A San Gabriel

Well today was another long day. We arose this morning at 4:30 so that we could leave for the town of San Gabriel by 5. We were on the road by then for our three hour trek to the north. We got on our way smoothly enough. We were riding along, and thanks to a generous cup of coffee I was awake enough to be snapping endless pictures out of the car window. Then the bad sign number one happened when BJ and Andi's son threw up in his car seat and partially on my leg. It wasn't too big of a deal but it was just the beginning of a long, tiring, and for him an unhappy day.

I personally enjoyed myself except for the fact that it is now 11:15ish and we just got back home from a trip that should have lasted until 2. See, the trip was for BJ and Andi to get their driver's licenses and this was their second trip to do so. The first time they were told (after driving 3 hours) that they had to have the embassy stamp a piece of paper saying that their licenses were in fact USA licenses. So we got to San Gabriel this morning and the fun began. They had to do this and that and jump through this hoop and sit and stay in order to please the Ecuadorians. Part of me understands that it's just their law, I mean if they came to the states wanting a license they would have to do the same thing here, but it was unreal. We were one of the first people in the office today and next to last to leave. They told us to leave at one point and come back at 3pm (this was probably 10ish) because the town doctor who does the eye exams was at the first day of school checking the kids out. So they suggested we go see "el bosque."

So we went but on the way we were thinking....oohhhh....wow....a forest. Never seen one of those before. But we got there and it was amazing. We didn't hike the entire trail because I was panting heavily from my first hike in the Andes (oh yeah...and it was freezing for a side note) and the ground was incredibly muddy. But the forest was thick. At parts it looked like jungle and the trees were unique. There was a sign saying the only other one like it was in Argentina. Whenever I get a chance to put pictures up I will.

But after that we decided to get the oil changed in the car since we weren't able to the night before (oh yeah...big side note..but after I blogged yesterday it turns out that Bekah and I got to see each other. We met at Terminal Terrestre, the main Quito bus stations. It's one of those places where everyone knows where it is but you aren't supposed to be there after dark.....so we met there after dark. But we each had our escorts of course. That's a fun story too of BJ and myself flagging down the night bus from Otavalo having to stand part way, sitting next to someones lunch...after they ate it...and then having to walk the last block to the bus station. But it was worth it) But back to the oil change. On the way our Ecuadorian Guide Francisco who was from this area decided to stop in on some old aquantances. So we stopped and prayed with them. Had a Bible study and some bread and coffee (the sweetest, as in sugar not amazingness, I've ever had). So we left there for the service place. And while the guy was changing the oil and we decided to go the unmarked restaurant that was attached to the service place. We go in and I had my first ever Almuerzo Tipico (Typical Lunch). They're not always the same but they always include soup and main course. Today was a beef potato soup, and mine had the large bone of a cow floating in it. It was ok. Then main course was beef on rice with some bean mixture that i can't remember the name of. It was mushy and even though it was brown all I could taste was cilantro. To drink was some very sweet, hot, oat mealy, thing that was ok but not a favorite. So my first almuerzo tipico was ok but nothing I'd scramble to get again. So lunch for four was 7.80 USD and the oil change (including a filter, we provided the oil) was 3 USD. That guy worked for almost an hour on the car and threw in a free car wash. He deserved so much more.

So after this we went back the the license place and waited...waited...waited...waited...waited...waited...waited...waited...waited...waited...waited....waited...waited.
You know it's bad when Ecuadorian with us is fed up with waiting. But long story short, they got their licenses, praise God. Then we headed back. We stopped in Otavalo for our dinner at a KFC which the fact that the serve chicken is the only commonality with the US version. Their meals come with either fries or rice and aforementioned brown mushy goop. And the chicken had a distinct Ecuadorian flavor. But I think the hardest thing I'll have to get used to is the fact that meals here are served with only one really small glass of drink. And I'm used to chugging 3-4 glasses of sweet tea per meal...now I'm having to sip a small cup of sweet, oat mealy type stuff (or Pepsi at the KFC). But the rest of the trip went well. We were stopped at a police check point and they asked who we were. They were told that we were American Evangelical Christian Missionaires and so we were asked to pull over and show paperwork. So we showed our Passports and all was well. I don't know if that's standard for foreigners or not. But I do know what it's like to the the one person in a group who doesn't know what's going on. Everyone in the car was fluent in Spanish except me. So I mostly just sat and picked up what I could. I talked with Francisco a couple of times but he had to help me understand what he was saying. But oh well....I'm tired. I've been up and going for a while and I'm tired. Thanks for all of your prayers.