Yes, I am sitting in a “common room” at a hostel in Cuenca, Ecuador. It is day #3 of being a tourist and I have decided that I am pretty terrible at it but want to continue trying. I am in this historical city, full of gorgeous buildings and rivers and delicious restaurants, tours, I don’t know… mountain climbing, jungle treks, whatever else you are supposed to do as a tourist. And yet, I spent my day reading in a park and taking pictures of anarchist graffiti. I did attempt in the morning to visit tour places but I just stood outside and looked at the happy foreigners canoodling with happy indigenous folk and then I walked away. I started feeling a little anxious like “what am I doing here?, maybe I should consider cutting my trip shorter, etc. etc.” But then I read Eduardo Galeano in the park. You know, about the open veins of Latin America and what the conquests left behind. It was exactly what I would want to do in a historic city in Latin America! Robin said “uh, DUH” when I told her. Also, I talked with these women who run a women’s shelter for a while. I asked them about their lawyers and psychiatrists and everything and they gave me information to read.
There is so much that you find out traveling that no one could ever tell you. There are so many tour books and websites but the activity runs deeper than that. You know like what’s your bag system? Mine is a little backpack inside of a big backpack. And how do you prepare for the next city? I draw maps in my notebook! See, I just figured that one out today.
So I am getting on a bus to Baños tomorrow, which is a beautiful town operating almost solely for tourism! I know that going in but still everyone I talk to is always like “ohhh you have GOT to go to Baños” so I figure, why not? I am going to ride a bicycle which I have not done in six months. And I am going to go hiking and lay in the natural hot springs. Ok, so now I have a plan! Then from Baños I am going to go to Guayaquil and maybe meet up with a friend from Peru and then go north to Canoa. I met a couple women tonight who are going to “pick my brain” about Peru and tell me all about what to do in Ecuador.
Get it?? At the beginning of this post I complained about not understanding tourism and now I am forging my own path! Growth!
I just stopped writing this and had a really long conversation with this guy from Australia and he was surprised that I was from United States because I “have an accent.” Oops, now I feel like one of those people that goes to England for a month and speaks with an accent the rest of their lives. It wears off though. I just had it today because I have been speaking Spanish consistently for a few days. Now I am going to be hesitant to speak with my family or friends because I will embarrassed. Please don’t judge me.
No comments:
Post a Comment