Only 2 More Weeks

Well I had a really good trip this past weekend. This past weekend BJ and Andi Williamson were moving to their new home at Camp Pallatanga and I went with them to help them move in and paint the house. On Friday, Andi and I drove into Guayaquil to get some groceries for their house and also to pick up Bekah to bring her to Pallatanga (although she didn't know I was coming with Andi to pick her up). After this we returned to the camp and began to work. We worked all day more or less on Saturday and got almost all of their house painted. Then, we were going to finish up on Sunday morning and catch a bus to Guayaquil that evening but then we were reminded that this weekend was a holiday weekend so all the buses would be full. Therefore we had to leave early to try to catch a bus. There were actually two holidays this past week. They were Dia de los Muertos and La independencia del Cuenca (Day of the Dead and Cuenca's Independence day). The problem was the first one. Many indigenous people travel to their hometowns for Dia de los muertos and for this reason they all travel back on Sunday. We were actually refused trips by three buses because they were full....which is saying something in Ecuador if a bus is full! Finally Bekah and I caught a bus to Guayaquil that had space...which meant we were standing up on rough mountainous roads heading out of the Andes mountains. We stood for probably about two and a half to three hours before seats opened up for us. Then eventually two seats opened up side by side so we could sit together for the last 30 minutes or so of the trip. Needless to say we got to Guayaquil's crazy, confusing bus terminal at about 3:30ish. We then commenced to follow the masses hoping they would lead to the main building of the terminal so that we could buy my ticket to Quito. Needless to say, in Guayaquil, this consists of crossing a very, very large road, walking through a market type area, then eventually arriving at a room of probably 100 booths offering bus tickets. Luckily mine was right at the entrance so we bought my 8 dollar ticket and headed to the pickup point where Pastor Curtis was going to pick us up.

I then spent a lot of the evening just being with Bekah, talking about our wedding, planning some, checking email, fixing dinner (although my help was minimal) then going for a walk. It was a well needed day! Then they took me to Terminal Terristre at about 9:30ish and i wondered around trying to find the exit gate i needed. They apparently forgot that with about 30-50 buses leaving at once that they should print that on the ticket. I finally asked a guard and he told me where to go. Although I think he just told me something to get rid of me, needless to say it was right. Then I got to the gate...forgetting that even though I have a ticket I have to pay 10 cents to get to the bus...but it has to be a dime...nothing else. And for all the change I had I had no dimes so I finally got out two nickels and went to the gate to ask the guy if I could get through or where I could get change. He discretely pointed to his buddy who, after a brief conversation, opened the side gate and motioned for me to discretely put the 10 cents in his hand...so needless to say that is probably 10 cents that didn't make it to the terminal. But oh well, so things go sometimes.

Well I finally found my bus, got patted down and had my bags searched and then was allowed on the bus. I promptly dozed off once the bus went and was awakened by a police officer walking down the aisle. Everyone was getting off the bus and I assumed it was a police search, which it was. I got off the bus, showed a cop my copies of my passport and censo, was patted down again and had my bag searched again, then he more or less just walked away without saying anything to me. I bought some water from one of the kids selling it there at the police check and then got back on board. And headed home. Needless to say the rest was flawless, from getting to the Imbabura (bus line) office and catching a cab, to going to school and fighting the sleep off until now.

I know only have 2 weeks left here in Quito. Then I will be heading to Cuenca to settle in and to shadow the pastor around for a while. I'm really looking forward to it all. Your prayers are appreciated as I finish school and as I make the move to living alone in Cuenca. I hope that all is well in the states!!!