicken. Seeing as I'm a confirmed French fry addict, there was nothing not to love.
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| Yes, it looks like a fried, greasy mess. But it tastes like heaven. |
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| Boats at "The Port" |
Elizabeth had to teach that night, so I stayed in and joined in on the WorldTeach webinar that was being hosted for the new volunteers arriving in September. It hadn't really hit me until then that I'm halfway through my year here. Somewhere in the last six months, I've become the (somewhat) confident volunteer who can share my experiences with the wide-eyed and terrified newbies. Some days it seems like just yesterday that I was clinging sweaty-palmed to my conference chair wondering how on earth I was going to make it through the year without being robbed or express kidnapped.
Thursday morning I was
on yet another bus, this time to Cuenca. At only four hours, it was my shortest
bus trip so far. In spite of the sun-soaked vistas that accompanied me along
the way, by the time I arrived in Cuenca I was greeted with more clouds and rain.
It was also freezing. So after a disappointing Mexican lunch at a restaurant
near my hostal, I decided to stay in for the evening and make good use of the
free internet. I also spent the time getting to know my roommate who was from
Holland and was backpacking around South America. (One of the terrific things
about hostals: the awesome people you get to meet!)
Katelyn met me in Cuenca
the next morning and seeing as there was sunshine (finally!), we decided the
best way to spend the day would be to take a walking tour of the city. I’m
still not sure how a city like Cuenca came to be in Ecuador. Ecuadorians
themselves will admit that Cuenca is unlike any other city here. It’s like
you’ve stepped out of Ecuador and been transported to some quaint European town
thousands of miles away. The architecture and landscaping is absolutely
beautiful. Cuenca is certainly a city made for leisurely wandering--which is
exactly what we did for eight hours. I don’t think there was a minute when my
camera wasn’t out. I love to take pictures of churches and there seemed to be
one on every street corner.
Cuenca is also a city
chock full of gringos. Apparently the European flair is a huge draw for retired
Americans who want to live well for cheap.
The next morning, after a delicious
breakfast at the hostal and a precious few more hours chatting with the Machala
girls, it was time to begin the first leg of my journey home. The distance from
Cuenca to Ibarra in a bus is about twelve hours. And after the grueling trip
from Ibarra to Portoviejo, I decided splitting it up over two days would be
best. I booked a hotel room in Ambato (seven hours from Cuenca) and would then
complete the next five hours to Ibarra the following day. If only things ever went as planned...
(Excerpt taken from an FB
message sent to the Machala girls after arriving in Ambato)
Sunday, August 18, 9:28am
Okay, so getting to
Ambato yesterday proved to be way more difficult than it should've been. It
started off bad enough since I was headed to Ambato but had no idea where to
get off since we weren't going to the terminal. And then I started to get a
little bus sick along the way (which never happens!). But anyways by the time I
had reached Riobamba I was starving and really had to go to the bathroom. I
didn't get off the bus once when I was headed to Portoviejo because I was
afraid the bus would leave me. But this time the bus stopped at a gas station
and nearly everyone got off so I knew I would be okay.
I went to the bathroom and since there was still a long line of women after me I figured I had time to buy a quick snack in the convenience store. The woman in line in front of me was from the bus too so I knew I was still okay on time. I paid for my stuff and I walked to the door just in time to see the bus pulling out of the station onto the highway. It was like something out of a horrible nightmare. I immediately ran after it wildly waving my arms but it was already pulling onto the highway and I knew it wasn't going to stop. There aren't words to express how sick and terrified I felt! Somehow my stomach managed to have lodged in my throat and dropped to my feet at the same time. There I was, stranded in the middle of nowhere at a gas station and both of my bags were still on the bus!! There were several Ecuas at the station and they all just stared at me as I dazedly walked back to the convenience store.
Of course I immediately called Lee on the brink of a nervous breakdown. I seriously thought I was going to lose it right at that gas station. I could barely hold the phone i was shaking so much. Lee offered to call the bus station and see if she could get them to hold my bags at one of their offices in either Ambato or Quito and I asked the owners of the station if they could call me a cab to get back to Riobamba.
By the time I got to the bus station in Riobamba, Lee had called to tell me that the bus was going to leave my bags in Quito at their office. So I hopped on a direct bus to Quito. I wasn't going to get there until close to midnight and had no idea where I was going to stay or what I was going to do, but I didn't want to risk losing my bags.
Well, about five minutes into my trip, Lee calls to tell me that no actually my bags have been left in Ambato and I shouldn't go to Quito. I'm on a direct bus to Quito at this point, mind you. So Lee's like, give the phone to the drivers assistant and I'll explain that you need to get off in Ambato. Well, he refused to take the phone from me and talk to her. So I told Lee I'd try to work it out myself. When he came around to check my ticket I tried to explain my situation. Spanish is tricky enough as it is, but when you're near-hysterical, trying to make yourself understood is basically impossible. It didn't help that he was unfriendly either, but he did agree to let me off in Ambato. The only problem was that it was dark and I had no idea when we would arrive there and I wasn't sure if he would let me know once we had.
So I spent a long anxious hour peering out the foggy window hoping by some magical intuition I would know where we were. I finally asked the guy next to me if he could just let me know when we arrived. However, it turned out the driver's assistant announced the stop and even showed me where to get a taxi.
Lee had told me that my bags were waiting at the main bus terminal for me. But I saw a small Express Sucre (that was the bus company I was traveling with) office directly across the street from where the bus had let me off. On a hunch i decided to check for my bags there before heading all the way over to the terminal. And sure enough there they were! I almost broke down all over again out of sheer happiness. Lol
From there I hailed a taxi to my hotel and
thankfully the rest of the night went smoothly after that...
So, yes, apparently I have a knack for getting left in random places by buses. Not good when you live in a country where that's the main source of transportation.
Thankfully, the bus ride to Ibarra the next morning was uneventful and I arrived home around 5:00pm on Sunday night.
Aside from my traumatic bus incident to cap off my vacation, I thoroughly enjoyed getting out to see more of my temporary homeland. Ecuador is a beautiful country with incredible natural diversity. From the sierra to the coast and back again, I passed through golden wheat fields, towering volcanoes, dusty, sage-brush strewn hills, and the ever-undulating coastline. Somehow within this little, Colorado-sized country, God managed to squeeze in just about everything.
Click here to check out pictures from the trip!
(I realize I still haven't put up a blog post for my trip to Esmeraldas, but it should be posted soon. My internet connection here at the house has been on the fritz so I've been blogging in spurts. But it is coming!)
Thankfully, the bus ride to Ibarra the next morning was uneventful and I arrived home around 5:00pm on Sunday night.
Aside from my traumatic bus incident to cap off my vacation, I thoroughly enjoyed getting out to see more of my temporary homeland. Ecuador is a beautiful country with incredible natural diversity. From the sierra to the coast and back again, I passed through golden wheat fields, towering volcanoes, dusty, sage-brush strewn hills, and the ever-undulating coastline. Somehow within this little, Colorado-sized country, God managed to squeeze in just about everything.
Click here to check out pictures from the trip!
(I realize I still haven't put up a blog post for my trip to Esmeraldas, but it should be posted soon. My internet connection here at the house has been on the fritz so I've been blogging in spurts. But it is coming!)
Somewhere in this post, I realized for the first time that you embarked on a journey to teach English in an all-spanish-speaking country (never having taught before really or knowing too much Spanish). Starting out in Ecuador for the first time must have been super exciting/overwhelming.
ReplyDelete*Bags on the bus leaving the gas station*
I would've died. Hahaha, man that has to be scary. I guess you learn something new everyday!
Good to hear you made it back home safely. I wanna sees pics of the banana fields. That sounds really cool. Oh yeah, and I was wondering about Cuenca. When you uploaded pics of it I was thinking "Did Amanda skip to Europe?". hahaha
"...if we went over 50 MPH we would have tumbled off the side of a cliff and that we had to wait while the driver stopped at a small roadside café and sat down to a full course dinner."
ReplyDeletehahahahahahahahahahahaha, this is like something out of a movie.
"Alright, well everyone hold tight *hitches up britches*, I'm gonna rustle me up some supper. *proceeds to grandiosely sit down at a dingy plastic table in the dirt to eat dinner* " lol lol lol
"(I know you’re all sitting there shaking your heads and thinking, “it’s just a dollar,” but it’s the principle!)"
*raises hand* I was definitely thinking that, hahahahahaha.
About the bus disaster, how the flip did you get left?? If there was a long line at the bathroom, how long were you in the store? Did the store have windows through which you could watch the bus? Cuz good grief! That sounds like one giant ball of confusion.
POBRE AMANDA!!! My getting lost/left behind stories are nothing compared to yours. Thankfully, you got home safely and still had a great trip even with all that bad weather.
ReplyDelete