Last week was vacation week (much needed) and a group of us did the long haul down the coast to Puerto Lopez and Montanita and then south to Cuenca.
Puerto Lopez, a twelve-hour bus ride away from Quito, was
well worth the effort. It was a cute little fishing town, and we stayed in a
magical hostel. We met three other Americans, who ended up staying with us in
Cuenca, an Australian who our friend ran into later in Otavalo, and two Dutch
guys who we ran into again in Cuenca. Small, small world. The town itself was really sweet and it
was relaxing to spend a few days in the water, not worrying about independent studies or air pollution.
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| Sol Inn, where the magic happens |
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| On the beach! |
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| Happy waterbabies |
Montanita, our next stopping point, was less my style – very
touristy with a few too many dirty dreads…
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| Like this guy... |
BUT, I loved Cuenca. I love Cuenca so much more than Quito.
It is beautiful, with a river and bridges and lots of cute cafes and
restaurants. It is clean and the air isn’t as polluted as Quito. And, the best part, it
is safe to walk around in at night. Over the trip I realized how much I’ve
really missed being able to leave the house at night and feel safe. In Puerto
Lopez we went to the beach at midnight and danced in the water. In Cuenca we
could go to the plazas to listen to music and not have to worry about getting a
taxi home. Also, it was the city’s Festival weekend, so it didn’t hurt to have
concerts, parades, and shows and markets everywhere.
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| The streets lined with flags for the fiesta |
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| Sunny days by the riverside |
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| Street performances everywhere |
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| Swinging over the city |
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| Classy in Cuenca |
The only bad part of the trip is that I got sick (like usual) in Puerto Lopez . I have to tell my sick story because
with the other students our main topics of conversation include how much we
hate catcalling, where we want to travel, and our stomachs. I think my stomach
is becoming my new best frenemy because she betrays me so much.
So, my stomach story:
We went out to Isla de La Plata (Poor Man’s Galapagos) for a
day trip. Isla de La Plata is a good way to get a quick glimpse of what the
Galapagos might be like – and it’s full of blue-footed boobies! On the way
there somebody commented that the white rocks were really pretty and our guide
laughed and said, “Everything white is bird poop.” The island is COVERED in
bird poop.
Anyway, partway through our tour I got really sick. We were
halfway around the path when my stomach got angry with me and I knew the end
was near. Desperate, I went up to our guide (who looked very much like Crush
from Finding Nemo) and asked where I could go to the bathroom. He told me to go
off the trail somewhere and to watch out for blue-footed boobies because if I
stepped on their nest they’d be really pissed…
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| He does, doesn't he? |
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| The boobies and their nests |
So I went off into the underbrush, crushing it down and
getting an allergic reaction on my knees, and had to do my business. This for
someone who’s never really been “camping” before (if camping means you’re too
far away from a bathroom to use it…) but I laughed thinking about my own
addition to the bird poop covered island.
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| On the island of disaster |
Anyway, glad to be back in Quito, refreshed from break week
and ready to make the most of the next 5 weeks of the program!
Full disclosure: Almost none of these photos are mine. I'm not that talented!
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