I am going to start this blog post off with something Robin said to me: “monica, you could bend this world and make it get down on it's hands and knees and bark like a dog for you.”
That is exactly how I feel right now. I feel like some kind of queen after the way my life has been unfolding in such an incredible, peaceful way the past couple weeks. After Cuenca, I went to Baños which gets its name from the natural thermal baths. It was so gorgeous and I rented a bike. My first bike ride in six months and it was like 5 hours long! The bike also meant that I got to stop whenever I wanted to take pictures! I am getting pretty good at the self-timer. I met a guy who lived in a little town called Rio Verde and he showed me around the waterfalls and the city. I met so many incredible, helpful people! I feel so grateful when I can meet people to talk to in Spanish because invariably other foreigners will opt for English with me. Damn international language.
Actually, I retract. I was just thinking today that I should be really grateful I already know English, it’s extremely useful. That thought occured after a guy from Berlin approached me to talk about the Mumia Abu Jamal shirt and the Camille Rose Garcia tattoo. So awesome!
So yes… I highly suggest Baños just as it had been highly suggested to me. After Baños I took a bus to Guayaquil. Actually, first I hitchhiked to Riobamba! At this point I need to make a public apology to my parents for hitchhiking alone in South America. Sorry mom. Sorry dad. Sorry World Tourism Organization.
Immediately upon arrival in Guayaquil, I knew I was going to be so happy to leave the next morning. But don’t worry I didn’t forget to salute the four sets of glorious golden arches on the way from the bus terminal to the hotel. I left my stupid over-priced hotel briefly but it was already getting late and Guayaquil is known as the most dangerous city in Ecuador. So after enraging a man by accidentally calling him “señora” I retreated to my hotel room, sinking into a deep Seinfeld haze triggered by the level of discomfort I was feeling.
Finally I am at the beach and I went swimming in my familiar Pacific today and laid in the sun long enough to burn the parts of me that I forgot never see the sun. After being down here for so long I don’t have to wear sunscreen anymore on my face and arms so I forget about like… the back of my legs and other typically-shaded body parts. What? That wasn’t supposed to sound like I was at a nude beach. I really just mean the upper legs.
I met a lovely woman from Amsterdam and we shared a couple meals. Also, I just ordered a beer and the guy was like “no beer on Sundays. All of Ecuador doesn’t serve alcohol on Sunday” and now I feel guilty for disgracing their sacred native beer tradition. Actually there was a holiday going on in Baños when I was there and supposedly they also don’t serve alcohol on holidays but my recently acquired friends and I speak-easied long into the night anyway. Where there is a will, there is a way.
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